#Definitely not writing it because I crave the hurt/comfort

[puppetmaster13u]

Just rotatin straight up feral xeno Bruce who still absolutely despises killing stuck in a lab sort of area in space.

Buddy stuck in a lab alone for a while, not even on a planet but up in space for like, most of his formative years. Growing slowly but steadily up constantly trying to call to a hive that isn't there because he's so far away from anything. Slowly learning and recognizing words and objects through both memories and trial and error while slowly becoming more humanoid. Slowly going from it to her to him as he learns more about himself and gains more individuality from just a number. And then he has his first escape attempt, which failed but spooked the people enough to transfer him to a planet lab early. A larger facility, one where he can learn faster than before, where there are other xenos even if they're kept far away from each other. He can feel them though, distant thoughts and feelings growing stronger by the week as he molts again and again. His second attempt at freedom, he looks more human than he ever has. Enough to trick the sensors into thinking he is one even if he visibly isn't. He doesn't escape that time either, but he's far too valuable to terminate. He's the sixth attempt in his series, one success in the hundredth of batches. But even restrained he continues to learn. Even through tests and experiments, he stays patient. There will be a third attempt at freedom. He knows it, the xenomorphs know it, the scientists know it. There's a nervousness now, with how human he looks. With how similar he looks to them yet not. A wolf in sheep's clothing, one they created with their own hubris, waiting silently on a chain that could break at any moment.

Yet his attempt is thwarted not by humans or androids or anything else, but himself. Then again it's hard not to stop within the labs where there are others like him, others who are smaller, fragile, young. He knows how to open them, has seen others done so. And he might not have succeeded at freedom this time, but he has found something equally important to him.

Okay I have started randomly thinking about the Aliens Vs Predator game (the 2010 one). Specifically the xenomorph campaign, along with xeno-batfam. Y'know, just slowly rotating it.

Just thinking of a what if scenario slash crossover y'know. I mean the vibes are there with xenomorph experiments and all that y'know. Just pondering on if Bruce never ended up on Earth per se

Heck maybe the JL don't even exist yet or something idk, just rotatin ideas rn lol

Here's a playthrough with no commentary on if anyone is curious, though do be warned for blood violence and death, y'know the usual for Alien lol

[cinnamorollcrybaby]

Doting

Tags: jjk men as dads, tooth-rotting fluff, comfort drabbles

Synopsis: How the JJK men treat you while pregnant (spoiler warning- they dote on you.)

An: This is my formal apology for writing Nanami angst on the “Baby’s first words” post 😔 it will never happen again (can we stop with the death threats now?)

SATORU • SUGURU • TOJI • SUKUNA • NANAMI

SATORU

Oh, your loving husband is all over you while you’re pregnant. He genuinely has such a cute fascination with all the changes your body is going through. He seriously thinks you’re so strong for carrying his heir.

He loves rubbing your bump. In fact, he will always be touching it in some form or fashion while you two are together. When he’s away on missions, he has you send him pictures and updates on your pregnancy as if anything major has changed in a couple of days.

You best believe he is ready to indulge you on your every craving, no matter how strange. It’s three a.m and you’re crying because you need that specific brand of chicken wings and a can of whip cream? He’s heading to the store immediately to fetch whatever you tell him to.

He genuinely worries about being a good dad. Many nights he lays his head on your bump and talks to you about how teaching didn’t come naturally to him. He wasn’t born knowing how to meet people where they’re at. He use to expect people to be able to meet him on his level. He worries that he may inadvertently put a lot of pressure on his kid, and that’s the last thing he wants due to how he was raised. He just wants his kid to be a kid.

He’s the best, most loving and compassionate dad to your baby, more than you could ever hope for. Even if teaching didn’t come to him naturally, being a father did.

SUGURU

He’s such a “sit down and let me do it for you” while you’re pregnant. He cooks, cleans, works, and tends to you completely throughout your pregnancy.

Suguru gets hyper fixated on your health during pregnancy. He only feeds you the yummiest and healthiest foods while you’re pregnant. He encourages for you to sit on the yoga ball and do (very) light exercises. He just wants the best for you and his baby.

Whenever I said he tends to you, I genuinely mean he tends to you. He’ll gently brush your hair at night time, rub your back when your belly is becoming heavy to carry around, serve your breakfast, lunch, and dinner in bed, carries around emesis bags and breath mints for if you get morning sickness while you two are out.

This man is the king of enforcing your boundaries to people when they don’t listen. That really annoying family member that insists on being there for the birth even though you’ve already explained to them that you want this to be an experience for just you and Geto? Yeah, he’s made it very clear to them that they will not be at the birth if they want to be in your kid’s life.

He is absolutely not afraid to hurt feelings if it means his wife and future child are safe and cared for. He really don’t give a fuck who anyone else is. You and his child are first priority.

TOJI

Toji is definitely the type to express his love and devotion for you in other ways than the most conventional methods.

He is so incredibly gentle while you’re pregnant. He doesn’t rile you up as much or play fight with you anymore. He constantly reminds himself that you’re carrying another life inside you and that you have enough on your plate.

This man… whew does he love seeing you pregnant. Toji’s the type of man to feel so feral when he looks at you heavily pregnant with his kid.

He adores your body. He’ll rub lotion all over you and oils to help your skin accommodate to the stretch of carrying a kid. He massages your body and absolutely worships it while he’s rubbing the lotion and oil on you.

Your breasts are sore? He’ll gently massage them until they feel better. Your back hurts? He’d be the type to lift your bump up and take the weight off you for as long as you ask him to so you can feel relaxed for a few minutes.

And look this is probably TMI but like, if you got a clogged milk duct due to breastfeeding, Toji would unfortunately be the type of man to fix that issue with his mouth. i’m sorry but he would.

Final thing is, you better believe that he doesn’t allow anyone to get too close to you. He is so unbelievably protective over you while you’re pregnant. If he could, he’d lock you up at home to prevent anyone from getting close to you.

SUKUNA

On the outside, he acts very nonchalant and unbothered by your pregnancy. On the inside, he is constantly plagued by the thought that your body may not be able to carry his heir. The thought of losing you or his child haunts him.

He will secretly observe and take notes on your body and how it is changing. If he catches you expressing any sort of short windedness, he will immediately send you off to bed rest. Though, you’re usually able to convince him to take you off of it by the next day.

The only servant he trusts to tend to you is Uraume. No one else in his court is allowed to be anywhere near you unless he gives specific instructions. Still, he hates leaving you in the care of Uraume. He trusts them, but he wants to be the one to take care of you.

He loves holding your body close to him at night. All four arms are wrapped around you and holding you closely. Since he doesn’t need much sleep, he will stay awake rubbing on your tummy all night long. One time, he felt the baby moving in your stomach while you were asleep. He was so intrigued that he woke you up and told you to “make them do it again”.

Now, he will randomly approach you at any given time while you’re heavily pregnant and hold his hand out so he can feel his baby moving around inside of you. It soothes his worry.

During birth, Sukuna was a complete mess. The amount of blood lost during birth fucking terrified him. He was panicking and yelling at anyone to do something to save you, even while everyone was assuring him that you’re okay and this was natural.

After 9 long excruciating months of extreme worry and constant fear, he finally feels peace when he’s cradling a newborn in his arm and a sleeping wife in the other arm. All of his hard work to protect you paid off he thinks.

NANAMI

Oh, to be pregnant by the king of domestic love himself.

Nanami is the type of man to immediately start working on a nursery for you as soon as you reveal to him that you’re pregnant. He immediately changes the guest bedroom into a nursery that you design for your little baby.

He reads up on all the parenting books and articles. He’s constantly compiling things to either do or to not do during pregnancy and even while raising a kid.

Like Geto, he tends to your every need. He is a total house husband all while working 40 hours a week. When he’s at work, he is constantly calling and texting you to make sure that you’re okay and taking care of yourself, but let’s be fr he literally did everything for you before he even left for work (meal prepped for you, set out your clothes for you, put out all your self care items in case you want to bathe).

When you express concerns of your body getting bigger to him, he does everything in his power to show you that he loves and respects your body for creating life. He literally cherishes and worships your body for hours if you let him.

Like Toji, Nanami is protective over you. He constantly has an arm around you if you two are in public, and he watches everyone who dares to get close to you like a hawk. If he gets a bad vibe about anyone, he’s immediately stepping in front of you and taking over the conversation.

Nanami is the best partner to have during birth. His reading of articles during your pregnancy really paid off. He is supportive without being overbearing. He listens to your needs and tends to you without question. Constant praise and encouragement while you’re giving birth. The moment he gets to snuggle with you and the baby is the moment he realizes that he cultivated the life of his dreams. He has the family he always wanted.

[dollzites]

⏦ﾟ♡︎ SEUNGHYUN (T.O.P) AS YOUR HUSBAND

୨ৎ pairing: husband!seunghyun x fem reader

୨ৎ genre: fluff! with mild sex talk

୨ৎ from myeong: hi!!! super duper excited to take this request since he’s been my love since I was a very young girl! have always looked up to him and I’m so happy to be writing for him!! and he’s back?! wooo!! please enjoy this! x

he’s going to be a very caring, attentive, and thoughtful husband. I don’t care what anyone else says about him, he’s going to be the bestest husband and do all that he can to make you happy.

is he perfect? nope. not even close to it and no one is perfect but what he does is try and he shows you that he cares and cares enough to work hard to keep the relationship as healthy as it can be.

sometimes isn’t clingy because he wants you to be the one to break first. he definitely enjoys watching you run to him for a hug, kiss, or something else.

shy!!!! he’s not shy all the time and likes to be the dominant one in the relationship of course and in a very non toxic way but when he does feel shy it’s the cutest thing you’ve ever seen a man do.

“what? you think this suit looks good on me? oh.. it’s what they told me to wear and honestly I wasn’t sure if it was too much.. but since you like it—”

he won’t finish because he’s looking down at the ground cheeks slightly pink from feeling a bit shy and embarrassed by how you keep staring at him and complimenting him. sounds weird for him hm? well! you’re just that special girl to him. I mean come on he married you!! he’s a different man now.

is very overly protective over you. will do all that he can to protect you and your relationship. since you are now a married couple he takes it to another level of wanting you and him protected as a couple.

“would you like to try this new dish with me? I can make it! or.. maybe.. we can cook it together?”

please cook with him because he secretly loves it and falls more in love with you watching how you cut up vegetables and the look on your pretty face when you’re concentrated and working. so cute

seunghyun is very obsessed with morning sex especially now as a married couple he just feels it’s needed and if you both don’t have time in the morning then expect before bedtime sex.

he loves trying new things with you. when he first brought up pulling hair.. it wasn’t yours. it was his. you pulled on his soft black locks and he felt this spark inside of him that he’s never felt before.

if it was a long night of sex he purposely gets up before you and makes you breakfast but not in bed since he’ll kindly drag you out of bed and have you sit at the table with him but you always end up sitting in his lap which he enjoys more of course.

“you’re such a pretty girl did you know that?”

“I.. love you a lot. thank you for loving me despite everything that I’ve been through. thank you.”

he’s a cautious husband and never wants you to feel hurt or anything close to that. he’ll do all that he can to make sure you’re happy, comfortable, and safe. he’s careful with his words especially when you two get into small arguments. he’s learned from the past on what not to do.

seunghyun is very emotional and he’s not afraid to show that with you. when he was younger it was a different story but he’s older now and has been through things that has shown him it’s okay to show such emotions. he trusts you as his wife and always cries in your arms if he desperately needs it.

expect movie nights with him!! which end in not watching the movie at all and just talking to each other about the weirdest topics or space of course.

will take so many pictures of you posing next to the moon specially the full moon since it’s his favorite! he finds it beautiful just like you. cries

nights in are his favorite but if you want to go out then he’ll do that for you. he’ll enjoy going on walks with you while eating ice cream his most favorite sweets. his free hand will hold yours tightly.

craves you in every way possible. he’ll need to kiss you often and stroke your hair or pull you closer to him and his larger frame. he enjoys how much shorter you are and constantly brings it up.

[izzyy-stuff]

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐎𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐃 - 𝐎𝐓𝟓

bf!txt x afab!reader

in which the txt members take care of you while you are on your period

wc 250-350 per member, 1.4k in total

warnings menstruation duh, cramps, established relationship, pet names, I try to not state which products are used most of the time but in Taehyun's reader uses pads

↪ izzy speaks... yes, I am on my period writing this and I hate it so I need myself someone like them

CHOI SOOBIN

he always tries to make your pain go away by staying close. You feel like just lying in bed because you're tired or in pain? cuddles. Your cramps are bad? He is your personal heater.

He will ALWAYS make sure you have everything you need

you need another blanket? It's already beside you. Craving your favorite snacks? He bought everything earlier that day.

When you first started dating he was PANICKING

Obviously, he knew menstruation was a thing but he never really needed to care until he got together with you

After the first time you got your period while staying over at his he started asking questions

How bad does it hurt? How often do you get it? What does ovulation have to do with anything?

And then he sat in silence the whole afternoon, just listening to your explanation and taking mental notes

“It's alright, Soobie. I am feeling a lot better now,” you assured him, watching him from the comfort of his bed. “Are you sure though? I can make you a cup of tea? Or maybe we can watch a film together?” He suggested, making you chuckle as you reached your hand to him. Your boyfriend smiled too, holding your hand as he stepped closer. “All I need is for you to lay beside me, yeah?” Soobin nodded, climbing onto the bed. His arms wrapped around your waist, his palm resting on your lower stomach. “I love you,” he whispered against the nape of your neck, placing soft kisses in the same spot. Your lips curved into a smile again, your hand resting on his. “I love you too, Soob.”

CHOI YEONJUN

he definitely knows your cycle by heart

he even has the same app you use to keep track of your period on his phone so he is prepared

His bathroom is STACKED with all the products you could possibly want to use

even though he knows your preferences, he likes to have other opinions ready in case you ever change your mind and want to use something new

He also has a few pads/tampons in his bag in case you would need any when you two are out

does literally anything you ask him for

He WILL run to the store to get you your favorite ice cream if you run out of the one you had at home

He likes to stay home with you when your period starts. No matter if you two spend the day lying in bed, watching a movie while eating ice cream, or if you want to clean the whole house, whatever it is, he will stay by your side

“I am going to run to the store real quick, I’ll be right back,” Yeonjun smiled as you finished your lunch. “Oh, really?” You looked up at him immediately, and he could swear he saw sparks in your eyes. “Can you get me-” “Some chocolate and fruits? I am on it,” he interrupted you, nodding. “If you need any pills while I am gone they are in the bathroom, yeah?” He reminded you as if you hadn’t been in his bathroom, looking for the same pills many times before. “I know,” you smiled back at him, standing up from the dining table. “Thank you,” you whispered, walking over to him and placing a kiss on his cheek. “For everything.” His smile grew even wider, stealing a kiss from you when you stepped back again, his hand on your hips. “No need, darling.”

CHOI BEOMGYU

He definitely says something like "Well, you know, I could take it away from you for nine months" when your period starts just to tease you

but when he sees you glare at him, lying in your bed in pain, he shuts up immediately

“Okay, I am just going to shut up now and run you a bath, yeah?”

Continuously asks you if you are okay or need anything, to the point it gets annoying

But he simply means the best and just wants to make sure you are doing fine because no matter how much he teases you, he loves you

He always tries to make you laugh and make you think about different things

He always makes sure you have enough water to drink,

Extra: you definitely made him try the period pain simulator just so he could see what you go through every month and after that, he had never even tried to tease you about your period

You sat on a chair in your boyfriend’s bathroom, in your pajamas now, your eyes closed as you finally relaxed. “Are you feeling any better?” Beomgyu asked, drying your hair. “A lot,” you hummed with a nod. “Thank you, Beom.” 

He shook his head, turning the hair dryer in his hands off. “I didn’t do anything,” he disagreed. Sure, he had run you a bath and helped you wash your hair, but every boyfriend did that, right? “I am just glad the shower helped. Do you still want me to give you some painkillers?” You opened your eyes again with a nod, “Yes, please.” He smiled, nodding back. “I'll be right back then.”

KANG TAEHYUN

Man studied for this day

I feel like similarly to Yeonjun, he is always prepared and knows everything he needs in advance

feels no shame in buying you products and doesn't mind doing so every month

surprises you with your favorite food and flowers to bring up your mood

he normally cooks meals for you, but during your period he is extra careful not to miss a single meal, no matter how busy he is

If you are free, he always asks you to visit him at work so you don't have to be home alone

completely understands if you don't want to join him in the gym or do any sports in general during your period

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” you panicked, covering your head in embarrassment. How could you just forget you were supposed to get your period today? The gym was the worst possible place it could show up too. Your panties covered with blood, with no sign of any sanitary products in your local gym’s bathroom wasn't the ideal situation. “Love, are you okay?” You heard your boyfriend’s voice behind the door, your eyes widening. “No,” you admitted. “I got it. Oh god, how could I be so stupid and not notice?” 

“Come on, you are not stupid. I should have some pads in my bag, I’ll be right back, yeah?” You sighed in relief. You had an amazing boyfriend, you reminded yourself once again. 

It didn’t take much longer for him to come back, knocking on your door before he opened them slightly, passing you the pad with his fresh pair of boxers he had for after the gym through the gap. “Thank you,” you mumbled, embarrassed. No matter how many times you had gotten your period, it always somehow felt embarrassing. “No need to thank me. I’ll be waiting outside, we can go home and have your favorite meal, what do you think?”

Before you could answer him, you heard a female scream, kicking your boyfriend out of the bathroom. Right, this was the women’s toilet, you remembered, a chuckle escaping your lips. 

HUENING KAI

Since he has two sisters I hope no one is surprised he KNOWS what to do

He notices every shift in your behavior

every turn you make in your bed, every frown you make from the pain, every change in your eyes. He sees it all and always knows exactly what you need, often before even you do. Before you can register your sudden cravings, he is already bringing you the exact snack you had in mind

he always lets you wear his clothes, but especially when you are on your period

He knows you feel comfortable and calm in his things so once you are on your period he gives you every piece of garment he owns to make you feel exactly that: comfortable and calm

“I wish I could go through it instead, I hate seeing you in pain,” type of guy

Just like Soobin, he always keeps you close, being your personal heater

cuddles, cuddles, and cuddles

“Come here,” Kai encouraged you, moving his gaming chair back so you could sit on his lap more easily. You smiled, walking over to him. You wrapped your arms around his waist as you rested your head on his shoulder, closing your eyes.

He caressed your back while he waited for his game to load, placing kisses on your neck. “Did the painkillers work?” You hummed a quiet “Not yet,” taking a peek at him. “Should I tell Soobin I have to go?” Kai wondered, not bothering to hide the sadness in his voice. You knew he felt sorry for you, but there was not much he could do about your cramps. “It’s fine,” you shook your head. “Keep playing, I am comfortable like this.” Your boyfriend gave your neck one last peck before moving his chair forward again, doing his best to focus on the game on his screen. Still, he couldn’t help it and constantly glanced at you, making sure you were doing okay.

⋆✶ izzy's tags @beomiracles @seoulzie @adel222 @inkigayocamman @flowzel @love-be0m @virgo-and-libra @hwanghyunjinismybae ✶⋆ want to get notified? join taglist here!

[crowlion]

They are deeply in love your honor

Part 2 of some of my Azutara headcanons below the cut

Part 1 here

• Katara's affection is so, so soft. Unbelievably, frustratingly so. Katara will braid Azula's hair and kiss her temples and play with her fingers like she's the most precious little meow meow in the world, and Azula doesn't really know what to do with all that tenderness. She doesn't reciprocate it much at first, if at all, because she's not really sure how to, but she eventually gets to a point where she stops pretending to hate it and starts to crave the smallest acts of affection very deeply.

• Azula has a hard time saying, so she often has to write stuff down when she feels a certain way about Katara that she can't readily express with words. And good gods is she Shakespearean levels of poetic without even meaning to be, especially when Katara is gone for long periods of time. We're talking, "It's so frustrating that when you're gone, the thought of you rattles around my chest like a storm, that I clutch onto my ribs and cling to the feeling as though I've never felt rain before. I miss you even when you're standing right here. I think even the worst parts of me would kneel just to wait for you."

• Azula finds respect in power, so she comes to develop a reverence for bloodbending. It makes Katara feel less guilty when she has to resort to it (which is rarely). There's this way Azula will look at her afterwards, too, like she's hungry, like she's going to devour her the second they get home. Azula considers bloodbending to be the waterbending equivalent of lightningbending.

• Azula is very muscular underneath all those sleeves. Katara will ask her to lift heavy things that she can definitely carry herself just to see her arms flex.

• Azula only cries in front of Zuko and Katara, though mostly the latter. She constantly wakes up from horrible nightmares and Katara is always there to comfort her through them. Most of the time Azula doesn't talk, because she hates being perceived when she's crying, even after years of dating her. Katara never pushes. She'll either sit there in silence with her and trace fingers through her hair, or tell Azula little stories about her life until she falls back asleep.

• Mentioned in part 1, but Katara has a fixation with Azula's hands. She knows they have the capability to be incredibly destructive, and yet when they're alone, Azula gets all touchy, and in the gentlest way too. Like, here are these hands that can produce lightning strong enough to kill dozens of men in a single blow, and yet the same fingers they belong to are absentmindedly drawing shapes along Katara's collarbones in soft exploration. Katara likes to study them. The way Azula's fingers flex, how precise she shapes them when she firebends, how they're so featherlight when they're touching her.

• Somewhat going off of that, Azula subconsciously thinks she might hurt her, so she's always incredibly delicate. This doesn't stop her from being very exploratory, though.

• Azula kind of likes losing to her, deep down, even though she'll never let Katara ultimately win a sparring match. She does find a thrill in the few moments Katara gains the upper hand, because it's only with Katara that she has ever felt safe in surrender.

• Katara finds an excuse to have her hands on Azula constantly. On her back, brushing strands of loose hair back into place, fixing the already perfect collar of Azula's uniform. It's such a normal thing for them that Azula feels out of place when Katara isn't touching her. She has that military walk where she marches around like she has places to be, but she makes it a point to slow down just so that Katara will put an arm around her waist and keep guiding her forward.

• Azula is pretty much exclusively physically affectionate with her when they're in private. Even so, she's quite excessive about it. She'll sit on Katara's lap when she really doesn't need to, lay on top of her chest to chest when she has an entire side of the bed available to her, lean in very close when Katara talks. Being next to her isn't enough, Azula wants to fuse Katara's very being with hers.

• Their rare sparring matches are mostly held to work out pent-up tension, which is especially common for Azula who still struggles with sorting through her emotions. But "sparring" devolves into panting, pinning, growling, accidental straddling, even more accidental kissing, more often than not.

• Katara says "I love you" often. Azula doesn't, but she does have her own way of showing Katara she loves her. She's kind of like a little magpie and will bring Katara things that either 1. remind her of Katara, 2. encompass something she thinks Katara might like, or 3. are as pretty as her. There's something to be said about Azula seeing the person she loves in everything around her.

• Going off of that, Katara's love is frustratingly stubborn. Katara will tell Azula she loves her in Azula's worst moments, like when she slips, or when she snaps at her, or when she gets cold, and distant, and horribly dry. Azula doesn't understand it until she just does, one day. It's unconditional love. Something she'd never really known until Katara showed it to her.

• Azula really likes being told she's doing a good job. She eats at Katara's praise like it's a meal.

• Azula usually starts out straddling her in bed but Katara almost always flips her around with zero warning and pins her down. Katara is quite... thorough, so she takes her sweet time undressing her and kissing every inch of her skin. Azula never outright admits to liking being the submissive one but her barely held back sounds say otherwise.

• Azula doesn't listen to anybody. In fact, she makes it a point to be as annoyingly defiant as possible. But... She does literally whatever Katara says without an ounce of hesitation. Even something as inconsequential as being handed a scroll? She has servants for that, unless Katara's the one asking. Then she just holds her hand out and takes it.

• Katara's darkness is quieter than Azula's, but no less brutal. Katara would never intentionally kill anybody, but she'd spill blood for Azula if she needed to.

• Too many people think their relationship is built on the fact that Katara "healed" Azula. That's not it at all, especially not for Katara. For her, she found someone who understood a part of her that no one else wanted to see, and what means even more to her is that Azula hadn't flinched when she saw it. She doesn't just feel loved, she feels seen.

[fairyhaos]

◈ right next to the heart // chwe hansol

vernon x gn!reader, 1.9k+ words

tags: requested by @weird-bookworm, non-idols au, established relationship, hurt/comfort

warnings: pet names (darling), food mention

notes: writing this made me realise that writing hurt comfort where yn is in the wrong is so rare,,, but this was so entertaining to write ^^

“You’ve been ignoring me all day.”

Hansol looks up at you from his bowl of dumplings and shrimp tempura that he’d been ready to devour before you’d spoken. Today is Chinese takeout day, and he’s been craving tempura for ages.

“Um.” He sets down his chopsticks, seeing the upset frown on your face. “No, I haven’t?”

It seems to be the wrong thing to say, because you frown even further, face scrunching up in annoyance. “Yes, you have. When was the last, actual conversation we had today?”

The question sounds rhetorical, but you’re staring at Hansol like he needs to give an actual answer, so he swallows unsurely, thinking back. 

It’s a Saturday, so both of you have been at home, doing nothing but having a chill day. That morning, however, you’d come up to him whilst he was lounging on the couch, informing him that you didn’t feel too well so you planned to lie in bed for most of the day.

“Okay,” Hansol had said, looking up at you worriedly. “Is everything alright?”

He’d sat up, reaching upwards to feel your forehead, but you’d shaken your head and waved his concern away.

“I’m fine. I’m not, like, sick. I just feel a bit down? So I’m going to stay in bed.”

Hansol had nodded at that, understanding. “Okay. Just let me know if you need anything.”

You’d promised you would, and that had been the last he’d seen of you.

That interaction seems to be the correct answer, so Hansol turns to you, blinking a little unsurely. “Uh, when you told me you wanted to stay in bed this morning? You weren’t feeling too good.”

“Oh, so you do remember,” you say, sounding both irritated and upset, and now Hansol is most definitely lost. “If you knew that I was having a bad day today, then why did you purposefully ignore me? Do you really care so little about me?”

Your words hit him like a punch to the throat, and Hansol feels so startlingly hurt by your statement that he can’t say anything back, mouth hanging open in shock, astounded.

His Chinese takeout is now completely forgotten, the mood souring so abruptly and he doesn’t feel like eating anymore. Not with the way you’re looking at him, with the words that you’d just uttered that leave him reeling. He never imagined that you'd say something like that to him.

You scoff as his mind stays completely blank, still in shock.

“You can’t even say anything in your defence, can you?” You roughly stand up from the dining table, chair scraping against the floor and storm off, all the way back to your room. The sound of you slamming the door echoes throughout the apartment.

Hansol still sits there, feeling confused and… very hurt. He doesn’t know what he did wrong. He doesn’t know how your mind jumped to the conclusion that he doesn’t care about you, which is so wrong on so many levels that he feels his heart squeezing painfully at the implication that he did something to make you think that way.

But the pain is kind of offset by the fact that Hansol doesn’t know what he did. Why are you acting like this?

He can’t very well get the answers he’s looking for by just sitting there and not talking to you, so he stands up too, and makes his way to your room.

“Y/N,” he says, knocking on your door. “Y/N, hey, talk to me. What are you talking about?”

“Go away,” is your muffled reply. It sounds like you’ve buried your face in the cushions. “I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Y/N,” Hansol repeats, “please talk to me. I’m sorry you feel like this, okay? But I don’t know why you’re upset. I need to know what I did wrong. Please open the door and talk to me.”

You stay silent.

Hansol sighs. He raps his knuckles against your door again, contemplating, before deciding to pull out his most effective tactic.

“Darling,” he says, very quietly. “Darling, please, can we talk about this?”

You love pet names. Love the corny affection of it, how it’s like a special name for your significant other. Hansol doesn’t really understand the appeal, because he prefers to say your name over anything else, but, well. He loves you. He’ll do anything to show that he loves you, always.

“Please open the door for me, darling.”

There’s a very long moment where he thinks you’re still refusing to budge, but then the doorknob turns very slowly, and you open the door a sliver.

Hansol puts his hand on the door, opening it just a little more so he can look at you properly, see your face better. You won’t look at him, head tilted down sullenly, but Hansol opens his mouth and begins to speak anyway.

“You said that I’ve been ignoring you. What makes you think that?”

He can see you clench teeth, jaw set tight. You still don’t look at him. 

“Why do you care?”

“I—” Hansol sighs, tired, and pushes open the door fully, before stepping into your room and dragging you over to sit down on the bed. “Why are you acting like this?” he asks, once both of you are seated. 

You’re still steadfastly refusing his gaze, so he brings a hand to your chin and forces your eyes upwards.

“Why?” he asks again. “What is making you think that I no longer care about you? You told me you were having a bad day, Y/N, so I let you stay in bed and relax. Why does that make you think I’ve been ignoring you?”

“Because you were!” you burst out, waving your hands angrily. At least you’re keeping eye contact, now, burning with upset. “I was having a bad day, and what did you do? Leave me to rot in my room all by myself! You left me alone, Hansol, and ignored me!”

Hansol blinks, dumbfounded. “You never asked me to stay with you,” he says back. “I told you to shout for me if you needed anything, but you didn’t, so I thought you were fine.”

You huff, irritated, like Hansol is the one acting unreasonably here, and he’s beginning to feel a little like he’s being wronged. 

“You’re my boyfriend,” you say, like it’s obvious. Your eyes look glassy. “You should know these things about me, and be there for me without me even asking!”

And then, like you’ve had enough of this conversation, you get up from the bed and storm out, again. Hansol rubs his eyes, feeling drained. He understands that you’ve been having a bad day, which is made obvious by how something as little as this is making you explode in his face.

He feels bad for you, of course, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel incredibly frustrated with the way you’re acting. None of this is his fault.

“Y/N,” he says despairingly, getting up to go look for you once more. “Y/N, come on, we really need to talk through this. You’re not being fair.”

“Just leave me alone,” you say, voice floating through the apartment from the living room, and he enters to find you sitting on the couch, hugging your knees. There are tears now running down your cheeks, eyes beginning to get all puffy, and you frown at him as he sits down next to you.

Hansol looks at you, and then looks away. He reaches over for the box of tissues kept on the coffee table, and hands one to you. You look down at it, before reaching over for the box and getting a tissue yourself.

He tries not to feel too slighted by the obvious snub, and folds up the tissue to put into his own pocket. And then he continues to sit there, observing you quietly as you blow your nose and rub at your eyes, still crying silently.

After a few minutes, you look over at him with puffy eyes. “What are you doing?”

He shrugs, a little meek. “I’m trying not to leave you alone.”

You give a watery huff, trying to scowl even as your lips tremble, and you look down at your knees once again. You’re not in a mood to talk—he’s accepted that. But he’ll just wait until you are.

───────────── 📼

It takes almost half an hour, but eventually you wipe your eyes for the last time, take a deep breath, and turn around on the couch to properly face him. Hansol immediately snaps to attention, turning his body to face you too.

“Sorry,” you mutter, sullenly. “I was being a brat.”

He sighs. “You were,” he admits, not unkindly. “I’m just your boyfriend, darling. Not a mind reader. There’s always going to be stuff that you need to tell me about, if you want something. I can’t automatically know things all the time.”

“Yeah, I know, I just—” You scrub your eyes, shoulders slumping. “I’ve been having a really bad day. It’s no excuse, I know,” you add, before he says anything, “but it’s been really, really bad, today.”

Hansol nods sympathetically, and reaches over to pat your hair. “I know. And I want you to tell me that, so I can help. We need to communicate this stuff to each other.”

“Okay. Yeah, okay. I should’ve told you instead of just blowing up all in your face like that,” you say, and your eyes flick up to look at him. “I’m sorry. I really, really am.”

You say it so quietly, no trace of any lingering anger or sulkiness in your tone, and Hansol kind of melts. He’s always been soft for you, and it’s evident now as he instantly opens his arms for a hug, letting you press up into him, face buried into his shoulder.

“It was really stupid of me to think that you’d just read my mind,” you say into the fabric of his t-shirt. “I’m so sorry, Hansol. And—god, I’m so sorry for saying that you don’t care about me. I know you do, so much, all the time, and I’m sorry for saying that. It’s not true, and I know it.”

“Hey, hey,” Hansol says, rubbing circles into your back to calm you down before you can work yourself up any more. “It’s okay. It’s okay, darling, I know.”

There comes sniffling sounds from below his chin. “I’m sorry.”

He smiles. “I know that too. And I forgive you.”

You sniff again. "You forgave me way too easily," you say, guiltily, words all blurred with remorse. "You always forgive people so easily."

He pats your back slowly, and he can't explain it, but his heart swells a little at your words. Something about the softness of your tone, the acceptance that you've done something to hurt him, the genuine guilt and also the love... You're essentially berating him for being too forgiving, but all he can think about is how much he loves you.

"Maybe," he says, as nonchalantly as he can with the affection blending into his voice. "But I still forgive you."

You make a soft noise at that, before burying yourself to hide further in the crook of Hansol’s neck, and he lets you.

“Hey,” you say after a moment, soft. “I love you.”

Hansol smiles, the genuine affection in your words saying more than what those mere eight letters can convey. He kisses the top of your head. 

“I love you too,” he returns, and pulls away a bit so he can see your face, tilting your head up so that you make eye contact. His eyes are focused on you, gentle and kind. “Let’s communicate with each other more about this stuff, yeah? I don’t want you to think that I don’t care about you again.”

There’s a moment where your eyes search his, darting back and forth before you smile, and lean back into his arms.

“Don’t worry. I already know.”

fics tags: @jeonginssa @weird-bookworm @minhui896 @slytherinshua @haowrld @belladaises @moonlitskiiies @mirxzii @zozojella @kawennote09 @a-wandering-stay @abibliolife @doublasting @wonranghaeee @icyminghao @sweet-like-caramel @your-yxnnie @odxrilove @kyeomyun @crackedpumpkin @jeonride @kellesvt @eightlightstar @onlyyjeonghan @aaniag @starshuas @raevyng @isabellah29 @hrts4hanniehae @mcu-incorrect @dokyeomkyeom @suraandsugar @haodore @tulsa24 @melodicrabbit

[kinopio-writes]

Hi! Would you be willing to write something for Adam with a sensitive reader?

Everyone knows that he is loud-mouthed jerk, even reader, and she loves him regardless, but one day he crosses the line and says something particularly mean that makes her cry. Like REAL mean. To the point that he pauses because he did not think before speaking (or, well, less than usual lol)

I'm happy with whatever format you feel like using! Thank you!

A/N: I will be more than delighted to write that for you. But would you excuse me for a moment? AHHHHHHDISJDIOEOFJSKXJND—I’m sorry; I love this idea so much. Reading ‘Adam with a sensitive reader’ got me hooked instantly. But I’ll go over that in the headcanons, along with the general stuff. And I’ll add a oneshot at the end that plays the exact scenario of Adam taking it too far.

Holy sh!t. I made it so that the reader being sensitive is their greatest but also weakest point and it turned out pretty angsty. Has a bit of hurt/comfort, though. Did I go overboard? Maybe. That’s why it took so long. Sorry, anon.

Words: 2,328 (edited)

Warnings: Sex is mentioned (only a bit, surprisingly), Angst, Adam being Adam

———

Adam w/ a Sensitive!Reader

• ha, this man is also sensitive himself

• well, sensitive about himself

• he feels his own emotions strongly, so he��s not the caring, easily able to pick up on other’s feelings and empathize type of sensitive

• you, on the other hand, are on the opposite end of the spectrum compared to Adam

• so you experience other people’s emotions just as strongly as yours

• you easily know what makes someone tick

• you’re selfless

• you’re able to admit your mistakes and apologize

• you’re respectful and actively listen to people when they talk about themselves

• you don’t push people down to make yourself seem better

• you try to make everyone feel good and comfortable

• you’re everything he isn’t

• because you fit in Heaven perfectly

• you deserve to be there

• and Adam knows that he doesn’t belong (subconsciously at least)

• you’re able to draw people in just for being yourself

• and he’s envious of it

• so he demeans you and is snarky about everything you do, and every time people give you praise or affection, he tries to divert the attention to himself or just stares at you with utter hatred from afar

• although all of that is just when he hasn’t even had a conversation with you

• after a while of being around you, he’ll cling to you because you give him the reassurance and validation he oh-so craves (he acts as if he didn’t hate you before. What do you mean? You two were always buddy-buddy!)

• you acknowledge all of the things he puts his worth to

• heck, you hang out with him—you sometimes even initiate it—willingly, and you’re genuinely interested in everything he has to say

• but he‘ll only hang out with you where no one recognizes you (so you don’t get all the attention)

• terrible transition here, but he notices that you mimic people’s expressions often

• he definitely makes fun of you for it

• and also mocks you

• up until he realizes that you do the same thing to him, too

• which is fine and all, if only you didn’t do that when he’s upset

• well, you mimic him when he’s joyous as well, but he (already subconsciously) expects you to. I mean, why wouldn’t you? He’s fucking hilarious!

• so you copying his negative emotions just stands out more

• and he…doesn’t like it

• that’s only really what he doesn’t like about you

• and the fact that you hog all the attention

• and the fact that people see you as perfect…

• buuut what happens when he gets to see a new side of you that isn’t exactly upholding that image?

———

Your phone lit up from your bedside table, brightening your otherwise dark room along with the soft glow of your halo. You only moved your eyes to the light, not wanting your tears to spill and dampen your pillows.

You had an inkling as to who was texting you this late—if the fact that your phone lighting up several times in the span of 5 minutes had anything to say.

When the texts stopped pouring in after a few seconds, you heavily sighed, wings ruffling. You resisted the urge to rub your face as you went to grab your phone.

HEY (2:34) HEY (2:34) HEY (2:34) ARE YOU UP? (2:35) I’M BORED (2:35) GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE (2:36) IF YOU’RE UP (2:37) ARE YOU? (2:38) DID I TELL YOU THAT BITCH WITH THE HUGE TITS GOT FIRED TODAY? (2:39)

Figured. Of course, it was Adam. He was the only person you knew who’d be awake at this ungodly hour. And the only person you knew who’d disturb your peace if it meant curing anything that ailed him. Which was now about boredom, it seemed.

You read a few of his texts displayed on your lock screen before tapping one of the notifications and opening the app, scanning the rest of the unread messages.

Adam was going on about ‘that bitch with the huge tits’—her name was Tiffany, you were sure—and how she was rumored to have slept with an archangel to assume higher authority. He also went on to complain about how he didn’t have the chance to bed her anymore since she was basically deemed an outcast and that he couldn’t be seen with someone like her.

You frowned, not believing any of it, but you didn’t have time to think about it enough when he began typing again.

SO YOU’RE AWAKE (2:43)

You barely finished reading the new message when another one popped up.

DON’T IGNORE ME BITCH (2:43)

You frowned deeper, quick to type out a reply.

i’m not (2:43) i was just reading your texts (2:43) don’t worry (2:43) i’ll be there soon (2:44)

When he stopped typing, you placed your phone back on the nightstand, sitting up on your bed as you carefully wiped away your teary eyes. You hugged yourself for a moment, wings functioning as a cocoon while a hand tugged on your hair.

Today had been draining—both mentally and emotionally. Just like the day before, and the day before that. But you didn’t want to think about it, lest you start to cry some more and smear your face with tears this time. What mattered was that everyone was back on their feet again.

Since you didn’t bother changing into your sleepwear when you got home, you only checked your face in the mirror to see if your eyes were puffy or not. You then took in deep breaths, holding up your drooping wings before putting up a charming smile.

You couldn’t stay in the bathroom for long, quickly leaving to tread the path to Adam’s.

•••

“BOO!” Adam’s masked face suddenly peeked from the corner of his hallway, earning an indescribable scream from you as you jerked back. He burst out laughing, brows creased in confusion but also amusement. He couldn’t even make fun of you for getting scared. “What the—what the fuck was that scream?”

Recovering rather quickly as you blinked, you only smiled at him. You were expecting him to wait for you on his couch as his front door was left unlocked, but you weren’t complaining; his action took away any drowsiness you just had.

When Adam didn’t hear you laugh with him, his laughter subsided as he opened his eyes to look at your face. He raised his brows and placed the back of his hands on his hips. “What’s up with you?”

Shit. There was no way Adam was seeing through you.

“Nothing; I just love hearing you laugh.” You heard a tiny squeak in response. “Anyway, what did you make me come over for? Surely not just to scare me.” You moved past Adam and tightly crossed your arms, entering his spacious living room.

“Pshh, fuck no. You’re so easy to spook. Though that was a first. Didn’t know you could hit high notes, (Name).”

You didn’t know what to say to his…compliment? And sort of insult? Was it really either of them? Should you thank him? But in a sarcastic way? No, you weren’t known for being sarcastic, so he might think you were being genuine and look at you weirdly. And it would also seem highly egotistical.

Not as if Adam had much to say about that…

You tugged at your hair when you caught yourself with those thoughts. Shit, that’s so rude! You can’t think that! You shouldn’t think that!

You settled on an awkward chuckle, making yourself appear smaller as you averted your eyes to his TV space.

It was different, certainly. The modular couch pieces were rearranged into a pit sectional. And it looked as though he had chucked a bunch of pillows and one large blanket as an afterthought. It appeared messy, but at least it looked cozy.

“What’s this?”

“Hm? Oh, well, since you were taking your sweet ass time coming here, I thought to switch things up a bit.” You flinched when his head appeared right on your shoulder. “What’d ya think?”

“It looks super comfy.” Adam wore a goofy grin behind you as you walked closer to the area and noticed that he already prepared snacks on the low table. “Is this a way to say you wanna do a movie marathon?”

“You know it, baby.” He flew past you and landed on the sofa, patting the space beside him with a smile you just couldn’t reject.

•••

Heaven’s natural light beginning to peek through the open windows indicated that it was already dawn. Thank goodness you didn’t have work today.

You two—or rather, Adam—had settled on watching the film series, Die Hard. Every single one. You didn’t mind, but you didn’t understand why Adam invited you over if you two were just going to rewatch the film series for the eighth time.

He had also been pretty immersed in the large screen in front of him, so he hadn’t attempted to converse with you ever since the first movie started. In all honesty, he could have just watched them all by himself.

But you didn’t question it. This time was the same as the last seven, after all. You always concluded that maybe he just wanted someone to watch movies with, no talking necessary. Even if the no-talking part sounded a bit out of character.

Was it though? Because he did that quite often. For instance, he constantly brought you along to whatever mundane errands he had to do during the weekdays and never really talked with you unless he found something cool and pointed it out.

Although, the earlier times you tagged along with him on his errands, he kept yapping his mouth off about the ‘totally awesome’ things he does. He talked about music, his own albums, his band, women, sex, and himself as the first-ever man.

As time went on, however, the talking was replaced with silence. You wondered if he just ran out of things to say or if he found it unnecessary to talk anymore.

You also sometimes wondered what was going through his head when he thought you didn’t see him glancing at you while he was doing something he believed was boring.

The sound of Adam’s stomach rumbling broke you out of your train of thought.

You both looked at each other blankly as if either of you were to blame.

He blinked to break the eye contact between you. “(Name), I’m hungry.”

You snorted, facing ahead. “You ate all of our snacks before the first movie even finished.”

“Don’t blame me.” He hugged the pillow he held tighter. “I’m still fuckin’ hungry, though.”

You hummed as you reached for your pocket. “Do you want me to—oh. I…I forgot my phone.” You frowned. You never forget to bring your belongings.

Adam merely stared at you, unblinking.

You averted your eyes and held your legs tighter. “Uhm, We could get delivery if you want. Can you lend me your phone?”

“Oh, yeah, sure.” He casually tossed you the device before laying on his back and looking up at you. “I’m down for anything.”

His phone hit your knee before you could catch it, silently landing on the cushions. “Are you sure?” You picked it up, opened his unlocked phone, and stared at his basic home screen.

He didn’t really use his phone that often to know that it could be changed. He only really used it to fetch one-night stands or occasional dates, text, play music aloud, look at outdated memes, take random blurry photos, and right now, order delivery.

“Totally.” His crow’s feet displayed on his mask as he puffed out his cheeks.

“Because last time you said that, you didn’t like what I had to pick.”

“That’s because the 5 ʼn 2 is so fucking overrated!” he suddenly started to complain. Your wings ruffled. “Jeez, I swear, every fuckin’ time I take a chick out and ask her what her favorite eatery is, basic bitches always go, ‘Oh, bREaD & fIsH, ceRTAinLy’ or ‘bReAD & FiSh’S a cLAsSIC’” He used his hand as a puppet to imitate their words before waving it. “Like, helloooo? Can’t you see the joint that’s literally on the other side of the street’s a hundred times superior? It’s cheaper, too, unlike Bread & Fish. Overpriced ass. You get me, right—?”

“Then you pick!” Adam jumped at your volume, and your eyes widened upon noticing yourself. You quickly gave back his phone as you turned your face away from him, and he slowly took it with a weird look.

“Shit, chill, (Name). The fuck’s up your ass?” He kept his gaze on you before turning to his phone.

While he was serious about his opinions of your bland tastes, he didn’t think it was that personal. Your preferences were the same as everyone else and that was boring. He was just being honest. And you usually didn’t take the things he said that seriously.

“Adam, I’m sorry,” you spoke up after a moment of silence and ran a hand through your hair. “I didn’t mean to yell at you.”

“ʼs not a problem.” He was still a bit weirded out, but he was willing to shrug it off.

You insisted, however, “I mean it. I’m not mad at you.”

“Okay���?” he muttered when he saw a notification pop up from Lute. Her message consisted of how some of the exterminators got into a quarrel during roll call and the ones involved got injured in the process. She said she was going to discipline them.

Adam did not want to know what she meant by that and was most likely not going to stop by their place today.

“Really. I’m not. Sorry. It’s just that yesterday’s been…”

“Uh-huh…” At this point, Adam was not listening to anything you were saying. But when he still heard the static noise that was your words, he groaned. “Look, sweetie, I really don’t give a fuckin��� shit about your fuckin’ apology, ʼkay? I don’t fuckin’ care. Now what do you want?”

You saw Adam’s confused yet concerned expression after he looked up from his phone and immediately noticed that you were starting to cry. You instantly turned your face away as you carefully wiped your eyes.

“Sorry. Sorry. I’m not crying because of you.” You didn’t know if that was true. You didn’t know if you were crying because of his words or were crying because of everything else.

That was the first time he ever used a sweet petname for you in a long time. He only ever used that to demean or mock other people.

Shit. Stop thinking—you were going to cry more. But even after carefully wiping your eyes away, new tears kept flowing. You couldn’t stop. This was humiliating. You wanted to disappear. You didn’t want anyone to witness you in this state. It was mortifying.

“Shit.” Adam’s voice came out panicky as he held his hands out towards you, but he hesitated. Hesitated in what, he didn’t even know.

He…didn’t think you could cry.

Adam didn’t know what to do; this emotional shit wasn’t his thing. He couldn’t ask you to leave, he knew that much, but he didn’t want to leave himself. This was his place. Why should he leave?

So, he did the only thing he could do in this situation.

You suddenly felt something warm envelop you.

You didn’t look up, but you knew it was Adam. You could feel the texture of his robe on your hands and the side of your face. You could feel his hands on your shoulder blade, but you couldn’t quite feel his arms on you.

You stopped wiping your eyes for a moment.

No one had ever hugged you before when you were sad.

No one had ever let you be sad.

Adam heard you sob.

Fucking great. He made it worse. What the fuck was he supposed to do then?

But when he went to unwrap his arms, he felt yours slip around his midsection, pulling him closer than before as he grunted from your firm hold.

So you wanted to be hugged? Alright. Whatever.

Adam slowly hugged you back after you muttered a ‘sorry’ and loosened your grip.

The next seconds were silent, so when he heard muffled words coming from you, he looked down. You also looked up moments later when he didn’t respond, realizing he must’ve not heard you.

Your gaze softened as you two held eye contact, and with teary eyes, you smiled. “Thank you, Adam.”

Something about his expression changed, but before you could stare any longer, you felt a hand behind your head push you back to his chest as the arm on your back held you tight.

“Yeah, whatever…”

[cyberluvzu]

Toby angst (kind of)

.・。.・゜✭・

Toby has extreme attachment issues. I'm talking will not leave you alone at all and to a certain extent it maybe (definitely) is unhealthy.

He'd be like this to his friends and partner. With his friends it's more of an "I don't want to share my favorite people" kind of feeling and he gets jealous quickly. If he's not too upset about it and is on the lower scale of the jealousy meter then he'd probably feel upset and try to forget about it after a while so he no longer feels that way. He'd might also slip in a sassy remark or just pure shade at the person or people his friend is hanging out with.

With his partner it's different, more obsessive and overprotective. He doesn't want you to leave him, he needs you with him. You don't respond to a text? He's completely freaking out and wondering if you're ignoring him or if you're losing feelings. He'd completely flip the fuck out but not express it to you in an angry way because he doesn't want you to feel bad. Of course something will slip out and he'd somehow blab or accidentally make a snide comment. It gets especially bad if you're hanging out with friends and not paying attention to him at all. He instantly goes to "am I not good enough" and "do I need to do more for them?".

He feels unwanted to an extent. He feels like you'd rather be with them instead of him and it makes him violently upset. However he can't quite put it into words so he just sits there and wallows in the mix of overwhelming sadness, anxiety, and anger. He doesn't want to tell you how he feels because when he does share his emotions he feels embarrassed to a certain extent, partly because of how horribly he was treated as a child, and partly because he has trouble communicating his feelings.

He can't quite put it into words, of course he wants you and loves you dearly, but he feels hurt and irrational. He wants you and only you, but he also wants to push you and everyone he knows away so he can sit and stay in this sad state of mind. He craves you and your comfort but refuses to ask for it.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

A/N: Sorry for not posting, life has been FUCKING ME SIDEWAYS. Also this was like lwk a vent post because I am going THROUGH IT RN and feel like crap. I will probably be here more because writing helps me cope :)

[fanbasetwo]

✦ ZB1 HYUNG LINE TAKING CARE OF THEIR GIRLFRIEND WHILE SHE'S ON HER PERIODS!

001. PAIRING , zb1 hyung line ! afab reader

002. GENRE , scenario, reactions

NOTE FROM SENA , definitely not on my periods as I write this but I'll be getting back at the asks in my inbox soon (if you want to send asks—please be more specific about what you'd like to read) 🤍 MASTERLIST!!

KIM JIWOONG . . . ✦

Jiwoong was the perfect example of husband material—a genuine sweetheart full of thoughtfulness. He kept track of your cycle on his calendar, always anticipating your cravings and mood swings. This time, he had really gone all out, bringing home enough snacks to feed a small army: chips, cookies, and every flavor of ice cream you could think of. “Why so much?” you asked, chuckling at the mountain of goodies. “I didn’t want to take any chances,” he said, his expression serious. “You’re basically a gremlin right now, and I’m not risking it.” You laughed, playfully hitting his arm, but your heart was full. Jiwoong’s way of showing love was a bit chaotic, but it was endlessly charming. Later, you found yourself sitting on his lap, holding onto him like a koala. He gently stroked your hair, his lips brushing against your forehead as he murmured, “I’ve got you, love. Just sleep now.” The cramps were still there, but in his arms, they faded away.

ZHANG HAO . . . ✦

You loved Zhang Hao with all your heart, but sometimes his ideas left you questioning his methods. While your friends gushed about boyfriends showering them with kisses and cuddles during their periods, you were here—doing period stretches. “Hao… it’s not gonna work,” you groaned, clutching your stomach. But he was determined, armed with wisdom from some dubious online video. “Trust me,” he said, bending into what he claimed was the “ultimate cramp-relief pose.” You refused, of course, but Hao was relentless. “It’s simple! Just do it like this—” He stretched with exaggerated enthusiasm, only to pull a muscle halfway through. “OW! OW! MY LEG!” he yelped, flopping onto the floor dramatically, clutching his hamstring. You burst out laughing, your cramps momentarily forgotten as you watched him writhe, more injured in spirit than body. Maybe the stretches didn’t help, but his antics were the best medicine.

SUNG HANBIN . . . ✦

You still couldn’t believe how you ended up with Hanbin—a boyfriend straight out of a romantic comedy. Just look at the living room. Your usually messy space had transformed into a cozy haven filled with soft pillows, twinkling fairy lights, and a fortress of snacks and water bottles. He had even mastered the art of blanket fort construction. A true artist. “Babe, come on, you’ve turned into a slug,” Hanbin joked, crouching into the fort with a plate of steaming tteokbokki—your ultimate comfort food for those tough days. The rich, spicy scent made your stomach rumble. You stretched, letting out a lazy, satisfied yawn, and sat up, cradling the plate like it was a precious gem. “You’re spoiling me,” you mumbled between bites, the fiery sauce reviving your spirits. “Actually,” Hanbin grinned, swiping a piece from your plate, “I’m just encouraging your slug tendencies.” You chuckled, sinking back into the cushions. Jackpot? More like the universe showing off.

SEOK MATTHEW . . . ✦

Your boyfriend, Matthew, was the picture of tranquility—until your period arrived. Then he morphed into an overly enthusiastic knight dedicated to ensuring your comfort at any cost. It all began with a simple remark: “Matt, my head hurts because of the noise.” What ensued was pure chaos. The TV was abruptly turned off mid-show, the neighbors were shushed through the walls with frantic hand signals, and he began tiptoeing around like a burglar in his own home. Even his best friend received the royal treatment. “The queen has requested silence,” Matthew proclaimed, shutting the door in his bewildered buddy’s face. The gaming session? Delayed indefinitely. At last, he tiptoed back to your cozy blanket cocoon on the couch, dramatically wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. “Is it quiet now, Your Majesty?” he whispered. You peeked out, grinning. “Not bad, peasant. Bring me snacks, and you might just earn a knighthood.”

KIM TAERAE . . . ✦

“What is this?” you wondered, both confused and amused, at Taerae's action handing you his phone. The screen showed a playlist titled “Bleeding and Thriving”. You busted out into laughter while scrolling through it. Empowering anthems juxtaposed with hilariously on-the-nose tracks such as “Bleeding Love” and “She Wolf”. “Do you like it?” he inquired, his hands already working magic on your lower back by massaging the tension out. “Babe, you're so cute,” you murmured, giggling through the pain. That's just Taerae doing his thing: making things painfully cute. “Wait... is this the spot? Or lower? Higher? Is your uterus even here?” he asked, poking slightly off-target. You couldn't stop bursting into laughter, even as you swatted his hand. “You're the worst.” “Correction: I am the best,” he grinned, now gently rubbing your stomach. “It tickles,” you protested, still smiling. “Laughter heals all, doesn't it?” he leaned down to whisper.

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[deliciouskeys]

I threatened to write something for Butchlander week and well... I have written, uh, something. *skulks back into the abyss*

Written to accompany this wonderful art I commissioned from @semains whom I love dearly-- thank you for indulging my requests for setting and exact pose as well! Commission them!

Butchlander Week NSFW Saturday prompt: Roleplay/Roles. Because it might be the role of a lifetime for Butcher, but you know Homelander is having the time of his life pretending he can't escape / pretending it hurts sooo much.

(yeah, double dipping) Cozy Corner Kinktober prompt #5 Buttplug (sort of. I can't explain myself. I have no excuses. It might be disturbing, so apologies in advance. Pure Id, aka wtf).

My header is getting longer than the ficlet, gdi

"Harder." Homelander's tone is haughty and whiny all at once–  so grating that Butcher wishes he could deliver on the request. Who'd have thought that this grandiose straightedge little cunt would get so hard having a stranger smack him over and over? Who'd ever guess that this supe celebrity– maybe the world's most famous person, and definitely the darling of the American public– would be into this kind of shit behind closed doors? That he wouldn't be bloody ashamed of himself whisking Butcher off to his bizarrely decorated apartment every single night.  Bypassing all of Vought security, so that Vought's public enemy number… if not #1 then at least top 10… could make himself comfortable sitting on his bed. Not all that comfortable, since the bed is a strange upholstered leather number and stiff as hell, but Butcher supposes a supe might not feel the difference between this and a Tempur-Pedic.

He brings him here every night, and every night the script stays largely the same. Homelander plies him with some alcohol, sometimes a glass of whiskey, but more often just a bottle of Heineken. Butcher sits down, Homelander eagerly drapes himself over his lap, pulls and folds his cape underneath him, as if he doesn't trust Butcher enough to spread it out next to him. wiggling his hips, insisting Butcher pull down his pants and spank him. And Butcher obliges every time, even though it's clearly hurting his hands much more than it hurts Homelander– they alternate sides every night but Butcher suspects he already has stress fractures that don't heal because his hands ache all the time and never quite recover between sessions. But despite the pain, and despite the very little to no pain he's actually inflicting on the spoiled brat who always asks to be hit harder, there's just something irresistible about it. About finally being allowed to take out his aggression on the man he hates most in the world. The man he hates most in the world, who also happens to have a surprisingly perky ass that jiggles hypnotically if you hit it hard enough and just right, so Butcher hits him with his full strength not because of the cunt's whiny demands, but because he just wants to see the flesh wobble.

"I said harder!" Homelander's voice cuts through Butcher's thoughts, and Butcher can't help it any longer.

"You want me to hit you harder, you're gonna have to find a paddle."

Homelander's breath hitches and he says nothing in reply. No, this sick cunt clearly craves skin on skin contact to get off, Butcher already knows this, which is why he knew what to threaten him with to get him to shut up.

But he does wish he could hurt him. The achy joints of his hand plead he stop. Butcher stares down at the well defined muscular globes, skin turned a nice blush color where he's been hit but Butcher wishes he could turn it black and blue. Purple and green. He wants the cunt to really feel the intensity he's supposedly asking for, just to prove how wrong he is.

"I'm waiting," Homelander reminds him.

"Just taking a breather, alright? Enjoying the view." Butcher tries to squeeze a handful of flesh, but it's never as soft as it looks. "Look like one of 'em marble statues you got out in your lounge area."

Butcher hears Homelander's breath hitch and sees him take a peek at the mirror above, clearly checking himself out. This is all a game to him. It flatters his vanity that Butcher does this for him. Butcher would like nothing more than to turn this around on him, make it less of a game and more of an actual punishment.

A strange idea creeps in. Butcher leans back to reach for the Heineken bottle he emptied earlier and put on the nightstand, always on a coaster Homelander insists he use. God forbid he get a water ring on the antique looking furniture, with the creepy little cameo portraits of people who died last century. The beer is mostly just to take the edge off before Homelander lies down over his legs– he and Homelander mutually figured out the session goes better if he's slightly buzzed and maybe just a little numb to the pain in his hand. And they figured this out because Homelander happened to whisk him away right after he stumbled out of a bar on a late Saturday night, after which point Butcher understood that Homelander would come and find him wherever he was– even if he wasn't at home past midnight. It's sexual slavery, is what it is. Butcher would resent it more if he didn't somewhat enjoy getting to beat this cunt on a nightly basis before being dropped off at home.

Homelander shifts, growing impatient while waiting for another round of spanking to start after the breather. "Come on!" he says through gritted teeth, and he sounds angry, and fucking self-righteous, as if he's complaining about customer service he's paid for. It's not Butcher's fault that the cunt only seems to come after he's gotten spanked for minutes straight, at some point his body finally deciding that this is such an enjoyable moment that his hips start grinding forward into Butcher's leg and he comes, the same pathetic little hitched moan escaping his lips every time, the same toe-curling Butcher can see because the cunt does take off his boots to lie on the bed. Thank god he never pulls his pants far down enough, because he never gets any jizz on Butcher's jeans. Homelander seems to think Butcher doesn't notice, or at least they both pretend they haven't. As if Butcher can avoid noticing his leg being humped violently, wondering if this is the night the cunt breaks one of his limbs out of pure excitement. As if it's not clear what just happened from the flushed face and glazed over eyes the supe has when he rises off the bed, finally satisfied. But if no one tells and no one asks, it didn't necessarily happen, and both seem content to keep it at that. Homelander takes a quick shower and suit change before dropping Butcher off at his apartment, without any further ceremony or pleasantries, and by morning Butcher is half in denial about any of it even happening.

"Are you fucking deaf? Why did you stop?" Homelander says and starts to turn his head to look back at him, but Butcher shoves his face back to face forward. 

They have an unspoken agreement not to look each other in the eye when they're doing this, ever. Homelander almost broke the agreement, but obediently looks away again after the lightest push.

"Shut your fucking trap already. I heard you the first ten times just fine," Butcher growls under his breath, and his mind is made up about what he was hesitating to do. He forces the neck of the empty bottle into the cunt's tight crack, moving it around, looking for give.

Homelander's back arches, clearly not expecting the sensation. "The fuck are you doing?"

"GIving you something harder, like you were whining for, you spoiled brat." Butcher gives up doing it blindly and pulls one of the cheeks towards him. "Now where's your fucking chocolate starfish? You even have one?" And as if to punctuate that last word, Butcher finds the place and  breaks the initial resistance resistance, the bottle neck beginning a slow slide in.

Homelander breathes harder. "I don't like it," he mutters, and his ass flexes in protest.

"You better like it and accept it, or else you're going to end up with a pile of glass shards inside you."

Butcher is skeptical that glass could really do anything to this supe's internal organs, but it seems Homelander wants to avoid the mess anyway, and his muscles relax.

"That's right. Now stop whining and take your punishment."

He tries to push the bottle in even further, feeling more and more protest.

"I don't like it," Homelander repeats, sharply this time, as if it means something.

"You ain't supposed to like it," Butcher says and decides to finally smack him on the ass with his other hand after keeping him waiting. Butcher doesn't anticipate that Homelander's body will convulse, shatter the bottle, grind into him, and come all at once.

"The hell was that?" Butcher asks, pulling back the jagged bottle's bottom half that survived. Homelander's body is still twitching underneath him and he's panting. Maybe this was going to be it. Butcher overstepped the line. Homelander was probably immersed in some unresolved childhood trauma or fantasy or whatever the fuck about having a father figure who would discipline him with a firm but loving hand. This must have ended the illusion for him. Maybe enough that Butcher is about to meet his end– sometimes it's hard to remember that the whimpering quivering pathetic mess draped over his knees is the selfsame terrifying force of nature that can take out an entire army if he ever just chose to do so.

But the cunt won't even pick his head up. He's buried his face in the crook of his elbow. Is he fucking crying? Butcher wonders for a second if it's possible that he's actually fucking done it. Actually hurt him. Maybe a plug of C4 won't kill him but maybe it'll make him feel the hurt? A whole assortment of images races through Butcher's mind. He wants to try everything now. His crowbar, a bat studded with rusty nails, maybe the same bottle but a Molotov cocktail this time. Payback for thinking he can just force Butcher to indulge him, to make every night about getting him off. This opens up a whole new world of possibilities.

But Homelander stirs and starts to sit up, and Butcher winces and his teeth are set on edge when he can hear the crunching sound of glass grinding against glass, and tiny green shards start dropping out of him as Homelander tilts to sit back on his heels.

"That was— amazing…" Homelander whispers, breathless. His hands are folded demurely in his lap as if he didn't just orgasm to being diddled with a bottle of Heineken. "You want another beer?"

"No!" Butcher says, sounding more emphatic and more disturbed than he intendedto let on. "No, you sick fuck."

"Does your hand hurt?" Homelander asks, and it's without any impatience in his tone, maybe even a note of real sympathy, completely ignoring the insult just lobbed at him. Before Butcher knows what's happening, Homelander leans down and licks the hand that had just been spanking him. Butcher jerks it away defensively, but Homelander follows it licking it, laving each finger with his tongue before leaning into it with his brow ridge, then his nose, rubbing himself into it. It feels soothing and takes away some of the sore feeling, Butcher is loath to admit.

But he needs to regain what little control he has in this arrangement. "You want me to pet ya? Then lie back where you belong," he says. It's gratifying to see the supe cunt immediately obey him. He stretches himself back into his former position, and Butcher kneads the flesh of his ass.

"We can do the bottle again if your hands hurt," Homelander says, sighing contentedly and breaking the rule– looking back at Butcher with a look that is disturbingly similar to fondness.

"We can," Butcher agrees, trying to ignore the glass that's spilled out on the sheets and forget the crunching sound the bottle made when it snapped in half at the neck.

(AO3 link)

[mononijikayu]

chapter (2) — the feels

GENRE: alternate universe - actors/celeb au!

WARNING/S: not safe for work (nsfw), r-18 and above, actors/singers au!, romance, fluff, minor angst, slow burn, humour, slice of life, will they won't they, light-hearted, flirting, playful, possessiveness, teasing, explicit content, possible, kissing, sexual content, innuendos, drama, feels, hurt/comfort, falling in love, love, happy ending, actor/singer! sukuna, actress/celeb! reader;

WORD COUNT: 4.4k words.

NOTE: everytime i look at the drafts for this, i get butterflies. this story is really fun for me to write no matter what. i genuinely enjoy exploring the dynamics. i hope you enjoy it as much as i do!!! anyway, sukuna is definitely a simp for reader. like genuinely, he's down bad. but tbh so is reader. they're matching each other in everything!!! but well.....are they dating? who knows?

TAGLIST: @kunasthiast, @midnight-138, @v3nd3ttal3on;

masterlist

hey lover! series

HE DIDN’T EXPECT TO COME ACROSS IT. But it was that one afternoon on his day off, while Ryomen Sukuna was out running errands, he found himself finding a piece of you. It was just a regular day for him, one where he indulges himself as he strolls through the supermarket, casually picking up snacks and drinks he wanted. 

He doesn;t get to do it often because of how busy he is. But when he has the time, he indulges it and enjoys it a lot. He thinks if you were with him, it would have been more enjoyable, though. You liked going and doing mundane things like this, as much as he does. He noticed that a lot since you both were always going out and eating together after shoots in Tokyo.

It’s been a few weeks since Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1 did the final reshoots. And he thinks he missed you. You both texted a lot last night, sure. But it’s a different thing when you both are together.

But right now you are enjoying the holiday you’re taking. And judging from the photos you sent him so far, you were happily enjoying it. From what you told him last night, you said you were waiting for your flight so you could visit family back home. You won't be back in New York until maybe next week.

Ryomen Sukuna could only sigh at himself. He has become so fond of your company that he can’t help but crave even more of it. He supposes that it’s just how good you were with him, how good for him. He hadn’t really had anyone be that good to him, he supposed. You’ve just brightened up his day to day, even if it was just to think of you. 

As he turns the corner into the magazine aisle, something catches his scarlet eye and he stops— it was one of those glossy magazines, one that were for high fashion brands. In the front of its bright poppy cover featuring the ever beautiful shining you with a stunning smile, the headline reading, “Y/N L/N: Rising Star of Jujutsu Kaisen!”

His first thought is a mix of pride and mischief. He couldn’t help it. You were everywhere. And he just can’t help but feel warm about it. “Well, well, what do we have here?” he mutters to himself. Grinning, he picks up the magazine, flipping through it.

I should probably promote this. Doll worked hard on this, hm? he thinks, already plotting a plan. He pulls out his phone and goes live on social media, knowing his fans would be eager to join him for this impromptu session.

“Hey, everyone! So, I’m at the supermarket, and guess what I just found?” he announces, holding up the magazine for the camera, your face shining brightly on the cover. “Really pretty picture the editor chose really. I really love this one. I think everyone can agree!”

The chat explodes with comments.

“OMG, Y/N!”

“IS THAT A MAGAZINE?!”

“CAN WE GET A CLOSE-UP?!”

"MY WIFEEEEE SHE LOOKS SO GOOD!"

"CAN YOU FIGHT SUKUNA???"

"OH MY GOD, ONE CHANCE PLEASE PLEASEEE Y/N"

Sukuna chuckles, basking in the chaos as he starts to read some of the article aloud, his voice teasing. “Let’s see what the article has to say about my favorite rising star. Let’s read it together.” he begins, pretending to be a serious news anchor.

“‘Y/N has taken the entertainment world by storm with her captivating performances and undeniable charm, both on screen and on stage.’ Wow, they really nailed it, huh?” He glances at the camera, a playful smirk on his face. “They must’ve been taking notes from me. I mean, she is spending time with the best.”

The comments continue to flood in, fans egging him on.

“THIS IS SO CUTE! SUKUNA, KEEP PRAISING YOUR WOMAN OMG!”

“Please stop, I’m dying! He’s this love struck?”

“Is he flirting with her through a magazine?”

"He's never beating the 'im obssessed with y/n' allegations omg???"

"If my partner isn't like this, i genuinely don't want him, you guys???"

"How is Sukuna real? Like, how is he the only man to ever exist?"

Sukuna can’t help but lean into the banter. “Oh, it gets better. ‘Her recent work in Jujutsu Kaisen has captured the hearts of many, including veteran actor and co-star Ryomen Sukuna.’” He pauses dramatically, pretending to think deeply. “How does that feel? Being able to capture me, Y/N?”

The comments explode again.

“OH NO HE DIDN’T! RYOMEN SUKUNA, YOU’RE INSANE FOR THIS?????”

“IS HE FLIRTING?! GUYS GUYS CHAT IS THIS REAL????”

“THEY ARE SO CUTE TOGETHER! EVEN WHEN THEY’RE APART OMG”

"GOD PLEASE GIVE ME SOMETHING LIKE THIS PLEASE!!!"

"HIS EYES ARE JUST SO FULL OF LOVE WHILE STARING AT HER PICTURE OH MY GOD IM GONNA THROW UP???"

"HE'S DEFINITELY BUYING THE MAGAZINE AND STARE AT IT FOR A WHILE CAUSE???"

He continues reading, “Known for her ability to bring depth to her characters, Y/N is also a self-proclaimed cat mom.” He raises an eyebrow, grinning at the camera. “Noodle better watch out; he’s not the only one who’s going to be in the spotlight!”

Sukuna reads a little more, then leans back, looking directly into the camera. “Honestly, if you’re not following her yet, what are you doing? My doll’s the star of the century! She’s talented, funny, and—” he pretends to whisper with a grin. “—way cuter than I am.”

The comments go wild, with fans practically screaming in excitement.

“HE SAID IT! HE CALLED HER MY DOLL???”

“HE’S SO SUPPORTIVE OF HER OMGGGGGG!!!!”

“CAN YOU GUYS JUST DATE ALREADY?!”

"THEY'RE DEFINITELY DATING GOD IM JUST???"

"GIVE US THE CONFIRMATION FOR THE WEDDING ALREADY???"

"I SHIP I AM THE CAPTAIN OF THIS SHIPPPPPP!!!!"

As he wraps up the live session, Sukuna flashes a charming smile. “So, go pick up this magazine, check out Y/N, and maybe throw in a little love for me too while you’re at it. And don’t forget to tune into the next episode of Jujutsu Kaisen! See you later, everyone!”

With that, he ends the live stream, still chuckling to himself as he walks through the store, clutching the magazine. Little did he know, this playful moment would send fans into a frenzy, cementing your duo’s chemistry even further in the eyes of the public—and leaving you with a smile when you catch wind of his little stunt.

Later that evening, you’re lounging at home, scrolling through your social media feed, when you notice your notifications blowing up. Curious, you tap on your profile to find a flood of comments and tags about Sukuna’s recent live stream.

“Did you see Sukuna’s live? He was reading that magazine about you!”

“I’m crying! He’s so supportive! #Y/NandSukunaForever”

“He basically said he’s in love with you. Can you two just get married already?”

"Y/N, please. give him a shot already. That man is too in love with you."

"This man is doing promos for you like he's trying to save the planet. He's a good man, Savanah!"

"He's literally crazy about you, like??? Stopping in a supermarket to do a live to promote your magazine??? He's in love with you???"

You can’t help but grin, your heart racing at the thought of Ryomen Sukuna casually promoting you to all his fans. You scroll through the clips of his live, laughing at his playful banter and over-the-top expressions. You couldn’t help but just feel happiness beyond comprehension, knowing someone takes care of you even from afar.

Suddenly, a direct message pops up from him. Did you catch the live, doll?

You quickly type back, I did! You’re ridiculous! I can’t believe you read that whole thing.

His reply is immediate. Had to promote my favorite, cutest rising star! Can’t let Noodle take all the love in this three soul family, don’t you think?

You chuckle, imagining Sukuna strutting through the supermarket, holding your magazine like it’s the Holy Grail. What’s next? Are you going to host my fan club?

A few moments later, he replies, Absolutely! First meeting will be at our next sushi date. Wear something nice, doll.

Your cheeks flush at the thought. Then you better look sharp too, bub.

You just know he was smirking when he sent you the reply. When you opened it, your face turned even redder. Oh, of course, doll. I like making sure I look pretty enough to get your praises and kisses. You’re my doll, after all.

You could feel butterflies for a moment, and for a good while, you were just trying to keep yourself together. You couldn’t look like this while you were having dinner with your parents.

As the conversation continues, you can’t help but feel a warm flutter of excitement. Not only is he supporting you, but he’s also finding creative ways to keep the teasing and flirting alive in front of everyone.

The next day, you decide to take advantage of the buzz. You ended up in a book store where they had your magazines. You post a cute selfie of yourself holding the magazine, your expression playful and bright.

Thanks to my bubs @RyomenSukuna for the promotion! If you haven’t checked out this issue yet, what are you waiting for?

Almost instantly, your comments explode.

“YOU LOOK AMAZING! WE STANNNNNN”

“GET IT, GIRL! WE LOVE TO SEE IT!!!!”

“HE’S NOT WRONG, Y/N IS A QUEEN!”

"Y/N DOMINATION FR FR!!!"

"SUKUNA CAN YOU FIGHT CAN YOU FIGHT SUKUNA???"

"NAH CAUSE IF Y/N AND YOU AREN'T TOGETHER, IM SHOOTING MY SHOT!!!"

A few hours later, you see another tweet trending: “Sukuna’s magazine live should win an award for Best Promotion. Guys, if you’re not doing this for your girls, we don’t want you!”

You can’t help but laugh, picturing him reading through those thirsty tweets like a comedic genius.

Later that evening, as you prepare for bed, your phone buzzes again. It’s a video from Sukuna, looking slightly mischievous.

“Hey, everyone! Just wanted to follow up on my earlier live stream. The magazine is flying off the shelves, and I’m not saying it’s all because of my charming face, but… Okay, it’s mostly because of Y/N. You know how it is. Now, don’t just stop there—go buy that issue! And let’s be real, you’re doing it for me, but mostly for her! So, keep giving my doll all your love, okay? Thanks everyone! I’ll see you in the next live tweet for Jujutsu Kaisen!”

He winks at the camera, and you can’t help but smile. He’s just so endearing when he gets into these promotional modes. The next few weeks, it’s all the media could talk about.

They just catch wind of the buzz surrounding your magazine feature and Sukuna’s live stream. They keep getting more and more curious about you and Sukuna. After all, both of you were a mystery to them. 

You’re both invited to a morning talk show to discuss the recent developments, and you can already sense the excitement and chaos that awaits.As you both sit on the couch, the host teases you both about the “flirting” and “couple energy” that everyone seems to be picking up  on.

“You two are definitely giving off some serious vibes!” the host says, leaning in. “Sukuna, what do you have to say about the ongoing speculation?”

Sukuna grins, leaning back. “I mean, can you blame them? Who wouldn’t want to be with someone as talented and cute as Y/N? Can you blame everyone for being as dazzled about her as me?”

The audience erupts into cheers, and you can’t help but blush.

“Okay, but I’m just grateful for him.” you chime in, trying to regain composure. You grinned at him. “Sukuna’s just really is such a great supportive soul for me.… And such a darling to me. You always are, aren’t you, bub? Dramatic too, but well. Love you all the same!”

“Dramatic? Me? Never.” he replies, feigning innocence while smirking. “I’m just here to make sure everyone knows who the real star is. And well, who the real star of my day to day is, don’t you think?”

The banter continues, and by the end of the show, your dynamic has captured the hearts of viewers everywhere. Social media is ablaze with clips of your interview, further fueling the speculation and excitement.

As you leave the studio, you can’t help but think about how much fun this whole experience has been. The teasing, the playful banter, and Sukuna’s unabashed support have created a whirlwind of excitement that you never expected.

Later, you check your phone one last time before bed. A new tweet catches your eye: “Sukuna and Y/N have officially made it onto my ‘favorite couples’ list. The world needs more of this!”

With a smile on your face, you finally drift off to sleep, dreaming of what other adventures await you and Sukuna in this unexpected and thrilling journey together. 

➽──────────❥

YOU WERE STILL SLEEPY. But well, what could you do? Life goes on, with how your schedule is today. The day of the big fashion show had finally arrived, and excitement buzzed in the air as you and Sukuna prepared to strut down the runway.

The energy backstage was palpable—models hurrying to and from makeup stations, designers giving last-minute instructions, and the rhythmic clack of high heels against the glossy floor echoing in the room.

Sukuna, leaning casually against the wall, shot you a knowing glance. He had that smirk on his face, the one that hinted at his unshakable confidence. He was effortlessly cool, and you couldn't help but feed off that energy.

The theme of the show was glamorous rebellion—a fusion of elegance and edge, where bold designs and striking details were the focus. You were dressed in a breathtaking ensemble that turned heads even before the show began.

A sleek, figure-hugging dress with shimmering embellishments, its dramatic cut-outs giving you just the right mix of sophistication and daring. The heels you wore? Absolutely lethal—sky-high stilettos that elongated your figure, giving you the sensation that you could conquer not just the runway, but the world.

Meanwhile, Sukuna, in a custom-tailored suit that hugged his broad shoulders and accentuated his muscular build, was the perfect counterpart. The deep crimson of his suit jacket contrasted sharply against his black shirt, and the subtle metallic details gleamed under the runway lights. He exuded power and charisma, each step deliberate and commanding.

As you both stepped onto the runway, the atmosphere changed. The lights flashed in rhythm with the music, casting you and Sukuna in a dazzling, almost surreal glow. The crowd erupted into cheers, their excitement infectious.

The music pulsed through your veins, and with Sukuna by your side, you felt invincible. His smirk widened as he caught a few admiring gazes from the audience, and with each stride, the energy between you both grew, palpable and electrifying.

Each step was flawless. The click of your heels against the runway, perfectly timed with Sukuna's strides, created a symphony of dominance.

You could feel eyes on you, admiration and awe blending with envy, but none of that mattered. In that moment, it was just you and Sukuna—a force to be reckoned with. He glanced at you from the corner of his eye, a mischievous glint playing in his gaze, as if daring you to outshine him.

But this wasn’t a competition. It was an effortless partnership, the two of you ruling the runway together. Every turn, every pose, was perfectly synchronized, as though you had rehearsed this a hundred times over.

The lights continued to flicker, cameras flashing from every direction, immortalizing this moment. And as you reached the end of the runway, Sukuna extended his hand to you in a gentlemanly yet teasing manner. You took it, lifting your chin slightly, knowing that together, you had owned the night.

But halfway down the runway, disaster struck. One of your heels snapped, sending you wobbling dangerously to one side. You gasped, struggling to maintain your balance as you tried to recover. Just as you thought you might tumble, Sukuna swiftly reached out, his grip firm around your waist.

“Got you, doll!” he exclaimed, pulling you closer to him as he steadied you. The crowd gasped, and in that split second, you realized you were more grateful than embarrassed.

With a quick wink and a playful flourish, Sukuna helped you regain your composure, but the damage was done—your heel was officially broken. You could feel the adrenaline rush as you both finished the walk, the crowd cheering wildly, clearly enamored by the unexpected moment.

After the show, backstage was a flurry of activity. You hopped on one foot, trying to assess the damage to your broken heel when Sukuna, still riding the high of the show, turned to you. “You know, you could always go for a more comfortable look, doll.” he joked, gesturing toward his own stylish shoes.

You rolled your eyes, laughing. “And give up my fashion moment? Never!”

But as you tried to walk towards the exit, it became clear that you weren’t going to make it far without some help. Sensing your struggle, Sukuna stepped in, effortlessly scooping you up into his arms.

“Let’s get you to the car, fashionista.” he said with a playful grin, carrying you like a princess, drawing surprised looks from the crew and other models.

As you both exited the venue, a photographer snapped a picture of the moment. You could hear the clicking of cameras as people captured the scene—Sukuna, the effortlessly cool actor, carrying you, the fabulous rising star.

That single picture ended up circulating online like wildfire. The caption read: “Is this the most romantic moment of the fashion show? Sukuna carrying Y/N after her heel broke!”

The fan reactions were immediate and overwhelming.

“OMG, I can’t handle this cuteness! He genuinely loves her so much!”

“HE CARRIED HER! SOMEONE CALL THE AMBULANCE, I CAN’T BREATHE!”

“Y/N is literally living my dream. Sukuna is such a gentleman!”

You couldn’t help but smile as you read through the tweets, watching the fan base collectively lose their minds over the moment. You glanced up at Sukuna, who was now scrolling through his phone, clearly amused by the frenzy.

“Look at them go, doll.” he chuckled, a mix of pride and mischief in his eyes. “They’re all acting like we just starred in a rom-com.”

“Maybe we should consider it, bub.” you teased back, leaning your head against his shoulder as he carried you toward the car. “I mean, we both get the same rom-com lead offers. We might as well try.”

“Hm, I’ll think about it.”

“You better!”

As you reached the vehicle, Sukuna gently set you down, but not before the paparazzi snapped more pictures, capturing the laughter and playful banter between you both. You felt like the luckiest person in the world, surrounded by glitz and glamor, but even more, you cherished these moments with him.

Later that night, as you sat together scrolling through the flood of posts about the fashion show, Sukuna turned to you, a smirk dancing on his lips. “So, you think I should carry you everywhere now?”

You laughed, nudging him playfully. “Only if you promise to be this charming every time.”

“Deal, doll.” he replied with a sly smirk on his face. “But only if I get a kiss each and every time.”

You returned his sly smile. “You drive a heavy bargain, you know?”

“Well, I like good compensation, doll.”

“Hm. I’ll think about it, darling.”

And just like that, another adventure in this whirlwind of a journey began, one where fans eagerly awaited every twist and turn of your ever-evolving story. 

The following days were a whirlwind of activity, with the aftermath of the fashion show still buzzing across social media. Every time you opened your phone, there were new memes, edits, and posts highlighting Sukuna’s chivalrous act of carrying you out. 

One particularly popular meme featured a split image: on one side, a picture of you in your stunning outfit with the broken heel, and on the other, a screenshot of Sukuna’s smirk as he effortlessly carried you away. The caption read, “When you break a heel, but your knight in shining armor has your back.”

You couldn’t help but laugh as you scrolled through the threads filled with comments like, “Where do I sign up for a carry from Sukuna?” and “No, but I need someone to love me like this. I need someone to lovingly help me in my fashion emergencies!”

“Looks like you’ve become a trendsetter, doll.” Sukuna teased, plopping down next to you on the couch. “Maybe we should make this a regular thing—fashion shows and heel emergencies.”

“Only if you promise to always be there to catch me, darling.” you shot back, smirking.

As you both continued to scroll through the chaos, an idea struck you. “We should do a follow-up interview about the fashion show! Imagine how much the fans would love to hear us talk about it, especially the heel incident.”

Sukuna raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “You think they’d want to hear about our dramatic moment on the runway? You falling apart and me swooping in to save the day?”

“Absolutely!” You nodded, enthusiasm bubbling up. “I mean, it’s practically a rom-com waiting to happen. Plus, we can spend time together and promote our upcoming work together!”

“Alright, I’m in. But only if you let me wear those ridiculous heels next time….so you know, you can catch me too, doll.” he grinned, nudging you. 

You laughed out loud. “Alright, darling. Let’s find you a pair when we go shopping today.”

“Oh, that’s going to be a challenge then.”

“Hm, why not? It’s fun when we’re together in challenges!”

The next day, you both headed to the studio for the interview. As you settled into your seats, the host couldn’t help but chuckle when he saw you both. “So, the world has been going crazy over your little ‘heel disaster’ at the recent fashion show. Sukuna, what was going through your mind when you scooped Y/N up?”

Sukuna leaned back with a playful grin. “Honestly? I just thought it was a great opportunity to show off my impressive muscles and save the day. Plus, someone needed to make sure she didn’t fall on her face in front of everyone. I’d do anything for my doll, right here, you know?”

You laughed, nudging him with your elbow. “He’s so humble, isn’t he?Like, darling — come and get your credit too! It was more like a dramatic rescue scene, complete with the swoon-worthy soundtrack.”

The interview continued, with the two of you sharing laughs and stories about your experiences. Fans in the comments couldn’t get enough of the chemistry, throwing out heart emojis and excited remarks.

“Do you think you two will collaborate on a fashion line next?” one viewer asked, prompting a wave of excitement among the audience.

“Maybe we’ll do a ‘Y/N & Sukuna’ collection, won’t we, darling?” you said, leaning in. “You know, something chic but also… practical for when you break your heels!”

Sukuna feigned offense, placing a hand over his heart. “Practical? I’m all about the drama! But I could see us doing something fun. Maybe some ‘Sukuna-approved’ footwear that won’t break under pressure? I think you’d love that, doll.”

As the interview was winding down, the host leaned in with a mischievous smile and asked the question that everyone had been waiting for: “So, any truth to the rumors that you two are dating?”

You barely had time to process it before you and Sukuna exchanged a look. Without missing a beat, both of you burst into uncontrollable laughter, the kind where you had to clutch your stomach and wipe away tears. Sukuna’s laugh? A deep, rumbling sound that somehow made the entire situation even funnier.

“I mean, who knows?” you said, still giggling as you tried to regain composure. “We care a lot for each other, though. But, you know, that’s our business!” You flashed a playful wink at the camera, trying to keep things light, but it was clear you were having too much fun with the moment. "Though, who wouldn’t want a guy who carries you when your heel breaks? My darling here is great with helping me out.”

Sukuna, not one to let you steal the spotlight, leaned in closer to the camera with a sly grin, his voice dropping an octave as he added, “I mean, who wouldn’t want to go and carry you and take care of you, doll?” He tilted his head in mock seriousness. “I love caring for you.”

The comment section immediately went into overdrive. The fans couldn’t handle it.

“THE FLIRTING?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!”

“STOPPP THIS IS TOO MUCH MY HEART CAN’T TAKE IT.”

“If they’re not dating, then what's the real point of my life in this world, you guys?”

“Someone pls send help I’ve forgotten how to breathe.”

“Sukuna saying ‘I love caring for you’ like it’s casual?!? They’re married and I know it.”

“Can they just admit it already? WE KNOW.”

After the interview wrapped up, you both waved to the camera, still giggling, as the host thanked you. As soon as the cameras cut, your phones exploded with notifications. It seemed like every social media platform was on fire, fans spiraling into a frenzy over the playful banter.

There were memes of Sukuna carrying you like a princess, edits of the two of you in wedding attire, and screenshots of the moment Sukuna leaned into the camera like he was making a declaration of eternal love.

“I told you this would happen, bub.” you said, showing Sukuna the screen full of memes.

He glanced over and chuckled. “What, people can’t handle a little chemistry?” He shrugged nonchalantly, but you could see the hint of amusement in his eyes. He was enjoying this just as much as you were.

“Well, I guess we’re just going to have to keep them guessing.” you replied, throwing him a teasing grin.

Sukuna leaned back, stretching his arms behind his head. “Or maybe we just keep giving them something to talk about.”

“Well, I love talking about you anyway.” You look at him with a smile. “Don’t you like doing the same?”

He pauses for a second, but grins. “But don’t you already know that?”

“Yeah, I do. I just like hearing it.”

“Cheeky one, aren’t you, doll?”

You grin even wider at him. “Well, my favorite act of love are words of affirmation.”

As you walked out of the studio together, Sukuna looked at you with a smirk. “But you know, I think I could get used to this whole ‘carrying you’ thing. It really keeps the fans on their toes.”

“Oh, for sure.” you replied, nudging him playfully. “Just wait until they start shipping us harder.”

“Let them do their thing.” he said, shrugging nonchalantly. “I’ll just keep carrying you around. I’m like a knight in shining armor, after all.”

You both laughed, knowing that the playful teasing and affectionate banter were only part of the adventure you were embarking on together. As the days went by, the trend only grew, with fans eagerly anticipating every new development in your story.

With each passing moment, the excitement around your dynamic seemed to intertwine your lives more and more, and you couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of something truly special.

[sweetestcaptainhughes]

Is it a Dark Day? - Cole Caufield

Word Count - 1.9k

Summary - For the first time since you started dating Cole, your depression seems to be coming back to kick you in the ass. Scared of how Cole will react, you do the only logical thing and pull away.

Warnings - depression, the effects of depression, executive functioning issues, but ends in fluff.

Authors Note: This the first part of a series I plan on writing where I take one mental health issue or any type of disorder and pick a player to write about how they would react if their significant other had it. If you have any ideas for future ones or future players please send me an ask. As always thank you for reading and sorry for not posting much lately. 💜

Let me love you masterlist main masterlist

Sometimes your brain likes to remind you that you were in fact not a normal happy person. It was an act that you’ve learned to master over the years, sometimes you're such a good actor you even fool yourself. Until your brain reminds you that you are in fact an actor. Someone who plays a part, and it will happen in a flash. Feeling as if you're having a good day, and then suddenly you hear a song that reminds you of something and you start to feel that exhausted and craving your bed. Or you will be out with friends and they remind you of something they find funny but it only reminds you of how much you were struggling at the time. Although the worst one was when you don’t even know the trigger, you could have been having a great time and then suddenly you will be on your couch for the next three days rotting away. 

The worst part was this time, it’s almost like you felt the signs but ignored it. It started with the fact that it had been a stressful week at work, then you felt tired all the time, you found yourself being late to work simply because you couldn’t get yourself out of bed. Sadly, you were used to this popping up every once in while, knowing it was inevitable to get this all too familiar sadly almost welcoming feeling in your head. It’s like you had a brain fog come over and no matter what you did you couldn’t shake the feeling. But this time was different from all the others, this time you were dating the actual definition of a very hyper individual who always had some joke to say or a smile on his face. Cole was quickly becoming one of your favorite human beings but you didn’t want him to see you like this where you haven’t even taken a shower in 2 days. Cole was one of those people that radiated sunshine and it made you sink further into your couch thinking about how he would react to you right now. Again, your brain makes you think that he would judge you like others have for when your brain made you hate yourself. Thankfully, Cole was on a roadie so what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. 

Knowing that you should probably answer Cole’s messages or answer one of his many facetime calls but you just couldn’t bring yourself to. Somehow during the last couple days, your mind seemed to alter your perception of time. Thinking that Cole would still be on his roadie for at least another day. But suddenly you heard banging on your apartment door. 

“Baby?! Open the door please.” Cole pleaded on the other side of the door. Hearing his voice shocked you to your core, part of you wanted to open the door and tackle him. Allowing yourself to feel his comforting warmth hoping that some of it would make you feel even a tiny bit better. The rest of you were screaming to pull yourself more into the hoodie that you were wearing, pulling the blankets higher up to hide your body from the world. Letting your emotions overtake you when you realized you were wearing Cole’s hoodie because you wanted him more than anything 3 days ago when you started your couch rotting. It’s funny how time can change things, because nothing could get you up now and walk 30 feet to go open your apartment door. 

Cole’s pleas and banging didn’t stop, “baby please! Tell me what I did.” he begged through the door. “y/n?” he said much softer than before, you could barely hear it from where you were hiding in your living room. “Please open up or I’m gonna use my key you gave me for emergencies.” The tears that were lightly streaming down your face now full on ugly crying. Of course that was the moment Cole decided to enter your apartment. 

Hearing the door shut behind him as he entered your apartment. “Love where are you?” he asked, before he noticed what appeared to be the shape of your body on the coach. Once Cole did notice you, it was like he was on his knees in front of the sectional in seconds, even though he was on the other side of the apartment. “Mamas you awake, my love?” he asked gently as you felt him taking his palm and rub comforting circles all down your side. As your body registered his voice and processed words and touched your silent sobs became very much more real and loud. 

“Hey shhh babygirl whats wrong?” he asked as his other hand not rubbing circles now your back went to grab the edge of the blanket. In a quiet voice Cole spoke his next words very carefully.  “Honey, baby I'm gonna remove the blanket okay.” 

His voice was telling you that he wasn’t asking but you didn’t care as you started to protest. “No no don’t” your voice started to crack “no I don’t want you to.” As you grabbed the blanket to keep it from moving. 

“Why not?” you could tell in his voice that he was feeling hurt. 

“I don’t want you to see me like this.” softly you admit not sure if your confession was more of admitting to Cole you didn’t want him to see you or confirming what your body was telling you earlier. 

His voice barely over a whisper “what? Did I hurt you? Baby you haven’t answered a single one of my texts in 2 days, I spent most of today trying to not panic as I called your phone. Please baby let me see if you're okay?” Hearing his voice on the last few words and how he seemed to be fighting his own emotions. Feeling as if your own heart broke at that moment, the last thing you wanted to do was bring Cole down with you. 

“You're gonna judge me.” you mumble, most of you knows that your thoughts are irrational but the part of your brain that’s calling the shots at the moment truly believes. 

“Never.” his voice stern. With that yoo you couldn’t help but let out a little okay. Within seconds you could feel Cole slowly pulling back the safety of your blankets. Only pulling them down enough to see your face. “Hi beautiful.” he grins at you, the relief clear not only in his voice but his face as his eyes are finally able to see you after being radio silent for 2 days. 

He moves your head so that you're looking up at him as he asks you “please tell me what’s wrong.” He moves his hands so that they are able to wipe some of the tears off your face. 

“I don’t know.” your voice squeaking. Finally letting your eyes focus on him, you see his face is full of nothing but worry. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I-” 

“You’re okay. I’m not mad, baby… I just- I want to know what’s going on in your head.” he admits, and your stomach drops at his confession. Loving Cole was one of your favorite things in your entire life, but Cole was different, he had this way of always being happy. How could someone who you have never even seen to have a frown on his face understand that your brain sometimes fights itself. Leaving you feeling as if even doing the most basic mundane task is out of reach and you don’t even know why. 

Cole has never seen you struggle with your depression and it’s a lot. On top of his busy schedule due to being in the middle of the season, trying to move up from third line or second. Somehow your brain has convinced you all in a matter of minutes that Cole doesn’t have time to sit back and watch you fight your battles. You didn’t even realize that you were lost in thought until you heard Cole’s voice again. 

“Baby” his voice is soft but loud enough for your brain to register that someone was speaking to you. 

“I- I- sometimes I just - my brain it's like it.” Struggling to say what you want to say, finding the words to describe how much you truly feel like death at the moment. 

“Is it a dark day?” he asks gently. You look at him in shock, “it’s okay to have a bad day every once in a while honey. Just please don’t push me away.” softly bending down and kissing your forehead, your body automatically chasing his lips as they leave your forehead. 

“What if it’s more than a day?” you ask.

“Then I’ll be here please just let me love you.” he asks.

“Okay.” feeling yourself caving, allowing Cole to help you, it's almost like your body felt just a sliver of lightness for the first time in days, knowing that Cole felt the same way with the smile he had on his face. 

He moved his hands so they were under your arms gently lifting you so he could lay comfortably with you on the coach. “Okay we can lay here for a little longer, then I’m gonna help you shower and get some clean sweats on alright?” 

All you can do is nod, feeling overwhelmed with the love that Cole is showing you. Cole stayed true to his words after a few minutes he picked you up and carried you to the bathroom. Balancing on the balls of his feet in front of you on the toilet seat, his hands resting in yours on your thighs.He already turned on the water to warm up “Do you want me to stay or are you gonna shower by yourself.” 

“Don’t leave.” the phrase rushing out of you, feeling scared if you didn’t get it out fast enough Cole would leave you again with nothing left but your thoughts to keep you company.

“I won’t until you tell me. We can shower together it’s okay” Finally making eye contact with him again, a giant pout on your lips looking as if you were gonna cry again. He took one of his hands that was resting with yours and took it to your face. “Hey hey you're alright. I promise. This will pass.” Finally moving his lips to yours for the first time since he came over, it was full of nothing less than the love he felt for you. He poured every single emotion into that kiss, it made you feel loved, safe, adored, cared for. Finally pulling apart you whisper a small ‘thanks.’ “Let’s get you cleaned up baby.” As he helps you undress and then quickly shedding his own clothes before helping you in the shower. He helped you wash your body and your hair, giving you little wet kisses all over your body, whispering reassuring words between the kisses. He wasn’t trying to start anything, he just wanted to show you how much he loved you when you couldn’t find anything to love about yourself. 

Cole stayed with you that night, actually his only entire weekend off. He had to go to morning skate that Monday morning since it wasn’t optional. But from that weekend on you never felt closer to Cole. He was your light even on your darkest days, and he helped you find yourself every time you felt your depression pulling you away. Every time he noticed you randomly ghosted him. Or seemed distant in your eyes like your mind was somewhere else, he would always ask you one simple question “is today a dark day?” so that he always knew how to care for his girl.

[writing-cins]

𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐢𝐫 - Part 3

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Pairings: Alastor x female reader Summary: Although Angel Dust advised you to wait a few days before you talk to Alastor, you still pull together all your strength and confront him. Warnings/Tags: female reader, mutual pining, alcohol consumption, drunk reader, reader is bisexual, jealous Alastor, hurt/comfort, emotional rollercoaster, miscommunication, drunk communication, Alastor being a lil shit, confessions, Alastor is bad at feelings, tears, and other tags that would be spoilers but aren't considered warnings Wordcount: 12k A/N: FINALLY IT’S HERE!!! 🎉🎉🎉 After months of waiting, the grand finale of ‘Caught on Air’ has finally arrived! I already warned you this chapter would be massive, and I wasn’t kidding. Brace yourselves for a 12k-word emotional rollercoaster that took me half a year to complete. (Honestly, my hyperfixation may have wavered a bit along the way… but hey, better late than never, right?) I’ll be honest – I have mixed feelings about the ending. It feels a little forced, and the writing might also be a bit choppy, but despite that, I truly hope it was worth the time waiting. Now, without further ado… enjoy! And don’t forget to leave a comment because I’d really like to know what you think.

Masterlist

   With a deep breath you reentered the club. Your heart pumped against your chest like a jackhammer, the rush of blood vibrating through your veins. To say you felt nauseous was an understatement – your stomach twisted and turned, guts tightening with almost painful pressure. 

   The more you thought about what you were about to do, the more doubts crept into your mind, telling you that this wasn't a good idea. Angel had told you to wait a few more days – to let the embarrassment of the hallway encounter die down and to sober up from your intoxicated, emotional state before you took matters in your hands. The risk of things spiraling out of hand was too high – yet you knew you had to do this. You couldn't postpone this conversation any longer if you wanted to keep your sanity. Your inner turmoil was already gnawing at your insides like a rodent that desperately wanted to escape its cage. And you didn't want that rodent to harm you any longer with its sharp, painful claws.

Angel Dust hit the nail in the head when he said you and Alastor were dancing around each other for far too long. You couldn't even remember when all of this started – when you first perceived his physical proximity not as what it was, a simple lingering touch or a flick to your nose, but as something that send shivers crawling up your spine and put you into a state that almost spiralled you out of control whenever it happened. Alastor has been anchored in your head for months now, taking over your thoughts and dreams and pushing you further into these odd cravings of his attention, his closeness, his fleeting touch… If Angel was right and the subtle signals Alastor sent were something to go by, there really was a chance that, perhaps, he was pining for you too. However, you knew the burden of making the first move rested on your shoulders. Because Alastor, emotionally constipated and guarded as he was, would never willingly put himself into such a vulnerable position. No, that wasn't his style. But you? You'd fall into his arms without hesitation, even knowing the risk of heartbreak. And tonight was the night you'd find out if Alastor truly reciprocated your feelings or if you were destined for yet another painful rejection. It was a gamble – a desperate reckless gamble – but one you were willing to take. Still, the clarity of your decision didn't ease your nerves. On the contrary, it made you feel even more agitated. The beating of your heart increasing, your breath hitching. 

   You'll regret this. You'll definitely regret this, you told yourself repeatedly, thoughts racing like a whirlwind as you approached the main room. But before you could even get close, you froze mid-step and sank against one of the walls in the hallway. Deep, shaky breaths filled your lungs while you tried to count numbers – but your mind always returned to Alastor and complicated situations. You shot a quick glance to the very spot where he had caught you pressed against the wall by Selena and closed your eyes to erase the images that appeared in front of your eyes. Another deep breath, but this time you held it in. Fingers fidgeted restless with each other, while you tried to gain some control over your shaking breaths and the visible tremble of your body. 

   Breathe in…

   Breathe out…

   Breathe in…

   This is going to be terrible.

   Your eyes snapped open almost instantly, then a deep groan of despair escaped your throat. Faces of other demons who passed by fleetingly turned into your direction and they regarded you with cocked eyebrows and disgusted expressions, but you only shot them a glare. Not helping.

   Where had that confidence gone? Only minutes ago, you'd been determined to push through, march up to Alastor, and finally confront him. You'd been lamenting your situation almost the whole evening and now you got the jitters?

   Were you just anxious about his reaction, that he might push you away or worse – laugh in your face? Or was it your intuition warning you to better keep such a sensitive subject to yourself?

   You understood Alastor's complicated personality well enough to be aware of his unpredictability and that pondering about his reaction wasn't helpful. It would only increase your discomfort, your anxiety, the crippling feeling inside your chest that made you want to throw up and just turn around and walk home.

   “He’s been starin’ at ya all night – and not just tonight, but for a while now,” Angel's voice reverberated in your head and you swallowed as you suddenly remembered even more words the spider demon said, “Also, ya never noticed the way he handles ya? Caressin’ ya cheek like silk, toots. That guy’s all over you. And you never noticed?!”

   You took a deep breath. This has been a statement so convincing, it has given you enough strength to at least consider approaching Alastor. Because deep down you knew that Angel was right. He was always right about matters like this. It’s as if he had some kind of a sixth sense for affectionate behavior – even if it was as subtle as Alastor tried to keep all the hints that might give away what he thought or felt. He wore that mask like he was born with it, with such infuriating ease.

   He won’t come at you first, you thought again and swallowed because you knew you were right. He would never approach you first, let alone talk about such an emotional topic that would put him in a vulnerable position and would most probably lead to a lack of control. Would he try to avoid the topic? Would he respond with cryptic and unhelpful responses? Most probably. You had to be prepared for anything that might not be the answer you seeked.

   Wait – didn't you just come to the conclusion that it was unhelpful to ponder his response? Damn. You were a mess. Maybe you should really take your time and wait until the right moment come. But what if it never came?

   Fuck.

   This was too much for what was supposed to be nothing but a simple night out to enjoy with your friends and colleagues. Drinking, laughing, dancing. That was the original plan. Not kissing a stranger, get caught by no other than Alastor himself and have an emotional breakdown over this situation for the rest of the evening just because you were blinded by love and convinced his reaction was out of character.

   With a painful bite into your lip you stifled a scream that was so close to free itself from its confines deep within that hurricane made from desperation and uncertainty. But not even the ache as you pierced your skin did soothe your nerves. Not even the metallic taste of blood on your tongue distracted the whirlwind of thoughts for even a second. Maybe you really, truly, actually were going insane. That’s why you needed to take that step. No matter how dangerous it was, how high the probability was that the evening would end in one of the worst heartbreaks of your whole existence. Because never before had you felt such alarming kinds of feelings for someone – or at least you couldn’t remember.

   You had to do this.

   You really had to do this.

   It was now or never.

   Now or never.

   Now or never…

   Before you could even process your thoughts, you suddenly found yourself standing in front of the lounge area. The lively crowd around you was lost in their own world made of carefree joy that it sharply contrasted the chaos inside your head. The lighthearted chatter and music that filled the space around you seemed so distant, like another world entirely. How in the Hell had you even ended up here? You didn’t know. Everything felt like a blur, as if your feet had moved without your permission, carrying you to this place without any real intention.

   With a deep breath, you scanned the surrounding seats and tables until your eyes fell on a familiar demon with a red pinstripe coat and striking red hair. He sat there with a drink in his hand, his posture almost painfully straight and a toothy grin plastered on his face that was as hard to read as always. Maybe you should get something to drink first. If this conversation really turned out as uncomfortable and embarrassing as you expected, you could at least drown your embarrassment in alcohol. Only a few hours and you’ve sunk so low…

   Without further hesitation you walked over to the very bar that has fulfilled your social need over the course of this whole evening. First, you’ve met Selena as you stood here, a little too alcohol infused, then you spend at least one hour yapping at Angel about that annoying topic you just now decided to call ‘the radio dilemma’.

   “Watcha wanna drink?” the barkeeper suddenly asked, interrupting your train of thoughts and you blinked a few times as you tried to quickly come up with an idea.

   “Uhm…” you hesitated. “Something strong. I don’t really care. Surprise me.”

   The barkeeper nodded as if he’d heard that very same request dozens of times before and turned away. While you waited for him to prepare your mystery drink, you turned around and scanned the surroundings again. You noticed Angel Dust in the distance, caught up in a conversation with Husk who seemed anything but pleased with the way the spider leaned into his personal space, winking and waving his hands in suggestive gestures. You rolled your eyes and continued your survey until you found the other residents. Charlie and Vaggie were seated in a different lounge area, excitedly chatting with an unknown individual who – much like Husk – seemed to be wishing himself far away. Without question another of Charlie’s desperate attempts to hire new guests.

   With a snicker, you watched them for a few more seconds until you moved your gaze away, quickly looking over to Alastor who hasn’t moved an inch since you last looked at him.

   A poke into your shoulder and you got ripped out of your thoughts for the nth time tonight. “Ahm… girl?”

   You spun around, confused, then smiled shyly as you recognized the barkeeper who looked at you with annoyance. 

   “Your drink,” he mumbled, handing you a glass with some colorful creamy contents.

   “Thank you,” you responded. Drinking card held out, sum crossed out. Then, with the new drink in hand, you slipped away to the lounge area Alastor was seated in.

   A glance at him, a deep breath. It was now or never.

   Now.

   Or never.

   Approaching him, you nervously cleared your throat and took a sip from your drink. “Uhm… Alastor?”

   Immediately, his gaze snapped to you, and your heart skipped a beat. His crimson eyes seemed to bore into your soul with a chilling intensity, leaving you frozen under their weight as you fought to keep your fragile composure. You swallowed hard, trying to ease the lump forming in your throat, and unconsciously tightened your grip on your cocktail as if it could somehow lend you the strength you so desperately needed to hold this conversation.

   “Ah, cher, back from your... escapades, are we?” Alastor's sharp voice cut through the ambient music, his grin stretching wider, revealing the dangerous sets of sharp teeth behind his thin lips. Yet it didn’t reach his eyes. “To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?” His words were laced with exaggerated cheer, but the sharp edge beneath his tone betrayed him.

   You bit your lip. The sting of your fangs piercing the delicate skin grounded you for a moment as guilt welled up inside you. So he was upset. Of course he was – you’d been avoiding him all evening, despite being the one to convince him to come to this club in the first place. So your concern from earlier was actually justified…

   Letting out a sigh, you turned your face away, unable to meet his fiery gaze that seemed to pierce through every wall you had carefully built. His crimson eyes burned with an intensity that felt impossible to withstand.  “Look, I’m sorry, Alastor. I didn’t mean to ignore you, I–”

   “Got distracted by your dear friend, hmm?” he interjected with a dry, clipped laugh, his tone hovering between sardonic amusement and something far more cutting.

   Heat surged into your cheeks at his blunt acknowledgment of the obvious, staining your face with a red hue which you hoped he’d attribute to the alcohol coursing through your veins. But even as embarrassment threatened to pin you down, you forced yourself to face him again, meeting his unyielding grin with narrowed eyes. “Don’t do that,” you said, your voice tight with irritation and a faint edge of pleading. The emotional toll of the evening had already pushed your nerves to their limit, leaving little patience for his games.

   Alastor tilted his head, his grin never faltering. You could see the wheels turning in his head as he prepared another witty retort. But before he could speak, you raised a hand sharply to cut him off, a rare assertiveness seeping into your voice, “Don’t you dare guilt-trip me. I can’t… I can’t deal with that right now.”

   Taking a deep, shaky breath, you dropped your gaze to the drink in your hand, the glass suddenly the most interesting thing in the room. Biting down on the straw, you took a long sip of your Piña Colada, letting its sweet, tropical flavor momentarily distract you. But the weight of his gaze quickly dragged you back to reality, and you forced yourself to continue. “I came here to apologize and to–”

   “To what?” he pressed, his tone sharp enough to make your heart skip a beat.

   “Could you please stop interrupting me?!” you snapped, frustration bubbling over, and the sharpness in your voice surprised even yourself. “It’s already hard enough for me to approach you at all! Not that talking to you is hard – it’s just…” You faltered, searching for the right words before your voice grew softer, “I’m sorry. For everything. I didn’t mean to forget about you and… and I didn’t mean for you to see me with Selena…”

   Your voice trailed off into a whisper as shame washed over you. You could feel his gaze burn into you, stripping away every layer of composure you tried to cling to and the silence between you grew heavy, charged with tension. Somewhere in the back of your mind, a voice whispered that he was enjoying your discomfort. Sadistic prick he was, relishing every second of your vulnerability…

   Suddenly, his chuckle broke the quiet, a sound that was equal parts infuriating and oddly reassuring, yet confirmed your assumption. You turned to him, disbelief etched across your face. “Are you seriously laughing right now?”

   Alastor leaned back in his seat, his expression smug as his shoulders shook with quiet amusement. Then, with a dismissive wave of his hand, he said, “My dear, I’m just messing with you.”

   You blinked, stunned by his words.

   His grin widened with sadistic glee before softening. Though ‘soft’ for Alastor was still a far cry from genuine kindness. He was a narcissistic asshole after all and while that thought crossed your mind, you questioned for a quick second why it had to be him out of all denizens in Hell who made your heart flutter and heat rise into your cheeks with the mere notion of his proximity. Maybe – just maybe – if this conversation turned out to be an absolute catastrophe, you could hold onto that thought while you fought to get over him and his (most probably) heartless rejection.

   You resisted the urge to shake your head and instead chewed on your lip for the nth time this evening. You were overthinking again.

   The static in Alastor’s voice faded slightly as he raised his glass in a casual toast. “And you seem to forget that I’ve already told you there’s no need to apologize. You’re free to do whatever – or whoever – you please.”

   Despite his jab, his words cut deeper than you expected, leaving a dull ache in your chest. You looked down at your drink, swirling the liquid absently as you tried to gather your thoughts. “It’s not that simple, Alastor…”

   “Oh?” His grin turned curious, a spark of something unreadable flashing in his crimson eyes. “Then, by all means, do enlighten me.”

   You let out a deep sigh and focused your attention again on the glass clutched between your hands. He really had to make this anything but easy for you… Swallowing once, twice, you held your breath for a minute while your thoughts roamed in a chaotic mess you barely managed to sort through. It was so much – so much you wanted and needed to say but didn’t find the courage for because the possibility of messing everything up was so high you felt as if balancing on threads that might rip every second – and your friendship with the other demon apart with them. He was your friend, right…?

   For fucks sake, you couldn’t even be sure about that, could you? You and Alastor were close and distant at the same time. He let you in while pushing you further away with every glimpse he allowed you to take behind his facade, yet there were days he approached you with such softness it made you melt away like ice in a desert.

   ‘Caressin’ ya cheek like silk, toots’, Angel’s words reverberated in your head again, almost mocking you in your insecurity. Why did feelings have to be so complicated? Why was the man in front of you so complicated? Why couldn’t he just let you be sure he cared for you the way you cared for him? And if not with the same intensity you did, then at least in a platonic way? Memories of tender moments between you and Alastor flashed before your eyes. How he smiled at you when he thought no one would see, how he teased you in a way that resembled the playful love between siblings, yet carried a warmth and depth that hinted at something far more intimate in the quietest of moments.

   ‘He’s all over you’. Yet, he pushed you away every time after he allowed you to see a part of him no one else knew existed. He would shove you away, retreating into his familiar mask of indifference and control, leaving you grasping at the fragments of the connection that had felt so real in the fleeting moments before. The distance he placed between you left your heart feeling like an empty shell, hollow and abandoned, drained of all its vital crimson blood.

   “Don’t pretend you don’t care,” you murmured without thinking, the words slipping out before you could stop them. As soon as they hung in the air, regret struck like a lightning bolt. You kept your gaze locked on your drink, avoiding the weight of his reaction. What has possessed you to say that?

   You didn’t notice how his ears twitched slightly and betrayed the flicker of interest your words sparked. He cocked his head, his brows knitted together just enough to convey confusion without a hint of condescension. “Pardon?” he asked, his tone calm but inquisitive.

   You blinked, mentally kicking yourself for your loose tongue. Sucking in a breath, you bit down on your lower lip, stealing a moment to gather your courage. Slowly, you lifted your gaze to meet his, only to find genuine puzzlement etched across his features. The rare glimpse of unguarded confusion startled you, momentarily breaking the tension tightening your chest.

   “What I mean is…” you began, your voice shaky as you straightened your back in a weak attempt to project confidence. “You seem upset.”

   “Upset?” He laughed, the sound buzzing with static. “Why, whatever gave you that idea?” His already arched brow lifted higher, and the flicker of amusement in his crimson eyes made your heart skip a beat before it increased the speed with which it hammered in your chest. Every instinct screamed for you to retreat, to stand up from your seat and flee the conversation entirely. But you needed answers. So you stayed in your seat despite the battle raging in your head, clutching your drink tighter and holding onto the glass like a lifeline – knuckles white from the pressure. You must’ve looked pathetic – sitting there in front of the Radio Demon, all flustered and fragile, about to spill out your heart to him of all people.

   “Look, Alastor…” you began again, clearing your throat with a forced cough to mask your nerves. “I noticed your discomfort when… well, you know…”

   “When I caught you in the middle of a tryst?” he finished for you, the words rolling off his tongue with unnerving ease, his smile stretching wider again.

   Your mouth opened to object, but the words died before they could form. Closing it again, you lowered your gaze, too embarrassed to respond.

   A soft chuckle broke the silence like static crackling on an old radio. His expression softened, the mask of unbothered amusement sliding effortlessly back into place. Waving a hand as if brushing away your awkwardness, he said, “My dear, you seem to forget that I come from a time when such… frivolities… were considered scandalous. Particularly in public venues.” His tone was light and dismissive, but as he spoke, you caught the faintest twitch at the corner of his mouth and a flicker in his ears that betrayed something deeper beneath the surface.

   “Are you sure it’s only that?” you asked, narrowing your eyes, unconvinced. You knew he was a master of masking his emotions, but tonight, you were determined to push past his defenses, pull away the mask and expose what lay beneath. Or at least, that’s what you originally had intended because your momentary lack of self-confidence made it anything but easy.

   Alastor tilted his head again, his thick red hair shifting with the motion, and blinked at you as though genuinely surprised. But you weren’t fooled. Something about his reaction only strengthened your resolve, the feeling that told you there was more to his behavior than he let on. For once, you weren’t going to let him sidestep the issue. Not this time.

   “I noticed the way you looked at me in the hallway,” you pressed, your voice steady despite the tightness in your chest. “And I see how you’re looking at me now. That wasn’t just startled… or dismissive…”

   “Oh?” His ears perked up. “Then, pray tell, what is it you're so convinced to be seeing?” he challenged, his tone as smooth as silk as he leaned slightly forward, resting his chin on his interlocked fingers. “You’re a grown woman, free to make your own choices. If anything, I found it… amusing.”

   “You don’t have to act like it didn’t bother you,” you deadpanned, your gaze unrelenting.

   Another dry laugh escaped his throat and his grin broadened to reveal the sharp gleam of his teeth.

   “You were upset,” you pressed, “and now you’re just trying to laugh it off like it didn’t matter.”

   “Because it doesn't.”

   You blinked, unsure how to interpret his words. Was this another one of his typically dismissive retorts, or was there a kernel of truth in what he’d said? Before you could decipher their meaning, he continued, his voice soft but edged with something you couldn’t quite place.

   “If you’re hoping for some dramatic confession, my dear, you’ll find none here,” he said, his crimson gaze boring into yours with dangerous intensity. “Whatever you think you saw was merely a fragment of your imagination. I assure you, I was… mildly inconvenienced at best.”

   You felt every single of his words cut through your chest and right into your heart, sharp and fast like a killer’s knife, and you clenched your jaw. “You don’t mean that.” Your voice was low, almost weak.

   “What would you have me say, my dear?” he asked, narrowing his eyes as his gaze dug through every layer of your (not so) well-maintained facade. “That I was overcome with jealousy? That watching you with her left me boiling with rage? Such melodrama!” He paused for a moment, the silence between you seemingly stretching to eternity even though it didn’t linger longer than just a few meaningless seconds. The sharpness and intensity of his gaze made your blood run cold and you held your breath, anxious about what came next.

   “Jealousy,” he mused, his voice dropping an octave as the dangerous glint in his eyes momentarily faded. “Such a petty emotion. Hardly fitting for someone like me, wouldn’t you agree?”

   “Stop it,” you interjected sharply, but Alastor ignored you, pressing on with his cutting monologue.

   “And you, my dear, are clearly drunk. Intoxicated to the brim and emotional like a–” he paused, letting the insult linger unspoken before continuing, “I care about many things. How dreadfully boring most of this club is, for instance. But I couldn’t care less about your sources of entertainment.”

   “I said, stop it, Alastor!” you snapped, your voice rising with a venom that surprised even yourself.

   Alastor froze, his smile faltering as he raised a brow in that infuriatingly mocking way like ever so often. The sight only stoked the flames of your anger further.

   “Stop deflecting!” you barked, leaning forward as your temper boiled over. “You’re only trying to avoid the topic. But you won’t brush me off so easily this time. I–” You faltered, swallowing hard before regaining your resolve. “I can’t do this anymore. I’m tired of this–” Your hand shot out, gesturing wildly between the two of you. “Whatever this is between us! This… push and pull!”

   Alastor blinked, his expression unreadable as he straightened his posture. He loomed over you now, a threatening figure radiating danger. “Push and pull?” he echoed, his head tilting as if feigning innocence.

   “You know exactly what I mean, Alastor,” you hissed, leaning closer, your heart pounding in your chest. “I can’t keep pretending that there’s nothing between us. Not when you – when we…”

   “When we what?” he interjected smoothly, though his tone carried a dangerous edge.

   Your eyes narrowed. “Don’t pretend like you don’t know exactly what I’m talking about. I’m not in the mood for your games. So cut it out and listen to me.”

   “I am listening,” he replied evenly, his grin sharpening.

   “Even if you are, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re not taking this seriously.”

   “Why should I? I fail to see the reason for your… distress.”

   “Because I’m sick of it, Alastor!” Your voice rang out, loud enough to draw the attention of nearby demons. Their heads turned your way before they quickly averted their gazes as soon as they realized just who you were arguing with.

   Alastor’s grin widened, and that unnerving smile of his only pushed you further toward the edge of your fraying patience.

   “You really should pay closer attention to your drinking habits, my dear. You’re completely wasted,” he quipped, his tone light and dismissive, as if the whole situation left him completely unfazed.

   Your eye twitched and you clenched your fists. “God damn it, Alastor, can you please take this conversation seriously for once?!”

   “This is a nightclub,” he drawled, gesturing around with a casual wave of his hand. “Hardly the place for heavy discussions, wouldn’t you agree?”

   “I don’t give a single damn!” you hissed, voice low and dangerous. The tension in the air was so palpable it felt like a string about to snap. At this point you felt like you were dangling at the edge of insanity. One more push and you might actually lose it.

   “Really, darling,” he said with mock concern. “Such passion! But perhaps you should consider calming down before you make a scene.”

   That one's nearly done it. You clenched your jaws together, biting your tongue in the process. The drink in your hand was long forgotten as well as the surrounding ambience of chattering and loud music. It was clear he savored every second of your distress and it unnerved you even further. This clearly had been a horrible idea. And not even your intoxicated state was the reason…

   With that thought in mind, you noticed that not even postponing would’ve prevented this conversation from a similar outcome. It was Alastor who you were confronting here, after all. Probably one of the least empathetic people in Pentagram City.

   “I'm serious, Alastor. This ain't funny. I really need to talk with you about this,” you murmured defeated as your tone shifted from one extreme to another – now weak and desperate. “I need an answer…”

   A moment of silence lingered between you in which you already started to believe this conversation had come to a dead end, when he suddenly countered,  “And what would you do with that answer, hmm? Would it soothe your restless heart? Or would it only complicate things further?”

   “I don’t care…” you muttered under your breath. For a moment, you hesitated as you contemplated the right choice of words or if you should just give up, stand from your seat and walk away. “Alastor.”

   His ears twitched.

   “I really need to figure out where I stand with you. Because–” you swallowed hard, “Because I’m tired of trying to figure it out while you push me away just to pull me close again whenever it suits you best. I…” – A deep breath – “I know who you are… how you are and who you pretend to be… but please, for once, stop deflecting or playing your stupid games and just tell me the truth…”

   Alastor just stared at you with an unreadable expression. He still held his drink in one of his hands, though his knuckles didn’t whiten nor did the slightest change in his expression hint at anything. If you didn’t know it better you would say he behaved like a deer in the headlights. But the headlights were you, weak and all vulnerable in front of one of Hell’s most feared overlords. And maybe you just lost him completely…

   “Why are you so insistent on this, my dear?” he suddenly asked, pulling you out of your thoughts. His voice was smooth like silk, the static giving it a subtle rasp. And, for the first time this evening, his expression was neither dark nor cold nor all mischievous, but filled with sheer curiosity and maybe even a hint of concern. 

   “Because…” You hesitated, choosing your words carefully. “Because I think… I think you care about me more than you’re willing to admit.”

   Alastor’s ears twitched again but this time the corners of his lips moved in sync as if struck a nerve. The static grew louder, and Alastor’s grin twisted into something strained. “You presume much, my dear.”

   “Do I?" you challenged, your voice shaking. “Then tell me I’m wrong. Tell me you don’t feel anything for me, and I’ll leave you alone.”

   “Is this a confession? I must say, I’m flattered, though I do hope you’re not expecting me to–.”

   “It is,” you interrupted him sternly, your gaze unrelenting as it bore into his. “It is a confession, Alastor.”

   He blinked.

   Defeated, you decided now was the time to just spill it all out. You let out a sigh and rested your head in the palm of your hand before you stuttered, “I… I see something in you…” Your voice trailed off. “I… I see you as more than just the Radio Demon, or the cruel sociopath you pretend to be… You… you allowed me glimpses behind your facade, to see the man you truly are. And I… I care about him… I… I care about you, Alastor… and I hate to question everyday if you might feel the same about me because whenever we’re alone you behave like a completely different person… Even Angel Dust and the others took notice of your behavior in my presence… You… You give me signs, Alastor. Only to pretend nothing ever happened whenever you notice you might’ve gone too personal… You showed me a side of you that made me feel special…” Your voice trailed off again and you closed your eyes, afraid of the outcome – and afraid to see his reaction. You didn’t want to know what he must’ve thought of you right now. That was probably the turning point where he eventually understood you were more pathetic than you let on… Was he disappointed in you now? Disappointed that you, as his friend, initially fell for his charm as well? That you were nothing better than all those women swooning for that reserved, unavailable and emotionally constipated demon…?

  The silence between you stretched longer and longer, the booming sounds of the club replaced by static buzzing in your ears. Your surroundings became foggy, as if a veil wrapped around your world, shielding you away with your own misery as you blended out everything. Not even Alastor was there – or at least you forgot about his presence for this moment. Only the rapid beating of your heart in your chest reminded you that you were still a living being, yet the pulse itself felt like a mocking sensation that did just so much as to remind you of what you just did. Seconds stretched into minutes and the tension in the air was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Silently, you pleaded. Maybe even prayed – you didn’t know. You didn’t know anything. Only, that you fucked up.

   “You truly are a glutton for punishment, my dear,” Alastor’s voice cut through the silence.

   You snapped your head up, meeting his gaze with a surge of frustration that welled up inside you. His words echoed in your mind, taunting you. “What does that mean?” you demanded, your voice sharper than you intended.

   “It means that you are spending far too much time getting hung up on things that are not worth questioning,” he replied smoothly, his tone betraying no emotion.

   His words struck you like a blow that would’ve swept you right off your feet if you weren’t already seated. They hurt, sharp and deliberate, leaving you with even more questions clawing at the edges of your mind. “‘Not worth questioning’...?” you echoed, voice barely above a whisper.

   “Indeed,” Alastor confirmed, his demeanor unflinching. “You presume too much, my dear. What I feel is irrelevant.” His voice was cold, his face set into a stern mask. But his eyes flickered with something that betrayed his mask. Something raw and buried – a truth he fought to suppress. “Feelings are fleeting. They mean nothing in the grand scheme of things.”

   For a moment you just reflected his words, gnawing at your lip to distract yourself from the stabbing ache in your chest that threatened to leave you breathless.

   You bit your lip, trying to distract yourself from the suffocating ache in your chest, as his words cut through you.

   “You see only what I allow you to see,” he continued, his claws digging into the armrest of his chair. “The charming smile, the witty repartee. But what lies beneath that…” He trailed off, his voice heavy with something unspoken. “It doesn’t matter.”

   For a moment you just stared at him, took in his posture, his expression, the visible fight it took him to keep up with whatever mask he forced onto himself. Then, after a while, you broke the silence, desperation bleeding into your tone, “Why can’t you just be honest with me, Alastor?”

   He chuckled, though it wasn’t even slightly as weightless as it normally sounded. “Because honesty is a luxury I cannot afford,” he replied, the ever-present grin faltering for the briefest of moments. Then, his next words fell like a hammer, crushing whatever fragile hope lingered in your chest, “And you, my dear, seem far too eager to tether yourself to a fantasy. So, tell me, cher, are you truly so desperate for my affection? That you waste your breath on such a pointless discussion and spend an evening out pestering yourself with such insignificant matters? All because of me disrupting some inappropriate public actions of yours?”

   His words struck you like a brick, leaving your chest hollow and aching. Dagger after dagger seemed to pierce through your heart and shatter whatever fragile mess was left during this conversation, the ache radiating through every fiber of your being. “This is just another game for you, isn’t it?” you asked, your voice trembling with frustration and hurt. “You’ve always been toying with me, haven’t you? Pretending to care just to make me squirm, to keep me exactly where you wanted. To make me your goddamn plaything!”

   Alastor’s grin widened unnaturally, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes. His sharp teeth glistened, the edges more predatory than ever as the static around him intensified. The sound sent an unnatural chill down your spine, mingling unease with the heartache that threatened to consume you. He leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a venomous whisper. “Everything’s a game, darling,” he said lowly, his tone both mocking and threatening, a dark amusement laced in every syllable.

   Tears welled up in your eyes and your throat slowly constricted painfully, suffocating you by leaving barely any space to breathe. “So, you’re just toying with me,” you whispered, the tremor in your voice giving way to anger. “That’s all I’ve ever been to you – a pawn in your game. Something to manipulate, something to amuse yourself with when you’re bored!”

   You jumped up from your chair, pushing it back with such a force that it scratched over the floor with an ear-wrecking sound that almost resembled the feeling of your heart crumbling to pieces. The tears you’ve been so forcefully holding back suddenly spilled from your eyes and ran down your cheeks like a mockery of your vulnerability. You just bared your whole heart to him, poured out your deepest hidden feelings, a secret you so carefully hid from him over the course of what felt like an eternity. Just for him to tear it out and shred it to pieces with his bare claws and teeth like an animal feasting on its prey. You told him how you felt about him, told him how much you cared about him, confessed to him… Just to find out that you meant less than nothing to him. That he’s been toying with you all the time, using you for his own sick and sadistic pleasure, his amusement in this afterlife he claimed was oh so boring…

   You shot him a last glare before you whipped around and fled from the scene, past the dancefloor and the crowd of people that enjoyed the very evening that turned into your own personal Hell. Oh, how ironic it was. Everything. The establishment, the circumstances, the random music in the club pounding with a bass and the sound of a woman singing about being hung up on the one she loves… This felt like a joke. A bad, terrible and tasteless joke. As if fate took everything in its force to make you suffer and question everything you felt and experienced. Memories with Alastor played in front of your inner eyes, one clip after another being played in timelapse, the film exchanged quickly after a few seconds:

   You and him laughing, spending time in the privacy of his quarters or going out into the city.

   A long, lingering gaze as he regarded you with affection behind those blood red orbs as he took your hand in his and pulled you into a lively dance. You remembered how focused you used to be at that moment. He was the only person existing in this moment as the both of you swung to the jazzy tunes in Mimzy’s Club.

   Then, the memory disappeared and got exchanged with another in which you sat at Husk’s bar in the lobby, playing with the rim of your glass after a terrible day. Alastor had appeared behind you – as he so often did – and seated himself into the stool right next to you with that toothy grin of his. He was there for you, when you felt the need for distraction. As if he had sensed your unease but instead of taunting you he always just pulled you into a conversation that made you forget about your problems completely.

   There was so much he’d done for you – tiny, meaningful gestures you now knew were nothing but calculated moves to manipulate you into believing you were special to him.

   “Caressin’ ya cheek like silk, toots…” Angel’s words repeated themselves again. What used to be a sentence that gave you the strength to finally pull through and confront him, was now a mockery of your actions, a taunting joke to remind you of how just wrong you were all this time…

   You didn’t even notice how you pushed the door to the hallway open so forcefully for it to crash against the wall and startle loitering demons. Gazes followed as you stomped into the hallway, sniffling and sore, eyes red and burnt from the sheer amount of tears pouring down your cheeks like waterfalls. Your breath hitched and you could barely breathe, though you didn’t care about the suffocation nor how much it hurt to force yourself into taking breaths.

   It was all a lie.

   Everything was a lie.

   He used you.

   He used you like he probably used everyone.

   You meant nothing to him but mere amusement.

   He pretended to care about you, to maybe even reciprocate your hopeless feelings that clung to you for months, maybe even a year. Feelings that made you look at him through heart shaped glasses, with a clouded sense of judgement. You’d believed in the truth of what you were seeing. You’d trusted him and loved him with all your heart. You would’ve burned the world for him if it meant he could be yours. And you’ve fallen for every single of his schemes. Fell for his manipulation, his bad intentions veiled by his charming nature. You were an idiot. A fool. And no better than all those other girls whose hearts he’d broken in the past. The girls he either complained or laughed about. Wasn’t it obvious? You should’ve seen the signs. Yet, you’d deluded yourself into a fantasy that couldn’t be further from reality. With all fiber of your being you felt nothing but utterly betrayed.

   Suddenly you bumped into a firm chest and startled. As you looked up, you met the sneering expression of an unfamiliar demon who scrunched up his nose in disgust of your pathetic appearance. Under different circumstances you would’ve felt insulted. But right now you couldn’t care less.

   “Excuse me…” you mumbled with a trembling voice, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. You were worried he would attack you with a nasty remark. But instead, he just glared at you with raised eyebrows and shook his head while he walked away, leaving you all alone.

   Thrown back into reality, you blinked, trying to figure out where you were. You could still hear the sound of the music in the near distance, so you couldn’t have made it far from the club. In fact, you still were in the club – the hallway to be precise. The very same hallway that brought you into this situation at all.

   You spun around to make out the direction you were walking and your eyes landed on another door that marked the outside area where you had gone to get some fresh air and where you’d said goodbye to Selena.

   Selena. You hoped she arrived at home unharmed. Maybe tomorrow you could send her a message to let her know that – well, not that the evening turned out to be your own personalized purgatory.

   Shaking your head you tried to dismiss the thoughts of her, yet everything that has unfolded this evening repeated itself in your head: The arrival at the club, dancing and drinking with Angel, meeting Selena, the little makeout sesh only a few feet away from where you stood right now, Alastor catching you, your rambling to Angel at the bar and him encouraging you to confront the other man, you going outside, Selena unraveling the truth about your and Alastor’s connection within seconds, you at the bar again to get a drink right before you approached Alastor, the initial fallout…

   You closed your eyes and wiped away your tears in a hurry, a loud sniff sounding through the hallway as you breathed in sharply through your nose. That was enough. You had to get some grip again. You were in the middle of a club, after all. Right in the middle of Hell, with demons ready to use your vulnerability for their own profit lurking everywhere around you.

   The room spun around you as you desperately clung to your breath, trying to control every deep inhale and long exhale. Your body shook and trembled from the emotional chaos while you tried to get rid of your tears – but the flood didn’t stop. The pain was too fresh, too deep. And for a moment you considered returning to the hotel. But you couldn’t go without letting the others know. And you most definitely didn’t want them to see you that way because they’d ask you questions you’d have to answer.

   Damn it, you were fucked.

   You noticed a shadow move in the corner of your eye and held your breath as it morphed into shape and Alastor stepped out. Your heart dropped immediately.

   “You know, my dear, it’s pretty rude to just run away from a conversation. Especially when things were just getting… interesting,” he said, his voice smooth as if he didn’t just tear your whole world into pieces.

   “Fuck off,” you hissed, not even turning to face him. The sound of his voice was enough to make your stomach twist with rage and hurt.

   Alastor clicked his tongue dismissively. “My, my, such a sharp tongue. Rudeness certainly doesn’t suit you.”

   “You’re one to talk,” you shot back through gritted teeth, your voice trembling under the weight of your emotions.

   Alastor tilted his head in confusion but you didn’t see it, still facing away from him. Part of you wanted him to see your tear-streaked face and recognize what he had done to you. But the rational part of you knew better. He’d only use it as ammunition for another tasteless remark – or worse, twist it into an opportunity to manipulate you further. Who knew, maybe he’d even try to strike a deal with you – but that would be pretty tasteless, even for him.

   “I’m afraid I don’t quite follow,” he replied, his voice infuriatingly calm.

   You didn’t say anything and instead wrapped your arms around your chest, fighting against the urge to yell at him, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing you unravel.

   “I said, fuck off, Alastor,” you repeated venomously, each word sharper than the last.

   Alastor raised an eyebrow, entirely unfazed. His voice dropped an octave, laced with cruel amusement. “Why so dramatic, darling? Did this truly mean so much to you that my words have cut this deep?”

   You snapped. Whirling around, your face flushed red almost instantly with a sudden burst of rage, morphing into a slightly more demonic form with your claws growing and hairs standing to all sides. And then, you exploded. “Are you fucking kidding me?!” you shouted, your voice cracking under the sheer force of your anger. The dam broke, and every ounce of hurt and frustration came pouring out in a relentless torrent. “You just told me you’ve been using me this whole time! That you don’t care about me, or anything we’ve shared, and that I’m not even worth knowing the truth! You’ve been pretending all along! Making me believe I mattered! Making me think there was something real between us! I opened up to you, Alastor! I told you how I felt, I confessed my fucking feelings to you! And you?! You twisted it all into some fucked-up game! You didn’t even take me seriously for a second! Do you even understand how much courage it took to open up to you?! Do you even know what it’s like to be fooled by someone you trust? By someone you love?!” Your voice cracked as you continued, tears blurring your vision as they relentlessly streamed down your face. “You meant the world to me, Alastor! I’ve never cared for anyone like this before, and now you’re standing there, acting like I’m some pathetic fool for ever believing you might have cared too. That any of it was real. That you–” You choked on your words, chest heaving as you took in a breath.

   Through it all, Alastor didn’t flinch. His grin remained fixed though it twisted slightly at the edges, betraying a flicker of unease. He leaned casually on his cane, exuding an infuriatingly calm demeanor as he patiently waited for your outburst to end.

   When silence fell, you just glared at him, heart pounding as you waited for some kind of response – or for him to just diossolve into shadow and leave you the fuck alone. But he did none of that. Instead, he merely tilted his head. “I haven’t said any of that,” he countered.

   You blinked. “Are you shitting me?”

   “No, I’m not. But it appears you’re assuming things again,” he continued and straightened his back, spinning his cane in a fluid motion before planting it firmly beside him. “I told you that ‘it doesn’t matter’. That honesty is a luxury I cannot afford. That your time is wasted on such fleeting notions as truth. And, as I said before, the truth changes nothing. It never has, and it never will. But I never – not even once – mentioned that I’m using you.”

   He took a step closer, his expression unwavering, and you instinctively stepped back. The glow in his eyes burned brighter, his presence suffocating as he closed the distance you so desperately wanted to keep.

   “You said it was a game…” you breathed, intimidated by his threatening height looming over you, his dangerous proximity making you feel like an animal in a cage, ready to be fed to an approaching hunter.

   Alastor looked down at you and the sharpness of his facial features appeared even more angular. He widened his grin, baring his teeth – those sharp and deadly canines – but he didn’t move closer. Instead, his voice dropped an octave and took over a deep, sultry rasp as he calmly said, “I’ve said ‘Everything’s a game’. Not that I played you.”

   For a moment there was silence between you as you reconsidered his words, only the bass of the music pounded from the other room, the melody of the song barely recognizable. “What do you mean by that?” you questioned sternly. The amount of tears running down your face came to a stop without you even noticing.

   “What I mean is that the whole world is a stage. And while the stage is a world of entertainment, one has to direct it to keep control.”

   You furrowed your eyebrows, puzzled by his words that were nothing but another cryptic message. Ones of which you already had enough this evening. “Where’s the difference between this and manipulation?”

   Alastor chuckled and tilted his head. His lips were closed, hiding his sharp set of teeth as his grin softened into a warm, almost genuine smile. “Oh, there is one, cher.” he said, his voice laced with static that hummed like a low, sultry vibration. The French term rolled off his tongue with an unsettling intimacy that sent a shiver down your spine.

   You held your breath as he leaned in slightly, his tone dropping further, rich and velvety, yet crackling with faint distortion. “Why burden yourself with such senseless notions,” he murmured, his glowing eyes locked onto yours, “when in the end, the only thing it does is cause unnecessary worries?”

   You furrowed your eyebrows, still puzzled and mad about the fact he continued his charade of twisted sentences instead of giving you a straight answer. So instead, you decided to change direction. “Why did you follow me?” You breathed – tired, and weak, and startled by the tension crackling between you.

   Alastor’s eyebrows shot up at your sudden question but returned to their natural position as quickly.

   “Why are you here?” you added.

   He didn’t respond.

   You let out a defeated sigh. “Listen. If you want to continue to pester me, to make this even worse for me than it already is – stop it. You’ve done enough damage for an evening. Hell, for eternity, even!” You straightened your back and swallowed hard as another flood of tears tried to fight its way from underneath your eyelids. But you blinked it away, not wanting to give him any of his sadistic satisfaction and lose the little composure you barely contained. “So, unless you plan to tell me the truth, I advise you to just leave me alone. And never talk to me again.” You hissed the last words with such contempt that his smile twitched. You loved him. But maybe it would help getting over him if you just learned to despise him.

   The tension dispersed again. You turned around and moved to leave, ready to cut the strings and close the case. But as you stepped towards the door, a firm hand wrapped around your arm, pulling you back. Your heart skipped a beat at the sudden touch and you bit your lip to prevent yourself from flinching. Part of you wanted to scream at him again, but you kept your mouth shut.

   “You don't want to run away in the middle of our conversation again, do you?” Alastor asked, his voice laced with that signature cheerful tone of his.

   You let out a growl. “Well, you didn’t give me enough reason to stay.” Slowly, you turned around and your gaze fell on his long, slender fingers wrapped around your wrist, before you lifted your gaze to meet his eyes. There was something in them, a tiny flicker of an emotion you couldn’t quite place.

   For a while, neither of you said something and you just stood there, almost chest to chest, and looked into each other’s eyes. Slowly, the tension returned, growing even thicker as neither of you moved. The storm of bitter emotions, anger and frustration still raged in your chest but you no longer felt the need to vent and let it all out. Your throat tightened – but this time not out of hurt but out of bewilderment caused by this sudden proximity.

   You tried to free your arm but Alastor's grip stayed firm as if silently pleading you to stay.

   “Could you please listen to me, cher?” He asked.

   “Could you please just give me an answer instead of avoiding my questions with your pointless riddles?!” You snapped back.

   Alastor blinked, caught off guard but said nothing. Instead, another uncomfortable silence lingered between you and the Radio Demon in which your frustration only grew.

   You threw your head back as you let out a frustrated ‘Ugh’. Why the Hell did he even bother to keep you in the same room when he didn't spit it out? Then you saw it. A flicker of an emotion that seemed so out of character that it left you speechless. Your eyes widened slowly, as realization struck and your heart skipped a beat before it continued to hammer relentlessly in your chest, fueled by the new revelation.

   “You're scared…” you whispered, gazing between his eyes which glowed in the dim light of the hallway like blood-red jack-o'-lanterns on Halloween. A moment passed in which you just stared into his eyes until a chuckle escaped your throat and broke the tense silence between you, whispering, “You really are scared…” 

   Alastor blinked and the glimmer in his eyes disappeared as he raised his eyebrows, the expression filled with surprise and a mild mix of disbelief. His ears twitched and with a huff he countered, “Scared? Me? I think you must be quite mistaken!” He exclaimed with a wide grin, his demeanor way too cheerful for the circumstances and raised his hand to his chest in offense – yet his gesture didn't seem genuine. The corners of his grin twitched nervously and the static around him crackled stronger, betraying his sudden nervosity.

   You narrowed your eyes suspiciously and slowly shook your head. “I don't believe you.” Your voice was quiet and barely above a whisper as you stared at him intently, surprised and pleased at the same time. Finally, you had a read of what he so desperately tried to hide. It was still veiled by decades of mastering his mask – but the slight strain in his expression was enough to make clear that there was much more hidden than he wanted to admit.

   Alastor scoffed. “Well, then don't,” he retorted with a dismissive tone and his expression twisted slightly at the edges. But you didn't let his denial get to you. You got this far – now you'll push further to throw him over the edge and finally make his spill. “I want the truth, Alastor.”

   Alastor just blinked and his ears twitched in sync. Yet, he didn't let go of your wrist. His grasp was strong and the touch of his slender fingers wrapped around your arm sent shivers through your body, waking the butterflies in your stomach. Desperately, you tried to ignore the fluttering in your guts. You were supposed to be angry, after all. But this small little touch – his hand resting on your skin and his presence so close to yours that you could feel the heat radiating off his body – made all the issues that got you so distraught appear meaningless. Like nothing but a gratuitous overreaction.

   You let out another sigh. “I want the truth Alastor,” you repeated, voice much stronger than before. “Now.”

   Your arm twitched but you didn't pull away.

   Alastor just blinked again, saying nothing – and frustration struck again.

   “This is pathetic,” you hissed, about to pull your arm away but Alastor's grip tightened, keeping you in place.

   “Let me go, Alastor. You had your chance and you dismissed it. So, for fucks sake, let me–”

   “You’re a complication I never accounted for,” he interrupted, his voice low and uncharacteristically soft despite the static that crackled around him.

   “What?” Your breath caught in your throat at his sudden admission but you masked it quickly with a clearing of your throat before you turned around and regarded him with furrowed eyebrows. But the sight only made your heart skip a beat. There he was, looking down at you with a soft, even pleading, expression. His grin was replaced by nothing but a slight curving up of his lips and his eyes – oh his eyes – were filled with a vulnerability you could barely process. Alastor. He, out of all people, stood there, in front of you with a helpless expression on his face that put him into a light you never thought you'd ever witness.

   You took a deep breath in to steady yourself before you asked, “What does that mean?”

   Alastor mirrored your reaction, his chest heaving under the deep breath he took in. You could see that he had to force himself to keep eye contact and his thumb began to trace over your skin as if he was holding himself back from doing something precipitately.

   “It means, cher,” he began, voice raspy but the radio filter barely hearable, “that you've done something no one else has ever managed to do. You've gotten under my skin. You’ve forced your way into my life, into my thoughts, into places I swore no one would ever touch. And I can't seem to get it out.”

   Under different circumstances you would've felt hopeful – even excited at the mention of him… feeling… something for you. Something that might prove you've been right the whole time. That Angel was right when he said Alastor was all over you… But while he hinted at a secret truth, the Radio Demon always did what he could do best – dismiss it.

   Your eyes flickered between his as you tried to read something out of his expression that could give you an answer before you went on to ask him. But there was nothing you could make of it. Despite the vulnerability in his gaze, the deep hidden longing in his eyes, he visibly fought with himself to further mask the truth.

   “Then… then why do you keep running away?” You asked carefully, your voice surprisingly soft and yet laced with a slight edge to it.

   Alastor's thumb kept tracing patterns on your skin as he responded, “Because those are things I've spent a lifetime burying. And I suggest you do the same.”

   Slowly, your heart sank and you pressed your lips tight as his words echoed in your mind. There it was. The rejection.

   “I can't…” you whispered, shaking your head, and lowered your gaze, no longer strong enough to face him. “I… I've tried, but I can’t just bury what I feel for you… I can't just pretend it's not there, Alastor. Don't you understand?” You felt tears well up in your eyes again and swallowed to push them back down, but the proximity and the feeling of his thumb caressing your wrist softly made it impossible for you to ignore the sadness that overcame you. Shit, it hurt. It hurt so much having him this close and yet out of reach because that goddamn deer in front of you couldn't handle facing the truth. Facing the emotions that have accompanied you over the course of too many months. The tension that slowly had grown over time. The love you had developed for him.

   Fuck, it hurt so much…

   You bit your lip to soothe yourself with the pain of your tooth piercing the skin inside your mouth. You wanted to feel that physical pain – just to forget about the ache in your heart that twisted your guts and made you taste the bile of an eternity with ignoring those damn feelings you held for the man in front of you – the man you didn't even dare to look at any longer, afraid of what you might see on his face. Of what seeing his face might do to you…

   “The truth is, cher, that you’re far too precious for someone like me. You deserve someone who can give you the… romantic nonsense you so clearly crave. And that is not, nor will it ever be, me,” Alastor uttered the words with such pained softness that you almost couldn't believe they had come from him. “I’ve built my existence on control, on never letting anyone get too close. And now, here you are, tearing down every wall I’ve ever built.”

   Every word that left his lips cut deep, but instead of surrendering to the ache, you clenched your jaw and forced the hurt aside. This wasn’t something you were willing to accept. Not his stubbornness, not his ignorance, and certainly not his fear of treading unfamiliar ground. It was obvious he was at war with himself. Forcing himself to say these things because he had gaslighted himself into believing that pushing you away was the right choice. The best option. But you weren’t about to let him get away with that. You’d come too far in this confrontation, had managed to slip past his defenses, to chip away at his carefully guarded mask, to glimpse the truth he so desperately wanted to keep buried.

   Oh no.

   You weren’t giving up now.

   He had given you an answer. And now you were going to make him give you more.

   “Then why don’t you just accept it?” you whispered, voice low and husky, cautious yet filled with anticipation and the hope to finally crack his mask completely.

   “Because I don’t deserve it!” he snarled, his voice rising again. His grin dropped almost entirely, leaving his face almost completely bare and raw in a way you’d never seen before. “You think I don’t want this? That I don’t want you? I do! But I can’t–” He cut himself off abruptly, turning away so fast his coat flared behind him. His shoulders were rigid, trembling. His fists clenched tightly, his fingers curling around the microphone on his cane as his ears twitched, betraying the sheer effort it took for him to keep himself together.

   And you just stood there, staring at him with wide eyes, and unable to grasp the situation – both overwhelmed and yet completely aware of what you were witnessing. You had seen Alastor vulnerable before when you had spent long evenings together, locked in moments of raw intensity where he let his guard slip just enough for you to see past the mask. Those moments had been rare, but they were what made you fall for him in the first place.

   But this?

   This was something else entirely.

   “I can’t give in to this. Not when–” Again, he stopped himself. His chest rose and fell with a deep, steadying breath that straightened his posture as if pulling himself together by sheer force of will. Silence returned with just you and him left in the otherwise empty hallway and only the bass of the club pounding through the walls. Your skin prickled and you felt the need to say something, but you knew better that speaking now would be reckless. So you just watched. Your heart pounded against your ribs, blood vibrating in your veins and body trembling under the sheer gravity of what was unfolding. By doing something, saying something, you'd remind him of your presence. Then, he could choose to disappear, sink into the shadows and abandon you in this place. But he could also spin around with those fiery eyes of his darkened to dangerous black and his grin twisted into a grimace, lunging at you with sharp lethal teeth… But he did nothing.

   Seconds passed which felt like eternity and you started to grow impatient, when, suddenly, Alastor’s voice broke the silence, deep and filled with determination, vulnerable and lacking any filter. 

   “Fuck it.”

   He spun around, his cane vanishing into the void with a flick of his wrist. And then, in an instant, his hands were on you, cupping your neck and pulling you forward in one swift motion as his lips crashed onto yours.

   Sparks ignited instantly. The tension shattered as a thousand butterflies burst into fireworks, exploding into a rush of heat that surged through your body like a shockwave. His lips moved against yours with a fervor that stole the air from your lungs – fervently, hungry, craving. He pulled you closer, until your chest pressed flush against his. You could feel the heat radiating off his body, the sudden contact catching you off guard. But there was no time to get startled. You didn’t even need to grasp the situation because your body immediately reacted on instinct, returning his kiss with the same passion and arms wrapping tightly around his neck, locking him in your grasp as though he might pull away and vanish into nothing if you let go. This was the moment you had been waiting for. The moment you envisioned in your dreams, certain it would never become reality. But here you were, tangled in Alastor’s embrace with his lips moving against yours in a battle of temptation, ignited by the sheer release of all the emotions he’d kept locked inside. His sharp teeth scratched your lips but you didn’t care. It only fuelled your need to taste him, to feel him, and get even closer.

   But even the most anticipated of moments couldn’t last forever.

   Your lips chased his as he slowly pulled away, desperate to capture his mouth in another kiss, but he straightened his back, making it impossible for you to reach. Your grip around his shoulders loosened slightly but you didn’t let go, unwilling to lose even this kind of contact. Eyes fluttering open, your gaze fell onto his face, sharp features softened and eyes half lidded with a warm smile curling his lips. His hands remained on your neck as he forced you to keep looking at him, and you held your breath, utterly speechless and unable to grasp what just happened. Everything felt like a dream, as if everything was born out of your imagination, and yet the remaining feeling of his lips on yours betrayed the truth. His hands still holding your neck were proof of the moment you just shared. And it felt both unreal and real at the same time.

   “Don’t you dare say this was a mistake,” you muttered under your breath, eyes flicking between his, and despite the seriousness of your tone you couldn’t help but let out a quick laugh that wasn’t quite amused but definitely a subtle plea for him to not tear everything down again. Despite everything you’ve come this far. You’ve confessed your feelings, confronted him about his infuriating behavior, yelled at him and cried your heart out while you revealed your biggest vulnerabilities. You’ve accused him of using you, managed to tear off his mask completely, got him to question his own mindset and give in to finally kiss you. Now, the moment was too fragile, too easy to break, and your heart too easy to shatter. One wrong word and everything could fall apart again in an instant. And your anxiety grew with every second he did not respond – in which he simply stared at you, his expression unchanging.

   You held your breath again and swallowed hard, finally lowering your arms until only his grip around your neck remained. His fingers curled into your hair, playing with the strands while his claws carefully caressed your skin. But still, he did not respond. As if he was pondering his answer, he kept his mouth shut while his gaze roamed over your face, and you closed your eyes, ready to step away.

   Alastor must’ve sensed your intention because his grip around you tightened, preventing you from leaving. Then, his voice broke the silence, low and uncertain. “This… this doesn’t change who I am. I can’t offer you what you crave – not in the way you deserve. I can’t give you the kind of romance people write books about. I’m just not that man…”

   Under different circumstances his words would’ve stung. But now that you were able to look behind his facade and you finally understood the struggles that kept him so locked away, you just met him with a soft, yet slightly anxious smile. “I don’t care about stereotypes, Alastor…” you started, your voice a murmur but not less determined. “I don’t need roses, or candlelight dinners, or great declarations of love…” You shook your head. “I never needed that. Because this… the moments we shared in the past… the moment we shared just now… is already enough. I just want to be yours as much as I want you to be mine.” You raised your hands again and cupped his cheeks, eyes not leaving his, as your voice trailed off, getting quieter with every single word. “This is all I need. To be with you…”

   With that, both of you leaned forward in a silent understanding. And when he pulled you closer and gently locked your lips with his, you knew his answer. Because you didn’t need him to say it out loud. His action alone was enough for you to understand that he was willing to try…

Let me know what you think about the ending or this part in general!

*~*~*~*~*

Taglist:

@diffidentphantom, @notsoaverageguy-1997, @the-autistic-moth, @n0tmentallystable, @sirens-and-moonflowers, @alastorsgirl48, @ratsematary, @night-lol, @divineknightmare, @musiclover059, @bitter-rabbittt, @milkissesx, @florist-of-the-valley, @fantasyhopperhea, @eris-norwega, @godsent69, @minamilinaqueen, @sour-daisies, @thisbipuff-isaswiftie, @circusren, @chibistar45, @fokrilove, @tayraedoll

[flippinpancakes64]

Hello there :>

I really enjoy your content!

I wanted to send in a request with how the cullens would maybe help or react to a reader who's trying to quit smoking? (It's a bit self-indulgent but I need some comfort cause im struggling)

only if you're alright with it ofc !

The Cullens with a reader who’s trying to quit smoking

Hello! I don’t think anyone will be shocked by this since I’ve proven in the past that I don’t do anything but work and play Roblox but I am not a smoker. I’m still gonna try my best to write this tho so hopefully it’s good!

Thank you for requesting and I hope you enjoy!

Edward:

If you hadn’t come up with the idea to quit on your own, he would have pushed you to do it

He wants you to live a happy, healthy life

And he hates seeing you hurting yourself in this way

Unfortunately he’s not the best at doing it safely

He takes all of your cigarettes/vapes and sort of forces you to quit cold turkey

And he doesn’t listen when you tell him that it’s dangerous to do that

Sorry

At least he’s supportive tho

Alice:

She’s glad that you’re deciding to quit

She does her best to help you in whatever way that you need

She doesn’t take away all of your stuff tho

She knows you’re supposed to ease into it

And she never judges you if you relapse

But the thing that she’ll never tell you is that she’s really happy you’re trying to quit because she’s tired of trying to get the smell of cigarettes out of your clothes lol

Jasper:

He never really minded that you smoked in the first place

He just wants you to be happy and if smoking made you happy then he’s chill

But as soon as you tell him about how you want to quit he is your #1 support

He does use his ability a little sneakily here

He can increase your feelings of happiness and suppress your feelings of craving or irritation whenever you aren’t smoking

But he doesn’t take everything from you either

He lets you go at your own pace

He’ll support you no matter what

Rosalie:

She is on board

There’s been a couple instances where you haven’t been able to hang out with her when she’s working on her cars due to fear of the smoke igniting something

And again the smell

So she’s there for you

She starts out by taking everything from you

Edward style

But after she sees how much you struggle and once you explain how it’s dangerous she gives some back

And apologizes

And again she doesn’t judge you if you falter

She knows it’s tough and she thinks you’re strong just for trying to get better

Emmett:

He never really minded that you smoked in the first place

But if you want to quit then he is right there at your side

Another one who lets you go at your own pace, he only steps in to help if you ask him to

And he definitely doesn’t judge

I mean, he struggled like crazy when he first got turned

He knows it’s not easy

And also he will beat anyone’s ass who judges you for it

Esme:

She’s so excited for you

She’s never been a fan that you smoked, and she had asked you a couple times in the past to stop

So yes she is there for you 100%

Again, she lets you go at your own pace

She never judges you

You don’t need to hide or try to sneak around her

She understands

And she’s so proud of you for trying to get better

Carlisle:

Obligatory mention that Carlisle is a doctor

He’s never been happy that you smoked

He’s told you multiple times about all of the health risks

And he has encouraged you to quit multiple times

But he can’t make you quit, and he never tried to

So once you decide to quit, he is prepared

He’s got everything you need

Those nicotine patches, nic gum, everything that could help you wean off

He’s just really concerned about you and he’s so happy that you’re trying to get healthier

Vampire! Bella:

She never really cared that you smoked

In fact she thought it was cool

But then over time she saw how it was affecting your health

And she asked you a couple times to quit

And yes she’s stolen your packs/vapes in the past

But once you decide to quit, she’s there for you

She also just takes all of your stuff, forcing you to go cold turkey

And she doesn’t listen when you say it’s dangerous

So hopefully you’re successful

Or it gets really bad and you have to go to the hospital and then she sees that she was wrong lol

[brittscafe]

Yuji Itadori Headcanons

Synopsis: SFW and NSFW headcanons. Yuji Itadori x female reader.

I beg of y'all to listen to Being Alive by Stephen Sondheim while reading this bc it almost made me cry when writing this 😭

SFW:

Yuji being a green flag? Babe, he's the whole damn forest.

Calls you pretty girl.

Adores it when he's playing video games and you sit in his lap, wrapping your arms around him.

Yuji promises he'll be done soon and you eventually fall asleep, your head resting on his shoulder.

Yuji will stop anything he's doing and just sit there, gently rubbing your back and holding you.

Yuji loves physical touch so freaking much.

He'll wrap you up in a blanket and cuddle with you in bed all day long.

When Yuji needs your attention, he'll ask for cuddles or text you.

You'll give him good luck kisses and they encourage him so much before going out into the battlefield.

His smiles are so precious and they give you butterflies.

His kisses are gentle, but he can become impatient. He'll hold your face his his hands, giving you long, slow kisses.

Yuji would rather pass out thanks top kissing.

Yuji is so romantic and gentle.

He'll walk on the side that closer to the street and hold your hand, tugging you away from the side where the cars are flying by.

There's no need to ask Yuji to hold your heavy bags because he's already grabbing them before you even can.

He always is watching you and asking if you're okay/ comfortable.

Yuji doesn't realize how cute and attractive he really is.

Especially, when he comes out of the shower, wet dripping from his pink hair and a towel hanging so dangerously low on his hips.

Whenever he texts you, he always uses way too much emojis and that brings a smile to your face.

The way he says your name makes your heart ram against your chest.

He's calling out to you with a tender voice that's almost begging and needy for attention.

Yuji could listen to you for hours, he never gets tired of hearing your voice.

Yuji makes you laugh to point where your chest hurts and your cheeks are burning and flustered.

He craves any type of hugs; bear hugs, side hugs, hugs from behind, etc.

He never knows what kind of gifts to buy you for Christmas or your birthday, so he'll take you shopping and will grab random things asking your opinion on them.

Always expresses how much he misses you while pressing kisses on your cheek.

He's just excited to be with you.

NSFW:

AHHHHh, if you sit on Yuji's lap, he just cannot help himself.

Make-out sessions on his lap, where you grind against him and feel his cock grow hard in his boxers.

When you wrap your legs around his waist, he's already gone.

Especially if you start to kiss his neck, right underneath his ear or start nibbling on his earlobe.

Yuji's body becomes flustered and you'll giggle, playing with his soft pink hair.

His hands drift down your body to your ass, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Yuji will groan into your mouth, praises spilling from his mouth that are so needy.

He compliments you all the time, calling you pretty, beautiful, gorgeous, whatever comes to his mind.

Yuji likes it when you ride him, feeling your plush walls clamp around his.

He really enjoys it when you take control, leaving tiny red marks all his neck and chest.

Yuji is super soft and gentle when it comes to sex.

His number one is hurting you, so he'll never do anything that could possibly do that.

He loves to take his time in between your thighs, using his tongue and fingers to pleasure you in insane ways.

Yuji would never ask you to pleasure him, he's really never thought of his own pleasure.

He definitely whimpers and groans as your hand runs up and down the shaft of his length.

He'll say how pretty you look on your knees.

Yuji is obsessed with your ass, squeezing it and his fingers melting into your flesh.

Yuji can get nervous during the act and you sometimes have to reassure him.

His cheeks fluster as he drives his hips forward, sinking his cock back inside of you and hearing your sweet moans float in the air.

He whispers soft praises and compliments into your ear, making your body tingle.

His touch is so gentle.

His pace is slow and sensual, filling you up with pleasure.

Yuji can be serious or he can be cracking jokes to make you feel better or make him less nervous.

AFTER CARE IS A 10000000 OUT OF 10.

Yuji will take his time, cleaning you up and running his hands over your body.

He loves the way your skin glides in his hands.

Yuji loves to watch you afterwards, his knuckles running up and down your bare side.

He'll stay awake long after your asleep, admiring how your pretty your face is.

Yuji loves to kiss your cheek before he falls asleep.

[thediaryofaurora]

General HCs

𖧐Kate the Chaser (Kate Milens)𖧞

- 5’8. She’s not very tall, but she’s pretty lanky.

- Mixed! Her dad is Eastern Indian, her mom is Salvadoran and White.

- Actually had a great childhood. Both of her parents were amazing. She didn’t do anything bad, but Slender saw potential in her and her house was just too close to the mansion for comfort.

- To maximize her performance, her memory was wiped so it didn’t hurt as bad.

- Fairly reserved. Does talk to Nina, sometimes Toby or Cody. She mainly goes with whatever. If she’s on a mission with people she might small talk a little, but social interaction isn’t really something she craves.

- Pretty thick hair! It’s long and untamed, kinda frizzy. She doesn’t take care of it whatsoever, uses men’s three in one shampoos or bars of soap. Even though her hairs wild, it would be pin straight if she tried to tame it.

- Her room is kinda boring. She doesn’t really feel any need for decorations, but her bed is by far the comfiest out of anyone’s.

- Cat person. 1000%. Always pspspsping at strays while she’s on missions.

- Doesn’t think about relationships very much. There’s no one in the mansion she likes, so there’s no point. Definitely a lesbian, though.

- Her hands are always FREEZING, even in summer.

- Prefers to work alone, but she’s usually paired with Hoodie. Since they’re both quiet and know to do their thing and leave, they work pretty well together.

- Out of all the proxies, Hoodie’s her favorite since he’s efficient and easy to plan with.

- Doesn’t mind Masky, his strategies just don’t click with hers. Same for Toby.

- EXTREMELY STEALTHY!! Also definitely a klepto.

- Her favorite colors grey. (Boring 💔.)

- For someone so lame normal, she actually has a decent amount of hobbies. She carries a little notebook to write poetry/ sketch in, reads a lot of classical literature, and takes polaroid pictures around the scenic parts of the forest! She keeps all her pictures in a little box under her bed.

- Absolutely no one knows that she does anything her free time, they just assume she sits in her bare, bare room and does nothing.

- Loves Nina’s guinea pigs, but she’s so scared to hold them. She’s actually really gentle, just very cautious because she doesn’t want to hurt them.

- Farsighted! She needs glasses and has a VERY strong prescription. Usually she wears contacts on missions and in front of any other residents, but in private she wears her big bulky glasses.

- LOVES unsweetened tea. Any opportunity she has to get some she absolutely does.

- Winter girl!!! Never mentions it, but snow is her favorite thing ever. She finds it so calming the way it crunches and makes the wind all cool. Since she doesn’t remember any of her past she can’t place the feeling, but snow makes her feel very nostalgic. Also, she drinks cold hot chocolate, kind of weird.

- She’s my favorite, I love her.

𖧞𖧐𖧞𖧐𖧞𖧐𖧞𖧐𖧞𖧐𖧞𖧐𖧞𖧐𖧞𖧐𖧞𖧐𖧞𖧐𖧞