#Every time I see that man's name I get such a spike of anxiety and rage.

[candiedcatnip]

[cursedcola]

Prompt: "Will You Marry Me?" - Proposal Headcannons Characters: Everyone :) Part(s): Heartslabyul (here!), Savanaclaw, Octavinelle, Scarabia, Pomefiore, Ignihyde, Diasomnia(Pt.1)(Pt.2) Fandom: Twisted Wonderland Warning(s): None. I mean, unless you don't want to marry any of them. Just don't read if that's the case. Note: These are all if he is the one proposing btw. I've been thinking about maybe programming a small fan-made mini-otome using these ideas. Just for some practice for school while also being self indulgent hehe

Riddle Rosehearts

Very traditional, but this is expected. He asks your closest of kin (a cat, to his horror) for permission to propose. Regardless of Grimm's answer, there is already a ring that's been purchased. This is merely formality

He comes up with an elaborate plan to execute the 'perfect' proposal. Riddle maps it all out and runs multiple drafts by his childhood friends. Everything must go perfectly - or else you might not accept. Is it likely that not presenting you with exactly 12 red roses with the spikes trimmed and arranged with 6 sprigs of baby's breath will be the reason you decline? Likely not. Will he chance it though? No.

Despite all his planning, he is a nervous wreak. Our red prince is great at masking it though. He plans an entire evening down to the last detail. You both go to a upscale restaurant that serves your favorite cuisine under the pretense that you're celebrating an amazing jab offer Riddle received the day prior. There's dinner, dancing, a romantic atmosphere, and delightful conversation (he prepared conversation topics in advance in case he felt nervous).

Oh look, there just so happens to be an outdoor garden to take an evening stroll through. Would you like to go?

Of course you would, and he asks you to wait outside as he visits the restroom. After you pass through the back door, a nearby waiter slips him the bouquet of twelve roses that he dropped off in the morning. He counts them, checks the stems, the ribbon holding them together, and with a relieved sigh he reaches into his pocket.

Riddle nestles the engagement ring within the core of the center rose, and for a moment his anxiety quells. He looks through the outside door's windowpane, and sees you patiently waiting for him while admiring the garden lights. The anxiety returns, but he's ready. With a knuckle-white grip on the flowers, he passes through the doors.

"My Rose...My apologies to have kept you waiting. There was a matter of great importance to attend to - pardon? No! Not that- ugh. I was not in the restroom! Only you would make such a childish remark on such an important day...No, do not apologize. I was not referring to my career. Perhaps these flowers will provide some clarity? I hope they are to you liking."

When you notice the ring, he gently takes it and gets down on one knee. Riddles heart rattles against his ribcage, and his the mask of calm falters. He holds out the ring with one hand, and the other lightly trembles as it reaches for yours.

"Would you do me the honor of becoming my spouse? I promise that you will be cared for dearly, and that I will work tirelessly to become a husband that you will be proud of. I swear this vow to you on the Rosehearts name."

{Riddle's ring is a mix of new and old. Tradition dictates a diamond for a wedding ring, but he knows better. Riddle wants you to think of him every time you see this ring, so he chooses to stray. Three rubies sit nested in diamonds. The color of his hair, which you love to poke fun of so much. It represents how he is willing to consistently change while still holding on to his core values, all so he can become a husband worthy of you}

Trey Clover

A simple man, and therefore takes a simple approach. The depth of his proposal lies in the timing. He does not know when he will be ready to commit, or how to tell if you are ready to as well.

Trey puts proposing off for the longest time. He acts in baby steps. The idea toys with him for months, until one day he convinces himself that he is ready. After that he slowly begins to look at rings, and think of ideas. He wants to be original, but would that overwhelm you? He would sooner die than do something tacky like a public proposal at a concert or event...but is that something you might want?

If there is one thing Trey is certain about, its that rejection would break him. He knows that your relationship would never be the same if he proposed too early, or if he managed to royally screw it up. He's not a fan of attention. This is awful. Oh Great Sevens it's a pressure that he never dreamed of having to undergo.

But if he doesn't propose...would you? Are you waiting for him? what if you're thought process is the same as his?

Completely out of character for Trey, he ends up proposing on impulse. He woke up one morning and saw the ring tucked away in his sock drawer. For the millionth time he had to face the "I should just do it," thoughts and decided to act on them

The day is new, neither of you had work, and a quick glance over his shoulder proves that you would be soundly sleeping for at least the next hour. So what's he do? Trey puts on his nicest casual clothes. Nothing formal, but also nothing that is sloppy. Then he marches downstairs and starts to make breakfast. He decides to prepare tarts, a reminiscence of your days as students and where you first met. As he arranges them on a platter, he places the ring inside one made with your favorite flavor. It peaks out just enough for anyone to notice, and with a huff Trey steps back to admire his work.

His hands are slightly clammy, and quickly moves to busy himself in fear he might chicken out. It helps for a time, until he hears your footsteps approach the kitchen, followed by a sleepy 'good morning' and arms wrapping around his torso

He steels himself, and turns over in your arms to kiss the top of your head. With a nervous laugh, Trey gestures to the platter of fruit tarts and smiles at how the sight of food causes you to perk up. Like clockwork, you reach for your favorite flavor and quickly notice the metal chunk inside

He reigns in panic as you dig the ring out and eye it with a quirked brow. A moment of silence passes before it clicks, and you whip to gawk at him with the largest bugeyes he has ever seen. Wordlessly, Trey takes the ring, wipes off any crumbs with his shirt, and takes your hands in his

"I'm sorry to spring this on you so early in the morning. It must be quite the wakeup call, huh? Haha...The truth is, I've wanted to give this to you for such a long time. I simply did not know how. I had a burst of courage this morning, and am honestly running on pure adrenaline. I love you...I want to spend our lives together. Will you marry me?"

{Trey's ring is a single pearl on a gold band. He feels that the ring should reflect it's wearer, and you are one of the most naturally beautiful people he has ever seen. There is beauty in simplicity - in seeing things as they are with no modifications. You do that for him, and he loves how your relationship is authentic}

Cater Diamond

Marriage? Huh. See, in the past that was a no-go. Very constricting and he didn't enjoy the idea of getting linked to someone in that regard. An s/o with no legal binding? Sure. It's just a title anyways, right? That kind of thing shouldn't matter in the long run.

Except it did end up being relevant, and now Cater wants to beat himself up because he explicitly told you once things were getting serious that he wasn't interested in marriage. You were fine with doing either and left the decision up to him. Very nice of you to be so nonchalant , and now he knows that marriage isn't 'off the table'. There is a chance.

A chance that requires him to both propose and take back his initial stance. Which is kind of humiliating. The take back part, not the proposal. Cater is confident that he can blow you away. He doesn't need shoddy internet advice, or to to do extensive research to be perfect. Nope. It's all in his noggin. He knows you like the back of his hand and therefore can concoct a speech to woo you easily.

So what comes first, the chicken or the egg? Does he try to casually tip you of that he's interested in getting married before trying to propose? No. That would be incredibly dull and ruin the element of surprise. Cater always hated those crappy half-baked romance films where the loser male lead is all 'oh honey I promise I will propose. Just give me time,' because hello???? You spoiled it??? Also don't make promises that you don't plan to keep, douchebag. How dull.

He decides that it's all or nothing. Cater spends an entire night online shopping for a ring. He already knows all of your sizes...don't ask how or why. Anyway, ordering is a cinche. Just ignore his eyebags the next day and his snappy attitude. He can't even whine about how tired he is because that would mean he has to say why he didn't sleep and -EUGH. He is torn between his two loves. Complaining for attention, and wooing you for attention. It's rough.

It comes in the mail, and after checking the package he decides to seal it back up again. It looks untouched thanks to his skills. Then, he sets up the living room to look like he is filming a video for his magicam. Specifically an unboxing video, and makes sure to let you know that it's from one of your favorite companies.

You take the bait, and he asks you to join him. Even if your camera shy, he insists that for just this one video you hop on. He might be a bit tricky and give you ideas about the product in the box (making sure to align them with a hobby or fandom that you're into). He sets the camera to record, plops down casually at your side, and hands you the box cutter. Go crazy.

Cater can't help but giggle when you open the box - just to pull out another small box. You eye it cautiously, now suspicious that this might be a prank. He urges you to open the box, and you do so while holding it at arms-length away from your face.

The ring's gem sparkles in the camera light, and he watches amused as you pull it closer. With a shaky hand, you take it out of the box and inspect it. With the way you side-eye him, Cater can tell that you're wondering if this situation is a cruel prank...

"Tada~~ You like? -- WAIT! Before you get upset just let me explain! There is no video. That was a lie, and I'm sorry for it. I surprised you good though, right?...ahem, uhm. I'm not pranking you. If you feel the same, then I want for us to get married! I know what I said before, and I take it back. The time we have spent together made me realize that I only felt that way - well, because I was unable to imagine liking someone enough to share my life. At least until I met you. So...do you want to marry me?"

{A diamond for a diamond. Diamonds are reflective. They glitter, and are clear. They are also viewed as the best choice for a ring, but in actuality they have are not. They're only considered perfect because of marketing. In actuality, they're quite the opposite. This same reasoning applies to Cater - and you understand. Yet, you still love him. The diamond represents himself, and the heart shape is to remind you how much you mean to him}

Deuce Spade

He may be young, but he is not stupid...alright. Deuce is not always stupid. Sometimes? Yes. He makes poor decisions and lets his emotions get the better of him.

This? Not a poor decision, and he will never EVER think twice about it. From the moment the idea entered Deuce's head, it was decided. HE would become your husband. Nothing would stop him.

It began during his final year at Night Raven College. Graduation approached, and everyone was excited. Everyone, except for one person. You. He didn't notice it at first, being too hung up over how he actually managed to do well in school. Get this, he even became Heartslabyul Drumhead after Riddle graduated! What an honor! His mother was proud of him, and he was proud of himself! He had career aspirations, plans to get a home back home, and even a lovely s/o to flaunt. Life was great.

What...do you mean? That you're not going back with him? The Queendom of Roses is such a beautiful place! He's certain that you'll love it and can become adjusted. Why do you want to stay at this academy? Was three years not enough?

Deuce has never gotten mad at you before. A little miffed, sure, but never frustrated. He didn't like it. Not these feelings, or how he failed to notice that you planned this from the start. He was so wrapped up in his own happiness, that he failed to see that you felt troubled over his assumptions. It stung. In a moment of weakness, he left you alone, scared that he might raise his voice at you.

He needed to think. Alone. Thankfully he moved past sharing a room with Ace when Deuce became Housewarden. His phone rang many times. Some calls from you, Ace, his mother...for once, Deuce didn't think her advice could help him. Not when he was so confused.

He thought over his dreams for after college. They were the same that he had since prior to enrolling. Nothing changed...except for you and the other unexpected friends he made along the way. It began to settle within him that the unpredicted parts were more important to him than what he initially planned. The image of him as a successful worker, on his own, and being successful were all hollow if they didn't include you. Deuce wasn't upset that you planned to stay at NRC, he was upset that you didn't plan to stay with him.

Or did you? He interpreted it as such in the moment, but he's not so sure. All Deuce knows is that you're his best friend and the love of his life. If you stay here without him, will that change? He doesn't want to find out.

The next day, he's determined. It's impulsive, this he knows. Yet it's what feels right in his heart and Deuce has always trusted his gut instinct. This choice is entirely on him. No one's advice to excuse it if you don't reciprocate, and yet he isn't afraid. He might not have a ring, or fancy offerings. All he has is his love to offer, and a willingness to work around any obstacle. The hurt from the night prior sill aches in his chest, but he has done difficult things before. The pain merely serves as a reminder for how he hurt you, and what his future might be like if he doesn't act.

He finds you before breakfast. When the first rays of sunshine peak over the horizon and the air is still moist with morning dew. You lingered in the hall of mirrors, specifically near the portal to Heartslabyul Hall. Your presence startled him, and he nearly headbutt you from the speed he was going through the portal. Were you...planning to visit him? His heart shuddered in a mix of guilt and happiness. Even after the way he behaved, you still cared.

Upon closer inspection, you appear just as disheveled as him. He must have caused you a great deal of worry...damn it. He can't even be mad at himself. Not with things as they are.

Before you have a chance to speak, he hushes you. Deuce's jaw sets in determination and he reaches into his uniform pocket. He pulls out a paper ring. One that children often give each other on the playground when playing family. He then gets down on one knee, and holds it out with both hands.

"I am sorry. I never intended to hurt you, or push my ambitions on to you. I simply love you more than anything else, and was afraid that you did not want to be together anymore. I was afraid...that being apart would take away what we have. I realize that I was wrong. I didn't see it happening, but being with you has caused me to develop dreams beyond what I initially planned. Nothing I imagine feels right, unless you are in the picture. I don't have a proper ring prepared just yet...but will you marry me? I promise that no matter where we are - for better or worse, I will make you happy. I swear it!

{Your initial ring is made out of his most recent homework assignment. It's frail, and one drop of water will break it. However, he meticulously folded it and it is the byproduct of many imperfect prototypes. The paper ring truly represents who Deuce is. It's rushed, fragile, and full of love}

{He chooses a vintage ring. With both of your initials engraved on the center, he hopes that this ring attests to a promise no matter where you both are. It's rose-gold, not as bright as pure gold but still beautiful. The mixed color represents the different worlds you both come from, as well as your melded life}

Ace Trappolla

Ace tends to get comfortable, and when that happens it is difficult to ignite change. However, he is also headstrong. More than many give him credit for. So once the problem is identified, it's only a matter of time until he does something about it. What he does isn't necessarily always the best solution, sure; however, when threatened he will indeed act.

Initially Ace did not plan to find love. For a long time, he rejected it and passed his feelings off as a small crush. You're attractive, he's a man, a lil of this and a lil of that - who wouldn't feel a little heart throb once in a while? It only became an issue when you became one of his best friends. It felt like he was betraying you with these thoughts. They became a problem.

His first solution was to repress them further. Like stated, he noticed a problem and so he acted. Was this the best choice? No. It ended in a dumpster-fire. Any time another student even remotely expressed interest in you, Ace felt threatened. He couldn't spend time at your side without indecent thoughts popping up. Not like 'that' (geez, get your mind out of the gutter people), but more so domestic. Ick. What was happening?!

He couldn't hold it in, and his confession will forever be known as a feels-dump that started with you sharing half of your grilled-cheese with him because he missed lunch.

Yeah. Humiliating. Ugh.

Now you're his partner, of a long time. A very, very, very long time. Years post graduation. You both have settled into life together, so why tack a title? It's not like those mean anything, right? Everything was perfect as is, and weddings are expensive. You never brought it up either, so why worry?

Well, those titles do mean things in the eyes of the law. Ace never thought to get documentation about emergency contacts and whatnot updated. So when hit his head and got a concussion when jogging? The hospital wouldn't let you in. Not until he woke up, which was the longest four hours of your life.

You didn't express how much it bothered you, but words weren't necessary. The muted panic that you tried to hold back was enough. He expected you to enter his room angry, but instead all he got was defeat. That sight alone hurt worse than the leg.

The event got Ace thinking about things he hadn't in a long time - like marriage. He got too comfortable after letting the thought go once. To him, you were already irreplicable. Years do that, and he's certain that you feel the same way about him. If his young self could see him now...pah, he was such a turd. All 'I don't need anyone,' and empty words to play tough-guy. Little did he know that the person he would need the most in life was only a dimension-hop away haha.

It's that simple, really. No panic or nervousness. Ace decided definitively that he was going to marry you, and it only took years of being an airhead to figure it out.

He spends the night in the hospital for surveillance, and the staff is kind enough to prove you with a cot to sleep on. He stubbornly drags it next to his bed, and once you're sleeping soundly he 3slips a bandage over your ring finger to take the measurement

He planned to go buy the ring instantly after being discharged, but you wouldn't leave his side. Nagging about bed-rest and taking it easy...ugh! He needs to do this thing! No, he can't tell you about it. It's a secret!.....ugh, fine. One more day. Just because he loves the attention.

The next morning after, he's excitedly going to the nearest jewelers. He doesn't have a particular ring in mind, but he's done some research! It's the idea behind the ring that's important anyways....alright. Maybe he'll call up Cater.

Ace does nothing extravagant. He sticks to comfort. You, him, both eating dinner while watching a movie on the TV that evening. He quickly scarfs down his meal within the first 10 minutes and runs to your shared room after ditching his dishes. Stashed in his wallet, he pulls put the ring and hides it in his palm.

Ace tries to be smooth. He dims the living room lights, and sits down closer to you than before. He moves to take your hand with the one holding the ring, and sneak it on to your finger.

It fails, obviously. Who wouldn't notice someone trying to shove a piece of metal on their finger? You pull away on instinct, and the ring falls between the couch cushions. He freaks out for a moment and sifts through them as you continue to eat between giggles. Only when he holds the ring up in triumph do you quiet down.

"Not so funny now, is it? - Nah, just kidding. It was pretty funny....although I wanted this to be a bit more romantic. Eh. It's fine. From the look on your face, I'm guessing that you know what this is?...Uhh. Yeah. I thought it was a good time, y'know? We've been together so long that I already do think of you as my partner. I think you feel the same? Feel free to jump in if not....but, yeah. I love you. A lot. I'd really like to make it official, and I'm sorry it took me so long to get the guts to ask. Will you marry me?"

{Tradition is for chumps. Ace wanted to get something fun and eye-catching. Many suggested otherwise, but this felt right. Your relationship has never been conventional and never will be. Hell, screw 'conventional,' because it's perfect as it is and so is this ring. He knows that this ring will draw your attention, and that's all he cares about}

End Note: None of the ring pictures are mine. I pulled them off of google images because - well, I had ideas and tried to find rings to match them. I write fanfic, not weld jewelry.

[thehereticdiaries]

A (Not So) Meet Cute: Chapter One

Summary: After a day of bad luck, you just wanted to go home and relax. Unfortunately for you, a creepy man throws a wrench in those plans. Warnings: stalking, assault, sexual assault, minor violence, cops, creepy weird older man A/N: Some of the tropes and wording in this screams y2k teen coming of age movie, which wasn't intentional but it's a happy coincidence

Luck has not been on your side today. Your alarm didn’t go off, meaning you were late to work. In your scramble to get to the bus on time, you forgot to eat and make your morning coffee. You made it to the bus – just barely. 

There was already a line of people waiting for you to unlock the doors to the bookstore. You quickly ran through the opening duties while the customers browsed the shelves. Apparently, you didn’t plug in your charger last night. Your phone was at a measly 30 percent. And of course, you didn’t have your charger in your bag. The closer from yesterday took the charger that was normally by the register. You would have to make due without social media during this shift.

Now it was 15 minutes until the end of your shift. You were so ready to go home and collapse onto your couch. The bell above the door jingled, and you greeted the customer on autopilot. You could see the customer lingering by the door in your peripherals. You turned to ask if they needed help finding something, but froze seeing the disheveled man already staring at you. Feeling a bit uneasy, you turned back to stocking the snacks at the register.

Your relief was already ten minutes late, and you were getting antsy. Your phone was down to 1 percent. You wanted to get home before it died. Not to mention the man was still wandering around the store, looking at you from around bookshelves every few minutes. You barely greeted your coworker when she finally walked into the store. You began speed walking down the street, slinging your bag across your chest. 

But today could not go more wrong . The creepy man followed you as you headed to the bus stop, hanging back a few feet. The hair on the back of your neck raised as anxiety bubbled up in your stomach. You couldn’t go home with this man following you. If he found out where you lived, he could break in and rob you, or worse. 

You detoured into a coffee shop, hoping to lose the man by pretending to read. You ordered the first thing you saw on the menu, a latte maybe? You weren’t really paying attention to the barista. Your focus was stuck on the creep that was still following you. The barista called the fake name that you gave him. You grabbed the drink and sat at a table toward the back of the cafe. To your dismay, the creep sat in the chair right next to you. 

“You’re a foreigner, yeah?” The smell of weed and alcohol hung heavy on his breath. You shrunk into yourself, holding the coffee in front of you as a poor excuse of a shield.

“Um, yea, I am,” you answered warily. You pulled your headphones on despite your phone dying as soon as you entered the cafe. Maybe if he saw you were busy, he would leave you alone. You jumped when the man ripped your headphones off, leaving them hanging around your neck.

“It’s rude to ignore an elder trying to make conversation,” he slurred. Your gaze flickered between the man and the barista, but the latter was either ignoring you or didn’t know what you were trying to signal.

“So, pretty foreigner, how did your Korean get so good?” The creep continued. “A lot of young girls like you sleep around to improve their accent.” A spike of fear ran down your spine.

“I- I’m meeting my boyfriend here.” You don’t have a boyfriend, but the excuse usually worked with the assholes at American bars. 

“So? I can’t keep you company while you wait?” He barked out a raspy laugh. You were panicking at this point, tears threatening to spill out. You were praying for another person to walk in the cafe. The creep was relentless, chattering away oblivious to the fact that you weren’t paying attention at all. The man ran a hand up your thigh. You cursed yourself for wearing a skirt today.

Luck finally decided to show its face in the form of a young man entering the cafe. His short, black hair stuck out from under a beanie. He wore a mask and was typing away on his phone. You silently thanked the gods for giving you a way out of your current situation.

“There he is, bye!” You jumped out of your seat and practically sprinted over to the masked stranger. 

“Hey babe! You’re late, I was worried you forgot about me.” You threw your arms around the stranger’s neck. “Please help, that man is following me.” You whispered before pulling back. Your hands lingered on his biceps. You prayed that he would play along. His eyes flickered from you to the creep slinking his way over.

“Sorry, love. My last class ended a little later than normal.” You let out a shaky breath in relief. Even with most of his face obscured, there was something familiar about him. You couldn’t put your finger on it, so you ignored it.

“Ugh, you had physics today, right? I’ve heard the professor has a huge stick up his ass,” you easily continued his story. He rolled his eyes, feigning annoyance.

“You heard right. I’m almost 100 percent certain professor Jung doesn’t know how to smile.” Your “boyfriend” ran his thumb across your knuckles. You pouted at him in mock pity. His eyes met with something behind you and his expression (or what you could see of it) soured. He pulled you so that his body was obscuring yours. 

“Can I help you?” Your “boyfriend” sneered at the creep. The latter looked surprised that he was being acknowledged. You clung to the back of the masked man’s hoodie, peeking around his shoulder. 

The creep put his hands up in false surrender. The boy in front of you stared the creep down until the door of the cafe shut behind him. You immediately backed up from your unsuspecting savior, bowing deeply.

“Thank you!” You straightened back up. “Thank you so, so much. That man has been following me for, like, 20 minutes.”

“Seriously? What an asshole.” He scoffed in disbelief. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m okay now. I don’t know how to thank you enough. Can I buy your drink?” You offered. His eyes crinkled in a hidden smile.

“I’m getting drinks for me and my friends.” He tried waving your offer away.

“Oh, well how many friends? I don’t mind-”

“It’s me and seven others.” He raised an eyebrow at you. You gaped at him, and he snickered at your shock.

“Okay, maybe not.” You definitely couldn’t pay for eight overpriced lattes. You remembered your own drink, needing the caffeine after the whole ordeal. You turned to your table, but your drink was gone. That asshole stole your coffee.

“You good?” The kind stranger’s voice interrupted your internal rage.

“That fucking creep took my coffee!” You exclaimed, gesturing to the table where your drink should have been. 

“Damn, no shame. Come on, I’ll get you a new one.” He nudged your shoulder before approaching the counter. “Eight iced Americanos aaaaand,” he trailed off, turning to you.

“You don’t have to-” a sharp look stopped your denial in its tracks. “And an iced French vanilla latte.” He smiled and paid for all nine beverages, much to your chagrin. The two of you moved to wait by the pick up counter.

“So what’s your name?” He asked, leaning against the counter.

“Oh! Y/N L/N, you?” 

“Kim Seungmin.” The stranger, now known as Seungmin, looked pleasantly surprised. You chatted while the barista prepared the drinks. Once they were ready, you helped Seungmin load the Americanos into carriers. You held the door open for him as you exited the cafe.

“Shouldn’t I be the one holding the door for you? I’m such a horrible boyfriend,” he teased. 

“You’re holding eight coffees!” You flushed and lightly hit his arm. He laughed and shook his head. You tried suppressing your smile, trying to be mad at him, but failed. 

“Thank you, again. For the coffee and for the help with-” You froze in your tracks. Seungmin tilted his head at your sudden stop and wide, fearful eyes.

“Mother fucker! ” You cursed in English. Seungmin’s eyebrows shot up. “That creep is still watching us!”

“What?!” Seungmin followed your gaze. Sure enough, the man was lurking across the street, watching you. “Oh, you have to be shitting me.”

“God, what does he want with me? And why me?!” You whined in frustration. Your phone was still dead, but you didn’t want to burden your new friend further.

“Here, hold one of these.” Seungmin handed you one of the coffee carriers. He then took your drink and tucked it in the center so that one of your hands was empty. He laced his finger with yours and tugged you down the sidewalk.

“What? Where are we going?” You questioned. You pointedly ignored the butterflies erupting in your stomach at the contact.

“We’re going back to where my friends are. If this guy is still following us, we’re calling the cops.” Seungmin left no room for arguments. You nodded and let him lead you to a recording studio about ten minutes from the cafe.

“Ooh, a recording studio? Are you a musician?” You asked as you approached the glass doors. There was a pin pad to the right.

“Yeah, me and my friends are in a band. Here, stand in front of me,” he breezed past your questions and pulled you to stand between him and the building. He reasoned with himself, arguing that he was doing this to make sure you weren’t vulnerable. Definitely not because your perfume smelled nice and he wanted to be closer to you. Nope. Definitely not.

“The doors are locked with a pin,” Seungmin explained and reached around you to type in the digits. “You’ll be safe here.” A buzz indicated the door unlocking and he ushered you inside. 

The studio’s front room was small, holding only a couch and a coffee table. There was an open door on the opposite wall. You heard several loud conversations coming from the other room. The two of you placed the carriers on the coffee table.

“Is he still there?” You asked, a little too nervous to look for yourself. Seungmin looked outside and nodded. You shoved your face into your hands. Why was this happening to you?!

“Guys, I’m back!” Seungmin shouted while removing his mask. Okay, now you were certain you’ve seen him before. But where? It was irking you.

“Coffee! Thank god!” A young man with shoulder length dark hair huffed as he strolled out of the other room. He stopped when he saw you. Another man with longer platinum hair followed the first guy. 

“Oh, who’s your friend, Seungmin?” The blonde asked in a surprisingly deep voice. Oh, shit. The pieces clicked together.

“Oh my fucking god, you’re Stray Kids,” you muttered to yourself, feeling a mix of horror and embarrassment. 

“You finally figured it out?” Seungmin teased. You glared at him. How could you not recognize him earlier?! You scolded yourself in your mind.

“Y/N, this is Hyunjin and Felix. Hyunjin and Felix, Y/N.” Seungmin gestured between the three of you. Clearly he was enjoying this.

“Hi, nice to meet you. No offense, but why are you here?” Hyunjin asked, looking between you and Seungmin. 

“Ah, right. We need Chan or Minho to call the police. Like, now,” Seungmin explained (barely). The older boy didn’t question it and disappeared back into the other room. Felix’s face twisted into concern. Only moments later, Hyunjin returned with two other boys in tow. Holy shit that’s Bang Chan and Lee Know. You didn’t know if you should freak out because you were meeting idols, or freak out because Lee Know looked like he wanted to kill you.

“Seungmin, what’s going on? Who is that?” Chan questioned.

“Did she break in?” Minho glared at you. His intense stare made you want to crawl into a hole. 

“No, no. We need to call the cops for her, not because of her,” Seungmin raised his hands to mediate the situation. You backed yourself into the corner as the rest of Stray Kids filled the small lounge. 

“Seungmin. What. Happened?” Chan was trying (and failing) to get control of the situation.

“I’m- I- I’m so sorry.” You stuttered. Your breathing picked up and your heart was racing. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your rehearsal. I just-” you cut yourself off with a sob. The reality of hiding from a stalker in Stray Kids’ studio was hitting you hard.

“Hey, Y/N, right? I need you to breathe with me,” Jisung placed his hands on your shoulders, urging you to meet his eyes. “Okay, breathe in. Breathe out.”

While Jisung led you through breathing exercises to quell your panic attack, Seungmin recounted everything that happened since he entered the coffee shop. Chan’s expression grew increasingly alarmed. Felix was horrified. The blonde moved to run a soothing hand across your shoulder blades. Chan nodded once Seungmin finished. 

“Y/N, come sit down. Please.” Chan sat on the couch. He patted the spot next to him. You hesitated, but sat on the edge of the cushion. “Can you tell me what happened before you ran into Seungmin?”

You nodded. You took a deep, shuddering breath before explaining everything that happened since the creepy man showed up at the bookstore. The boys stared at you with varying levels of disgust and anger on their faces. Well, except Minho. He kept a neutral expression until you told them about the man trying to touch under your skirt.

“He fucking what? ” Minho nearly shouted. You jumped at the angered edge to his voice. “Sorry, you’re okay, I’m not mad at you . But this man put his hands on you? And he’s still lingering outside?” You nodded.

“Fuck, what the hell, man?!” Hyunjin raked a hand through his hair. Jisung sat on the arm of the couch next to you. He ran a comforting hand along your shoulders. 

“Alright, I’ll go call the police. Keep an eye on the pervert. Let me know if he tries something.” Minho pulled out his phone and moved back into the other room, passing Changbin on his way in. He paced around the recording room.

“112, what is your emergency?” The operator answered after one ring. 

“My name is Lee Minho, I am calling on behalf of a girl that approached my friend for help. She has been followed and harassed by a strange man for about an hour now. This man has followed her from her workplace, to a coffee shop, and now to our recording studio,” Minho launched into a concise explanation of the situation. 

“Alright, Lee-nim, where is your studio located?” The operator asked, the sound of a keyboard clicking away filled the background.

“It’s the JYP satellite studio on Seonsa-ro. The door is locked with a pin, so the man can’t get in. He is still lingering on the street out front.” Minho pinched the bridge of his nose. This was not how he expected today’s session to go. “I’m here with seven friends and the girl.”

“There are officers on their way. They should arrive in less than five minutes. Please stay on the line until they arrive,” the operator instructed. Minho hummed in affirmation. The soft conversations in the front room were cut off by a loud crash followed by a scream. Minho rushed out to face utter chaos.

The man had thrown a brick through the glass door of the studio. Where did he even get a brick? Chan, Changbin, and Seungmin were in the man’s face, shoving him back towards the door when he tried to walk further into the room. Hyunjin and Jeongin stood in the middle of the room, while Jisung and Felix held onto you in the furthest corner from the door. 

“Lee-nim, what’s happening?” The operator’s voice broke him from his daze.

“The man has broken into the studio. My friends are keeping him away from the girl, but he’s getting more violent.” Minho moved to stand directly in front of you and the two younger boys. 

“Officers will be there in less than a minute.” He was barely paying attention to what the operator was saying at this point. His ears were ringing and the scene in front of him felt like it was moving in slow motion. The man swung wildly at the three boys at the front. 

“EVERYBODY STOP!” The harsh voice of a police officer forced time back to normal. Three officers approached, guns trained on the creepy man. For a tense moment, it looked like he was going to fight back. “Kneel and put your hands on your head.” Reluctantly, he obeyed the officer. 

The man was handcuffed and forced to his feet. One officer led the man outside and into a patrol car. The other two officers split up to take statements from you and the boys, with the female officer approaching you. Jisung and Felix once again had to help calm your hiccuping sobs enough for you to talk to the kind officer. 

It took another 20 minutes for the officers to gather all of the necessary information. Finally, they pulled away to take the man to the police station. Silence fell over the group. What. The. Fuck.

Seungmin broke the silence with a harsh sigh. He tugged you away from the sunshine twins and into a tight hug. You squeaked in surprise, but allowed the second youngest to hold on to you. One hand held your waist, the other cradled the back of your head. It was surprisingly tender and the tension melted away from your body.

“I really don’t know how to thank you all enough,” you admitted once you managed to pull your face from Seungmin’s chest. Your watery eyes glanced around the group of idols. Never in a million years did you think you would meet Stray Kids, let alone be protected and comforted by them.

“I’d settle for your number,” Jisung quipped. You whipped around to gawk at the rapper. 

“I- what? Are you serious?” You were in disbelief. “Why?”

“Y/N, sweetheart, you’re insane if you think we wouldn’t want to keep in touch after all of this,” Hyunjin argued, the pet name causing a light blush to spread across your cheeks and nose. You were suddenly very aware of Seungmin still standing behind you with a hand on your lower back.

“Obviously if you’re not comfortable with it, you don’t have to,” Chan quickly chimed in. You shook your head.

“I don’t mind, but are you sure? I wouldn’t want you to get into any trouble for sharing that information with a fan,” your eyebrows pinched in concern. 

“I think I speak for all of us when I say you’re a bit more than just a fan now,” Felix reassured. “I mean, three of us were literally just fighting a man to keep you safe.” 

“Relax.” Seungmin smoothed the crease between your brows with a swipe of his thumb. Your blush deepened a few shades. 

“My phone is still dead.”

“Here, put your number in my phone. I’ll walk you back to your place and text you after you get inside.” Chan handed his phone over to you. 

“Yah! What about the rest of us?” Jisung protested. The leader rolled his eyes.

“I’ll give it to everyone once I get back to our dorms. Changbin, make sure you save what we did today. Obviously we’re gonna have to resume tomorrow in the main studio.” Chan gently moved you toward the door by your elbow. The younger producer nodded and disappeared into the back room. 

“Thank you, again. I guess I’ll be texting you guys later,” you waved a small goodbye. The rest of the boys waved and chimed in their own farewells. You turned and headed to the bus stop with Chan right behind you. The topic of conversation for the rest of the group quickly fell to you. Your life was about to get way more interesting.

[ineedhaikyu]

Chapter Two

Summary: Inarizaki vs Karasuno. Foxes vs Crows. A match between two powerhouses competing for the next slot in Nationals and while tensions were high, Karasuno’s ace couldn’t help but look forward to the upcoming match. Or rather he was looking forward to seeing her.

Word Count: 8.9K

Warnings: A long fic with a huge amount of fluff! Once again Asahi's anxiety will be mentioned. Conversations are prolonged between reader and Asahi in order to establish a well-meaning relationship. Brief description of reader's hair.

A/N: PART 2 to Glass-Hearted Ace!! A lot of people wanted a continuation so here it is!! I had so much fun writing this because I absolutely love the adorable craziness that goes on in Haikyu as well as spreading more love to our gentle giant. Let's keep spreading our Asahi love!!

~

3rd POV

Day 2 of Nationals. The second round has already begun with the first match of the day. It wouldn't be long for the next match to start. Karasuno vs Inarizaki. The atmosphere was filled with the same energy of anticipation and eagerness just as it was the other day though multiplied by a hundred.

As this was her third and final year in participating in the Spring Tournament, (L/N) (Y/N) felt confident enough to say she was calm and collected. (Y/N) smiled to herself when she compared her younger first-year self to now. Back then, she was such a nervous wreck. Always getting lost on her way to the restroom or the time she followed the wrong team to the WRONG gym. (It wasn’t her fault that the team wore the same maroon jackets. Good thing that happened in her first year otherwise Suna and the Miya twins would never live it down.)

(Y/N) shook those thoughts away and continued her way to the gym where her team was preparing for their match. She was only gone for a few minutes as she had to fill up the water bottles, but knowing the second-years (Y/N) knew it was only a matter of time before something happened. Luckily, the Karasuno volleyball team hadn't arrived yet when she left but perhaps they have already.

The familiar warm feeling returned at the thought of seeing Karasuno’s team. More specifically the team’s ace. Azumane Asahi. The same guy that caught her eye when he played volleyball. The same guy she met yesterday who saved her from getting hurt. The same guy that made her believe in the lyrics of all those love songs.

(Y/N) wanted to say she was a good judge of character and she had a good feeling about Asahi.

A sweet guy, every bit of a gentleman. Very cute too. Every time his soft brown eyes met with hers, she swore it reminded her of a cute puppy. His smile didn’t bring a few butterflies in her stomach… No. They brought a swarm. Each flap of their metaphorical wings gave her the shivers but the grin on her lips never left when she was with him. Even his hair played a part of her enchantment on him. It’s not often to see guys with long hair, but Asahi pulled it off amazingly well especially when he has it in a man bun. Despite his tough guy appearance, Asahi was a gentle giant with a glass heart. In the little time she knew him, (Y/N) hoped she was able to help him realize his self-worth.

God. It hasn’t been 24 hours and not once has Asahi left her mind. They texted each other last night for almost two hours. The conversation between them flowed so easily. Just like before, (Y/N) enjoyed talking to him. Not once had he made her uncomfortable. Quite the opposite actually.

The next morning she woke up early enough to do research on Karasuno’s team. While Inarizaki’s motto was: we don’t need the memories, (Y/N) couldn’t help but see how Karasuno was like from their past matches. They’re different from any other teams they’ve competed against. Besides, it was nice matching names with faces. Luckily, someone made ‘I’m Awesome’ videos of Karasuno’s starting lineup. She’ll admit whoever made these videos was good as they depicted amazing receives to jaw-dropping spikes.

She recognized Daichi, Suga, and Asahi immediately. Their libero, Nishinoya Yū, looked high caliber and so was their setter. She’ll keep her opinions to herself on Kageyama; she didn’t need Atsumu hearing her say that. They’ll have to keep a lookout on Karasuno’s #10, Hinata Shoyo. He’s on the short side considering he’s a middle blocker but judging by the video, the first-year is full of surprises.

Then again, the Inarizaki volleyball team has a few tricks up their sleeves too.

“Ah. Look, it's her!”

“(Y/N)- senpai!”

“Over here!”

The said manager snapped back to reality and was confronted by the usual crowd of fans in front of her. Inarizaki always show their pride with each event but with volleyball, they took it to another level. Then it doubled with the arrival of the Miya twins. Their popularity soared to new heights and as a result the marching band, cheerleaders, and several students took part in Nationals. Both a blessing and a curse.

The curse part? Well, as much as she loved her school’s support, the fangirls… Well…

“(Y/N)-senpai! Can you give this to Atsumu?!”

“Oh, please give these chocolates to Osamu! I made them last night!”

“(Y/N), is there any way I can get a picture with Suna? Please!”

Yeah… This was pretty much the usual for her but this time it was going too far. Girls ranging from first-years to third-years were blocking the entrance to the gym. She recognized some as fellow classmates but others she was almost positive they came from other schools. And they were all trying to catch a glimpse of their favorite player.

Despite the hectic scene in front of her, there were two girls that caught her attention.

One of them looked the same age as her with beautiful black hair that reached her shoulders and fair skin complexion except for the beauty mark underneath her lower lip. Her gray eyes seemed to sparkle behind her thin framed glasses. The other girl looked visibly younger with her petite frame and blonde hair that was styled with a star hair clip. Right away (Y/N) knew that the girl was a first-year. She could see the way the girl was trembling at the sight of the crowd.

They didn’t look like they were a part of the crowd, but they did look troubled. That’s when she noticed they were carrying water bottle carriers just like her. They must be the Karasuno team’s managers. In the spirit of good sportsmanship, (Y/N) decided to go talk to them.

The older girl noticed her first. She stepped in front of the blonde girl as if shielding her. (Y/N) didn’t let that get to her. Instead, she smiled and introduced herself.

“Hi. I’m (L/N) (Y/N). I’m the manager for the Inarizaki team. Are you two the managers for Karasuno?”

The two girls glanced at one another before nodding in unison.

“My name is Shimizu Kiyoko. Third-year.”

“I-I’m Y-Yachi H-Hitoka! F-First-year m-manager! I-It’s very n-nice t-to m-meet y-you!”

“Hey, there. No need to be scared of me. I’m just a manager, just like you.” (Y/N) tried her best to console the first-year’s anxious nature. It was almost like deja-vu with Asahi. “Are you excited for today?”

Kiyoko nodded, finally feeling at ease with her. “The team has worked hard to get to this point.”

“I couldn’t sleep last night because I was so nervous!” Hitoka added while trying to fan herself in order to cool down her face. “But the team is excited to play against the team that placed second place in the last Interhigh!”

(Y/N) raised an eyebrow. “You’ve done your research. I’m impressed. But don’t worry, we still have some tricks under our sleeves. We know we’re up against a great team.”

The Karasuno managers felt the same warm feeling coursing underneath their skin at the compliment.

“Does that mean you’ve done research on our team?” Kiyoko asked.

(Y/N) nodded. “Of course. I like to be prepared.” Her cheeks began to warm up when she thought of Karasuno’s ace. “You two have impressive players on the team. Are they in the gym?”

“Yes. They’re practicing right now. We went to get some water for the match when this happened.” Kiyoko gestured to the sea of girls in front of them.

“We tried to get through but they’re scary!” Hitoka was practically shaking in her shoes. “The first match is already playing their second set.”

“Man! I swear time flies around here. Come on, I’ll help you through.” (Y/N) gestured to the girls to follow her. “We can’t let our teams forget us.”

“Are you sure?” Kiyoko asked her. “We can find another way.”

(Y/N) shook her head and gave them a carefree grin. “This is the best way into the gym. Trust me, I’ll get us in there.”

“W-Why a-are you h-helping us?” Hitoka stuttered out. “A-Aren’t you scared of them?”

“Well us managers have to stick together, right? And trust me, after dealing with the Miya twins for a year, these girls don’t scare me.”

Taking her word for it, the pair of Karasuno managers followed her. As expected the crowd of girls showed no sign of parting, in fact, it has grown in number. Kiyoko and Hitoka were waiting for (Y/N) to politely ask the girls to move aside, like they did before, but the Inarizaki manager did something quite unexpected.

(Y/N) looked over her shoulder and smiled, “Cover your ears.”

The girls obeyed. Lucky for them. Unlucky for the fangirls.

Because (Y/N) let out the loudest whistle anyone had ever heard. A series of groans and shrieks were heard from the fangirls. Then they all had turned to face the managers.

“(Y/N)-senpai? What was that for?!” One of the fangirls that she recognized as an underclassman.

“Oh, come on guys. I warned everyone last time this would happen.” The manager told them, not an ounce of fear in her voice as she addressed the crowd.

“B-But we just want to see the twins practice!” A girl holding a hand fan with the words ‘Miya Twins’ on it. “We aren’t doing anything wrong.”

“The boys need to warm up. You’ll see them on the court. Do yourselves a favor and find good seats to watch and cheer from.”

“Aww but (Y/N)!” They complained.

“You guys know the rules. Now, please, let me and my friends,” She stepped aside to reveal her new manager friends, “get into the gym. We need to do our jobs as managers. Don’t make me tell Kita-san and have him ban all of you from watching practice matches in the future.”

At the mention of the serious captain and under the threat of closed practices, the fangirls dispersed quickly. Some had the sense to apologize and others wished them good fortune on the upcoming match.

“W-Wow.” Hitoka said in awe. “You knew exactly what to do. That’s amazing.”

Kiyoko agreed before asking, “Does this happen a lot?”

(Y/N) let out an embarrassed chuckle. “Yeah… They’re big fans of the team and they mean well but sometimes their excitement can take it too far. As Inarizaki’s manager, sometimes I feel responsible for their behavior.” She bowed her head and continued on. “I apologize on their behalf for any trouble they may have caused you two.”

The youngest manager out of the three was speechless at the older girl’s sincere words in her apology. They’ve only known the Inarizaki manager for like ten minutes but she proved herself to them that she’s a kindhearted yet self-assured person. One look at her senpai and Yachi knew that they were thinking the same thing.

What Yachi didn’t know, Shimizu was smiling for a different reason. Yesterday, she accidentally overheard her fellow third-years talking. She didn’t mean to listen in and she was about to leave when the topic of the conversation caught her attention. Apparently, a girl caught her friend Asahi’s eye. A girl from the Inarizaki team that, according to Suga, sounded like the perfect girl for her anxious friend. So when the girl’s name came up, (Y/N), Shimizu wanted to see for herself what the girl was like.

Now that she has, Shimizu can see how and why Asahi would fall for her.

“Don’t apologize,” Kiyoko finally spoke up and offered the girl a kind smile. “Sometimes, these things happen.”

“You sure? I mean, this might happen again when we have to go into the main gym. There are some fans of the Miya twins that can be a bit… Fierce. If you want, I can help out. It’s no trouble at all.”

Kiyoko shook her head. “It’s okay, (Y/N). We can handle it. Right, Hitoka-chan?”

The first-year nodded eagerly. “Yeah! We’ll be okay. The guys on our team can be scary too. Ah! I need to tell the team that the first match is already in the second set. It was very nice to meet you!”

The third-year managers watched in amusement as she scurried into the gym. (Y/N) smiled before facing Kiyoko. She offered her hand for a handshake and said, “I know it’s customary for players to shake hands before and after the match, but I do it too with the managers. Let’s have a good game.”

Kiyoko took her hand and squeezed. “May the best team win. No hard feelings, right?”

(Y/N) laughed and nodded. “I like you, Shimizu, but yeah, no hard feelings at all.”

“Please call me Kiyoko.”

~Meanwhile inside the gym, ten minutes earlier~

‘Where is she?’ Asahi thought as his eyes searched the other side of the court. ‘Is she hiding from me? Did he say something that scared her away? What if he creeped her out last night when they texted each other?’

“Yo Asahi!” Suga’s energetic voice scared him back to reality. “Are you looking for someone?”

He didn’t miss his friend’s teasing tone that laced his words nor the way his eyes shined in amusement. Leave it to Suga to tease the hell out of him. Last night, for example, was too much. Even after he told his friends about his time with the Inarizaki manager, Suga still wanted to know everything, down to the last detail. Luckily, Daichi took pity on him and reeled Suga back on a somewhat normal level of interrogation.

But that didn’t mean he was going to drop the subject completely.

“I can’t find (Y/N).” He admitted to his friend. “Have you seen her?”

“Hmm. Not yet. But I wouldn’t worry too much. Her team’s here so I’m sure she’s somewhere around here. She’s their manager after all.” Suga clapped his shoulder. “But if you really want to know where (Y/N) is, why don’t you go ask her teammates?”

Suga pointed to the nearby Inarizaki members that were practicing their spikes. He recognized the Miya twins and Inarizaki’s ace, Ojiro Aran. And while he saw how they played from previous matches last night, it didn’t ease the anxiety clawing its way around his heart. It also didn’t help when one of the wing spikers turned the set into a powerful spike. The impact of the ball being slammed to the floor echoed throughout the gym.

Just the very action scared Suga’s suggestion out the window. There was no way he was going over there and ask about their manager! If they were anything like Tanaka or Nishinoya, then he’ll be ripped to shreds.

“N-No way!” He stuttered out a reply and waved his hands in front of him. The slight blush on his face was becoming more visible by each second. “But I’m worried. What if something happened to her?”

“Her who?” Daichi asked as he came up from behind them. “What’s going on?”

Suga answered before he could. “Well, our dear old ace here, is worried that his crush is somewhere out there dying without him knowing. And he’s too scared to ask her friends where she is.”

Karasuno’s captain chuckled and patted Asahi on the back. “Quit worrying. I know you saved her yesterday, but this isn’t a little girl you’re talking about. She can hold her own. After all, this isn’t her first time here in Nationals.”

“See, Asahi?” Suga, clearly amused by this whole conversation, told him. “There’s nothing to worry about. I wouldn’t be surprised if she walked through those gym doors right now.”

He pointed to the entrance and they followed it only to see a swarm of girls trying to catch a glimpse inside the gym.

“You mean those doors?” He asked his friend. “They look ready to burst in here.”

“Who are they?” Daichi asking the question everyone was wondering.

“Judging by the hand fans, I think they’re fans of the Miya twins. They must be really popular to have this many. That’s annoying.” Suga muttered the last part with a pout.

“Can anyone get through?” Asahi wondered as he avoided eye contact with the girls. Something about them unnerved him somehow even if they wore bright smiles and loud cheers. “They look vicious.”

“They’re fans, not witches.” Daichi stated. “I’m sure they’re nice. After all, they're showing their support to their team.”

“Let it go, Daichi. Asahi is only like this because he misses his dream girl.” Suga jested. “He’s going into withdrawal.”

“I was just hoping to see her. She texted me-”

“Woah! Woah! Texted?! When did this happen?” asked Suga, his eyes wide with this new information. “You’re at the texting-each-other stage?!”

“Was that who you were texting last night?” Daichi asked him.

“What?!” Suga exclaimed. “Daichi, why didn’t you tell me?”

“You were asleep and I was tired.” The captain defended. “And it isn’t my business who Asahi texts. He’s old enough to make his own decisions… That being said, what did you guys talk about?”

“You didn’t tell her our secret weapons, did you?” Suga whispered his question, referring to all the tricks they perfected in the past few months.

“(Y/N) isn’t like that, Suga. She didn’t squeeze any information out of me. We picked up where we left off and talked about normal stuff. We thought it was better than to talk about the match between our schools.”

“And what did you guys text about?” The vice captain pressed, eager to know more.

For some reason, Asahi couldn’t help but recall how he initiated the conversation with the pretty manager from Inarizaki. Actually it was more like he couldn’t believe he was texting with (Y/N) last night. It felt unreal, like a dream. After reading her note, he remembered how hard his heart was beating and how warm his cheeks grew.

Ever since she mentioned it in her note, admitting how he made her nervous, Asahi took some comfort that he can do the same to her and vice versa.

Though, she did prove herself to be bravely spontaneous when she wrote the note and after texting with her last night, he hoped he could do the same. One of his many concerns since starting high school was that girls in his class were always disappointed after finding out his timid personality didn’t match his physical appearance. He’ll never forget the time when one of the girls called him a wuss. It was years ago but the girl’s remark was like a stab wound in the back. It healed over time but it still made its mark on his self-image.

Luckily, (Y/N) wasn’t like any of the girls in his class. She’s so kind when she bought him a shirt as a gift. She’s so understanding when she patiently listened to his problems. She showed compassion when she offered some advice to help ease the anxiety that almost suffocated him. Then there was that beautiful confidence she had in herself. He liked that about her and while he just met (Y/N) yesterday, he wanted to prove to her that he can be confident too.

That’s why he’s been looking for her. He wanted to be the first to greet her. It might not seem like a big deal to others, but it was to him.

‘Baby steps,’ He thought when he was second-guessing himself. ‘What was that saying? Rome wasn’t built in a day. Well, that applies here too. Bit by bit, confidence will grow.’

“Asahi? Earth to ace?”

“Huh?”

“You zoned out there for a second.” A smirk appeared on Suga’s face. “Must be quite a conversation you had with her. Wouldn’t you say Daichi?”

It was always nerve-wracking to have both Daichi and Suga tease him. So it wouldn’t be a surprise if the captain joined in on the teasing. But to his surprise, Daichi clapped him on the back causing him to huff a bit under his breath.

“Well, I think (Y/N) is the kind of girl that can make our dear ace invincible. Make sure to show what you’re made of during this match.”

“Yeah!” Suga encouraged, his hand clapping the ace’s free shoulder. “Let her see how awesome you are on the court.”

“No pressure or anything.” Daichi added, his smile matching Suga’s teasing grin.

“None at all!” Suga piped in. “Just remember she’ll be watching you when it’s your turn to serve. Don’t mess up!”

“You guys aren’t helping!” He yelled at his friends. His face burned in embarrassment.

Daichi and Suga laughed but before anyone could say another word that could cause further humiliation for the ace, Asahi’s saving grace came in the form of their first-year manager running into the gym. He thanked whatever deity who was watching over this episode that spared him from further teasing from his friends.

“The first match is in the middle of their second set.” Hitoka informed them.

Daichi nodded and clapped his hands together. In a loud voice, he announced, “Alright, guys. Let’s get into our uniforms.”

Following the captain's orders, Asahi grabbed his alternate orange jersey and placed it over a nearby chair. He looked across the gym and saw the Inarizaki players putting on their uniforms as well. Still no sign of (Y/N).

“Hitoka-chan, wasn’t Shimizu with you?” Suga asked.

The first-year nodded. “We made a new friend just now. She helped us out when we couldn’t get into the gym. I think she’s still talking to her by the doors.”

Asahi tuned out their conversation as he took off his shirt. In his head, he had to concentrate on calming down his nerves. The scariest moments of his life played like an endless nightmare. Like the time when he was a kid and he had to show his parents the bad grade on his report card. Or the time he wanted to pet the neighbor’s puppy but ended up getting chased by the puppy’s mother. Or how Date Tech’s iron wall blocked every single spike; shaking him to the core so much that he temporarily stopped playing volleyball.

The whirlpool of anxiety and dread arrived on schedule in his stomach. Was it getting harder to breathe? Was the air getting warmer? Or was he getting colder? Yeah, no. He was definitely getting colder. His hands felt like a block of ice. Was he this nervous during the Shiratorizawa match? Probably. He made a mental note to trace 人 on his hand, hoping it was enough to settle down his nerves.

He threw his jersey on and was just about to fix his loose hair strands when he heard a familiar laugh coming from the entrance. He looked up to see Kiyoko laughing along with another girl. It was only a glance, a quick one, when he did a double take. He couldn’t believe it.

(L/N) (Y/N), the girl that caused his brain cells to go on a roller coaster ride, was standing there in all her beauty.

She was having a conversation with Kiyoko and by the looks of it, she must have said something funny because it made his usual shy and quiet manager laugh a little. Now he was 100% convinced that (Y/N) had a natural aura that eased people on friendly terms if she was able to hold an amiable conversation with Kiyoko.

Not to mention her smile that complimented her eyes that seemed to shine in excitement. Or how her hair was styled a bit different from yesterday. This time her hair was pinned back from her face with two small side braids connected together where it fell in rhythm with the rest of her hair. It looked cute on her, lovely even. Should he mention that to her or would that be too weird?

SLAP!

“Ow!” Asahi turned around to find the culprit who slapped the (for lack of a better word) living shit onto his back. Nishinoya didn’t have an ounce of shame or regret in his eyes. Quite the opposite actually as the libero was smiling ear to ear. “Nishinoya? What was that for?”

With no remorse, the second-year player ignored the question and asked several of his own. “That’s her, right? The Inarizaki manager? The one who’s talking to Kiyoko-san? The girl you like?”

He could feel his ears begin to burn. “H-How did you know?”

“That’s not important.”

Asahi begged to differ as he thought it made a world of difference now that Nishinoya knows about his crush.

With his arms crossed in front of his chest, the libero continued, “What are you doing standing here? Go over there and talk to her! Be a man!”

“I-It’s not that simple. I need to build myself up before I talk to her. And then I need to think of a topic that we can talk about. Then what type of questions I should ask-”

“Oh come on Asahi! You have to stop acting like a cowardly wimp. Man up and go! She’s right there!”

“J-Just give me a second and I will.”

Nishinoya was just about to retort back when he realized something. This was the first time Asahi was nervous, visibly and mentally, for a girl. Well, scratch that. Asahi was always nervous around girls but this was the first time he seemed to actively try to impress someone. Like the way he repeatedly made sure his jersey was tucked in, double-knotted his shoelaces, and double-checked his hair was safely tied in his usual bun.

So he did what any good friend would do. “You look great, Asahi.”

With a glimmer of hope in his eyes, the ace stood up straight. “You think so?”

“Personally, I don’t care about what other people think about my looks.”

Asahi physically deflated at those words. If only he could borrow some of his friend’s confidence.

“But then again I’m awesome.”

The ace couldn’t argue with that one. But before he could wallow in a pool of anxiety and dread, the libero’s next words saved him from drowning. Along with a strong slap on the shoulder that could echo throughout the gym.

“You’re awesome too. You’re the ace of our team. Take pride in that.”

Asahi took his friend’s words to heart as he stood up a bit straighter. He glanced up to look at (Y/N) who looked breathtaking while wearing her maroon Inarizaki jacket. If only she wore a black Karasuno jacket… He could just imagine the alternate dimension where she could have been a classmate, a close friend, or even something more.

“I… I don’t want to mess this up, Noya.”

Concerned, Nishinoya asked, “How would you mess up?”

“I don’t know! Anything could happen. With my luck, I could trip over myself in front of her. I want to be confident and go over to her and say hi-””

“Alright. Then let’s go.”

Asahi’s mind froze. “What?”

“You heard me. Let’s do what you said and walk up to your girlfriend-”

“She’s not my girlfriend!”

Nishinoya rolled his eyes but the grin on his face showed no sign of leaving. “Fine. The girl you wish to be your girlfriend. We’ll go together. You’ll say hi and introduce me to her because I want to know what kind of girl makes you act this way.”

Asahi could feel his face turning red. “Okay, let’s go. But please don’t say anything embarrassing. Daichi and Suga did enough of that yesterday.”

His friend laughed loudly before slapping his shoulder. “You really need to grow a backbone off the court, especially if you want to impress your crush. But don’t worry, I have your back.”

~

(Y/N) felt as if she met her long-lost sister through Karasuno’s manager. Kiyoko definitely could relate to the ups and downs that comes with managing a group of boys (especially rowdy second-years). But she admired her commitment. Being a third-year, specifically attending Nationals, it was their last chance to help their respective team to make it to the top.

“So, how are you feeling about being here?” She asked as they sat down on a nearby bench. They still had time before the ongoing match ended. Why not take the opportunity and spend time with her new friend?

“It’s unreal. Sometimes it feels like a dream. A lot of people doubted us since we were a forgotten powerhouse. We were devastated when we lost in the third round of the Interhigh to Aoba Johsai. Our only chance to get to Nationals was to win all our matches.”

“Woah, I can only imagine the pressure your team had on their shoulders. More so on the third-years.” She took a chance to look for Asahi. Her eyes automatically found him and she couldn’t help but smile. It looked like he was having a conversation with the libero. “How did you guys manage all that?”

Kiyoko shrugged her shoulders but she had a faint smile before answering, “It was rough. But we didn’t want to give up on volleyball. Not when there was a chance to make it here. It was a risk. Our advisor warned us third-years to take our future into account before we made our decision.”

“And now you guys are here! I have to give you and your team respect, Kiyoko.”

Kiyoko laughed as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Thanks. It’s been a journey and we’re ready to play against the best.”

“Trust me the feeling is mutual.”

“Speaking of feelings,” Kiyoko began with a teasing tone. “I’ve heard there’s a guy on my team that caught your eye.”

(Y/N) let out a nervous laugh as she looked away. “He told you?”

“Not directly but Daichi and Suga weren’t exactly keeping it down about it. Asahi is usually quiet. But he sounded happy when he talked about you. I think you helped him in more ways than one because I’ve never heard him sound so confident.”

“Really?” She couldn’t help but smile widely. “You're not just saying that, are you?”

Kiyoko shook her head. “I don’t know what you told him but it looks like he took it to heart.”

“I just spoke the truth. He helped me so it’s only fair that I helped him too. He’s a gentle giant that needs a boost in confidence.”

“Do you like him?”

“Well… It’s too soon to tell but I think so. Asahi is not like any other guy I’ve met. I just want a chance to get to know him more and vice versa.”

“So like a date before the actual date?”

“Exactly!” It was like Kiyoko and her were on the same wavelength. “Is that too weird? Or is it stupid? I mean, I just met him yesterday and so far he seems like a great guy but like… I’m nervous. He makes me nervous and… Shoot. I’m sorry for rambling.”

“Hey, it’s reasonable to think and feel that way. Take it from me, Asahi really is a good guy. He can be a scaredy-cat sometimes and can be insecure about a lot of stuff but he really means well.”

“I saw that side of him yesterday. He’s the type to shoulder all the blame, isn’t he?” (Y/N) asked.

Kiyoko nodded. “He’s still our ace and he’s been working harder than ever to prove it.”

(Y/N) remained silent, taking in all the information Kiyoko told her. She looked for Asahi again and smiled when she saw him getting clapped on the shoulder by the libero.

“Does that bother you?” Kiyoko asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

Confused, (Y/N) furrowed her brow before asking, “What do you mean?”

“Does it bother you that Asahi is the ace but he doesn’t have an ace-like presence?”

While Kiyoko hated asking the question she believed it was an important one. Girls can be ruthless. She heard the gossip from other girls and how they talk about Asahi behind his back. Calling him a wimp or how he was a part of a gang. As Asahi’s friend, she felt it was her responsibility to see if the girl he has a crush for is actually genuine in her feelings towards him. Because as much as she enjoyed (Y/N)’s company, Kiyoko will choose to defend Asahi over her.

“Should that be important? If anything, it goes to show how different Asahi is. When I saw him play yesterday, I knew he was an amazing ace but when I talked to him and got to know him… I saw a guy who’s not ashamed to admit his insecurities and who’s not scared to admit his feelings. I respect that. And after what you told me of what you guys have gone through, I know Asahi will show his self-worth on the court and show everyone why he’s the ace. So who cares that he doesn’t have the traditional personality of an ace? I think he’s already brave.”

Kiyoko smiled at her. That was the answer she’s been hoping for and (Y/N) delivered it. Her (E/C) eyes matched the conviction in her voice and Kiyoko loved it. Not to mention, the timing was absolutely perfect and she thanked the gods that (Y/N) didn’t notice the two people behind her.

“(Y-Y/N)-san?”

Oh god. She could feel her heart falling to her stomach when she heard her name in that deep voice that made her feel everything all at once. Her face became warm in seconds and she didn’t dare move an inch. It wasn’t until Kiyoko let out a small cough that brought her from cloud nine back to the gym.

(Y/N) took a moment to center herself before turning around to see Asahi. His chocolate brown eyes met hers and she swore the butterflies from her stomach danced between her ribs.

“A-Asahi-san! Hey!”

She quickly stood up, a bit too fast as she accidentally knocked her team’s water bottles out of the carrier. Embarrassed, (Y/N) fell to her knees and grabbed the nearest bottle.

“S-Sorry about this.” (Y/N) didn’t dare look up as she already embarrassed herself in front of her crush and his friends.

“N-No! Don’t apologize. It was an accident.” Asahi kneeled, grabbing the last bottle before handing it to her. His breath hitched ever so softly when her fingertips touched his hand. It was as if the rest of the gym faded away. Being so close to (Y/N), he saw how her eyes were beautiful as he remembered. He swore it was no trick of the light that her eyes seemed to shine like stars in the night sky.

(Y/N) felt so self-conscious about how close she was to Asahi. She hoped she looked okay in his eyes. Usually she wouldn’t care so much on how she looked, but the idea was thrown out the window when she met Karasuno’s ace. His long hair was once again in a bun but this time it was neatly in place, a perfect bun any woman or man could be jealous of. The small scruff of facial hair on his chin suited him very well, giving him a sort of wild, intimidating appearance.

But she knew better because Asahi was an adorable giant with a large and gentle heart. If she was being honest, his presence was like springtime coming to wash away winter’s snow. His warmth was… Indescribable.

How was it possible for him to be that handsome yet so adorable at the same time?

The moment was interrupted when someone cleared their throat. Loudly. (Y/n) looked up to see the libero, Nishinoya, with a large grin. His eyes were bright with excitement and amusement. She can immediately tell that this guy was the mischievous and energetic type. As they stood up, she could have sworn she saw Asahi blush.

“(Y/N), this is my friend Nishinoya Yū. He’s a second-year and the libero of our team.”

While he maintained a normal composure, Asahi was mentally beating himself up. ‘Why would you say that?! She’s a volleyball manager!! Of course, she knows that Nishinoya is a libero! She has eyes. She can see that he’s wearing a different color jersey! Asahi, you’re such an IDIOT!’

While the ace was mentally berating himself, (Y/N) formally introduced herself to his friend. During her introduction, Nishinoya could only gawk. When he heard from Suga and Daichi about his friend Asahi finally having a lucky break encounter with a girl, he couldn’t be happier for the ace. And it didn’t take a genius to see how hard Asahi fell for her.

“By the way, I’ve watched those ‘I’m Awesome’ videos.” (Y/N) brought up and immediately caught the attention from both boys. “That match with Shiratorizawa when you made a double save against Ushijima was so cool. It was so amazing that I had to replay it like five times. I even showed it to our own libero and he literally took my phone out of my hands.”

Nishinoya beamed. “Really?”

His chest swelled up with pride and the thought of another libero studying his techniques was just the icing on the cake, but to have a pretty girl, like (Y/N), praise his skills… Well that’s the cherry on top. He liked her already.

“And Asahi, you were amazing too. The way you were able to smash through Shiratorizawa’s defenses was unreal!”

The warm and fuzzy feeling from his chest exploded and it was as if all the heat rushed to his face. Asahi was sure his whole face was red. He tried to stammer out a reply but Nishinoya beat him to it.

“I know right!” He slapped Asahi’s shoulder repeatedly. “He went head to head against one of the best aces in the country and helped lead our team to victory. We wouldn’t be here without him.”

“T-That’s not t-true-”

“Of course it is!” Nishinoya looked back at the girl who was chuckling at their interaction. “Ignore that. He’s so humble whenever someone compliments him.”

Her eyes met Asahi’s and gave him a knowing smile. Although this was her second encounter with Karasuno’s ace, (Y/N) noticed the trend of Asahi’s friends building him up and teasing him at the same time. She had to stop herself from laughing at the lack of subtlety amongst them. Still, it was cute to see Asahi this way.

“Well,” (Y/N) began, her hand casually tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Asahi was listening intently. “Then I bet this next compliment is going to be unbearable because I thought you looked great during that match. It makes me wish I was there to see you guys play live.”

Nishinoya grinned. “Don’t worry, (Y/N)-san. You won’t be disappointed with our match. Asahi, here, will make sure of that. Right, Asahi? Oh, did I mention how-”

Kiyoko, who was silently watching the entire interaction, noticed the slight panic in Asahi’s eyes. She knew the libero means well but there were times he can take things a bit too far.

“Nishinoya, can you help carry this for me?”

“Anything for you, Kiyoko-san! I’ll follow you forever!”

Asahi was about to stutter out his friend’s name when he saw Kiyoko give a little head gesture towards (Y/N), subtle enough so she wouldn’t see it.

‘This is your chance, Asahi.’ That was the message she was telling him as Kiyoko led Nishinoya away. ‘Don’t mess up.’

“So, um, (Y/N)? H-How are you? You know, with everything?” Asahi could feel the goosebumps traveling up and down his arms at how cringy he felt.

The dark cloud of self-doubt and worry that plagued Asahi this morning has evaporated into thin air the moment she smiled at him. How was she able to put him at ease like that?

“So far, so good. I'm a bit nervous for today. Not the bad kind of nervous but the excited kind, you know?”

Asahi nodded as he knew exactly the feeling (Y/N) was talking about. He was feeling it right now! “I know that feeling very well. I feel it almost everyday.”

(Y/N) chuckled before replying, “At least, you’re honest, Asahi. Most guys usually lie about their feelings.” She glanced back at her own team where she saw Atsumu arguing with his twin, probably over something stupid.

“Well someone did tell me that it wasn’t a bad thing to express my feelings. I’m just following her good advice.”

The smile she gave him was like no other to know that Asahi was really taking her words to heart. Words can’t describe how happy this made her nor the warm feeling she felt stir in her chest.

“So, are you ready to play against us?” (Y/N) asked the ace in an effort to keep the conversation going. “Because we’ve been looking forward to this match.”

“It’s a bit nerve-racking that we’re playing against the team that placed second in the Inter-High. You have great players on your team.”

(Y/N) waved her hand in dismal with a shake of her head. “Oh don’t let that rattle you, that was yesterday.” Her school’s motto rings true in her words. “Besides, I’ve done my research. Karasuno isn’t like it was before. Your team has cool players too and that includes you. All you can do today is challenge yourself.”

Asahi couldn’t help but smile at her. “You’re just full of good advice, aren’t you?”

She beamed while tossing her hair over her shoulder in a joking manner. “I’d like to think so. But seriously, Asahi,” Her hand gently touched his bicep and Asahi didn’t shrink away. “How are you really feeling?”

“H-Honestly?”

(Y/N) nodded, her eyes looking up to him, patiently waiting for his response.

“I haven’t told anyone so d-don’t make fun of me but… I’m scared.”

“Scared of what?”

“I’m scared of failing. I’m scared to drag the team down. I’m scared to lose the trust my team has in me as the ace. I mean, I’ve watched the Inarizaki clip last night and I can’t help to compare-”

Asahi stopped talking when he felt a pair of warm hands wrap around his cold ones. The blush from before came back in full force. (Y/N)’s hands were small and so soft compared to his yet it was enough to calm his fast beating heart. With her holding his hands, it reminded Asahi of the time when Kiyoko held Suga’s hands during the fifth set of the Shiratorizawa match. He remembered how he, Daichi, Nishinoya, and Tanaka became jealous towards the vice captain. Now he was in Suga’s position and with (Y/N) holding his hands, Asahi understood the feelings Suga went through that day.

“Listen to me, Asahi, what you’re feeling right now… That’s normal, okay? You’re not the first ace to feel this way and even if you are the first that just goes to show how considerate you are to your teammates. I can tell you worked hard and you have skilled, trustworthy teammates. That’s why you’re here in Nationals, remember? You earned your spot on the team as the ace and I understand you carry a burden on your shoulders, but you’re not alone. You have your team with you.”

Asahi opened his mouth but no words came out. It was as if (Y/N) took his ability to talk. He felt enlightened in a way. He was pushed so much in the darkness by his own self-doubt, anxiety, and worry that he almost missed the ray of light that gave him hope.

“You with me, Asahi? I didn’t lose you, did I?” (Y/N) questioned, giving his hands a small squeeze. “Or did I say something wrong?”

“Oh! Sorry! No! I mean- Yes! I mean-”

(Y/N) chuckled. “Breathe, Asahi. There’s no need to be nervous. It’s just me. No one special.”

He shook his head. “That’s not true. At least, not to me.”

She blinked. Then blinked twice. Three times. When she realized that she hadn’t misheard him, she swore those butterflies in her stomach made their way to her chest and danced around her heart. The feeling never went away when he met her eyes. His brown eyes took her breath away while melting her heart at the same time.

Still, she wasn’t expecting Asahi to say that and judging by the obvious blush on his cheeks Asahi wasn’t either. Well, two can play at that game.

“Oh? I’m someone special to you? When we only met yesterday? If I didn’t know better, I would say you’re falling for me.”

Asahi felt his Adam's apple bob up and down. He was used to teasing by his friends and the second-years but never before has he felt like this. Wait a minute… Was this teasing or flirting? He hoped for the latter because he didn’t want it to stop.

“What if I am?” He asked, his confidence growing with every word. “Would it be a bad thing?”

(Y/N) smiled widely. “I… I wouldn’t be opposed to it.”

Asahi felt his heart soar to new heights at this. Any anxiety he had began to slowly fade away. His hands were no longer cold but he wasn’t going to stray away from (Y/N)’s touch.

However, the universe thought differently.

“Hey. Do you mind not holding hands with my manager?”

(Y/N) grunted when she felt a strong arm swing over her shoulders. Even without looking, she could tell who it was. The same person who had no problem starting a confrontation with anyone. Not even his twin brother.

“Atsumu.” She warned, letting go of Asahi’s hands, hoping this action would relieve the tension her setter placed around them.

The blond-haired twin kept the same annoying smirk as he met his manager’s eyes. He knew that look very well as he was always on the receiving end of it.

“What?” He asked innocently. “I’m just looking out for you, (Y/N)-senpai. You’re our precious manager after all. Now, is this guy messing with you?”

(Y/N) sighed, closing her eyes while counting to ten in order to calm down. She could only imagine how this must look.

“He’s not. This is Asahi and he’s my friend. We were just talking before the match began. Asahi, this is Miya Atsumu. He’s the setter-”

“Star setter.” Atsumu interrupted as he shook Asahi’s hand, gripping it hard. “An All-Japan Training Camp setter.”

Confused but feeling bold, Asahi matched the twin’s grip strength. He took a tiny bit of satisfaction when Atsumu grimaced the tiniest bit.

(Y/N) raised her brow at them but shook it off. “Sorry about him. He can be a bit much. Anyways, Atsumu, Asahi is Karasuno’s ace. We watched their match yesterday, remember?”

Atsumu gave him an unimpressed look before shaking his head. “Not really. He must have not made a good impression for me to remember. I don’t remember players who suck-”

He was cut off by (Y/N)’s sharp elbow to his stomach. “What was that for, (Y/N)-san?!”

“That’s for lying!”

“I wasn’t lying!”

“Just yesterday you told me he made a lot of great plays. Not to mention, you praised his service ace.”

Atsumu could feel himself blush a little when his manager caught him in his lie. “I… I don’t remember.” When lying doesn’t work, denying is the second best option.

She rolled her eyes while pushing the setter’s head down, forcing him to bow with her. “Sorry about him. He can be incredibly insensitive at times.”

Atsumu twisted his head to look at his manager, quietly struggling underneath her surprisingly strong grip. “No, I’m not!”

(Y/N) sighed before letting go and ignored the glare Atsumu gave her. Instead, she focused on Karasuno’s ace. “I wish we can talk more, Asahi but I need to get the team ready before the match. But I’m glad we had the chance to catch up.”

“Yeah, me too.” He smiled at her, much to Atsumu’s displeasure. “Can we talk later?”

The manager grinned and was just about to answer when she felt a strong tug on her arm before getting dragged away. “Hey, Atsumu! What the he-”

“You said it yourself.” Atsumu pointed out. “You need to help get the team, our team, ready. Let’s go.”

(Y/N) yanked her hand back and gave Atsumu a glare before he could utter a complaint. “Atsumu, be a dear and take this,” She placed the water bottle carrier in his hands. “I’ll be right behind you.”

“But- I, er, we need you. Remember, there’s that thing… That important thing…” His eyes gestured to his hands.

To anyone who didn’t know the Inarizaki setter very well, it may have sounded like there was something urgent she, as the manager, had to do. But (Y/N) knew Atsumu and she almost wanted to laugh at the desperation in his voice. This happened every single time before a match. It was obvious that Atsumu didn’t want to admit his problem in front of Asahi, who had a confused look on his face.

“The stuff is in my bag, inside the small pocket. Just don’t use too much like last time.”

“Yes!” Atsumu fist-pumped before running back to the rest of the Inarizaki team, forgetting the reason he came over in the first place.

(Y/N) chuckled as she watched her friend dig into her bag before turning back to Asahi. “Again, sorry about that. He can be a bit much. But he does have a point, the match is going to start soon.” She offered up her hand for a shake. “Best of luck to you, Asahi.”

He wasted no time in shaking her hand. “You too. Good luck to your team.”

“And whatever happens, win or lose, we’ll be cool, right?” (Y/N) asked, hoping Asahi wasn’t one of those players that completely shuts down and shuns people when they lose. She really liked him so she hoped that wasn’t the case.

“Of course we will.” Asahi promised. “No matter what happens, we’ll give it our best.”

“Good. See you later, ace.”

With one final encouraging squeeze, (Y/N)’s hand slipped away before making her way towards her team. Asahi seemed frozen to the laminate gym floor as his eyes were fixed on her maroon Inarizaki team. His hand was still in the air where he could still feel her fingertips.

“ASAHI!”

He flinched when he heard Nishinoya yell out his name and he almost fell over when he felt the libero hoist himself to do a handstand on his shoulders. It always amazes him how Nishinoya was able to do that effortlessly.

“H-Hey careful!” Asahi warned him. “And what happened to having my back?”

“You were amazing Asahi-san!” Nishinoya praised, stars in his eyes. “And I did have your back. We all had your back. We were watching the whole thing! You looked so cool talking to the girl you like!”

Was it just him or did that last sentence sound so loud?

“Don’t make it so obvious, Nishinoya.” Suga chuckled.

“Yeah, we don’t need Miya Atsumu to come back over here and scare Asahi again.” Daichi joked. “We had to pull Nishinoya back so he wouldn’t go feral on him.”

“I-I wasn’t scared! He just surprised me.” Asahi defended though he wasn’t going to admit that there was a tiny moment of fear when the Inarizaki setter confronted him. “He’s intense though.”

Kiyoko stepped forward. “You didn’t run away. I think that speaks louder than words.”

Asahi swallowed hard. “You think so?”

“Trust Kiyoko on this, Asahi.” Daichi said. “And trust all of us when we say, don’t give up. I know I give you a hard time with you being a coward and all-”

“Thanks.” He said sarcastically.

“Let me finish.” Daichi laughed. “I was trying to say… (Y/N) brings out the best in you. So keep going. Deal?”

“Deal.”

“Alright, let’s go win!”

“YEAH!!”

~Meanwhile on the other side of the gym~

“You done flirting with the enemy?”

“Does that bother you, Suna?” (Y/N) countered as she checked her bag, looking to see if Atsumu used all her hand lotion. (He’s always complaining about his fingertips being dry.) “I thought that’s what you guys wanted? For me to find someone?”

“At least give us a warning. Atsumu said it was that scary samurai-looking guy.”

“Atsumu’s dramatic.”

“Am not!”

Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

“He literally was squeezing my hand off! Trying to ruin my perfect setter hands!” The blond complained. “I call sabotage!”

“Maybe you’re just that weak, ‘Tsumu.”

“Shut up, ‘Samu!”

“So,” Suna interrupted before the twins could start another infinite argument. “You like this Azumane guy?”

“Is he Lucky Schmuck #1?” Osamu followed up.

“Or Unlucky Schmuck #6?” Atsumu mumbled with his arms crossed.

“I think… He’s the one.”

~

Next: Chapter 3

[stayteezdreams]

Mans Chan's Best Friend: Part One

Plot: Chan makes a furry new friend when on the walk in the park, and he can't keep his eyes off their owner.

-Part Two-

Pairing: Christopher/Bang Chan x Gn!Reader

-Meet-Cute Series-

Words: 1.3k; it came out so much shorter than I wanted 😩

Your anxieties began to lessen as you noticed the lack of people in the park today. You had feared Cocoa might get to overwhelmed with crowds or strange dogs on his first walk in public. Luckily, you seemed to pick a good time when here were few people out.

As Cocoa sniffed and inspected every tree, bench and trashcan you came across, you breathed in the fresh air. Looking around, your eyes landed on someone walking your direction.

Even from a distance you could tell he was attractive. You slowed your pace a bit as he walked closer, he seemed to be distracted by something across the street. You took the opportunity to shamelessly check him out as he got closer, before you looked back at Cocoa.

Cocoa, seemed to notice the stranger at this moment as he suddenly darted towards him. Your heart spiked a bit as you called out to him.

"Cocoa no!"

Chris's attention was taken from the shop across the street as he heard a voice call out. Looking back he saw a small brown dog run up to him.

He immediately grinned at the sight, always happy to be approached by a cute dog. Before he knew it, the small dog was running around Chris's legs furiously sniffing him as the leash tied him up.

Chris let out a chuckle as your embarrassed voice spoke up, stealing Chris's attention.

"I'm so sorry! Cocoa, no, stop!"

As Chris looked up at you, he felt his heart skip a beat as he froze. He hadn't really noticed you until this moment as you were only a foot away, trying desperately to free him from your dogs snare.

Your eyes met the mans and you felt your face heat up. Your eyes remained locked in stillness for a moment. He was even more attractive up close. Why was it always the attractive ones that saw you in an embarrassing situations? You cursed your luck as you apologized again.

"Uh- I'm really sorry, this is his first walk out in public" You laughed awkwardly as you pulled your eyes away from his, your heart hammering in your chest.

Chris giggled, his eyes not leaving your face, "It's okay, really!"

"Let me just- sorry" You began to circle around him, untying yourself and Cocoa from him as Cocoa wagged is tail relentlessly as he tried to get the man's attention.

Chris smiled gleefully at the situation as he watched you try to free him from your dog's leash. You were clearly embarrassed by the situation, but Chris couldn't help but chuckle.

Not only was your dog adorable, but you were pretty cute yourself. And Chris only thought it more as he watched you.

As you ended up circling him a few times, only for Cocoa to do the same, leaving Chris still entangled, he giggled.

"Here, let me." he said softly as he reached for the leash.

You handed it to him, while pretending the way his hands brushed your's didn't send your heart into a flurry.

Chris giggled at the puppy's excited behavior as he untangled himself from the leash.

"There we go!" he said cheerfully as he handed the leash back to you.

You whispered a thank you as you smiled bashfully at him.

He grinned at you as he crouched down, petting Cocoa "You're a little menace aren't you?"

You were surprised by his accent, but found it even more attractive. He looked up at you "What's his name?"

"Oh, Cocoa!"

He smiled "Cocoa, cute!"

As he pet Cocoa, you found yourself admiring him again. He seemed nice, and you were glad he didn't get upset about Cocoa's behavior.

"You remind me of my dog Berry" Chris said as he continued to pet Cocoa, his voice a higher pitch than normal, making you smile at you watched him.

"Berry?" You asked softly, hoping to kill some of your awkardnes.

He nodded as he looked over at you momentarily "Yeah, he's back in Australia though so I don't get to see him often."

You nodded sympathetically "That must be hard."

He nodded softly "It can be." looking back at you he grinned, and you felt your stomach swirl. "I'm Chris."

"Oh, I'm Y/n."

He stood up, and wiped his hands on his pants before reaching out his hand for you to take. You shook it with a shy smile as he continued to smile brightly at you.

"Is he the first dog you've had?"

"Yes and no" you chuckled "The first dog I've had on my own. I had dogs growing up though."

He nodded in understanding "Puppy's can be a lot of work that's for sure."

"I'm beginning to understand that. Sorry again by the way, I was...distracted when he ran up to you, I should have stopped him sooner."

He lifted his hands dismissively "Don't worry about it, it was a nice surprise actually."

You nodded your head, feeling your shyness begin to take hold again as you looked down at Cocoa, who had now found something interested in a patch of grass.

Chris seemed to notice your shyness, and as cute as he thought it was, he feared you might be preparing to run off.

He cleared his throat "So, I walk in the park a lot and I've never seen you before, are you new to the area?" he asked genuinely curious, and hopeful that this might not be just a one time meeting.

"I've been here a while actually, I just never really came to this park much." you looked down at Cocoa "But now I have a reason too"

"So you'll be coming more often then?"

You nodded, wondering why he was so interested, as your stomach did flips. Was he interested in you? Or just Cocoa?

"Good good." He said with a grin "So maybe I'll see you and Cocoa again?"

You smiled, feeling your neck and face heat up "Probably, yeah. I was planning on coming most days when I'm not at work."

Chris nodded, trying to act nonchalant, but failing miserably when he scratched th back of his neck "What times- I mean, I uh- the park is usually really nice around this time every day, and the evening, those are when I often walk around. And uh, when I would recommend you come out."

You smiled, noting his awkwardness as you accepted that it was you he was in fact interested in.

"I think this time every day works. But, uh, what time in the evenings would you suggest? In case, I can't come out at this time." you asked casually.

"Oh, uhm, around five. It's not too late, but most people are at home after work, relaxing."

You nodded "Five is a good time. I think I might try it out, see how Cocoa likes it."

Chris nodded, trying to repress a smile "Good, yeah."

He cleared his throat again before he noticed the time on his watch. His heart jumped a bit as he realized he was running late.

You noticed the look on his face as he checked his watch "Late?"

He looked up at you and smiled before nodding "I should go"

Reaching down as he pet Cocoa he looked back to you and smiled "So...if, by chance, I ran into you tomorrow again, around five...would you mind be tagging along for your walk?"

You smiled as you shuffled on your feet shyly "I wouldn't mind."

He grinned and nodded "Good." he began to walk backwards "See you then, well, I mean if-"

"If you, are by chance here at five?"

He let out a laugh "Yeah."

You nodded and giggled "Yeah, okay. See you then. Maybe."

He grinned and turned to leave after chuckling "Bye."

As he walked off, he looked back at you once before he left the park, a smile still present on his face.

You grinned to yourself as you looked down at Cocoa. "What are you my wingman or something?"

xx End xx

Sorry for the abrupt ending but I suck at them lmao. I hope you liked it~

-Part Two-

General Skz Taglist: @laylasbunbunny

Series Taglist: @bubblesreplies, @halesandy, @why-am-i-sad, @sourmooonlight, @jaeheekangslover, @seungminsdreamwife, @thesunsfullmoon, @ink-spilled-stars, @jisunglyricist, @marcillfll

[theaveragepsychoticbitch]

My bestfriend asked for t4t with bottom Gyomei. And I only live to please her.

AMAB!Reader x AFAB!Gyomei || NSFW || Frotting, awkward first times, kinda crackish lol, and blowjobs(receiving)

The man before you, despite being large as an ox, was as skittish as a rabbit at the moment.

This was by far the most holy foreplay you've ever done. Sitting on your knees, facing each other, with enough room for someone holy in the middle despite your nakedness.

You'd been trying to court this man for weeks, but now that you're here, you aren't quite sure where to take this. He was, in many ways, far different than anyone you've ever been with. He was unusually quiet, and his teary, sightless stare was starting to unnerve you. His hands remained clasped as though in prayer, which made you feel a bit awkward. And not to mention the fact he had several feet on you height wise.

Just as the silence started to make you rethink your decisions, he speaks up.

"I must confess something, [Name]."

You turn your head to meet his gaze, the sudden suspense making your heart rate spike.

"I am... conflicted. Without doubt, I desire you. I wish to bring you pleasure, tonight. But..."

But? You haven't known Gyomei long, but from what you've seen he isn't the type to hesitate long or often. You sit up a little straighter, almost leaning forward in anticipation as the silence drags out.

"...I am inexperienced, in the art of intimacy."

You blink, all your anxiety gone in a poof. All this build up to tell you he's a virgin?

"Oh. Is that all?" You cringe as you say it. That was a bit insensitive.

However, your easy acceptance seems to soothe him some. "Yes. I do hope that won't be a problem for you."

"Not at all. Would it help if I took the lead?"

His smile is warm and sweet, almost out of place for the situation. You can't help but mirror it as he says, "Yes."

He removes his beads from his hands, setting then gently to the side. His hands lie flat on his thighs, and you watch as he takes a deep breath in.... and slowly lets it out.

"I'm ready whenever you are, [Name]."

You huff amusedly at his wording. He said it as though you were about to spar, rather than fuck.

Your hands are small compared to every part of him. There's so much to see and feel, and as you slowly drag your hands up his thighs and across his torso, you try to both see and feel everything. He sucks in a breath when you brush his nipple. You note that, excited to come back to it later.

For now though, you roam. You can feel him relax as he gets used to your touch. You begin to add kisses into the mix– across his chest, his shoulders, up his neck. You anchor yourself to the back of his neck and sit in his lap, laying kiss after soft kiss upon his face.

He's blushing, bright enough that you can see it clearly even in the darkness. It's likely due to the borderline romantic kisses you were giving him. Or maybe he could feel your cock hardening against his stomach with every little content sigh you drew from him.

You can feel him shifting, and soon two large hands have captured your waist in a gentle hold. Theres a shyness to his touch, one you can feel melt slowly into confidence when you kiss his ears, biting the tip teasingly and licking the shell.

"[Name]..."

"Yes?" You're sucking hickies into his neck now. He twitches hard in what you figure is surprise after the first, then tilts his head to further expose his neck to you. "Will you kiss me on my lips?"

You smile into his skin. What a polite request.

"As much as you want me to." One hand slides down his chest and you struggle to not snicker; his heart is beating so fast you could probably hear it if you were quiet enough. What an unexpected cutie pie.

Gyomei's lips meet yours in the middle. They're big like the rest of him, and plush as pillows. They meld to yours perfectly, and are quick to part when you prod them with your tongue. Remnants of dinner can still be tasted on his tongue, along with something deeper, more unique to him. You can't quite describe what it's like, but it makes you feel like you could sit and kiss this man forever.

After not long enough has passed, you force yourself to come up for air. His grip on you tightens immediately and you feel yourself twitch, both of your stomachs now sticky with pre.

He tries to follow you as you pull back. His crying seems to have intensified, the tears now flowing steadily down his cheeks and dripping into your lap.

A crybaby... A man of his status, with his life experience, crying because you stopped kissing him... If he's this dramatic now, his cries later...

A shiver runs up your back at the thought.

"Lay down."

Quick to obey, too. Gods, his expression was so sweet, so open and ready for anything you say.

Laying like this, a sliver of starlight cast his face in a pale glow. The red of his cheeks, the wetness on his lips that were still slightly parted as he panted, even his tears, that now flowed in several directions down his face.

Now, you sit between his legs. They're monstrous, of course. Thick and muscled and sure to crush you if he's one to leg-lock, but you came into this willing to risk that. Before you, his cunt oozes arousal at a steady pace. His clit is visibly throbbing, protruding from beneath its hood almost eagerly.

You weren't by any means small, now. But you had to wonder if the size difference would affect your performance. Would you be able to fold him? Flipping was definitely out of the question. Hell, would you even be able to fuck him as deep as you promised all those days ago?

A change in the air makes you realize you'd been silent for a while now. Gyomei's moved to lean on his forearms, a questioning expression on his face.

"Is everything... to your liking?"

Shitttttt.

It hits you now that he's been blind since birth. He's never even seen himself, and is relying on your judgement. He's trusting you deeply right now, and you're fucking it up.

"Yes, of course, I was just thinking." Well, no shit Sherlock.

He's silent at that. How did you manage to make things worse? There's no salvaging this, you should just go home now-

"Will you describe it to me?"

And just like that, you're snatched from the pits of self pity and placed directly under the metaphorical light of what must be God.

His deep voice was barely a whisper, but his words reverberate across your skin, and echo in your soul. You can fix this. And it wouldn't even be hard, because Gyomei is-

"Beautiful."

Even his breathing quiets when you start to speak.

"Your skin is soft and tan, and your scars are like artwork on the perfect canvas." You lean over him, dragging your hands across his body, stopping only one to finally, blessedly, grope at his tit.

"Despite the hardships that gave you them, they're soft beneath my lips." You kiss him. And then you kiss his scars, every single one in sight.

"You're quite muscular, though I'm sure I don't have to tell you that." You chuckle, but his expression doesn't so much as falter. He's hooked on your every word.

You squeeze his pec, and he inhales sharply. You pinch his nipple, and it knocks all the air from his chest.

"Your chest is soft, almost like a woman's. Your nipples are pink and round, and even long before this, I was enticed by them." Now, you use both hands on him. You twirl his peaks in little circles almost absentmindedly. You pinch one, testing the waters, and are met with his first true moan of the night.

His body jerks a little bit at the pleasure. His head is thrown back, and he sinks till he's fully back on the futon. For a fleeting moment, you're squeezed tight between his thighs, but you wouldn't want to leave if you could. You're rougher with him from then on, and for a while, you just enjoy the pretty sounds he makes as you abuse his chest.

"Does that feel good, Gyomei?" You almost don't recognize your own voice. It's low and sultry, your tone so obviously knowing it'd be offensive in any other situation.

"Yes." His words are accompanied by a whimper as you lick his nipple, applying only teasing amounts of pressure.

"How good does it feel, baby?"

You take it fully into your mouth this time, sucking and biting and making him cry.

You didn't even realize you'd begun to grind against him. He'd pulled his legs back of his own accord, and now his fat pussy lips hugged your cock perfectly, soaking you so thoroughly in his arousal you slid easily against him.

You knew for sure you'd bumped his clit when he yelped, back arching as one hand left his leg to tear at the covers.

You need to tell him. Tell him how sexy he looks like this. How slotting against him was numbing your brain, how the only thing you could hear were his melodic moans. Could he feel your cock twitch when he arched into you just now? What about how hard you were staring at him, at all of him? From the enchanting way pleasure painted itself across his features to the way his hole clenched and leaked everytime you called him beautiful.

You did tell him, all of this and more. Whispered directly into his ear between feverish kisses, not stopping even when they became to much for him to bare all at once. He feels so good in your hands. You tell him that, too.

It ends up being too much for him. He trembles, mouth open wide in a silent scream as he cums on your cock, wetting you, himself, and the sheets. A few minutes pass, and he collapses in your arms.

Loud, heavy breathing is all you hear from him as you caress his skin. You're gentle on the sensitive areas for now. But you can't deny the mischievous joy you get from watching such a stoic man whine every time you flick his clit.

"You looked beautiful just now too." You smirk, laying your head on his chest.

"Please..." He sounds like he meant to come off as exasperated, but was too far gone to do so.

"I can let up on the poetry, but only if you stop looking like it." You wink, and you're pretty sure that if he was anyone else, you would've gotten kicked out.

He sighs instead, and you laugh. Then, his hand clasps your face as though you were someone dear, and you're pulled upwards into a kiss.

Then he flips you, to your surprise. Ever the gentle giant, the seconds you're in the air feel like floating, and you couldn't have landed softer if you'd been in control yourself.

He slides down your body, mimicking you as he drags his own hands down it much the way you did him.

However, he keeps going down, and as you catch the increasingly determined look on his face you realize what he plans to do.

"All my knowledge of this act comes from Tengen and his overly explicit stories... But I wish to please you in turn. I ask you guide me in this too."

You nod, too shocked to speak, then come to your senses and sputter out an "of course!"

You can feel your heart thundering in your chest as his lips press against the underside of your tip. He's got one hand on your thigh, and one on your waist. Thick fingers massage your skin as he kisses down your length, and you don't hesitate to moan loud in encouragement. It feels good, and when his tongue reaches your balls and licks a stripe all the way back up, you make a mental note to kiss Tengen on the lips when you see him. Him and his wives.

His tongue is large and it engulfs your cock like nothing. But he's surprisingly skillful at using it, applying pressure in spots that make your legs jerk and licking ever so lightly in places that have you seeing white.

This, combined with the frotting from earlier, you soon find yourself struggling to not fuck up and into his mouth. He can feel your hips, though. The battle to control yourself is waged right under his fingers, and he's nothing if not a peacekeeper.

His lips leave you with a pop! and you've never been so upset at gaining the ability to breath back.

"You can move, if you'd like. I can take it." He takes your hands in his, moving them to his hair. "I hear that it's enjoyable like this. Please, use me as you desire most."

The last sentence is spoken over your cock like a blessing. You think you're going to marry this man. You might have to, after hearing that.

You lace both hands through his short hair, giving an experimental tug and loving the grunt it pulls from him. You drop one hand to your cock, holding it steady as you slide smoothly past his lips. Once positioned, you plant one foot firm on the ground, lifting your hips slowly at first, and dropping them just as slow.

You set a pace, savoring the sounds his mouth makes as you fuck it, too far gone to be embarrassed by the ones you make. He's taking you so well that you can't help yourself anymore; you thrust deeper. And deeper, and deeper, faster and faster until you're fucking his throat in true. You can feel the muscles of his throat spasming around your cock, gripping you as though trying to keep you there. His tongue was at work too. He struggled to keep up, but his attempts to keep it pressed flat to the underside of your dick had your head spinning.

"Gyomei, hell, in-" You gasp as he groans, the vibrations testing your limits,"-or out? Quickly!"

He makes his decision by opening his mouth impossibly wider and taking you to the base. Lodged deep in his throat, you've no choice but to cum in it, and bless if it wasn't the most mind blowing orgasm you've had in years.

You see white, the world fading to nothing around you as you tremble, his hold the only thing keeping your hips in the air.

Now, it's your turn to suffer as he slowly pulls off of you. Maybe teasing him after wasn't the best thing to teach him on the first day. If you knew you'd be left like this earlier, you would have tread far more carefully.

You can barely find the strength to move, but you've got to see this. It takes all your effort, but it's worth it to watch as he thumbs away a portion of the saliva and precum that dripped down his chin. Despite his sightlessness, he stares at his now sticky thumb with what was no doubt surprise at his own actions.

He soon rises so that his head is under your chin, but you pull him in for a quick kiss, reminiscent of the one he gave you earlier.

When you pull away, more breathless than before, his blush is that of roses at the peak of spring.

"I can go longer, if you wish."

Yeah, you knew he could. You also knew you couldn't. You're half convinced he took your dick with him, and not even seeing it in its rightful place will fully convince you otherwise.

"I think... we'll continue this session...another night."

He smiles, then somehow manages to find another way to shock you tonight.

"It felt amazing.... your mouth on my chest, and everything after."

You blink. There's no way he's answering your love-drunk question from earlier, right?

But he is, and he's dead serious about it too. Beautiful, funny... marriage material if you've ever seen it.

"I'm glad. You did amazing too, Gyomei." He seems a bit lost for words at first, but a small smile graces his lips. You kiss him, taking away the need for anymore talking.

"Do you truly mean it? That you wish to do this again?"

You might die if he gets anymore adorable. But you're quick to respond, because you weren't blessed with hashira stamina, and sleep has been calling your name rather insistently for a minute now.

"Of course. As long as you wish to as well."

You're gone long before he gets the chance to speak back. And when you wake up, he's fast asleep too, still sticky, still naked, and still smiling.

----------

A/N: if this is ooc no it's not I'm literally Koyoharu Gotouge. Now enjoy. And everybody say thanks to bestie for finally getting me to post!!!

[underqualified-human]

Pets I think the Punch Out Characters would have:

Glass Joe:

Hear me out: a very violent cat that hates everyone except him

It hisses at anyone who enter his house and has peed on someone before

Totally chill if it’s just him

Von Kaiser:

He owns two absolutely massive Great Danes and named them something like ‘Daisy/Fifi’

He goes on runs with them daily

Disco Kid:

He’s the type of guy to have rabbits, me thinks

Also a bit of a pet collector.

Has probably had most types of house pets at some point in his life

King Hippo:

Owns a parrot and that’s the only thing anybody knows about it

Piston Hondo:

He has multiple rats (all named after days of the week) with ample enrichment in their cage

Yes, he gets depressed every time one of them dies. No, he will not stop getting more. 

(Not so fun fact: Pet rats are very likely to get cancer, or my friends have very bad luck)

Bear Hugger:

The squirrel is enough.

Great Tiger:

This is going to sound very random but: starfish

He has five of them in a tank and can easily tell the difference between all of them

Don Flamenco: 

He has two Yorkies with separation anxiety. 

His neighbours hate him

Aran Ryan: 

He has one(1) very calm Husky and one(1) very hyperactive cat that enjoys attempting to ‘fight’ the Husky (both are rescues)

He used to have a lot of fish in a massive tank when he was younger but after an … incident he no longer has that fish tank (or the fish)

Soda Popinski:

Honestly? Pomeranian.

There is nothing to elaborate on.

He has a Pomeranian and he gave it a spiked collar.

Bald Bull:

He has a snake and takes its care very seriously

Constantly monitors its behaviour and adjusts things in the enclosure if he sees something is up

Super Macho Man:

This mf has a poodle and or/ a tiny purse chihuahua

It’s  purebred and, at the very least, has been properly house (/purse?) trained

Mr. Sandman:

He has three tiny budgies that love him dearly

He gave them People Names so whenever he talks about them people can’t tell if the conversation is about pets or children

Honestly, just seems like a bird guy in general

[paintyoureyeswithavividmind]

close to home | chapter fifty

close to home | chapter fifty

plot: war comes to Alexandria and the reader stops at nothing to keep Daryl alive

series masterlist

Pairing: Eventual Daryl Dixon x f!reader Word Count: 1,983 Warnings: violence, blood, typical twd A/N: thank you for reading!!!

You were with Daryl. Of course, you were. Neither of you would have it any other way, and Rick knew it too. So you stood by his side, behind the car with spikes through it, as you listened to the sound of the saviors approaching. You glanced at Rosita, who was pacing back and forth. Tara was a few feet from you, and you could feel her anxiety rippling off her. 

But for once, you felt okay, like you could do this. You ad the Scavengers, and you could all take on Negan. 

You weren’t entirely surprised to see Eugene standing with the saviors. He would’ve folded immediately to Negan, and you knew he would. Eugene wanted to stay alive and would find any way to do it. Even if that meant betrayal. 

You softly grabbed Daryl's forearm as you listened to Eugene try to get Rick to surrender. He didn’t flinch or tense at your touch, and you took a half step closer to him. 

When you saw Rick give Rosita the sign to delineate the bomb, Daryl stepped in front of you, and you both waited to hear it go off. But only silence followed. Your stomach dropped, and you looked up at Rick just in time to see Jadis pull a gun on him. 

It all happened at once. You had two guns on you. 

You could feel the anger radiating off Daryl, and you shook your head when you met his eyes. There was a better time for him to do something stupid. 

The gate opened, and you watched as the saviors took the bomb from the truck. Your heart was beating quickly, and you felt your own anger radiating. You wanted to kill every last of them, starting with the man with the gun on Daryl.

Your tingers switched when you saw Negan again for the first time and watched as he hopped up onto the bed of the truck, where a coffin was waiting. 

“I want every last grain of lemonade you got left,” Negan continued to explain, “I want a person of your own choosing for Lucille. Daryl. Oh, I gotta get me my Daryl back.”

Then his eyes landed on you, and he paused for a moment. You couldn’t decipher what his eyes said, not that you ever could. But something in them changed for a moment. Then, “And I want my wife back.”

Daryl took a step forward, blocking you from his vision. The guns followed him, and you carefully watched the man closest to him. 

“Maybe this time I’ll have to take out the competition,” You heard Negan say, and you fisted your hands and bit down on your lip hard enough to taste blood. 

After Negan threatened to kill Sasha and everyone else, Rick demanded to see her. Of course, Negan made a joke about it, and you assumed he went to open it up because you heard the bat hitting the coffin. 

“Holy God damn!” Negan yelled. 

You heard gunshots and watched above as Carl made the first move. Then Daryl shot the man with the gun pointed at him and then at you. You spun around and raised your rifle, aiming at every scavenger around you. 

You saw Rosita go down out of the corner of your eye, and you ducked behind the car, popping up to shoot at the saviors. You’d already taken out four scavengers around you, and you wanted blood from the saviors now. 

Tara called your name but you ignored it, following Daryl towards the gate and standing side by side with him. The kickback from the gun was already bruising your shoulder but you ignored it, trying to gun down every single person you could. 

“Go with ‘em,” Daryl yelled to you over the gunfire. 

You shook your head and pressed the trigger, watching one of the savior's head explode from the bullet. “Who’d cover your ass then?” You sarcastically said, taking down another savior. 

The two of you worked your way away from the gate, where there was too much heavy fire. He covered you while you ducked behind one of the trucks, and then you did the same for him. 

You could still hear gunshots all around the community, and you took a deep breath and looked at Daryl. You could tell he was worried. Things didn’t exactly look good for Alexandria, and if it fell, he’d die, and you’d be back to being Negan’s whore. 

Biting your lip, you peeked around the truck and watched Carl disappear around the street by himself, shooting away. 

“Carl’s alone!” You yelled over the gunfire. “We have to get to him!” 

Daryl nodded at you, and you took a deep breath before giving the street a quick look and making a break for the tree across the street. The two of you covered each other up to the road, where you finally saw Carl surrounded. 

“No,” You mumbled, switching out your ammo and making a break for it, ignoring Daryl’s yell. You gunned down the three men around him before they knew what hit them and reunited with Carl. 

“I said wait, dammit,” Daryl yelled when he caught up to you. 

“I don’t know where my dad is,” Carl said. “I didn’t see him. Are you guys okay?"

Before you or Daryl could reply, saviors approached you. You pushed Carl behind you, and Daryl stood in front of you both. You all raised your guns, but it wouldn’t do a damn thing. There were too many of them. 

You swore under your breath and lowered your gun. It was over. 

The saviors brought you to the yard across the street, where you were forced on your knees. You and Daryl side by side with Carl at the center. You tried to fight with each step, but nothing helped. 

Then you saw Negan, and you felt like throwing up. You wanted to rip his throat out and watch him die. But you knew you wouldn’t be seeing that today. 

“(Y/N), baby,” Negan said when he approached you. “I thought we had something special.”

“Leave her be,” Daryl spat. 

“I don’t think my wife would appreciate that,” Negan sneered as he got eye level with you. He stared at you for a long moment before tucking your loose bangs behind your ear. “You’ll have to spend some time in the box, maybe work for some points. But don’t worry, baby, it won’t be long before we keep each other warm.”

Your lips twitched in anger, and you spat directly onto his face, which contorted into bitterness you’d never seen on him before. “Fuck you! I’d rather die before ever going back there.”

Negan wiped your spit away from a handkerchief that Simon handed him, and he chuckled. “I believe you know that won’t happen, baby.”

Then he stood up and walked away from you, and you looked at Daryl with tears. The thought of returning to the Sanctuary, of being Negan’s wife again, you wanted to scream and tear out your hair; you wanted to gun down everyone here to prevent that from happening. There is nothing that would ever make you go back there. 

You were trying to suppress your cries when Rick showed up, hurt, but it didn’t look serious. He was made to kneel next to Carl, and you felt like you would be sick. Negan was going to do something terrible. 

Negan made a big show of it; of course, he did. Talking to Rick and belittling him in every way, mocking and playing his stupid little game. Every jibe made you want to scream for your friend and leader, who you loved both so much. 

“I’m gonna kill Carl now,” Negan said, and your blood ran cold. “I’m gonna make it one, nice, hard swing; try to do it in one ‘cause I like him,” 

You couldn’t hear the rest of what Negan said as you stared at Carl, your tongue heavy in your mouth. Just like at the lineup, all of a sudden, you couldn’t talk. You couldn’t scream. You couldn’t do anything. You just wanted to jump in front of Carl and take the blow for him. But you wouldn't even make it close with a dozen guns between you and him. 

You watched in agony as Negan lifted Carl’s hat off and lined up the hit, and then in a blur of orange and black, you saw Shiva attack. In everyone’s half-second of surprise, gunshots rang out. 

You stood and punched the guy closest to you, knocking him over. You grabbed his dropped weapon and started shooting at anyone. You could see Daryl doing the same out of the corner of your eye as you brought down savior after savior. 

Then you heard King Ezekiel, and you paused for a moment as you watched the Kingdom flood in, with Carol and the King at the front. A smile broke out on your face, and you spun around, pulling the trigger repeatedly as you pushed the saviors back. 

When you saw your cousin leading the Hilltop, your heart was beating faster than you ever thought it could, and you believed this was it. This was your stand, and you were going to win. 

In the chaos of the fight and your need for revenge against the saviors, you kept a quick pace as you killed man after man, woman after woman. Your body count must’ve reached two dozen by now, and if it was hand to hand, you’d be soaked in blood. 

You’d just turn the corner, killing another savior, when your gun clicked empty, and you grabbed another from the ground. You heard close gunfire, and you followed the sound. You were near the gate now, and there was smoke in the air. Some type of gas bomb. 

You saw Daryl behind one of the cars, but you were too far away to get his attention. But you were in perfect view of seeing who was before and behind him. Within seconds, the saviors would have him cornered. And as much as you believed in his abilities, there were seven of them. 

You swore under your breath and looked around to see if anyone else was with you, but everyone was scattered. There were enemies everywhere. 

Then you looked again at Daryl and thought about how much you love him and realized that there was one thing that would make you go back to the Sanctuary. 

You dropped the gun and started running towards the gate. “Hey!” You screamed. You heard Daryl yell something at you, and then you heard your cousin from somewhere, but you ignored them both. 

“I bet I’ll fetch you a nice prize with Negan,” You told the group of the saviors closest to you. “But this offer expires, so we better go now,”

You were apprehended immediately, hands roughly pushing you forward. You heard gunshots from behind you, and one of the men to your left dropped dead, while the others quickened their pace. 

You were shoved towards Negan’s truck and lifted and thrown in while men followed you. You hit the truck bed face first and immediately felt the blood from your nose. But when you sat up and looked out the back towards Alexandria, your heart broke as the truck started to move. 

Everyone was there and firing after the trucks. Your entire family ran after you until the truck was too far away. The last thing you could make out was Daryl dropping to his knees. And it brought tears to your eyes as you thought about what you’d just given up and what you gave it up for.

[mrspowers1987]

Michael looked me over looking for any possible injuries. "What's wrong Y/N?" I shook my head "there's this guy who is trying to talk to me". Him and the girl with him chuckled "sweetie, he probably thinks that you're cute". My face flushed when she addressed me and I looked down. "Star this is Y/N my sister, she has social anxiety and is probably terrified of you". He laughed "I'm not terrified.. I just don't know what to say" I looked at her eyes for a second. She smiled "that's alright, we've all been there" a small smile formed on my lips.

Mike looked between us "well uh.. Me and Star are probably gonna go get some food, will you be okay here?". I nodded "sweet, see yah later sis" I smiled. But before I even had time to walk away four bikes closed us in. The four riders were punk bikers.

Immediately I backed against the railing to get away from them. One of the bikers who was in all black glared at Mike. His piercing blue eyes are cold and unforgiving, his spiked mullet added to his intimidating demeanor. And worst of all was the look on his face "where you going Star?" His voice is meant to scare. His tone was icy, like his glare, she looked at his nervously "for a ride. This is Michael" Mike gently took her arm as he walked towards his bike "lets go".

Mike had made his voice a little deeper to show dominance over the other male. Star stepped towards the bike but was stopped with one simple word. "Star" his tone alone said thousands of words, he knows every secret she has and then some. She's clearly scared of him.. And I see why. Her shoes clicked against the old wood of the boardwalk as she walked towards the man.

My heart twisted and I felt this odd sensation like.. Well.. I can only describe it as a tug. Passing it off as anxiety I tried to look away from the mysterious blue eyes that glared at my brother. Despite the fact that I was looking down I just knew he was looking at me. Geez I must have looked so odd standing there with my head down and my lip between my thumb and index finger.

Playing with my lip had become a nervous habit of mine, and I guess Mike saw me because he made a show of taking my side. "And who is this?" His words were almost like a purr, yet despite them being non-aggressive I was still wary. Star answered "that's Y/N.. she's Michael's sister" my eyes flicked to Star for a split second. Then back at the ground when I felt the intensity of the male in front of her. "Do you know where Nelson's point is overlooking the bluff Michael?" My eyes are now fixed on Mike. He sighed in defeat "I can't beat your bike" he looked away from him most likely out of embarrassment.

"You don't have to beat me Michael, just have to try and keep up". Me and Mike met each other's gaze, he chuckled "you can come too Y/N". When he said my name I felt that tug again, maybe that's why I looked at him. "Tell you what Michael.. Star can ride with you if Y/N rides with me" my eyes widened. They quickly flew to Mike who had a telling look, his face said please mine said don't use me as a bargaining chip!.

I lost and he smirked "it's up to you sis" I raised my eyebrows at him, Star smiled real big as she got off his bike and ran to Mike. A small whine left my throat as the reality that I have to approach this man hit me.

But I did. My feet moved faster than my brain and I made my way to him, slowly, but surely. The blonde eyes me with a smirk.. another tug "the names David Doll" he held out his hand to me so that I may get on his bike easier. Hesitantly I took his hand and slid onto the back if his bike. It wasn't the bike that made me anxious, I've ridden with Mike plenty of times. It's that he's so intimidating.

My arms lingered at my sides for a moment and he looked back at me "hold on tight Doll" I nodded and put my arms around his waist. My face flushed red and I just knew my lip was quivering. The smell of cigarette smoke and cologne danced around and mixed to make a quiet pleasant aroma.

Because I was so distracted analyzing his smell and how his hair was laid in the back, I was caught off guard as David started driving. A small gasp of surprise left my throat and the three with David chuckled as we drove past them. At first David was slow. Then he drove down a staircase and cut down the beach like a mad man. At first I was scared and held David a little tighter than I would have liked. But when David intentionally kicked dust at a group of teens trying to kiss I laughed a little. Then David kept doing it, him and his friends. It was like a competition to make me laugh.

They all made me laugh, eventually we left the beach and were in the forest. I hid my face in David's back when this happened because there were so many things happening. David chuckled "Might wanna hold on a little tighter Doll" then he jumped. Another gasp left me and I tightened my grip on him. But the worst part is the bluff.

Now I can smell the ocean, hear the ocean, but I can't see it. Mike and David are taunting each other from their spots on their bikes. Star gave me a look.. Once our eyes had locked it was the strangest thing. She moved her mouth and by all scientific laws I shouldn't have been able to hear her.

But as if she were next to me her voice broke through the sound barrier made by the wind. Right in my ears I heard "turn back now".

Her eyes switched between me and the space in front of us, that's when I realized. "David..." I mumbled barely louder than a whisper, he ignored me the louder the ocean got the more I panicked. "David" he chuckled and I just knew I was going to die. "DAVID!" With how hard I clung to him David was going to have an imprint of my arms around him.

I didn't have time to process that the bike had stopped before I heard Michael scream. "What are you tryna do huh!?" I got off David's bike and backed away. The other four riders had abandoned their bikes and were chasing Michael. David had just got off his bike when Michael got to him. Star and I both yelled at the same time. She yelled "Nooo!" I yelled "Michael!" Mike pushed a taller, more built man off of him. "Just you! No one else!" I walked over to Mike "Mikey come on calm down" he looked down at me. "Are you okay?" I nodded "are you?" He huffed and glared over me at David. Slowly I turned to look at him, he smirked at us "how far you willing to go?".

------

Hii. This is just the first chapter to a story I posted to my wattpad as well. Just wanted to post it here too😊. Let me know if you like it

[nerdyvocals]

A continuation of this post, more quotes from me and @look-at-those-niceass-rocks watching Pink Ladies together, this time episodes 4-7 (again shared with permission, and since the cast is in the house, @saveourpinks, please enjoy our unhinged dumbassery):

Principal Nicholson is a fuckin' weenie

(during Sorry to Distract) I am looking respectfully. I am looking SO respectfully. Their husband, distantly: I doubt that Me: *WHEEZE*

(During Carelessly) The true bisexual experience is not knowing which one of them you would rather be making out in the park with. (I am pan but I concur)

(@ Buddy) OH POOR FUCKING BABY, find purpose outside of your socially assigned tasks

Fucking of course his name is Leonard

Them: I would've gone fucking feral for this show in high school. Both of us, in sync: I'm going fucking feral for it now

Me: Anyway, rest in peace Cynthia Zdunowski, you would've loved they/them pronouns Them: *CHOKE*

Wally: I'm kinda hungry Them: Looks like she's kinda thirsty

(About Richie and Jane "needing to talk") That has spiked MY anxiety and I'm not even Jane. I would have been CHASING that little shit down.

(When Vaughn told Lydia to help Cynthia) I want a very sexually charged line reading session between the two of them and if I don't get it I Will Cry-- Levi, I don't like the way you're laughing right now

(Note I couldn't breathe for a Hot Minute, I forgot they somehow hadn't seen any spoilers for this show)

Richie: Jane's my girl, not my boss Them: YOu are wrong, she is both. I've seen the way you look at her I'm not a fuckin' idiot.

Me: Anytime I see Lydia or Cynthia I just embody that one quote- Did you ever watch Boy Meets World? Them: What, no? Me: Hang on, there's a quote from Shawn, I'll find it (Note it took me five minutes to find this clip, 2:00-2:09 if you're curious, but the quote is: Aw to heck with it, marry me! I live in a trailer park and I have no education but my hair does this!)

The entirety of Merely Players consisted of a stream of: fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck

(@ Mr. Pedo Man) You deserve beige you piece of shit

KEEP EVERY PART OF YOUR BODY AWAY FROM THIS LITERAL CHILD

(After Jane and Richie's fight) Think about the last time a boy gave her his jacket you fucking dipshit, you goddamn weenie.

(Honorable mention: Both of us replying to everything Richie said in that argument with "Yeah, it is about her, it's her life, what's wrong with her wanting an education???")

Me: I love how the most scathing insult you can think of is to call someone a weenie, are you eight? Them: It's fifties appropriate!

Vaughn: You are a revelation! Them: Yeah, she's a revelation to my fucking sexuality

Them: [Husband], they're lesbians! Husband, nowhere near the computer: I know

(Jane got more votes) HEHEHE GET FUCKED

Me: I love how quickly your opinion of this man changed from the first episode, you were ready to simp and now you hate him Them: YEAH BECAUSE i THOUGHT HE WAS NICE I WAS BAMBOOZLED AND I'M MAD ABOUT IT.

Jane and Buddy: *kiss at the end of episode 4* Them: I am going to bite his nose off

Lydia: You swallow your consonants Them: Well you were swallowing her tongue a minute ago, that probably didn't fucking help Me: *choking on drink*

(during Girl's Can't Drive): Mama I'm a Big Girl Now walked so this song could fucking RUN

Them: So when does Hazel get a jacket? Me: I have no idea what you're talking about, shut up

(After me reading them the discrepancies between the amount of Thesbians fics on AO3 to literally anything else) I am addressing this to every single person who writes in this fandom, puh-LEASE seek therapy

Me: *short rant on how I Cannot Resist a Butch in a White Tshirt* Them: I'm just obsessed with [Lydia's] robe, I wanna take it...off. [Husband]: *unintelligible* Them: THE ACTOR IS AN ADULT I CAN FIND THEM ATTRACTIVE

(after I pointed out that Lydia keeps staring out the window at the Frosty Palace like she's waiting for someone) I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE

Me: I have a fic for you Them: if it's more Potato, I'm down

Olivia: *slaps Richie* Them: She could wake me up like that, I wouldn't complain

I would be a 1950s housewife for Potato

Them: I am no longer simping for Richie Me: He's having a hard time right now Them: I know this, and I will resume simping later when he's done being stupid

T-Birds: *having a heart-to-heart* Them: *sniff* They're all coming over to my house and I'm making them soup and bread

Richie: I think I'm in love (one tear catches light) Both of us, Supernatural veterans: ~a single man-tear~ *FIVE MINUTES OF WHEEZING LAUGHTER*

You can find part three here!

[baby--b4t]

hiiii I wanted to request a mini fic of energetic cg!Kaeya and his always eepy little one (toddler regressor, with she/they pronouns) in public (like at windblume festival or something)

hello!! as much as i love little ragbros, cg!kaeya is just as good. hes such an expert with little ones! especially the fussy toddlers and sensitive babies. I think dealing with klee has helped him with that just a bit hehe-

anyways MINIFIC TIME! (you get lost but kaeya is overprotective)(not proofread SORRY SORRY)(also sorry ive taken so long to get to these-)

after posting i realized i switched the roles ｡ﾟ(ﾟ´Д｀ﾟ)ﾟ｡ SORRY ABOUT THAT

"And where do you think youre running off to?" Kaeya chuckled as he quickly snatched your hand. You had seen a man with a ton of balloons walking by and was about to dart off after him, but Kaeya realized before you could make any sort of attempt.

"I thought you agreed to stay in my sight, hm?"

"It is! Is just right there!" You argued, pointing at the balloon man. Kaeya smiled and shook his head.

"When I say stay in my sight, that means near me, sweetheart. If you wander too far Ill lose sight of you!" He explained, trying to keep a lighthearted tone. He knew it was a simple mistake on your part.

The two of you continued to walk throughout the heart of Mondstadt as everyone else did. There were vendors just about everywhere you looked, causing your curiosity to spike even more. Even if it was just simple things like handmade cutlery or some flowers that were common throughout Mondstadt, you couldnt help but drag Kaeya to every single one. It was just too interesting!

You and Kaeya had stopped at one of the vendors and found a doll that you just couldnt live without. Kaeya saw it wasnt too pricey and bought it for you. The woman running the stall handed the doll over to you as Kaeya dug in his pockets for some mora.

You felt impatient waiting for him to finish up and started to look around. You saw a small boy running after two dogs, all of them clearly playing around. It had been a while since you had a pet of your own, so seeing the boy playing with the dogs sparked something in you. Without realizing what you were doing, you had started to run after the dogs as well.

The pups seemed all too excited to see a new face. The ran around you and tried to lick you, causing you to giggle. The boy told you the dogs names were Fido and Leo, simple names for such simple pups. They clearly didnt have a single vicious bone in their body.

A woman called out for Fido and Leo and the two went bounding back to the woman, as did the boy. The lady was probably the boys mother. By time they were all gone, you realized you had wandered from Kaeya. You vaguely knew where you were, but you were alone and starting to get worried.

"Kaeya?" You called out, not too loud but loud enough for the people around to hear. It was hard to raise your voice to call out for the man when you could feel the anxiety started to sink into your gut. You clutched the doll in your arms, hoping that somehow Kaeya would find you again.

You wanderer around Mondstadt until you ended up close to Angels Share. You recognized the area, having been babysat by Diluc a few times. As you looked at the tavern you could see the blue haired man who you had lost.

"Daddy!" You called out as you went running towards him. Kaeya turned his head quickly to see you coming towards him, his arms opening to take you in.

"There you are!" He wrapped his arms around you tightly, holding you against him like his life depended on it. He took a moment before pulling you away and holding your face in his hands. "Do you know how worried I was?"

"'M sorry.." You mumbled in response, trying to lower your head a bit. The man just smiled and pulled you back in for a hug.

"Its alright, sweet girl. Im just glad youre back in one piece."

[freelanceexorcist]

I mean it when I say I'm done with all things political and I'm no longer watching the news (if something big happens, I'm sure I'll hear about it somehow). So this is my closing argument on that front.

Cut for length.

Those of you who choose to continue to engage will be seeing a lot of blame assignment in the coming days and months. Every pundit will be weighing in with their ill-informed opinion on who's responsible for this. I'll save them the trouble.

Blame the men who hate women more than they love their country or even their own miserable hides. You won't have to look too far to find one of those.

Blame the white women who are desperate to be picked by these men.

Blame the media who spent the whole election cycle sanewashing that demented fucking monster while ignoring the very real accomplishments on the other side.

Blame the shitheads who thought it was safe to sit this one out.

Blame the turncoats on our own side who bayed for Joe Biden's blood because he had a bad night and didn't stop until he caved to them. Nah, scratch that, those people never accept blame for anything.

Blame the foreign-born oligarchs who would rather see the country burn to the ground than pay their fair share to keep it running.

Plenty more where that came from. Plenty of blame to go around.

And here's some advice if you're open to it. If you're not, consider this the end of the post.

*Puts on "old lady who's seen some shit" hat*

If you're terrified of what the future holds, don't live all four years at once (credit for this approach goes to user King Beauregard over at The Establishment Bar). Take each day as it comes. Each hour as it comes. We survived him once and we WILL survive him again unless he starts a nuclear war, in which case there was nothing any of us could have done to stop it anyway. I wouldn't worry about that, though. He's so far gone I doubt he remembers how to tie his own shoes let alone what to do with the nuclear football.

Take care of yourself. This is sacrosanct. Do what makes you happy and soothes your nerves. We have a limited amount of time on this rock, so don't spend it staring at a screen in anticipation of the next horrible thing he will do or say. Ride it out and be kind to yourself in the process. We have four years of positive progress ahead of us and we will go into 2026 and 2028 with strength and resolve.

Don't game out worst-case scenarios or catastrophize. We don't know what's going to happen tomorrow let alone over the next four years. About the only thing that can be confidently speculated upon is that he is very unlikely to survive much longer and will most likely not make it another four years. Yes, then we will be saddled with President JD Vance, First of His Fake Name, but not forever. Mike Pence was a bland cypher who made the right patriotic face noises, but JD is an obvious and glaring creep who is about as appealing as a broken toilet with a deuce left in the bowl and has achieved the near impossible goal of making Ted Cruz seem likable in comparison. He likely won't win a re-election bid as long as the Democratic party chooses the right white man.

Unplug. Dump Twitter and try a service like Bluesky if you want to continue using social media. Distance yourself from any site that's set up to allow engagement farmers to get maximum exposure by pissing off as many people as they can then letting human nature take its course so they can make a few pennies, turning the place into an anxiety-spiking hellscape in the process (looking at you, Twitter, TikTok, Reddit, etc.). Stick to sites that produce content that gives you joy.

If you choose to continue to engage, engage at the local level. Get school board members, mayors, council members and state Representatives elected. Those offices may not seem important, but they absolutely are. They could very well be the firewall between you and the United States of Gilead if the worst were to come to pass. Organize at the local level instead of attending some million-woman march that will almost certainly be co-opted by corporate, political and Hollywood interests who want to look like they give a fuck about you and abandon you once they get their narcissistic supply. A bunch of small fires are a lot harder to put out than one big one.

Don't conflate what happened in other countries with what could happen here. Attempts to break us will be made, but we are not Afghanistan. We are not Iran. We are not Nazi Germany or Franco's Spain. We are not Russia. Whatever may or may not happen here will happen within the framework of the systems we have set up, our current circumstances, our history and our people's resolve. He failed once, and now that he's in obvious cognitive decline, he will likely fail again.

I'm not going to tell you everything will be OK, because I don't know whether it will or not. The future is a huge question mark just as it always has been. But what I will tell you is that how you react to whatever happens is entirely up to you. If you find yourself ruminating, stop and apply the techniques used in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). Reframe your thoughts in a positive or at least neutral way. Do breathing exercises. I ask you to trust me when I say these things help.

That's about all. We've got this. We didn't think we could survive the first regime, but we did. We've been on this road before and as The Boss sings, nobody's kiddin' nobody about where it goes. It sucks that we've been thrust into it again by people who really should have known better, but you play the card you're dealt. We can do this.

[trickstarbrave]

writing up more of this silly little idea bc i guess i like torturing nerevar

Riiju-lei and Shamat from @mulberrycafe

Nerevar sighed, slumped against the wall. It seemed Kaidan and Shamat were done having ‘fun’ upstairs, the creaking of the bed finally stopping. It was uncomfortable to say the least; Nerevar quickly came to terms with the fact Shamat wasn’t Riiju-lei, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t strange hearing someone that sounded so much like his husband having sex with and moaning out the name of another man. It made him feel uncomfortable a little nauseous.

Lucien and Inigo were taking turns watching him this time, talking quietly while Lucien struggled to stay awake. They were pretty lax all things considered. Nerevar had heard extensively what this world’s version of him was up to and he wasn’t happy about it at all. But given he hadn’t fought his bonds or done anything in particular, there wasn’t a need to hold a blade to his throat every waking hour.

He slumped his head forward, nuzzling into the scarf wrapped around his neck and shoulders, breathing in the scent. He missed Riiju-lei terribly, and he knew the other must be panicked wondering what could have happened to him. He didn’t know what effect he might have being so far away; did Leilei feel hollow without him again? Or did the pain of missing Nerevar now that he knew what it was like to laugh and smile with pure joy hurt him more than words could describe. He gave a shaky sigh, trying to pretend his arms weren’t bound and that he was instead embracing his chimer husband, holding him gently while the two of them fell asleep.

Seeing the hortator seemingly digging around in his scarf though, Inigo raised a brow, patting Lucien’s arm and motioning toward Nerevar. Lucien also raised an eyebrow, before the two approached.

“I do hope for your sake you aren’t hiding anything in there.” Inigo remarked.

“Honestly, he’s been a bit too well behaved for my comfort. I’m starting to get anxious.” Lucien shuddered. “He hasn’t even gone on a long tirade or demanded to see Shamat or anything! I can’t help but feel like he’s planning something...”

“Let me just see what you have in there.” Inigo hesitantly reached for the scarf, and Nerevar felt his anxiety spike.

“Don’t take that!” He suddenly shouted. He hadn’t raised his voice since he got here, trying hard not to make everyone more nervous than they already were, but he couldn’t just sit back and let them take it from him. “I-it’s from Leilei... He gave it to me.” Nerevar buried his nose in it once more. “It smells like him, like the chill and snowberries of Windhelm and lavender in Whiterun...” He could practically trace Leilei’s journey through the scarf, all the little scents the fabric had picked up in Riiju-lei’s life, all of the places he made a home. He could imagine the happy laughter of children if he tried hard enough, and could almost feel Riiju-lei’s arms around him. “Please, don’t take it...” His voice cracked slightly as he bit back tears.

He could survive this if he had the scarf. He could live through the anxiety and uncertainty that he’d ever return home so long as he had the fabric keeping him going and reminding him of his beloved. But if he lost that--lost the comfort of the soft fabric and the scent that grounded him--he didn’t know what he’d do.

Lucien and Inigo looked at each other, before Inigo sighed, his ears going back.

“Alright. but I am watching you, understand?”

“You sure that is a good idea old Indigo?” Lucien asked, using a playful nickname.

“So far he hasn’t made any sudden moves.” Inigo replied as he went back to his seat. “I would also feel bad just ripping things away from a prisoner because I can.” Lucien still looked at Nerevar anxiously, taking in the way tears shined in his eyes and the sadness deep within them. It was possible the hortator was acting, lying and manipulating to get their sympathy, but even Lucien felt like it would be cruel to take that from him.

“... Hopefully Kaidan won’t be too upset about it...”

[itsthestutterforme]

“Friend of Eadith” 1/2 (Osferth x black!reader)

Summary: You sought out to find Eadith when she goes missing. Thankfully, you find her just in time- her and a few others.

Notes: GIF is not mine, all mistakes are my own, sexual themes (oral sex- m receiving, riding, p in v penetration, sub!Osferth, dom!reader)

—

You don’t like this. You haven’t seen Eadith in days. Given you don’t check in with each other every day because you had separate lives to tend to. But something didn’t feel right. You came across Eardwulf with his men and decided to approach him.

“Eardwulf, have you seen Eadith?” “No, I was about to go find her.” “Oh. You.. mind if I tag along?” He hesitates a moment before answering, “No. We fear she has been taken by outlaws. It’s not safe for you to accompany.” “I see. Safe travels then.” You stating, not believing a word he said.

Eardwulf has been on edge for a while now. And he’s been taking it out on Eadith, which you didn’t particularly care for. They waited until nightfall to search for Eadith and you trailed after them on your horse. You followed a few clicks away to ensure they didn’t hear your horse.

Your anxiety spiked after day two of riding and no sign of Eadith. You laid on the forest floor, looking up at the stars twinkling above the tree tops. You had a rabbit roasting above the small fire you made. “No, please! Someone help!” A young girl shrieked. “Be quiet!” “Don’t harm her!”

You tossed water on the fire and pulled the cloak over your head. You travelled through the shadows following the sound of commotion until you came across a group of seven men standing over a group on their knees. They knelt in a line which led you to believe it was an execution.

What caught your attention was a familiar head of red hair. Eadith. She has two older youth and two young children by her side. You purposely stepped on a twig to cause alarm. You took a rock into your hand and tossed it at the back of the man’s head. He stumbled forward, holding his head in agony.

“Who goes there?” You kicked up leaves and made as much noise as possible, attempting to lure them into the woods. “Go check it out,” you heard a man tell a younger man. Two men approached and you gently took your daggers out of holster. You sliced one man’s throat, clapping a hand over his mouth so he couldn’t alert the others.

The other man tried to run away but you threw the dagger to sever his throat from the back. You retrieved your dagger as a man called the names of the men you had killed. You waited for the opportunity to attack when they had their backs turned. You rushed out of the woods and pierced the heart of the man closest to you.

“You know, from someone who loves to call me the trouble maker, you’re getting into a lot of trouble lately.” You teased. The remaining four men were surrounding you and you crouched down defensively gripping your daggers. “Y/N, thank god.” You heard Eadith say in relief. One man charged you with an axe, you dipped under his swing and stabbed him twice before pushing him to the ground.

Two of the men that were tied up were now free and attacked two men from behind, which left you with one. A young boy trembling like a leaf on a tree.

You used the blade to lift his chin up. “Who sent you?” You asked. “N-no one sent us. We’re- we’re bandits. We attack people in their sleep.” He stammers, tears swelling in his eyes. “Who’s we? Are they your family?” “No, I-I’m an orphan.” A taller man with blonde hair frees Eadith and the children.

“You are going to ditch these people. Go to the nearest church. They will take you in. You then go to a masonry and make a living for yourself. You do not steal from others. Is that understood?” You instruct. “Yes, miss. I swear.” “There is no swearing. It’s a promise. If I see you in the same manner, this blade will pierce your heart.”

You lifted the blade and placed the flat side over your shoulder. You nudge your head to the woods, signaling him to run. You watched him run to the line of trees and looked back to you before disappearing into the tree line. You felt a weight pressed to your chest and arms wrap around you.

“It’s so good to see you,” Eadith says, her voice shaking. “Are you hurt?” You asked, returning the hug. “Just a few scrapes. Nothing major.” “Good.” “How did you find me?” “Eardwulf. He’s been trying to find you and Aelfwynn. Who is that?” “That’s me,” the youngest girl chimes.

You looked at her a moment. “What business does he have with a child?” “He wishes to marry her,” Uhtred says. “I followed that bastard to these woods so if I heard you, he definitely did. We need to find higher ground and stage an ambush.” You explained.

“I like how she thinks,” Finan states. “Which direction did you come from?” Uhtred asks. “South,” “I saw an enclosed space down the way from the hill in the north. We should make our way over there.” He leads the way and you all follow him through the woods.

“Now wait a minute, she just saved our necks and we’re not going to tell her our names? Come on fellas, do better.” “I-I’m Osferth,” your ears perked at the sound of his soft voice. “I’m Finan. This is Sihtric and the one barking out orders is Uhtred.” Finan introduced.

“I don’t bark orders,” Uhtred calls from the front. “Yes he does,” Finan whispers to you, making you chuckle. “I’m Y/N, by the way.” “Y/N, that’s a pretty name,” Stiorra says. “Thank you,” “How do you know Eadith, Y/N?” Osferth asks. You thoroughly enjoyed how he said your name.

“We’re childhood friends.” “You mentioned being the trouble maker?” Finan asks. “That’s what she calls me. I have no idea where she got that from,” “Oh really?” She says, giving you a nudge. “Sihtric, Finan, Osferth,” Uhtred calls and they walked up to meet him.

“So give me the run down. Who’s married and who isn’t. Who do you have your eyes on?” You asked lowly. “Sihtric is married. Uhtred is.. complicated. Finan and Osferth are single. I’m beginning to enjoy Finan’s company.” She explains.

“He’s definitely your type. Witty and intelligent. Not bad on the eyes either,” you teased. “When I first saw Osferth, I thought of you.” “Really.. why?” “He’s adorable. He’s caring. He’s protective. He’s pretty.” “He is pretty.” You confirm.

**

You had been stirring in your sleep for a while so you decide to stay up and keep an eye on the camp. You heard a twig snap and your ears perked at the sharp sound. You stood from your spot by the fire and followed where the noise came from. The closer you became, the more you hear moans and cries.

You rounded a tree to see Osferth with his robe lifted up in the front and him stroking his cock. You tilted your head in amusement of the sight in front of you. He grew frustrated for lack of release and sighed. “Looks like you have a problem there,” you said, making him jump out of his skin.

“Oh God, f-forgive my sins, Lady Y/N.” He was quick to cover himself, his cheeks as red as tomatoes. “Come with me,” you offered your hand and he took it. “Eadith tells me you’re a monk-warrior?” “I am,” “To what extent does your monk title extend?” “I.. give prayer every day. Twice before battles.”

“Mm, does that mean you’re a virgin then?” “Uh, n-no, I’m not a virgin.” You stopped once you felt you were far enough away from camp. You notice a ledge with enough cover for you to have some privacy. “When was the last time you had sex?” “Two weeks ago, I believe.” “Sounds like you’re long overdo, don’t you think?”

“I..” a breath hitches in his throat when you fell down to his knees. “May I?” “Do you want me to take off my robe?” “It’s up to you,” he waits a moment before lifting his robe over his head, leaving him completely bare to you. “God, you’re bigger than I thought,”

“Is that a bad thing? I-I’m sorry I-“ “That is never a bad thing, Osferth. Consider it a blessing,” you say, pumping his cock in your hand. You spat on the palm of your hand before resuming. Precum leaked out of the angry tip and you smeered it down his shaft. He whimpered when you took him into your mouth, bobbing your head up and down, rubbing the tip of your tongue along his slit.

“G-god, that feels heavenly.” He chokes out. You flattened your tongue on the underside of his cock and his legs began to tremble. When you bobbed your head back up, you sucked harshly the tip. You alternated between kitten licking his tip and sucked at it. “Oh, f..fuck,” your wrist started to burn from pumping what couldn’t fit in your mouth.

He thrusts into your mouth with quick, shallow thrusts. His head thrown back in bliss when ropes of his cum painted the inside of your mouth. You pulled away from him with a satisfied sigh. “I- thank you.” You smiled at his awkwardness. “I want to do the same for you,” he steps closer to you.

“I have a better idea.. put your robe back on.” You took off your cloak and set it on the ground. You loosened your dress and when you looked back up, he had put on his robe and watched you intently for his next instruction. He’s the perfect little… pet that was speaking to your dominance harmoniously.

“You like following instructions, don’t you, Osferth?” “Yes, my lady.” You pressed a hand to his chest and looked up at him through your eyelashes. “Do you want to hump me?” “Yes, very badly, lady.” “‘Very badly’, huh? How badly?” “May I show you?” He takes your hand into his and waited for you to nod.

He brought your hand back to his cock that was already throbbing. “Please,” “You beg so nicely,” you take his chin into your hand and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. You led him to the ground where your cloak was and pushed him onto his back. “God, I must be dreaming. This can’t be happening to me.”

You chuckled and cupped his face to kiss him again, straddling his lap. You grind down on him through your dress and his mouth parted in bliss.

You bunched your dress at your waist the same time he lifted his robe. You sank down on him, your walls fluttering as they expand around him. “Fucking hell, you’re so thick.” You groaned softly, setting a steady pace when you bounced on his smooth cock.

He whimpered loudly and you pressed your index finger to his lips. “You have to be quiet or else they might catch us.” You hush. “I-I’m sorry. You just feel so good.” His hands rested on your hips as you grind down on him harder, chasing your own release. “Y/N,” you clenched at his soft, gravely voice.

“I-I’m close,” you felt his cock twitch inside of you and you pulled away to pump him until his cum bursts all over your hand. You rolled your hips against his pelvic bone until you reached your high with a soft moan. “So, what does this mean?” He asks as you slide off of his lap.

“What do you want it to mean?” You wiped the cum on your cloak. You brushed the dirt off of your dress as you stood from the ground. He doesn’t respond, instead he looks up at you with his puppy eyes. “Can we do this again?” He asks softly. “The way I see it. We can do this anytime either of us wanted until we go our separate ways.” You explain.

“However many times we want?” You hummed in response. “Can we.. do it now?” “We’ll have to think of an excuse if they wake up and can’t find us.” You joined him on the ground, smiling when pulled your waist closer and laid you on your back.

[captain039]

Wolf and the Rabbit

Logan Howlett x reader

Warnings: Age gap, Sex club AU, sexual, smut, BDSM, daddy dom/little girl, first times, pet names, dirty talk, very NSFW, swearing, plus size reader, reader has depression and anxiety and self esteem issues.

Your honour, I wanna take care of the elderly.

I mean I wanna fuck the elderly.

What are you doing here? You don’t even know really. Your friend had sent you a message with an attached link to this place and finally you thought fuck it time to get fucked, literally. You’re sick of waiting around for the perfect men and frankly the men in the world can fuck off. So here you are, staring at the extremely fancy club standing next to your best friend thinking your friendship truely has no boundaries and you’ve officially done everything together. You wear a black jumpsuit, sophisticated, with a lace trip over the neckline, a simple necklace chain and earrings and some low black heels, make up lightly done and hair neatly done. To anyone it looks like a normal club, a really fancy normal club one you definitely wouldn’t be able to afford if it weren’t for your best friend. You see different people, suits and ties, fancy dresses and jumpsuits all with that I have my shit together aura.

“Come on” you’re dragged from your thoughts heading to the upstairs hall that’s guarded. You show your invitations and you head up stairs and down the halls with doors on the walls. You head further down till you’re in a larger room with tables and chairs and another but smaller bar. There are people already there, sat at the tables with their fancy drinks as your friend guides you to sit down at your designated seat. The bar tender comes over to take your drink order before the small low stage lights up and a young man walks out in a tailor fit suit and red tie. He’s handsome, clean shaven his hair slicked back and clean and truely you wonder where men like him are in your city because frankly there were none.

“Welcome” he smiles, its dazzling like in a damn movie where the love interest flashes his well known smile with white teeth to make the women swoon. You think you’re swooning yourself, as he winks before clearing his throat and talking.

“We’re gathered here tonight to welcome some new members, go over some rules and regulations and what to expect here at Eden” he smirks. There’s a few soft cheers and claps through out the room.

“Firstly a thank you to our lovely owner Logan Howlett” The man grins and suddenly a spotlight shines on a man to the right table closest to the stage. Fucking hell your panties are soaked.

The man sitting there he’s refined, distinguished, the dominance radiates off him easily as does the money. His hair is spiked up a litter of grey and black, a neat salt and pepper beard and broad shoulders, Jesus his shoulders. The suit he wears highlights every muscle in his body and you wonder how a man his age has a body like that. He sits casually, like he owns the place, which apparently he does, leg propped up over the other a crystal class of whiskey and ice in his hand, god his hands, thick manly fingers and veins disappearing up his tailored suit. You’re brought back to the present with claps and soft cheers again and you clap also trying to focus on anything but him. His eyes dart over the crowd and land on you and you feel like your own spotlight just turned on as his eyes narrow on you as he takes a sip of his whiskey. It feels in slow motion watching his Adam’s Apple bob before the light leaves and he looks back to the front. The man on the stage claps and grins before continuing to speak. He goes over what this place is. Eden, an adult club for a specific type of people, ones who don’t want the stripper poles and quick fuck and men who don’t wear deodorant. The ones who want to bind their eyes and wrists and let go of the world just to fall into pleasure. Those who want to feel the hot and cold of the elements in such a manner, those who want to taste what is forbidden, those who want to dominate and be dominated. Those freaks. You are said freak, sitting there listening as he goes over rules and regulations, what programs there are what types of services there are. By the end of it you’re blushing and sipping your drink like you haven’t just heard a whole porno being read out in such a professional manner by golden boy on the stage. You’re a grown adult with a freaky, but still, these things make you blush. At the end the lights switch on and you’re engulfed in mood lighting and remembering that you are in fact alive and not on a dream.

“That was something” you say sipping your drink a little too quickly while your friend giggles and shakes her head.

“Shut up” you say to her playfully smiling to yourself. You’re approached by golden boy, he did say his name but you’ve forgotten it.

“Evening” he says with another dazzling grin and hands you both a flyer.

“Thank you” your friend and you say both at the same time. It’s a small welcome flyer with a QR code at the bottom of it. You get your phone out scan it and you’re at the website again signing in and led to the premium members page.

“Oh” you say seeing the programs and services, you’re quickly putting your phone away taking another large sip of your drink thinking you should order another one for liquid courage, though this one drink is upsetting your stomach and the last thing you need is to go to the toilet for such a thing.

“You good?” Your best friend asks softly and you nod letting out a small breath eyes moving back to the owner. He’s not there anymore and you frown suddenly looking around for him, you spot him with an older woman, she’s gorgeous in her red dress and curled blonde hair and red lipstick, someone he would definitely go for. Not that you know his type, just seemed more him. You glance to yourself for a moment internally groaning at the self doubt and self esteem reeling in your brain. You stand saying you’re going to the bathroom, head down and trying to avoid people. Avoiding people did not go according to plan as you run into a strong body.

“I’m so sorry!” You say rushed as strong hands grip your arms before you can topple over yourself. You take a small breath before looking to who it is and freeze. The owner, Logan Howlett. He looks at you with narrowed eyes before his gaze softens and he gives your elbows a small squeeze before letting you.

“You’re alright” he says voice so deep and gravely think you could get off on it if he just dirty talked to you.

“Apologies again- I wasn’t looking” you say embarrassed and he nods eyes flicking to the older woman he was talking too. Oh, other people, you damned fool.

“Sorry” you nod again before leaving giving the woman an apologetic smile before heading into the bathroom and cussing yourself a thousand times. You use the toilet before making sure you avoid people upon coming out and sitting back down at your table your friend no where to be seen before you spot her chatting. You relax once you see her and sip your drink before getting up, you need water or a coke. You order a water with ice thanking the bar tender before taking small sips and sighing softly at the coldness rushing through your body.

He’s not hearing a word this woman is saying. Her lustful eyes, her chest pushed out a little. Her perfume is too strong on his nose, too flowery and fruity for his taste. The little rabbit however, she smelt like warm vanilla with undertones amber and Jasmine, she’d been so warm and inviting in his hands he didn’t want to let go. She’s definitely new, he knows everyone at his club and she and her friend had never been here. He had glanced at them briefly as they walked in, his eyes stopping on the curves and black jumpsuit, the nervous way she sat down. The way her cheeks went bright red when his gaze met hers when Peter was introducing him. She had fidgeted like a rabbit under his gaze and his nick name was set, prey in front of a predator, Wolf and the Rabbit.

Next part ->

[myristicisms]

Hesitation still weighs heavy within his brow, despite being utterly exhausted, Zack hasn't felt nearly as awake as he did now for months and he attributes it to being suddenly snapped back into an old instinct, one that he thought had disappeared the moment he'd been separated from Cloud and yet there it was; The overwhelming urge to protect, to shield his friend from any and all pain he possibly could while taking every possible burden unto himself. It was ridiculous but it was familiar, grounding, even something of a glimpse of his former self before everything truly turned to hell and left the former SOLDIER as nothing more than a mercenary that refused to give his full name.

“ They do seem pretty painful, ” He remarks thoughtfully, “ but go ahead and lay it on me Spikes. ”

And Cloud does, despite claiming not to remember everything clearly, the blonde is remarkably detailed in his descriptions and something lighter finally manages to settle Zack's sorrows because he didn't even think Cloud was conscious enough to remember any of their escape. The raven haired man stays completely silent, occasionally humming in acknowledgement to show his attention was still on the story at hand before he damn near chokes on his own spit at the question.

“ This conversation is better suited for in person, Cloud. ” Because he can hear how badly the younger man was struggling and presumably it had everything to do with attempting to figure out what was going on, what happened between Nibelheim and now. “ Where do you live? Assuming you're near the bar, I should be able to make it to you within the hour. ”

Who was he kidding? Zack would be there in record time no matter how far away Cloud might have been simply because everything within his body demanded he hurry and do his job that he'd given himself for nine months straight; Protect and soothe, no questions asked. The only difference now is that he'd have to share their story, even if it was something Zack desperately wanted to put behind him. Even still though, despite following his instinct there was no stopping the creeping paranoia and terrified anxiety that lingered within the back of his head, the what-if that he might not have the answers to all of Cloud's questions and fear of just causing unnecessary pain to the blonde.

“ We'll get this sorted out just... I'll answer any questions you have once we're face to face, I really think it'd be better since there's some things you need to see in order to believe them and I really don't need you to think I'm insane. ” Like when he inevitably has to explain why he'd disappeared when Cloud needed him still or how he'd likely have to show off the battle scars as proof of his shoot out with ShinRa. ( Who knew being a veteran would suck this hard... )

@defiant-ex-soldiers || Cloud Strife wrote;;

“ You're joking. ”

Turquoise eyes gleam curiously, confusion flickering within a typically calm expression. The same smile had been offered hundreds - thousands of times before, part of Zack's charm he'd guess, or it would be in better circumstances. As it stood, standing in a bar that he's pretty sure he helped name while staring at a few somewhat familiar backs of heads wasn't the former SOLDIER's ideal way to kill time, but if it meant getting well needed socializing in then he'd simply have to swallow the bitter taste within his mouth and cope.

It was much better than focusing on the judgemental gaze he'd received from passers-by anyways, not like Zack could blame them given his eyes were a damn giveaway of prior affiliations; Death on papers be damned he was still technically a work horse for Shinra at some point in his life and the company didn't exactly show much love for any of the residents within the slums. War hero or not, former first or not, the raven haired man understood far too well the apprehension that was thrown towards him, it was the whispers he wished he could ignore.

How he wished he could simply rip the mako that danced within his blood out, cleanse his body of the enhancements and perhaps then some; Unfortunately it was an ichor that forever lurked within his body, going into overdrive and effectively leaving Zack all the more vulnerable to hushed insults, not like they weren't deserved; The worst though was when his ears would occasionally pick up familiar voices, ones he'd yearned to hear once more but never quite being able to find the ones who they belonged to and tonight just had to be one of those nights.

Fighting the urge to whip his face around to where he'd guess the voice came from was always the hardest part, even if it sounded more biting than the one his mind usually conjured up, and much the same as always, Zack lost that fight quickly. Impulses were one hell of a fight for a man that rarely ever bothered to control them, if he'd learned anything it was to simply give up trying to look less insane around others, not like anyone would notice the frantic way his gaze flickered anyways.

“ Holy shit... ” A whisper, body tensing at familiar tufts of blondes and yet he can't help but feel out of place, those blues weren't familiar at all to him, not in the way Zack had hoped anyways, the glare he felt lingering upon his features made him wish so desperately that he didn't keep his hair slicked back, wished he could hide behind the long raven lock that covered just a sliver of his features. Normally he'd be elated, to finally see a familiar face, or at least one of the faces he's been hoping to see anyways.

Now all he feels is dread. He knows the words are spoken towards him, why else would the blonde be looking in his direction, though now he wonders if Cloud even recognized him, remembered him at all. Is he angry that Zack had disappeared after his battle with the platoon? Or maybe he has no clue who Zack is and he's just as apprehensive towards SOLDIERs as the rest of the folks within the bar. So many thoughts run through his mind and that damned lack of impulse control gets the better of him again, forces his legs to walk towards the shorter man and force an easy going smile upon his face.

“ Usually that comes after I say something stupid, ” His throat feels dry, trying to force words out; Wants to test the waters and see if perhaps his assumption was wrong and maybe Cloud was just shocked he'd be there too, but he can't bring himself to get that confirmation, knows the idea that he'd been forgotten despite doing his damned best to take care of the blonde on their run from Shinra would rip whatever was left of his pride from him and that wasn't something Zack wanted to risk. “ You were staring pretty hard - I think - can I help you with anything? ”