#Fearful Mind; Younger Verse
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pcrplevenom · 1 year ago
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“  who  did  this  to  you  ?  ”  - throws for the babie versions of her and clive uwu
send  “  who  did  this  to  you  ?  ”  for  the  sender  to  find  the  receiver  injured  and  demand  to  know  who  did  it.
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She tried to remember, moving some hair away from her face. Luckily it was much shorter now, not so much in the front. Soldan was quiet, before speaking up. "Blonde hair and seems...really mean. That's all I know for now, I'm sorry."
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pcrplevenom · 1 year ago
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Moving some hair off the side of her face, the light gray eyes-still lacking in color, not fully violet as of yet still carried a reptilian look. Torgal was her only friend, and she was less scared when not alone for long durations. "Torgal!" Soldan piped up, gently petting behind and ear. "I missed you sso much!"
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A small collection of barks could be heard as the canine ran around, his little body weaving easily through peoples legs while he searched. His tail wagging quickly behind him once he had found who he had been looking for. A excited yip leaving him as he ran over to Soldan, pawwing at her legs.
// @pcrplevenom
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petertingle-yipyip · 1 month ago
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GUILTY AS SIN - KAZ BREKKER
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//don’t ask me what this is dawg, i thought of it forever ago and wrote it half asleep and threw on an ending. leave me alone//
Pairing: Kaz x Crow!Reader
Word Count: 2,119
Summary: The little Songbird. A silly nickname for the Crow that likes to sing at the Club. When debuting a very personal, very specific song, the muse of that song - who isn’t supposed to know - is intrigued by the performance.
You were seated at the piano bench with Wylan while Jesper was bleeding fabric of color on the floor. You tapped your pencil against the notepad in your lap while Wylan played the same chords on the piano.
“I can’t get this chorus!” You groaned.
“What’s this song about? That Merchant’s son?” Jesper asked idly and you had to resist throwing your pencil at him.
“No, she’s writing about Kaz.” Wylan answered.
You whacked his arm with the notepad and he laughed.
“Just play the notes again.” You grumbled.
He was right, of course. Everyone knew of your crush on Kaz. It had started when you were younger and you figured you’d grow out of it. His cruelty seemed to guarantee it, yet he was kind enough to you. He was a very confusing man, especially as he grew into the feared Barrel Boss.
But still, your heart yearned and who were you to deny it?
You let your crush exist, burning under your skin when he was around. When you met his eyes in the crowded Club, your pulse jumped. When you two were partnered for a job, your nerves were electrified. When he spoke to you, you melted. Oh Saints, were you in deep.
Wylan, with a grin still plastered on his face, began the notes. You hummed along, finding the general flow of syllables.
“What if he’s written mine on my upper thigh, only in my mind?” Your voice drifted with the music and Wylan nodded along.
“One slip and falling back into the hedge maze. Oh, what a way to die.” Jesper added from the floor.
“I keep recalling things we never did.”
“Messy top lip kiss.” Jesper teased. He was lucky your legs weren’t long enough to kick him past Wylan.
“How I long for our trysts.” Wylan continued and you pinched him, making him yelp.
“Without ever touching his skin, how can I be guilty as sin?” You finished then squealed in delight. “I like that!”
“You should be more honest though.” Jesper said, standing and leaning on the piano. Your brows furrowed and he grinned.
You suddenly regretted his input.
“You should say something about wanting to bed him.” He laughed and you stood calmly. Wylan leaned out of the way and let you fully whack Jesper on the arm.
The boys laughed and you shook your head with a smile as you jotted down the lyrics you all came up with. You worked through the next verse with them and started a bridge. You adjusted a few lines in the chorus when it rolled around a second time, then found your favorite line.
I choose you and me, religiously.
You has chosen to be at Kaz’s side every time, without fail. You wondered if he noticed, then doubted he paid that much attention.
Later that week, there were no upcoming jobs to prepare for. There was no fight to ready yourself for. There was hardly any opposition since Pekka Rollins disappeared. So you found yourself, and friends, falling into your usual downtime routines.
Nina and Matthias playfully argued about something trivial. Wylan and Jesper made nonsense bets with each other, occasionally roping in Nina and Matthias, that usually ended with owing the other a drink or some treat. Kaz was nowhere to be seen, which wasn’t entirely unusual.
And you took to the stage.
Wylan had done several copies of the music for the few members of the band you recruited. While they played, you sang and lightly danced. You captivated the crowd, watching the women giggle and exchange glances at your lyrics. It seemed like they all had their own versions of that special type of crush.
The lyric change for the second chorus came up and you watched Jesper’s reaction specifically.
“My bedsheets are ablaze. I’ve screamed his name. Building up like waves, crashing over my grave.”
Jesper nearly spit out his drink and you grinned.
The grin quickly fell away and your body went ice cold when you noticed who had slid into the booth with your friends.
Kaz Brekker.
“I choose you and me, religiously.”
You finished your song and curtised to your applauding crowd. You smiled kindly before you hopped off the stage. Jesper was whistling loudly and waving
you over but you shook your head. You hid behind your hand to make your way through the dense crowd, making yourself scarce for the rest of the night.
Finally, though unsure how, you made it back to your room. The laces of your bodice had felt suffocating tight all night after seeing Kaz so as soon as your door shut, you pulled at the ends and took a deep breath.
You had sang in front of Kaz before. He said you had talent the first time he heard, and he was the one who offered you the stage whenever you wanted it. But singing that song in front him felt like you were holding a large sign that said “IM IN LOVE WITH YOU” with a bright red arrow pointing to yourself.
What else was he to think?
I dream of cracking locks = Kaz.
Without ever touching his skin = Kaz.
Every single lyric felt like an allusion to Kaz and you felt
stupider than ever.
You changed into something to sleep in and had just gotten the flush to leave your skin when a quick knock sounded at your door. You groaned quietly and flopped back onto your bed when you called for them to enter. You folded your arms under your head and stared at the ceiling as they came in. The door shut gently behind them, then a few seconds later, the bed dipped with their weight as they sat near your feet.
“If you’ve come to gloat about your lyric suggestion, I’m going to shove you off with my foot.” You warned, assuming it was Jesper.
You were wrong.
“Is that how you welcome all your guests?” He asked and you bolted upright.
You nearly collided with him but he seemed unfazed.
“I was expecting Jesper.” You admitted.
“He was very excited about your lyrics.” He nodded. “You gave him quite the ego boost.”
You groaned and fell back against your mattress again.
“Why are you here?” You asked the ceiling.
“Your song…”
“My song.” You sighed, closing your eyes in embarrassment and to brace yourself for his berating. “It wasn’t something you were meant to hear.”
“I assumed as much when you practically ran from the Club stage.” He agreed, tapping his cane rhythmically against the floor.
“Yes, well, I don’t exactly enjoy being mortified.”
“Though I’m not sure why you ran from me.”
Did he really not put it together?
You sat up on your elbows and gave him a dumbfounded expression. You doubted Kaz Brekker couldn’t figure out the truth behind your song, so you decided you’d play dumb too. The Saints themselves wouldn’t be able
to get you to outright admit to that song being very much so about Kaz, so there’s no way he would get it out of you easily.
“That song was very vulnerable.” You carefully admitted, watching for a reaction but getting nothing. “You weren’t supposed to know.”
“Seemed like you wanted someone to know.”
“Not specifically.” You mumbled. “I blame Jesper and Wylan. They helped me write it and then convinced me to sing it…”
He nodded slightly and you let out a sigh. You pushed yourself to sit up and crossed your legs in front of you. Kaz shifted slightly and intently looked at your expression. You had both lips between your teeth with your brows raised, waiting for him to say something.
“Did you like the song, at least?” You finally asked.
The corner of his mouth lifted into a small smile. “I’ve never heard anything like it.”
You refrained from swatting him with your pillow. Instead, you huffed and rolled your eyes.
“You do realize that could be both insult and compliment, right?”
That half smile grew a little wider and that time, you did hit him with the pillow.
“Jackass.” You laughed and tucked your pillow into your lap.
“Tell me.” He said. “You said ‘there’s no such thing as bad thoughts.’ Did you write that line?”
You nodded. “My sister told me that when we were little, before she was recruited for the Second Army… I was struggling with my first crush and she said that it was okay to think things about people. It mainly mattered what I did with those thoughts.”
“And who do you have thoughts about now?” He asked, his voice barely a whisper.
You pursed your lips and looked down at your scrunched pillow in your lap. It was the perfect opportunity to tell him, you recognized that, but that would mean telling him. The weight of the secret coming off your shoulders was tempting, but the fear of losing your current relationship gripped your heart tightly.
You two didn’t have the same closeness as you did with Wylan or Jesper. You could tell those two anything. Often times you did. But you and Kaz had an unspoken understanding to watch the other’s back. You never feared walking the Barrel or pissing someone off - unusually unintentionally - because you knew Kaz was there for you. In turn, Kaz knew he could depend on you for your part of the job or just your support for his death defying plans.
You were the first to agree to the Ice Court and you two had been an unexpectedly natural pair ever since.
“A man that I'll never quite get over, I fear.” You answered vaguely. “But I doubt I’ll ever truly have.”
“Then he’s a fool.” He said honestly, but the look on his face told you he hadn’t meant to say it.
“No.” You smiled softly. “It’s just… different. He’s different and complicated. I’d choose him and I if I had the chance.”
You were ignoring the fact that you did, in fact, have the chance.
“Complicated…” Kaz repeated.
“Among other things. But that’s one of the things about him.” You looked at your hands rather than him. “He’s clever and caring, but in a ‘I’d rather yell at you for being reckless than tell you I care about your life’ kind of way. And he does these subtle things to show he pays attention and he listens, but if you ever bring it up to him, he’ll deny it. He’s tough to get through to, but if you mean something to him, Saints, he’d burn Ketterdam to the ground to protect you.”
“And you feel guilty having these feelings for him?”
You looked up at him. “Not exactly… It’s more about whether or not I should feel guilty for thinking of him like that.”
“Because you think it's unrequited?”
“I’m almost sure it is. I’ve never seen him have feelings for anyone, except one woman, and it’s not the same with me.” You shook your head sadly.
“Y/N.” He hesitated.
Your brows furrowed. You’d never seen Kaz hesitate.
“You alright, Kaz?” You reached a hand for his arm, a gesture you did with the rest of the Crows without hesitation, then thought the better of it. “What’s wrong?”
“You’re wrong.” He answered carefully.
That answer cleared up nothing.
“About why he treats you differently.” He continued while staring at his hands and you listened quietly, trying to figure out what on earth the man was talking about. “It’s not because he doesn’t care. It’s because he cares about you and that frightens him. Last time he cared about someone, he still lost her. He doesn’t want the same to happen with you.”
“What are you…” You trailed off. Then it hit you. “Oh.”
His hand landed on your leg.
“How did you know?” You asked, not knowing if you should be excited or embarrassed.
Probably both. Both felt right.
“You weren’t exactly subtle.” He joked and you picked up the pillow to whack him again. “And Jesper told me.”
“Saints, that man can run his mouth.” You complained. “I’m going to stop telling him things.”
“Am I bad? Or mad? Or wise?” Kaz repeated your lyrics to you. “To have these feelings about you? To have these thoughts about you?”
“Someone told me there’s no such thing as bad thoughts.” You smiled slightly at him.
It’d be a trial to date Kaz. You always figured it would be, considering his temper and violent tendencies and touch aversion. But the look in his eyes, open and pleading, had you immediately choosing to try.
I choose you and me, religiously. 
Your smile grew a little wider when you felt his finger moving against your leg. 
M-I-N-E
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imaginespazzi · 5 months ago
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On The Road To Eternity
Three times Paige and Azzi fall asleep together and the one time they stay awake
(In which a kind writer gives y'all the last dose of real fluff before committing to angst for the next few months)
Pairing: Paige Bueckers X Azzi Fudd
Themes: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort
Words: 4.0K
TW: Light swearing, alcohol, Azzi's ACL injury
A/N: Hello my lovelies! So I know you're all waiting for something else and I promise I am working on it too! But I had a couple of requests I wanted to get through first and the easiest thing as always, was to combine some of them into one fic. So for anons who wanted the plane convo, injury-related comfort and more Miles and Sienna content, this is for you! This is set in Eternity-verse but you obviously don't have to read either of those to understand this. The editing in this might actually be non-existent but I hope y'all forgive me anyways. As always, let me know what you liked, what you disliked and what you'd like to see in the future. Enjoy the fluff lovelies, we're in for a bumpy ride next time <3
the playful conversation starts, counter all your quick remarks
Paige’s mouth is running dry. She’s been babbling on and on for almost two hours and the girl next to her has barely spoken two sentences. In Paige’s defense, she’s not really fully in control of her word vomit right now. Her brain is currently in the grasp of her nervous anxiety and the fear that if she lets silence linger between them, the brunette next to her would realize too quickly that maybe Paige’s brilliant idea to switch their seats so they could be next to each other, wasn’t such a brilliant idea after all. 
This feeling is foreign to Paige. She’s always been the epitome of confidence, always so sure of herself, always convinced that the person in front of her must want to be her friend. But something about Azzi Fudd is different. It’s not like Azzi’s been cold or anything, but she seems immune to Paige’s charm, eyes always a little weary of what ridiculousness Paige is going to get herself into next. But really, Paige thinks, it’s Azzi’s fault that the blonde had been up to one too many shenanigans during USA Basketball. Because if every time Paige pulls off a trick, Azzi’s going to smile like that, like Paige is the funniest human being in the world, then she’s going to do it over and over again. 
“You um-,” Paige looks down, fiddling with her thumbs, “you can tell me to shut up you know. I get a little too excited about basketball sometimes.”
“I think you get a little too excited about most things,” Azzi says and when Paige looks up at her, there’s a teasing grin playing on the younger girl's lips. 
“Life’s too short to not be excited about things,” Paige says solemnly. 
Azzi raises an eyebrow, “what book did you steal that from- actually never mind, I doubt you read.”
“Hey, I do read!” Paige shrieks in mock offence and Azzi bursts out laughing. And Paige barely knows this girl, doesn’t even know her middle name yet, but she thinks that Azzi’s laughter, like wind chimes ringing through the mountains, might be her favourite sound in the whole wide world. 
It takes Azzi a second to compose herself, before she looks at Paige with earnest eyes, “I like listening to you talk.”
“Be careful Fudd. I might never shut up,” Paige smirks cockily but inside, her chest feels a like it’s bursting at the compliment. Five simple words and it feels a little bit like all of Paige’s insecurities are being soothed over, a sense of calm washing all over her. She doesn’t understand the butterflies in her stomach and she definitely doesn’t understand the fluttering in her chest but she knows that she likes this feeling, knows that she likes Azzi. 
“You say that but you’ve already gone quiet on me Bueckers,” Azzi cocks her head, “whatcha thinking?”
“I’m thinking we’re gonna be great friends.”
“You think so? I'm a little picky about my friendships.”
“I know so. I'm gonna be the best friend you've ever had," Paige vows.
And when Azzi smiles, it’s not a smile that Paige has seen in the last week. It’s one that’s entirely different, one filled with something both of them are too young to understand and it’ll take years before either of them realize that it’s Azzi’s Paige smile. It'll take years before they realize Paige has her own matching Azzi smile.
This time as Paige starts up a conversation again, Azzi has more input. Time seems to stop and speed up all at the same time as the two girls cover every topic imaginable, occasionally getting annoyed shushing looks from other passengers when they giggle a little too loudly. All that does is make them share conspiratorial smiles and laugh just a little bit harder. It’s almost three-quarters of the way into the flight when their voices start getting scratchy, sleep inching its way onto their features as they slowly fall into silence. 
Paige will never admit this but she’s a little scared of the quiet. Well, actually, she’s scared of being alone, and the quiet feels a lot like solitude. Her whole life she’s tried her best to keep herself surrounded by chaos, by noise, filling up the space with her own voice if nobody else wanted to talk. And if there was nothing, at least there was the sound of a basketball being dribbled on the hardwood floor. The whole plane is asleep and all she can focus on is Azzi’s soft breathing next to her as the brunette falls deeper and deeper into her dreams. And for the first time in her life, Paige doesn’t mind the quiet. 
***
Azzi stirs awake to the cabin crew announcing they’re only a couple of minutes away from landing. She cricks her neck, feeling a heaviness on her right and when she turns to look, there’s Paige Bueckers. Blonde hair sprawled all over Azzi's arm as the point guard uses Azzi’s shoulder as her own personal pillow. Her eyes are shut tight, mouth a little ajar with drool pooling at the corner of her lips. Azzi blinks down at her, unsure why her heartbeat is erratic, unsure why she thinks Paige might be the most beautiful creature she’s ever seen. 
Azzi wills herself to stay deathly still, convincing herself that it’s because she doesn’t want to wake Paige up. After all, they’d had a long week and the point guard deserved a break after having done everything in her power to make sure the team won gold. But really, the truth is Azzi doesn’t want Paige to wake up because then Paige will move away and Azzi’s beginning to realize she quite likes having Paige asleep on her, she's beginning to realize, that maybe she just likes having Paige with her.
2. the lingering question kept me up, 2 am who do you love 
“And then Coach made me run laps for an hour. AN HOUR,” Paige says animatedly, placing her phone on her pillow, as she flips herself to lie on her stomach, “and now I’m sore everywhere.”
“Aww you poor baby,” her best friend’s voice mocks through the facetime call that’s been running since midnight, “maybe next time you should just try and practice well.”
“Who’s side are you even on?” Paige guffaws. 
Azzi laughs, her head leaning back against the headboard as she gets comfortable, “his duh. After all, he could be my future coach. Gotta stay on his good side.”
“What do you mean could?” Paige narrows her eyes, “he will be your coach.”
“I dunno dude. The way you’ve been complaining about practice since you got there, I don’t know if I wanna be a part of that.”
“Don’t think you can handle it?” Paige smirks, knowing exactly what buttons to push as she watches Azzi’s calm expression turn to one of fierce competition. 
“I would kick your butt at practice,” Azzi says determinedly and Paige’s smirk widens. 
“Well you should commit to UConn and find out.”
“May I w-” Azzi stops, groaning as she realises what Paige is doing. 
“Go ahead and finish that sentence for me.”
“Fuck off,” Azzi whines, grabbing a pillow to bury her head into and it’s ridiculous the way Paige is so endeared by it. But then again, she’s endeared by most things Azzi. 
“I didn’t do anything,” Paige sing-songs, “that was all you bro.”
“You tricked me.”
“I did no such thing. I am a woman of God. I would never.”
“Don’t bring God into your deception Paige,” Azzi chastises as they both delve into laughter. That’s their friendship in a nutshell. Conversations well past midnight, filled with bickering and giggling. And the truth is, that all throughout the day, as she goes through the motions of UConn life, this is what Paige looks forward to. Coming back to her dorm, falling into bed, picking up the phone and finding Azzi on the other side. And even if doesn’t do nearly enough to soothe the ache of how much she craves Azzi’s physical presence, at least for a while she can close her eyes and pretend, just by the sound of her best friend’s voice, that she’s here with her. 
“You’d fit in really well Az,” Paige says after a moment, chewing at her lip, “I know your game better than anyone and I know you’d thrive here.”
Azzi sighs, “I don’t feel like doing this tonight Paige.”
They’re balancing on a thin rope when it comes to Azzi’s commitment. As the deadline approaches, the younger girl, also known as the most indecisive person Paige knows, has gotten more and more tense with every day. What had started as Azzi rolling her eyes whenever Paige pushed a little too hard, had begun to delve into Azzi shutting down the moment Paige brought the topic up. 
“I just think-”
“Stop thinking,” Azzi bites out harshly before she lets out a deep breath, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say it like that I just- I need everyone to stop talking to me about it.”
“We’re just tryna help,” Paige says slowly, lying on her elbows as she props her phone up against her side table. 
“I know. I know. But I just need y’all to trust that I know what’s best for me.”
I’m what’s best for you, Paige thinks but she can’t say that out loud, not when it’s veering just a little too close to the biggest reason why Paige wants Azzi at UConn, one that has absolutely nothing to do with basketball, one that has everything do with that scary fucking l-word Paige isn’t sure she’ll ever be ready to confront. 
Instead she gives her best friend a soothing nod, “you know I trust your judgement.”
“You should,” Azzi smiles and Paige feels warm all over, “it’s definitely better than yours.”
Paige rolls her eyes, “you say the sweetest things to me Azzi Fudd.”
“I try,” Azzi whispers before a loud yawn escapes her, as she rolls over to lie on her side.
“You abouta fall asleep on me bro?” Paige raises an eyebrow. 
“Of,” another yawn, “course not.”
Paige shakes her head, mentally counting down in her head as she watches Azzi’s eyes start to blink. For her part, the younger girl tries to keep talking, mumbling something about some tv show she’d watched that day. Paige barely registers any of it, too busy admiring how pretty Azzi looks in the dim glow of her night light. She can feel her own body starting to drift away as well, giving into what’s basically become routine. And maybe their phones only have enough charge for them to get a small glimpse of each other stirring awake before the call unceremoniously. But it’s enough. For now, even if it’s just through a screen, falling asleep to the sound of each other breathing, and waking up to those precious few seconds of each other being the first thing they see in the morning, is enough. 
3. now i’m pacing back and forth, wishing you were at my door
The music roars around her as Paige lets herself be immersed by the dancing crowd. It’s a Thursday night, but after a decisive win over Maryland by the women’s team, all of Storrs is partying like it’s already the weekend. While the bar was always an option, the team had decided to throw an impromptu party in one of the apartments instead and word seemed to have spread a little too quickly throughout campus. 
Paige is distracted as she dances with KK and Aubrey, eyes constantly drifting to the door in anticipation of her girlfriend. Azzi had reassured she’d show up after the Fudds, who were helping Azzi decorate for Christmas, left but the clock is ticking closer and closer to midnight and there’s still no sign of the brunette anywhere. 
“Has Azzi texted any of y’all?’ Paige tries to yell over the music, after checking her own phone and finding nothing. Both KK and Aubrey shake their heads and Paige sighs, concern flooding into her brain. Out of the corner of her eye she notices Caroline beelining for the door and call it instinct, but Paige immediately knows it has something to do with Azzi. 
“I’ll be right back okay,” she says to her other teammates, before following the Massachusetts native.
She’s not sure how Caroline did it so easily, but it takes Paige far longer than it should to get through the crowd and out the door.Azzi’s apartment is eerily quiet by the time Paige reaches it. The newly setup Christmas lights around the living room have been turned off and even the fairy lights on the Christmas tree are set to a dim setting. For a second, Paige wonders if maybe Azzi isn’t even in here and then she hears it, a heartbreakingly familiar sob. As she walks towards Azzi’s door, Paige feels her own heart start to crack. 
When the injury had happened in practice, there were two people who had immediately known what it was. The person it happened to and her person who’d just been through it. Azzi had taken it shockingly well from the moment it happened til the doctor had confirmed what they’d all known, but still hoped to be wrong about. A steely determined look had covered her face, as instead of mourning another setback, she’d thrown herself into planning out her recovery. But Paige had always been able to see through Azzi’s façade and she’d known it was only a matter of time before the inevitable crash. 
Paige stops outside the door, unsure if she should go in as she listens to the sound of Azzi’s tears and Caroline’s soothing “it’s gonna be okay.”
“It’s not,” Azzi breathes out between sobs and it feels like a shard of glass is being used to puncture Paige's soul, “I can’t do this again Carol. It’s too much. I can’t keep doing this again and again. Why does this keep happening to me?”
“I know,” Caroline whispers, sounding as helplessly defeated as Paige feels, “I’m so sorry Azzi.”
“No, I'm sorry. Fuck Carol, you should be down at the party-”
“I should be here with you because you need me,” Caroline hesitates, “but I also don’t think it’s me you need.”
“Don’t,” Azzi’s voice is firmer now and Paige can picture her wiping her tears as she gives Caroline that patented don’t push me look. 
“Azzi-”
“Did you see how happy she looked after the game? I can’t ruin that for her. She was so good tonight and I’m so proud of her and I can’t- I won’t ruin that for her. She’s been through so much this year and she deserves to celebrate without- without me there ruining her moment.”
You stupid silly girl with your heart of gold, Paige thinks, shaking her head as she throws the door open. 
“Oh thank god,” Caroline mutters under her breath, moving a little so that Paige can see all of Azzi’s, sitting rigidly on her bed with her legs hanging off one side. Tear tracks stream down the younger girl’s face, her hands fisted in her laps as she stares at Paige with watery eyes. She’s still dressed in her tracksuit from the game, the sticker Paige had placed over her heart, still exactly where she’d put it. An air of fragility clings to Azzi’s frame and Paige wants to bubble wrap her girlfriend and hide her away from this cruel world that seems to test their strength at every step of the way. 
“For someone so smart Azzi Fudd, you say the dumbest shit sometimes,” Paige whispers, crouching down in front of the brunette, and uncurling her fists so she can hold her hands, “you think I can celebrate without you?”
“I didn’t wanna be a buzzkill,” Azzi mumbles, eyes looking anywhere but at Paige, “I don’t wanna be a burden.”
“Baby,” Paige breathes out, bringing Azzi’s knuckles to her lips, “was I a burden to you last year?”
That gets Azzi to look at her, as a fierceful protectiveness clouds the other girl’s eyes, “of course not P. You could never be a burden.”
“Then how the fuck, did you ever think Azzi, that you could be a burden to me?”
Azzi’s bottom lip trembles, a fresh set of tears threatening to fall from her eyes. And then she’s falling off the bed, straight into Paige’s arms, hands tightening around the older girl’s neck as she buries her face in her chest. 
“I’ve got you baby,” Paige whispers into her hair, her own eyes stinging as she runs her hands up and down the shaking brunette’s back, “I’m right here. I’ll always be right here.”
She doesn’t know how long she sits on the floor, tank top a little soaked from all of Azzi’s tears but she doesn’t move until Azzi stills herself in her arms, having basically cried herself to sleep. Paige gets up slowly, trying her best not to wake up the girl in her arms, as she somehow manages to manoeuvre both of them onto the bed. Azzi lets out a quiet whimper, snuggling further into Paige’s side. 
Staring down at the vulnerable girl in front of her, Paige finally lets her own tears fall, biting her lip and almost drawing blood, to keep herself from making a sound. A lot of things had gone wrong in the last year but it was all supposed to have been worth it this year when they’d finally get to live out the dream they’d been dreaming since they’d first met, the dream to play together. And now that's gone, for now at least. But as Azzi subconsciously runs a hand down Paige’s arm, her sixth sense alerts even in sleep that her girlfriend needs comfort, Paige thinks, at least they have each other. Because as she lies down next to Azzi, pulling her girlfriend closer to her chest, she knows she’s never letting go. 
4. this was the very first page, not where the storyline ends
Paige swears she’s only closed her eyes for 10 seconds when the baby monitor goes off again. Loud screaming fills the entirety of the master bedroom, as she groans into her pillow. For the most part, her twins are angels on earth. Except when the clock passes 3 a.m and they seem to get possessed by demons that make them scream bloody murder until one of their moms picks them up. 
“Azzi,” she whines into her pillow, reaching over to lightly smack her wife’s arm, “your children are awake.”
She doesn’t need to see the younger woman’s face to know that even with sleep in every corner of her eye, Azzi is currently shooting Paige the most exasperated glare possible. 
“Suddenly they’re my kids? Gosh Paige I wish you’d told me that before I put your name on the fucking birth certificate,” Azzi quips as she rolls out of bed and Paige immediately missed the warmth next to her, “if you’re not up in five minutes to help me with this, I swear to god I will divorce your ass.”
“How are you awake enough to threaten me like that right now?” Paige mumbles, sighing to herself as she separates from her beloved bed. The tiredness hits her the moment she stands up and she almost keels over, until a strong arm wraps around her waist. And despite the ridiculous time, despite the noise that is still echoing throughout their room, despite the fact that she can barely see her in this darkness, as soon as Paige can feel Azzi’s skin underneath her fingertip, she can’t help but press her lips against her wife’s. Paige almost, almost loses herself in the kiss until there's a shriek, too loud to ignore. 
“What if we didn’t put a baby monitor in their room anymore,” she mutters against Azzi’s lips, eliciting a small laugh from her wife as she entwines their hands together, practically dragging Paige from the master bedroom into the twin’s shared nursery.
Miles and Sienna are both standing in their cots, facing each other and screaming their heads off as if they’re in some sort of who can ruin our moms night better competition and if Paige wasn’t one of the moms in question, she’d probably find the scenario a tad bit more amusing. Shaking her head, she walks towards Miles as Azzi goes towards Sienna and it’s a little bit ridiculous how quickly the cries begin to subside. She’d never admit it but secretly Paige loves how quickly the twins calm down as soon as they see their mothers, even if it is after yelling at an ungodly hour in the morning. They’re too young to be able to say the words, and so Paige is pretty sure this is their way of making sure Mommy and Mama know how much Miles and Sienna love them. 
“Hey buddy,” Paige coos as she picks Miles up, his tearful face breaking out into a magnificent grin, “didn’t feel like letting us sleep again huh kid?”
Miles doesn’t say anything, just smiles as he makes grabby hands for Paige’s face. She’s learned it’s one of his favourite things to do with her or Azzi, reach for them and use his tiny fingers to caress their faces. It’s like he’s memorising how they feel and Paige can’t help but lean into his touch. Behind her she can hear Sienna giggling and when she turns around, she’s not surprised to find Azzi pressing kisses all over their daughter’s face. And she doesn’t think she’ll ever get tired of seeing this vision, the love of her life interacting with their kids. 
“Muh,” Miles manages to spit out the minute he spots Azzi, jostling in Paige’s arms, clearly eager to get to his other mother. The sound gets Sienna’s attention and her face widens as she spots Paige. Laughing, Paige and Azzi share a secret smile as they swap children. Miles immediately buries his face into his favourite spot in the crease between Azzi’s neck and shoulder and Sienna’s immediately enamoured with Paige’s blond hair, chubby finger combing through it as she looks at her mother in awe. 
“You’re wide awake aren’t you Si-Si,” Paige whispers, laughing when Sienna nods. She walks them over to the couch, Azzi and Miles following behind. As soon as both Paige and Azzi are seated, Miles and Sienna are reaching for each other, babbling silly nonsense and giggling. Paige doesn’t know a lot about babies but she’s pretty certain her twins have their own secret language they speak to each other in. 
Their family of four settles into the couch, that’s bound to be dented soon by the constant weight of all four of them on it every night. It’s unlikely any of them will return to their own beds, unlikely Paige and Azzi will even get any more sleep tonight. Over the top of the twins' head, Paige eyes meet Azzi’s. They’re droopy with sleep, but crinkled from the way she’s smiling and Paige is still as much in love with them now, as she was an eternity ago. 
“I love you,” she whispers, just because she can. 
Azzi’s smile widens, one hand navigating through their children between them to hold Paige’s, “I love you more.”
“I love you the most,” Paige counters and Azzi shakes her head as she squeezes Paige’s hand. 
It’s a silly little thing but they wouldn’t be Paige and Azzi if they didn’t bicker over it just a little bit. Because at the end of the day they both know, there's no one they’d rather fall asleep with, no one they'd rather stay awake with, no one they’d rather be on this journey of life with, other than each other. 
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just-jordie-things · 1 year ago
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[part sixteen] to build a home - gojo satoru
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word count: 8.8k warnings: !!manga spoilers!! swearing, jjk-verse style fighting series summary: when (y/n) (y/l/n) catches wind that the notorious sorcerer killer, toji fushiguro, has children, she makes it her personal mission to find them. the catch being she couldn't tell a soul about them- the risk of the zen'in clan learning about them was too great. keeping the secret isn't the hard part, it's lying to her friends, shoko ieiri, geto suguru, and of course gojo satoru, that she struggles with. especially when satoru has suddenly become so keen on keeping an eye on her lately.
series masterlist
[part sixteen] : "The True End"
___
Today was cloudy.  
(y/n) didn’t like to believe in silly superstitions, especially weather related ones, but she couldn’t deny that the gray skies and chilly breeze unsettled her.
“So they’re my family?”
She didn’t look down at Megumi, didn’t slow her pace, or show any sign of even hearing him at all.  Every question he and his sister had asked in the last ten minutes of their walk had made it to her ears and nestled inside of her paranoid mind, but (y/n) had barely spoken in that time.
In fact, since she’d picked them up and told them exactly where they were going today, she’d barely spoken since.  She tried to tell herself that it wasn’t because of fear, that she was simply trying to find the right truths to tell the children.  But the leather belt under her shirt that was starting to rub her skin raw felt heavy today, even though it only held a single knife, and she was used to carrying two swords.
“Not really.  They’re Dad’s family” Tsumiki corrected her younger brother.
Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to have the blade on her, after all she’d told Satoru that she wouldn’t do anything reckless.  But she wasn’t about to show up at the Zen’in Clan’s compound empty handed and without a means to defend herself.  That would be the reckless thing, right? 
“And they want me to go live with them because of my dogs?”
“It’s ‘cause you’re a sorcerer” Tsumiki corrected again.
Megumi’s brows furrowed in annoyance at his sister, before he looked up at (y/n) again, hoping she would ease his confusion.  He was growing impatient with her silence.
“Well, can’t we just tell them I don’t wanna live with a bunch of strangers?” He asks with a huff.
Finally, (y/n) tilts her head down, bestowing him with her attention.  Admittedly, she only gives in because they’d finally reached the meeting place in town that she’d been taking them to, but she realizes she’s been ignoring him for too long, and it wasn’t fair.
The three of them stopped right there on the sidewalk, standing just outside of a shop that didn’t seem too busy, so they wouldn’t be in the way.  (y/n) crouches before them so she would be at eye level before explaining the plan, again. “I know this is a lot to take in,” She begins.  “And I’m happy to answer all of your questions, if I can, that is.  But I need you both to listen very carefully, okay?” 
Megumi and Tsumiki give rapid nods of their heads.
“Your father is from the Zen’in Clan, do you remember me talking to you about them, Megumi?” 
The boy nods again. “So you remember that they’re a very wealthy family, with a lot of control in the jujutsu society?” 
Another nod.
“They think that you’re theirs,” (y/n) says carefully.  “They’re old fashioned, and think they deserve to keep you all to themselves.  They would pull you out of school, away from Tsumiki, and teach you and raise you themselves.  They know that you’re strong, and that you’ll grow up to be one of the finest sorcerers that this world has ever seen.  But Megumi…” 
She trails off, unsure of how to communicate to him that they weren’t safe.  If this plan failed and the Zen’ins claimed him, she didn’t want him to be afraid.
“I don’t want to go with them” Megumi says before (y/n) could finish, and she gives him a small smile.
“Then you won’t,” She says decidedly, standing up and placing a hand on both of their heads.  “All that matters is what you want, okay?”
“I want to stay with Tsumiki,” Megumi decides, and (y/n) retracts her hands as he shuffles closer to his sister, who beams brightly.  “And you” He adds in a smaller voice.
“Alright,” (y/n) hums with an affirmative nod.  “We’re going to make that happen.  I have a friend who’s agreed to help too” 
“Another sorcerer?” Tsumiki asks.
“He is,” (y/n) says, glancing around the area.  “He should be here soon, actually.  I’d like you both to meet him before we-” 
“Oi!” 
Startled by the holler, (y/n) jumps as she whips her head in the opposite direction, although she shouldn’t be surprised as Satoru comes rushing towards them with a bag in his hands that is undoubtedly sweets.  Speaking of the devil…
Her brows furrow.
If this idiot made a pitstop for snacks before meeting us here…
Megumi’s expression is just as sour as he watches the stranger approach them with a pair of sunglasses and a wide grin on his face.  If this was (y/n’s) friend, and he assumed it was, he already wasn’t a fan.
(y/n) made a motion to the Fushiguro kids, silently telling them to stay put, before she walked towards Satoru with her hands on her hips, ready to scold him.
“You did not go get snacks,” She said in a low voice, just to be sure Megumi and Tsumiki wouldn’t overhear.  “You’re late, you know” 
“I’m not that late,” Satoru waved his hand dismissively.  “Besides, I figured the mood would be a downer,” He peeks over her shoulder at the two children that were watching them like hawks.  
The one, the girl, had wide eyes and a curious look about her face as she glanced between him and (y/n), as though she were mentally trying to fill in the gaps of their relation to one another.  It wasn’t necessarily an eerie look, in fact she wore a sweet smile, but the investigative eyes did have his skin crawl with that feeling of being watched.  The other, the boy, was a whole other story.  His eyes were pointed in a clear glare, unmoving, unblinking, focused solely on Satoru.  There’s a shadow of a much older man on the young child’s features, something dark and mysterious- too mysterious for a kid that (y/n) had told him was only eight years old.  And yet, despite the heavy evil eye, he almost seems unbothered, unimpressed, already irritated. 
This was the brat that had inherited Ten Shadows?
“And I was right.  Sheesh,” Satoru quickly brought his attention back to her.  “What’s wrong with the little one? You feeding him too many vegetables?” 
(y/n) narrowed her eyes as she frowned.
“Well, good thing I brought dessert!” He’s beaming again as he lifts the paper bag in his hand.  “Every kid can be bought with dessert” 
“That’s not…ugh,” (y/n) huffs, crossing her arms over her chest.  “We’re literally trying to stop a kid from being bought today, Satoru,” She mutters.  “And could you just… could you tone it down? You’re gonna freak ‘em out” 
“Relax, sweetheart, I’m great with kids” Satoru said with a smile that told her he’d never been around kids in his life.
“Oh god” She mumbled to herself.
“Watch this” He winked at her before sidestepping and heading towards the Fushiguro kids- who had watched their whole interaction, and were very curious as to who this stranger was.
“I don’t think (y/n) likes him,” Megumi whispered to his sister.  “I don’t like him either” 
“You haven’t even met him,” Tsumiki whispered back quickly before the approaching man could overhear.  “Just try to be nice” She hisses with a small kick to his foot.
Satoru kneels before them both, a grin twisting so far up his lips it took up most of his face.  He glances between them quickly before speaking.
“Hi! I’m Gojo Satoru!” He greets, too loudly, but he doesn’t seem to be embarrassed about it.
(y/n) stands behind him, giving both kids a kind look that said just be friendly.  Megumi’s disinterested face turns into a slight pout, and Tsumiki’s smile is forced and awkward.  Good enough, (y/n) thinks.
“So your Dad… I ki-” 
Before Satoru could finish, (y/n’s) foot is colliding with his ankle, and he’s hissing in pain and making a face up at her like he had no idea what he’d done wrong.
“He knew your Dad, too,” (y/n) speaks for him, stepping in front of him as a silent way to tell him he was done introducing himself.  “Anyways, we should get going now.  You can talk more on the way, if you want” 
“You can ask me anything!” Satoru tells them happily.  “I’m the strongest sorcerer in the world!” 
“Really?” Tsumiki asks with round eyes, and Satoru nods proudly.
Megumi rolls his eyes and scampers over to (y/n’s) other side, so he wouldn’t have to walk next to the weirdo with the white hair.  He didn’t understand why they needed his help, because he seemed too annoying to actually provide them a service, but he kept his thoughts to himself.  (y/n) wouldn’t have brought him along if he wasn’t important somehow, and he didn’t want to make (y/n) feel bad.  And also, the sun wasn’t even out, what were the sunglasses for? To look cool? It wasn’t working.
However, Megumi is an eight year old that doesn’t know how to hold a poker face, so (y/n) was well aware of the boy’s irritation with Satoru.  When he made a point to walk next to her and away from where Satoru and Tsumiki were engaged in a conversation about anime, she gave him a fond smile.
He blinks back at her, before furrowing his brows, not knowing why she was making that face.
“He’ll grow on you” She whispers to him, before giving him a discreet wink.
Megumi frowns, dropping his head to face forward as they walk.  He doesn’t know how that could be true, especially when he’d just watched her interact with him and she seemed as equally frustrated as he was.
“I hope not” He mutters, and (y/n) laughs.
The rest of their trip is mostly light hearted.  Tsumiki has an endless amount of questions, and Megumi warms up in the slightest when Gojo hands out the donuts he’d brought- although he still doesn’t leave (y/n’s) side.
In fact, when they finally reach the Zen’ins’ compound, he becomes glued to her.  As soon as they cross the threshold and stand at the grand double-door gated entrance to their home, Megumi slides closer to (y/n) until he’s almost hugging her leg, although he keeps his hands firmly placed in the pocket of his sweatshirt.
“This’ll be easy peasy,” Satoru scoffs, and waves a dismissive hand.  Both kids peek over at him unsurely, not sure what to believe about their fate.  “I’ll go in and talk to ‘em.  You guys can wait out here” 
“I think I should go in, too,” (y/n) says softly, taking a step closer to him so that the kids didn’t have to hear her grave tone.  “They’re going to have questions for me” 
She didn’t feel the need to mention that if things went south and this was some sort of ambush, a cowardly ploy on behalf of the Zen’ins to make her pay for her alleged crimes against them, that she very much was prepared to challenge them.  The sheath resting at the dip of her spine wasn’t concealing a blade without reason.  It may not have been her beloved swords, but it was something that she wasn’t afraid to use.  Promises to play nice and not act recklessly be damned.
“And if they’re decent then I’ll come get you,” Satoru drops his happy-go-lucky facade as he talks under his breath.  “But for now I think you should stay with them,” 
He nods his head down, and (y/n) glances down to see that like a shadow, Megumi had followed her every movement, and was still trapped at her side.  Today, he seemed more like a kid than any other.  Megumi always had a knack for walking and talking like he was older than he was.  Now that the life he’d grown so accustomed to was at stake, he seemed to retreat into himself.  (y/n) gives him a warm smile, before turning her attention back to Satoru.  She looks unsure, undecided on what the right thing to do was.
“It’ll be fine,” He tells her with a nod of his head.
She barely nods back at him, chewing on the inside of her cheek to try and calm her nerves.  If she appeared as nervous as she felt, then she would only make the kids uneasy, and they were already worried sick.  Then again, so was she.
“I’ll try and be quick, alright?” Satoru tells her with as much certainty as he could manage.
“Alright,” She whispers back, and grabs onto his hand before she speaks again.  She’s standing close enough that the sunglasses don’t hide his eyes as well, and she can see his seriousness behind them. “Thank you, Satoru” 
His hand squeezes hers, his hold lingering a few moments longer than it should have, before he lets her go, and heads towards the house.
(y/n) bites too hard on her cheek, the awfully familiar metallic taste of blood pooling at her tongue.  She winces as she watches Satoru enter the house, the doors shutting behind him.
Tsumiki and Megumi don’t say a word, but when their eyes meet they don’t have to speak to know they’ve both witnessed the same interaction that was much different than the one they’d seen before.
The blood in her mouth feels like poison as she looks down at them, and can see how hard they’re both trying to be brave.  They’re holding back their tears, and their faces hold a hard expression.  Still, if she watches for long enough, she can see the way the corner of Megumi’s mouth quivers with emotion.
All three of them stood frozen for a few minutes, their breaths baited, and any kind of words to be spoken between them were stuck in their throat, or lost.  No one knew the right thing to say or do.  There was no right thing to say or do.  All they could do was wait.
The touch of small, cold fingers against (y/n’s) hand makes her shoot her eyes downwards, just as Megumi slips his hand against her palm.  He gives her a small smile, and she hopes her eyes won’t start watering as she smiles back.
That’s when she feels a similar sensation on her other side, where she finds Tsumiki also holding her hand, squeezing it gently.
(y/n) holds both of their hands securely, communicating everything she couldn’t say in words to them at that moment.  This is why Satoru had her stay behind, now she understood.  They needed her, and this very well could be their last moments spent together. ___
It feels like hours when the doors finally open again, even though it’s barely been forty five minutes.
(y/n) feels every muscle in her body tense and go rigid as she waits for a figure to appear, her eyes unblinking as she tracks any kind of movement that could come from the inside of the house.
Her heart leaps into her throat, pounding so hard and choking her with her own breath, she thinks she might vomit, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the door.
Before she could try to be optimistic, she assumed the worst.  That their plan failed.  That despite his god-like stature within the jujutsu society, Gojo Satoru wasn’t enough to convince the Zen’ins to drop their pursuit of Fushiguro Megumi.  Perhaps they were offended that he’d even approached them.  Perhaps it was still a silly pissing contest of respect they were after, and it was never even about the kid or his manifestation of Ten Shadows.
Her hand slid around her hip before landing on the ridge under her shirt where her weapon sat, waiting.  She didn’t make a move to unsheath it, but she kept her fingers firmly pressed against it, in the case that her last resort has now become Plan A, and she’d have to make a snap decision to brandish it.
Just as she’s ready to draw up a plan of attack, Satoru steps into view, and her breath finally escapes her in a shaky sigh.  She doesn’t know yet if she should feel relieved, or if the weight on her shoulders would only grow heavier.
Behind Satoru follows another figure, one who (y/n) had only seen once before, but didn’t need a re-introduction to remember who he was.  That mustache was unmistakable.
She looks down to the Fushiguro kids, grabbing their hands again and squeezing them gently.
“I don’t want to go” Megumi whispers out, fast, like he’s afraid of even admitting it.  His eyes are wide and filling with tears faster by the second, and his small hand grips hers so tightly that he’s trembling.
He knows he’s not strong enough to keep her put, and he knows that she’s about to leave him. “You’re not going anywhere,” (y/n) whispers back, “I won’t let that happen,” 
Her words are certain, too certain for not knowing what would come next, but she grants them one last lie to appease their troubled minds.  
“Stay right here” 
She gives them both a look to make sure they could see she was gravely serious.  Then she lets them go, and moves with a quick step towards Satoru and the head of the Zen’in Clan.
Megumi takes a step as though to follow right behind her, but Tsumiki grabs his hand to stop him.  When he looks at her, she shakes her head in a small motion, and moves her hand to grab onto his.
It wasn’t like Megumi to hold hands so much, but he squeezed his sister’s palm as he followed her silent command and stayed by her side.
His free hand raises to his chest, resting over the bump under his tee shirt.  Small fingers wrap around the pendant of the cursed tool (y/n) had given him, clutching onto it just tightly enough that it wouldn’t burst.  If he focused enough, he could almost feel it buzzing softly in his palm, warm vibrations bursting through the rock and into his skin.  Was this cursed energy?
As she walks, (y/n) can feel every movement of her concealed harness against her skin.  Every step she took it would ride up her waist, and then slide back down to her hip.  It was a small movement, but the leather on her skin seemed to irritate her more the closer she grew.  Irritation quickly grew into rage, and a desire of bloodlust once Zen’in Naobito was in closer view.  That stupid mustache had her aching to draw her weapon. 
But she’d made a promise that she wouldn’t draw first blood, and she’d grown tired of the liar she’d become in the past few months.
“So you’re the (y/l/n) (y/n) that I’ve had to hear so much about…” 
Naobito’s voice piqued with interest, but his dull eyes held nothing but disdain as he looked at her. (y/n) remained silent, her eyes fleeting to Satoru for a brief moment before falling on the head of the Zen’in Clan again.  She tried to keep her expression neutral, but she knew that like him, she couldn’t keep her emotions out of her eyes.
“You sure like to stir up a lot of trouble, don’t you? And over nothing but a kid… it’s almost pitiful, Miss (y/l/n)” Naobito continues.  He arches a brow at her, as though giving her permission to speak.  
Or perhaps he was instigating, hoping to make her slip up so that his retaliation was unquestionably justified.  (y/n) makes a mental note of this, and keeps her hands firmly at her sides so there could be no confusion in her stance.  She was here respectfully, and had no malicious intention.
She can’t help the way her lip curls into a snarl, but she keeps her voice steady.  Almost eerily so.
“I found the kids that Sorcerer Killer Fushiguro Toji abandoned,” She states, reminding him of the title one of their own had notoriously earned.  
This seems to make Naobito tick, as his eyes narrow in the slightest.  Beside him, Satoru smirks.  She takes this as a sign that she hadn’t crossed a boundary that she couldn’t still come back from.
“Kids, by the way,” She repeated herself.  “He had two.  Not just one” 
Naobito hums in response.  He turns to give Satoru a look, as though unamused by her behavior.  Satoru’s smirk widens into a small grin as he looks down at him. “I told you, geezer, tch,” Satoru shrugs a shoulder as he tucks his hands into his pockets.  Being the strongest, there was no boundary he couldn’t cross, so he disrespected Naobito with casual ease.  He was practically invincible.  “You’re the one that wanted to talk to her” 
(y/n) watched their brief interaction with careful eyes, wishing she’d been in on the loop of what happened inside.  It was starting to drive her mad, not knowing, but she kept up her relaxed, uncaring exterior.
“Yes, well, I suppose I had my curiosities…” Naobito muttered as he turned back to (y/n).  He chuckles with amusement before he speaks again.  “But, did you really think you could come to my home with a blade that small and overpower me?” 
How did he..? (y/n’s) eyes widen, and she tries to read his body language to figure out if he was planning to strike.  His mustache twitches as he smirks, and she realizes he was just trying to show off a little power.
Typical.
“You’re lucky she didn’t bring more, old man,” Satoru scoffs, his hand clapping onto the older man’s shoulder as he bends his knees to enter his personal space, in order to grin right in his face.  “You’re welcome, by the way,” He says.
It’s the first time Naobito’s exterior cracks, his eyes widening as the Six Eyes user stays far too close for his liking, but when it comes to Gojo Satoru, he’s stripped of all power.  He’s defenseless, vulnerable.  (y/n) revels in the sight of such an egotistical man, so proud of what little power he had, being put in his place and shown what real power looked like.  And Satoru had no problem showing off a little.  It didn’t take much to remind a man like Zen’in Naobito who had the upper hand.
“Because I almost let her kill you,” Satoru speaks through his grin, but his voice is low and threatening.  He lingers there for a moment longer before leaning back and letting out a bark of a laugh.  “But no worries!” He cheers, his phony happy charade back on.  “I figured you weren’t worth all the trouble.  And it turns out ya aren’t, are ya, Zen’in?” 
(y/n’s) eyes blink wide at the first hint of how their conversation had gone.  Was Satoru successful? Heat coursed through her body as her heart began pumping faster with impatience.  Was it resolved? Were the Fushiguro kids safe?
Naobito scoffs, crossing his arms and turning his head away from Satoru.  This action had (y/n’s) optimism skyrocketing, and her hope overcame her.
“So you’ll leave us alone?” (y/n) asks, her eyes practically on fire as she stares down the head of the clan.  “You’ll leave them alone?” 
Naobito scowls back at her without a word.
“He sure will,” Satoru grins, walking away from the man and towards her now.
Her expression was frozen with surprise, but her heart was doing somersaults of joy in her chest.
“All these old geezers can just be bought,” Satoru smirks, before turning towards Naobito again.  “Ain’t that right, old man?” 
Naobito makes a noise of irritation before waving a dismissive hand, and completely turning around.  (y/n) almost laughs.  Some power he had, and now here he was, reduced to acting like a child that didn’t get his way.
“You got what you want, Gojo,” He spits out Satoru’s family name with more poison than anyone else would dare.  “Now get off my property before I change my mind” 
(y/n) blinks, her jaw dropping open as she stared at the Zen’in in shock, but Satoru’s slinging an arm around her shoulder and nearly making her trip over her feet as he pulls her back to where Megumi and Tsumiki are waiting.
“So- so they’re-” She stutters, her wide eyes staring up at him, awaiting his explanation on everything that transpired.
“We can talk about all the specifics later,” Satoru says with a small smile.  “It’s all settled.  The kids will be left alone” 
Slowly, as if the words needed to process one by one in her mind, a smile began to creep across her lips.
“Really?” (y/n) gasped.
Satoru looked down at her, and despite the negotiation he’d worked out in his favor just minutes ago, he finally felt relief wash over him as he looked at her.
She was so happy, her smile was all teeth, her eyes were gleaming with joy, and he doesn’t even care about what this means for them or their future as sorcerers because she looks like that and she’s looking at him.
“Really” He murmurs back in quiet affirmation.
She just about launches herself into his arms, but just as she’s about to throw caution to the wind, two small figures are running towards her, closing the distance between them quickly.  Too impatient to wait, they begin to holler.
“Well!?” Megumi’s eyes are wide as he pulls his sister along with him.
“Does he have to go!?” Tsumiki yells over him.
(y/n) glances back to Satoru, about to apologize for being interrupted, but he drops his arm from around her shoulder and nods his head towards the pair of brats who are still yelling their questions and concerns.  She gives him a small smile, before turning away and running towards them both.
This makes both Megumi and Tsumiki stop in their tracks, their eyes blowing wide as they freeze up like deer in headlights.  They don’t have a chance to brace themselves before (y/n’s) sliding onto the ground, the grass inevitably staining the pants of her uniform as she does so, but she doesn’t care.
Her arms are thrown around both of them, and they’re quick to return the gesture, hugging her, and each other, in an embrace that was tighter than they’ve ever experienced before.  
(y/n) doesn’t give them the news they’d been waiting for, but she doesn’t have to.  Not with words, anyways.
She’s laughing, boisterously so, her whole body vibrating with her joy.  And soon, without reason beyond her own happiness seeping into them, Megumi and Tsumiki are laughing too.
Small hands clutch tightly at her arms and on the back of her shirt as all three of them giggle together, and maybe a few tears fall from their eyes as they do, but no one cares.
Everything was okay.
They were all safe.
When they part from one another, they remain seated on the ground for a few minutes longer.  (y/n) doesn’t mind her own tears of joy falling down her cheeks as she reaches out to wipe their tears away.
Satoru watches as both kids smile wider at her than he’s ever seen in his life.  He didn’t even think the boy was capable of smiling, but here he was, smiling and crying over this girl.  He stands back a ways, enough to give them their moment of celebration, but he can see clearly that they’re equally relieved to not be taken from one another.
“Don’t cry, don’t cry,” (y/n) coos as she continues to wipe away their tears.  “It’s alright, everything’s alright, no one is going anywhere” 
She’s stammering out her words a bit, and Satoru almost chuckles at how her delight overcomes her.  It looks good on her, her happiness.
“You’re crying” Tsumiki says, mirroring (y/n’s) action and bringing her small hands to her face, hastily clearing away the wetness.
“It wouldn’t be the first time you shitheads made me cry,” (y/n) teases, but the mirth in her eyes tells them that she doesn’t regret a thing.  Megumi and Tsumiki laugh, easily humored by her foul language.  “Come on, let’s get the hell out of here, yeah?” 
They nod back at her excitedly, and when she gets up, they stand at either side of her so they can both hold her hand.
(y/n) looks back at Satoru, her eyes still misty but her smile rivaling the sun’s brightness.  He smiles back at her as he walks over to join them again.
“This means we get to go home, right?” Megumi asks hopefully.
Satoru sucks in a sharp breath before his lips curl into a small smirk.  All three looked at him, puzzled at what the hesitation was.
“Well, about that…” ___
(y/n) stares up at the building that Satoru had brought them to, her eyes wide and her mouth dropped open.  She’d been frozen like that for a minute now, while Satoru grins madly, and the Fushiguro kids wait for further explanation about where they are right now.
“When the fuck did you-” 
“Woah! Language!” Satoru scolds her.  “And you know me.  I pull strings” 
“What is this?” Megumi asked, waiting for (y/n’s) response, but she was still gaping at the building.
“Come on,” Satoru nods for the group to follow him inside.  “I’ll show you!” 
The lobby is nice without being so fancy it was overwhelming and awkward.  It’s clean with sharp black tiling, and a few pieces of furniture for lounging against the wall.  The clerk at the desk welcomed Satoru by name, and (y/n’s) shocked expression followed the whole interaction.
The Fushiguro kids followed close by her side as they gathered in an elevator. Satoru pushed the number four, and the doors slid shut.  He takes a moment to give (y/n) a shit eating grin.  She only furrowed her brows and tilted her head at him, at a loss for words.
Did he really..? 
With a soft ding The elevator doors slid back open, and Satoru beckoned them to follow as he led them down a hallway, pausing shortly.
“Here we are,” He dug through his pocket, before displaying a key to them.  His grin only worsened as he unlocked the door and gestured for everyone to enter.
Megumi and Tsumiki looked up at (y/n), as though awaiting her permission.  She chuckled and nodded her head for them to go on in.  That was all the more they needed before they were racing inside, gasping and aweing at the perfectly clean and new apartment.  In seconds they were out of sight, exploring the new space.
“After you” Satoru said to (y/n), who was still stuck in the doorway.  She looked over to him, her lips parted and her eyes round as it was confirmed before her.
“When did you..?” The rest of her question fails her, and she shakes her head at him in an attempt to communicate her total state of confusion.
They’d stayed up through most of the night together, planning for their meeting with the Zen’ins.  There couldn’t have possibly been time for Satoru to go through the trouble of renting an apartment.  On such short notice? With the hassle of paperwork and a down payment and everything? The process would normally take days, maybe even weeks, but somehow, overnight, he’d managed to secure an empty apartment that was closer to Jujutsu Tech than the Fushiguro house? (y/n) wouldn’t believe it if she wasn’t standing in front of it right now.
“Don’t you want to go inside?” Satoru asked, drawing her out of her thoughts.
She couldn’t even find it in herself to answer before she was nodding her head at him, and stepping inside.
Her eyes trace every inch of the living room, the first room you walk into when you enter.  The first thing she notices is that it’s a large apartment, and the second thing is that the living room is filled with all new furniture.  A wrap-around couch, a recliner, a woven rug with a coffee table on top of it to smooth out it’s roll.  It all looked brand new and expensive.  No doubt Satoru’s touch.
Her eyes blink rapidly as she takes it all in, before turning back to Satoru who was waiting at the closed door, enjoying himself while watching her react to it all.
“I- I don’t even know what to say-” 
“It’s awesome!” A delighted squeal rings out, followed by racing footsteps, and out of a hallway comes Tsumiki, who runs straight through the living room and into the kitchen.
“Is this our new house!?” Megumi comes running after her, and (y/n) realizes quickly that they’re playing tag.
“It is!” Satoru chirps, only furthering the noisy children’s antics as they sprint back down the hallway they’d just come from.
“Careful!” (y/n) hollers after them, almost as a second thought, as she was preoccupied by processing all of this.
Once the kids were distracted by their game again, she went right back to Satoru, staring at him incredulously, still not believing he’d done all of this.  Before she can spew out all of her questions, he begins answering them.
“It has four bedrooms,” He says, as if that was going to be her first line of questioning.  “It’s way closer to campus.  It's in a safer neighborhood and still in their school district.  We can worry about moving their things tomorrow” He continued.  “Rent is paid for the next…” He pretends to think about it, running a hand through his hair.  “Ten? Twelve years? I can’t remember exactly” 
(y/n) blinks owlishly, and Satoru almost doesn’t notice the way she’s staring at him as he continues on with his introduction of the place.
“Got it set up with the landlord last night after you fell asleep on the floor,” He chuckles at the image from the night before.  “And I was actually late today because I wanted to pick up the keys” 
He stops when his eyes fall back to hers, unsure of what to make of her expression.  She wore little to no emotion, besides her wide eyes and parted lips.  When he stopped speaking, she found her voice.
“Why did you do all of this?” 
It comes out in a whisper, but he’s close enough to her that he hears just fine.
“Why? Well we’re graduating soon, you’ll need somewhere to stay with them, and it cannot be in that terrible neighborhood.  No wonder you were gone all the time that place was-” 
This time he cuts himself off as she steps closer to him, almost toe to toe.  She’s so close that she has to tilt her head back to look up at him properly, and for once Satoru freezes up.
“I didn’t get to say it earlier but I guess you’re even more deserving now,” She says with a bashful smile.  “But… thank you” 
He nods back at her, the motion shaky as his eyes don’t leave hers.  Even hidden behind his sunglasses they’re blown wide from how close she is.
“Yeah- yeah of course,” He replies.  “One condition though?” 
She hums curiously in response, her eyes flickering over his features.
“No more secrets, alright?” He asks, and she laughs quietly, nodding her head in agreement.
“You’ve got yourself a deal, Gojo Satoru” She says, reaching her hand out to shake on it.
Satoru scoffs, grabbing her hand and pulling her into him, wrapping his arms around her waist with ease.  She’d fight him off playfully normally, but today she throws her arms around his neck and hugs him back just as enthusiastically.
Just when she thinks she should step away, she holds on a little tighter.  Maybe it’s the smell of warm sugar and pine infecting her senses, or maybe it was the peculiar feeling of her heart skipping a beat, but she held onto him just a little longer than she should have.  She thinks she’s needed this for a while, a long while, even.
He doesn’t seem to mind anyways, as he ducks his head down to the crook of her neck and doesn’t loosen his hold on her in the slightest.
“I didn’t deserve this,” She mumbles against the collar of his shirt, closing her eyes as she tries to hold on to the last few seconds of this moment.  “You should be upset with me, but… you fixed all of it, for me” 
Reluctantly, Satoru pulls away, giving her a signature smile before chuckling.
“Well, ‘course I did, sweetheart” He says through his laugh.
(y/n) doesn’t say anything, but as she looks at him, she hopes he tells her more.  Or at least tell her why he’d do all of this, because he hadn’t owed her a thing, and here he was practically giving her the world.  Her eyes flicker between his, trying to find some sort of explanation, even hidden behind his shades.
“Satoru…” 
She doesn’t get the chance to finish her thought, as two pairs of feet are running towards her again.
Despite the racket they’d been making all this time, she’d almost tuned it out, she realized as she turned to see Megumi and Tsumiki giggling as they made grabby hands at her.
“(y/n)! Come on! We picked out our rooms!” Tsumiki says, grabbing her wrist and forcefully yanking her away from Satoru.
A strangled laugh escapes her as she stumbles over her feet to follow behind her, but she still manages to cast a glance back towards Satoru, who was amused by the sight and waved her off to go spend time with them. ___
After a few hours of detailed guided tours and playing, Megumi and Tsumiki had finally settled down in the new bed that was in the room Megumi claimed for himself.  Tsumiki had a new bed in her new room too, but the siblings had decided to have a sleepover, so they were gathered up under fresh covers together while (y/n) bid them goodnight.
“Can we stay here forever?” Tsumiki asked softly, pulling her fluffy purple blanket to her chin.
Perched on the side of the bed as she tucked them in, (y/n) smiled and nodded.
“As long as you wish,” She hums.  “You can paint your rooms whatever color you want, and we’ll get your things tomorrow” She tells them.
“And you’re staying here too?” Megumi asks, pulling his own blanket up to his nose to hide his warm face.  (y/n) laughed and nodded again.
“I sure am, so you’re gonna have to be on your best behavior all the time,” She teases, poking his nose before pulling his blanket away from his face.  “I’m your legal guardian now, which means I can punish you” She sing-songs playfully as she tickles him, much to his dismay.  “But tonight I need to go back to my school.  I’ll put up a curtain of protection like I always do, and soon I’ll be staying here every night” 
“And Gojo will be staying too?” Tsumiki asks.
(y/n) makes a funny face as she chuckles at that, her lips pulled into an awkward half-smile while her brows furrowed.
“Uh- I don’t know about that,” She chuckles.  “What makes you think that?” 
“There’s an extra room” 
“The other room” 
Megumi and Tsumiki speak over each other, and (y/n) blinks in surprise, since both of them assumed the same.
“I don’t think so,” She chuckles, shaking her head.  “It’s just an extra room” She tries to dismiss it, but neither of them look convinced.
“You guys were standing really close earlier” Megumi mutters, and before (y/n) could be shocked by his observation, Tsumiki is voicing her own opinion.
“He’s very handsome! And he stares at you a lot!” 
(y/n’s) jaw is on the floor as she looks between the two children that were far too observant for their age.  Since when were they so nosey? 
Well, she could recall a few times now that they’d accused her of having a boyfriend, but this was on another level!
“You’re seeing things that aren’t there,” She says, trying to laugh it off, but her face is hot suddenly and she can’t think of a better excuse to give them.  “Time for bed” 
“So you’re not going to get married and be our parents?” Megumi asks before letting out a big yawn.
“Time for bed” (y/n) repeats, firmly tucking the blanket around his shoulders.
Tsumiki is giggling and Megumi is pouting when she finally leaves them be, flicking off their lights and shutting the door behind her.  Once it’s clicked shut, she leans against it and lets out a deep sigh.
“They’ve got active imaginations” 
Yelping in surprise, her first instinct is to smack Satoru on his arm, and he’s lucky it wasn’t his face.  He seems unbothered by this reaction.  In fact, he laughs.
“When are you going to stop sneaking up on me?” She hisses, not wanting to draw the Fushiguro kids’ attention to the hallway.
Satoru follows her as she hastily makes her way to the living room.  It’s late enough now that the sun no longer brightens the room, leaving it dimly lit by the light in the hallway.
“You know, if you did ask me to move in, I’d say yes” Satoru’s the first to speak, and (y/n) is spun around by her heel as soon as he does.
His tone is genuine, but he’s still grinning like he’s trying to tease her, so she’s not sure what to make of the comment.  Of course, he technically owned the place, so it wouldn’t feel right to argue that he couldn't stay, but then there was the matter of what the kids would think and-
Oh, that cheeky bastard.
“Eavesdropping again?” (y/n) crosses her arms as she tilts her head at him, and Satoru only purses his lips, not even bothering to defend himself.  “And here I thought you learned your lesson”
“Me?” He laughs loudly, enough that she makes a face before throwing her arm in a gesture to the hallway.
“It’s late, could you keep it down?” She scolds him again.
“You’re a strict mom, sheesh,” Satoru mutters, and she rolls her eyes at him, but she can’t hide the small smile of pride that creeps up on her lips.  “So, you like it all, then?” 
Her smile softens as she nods her head back at him.
“It’s wonderful,” She tells him honestly.  “I think they’re going to be very happy here” 
“Good, good…”
He almost looks awkward, standing before her in the dark room.  He’s fiddling with his sunglasses in his hands, the wisps of his hair tickling his eyelashes, and he’s nervous to look at her for too long, but he does anyway.
“And you?” He asks.  
The question hangs in the air between them for a moment, as (y/n) assumes it’s obvious that she’s elated with how everything turned out, with how he seemed to snap his fingers and fix it all overnight.  He must know that she owes him a debt which she’ll never be able to repay, right? He must know exactly how she feels, because she hasn’t done a thing to conceal it.
But he’s waiting for an answer, she can see it in the way he stops playing with the frames of his sunglasses, how his eyes are focused on her and he doesn’t say a thing until she responds.
Something about the way he seems to nervously await her response makes her soften for him.  For the first time in a long time it’s as though her whole body completely relaxes, like she’s able to turn on autopilot again, and let her guard down properly.  Her heart beats a little irregularly which is strange but the way it makes her cheeks buzz with the tingling warmth of a blush feels good.  
With quick, quiet steps on the tips of her toes she crosses the room to where he’s standing.  She’s close enough to him now that the lighting behind him catches on her eyes, seemingly making them glimmer with her fondness.
She stays on the tips of her toes as she leans into him, filling his senses with the sweet smell of her shampoo and something else that he couldn’t name, but was completely unique to her.  Just as he’s getting lost in the scent, her lips are planted on his cheek, soft, and much too fleeting.
There’s a shy smile and a flush of color on her face when she drops back to the pads of her feet.
“Honestly, I think this is the happiest I’ve felt in a long time,” She admits quietly, and Satoru has to put effort into focusing on her while she speaks, because his head is in the clouds and he thinks he might float off into them.  “I mean… with everything that’s happened these last few months I just… leaving it all behind as long as they were safe didn’t seem so bad.  I’d lost enough friends and I…” Her fingers catch on one another as she nervously fiddles.  “It doesn’t matter now.  But, I hope you know how much this all means to me.  I don’t think I’ll ever be able to pay you back” 
His face is still stunned from the feeling of her lips on his cheek, but he manages the smallest of smiles at her honesty.
“I don’t need you to pay me back,” He says with a shake of his head.  “I just…” 
He loses his train of thought as he stares at her, which was an effect she’d always had on him, although tonight it seemed far more potent.  Perhaps it was the low orange lighting, softening her pretty features.  Or it was how she’d so blatantly kissed him and didn’t think it was out of character to do so.  These were probably both true, but he could probably admit now that the shortness of his breath and the swell of his heart were caused by a distinct, paralyzing feeling that he’d always held for her, and only seemed to grow stronger.
In a small movement of curiosity, her head tilts to the side, awaiting the rest of his thought.  Admittedly, his staring was starting to make her feel self conscious, but she doesn’t shy away.  Instead she keeps her patience and wonders what it is that’s stuck on his tongue.
Satoru’s eyes flicker between hers in a moment of indecisiveness.  He knew what he wanted to tell her, because it had been on his mind for months now, maybe even years, and now here she was, standing there, looking like that, and giving him her full attention.
Gojo Satoru chokes.
“I just want you to be happy” 
He finally speaks, and (y/n) noticeably brightens before him.  Her wide smile makes the corners of her eyes crinkle, and a breathless laugh escapes her lungs.
They linger for a quiet moment, and despite the silence, they’re perfectly comfortable. ___
After locking up and drawing a curtain, Satoru takes her hand and warps them both back to Jujutsu Tech.  Together, they sit down with Shoko and explain everything.  She’s understandably upset for not being told sooner, but more than anything was happy to know that (y/n) was safe now, and the hiding and lying was over.  The three sit on the floor of the common room, Satoru and (y/n) answering all of Shoko’s questions while the girls share a cigarette, and even though it was so late that it was almost morning, none of them grew tired the later their night stretches.
They were too wrapped up in their moment they finally deserved.  With friendly but teasing banter, jokes, laughter, reminiscing, and of course a smoke or two.  It was just like it used to be, domestic, relaxed.  They hadn’t realized this feeling had gradually disappeared from their lives until this moment, hadn’t known they’d been longing for it to return like this.
When Shoko declares she has to go to bed for at least an hour of sleep before a shift at the morgue, (y/n) stands to hug her goodnight, and they stay wrapped in each other’s embrace for some time.
“If you ever lie to me again, I’ll kill you” Shoko mumbles, before pressing her face into the crook between (y/n’s) neck and shoulder.
In return, (y/n) squeezes her even tighter.
With Shoko’s retreat to bed, (y/n) claims that she too needed to get some sleep, and Satoru makes a half-assed joke about how she clearly needs it.  The pair walk together back to their dorms, growing more comfortable in their silence the more they find themselves in it.  Their steps are slow, and only seem to drag slower the closer they get, but neither of them comment on it.
Instead, when they finally do reach (y/n’s) dorm, just as the sun starts to peek over the horizon and sneak through the windows of the corridor, they still linger in front of her door.
Even after the hours of talking, of going over everything and catching up with one another, there still seemed to be so much unsaid.  Still, with the opportunity presented to her, (y/n) remained silent, her hands latched together behind her back as she hoped that Satoru would say it first.
“Try to catch up on some sleep,” He is the first to speak, but it does nothing to ease the growing weight of an indescribable tension in her chest.  “We can go tomorrow afternoon to move whatever Tsumiki and Megumi want into the apartment” 
“You don’t have to help with that,” She tells him with a shrug.  “It won’t be much, and I don’t mind.  Not like it’s your responsibility” 
He laughs, his smile stretching across his face as he does.
“You don’t get it at all, do you?” 
The question is cryptic, but (y/n) bites back a smile as she reads right through the lines.  She tilts her chin up challengingly as her hidden smile begins to tug at the corners of her lips.  It was rare that she felt like she was one step ahead of him, and she just had to enjoy this opportunity for as long as she could. 
“What don’t I get?” She asks, feigning confusion as she stares up at him.
Satoru’s eyes flicker between hers a few times, trying to get a proper read on her, but it’s hard when she’s smiling at him like that, with her undivided attention.
“Have dinner with me tomorrow,” He says, and for a moment, her playful little smile falters, replaced with surprise at the sudden request.  “Once we’re done with all the moving stuff” 
She blinks at him, a ghost of a smile still on her lips.
“I mean, I was probably going to make dinner for-” 
“We’ll get them McDonalds” Satoru shrugs.
(y/n) raises a brow at his quick response, and her heart leaps in her chest at his sudden change in attitude.  Was he asking her out? She wasn’t sure if he really was or if he was just being a flirt and this was just like all the other times they’d spent time together one on one.
“Well…” She licks her lips before speaking slowly.  “Why wouldn’t we just get McDonalds with them?” 
She crosses her arms loosely, an attempt to keep her hands occupied so she doesn’t start nervously fidgeting, but it’s also a defense mechanism.
“I’m not taking you to McDonalds,” Satoru shakes his head, his expression unwavering in its seriousness.  “I’m taking you somewhere better than that” 
“Better?” (y/n) muses curiously.
“Yeah,” He shrugs one of his shoulders.  “Somewhere nice” He says decidedly.
“Nice?” 
The corner of her lip betrays her as it begins to curl into a smile, and he notices how she tries to fight it.  His confidence skyrockets as he grins, and nods his head back at her.
“Yep,” He answers, popping his lips dramatically.  “So it’s a date” 
(y/n’s) relaxed facade crumbles in an instant, her eyes rounding and her jaw dropping before she could pull herself together and keep up with the smooth act.
“A date?” 
“Are you going to keep copying me?” Satoru chuckles, but he drops the subject too quickly for her liking.  “It’ll be fun.  We both deserve to have some fun, right?” He asks her, and she can only manage to awkwardly nod her head from side to side in agreement.  “Great.  I’ll see you tomorrow then” 
“Okay” Is all the more (y/n’s) able to come up with, and Satoru smiles to himself, proud of his own work.
“Goodnight sweetheart” He gives a small wave as he spins on his heel to head to his own dorm.
“Goodnight” She calls to him.
Although the sun’s rays are peeking through her curtains, when (y/n’s) head hits her pillow, she drifts right off into a peaceful sleep.  It’s the best night of sleep she’s had in a long while.  Her dreams are filled with peaceful, colorful images.  She wakes feeling well rested, and ready for whatever her coming days will have in store for her.  
Soon she would graduate, along with her two best friends, and the world would be all theirs to navigate and experience.  She wasn’t sure how difficult it would be to raise Tsumiki and Megumi full time, but she was eager to learn.  Similarly, she wasn’t sure where this odd, warm feeling with Satoru would take her, but she was equally curious to explore it.
Despite all the heartache that this year had brought her, she felt content with where she was now.  Her view on what was to come is optimistic.  Her heart is full.  And the people she loved were safe. 
___
fin.
taglist: @whats-humanity-lol @malinq-ashida @mor-pheus@bekahtaylorgriggs@pookiea@megumimind@thealchemical@pearlstiare@niallerhere@96jnie @purpleguk @peqch-pie@yukinemaroop@makis-girl@sadtoru @kamikokii​ @nerdiel-has-no-braincells​ @googlesheetshoe​ @vzleria @hilzup @cole-silas @iam-mia9 @stxrrielle @ezrahour @whatamidoing89​ @idioseasworld​ @yuuuumii​ @l0diluvs​ @miffysoo​ @chibiizzy​
xoxo ~ jordie
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pcrplevenom · 1 year ago
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Soldan hugged his arm a bit, her light gray eyes full of constant worry. Nuzzling up a bit, she hesitated to say something for a few minutes. "I'll be fine and wait here, I'm patient!" smiling, she was starting to be more happier and less skiddish over time. "I'll be a lookout! I can spy pretty good!"
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He probably shouldn't have followed after Soldan after she left the house, but he was too worried not to- Both of them stopping as she moved to hide behind one of the trees in the forest. The other shrugged, moving to sit next to her. "You don't have to go back or anything, I can sit here with you as long as you want. Though if you want me to go too I can."
II @pcrplevenom
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profoundbondfanfic · 29 days ago
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Hey I have been looking for Dark Dean and Castiel fics where Dean is OBSESSED with Castiel do you have any recommendations?
Hey hey! Sorry for the delay, but I hope these recs are welcomed now just in time for Halloween.
A bit of a warning though -- some of these fics get really dark and involve very intense subjects so pls mind the tags before reading these.
all that’s sacred comes from youth by fullvoid (Mature, 8k words)
Teenage Dean has a dark, possessive streak he hides well. But when he and Cas agree to get married at age 35 if neither of them has by then, he finds he can't quite just leave it at that and spends years stalking Cas from the shadows and sabotaging every relationship he starts. Or Dean, in love with his best friend Cas and obsessed with a pact they made when they were 17 years old, gets rid of his boyfriends one by one through escalating means.
Between Love and Agony by Duckyboos (Explicit, 53k words)
Dean Winchester is in love. Like, bonafide heart eyes and deep sighs, hung-the-moon love. There's just one problem: the lucky guy is his husband's identical twin, Castiel. The two of them have been having a kinky affair for years, burrowing under each other’s skin and setting up camp. Which is why, after Castiel goes missing, Dean’s about ready to tear the world apart looking for him. When Castiel eventually returns to him, he’s been through literal hell, managing to drag himself out, bloody and raw, for Dean. Together, they discover a way to make Castiel whole again — though the price will be gruesome… and there will certainly be hell to pay.
CONventional Psychopathy 'Verse by Mayalaen (Explicit, 441k words)
Castiel Novak is a Cleaner. One of the agency's best. He and his Handler, Dean Winchester, have a high success rate in a world where the worst criminals aren't imprisoned for their crimes, but instead are captured by licensed serial killers who dispose of them, doing what they do best while getting paid for it. Cas doesn't form attachments, doesn't leave himself open for a risk like that, but Dean wormed his way into Cas' life and into his house. Does Dean realize what falling in love with a serial killer really means?
Do Anything For You by ImYourHoneyBee (Explicit, 7k words)
“How’re you feeling?” his earlier worry and fear have faded into the background because of how freaking good Jimmy looks right now, but that’s the thing to ask. Besides, even if he was planning on killing him soon, propriety has to be observed. Dean has a reputation to uphold as a fine, upstanding citizen in this city. Patrick Bateman wishes he was as smooth as Dean is. “Better than the guy who hit me,” Jimmy tells him with uncharacteristic bluntness, nodding toward the curtained-off bed, “I overheard the doctors saying he flatlined around the same time I did.” “Oh shit,” Dean says, glancing over to try and mask the sick roil that sets up shop in his stomach. “He make it?” The ghost of a smile plays over Jimmy’s chapped lips, “He’s in a better place now.” x The one where Cas's soul takes over Jimmy's body.
Free to Be You and Me by jhoom (Explicit, 49k words) --- This says incomplete but it's a satisfying ending so we think the author just didn't close it out.
Dean lost his parents in a fire when he was younger, and he’s never been the same since. Based on the prompt: "I was ten years old when I witnessed the murder of my entire family. The police told me that the person I saw commit the crime was a figment of my imagination - a result of the trauma - but I couldn’t let it rest. In a strange way, they saved me - with everyone else gone I might have gone to pieces, but I HAD to find the killer, so I held it together, I got through school, I rose through the ranks of detective, and now finally, finally, I’m on their trail. I have to find them. I have to meet them. I have to tell them that I love them."
Hello Night by almaasi (Explicit, 11k words)
Demon!Dean/Priest!Cas AU. Castiel summons Dean to the crossroads, and he only wants one thing: him.
Make Me by saltnhalo (Explicit, 4k words)
A beautiful man on a motorbike shows up at Castiel's business with a t-shirt that says Make me and a smirk that could put the devil to shame. How is Castiel possibly meant to resist?
Monsters by Miss_Lv (Explicit, 11k words)
Castiel prayed to God, to help them, to save them. God never answered. But Dean did. It was the monster who saved Castiel, not God.
Seven Heavenly Virtues by Strixes (Explicit, 108k words)
The Mark of Cain turns Dean into a demon once more. Dean is adamant that this time he's found a way to keep the mark under control but it's clear to Castiel that Dean needs help if he's going to fight the mark's influence until they can find a way to get rid of it. More than anything Castiel wants to save him, but if anyone needs to be saved it's Castiel as he tries to navigate where Dean ends and the Mark of Cain begins.
The Prodigal Bond by vipjuly (Explicit, 68k words)
In exchange for conjugal visits, Dean Winchester gives FBI Supervisory Special Agent Castiel Novak all the dirt he needs to bring down national crime rings. It's a tit-for-tat situation; primal, animalistic, and probably ten kinds of illegal. When a case is revealed to be closer to Castiel than what he considers safe, he and Dean must work together to make sure that Crowley goes down for good. Will Castiel be able to keep Dean at arm's length, or will the charming convict finally get what he's been asking for all along? What lengths will Castiel go to... at Dean's behest?
These Violent Delights by SomethingBlue42, xfancyfranart (Explicit, 43k words)
Dean Winchester, war vet and functioning alcoholic with a life that’s going nowhere, takes a job at Baltimore Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Dean had never heard of Dr. Castiel Novak notorious serial killer and cannibal given he’d been dodging bullets and performing field triage during Novak’s sensational trial. Seasoned orderly Rufus lays out the rules: Do not touch the glass. Do not approach the glass. You pass him nothing but soft paper - no pencils, no pens. Use the sliding food carrier only, no exceptions. If he attempts to pass you anything, do not accept it. And most importantly: don't tell him anything personal. But Dean was never much for following the rules and Castiel has a way of making Dean feel like he isn’t the grade-a loser his hot-shot FBI agent brother thinks he is. Then, a senator’s daughter goes missing, setting forth a chain of events that put Dean on a path that forces him to choose where his loyalties lie and just how far he’s willing to walk into the dark.
This Tainted Love You've Given by LazarusRose, xfancyfranart (Explicit, 17k words)
Everyone has their hobbies—Dean’s just happens to involve a lot more blood and screaming than most people’s. And sure, maybe murder isn’t the nicest way to blow off steam, but Dean’s always thought that being nice is overrated anyway. His latest victim, a pretty guy with startling blue eyes, should be nothing special, just another nameless body on Dean’s list. But then, after Dean kills and buries him, he turns back up at Dean’s house again the next day. What’s a guy to do when they’ve accidentally gotten an immortal witch convinced that they’ve got some kind of profound bond?
Happy Halloween!!👻🎃
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delirious-donna · 7 months ago
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Coffee And A Smoke [Higuruma Hiromi]
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an: another suggestion for Hiromi that I couldn’t pass up. I feel like this has potential for more but I’d really have to do some plotting and brain crunching before I could commit.
pairing: Higuruma Hiromi x female reader
warnings: smoking (is it obvious from this that I don’t smoke and never have? I hope not but…), SFW, very light flirting if you squint, mention of toxic habits, alcohol mention
Masterlist
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Higuruma always felt a pang of sympathy for new starts. They had a habit of reminding him of his earliest days as a freshly qualified lawyer, his excitement to change the world and be the type not to back away from the difficult fights.
For a while, he had been that man and took on David and Goliath level cases to test his resolve, to prove that a person with enough determination and hard work could be the victor. Sadly, it didn’t last long.
He hoped you wouldn’t fall from grace quite so quickly or inelegantly as he had once done. Hiromi might not care for his reputation being tarnished these days, the dross he was tossed like it was a kindness to him, but he would never wish it upon anyone else.
You appeared only a handful of years younger than he was, and he wondered if you were maybe late to the career. It made him wonder how bad your previous line of work might have been to make you consider this circle of hell as your new livelihood. There was more than a chance that he would never know, he didn’t exactly draw people to him in the workplace. Rather he was looked upon mostly like a kicked puppy that everyone felt sorry for but never approached to comfort for fear of catching fleas.
Picking up his pen, the chewed end finding its home between his teeth, Hiromi returned to his work and put you out of his mind.
“Aren’t you going to introduce me to the man over in the far corner?” You wondered aloud, the young secretary designated to be your ‘day one buddy’ glanced in the direction you were looking and visibly grimaced.
“Another day. He’s busy,” she countered with a wave of her hand.
Frowning at her dismissive tone and attitude, you looked over again and met with tired, hangdog eyes. He blinked, seeming unperturbed and gave a small bow of his head before turning back to his screen. There was something about this man, you couldn’t for the life of you figure it out, but something intrigued you more than it should.
The interaction did not go unnoticed. “That’s Higuruma Hiromi. He’s rather… particular about the cases he takes. Generally, he keeps to himself.”
You wondered if he was lonely, or maybe not well versed in socialising. Whatever it was, there was an aura surrounding his corner of the large office, like a perpetual rain cloud that threatened to rain but the cloud never burst.
With so much to learn and an entire new work environment to navigate, you quickly forgot all about the mysterious Higuruma and focused on finding your feet.
It wasn’t until a few weeks later did you find yourself in his presence. After a tortuous phone call with a troublesome client, you found yourself in desperate need to indulge in the bad habit you had sworn you’d given up, a cigarette.
Stepping outside into the small office courtyard, you fumbled for the emergency packet buried in the depths of your bag. You cursed when you realised you might have the actual cigarette you craved, but there wasn’t a lighter in sight, not even tucked away in one of the handy dandy compartments.
“Need a light?”
You whirled around and nearly landed on your behind at the sudden voice, coming face to face with Higuruma who had the good grace to look sheepish for scaring you out of your skin.
“It seems so,” you said with a shrug, stepping closer as the man held out his lighter and flicked the flame into life for you. “I don’t smoke often.”
Higuruma hummed in understanding, glancing down at his own half-finished cigarette, tapping away the excess ash. “I’d like to say the same, but I’m out here more often than I’d like.”
That first inhale felt like heaven, the heat in your throat a familiar sensation and you held the thick smoke in your mouth as long as you could manage, finally blowing it out in a steady stream into the sky.
“Bad habit?” You asked, leaning against the metal railing that enclosed the small courtyard space. It was cool even through your trousers, grounding you back into the here and now.
“I have a lot of those, smoking is probably the least bothersome. I can go days without a single cigarette, or I could smoke two packets within a single office day. There never seems to be an in between,” he joked.
It was hard not to appraise him whilst you both stood there, enjoying your respective cigarettes. His shirt wasn’t quite the brilliant white of a new or well cared for garment, nor were the tailored creases in his trousers especially neat or crisp. The tie around his throat was loose as if restless fingers had tugged it that way, and his hair was equally as ruffled. Yet, there was still something undefinable that made you smile at these observations, that endeared him to you.
His eyes were adorned with dark circles from sleepless nights but there was a subtly vibrancy to those eyes. The brown irises with golden flecked in the right light and the smattering of laughter lines at the corners assured you that this was a man who liked to laugh, even if you were yet to hear it in the workplace.
He wore an equally tired smile, however, it brightened when you addressed him directly and you wondered if he thought hi would ignore his presence. If that was maybe what he was used to, and that thought didn’t sit well with you.
“Oh yeah? Let me guess… you enjoy a bottle of wine on most nights?”
“Or two,” he countered, making you laugh.
Honestly, you couldn’t understand why he was considered the black sheep of the firm. From everything you had seen and heard, he wasn’t the money grabbing type and maybe that was the reason for him being a pariah, but that wasn’t a reason to brush him off or avoid him outright.
“Y’know… people will talk if they see you chatting with me.” Higuruma crossed an arm over his chest, a defensive gesture if ever you saw one.
You hummed in thought. Not that you really cared what people had to say about you. “I think I can make my own decisions on who I should and should not speak with. Are you always this cautious?”
“Some might say I have no caution at all.”
“Then why are you trying to warn me off?”
Higuruma’s eyebrows rose into his hairline, a plume of smoke emitted from between his pursed lips to momentarily obscure his face. “Didn’t realise I was under cross-examination. You’ll go far,” he mused before crushing out the remnants of his smoke and bringing out a packet of mints from his pocket.
“I don’t know about that… this career isn’t exactly what I anticipated.”
He waited, sensing there was more you wanted to share, and he had no desire to scare you away or shut you down prematurely. You couldn’t put your finger on the reason why you wanted to confide in him, perhaps you felt some kind of kindred spirit in him but that would be foolish having known him all of five minutes.
“Higuruma, do you fancy a coffee? My treat,” you offered in a rush. Embarrassed by how nervous you were to ask at your big age, and more so worried that he would refuse you flat out.
“I’d like that, but there is something I’d like much more.”
You held your breath, not knowing what he could possibly wish for more. He chuckled at your look of concern, stepping forward to offer you a mint from his pack.
“I’d really like to know your name.”
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animeyanderelover · 7 months ago
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Anon: Yandere Johnathan, Dio, Joseph, Caesar, Wammu, Jotaro, Josuke, Giorno and Jolyne Headcannons with a Female Tanjiro Reader? She’s kind, compassionate and fights to protect, save others and find a cure for her sister to turn her back into a human (She’s also a very hard working individual).
Tw: Yandere themes, toxic relationship, possessive behavior, obsession, delusional behavior, clinginess, overprotective behavior, stalking, paranoia, manipulation, blackmail, guilt-tripping, gaslighting, isolation, abduction, death
To fit this theme better into the JoJo verse, darling’s sister is a vampire instead of a demon.
Tags: @simplydlightfuldestiny @flaming-vulpix
Darling is like Tanjiro
Jonathan Joestar
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💍Given your brave and kind personality, it is no wonder that Jonathan falls head over heels for you. Both of you fight side by side as his adopted brother Dio starts plotting his evil schemes with the new powers given to him by the stone mask. Your sister was one of the many victims that was turned by him yet somehow she retained her control and her heart as Dio didn't take over her mind. Despite Zeppeli's caution and advice that he should free your sister of her suffering, Jonathan is moved to tears as he witnesses the determination and love you have for your younger sister, solely led by his emotions as he offers to help you. After all your sister is very tame despite having been turned into a monster by Dio and hides during the day in a box you crafted for her. Both of you are trained together by Zeppeli in Hamon and join forces in order to put a stop to Dio's craving for power and to find a cure to turn your sister back into a normal human again.
💍​One would think that Jonathan should know best about your talents as he has trained together with you yet he falls fast and he falls fast, leaving him with the constant taste of fear and worry lingering on his mind and in his heart. Whenever a battle ensues, he always tries to shield you and to protect you out of fear that you might get hurt. Whenever he loses sight of you, his heart drops as paranoia quickly takes hold of him. He suffers the loss of his father and eventually the loss of Zeppeli and all of it only enforces his growing obsession as even his teacher ultimately dies, proving in his mind that even with all of your strength you can still fall during this battle. As someone who was raised to be nothing but a gentleman, it is his desire to cherish and to protect you yet he seems to overlook that his noble gestures to protect you are received as an insult from your side as you think that he is underestimating your strength. Whenever you confront him about it though, he shies away from the conflict, hating the thought of arguing with his sweetheart.
💍​Instead whenever conflict arises between you two, he tries to appease you in whatever way he can. At this point it is painfully obvious how he feels for you and Jonathan isn't even trying to hide it from you. He wants to treat you well and he does exactly that. In his mind fate must have brought you too together as both of you met, struck with tragedy inflicted upon the two of you by Dio. Sometimes his obsessive thoughts plague him and the shame comes crushing down on his heart yet more often he is prone to those delusional phases where he thinks of your meeting as destiny. The young Joestar heir has already plans to ask you for your hand in marriage as soon as both of you have won against Dio. He initially plans to ask you after peace has returned but depending on how paranoid and desperate he gets, he might even ask you beforehand if you'd do him the honor of letting him be your husband. He promises that he will worship you and do everything in his power to protect you and your sister.
Joseph Joestar
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🦾​Joseph, Caesar and you form a trio when the Pillar Men appear as you have your own motivation for fighting them. During the expedition that Speedwagon took due to the rumored existence of other Stone Masks your sister, who was part of the team that accompanied him, was transformed into a vampire and you reunite with her during your first encounter with Stroheim who kept her alongside with Speedwagon captive. You are quite different from Joseph who relies on his wits and runs away when he realises that his situation looks helpless whilst you always stand your ground to save even those who do not deserve it even if you are only inches away from death. Multiple times he has sworn to not help you if you were to get in another such tense situation yet he has never had the heart to abandon you, leaving him no choice but to return and trick his way somehow out of the danger. Joseph always wants to scold you after every stunt you pull yet you always thank him with such a sincere look on your face that he doesn't have the heart to do so.
🦾​You are sometimes really too good for your own good as well as his own good yet despite the differences between you two, Joseph finds himself growing very attached to you and he knows that. Although he tries to hide his growing feelings, to people like Caesar it is quite obvious that he has caught feelings for you. Whenever there is a fight, he seems much more willing to fight and show off somehow but only when you are watching. Not to mention that he has gotten more hostile towards Caesar as he knows that that man has to flirt with every young woman within his vicinity, including you. He comes up with the most random bullshit to annoy you two only to interfere as soon as he notices that Caesar tries to flirt with you or simply just makes soma gagging sounds to distract you from him. Caesar might as well see it as a challenge as he openly admits to Joseph that he doesn't think that he would make a good partner for you. From that day on Joseph comes up with the most ridiculous things to keep you occupied with him.
🦾​Whilst it may appear like a bit of a cheap method, the fact that Speedwagon is looking out for your sister whilst you are helping to hunt down the Pillar Men in search of a cure is something Joseph uses to his advantage. After all he is quite close with Speedwagon so he likes to brag about it if he gets the chance. Throughout the entire time you three spend together, he starts slowly resenting your determination to help others though. He wouldn't call himself inherently a bad guy but he is also not someone who would willingly risk his life for some random stranger. You are the complete opposite as you always want to save everyone, something that sometimes isn't possible. He doesn't want you to lay down your life for random people, as noble as some people may think that is. In his mind it is simply stupid so during fights he starts actively dragging you away when he realises that the threat is too much to handle. He wants to live and he wants you to live as well. It is as simple as that. You want to see your sister being turned back to a human again, right? You won't witness that if you're dead.
Caesar A. Zeppeli
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🫧​Lisa Lisa sends you as reinforcement during the earliest confrontation with the Pillar Men and whilst Joseph is initially gawking at you and wonders what you plan to add to the team, Caesar quickly shuts him up and apologises to you. Joseph truly has no manners when it comes to treating a pretty lady, plus he has utmost trust in his teacher so he has confidence in you. From the very beginning Caesar always favors you and treats you very well, although it is to be expected. As you join in the fights though and he gets to see just how much kindess and compassion you hold in your soul, his feelings deepen more and more. He truly admires your willpower and your determination to help people in need even if those people have threatened you before. Joseph, shrewd despite his sometimes stupid decisions, obviously notices the feelings of his rivals and starts teasing him about it. He goes too far when he tells you that Caesar catches feelings easily for women, something that almost ends in a fight between those two if it wouldn't have been for you stopping them.
🫧​His disdain for Joseph grows after that. How dare he even suggest to you that his feelings aren't sincere? Caesar urges you to not believe anything Joseph has told you as he swears to you that his feelings are sincere. When you three return to the island owed by Lisa Lisa, Caesar finds out about your sister that his teacher has kept safe during your absence. Initially he is very alerted as he doesn't trust your sister. She could pose a threat and harm you after all, even if she is also a lady. He knows that you would never let him harm her though as even Lisa Lisa assures him that she is different from the rest. After his wariness fades away, he can't help but wonder why you have never told him about her existence though. Do you not trust him? He immediately seeks you out to ask you about what has happened in your past and presses on even as you hesitate for a moment. When you eventually decide to tell him your tragic past, his heart starts bleeding for you. You poor thing have gone through so much...
🫧​After he has been entrusted with your path, he only starts feeling more protective about you. You are a woman too pure for everything you had to endure and it is your outstanding kindness that has him growing slowly more paranoid. He has seen terrible people in his life, people who would abuse your compassion and earnest desire to save others. He could never forgive someone if someone would stomp on your kindness and he could never forgive himself if he were to let anything happen to you. Caesar starts sticking close to you from that moment on, always paranoid when he isn't near you and can protect you. Obviously you address his smothering overprotective antics but you only get a lovesick smile in return and a kiss on your knuckles as he murmurs that he could never allow anything to harm you. In his eyes you deserve the world and nothing less after all the pain you had to go through and he intends to give the world to you. He is truly in love with you and in his eyes it is normal to protect the lady he plans to make his wife and spend his life with.
Wammu
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🌪️​You are there together with Joseph and Caesar when the Pillar Men awaken and even if Wammu is far above you when it comes to strength, you refuse to back down. Even if you stand no chance against him, you stand time and time up again and he can tell that you put your all into this battle. There is a drive behind your eyes, a determination that keeps you going even if you shouldn't be able to stand anymore. It is that fire in your eyes that has his heart skipping a few beats as he proudly proclaims you as someone truly brave and worthy and even expresses gratitude that he was able to meet someone like you as soon as he has awakened. He almost doesn't want to kill you and Joseph, who has caught wind of Wammu's fascination with you, uses that partially to convince Wammu to let him and the others live for now so that they can return stronger. Wammu takes the bait, especially because he is eager to see how much stronger you will be the next time he sees you. You have the potential and willpower after all.
🌪️​His thoughts always seem to be around you as he eagerly and almost impatiently waits for the time to come and Kars and Esidisi sense his troubled feelings. Kars just bluntly advises him to take you if he desires you but Wammu refuses to use such underhanded methods as he prides himself as a strong and honorable warrior. So he chooses to challenge you when you find your way to him again to save Caesar as the young man impulsively storms into their hideout. As soon as you see how heavily wounded Caesar is, you are instantly willing to sacrifice yourself to save him and that is when Wammu offers you a deal. If you duel him and win, he will not only let Caesar go but also give you the antidote in his lip ring, something Joseph needs if he wants to survive. If you lose, he is free to do what he wants with you. You take the offer without a doubt and put a magnificent battle, even if he ultimately bests you. Even as you are bleeding heavily, you refuse to give up though and out of respect he not only lets Caesar live but gives him the antidote but takes you with him as you still lost and you accept it without throwing a tantrum.
🌪️​He caters instantly to your wounds as soon as he has taken you with a gentleness you didn't expect from a Pillar Man. After he has bandaged all of your wounds he decides to ask you what it is that motivates you so greatly and why you were so determined to find his kind. Initially you look at him silently and just as he is about to assure you that you don't have to tell him, you decide to open up. You confess to him that your sister was turned into a vampire due to a Stone Mask and that you had heard that his kind had invented them and so you had hoped to find a cure for her. Hearing your motivation truly only manifests you as a noble and honorable human as a warm feeling of pride spreads in his chest. It is in that moment that he decides that he desires to have you as his partner, though he is aware that you two stay on different sides of this current battle. Yet he sincerely wishes to help you so he makes another suggestion. He will help you to heal your sister but in return he asks of you to stay by his side as his lover in the future and remain loyal to him and he promises in return to cherish and love you until the end of time.
Kujo Jotaro
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🚬​You join the crusaders during their long and difficult travels to reach Egypt and DIO somewhere along the way. Your first encounter with them almost ends in a big fight when your sister escapes during the night and crosses paths with Jotaro who initially mistakes her as another minion of DIO. You arrive just in time and throw yourself in front of her, fully prepared to take all of Star Platinum's punches to protect your little sibling only for his Stand to stop in the last second. When the rest of the group arrives, you find yourself able to explain the situation you are in and since you have the same goal as everyone, you decide to join them with your own respective Stand. Jotaro clarifies to you from the very beginning though that if your sister should ever turn attack them and let her instincts get the better of her, he will have to get rid of her. You manage to hold his stern gaze though and reassure him that it won't happen as your sister is different from the others.
🚬​As all of you continue their journey, Jotaro learns to value you as a member of the team. You are strong and even your sister joins the fights when there is no sunlight around. Although he will openly admit that your very idealistic goals to protect everyone are at times quite exhausting and both of you have gotten into a few fights already. Jotaro has less problems sacrificing a few people if it can't be helped and reprimands you for your silly daydreams that you will always be able to save everyone only for you to get mad at him and call him heartless in return. What you don't seem to realise is that Jotaro's harshness and rude words are born out of a growing worry he feels for you the longer you are part of the Crusaders. He won't grieve random people he couldn't save in time but you are no random stranger to him. You are someone he has learnt to value and respect and he won't just watch as you throw yourself in danger over and over again to save someone who doesn't deserve it as you even express kindness to their opponents, though only after they have been beaten.
🚬​The tension only grows the closer you get to your destination and the more you are put through. Jotaro's obsession at this point has already gotten to the point of no return and he knows that yet he hides it, clueless on how to even act on those feelings. Although they do slip out in the very unpleasant shape of growing oppression and control he starts to keep on you. He has had enough with your antics by now to the point where he even tries to remove you from the scene to prevent you from trying to play hero again. Star Platinum, his Stand, has started acting on Jotaro's obsession as well and shows the feelings the man is trying to suppress much more openly. If you are within vicinity, it will suddenly grab you and pull you instinctively closer to it, much to Jotaro's slight embarrassment as he doesn't plan to tell you of his feelings. You won't be involved in theit final battle, he already knows that you would end up sacrificing yourself for someone else. Don't worry though, he will keep his promise and find a cure for your sister. He isn't as heartless as you claim him to be after all.
DIO
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🕰️​He feels like he is seeing a ghost of someone in you he has despised so much to the point where he feels the need to eradicate even the ancestors of said person. That's right. There is a resemblance of Jonathan DIO sees in you and whether it is his own petty hatred or a dormant fear he holds against the only man who ever beat him, he perceives you as a threat. He wants you gone and all of his minions are begging him to let them take care of you yet you have caught his attention to the point where he wishes to take care of you himself. Yet one of his pawns would not listen to him and assaults you themselves nevertheless only to be beaten by you and your sister. DIO couldn't care less about their death but it is the report that a vampire fought by your side that catches his attention. He's the only one who creates vampires. How is it then that someone who should obey him is fighting side by side with you? It seems like he can't just simply kill you after all. Instead he orders his pawns to gather information about you and the vampire fighting by your side.
🕰️​It doesn't take long for his minions to find what he wants to know as they are more than eager to please him however they can. Apparently your sister was turned into a vampire by one of his pawns he can't even remember and you are searching for him to demand for a cure to turn your sister back into a human. That's his chance. DIO can barely suppress the diabolical grin on his face as he realises that he could probably break you by tormenting you by using your sister against you. If he can gain control over her and order her to attack you, he is sure that he can break you down. As soon as you reach his hideout, his minions ambush you and even though you put up a brave fight, ultimately you are captured. His presence frightens you, he can tell as much by the way your heart hammers inside your chest yet you refuse to let any of your fear show as you stare him right into his eyes as he gloats about your loss, already suggesting with an evil gron on his face what he plans to do now that he has you and your sister.
🕰️​Yet you are so stubborn and headstrong and so is your sister as he is unable to gain control of her nor can he break you. He has always taken what he has wanted yet strangely enough he doesn't find himself displeased. Instead he revels in your unwavering determination and your immunity to fall for his charm, something that has brought countless men and women to their knees. After all the harder something is to obtain, the sweeter the taste of victory will be. He finds himself desiring to break you and then to possess you and to achieve that, he commits truly horrible deeds all to trigger your mental breakdown. He may force himself sexually on your sister whilst forcing you to watch or the other way around, will blackmail and threaten you to expose your sister to the sunlight and so many other things that should tear you apart yet even through your greatest sorrow and grief, that spark in your eyes never disappears. It frightens him a bit, confuses him to why you don't give up. Why do you persist? Wouldn't it be easier for you to just drown in your misery? You really are special, aren't you?
Higashikata Josuke
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💎​Josuke is hotheaded and enjoying his life and his youth. He is quite passionate about showing his feelings which is why he has no real way to cover up his growing infatuation with you as he quickly descends down the stairs of obsession. Above all it is your kind and compassionate attitude that has won him over and he greatly admires you for the strong and forgiving person that you are. You even complimented his hair when you met for the first timw which only added fuel to the inferno. Due to his openess to express his feelings though, Josuke has no lid on his emotions which means that he has no real way to control him. He isn't even attempting to control them in the first place and this has led him to be quite volatile depending on how he feels. Whether he is euphoric or enraged, he will act on those emotions. His infatuation has made him quite clingy which is why he often follows you around and always desires to be with you as his mood is otherwise quite grumpy which means that he is quite easily angered.
💎​Okuyasu calls him one night and informs him that he has seen a strange person sneaking inside your house as he just happened to pass by and instantly Josuke is alarmed. He ignores his mother's confused questions as he rushes to your house in the middle of the night and pounds against the door, his heart hammering against his chest in fear. When you don't answer, he instantly assumes the worst and Crazy Diamond quicly destroys your door only to instantly repair it. He looks fully prepared to murder the strange woman he finds in your house but you arrive just in time to stop him and his stand from attacking her. With no ther choice left but to tell him the truth, you tell him that the person is your sister and your tragic backstory about how she was turned into a vampire and how you are desperately searching for a cure. A part of Josuke reacts quite intrigued because whilst he knows about the existence of stands, he has never known about the existence of vampires, although he also expresses his concern about your safety.
💎​When he realises how much you wish to turn your sister back into a human, his heart instantly melts and he promises to help you however he can. It is his duty as your boyfriend to make his girlfriend happy after all. You do not quite know what he is talking about, although you obviously have noticed the obvious crush he has on you. What you don't know as of now is that Josuke has gone genuinely delusional with his love for you to the point where he already thinks that both of you share the same love for each other. Even if the situation isn't pleasant for you, he sees this as his chance to shine and to make you love him even more than you already do in his mind. He starts speculating pretty soon that perhaps his own Stand Crazy Diamond could be the solution to all of your problems and the idea that he can be your hero excites him as he rambles to you about his idea. He truly feels like you two were meant to meet because what are the chances that he would have the perfect solution to turn your sister back into a normal human.
Giorno Giovanna
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🐞​You have joined the Mafia a while ago yet you have quickly risen through the ranks. You are earnest and hardworking and hate to let people down, always set on fulfilling the missions you are entrusted with. On the other hand it is also that the Don favors you that you have gained so much in such a short time and his feelings for you only seem to get stronger the longer he gets to know you. You are the kindest soul he has ever met as you do not tolerate the abuse of power by others and refuse to follow orders if they go against your own set of morales. You have gone even as far as to sometimes suggest to Giorno himself that he could do something to better the way of the Mafia and if you would have been anyone else, he wouldn't have tolerated it with a genuine smile and a promise to consider your advice. Giorno isn't oblivious to his feelings and he isn't surprised either that he fell for you as hard as you did. Your kindness and compassion resemble the rays of sunshine and he knows that he wants that warmth for himself.
🐞​You have never really elaborated on your private life even if he questioned you gently about it. You may be able to fool others but not Giorno who has dedicated so much time to observe you and memorise your every reaction and emotion you have shown around him. You are hiding something from him, something that burdens you. You deserve better than that and whilst he recognises that you probably don't wish to worry him as you probably assume that he is already busy enough with his duties as the Don, you don't seem to understand that he sees his duties in catering to your needs and every worry just as much. With connections throughout the entire country, very soon he finds out sacred information you never wanted him to know. He soothes you as soon as you figure out what he has done as you feel like he has broken your trust as he gently holds your trembling hands and promises you in a gentle tone that he only wishes to help you. He already knows everything but won't you tell him yourself?
🐞​He promises you to protect your sister and keep her identity hidden just as much as he promises you to find a cure for her. Even if he knows that he has partially broken your faith in him by invading your personal life and finding out something you don't want anything to know, he would lie if he would claim that he feels guilty. Instead he feels like he understands you even better now than he understood you before as he now knows more about your personal motives for joining Passione. Not only that but he is not above realising how much control he would hold over you by using your biggest weakness in form of your sister against you. It is quite a cheap move and he knows that yet he will do what he must do to protect you and to keep you for himself. He cares too much to lose you after all. He is genuine when he swears to you that he really plans to find a cure for your sister. You should be prepared though that he will demand something in return from you for his assistance and it'll most likely be the first step to make you his forever.
Cujoh Jolyne
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🪢​Jolyne and you meet in Green Dolphin Street as both of you were labeled as criminals. She has been betrayed by her ex who decided to blame the accident and the death of the car accident on her and you have been locked away because you have a history of breaking into rich and important people's houses, although you have never stolen something. Unfortunately you were caught and had been unfortunate enough to get caught by an especially unpleasant couple who made sure to lock you away for good. Both of you recognise that neither one of you is a bad person though and you hit it off quite well with each other. Her tough personality she likes to put on is something you learn to live with as you can kind of guess that she does this to hide her own vulnerability. You talk about all sorts of things as you spend your time together in jail as you treat her with kindness and respect. Something that makes her heart very flustered, although she doesn't want to admit it.
🪢​Jolyne has never been exposed to much kindness in her life as her own father has largely neglected her during her youth and so she is like a dry sponge who eagerly absorbs any kindness and compassion you give her. It is no wonder that you have her wrapped around your finger as quick as you do as she grows increasingly possessive and clingy. She is selfish about any kind word and any minute you can give her as she is very prone to jealousy as soon as you give your attention and sweetness to someone else but she doesn't care about such things, if she even recognises the wrongness of her feelings to begin with. she is just desperate for all of your attention and affection and doesn't shy away from beating someone up with her stand Stone Free to get rid of any unpleasant pesk who tries to get between you and her. You also join her when she plans to break out and she doesn't even have to beg you as you quickly agree. She is dear to you after all. A statement that turns her harsh facade to mush.
🪢​It is only a while later though that you confess to her that you have another reason for breaking out. You have a little sister who was turned into a vampire and you have been searching for clues how to cure her, hence why you broke into people's houses who you suspected to have something useful. Jolyne has rather mixed emotions when you tell her. On the one hand she does feel sorry for you and can understand your desire to help your sister. All of that doesn't compare to her jealousy though and even some part of her can admit that this is quite petty from her. It's your own sister after all, someone who would pose no threat as a possible rival. Jolyne's obsession goes beyond the simple jealousy of romantic rivals though. She strives to be the most important woman and person in your life and desires to have all of your attention and love for herself so your sister is still perceived as a rival as she wonders who you would choose if you had to do so. For now she has you for herself though and she tries to push the gnawing jealousy out of her mind, although she grows much more touchy as you work on breaking out of prison.
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muffinsin · 9 months ago
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I have a request, with absolutely no rush! Say the sisters get ahold of Donna's pollen and use it on the staff. Most staff have their fear amplified which is fun, except one. How do you think the Dimitrescu Sisters would each react to using it on a maid that ends up admitting she likes them?
Now, this one’s very interesting!👀 Let’s get right to it!
Masterlists
Bela
She has a relationship based on mutual respect with most of the staff members
She is not overly hostile towards them. In return, the same goes for the staff’s behaviour towards her
Tasks are completed more or less eagerly, and throughout, away from the constant fear of dying at every little opportunity
There is no complaint when working for her, and in return, she leaves those doing good work be
Those who do not respect her, learn to fear her
Either way any emotion, really, is rare to come by between the staff members and the Dimitrescu heiress
Normally, this doesn’t require any proof
However, Bela is rather fond of control. And proof. She wants to know all that is going on. All feelings, and all possible conspiracies
As such, she has talked to Donna regarding just a small yearly sample of a pollen stemming from a particularly powerful flower
With her wish granted, this pollen is used, a little bit each month, to check in whether the staff is up to something
Feelings and thoughts are revealed
Often, fear comes to the surface and Bela must deal with hysterical, crying, screaming and begging staff members
She never assures them she won’t harm them, but never lays a finger on them, either. Not without reason. She knows, maids will become somewhat scarce to come by if they keep dying within months of working at the castle. Something she scolds her younger sisters for in particular
Yes, indeed, fear is something she is well versed in
Sometimes, at rare times, instead of fear, respect is displayed
Those are quick to earn Bela’s favour and are granted somewhat immunity from her sisters. Alas, respect and trust is impossibly faked with the pollen clouding a person’s mind
When you are summoned, she is visibly curious. There is no point hiding her curiosity, after all
She doesn’t know a lot about you
You’re tense, knowing what is about to happen. That true feelings and thoughts are about to be spilled
She wonders, will the pollen betray you and portrait hidden hatred?
Bela smirks as the pollen is blown in your face, your eyes immediately a little brighter, your posture slacking, your fingers twitching with the need for more
Her smirk falters however, when one appears on your face
“Lady Bela…”, you slur out, and she raises an eyebrow as you step towards her
Do you really believe you could take her on in a fight? Pathetic!
She crosses her arms when you move forwards, her eyebrow raised challengingly
However, you don’t assault her
Instead, Bela finds herself blushing a deep crimson all the way to the tips of her ears when you cup her cheek and set your other hand to her waist
She understands in an instant. You mean no attack. No violent one, anyway
Her flies buzz anxiously as you lean in, your eyes heavy and gaze piercing, your lips pursed slightly
Just like that, she feels your warm breath against her plump lips
“You’re so beautiful…”, you whisper
She feels a shiver run up her spine
In an instant, a hundred thoughts run through her head
Why do you like her? It certainly isn’t the first time she has caught someone’s eye, yet for someone to be this bold, even under the pollen’s influences?
What about her mother? Alcina would hardly approve of such a thing. Bela knows not to get entangled with the staff. With mortals
She knows and remembers Mother’s chiding words, spoken to her after her first heartbreak
Is she no better than her sisters? Getting fancy with the staff?
Oh, but when your lips surprise her by boldly pushing against hers, all these thoughts suddenly seem to fall away
Nothing but a gasp and a small whimper is pulled from her when you pull back again after a few seconds, the need to inhale air so soon again far too great for a little mortal
She gasps in surprise when she feels her hip being squeezed, as though affectionately
“I-I’ve alwaay’s wanted to do th’at”, you slur out, a lazy smile on your lips
Curse the wicked blush your words inflict on her
Cassandra
She has many titles given to her by the staff. Monster. Beauty. A bad omen. An omen of death. The devil. The torturer
She loves it
After all, what better feeling is there, than to be feared?
Oh, and she wants just that
Cassandra doesn’t care for admiration. For glory. For love among the maids
She doesn’t seek such things from lowlifes, as she often likes to refer to the staff members as
No, she wants to be feared
She crackles with delight at the raw fear she tastes in their blood, the fast beating hearts and hushes of conversations coming to an end when she nears them
Yes, she is respected. Because she is feared
And she is quick to demonstrate why she should be feared. Ah, she is eager for it, almost
Cassandra is very aware of how a staff member sees her
Most are doing a horrible job hiding it, anyway
However, there’s you, too. You, who never quite lets on what you feel towards her
Respect? Certainly. You’ve not once sneered at her. Doing as much would prove to be a death sentence anyway
Yet, you haven’t once done anything at all regarding her. No smile. No sneer. No nothing
She notices your glances her way, and yet, you never quite look away as fast as others when she turns to you
One second. Almost precisely so, until you turn away
Just enough to confirm: you have been looking at her
Your feelings are a mystery to her, and it draws her in
She yearns to understand you. To find out what feelings you harbour for her
As such, she visits Donna regarding some of her flowers. Specifically, their pollen
She wants to find out your true thoughts and emotions, in any way possible
As such, it takes only a little bit of bargaining and persuasion to get what she’s looked for; pollen, just a handful, enough to reveal what you feel
She smirks when she corners you the next day already, her gloved first clenched with the pollen hidden inside
You haven’t even got time to ask what is going on before powdery yellow pollen is blown in your face, obscuring your vision for a mere moment before it returns back to normal
Cassandra waits in anticipation. Her eyes glisten, her fingers twitch and clench around the handle of her sickle every other second
She’s visibly excited
Will you cower before her? Fight her? Admire her?
Your eyes, however, hold determination. What for, she wonders?
You don’t reek of fear like the others, she notices
Instead, Cassandra gasps when you boldly reach out and grasp the sickle, tugging hard enough to pull her close even when the blade pierces your skin
The scent lingering in the air has her groan, her dark pupils widening slightly, so only a thin line of gold is visible in her eyes
You bite your lip at the sight
As you cautiously raise your hand to put it on her waist, she watches with rapt attention
This is- curious
You seem to be studying her, as much as she studies you
Then, she gasps in surprise when her shoulder is kissed, gently even
“I have been yearning for you, Cassandra”, you admit at last
She shivers at the words, her flies buzzing beyond her control
The lack of her proper title riles her up, yet she can’t bring herself to strike you down
She is still left confused, despite your confession
While indulging in a few maids here and there, all know that fancying this sister leads to pain, ultimately
Judged by the cut on your hand, you don’t seem to mind, though
She shivers when the hand is raised to her cheek, her nose brushing up against your palm when she turns her head enough to lick the smeared, red blood
Her head is turned to you, and she smirks as you lean up, standing on your tiptoes, just enough to brush your lips against her chin
Poor thing… if only she leant down
She allows herself to stare a little longer, her hip tugged to no avail, as you practically beg her to lean down
At last, she humors you
As your lips push against hers, she can’t help but moan. Her chest aches, her cheeks heat up
Somehow, knowing it’s genuine is nearly overwhelming her
You like her. You do. The pollen assures her of this
The thought makes her head spin
Daniela
The staff’s opinions on her are incredibly different
Some lust after her. They notice the beauty the youngest Dimitrescu possesses and can’t help but yearn for a taste
Sometimes, she indulges them
Often, she is seen flirting, laughing, smiling beautifully
Many have fallen victim to her charms already, and many more are to come
Others see through this
They call her a black widow, a siren, the reason so many are lured in and killed. No one ever makes it out unharmed
Yes, some hate this sister
Of course, it would be foolish to show it openly
And still, Daniela notices the hateful glances and hushed whispers thrown her way, only to silent down and disappear when she’d do as much as turn her head
She couldn’t ever kill all who felt this way, it seems
And lastly, there are those deadly afraid of her
Terrified to the point of hyperventilating when she’d get near
She is a Dimitrescu, and that means death to most of the staff members
Respect is not in the picture. Not truly, and Daniela knows this
She yearns to get the same kind of respect her sisters do, yet it never seems to work
Is she polite and nice like Bela, they merely fall in love or prove their leash needs tightening. They misbehave and fail to see her as a leader. As their boss
Is she brutal and ruthless like Cassandra, they all cower in fear
Yet, there still is no one showing proper respect
But- there must be, no?
She decides, she wants to find out, and a small trip to Donna has her find exactly what she needs: pollen, from a flower capable of spilling the true feelings and intentions of whoever is targeted by the sickly, light green pollen
Eagerly so, she buys half a bag full of the special pollen, enough to interrogate all the staff members
After the first three subjects, Daniela questions why she even wanted this in the first place
All she has received so far was taunting words, hateful speeches, confessions of lust, eager hands attempting to touch what they should not, tears and begging, shaking and screaming for help
She has been called a monster, a siren, a beauty, a beast, a monstrosity, a mistake
Not a single one stood out. She truly is considering killing them all. Mother could replace them for her, after all
Then, there’s you, however
Unlike the others, you don’t immediately jump into action when affected by the pollen
You stand still, a light smile on your face, your eyes meeting hers
It’s rare for her to have someone look into her eyes. Even less so with such adoration
Slowly, you begin to move towards her
She resists the urge to move back again, her eyes narrowing and focused on your hands
If your intention is to touch what is not yours to touch, you’re not the only one. Those before you have attempted it and lost their limbs
However, you aren’t acting the same way as them
Instead of her hips and chest, your hands raise to her cheeks
She freezes for a moment, your hands wonderfully warm against her even warmer, light pink cheeks
With a sharp intake of her breath, she at last notices the emotion in your eyes, unclouded due to the pollen
It is not hatred, or ignorance. Not fear, or unhappiness. It’s not raw lust and perversion. It’s love. Admiration. Respect
She nearly loses herself in your eyes
If you love her, you must be her soulmate, no?
She’s the one to lean in and allow a kiss, and you are the one to reciprocate
She feels your love, in the gentleness you hold her cheeks with, in the soft gaze set on her, in the dreamy sigh when she pulls away for a moment and feels your breath on her painted lips
She holds your hand, and the sensation makes her feel lightheaded. She loves it
Daniela’s flies buzz excitedly when her hand is squeezed, the loving smile on your lips only for her to enjoy
“You love me!”, she decides for you
She’s happy, thrilled even
A lover, just for her! A genuine one!
Still, she doesn’t want your first day together to be under the pollen’s influence
She wants to hear you admit your feelings towards her, not be forced to do so
As such, she presses a gentle kiss to your lips again, and with her flies buzzing excitedly, she swarms off and away
She has a date to plan!
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ancha-aus · 6 months ago
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RealAgeAU Drabble - Alone
I am back! ( @spotaus almost forgot you this time woops)
I am gonna be real. I spend quite a while thinking about what I wanted to write next in this little series. And I realised I hadn't had a Nightmare POV drabble in a while!
So we are back to Nightmare :3
First Drabble. Prev Drabble. Next Drabble.
This is a look into what Nightmare had been up to and how he personally took to the changes he went through.
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He hates this.
He hates this he hates this he hates this-
Nightmare shakes his skull. It feels... weird. All of this is weird. He doesn't... He normally isn't this emotional right? It is starting to become hard to remember how it was before.
He hates how he feels.
He is Nightmare!
Terror of the muliverse! The unwanted twin...
He strikes fear in the souls of monsters! Everyone hates him and wants him gone...
Leader of the Gang! Younger brother of Dream...
Bringer of negativity! Untrusted, unwanted and unloved...
He is Nightmare! He is never enough...
And Nightmare doesn't feel like this! This... this... afraid useless powerless ... this way.
Another cold wind and his whole body shivers in the cold. Nightmare is quick to tug himself behind some boxes and pulls the hoody closer around him.
He hates being out in the open. Being in the open risks him being seen and when people see him they will try and hurt him again they will realise he is no longer his powerful self and...
His mind freezes at the implications of what will happen when people realise how powerless he is now. They will realise that Nightmare is weak and they will take revenge.
Revenge on all that he did. Revenge on defending himself.
It would be deserved. It would be deserved.
Nightmare shakes his skull again. Those thoughts... They keep coming back. Things that he hadn't thought about in ages. Thinking in ways he hadn't thought about in ages. Nightmare had thought... he thought that was in the past. Just like being weak and powerless was in the past.
Aparently not. As his form had shrunk to be so small. Nightmare thinks he is just under three feet. Back to the length he had been all those years ago. the same body he had had all those years ago. Even the hold wounds and pains had returned.
Ironic that the wound that would have killed him became healed and hidden but everythign else was still there. as if it had been frozen while he had been older.
Nightmare tugs the hoody tighter around him. It is too big but that is alright. It is warm and soft and makes him feel a bit better he feels safe in it. Even if he knows it doesn't make sense. It jsut brings him comfort.
Hell if Dust finds out he stole from him...
The villagers never reacted well to Nightmare having anything. Even things that Dream had gifted him had been taken and destroyed. He doesn't deserve to have things he likes after all. And Nightmare has quite a few things he really likes at the moment.
The hoody, his book, the old backpack and his feel tools to survive on his own.
Nothing truly compared to what he had managed to make before, when the apples gave him power. But yet... this means more...
It is starting to get hard to remember how to think and plan. The longer he is in this form... his old form... the before apple form. The harder it becomes for him to rationalise and think how his older self used to think.
Which... isn't promising.
Still. He came with a mission. And that is food.
Nightmare glances around the corner and down the street. This is some Lustverse universe. Nightmare can't quite feel and sense the differences anymore but he knows the basics.
If he had known that so many of his powers and skills would disappear he would have grabbed his book with the muliverse verses summaries.
Nightmare had figured he hadn't needed it as he knows the multiverse and can sense things. Oh how he had been the fool on that.
At least the balance wasn't demanding his attention and foucs every five seconds now. that makes it a bit easier to plan with his now much more limited attention span and problem solving skills.
Back to the matter at hand. Lustverse. He specifically went here because most of the Lustverses have a deep wish for children and so a deep care. Even if they are... X-rated.
Nightmare takes a deep breath and looks into the distance and his destination. Grillby's.
Yes. He knows what Grillby's is in these universes, and yes he knows he runs into the risk of running into this universes Sans or Papyrus which will just spell trouble.
However he much prefers to go to these locations as it is less populated and generally friendlier.
He pulls the hood up and goes towards the building. No bouncers near the enterance but then again it isn't like they have children or underaged people in these areas.
Nightmare goes inside and makes sure to keep staring down as much as he can. He only glances around once to locate the bar where he can get food and goes straight there.
Oh how he dislikes being here. Too many people. Maybe he shouldn't have gone to this universe. He will stand out too much. But people won't attack him either as he is a child... he will be safe here...
He gets to the bar and with some light difficulty manages to climb up the chair enough. No one really notices as everyone focusses on the main stage and leer and shout some very pointed comments.
Nightmare doens't feel comfortable hearing those things either and realises he never felt comfortable about these things. Even when he was still an adult and others joked with him about these type of things. Had... had he always still been... like this at his core?
Problem to think about for later. Now he has to order.
The Grillby of this universe looks at him and waits.
Nightmare doesn't feel so certain about this anymore but still he asks "What... what is on the menu?"
Grillby pauses and shoots him a weird look but Nightmare just hides further into the hoody. Thanking his lucky stars that Dust's left over magic makes it so that the hood hides his face.
Grillby ends up pushing a menu over. Nightmare glances down and feels his skull explode with warmth. That is the WRONG menu!
Nightmare looks away from it and stares at the bar as he pushes it back "I meant... food... menu..." He didn't remember that wrong right?! These places also sell food right? Even if it is more snack food?!
Grillby doesn't say anything but Nightmare doesn't dare to look up. He feels tense and keeps glancing back at where the door is. Getting out is easy enough but he wouldn't know where to go after and-
The menu is pulled away and a new one is pushed into his hand. nightmare glances and lets out a sigh of relieve as he sees actual food! only to feel his hope sink as those prices are way too high!
Nightmare freezes as he stares down at the prices. Okay. okay this is fine. just. find the cheapest thing!
He focusses on the menu and searches for the most promising item to buy. He knows he is pulling a face at most of the prices. 150G?! 160G?! What even is this capitalism?!
Eventually he gets to the snack section and isn't too happy wiht it. Snacks aren't good for mortals and kids.. so not good for him. but he needs to eat. the finger food looks okayish... 60G is still a lot but Nightmare will just have to accept it.
His magic is too low to make another jumb and stealing anything is a sure way to get him to be noticed. He searches for his pocket and takes out his bag of gold. He opens it and starts counting the gold coins.
Nightmare mutters the numbers softly to himself. He had been starting to notice that it was getting harder and harder to do certain things. one of them is counting higher numbers. counting out loud helps a tiny bit.
he finishes counting at 54 and freezes. No. no no no no no!
Nightmare pulls the bag closer and starts to recount the gold. come on. please.
54 again.
Nightmare feels his socket start to itch but forces himself to keep it in. don't cry. you are not a crybaby. there is no use to cry over soemthing this stupid. if you cry people will see your weakness and use that.
Nightmare pushes the menu back and mutters "Sorry for wasting your time." He gets ready to hop off the barstool-
"Wait."
Nightmre freezes when he sees a hand reach for him and he flinches away. only to fall backwards off the stool with a yelp.
He falls right on his tailbone and groans as it hurts a lot and holds it as he blinks through a new type of tears.
A gasp from above him and Nightmare looks up. Just to see Grillby stare in shock at him. Nightmare is confused before he realises that the hood is no longer on.
Panic.
run.
Nightmare immediantly grabs his hood and pulls it fully on again. He grabs his bag with gold and turns before sprinting towards the exit.
"Wait! It is okay!"
Nightmare doesn't turn around and reaches the exit and rushes outside. The cold hits him like wall and his magic and body both protest at it. it is too cold and he has too little energy and magic.
Some people shoot him looks and Nightmare feels the panic return. He takes a step back before rushing towards the side and disappearing between two buildings.
He runs for a while as he rushes between buildings. until he slips on some ice and falls hard.
aw...
He pushes himself back up with shaking arms and glares at the ground. He is a mess. He lost everything. he tried so hard but what did it matter? in the end nothing mattered. He just lost everything again.
A sob finally escapes him and he just rolls up. He hates everything. he hates himself.
Nightmare isn't sure how long he just lays there feeling miserable.
after all this time nothing changed. He didn't change. after 500 years of spreading negativity and learning. he is still just him. no wonder they left. He wouldn't want to be stuck with him either.
Footsteps.
Nightmare freezes and hugs hismelf tighter. no. no others.
"... kid?"
Ngihtmare feels his breathing pick up and he forces his body too move even if everythign hurts, seems like his double fall agitated his old wounds. he glances around and wiggles himself behind some garbage cans and goes quiet and still. They can't hurt him if they can't find him.
more footsteps and a soft blue glow fills the alleyway. it doesn't take long before Nightmare can see him. It seems that grillby had followed him. Grillby seems to be following the tiny marks left in the snow and stops by the spot where Nightmare had fallen.
A frown on the fire elemental as he touches the ice and- oh. there is blood there. Nightmare slowly raises his hand and touches his skull before feeling pain rush through him. he removes his hand and finds blood on it.
great, he got himself hurt.
Grillby looks to the side and Nightmare follows his sight and freezes at the very clear marks on where he went.
Grillby raises his head and stares right at him. Nightmare remains frozen right where he is as he feels himself shake and his bone start to rattle.
Grillby moves a hand and Nightmare flinches. Grillby immediantly freezes and moves his hand away "It is okay... i won't hurt you."
Nightmare just stares at him. Still shaking and now not just the panic and fear but also the cold. The hoody is warm but not enough to keep him warm. Probably because he grow up in a universe where it was forever spring and early summer.
Nightmare literally wasn't made for the cold.
Grillby inches closer and Nightmare pushes himself further back. The wall is freezing against his back and side but it is better than being near the other monster.
Grillby frowns "Where... where did you come from?"
Ngihtmare stares back. He doesn't have an answer for the other. Not one he wants to give.
Grillby frowns but pulls his bag over "You... you wanted food right?" he pushes the bag closer to him.
Nightmare feels hismelf eye the bag. He needs the food. He wants it so badly. The last time someone gave him food it had been a villager and the food had been drugged all so they could grab him and-
NIghtmare shakes his skull and pushes back further. Stay away.
Grillby frowns at him before trying to give a smile. "It is some of the food you had been looking at." he nudges the bag again.
Nightmare frowns and pushes further back as he glares. people don't just smile at him unless they want something from him. or want to trick him. He isn't falling for it. he swallows before speaking "I don't... have that much gold..." there. he can't pay for it.
Grillby just pushes the bag closer "It is okay. free of charge."
Nightmare glares at the other "No."
Grillby frowns "It is okay-"
Nightmare feels himself get angry and that breaks through the fear "I know you did something to it! leave me alone!"
Girllby looks pained and... pity.
Nightmare hates pity. Dream had stared at him wiht pity after he broke out. as if Dream pitied him for defending himself.
Grillby pulls the bag back over to himself and takes out some of the food. oh that is a sandwich and Nightmare feels his magic knit together and the hunger returns fullforce.
Grillby takes a moment to pull a piece of it and oh that is pulled beef in there and it looks so good. Grillby pops it into his mouth and swallows it.
and... nothing happened.
Nightmare keeps staring at the other as he waits. Nightmare knows from experience those things work very fast but nothing happens to the other.
Grillby lays it back on the paper and pushes it over "It is okay... it is just food."
Ngihtmare gulps as he stares at the food. He hadn't eaten for days at this point and ever since he left his castle three weeks ago he hadn't been eating anywhere near to enough. He reaches for the bag as he thinks. He just needs a little bit of food. just enough magic and he can teleport himself to an another universe. maybe he can get enough energy before whatever drug starts to work?
He gets the bag over to him and feels his resolve weaken quickly. mulitple sandwiches are in there. Nightmare grabs the one that Grillby had taste tested and takes a bite.
It tastes so good and his magic purrs as it finally gets some energy back after these last three weeks. the food demands his attention and nothing else matters right now. He takes bite after bite as his stomach fills up.
by the time half of it is gone he feels overfull and Nightmare knows he ate way too much. He feels so much better even if he is still cold and wet from the snow.
Grillby frowns at him "Is that all you will eat? You sure you don't want to eat more?"
Panic and suspicion returns nad Nightmare frowns at Grillby again. He waits a moment before nodding and pushing the bag of food back. including the half finished sandwich.
Grillby frowns and shakes his head "It is okay. Keep it for when you get hungry again... were are your... parent? parents?"
Nightmare glares "does it matter?"
Grillby smiles again and Nightmare doesn't feel any less suspicious of the other. Girllby nods "Well, yeah. I wanted to return you to them." and he waits.
Nightmare stares at him and feels spiteful "She died. She was murdered a long time ago. I don't have any family." not anymore. Not after his mother died. Not after he ruined everything and pushed Dream away from him. Not after the gang left and made it clear they didn't actually care.
Grillby just stares at him "You are alone?"
Ngihtmare shrugs "better like that..." no one can hurt him when he is alone. Maybe this was how it was meant to be. Maybe he was meant to be alone. Maybe that is for the better. No one wanted to be near him anyway. He should have seen that for the sign it was.
Grillby reaches a hand out "I am sure we can find some people to take care of you... I have a friend who is also a skeleton and-"
Nightmare shakes his skull and pusehs back "No."
Grillby raises both of his hands in surrender "That is okay... Then how about we go to my place again? There are rooms that you can use and-"
Nightmare glares at him "I am not going with you to a secondary location."
Grillby blinks before noddng "okay. that is okay. where do you want to go?"
Nightmare keeps glaring "I can get there myself."
Grillby looks deeply unhappy. Hah! Good! Nightmare has no doubt that the other was trying to lure him somewhere. But Nightmare isn't an idiot. He isn't just going to trust the other just because he was giving a bit of food.
Grillby sighs and nods "Okay... I need to go back. but if you need help just come by okay?" he smiles "I never caught your name. I am grillby."
Nightmare just looks at the other and raises a brow "That is because i didn't throw it." it just came out without a doubt. He had heard too many puns from the others when they all sitll lived together. He misses them.
Grillby blinks but chuckles "okay. take it easy okay? Get somewhere dry and warm and please just take the food and eat when you need it." he rises to his feet and leaves the alleyway. He pauses near the end for a moment "If you change your mind. You are welcome at Grillby's. We will figure out a safe spot for you okay?" and he leaves after a moment.
Nightmare waits for a bit more. long enough that he only hears the wind after a while and he is shaking in cold again. That is when he removes himself from his, very bad, hiding place and quickly goes towards the spot he had left most of his things. Taking the food with him.
He gets there and feels himelf relax a little bit.
But there is no time to let his guard down just yet. He needs to decide if he wants to risk sleeping here and being found now that people know he is here. Or move on to a new universe.
The new universe would mean a lot of time spend on finding a fitting place to stay again.
Ngihtmare sighs but quickly packs his things. better to be safe. he needs to go now he has the energy nad before this whole situation backfires on him. He is quickly packed and after making sure he got all his things and left zero marks of his stay he opens a portal.
It is so much harder than it used to be. He can also no longer make the long jumps to whatever universe he wants and can only go to the neighbouring universes.
a small and shaky portal of dark mist opens and Nightmare steps through.
Time for the next spot. maybe this one will work better.
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First Drabble. Prev Drabble. Next Drabble.
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pcrplevenom · 1 year ago
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⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒ 𝐓𝐚𝐠 𝐃𝐮𝐦𝐩; 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬/𝐀𝐔𝐬 ⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒
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pcrplevenom · 1 year ago
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Nodding as to confirm, she winced a little. Injuries to be checked over later, not right now. Soldan timidly hid behind Clive, a natural reaction to add. "She wore a lot of it, and some white as well. I didn't ask for a name either, I never bothered to anyway." cheeks puffed out, fins lowered. "The rest is foggy. I'm trying to get a better idea of what elsse I missed..."
@pcrplevenom II Moved from here
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"She..." The other trailed off, his brain running through the possiblities. He was pretty sure he already knew who it was though, given how she liked to treat others she deemed as below her. Still had to make sure though-
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"Was she wearing purple?"
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peaches2217 · 2 months ago
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In my verse, when it comes time for Expectant Mareach™️, Peach is adamant that the baby is a boy whereas Mario is confident that the baby is a girl, and they bicker over it constantly. When they get the anatomy scan, the doctor prints a picture of the baby that clearly shows the sex, but they don’t want to see it yet. They actually have Toadsworth look first. Toadsworth takes one look, immediately starts crying, and hands it back to them. And that’s how they find out they’re having a girl.
So with that said I would like to deliberately provoke your Expectant Mareach brain and ask how that same scenario plays out in your head: what are their thoughts leading up to finding out their baby is a girl? How do they find out? What are their respective reactions?
Live footage of me waiting for your answer:
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A quick warning: I'm pretty sure you've already heard all of this, so forgive me if I'm being redundant here. But I've got strong feelings about this scenario.
More under the cut!
When Mario was younger, he had a very vivid picture of his future: he would go into a successful career (didn’t matter what career, just anything he loved and was good at), meet a beautiful girl, give her a wedding fit for a queen, and have nine kids together, the first of whom would be a little girl that looked just like her mother. (Luigi would always have to remind him that the first order of business was choosing what sort of career he wanted, and then the rest would come later. Telling him to take a deep breath and lower his standards, of course, never worked.)
That old twenty-year plan is the farthest thing from his mind when Peach is getting prepped for her second-trimester scan. For that matter, they haven’t really discussed the matter of gender at all lately. The anxiety has been getting to Peach; her mother fell fatally ill while expecting her, and though she was ultimately born without complications, she’s scared to death that something will be wrong with their baby. What if it’s inherited the mystery illness that claimed her mother’s life? What if it has a bad heart or bad lungs or bad everything? What if there’s no heartbeat at all? What if nothing’s even there and those little ticklish movements she’s been feeling in her belly are all figments of her imagination?!
She knows most of these fears are illogical, and that if anything is wrong they’ll be able to address it quickly, so she’s been doing her best not to make a big deal of it… but she’s pregnant and hormonal and emotions are running high as is, Mario knows she’s struggling. He’s anxious too, but mostly the good, excited-type anxious, because his gut tells him everything’s okay, and his gut is rarely wrong! So he focuses his energy and efforts into keeping her calm until they have definitive answers.
The nurse is quick to assure Peach that her baby looks perfectly healthy. Everything looks and sounds like it’s supposed to at this stage! Peach’s fears melt into joy, and she finally stops constricting the blood flow in Mario’s hand, and he’s playfully reminding her that “I told you! You know Mario’s always right!” when the nurse asks Peach if she’d like to get a closer look at her.
Keyword: her.
“Her?”
“Her.” The nurse brings the screen closer to the pair, a congratulatory smile on her face. “Seems we’re looking at a little girl.”
Peach is so thrilled, eagerly chatting and commentating as the nurse reviews the sonogram with her, but it all fades into a background hum for Mario. He doesn’t even know he’s zoned out, much less why. He watches and listens and smiles, but there’s so many thoughts and feelings fighting for dominance in his head that they all cancel each other out, and even by the time they leave, all he can feel is numb.
Peach, naturally, picks up on this, and she pulls Mario into some shadowy corridor to ensure he’s alright. It’s only then, alone in relative darkness with his wife as she speaks softly and clasps her hands over his, that he’s able to pinpoint what’s got him so dazed. Didn’t he once daydream the same scenario as a kid? He’d dreamed of falling in love, a wedding fit for a queen, a baby girl — and here he is all these years later, a consort to a literal queen — his wife, l’amore della sua vita — and she’s carrying a baby girl. Their daughter.
This is about as literal as “a dream come true” can get.
Peach once more asks if he’s alright, and rather than answer, he stands on his toes to pull her into an embrace. He still can’t think too clearly, and he’s still feeling far too many things at once; all that comes out of his mouth when he tries to speak is “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” and there’s a few tears trickling down his cheeks, and he thinks he might be shaking a little bit, but however chaotic his innermost workings are right now, he knows he’s happy.
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bambifornia · 7 months ago
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more swindle headcanons because he won't leave my brain and i'm tired of him
crazy good at math. he's able to calculate the price/cost of something within seconds. the only reason he's not a mathematician/accountant or anything like that is because swindle wouldn't do well with those jobs. swindle likes moving on his pedes, not sitting behind a desk
extremely well-versed in politics. but not because he's very political or anything; swindle just likes knowing where and when the next intergalactic war is raging so he can profit off it. it helps to keep up with the news
workaholic. though this trait is less notable to see in him than say, someone like optimus (mostly because swindle takes great care not to let his exhaustion be shown. his image MUST be perserved, after all)
used to keep a diary in which he noted anything interesting he found on the planets he traded with. he was actually semi-organized with it, and even included some crude doodles of the organics he ran into. he stopped journaling once the war broke out, though, and hasn't journaled since due to fear of his diary being used as blackmail
answers questions like a politician. if u want a straight answer from swindle then good fucking luck LMAO. he doesn't like to go into detail about his past. it's all old news, anyway
he's a Beyonce fan. i feel it in my bones
puts effort into his image. granted his image got fucked over ever since he defected to the decepticons LMAO but the point is that swindle tries to make himself look better than he actually is.
surprisingly open-minded. he has to be. if he were to be openly xenophobic to the multitude of alien races he trades with, then his business would tank. besides, he's actually pretty curious about other worlds besides his own (ex; how he mentioned he spied on the human villains in the SUV episode, and thought their whole get-up was "exciting")
he hates hates HATES the cold. if he HAS to do business in a cold planet, he will bitch and complain about it the entire time except when he's in the negotiating room
when he was a young bot, swindle was pretty open book. that's not to say he didn't LIE back then, it just so happened that swindle was created with a super expressive faceplate, and you could always tell what swindle thought based on whatever look he was giving you. this got him into some...issues (dw he learned how to keep a poker face later on)
not the jealous type (how can he be jealous when he's the most wanted bachelor on cybertron?) but on the rare occasion that he IS, he gets real quiet. probably sulks to himself in a corner while sipping on some energon. if confronted, he'll brush it off but don't you doubt it for one second; he is PISSED
says he doesn't have any regrets or moral dilemmas about his job, but that's only half of the truth. swindle takes care not to give himself enough time to think about the past. it makes living easier that way. and swindle is a creature who seeks comfort, even if it inconveniences everybody else around him. don't try to call him out on this bad habit of his; he will huff and excuse himself by claiming you'd do the same thing too if you were in his shoes (or pedes?)
he does not like keeping living things in his subspace. he's made the mistake of storing a organic he thought was cute when he was younger, and it ended up with a trip to med-bay (surprisingly, organics don't like being in strange voids filled with nothing but weapons)
fantastic at detecting scams. he doesn't have a mod for it or anything, he just KNOWS
has a """"healthy"""" amount of paranoia. he claims he's just looking out for himself, given the kind of business he's in, but there's times where the paranoia really fucks with his health
really likes sprinkling those "infomercial phrases" into his daily speech. he thinks it makes him sound suave. thought he sometimes fucks up with the delivery and he just gives up mid-way lmao ("guard the prisoners...orrr loot the ship? it's a no process-...or? er? err..." - a direct quote from decepticon air)
he's mostly self-aware. the only thing he isn't honest about to himself is his own emotions
whenever he feels stupid stuff like "fear" or "stress" or (shudder) "remorse" he takes a look at his bank account. it helps him, in a weird way. because yes, he's an outlaw, and yes, he's technically gambling his and everyone else's life, and YES, there's days where he winds up battered and broken, barely an inch away from death, but...at least his efforts aren't for nought. they're adding up to something; with every corpse, swindle's wallet gets fatter. and with all that money in his servos, swindle might be able to buy himself the one thing cybertron can't offer him: peace
^ swindle thinks he deserves this. he delusionally believes he deserves peace and riches more than anybot
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fancychaostraveller · 8 months ago
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ReviveCherik2024 - Cooking
For the #ReviveCherik2024 Day11 : AU - Day26 : Cooking, based on @clockwork-stars's astonishing culinary talents !
The AU is set on a modern!Uni -verse where Erik and Charles met on a protest thanks to Raven, Charles' sister, that is in Erik's brotherhood.
Erik is fighting for mutants' rights by organising protests across the city and sometimes escalating (obviously because of the policemen, he says), and also leading riots when "It is necessary". He is not against breaking government stuff if those can be used against mutants, and have quite a group of followers (and his most trusted form the Brotherhood, which is more of the 'Hardcore rioting club' than anything hazardous) (Ps : Edie Lenhsherr is still alive!!! She also supports his son and taught him how to sew so he could make himself his Magneto suit)
Charles on the other hand can be found at peaceful protest, but he mainly persuades his scientific degree to prove to the world they are not so different and educate people. He also doubles as "TA" for younger mutant students to help them control their powers if needs arise. Charles knows about Erik's "Club" and is unconvinced by it.
~~~
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Magneto was looking over his Brotherhood, quite bored if he had to say so himself. Their 'meeting' -if you could even name it that- had started what feels like hours ago -a good 15min- and they were getting nowhere.
He looked across the room and threw an exasperate glance at Mystique, who was clearly laughing at him mentally. He admittedly had been the one to insist for a weekly reunion, but he hadn't thought it would end up being so mundane and repetitive. Was it his fault if he had expected grand bravado operations, explosions, spying and all those great things we see in movies nowaday?
He could nearly hear Charles nagging about it in his mind -Probably because he had been nagged telepathically a bit too often.- "Eril we're not in a movie and I will certainly not call you 'Magneto' when you're wearing that dreadful helmet and cape. Where did you even find those??? You should focus on peaceful protest, or else humans will truly fear us!" He repressed a sigh, annoyed but quite fond of the man that had managed to somehow -and it's a miracle when we take account of all the tweed the other was wearing- steal his heart.
He was snapped out of his thought by the sudden buzzing coming out of his pocket.
Bzzzz bzzzz bzzzz bzzzz
He frowned. "Who in Hell..." All of his Brotherhood were present in the room. So, no one could be calling his burner phone. And no one else had this number, except his mom, just in case of emergency (and anyway, she was more likely to call his regular phone) or....
A sense of dreed washed over him. The only other person who had this number was Charles!
As soon as the realisation was made, his phone quite literally flew out of his pocket thanks to his power and he was taking the call, speaking sharply : '- What's wrong?'
A silence answered him for a few seconds -too many already- and then he heard Charles (His Charles, thank G-d) clearig his throat :
"...Erm.... Erik? I..... I swear to God it's not my fault"
Embarassment and... Guilt(?) were laced in Charles' tone, and Eri- Magneto's face suddently morphed into a deadpanned expression, feeling all his previous worries evaporate. Because there was only one situation where Charles would speak like that. Oh L-rd.
'- What have you done?' he asked.
"I was cocking rice right? And before you ask, no I didn't add too much wa- Oh bOllOCkS"
More chatter could be heard throught the phone, and a quick glace toward his Brotherhood showed him that Mystique had too understood what her brother was up too. Unfortunately. He vagelly heard her muttered a "Is he burning the house down AGAIN???" before registering what else Charles had to say :
"WHY does it smell like burned food??? All I did was boiling water!!"
'- I told you not to cook by yourself...' was his only answer, voice as blank and emotionless as his face.
"It's literally just rice!" Charles answered cheeckily as if he wasn't burning down the house at this exact moment.
Erik had a sudden thought, imagining Charles sitting outside their shared flat burning down, with a stubborn expression that could read "I don't get it, my cooking skill are not that bad" even if the fireworkers were called on site. And then he sighed, and called off the meeting.
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And yes, @clockwork-stars is this bad at cooking rice. We told them everything to know to cook better rice after that and they still can't do it- But they manage pasta so I mean they won't die of hunger any time soon don't worry
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