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inkweaver22-blr · 2 years ago

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Merry Christmas, everyone! I’m sorry this chapter took so long. But here it finally is!

This is the first chapter where a cycle from the previous chapter gets continued. And since the last one was set in an AU made by @animemoonprincess, this one is as well! I’m sure you’ll be able to figure out which one it is pretty quickly!

Get cozy, as this chapter is feature length at 24 Thousand words! Drink water, take breaks, eat a snack! But above all else, please enjoy it and let me know what you think once you’re finished! (Also this chapter is split in two due to Tumblr not allowing more than 1,000 blocks of text per post. If you want to read the whole thing uninterrupted, click the AO3 Link below.)

AO3 Link

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Scattered Cicadas - Chapter Twenty One: Shining With Joy (Part 1)

The changes in Tang’s life never seem to stop. Luckily there are moments that shine bright enough to make them worth it.

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Tang took a deep breath of the crisp, early Autumn air. It had been the middle of Summer when he had first awoken in this cycle. Having so much time pass without his notice while dealing with his memory problems was both surprising and somewhat disorienting. Not only had he awoken at what would have normally been the end of a cycle, but it had progressed well past that point. The gift from his timeline’s Sandy was certainly working as intended, and Tang was extremely grateful.

Grinning as the leaves crunched underneath his boots, Tang moved with a bounce in his step. Autumn was one of the best seasons. The bright colors of the changing leaves. The refreshing chill in the air. The delicious seasonal foods. It was the perfect time of year to find a cozy spot to read both indoors and out.

“Here’s a good spot,” Wukong said, pulling Tang from his musing. He sat under the tree he had picked and gestured for Tang to join him.

Tang looked around as he joined Wukong on the ground. It was a nice location. Trees surrounded the pair as leaves occasionally fell around them. They were just outside the clearing the ship had landed in, but still well within the perimeter of the protective wards that hid them from Lady Bone Demon’s forces.

Her behavior this cycle was very different from what Tang was used to. From what little news they were able to get from Megapolis, not much had changed despite the city being under her control. No oppression, no cruelty, no violence. Other than declaring herself ruler, most of her focus seemed to be turned outside the city by trying to capture their little group.

He supposed this was another effect of Sandy’s gift, enforcing peaceful cycles every now and then. Well that suited Tang just fine. He wasn’t quite ready to face her at her normal level of depravity so close after being freed from her.

Tang shivered at the thought of facing her at all.

“Tang? Are you still with me?”

“Huh? Oh, yes, sorry about that.” Tang shook his head to clear his thoughts. “I was lost in thought for a moment. Nothing to worry about.”

“Right,” Wukong said skeptically. “We can do this another time if you aren’t feeling up to it.”

“No, I’m fine, really.” Tang sighed as Wukong raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “I was just thinking about how different She is this time around. It’s… strange is all, but I don’t want to think about that right now. I’d much rather get to work on this.”

“Alright, alright.” Wukong sat up straight. “So. The 72 Transformations. It’s a bit of a misnomer as it can let you transform into literally anything you can imagine, but we won’t get into that.

“Learning how to do it normally takes years of study and practice, myself as an exception. Properly getting this technique down usually means that any of the practitioner's transformations are already permanent. However, you and MK inherited this power from me, so it works a bit differently for you. While you can still transform into whatever you want, I’m sure you noticed that it takes focus to maintain the form you’re in and a decent blow can knock you from it.”

“Sort of?” Tang scratched at the fur on his face. “I've been in my monkey form for a few months now and don’t feel like I’m focusing much on it. But when I flew away from the ship as a cicada I clipped a branch and that did startle me back into my monkey form.”

“Hmm… That’s strange. I can tell you that your form currently isn’t permanent as I can see your human self underneath it with my Gold Vision,” Wukong said as he rubbed his chin. “A hard enough shock, you running out of energy, or being knocked unconscious could probably revert you right now.”

Tang’s breath caught.

“W-what?”

“Hey, don’t panic! You aren’t going to revert any time soon. I mean, you don’t feel low on energy right now, right?”

“Well…” Tang took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. “No more than usual I guess.”

“Wait,” Wukong tilted his head. “Are you usually tired?”

“Just a little bit,” Tang admitted. “I assumed it was just stress from dealing with remembering everything.”

“That probably isn’t helping, but I think it might be something else.” Wukong activated his Gold Vision and examined Tang closely. “Yeah, you’re definitely channeling your powers to maintain that form.”

“But I’m not focusing on it,” Tang protested. “Plus, wouldn’t I revert whenever I sleep? Pigsy hasn’t mentioned me changing in the middle of the night.”

“It’s possible that you’re doing it subconsciously then,” Wukong said as he deactivated his Gold Vision. “It’s probably a trauma response and your mind is just trying to keep you safe by maintaining this form for you.”

“That… makes sense.” Tang blinked and raised an eyebrow at Wukong. “You’ve been reading Sandy’s mental health books?”

“Maybe?” Wukong grinned nervously. “But anyway! Back to the transformations! So while you’re not likely to revert to your human form due to your mind subconsciously supplying the transformation with your powers, it’s not sustainable in the long term. You’ve already noticed that you’re tired all the time. The longer you maintain this form, the more energy it will require. We’ve been lucky so far but we don’t want you passing out from over exertion.”

“So I need to learn how to make my transformations permanent so it doesn’t continuously draw on my powers.”

“Exactly!”

“You said it takes years of study and practice to learn. My timeline’s Sandy may have extended the cycles but I don’t think we have that long.”

“To learn the full technique, yes,” Wukong said with a smirk. “But you don’t need the full 72 Transformations. You only need to learn a single form. Luckily for us, Teacher taught me the shortcut he would use for his students that didn’t feel like they should be human.”

“Huh.” Tang blinked. “There were people who didn't feel like they should be human even that long ago?”

“Yup! I think the modern term is Species Dysphoria, but back then we just referred to it as a soul being born in the wrong body.” Wukong looked up at the falling leaves with a fond smile. “Teacher may have been a strict and harsh taskmaster, but he did care about his students. Of course he said he only helped because he couldn’t have students who were distracted by such frivolous things as appearances. But he always did help with the change instead of dismissing them.”

“Reminds me of one of my college professors.” Tang said with a chuckle. He hummed in thought. “Species Dysphoria… I’m not quite sure that’s what I’m experiencing.”

“Well the main symptom is a displeasure or discomfort with your body, specifically your species, which fits you. It doesn’t have to be from birth either. Some cases have been brought on later in life by traumatic experiences, apparently.”

“Okay, you have to have been reading about this with Sandy.”

“Big guy likes to read out loud when researching,” Wukong said with an embarrassed shrug. “Kinda hard to not absorb some of the stuff when relaxing with his therapy cats.”

“Well at least you’re finally taking your own mental health seriously,” Tang drawled.

“Let’s get back on track,” Wukong said, shifting in discomfort. “Learning a single form for a permanent transformation is still a pretty involved process despite it not taking as long. We will have to memorize a lot about the anatomy of both your base human body and that of your chosen form.”

“We?”

“Yes, we. Before you attempt the transformation yourself I will occasionally be guiding your magic through the process for transforming individual body parts. This to get you accustomed to the flow of the magic as it’s much slower and precise than the usual instant form shifting. It will also let you test out how certain parts feel so you can make changes before you try the final transformation. I’ll need to know what I’m doing before we can do that, though.”

“I’m assuming that guiding my transformation won’t make it permanent, otherwise you would have already helped me do it,” Tang said.

“Right. Something about how you subconsciously resist changes that you didn’t make yourself. The transformation would eventually revert over time if I did it for you.”

“If I’m understanding this all correctly, I’ll need to know the anatomy of my chosen form as well as know how it feels to change my body into that form in a precise way in order to make it permanent?”

“Pretty much.”

“How are we going to be studying the anatomy part?” Tang folded his arms in thought. “I don’t think Sandy has a book on rabbit demons in his self help library.”

“Did you know MK has a membership at The Cloud?” Wukong pulled out a couple of computer tablets. “Apparently, that makes his phone something called a ‘hotspot’ that allows any device he authenticates to access it. He helped me download a bunch of books onto these earlier. They even have audio versions!”

“Well that’s convenient,” Tang said as he accepted one of the tablets. “I suppose we should get started then.”

“That’s the plan,” Wukong said, plugging in some earbuds into the audio port of his tablet.

“Tang! Monkey King!”

“Or not,” Wukong sighed at Mei’s shout.

“We’re over here, Mei,” Tang called back.

“Something weird is happening to MK!” Mei’s voice sounded somewhat panicked. “Come quick!”

The pair shared a worried glance before rushing back towards the clearing. They followed Mei to the other side of the airship where they found some of the others.

MK was examining his hands, waving them around as he looked at them. Red Son was likewise scrutinizing MK, circling him and occasionally prodding at him. Pigsy was nearby, tapping his foot in agitation; a sure sign he was nervous about something.

It took a moment for Tang to remember that Sandy was inside the ship working on some component or another and that Macaque was on patrol looking out for any of the search parties hunting them.

“MK! Are you okay? What’s going on?” Tang looked over the young man. Outside of some leaves in his hair he seemed perfectly fine.

“I think so? I don’t feel strange,” MK said, slapping Red Son’s hand away as the demon poked at his shoulder.

“What happened,” Wukong asked.

“Well, Mei and I were throwing leaves at each other when Red Son snuck up and shoved some down the back of Mei’s jacket.” MK smiled. “It was really funny the way she squealed and-” MK snickered.

As he did, he began to faintly glow with a yellow-orange light.

“And then that happened,” Pigsy finished, gesturing at the young man as MK tried to get his mirth under control. “Except much brighter.”

“Is that all? I thought this would be something serious,” Wukong said as the tension eased from him. “Don’t worry, nothing’s wrong with him.”

“Then what’s happening to me?”

“Congrats, bud! Your powers are finally starting to recharge!”

“Really?! Yes!” MK let out a whoop and jumped up and down in celebration, his glow increasing in intensity as he laughed.

“Awesome! But what does his powers recharging have to do with the glowing,” Mei asked.

“The glowing technically is one of his powers,” Wukong explained. “Every time he laughs he’ll glow like this. I’m honestly surprised it took this long for it to show up.”

“So… Is this permanent or just a side effect of his powers returning,” Red Son asked.

“Permanent. It’s unfortunately not something he’ll be able to turn off. It’s just going to happen from now on. It’ll even happen when he’s under the effect of a glamor.”

“Well as long as it’s not hurting him it should be fine,” Tang said. He blinked as something occurred to him. “Wait, does that mean you glow when you laugh, Wukong?”

The Monkey King froze.

“Uh…”

“No way.” Tang felt a grin creeping up on his face. “You do, don’t you?”

“I- Uh- Well-”

“But Monkey King’s laughed in front of us before,” MK said. “Or at least, he’s laughed in front of me and he’s never glowed. If I can’t turn it off that means neither can you, right?”

“That’s… Yes that’s right.”

“Then what gives?” Pigsy was eyeing Wukong with suspicion. “You just said glamors won’t hide it so why haven’t we seen you glowing?”

“Well… It has to be real, genuine laughter or joy that sets it off…” Wukong chuckled nervously, noticeably not glowing as he did.

“But that means…” Tang frowned in concern. “Wukong? Have you been suppressing your emotions just so you would avoid glowing in front of us?”

Monkey King just shuffled in place as an awkward silence fell.

“What’s all the commotion about,” Macaque asked suddenly as he joined the group by stepping out of a nearby shadow.

“Oh look! Macaque’s back from his patrol! I guess someone should replace him! I volunteer! See you later!”

“Oh no you don’t!” Tang grabbed Wukong by the back of his shirt before he could slip away. “We need to talk about-”

Wukong quickly twisted and ducked down before he could finish, shrugging the shirt off and darting towards the treeline.

“Macaque glows when he laughs but hides it too!” With that last shout over his shoulder he escaped into the trees.

“What?!” Macaque stepped back as all eyes turned to him. "Traitorous bastard,” he growled before sinking into the shadows cast by the airship and vanishing.

“So… Now what?” MK looked a bit lost as he glanced between the spots the two monkeys had disappeared into.

“We get those two to laugh as much as possible, is what,” Mei said with a devious determination. “I need to get me some videos of them glowing like nightlights!”

“While I don’t really approve of your motivation, you’re probably right,” Tang said with a sigh as he folded up Wukong’s abandoned shirt. “What they’re doing is not healthy. We should get Sandy to talk to them about it as well.”

“Do we even know what they will laugh at,” Red Son asked.

“We’ll just have to try a bunch of different things,” MK said, perking back up at the idea.

“So long as you don’t make any messes, especially in the kitchen,” Pigsy huffed. “I ain’t the best at telling jokes so don’t come to me for ideas.”

“All right!” Mei pumped her fist in the air in excitement. “Let’s get some brainstorming done for Operation: Giggle Glow!”

“Giggle Glow?”

“What? They giggle, they glow! Watch.” Mei poked MK in the side where he was ticklish. True to her word he giggled and started to glow.

“Fair enough,” Tang said with his own snicker as MK poked her right back, initiating a tickle fight. “I'll help out after I let Sandy know what’s going on.”

Tang hummed to himself as he made his way back onto the ship. It was nice to have something to keep busy with. Between studying rabbit demon anatomy and attempting to get two old monkeys to laugh, the next few weeks were not going to be boring.

He paused and chuckled at a humorous thought. Yes, the next few weeks were certainly going to be enlightening.

----------

“I know you said we would be trying out various transformations by having you guide them but… I wasn’t expecting it to happen so soon,” Tang said, fidgeting with his sleeves and doing his best not to tremble. If the concerned looks from Wukong and Pigsy were any indication, he wasn’t doing a very good job.

Barely two weeks had passed since they had started studying rabbit demon anatomy. Tang felt he had made some decent progress in his own research. His scholarly background was certainly a boon as much of the reading was rather dry. And if he decided to speed things along by applying a few retention and memorization spells he learned back during that disastrous training cycle? Well, no one but him had to know.

Wukong, however, was proving that his title as the Intelligent Stone Monkey wasn’t just for show. Even with a speed reading charm, the Monkey King surpassed Tang’s learning pace by a wide margin. By the end of the first week he had half of the chosen books memorized. He was attempting the transformation on himself halfway through the second. Yesterday he perfected it, which led them to now.

“It would’ve been sooner if I wasn’t constantly distracted by MK and Mei trying to get me to laugh,” Wukong half joked.

“Really?” Tang’s eyes widened at that.

Operation: Giggle Glow had gone into full swing a few days following the revelation in the clearing. After a talk with Sandy, both monkeys had reluctantly agreed to try and not hold back their laughter just because they found the glowing to be embarrassing. MK and Mei had taken full advantage of this. Jokes, slapstick, harmless yet humorous pranks, and various other attempts at comedy were thrown around with mixed success.

Tang had already found Wukong’s ability to learn at such a fast pace incredible. But if a few jokes a day were considered to be a distraction that prevented him from finishing sooner…

“I knew you could learn impossibly fast, and I’ve seen you do it before a few times,” Tang admitted with an awed shake of his head. “Every time it’s both impressive and somewhat intimidating. I’m not going to have to worry about my role as scholarly nerd being taken, am I?”

“As if,” Wukong snorted. “Learning for learning’s sake isn’t my thing. I only put this much effort into stuff I find interesting, if the fate of the world is at stake, or as a favor for a friend.”

“I… I appreciate all of this,” Tang said, lowering his head in a small bow. “I really do.”

“Don’t sweat it.”

“It couldn’t have been fun with how tedious some of these books are.”

“That’s medical texts for you,” Wukong said with a shrug. “Can’t really add too much prose to wade through if someone’s life might be on the line.”

“Focus, you two,” Pigsy chided. “Tang, are you sure you want to go through with this? We can hold off until you’re ready.”

“I-” Tang swallowed and clenched his paws to keep them from shaking. “Do… Do I really have to revert to my… My other form to do this?”

“I’m afraid so,” Wukong said gently. “Layering a transformation on top of another can get… messy. The safest and easiest way to do this is if you’re in your hum- er- base form.”

“Okay.” Tang took a deep breath. In and out. “Okay.” Another breath. He could do this.

“Tang?” Pigsy reached out, taking a hold of one of his paws and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “It’s alright if you want to wait for a bit.”

“No. No it’s… I want to do this. I just…” Tang took another breath before meeting Wukong’s eyes. “It… It’ll only be for a few minutes, right?”

“Five minutes, at most.”

“And… And we’re starting with my head today? So I won’t see Her in my reflections?”

“That’s the plan.”

“I won’t need to keep my eyes open for this, will I?”

“Nope.”

“Okay.” Tang breathed deeply once more before checking over his clothes. He had to make sure the gloves and boots were secured. It would only be his head that was transformed today after all. As long as he couldn’t see any other part of himself that would remain human, he could ignore it. At least, he hoped he could.

“Alright. Okay. I’m ready,” he said, doing his best to ignore his hammering heart. “Should I stand or sit?”

“Whichever is more comfortable for you,” Wukong said.

“How about we sit,” Pigsy suggested, grunting a bit as he lowered himself to the floor.

Tang nodded stiffly and moved to sit down across from him. This was it. While he was looking forward to completing this first step towards a full transformation, the thought of reverting from his monkey form was terrifying. Damn, the trembling had started again.

“Hey, you’re okay,” Pigsy said as he reached over and grabbed Tang’s paws and held them in his hands. “I’m here. Monkey King is here. We’re not going to let anything bad happen to you, promise.”

“O-okay.” Tang tensed a little as he felt Wukong kneel behind him and place his paws on his shoulders. He took a shuddering breath. “S-sorry. Just… Just give me a second.”

“Take your time.” Wukong said, patting him on the shoulder. “We’re in no rush.”

“Right.” In and out. Deep breaths. He could do this. “On… On three?”

“If that will help.”

“Okay.” He looked up at Pigsy and squeezed his hands. “Count down for me?”

“Alright.” Pigsy took his own breath and straightened up. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

“One…”

Tang took one final fortifying gulp of air.

“Two…”

He clenched his eyes shut and gripped Pigsy’s hands like a lifeline.

“Three.”

Tang reached into his well of powers. He had transformed dozens of times before. He had taken to the ability rather quickly back during the cycle when he was the Monkie Kid. It should be easy to just… revert.

His mind screamed at him as he focused.

What are you doing?! You’re safe like this! Stop! She can’t get to you right now! Stop Stop STOP!

It was hard to push past such visceral fear, but Tang grit his teeth and pulled at the thread keeping him in his monkey form.

It would be worth it! Please let this work! He could have a new base form of his own! One that She hasn’t tainted! Please Please PLEASE!

He felt the surge of energy flow through him. And then…

A draft on his bare face. His clothes rubbing against his skin instead of fur. The lack of a comforting weight at the end of his spine.

It worked!

Oh.

Oh God, it worked.

“Good job,” Pigsy praised softly as Tang’s breath hitched. “You’re doing great. Take a breath. That’s it. Keep your eyes closed.”

“I’m going to start now, okay,” Wukong said once Tang got his breathing under control.

“Pl-please hurry.”

“Try to relax.” Wukong moved his paws from Tang’s shoulders to cup his face from behind. “Let me guide your magic. I’ll be gentle, I promise.”

“O-okay.”

Tang could feel Wukong’s magic mixing with his as the Monkey King coaxed it to follow his will. Wukong gently pulled his paws up and over Tang’s ears, behind his nape, up and over his crown, down over his face, under his jaw, and back to his starting position. He repeated the motions several times, Tang’s magic following along like a current.

He could feel the transformation start to take effect after a minute or so. It was much different than his usual way of doing it. Instead of an instant surge, the magic flowed slowly and steadily. Thankfully, this didn’t make the change painful. It was… tingly. Almost like the sensation of that rock candy that fizzled and popped in your mouth. Which was not how he thought having his skull elongated to allow for a proper rabbit snout was going to feel.

Wukong’s soft, repetitive touches were soothing as more changes occurred. His teeth and jaw began to itch as they rearranged themselves alongside his skull. The sound of all their breathing seemed to become clearer as what felt like two loose flaps of skin grew down on either side of his head. Those must be his new ears then. Tang wrinkled his nose as a strange new sensation sprouted out around it. Whiskers, if he had to guess.

Tang let out a sigh of relief as he felt the fur start to grow in. He hadn’t realized how uncomfortable he would be with a naked face. Luckily the thick clothing he was wearing seemed to be doing their job as well. The fact they hid bare skin instead of fur was hardly noticeable anymore. He finally began to relax.

Wukong’s paws began to slow moments later. The gentle circulation of magic stilled with them. Tang felt Wukong’s magic carefully detach itself from his own as the sage removed his paws and took a step back.

“Done. Four minutes and thirty seven seconds, exactly.”

Tang took a deep breath in through his nose, marveling a bit at how different it felt. The amount of new scents he could pick up on was not unsurprising based on what he read, but still a slight shock. Luckily it wasn’t completely overwhelming at the moment. He’d have to be careful the next time dinner was being prepared or whenever they next visited a city, but he felt confident he could adjust to his heightened sense of smell rather quickly.

He opened his eyes. His vision wasn’t too different from his monkey form. Perhaps it was a bit better. Tang couldn’t really tell just yet. It was still an improvement from his base form’s poor sight at least. It was still incredible to be able to see so clearly without his glasses. His snout was very prominent, however. He wondered if his mind would eventually block it out like humans did with their own short noses.

Tang focused to look past his snout and frowned at what he was seeing in front of him. Pigsy was looking at him with a somewhat shaken expression.

“Is everything okay, Pigsy?” He reached up to feel his face. He could talk just fine, but the new mouth shape was somewhat odd.

“Yeah, I just…” Pigsy shuddered a bit. “Ugh. Perhaps I should have closed my eyes as well.”

“Huh?”

“Yeah, this method of transformation isn’t exactly pleasant to watch with how slow it is,” Wukong said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “Probably should have given you a warning.”

“Now he tells me,” Pigsy grumbled.

“Oh.” Tang winced as a memory from his time as Her prisoner popped up unbidden. “Ugh, yeah, I get that.”

“Tang?”

“Just… just a bad memory. I’ll be fine.” Tang took a breath to reset his thoughts. He twisted around so he could see both Pigsy and Wukong at the same time. “So, how do I look?”

“Oh. My. God,” Wukong gasped, his eyes wide as he clutched his paws to his cheeks.

“What?” Tang’s stomach flipped. Had something gone wrong?

“You’re adorable!” Wukong’ tail formed a heart shape behind him as he squealed. “I knew I looked cute when I transformed, but that was a given. You’re just so… so…! Eee!” Wukong began stepping in place as words failed him and his excitement grew.

“Ah.” Tang could feel the skin under his fur begin to heat up. “That’s- uh- good to know? I honestly thought something was wrong at first.”

“Sorry, sorry! I just… really like small, cuddly animals,” Wukong said, doing his best to calm himself.

“I… I’m not sure how I feel about being called ‘small and cuddly’,” Tang said with a slight frown.

“Right! Sorry!” Wukong shook his head, but tentatively reached his paw out. “I’ll stop but… Can I ruffle your fur real quick first?”

“Uh…”

“Okay, that’s enough!” Pigsy slapped Wukong’s paw out the air. “You’ve already felt him up enough as it is, what with you caressing his face earlier! Don’t think I didn’t notice that!”

“What?” Wukong blinked in what looked like genuine confusion.

“Don’t play dumb! You said you and the other furball were going to work out whatever is going on between you two first, and yet here you are making some moves!”

“Uh, guys,” Tang began to interject, but was quickly spoken over.

“Firstly, what’s going on between Macaque and I is none of your business. Secondly, what in the world are you talking about?”

“You were flirting with Tang just now!” Pigsy seemed ready to blow steam from his ears. “Calling him cute and cuddly and trying to pet him even though it was making him uncomfortable!”

“Guys,” Tang tried again.

“That was not flirting!” Wukong was scowling now as well. “I just think rabbits are really cute! I’ll admit to getting a bit over excited, but I wasn’t trying to flirt!”

“Oh, sure! Do you go up to every rabbit demon you meet and tell them how adorable they are to their faces? I bet treating them like an animal instead of a person goes over well.”

“Guys!”

Tang’s shout startled them out of their arguing. He took a deep breath and clenched his fists as they turned to look at him.

“You… You both are supposed to be making sure this whole process remains as stress free as possible,” he gritted out, resisting the urge to start yelling as well. “I’m relying on you two to help me through this. You… You promised you wouldn’t fight.”

They began trying to defend themselves, raising their voices to be heard over the other. Tang made a frustrated scream and abruptly pushed past them. He turned to glare at them from the doorway to his bathroom.

“Excuse me. I need a moment to myself.”

As much as he wanted to, he did not slam the door shut. The very audible click as he locked it was satisfying however.

Tang leaned back against the door, sliding down it to sit on the floor. He buried his face in his arms and did his best to keep his breathing under control. He loved his family dearly, but dammit all they made him want to rip his fur out sometimes!

He winced as he heard them shout at each other through the door. Clasping his hands over his ears, Tang did his best to drown out their voices.

Pigsy and Wukong fighting wasn’t an uncommon occurrence. Even in cycles where they were friendly with each other they bickered over the smallest things. The fact they were fighting about him wasn’t even something new to Tang. Both could be rather possessive and prone to jealousy. Pigsy being the jealous one this time was just another normal variable that he had come to expect from the cycles.

Tang tightened his grasp on his ears as he felt tears well up in his eyes.

This wasn’t a surprise. He shouldn’t be this upset. This had happened hundreds, if not thousands, of times before. Tang was technically the oldest and most responsible between the three of them. He should have mediated and made them talk through this misunderstanding like he usually did.

And yet…

Tang did his best to keep his sobs quiet.

He had thought by sharing his story with his family that it would help. For the most part, it had. Everyone had been fairly accommodating to him. So was it selfish to have hoped they would continue to hold back for him? That they would put his need for their support above their seemingly instinctual need to argue?

Maybe it was. After all, from their point of view, it had been like the Tang they knew had changed overnight. Transforming into an emotional, needy wreck with impossible knowledge and some rather presumptuous notions on his relationship with them all. They were probably just as stressed and anxious as he was. Of course they would be fighting. He had managed to screw everything up just by existing.

Tang sniffed and removed his hands from his ears to wipe his nose. Pigsy’s and Wukong’s voices were muffled now. So they had stopped shouting. That was good, he supposed. He wasn’t needed to help mediate then. Which made sense. It was his fault they had been fighting in the first place. His presence wouldn’t have helped. He was completely useless.

That… that wasn’t really being fair to himself.

Tang blinked at that thought. It sounded like something Sandy would say.

What would Sandy say about all this?

Tang closed his eyes and attempted to calm his breathing as he tried to imagine what his large blue friend would think about this.

He would probably tell Tang that he wasn’t being selfish. That he had only just recently escaped from a pretty traumatic situation. That it was normal to rely heavily on others while he recovered. That it was okay to be upset with them when they didn’t take his feelings into consideration.

But… but he also couldn’t expect them to always put him first. They were people too, with their own emotions and needs. That repressing those negative feelings was just as bad as repressing the positive ones. How that didn’t mean they should take it out on each other. That fighting wasn’t a healthy outlet. How it wasn’t his fault if they did fight and how it wasn’t his job to stop them.

Tang’s breathing evened out. It likely wasn’t the exact advice Sandy would give, but it was close enough to help clear his thoughts. He was still upset. But now that he had calmed down a bit he could start to think more rationally. There were things he would need to discuss with Pigsy and Wukong and he wouldn’t be able to communicate them properly if let just his emotions guide his words.

Tang listened for a moment but could no longer hear the others’ voices through the door. Either they were silently waiting for him or had left to cool down. That was fine by him. He could use the time to plan out what he wanted to say.

Before he could do that however, he probably should clean up a bit. Tang wrinkled his nose at the sensation of his tears drying and matting his fur. It seemed the fur on his face was ever so slightly longer and thicker as a rabbit as opposed to a monkey. Just something he would have to adjust to.

Tang picked himself up off the floor and stood at the sink in preparation to wash his face. He glanced up into the mirror reflexively and froze. His reflection stared back at him, wearing the expression of surprise he was feeling. Knowing that he had been partially transformed into a rabbit was one thing. Seeing it for himself for the first time was… Well. It almost didn’t feel real.

The dark, chocolate brown rabbit in the mirror was certainly real enough to mimic his movements as he examined himself. His snout was narrower than his dragon form, but still just as expressive. He ran a hand through the fur on the top of his head, which was long enough to resemble his usual hairstyle in his base form. Tang gently lifted one of his drooping ears, the proper term was lop if he remembered correctly, to get a look at the inner side. The fur on this side, while incredibly thin, was just as dark as the rest.

Tang frowned a bit at how… uniform he looked. He did like the chocolate brown, but perhaps he could add a secondary color to break things up?

Deciding to worry about that later, he let his ear fall back into place before opening his mouth to examine his teeth. The increased size of his front incisors was expected. The extra set of canines replacing a set of his premolars was not. He pulled at his cheek to get a better look. They seemed… rather sharp. Well, he was a rabbit demon, at least partially. Demons, despite being omnivores, did tend to have a preference for meat. It seemed biting was now a viable form of self defense for him if it came down to it.

Closing his mouth, Tang took his whole reflection in and smiled. It wasn’t quite exactly what he was expecting. There were a few things he might decide to change. But he could see himself, and only himself in it. The color of his eyes. The style of his head fur. Even his expressions were things that he could still recognize from his base form, but were completely untouched by Her influence.

Humming to himself, he turned on the faucet and began scrubbing his face clean. It felt a bit awkward with the gloves. He looked forward to when Wukong would help him transform his hands. Although he wasn’t sure how he would react if he wasn’t able to hold onto Pigsy’s hands for support.

He paused for a moment as he dried his face with a towel. Oh right. Wukong and Pigsy. He still needed to deal with them. Hopefully they had managed to talk through their issues and he didn’t need to go looking for them to get them to communicate.

Tang sighed as he turned and leaned back against the sink. He closed his eyes as he thought. Even if they had apologized to each other, there were things Tang needed to talk to them about. He wasn’t completely blameless for why the argument happened in the first place. He would have to clarify a few things between them all if these transformation sessions were to continue.

He stood there for several minutes, going over how he wanted to word what he wanted to say. A soft knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts.

“Tang?” Pigsy’s voice sounded uncertain. “Can… Can we talk?”

Tang took a step towards the door.

“Is Wukong with you?” he called out. He didn’t want to have to repeat himself more than once if he had to.

“Yes, he is. There’s some things we’d like to say.”

Tang took a deep breath. Looks like his time to rehearse was up. Hopefully he’d be able to say what he wanted in a way that was understandable.

“Okay.”

Tang unlocked the door and stepped back into his bedroom. Pigsy and Wukong were standing there with contrite expressions. They shared a glance before Wukong took a step forward.

“I’m sorry for how I acted earlier,” he began, looking Tang in the eye and remaining serious. “Treating you like a cute animal was demeaning and inappropriate. You’re a fully aware person and should be treated as such. I promise I won’t let myself get carried away like that again.

“I also apologize for not warning either of you over how… intimate the process of helping you transform would appear. I promise you there wasn't any alternative meaning behind it. It’s simply how it’s done.”

“I’m sorry I blew up at you about that,” Pigsy said as he stepped forward. “I didn’t know I could get so jealous or possessive like that. I know you didn’t mean anything by it.

“I’m sorry for starting a fight even though I promised you I wouldn’t, Tang. I was supposed to help with your stress, not add to it. I’ll do my best to keep my temper in check. But I… I’ll understand if you don’t want me to come to these sessions anymore.”

Tang let out a breath. He was glad they had managed to work through their grievances for the most part. Now it was his turn.

“I appreciate and accept your apologies. However, I need to apologize as well.” Tang held up a hand to stop Pigsy and Wukong as they began to protest. “Please, just listen.

“I’m… I’m extremely grateful for you, for all of you, for being so accommodating. You’ve been nothing but kind and supportive as I recover from my… ordeal. I honestly don’t know if I’d be managing as well if you weren’t all here.

“But I’m worried that you may be repressing some of your own feelings while trying to be mindful of mine.”

“Huh?” Pigsy frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Pigsy, I’m going to need you to be completely honest with me.” Tang took a deep breath as Pigsy agreed hesitantly. “Pigsy, did you agree to the idea of Wukong and Macaque potentially entering into a relationship with us in the future because you were actually okay with it, or because you thought it was something I wanted and didn’t want to upset me?”

“I-” Pigsy’s eyes went wide and he floundered for a moment. “I don’t- I mean I- I can get used to the idea-”

“That’s not what I asked.” Tang shook his head. This was what he had been afraid of. “I… I can’t be okay with anyone trying to help me by doing things that will make them unhappy. It’s not good for either of us and will only lead to more pain in the end.

“So I’ll ask once more. Pigsy, are you okay with us possibly entering into a relationship with Wukong and Macaque in the future, yes or no?”

“I-” Pigsy swallowed. He clenched his fists and turned away. “No. No, I'm not okay with the idea.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?” Pigsy looked back up in shock.

“Okay,” Tang nodded. “I’m not going to make you do something you aren’t comfortable with. You are my partner right now, so if you say you don’t want to have others join in, we won’t.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that. I may ask for your reasoning later in private, but your wants are just as important as mine. I refuse to make you feel obligated to do something you don’t want just for my sake, and I’m sorry if you felt like you had to.”

“Oh. That’s…” Pigsy’s shoulders slumped as an unseen tension bled out of him. “That’s a bit of a relief actually.”

“Honestly? Same here,” Wukong said. “I’m fine with the idea, but Macaque isn’t. It’s, uh, one of the main things we’re still fighting about. Having the pressure taken off of us is going to be a big help while we figure things out. Although I should probably take your example and let him know what he wants is important too.”

“I’m sorry,” Tang sighed. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like you all had to join into a relationship together.”

“It’s not your fault. I’m sorry I wasn’t honest about how I was feeling,” Pigsy said, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. “Could have probably avoided this whole argument if I spoke up earlier.”

“Well, we live and we learn, right?” Wukong said. “Now that we’ve cleared all this up we’ll be able to be more careful about it going forward.”

“Right,” Tang agreed with a nod. He staggered a bit and grabbed onto the door frame of the bathroom as he felt a slight wave of dizziness. “Whoa.”

“Tang?” Pigsy quickly moved over to help steady his partner. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah. Just dizzy for a moment.”

“Oh right!” Wukong turned and picked up a serving tray that Tang had failed to notice. “I almost forgot! Even though I was the one guiding the process, it was your magic and energy fueling the transformation. You’re going to need to replenish yourself, so Pigsy and I went to get you some snacks after we talked things through.”

Wukong carefully placed the tray on the ground and motioned for the two to join him on the floor. Once they had situated themselves, he removed the cover of the tray.

“Help yourselves,” Wukong said as he snatched a bag of marshmallows and popped them open.

Tang looked over the selection of snacks and blinked in surprise.

“Chocolate wafers and orange juice?”

“Well, they’re your favorite,” Pigsy said as he grabbed an apple for himself. “I picked some up at the last city we visited. I, uh, was going to save them as a surprise but thought you would need some cheering up after the argument.”

“That’s very sweet of you,” Tang said. He leaned over and tried to give Pigsy a kiss on the cheek, but he wasn’t quite used to the shape of his snout. So he settled on a quick nuzzle instead before turning back to the prepared food.

“Be careful,” Wukong warned in between marshmallows. “A rabbit’s sense of taste is way stronger than what you’re used to.”

Tang nodded and dipped one of the wafers into the orange juice. Once it had absorbed enough to be slightly soft, he took a bite. Tang’s eyes widened and he started to cough at the explosion of flavor. He swallowed quickly to avoid spraying food everywhere and continued to cough into his arm.

“Tang!”

“I warned him.”

“I’m fine,” Tang gasped as his eyes watered. “Damn, I wasn't prepared. That was… incredible.”

He quickly dipped another wafer into his drink and took another bite, much to the disbelief of his companions. The flavors were still extremely strong, but he was ready this time. He moaned a bit as subtle tones he hadn’t been able to pick up on before danced across his tongue. It was like heaven in his mouth. If this was just what a simple snack could taste like, he couldn’t wait to try Pigsy’s cooking like this.

“Figures he’d adjust quickly when there’s food involved,” Pigsy snorted. He paused just before he took a bite of his apple and frowned. “Wait… isn’t chocolate bad for rabbits?”

“For normal rabbits, yes,” Wukong answered. “Some rabbit demons do have to follow the same dietary restrictions as their animal counterparts, but that’s less than four percent of them. As we’re the ones in control of how Tang transforms, we also control whether he has to adhere to it or not.”

“Obviously, we decided to not go with the restricted diet,” Tang said as he swallowed another wafer. “There’s too much good food out there for me to give up on it all.”

He glanced at Pigsy who had laughed and returned to his apple. Well… almost all foods. There was one he wouldn’t be touching for the rest of his existence.

Tang shook his head to clear his thoughts and avoid thinking about that.

“Ack!”

Tang’s lop ears had been sent flopping around as he shook his head and were currently resting across his snout and eyes, blocking his vision. He didn’t need to see to hear Wukong’s snickers. He reached up to untangle his ears, only for one of them to droop into the glass of orange juice he was still holding, getting it soaked

There was a stunned silence for a moment before Tang, quickly followed by Wukong and Pigsy, started to laugh at the absurdity of it all. The stress from earlier had completely melted away. And if being a bit clumsy with his new ears was all that was needed to get Wukong shining gold with mirth, well Tang could live with that for now.

----------

Tang sighed as he rubbed his left ear in an attempt to quell the ticklish sensation in his ear canal. The past few days had been somewhat tiring. Each morning Wukong would guide his magic through transforming his head into a rabbit’s and each evening he would guide it back. It was taking a bit of a toll on Tang if he was to be honest. Perhaps they should take a break for a few days.

He frowned and began to rub a bit harder. The tickling wouldn’t go away. It started just after breakfast. He had ignored it at first, more preoccupied with how warm he had been feeling. He had thought it was just him not being used to the thickness of his new fur. But going out to stand in the fresh air on deck hadn’t helped much, especially once it started raining shortly afterwards.

Tang scowled as the sensation changed from ticklish to itchy. There was a building pressure that he had barely noticed but realized he had been feeling all day. That certainly wasn’t helping with his headache.

He shoved his hand under his ear in an attempt to reach directly into the ear canal and scratch the itch. Before he could wiggle a finger too far down someone grabbed his wrist and pulled it away.

“Tang!” Pigsy scolded. “Don’t do that! You can hurt yourself by shoving things in your ear.”

“But it itches,” Tang whined. He pulled his hand free and went back to furiously rubbing over the top of his ear in vain.

“Tang, are you alright?” Sandy asked.

“I…” Tang looked around the living room as he thought about it. Everyone was staring at him with expressions of curiosity or concern. “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean?” Pigsy reached out and gently pulled his hand away from his ear again.

“My inner ear itches. There’s a pressure building up there and I have a headache. I thought I was just overheating earlier but I might also have a fever?”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Wukong said as he made his way over. “Lift your ear for a second and I’ll take a look inside.”

Tang did as instructed, squirming a bit as he resisted the urge to stick a finger down it again. Wukong leaned down closely and activated his Gold Vision.

“Damn,” he said with a scowl after a minute of inspection. “Ear infection.”

“How did that happen?” MK wondered in concern.

“Rabbits with lop ears have a harder time cleaning them out and thus are more prone to infection,” Wukong explained as he straightened up. “Though it might have been the orange juice…”

“Orange juice?”

“Not important. The problem is that we don’t have the medicine to treat it on the ship right now. We’re nowhere near a town or city to buy some, but until we do get it treated I won’t be able to transform him back. Internal injuries and transformations don’t mix well unless you’ve mastered the full technique.”

“Isn’t he going to revert back after a while anyway?” Red Son reminded them all. “That means we’re on a time limit.”

“We could try transferring him some magic and hope it holds until we find a town,” Macaque suggested.

“I might have something that we can use,” Tang said, getting their attention. “I’ll need a bowl though.”

Once a bowl had been obtained, Tang held his hands out over it. He took a breath and focused. His hands began to glow with a golden-yellow light. As he continued to channel his magic, the light seemed to thicken. Before long it began to drip from his hands, coalescing in the bowl as a shining liquid.

“There,” Tang sighed, stopping the flow once the bowl was half full and leaning back into his seat.

“What is it?” Mei asked.

“An all-purpose general healing elixir,” Tang answered with a yawn. “It won’t automatically cure anything, but it acts as a disinfectant, antibiotic, stomach soother, and fever reducer. A few drops of this every few hours and my ear should be better in a day or two.” He yawned again. “Learned how to make it back when I was obsessively training to keep you all safe. Takes a lot out of you though.”

“We just said that reverting back would be bad for you,” Wukong said with a scowl. “Please don’t expend your energy like that again or it will happen before we get you healed up.”

“Sorry.” Tang shook his head to try and chase the tiredness away, but scowled as his ears went flopping over his face again. “Stupid ears. I’m starting to think they’re more trouble than they’re worth.”

“I thought you liked them?” Sandy said as he prepared a dropper for the elixir.

“I like how they look,” Tang clarified. “But they get in the way whenever I shake my head or lean over something. I’ve also noticed that while I can hear things in front of or behind me a lot better, things directly to my side are actually muffled. Now there’s the possibility of them getting infected more often than not.

“I… I think I’m probably going to switch them to the erect style.”

“You sure?” Pigsy asked, taking Tang’s hand and squeezing it in reassurance. “I know you were pretty excited about them being this way.”

“That was before I knew how much a hassle they were,” Tang sighed, wincing as the itchiness in his ear grew. “I’d rather not have to deal with them getting infected again if I don’t have to.”

“Well, it’s your choice.”

“Right. Wukong?”

“Yeah?” The Monkey King blinked. “Wait, you mean right now?”

“If you think it won’t use up too much of my energy,” Tang said. “I can wait if you think it will, but I would prefer to get it done as soon as possible.”

“Well… It shouldn’t,” Wukong admitted reluctantly. “It’s only a few small muscles that will need to be adjusted. Since it’s all external it won’t mess with your infection. If you're sure, I can do it, but only if you promise to do nothing but rest for the remainder of the day.”

“I can certainly do that,” Tang agreed with a yawn. “Might even take a nap out here once you’re through.”

“Ooh! Living room sleepover!” MK jumped up in excitement. “I’ll go get blankets and pillows!”

“I’ll make some soothing tea,” Sandy said enthusiastically.

“I’ll find some relaxing tunes!” Mei began typing away at her phone.

“I’ll wait here, like a sane person,” Red Son huffed.

“Might as well transform my ears now while we wait,” Tang said with a smile.

The transformation didn’t take long. Tang marveled at how he could now move his ears around freely. The muffled noises were no longer a problem and he could hear everything around him with a sharp clarity.

As MK set up the bedding, Pigsy helped apply the elixir with the dropper. Tang shivered a bit at the sensation of liquid flowing into his ear, but sighed in relief as the itching finally faded.

“Ooh, here's a good playlist,” Mei said. “Chill LO-FI Beats to Relax and Recover From an Ear Infection To!”

“Of course,” Red Son groaned with a roll of his eyes.

Tang snickered as Mei began streaming the genuinely relaxing music to the sound system. He leaned against Pigsy’s shoulder and pulled one of the blankets up around them. The others all made themselves comfortable in various ways as well.

Tang hummed to himself in satisfaction. The gentle music. The rain pattering against the windows. MK’s soft snickers and glowing as Mei showed him funny things on her phone. The smell of Sandy’s tea. It all combined into a wonderfully warm and cozy atmosphere. Before long he drifted into a peaceful sleep.

----------

Tang focused as he did his best to mold the clay into the shape he was imagining with his paws. It had taken two full week's rest after recovering from his ear infection before Wukong had been comfortable enough to start the transformations again. Once he was, Tang had picked for his hands to be next so he could get rid of the confining gloves.

It was taking some time to adjust to his paws. The fingers were shorter for one, with only two segments instead of three. The same was true for his thumbs having only a single segment, but were still fully opposable. Instead he had a set of claws growing out of each of his digits. They were decently sharp, as Tang had discovered after nearly drawing blood by scratching his face. He’d have to be a bit more careful and relearn the proper pressure to apply.

He had paw pads now as well. They certainly made gripping things easier than if they were completely covered in fur. His fingers were wider than he was used to to accommodate the pads. It was a bit frustrating for Tang for the first few days. He kept misjudging when he went to grab things. Being used to the normal length of his fingers, he would snag objects by his claws and send them falling to the ground.

After being banished from the kitchen for breaking a third glass, Tang dragged out the giant basin of clay he still had. He couldn’t break the material no matter how clumsy he was and set about messing with it to get a feel for how his new fingers moved. He grew bored of his stuffy room after the first hour and relocated to the living room where the light was better.

He was rather pleased with his progress so far. Three of the simplified zodiac animals he had decided to make were finished and he was near completion on the fourth. They weren’t his best work as he wasn’t using his earth shaping, but he could live with that. Tang was happy to discover that his new claws were very handy when it came to some of the more intricate details.

Tang’s ears twitched and rotated back as he heard hurried footsteps from down the hall. He looked up in time to see Macaque dash in followed closely by MK and Mei who were holding… feather dusters?

“Stay away from me!” Macaque was rather breathless as he jumped over the couch and landed opposite of the coffee table Tang was working at.

“You’re trapped now!” Mei declared victoriously. “Prepare for a tickling of your lifetime!”

“Stay back!” Macaque reached down into Tang’s basin and scooped up a glob of clay. “I’m armed!”

“Hey!” Tang’s protest was ignored as Macaque threw the clay at the approaching menaces.

“Eep!”

MK and Mei managed to duck down in time. The clay went flying and-

SPLAT!

-hit Wukong, who had appeared in the doorway, square in the face.

There was a stunned silence for a moment as they all froze. Wukong slowly wiped the clay from his face and just stared at it with a stupefied expression.

“Pfft… Bwahahahaha!” Macaque began to cackle. He glowed a bright purple while his six ears glowed blue, pink, and green.

WHAP!

Macaque’s laughter cut off as he was struck by the clay. Wukong smirked from where he had thrown it and laughed at Macaque’s look of shock. The black furred monkey growled as he reached once more into Tang’s basin.

“Uh oh…” MK said.

Soon clay was flying all over the living room. Tang quickly cast a dome of protection over his figurines to save them from the line of fire. It wasn’t a moment too soon as a wad of clay hit him in the back of the head. He turned and glared at a guilty looking Mei.

“I was aiming for Macaque!”

“Oh, I bet you were.” Tang raised his hands and they began to glow golden-yellow. Three spheres of clay rose from the basin and began orbiting him as he smirked. “Doesn’t mean I can’t get my revenge!”

“That’s cheating!”

Tang responded to her objection with a clay ball to the face.

Cries of success, shouts of surprise, and peals of laughter filled the air as the clay was flung back and forth. It quickly turned in everyone against Tang as he used his earth shaping to gain the upper hand. He stood in the middle of the room, dodging or catching the projectiles as they came at him. He did his best to redirect the clay towards their hiding spots, but mostly hit the furniture they were taking shelter behind.

By the time the basin was empty, both the combatants and the room were caked with clay. As the laughter faded and the adrenaline died down from the lack of ammunition, the realization of what they had done slowly crept in.

“Oooh, Sandy’s gonna kill us,” Mei bemoaned as she tried to scrape some clay off the wall.

“At least it looks like we didn’t break anything,” Macaque said and he uprighted a fallen chair.

“No, but I’m not sure this is going to come out,” MK sighed as he held up a stained couch cushion.

“Don’t worry, I can fix this,” Tang reassured.

“You can?”

“Trust me. Just try to stand somewhere there’s not a lot of clay and hold your arms out.”

“If you say so,” Wukong said with a shrug.

Once they had all found a spot to stand, Tang closed his eyes and focused. He began to use his earth shaping to sense the room around him. Lifting his hands, he began to turn slowly in place. He gently pulled any clay he could feel from the surface it was stuck to and collected it in the center of the room. After a few minutes he opened his eyes and lowered the giant ball of clay back into the basin.

“That was awesome!” MK looked around the room in awe. “You got almost all of it! The rest shouldn’t take too long to clean up now.”

“I’m surprised you even managed to get it off our clothes,” Mei said, examining her jacket.

“Wish the same could be said about our fur,” Macaque grumbled as he pulled out a tiny piece of clay.

“I could probably get it out if you let me run my paws through your fur,” Tang suggested.

“Please.”

Macaque sat on the ground in front of Tang while the others began cleaning up the few remaining bits he had missed. He reactivated his earth shaping and gently ran his paws through his fur. Being mindful of his claws, he carefully combed the fur with his fingers, allowing whatever clay he found to stick to his paws.

“Hmmm… You’re pretty good at this.” Macaque had relaxed into Tang’s touch as he worked. A soft purr began to emanate from him as he closed his eyes.

“Alright, I think I got it all,” Tang said a few minutes later. He blinked in surprise as Macaque’s purrs trailed off into gentle snores.

“Did you just put him to sleep?” MK asked slack jawed.

“I… I guess I did.” He looked up as he absently flicked the collected clay into the basin. “Do you want to go next, Wukong?”

“Sure,” Wukong said. “Don’t think you’ll catch me falling asleep like a newborn though.”

Unfortunately for the Monkey King, Tang’s ministrations were apparently extremely relaxing and he too succumbed to slumber.

“This is great,” Mei whispered as she snapped pictures of the two monkeys leaning against each other as they slept.

“Did either of you two want me to get the clay out of your hair as well?”

“And get put to sleep by your chloroform hands? No way!” Mei put her phone away and made to leave. “I’ll just take a shower, thank you very much.”

“Suit yourself,” Tang shrugged. He dismissed the protective dome around the coffee table and picked up the figurine he had been working on.

“Uh…”

Tang looked up and found MK standing there. He was shuffling from side to side and didn’t seem to know where to put his hands.

“Yes, MK?”

“I… I wouldn’t mind you getting the clay out of my hair.”

“Oh.” Tang smiled as he put the figure back down. “Well then come over here and we’ll get started.”

Some hours later, Tang dimmed the lights of the living room as he left so it wouldn’t disturb its three sleeping occupants. On the coffee table rested a full set of the twelve zodiac animals.

----------

Tang examined himself in the mirror and frowned. It only took one week this time for Wukong to agree to move on from transforming just his hands. Now his entire torso was transformed. Outside of being covered in the same chocolate brown fur, he didn’t feel much different. Wukong mentioned something about a flexible spine and sturdier arms for running. Tang hadn’t made it that far in his own studies to really understand what he meant.

He probably should have asked some clarifying questions. However, with more of his body being transformed at once came the price of having to spend more energy to do so. Tang had needed some food and a nap right after they had finished. He had only woken up a few minutes ago in fact. This was his first chance to see how he looked.

Tang didn’t consider himself exceedingly vain. Yet as he looked at how uniform his fur was in his reflection, he couldn’t help but feel a bit dissatisfied. Being the same color all over felt… Bland. Boring. Maybe even unimpressive. Not that he wanted to stand out in a crowd like a flashing neon sign. He just wanted something to break up his silhouette.

Luckily he had time to figure out what he wanted. He could even experiment a bit with a spell that changed the color of one’s hair. It should work just as well on fur and since it was completely cosmetic it wouldn’t mess with his transformation.

First he would need to figure out what pattern his secondary coat color would be. Using a bright neon green to mark it out, he began to play around with some options.

Just his chest? A good start but not enough.

Chest and abdomen? Better. Perhaps it could extend past his waist once fully transformed.

Ears? Unlike the lop ears his erect ears didn’t have fur on the inner side and had exposed pink skin. They were rimmed with fur however. Something to think about.

Arms? Hmm… Maybe just the undersides?

Tang sighed as more and more options seemed to come to mind. This was trickier than he thought. He should probably pick a color first before he decides on a pattern anyway. That way he would know if where he was deciding to change his fur would look good with it. The bright neon green wasn’t really helping.

Sticking with just changing his chest and abdomen for now, Tang started to cycle through various colors.

Red? Very striking. But also very noticeable. It looked a bit too much like he was bleeding all over.

Yellow? It matched the brown very well. But he was honestly sick of the color. That was a no.

Cream? Nope nope nope nope nope nope! That had been way too close to white for his tastes. That was one color he hoped his fur never became.

Tan? Better than cream at least. But it was still somewhat bland.

Pink? Probably a softer shade than that. Yes, that was nice. It reminded him of Neapolitan ice cream though.

Purple? It didn’t look bad. It just didn’t grab him that much either.

“Tang?” Pigsy called as he knocked on the bathroom door.

“Come in,” Tang answered absently. What if it was lavender instead?

“It’s almost time for lunch,” Pigsy said as he opened the door. He blinked as he watched the fur on Tang’s front change from lavender to deep violet. “Uh, what’s up with your fur?”

“Hmm? Oh, sorry.” Tang canceled the color changing spell, reverting to chocolate brown. “I just think being a single color all over is a bit boring,” he said with a sigh. “I was testing to see what secondary color I might want to try.”

“Not having much luck?”

“Not yet.”

“Well I ain’t good at this kind of stuff,” Pigsy admitted. “I’m not artsy like MK.”

“That’s alright,” Tang reassured his partner as he stretched. “I’ll figure it out.”

“Why don’t you look at some actual rabbit breeds?” Pigsy suggested as he stepped aside to let Tang exit the bathroom. “Maybe you’ll get inspired.”

“Not a bad idea, actually,” Tang said as he pulled on a shirt. “But that can wait until after lunch. I’m starving!”

“Ha! Never known a time when you weren’t!”

----------

Tang carefully walked around the clearing on his new legs. It had been a bit hard to convince Wukong to skip the plantigrade shaped feet and jump straight to digitigrade. He had tried convincing the scholar that it would take too long to adjust to them, but Tang had insisted. He had already given up on one of his preferred traits with the lop ears. He wanted to at least try before dismissing another.

The next month had been rather laborious. Standing was actually a little painful at the start as he wasn’t used to balancing all of his weight on just his toes. Walking was out of the question. He had spent most of the first week sitting in bed stretching and massaging his feet to get a feel for them. Luckily he had his studies on anatomy to keep him occupied.

Sandy, the wonderful friend that he was, had come through and constructed a water tank with a treadmill that was commonly used in physiotherapy. The first few sessions had been utterly exhausting. Wukong had nearly put his foot down and called the whole thing off after Tang almost passed out while still in the tank. He had managed to convince the Monkey King to let him keep going, but just barely. After a week and a half of consistent practice, and some rather liberal application of recovery spells, he was able to last a full three hours with no pain.

He began moving around the ship on his own after that. It was more difficult without the water to help hold his weight, but he managed to hobble around without needing too much assistance. He still grew tired if he stood too long, but that also improved over time. After another week he didn’t even need to hold onto the walls for support.

Tang breathed in the crisp air and smiled. It was unseasonably pleasant. Just slightly chilly instead of the usual cold at the start of late Fall. He was glad they had picked today to park the ship for maintenance as it would probably be the last nice day outside as Winter loomed closer.

“Hey, Tang!”

Tang looked up and waved as MK and Mei approached. He had to actually look down a bit as they came near, thanks to the slight increase in height provided by the shape of his feet. It was a bit strange being the second tallest after Sandy.

“Mei and I are going to race to see who can cross the clearing faster,” MK explained in breathless excitement once they reached the scholar. “Wanna join in?”

“I don’t know…” Tang hummed in thought as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I haven’t really tried anything faster than a power walk just yet.”

“It’s only about twenty meters,” Mei said. “A short sprint might be good for you.”

“Perhaps.” Tang stretched his legs. He had been feeling a bit restless just walking around. “Oh, alright. But we should get Wukong to watch just in case something goes wrong.”

“This is a bad idea,” Wukong grumbled later as he stood to the side of the three participants. “You haven’t even tried jogging yet. You’re going to hurt yourself.”

“I’m going to have to try running eventually,” Tang said as he stepped in place. “Might as well get it out of the way now with you on hand in case something does go wrong.” He stretched his arms up over his head and glanced over at the sulking monkey with a raised eyebrow. “Or would you rather I have to figure it out in the middle of a dangerous situation?”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Come on!” MK was practically bursting with energy. “Let’s do this!”

“Alright, alright,” Wukong sighed. He raised an arm in preparation to signal the start of the race. “On your marks.”

The three of them all took their positions.

“Get set.”

Tang tensed.

“Go!”

Tang shot forward as Wukong swiped his arm down. He kept his whole focus on staying upright as he ran. He was moving quite fast, to his surprise. He had known rabbits were built for running, but feeling the wind racing past his ears was an exhilarating experience.

Something told him he could be going even faster. That he could outrun anything if he just crouched down and used all four limbs. Lost in the rush of adrenaline, he decided to do just that. With a short leap he tried straightening his back to be parallel with the ground and reached out in front of him with his arms. A moment of sharp clarity hit Tang just before his hands hit the dirt and two thoughts blared in his mind.

The first was the realization that his arms and torso weren’t transformed right now.

The second was that this was probably going to hurt a lot.

Tang barely heard Wukong’s shout of alarm as his arms gave out under him and he went tumbling across the ground. He rolled for a few feet before coming to a halt in an undignified heap. Groaning at the new bruises he felt, he straightened out to lie on his back. He stared up at the sky as he tried to get his breathing back under control.

For some reason, he found the situation amusing and giggled. Probably a side effect of the adrenaline still coursing through his system. He laughed a bit harder when Wukong’s unimpressed expression passed into his vision as the monkey leaned over him.

“Well you can’t be too hurt if you find eating shit like that to be funny,” he deadpanned. His brow creased a little in concern. “Unless you’re concussed.”

“I-I’m fine,” Tang snickered. “Just… just a little bruised.” He accepted Wukong’s outstretched paw and pulled himself up. “That was quite the rush!” He leaned slightly against Wukong, still feeling bubbly. “I’m definitely keeping my legs this way. I can’t wait to try that again with the full transformation!”

“I was afraid you’d say that,” Wukong groaned. “Let’s stick to light jogging for now until that happens.”

“Can do,” Tang agreed with a chuckle. He waved over to a concerned looking MK and Mei to let them know he was alright. He hadn’t seen who had finished first, but he felt that he had won something himself.

----------

Tang panted a bit as he snuggled into Pigsy’s embrace. He felt quite content at the moment and basked in his partner’s presence. He giggled a bit as he felt one of Pigsy’s hands sliding down and began gently playing with his fluffy tail.

“Enjoying yourself?” He teased.

“Mmhmm,” Pigsy hummed in agreement.

“Well, I’m glad you had fun helping me test out my last few bits.”

“Is that what we’re calling it?” Pigsy chuckled. “I’d be more than willing to help ‘test your bits’ anytime.”

“You… you didn’t find it weird?” Tang asked in a sudden wave of self-consciousness. “It’s not like what you’re used to…”

“Yeah, it was different. But it was still good.” Pigsy kissed Tang’s forehead in reassurance. “You were good. Don’t really care what it’s like as long as it’s with you.”

Tang smiled and nuzzled against Pigsy’s chest. They lay there for a bit, enjoying the closeness of the other.

“Wukong says I should be ready to try the full transformation myself soon,” Tang said softly.

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Tang swallowed a bit, suddenly nervous. “He’s been quizzing me on my anatomy studies and says I should only need a few more weeks of review.”

“That’s great,” Pigsy praised as he pulled Tang into a tighter embrace. “You��ve been working so hard on this.”

“What if I mess up?”

“You won’t.”

“But what if?”

“Then Monkey King will help fix it and I’ll be there to support you.”

“But-”

“Shh. Don’t think about it too much. Just relax.”

Tang sighed as Pigsy began purring, unconsciously doing as instructed.

“Cheater.”

“Is it working?”

“You know it is.”

“Then that’s all that matters.”

Tang closed his eyes as he let the vibrations from his partner’s chest soothe him. He had always had a weakness for purring. He couldn’t wait until he could reciprocate with his own.

“Feeling better?” Pigsy whispered into his ear.

“Mmhmm.”

“Good.” His voice became a bit more playful. “Then how about we start test number two with those bits of yours?”

Tang responded with enthusiastic agreement.

----------

Tang took a deep breath as he stood alone in his room while in his monkey form. It was time.

The others weren’t very happy that he had insisted that he attempt the transformation by himself. Tang had reasoned that he needed to be sure he could do it alone, as he wouldn't have their support at the beginning of the next cycle. They had reluctantly agreed. As a precaution, they were all currently waiting just outside in the hall, ready to burst in at the first sound of Tang’s distress.

Tang shook his head and refocused. There wasn’t much point in putting it off any longer. Quickly disrobing, he sat in the center of the room and began to meditate.

He breathed slowly and evenly. He kept everything he had learned over the past few months at the forefront of his mind. He remembered the flowing sensation of his magic as Wukong had guided it. He recalled how each and every part of his body was supposed to feel from his experiences from the test transformations.

Once he was ready, he cut the magic keeping him in his monkey form and reverted to his base form.

His human form.

Shivering a bit at the draft against his suddenly bare body, Tang pressed down on the rising urge to panic and began to circulate his magic as Wukong had taught him. He warmed as it began to form a current through him. Keeping his eyes closed, he brought forth everything he had studied and felt over the past few months. He gently took hold of the swirling flow of magic within and pushed.

The sensation of having his whole body transform at the same time was very disorientating. The tingling all over was much stronger, almost to the point of distraction. Tang resisted the desire to grit his teeth as they were currently rearranging themselves in his jaw and willed himself to stay focused.

His skull elongated and whiskers grew from his snout. His ears lengthened and re-positioned themselves further up his head. His fingers lost a segment and grew claws. His spine grew slightly as a tail sprouted from its base. His feet creaked as the bones rearranged themselves so he would stand on his toes. All of this happened simultaneously and Tang struggled a bit to keep track of it all.

What felt like hours but could have only been minutes passed. Tang did his best to keep his breathing steady and nearly sighed in relief as he felt his fur start to grow in. He redoubled his concentration as he focused on the knowledge of how genes worked to determine the color and pattern of a rabbit’s coat.

The fur stopped growing. His bones stopped shifting. His skin stopped stretching. The tingling began to fade.

Tang kept the circulation of his magic up for a few moments more. Once he double and triple checked that there didn’t seem to be anything else left to shift, he let it go. Taking a steadying breath, Tang opened his eyes just as his magic settled.

He did his best to examine himself from his seated position. His paws and feet looked and felt right. It seemed he got the secondary color he had picked out correct. He could hear and smell things with the expected sharp clarity. His bits were all in order.

He shook his head at how ineffective it was to just stare down at himself. What he needed was to look at his entire body all at once. Tang picked himself up off the floor, breathing a sigh of relief as he was able to stand on his digitigrade feet just fine. He pulled out a strand of fur and blew on it, looking away from the bright flash as it transformed into a full length mirror.

Trembling, Tang stepped in front of the mirror.

He stared.

The rabbit demon in his reflection stared back.

Tang swallowed thickly as he examined the figure in the mirror.

He had managed his fur color correctly. While his face, paws, feet, and he assumed most of his back were the dark chocolate brown he liked, his front was a vibrant reddish brown that blended beautifully together with the darker color. It even rimmed his eyes and inner ears, providing a wonderful contrast.

His breath caught as he looked over the traits that he recognized from his human form. The style of his head fur. The color and shape of his eyes. His expressions. All of it combined together with the rabbit traits and the fur color to make…

Himself.

He slapped a paw over his mouth as his eyes watered.

Tang was looking at himself. That rabbit demon was him. And it was only him.

Overwhelming emotions rushed through him as he reached out and touched the mirror, the reflection that was him copying his movements perfectly.

Incredulity.

Relief.

Hope.

Peace.

Joy.

Euphoria.

Tang couldn’t hold back any longer and began to sob.

The door to his room burst open.

“Tang!” Pigsy rushed over and began looking him over, the others all close behind. “What happened? Are you hurt? Did something go wrong?”

“Pigsy!” Tang hiccuped as he grabbed his partner’s arm and pulled him in front of the mirror. “Look! It’s me!” He laughed through his tears as spread his arms out to fully present himself. “It’s me!”

“It’s… It worked?”

“It worked!” Tang threw his arms around Pigsy’s shoulders and laughed and cried in equal measure. “It worked! It’s me! It’s me! It’s me…”

“Well, uh, congrats and all that,” Wukong coughed, grabbing their attention while he stared up at the ceiling. The others were likewise averting their gazes. “We’ll all just, uh, wait outside for you two then.”

“Huh,” Pigsy blinked as they made a hasty retreat and closed the door behind them. “What was that about? You’d think they’d want to stick around and celebrate.”

“Pigsy,” Tang giggled, finding the whole thing hilarious. “Pigsy, they left because I’m naked.”

“You are?” Pigsy looked down. “Oh. You are.”

Tang couldn’t help it. He laughed. The euphoria of his transformation combined with the hilarity of his oblivious partner just filled him to the brim with joy. It felt like it could burst out of him at any moment.

He started to glow a bright golden-yellow.

“Tang, you’re glowing,” Pigsy said. “Literally.”

“Thanks, I didn’t notice,” Tang snorted. “Guess I- pfft- guess I caught the Giggle Glow. Let me just- hahaha- let me catch my breath.”

The glow dimmed as he got his mirth under control, but occasionally brightened as he continued to giggle.

“Okay. I’m okay. Let me clean up and get dressed then we’ll go celebrate with the others.”

“I mean, it sounded like they would be willing to wait a bit,” Pigsy said. He looked Tang up and down with an appreciative smile. “We could celebrate ourselves first.”

“Later,” Tang promised. “I want to show off my new self to everyone.”

“When you say show off…”

“Don’t worry,” Tang said with a smirk. “You’re the only one who’ll get to see the whole thing.” He shamelessly stretched his arms up over his head. “Once we’ve had our fill of the party, we can come back and I’ll share all of myself with you.”

“Sounds, uh, sounds good,” Pigsy swallowed as he stared at Tang’s form.

Tang snickered, glowing slightly as he moved over to the dresser to pull out some clothes.

Once dressed, he and Pigsy made their way to the living room where they were met with enthusiastic congratulations. The celebratory mood only grew once Wukong confirmed that he could no longer see Tang’s human form with his Gold Vision. The transformation was indeed permanent.

The revelation that Tang had somehow developed the Giggle Glow as well was met with some confusion. They had scratched their heads over it for a few minutes before they all shrugged and moved on with celebrating.

Tang could not remember a time when he felt so happy. Both before and during the cycles. A weight inside him had seemed to have been completely lifted.

He thoroughly enjoyed the party that lasted for most of the day.

He enjoyed the after party with Pigsy even more.

----------

As Tumblr only allows for 1,000 blocks of text per post, this chapter has been split into two. The read the rest of this chapter and see my closing notes check out Part 2 Here or scroll back up to click Next. If you prefer a completely uninterrupted experience, click the AO3 Link above.

#Monkie Kid #LEGO Monkie Kid #Scattered Cicadas #Giggle Glow AU #animemoonprincess #Tang #Bunny Tang

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angstandhappiness · 1 year ago

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PRETTY

SO LIKE, ABOUT @animemoonprincess‘S GIGGLE GLOW AU

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batqueers · 21 days ago

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dldt draco thinks everything happening is all in his head and nothing is real. he is 13 💚.

#🦌⚡️🐉🕰️#bc im thinking. Smth happens to his head that Starts this whole universe hopping thing. and he has that forehead scar #its shaped like a star btw 💚 like a diamond star #and his head hurts near Constantly but esp during…. certain events….. /evil /being mysterious #him and harry bond over weird specific timing scar pains though its sweet #and also that their scars look Fucked Up and Glow. (harrys glows green like the killing curse and dracos glows white)#also draco is silver/green colors while harry is gold/red #and Not just bc of houses . like that becomes a Thing for them.#ron calls em the christmas duo later and hermione tells him to cut it out but she giggles abt it sometimes #forgot what this post was about. anyways ill keep developing this au

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rafecameronssl4t · 5 months ago

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Golf day || Rafe Cameron x fem!reader

Summary: INSPIRED BY THIS TIKTOK

Warnings: pure fluff hehehehe

Word count: 497

A/n: if anyone has any tiktoks that they want me to turn into a Rafe fic, send them thru pls!!!! I love finding random vids on my fyp that are so Rafe coded. ALSO BEGGING FOR MORE DAD!RAFE REQUESTSS

MASTERLIST (dad!rafe au masterlist)

divider by @h-aewo

“Do you think she’ll enjoy it?” Rafe questions, turning his head to you, his eyes lingering on Mabel, comfortably nestled on your lap. He looks genuinely concerned, his brow furrowed with worry.

“You know she loves watching you do anything,” you reply with a reassuring chuckle, trying to soothe his anxiety. As you adjust the tiny hat on your daughter’s head, you can’t help but smile at her innocent excitement.

It was Mabel’s first time at the golf course, and Rafe had been on edge all morning. He’d peppered you with questions like, “Don’t you think it will be too hot?” and “What if she gets bored?” His nervousness was palpable, a stark contrast to his usual composed demeanor.

You had spent the morning reassuring him, reminding him repeatedly that Mabel would be perfectly fine. You knew she would be thrilled just to watch her dad play golf, her eyes following his every move with awe and admiration.

“Do you think she’ll like this spot?” Rafe asks as the golf cart comes to a gentle stop under the shade of a large oak tree. “Babe, you’re the one playing,” you giggle, enjoying his overprotectiveness. Rafe laughs softly, his eyes crinkling with amusement. “Mabel, do you like it here?” he asks, his voice tender as he tickles her chin. Mabel responds with a delightful giggle that melts your heart.

You adjust Mabel on your lap so she’s facing Rafe, her wide, curious eyes tracking his every move as he unloads his golf clubs. The sun casts a warm glow over the course, and you can’t help but admire how handsome Rafe looks in his golf gear. “Doesn’t Daddy look so handsome, Bels?” you murmur to Mabel, pressing light kisses on her rosy cheeks. She giggles uncontrollably and tickling sensation.

Rafe turns at the sound of her infectious giggles, a broad smile lighting up his face. “You girls doing alright?” he calls out, his eyes sparkling with joy. You chuckle, giving him a thumbs-up and lifting Mabel’s tiny hand to wave at him.

Remembering that Rose wanted a video of Mabel’s first time at the golf course, you quickly pull out your phone and aim the camera at Mabel’s expressive face. She’s watching Rafe intently, her anticipation palpable.

As Rafe lines up his shot, you can see the concentration etched on his face. The moment the club makes contact with the golf ball, sending it soaring through the air, Mabel flinches in surprise. You can’t help but laugh, immediately clamping your hand over your mouth, feeling a bit guilty for laughing at her reaction.

Rafe shields his eyes with his hand, squinting into the distance to see where the ball landed. Satisfied with his shot, he turns back and walks towards you and Mabel, a broad smile lighting up his face. “Daddy’s pretty good, isn’t he?” Rafe chuckles as he reaches you, gently lifting Mabel from under her armpits and pressing a loving kiss on her round cheek.

You quickly snap a photo of the sweet moment. Their joy is infectious, and you can’t help but chuckle as you send the video and picture to Rose. Mabel’s earlier reaction to the sound of Rafe hitting the ball plays in your mind, making you smile.

Rafe notices your amusement. “What’s so funny?” he asks, his curiosity piqued as he sees you smiling at your phone. You glance up, grinning, and show him the video of Mabel’s startled reaction to his golf swing.

“Aww, I’m sorry, babygirl,” Rafe says with a laugh, his eyes softening as he watches the video. “I’ll let you know when I’m going to hit the ball next time.” Mabel, already captivated by her dad’s presence, giggles and reaches out to touch his face, her earlier surprise forgotten.

Rafe’s heart melts as he cradles Mabel in his arms, swaying gently. “You’re my good luck charm, you know that?” he murmurs, his voice filled with love. Mabel coos in response, her tiny hands grasping at Rafe’s shirt.

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nappingmoon · 3 months ago

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modern au where your husband nanami is a literature professor and he sits you on his lap while he reads essays and prepares lecture material. he gets so used to the weight of you on his thigh, the warmth of your body against his, that eventually, he finds that he cannot focus without you there.

nanami is a little sheepish when he enters the living room, hemming a little bit in a way that’s very uncharacteristic of your lover. your eyes stray from the show playing on the television, now curiously tracking his small movements. you pause the contents on the tv before greeting him. “hi baby, you okay? how’s grading going?”

nanami’s hand reaches up to adjust his glasses before he releases a little sigh. “not well, my love.” his voice is quiet, the deep timber a comforting sound. he walks into the kitchen as he continues, “I’ve been working on reading these papers, but I find my mind straying far too much.” he finishes his sentence while pouring water into the kettle, placing it then on the stove.

“is that so?” you ask, leaning over the arm of the chair, enjoying, as always, the sight of your lover doing mundane tasks— the domesticity of it never ceasing to affect you, even after years of marriage. “where’s your mind been going?” despite the question, you have an idea and the smile on your face betrays it.

nanami hesitates as retrieves two cups from the cupboard; the beautiful, delicate china a wedding gift that has become the staple for holding your evening teas. “you, darling. though it is becoming apparent that you already knew that, tease.” he grumps at the end without malice.

“I assumed, but I always love to hear it.” you giggle in return. “want me to come keep you company?”

he’s nearly done pouring your teas, steeping the loose leaves in your favorite tea holders. “yes, please. if you’d like, you can watch your show in the room. I just prefer you do it next to me.”

“that’s alright, I was getting bored of it anyways. plus, i’d rather watch that quirk in your eyebrow when you find that your student has used ‘perchance’ incorrectly again.”

“minx.” he chides. “keep making fun of me and i’ll forget to put in your sugar.”

“I yield! I yield,” you laugh, raising your hands high in defeat. “it’s far too bitter without the sugar, I don’t know how you make do.”

the small spoon clinks as he finishes stirring in your honey and sugar, and he lays it down in the sink before picking up the cups, each sitting in their own decorated porcelain plates. you rise from the couch, quickly pressing the ‘off’ button on the remote before padding over to your husband.

you gently nudge your way under his arm, wary of the tea he’s carrying, and nuzzle yourself into him. you walk in tandem to your room approaching the warm glow of his desk lamp. “I don’t need any more sugar; you’re enough for me, sweetness.”

a/n: you can’t just say perchance

#.love on the brain #.kento #GAH I LOVE HIM SO MUCH #nanami x reader #nanami kento x reader #nanami kento fluff #jjk x reader #nanami kento #dividers by cafekitsune

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thyme-in-a-bubble · 22 days ago

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three times

a/n: some time ago i asked you guys on a poll what dude you wanted in this story and you all chose bucky, so here it is! also, i partly blame you all for how unhinged it turned out... like you get maybe 6,69% of the blame for the push you gave me... the rest is just me being a hoe

summary: a tale of the three times a nurse was kidnapped by new york’s most notorious gang.

warnings: dark!mob boss!bucky barnes x nurse!reader x doctor!peter parker, smut, dark content, noncon/dubcon, mob au, mobsters!steve rogers, clint barton, tony stark, scott lang, bruce banner, the gang is called the avengers, doctor!kate bishop, enemies to lovers, kidnapping, violence, weapons, blood, being drugged, alcohol consumption, possessiveness, kissing, clothed x completely naked, panty sniffing, dirty talk, manhandling, size kink, gaping, belly bulge, oral, fingering, fisting, pussyjob, in bucky's mind it's brat taming, dumbification, impact play, squirting, multiple orgasms, overstimulation, somno, bondage, mild knife play, mild gunplay, penetrative sex, unprotected sex, creampie, cumplay

word count: 11.574

∼ gentle reminder that feedback, but especially reblogs are the way you support writers on here ∽

masterlist | join my taglist

You flinched jaggedly as the dark cloth bag was finally ripped off your head. Eyes immediately squinting, they still strained to take in the unfamiliar space you’d been dragged to.

You were no longer in the hospital’s dark parking lot, nor were you in the black van you’d suddenly been tossed into, but instead, you found yourself in a dark living room. It was elegantly decorated, from the Persian rug to the dramatic, antique fireplace flicking behind the cluster of suit-clad criminals glaring down at you.

“This her?” one of them grumbled.

“Yep, one doctor as per your request,” the one who’d abducted you grinned, proudly planting a palm on his hip, “even choose a pretty one just for shits and giggles,” his starkly different mannerisms only made the others seem that much more intimidating.

The broad-figured one with a shock of sandy hair then stepped closer to where you stood, “alright, here’s the thing, doc,” his head tilted slightly to get on your level as he spoke to you directly, “you’re gonna do exactly as we say and then everything will be alright, okay?” he stared in your eyes as you offered him a shaky nod, “okay,” he exhaled, “you got a name?”

“Y/n Y/l/n…” you uttered before hearing yourself try to correct, “but I–…”

“But what?” the same man croaked.

“I-I’m not a doctor…”

“God damn it!” someone rumbled as everyone’s eyes flicked to the man who’d captured you, “we can’t fucking trust the new guy to do anything.”

“Well, she’s wearing scrubs,” he tried, frantically gesturing to your uniform, “I just thought–”

“You fucked up, Lang!” the first man who you’d heard speak barked loudly, “and now we’re not just gonna lose one of our brothers tonight, but also the head of the snake. Great fucking job,” a sharp click then caused your eyes to find the gun he yanked out, “and now she gotta die as well–”

“Wait!” you shrieked as both of your palms shot up in the air, “no! Please don’t kill me! I-I’m a nurse! I’m a nurse! I can help! Whoever’s hurt, I can help!”

Seemingly superior to the others present, the blonde one stared at you intensely for a while before exhaling a verdict, “shit… well, I guess it’s better than nothing…” his polished shoes then began to shuffle before he gestured to you, “come this way.”

Hesitantly, you slowly shadowed him out of the living room, down a dim hallway, and into the chamber that bloomed at the bottom of the corridor. In the centre of the dark room, bathed by two glowing pendants, stood a large pool table, and upon the green felt, with colourful orbs haphazardly scatted all about, there laid a man, unconscious and bleeding.

The brunette’s suit was sodden with crimson, though you couldn’t tell from here how much of it was his own.

The gangster who was standing by the side and watching over the wounded individual glanced up at your arrival and asked his fellow men, “this the doctor?”

“No, it’s a fucking stripper,” you twisted your neck at the sarcastic tone as the guy who’d only moments ago pulled a gun on you waltzed past you and entered the room as well, “yes, of course it is, Tony. How’s the boss?”

“Still alive,” he answered in a sigh and cast his glance back down upon the man on the pool table.

Slowly stepping up, you carefully let your stare wash over the mobster, from the frazzled and blood-soaked attire to the metal-looking hand poking out one of the sleeves.

“What happened?” you asked carefully.

“Miss,” someone grumbled as they set a bag of supplies down beside you on the games table, “just fix him.”

“If you wanna give your friend a better chance, then you give me as much information as possible about what happened to him,” you uttered as you found a pair of gloves and slipped them on.

Letting out a sigh, the blonde fellow then said, “it was a shootout.”

Snatching up a pair of scissors, you began to snip in the man’s clothes, staring at the sleeve closest to you, “how many times was he shot?”

“I don’t know, he–… a lot of rounds went off,” he grunted, the events of the night weighting his broad shoulders down, “I wasn’t exactly counting.”

Two bullets. That’s how many you found when his dress shirt was in tatters on the floor. One was lodged in his right arm four finger widths above his elbow, while the other had strayed a bit further north and buried itself in his bulky bicep. You also found other scrapes and scratches along his torso, assumingly from other bullets that hadn’t been as lucky as those two.

The smallest of relieved sighs flowed from your lungs as you discovered that he wasn’t in a critical enough condition to be in need of a surgeon, at least not from what you could tell with the limited resources currently at your disposal.

As you carefully set to work, first digging the bullets out before cleaning the wounds with saline, your lips slowly parted as you treaded a curved needle, “…so, not that I don’t love the change to my evening plans,” you didn’t dare shift your glance as you asked, “but don’t you have a regular guy for cleaning up these sorts of messes?”

“We did… he died tonight, trying to stop that from happening,” the blonde man gestured to the injuries you began to stitch up.

Blinking up to find his eye, you uttered sincerely, “I’m so sorry for your loss…” feeling yourself, even under such circumstances, uncontrollably slip into those compassionate parts of your profession.

A slight scoff bubbled out of the gangster, taken aback by your unexpected gentleness, “yeah, me too. Banner was one hell of a guy…”

Once each of the wounds were sutured closed and you’d bandaged him up, you pushed yourself back from the pool table.

“Alright,” you exhaled and glanced up at the criminals lurking in the shadows of the chamber, “I’m done.”

“Yeah?” one of them stepped up to get a better look, “he’s alright?”

“No, he’s not alright, he was shot multiple times and should be in a fucking hospital,” your eyes briefly fluttered shut as you heard yourself snap, “now, can I please go home?”

Catching the eye of the blonde one, second in command, you watched as his jaw briefly clenched, the muscles dancing beneath his skin before he breathed, “no, you’re not done.”

“But I did exactly as you asked–”

“Like you said, he should be in a hospital right now, but we can’t have that happen, so instead, you’re gonna stay here till he’s out of the woods.”

“What? I can’t–”

“You’re a nurse, right?” he croaked to shut you up, “so fucking do your job and nurse him back to health.”

Three whole days ended up passing by before Mr Barnes slowly began to regain consciousness.

“Oh, you’re awake!” you snapped back into work mode, springing from your seat and leaning in over the bed which he’d previously been moved into. As the mobster instinctively began to sit up, his eyes barely open yet, you laid a soft palm upon his metal arm and uttered, “sir, please don’t move,” and watched as his clenched jaw almost silenced a groan, “one second, I’ll give you something for the pain,” before you shifted a moment to scavenge through the supplies you’d been given. Once the medicine was found, you exhaled slowly as you injected it, gently pressing down the plunger of the syringe, “there you go…”

You let yourself suck in a deep breath before your sharp eyes washed over him, briefly assessing him as he woke, though as your gaze flickered up to meet his own, initially with the intent of checking his pupillary response, the manner he stared back at you caught you so of guard that a shiver trickled down your spine.

“Sir, do you know what your name is?” you asked in a clear tone.

“Mhm…” he hummed and continued to stare at you as if you were an angel, “Bucky…”

“Bucky, great, that’s good,” you nodded, “and do you know where you are?”

His gaze didn’t shift away from your visage as he then murmured, “heaven…”

“No, I assure you, you’re not dead,” grasping the stethoscope draped around your neck, you shifted it into place to take a quick listen to his heart, “you almost were, a few times, but you aren’t.”

As the steady thumping of his pulse filled your ears and seeped into your soul, his deep voice washed over you once again and layered atop the beat, “I’m guessing you had something to do with that?”

Catching his unwavering eye a moment, you then averted yours and muttered, “I was just doing my job…” before retracting the stethoscope from his chest and casting your glance towards the door, “I should probably go tell the others that you’re awake.”

TWO WEEKS LATER

“…and Mr Jensen in 401 is complaining of a headache, so you might wanna check that out as well.”

“Alright, cool,” the doctor scribbled down the last of your words on the little notepad in his palm before his gaze flickered up to catch yours, “thank you so much, Y/n,” he flashed you a warm smile.

Mirroring his expression, you hugged the charts in your grasp closer to your chest, “any time, Dr Parker.”

“Peter, please,” his thumb extended to click the top of his blue pen before sliding it into the breast pocket of his white coat, “hey, I was gonna go grab a cup of coffee right now, do you wanna join?” he tried to keep his tone casual.

Blinking back at him, your breath couldn’t help but get caught in your throat, “I–, uhm… I’d love to, but I get off in a little bit. Wednesdays are always just morning shifts for me.”

“Oh, alright,” he nodded understandingly, though the gentle rejection still tainted his features slightly.

“But another time,” you offered, successfully brightening his smile once more.

“Yeah?�� his elbow curled up to lean against the supportive railing that lined the hospital hallways.

“Sure. I mean, I drink coffee, you drink coffee,” you awkwardly began to dig yourself into a hole, “the chances of us bumping into each other at the coffee cart are pretty high–”

But your sentence was then cut short as Peter’s pager suddenly pinged in his pocket.

Fishing the small device out, his eyes flickered down to the small screen before he croaked, “oh, sorry. I gotta run.”

“Of course,” you swiftly waved a hand and watched as his feet began to shuffle into a run.

“Talk later!” Peter called over his shoulder before he rounded a corner and disappeared into the maze of the hospital.

Twisting around, your feet carried you the remaining distance towards the nurses’ station overlooking the ICU. As you laid the stack of files in your arms down on the counter, a familiar voice found your ears right before her visage popped into your periphery.

“Please tell me that that was what I think it was.”

Your gaze stayed glued on the charts a moment longer as you ignored your friend’s prying, “hello to you too, Kate.”

When your head finally raised and you let her catch your eye, her wide ones questioned you before she expectantly poked once more, “well?”

“Well what?” you shrugged, though your feeble attempts at shutting the pending subject down failed as she shot you a glare, efficiently causing you to crumble with a sigh, “yes, he asked me out again–, or kinda. It was just coffee.”

“And you finally said yes?” she smiled keenly.

Holding back your scoff, you simply uttered, “no,” before spinning on your heel.

“Again?” she shuffled slightly to catch up to the pace you swiftly slipped into, “why not? He’s kind, he’s a doctor, he’s hot,” she listed off, counting on her fingers, “he’s literally perfect for you.”

“I know he is…” you tilted your head, almost with an air of shame, “he’s exactly the type of guy that I should be running after…”

Though you liked him as a person and cared for him enough to call him your friend, those feelings you caught yourself forcing just hadn’t bubbled up yet. He was the kind of man that you deserved, that you should fall for, and certainly not the monster that still haunted you, that for some reason wouldn’t stop popping into your mind, especially at inappropriate times, like very late at night…

“So then why aren’t you?” Kate asked as you entered the employee locker room.

And though thoughts of a gruff gangster caused your heart to swell, you still muttered, “I don’t know…” as an excuse before you popped open your locker and uttered, “hey… what do you know about mobsters here in the city?

“Other than the horror stories I’ve picked up in the ER, not too much,” she leaned against the row of cubbies beside your own as you dug out your bag and began to change out of your scrubs and back into the clothes you’d worn early this morning when the sun was still only a promise waiting to rise, “though I did grow up here, so I probably do know a bit more than you,” she acknowledged your move to the city only a few years prior, “why? Are you suddenly in the mood for a change in careers?”

Though the truth was on the tip of your tongue, you still found yourself obeying the commands the gangsters had sent you home with. Telling the cops was no use because they were all in their pockets, and confiding in a loved one also wasn’t a smart choice as that would only put them in danger.

“Have you ever heard of someone called Bucky Barnes?” you asked, instinctively lowering your voice to a whisper.

The ever light-hearted expression plastered upon Kate’s face fell at the recognition of that name, “yeah…”

“Really?” your brows rose, “what do you know about him?”

“I mean, other than that he’s the supposed leader of the Avengers, not too much.”

“The Avengers?”

“Yeah, one of New York’s most notorious gangs,” she let out a breath, “from what little I know, they get up to a shit ton of stuff straight out of a De Niro movie or something, but their real money maker is cocaine… I mean, that’s why the head of the group is known as the winter soldier.”

“How do you know about all this stuff?” you squinted back at her in slight amazement.

“Went to med school with a few coke heads, might have dated one of them,” she blurted before shaking her head and getting back to the subject at hand, “anyways, Y/n, the point is, you don’t wanna mess with those types, trust me.”

“I know,” you uttered quietly as you shrugged on your coat and pushed your locker closed, “I wasn’t planning on it, I was just curious…”

As you dragged your foaming toothbrush over the last of your teeth, a loud knock suddenly rattled your front door, causing you to jump atop the pink bathmat in your tiny bathroom.

Neck twisted out towards the entryway of your apartment, you briefly leaned over the sink to spit out the toothpaste slowly leaking out of your mouth, before your feet began to carry you towards the exit.

One of your palms momentarily ran over the edge of your pyjama-clad arm as the night chill soaked through the cotton and made you yearn for the warmth of your bed.

Though as you pulled on the handle, the haunting figures on the other side of the door caused your blood to freeze with recognition. Standing tall on the other side of the threshold, there stood two of the Avengers’ henchmen.

“You need to come with us,” the one called Barton ordered coldly. Over the few days the gang had held you captive, you’d picked up on the names of many of the members, including the two that stood before you now.

“What?” your chest rose and fell rapidly, “I–, please, I swear, I haven’t told a soul.”

Having them knock at your door was one thing, but even just the thought of criminals such as them knowing where you lived sent you into a spiral.

“Yeah, we know you haven’t,” Scott put a hand on the doorframe, “that’s not why we’re here.”

“What happened?” you murmured as you were led into one of the many sitting rooms in the mysterious manor they once again brought you to. In an armchair before you, half-empty glass of bourbon in metal hand and the sleeves rolled up on his blood-tainted shirt, there sat the big bad winter soldier himself, panting as he slowly sipped.

Though when the sound of your voice filled the room, Bucky’s eyes only snapped up to yours for a moment before he shot a glare at his men.

“What is she doing here?” he grumbled lowly.

“Boss, you busted your stitches,” Lang gestured tensely to the crimson slowly staining his crisp white shirt, “what else were we–”

Intersecting the conversation, the broad form of Steve stepped into the space between the gangsters and swiftly snuffed the pending argument out, “thank you, Barton, Lang,” he nodded to each of them, “you can go,” and you watched the pair that had brought you back exited the room. Shifting his weight, Bucky’s right hand man turned to you and offered you a polite smile, “Y/n, pleasure to see you again.”

“Yeah,” you exhaled, not masking your disdain of the situation you’d been dragged into yet again, “I wish I could say the same…” before you shifted your eyes to the man in the chair, though still directed your question at Steve, “what do you need me to do?”

As you shifted closer to the intimidating leader, ever drinking, surely to dull the pain, Rogers murmured as you kneeled down to assess, “I think it’s just the one on his shoulder that’s–”

“Yeah, I see it,” you cut him off, then glanced back over your shoulder at him, “do you still have that medical bag?”

“Yeah, one second,” he swiftly disappeared to fetch it, leaving you all alone with the feared mob boss.

With the crackling fireplace off to the side as your only source of light, you cautiously raised your hands and asked, “do you mind taking this off?” motioning to the shirt he wore.

“Yeah, sure,” Bucky sighed and sat down his glass before shrugging the item off. Though you’d stared at his bare chest for hours on end before, soaking in his reveal once again for some reason caused your heartbeat to pick up, though you swiftly averted your gaze in an attempt at staying professional.

Not long passed before Rogers had returned with the supplies, and you’d commenced redoing his stitches.

“So,” you murmured though your concentration, weaving his skin back together, “do I even wanna know how this happened?”

Blinking down at you, your face close to your work and therefore his skin, Bucky breathed, “probably not...” and as his stare only intensified over the next few stitches, his low timbre once again washed over you as the corners of his lips tugged into the slightest of smirks, “cute PJs, by the way…”

“Yeah, I didn’t exactly get a chance to change,” you felt your cheeks heat up.

“Oh, I'm not complaining,” his gaze shifted to take in the way the cool night air had caused your nipples to become visible like pebbles beneath the thin stripy fabric, the comment making you shift tensely on your knees.

Once the last of the knots were tied off and you’d snipped the end of the thread, you wrapped the wounds back up with clean bandages before placing the roll of gauze back into the medical bag.

“Alright, uhm,” you shifted back, “you’re good now,” a slight winch shot through you as you watched him briefly test out his arm’s mobility, “just be careful, try not to use it too much.”

Catching your eye, he uttered softly, “thank you,” before shifting his gaze to the gangster by the door, “Rogers?”

“Yes, boss?”

“See to it that she gets home safe.”

ONE MONTH LATER

“I’ve heard the risotto here is really good,” Peter noted as you both skimmed the menus resting on the tablecloth before you, the crystal chandeliers illuminating the restaurant cast a soft glow down upon the choices.

“Yeah?” you briefly glanced up to catch the doctor’s eye, “well, maybe I should get that then,” you shrugged before shifting slightly in your seat, “hey,” you captured his gaze once more, “could you maybe order for me? I just need to–…” you trailed off, letting the thumb you discreetly pointed over your shoulder in the direction of the bathrooms fill out the rest of the sentence.

“Oh, yeah, of course,” he nodded.

“Great, thank you,” you smiled as you rose. The long, cobalt-blue, velvet dress you wore briefly swooshed around your legs before the soft click of your heels against the polished floors carried you through the maze of tables.

It was the third date you’d ventured on with the kind doctor. The third one and yet you still didn’t have any feelings towards him.

Stubbornly trying as you might, you still couldn’t get the poison out of your system and do the right thing.

Once you exited the ladies’ room, and big breath of courage in your lungs as you pushed open the door, it all seeped out as you walked through the small hallway that connected the lavatories with the dining space, and you accidentally bumped into two figures that waited in the space.

Unsure of who was to blame for the collision, you immediately just muttered, “oh, sorry–,” before you glanced up at the pair and your apology crumbled from your lips, your frame immediately freezing up at the recognition.

“Listen to me. You are going to quietly walk back to your little date, tell him that you’re not feeling well and need to go home,” Stark kept his voice hushed as both he and the other gangster slowly cornered you, the other one grasping your arm to keep you in place, “and then you’re gonna come with us.”

Sucking in a breath, you then tilted your chin slightly, “and if I don’t?”

“Then we won’t hesitate to make a scene,” Barton shifted the edge of his jacket out of the way to flash you the gun strapped beneath, “so you can either walk with us and safe a life or you can not only have a dying gangster’s blood on your hands, but also everyone in this fucking restaurant.”

With the clench of your jaw, you glared up at them and murmured, “...fine,” before you ripped your arm free and began to walk back into the dining area and the table where Peter still sat.

Flashing you a smile as you neared, the doctor swiftly said, “so, I ordered this chardonnay that the waiter said was good. You drink wine, right?”

“I–, uhm…” your fingers clutched the back of the chair as you tried to appear as you had before, even though now you felt as if your hammering heart might spring straight out of your ribcage, “Peter, I’m really sorry, but I gotta go,” you briefly scrambled your brain before adding, “the hospital paged me. There was a big accident downtown.”

“Really?” he fished out his own beeper from his pocket and furrowed down at it, “I didn’t get paged, so it probably can’t be that bad.”

“Yeah, but nurses shortage, you know?”

“Right,” he nodded, disappointment slightly polluting his understanding expression.

“I'm really sorry,” you uttered as you picked up your small purse from the chair.

“No, it’s fine,” he shook his head gently, “hey, I get it,” he shrugged before waving a hand, “go.”

“Thank you,” you stood there a moment longer, unsure of how you should depart, “uhm… bye,” before you awkwardly shifted closer to his seat and leaned down to press a brief kiss to his cheek as you offered him a half-hearted hug.

“Who is it this time?” you sighed as you were led into an elegant space, surely intended for parties judging by the long bar that stretched along the back wall. Glaring at the only man seated on one of the barstools, you asked impatiently, “is it you? Did you hurt yourself again?”

Glancing over his shoulder as you halted your stride halfway down the short steps, a smile appeared on Bucky’s face as he leaned a forearm against the bar top and bellowed, “Y/n! Come, have a drink with me,” he waved a hand for you to take the seat beside him.

Standing your ground, you squinted back at him in confusion, “no, I can’t, I–, where’s the patient?”

“The patient?” he echoed as if you were speaking a foreign language.

“Yes,” you huffed, your annoyance simmering into a full-on boil, “the person who’s on death’s door, the reason why I, a medical professional, is here,” you placed your hands on your hips and asked once again, “is it you?”

“No, I’m phenomenal,” he pursed his lips as he snatched up the stout glass waiting for him on the marble counter, “never been better.”

“Okay, so who is it?”

Tearing his gaze away from you, he then uttered, “no one,” before raising the drink up to his lips. As your mouth parted and your glare nearly burned straight through him, the mobster casually added, “you look stunning, by the way,” before twisting in his seat to face you more, “I didn’t know they changed scrubs out with gowns.”

“No, I–, I was on a date–,” you muttered faintly through your confusion, slightly shaking your head in an attempt to clear it before you raised a hand, “wait, excuse me, no one’s injured?”

“No,” Barnes shook his head, “no one’s hurt or dying,” then added as if your reaction was a tad bit too dramatic for his taste, “you can relax, it’s fine.”

But instead, the opposite emotions roiled inside of you as you slowly ascended a single one of the remaining steps, “so you mean to tell me that your men threatened me, my date and a whole restaurant of people, then dragged me all the way out here again, for nothing?” you fumed.

“No, it wasn’t for nothing,” he shrugged, “they brought you back here because I told them to,” he kept his ocean eyes upon you as he once again repeated, “now, come drink with me.”

“No, I don’t want a fucking drink,” you roared.

But then, just as swiftly as you had raised your voice, Bucky’s steely hand dipped beneath his suit jacket and pulled out a gun.

“I asked you nicely,” his stern tone rolled off his tongue slowly as he aimed the weapon upon you, “now sit your ass down and share a drink with me.”

Carefully, you finally followed his orders and sat down at the bar beside him.

“Good girl. That wasn’t so hard now, was it?” he uttered as he sat the gun down beside his drink. Raising up a hand to the silent shadow behind the bar, a glass was soon slid across the counter, one Bukcy pushed closer towards you, “here,” he said as you stared down at the orange peel floating at the top. As you lifted up the cocktail, the gangster beside you raised his own to click yours, “cheers.”

You briefly toyed with the thought of just taking a sip, though opted instead to down it all, both out of the desperate hope that the alcohol would aid the strange evening, but also in an attempt to fast forward a tad closer to your longed-for departure, ripping the bandage off instead of nursing it all night long.

Though as you sat the glass back down on the bar, the bottom clanged against the marble much more forcefully than you’d intended as the fingers you clutched it with began to tingle. Blinking heavily a few times, your hand accidentally knocked over the empty drink as a numbing sensation began to bloom within your chest and spread throughout your body.

Trying to get up from your seat, you mumbled foggily, “what the hell?” though quickly stumbled as your legs felt like jelly beneath your velvet gown.

“Whoa, careful now, angel,” Bucky’s calm gaze trailed you chillingly as you tried to steady yourself.

“The fuck did you do?” you panted as your wide eyes watched him raise from his seat.

“It's okay,” he uttered softly, “it’s all gonna be okay,” before your world turned to black and you passed out into his arms.

When you finally stirred, you were no longer at the bar, nor any other room you’d been in before. You were in a bedroom, situated on a spacious mattress and alongside countless fluffy maroon pillows.

As you sat up, a low rustling found your ears and drew your vision down towards the coldness clinging around your ankle. Strung between the bottom corner of the bedframe and your own foot, there shined a chain, one that, try as you instinctively did, you couldn’t snap out of.

But then, as the door to the room creaked open and caused your body to flinch, a plea swiftly flowed out of you as you watched Rogers step inside, balancing a small tray with a glass and a tall decanter of clear water.

“Steve!” you crawled to the bottom of the bed, “I–… help me, please,” you begged, hearing tears thicken up your voice as they rolled down your cheeks, “you’re a good man, deep down I know you don’t wanna stand by and let this happen. Can you unlock me? Please? Help me get out of here.”

But just as you waited for Steve’s lips to part, you instead heard, “shh, don’t waste your breath, honey,” as in strolled Bucky, causing you to swiftly scramble as far back on the bed as the chain would allow.

Sitting down in a chair just out of your reach, the fireplace opposing the bed, directly behind where he sat, clacked and lit up his spine as he settled into the seat and directed his cold gaze upon you.

“Glad to see you awake,” he uttered calmly.

“Fuck you!” you swiftly spat as you hugged your knees tightly to your chest.

“And with all of your charms still intact,” he tilted his head, a light smirk blooming on his lips as your vulgar language hadn’t fazed him one bit.

“Let me go,” you demanded.

“Yeah, that’s not gonna happen, my angel,” his burly arms folded across his chest, “this is for your own protection,” he briefly gestured to the chain, “we wouldn’t want you to do anything stupid or rash now, would we?” one of his eyebrows twitched, “I can’t let anything happen to you,” he uttered as you continued to stare daggers at him, “you need to be kept as safe as possible so you can keep on helping me the way that you have.”

“What? You want me to be your gang’s personal nurse?” you scoffed, “is this your sick and twisted way of offering me a job, because if so, no thanks!”

“Yeah, no, this isn’t a job offering, I’m not interested in those talents of yours,” he leaned further back in the seat before he began to explain, “you see, for the past few years, I’ve had a serious string of bad luck. Deals have fallen through, rats have been found, the feds have been snipping at our heels and countless of my men have lost their lives,” he listed off, “but, then I met you,” his eyes flickered up to capture your own, “and it all turned around,” he uttered, “I tell you, when you’re here, it’s fate herself is on my side and nothing whatsoever could go wrong. Like having you has made me a fucking god or something, that’s the level of power you’ve bestowed in me,” a faint smile tugged at his lips as those words rolled off his tongue, “so no, you can not leave. You have to stay right here where I can make sure you’re safe and sound. Although, just because you get to be kept safe, that doesn’t mean you’re free of any consequences if you step out of line… it also doesn’t mean that I’ll deny anyone of your beauty if it pleases them… so, I guess it’s more along the lines of you just staying alive under my watch.”

In the blind rage his words threw you into, your fingers wrapped around the bedside lamp before you chucked it across the room. Though just before it could strike the gangster’s head, he casually ducked out of the way, the lamp instead smashing on the floor behind him as a chuckle began to rumble within his chest.

“That’s cute,” he laughed lowly, “you’ve got some bite. It’ll get you in trouble, but it’s adorable.”

“I'm not interested in being your good luck charm, you superstitious fuck!” you yelled as he got up from his seat.

Huffing out a condescending grin, “give it some time, angel,” he fastened the button on his dark suit jacket before smoothing a palm down over the front, “the human psyche is much more fragile than you’d think and can get used to some surprising conditions,” he ignored the scream that desperately tore from your lungs and instead turned to Steve standing by the door and asked him calming, “Rogers, would you mind cleaning that up?” gesturing to the broken lamp on the floor, and as he received a small nod in return, he murmured, “thank you,” before exiting the room and leaving you to your fate.

“Seriously?” Steve let out a laugh when he finally coaxed the truth out as to why you hadn’t been touching any of the food they’d brought you, “and here I thought you were just a picky eater.”

“Well, you’ve already drugged me once so what’s stopping you from doing it again,” you explained, glaring down at the plate before you as he attempted to stifle his laughter.

“I swear, cross my heart, your pasta is not poisoned.”

Continuing to squint down at the food, you kissed your teeth, “prove it.”

“Really?” his brows floated up, “alright,” he sighed as he sat down across from you. Dragging your plate closer, he twirled some of the spaghetti onto the fork before slipping it into his mouth, “see?” he chewed, “I’m fine, and so will you be when you get some food in that belly of yours.”

Pushing it back towards you, hesitantly, you picked up the fork and slowly began to eat. It had only been little things you’d consumed the past couple of days being here, things you could be certain weren’t tainted, like the odd apple and such.

Though as you chewed and finally began to settle your stomach’s nauseating rumbling, tears began to stream down your cheeks.

No matter how hard you tried to beg, none of the mobsters would help you, as their loyalty was just too hard for you to crack.

“Hey…” your bloodshot eyes then flickered up to Rogers as he noticed your weeping, “it’ll get easier, I promise,” he attempted in a soft tone.

“How?” you blinked back at him hopelessly, “I am being locked up in a room by a maniac as if I’m just some trinket for him to own.”

Throwing a brief glance over his shoulder, he then leaned in a bit closer to cautiously advise you, “…there might be some things you could do to change your situation…”

“What?” a spark suddenly flickered within you, “I’d do anything.”

“…you might consider trying to get closer to Barnes…” his words remained hesitant, “…if he begins to care for you, then he might treat you differently…”

“Like, he’d let me go?”

“I don’t know,” he exhaled, “but maybe it could get that chain off your ankle,” he gestured to your foot, “baby steps.”

ONE MONTH LATER

“Here,” Steve croaked as he suddenly burst through the doors to your room, a big flat box in his arms which he tossed on the bed beside you. Peeking inside, a folded-up bundle of black fabric met your eye, “put it on,” he ordered hastily, “make yourself presentable.”

“Why?” you blinked up at him, your brows knitting gently together.

“Because the boss requested it,” he answered impatiently.

“What, he wants to play dress up with me now? Treat me like a doll?”

Over the past month, you had gone from being scared out of your mind, barely sleeping at night, horrified of what they might do to you, till the paralysing fear slowly began to melt away as not much happened at all, in fact so little that you grew bored in your imprisonment, thinking that the big bad gangsters were just all bark and no bite. Perhaps that was a dangerous confidence to develop, growing cocky in your restlessness, but you couldn’t help it.

Letting out a low sigh, “just put it on,” Rogers’ head tilted before he said, “I’ll be outside, yell when you’re done.”

Popping the lid off all the way, you then slipped into the black gown waiting within. It was long and simple in its beauty as it hugged all of your curves like a second skin.

Right before you called out to the mobster in the hallway, you leaned in closer to the mirror on the left side of the room. The dark storm clouds visible out the gothic windows that filled up the wall behind you blossomed in the reflection alongside you as you momentarily fussed with your hair to make it match the elegant dress better.

Once Steve had entered the room once again, the very last thing you expected was what he did next.

Walking straight up to you, without a word, he bent down and unlocked the chain binding you to the bedpost. At first, a wave of hope washed over you till it was drowned out by the unsettling notion as to where he would take you and just what plans were on the horizon.

Grabbing you by the arm, he dragged you out of the room and down the dark hallway you’d only seen glimpses of before. You tried to ask him what was going on, though he didn’t offer you any clue in return, only remained silent as he hauled you through the maze-like manor till a wide set of steps found you, leading you down into a garage where a group of the other gangsters already stood beside the black car rolled up by the base of the stairs.

Standing in the middle with an arm resting against the roof of the vehicle, Bucky’s gaze swiftly landed upon you as you ascended the stone steps.

“Well,” the mob boss’ eyes roamed your form, “don’t you look pretty.”

Biting your tongue, you greeted him politely, “Mr Barnes.”

“Shall we go?” he cracked open one of the car doors.

“Where?” you tried, though your question only caused him to breathe out a smile as he ignored it and instead commanded softly.

“Get in the car, angel,” his metal arm rested atop the door.

Riding in a different vehicle than you, it was Clint who slipped in behind the wheel of your car and drove you the silent route towards the mysterious destination.

Though once the car came to a stop, the door to your left cracked open from the outside and there to greet you was an outstretched metal hand to help you exit.

You didn’t recognise the building that loomed before you, though it was grand and opulent with large steps leading you and all the other arrivals up to what sounded like a party already buzzing on.

“So, you needed a date,” you exhaled as Barnes took your arm and began to lead you up the stairs, a cluster of his men shadowing behind you both.

“No,” he cocked his head, “I didn’t need it...”

Casting your glance around at the other guests that passed, you asked, “what kinda party is this anyway? Let me guess, human trafficking auction?” you were completely serious, though still managed to make the gangster laugh gently.

“It’s a wedding,” his chuckle finished billowing out of his lungs, “or a funeral,” he tilted his head, “I'm not quite sure.”

“How could you not be sure?” you shot him a glance as you reached the top of the steps and he dragged you inside the marbled halls, “there’s a pretty significant difference.”

“They all just kinda melt together at this point,” he sighed, “I have at least one of these a week I gotta show my face at, just out of respect.”

Taking a look around, you uttered, “well, do you at least know who this funeral wedding is for?”

“No fucking clue,” he exhaled before following the signs and leading you into the venue’s ballroom.

Turns out it was a wedding for some couple you hadn’t yet spotted, though you’d already read their names a thousand times with all the stuff they were plastered upon.

You stayed quiet and lingered by Bucky’s side as he shook some people’s hands and made some small talk before the two of you found yourselves seated at one of the many round tables in the hall.

Blinking up at the floral centrepiece, your fingers fiddled with the white tablecloth as the hours rolled by. Soon, not only the complementary glass of champagne you’d been handed back when you arrived was sloshing in your belly, but also quite a bit more alcohol as you decided that was a good tool to make the evening more bearable.

It however also came with the hindrance of boosting your cockiness as you eventually found yourself poking the bear.

“You know for a big bad gangster,” you stared over at him, leaned back in the seat next to yours, “you’re actually not that scary up close,” you pursed your lips, causing a chuckle to rumble within his chest because of just how untrue that statement was, “smiling at everyone, being polite. Are you sure you really are the big bad winter solider? The king of New York with no heart and only an imagination for torture…”

“Well…” he huffed out a short laugh as he met your gaze, “don’t you have me just all figured out.”

“Some of your guys may have filled me in a bit,” you tilted your head.

“Have they now?” he continued to look amused.

“Yeah, well, a bit at least,” you seized your glass and took another sip.

As you placed the flute back down on the table and rested your cheek in a propped-up palm, your stare only intensified into a squint as Bucky’s eyes flickered back around the room.

But as his gaze fluttered back to notice your gawking, he muttered, “what?”

“Why aren’t you mean tonight?” you uttered through the haze fuzzing up your mind.

Tongue flicking out to wet his lips, his eyes briefly dipped before he uttered, “do you want me to be mean?” a playful smirk twitched at the corner of his lip in a threat to appear.

“Is it all just a lie?” you asked, the subtext of his previous words flowing directly over your dizzy head.

“What?”

Squinting back at him, you then breathed, “there’s always a part of me that’s still scared, imagining what you might do to me… but now,” you slowly drew out, “I don’t think you’re actually ever gonna do anything,” you blindly decided, “that’s not really who you are, they’re all just empty threats…”

“Hm…” he hummed, a slight smile blooming upon his lips as he stared back at you, “okay…” before he leaned in closer to utter, “and just what makes you think that I haven’t already?” your face immediately dropped as his words caused your frame to freeze up, “tell me, Y/n,” his breath fanned across your cheeks, “did you sleep well last night? Or the night before for that matter, or–, well, just during the time you’ve spent here with me?”

As your shock not only showed in your expression but also in your complete lack of speech, he simply grinned back at your stunned features before grabbing you by the hand and breaking the moment.

“Come on,” he dragged you with him as he then stood up himself, “let’s dance.”

With an argument on the tip of your tongue, the appendage, just as the rest of you, still remained too dumbfounded for it to come to fruition. You didn’t manage to gather your wits once again till he had you on the middle of the floor, wide hand on your waist as you swayed to the music.

As his hold slowly tightened and he brought you closer to his broad frame, your breath suddenly hitched as you blinked up into his eyes, the air between you growing thick. The hand that grasped your own near swallowed your palm in a dizzying contrast. Goosebumps began to erupt across your skin as you felt your heartbeat thump not only in your chest, but also much further south, a mortifying clue to the dark truth you hoped he didn’t somehow notice.

Gliding his palm up the length of your spine, it came to rest between your shoulder blades as he then drew you in closer and your gaze fell to the band strumming over his shoulder.

“Does the thought of me playing with you at night turn you on?” he whispered in your ear and continued to gently sway you to the music, “because if you want me to wake you, all you have to do is ask. Though my attempts so far at rubbing your luck off on me have been rather eventful, I’m still sure it would be better if you gave me a bit of a hand…”

Tilting your head back to blink up at him, you thought you were gonna spit him in the face for making such an accusation, till your stare acted of its own accord and fluttered down to fixate on his lips.

It almost felt as if they were calling for you, begging you closer like a stubborn magnet. But before you could close the short distance that kept you two apart, Barton appeared in your periphery and tapped his boss on the shoulder.

As he leaned in to whisper in his ear, you couldn’t pick up on the words over the music, though watched as Bucky’s face swiftly grew hard.

“What’s going on?” you asked as the secretive message came to an end and the mobster’s wide hands faded from your frame.

Ignoring your question, Bucky instead cast his glance over your head at one of the men behind you and ordered sternly, “Stark? Get her home, now.”

“What’s happening?” you tried again, though without success as Tony dragged you away and the remaining gathered to converse in hushed tones.

Perhaps it was because of the chaos of whatever was happening, perhaps just a simple mistake, but when you returned back to the manor, the shackle wasn’t reunited with your ankle.

Not willing to let that gift slip through your fingers, you soon grasped that opportunity tight and made an attempt at your escape.

Sneaking down the many hallways, you successfully hid from a handful of gruff-looking men before you realised you couldn’t remember the path to the garage or any other way out of the labyrinth of a building that kept you swallowed in the dark.

However, your mission turned into a swiftly sinking ship as soon as you rounded the wrong corner and crossed the threshold of the last room you should have entered.

In the centre of the space stood two chairs, both with individuals strapped to them, though only one of them was still alive. Before the seated pair and with his back turned to your frozen-up form, there stood Bucky. Returned from the party and with both his jacket and tie torn off, his sleeves were rolled up though still tainted in small crimson flecks of the deed he’d just done.

“Come on, Vladimir…” Barnes uttered as he kneeled down in front of the battered man still breathing, neither he nor the other members in the room haven noticed you in the doorway, “just give me what I want and we can wrap this up.”

Wheezing painfully through his broken nose, the man met Bucky’s steely gaze before fulfilling his request, “…I’m sorry…”

“Hm?” he leaned in pettily, “what was that?”

“I’m sorry,” the tied-up man repeated with a laboured huff.

“Okay, getting there,” he nodded, “what are you sorry for?”

“I’m sorry for killing Bruce…” the name rolled off Vladimir’s tongue like a crackle to a bonfire.

“And?” Bucky fished.

“For hurting you…”

“See? That wasn’t so bad now,” Barnes straightened back up, “an apology, a life for the one you took from me, and now there’s just one last thing left to do, and then we’re even,” he then took one step back and conjured his gun. Aiming it at the Russian, barely a second passed before a shot deafened everyone’s ears and a bullet blasted through the tied-up man’s arm, mirroring the injuries Bucky himself had sustained. The loud blast and the bloodcurdling scream that tore from Vladimir, however, caught you so off guard that a shriek slipped from you as you flinched, revealing your presence as everybody’s eyes suddenly shifted to train on you. Glancing over his shoulder, Bucky grunted, “what are you doing out? What is she doing out?” he shot his glare in the direction of Steve off to the side, “Rogers? Get her back into bed.”

“Yes, boss,” his right-hand man swiftly nodded before catching up to you in two long steps and seizing your arm.

And as you were dragged back to your doom, your eyes caught the tail end as Barnes let out a sigh and turned back around to face his victim, “now, where were we? Right! I believe the other one was right around here,” another gunshot echoed in the manor as he shot Vladimir’s arm once more, “and now, we can’t forget about the ones that only skimmed me, so get up and don’t fucking flinch, it’s on you if I hit your lung.”

The chain reunited with your ankle jingled as you twisted on the bed to cast your gaze out the window. Heavy rain hammered against the tall panes as the restless city twinkled through the darkness of the night. In the corner of the room, Steve watched up like a hawk as you continuously failed to find rest.

But then, just as you thought you felt your heartbeat return to a normal rhythm, the double doors burst open and in paced Bucky.

“Is she awake?” he huffed, though didn’t wait for an answer before he heatedly went on, “okay, great.”

As his rushed steps halted by the foot of your bed, the look in his eye caused your body to shudder.

“Rogers?” he kept his cold stare glued on you as he uttered, “go wait outside.”

Though you silently pleaded with your eyes for the mobster to stay, it was no use as Steve swiftly shut the doors behind him.

As the man before you then shifted, your wide eyes finally noticed the bundle of rope in his grasp as he began to unravel it. Scrambling back, you didn’t manage to crawl far away before Bucky caught the chain and yanked it hard enough to force your frame down towards him. Though your struggling finally fizzled out when the gangster pulled out his gun, the very gun he’d just ended a life with, and aimed it at your head to get you to comply.

“You know,” he uttered gruffly like a pent-up bull, “I’ve been nice, I’ve been real well behaved, kept my manners intact, been a goddamn gentleman,” the heavy weapon in his hand tilted slightly to emphasise his words, “but evidently, that’s not what you need to learn your fucking place,” he fumed before letting out a low exhale, “that’s alright…”

“Bucky, please,” tears blurred your vision as you held up your palms, “I-I understand, I’m sorry, you don’t have to do this.”

“Oh, but I do…” he sighed almost softly as he then kneeled down closer and let the tip of the cool barrel stroke your cheek, “…if you don’t break a horse, then she’ll never be tamed…” his eyes trailed after the line he drew before it flickered up to find your own, “now give me your hands,” he ordered and hesitantly, you shakily obeyed.

Since you couldn’t stay in your place, he simply had to tie you down better.

Unfurling the rope in his grasp, the mobster then fastened the cord around not only both of your wrists, but also your free ankle. After each of the tight knots were tied off, he yanked each appendage to the nearest corner of the bedframe, spreading your limbs till you looked like a starfish on the mattress.

Taking a step back to admire his handiwork, his fingers then dipped down into his pocket before a slight furrow found his brow as his touch didn’t locate the item he fished for. Placing the heavy gun in his palm down on the fireplace mantel, he then closed the distance towards the exit and cracked open the door just a smidge.

“Rogers?” he extended a hand through the sliver, “give me your knife,” to which a switchblade was swiftly placed in his palm, replacing his own which was still lodged deeply inside the corpse of the Russian in the other room.

Slamming the door behind him, he then crossed the room and silently began to cut your clothes off. The black gown you still wore came off with only a few slices, though your underwear, that he took his time with, slowly grazing the blade over your goosebump-ridden flesh before nicking the cotton clinging tightly to your frame.

Once you were bare before him, his feet shuffled back slightly as he let his stare soak up every millimetre of you.

A hand floated up to tug on his tie and loosen it slightly from around the collar still dappled with the blood of his enemy. Folding closed the knife with a faint flourish, he then sank down into the armchair directly behind him. The tattered panties he’d sliced from you were still clutched tightly in his hand as his eyes stayed glued upon your frame. Bringing the fabric up to his nose, his blue eyes then fluttered closed for a second as he breathed deeply, letting the scent of you flood his senses.

But as he stuffed the cotton down into his pocket and let his palm drift to somewhere else, your eyes grew even wider as you gasped, “what are you–”

“Just shut up, please,” he groaned, sounding like he was at his very last straw as he brashly began to rub himself through his pants, “just for one fucking second, don’t be a brat.”

Your jaw couldn’t help but hit the floor as he shamelessly pulled out his cock, letting the intimidating hardness spring free of its confines before he spit in his palm and enclosed his fist around the fat girth. You wanted to look away, you truly did, but you just couldn’t, a flaw he obviously noticed.

“You’re unbelievable…” he chuckled as his fist silkily stroked up and down his cock, the mixture of his own spit and the precum beading at the tip caused a sloppy melody to fill the room at each and every twist, “I mean, me being into you, that’s one thing, that makes sense, you’re the closest thing to magic that I’ve ever experienced, so of course that’s enough to get me going, but you… you’re the very textbook definition of a good girl and here you are pining after–, how was it again you put it? A superstitious fuck?”

Stunned at his accusation, you tried to tear your stare away, “I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“Really? Well, I didn’t take you for a fool, but hey,” he tilted his head, “some folks are just that disconnected to their own feelings.”

Blinking back at him, you scoffed faintly, “you’re crazy, I’m not–…” but you couldn’t even say it out loud as you, deep down, knew that it was a lie.

“Oh yeah?” he cocked a brow, finding your flustered state amusing, “then why did you almost kiss me tonight?”

“I–…I was drunk.”

Letting out a dark chuckle, “alright, sure,” he then rose from his seat and crawled up on the bed with you before he buried his face between your parted thighs, “if you despise me so much, then why are you so fucking wet?” his hot breath fanned across your core.

“I’m not–,” you tried, though your attempt then fell short as he proved you wrong, reaching out his touch to tickle at your lightly and let the wet sounds of your arousal slosh into your soul.

“Hm?” the broad pad of his thumb gently brushed over your glistening petals, making them part for him, “if this isn’t because deep down you want me, then why? I’d love to hear you try and explain your way out of this one…”

“I-I–…” your eyes fluttered as you tried to fight the feeling, “I don’t…”

Laughing lightly through the scoff that then bubbled out of him, he averted his gaze and said, “okay, fine. You wanna play that game?” his eyes flickered back up to find yours, “if you need a bit of help in order to admit the truth, then that’s what you’ll get,” he uttered before suddenly stuffing two of his fingers inside of you.

Craning his neck, he tilted down to catch a taste. You tried to hold back your moans as his digits caressed you, but the softness of his velvety tongue came as such a shock that a little squeak managed to slip out past your lips.

“I mean, if it’s any consolation,” his stubbly chin glimmered with your essence as he retracted slightly to smirk, “I personally think it’s kinda cute that you have a crush on me like a little schoolgirl…”

He then sent his palm down upon your pussy in a wet smack, before repeating the action a couple of times to echo the jolt it shot through your body.

“Fuck…” he groaned in a low rumble, “you are so much more pretty awake…” he revealed casually, “sure, you make some cute noises in your sleep, but not like this,” you instinctually tried to stifle the uncontrollable whimpers that flowed from your lungs, “you should really be thanking me for all of the time and effort I’ve put into stretching this little hole of yours out,” his fingers continued to pump in and out of you, “if I hadn’t, well then you might just split in two when I finally get my cock in there.”

And as he leaned down to lap you up once more, you curled your toes as you felt him push you closer to the edge.

“Mr Barnes…” you attempted with an air of respect through your pants, “please don’t–…”

“Why? Because it makes you want to kiss me again?” he teasingly taunted you before continuing his persistent licks, bullying your clit into submission.

And as he kept going, even as you gasped, “stop–, a-ah!” he still kept his lips locked around your puffy pearl long after a gush of squirt wept around his fingers, keeping his efforts up till your hips were bucking back in sensitivity.

But when his kiss finally ceased, he let some of your juices, that had flooded into his mouth, trickle out past his lips and back down onto your pussy, “fuck…” his low groan nearly caused the whole room to rumble, “nasty little cunt…” before he slapped your throbbing core once more, watching as the last little trickle weakly leaked out and soaked the sheets below.

Lifting himself up to hover above your constricted form, you then squirmed as you felt him nudge the bulbous tip of him against you.

“Does the idea of liking, or even loving, someone like me scare you that much?” he uttered as he gathered up your slick and smeared it with his cock, “does it make you feel all wrong and icky inside that I of all people make you feel the way that you do?”

All of the air in your lungs was then suddenly knocked clean out as he, with one long stroke, slipped all the way inside, before pulling right back out to tap the weight of him against your poor clit with the hold he had at his base.

“You won’t spontaneously combust if you admit it out loud, you know…”

He repeated the motion, plugging you up completely before he denied your cunt the chance of getting used to the stretch.

“I just wanna hear you say it…”

And on the next time he filled you up to the brim, this time his hips didn’t retract.

Reeling as you fought to comprehend the manner his girth split you open, you gasped weakly, “I can’t…”

“Hmm…” his eyes above you narrowed slightly before he pointed out, “that’s not a no,” and he began to move, “finally getting somewhere…”

The gangster was in no way gentle as he started to fuck your pussy, the selfish force of it caused your body to jostle every time his heavy balls tapped against your slick skin, thereby conducting a lewd beat each time he slammed into you.

Lowing himself to get even closer to you, his nose ghosted against your own from the proximity. The gesture made you assume that he was about to press his lips to yours, though they never touched, even as your own instincts overwhelmed you and made you dizzily tilt up to try and close the gap, “nah-ah-ah,” he swiftly clicked his tongue and moved out of your reach, “admit the truth and then I’ll kiss you all you want.”

With his length still embedded deep within you, he sat back up. His fingers dented your hips as he grabbed onto them and then began to sink them harshly down against his own, lifting your frame entirely off of the mattress as he used you like a toy.

“Oh god…” you whimpered as your eyes fluttered down to notice the faint bulge that appeared in your lower abdomen, the thrusting imprint of his size visibly showing just how deep he buried himself inside of you.

Once he’d plopped your hips back down onto the bed, his hands then instead floated up to play with your tits, the rhythm he offered you causing them to jiggle in his palms. Though once he’d fiercely pinched your nipples and parted ways in a brief tap, his fingers then drifted further down south till his right hand found your puffy clit.

Casting his glance down as he rubbed your pearl, a smirk appeared on his lip as he spotted the way your cream coated his girth. Sweeping down to smear his touch against it, what he did next caught you so off guard that you jostled wildly in your binds in an attempt to hit him for his audacity.

“Ahh!” you yelped as he stuffed two of his fingers in your pussy alongside his already overwhelming girth, “Buck, no, it’s too much!”

But your squeak only caused him to chuckle as he stared down at the way your little hole struggled to take what he gave it, clinging around him so tightly that loud groans began to billow from him as he soon painted your insides white and pumped you full of his cum.

With heavy breaths, he withdrew his dick, though let his digits stay inside your warmth.

“Maybe in time you could become more than just my good luck charm…” he murmured as he flopped down to curl closer to your core, “would you like that?” he nipped at one of your thighs as his load slowly began to leak around his thick fingers, “does the idea of me falling down to my knees before you and declaring my undying love entice you, angel?”

“You’ll just have to do better,” he continued as his digits began to twist within you, “let me mould you and make you perfect for me,” another one of his fingers was stuffed inside of you, causing your eyes to flutter, “just let go,” he breathed, “shut off your brain and let it become a leaky mess just like your pussy already is for me,” he worked another digit into your creamy cunt before grazing the last one against your stretched out opening, “you don’t need to think, you just need to do exactly as I tell you to and everything will be okay,” his tone was soft as his thumb curled close to the others and sank into your pussy with a pop, “just break for me, it’s okay,” your body was shaking beneath him as his entire fist slowly twisted within you, “you’ll be so much more perfect ruined…”

Tears were streaming down your face as you unravelled once more, trembling violently as your pussy clamped down around his wide hand so tightly that it was forced all the way out, a drizzle of your nectar once again spraying out at the intensity.

“Alright!” you let out a sob, “alright… I–… I don’t understand it… but, I–…” you caught his eye and confessed, “ever since the moment I met you, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you… even when I fall asleep, it’s like you’re haunting me in my dreams…” a faint shake found your head as you blinked up at him through your blurry vision, “I don’t wanna feel this way. But–… I do.”

It seemed as though time stood still as Bucky stared down at you, an unreadable expression tinting his features before he finally shifted, slowly leaning down over you and inching closer before he finally pressed his lips to your own.

A faint whimper was muffled against his kiss as you felt the world crumble around you.

“That wasn’t so hard, was it now…” he breathed as he ended the soft peck, “say it again,” his hand slid over your jaw, “practice makes perfect.”

Blinking up into his eyes, you uttered from the bottom of your heart, “I am yours,” a single tear rolled down your cheek as you still trembled beneath him.

“Damn right you are…” his lips tilted into a smile.

Fishing out the borrowed switchblade that still rested within the gangster’s pocket, he then sliced through the ropes and constricted you.

Tangling your arms around his neck as you sat up, you captured his lips once again and felt his touch slide down under your ass before he scooped you into his lap. Your sore pussy wept against his cock, once again throbbing and hard as a rock against your core. As your tongue danced against his own, you couldn’t help but scramble even closer, pressing your body impossibly close to his own as you grinded down against him.

“You are mine,” he groaned as he manhandled your frame in his hold and sank you back down onto his fat dick, “you are my most prized possession,” your bodies met in sticky claps as the aftermath of the rough round moments before still oozed all over this one where passion crackled behind both of your own desperate efforts, “I will never let you go,” he blinked up into your eyes as you rode him, both of you clinging to each other as the end crept ever nearer, “always need you–,” his sentence was briefly broken up by a moan as you rolled your hips, your pussy gripping around him and squeezing him tightly, “need you by my side…”

Once your synced-up orgasms had both shuddered your senses and you were sharing each other’s breath, your eyes remained locked as his throbbing cock stayed buried deep within you.

“So, what now?” your chest rose and fell as you whispered into the night, the pitter-patter of rain splashing against your windows once again catching your attention as it swept over and mingled with your laboured pants of breath.

Not shifting his gaze, his eyes briefly scanned your own in search of any ounce of deception, before his fingers dipped down into his pocket and conjured a tiny key, “now,” and he stretched down to undo the chain at your ankle. The click of the lock felt like a gasp of real air was finally filling your depraved lungs, “I take you to my room,” and he manoeuvred you around to slink one arm in behind your knees while the other stayed fast at your spine. As he rose from the bed, he plucked you up with him as well, carrying you in his hold as he exited the bedroom.

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tired-biscuit · 6 months ago

Text

I licked it so it’s mine

pairing: stepbrother!yuuji/fem!reader

premise: After a long day of work, you decide to make use of the empty house by having some drinks and a movie night with your older stepbrother. Eventually, one drink turns into two, two become three, and so on. As the buzz of the alcohol progressively fills you with more and more courage, interesting things commence.

cw: 18+ MDNI. stepcest, ‘in the flurry of the moment’ setting, no curses AU, characters are in their 20s, intoxication, dubcon, implied corruption, coersion and pressuring from reader, descriptions of size difference, manhandling and roughness — poor yuuji gets a little too into it in the end.

wc: 6.7k

divider credit: @/adornedwithlight

———

Your big stepbrother Yuuji is likeable. He always has been.

To be fair, what is there not to like? When it comes to his looks, Yuuji is tall, handsome, a proud owner of a pair of pretty honey-coloured eyes that make him resemble a puppy, and an even prettier smile. Every summer, his skin gets this wonderful, almost golden tan that makes him outright glow from within, and his face gets sun-kissed, causing his already rosy cheeks to get dotted with tiny, barely visible freckles that gather under his eyes and only enhance his cuteness.

However, after living with him for so long, you’ve since learned that he rarely actually pays attention to his appearance, much less dresses to impress.

After all, Yuuji is a simple man. He does not care about clothes besides the level of comfort they provide, and yet he still somehow manages to achieve victory. Catching girls checking him out when he’s in nothing but his trusty pair of sweatpants and an old T-shirt is a common occurrence. Even listening to flustered whispers and giggles has turned into a regular thing at this point.

On top of all that, he’s also nice. Kind and open and warm – you could use so many more positive words to describe your stepbrother’s wonderful personality, but you’re pretty sure that they’d never do it justice. Perhaps the only bad thing you could say about him is that he’s too nice. Too helpful and giving.

Especially towards the people who don’t deserve it.

And as you watch him from the corner of your eye now, hanging out at the park and licking the ice cream that he’d treated you to as a reward for beating him in his favourite video game, you try to consider yourself as one of the people who do deserve his everlasting kindness. Who do deserve to be treated nicely by him, and to hear the laughter in his voice, and to accept his almost naive generosity.

It’s a nice day out today. The wooden park bench that you’re sitting on currently is warm from the setting sun that still filters through the leaves above your heads. Small, moving patches of light and shadow linger everywhere, causing you to stare, almost mesmerized, as some of them lazily continue to dance across your big brother’s face.

Yuuji’s arms are splayed wide open and draped on either side of the worn backrest that you’re both leaning against. He’s finished his ice cream ages ago, so now he’s got his legs outstretched and his head angled up towards the sky, enjoying the peaceful tranquility that this year’s summer brings.

There are quite a few people out and about in the park during this time of day – most of them joggers and dog walkers that are using the slightly cooler temperatures to their benefit – but if you listen closely, you can make out distant shouting and laughter coming from a group of children who are occupying the playground that’s on the other side of the trees.

The sound makes you feel kind of old, so you zero in on your sandals to keep yourself busy.

“Remember when you used to scream like that?”

“What?”

When you turn your head to the side again, Yuuji’s gaze looks expectant.

“Back when we were kids,” he explains, jerking his chin towards the direction of the playground. “You got all shrieky and high-pitched whenever it was my turn to chase you, remember? Made you sound like a deflating balloon just by running in your direction.”

“Oh!” You take another lick of your ice cream, fully flattening the scoop before sinking your teeth into the edge of the cone. The scent of strawberries fills your nose in an instant. “In my defense, that probably happened because I didn’t like playing tag with you all that much.”

He quirks an eyebrow at this, intrigued. “How so?”

“Well, for starters, your legs were longer than mine, which made you catch up so fast that it wasn’t fun for me anymore. Aaand your hands were also always sticky for some reason,” you reply, still chewing on the wafer. “It was gross.”

“Wow, okay.” He rolls his eyes but it immediately gets followed by a brief chuckle that escapes his lips. “Excuse me for trying to be a little bit sentimental with my clean freak of a baby sister.”

“I’m normal… You’re just nasty,” you fire back, smiling when he goes to playfully shove you.

His hand is warm when it lands on your shoulder; so warm, in fact, that you can feel the rise in temperature even through the sleeve of the thin, cropped T-shirt that you’ve put on this morning.

It doesn’t take you by surprise. For as long as you’ve known him, Yuuji has been one to have blood as hot as molten lava running through his veins. You’re unsure how he survives it whenever the weather is scorching hot, like today for example – August has always proved to be a bitch whenever it comes to heat – but so far he seems to be doing just fine.

And while it may be weird to some, him being hot-blooded is the reason why you sometimes like to drag him into your bed during the winter months, when it’s cold and you come back home from work feeling like your toes have turned half-frozen in your shoes. Besides being provided with good company, he’s also like your own personal heater.

And that’s it. There’s nothing else to it; how could it be when he’s your stepbrother, for crying out loud! You grew up together and have lived under the same roof for years. He’s walked into your room just to leave the lights on and the door open so many times. You’ve endured his godawful Fortnite phase and have seen him be at his worst just as he did with you. The only feelings that you harbour for him are strictly platonic.

You’re both pretty set on that.

“I should take that ice cream from ya as a form of punishment for being so mean to me,” said stepbrother teases now, pulling you back from your thoughts. When you look up at him, he’s grinning like a little boy. From ear to ear and in a way that makes his eyes crinkle at the corners.

Cute.

“Nu-uh,” you respond, allowing the evidently distrustful tone to lace your voice. “I licked it so it’s mine.”

“Tsch.” He clicks his tongue against his teeth. “Like that’s ever been an issue before. C’mon, give.”

“It is for me because unlike you, I’m not- Hey!” Before you can finish your sentence, he swipes the ice cream from your hand, successfully stealing it right in front of your nose.

You glare at him now, brow slightly furrowed in annoyance, as Yuuji proceeds to lick the melting sweet with exaggerated delight. Since whatever was left of the scoop sank deeper into the cone, you realize that you’re unexpectedly intrigued by the fact that he needs to push his tongue out a little more to get to it.

And he does; of course he does. He twirls it across the flat, creamy surface, and it’s not long before the inside of his mouth is coated in milky pink and there’s a hum of overly satisfied approval sounding from the back of his throat.

You’re unsure how to feel about the entire thing, but you definitely don’t dwell on it.

“Mmm,” he purrs, squeezing his eyes shut. He even makes sure to go as far as to smack his lips. “Mmm-mmm-mm! So good.”

For whatever reason, you feel your stomach do a weird spin as you listen to the sounds he’s making now. It’s like there’s an instant flash of heat searing through your body, similar to the pesky one that you get in the middle of the night when you’re hormonal and on your period, but before you can even properly acknowledge it, it’s gone as fast as it came.

“Again: you’re so gross,” you manage to say with a huff that’s supposed to be disapproving but doesn’t sound like that at all. The shake of your head that you add to the jab also feels somewhat unnatural. Every one of your mannerisms does, actually.

Yuuji, seemingly blissfully ignorant of your inner turmoil, laughs before he takes a giant bite out of the side of the cone and finally hands it back to you.

“Hey, at least my hands ain’t sticky this time.”

———

The house is empty when you come back home that evening.

This too is not much of a surprise, really. Your parents have been gone for the last couple of days, enjoying their yearly vacation to the seaside that neither you nor Yuuji could attend this time because of your work schedules.

So while your mom and his dad are basking in the sun and drinking sugary cocktails, you’re waking up at six in the morning every day to make it to your dull desk job in time, and he’s stuck flipping burgers at McDonalds and honing his social skills in the drive-through booth for eight hours every day.

Poor, poor you.

“Did you see the drinks they’re having over there? Gosh,” Yuuji grumbles on this exact topic as he throws himself onto the couch and flicks the TV on. His expression looks mildly conflicted at the list of movies he’s being offered by the streaming service you’re both leeching off of, but it eases back into neutral as soon as he rests his feet atop the coffee table and crosses his ankles. “They even had those fancy umbrellas on the top and everythin’.”

“There, there,” you say, quickly patting his knee before sitting down beside him. You’re not sure why, but you pay extra attention to the small sliver of distance that you keep between his leg and your own now. The feeling from earlier didn’t fully go away yet, so touching him or him touching you still feels kind of odd.

Meanwhile, Yuuji doesn’t seem to acknowledge it at all, because now he’s resting his head against your shoulder, invading your personal space whilst he pouts.

The action is nothing unusual for him – it’s normal, he does it all the time – and yet you still swallow thickly, trying to ignore the sudden hyper awareness.

“What is it now, you big baby?” you manage to muster out, taking the remote from him.

“Eh… It’s nothing,” he says.

“Aha,” you say.

“Well… It’s just that I want nachos and cocktails with fancy umbrellas, too!” he bristles at your prodding, pressing the side of his face even further into your shoulder. His hair tickles your cheek because of it.

“We have nachos at home,” you utter, trying to avoid the ticklish sensation.

“Yeah. Shitty tortilla chips that come in a bag, with a side of tasteless dip from the fridge,” he quips. “Yum.”

You stifle your laughter. He’s making such a big deal out of a silly thing like nachos. “I’m pretty sure they all come in a bag, Yuu… Come to think of it, theirs are probably stored in one of those big, wholesale bags that most food places get.”

“Well, I want the wholesale ones, then.”

“You’re pretty set on this, huh?”

He just gives you a look.

“Okay, okay, okay,” you ramble, pulling back just enough to make him lift his head and look at you properly. “How about… we try to make semi-decent nachos and cocktails with what we have, and have ourselves a little movie night since we’re both off work tomorrow and we definitely deserve it after all the pain and suffering we’re going through?”

Yuuji muses. “All you do at your job is sit behind a desk all day.”

You feel your eyes narrow. “So?”

“So,” he says, sounding smug. “I’d hardly call that pain and suffering.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” you chide. “I wasn’t aware that your job also consisted of crawling underneath barbed wire and coming face to face with excruciating death between all those burgers you flip.”

He pokes you in the side for the insult. After jumping a little bit at the ticklish sensation, you make sure to immediately return the favour.

“Do you want those cocktails or not, Ronald McDonald?”

Yuuji stretches his arms above his head and yawns before he gets ready to stand up. “Yeah, yeah… Let’s make ‘em fancy.”

He follows you into the kitchen then, where you both work to recreate the vacation food and drinks to the best of your – and your pantry’s – capabilities.

The nachos end up being surprisingly decent after you sprinkle some shredded cheese on top and give them a spin in the microwave. The cocktails, on the other hand, are a mixture of cheap wine from the corner store and coke, adorned with pieces of sliced pineapple at the top because you sadly ran out of cute paper umbrellas, much to Yuuji’s disappointment.

Though in the end, everything works out just fine.

You have yourselves a nice, perhaps you could even call it relaxing kind of evening. You change into your comfortable pyjama shorts and tank top, he gets rid of his T-shirt because he prefers being shirtless during the summer, and you play a couple rounds of his favourite game again; all of which you lose because Yuuji decides that he isn’t holding back this time. Afterwards, you watch a movie that isn’t all that good necessarily, but isn’t half bad either, and take rather hefty sips of your makeshift cocktails.

By the time the credits start to roll, you’re both feeling a little buzzed and warm in the face. Neither of you feels like calling it a night just yet, though – being off work the next day at the same time happens so rarely, after all – so you decide on watching something equally as uneventful and drinking some more.

So that is how both yourself and Yuuji end up drinking more than you’d initially planned. The alcohol becomes easier to swallow down when you’ve already numbed out your taste buds and have adapted them to the cheap, shitty wine flavour. It even makes the pineapple slices look cool.

And now you’re both drunk. Not shitfaced, per se, but definitely more than tipsy. Enough that it’s making your vision a little bit blurry around the edges, your limbs soft and pliant, and your mind fuzzy. Enough that it’s making you feel like you could do just about anything you’d set your mind to.

You’re both giggling like morons as you sit cross-legged and face each other on the couch. He’s desperately trying to tell you a story about one of his co-workers, who, according to him, is supposed to be very weird, but he keeps on slurring his words and keeps on losing track so often that it’s making the entire thing outright incomprehensive.

“Dude-” Your voice falters as yet another set of giggles pushes its way out. Goddamn alcohol. “You have got to stop laughing and tell me whatever it is you want to tell me about this weirdo, because if you don’t, I swear to god that I’m going to fucking lose my shit.”

“Listen… Jus’ listen-”

“I am listening, you dumbass!” you interrupt, reaching over to flick his forehead. He flinches at the action.

“No, but like,” he mumbles now, rubbing the aching spot. “I want to tell you, but at the same time… I kind of don’t.”

This instantly succeeds in sparking your interest. There’s something he’s unsure about telling you? How curious; you tell each other everything!

You lean forward slightly, resting your elbows on your knees. “How so?”

Yuuji’s eyes flicker towards the television for a quick second. The movie is still playing – it bathes half of his face with light and the other half in shadows.

Much to your bafflement, he sheepishly bites his lip before he says, “‘Cause it’s a secret.”

“A secret? Really?” You groan as you grab the small decorative pillow just so that you can throw it his way. Despite his intoxicated state, he’s still rather quick to deflect it. It lands on the ground soundlessly.

“What was that for?” he asks now, trying not to laugh.

“Oh, I dunno,” you say, bristling. “Did it maybe ever cross your mind that telling me that is only gonna make me want to hear it more?”

“I mean,” he says, scratching the back of his head and shrugging. “I guess…?”

You give him a pointed glare. “You know how much I love secrets, Yuu!”

“I know.”

“Then tell me!”

“No.”

You pout in answer, clearly unsatisfied.

Yuuji looks at you, his expression slipping into something that’s a bit more sincere and apologetic. He watches as you continue to avoid eye contact and push out your bottom lip, clearly trying to appear upset as much as you possibly can in order to get him to change his mind.

Sooner or later, it ends up working.

A person like him is so giving… Who is he to ever tell you no?

“Oh, fine,” he says, sighing with defeat. “Just pinky promise that you won’t tell anyone, okay?”

Your grin is pleasantly lazy because of the alcohol that’s still coursing your veins as you chirp, “Of course.”

He hooks your pinkies together and shakes them from side to side lightly as if it’ll help solidify the promise better.

“So, what’s the secret?” you ask when you pull your hand back and use it to support your cheek.

After a short moment of silence, he finally forces himself to blurt out, “My co-worker, he, uh… He thinks you’re hot.”

You stare at him, arching one eyebrow. “Wait, that’s it?”

Yuuji can feel his entire face tingling with heat now. The blush that steadily continues to bloom makes his skin slightly itchy, but he refrains from scratching it. “Yeah, that’s it.”

You watch him closely.

“What?” he inquires, not liking the fact that you aren’t saying anything. The flush of red has crept down to his neck now.

“You’re lying,” you reply at long last, expression blank.

He sputters when he inhales a sharp breath, ready to defend himself. “Am not!”

You throw another pillow at him. He avoids this one, too. “Are too!”

“Stop throwing stuff at me!”

“I will, if you tell me the secret!”

“I already did!”

“The actual secret, dumbass!”

“Fine… Fine! Ugh,” he groans, scrubbing a hand over his face. “He also said that, umm…”

You enthusiastically gesture at him to continue when his voice fades into nothing again. Curiosity is threatening to eat you alive at this point. “Yes? He said what?”

“He said-” His Adam’s apple bobs in his throat as he swallows thickly. “He basically told me that if you were his stepsister, that he would’ve been all over you ages ago. Or whatever.”

You stare at him once more. He stares right back.

“What?” he asks again, this time slightly more nervous. His pupils are huge and the blush is starting to make him sweat. “What is it?”

After a moment that seems like forever, you repeat, “...That’s it?”

Yuuji feels like his heart has dropped to his ass. “What d’you mean that’s it?!”

“Exactly what I said,” you say, shrugging. “Your co-worker has a ‘Oh no, stepbro, I’m stuck’ fantasy. So what?”

“I-” Yuuji’s eyebrows draw so tightly together until there’s a small v etched between them. He pauses for a long time before he says, “Don’t you think that’s weird, though?”

“Not really.” You take another small sip from your glass and place it back onto the coffee table. “I mean, have you never noticed how popular it is in porn? Lots of people are into that kind of stuff.”

“N-no…” He stutters, somehow succeeding in turning even redder in the face. “I don’t-”

“Watch porn?” you offer quickly, already rolling your eyes.

“Not porn like that,” he quips, suddenly sounding uncharacteristically snippy.

You chuckle at the tone he uses, attempting to tame the upward curl of your lips. Things are getting interesting and dirty – something you don’t get to encounter a lot whenever it comes to golden boy over here. “Well, what kind of porn do you watch, then?”

Oh, that is very bold. If it weren’t for the liquid courage, you doubt you’d dare ask the question. But it’s out in the open now.

Hanging in the tense air that’s between you two. Waiting. Preying.

“Not the stepsister kind,” he says in a low mutter, surprising you that he even chose to answer. “I’m not into that.”

You can’t help but let the smile show now. “How can you know if you’ve never seen it?”

Yuuji gawks before letting out a nervous laugh. “...What?”

“I said,” you repeat, leaning ever so slightly closer. Enough to make him feel on edge, but not enough to scare him away. “How can you know that you’re not into it-” There’s another pause, another closing of distance. His freckles are visible now. “If you’ve never seen it? Hmm?”

“I just-” He tenses up when your knee bumps into his. The short moment of contact is electrifying for some reason; it jumpstarts his heart into a far quicker rhythm. “I just, uh, do.”

You look him directly in his sweet honey eyes. “Yeah?”

And he immediately rushes to break eye contact. “Yeah.”

“You know,” you trail off innocently, patting his knee this time instead of ‘accidentally’ bumping it. Unlike before, though, your hand remains on his leg. “For someone who swears up and down to not be into it… You really don’t sound so sure about it to me.”

“Well, I am,” he protests in a heartbeat, however the bite that’s supposed to be in the statement isn’t quite there.

The reason behind it might be because he’s quite tipsy and can’t bring himself to be firm with you. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s because he’s staring at his lap when he says it; right at the spot where you’re still touching him.

Your hand feels so warm as it sits on his thigh. And pleasant.

He doesn’t exactly… want it to go away.

You watch as he huffs in defeat and shakes his head with evident frustration the thought must have evoked. It causes a giggle to bubble up your throat from how entertained you are. You don’t even try to stop it this time.

He could tell you off, call you names, push you away, whatever… But he doesn’t.

No, he’s just too good of a big brother.

So you allow the flat of your palms to rest on both of his knees now. Still careful, though not nearly as much as before. Meanwhile, your own knees dig into the softness of the couch as you readjust your weight forward so that you can lift yourself just enough to be eye level with him.

Guilty anticipation pools inside his gut and turns him frazzled when you use the momentum to invade his personal space even further. All of a sudden, you find yourself nose to nose with your cutesy stepbrother. Chest to chest. So close that he can feel the heat of your breath on his lips and smell the fading scent of your perfume mixing with thin layers of sweat and sunscreen.

“Prove it, then,” you say. Your voice could barely be considered above a whisper but the silence that follows after it is so loud.

Yuuji gulps from how unnerving this entire situation has become. Gulps. “Prove… Prove what?”

“Prove that you’re not into it.”

Thump, thump, thump! His heart is going wild. “How?”

“Watch it with me.” You move your hands upwards ever so slightly as you speak the words, but it’s not long before you’re sliding them all the way up to his thighs.

They’re strong, his legs, and the muscles in them flex and harden underneath your touch, making the lines of his gorgeous, so profoundly male-like physique all the more defined. The hairs there are lighter in colour and they’re silky smooth. They tickle the tips of your fingers when you finally let them settle at the very edge of his gym shorts.

Digging your nails into his skin just enough to make him jump a little, you add, “Please?”

God, you’re so drunk and… something else. Your pupils are huge; so big that Yuuji swears he can see himself in them, and the laugh you let out a moment later is girlish and kind of breathless.

And he, well, he just looks so goddamn confused in response to it. Like a little puppy that’s been caught doing something naughty and bad. Big, round eyes, twitchy upper lip and everything.

“I, umm… I dunno,” he chokes out finally. He feels like coughing so that he can clear his throat, but he somehow manages to stifle the annoying sensation. “I just… I’m not so sure about that-”

“Pleeease, Yuuji,” you repeat, pushing, pushing, pushing. You even start pouting right at him as a means to get him to budge. “I wanna!”

Fuck.

The whine that’s appeared in your voice now makes his cock involuntarily twitch. What the actual fuck, his dick is responding to you – his baby sister. Little by little, blood is rushing south; right below his waistline until he can feel warmth slowly taking over every inch of his lower half. He tries to make it stop, to put an end to it, to slow it down at the very least, but his efforts prove to be completely useless.

His throat feels scratchy and dry now from not allowing himself to cough, and his skin feels too tight on his face. It makes him rasp as he says, “You, uh, you wanna?”

“Mhmm,” you purr in a mere instant, squeezing his thighs again just the tiniest bit. Goddammit, since when did those parts start feeling so fucking sensitive? “Wanna… wanna see you start sweating a little when you realize that your dick is getting hard over dirty shit like stepcest, you know? Wanna prove you wrong.”

A second twitch, a second rush of blood. Yuuji’s stomach spins and tightens with anxiety. His nerves go haywire. With each passing second, he can feel his cock getting heavier in his shorts. Can feel pre-cum turning the front of his underwear more and more sticky. Can feel his mind going dizzy with quick-paced lust.

You’re just so goddamn close. Staring right at him, with your tits almost on full display in that tiny thing you call a shirt, and with that infuriating, shit-eating smirk plastered on your lips. Kneeling right between his legs, talking about stepbrothers fucking stepsisters, allowing your breaths to intermingle as if it’s no big deal.

But that’s not all. Besides being too close for comfort, he’s also pretty sure that you’re quietly hinting at the possibility of something happening tonight, like letting him stuff your pussy with his cock. Hell, forget stuffing – even just seeing it would be nice.

Not that he’s ever thought about laying eyes on his sister’s cunt, much less filling it, but now that this entire thing is unfolding in real time, before his very eyes, and he swears that he can feel the tips of your fingers subtly brushing against the ridge of his hard-on over his clothes… He doesn’t feel like refusing the idea necessarily, if it were to actually happen.

Fuuuck!

“It-it won’t,” Yuuji stammers in one last attempt at keeping his sense of morality, however all he does is end up fumbling over his own damn self like some pathetic loser. He’s so red in the face, it’s obvious now. “I, ah, I already told you-”

His sentence gets interrupted by a sudden kiss that you press right onto his still half-open mouth.

You don’t know what exactly it is that compels you to do it, but here you are. Kissing your big brother. Latching yourself to him. Offering him things you shouldn’t.

Oh, here you are, all right.

The kiss itself is clumsy, rash, idiotic. Your teeth clash as you hurry forward to wrap your arms around his neck, and there’s a small, muffled noise – that terribly sounds like a squeal of excitement – escaping your lips when his big hands find your waist and he yanks you forward until you’re fully seated on his lap.

One second ago you were merely looking at each other, tip-toeing the line but never quite overstepping it, and now you’re grinding against one another like animals in heat, tangling tongues and tasting each other’s spit. Everything happens so fast and it’s all based on pure instinct and executed with zero thinking, because if it happened any other way, you’d surely regret it.

He tastes like pineapple and the lousy chewing gum that he bought back at the corner store earlier in the afternoon but spat out pretty soon after. You shouldn’t find the odd combination of flavours that good, you know this, but right now the inside of his mouth tastes like sweet, sweet heaven.

And possible release.

“Fuck, Yuu,” you pant between messy kisses, running your fingers along his undercut. “You’re so hard, look… Proves me right, mm?”

Yuuji wants to tell you to shut up, to stop saying things like that, to stop making him feel both so guilty and turned on at the same time because it’s complicated and he doesn’t fucking know what to make of it.

But all he ends up saying instead is, “Yeah...”

Because, as always, he’s simply too good of a big brother. Too good to tell you no.

Especially when you’re right.

And even if your big brother’s cock is hiding underneath several layers of clothing, you can still feel it pressing firmly between your legs now. Thick and heavy and in urgent need of some tender affection; a little sisterly love, if you will. It’s making you grow more and more expectant of what’s to come. There’s no space for shame left.

His size seems promising – at least judging by the feel of it. Each time you push your weight against him, circling your hips a little, he responds by pushing you down even further with the help of his hands on your hips; spreading your folds slightly apart and allowing the seam of your shorts to dig straight into your clit.

Your breathing grows laboured because of it. Slowly but surely, you’re becoming a hot mess of mm’s and ahh’s. And Yuuji, poor, sweet Yuuji, is nowhere near to being any better after he’s forced to hear all of it.

He’s sweating like crazy. Is throbbing between his legs. Is trying to tame his pulse but it just keeps on hammering and ringing inside his ears. The blush is making his entire face itch all over again and his clothes feel too tight on his body. What else is there?

Oh, even his heart feels like it’s jammed itself inside his throat when he pulls back just enough to break the string of saliva that’s bridging the narrow space between your mouths and asks, “You sure you wanna do this?”

“Just fuck me already, god,” you hiss in response. You’re so sexually frustrated that it’s making you pissy.

Neither of you has planned this nor expected this to happen, but you’ve both been feeling lonely, terribly single; are yearning to be touched. It’s been a while for the two of you, shit happens and people get too busy to enjoy the simpler pleasures in life, and you both consider the other to be attractive, so… why not?

Why not? Maybe because this entire thing could, quite possibly, be a disaster in the making.

Still, it doesn’t feel like a disaster when Yuuji’s hands wrap around your sides and slam you down on the couch. Doesn’t feel like a bad thing when he blindly hooks his fingers to the waistband of your shorts and you bring your legs closer to your chest and lift your hips a little so that he can tug them off easier.

Either he’s too impatient to wait or he did it by complete accident, but he manages to pull down your panties right along with your shorts. They’re both left dangling from your left ankle now, hanging uselessly and completely forgotten because he’s too busy trying to push himself inside you.

His back is hunched and his rosy lips are parted as he sucks in and exhales sharp breaths above you. They fan your forehead, cooling the sweat that’s gathered there, only causing you to shiver.

You press your foreheads together when you lift yourself slightly with the help of your elbows so that you can reach between you, tug his waistband low just enough to expose him and guide him inside you. He grits his teeth, baring them like a threatened animal as soon as your fingers curl around the base of his cock, mindlessly stroking the impressive length, spreading the pre-cum that’s gathered at the tip without any sense of patience.

Neither of you looks into each other’s eyes; all of your attention is aimed at the spot where you almost connect. After all, his fat cockhead is bumping against your sticky pussy now, inconsistently gliding up and down and smearing arousal. Every time he teases your entrance, your breath hitches in the back of your throat and you cling onto him a little harder.

“Yuujiii,” you whine, teeth sinking into your bottom lip so harshly that you fear you might have drawn blood. He almost doesn’t recognize the sound of your voice. “What’re you waiting for?! Put it iiin!”

“Yeah… Y-yeah, okay,” he bites out, trying to stop the persistent flutter of a muscle in his cheek. His arms feel like giving in but the muscles in his biceps still flex and shudder with anxiety and anticipation when he finally presses in.

His cockhead pushes past the initial ring of muscle pretty effortlessly from how wet you’ve gotten from mere kissing and a little bit of grinding. Perhaps it’s the alcohol that’s making you so pliant and eager, but it’s easy to open your legs wider so that you can let in even more of him.

Yuuji feels dizzy; like the entire world is spinning. You’re underneath him, panting so loudly and you’re so warm inside, so accepting, so wet. Your pussy hugs him just right, walls squeezing around his girth, sucking him in further. The sensation makes him drop his entire weight right on top of your writhing body the second he allows himself to slowly rock into you and sink balls deep.

He hides his face into the crook of your neck as he begins to lazily thrust inside you, doing whatever feels best because he can’t possibly bring himself to form thoughts right now. In and out, the strokes are long, slow and deep. So deep, in fact, that they make you wince each time he hits the sweet spot that’s hiding inside.

You’ve ended up so close yet again; with your limbs intertwined and your bodies pressed tightly together that your shirt is crinkling between you. It rides up with the movement of his hips slamming against your own, exposing your stomach, making you stick to each other from how sweaty you’ve gotten.

“Nngh… You feel… s’good,” he grits out, quiet moaning already lacing his voice. His breathing has gotten so heavy that it’s creating moisture on the small patch of skin on your neck that he’s got his mouth pressed against. “Won’t last long… Ca-ah… Can’t.”

He sounds so fucking drunk as he continues to say pure nonsense into the side of your throat and keeps on pressing you into the softness of the couch. Not only on alcohol, but also on your pussy it seems.

It makes him practically start pounding into you now. Abusing your tight little hole. He slips one arm underneath you and pulls you even closer so that he can steady himself a little bit, and wetness squelches between you as a result. Skin slaps against skin, breaths intermingle. His fingers tangle into your hair crudely – it hurts when he tugs at the roots even if you’re well aware that he doesn’t mean to.

He’s so big above you. So strong. So stupidly male. And he’s also gotten lost in the moment. For a second it makes you scared of him a little bit even if he’s the sweetest man you’ve ever met, a real proper marshmallow. And it doesn’t help that his cock is as big as the rest of him is; stretching you so deliciously, splitting you wide open, causing tears to prickle at the corners of your eyes even if the booze that’s coursing your veins is supposed to numb you out to a size like that.

“Yuuji, wa- fuck, wait…!” You cross your ankles at his waist in an attempt to slow him down, heels panically digging into his back dimples and toes curling.

“N-no, I can’t, please… Don’t make me wait, please, please, please, c’mon,” he babbles, still not slowing down, not stopping. His eyes are half-closed and they show concern, but they’re also dark and foggy when he lifts his head just enough to look at you. “Just a lil’ more, yeah…? Yeah? Just a lil’... Ugh, keep still just a bit longer- I’m almost there. So… mmh… close.”

You try to fight against him, tugging on his hair and sinking your nails into his back, but all he does is endure it, not really caring much about your thrashing and turning. He’s got you caged underneath him, crying out his name, clawing raw red lines into his broad back. It’s all drunken breeding instinct and no brain as he uses your body like a toy, and the realization that you can do nothing but take it is terrifying as much as it is thrilling.

His pounding has turned borderline ruthless by now and in his urgency to cum, he’s pushed himself so deep inside you that you’re pretty sure he’s fucked his way straight into your goddamn womb. In his weak attempt to make you last until the end, he’s even started to messily rub irregular circles into your clit.

It makes a thin line of drool dribble down the corner of your mouth from how fucked out you’ve become in a mere fifteen minutes. The overstimulation is probably completely accidental, but it achieves the same result just the same. He outright forces the climax out of your body, and the second he feels you squeeze around him, abused pussy trying to milk him dry, he’s giving in, not resisting anymore, shooting his load inside you in an instant.

The groan he lets out is almost like a growl. He arches his back again, balls tightening, grip almost turning iron-like. You can feel the warmth of his cum as it fills you in steady waves of pleasure.

You both stay still for a long while after that, trying to gather your senses, attempting to calm down your trembling. His cum is warm and sticky; tacky between your thighs. It starts to drip out of your hole by the time his cock softens enough to create more space.

There’s just so much of it. A fuckload.

And he’s still breathing so hard. You both are.

“I’m so sorry… Fuck, I-” he rasps out. His mouth is so dry that he feels like he could chug an entire jug of water, but he pushes that need away for now in order to get a good look at you instead. “I just- I-”

Yuuji stops mid-sentence when he sees you push two of your fingers between your legs before bringing them up in front of your face again. He watches, eyelids heavy, as you spread them then, toying with the glimmery, cloudy white substance that’s gathered there until you gently push them inside your mouth, licking his release right off of your fingertips.

His jaw almost hits the floor. He’s so baffled by what he’s just seen that he barely registers the fact that his cock is trying to get hard again, throbbing against his thigh.

“What?” is all you say in response to the incredulous look that sits on his face now. Your voice is muffled from the way you keep your mouth stuffed full.

“I licked it so it’s mine.”

#yuuji x reader #yuuji smut #yuji x reader #yuji smut #jjk x reader #jjk smut #yuuji itadori smut #cw stepcest #cw dubcon #biscuit fics

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lunar-wandering · 6 months ago

Note

very soft giggle glow resurrection by throwing this out-

You know how when the cast try and make the monkeys laugh, it's usually a verbal attempt? Yeah, I just had an idea-

So picture this; They'r chillin, mac and wukong, having a noice time and shit, but unknown to the two monkies, Mei and Mk are planning some weird shit. So those are somewhere else for a while, and it's very quiet, but nothin' suspicious right now.

Until MK creeps behind the couch Wukong's sitting on, and just kinda rises very fucking quietly. He KNOWS Macaque is watching him, he knows damn well Wukong hasn't noticed him-

And then he just starts quietly dancing there. Just-just flailing his arms and wiggling his eyebrows in this VERY SPECIFIC WAY that's so fucking weird but so fucking hilarious. And Macaque is just staring at him like he's grown two heads, but he's trying so hard not to laugh bc 'wtf Mk you look like a high OCTOPUS-'

And then Mei slowly rises into view next to him, and now they're both doing a silly little dance with silly stupid faces and shit. Macaque is on the edge of BREAKING my guy-

And then-and then the KILLER-

Mk says "Mmmmm, yes, flufflebutter-" in the poshest, most suspicious, most downright HILARIOUS and very concerning tone of voice and Macaque just loses his MIND-

Breaks down in laughter and glowing while Wukong chokes on his own spit because my man just heard 'flufflebutter' out of nowhere, what did you expect from him?-

And then he turns around.

Fuckin' Monkey King practically jumped out of his skin to see these two pieces of shits doing this funky ass motherfucking dance behind him and that only makes Macaque laugh MORE, poor monkey starts snortin' up a storm and his light is fucking blinding-

But now both monkeys are laughing at the top of their lungs, and MK's just drawing closer to Wukong, doin' his silly dance all the while and strokin' his chin like "MMMMMM YES I SEE ALL THE FLUFFLEBUTTERS-" And Mei is dancing behind him nodding fervently like he's speaking the word of Buddha himself, gettin' down on her knees and putting her hands up in PRAYER-

Those two monkeys never saw the light of day again-or well, they saw light, just not the one from the sun XD

practically dead in the living room when the others came to check in on them because of all that loud laughter and glowing, and MK and Mei are there looking oh-so-innocent even while Mei is in the middle of taking pictures of their glows at the brightest they've ever witnessed.

Thank you for listening to my ted talk uwu

this has been in my askbox for months and anon, i don't know who you are, but i owe you my LIFE because this is so silly, this is so them, and i ADORE this-

#Monkie Kid #Giggle Glow AU #I FEEL LIKE I HAVEN'T USED THAT TAG IN F O R E V ER AND THATS A CRIME

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inkweaver22-blr · 2 years ago

Text

This is Part 2 of this chapter as Tumblr doesn't allow more than 1,000 blocks of text on a single post. To read the first half of this chapter and see my opening notes, check out Part 1 Here or click on Previous below. Or just click the AO3 Link to read the whole chapter uninterrupted.

AO3 Link

Scattered Cicadas - Chapter Twenty One: Shining With Joy (Part 2)

The changes in Tang’s life never seem to stop. Luckily there are moments that shine bright enough to make them worth it.

----------

Tang was roused from a peaceful sleep by the sound of distant shouting. He tried to sit up but blinked in surprise when his head hit the ceiling. What in the world?

It was dark, and smelled of upturned soil. Was he underground? There was a faint light coming from one direction so he crawled towards it. He discovered a tunnel leading upwards and began making his way up. As he approached the entrance, he could start making out the voices a bit better. It sounded like they were calling his name.

Tang surfaced and looked around. The hole- burrow, he absently realized- had been dug right up against the airship. The shouting was coming from above, probably on deck.

He stepped out of the burrow and examined himself. He expected the dirt in his fur, but where had his clothes gone? With a grumble he plucked out a strand of fur, blowing on it to make a pair of shorts and pulling them on. He was not pleased with how his morning was going.

Sleepwalking was one thing. Sleepwalking while nude and digging a huge hole in the ground was another.

“I’m down here,” Tang called up to the deck once he was modest.

“Tang!” Pigsy, MK, and Sandy all leaned over the side of the railing to look down at Tang.

“Are you alright?” Pigsy called with concern. “I woke up and you were gone and none of us could find you on board!”

“I’m fine! I think I was sleepwalking. I, uh, might have been sleep-digging as well.”

“Sleep-digging?”

“I woke up in a burrow dug under the ship.”

There was a silence for a moment as the three just stared at him.

“Okay, that’s… Whatever.” Pigsy shook his head. “We’ll deal with that later. Just come around to the entrance while we go tell the others we found you.”

“Alright.”

Tang sighed as they disappeared back over the railing. He looked at the hole he had apparently dug. He and Wukong had guessed his rabbit instincts would kick in at some point, but he hadn’t expected just three days later.

Shaking his head he started making his way to the entrance. It was just something else he’d have to adjust to. It wasn’t too big of a problem if he was honest. He didn’t mind the dirt and that burrow had been kind of cozy. They’d probably have to do something about his bedroom so this wouldn’t happen while they were mid-flight though…

Tang shivered a bit and rubbed his arms. The chill in the air could be felt even through his fur. He looked up at the overcast sky and blinked. Those were certainly not rain clouds.

Sure enough, as he reached the ship’s main entrance and accepted a blanket and hug from Pigsy, snow began to softly fall. He shuddered again and turned to go inside. Tang liked snow, he just wished it wasn’t so white. It was also hard to appreciate when one was half naked. He really hoped sleepwalking in just his fur wouldn’t become a habit.

----------

“I know you said you’d be shedding, but this is ridiculous,” Pigsy grunted as brushed Tang’s back. “I didn’t think there’d be this much.” He pulled the brush away and let the clump it had collected drop to growing piles of chocolate and reddish brown fur on the floor.

“Rabbits normally have all Autumn to shed their Summer coats as their Winter ones grow in,” Tang explained as he brushed his arm. “However, since it’s near the end of Autumn and I woke up in the cold last week, my fur seems to have decided to do it all in one go.” He swapped the brush to his other paw and began working on his other arm.

“Well at least you shouldn’t be wandering outside to dig holes in the middle of the night again,” Pigsy said. “The kids did a great job on redecorating.”

Tang hummed in agreement as he looked around. MK, Mei, and Red Son had all worked together to transform his room to make it feel like an underground den. MK had masterfully painted the walls to give it the appearance of solid earth. Mei designed some light fixtures that looked like roots hanging from the ceiling. Red Son provided some incense that made the room smell like freshly turned soil.

Along with the blackout curtains over the window, the atmosphere soothed Tang’s rabbit instincts. He hadn’t had another sleepwalking incident since.

“Done with your back,” Pigsy reported. “Stand up so I can brush that cute butt of yours.”

“You sure you don’t want to do the front?” Tang teased as he stood and moved on to brushing his chest.

“Not with all this loose fur flying around,” Pigsy said seriously. He knelt and began to gently brush under Tang’s tail. “Don’t want to be spitting up hairballs.”

“Ah. Right.” He paused in his brushing. “Now why would the fur be getting in your mouth?”

“Shut it.”

Tang continued to shed for another few days. He was honestly surprised by the sheer volume of fur that had come off his body. Unsure on what to do with it, they had stuffed it all in a trash bag and stored it in his closet for now.

His new Winter coat was certainly much thicker. That meant it was fluffier, much to Pigsy’s delight. It also meant it was warmer, much to Tang’s dismay. With the heater running on board the ship at almost all times now, Tang was always a short burst of exertion away from overheating. He had to ditch his normal outfit of robes and pants for a t-shirt and shorts just to stay at a comfortable temperature.

He supposed it could be worse. At least Pigsy wanted to cuddle more often now. Tang chinned the top of his partner’s head and purred in satisfaction as they sat together under a blanket. The living room’s fireplace crackled merrily as the others all conversed and laughed together.

Yes, it certainly wasn’t all bad.

----------

The search for a way to defeat Lady Bone Demon hadn’t been put on hold just for Tang. Wukong’s map had four locations marked on it, corresponding with four artifacts relating to the seasons. Once brought together, they could be used to seal almost anything away for good.

Summer’s artifact, a sunstone encrusted ceremonial fan, had been obtained before Tang had even awoken this cycle. The artifact for Autumn, a decorative wheel with topazes set into the center and at each spot where the spokes connected with the rim, had apparently been picked up while he was relearning how to walk.

The Winter artifact, a scepter capped with a large moonstone, had been their next target.

‘Had’ being the operative word there. As of three days ago, it was resting safely inside the ship’s vault. Finding the shrine it had been kept at and proving themselves to its guardian hadn’t been the problem.

The problem was that it was apparently cursed, and it spread to everyone on board. They hadn’t known anything was wrong at first. But it became rather clear once instruments seemed to play from nowhere while Wukong and Macaque began performing a duet about their conflicting feelings for the other at dinner.

Tang had to admit to being impressed. Both by the singing skills of the mortally embarrassed monkeys and by the ingenuity of a musical curse. He had examined the scepter and determined that there was no way to break the spell without destroying the artifact as well. It would eventually wear out from what he could tell. As for how long they would have to wait…

He swore his ears were still ringing from their shouts when he had informed them it could potentially last for weeks.

Tang hadn’t thought it to be too bad at first. Some of the songs were pretty fun and were mostly nonsense things about what activities they were performing. His tune quickly changed after he and Pigsy had to retreat in mortification after singing a rather saucy and suggestive ditty to each other in front of an equally mortified MK.

Mei was having the most fun out of this if the amount of popcorn buckets she was going through was any indication.

Breakfast was currently a tense affair. No one spoke in fear of accidentally triggering a song. They all kept their heads down and avoided eye contact to prevent any thoughts from popping up that could lead to a performance that made them unwillingly bare their souls.

“Ugh!” MK groaned in frustration after nearly thirty minutes of uncomfortable silence. Tang was impressed with how long he had lasted.

“This is stupid!” He stood and began pacing. “Why are we all worked up over this? It’s just some singing, right?”

“I think it’s less the singing and more being forced to express your deepest darkest emotions,” Red Son drawled.

“But that’s the thing,” MK continued, waving his hands for emphasis. “We’ve all been stuck together for months now. We’ve gotten to know each other pretty well, no matter how some of you tried to stop it. We should know most of each other's hang ups by now.” He turned to face them all. “What are we afraid of?”

“It’s… embarrassing to bring some of those emotions out for everyone to see,” Tang coughed. “For example, mine and Pigsy’s little song…”

“But why?” MK began pacing again. “You are grown, married adults. It’s normal to have those kinds of thoughts about each other! And we’re all adults who understand what people in love get up to! Why are we embarrassed about that? About any of this?”

Tang had to admit those were some pretty good points and he wasn’t sure how to respond.

“It’s hard to be completely open like that,” Sandy explained after a few moments of silence. “It makes us feel exposed. Vulnerable. Free to be mocked and ridiculed.”

“That’s stupid!” MK scoffed. “It’s only us here! We’re so close, we’re practically family! Which of us would make fun of someone just for having emotions?”

“What would you have us do, bud?” Wukong asked. “I’m sure you have an idea if you're this upset about it.”

“Yeah! We stop caring!” He looked at all the blank stares he was getting and quickly started expanding on what he meant. “Not in general, I mean. We stop caring about what others think about how we feel! I’m sure none of us would actually judge each other about anything outside of poking a little fun. We’re all messy, kinda broken, mostly mortal beings who know a lot about each other already. We should stop being afraid to just… feel around each other.”

“So… We don’t kill the cringe, we kill the part of us that cringes?” Mei simplified.

“Exactly!”

“You talk as if it’s easy,” Macaque derided. “Why don’t you lead by example and maybe I’ll think about it.”

“Fine! I will!” MK marched over and pulled Red Son out of his chair.

“Wait! I didn’t agree to be a part of this!”

“Don’t worry, you’ll just have to stand there.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better!”

“Trust me,” MK said softly. “Please?”

“I…” Red Son swallowed. “Alright.”

“Thank you.”

MK took a breath and began to tap his hand against his leg. Predictably, music began to play. He smiled and looked up into Red Son’s eyes and started to sing.

“You're Better Than The Best

I'm Lucky Just To Linger In Your Light

Cooler Than The Flip-Side Of My Pillow, That's Right

“Completely Unaware

Nothing Can Compare To Where You Send Me

It Lets Me Know That It's Okay (Yeah, It's Okay)

And The Moments When My Good Times Start To Fade”

“Oh no,” Red Son groaned and buried his face in his hands. He couldn’t quite hide how bright his ears were turning or how his hair started to spark.

“You Make Me Smile Like The Sun

Fall Out Of Bed

Sing Like A Bird

Dizzy In My Head

Spin Like A Record

Crazy On A Sunday Night

You Make Me Dance Like A Fool

Forget How To Breathe

Shine Like Gold

Buzz Like A Bee

Just The Thought Of You Can Drive Me Wild

Oh, You Make Me Smile”

Red Son peeked out from behind his fingers. MK simply smiled at him and held out his hand in invitation.

“Even When You're Gone

Somehow You Come Along

Just Like A Flower Poking Through The Sidewalk Crack

And Just Like That

You Steal Away The Rain

And Just Like That”

Red Son gave in and took the offered hand. MK pulled him close and began to swing them around as he sang the second chorus.

“You Make Me Smile Like The Sun

Fall Out Of Bed

Sing Like A Bird

Dizzy In My Head

Spin Like A Record

Crazy On A Sunday Night

You Make Me Dance Like A Fool

Forget How To Breathe

Shine Like Gold

Buzz Like A Bee

Just The Thought Of You Can Drive Me Wild

Oh, You Make Me Smile”

Red Son joined in as they danced, seeming just as surprised as everyone else.

“Don't Know How I Live Without You

Cause Every Time That I Get Around You

I See The Best Of Me Inside Your Eyes

You Make Me Smile”

He pulled MK to a stop and rested his forehead against his while staring into his eyes. He sang directly to him this time.

“You Make Me Dance Like A Fool

Forget How To Breathe

Shine Like Gold

Buzz Like A Bee

Just The Thought Of You Can Drive Me Wild”

MK grinned widely as they both began to dance and sing the final chorus together.

“You Make Me Smile Like The Sun

Fall Out Of Bed

Sing Like A Bird

Dizzy In My Head

Spin Like A Record

Crazy On A Sunday Night

You Make Me Dance Like A Fool

Forget How To Breathe

Shine Like Gold

Buzz Like A Bee

Just The Thought Of You Can Drive Me Wild

Oh, You Make Me Smile

Oh, You Make Me Smile”

The two stood there embracing for a moment before returning to the table. MK grinned as he looked over everyone.

“So?”

“That was pretty impressive, kid,” Pigsy said. “But- and I’d hate to be agreeing with Macaque-”

“Oi!”

“-I think you don’t get how hard this is going to be.” He sighed at MK’s look of dejection. “We’ll still try and keep what you’ve said in mind, but… Just don’t expect us to be comfortable with this overnight is all I’m saying.”

“That’s fair I guess,” MK sighed. “Can we at least stop avoiding each other because we’re afraid a song might start?”

“That’s a reasonable request,” Sandy agreed. “We should probably all promise to not pester each other about things we might reveal about ourselves while singing as well.”

“Does that mean I can’t give Red Son a shovel talk?” Pigsy narrowed his eyes at the suddenly nervous young demon.

“Dadsy!”

“Pigsy!”

“Alright fine,” Pigsy relented to the reprimands from his son and partner. “Just consider yourself warned for now.”

“Understood,” Red Son nodded quickly.

The tension slowly faded away as short conversations began picking up. Tang wasn’t sure how many of them had taken MK’s words to heart. He himself understood where the young man was coming from. Had this happened before his imprisonment, he would have been completely on board.

As it was, he had quite a bit of trauma he was still dealing with and would probably continue dealing with far into future cycles. He wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of being forced to sing about some of things he had gone through. There were some experiences he wasn’t ready to confront yet, and he didn’t like that choice being taken from him.

He’d at least try, for MK if nothing else. But Tang couldn’t help but silently hope the spell wore off sooner rather than later.

----------

With the onset of Winter, it had been decided that they needed to settle down in one place for the season. The Spring artifact couldn’t be retrieved until its season so there was no point wasting energy flying around running from Lady Bone Demon’s forces. Half of their supplies had also been supplemented by foraging and that just wouldn’t be possible during the next few months. Camping out in a single spot, preferably someplace close to some sort of civilization, while they waited for the season to pass would allow them to get some rest and relaxation before the hunt began again in Spring.

Wukong’s song about this plan had been pretty catchy if Tang was to be honest.

It took them nearly a week to find a good spot. A forest clearing set right against a mountain that was partially hidden by some overhanging cliffs. It was also only a few dozen miles from a rather large city. A relatively short distance for Wukong to quickly fly over and get supplies for them all.

Tang was certain he had heard of Lantern City before in past cycles, but had never had the opportunity to visit. Hopefully Wukong would be willing to bring some of them along after scouting the place out.

Before they could properly settle in, they needed to prepare the clearing. That meant removing quite a bit of snow and ice that had already formed as well as carving some more permanent wards into the rock.

Tang was uniquely suited for the second task thanks to his earth shaping abilities. He had already carved runes all along the cliffs and was currently inscribing some stones that would be placed around the edges of the clearing amongst the trees. The others all worked away with shovels nearby to try and clear the snow from where they wanted to park the ship.

It was all rather monotonous work. Repetitive as well. Perhaps even rhythmic…

Tang sighed at that thought as music started to play, making the others all groan as well as they began to sing.

“Born Of Cold And Winter Air

And Mountain Rain Combining

This Icy Force Both Foul And Fair

Has A Frozen Heart Worth Mining”

It was a working song Tang realized as he began to carve in time with the beat. At least the lyrics seemed appropriate for their tasks.

“So Cut Through The Heart, Cold And Clear

Strike For Love And Strike For Fear

See The Beauty, Sharp And Sheer

Split The Ice Apart

And Break The Frozen Heart”

The others were all scooping up snow and ice in time as well. They began to synchronize their movements as they sang.

“Hyup! Ho! Watch Your Step! Let it go!

Hyup! Ho! Watch Your Step! Let it go!

“Beautiful!

Powerful!

Dangerous!

Cold!

Ice Has A Magic, Can't Be Controlled

Stronger Than One! Stronger Than Ten!

Stronger Than A Hundred Men!

“Hyup!”

They all picked up their pace as the song sped up.

“Born Of Cold And Winter Air

And Mountain Rain Combining

This Icy Force Both Foul And Fair

Has A Frozen Heart Worth Mining

“Cut Through The Heart, Cold And Clear

Strike For Love And Strike For Fear

There's Beauty And There's Danger Here

Split The Ice Apart

Beware The Frozen Heart”

Tang shuddered a bit at that last line as the song began to repeat itself. He already had a healthy dose of fear for someone who’s heart was cold and frozen. The reminder wasn’t necessary for him.

At least the song helped them finish their tasks faster than expected. They parked the ship and charged the wards with plenty of time before sunset. It seemed they were just in time as well. The clouds above that had been threatening to dump even more snow on them finally began to drop their icy loads barely an hour after they finished.

They celebrated the start of what Macaque jokingly called their Winter Vacation with hot chocolate and movies. Tang did his best to enjoy himself. But he couldn’t help but feel apprehensive as he watched the snow through the windows. He hoped it was just his discomfort from the song earlier and not a sign of things to come.

----------

The recovery process was not linear. It was slow, taking a few steps at a time. Even if you felt you were getting better it was possible something could happen to cause you to backslide. And no matter what, there would always be the occasional bad day.

Today was a bad day for Tang.

He hadn’t wanted to get out of bed. His responses to being addressed were short and clipped. He felt lethargic and didn’t have an appetite.

The constant snowfall wasn’t helping. Two weeks since they had settled into the clearing and it had not stopped since that first day. The endless white made Tang feel nauseous on a normal day. It was nearly unbearable today.

He had escaped to the therapy cat room, hoping that spending some time with cute animals would help. He stared off into space as he absently pet one of the cats.

Why? Why was he feeling this way? Weren’t things getting better? Hadn’t he been cared for and surrounded by love? He’d been so good so far.

Music began to play. Tang, not really caring, allowed it to take a hold of him and began to sing. The cats joined in as back up vocals, which thanks to the magic of the curse actually sounded good.

“I've Been So Good, I've Been Helpful And Friendly

I've Been So Good, Why Am I Feeling Empty?

I've Been So Good, I've Been So Good This Year

I've Been So Good, But It's Still Getting Harder

I've Been So Good, Where The Hell Is The Karma?

I've Been So Good, I've Been So Good This Year”

“Tang?” Sandy stepped into the room and frowned in concern. “Is everything fine?”

Tang looked up and shook his head as he continued.

“Why, Are You Asking Me Why?

My Days And Nights Are Filled With Disappointment

Fine, Oh No, Everything's Fine

I'm Not Sure Why I Booked Today's Appointment

“I've Been So Good, I've Been Helpful And Friendly

I've Been So Good, Why Am I Feeling Empty?

I've Been So Good, I've Been So Good This Year

I've Been So Good, But It's Still Getting Harder

I've Been So Good, Where The Hell Is The Karma?

I've Been So Good, I've Been So Good This Year”

Sandy locked the door behind him and moved to sit next to Tang. He placed his arm around the rabbit demon’s shoulder and pulled him into a side hug while he kept singing.

“What, Am I Normal Or Not?

Am I Crazier Than Other Patients?

Right, I've Done Everything Right

So Where's The Karma Doc, I've Lost My Patience

“'Cause I've Been So Good, I've Been Working My Ass Off

I've Been So Good, Still, I'm Lonely And Stressed Out

I've Been So Good, I've Been So Good This Year

And I've Been So Good, But It's Still Getting Harder

I've Been So Good, Where The Hell Is The Karma?

I've Been So Good, I've Been So Good This Year”

Tang’s blank expression began to fall during the bridge as the upbeat music contrasted with the lyrics sung so far.

“Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah

Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah

Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah

Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah

Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah

I've Been So Good This Year

I've Been So Good This Year”

The music grew quiet as Tang gripped at Sandy’s arm. Tears began to spill from his eyes as his tone changed from dejected to pleading as he sang the final few lines.

“Time, I Know We're Out Of Time

But What If Sad Thoughts Come And I Can't Stop It?

Bye, I Don't Wanna Say Bye

If Only I Could Keep You In My Pocket

To Give Me Some Diagnosis Of Why I'm So Hollow

Please Give Me Instructions, I Promise I'll Follow

I Tripped On My Ankle And Banged Up My Elbow

But Doesn't That Mean That Our Plan Will Go Well Though?

I Try To Explain The Good Faith That's Been Wasted

But After An Hour It Sounds Like Complaining

Wait, Don't Go Away, Can I Lie Here Forever?

You Say That I'm Better

Why Don't I Feel Better?

The Universe Works In Mysterious Ways

But I'm Starting To Think It Ain't Working For Me

Doctor, Should I Be Good?

Should I Be Good This Year?”

Tang sobbed as Sandy pulled him into a full hug.

“It’s not fair! It’s not fair! It’s not fair…”

“Shh. I know it’s not. I’m here.”

Tang just continued to cry into Sandy’s shoulder. The song had dredged up emotions he hadn’t realized he had been feeling. He would probably feel better about getting them out in the open in a few days. But right now? He resented being forced to perform such hard emotional labor against his will.

Today was a bad day for Tang.

----------

The weather stayed relatively mild after the month-long storm finally broke. If it did snow it would usually only last for a day or two before returning to mostly sunny skies. The eight of them spent quite a bit of time outdoors, building snowmen or starting snowball fights. They even occasionally had late night campfires, drinking hot cocoa and looking up at the brilliantly shining stars.

Being able to leave the ship and stretch their leg was doing wonders on their mental health. Everyone was rather cheerful in spite of the cold. Of course, sometimes it was just better to huddle together indoors next to a cozy fire.

Tang sighed as he leaned against Pigsy. It was nice to just sit around in a comfortable silence every once and a while. This time he knew everyone was enjoying themselves if the gentle whispers he heard were any indication.

He blinked in surprise when he felt Pigsy begin to stroke the fur on his head. It was rather nice actually. He began to lean into his touch, trying to get him to apply more pressure. Pigsy chuckled and got the hint, beginning to lightly scratch Tang’s scalp.

“A little lower,” Tang muttered. “Oh! Oh yeah right there…”

Tang’s leg began to bounce. Then Pigsy shifted his fingers slightly to just behind his ear. Tang moaned as his foot began to thump rapidly against the floor. It was pure bliss.

Tang cracked an eye open when he heard someone giggle. Mei was holding her phone up, most likely recording the interaction. Not the minded really, but he couldn’t let her just get away with it.

“You better delete that before I take your phone,” he threatened playfully, still thumping his foot.

“Make me!”

“Alright.”

He leapt up without warning, causing Mei to squeal and dash out of the way. Tang chased her around the room, ‘missing’ her by just inches as he tried to grab her. He pretended to trip over things or overextend himself in his pursuit, earning giggles and laughter from his prey and their audience.

“It seems the dragon is too quick for the rabbit,” Tang gasped over-dramatically several minutes later. “I must admit defeat!”

“Hell yeah!” Mei did a victory lap around the room as the others all cheered along.

Tang felt a warmth growing in his chest as he watched the scene. His eyes grew heavy and a soft smile spread across his face. He sat down in front of the fireplace while facing everyone. Then he flopped over on his side and started purring.

“Tang?” Pigsy got up and knelt next to his partner. “Are you alright?”

“Happy,” Tang managed to say between his purrs. “Safe.”

“Isn’t this another one of those things that rabbits do?” MK asked.

“Yup,” Wukong confirmed. “They lay on their sides like that only when they feel completely at ease and unthreatened.”

“Aww, that’s sweet,” Mei cooed. “But the floor can’t be that comfortable.”

“Cuddle pile!” MK declared. He grabbed the blankets and pillows he’d been resting with and moved them over in front of the fireplace. The others all joined in and soon they were all snuggled comfortably together.

“Why don’t you tell us a story, Macaque,” MK suggested as he leaned against Red Son.

“Me?”

“Yeah.” MK gestured to where Tang was laying, completely blissed out as Mei began braiding his fur. “I don’t think our other storyteller is up to it right now.”

“Mmmm…” Tang agreed, only partially aware of what was going on through his haze of contentment.

“Well… alright.”

Tang closed his eyes as Macaque’s deep, soothing voice filled the room. He was happy. He was safe. Moments like this really made it worth it to keep going.

----------

Winter passed without any further problems. The days began to grow longer once again. The snow melted faster than it could fall. Before they knew it, Spring had arrived.

Tang dodged out of the way of Red Son’s grasp with a laugh. The early Spring air was still rather chilly, but it was certainly warm enough for the game of tag they were playing. They had made the decision to spend one last week in their clearing before returning to the artifact hunt. They all spent as much time outdoors as possible, as if to give one last goodbye to their temporary settlement.

It was somewhat bittersweet, if Tang was to be honest. On one hand, this location had become like a second home once they had pushed past their depression in the first month. He would miss the now familiar trees and rocks he had come to recognize from his leisurely walks. On the other hand, he was getting a bit sick of the airship and being on the move in general. He was looking forward to when the journey was finally over and he could return to his apartment in Megapolis with Pigsy.

He did his best to ignore the nagging worry that the cycle would end before that managed to happen.

Tang jumped back to avoid a swipe from MK and refocused on the game. He was the last one who hadn’t been tagged this round. It seemed he was being herded in a specific direction…

Tang’s ears swiveled as he heard someone come up behind him. At the same time Mei and Red Son approached from either side with MK from the front, cutting off his escape.

A jolt of adrenaline spiked through him as his rabbit instincts screamed at him that he was cornered. He needed to escape! Acting automatically, he let out a pulse of magic as he rapidly tapped his foot on the ground twice.

A hole opened up in the ground next to him and Tang quickly hopped in. He was in a tunnel. The hole above him closed. He ran forward a few feet and looked up. He pulsed his magic again and a new hole opened. He leapt out and looked around. He was now several meters away from everyone.

Tang blinked as his mind reset from autopilot.

What the hell had just happened?

“What the hell?!” Red Son exclaimed, mirroring Tang’s own feelings.

“Whoa, that was so cool!” MK said as everyone came rushing over. “How did you do that?”

“I- I don’t know,” Tang shrugged. “My instincts were telling me I was cornered and I needed to escape so I just-” Tang pulsed his magic and tapped his foot, opening another hole, “-did that. I only ran what felt like a couple feet down a tunnel before hopping back out, but now I’m all the way over here.”

“Holy shit,” Macaque breathed as he looked between the hole and Tang. “I’ve only heard rumors about this. No one I know has been able to confirm if it was real or not!”

“Care to share with the rest of the class whatever it is you’re talking about,” Wukong snarked.

“This… This is an extremely rare form of magic,” Macaque explained, completely absorbed in examining the hole and not seeming to hear the taunt in Wukong’s voice. “Rumored to exclusively be used by rabbit demons. There’s quite a bit of speculation, but if what you said is true…”

“What is it?” Tang’s curiosity was piqued. What could be so impressive to get Macaque this excited?

“Do it again,” Macaque requested. “Jump into the tunnel then walk exactly ten steps in that direction-” he pointed towards the far side of the clearing, “-and jump back out. If what I’ve heard is true, then… Well, you’ll see for yourself.”

“Alright.” Tang tapped his foot and closed the hole before tapping again and reopening it.

“Wait, why did you do that?” Macaque demanded.

“The tunnel wasn’t facing the right way,” Tang responded. He blinked. “I’m�� not sure how I knew that.”

“That’s… You changed the direction of the tunnel just by closing it and reopening it?!” Macaque was grinning like he had just been promised all the riches in the world. “Okay, okay, this is huge. Do what I asked and if this works, it will change everything.”

“This won’t hurt Tang, will it?” Pigsy asked suspiciously.

“If what I’ve heard is right, he has literally nothing to be afraid of,” Macaque reassured. “I promise you all that this is a good thing.”

“I trust him,” Tang said as he prepared to jump into the tunnel. “See you in a minute.”

The hole closed up behind him again as he landed. Now that he wasn’t running on instinct, he could examine his surroundings. The tunnel was huge, nearly three meters across on all sides and seeming to stretch off into the distance with no end in sight. The walls were covered in glowing plants that gave off a surprising amount of light. There was a gentle breeze that smelled strongly of Earth, and Life, and Magic.

Tang was a bit unnerved as he seemed to feel a connection to this place. Almost as if it was a part of him in some way. Shaking off the strange thought he walked down the tunnel.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten.

Tang looked up and pulsed his magic. A hole opened up in the ceiling of the tunnel and Tang crouched before springing up and out. Thank goodness he could easily make such a jump as a rabbit, or else he’d have to find a way to climb out.

The hole closed as he stood and he looked around. His jaw dropped. He was on the other side of the clearing, nearly thirty meters away from where he had started!

“HOLY FUCKING SHIT IT’S TRUE!” Macaque shouted from where the others all were. He began laughing wildly, glowing a bright purple.

“You better get back over here Tang, before Macaque has an aneurysm,” Wukong called out.

Tang quickly jogged over. Macaque had stopped laughing and was now pacing back and forth, his tail lashing out in excitement.

“Will you please explain what’s going on,” Wukong said in annoyance.

“Alright, alright.” Macaque took a breath and smiled widely. “There were always rumors about how rabbit demons would be able to escape from anywhere so long as they had access to the Earth. Dirt, sand, rock, it didn’t matter what, they’d be able to use it to get away.

“A few centuries ago, new rumors about impossible tunnels began to circulate alongside the original ones. Tunnels that could take you miles away from where you were in just a few steps. These stories came from humans who claimed to have been rescued by rabbit demons in some way.

“Recently, a few decades ago, a notorious thief that was known to get into vaults that were warded to Heaven and back with the best protection spells available was caught. They were a rabbit demon. When they interrogated them on how he had managed to get into the vaults, all they had said was that they had access to some ‘big pockets’. They also pointed out each vault had some form of Earth within it.

“They escaped before they could get more information out of them, but that little bit sent the scholars and magicians of the demon world into a frenzy. Theory after theory was discussed. It was only about seven years ago that a single hypothesis was accepted by the community.

“Not that any rabbit demons that were asked would confirm or deny it.”

“Spit it out already!” Wukong growled in frustration.

“No taste for a dramatic reveal, I swear,” Macaque rolled his eyes. “Fine then.

“Based on the theory going around and what we just saw, Tang has unlocked a rabbit demon exclusive magic that allows him to summon tunnels that exist in a parallel pocket dimension to Earth. These tunnels warp space within them and allow Tang to travel across vast distances in an extremely short time. They can also bypass any wards or protective spells imaginable so long as there’s a patch of Earth within them. Going with the stories of the rescued humans, Tang should be able to bring anyone he wants along with him as well.”

There was a stunned silence for a moment as they all absorbed that.

“Fuck, that does change everything,” Wukong said in awe.

“Right?!” Macaque gushed. “Imagine the implications this has on modern magical theory! Or the fact that only rabbit demons seem to have access to this ability! What this could mean for travel and transportation if we get permission to study it properly! It’s no wonder the Rabbit Kingdom hasn’t been found in over a millennia! You probably can’t get to it without access to the tunnels! Hell, it might be in the center of the Earth for all we know!”

“Uh, I meant this changes everything in how we could deal with Lady Bone Demon,” Wukong admitted sheepishly.

“Oh,” Macaque deflated a bit. “Yeah. It’ll probably help a lot with that too.”

“Don’t worry Macaque,” Tang said as gave the dejected monkey a pat on the back. “I’m actually really interested in discussing the theory behind this.”

“As am I,” Red Son agreed.

“Great!” Macaque perked back up with that. “I am so glad I suggested you turn yourself into a rabbit. Otherwise we wouldn’t have this amazing opportunity to study such a unique form of magic.”

“If I recall, you were only half serious when you did so,” Sandy pointed out in amusement. “So at best you only get half credit for this happening.”

“I’ll take it!”

“Let’s talk about how this can help with taking down Lady Bone Demon first,” Wukong said with a fond chuckle. “Once she’s dealt with you can have as much time as you want researching this.”

“As… as long as I don’t have to actually face her,” Tang swallowed. “I don’t think I’d be able to do that.”

“If I’m right about the tunnels, then there’s a strong chance you won’t even have to go near her,” Macaque reassured. “You can just drop us off inside the city past the wards and retreat a few miles away.”

“That... yeah I’m good with that.”

“We still need to get the Spring artifact first,” MK reminded them all.

“If it’s like the others, that should be a piece of cake,” Mei boasted.

“We’re almost done,” Tang realized. “We’re… we’re actually really close to being able to go home.”

“We can do this,” Wukong encouraged. “One last push. Are we all up for it?”

Tang joined in with everyone else as they raised their fists and cheered.

It all felt a little surreal to him. Not even a year ago he had been struggling with his memories and trauma and Species Dysphoria.

Now he felt more comfortable being himself as a rabbit demon than he ever had as a human. That in turn had allowed him to discover an ability that could tip the scales heavily in their favor.

It seemed the gift from his timeline’s Sandy was indeed working as intended.

He just hoped there was enough time in the cycle left to enjoy himself once Lady Bone Demon was taken care of.

----------

The plan went off without a hitch.

Tang used his tunnels to bypass the wards around the city and dropped the others off within its limits. While he retreated back to where they parked the ship, they had wielded the four seasonal artifacts against Lady Bone Demon. They successfully managed to separate her from the poor girl she was possessing before sealing her and the Mayor away.

Peace was restored to Magapolis, and Tang was able to enjoy his life with the ones he loved.

He spent quality romantic time with Pigsy.

He supported MK through the more permanent transformation process as he attempted to become a monkey.

He went flying with Mei once she unlocked her dragon form.

He drank tea and went on boat rides with Sandy.

He meditated and discussed philosophy with Wukong.

He helped Red Son patch things up with his parents.

He swapped historical stories and magical theories with Macaque.

A year and a half passed, and Tang could not recall a time when he was filled with so much joy.

----------

Tang was in Safety.

Oh. That meant the cycle had ended.

Tang clasped a paw to his mouth and choked back a sob.

The cycle had ended.

He had known it was coming. Some sixth sense had tickled at the back of his mind. He had made sure to fill the last few weeks with wonderful experiences with his family from this timeline.

Experiences they would no longer remember.

They were gone.

Tears flowed down his face as he fell to his knees and let out a keening whine.

He would never see those versions of his family again. So similar to each and every version of themselves, but wholly unique as well. He loved each of them dearly, but would never get to speak to them again. It wouldn’t be long before his memories of them faded and blurred with time, lost forever.

Something thumped to the ground next to him. Wiping his eyes, Tang turned and found… A book?

Tang picked up the book and examined the cover. It was a beautiful illustration of a rabbit with chocolate and reddish brown fur surrounded by a pig, a shark, three monkeys, a dragon, and a bull. At the four corners of the cover were stylizations of the four seasonal artifacts.

Curious, Tang flipped open the book. He gasped as he was filled with vivid visions of his time in the cycle. His memories of the events played with perfect detail and clarity in his mind. The emotions and thoughts he had throughout could be felt with full force. It was a perfect recollection of everything that had happened.

Tang clutched the book to his chest and began sobbing once more. He didn’t know what he had done to deserve such a gift, but he would cherish it always. He would keep the memories of this cycle in a special place in his heart and vowed to never forget them.

The ground lifted up in front of him. It formed a tunnel large enough for a human to walk through leading slightly downwards. Tang walked down the tunnel and nearly started sobbing again as he discovered a perfect replica of his room on board the airship.

In the center of the room stood a gleaming lectern. Engraved on the sides were events and experiences from his time in the cycle. Tang placed the book on the empty surface, causing both it and the lectern to flash for a moment.

Smiling to himself, Tang left the burrow and exited back out into Safety. He looked around the area and paused as his eyes fell upon the library.

If that book held his memories of the cycle he just left, did that mean…?

Before he could think on it further, the brilliant ring above him flashed and he was bathed in golden-yellow light.

----------

Tang woke up. He was in his apartment.

Alone.

Human.

Shutting his eyes he quickly calmed his breathing and circulated his magic. He sighed in relief a few minutes later as he finished transforming into his preferred form.

Standing to stretch, Tang made his way to the restroom. He had fixed his second problem. Now to see what he was working with for the first.

He looked into his reflection, smiling at the rabbit that looked back.

“My name is Tang.”

It was a few days after the incident at the weather station. That was pretty early on. Nothing else was out of the ordinary from what he could tell.

Perfect.

He sent out a group text asking his family to join him at his apartment. He had something extremely important to tell them.

Tang waited in his bedroom as they gathered. Pigsy had tried to get him to come out before the rest arrived, but he said he wanted to wait for everyone so he wouldn’t have to repeat himself. Once he received the text that they had all arrived, Tang took a breath and joined them all in the living room.

“Hey, guys.”

The looks on their faces when they saw him were priceless.

He couldn’t help it. He started to laugh.

“Tang, what the hell?!” Pigsy pointed at him in shock. “You’re a rabbit! And you’re glowing!”

“Y-yes, I- hahaha- I know.”

“What the hell is going on?!”

“Sorry, sorry. I promise you it’s nothing bad.” Tang calmed his breathing and made his way to the front of the living room to face his four friends. “I’ll tell you everything you want to know, but the spell I’m under requires me to tell you a story first.”

“Spell?” Sandy said in concern.

“Story?” MK said with enthusiasm. “Is it as cool as all the others you tell?”

“It might be,” Tang smiled. “It’s not finished yet, but I’m hoping you’ll be able to help me add on to it.”

“That sounds interesting,” Mei said. “Well get on with it, bunny boy!”

Tang laughed, shining brightly, and did just that. “Once upon a time, there was a Storyteller.”

----------

Congrats on making it to the end! I hope you liked it!

I really love this chapter and am super pleased with how it came out. This is the first step in what I’m calling “The Healing Arc” where Tang recovers from the trauma induced by LBD. Hoping the rest of the story comes out as well as this chapter!

The Giggle Glow AU by @animemoonprincess is just super fun and super cozy and perfect for our first step back into real fluff. Also shout out to @ninja-knox-ur-sox-off for the chocolate wafers and orange juice!

I’m really bad at describing what Tang’s fur looks like. Here’s two references of the real rabbit breed I based it off: One & Two

The Seasonal Artifacts were something I made up last minute. I don't have any ideas for the one for Spring, so if you have some thoughts please share them!

I had to include the musical curse. I had to. The song choices were changed around right up to the point I wrote each scene (minus the last one which was locked in from the start) but here’s the credits in order:

Smile by Uncle Kracker - Listen, this is just a very feel good song that I think fits MK’s attitude. The scene was originally going to have MK try cheering them all up with Make Them Laugh from Singing In The Rain, but he kinda went on that rant and I needed something else. This was the first thing that popped into my head and it worked really well.

Frozen Heart by the Cast of Frozen - I was originally going to find a sea shanty for this part. But then I realized this had the same cadence as a work song which fit just as well. I was able to incorporate it into another scene later too which was nice.

Karma by AJR - This song is very important to me. I was in a deep depressive funk back in 2021 but didn’t really notice. Then I saw a Monkie Kid Animatic set to a part of this song. I searched out the whole thing and listening to it left a deep impact on me. I looked up and binged all of Monkie Kid after that and started writing Scattered Cicadas shortly after. This fic literally wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for this song. However, I try not to listen to it too often due to how sad it leaves me. But I still think this song is incredibly important for many people on the road to recovery, like Tang here, as it lets them know they aren’t alone in their experiences.

Pass It On by Kurt Hugo Schneider - Another original by Kurt Hugo Schneider just like the one in the previous chapter. This song. This song. It’s honestly the ultimate pick-me-up. The simple yet heartfelt lyrics combined with genius percussion provided by the coke bottles? Brilliant. One of my absolute favorite songs that will never fail to fill me up with joy.

Honorable Mention: Do You Want To Build A Snowman, also from Frozen. Cut down in its prime before it had the chance to flourish.

Absolute huge, enormous, gigantic shout out to the absolutely wonderful @skellebonez! They’ve been a constant source of support as I worked hard on this chapter and I honestly couldn’t have done it without them! Their Bunny Tang fic, Cotton Tails and Borrowed Time, was also a huge inspiration for quite a bit of this chapter. Go check it out as well as the follow up that explores alternate endings and scenes!

What else? Oh yes, the tunnels. AKA, Bunnymund’s tunnels from Rise of the Guardians. Look, they were just too awesome to pass up. When you have a cool magical rabbit character, you have to give them cool magical rabbit holes that warp space time and bypass all magics. That’s just the rules!

Also Macaque being a magical theory and history nerd is just really, really good.

The ending was pretty bittersweet for what was supposed to be a fluff chapter, but I think I stuck the landing with a hopeful feeling in the last bit.

My life is about to get hectic here in the New Year with a potential job that would require me to move states. I’m not sure when I’ll get the time to sit down and start the next chapter, but it unfortunately won’t be any time soon.

I do know the next chapter absolutely will not be as long as these last two novella length monsters. I don’t think I could physically handle that.

Thank you again so much for reading! Let me know what parts you liked! Merry Christmas, and have a Happy New Year!

#Monkie Kid #LEGO Monkie Kid #Scattered Cicadas #Giggle Glow AU #animemoonprincess #Tang #Bunny Tang #Smile Uncle Kracker #Frozen Heart #Karma AJR #Pass It On Kurt Hugo Schneider #ninja-knox-ur-sox-off #skellebonez #Cotton Tails and Borrowed Time

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bunny-jpeg · 5 months ago

Note

Can I please get a tiramisu with a side of champagne with an innocent reader and Lando Norris, please. 🙏

bakery menu

want to suggest your own order? read the menu! i love the idea of an innocent!reader, that's so cute. with a sugar daddy!lando!! i imagine him being so sweet but then being a little devil in the bedroom! i hope you love this <3

tiramisu ("my little slut to ruin") + champagne (sugar daddy au) served by lando norris (formula one)!

cw: smut/pwp, sugar daddy au, fluff, dom!lando, mean!lando (in the bedroom), doggy style, dirty talk (a little degrading), innocent!reader, big dick!lando

lando didn't like the word "sugar daddy", because that implied he was paying you for sex. in all honesty, he felt nervous the first time he had sex with you.

you were a virgin, and he was taking your virginity. not that he really put much stock in the concept of virginity, but he didn't want to ruin your first time. he remembered that he fingered you for what felt like hours because he didn't want to bruise you.

when he did that he said to you, "i know this is stupid to say. but, i'm sorry for having a big cock." he made sure that you were comfortable before he (gently) fucked you. he remembered anxiously waiting while you basked in the after glow of orgasm to get a rating of his performance.

(you gave it 10/10!, even if you were a little sore the next morning)

since then you had grown into knowing what you like and don't like. you were curious as you never had a partner prior and through trial, error and the usage of safe words. you both figured out what you both liked.

lando didn't like slapping you, unless it was on your ass. you didn't like having you hair pulled. you both liked lando ran his mouth, even when his words got more depraved. lando liked when you called him daddy and you liked when he wrapped both arms around you when he took you doggy style. and you both liked after care, regardless of how intense the situation got. you both found comfort in holding one another as you settled down.

so was it really paying for sex if you were both getting off to it and had an open conversation? probably not!

you two had come back from a day of shopping. when most thought about a sugar baby spending their daddy's money. it mostly meant expensive items like diamonds and gold.

but not you. when you were picking up a bulk pack of cotton panties and winced at the price (under 8€), while lando sent you back into the store to get a second pack.

"it's fine, my love." he said as he gave you cheek a little pinch, "they're cute. they have flowers on them." and then scanned the rest of your items when you were away. you were a terrible sugar baby in that regard.

he one time found you cutting out a coupon from the cereal box and when he asked you what was going on. you said, "save us 2 euros." as you cut up the cardboard.

lando found it endearing. you clearly knew how much he was making a year, he could afford spending the extra 2 euros on cereal. but, you wanted to earn your keep.

you put the reusable bag in the bedroom before you got out of your clothes for the day. which meant padding around in a baggy t-shirt and sleeping shorts. you had socks on that were pulled up to your calves, they were a little bit big on you which made you think they were landos.

but they were very comfy as you went back to the couch. you sat down and lando threw an arm around you. he had taken one of the popsicles you bought on your last shopping trip and when you sat beside him, he pointed it towards you..

you leaned over and put your mouth around it, you made a sweet noise at the coolness on your tongue. it was very erotic. you looked up at him and gave the icy treat another lick.

sometimes lando forgot how innocent you were. you didn't know what you were doing when you pulled away and giggled.

"that was really good." you said, "can i have some more?" before he could respond, you happily ate some more of it.

when you pulled away, you could see lando swallow. you asked, "is everything okay, lando?"

he leaned in and pressed a kiss on your lips. the kiss was a big hungry as he felt his cock stir in his pants. when he pulled away, "finish it."

you took it from him, but when you did. he snaked his hand down the front of your shorts and he invaded your space. you yelped a little but moaned when you felt his fingers grazed across your pussy.

you quickly ate the sweet treat before lando took the stick and tossed it over his shoulder before be pulled him into a tight kiss. his fingers continued to play with your pussy.

"you're my good girl, right? my little slut to ruin?" he asked to test the waters if you wanted to go forward with it. he could feel his erection in his loose shorts.

you looked very hot pressed against the leather couch. you nodded, "i'm always a good girl for you, daddy." when lando gave you room, you quickly made your way to the bedroom.

lando thought you were painfully innocent sometimes. the idea that he was teaching you how to make yourself feel good made pride surge in him. it was so cute watching your little behind as you made your way to the bedroom.

he practically tackled you to the bed and rubbed his aching clothed erection against your ass as he palmed your breasts through your shirt, his nose was in your hair.

"daddy!" you yelped.

"you're so good for me. i've taught you how to feel good." he groaned as he continued to rub up against you, "i still have so much to teach you, poor thing can't take all of my cock down her pretty throat. maybe i'll get you a nice pink collar when i train you."

you whined, your panties felt soaked by his closeness to you. his hefty words in your ears as you wiggled under him. you soon felt his hands go to the waistband on your shorts and yank them down.

he continued to rub his cock up against your panty clad ass, he needed his baby girl. it wasn't fair that there were still so many layers on you.

he gave you a little room and watched you undress as he did the same. he stood there, beautiful as ever with his hard cock on full display. once you were naked, he got back onto the bed as rubbed his cock up against your cute little hole.

"you're so pretty like this. on your hands and knees, shiny hole for me." he groaned as he guided his cock into your pussy, bottoming out into you. he held onto your hips and started to thrust.

it was true, you were painfully cute. the perfect baby girl for him, even if he couldn't have sex with you. being around you and your sweetness was more than enough for him.

once he got a steady pace, he then wrapped his arms around you middle as he moved against you. he pressed his cheek up against your back as he rutted against you. the slick sounds of sex paired with your noises filled the room.

lando whispered praises into your skin as he moved. his cock felt so good inside of you, his breathing was heavy as he kept his pace fast. he felt the roll of pleasure in his body and he groaned heavily against you.

his cock throbbed inside of you. your cunt felt like a dream. it made him hot all over. you were painfully cute, even when you were being split by his impressive size.

"please, daddy. that feels so good." you whined as you arched your back. you could feel the pull of him in your stomach. your brain felt mushy, fueled by pleasure as he moved against you.

lando groaned against your skin, "you're the perfect girl for me. i lucked out, fuck. you're so good for me. clipping coupons and letting me fuck your sweet pussy. i lucked out." he kissed your heated flesh.

"please daddy."

"don't worry. i'm not goin' anywhere. i'm not leaving behind something so perfect." he kissed then at your cheek and rested his chin on your shoulder as he fucked you heavily.

his words made you hot all over, he watched you claw at the covers as he continued to thrust into you. he could feel the sweat down his neck as he continued to move.

the pleasure swirled through him as he moved. it all felt so good, it made him painfully hard. your combined noises made him shudder, he knew he wasn't going to last long. and neither were you.

you quickly came with your head in the sheets, your back arched further. you felt your heartbeat in your ears as he continued to fuck you. it was a erotic sight, the two of you fucking in the comfort of your own home.

"my precious girl."

"mmm, daddy." you whined, basking in the post orgasmic feeling.

he clenched onto you and finished inside of you with a hard thrust. he'd make sure you weren't in pain by tomorrow. he slowed down his pace to a still before he kissed the back of your head and whispered that he loved you.

you laid flat on the bed and found comfort in the soft covers as you panted heavily. lando then curled you up in his arms. he spooned you from behind as he kissed at your neck. you were so painfully cute, even when blissed out from the intensity of sex. he kissed at the shell of your ear gently.

"how was that? did i hurt you?"

you held onto his forearms as he held you and replied, "no, no. everything is perfect." you pressed your back further up against you and smiled softly, "you spoil me."

he chuckled and gave you another kiss on the neck, "always. i'll always spoil my baby." he squeezed you a little tighter. that was a promise to you.

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formulawolff · 7 months ago

Text

sunbathing - t.w.

pairing: reader x dbf!toto wolff

word count: 1.3k

warnings: age gap, highly inappropriate flirting and banter, fingering (f! receiving), alcohol use, some light smut for this fine sunday evening, fyi, the reader is in her early/mid 20s in this!,

a/n: the premise of this one came to me as a request! i just want to clarify that this is a slight au, as toto is not a married man in this! i hope y’all enjoy! <3 (also that gif?? omf. i need him.)

bundles of light cast a shine on the waves, the surrounding air tinged with the salty scent of the sea. the only color in your field of vision is blue, the hues ranging from a vivid cerulean to a rich sapphire. above, seagulls glide, dotting the skyline with tiny white specks.

you bask in the warmth of the sun, your heated skin glowing from your tanning oil. situated on the sun deck, you were in the perfect spot to catch some rays, reapplying tanning oil routinely throughout the afternoon.

"everything going okay up there honey?"

˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖

the voice was none other than your father's.

your father happened to be peter bonnington, one of the top engineers for the mercedes-amg petronas formula one team. he just so happened to be close to lewis hamilton, eight time world champion.

yet, to your disappointment, lewis was not present today. so much for shooting your shot with the devilishly handsome driver.

when you were offered the chance to spend the day on toto wolff's yacht with your family, how could you have refused?

who else gets to spend the afternoon sunbathing on desk of a yacht as it floats along the mediterranean sea?

springing to your feet, you lean over the rail, picking out your father as he mingles with the group, "i may come down and get some water soon!"

"sounds good love!" your father responds, a wide grin plastered across his face. stifling a giggle, you notice the crimson hue tinging his cheeks, flourishing into his neck.

oh god, he was drunk.

well, you all were. at least, those old enough to drink.

for the start of the summer break in the season, mr. wolff had suggested the mercedes families gather together for a day of relaxation and celebration. to your disappointment, there were not a lot of suitors present.

of course, there were quite a few children, some teenagers.

you had met with a few girls around your age, but they were still significantly younger, approximately three or fours your junior. so, to escape from the small talk and chitchat, you had waltzed up to the sun deck, settling in one of the chairs.

luckily, you had brought a book with you, so it kept you somewhat busy.

and to your satisfaction, no one bothered you. no one at all.

an afternoon alone on the deck of a yacht, where no one would bother you but to bring you a few drinks and some snacks?

it was perfect. absolutely perfect.

you couldn't have envisioned a more perfect afternoon.

a flurry of voices catches your attention, but you ignore them. it almost sounded as if there was playful argument. of course, recognized your father's voice, as it was the loudest.

your mom was one patient woman, that was for sure.

with the sun beating down, and the buzz of the alcohol, you couldn't help but feel your lashes flutter, drowsiness beginning to take ahold.

"ms. bonnington," a voice startles you, thick with a heavy accent, "i figured i would run some water up for you."

sitting up in your chair, you clutch your chest as you make out who is standing beside you, one bottle of water in each hand.

it was none other than toto wolff.

with his significant stature and broad shoulders, he nearly towers over you, donned in a thin linen button up and khaki shorts.

with his fluffy brunette hair, and sharp, chiseled features framed by thick lashes, there was no denying that the team principal was devastatingly handsome. toned muscles rippled underneath his button-up, the wind catching the fabric every so often, exposing a trail hair leading up to his navel.

sure, you may have had a teenage crush on one of your father's best friends and coworkers, but surely you outgrew that long ago.

surely.

you felt your heart skip a beat as he eyed you, prompting you to respond.

"oh my god," you nearly stumble over your words, "i am so sorry if i didn't hear you the first time, mr. wolff. i was falling asleep and i-"

"no need for those formalities around here," a soft chuckle rumbles in his throat, "you can call me toto, you know."

"i-i'm sorry," you mumble, accepting the water bottles from his hands, "i've probably been in the sun a little too long. i'm a little scatterbrained right now."

"have you been having fun, at least?" to your surprise, the team principal sits in a chair beside you, "i apologize if you haven't been able to meet some people your age. i thought there would be more girls for you to get along with."

"i've been fine," you shrug, "i'm a big girl, i know how to occupy myself."

as you lay back down in the chair, toto can't help but drink in the sight of you.

fuck, were you absolutely gorgeous.

he relished the way your hair was pulled into a tight bun, emphasizing the bridge of your nose and the fullness of your lashes. your skin glistens under the sun, toto swallowing thickly as his mind wanders.

it was so wrong to look at you this way. absolutely sinful.

yet, he couldn't. he couldn't look away.

"everything okay, toto?" oh god, the way his name sounded so sweet from those plush lips.

"i'm fine," he waves a hand, "i'm just admiring the view. that's all."

you arch a brow, pursing your lips, "the mountains or my ass?"

ever so slightly, you wiggle your wips, cheeks jiggling in response.

"you want me to be honest or do you want me to lie?"

"hmmm," you hum, "i prefer honesty, mr. wolff."

mr. wolff.

in his shorts, he felt his cock throb. instinctively, he shifts in the seat, praying that you wouldn't notice.

however, it's hard to miss.

especially in those khaki shorts.

"see something you like?" you bat your lashes, the corners of your lips curling into a devious grin.

"yes," he leans over, face merely centimeters from yours, "you."

"not like you can do anything about it," you counter, the tough exterior crumbling as you feel a hand gliding along the back of your thigh, squeezing the curve of your ass.

perhaps you did not outgrow that teenage crush all those years ago.

"i can," he smirks ever so slightly, "no one can see up here. if i would have known you were wearing this little number, i would have ran up with that water hours ago."

"what if someone comes up here?"

"they won't," he shakes his head, "they're all eating right now."

"you don't think my father will come looking for me?"

"do you know how intoxicated your father is right now? he wouldn't even make it up the stairs," fingers hook the strap of your bikini bottoms, snapping it against your skin, "so, schatzi, what shall we do?"

"what's on your mind?"

toto cocks his head, the fingers delving between your thighs. nimbly, they lightly trace along your folds, teasing, "oh, if we were completely alone, it would be a far different story. however, i have limited time, and there's a large gathering down below."

"oh fuck," you clamp down on your tongue as a finger circles your clit, juices beginning to trickle down your soft skin.

"you like that?" toto coos, applying more pressure, "you like how wet i make you? you're a good girl, letting me touch you like this."

"toto!" a voice calls from below, "we need your assistance with the radio!"

"jesus fucking christ," the team principal rolls his eyes.

rising to his feet, fingers grasp you chin, tilting your head upwards.

"you should accompany your father to a grand prix sometime. i would love to see your beautiful face one day in the paddock."

"maybe i will," you murmur, flashing toto with a radiant grin, "would you fuck me in the paddock too?"

"oh schatzi, i would do more than fuck you in the paddock. i would make that little pussy of yours weep."

and just like that, you watch as the team principal strolls over to the stairs, shooting you one final wink before disappearing.

biting your lip, you reach for the water, twisting it open.

perhaps you would lean over that rail one more time.

after all, you were starting to get an appetite.

#toto wolff #toto wolff x reader #toto wolff smut #formula one #f1 #formula 1 #f1 x reader #formula one x reader #toto wolff x you #toto wolff x y/n #formula one fanfic #formula one fanfiction

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alygator77 · 2 days ago

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.˚✶˚. motherhood and matrimony ・❥・ wrapped in love .˚✶˚.

ꨄ︎ pairing. au ceo! satoru gojo x single mom secretary fem! reader

ꨄ series summary. satoru gojo, the arrogant and irresistible heir to a billion-dollar corporation and the son of your boss, the ceo... but when satoru’s father dies unexpectedly, his inheritance hinges on a stipulation: he must marry and have a child, but the child doesn't necessarily have to be his, right? together, you strike a deal: a fake marriage that promises financial stability for you and corporate control for him. as the lines between business and emotion blur, you must decide if your partnership is purely contractual or if it could evolve into something real.

ꨄ chapter summary. christmas morning at the gojo estate has always been a display of elegant grandeur—but this year, the true magic is found in the quiet, heartfelt moments shared with you. for satoru, it’s a holiday that finally feels like home.

ꨄ︎ warnings/tags. pure tooth rotting fluff. satoru being the best step dad. lots of domesticity. it does get a bit suggestive at times.

ꨄ words: 12.6k

ꨄ a/n. this is a part of my series motherhood and matrimony, however it can also be read as a fluffy holiday oneshot (you'll probably appreciate some of the references more if you've read the series though!) this entire ch is written from satoru's perspective! also, for those that have read the series, i would definitely read this after ch 7 ♡

ꨄ taglist: closed (ao3)

♬ playlist ꨄ series masterlist ꨄ

side ch // wrapped in love

Christmas had always been a spectacle at the Gojo estate. Extravagant decorations that seemed to glisten with the weight of their price tags, a towering tree so grand it nearly grazed the vaulted ceilings, and a meticulously curated guest list for the Gojo’s annual holiday gala.

Business, wrapped in tinsel—topped with a bow.

Yes, for Satoru Gojo, Christmas always felt cold. Not the kind of cold that nipped at your nose or made you long for a crackling fireplace—it was the emptiness of grandeur.

Growing up in the Gojo estate, Christmas wasn’t a celebration; it was a stage. Takemi Gojo orchestrated the performance with precision, weaving an illusion of family warmth while the frigid reality of their relationship sat heavy within the corners of the mansion.

Twinkling lights adorned every surface, crystal ornaments shimmered under the tree’s glow, and tables overflowed with feasts meant to impress, not to savor.

His father had called it tradition. Satoru had called it lonely.

And from a young age, Satoru had learned that gifts were currency, not sentiment—the meaning of the season buried beneath layers of duty and pretense.

But this year… something was different.

Satoru lounges on the couch, long legs sprawled out as he watches you and Haru at the tree. You crouch low, holding an ornament in your hand, gently guiding Haru as she reaches up to find the perfect spot.

Her giggles fill the room like the sound of bells, bright and contagious, and she claps her tiny hands when the ornament finally stays.

Turning to her, your smile and the warmth in your expression is enough to melt something in Satoru’s chest.

It’s a feeling he can’t quite name—foreign, yet achingly familiar. Like standing outside during the first snowfall—the cold biting at your cheeks, but the beauty of it stealing your breath.

For the first time, Christmas doesn’t feel like an obligation. It feels like… home.

But it isn’t the decorations, nor the estate’s grandeur—it’s you. It’s Haru. It’s the way you’ve taken this cold, hollow place and filled it with laughter, warmth, and life. It’s the way you’ve turned this house into a home—a home he doesn’t want to leave.

“What do you think, Satoru?”

He blinks, glancing up at you—your voice pulling him out of his reverie. You were holding up two ornaments, one red and one blue, with a quirked brow and a soft smile.

Haru, meanwhile, was standing on her tippy toes, trying to reach the highest branch she could manage.

“Oh, uh… hmm?”

You roll your eyes with mock exasperation, shaking the ornaments for emphasis.

“Red or blue? We can’t have both; it’ll clash. Focus, Gojo.”

His lips twitch into a lazy grin as he leans back, folding his arms behind his head.

“Oh, definitely blue,” he says with a teasing lilt. “It matches my vibe better. Don’tcha think?”

You snort, rolling your eyes with a grin—muttering something about his ego—and as you turn back to Haru, Satoru takes the opportunity to watch you again.

The sight of you—your hair falling loose over your shoulders, the way your smile makes even your oversized sweater seem elegant—It isn’t just the room you light up. It’s him.

‘Gifts are just another transaction, Satoru. A display of wealth and power.’

His father’s voice lingers in his mind, sharp and cold as ever. But you—you’ve shown him a different kind of wealth. One that can’t be bought, or wrapped in shiny paper.

And for the first time, he feels it. Not the chill of the season, but… the warmth of belonging.

But with that warmth comes something else—something he’s not used to.

Panic.

Christmas is just days away, and for the life of him, he has no idea what to give you.

He’s Satoru Gojo. He could buy you anything. Diamonds. Designer clothes. Hell, an entire island, if he felt like it. Money has never been an obstacle—it’s always been a solution.

But when it comes to you, every option feels… wrong.

You—who sighs in exasperation at the estate’s staff, grumbling about how you’re perfectly capable of pouring your own glass of water, thank you very much.

You—who pokes at the extravagant feasts from world-class chefs, saying they could feed an entire village, yet they still couldn’t make your favorite comfort food the way you liked it.

You—who wrinkles your nose at his pretentious lifestyle, rolling your eyes every time he casually mentions the price of something without even realizing.

A necklace dripping in diamonds? You’d probably say it was heavy to wear. A vacation to a private island? You’d tell him you’d rather spend the time with Haru in the backyard, making snow angels.

A car? A house? Exquisite art? Fuck, a horse?

None of it feels enough.

He groans quietly, running a hand through his hair, cursing himself under his breath.

When did this happen? When did he get so comfortable letting his guard down around you, so at ease that now, sitting in his own home, he feels utterly vulnerable? Utterly lost?

And worse, he knows you can probably sense it.

“Satoru.”

Your voice cuts through his spiraling thoughts, drawing his attention back to you.

Standing a few feet away, the soft glow from the Christmas tree casts a gentle light on your features—a slight furrow to your brow as you tilt your head, holding a new ornament in your hand.

“Are… you okay? You look like you’re plotting something.”

He straightens instantly, schooling his features into an easy grin, but it’s a little too late for that—you’re watching him too closely, as if trying to unravel the puzzle in his head.

“Me? Plotting? Never.” He leans back, resting an arm across the top of the couch. “Just wondering if we need a bigger tree. This one’s lookin’ a little small.”

Your eyes narrow suspiciously, and for a moment, he wonders if you can see straight through him.

You always do.

“Satoru,” you deadpan, and fuck—he knows he’s lost. “This tree is ten feet tall.”

He shrugs, as though you’ve just proven his point.

“Yeah… but like… wouldn’t fifteen feet look better? That’d be a real statement.”

Your groan comes with a roll of your eyes, but it’s paired with the grin he was hoping for.

“Sure, let’s just knock down the ceiling while we’re at it. Maybe put the Empire State Building in here for good measure.”

He chuckles, relieved by your sarcasm, and for a moment, his deflection works—you turn away, back to the tree. He watches you carefully loop another ornament onto a branch while Haru tugs at your sweater, babbling about a penguin ornament.

But as soon as your attention has shifted, it’s back—that gnawing uncertainty, that quiet panic clawing at the edges of his mind.

Good lord, when did this get so hard?

He’s Satoru Gojo. He can charm his way through anything, pull the strings of the world’s most powerful people, and yet he’s paralyzed by the thought of picking out a gift for you.

The longer he thinks about it, the worse it gets. You deserve something perfect—something thoughtful. But what does perfect even look like?

What do you give someone who doesn’t want anything money can buy? How does he give you a gift that carries the weight of what you’ve given him?

“Santa’s gonna like our tree, right, Mama?”

Haru’s voice rings up like a bright chime, tugging him back to the room—to reality.

He watches as you glance down, and a soft smile blooms across your lips as you tuck a loose strand of hair behind Haru’s ear. That look—the one you reserve for her, the kind that could thaw glaciers—hits him squarely in the chest.

“He’ll love it, sweetheart.”

Your voice is as light and sure as the snow falling gently outside the frosted windows, and Haru grins, pivoting to Satoru now.

“’toru!” her face lights up like the tree behind her, “Santa’s coming! He’s gonna bring presents, and cookies, and he loves hot cocoa!”

Raising a brow, Satoru slouches further back into the couch with that practiced ease—masking the chaos still whirling behind his nonchalant façade.

“Hot cocoa, huh? With marshmallows?”

Haru nods so hard, her little curls bounce and her entire being vibrates with conviction.

“He loves marshmallows! And cookies. And maybe waffles too.”

Satoru huffs out a soft laugh, his smile easing.

“That’s a pretty sweet deal for Santa,” he murmurs.

With all the grace of a puppy on ice, Haru scrambles up onto the couch cushion beside him, wiggling her way into place. Her voice drops to a conspiratorial whisper, though it’s far from quiet.

“Mama makes the best hot cocoa. We should have some.”

The confidence in her tone makes him snort quietly, and he raises a brow—playing along.

“The best, huh? Mmm.. I dunno. That’s a pretty big claim, kid.”

“It’s true!” she insists.

And then there’s your laughter—soft, light, and entirely unguarded as it floats from behind him. It’s a sound he’s learned to treasure, one he’d bottle up if he could, a warmth that sinks beneath his skin and quiets everything else.

He swears it’s one of his favorite sounds.

“You know what? That’s a good idea,” you say, ruffling Haru’s hair as you step behind the couch.

But then, you pause beside him, leaning down to press the faintest kiss to his temple—a feather-light touch, and it strikes him like a match catching fire, warmth unfurling from that single point of contact.

Oh, how he loves the touch of your lips.

“I’m gonna grab some hot chocolate—with marshmallows, of course,” your hand brushes briefly through his hair before pulling away. “Watch Haru real quick, yeah?”

Tilting his head back to look at you, he swallows down the tightness in his chest, masking it all with another lazy smirk—because he doesn’t know how to show you just how much that tenderness means to him. How much he loves when you touch him like that, so unthinking, like it’s natural.

And for Satoru, masking it is second nature—it always has been.

“Yeah, yeah… I’ve got it covered,” he waves you off with a dramatic flick of his hand.

You roll your eyes with an affectionate huff, and he lets himself watch you for a moment longer as you disappear into the kitchen, your humming trailing softly behind you like a ribbon that tethers him to you.

And then, silence.

The moment the door swings shut, he lets out a slow, quiet exhale, the tension uncoiling from his shoulders as if he’s been holding himself together for too long.

He slumps back against the couch, his head tipping against the cushion, feeling the ghost of your touch where your fingers had been in his hair. With a sigh, he runs a hand through the same spot, smoothing the strands down absently as if he can capture what’s already gone.

It’s ridiculous how much you’ve undone him. How a single kiss, a fleeting touch, can dismantle the person he’s spent so long pretending to be.

Because in those fleeting moments, when it’s just him and the lingering warmth of you, Satoru Gojo—the man who never lets his mask slip—realizes just how tightly wound he’s become. Just how much of himself he’s spent trying to hold it all together when, in moments like that, you make it so damn easy for him to fall apart.

He closes his eyes for just a breath, letting himself feel it—the calm, the weight of it all, the way his heart stirs.

But then—

A sudden rustling sound shatters the quiet, pulling him sharply from his thoughts. One eye cracks open, blinking lazily as he scans the room.

His gaze lands on Haru, and the breath leaves his chest in a sigh that’s somewhere between disbelief and resignation.

There she is—somehow, in the span of seconds—teetering precariously on the armrest of the couch, her tiny arms outstretched like she’s on a tightrope, her face scrunched in determination.

Satoru stares at her for a beat, utterly disheveled and utterly defeated. His head tilts lazily to the side as he watches her.

“Oi,” he drawls, dragging a hand down his face with a groan that’s more exasperation than anything. “Munchkin. What do you think you’re doing?”

Haru doesn’t even flinch. She grins, wide and triumphant, wobbling dangerously like a baby deer.

“I’m tall, ‘toru!”

He blinks at her, deadpan, before letting his hand fall limply to his lap.

“Yeah? Well, you’re also gonna fall on your face.”

“Nu-uh!” she insists, wiggling her feet against the cushion for emphasis.

“Kid…” He straightens with a reluctant sigh, reaching out with one hand, just in case she topples over. “You’re gonna get me in trouble. You do realize your mom’ll murder me if she catches you pulling stunts like this, right?”

Haru giggles—loud, unbothered, entirely unfazed.

“It’s okay. I’m good!” she declares proudly, as if she’s just conquered Mount Everest.

“You sure about that?” Satoru raises a brow, though the smirk tugging at his lips betrays him. “Because… you’re about two seconds away from face-planting into the tree. And I’ll tell ya right now—Santa’s not gonna bring you anything if you wreck his setup.”

Haru freezes, her expression suddenly serious.

“He won’t?”

Satoru shrugs, as casual as ever, though there’s a sly gleam in his eye.

“Nope. Santa’s big on the whole naughty or nice thing, you know? Pretty sure ‘tree-destroyer’ lands you on the naughty list.”

Haru’s jaw drops like he’s just shattered her entire world.

“But I’m nice!”

“Yeah, well…” he sighs dramatically, “You’re not exactly convincing me right now, short stack.”

She gasps—a flurry of tiny limbs as she clambers down from the armrest in a dramatic tumble onto the cushions.

“I’m nice!” she insists again, louder this time, as if sheer volume might make it more convincing.

Satoru huffs out a laugh, ruffling her hair in an act of surrender.

“Yeah, yeah… crisis averted, princess. You’re nice. I’ll put in a good word for you with the big guy. Just… no more stunts, kay? Santa’s watching.”

She squints at him suspiciously, like she’s testing the limits of his authority over Santa Claus, before finally settling back with a small huff.

But then, Haru shifts entirely to look at him—her brows pinching together, her tiny face suddenly serious.

The shift catches him off guard—how a two-year-old can go from giggling chaos to this kind of weighty focus will always baffle him.

“‘toru.”

He quirks a brow, leaning an elbow against the back of the couch.

“…yeah?”

“You hafta tell Santa to get Mama something.”

The words catch him off guard. His grin falters just a fraction as he blinks, straightening a little to study her tiny, earnest face.

How the hell does this kid always seem to know exactly what’s on his mind?

“Oh yeah? Something for your mom, huh?”

Haru nods solemnly, as if she’s just handed him the most important mission of his life.

“Mhmm. Santa forgot last year.”

At that, his heart stumbles, the smile fading from his face.

“W-What? He… forgot?”

“Uh-huh.” Haru props herself on her elbows, swinging her feet idly against the couch. “Mama didn’t get a present.”

The simplicity of her words hits him like a punch to the gut. Innocent and unassuming, but full of a truth she doesn’t fully understand.

Satoru doesn’t respond right away, his mind suddenly swirling.

That unsettles him. The fact that no one thought to bring you anything at all?

You—who pours so much of yourself into others, who has brought a warmth into his life he didn’t think he deserved—spent last Christmas with nothing?

No gifts. No family. No one?

He hates the thought. He knows it shouldn’t surprise him though... you’ve never asked for anything, and it’s not hard to fill in the blanks.

You don’t talk much about your family—he knows there’s distance there, silence where there should be connection—and Naoya, well… he was never part of the picture. But still, the realization knocks something loose in Satoru, a quiet ache settling into the spaces he didn’t know could hurt.

“It’s no fair, ‘toru. Mama’s nice too!”

Satoru swallows hard, dragging a hand through his hair as he forces a smile back onto his face.

“Yeah… you’re right, kid…” he murmurs quietly. “Your mom’s on the very top of the nice list.”

Haru beams, her hands clasping together like she’s already imagining the magic of Christmas morning.

“Tell Santa, ’kay? Mama needs something really nice.”

The simplicity of her words hits him like a sledgehammer.

Something really nice.

As if it’s that easy, as if fixing the pieces of your world can be done with one perfect gift. But to Haru, it is that easy. Because to her, Santa fixes things.

And for the first time in his life, Satoru Gojo feels the weight of expectation—not from a boardroom, or a title, or the world that demands he be untouchable—but from a tiny girl who trusts him implicitly to fix the one thing he’s been so afraid to get right.

Fucking hell. Now he’s back to square one. What the hell is he going to get you?

He leans back into the couch, one arm draped lazily along the back, but his mind is already turning—the gears clicking into place.

“Something… nice, huh?” he says softly, more to himself than to her.

Haru beams, her little legs kicking against the cushion again as she settles back, satisfied that her request has been heard.

“Yup!”

Satoru tilts his head toward her, studying her with a thoughtful squint. Kids always seem to know the answers to things grown-ups can’t figure out. She’s managed to pry into his thoughts with frightening accuracy already, so maybe—just maybe—she’s his best shot at figuring this out.

After all, who knows you better than Haru?

“Well…” he says after a beat, angling a glance toward her, “what do you think Santa should bring your mom then?”

Haru gasps—like this is the most important question she’s ever been asked—and sits up straight, her little face lighting up.

“Me?”

“Yeah, you.” He flicks her nose lightly, earning a squeak and a giggle. “You know your mom better than anyone, right? So… what do you think she wants for Christmas?”

Haru’s brows furrow as she thinks very hard, her tiny hands tapping against her chin for emphasis. Satoru watches her expectantly, the smallest spark of hope flickering to life in his chest.

“Well…” she starts slowly, drawing the word out as though she’s stalling for time. “Mama likes cookies.”

Satoru blinks. “Uh… cookies?”

“Uh-huh.” She nods solemnly, as if this is the most serious answer in the world. “Chocolate cookies. With milk. I like them too.”

Ah… right. To Haru, the solution is simple—because to a two-year-old, happiness is simple. And for a moment, Satoru envies her for it.

Satoru exhales sharply through his nose, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth as he humors her.

“Of course you do, princess. Alright. Noted. So Santa’s supposed to bring your mom cookies. What else?”

Haru’s face lights up as another thought strikes her, and she bounces slightly in place.

“Oh! A teddy bear!”

“A teddy bear?” Satoru quirks a brow, half-amused, half-resigned.

“Yeah!” Haru stretches her arms out as wide as they’ll go, as if trying to contain the sheer size of her vision. “A big one. Pink! Really fluffy. Mama can hug it.”

He chuckles, shaking his head. So much for getting a serious answer out of her.

“Okay... so cookies and a big pink bear… anything else?”

Haru pauses again, tapping her chin with her finger like she’s pondering the great mysteries of the cosmos. Then—her eyes go wide, and she gasps, louder this time.

“A pony!”

Satoru stares at her, deadpan. “Really? A pony.”

“Uh-huh!” Haru nods emphatically, little curls bouncing with enthusiasm. “Pink! With sparkles.”

“A… sparkly pink pony?”

“Yes!” She beams, practically vibrating with excitement. “Mama can ride it. I can ride it too. And—and we can give it cookies!”

That does it.

A sharp bark of laughter escapes him before he can stop it, his shoulders shaking as he slumps back against the couch.

With a deep groan, he drags a hand down his face like she’s aged him ten years in two minutes.

He’s getting nowhere.

“Kid… you’re killing me here. Cookies, a teddy bear, and a pony? You’re just listing stuff you want.”

Haru puffs out her cheeks, crossing her arms in protest.

“Nuh-uh! Mama likes ponies. And cookies. And bears.”

Satoru sighs again, tilting his head back against the couch with an exaggerated groan.

This kid.

Her world is so simple—so bright and innocent. Cookies, teddy bears, and ponies.

Haru doesn’t overthink it. She doesn’t make it complicated. To her, happiness is just that—simple.

And maybe… that’s what he needs to remember.

They’re terrible suggestions, but she’s right about one thing: you deserve something really nice. Something that makes you smile—something that feels as bright and simple and warm as Haru’s world.

And if Santa won’t fix it, then damnit, he will.

“Everything okay in here?”

Your voice calls out lightly, followed by the soft clink of mugs. The moment Satoru hears you; he straightens a little, his casual mask snapping back into place.

Stepping in, a tray balances carefully in your hands, three steaming mugs of hot chocolate wobbling precariously as you nudge the door shut with your hip.

The smell hits the room before you do—sweet, rich cocoa laced with the sugary promise of marshmallows—and Satoru thinks that it might as well be magic, with how Haru perks up.

“Mama!” she bounces on her knees so enthusiastically; Satoru thinks it’s a miracle the couch doesn’t catapult her into orbit. “Yay!! Hot cocoa!”

“Mhmm. Hot chocolate delivery!” you announce proudly, lowering the tray onto the coffee table with a dramatic flourish and a smile of pure satisfaction. “Marshmallows included, as requested.”

The soft glow of the Christmas tree dances in your eyes as you kneel in front of Haru, carefully handing her a small mug.

“Two hands, Haru. It’s hot, okay?”

Haru nods solemnly, as if you’ve just bestowed upon her the Holy Grail itself. Her little fingers curl reverently around the mug, and she murmurs softly, “’kay.”

Rising, you hand Satoru his mug next, and he clears his throat—mumbling a quiet “thanks.” When you settle on the couch beside him, he doesn’t miss the way your shoulder brushes against his—your own mug cradled in your hands.

For a moment, it’s calm. The Christmas lights flicker across the room like soft, lazy stars, the cocoa steaming faintly in the air, and Satoru almost lets himself believe this is pure perfection.

But then you ask it.

“And what were you two talking about?” you peer between the two of them with a teasing smile. “I heard lots of giggling.”

Satoru freezes, his mug halfway to his mouth. He’s ready to spin some ridiculous excuse—he’s a master at bullshit, after all—but before he can get the words out, Haru beats him to it.

“We were talking about presents!” Haru announces proudly.

Fuck. That tiny traitor.

Satoru schools his expression, plastering on his best lazy grin as if Haru hasn’t just sold him out for free. He doesn’t need you catching on to the fact that he’s been silently losing his mind trying to figure out what to get you for Christmas.

You arch a brow, amused as you blow lightly on your cocoa.

“Presents, huh? What about presents?”

Haru doesn’t even hesitate. She launches into her list like a kid on a mission.

“Mama, ‘toru is gonna tell Santa we need cookies. And a big pink bear. And a pony!”

Satoru lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, relaxing fractionally against the cushions. Of course. The kid’s list is nonsense—pure, two-year-old chaos—and she’s so earnest about it that you’ll never suspect Satoru was fishing for information.

He’s safe.

“Uh-huh,” you hum, nodding indulgently as you sip your drink. “Sounds like quite the Christmas list, sweetheart. Anything else?”

Satoru almost smiles into his mug. It’s ridiculous how close he was to panicking—there’s no need.

But as Haru stops, her face scrunches in concentration before it lights up again. She looks straight at you, eyes wide and earnest, as she adds brightly:

“And I want a little brother!”

Oh, shit.

Satoru chokes—actually chokes—mid-sip, sputtering and coughing like he’s forgotten how to drink liquid. You don’t fare much better, nearly inhaling your cocoa as your head jerks up, eyes wide as saucers.

“A—what?” you croak.

Satoru’s shoulders shake, one arm flung over his face as he tries to muffle his laughter. It’s no use—his wheezing breaths betray him, and he can’t help but grin through his coughs.

“Haru, kid—”

“A little brother!” Haru repeats, utterly unfazed by the chaos she’s unleashed. Her tiny hands still cradle her mug, looking up at you with innocent conviction. “Santa can bring one. Like how he brings the toys.”

Satoru peeks out from behind his hand, tears pricking the corners of his eyes as his laughter tumbles out in unfiltered bursts.

Oh, this is gold. Pure gold.

You whip your head toward him so fast he thinks you might pull something. Your cheeks are flushed—whether from the cocoa or mortification, he’s not sure—and your glare could cut steel. It would have him worried for his life if it weren’t so damn funny.

“Satoru Gojo, what did you say to her?”

“Me?!” he splutters, desperately trying to get his composure back. He throws his hands up in mock innocence, laughter shaking in his shoulders. “Hey, don’t look at me! That’s all her!”

Haru blinks at the two of you, her expression perfectly innocent.

“Santa brings presents, right? So he can bring a brother. A nice one. And he’ll ride the pony with me.”

Your hand flies to your face, pinching the bridge of your nose as you shake your head, biting back the laughter threatening to spill out.

“Haru… sweetheart, that’s… not how it works.”

“Why not?” she asks, and it’s like she genuinely can’t fathom why Santa wouldn’t pull through on such a reasonable request.

Satoru, finally breathing normally again, leans forward with his elbows on his knees—the smirk on his face nothing short of diabolical.

“Yeah, Mama,” he drawls, dripping with mischief. “Why not?”

Your glare sharpens as you turn toward him. “Do not encourage her.”

“Hey,” he’s utterly unrepentant as he leans back lazily, one arm draped over the back of the couch. “I’m just saying—if Santa’s listening, we wouldn’t want Haru to be disappointed, right?” Tilting his head, he smirks at you. “Looks like Santa’s got his work cut out for him this year.”

You groan, burying your face in your hands as Satoru lets his laughter spill out again, unbothered and thoroughly entertained.

Meanwhile, Haru hums to herself, swinging her legs and sipping her hot chocolate contentedly.

“It’s okay, Mama,” she assures you with a confident nod. “Santa’s magic. He can do it.”

ꨄ

The past few days had been a blur of snow, laughter, and tiny hands tugging Satoru in every direction.

If someone had told Satoru Gojo that he’d spend his holiday season wrangling a two-year-old in the snow and actually enjoying himself, he would’ve laughed them out of the room. But here he was, standing knee-deep in the white fluff while Haru shrieked with glee, launching another snowball his way.

“Take this, ‘Toru!” she cried.

The kid’s aim was absolute trash, her snowballs missing him by a mile, but the way she shrieked with delight when Satoru “pretended” to get hit—well, it made it impossible for him not to play along.

“Kid, you’re ruthless,” he’d groaned dramatically after she tackled him into the snow for the third time.

And then there was you. You—standing off to the side like some winter painting coming to life—warm coffee in hand, wearing that smug smile he couldn’t decide if he wanted to kiss or wipe clean with a snowball.

He swore you’d been the one to tip Haru off about aiming for his knees. Traitor.

The snow had been Haru’s personal playground—and, by extension, his. For days now, his life had been an endless stream of winter chaos: sledding trips that left his muscles aching (Haru’s favorite phrase seemed to be “One more time!”).

Oh, and inside the Gojo estate? More chaos, pure and simple.

Haru’s Christmas cookie baking turned into an all-out war zone—flour dusting the countertops, chocolate chips mysteriously vanishing before they made it into the dough (a crime Satoru was not-so-secretly guilty of), and Haru wearing more icing than she’d used.

Still, the chaos didn’t bother him. He was struck, again and again, by the realization that this—this messy, chaotic, perfect life—was because of you.

And the high-end galas you’d been forced to attend as the faces of the Gojo Corporation—the press, the flashing lights, the constant conversations—all of it felt easier with you beside him.

And you? Well… you carried yourself with a poise that Satoru was genuinely impressed with. But beneath that, he could tell that these past few weeks had taken a toll on you.

You were exhausted.

The late nights catching up on work, the charity events, the endless holiday prep—you hid it well, but Satoru noticed the way your shoulders slumped when you thought no one was looking. The way you sighed as you kicked off your heels by the door.

And it bothered him more than he cared to admit.

It wasn’t just the exhaustion, though. It was this look in your eyes—something wistful, like you were watching all the joy and chaos around you, but holding yourself at a distance.

Satoru didn’t like that. Not one bit.

And still, despite everything, he hadn’t figured out what the hell to get you for Christmas.

The frustration simmered under his skin, gnawing at him whenever he thought about it. You deserved something perfect—something that would remind you how much you were loved. But every time he thought he had it, every idea felt wrong.

Too extravagant, too impersonal, too damn meaningless.

And now, tonight, as he sits at the kitchen table pretending to sip his hot chocolate (while sneaking glances at you sorting through Christmas cards), the idea struck him like a light bulb flickering on.

If he couldn’t figure out the gift just yet, there was one thing he could do.

He could give you a moment. Just one night to breathe—to feel cared for.

Leaning back in his chair, his legs stretch out underneath the table as he watches you—that little furrow of concentration in your brow. You aren’t even faintly aware of how tired you look, or notice when his voice breaks the quiet silence.

“Hey.”

You hum absently, still focused.

“Tomorrow night, don’t make any plans.”

Your gaze lifts, brows raising slightly as suspicion flickers across your face.

“Okay… why?”

“Mmm… ‘cause I’m kidnapping you,” he teases, folding his arms behind his head. “Just dress warm. It’s a surprise.”

That earns him a proper look—you eyeing him skeptically, your lips twitching like you were already fighting back a smile.

Bingo. That’s the look he lives for.

ꨄ

The night air is crisp, biting at his cheeks in a way that’s sharp but oddly pleasant, like winter itself is showing off. Snowflakes drift lazily from the dark sky, glowing gold as they pass through the light of the estate’s lanterns, and the world is blanketed in that perfect kind of quiet—soft, still, almost fragile. A nice kind of quiet.

It’d be perfect, really, if not for the sound of your increasingly dramatic sighs cutting through it.

Satoru tugs his scarf higher around his neck, not because he’s cold—he never seems to feel the cold—but because he’s trying to hide the grin pulling at his lips. He glances over his shoulder to find you trudging through the snow like a grumpy little marshmallow, bundled so thoroughly in your coat and scarf that you look like you’re about to tip over.

“You’re gonna freeze to death if you keep trudging like that,” he calls easily over the snow, making no effort to hide the amusement in his tone.

“I wouldn’t have to trudge if you’d slow down, Gojo,” you snap back, and your exasperation is muffled slightly by the scarf wrapped around your face. “Not everyone has legs like a damn giraffe.”

The laugh he lets out is rich and unbothered, a puff of white against the dark sky. Deliberately, he slows his steps to a near-comical saunter, his boots sinking into the snow with every exaggerated step.

“Better, princess?”

“Barely…” You catch up, though you don’t look particularly grateful about it. “I swear, if you keep dragging me through the Arctic tundra—”

“Oh, come on,” he interrupts, stopping in his tracks. His grin is pure mischief, bright even in the dark. “Where’s your holiday spirit?”

“It died about twenty feet ago,” you mutter, shoulders hunching as you try to burrow deeper into your coat.

He holds out his hand to you with a dramatic flourish, fingers wiggling like he’s offering you salvation itself.

“Here,” his sighs affectionately. “Before you collapse and I have to carry you.”

You stare at his hand for a long moment, clearly torn between taking it and smacking it away. The tension only makes his grin widen.

“C’mon now… you’ll bruise my ego if you say no.”

With a sigh that sounds like a thousand reluctant decisions being made at once, you slip your gloved hand into his. It’s small and warm, even through the layers, and Satoru’s grin falters for just a second when he feels your fingers curl around his.

Did he just get butterflies? That’s dangerous. He’s gotta keep it together.

“Atta girl…” he says softly, a bit too softly for his own comfort. But he covers it up with a gentle tug, pulling you closer as the two of you trudge forward.

The path winds through the trees, the branches drooping under layers of snow. Some of them stretch over the walkway, woven with twinkling lights, so it feels like you’re walking through some kind of enchanted tunnel.

It’s the kind of thing that could make anyone believe in magic, and Satoru would probably be soaking it all in… if he wasn’t so preoccupied with watching you out of the corner of his eye.

Your nose is pink, your cheeks dusted with color from the cold, and there’s a light in your eyes that makes something stir in his chest. He tugs his scarf a little higher, like that’ll help somehow.

Then, just ahead, golden light spills onto the snow. A sleigh comes into view, and Satoru slows his steps as you round the corner and see it.

It’s impressive, even he has to admit. The carriage looks straight out of some over-the-top fairytale, polished black and draped with garlands of evergreen—dusted in fresh snow. Strings of soft golden lights wind along the edges, glowing warmly in the dark.

The horses, two massive creatures with sleek dark coats, stand tall and still, their breath misting in the air. Tiny bells dangle from their bridles, giving a soft jingle every time they shift.

It’s almost too picturesque, like something out of one of those cheesy Christmas movies Satoru always pretends to hate.

He doesn’t look at the sleigh, though. He looks at you.

Your eyes go wide, your mouth parting slightly in surprise, and for a moment, you’re so still he wonders if the cold finally got to you. The snowflakes catch in your hair, the glow of the lights reflecting in your wide-eyed expression, and there it is again—that quiet spark that makes his chest tighten.

“Well?” he breaks the silence with a quiet murmur. “Was it… worth the trek through the Arctic tundra?”

You blink, dragging your gaze away from the sleigh to look at him. There’s something different in your expression now—softer, quieter.

“You did all this?”

He shrugs, slipping his free hand into his coat pocket and forcing a grin onto his face.

“What can I say? I’m a man of many talents.”

“Ridiculous…” you murmur, shaking your head with a faint smile, but there’s no edge to your words. Just that quiet disbelief, like you’re still trying to figure him out.

He gestures to the sleigh with an exaggerated sweep of his hand.

“Well? You gonna stand there and let the snow bury you, or are you getting in?”

The driver steps aside with a polite nod, and Satoru’s already moving to help you—steadying you as you step up into the sleigh, his hand lingering at your waist.

When you settle into the plush seat with a quiet exhale, Satoru’s brain takes a quick pause to tell himself that he’s absolutely screwed.

Because if Satoru thought walking through the snow with your hand in his was dangerous, this is a death blow.

But he still climbs in beside you, moments later—tugging the blanket over your laps as the sleigh jolts softly forward.

The bells chime faintly as the horses’ hooves crunch against the snow. They carry you both down the path, allowing the forest to melt away completely as the sleigh crests a small hill, and suddenly, the town comes into view—a world awash in color and magic.

Lights shimmer from every surface—woven through trees, strung like ribbons between lamp posts, wrapped snug around shopfronts as though the entire place has been dipped in starlight.

Shop windows gleam with warmth, framed by wreaths and garlands dusted with frost, while displays of tiny trains, glowing reindeer, and spinning nutcrackers turn slowly behind the glass.

As the sleigh turns fully onto the main street, Satoru glances at you, and predictably, you’re completely mesmerized.

He knows, because you’ve gone completely still beside him—your breath visible in the cold as you take it all in—and he doesn’t even bother to look at the lights anymore, not when you’re staring at them like you’ve stumbled into a dream.

That glow in your expression—soft and open—that’s what mesmerizes him. And the reflection of the lights in your wide eyes gives him the urge to bottle this moment—keep it tucked in his coat pocket forever, so he can pull it out and look at it whenever the world gets too loud.

The bells from the horses chime softly, blending seamlessly with the hum of life ahead—children laughing, carols echoing, the soft crunch of fresh snow.

But Satoru can’t focus on any of that.

Snowflakes have caught in your hair, little flecks of white like frost spun from the lights above. Your lips, soft and faintly parted, are far too close to his line of sight, and his gaze catches there for longer than it should.

Satoru’s brain is short-circuiting.

He’s never been good at this. Restraint. Holding back. Not when it comes to things he wants, things he craves—and God, does he crave your lips so badly.

You shift slightly, burrowing deeper into his side with a soft hum of contentment that nearly knocks the wind out of him.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” you murmur suddenly, as soft as the snow.

He clears his throat lightly, tipping his head back in a lazy attempt at distraction—trying to focus on literally anything else.

“Yeah… not bad,” his voice carries the faintest edge of smugness. “Bet you’re glad I dragged you out here now.”

You hum softly, a little laugh under your breath.

“Yeah… guess I’ll give you this one.”

But as you shift slightly again, your head tilts, and your gaze lingers on something ahead.

In the square below, a father spins his daughter in his arms as she shrieks with laughter—bright red mittens flailing in the air. The mother stands beside then with a warm soft smile, brushing the snowflakes gently out of the little girl’s hair as she settles still.

It’s simple—a fleeting moment of joy—but Satoru notices the way your expression changes. The glow in your eyes dim, just slightly, fading into something distant, something far away.

He doesn’t like it.

It’s not the first time he’s seen that look either. It’s lingered in your eyes at odd moments during the month when you think he isn’t watching.

“Hey… you okay?”

The question snaps you from whatever memory you’ve fallen into. You blink quickly, turning to him with a smile that doesn’t quite reach your eyes.

“What? Oh… yeah. I’m fine.”

It’s a lie. A bad one.

Satoru knows it instantly because your voice wavers, just slightly, and your hands fidget under the blanket like they’re looking for something to hold onto.

He doesn’t push right away. Satoru isn’t great at handling fragile things—he’s all big, teasing words and careless confidence—but seeing this?

You—retreating into yourself, suddenly quiet? Yeah… it never really sits right with him.

“You know…” he starts carefully, voice softening as he watches you, “you’ve already heard all about my old man. But you… you don’t really talk about your family much. What was Christmas like for you growing up?”

The words settle like snow between you—soft, quiet, but heavy. You stiffen slightly.

Fuck. Maybe he’s said too much. Regret flickers in the back of his mind. He’s half-expecting you to deflect.

You hesitate, staring at the lights again as though they’ll save you from answering, and for the first time, Satoru curses those damn Christmas lights. They feel like they’re pulling you away from him.

But then you sigh, and the sound makes something twist low in his chest. It’s too careful. Too practiced.

“Mmm… there’s not much to talk about,” you admit quietly. “My parents weren’t exactly… involved, so Christmas wasn’t really a thing for us.”

Satoru doesn’t say anything right away. He just watches you carefully, like he’s waiting. He knows there’s more, and he’s careful not to push, not yet.

“I used to watch all the Christmas movies, though,” a faint wistful smile tugs at your lips. “The ones where families sat by the fire… wrapping gifts and baking cookies, singing carols together. It felt… magical. Safe. Like they belonged there.”

The smile slips slightly, and Satoru sees the moment the words shift—when they stop being a memory and start being something else entirely.

“But…” your voice dips to a whisper, “Honestly it was like watching through a window. I felt like a spectator. Always outside looking in.”

There it is.

The words hit him square in the chest, sharp and unrelenting, and Satoru hates it. Hates how small you sound when you say it, like you don’t realize how wrong it is for someone like you—you—to feel that way. It makes his jaw tighten, his fingers twitching faintly under the blanket.

“That’s not fair,” he blurts out, faster than he means to. The sharp edge in his voice surprises even him, but he doesn’t care. “I hate it. It’s not right. You shouldn’t have had to feel like that.”

Your head turns slightly, your eyes flicking back to him, startled.

“Satoru—”

“It’s not fair,” he repeats, reining it in slightly this time. He shakes his head, turning to look at you fully now. “And you know what? It’s not like that now. You’ve done the exact opposite.”

You blink again, your brows furrowing faintly.

“What do you mean?”

The surprise on your face makes him huff a quiet laugh. He can’t believe you don’t see it.

“C’mon now sweetheart… I mean, look at Haru.”

Your expression softens at the mention of her, and Satoru feels that familiar twist in his chest—this inexplicable warmth that’s only grown stronger since you and Haru came crashing into his life.

“She’s a happy kid,” he says simply, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “You’ve made her a happy kid. Kind of a little terror sometimes—definitely gets that from you—but happy nonetheless.”

You roll your eyes faintly, but there’s a tug at the corner of your mouth that you can’t quite hide.

“Seriously,” he continues, a smirk teasing at his lips now. “That kid lights up at the dumbest stuff—like that ornament she found with the penguin in a Santa hat. You’d think she struck gold. She made me stare at that thing for ten minutes straight.”

You groan, pressing a gloved hand to your face, but there’s a small laugh behind it now.

“She did the same to me.”

Satoru chuckles, low and easy, though his expression softens as he looks at you.

“Because to her, it is magic. You made that happen. You gave her something real, something she’ll hold onto forever. The kind of magic you didn’t have.”

You open your mouth like you want to say something but can’t quite get there yet, and he leans in closer.

“And it’s not just her…” he murmurs hesitantly. “You’ve done that for me too.”

His blue eyes fix on yours with a quiet vulnerability, and your brows furrow faintly as you stare at him.

“What? Really?”

For a moment, Satoru freezes.

Vulnerability isn’t something he’s good at—it doesn’t come naturally to him; he’s always kept people at arm’s length. But somehow, around you, it slips out easier than he expects. Like you’ve managed to dismantle his walls one smile, one moment at a time.

Around you, he doesn’t have to try so hard. And it’s fucking terrifying.

His throat tightens, but he shrugs, playing it off like it’s nothing—even though he knows it’s everything.

“Look… I used to sit in these massive rooms my dad filled with people. All the decorations, all the noise—he made sure it looked perfect. Trees the size of small buildings, tables stacked with enough food to feed an army.”

Satoru pauses, his blue gaze flickering to the snow-dusted path ahead before settling back on you.

“But… none of it mattered. I’d sit there, surrounded by hundreds of people, and still felt so damn alone. Like I wasn’t really there, y’know?”

Your face softens, and he feels it again—that warmth that only seems to exist when you’re looking at him like this, like you can see straight through him. You always do.

“But now?” he exhales, breath curling into the cold air like smoke—his eyes meeting yours fully. “Christmas feels… different. Doesn’t feel so empty anymore.”

“…yeah?”

“Yup…” he shakes off the tension with a sigh, and smugly adds, “You’ve officially ruined Christmas for me, sweetheart. Thanks a lot. Can’t have it any other way now.”

Your laughter comes quietly, and God, there’s that sound that he loves again. Your gloved hand finds his underneath the blanket.

“Well…” your fingers curl around his. “Thanks to you, I finally don’t feel like a spectator anymore… ‘cause you’re in my life.”

Shit.

Satoru swears his heart trips over itself. For a guy who never feels the cold, he’s never felt this warm.

The sleigh jolts suddenly, rolling over a bump in the snow, and the movement sends you swaying against him with a soft gasp.

You’re so close—close enough that he can see the faint blush on your cheeks, the soft part of your lips as you glance up at him.

Your gaze flickers—just once—down to his mouth.

That’s it.

He leans in, his hand slipping out from under the blanket to cup your cheek, his thumb brushing softly along your skin as he kisses you.

The first press of his lips against yours is careful, tentative, but then you sigh softly, tilting your head slightly, and Satoru’s restraint snaps like a wire pulled too tight.

The kiss deepens, slow but deliberate, as Satoru tilts your face up to meet him properly. His other hand finds your waist, the curve of it fitting perfectly under his palm as he pulls you closer—closer, because he needs you like he needs to breathe.

He swears he’s losing his mind.

You respond just as eagerly, your fingers curling into the front of his coat, and Satoru groans softly against your mouth—equal parts relief and desperation.

He’s screwed. Utterly, completely screwed.

Because now that he’s kissed you, he doesn’t know how the hell he’s supposed to stop. All he can think about—all he wants—is to pull you into his lap right here on this stupid sleigh and kiss you until the world stops spinning.

His mind betrays him, flooding with images he has no business thinking about right now. Your legs straddling his hips, your coat slipping off one shoulder, coaxing sounds from you that he’s dying to hear—fuck he’s losing himself completely.

He wants to take you—away from the prying world, away from everyone—somewhere that’s just the two of you—home.

When he finally pulls back, it’s only because even Satoru Gojo can’t survive without air forever. But he doesn’t go far. His forehead rests gently against yours and his thumb brushes softly along your jaw.

The corner of your mouth curves faintly and your eyes linger on him—just enough to make his heart skip like it’s forgotten how to work.

It’s torture. Absolute, pure, devastating torture.

His thumb drifts lower along your jaw, reverently tracing the soft line of it. He could stay here forever, just like this—your breath mixing with his in the cold air, your lips pink and kiss-bruised from him.

God, you’ve never looked more beautiful. He wants more.

Shifting slightly, his breath fans across your lips as he murmurs, “You’re so perfect… you’re making this really hard for me, y’know that?”

Blinking up at him, your lips tug into a soft, teasing smile. “Oh?” you murmur, breathlessly. “And what exactly am I making hard, Satoru?”

His breath hitches. Shit. You’re going to be the death of him. He chuckles softly—strained and fraying like his self-control.

“Careful, sweetheart. Keep asking questions like that, and I might just take you home right now.”

Tilting your head, your voice lowers—a quiet challenge.

“…why don’t you, then?”

God, what the fuck are you doing to him?

For a moment, he wants to say screw it. Forget the stupid sleigh, the town, his plans. Forget the world and take you straight to bed where he doesn’t have to hold back anymore.

Take her. Have her all to yourself.

But then your wide, daring eyes lock onto his, and it hits him—you’re playing him—you’re winning. And Satoru Gojo does not lose.

With a slow, shaky breath, he pulls back just slightly. The smirk curling at his lips is lazy, practiced—masking the fact that he’s literally about five seconds from falling apart.

“Mmm… tempting,” he drawls, brushing the pad of his gloved thumb against your bottom lip. “But I’m not that easy to break, sweetheart. Besides, we’ve got more to explore.”

Your eyes narrow faintly, suspicion flickering beneath the teasing curve of your lips.

“You’re unbelievable…”

“Mm, you say that now,” he sighs, “But you’ll thank me later.”

You scoff quietly, rolling your eyes as you lean back just an inch.

“More to explore, huh?”

“Yeah.” His grin widens, lazy and lopsided. “And if you’re good, I might even let you hold my hand the whole time.”

ꨄ

“You’re going to rot your teeth, you know,” you say, watching as Satoru unwraps yet another snickerdoodle cookie—his fifth, by your count.

“Excuse you.” He pauses dramatically, holding the cookie up like it’s a priceless artifact. “I’m single-handedly funding this poor vendor’s retirement. Call me generous.”

You snort into your hot chocolate.

“More like you’re single-handedly making sure they run out of stock before dinner.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” He takes a slow, deliberate, obnoxiously loud bite, eyes locked on you the whole time. “I’m boosting the economy, sweetheart.”

“You’re boosting your dentist’s next paycheck, honey.”

Satoru groans, tossing his head back like you’ve just deeply insulted his honor.

“You wouldn’t understand. You don’t appreciate the artistry of sweets like I do.”

“Oh, I appreciate them,” you retort smugly, tugging him away by his coat sleeve before he can eye the next vendor’s table. “I just don’t inhale sugar like I’m storing it for winter.”

“Amateur,” Satoru quips, biting into the cookie with dramatic flair. “You’ll learn.”

“Yeah yeah… I’m cutting you off before you go into a sugar coma.”

“Cutting me off?” He presses a hand to his chest like you’ve insulted his entire existence. “Sweetheart, you wouldn’t dare.”

“Oh, I would,” You grin victoriously, striding ahead of him through the snow-dappled streets.

“Cold. Heartless. A tyrant, really.” Satoru’s voice follows dramatically as he trudges after you, shoving the final bite into his mouth with zero shame. “This is abuse, I tell you.”

“You’ll live.”

“Barely.”

The two of you wander together through the town, your shoulders brushing every so often as you pass small stalls and shops.

The shop windows glow faintly, wreaths and garlands framing every corner, and the air smells of roasted chestnuts and warm cinnamon.

You stop suddenly ahead of him, your steps faltering as your gaze locks onto the massive Christmas tree at the center of the square.

Satoru follows your gaze, and the thing is ridiculous—exactly the kind of over-the-top nonsense Satoru’s father would brag about back in the day. Towering, glittering, competing with the stars like it thinks it has a chance.

But for once, Satoru doesn’t care about the ridiculousness. He only cares about you.

You stand perfectly still, staring up at the tree with something quiet and awed in your expression, like you’ve forgotten the rest of the world exists.

The golden lights catch in your eyes, snowflakes drifting lazily into your hair, and the faintest pink lingers across your cheeks from the cold. You’re glowing—and maybe it’s the lights, or maybe it’s just you.

You look perfect. You look his.

There’s that urge again—capturing this moment, bottling in up, keeping it for himself.

The feeling is so sudden, and before he can second-guess it, his hand slips into his coat pocket, pulling out his phone.

The shutter clicks.

Your head whips around instantly, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

“Did you just take a picture of me?”

Satoru freezes, phone still half-raised, trying to look as nonchalant as a man caught red-handed can. “Nope.”

Your eyes narrow further, shifting on your feet. “Satoru.”

“I was… texting someone,” he says weakly, his grin betraying him.

“Texting who?” you press, eyebrow arching.

“Santa,” he deadpans. “Telling him you’re being mean to me. Again.”

The flat look you give him is priceless. “Good lord. You’re impossible.”

Satoru grins triumphantly, twirling the phone between his fingers like a magician showing off a trick. “Fine, fine. You caught me. I couldn’t help it. You looked cute.”

The faint flush of your cheeks deepens slightly—probably the cold, he tells himself, but he’ll take it anyway.

“Let me see it.”

“Not a chance.”

Your glare sharpens, and Satoru swears you’re plotting his demise. “Satoru. Hand it over.”

He snorts, immediately shoving the phone into his coat pocket. “You’re cute when you’re bossy, you know that?”

You step closer, determination lighting your expression. “I will fight you.”

“You wanna wrestle me in the middle of town?” Satoru raises a smug brow, delighting in the way you’re glaring up at him. “With kids around? Heartless, sweetheart. Absolutely heartless.”

Before you try to snatch his phone from his coat pocket, he moves faster—his arm looping lazily around your waist, tugging you into his side with practiced ease.

The suddenness knocks you off balance for a moment, and you let out a soft, startled laugh. Satoru can’t help but grin, using the moment to pull you even closer.

“Alright, alright…” he murmurs, pulling out his phone. “Here. Let’s take one together. Our first real photo together—no work, no press. Just you and me.”

You blink, your eyes flickering up to meet his, the faintest surprise crossing your face. “Really?”

“Yeah.” He shrugs like it’s nothing, though the warmth in his voice gives him away. “Gotta document the occasion. Might be the only proof I have that you tolerate me. C’mon, lean in.”

You roll your eyes, though there’s no hiding your smile as you let him pull you closer. He adjusts the camera, keeping his arm secure around you.

“Alright,” he says, angling the phone just right. “Say ‘Gojo Satoru’s the love of my life.’”

You snort, laughing as you nudge him. “I’m not saying that.”

“Mmm… I’ll wait.”

Your laughter bursts through the square, bright and unrestrained, just as the shutter clicks. Before you can recover, Satoru leans in, pressing a quick kiss to your cheek as he steals another shot—your laughter caught mid-breath.

“Hey!” you yelp, pulling back to glare at him, but you’re still smiling.

Satoru grins down at the photo as he flips the screen to show you. “Look at that. Photographic evidence that you adore me.”

You gape at him, incredulous. “Adore you?”

“Yep.” He winks, tucking his phone back into his pocket before you can swipe it, catching your hand instead. “Captured for infinity. You’re welcome.”

Your grip tightens on instinct, and you open your mouth to argue, but Satoru beats you to it.

“C’mon,” he swings your hand lightly as he starts pulling you forward again. “The candy stall up ahead has fudge.”

ꨄ

The two of you wander back through the streets, hand in hand as the shops blur by in warm, golden streaks of light.

Satoru doesn’t mind wandering—especially when it means you tugging him along by the hand, pausing every so often to peer into window displays. It’s cute, he thinks, the way you light up at the smallest things.

But then you stop abruptly in front of one shop in particular.

It’s so sudden that Satoru nearly keeps walking, your hand tugging him gently to a halt. When he glances over, he follows your gaze straight to the window of an antique shop tucked snug between two cafes.

And there it is. The locket.

It rests beneath a glass dome, perched on velvet as though it’s worth more than the shop itself. The silver surface gleams faintly under the soft, golden light, delicate and timeless, and engraved across the front is an infinity symbol—curved and flowing endlessly into itself.

Satoru tilts his head slightly, his brows lifting in quiet curiosity as he watches you stare at it—as if that locket holds the entire universe within it.

“See something you like?” he murmurs, looping his arms around your waist and pulling you gently into his chest.

He feels the way you relax into him almost immediately, your hands curling lightly around his forearms.

“Infinity…” you whisper.

He hums, burying his face into the curve of your neck, nuzzling there like he’s trying to steal the warmth of you.

“Hmm?”

You don’t answer right away, your gaze still locked on the locket. Satoru takes the opportunity to press a lazy kiss against the soft skin of your neck, his lips curving into a grin when he feels you shiver slightly beneath him.

“What’s got you so lost in there, huh?” he teases.

“Hmm? Oh…” You blink, your cheeks tinged faintly pink as you glance back at him. “I was just thinking about what you said. About infinity.”

He raises a brow now, a slow grin spreading across his face as he straightens just enough to nudge his chin toward the locket.

“Yeah? You been pondering the mysteries of the universe without me?”

You turn slightly in his arms, your gaze lifting to meet his, and for a moment, the world narrows to just the two of you.

“Well,” you begin, smiling faintly, “I’ve been thinking… you’re… well, you’re kind of like infinity, aren’t you?”

Satoru blinks, his grin faltering for a split second.

“Me?”

“Yeah… you’re always moving, always bigger than life, like there’s no end to who you are. You don’t stop—don’t ever really slow down. You’re... limitless.”

For once, Satoru’s brain stalls. Completely. He’s torn between a smug She thinks about me like that? and the sudden ache in his chest that he doesn’t know what to do with.

He sees the way you’re looking at him—soft, honest, like you’re laying something fragile and important at his feet—and it hits him harder than anything he’s prepared for.

Satoru tightens his hold on you, pulling you closer as though that’ll somehow ground him.

“You really think that?” A softness creeps into his voice. “That I remind you of infinity?”

You nod slowly, your fingers curling into the fabric of his coat. Your gaze drops for a moment before lifting again, steady this time.

“Yeah… because no matter what... you’ll always protect me. You’ll always be here, won’t you? Like infinity. Always.”

Satoru’s breath catches. For once, he doesn’t have a clever comeback. He doesn’t have anything except this overwhelming, all-consuming feeling swelling in his chest.

He dips his head, brushing his lips softly against your forehead. It’s the only answer he has.

“Mhmm,” he murmurs quietly. “Always.”

For a moment, he lingers there, his forehead pressed to yours, your breath mingling in the cold. Then, with a small grin tugging at his lips, he pulls back slightly, arms still secure around you.

“C’mon,” he sighs affectionately. “There’s still fudge with my name on it.”

You let out a soft laugh, your hand slipping back into his as he tugs you gently forward. But as you fall into step beside him, Satoru’s gaze drifts back to the shop window, to the locket resting beneath the glass.

Infinity, huh?

The faintest smile plays on his lips as he squeezes your hand lightly. He finally knows what he’s getting you for Christmas.

ꨄ

For Satoru, Christmas morning felt… surreal.

The Gojo estate, usually silent and polished like a showroom, had transformed into something far more, filled with a warmth—Haru’s delighted squeals echoing down the halls, filling the empty spaces with pure, unfiltered joy.

“Mama! ‘Toru! Wake up! Hurry, hurry!”

Her voice carries like a one-person parade, punctuated by the rapid thump of her tiny feet sprinting towards the tree, and Satoru groans into his pillow—dragging a hand over his face as if that would erase the early hour.

The sun wasn’t even properly up yet, and here he was, reluctantly dragged from the cocoon of his bed by the infectious energy of a two-year-old.

He shuffled down the hall in his pajama pants and hoodie, stifling a yawn as he dragged a hand through his sleep-mussed hair.

Rounding the corner, he caught sight of Haru—a blur of bedhead and reindeer pajamas, arms flailing as she skidded to a halt in front of the Christmas tree. Her tiny hands clapped together as her wide eyes took in the mountain of carefully wrapped presents beneath it, glittering under the soft glow of twinkling lights.

“Mama! ‘Toru! Look! Presents!!” she squeals, bouncing on her toes, so full of excitement that Satoru half-expects her to rocket straight into the air.

He leans lazily against the doorframe, watching her with an amused grin. This kid… she was like a wound-up toy, running purely on joy and Christmas spirit. It tugged at something in him—a place he didn’t even realize had been empty until now.

“How does she have this much energy so early in the morning?” he mutters, glancing over his shoulder just as you appeared behind him.

You looked impossibly cozy—wrapped in your pajamas, your hair tousled from sleep. In your hands were two steaming mugs of coffee, one of which you handed to him without a word.

“She’s almost three,” you say simply, a knowing smile tugging at your lips. “And it’s Christmas. Welcome to parenthood. This is her prime time.”

“Prime time for chaos,” he quips, taking a careful sip of his coffee.

He shoots Haru a mock-suspicious glance as she darts around the tree—tiny hands hovering over the presents like she’s trying to decide where to start.

“You sure Santa didn’t slip her a double espresso in her stocking?”

Your laugh is quiet and warm, the kind that made the corners of his mouth tug upward instinctively, and he couldn’t help but think how ridiculously domestic this all felt—Haru bouncing by the tree, you standing beside him with that soft, sleepy glow.

It was almost unsettling how much he liked it… how much he cherished it.

His gaze shifts back to Haru, who was now crouched in front of the tree, examining the tags on the presents like a tiny detective—a kind of joy so radiant it made something tighten in Satoru’s chest.

It hit him then—here he was, watching Haru’s eyes light up with the same wonder he never got to feel growing up. His Christmases had always been all flash and no magic. Gilded parties, perfectly wrapped gifts that lacked thought, and a cold sort of extravagance that filled rooms but never hearts.

But this?

This was different. Seeing Haru’s excitement now felt like reclaiming something he didn’t even know he’d lost.

“Mama! ‘Toru!” Haru’s voice snaps him out of his thoughts as she holds up a box triumphantly. “Look! Look! For me!”

“Man, Santa really outdid himself this year,” Satoru drawls, stretching an arms over his head as he plops onto the couch beside you.

He made a show of sipping his coffee like he hadn’t been the one painstakingly arranging the presents under the tree just hours earlier.

You’d handed him ribbons to tie, smirking as he fumbled with the tape, and rolled your eyes as he huffed about how ‘unnecessarily complicated’ wrapping paper was.

And then there’d been the cookies and hot chocolate Haru had left out for Santa, which he devoured with exaggerated flair. You’d caught him red-handed, crumbs still on his face, and he grinned sheepishly, muttering something about how Santa worked hard and deserved a snack.

It had been... nice. Warm. Like stepping into a life he always thought was meant for other people, not him.

But Haru?

She didn’t care about Satoru’s epiphanies. She was too busy shredding wrapping paper like her life depended on it.

The morning quickly descended into a delightful chaos—a whirlwind of torn ribbons, squeals of delight, and an ever-growing pile of toys. Haru didn’t just open her gifts; she paraded each one around the room like a prized trophy.

A dollhouse, a pink fluffy stuffed bear (that was for you, right?), and a set of art supplies. Every present came with an enthusiastic ‘Mama, look!’, making you laugh while Satoru grinned like an idiot.

And his attention… well, it kept drifting back to you.

The way you tucked your legs beneath yourself on the couch, leaning slightly into his shoulder as you sipped your coffee. The way your eyes softened whenever Haru ran to you, clutching another gift—her excitement bubbling over.

The way the light from the tree caught in your hair, making you look like you belonged in this moment… more than anything else ever had.

“Mama, look!” Haru gasps yet again, holding up a small box wrapped in gold paper. “Santa didn’t forget you!”

You blink, momentarily startled, as she thrusts the box into your hands before darting back to the tree—already rummaging for her next gift with boundless energy. Your gaze, however, shifts toward Satoru, narrowing with playful suspicion.

“Oh really?” you arch an eyebrow, grinning.

Satoru scratches the back of his head, feigning nonchalance even as a smug grin begins to tug at the corners of his mouth.

“Don’t look at me,” he shrugs. “That’s between you and Santa. Guy’s always been a softie for you.”

Rolling your eyes, you turn your attention to the package, peeling back the carefully wrapped paper to reveal a small rosewood box.

The craftsmanship immediately catches your eye—with rich, dark wood, smooth to the touch. Two turtle doves are etched with breathtaking detail across the lid—wings entwined in a delicate dance of devotion. As you trace the design with your fingertips, the doves seem to almost flutter underneath—a stunning work of art.

And as you lift the lid, your breath hitches.

Nestled inside is the platinum heart-shaped locket, glinting under the soft glow of the Christmas tree. Encircling the heart is a delicate band of diamonds, each stone catching light like tiny frozen stars. And there, at the center of the locket’s face, is that infinity emblem you know so well—etched with graceful precision.

Your breath catches—your chest tightening as you carefully lift the locket from its velvet cradle. The weight of it is delicate yet grounding in your palm.

“Satoru…” you murmur in awe.

Beside you, he nudges your shoulder gently—his grin softening into something quieter, something more vulnerable.

“Open it.”

With careful fingers, you undo the clasp, and the locket falls open, revealing the secret it holds.

On one side was the photo he’d snapped of the two of you in the town square—you laughing, your cheeks pink from the cold, while he pressed a kiss to your cheek with that obnoxiously smug grin.

On the other side was another photo—one you hadn’t even known he’d taken—a candid shot of you and Haru in the kitchen, flour dusting your nose as you helped her decorate cookies.

Your smiles were radiant, unguarded, and completely at ease.

For a moment, you just stare, your lips parting slightly as you tried to form words. Satoru leans closer, his hand brushing lightly over your shoulder.

“You said… infinity reminded you of me,” he says quietly. “So… I thought maybe this could remind you of us.”

Your eyes lift to meet his, shimmering with an emotion so raw and overwhelming it makes him hold his breath. Then, without a word, you reach up, cup his face with both hands, and kiss him.

It’s soft, deliberate, and unhurried—the kind of kiss that makes him feel like maybe the universe doesn’t have to be so vast and infinite. Not when it can be filled with moments like this.

Before he can fully bask in the moment, Haru’s delighted squeal cuts through the air like a firework.

“Mama! Look! A big one!”

Satoru turns to see her tiny hands tugging at a large, carefully wrapped box partially hidden behind the tree. She tries to drag it forward, but honestly the box is way bigger than her.

You laugh softly, already stepping up from your seat to guide her hands away.

“Oh… that one’s not for you, sweetheart. It’s for Satoru.”

Satoru blinks, caught off guard. For him?

He doesn’t even have time to process it before Haru’s face twists into the most dramatic pout he’s ever seen—complete with trembling lips and misty eyes. She crosses her arms like she’s about to stage a sit-in protest right then and there.

“What? No fair!”

Satoru chuckles, setting his coffee mug aside as he pushes himself up from the couch with an exaggerated groan.

“Alright, alright,” he ruffles Haru’s hair as he crouches beside her. “How about this? You help me open it, and I’ll share whatever’s inside. Deal?”

Haru’s pout vanishes like snow in the sun, replaced by a radiant grin as she nods enthusiastically.

“Okay!”

With Haru leading the charge, they attack the wrapping paper like a two-person wrecking crew. Satoru makes a big show of struggling with the ribbon, grunting and pretending to pull with all his strength. Haru giggles at his theatrics, and finally, the last shred of paper falls away.

As the box opens, Satoru stills.

Inside is a telescope—sleek and polished to perfection. His hand trails over the smooth surface, and suddenly he was eight years old again, lying on his back in the garden with a telescope propped on the grass, mapping constellations under a vast, endless sky.

But then, his eyes widen as his fingers brush across something etched on its side. Engraved with precision, is the constellation Lyra—the harp.

Satoru knows enough about stars to understand its meaning. Lyra represents love, devotion, and music. It’s the constellation of Orpheus and Eurydice—a love story as infinite as the stars themselves.

For a long moment, all he can do is stare, his thumb brushing lightly over the engraving as if to ground himself. He doesn’t even realize he’s holding his breath until your voice pulls him back.

“You recognize it?” you ask softly.

He glances up at you, the grin on his face softening into something quieter, something real.

“Mhmm... It’s Lyra.”

You step closer, the faintest hint of nerves in the way you tug at the hem of your pajama sleeve.

“I thought… I thought you’d like an upgrade…” you say shyly, “You love the stars, and I thought you deserved something that made you feel… closer to them.”

Satoru’s throat tightens, and he can’t speak right away, but before he even has the chance to, Haru tugs at his sleeve impatiently, breaking the moment.

“What is it? What is it?” she demands, eyes wide with curiosity.

Satoru lets out a breathless laugh, pulling her onto his lap as he turns the telescope slightly so she can see.

“This, my little star, is how we can see the sky up close. The stars, the moon, even planets if we’re lucky.”

Her eyes widen. “The stars? I wanna see the stars ‘toru!”

“Okay, princess. Tonight, I’ll show you the whole sky.”

“Yay!!” Haru gleams, bouncing on his lap.

Satoru chuckles, steadying her with one arm, but as Haru chatters away, his gaze drifts back to you.

You’re standing quietly a few steps away, watching the scene unfold with that soft, knowing smile that always makes his heart trip over itself. The glow of the Christmas tree casts a faint halo around you, and for a moment, Satoru wonders how he ever existed without this—without you.

Wordlessly, he tilts his head, beckoning you closer. When you step forward, his free arm slips around your waist, pulling you gently down to sit next to him.

He doesn’t say anything at first. Instead, he leans in, pressing a kiss to your temple, then your cheek, then finally your lips—slow, unhurried, and laced with everything he can’t quite put into words.

When he pulls back, his forehead rests lightly against yours.

“Thank you,” he whispers.

It’s not just for the telescope. It’s for this moment, for this morning, for you. Your fingers trail softly over his cheek, and he swears you’re glowing.

“Merry Christmas, Satoru…” you murmur quietly.

“Merry Christmas… sweetheart.”

There’s a warmth in your eyes that feels like home, and for the first time in his life, he understands what it means to be content.

This—this moment, this family, this love—it’s everything. It’s infinite.

And as the three of you sit there, bathed in the glow of the Christmas tree, Satoru realizes something he’s never dared to believe.

He finally belongs.

a/n. i got in my feels writing this. as someone who struggles around the holidays, this was real cathartic to write. hope you guys have an incredible holiday season with the ones you love—thanks for reading, sending hugs! ♡