#Hat n clogs

[schnuffel-danny]

Say all you want about the Dream SMP, but to me seeing hundreds of thousands of teenagers treating Urahara Kisuke as a Minecraft OC was one of the funniest things to ever happen on the internet.

[subjectitute]

@adsevel replied to your post “… the scientists are fighting …”:

now kurosaki-san! if you call this a fight, you really have not seen anything at all!

you're telling me that this isn't a fight, urahara-san? he twisted your nose; are you saying you wanted him to do that?

[revasserium]

can i have one were zoro realises she does things bc of truama (like doesnt speak much etc)

hold me (still)

opla!zoro; 6,680 words; slow!!!!burn, fem!reader, ex-assassin!reader, straw hat!reader, general tragic backstory/trauma, fluff, hurt/comfort, bit of angst, emotionally constipated zoro, communication? what's that?, nami playing therapist bc she's the only one with 1 iota of emotional intelligence

summary: sometimes, stillness is a virtue, and others -- a tragedy. or, in which the straw hats pick up a new member and zoro is equally intrigued and weirded out by you.

a/n: well. you guys asked for slow burn and... the burn is so slow u gotta squint to see the smoke yall. but trust. the burn does get there! pls be patient!! and i tried to combine 2 dif reqs in this one fic :)

You are of the quiet sort. Just a shadow dancing in the periphery of their vision, and when they first met you, you’d told them it was your superpower, a soft, still smile slipping across your lips. Luffy had bought into it immediately, and the invitation was out his mouth before anyone could stop him.

“Come with us!”

“Oh…” your lips pressed into a thin line of consideration.

Zoro’s fingers itched towards his swords because something about you makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. But something else — something uncomfortable and strange, something very much like curiosity — seizes his chest and twists his stomach. Strange, he thinks, too strange.

“C’mon! It’ll be fun!”

And then, you’d smiled wider, and nodded, and that had been that.

It’s been three months since then, and you are still of the quiet sort, though it had receded a bit with time. What with Sanji’s gentle flirting and Usopp’s not-so-gentle stories and Nami’s bright, dry-humored companionship, you’d begun to “open up a bit”, so Luffy observed.

Zoro, for his part, has kept his distance. Because sometimes he still catches you at the bow of the ship, staring out across the midnight waters, still as a stone-carved statue. Still as a wooden beam — stiller, even.

“What’s with that?” he asks one day, strolling up to Nami as she traces a fine line over a new map she’s working on.

“Hm?” is her very eloquent response.

Zoro ticks his tongue against his teeth and casts his eyes about the ship, finding them drawn to the shape of you, up at the bow again, reading in the shade of the tangerine trees. Nothing moves except for the wind as it whisps through your hair and the slow scanning of your eyes as it skates across the page.

“New girl,” Zoro says, crossing his arms as Nami finally looks up at him and then off towards you.

“Why don’t you ask her yourself?”

Zoro lets out a puff of breath, unfolding his arms to glare at Nami. He finds her grinning a lopsided grin as she clicks shut her compass and puts down her pen. She leans a hip on the barrel she’d been drawing on and folds her own arms.

“Oh, you like her.”

“I’m weirded out by her. ‘S not the same thing,” Zoro snaps, but when he tries to leave, Nami blocks him with an arm and pins him with a sharp, leveling look.

“No, no, no — we’re gonna work this through.”

“No thanks, I’m good.”

“Uh-uh, you still owe me after that round of drinks the other night — remember when you bet you could drink more than me?”

Zoro narrows his eyes, “I did drink more than you.”

Nami’s grin is gleeful, “No, you didn’t. You had to be dragged back to your room after clogging up the toilet. Or do I need to show you the evidence —”

“Alright — fuck, fine. But really? This is what you’re gonna waste your favor on? You could’ve asked me to —” Zoro gestures around vaguely, “clean the bilge or something.”

Nami shrugs, looking almost too pleased, “Nope! This is what I wanna use my favor for. And, really, you think a bit of bilge water is gonna gross me out? C’mon.”

Zoro heaves a sigh and leans back against the main mast, closing his eyes.

“Fine then. Go.”

Nami sits back on the edge of the barrel.

“No, you go. Admit that you like the new girl.”

“I don’t.” He doesn’t open his eyes.

“I’ve seen you staring at her. We’ve all seen you staring at her.”

“What, that a crime now?”

Nami fights the urge to roll her eyes, “No, but I’ve never seen you try so hard to avoid someone before.”

Zoro lets out a bark of laughter, hard and mirthless, “Yeah, so that must mean I like her.”

Nami cocks her head, “It means you feel something towards her. And I’d suggest you figure it out.”

“And how’d you propose I do that?”

Nami once again waves in your direction, “Go. Talk. To her.”

Zoro lets out another breath, eyes scanning across the ship, anywhere but towards where you’re still sitting and reading, finger flipping a page in a perfect, smooth, singular motion.

And Zoro’s not blind. Blunt though he may be at times and careless as he is about most material things, he can still appreciate beauty when he sees it. And you — there’s no denying that you’re beautiful. Your strange stillness aside, when you do move, it’s with a dancer’s lissome grace, fluid lines, not a single movement wasted. When you smile, it seems to light you up from the inside, and your words, though soft, carries the well-worn weight of river stones, glittering beneath the clear, spring stream of your voice.

There’s a sharpness in your eyes, a straightness to your spine, a way of carrying yourself as if you’re afraid that one wrong move might shatter you and the entire world around you.

Sometimes when he sees you, he wonders at the hands that had sculpted you this way. He wonders at your life before they’d picked you up in Loguetown, when you’d oh-so-silently slipped up the execution platform and helped Luffy down, all the while staying free of Smoker’s watchful gaze.

The few times he’s seen you fight, he can’t help wondering if you’ve eaten some kind of devil fruit as well. No human could be so fast as that. Or be so quiet. But then again, he’d fought Kuro, and they’d seen stranger things. Still, he marvels at the way you flicker in and out of sight, slipping around the edges of battle like a dark, haunting thing, and men would drop like flies beneath your quick, quiet hands. With nary a sound or shout before their eyes roll back and their breathing is no more.

On the instances when Sanji had asked about your past, your eyes had gone misty and dark, unfocused. You’d gone still, freezing for so long that Usopp would cough just to fill the silence. And then slowly, ever so slowly, you’d turn back towards them with a small, sad smile and say:

“There’s… not much to talk about. I grew up somewhere far away, where if you didn’t keep quiet and still, bad things would happen to you. And then when those bad things happened, if you weren’t quick — the quickest of all, you’d die.”

Bad things, huh? Zoro thinks as he makes his way towards you, a hand resting on the hilt of his swords. He comes to a stop next to you and leans against one of the white planters, casually peering over your shoulder at the book in your hands.

For a long moment, neither of you move. Then, Zoro clears his throat and forces himself to speak.

“Is it good?”

It takes you a second, but eventually, you turn towards him.

“The book? Yeah, I suppose.”

“Not exactly a glowing review.”

You laugh, a soft, breathy little thing as you look back down at the page.

“It's about a girl who falls into an enchanted sleep, and a prince who wakes her up with a kiss.”

“Must’ve been one hell of a kiss.”

“Yes, and one hell of a prince.”

Zoro finds himself chuckling, his shoulders loosening as he takes another breath.

“And then what?” he asks.

“And then… he asks her to marry him.”

You run your fingers along the page, smoothing your palm over the ink and parchment. Zoro watches you, wondering, always wondering.

“What’s she say?” and it’s then that he notices his own voice, hushed and low, barely a whisper.

You look back up at him and smile a smile a sphynx would have been proud of.

“I don’t know. I haven’t gotten there yet.”

Zoro takes a breath, and the breath tastes distinctly different than all the breaths he’d taken before it. As if the world takes the breath with him, and some fundamental truth had shifted on the exhale.

The moment breaks, as moments are wont to do, when Sanji calls out for lunch and Zoro jerks out of his almost-reverie. You slowly close your book and rise to your feet, turning back to smile at him.

“C’mon, it’s lunchtime.”

Zoro nods and follows you into the kitchen, where Luffy and Usopp are already digging in, and Nami is pouring herself a drink. She spots the pair of you and catches Zoro’s eyes. A grin ticks at the edge of her lips but before she can say anything, you’re accosted by Sanji sweeping into a deep, flourishing bow, and ushering you towards the table, where he’d set your place in a manner fit for a princess.

“Where’s my setup?” Zoro asks as he drops into the seat next to you, cocking an eyebrow. Sanji shoots him an unimpressed look.

“I’m surprised you can use a fork and knife, moss-head. Just be grateful and eat up.”

Zoro scoffs but digs in nonetheless.

When next they dock, it’s on a rare, peaceful island — an island of light and books and learning, where the air smells of salt and ink and drying parchment, of unwritten words and untold stories. But it smells of a stillness too, and Zoro knows without having to ask that you’d like it here.

And you do.

He’s never seen you smile so much, never seen you so vibrant and full of life. You chat and laugh and read with a voracious hunger, and he finds himself drawn to this new, warm, moving side of you. He finds himself, more often than not, by your side, even when neither of you speak. And he basks in the comfort of the quiet that permeates the air when it’s just the two of you — him hanging in the hammock on deck, you reading by his side.

But now, there’s the soft tapping of your foot, the shuffle of pages when you flip forward to see what’s coming next, and of course the ever-present shush of the ocean as it washes against the Merry’s side.

The Log Pose needs two weeks to properly calibrate to the next island, so they’ve got time to kill.

On the fifth night, over dinner and drinks, Luffy asks the question that everyone’s been thinking since the day they’d all met you —

“So. Why’re you so still all the time? Not that it’s weird or anything — well, actually — it kind of is, but it doesn’t bother me. I’m just asking cause I'm curious!”

You look up from your half-finished wine but Zoro feels it happening, like the hush of a fan blade slicing through air, the gasp before a porcelain vase tips over and shatters. You stop. You stare. You’re frozen in every sense of the word. And he’s known you for long enough to know that you only go still as a reflex, only reach for it as a shield. Against what? He doesn’t quite know.

“It’s… something of a long story,” you say, your voice low and hoarse.

Luffy grins, smacking his lips as he sucks the meat off a chicken leg, “We’ve got tons of time! Right?” he looks around as if for validation, but everyone’s eyes are caught on you and your unnatural stillness.

Zoro shifts slightly in the seat next to you, opening his stance and turning towards you.

“Could do with a good story.”

Your eyes flash in his direction and he offers you the barest hint of a smile.

You relax, ever so slightly, drifting back in your seat, your glass cupped in the palms of your hands. And then, you begin to speak, your voice smooth and lilting, your words washing over them like the faint lull of the tides.

“When I was three, my father sold me for a barrel of beer.”

A dull clack echoes around the room and everyone turns to see Sanji hurriedly righting the thick stein he’s knocked over. Thankfully, it’d been empty.

“Sorry — I just — what?” he sounds furious but Usopp lays a hand across his arm and shakes his head.

You take a deep breath and continue, your voice oddly emotionless as you say, “The man who bought me took me to an island. It was… a dark place. A quiet place. I only learned its name after I escaped — an island called Elysium.”

Nami gasps before clapping her hands over her mouth.

“I’ve just — I’ve heard of that place before, but I thought… I thought it was just a made-up place.”

Luffy swallows hard, frowning, “What’s it like?”

Nami’s eyes flicker between you and Luffy, “Supposedly… it’s the home island for… for the most feared group of assassins in all the seas combined.”

Usopp’s eyebrows jerk up, “The most feared?”

A faint smile seeps across your lips like blood.

“Yes. The Shadows that Live.”

Everyone turns to look at you. Luffy picks up another drumstick.

“Whoa… cool name!”

Zoro hums, “I’ve heard of them before — but mostly, it was just an old wive’s tale about… shadow assassins who hunt in the dark. Mercenaries for hire. But… no one’s ever seen one before.”

“Because… once you see one, you’ll never live to tell the tale,” you say, your eyes now downcast and fixed on the glass in your hands.

“Then…” Usopp’s voice is soft, “What about… you?”

“I… I ran away.”

Silence greets you. But after a moment, Luffy spits out a bit of bone and uses it to pick at the space between his teeth, his eyes round.

“Wow! You must be pretty good to run away from an island full of shadow assassins!”

You almost laugh, his boundless trust hitting you like a punch to the stomach.

“So…” Sanji lets out a puff of silvery smoke, “the staying still thing… that’s just part of your training, yeah?”

You nod, “Something like that.”

Someday, you think, you’ll tell them about the hellscape that was Elysium island, of the long echoing halls, dark and still and silent. Of the mechanical beasts that hunted by sound and movement alone. Someday, you’ll let them know about the poisoned pomegranate seeds that they feed all the “recruits” to keep them hazy, of how you’d kept six of them suspended in your mouth and spat them all out when you’d finally made it far enough from the island to allow yourself to breathe.

“And… are these shadow assassins gonna come after us?” Nami asks, her voice careful and light.

You purse your lips, “I… I don’t know.”

Nami sighs, but a moment later, she moves to refill her drink with a slight shrug, “Well, just one more enemy to add to our growing list. Soon, we’re gonna have to post a sign-up sheet.”

At this, everyone laughs, and the tension snaps like a wounded spring.

Luffy burps loudly, patting his stomach, “I’m not worried — I mean, if you were able to run away from them once, that means you’re stronger than them, right?”

You pause, your hand hovering over the wine bottle. Zoro gently reaches over and refills your glass for you. You shift back into movement, casting him a small smile and taking a sip. The wine is cool and tangy as it hits the back of your throat. You breathe, and the world keeps spinning.

“I… I’m not sure — I’ve never fought… any of… them… before.”

“Guess we’ll find out if they try to come for you then — but you’ve got us now!” Luffy says, reaching for an apple and chomping into it, “ — Sho… you duon gotta wourry —” he licks his lips as he takes another huge bite before tossing the core towards the waste bin, “We’ve got your back!”

Nami makes a disgusted face, “Don’t talk with your mouth full, ugh.”

Sanji chuckles, tapping out his cigarette, “Yeah Luffy, mind your manners.” But his voice is full of laughter and you find yourself relaxing into the sway of the night, the swing of conversation. Beside you, Zoro refills his own glass and leans over to clink it against yours.

You turn, but he only raises his glass before taking a sip.

You mirror his movement, cradling the cup to your chest when you finish.

Later, he finds you by the tangerine trees, ghosting your fingers over their lush green leaves, dark enough to look black in the evening light.

“Hey.”

You turn, “Hi.”

Zoro sighs and looks out over the darkened waves, the moonlight refracted into a million shattered bits of sky.

“Luffy’s right, y’know.”

“What about?” you ask, joining him by the railings. The night air is cool and crisp. Behind you both, the island oozes with lamplight and laughter. Even from here, you can hear the joy, the peace that permeates the air here. It wouldn’t be a bad thing, you think, to stay here forever.

“If they come for you,” Zoro says, “we’ll have your back.”

You let out a small chuckle, looking down at your hands, “I know.”

“So,” he turns towards you, his earrings glinting in beneath the scimitar moon, “you don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

You lick your lips, and instinctively, you reach for the stillness. All the days and weeks and months with the people around you have softened you, and for that, you know you should be thankful. Still, old habits die hard, and you have to clench your fists and dig your nails into your own palms to keep from freezing completely.

You take a shivering breath and force it out again.

“Fear’s a hard habit to break.”

At this, Zoro grunts, though it sounds something like consent. The moment stretches, long and soft and taffy-sweet.

He turns back towards the sea, “Yeah,” he says, and then —

“But we can take it slow.”

You swallow hard, passed the broken shards of forgotten words lodged in your throat (you find that they all somehow taste like thank you), and you nod. Warmth tickles your cheeks and you wonder why he’s said we instead of you — and later, lying in your bed at night, staring at the moon-slatted ceiling, you wonder if he was really talking about fear or if it was something else entirely.

You don’t get a lick of sleep that night.

The next few days pass in a light, repetitive blur. You and Zoro are sent on a few short shopping trips in the city, and you’re glad for something to do that involves movement. Shocking how quickly the body adapts once the weight it’d been holding on to is lifted.

You are still quiet, and he, the same; but the silence has shifted around you, and whereas before it’d been solid and steady, it’s now thrumming and charged with some unspoken energy.

Neither of you are blind to it; nor, it seems, is the rest of the crew.

Sanji’s taken to openly teasing Zoro about being with you all the time, complaining loudly that he can’t get a word in edgewise because Zoro refuses to leave you alone. Nami keeps on trying to drag you out for “girl's day” shopping trips, hinting at all the cute clothes you could get and how “green really suits your skin tone, y’know?”

Luffy and Usopp for their part, both just grin whenever they see you together — Luffy stoked at the fact that you seem more happy and talkative, Usopp gleeful at the way Zoro always seems so much softer when he’s next to you.

You’ve taken to watching him when he trains, sitting in the shade of the tangerine trees, a cold drink in your hand as Zoro runs through his katas. You content yourself with watching him flow through the movements, one and then another, and then another after that. He contents himself with your presence, knowing that you’re here, feeling your eyes as they skate down the length of his back or the width of his shoulders.

It’s a peaceful sort of companionship, even if it is living on borrowed time.

When you all wave the little island goodbye, it’s with heavy hearts and tearful smiles. It had treated you well, and you think you’d miss it. But adventure is as adventure does — it calls, beckoning to those with wandering hearts to listen.

The first week back at sea is a strange one, full of a ringing nostalgia. As if you’re simultaneously coming home and leaving one at the same time. Everyone is a bit quiet, except for Luffy, of course, who literally bounces off the freshly waxed planks, humming to himself as he sits on top of the great ram’s figurehead.

“Is he ever still?” you ask one day, sometime in the second week.

To which Zoro makes a sound between a scoff and a laugh, “You’ve been here a while. What’d you think?”

You sigh softly and tear your eyes away from the bright, shivering ball of energy that is your captain towards the far horizon. A sliver of uncertainty twines through you and your breath slows. Zoro glances at you, now long since attuned to your subtle shifts in movement and stillness. He narrows his eyes.

“What is it?”

You shake yourself back into the moment, forcing a smile.

“Nothing. I think…” your words fade as the feeling twists in you again, knife-sharp and stinging. You clear your throat and reach up to brush away a strand of hair. Skin grazes skin as Zoro’s hand meets yours in the same gesture and you both freeze — hands held up, his finger caught against the bend of your cheekbone, your fingers curling over his.

Time slows, slackens around the pair of you, and the moment stays, suspended in space — garnet dark and perfect.

Neither of you dare to breathe. It’s then that you realize how close Zoro is — close enough for you to see the entire ocean reflected in his eyes: big and dark and so endless it nearly unmoors you. Close enough for you to feel the warmth of his skin; his body, emanating heat. You’d often wondered, in the long hours of watching him train, at the glistening copper of his skin and the light-kissed quality, if the sun himself favored Zoro as well.

Like this, it’s easy to believe that beneath his skin, there pulsed something like sunlight.

“Look! It’s an island! It’s an island!”

And just like that, the moment shatters. Time slips back into motion and you pull away from each other, breathless, with warm cheeks and thundering hearts, feeling somehow lightning-touched and static-ridden.

You take half a step back, reaching up to press a hand to your mouth as if to stop something from tumbling through. But what? You can’t really say.

Zoro tips back as well, whipping around to help Usopp and Sanji with the sails as Luffy continues to holler, waving his hat. On the horizon, you see it looming — the silhouette of an island. You lower your palm from your lips to your heart and wonder what kind of island it will be.

Deserted — seems to be the answer when you all make landfall. The island is quiet, but the occasional chirp and cricket staves off your nerves as you all wander cautiously about the beach, squinting into the dense forest that seems to encompass the whole of the island.

“Looks like a good place to camp for the night!” Luffy says, grinning as he plops down on the sand.

Sanji nods, dusting off his hands, “We’ll need some wood for a fire, but I reckon I can whip up some grilled fish from the fresh catch.”

You wrap your arms around yourself and look around, glancing back at the darkening horizon.

“Something the matter?” Zoro’s voice is soft as he helps you carry some of the camping supplies from the ship.

“No… yes… I —” you look up at him, pursing your lips, “I don’t know. I’ve just… this island is…”

Zoro looks around, his dark eyes scanning the thick swath of forest just beyond the beach, “Too quiet?”

You let out a tiny laugh, “Yeah, something like that.”

He nods, “Don’t worry, I’m — we’re here.”

And he leaves it at that, hoisting a stack of wood over his shoulders and going to help Nami with the fire. You watch him with a smile, wondering what on earth you’d done to deserve this level of caring, this magnitude of kindness. Soon, dinner is had and drinks are shared and laughter is spilled like so many silver coins over the white sand beach. The lull of the evening takes over you all, and before long, Luffy and Usopp are slumped over each other, snoring loudly.

You stare into the depths of the fire and try to tamp down the growing dread festering inside your bones. All those years of holding still, of breathing and listening and feeling — you shake yourself — no, not all stillness is a bad thing. Not all silences are made the same.

“You’re doing it again,” Zoro’s voice almost makes you jump. Instead, you turn, finding him next to you as he nurses a half-drunk bottle of wine in his hands. He doesn’t look at you, but there’s a loose grin hinged across his lips.

“Sorry,” you say, ducking your head, feeling a now familiar heat creep into your cheeks that has nothing to do with the dwindling bonfire.

“Don’t be,” Zoro takes another drink, “But I told you… you don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

“I know… and I’ve said before —”

“Fear’s a hard habit to break,” Zoro echoes back at you, finally glancing over and catching your eye.

You breathe out, looking down at your own hands, “Yeah… but I’m trying.”

You both fall silent, and for a while, the only sounds are the crackle of the dying flames, the shush of the ocean waves, and the occasional snores from the rest of your crew. It’s late — later than you realized.

“Do you… want me to grab a book for you?”

You smile, “No, I don’t think it’s bright enough.”

“I could restoke the fire.”

“No, it’s — it’s okay.”

“Alright.”

A bird coos the distance.

“Why don’t you tell me a story?” you ask, turning to look at Zoro proper, shifting till your body is facing him.

In the faint light, you can see the edge of his adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows.

“You’re asking the wrong guy — you should wait till the Great Captain Usopp’s awake.”

“Yeah, but I want to hear one from you.”

Zoro sighs, his eyes fixed on the last of the flickering flames. He takes another swig of wine before he starts to speak, his voice low and a bit stilted, but he pushes on. He tells you about his childhood, the village he’d trained in, the doujou in the middle of the wood, his friend who he’d never beat — not even once.

He tells you about he early mornings and the late nights, and how the world had seemed large enough to conquer.

“… And then… there came a morning when she didn’t show up… and sensei came and told me that there’d been an accident.”

His voice almost breaks then, and your eyes catch on the shining white hilt of the Wadou Ichimonji — his thumb pressing against the guard, running along it’s hard metal edge.

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

Zoro shrugs, “Don’t be.”

You nod, “Still.”

Zoro slates you a lopsided smirk, “So. Now you know my tragic backstory too.”

You laugh, leaning back to cast your eyes up towards the sky, “And you know mine — it’s almost like we’re friends or something.”

Zoro lets out a long breath, “Yeah… or something.”

There’s a tightness to his voice that makes your skin tingle and it takes everything you have not to look over at him, to try and see if he’s looking at you, watching you the way you’d imagined him to be. You fancy you can feel his gaze on your face, but you close your eyes instead.

You let yourself fall into the warm haze of sleep, and for a while you drift there, your mind sifting through shards of memories and slivers of sound, casting them against the backs of your eyelids as you slowly slide into the darkness of dreams.

You wake up to a gasping stillness — the silence pressing in on your eardrums like thumbs, the darkness around you so complete it’s almost a solid thing. You freeze, your breath hissing to a halt inside you. Then distantly, ever so distantly, you hear the sounds of battle — metal clashing against metal, the hard thud of boots against flesh. You shake your head and reach up to clap your hands over your ears and only then do your senses return to you, snapping back as if you’d been abruptly shunted back into your earthly body.

“Gum Gum — Pistol!”

“Seize her!”

You whip into movement, fast as a flash, dashing away, hoping against hope that it would draw your attackers far enough from your crewmates.

“No one… ever… leaves us…”

The voice is serpentine and susurrus, sinking into your skin like sharpened teeth, but before it can reach you, it’s cut short by a bright flash of silver.

You gasp, whirling around, reaching for the nearest pulse, instinct taking over as you sink your fingers into muscle and flesh. The rush of blood thrumming beneath your fingertips comes too easy, even as a familiar scent accosts you. A moment later, your hands are being pinned above you, and thick, rough bark is digging into your wrists as Zoro stands before you, a sword in one hand, the other holding you still.

His eyes are a little wild and a lot worried. There’s a ring of red rawness around his neck, thin trickles of blood trailing along his jugular, disappearing into the wide scoop neck of his shirt.

“Hey, look at me.”

You nearly whimper, struggling against him, fear still coursing through you like a drug but Zoro is strong enough to keep you held. Behind him, you can see the rest of the crew fending off several shadowy figures, Usopp waving a torch, screaming at the top of his lungs, Luffy whooping as he whacks another figure with his fist.

“Z-Zoro?”

“Yeah, it’s me — eyes up here.”

You swallow in a breath, and then another, and you feel the bright thrum of urgency leave you as your body slowly falls slack. And then you’re slipping, and he’s looping an arm around you to keep you upright.

“Th-they’re here — they —”

“They’re gone — we got rid of them — hey.”

Zoro takes you by the shoulders and gives you a gentle shake. Finally, your eyes catch on his and your gaze holds. You see yourself reflected in them, stark and terrified, but alive — somehow alive.

“They’re gone,” he says, his voice soft and low by your ear, his arm still wrapped around your middle. Shivers wrack your body as you bury your face in his shoulder. He smells of steel and skin and the metallic tang of blood. It’s then that you remember — the wounds on the sides of his neck. The marks in the shape of your hands —

You jerk back and feel a sticky wetness against your cheek.

“Zoro, I hurt you!”

At this, he scoffs, pulling back far enough to flash you a look.

“This is nothing. C’mon.”

He offers you a hand, and after a second you take it, letting him pull you to your feet. Wordlessly, he presses his palm to the small of your back, his arm extended to keep you steady as you both make your way back towards camp.

“Phew! That was a workout!” Luffy is saying just as you both reach the outskirts of the now-darkened bonfire. Sanji is pulling out a cigarette, striking a match, and first lighting the end before tossing it into the remains of the firewood, fanning it up into a slow flame.

Nami and Usopp both look a bit shaken, but none worse for the wear.

They all pivot to look at you.

You go still against Zoro’s side, uncertainty flooding through you. Faintly, you feel Zoro’s fingers as they press into the bend of your waist, solid and steady.

Then, Usopp coughs, “C’mon y’all — the Shadows that Live? Psh! More like — the Shadows that Fled, am I right? Yeah? Didya see the way I sent ‘em runnin’ with my brand new fire-powered explosion rounds?”

Nami chuckles and Sanji follows suit, shaking his head and letting out a thin wisp of smoke. Luffy’s grins at you, pumping a fist in the air, clapping his right shoulder.

“See? Told you we’d have your back! We are your crew, after all!”

Weakness seeps into your limbs as you nod, hot pin-pricks of tears itching at your lower lashes. You lower your head and rub at your eyes before looking back up again with a smile. Sanji grimaces as he looks over Zoro.

“Got something on your neck, mate.”

Zoro glares but you glance over and feel your stomach twist with guilt.

“Sorry… I can clean that up for you. They’re not deep but they do need to be bandaged up.”

Zoro wipes down his sword before sheathing it and motioning towards the ship. Behind you, you can hear Nami yawning and saying something about catching up on some more sleep and Sanji reassuring her about having the last watch anyway.

The kitchen is still dark, but the dusty dawn sweeps against the far horizon and neither of you bother to turn the lights on. You carefully set the first aid kit on the kitchen counter and collect the supplies as Zoro leans back against the edge and folds his arms. You work in near silence, reaching up to first wipe the thin threads of drying blood before tending to the tiny, crescent-shaped puncture wounds.

You press an alcohol-soaked cotton ball against one of them and feel Zoro wince.

“Sorry.”

“I’m fine.”

You bite your lips, “If this had been a bit deeper or a few inches over —”

“But it wasn’t. So it’s fine.”

You don’t look up at him but you can feel his eyes on you. Your movements are fluid and sure; you’d clearly done this before.

“Hey, look at me.”

You freeze, eyes slowly gliding up the planes and divots of his neck, slipping up the line of his jaw, so sharp it might’ve been turned on a diamond cutter’s lathe. Your breath hitches as you finally meet his eyes, and there’s a dark, knowing glint behind them that makes your stomach flip.

“I’m fine.”

And for the second time in a handful of hours, you’re caught by the realization of your closeness — only a breath of space between you. There’s a crimp at the corner of his mouth that looks dangerously like a smile and then you’re tipping forward, a thumb reaching up to trace the line of his bottom lip once —

The movement acts like a trigger, and suddenly, he is leaning in and the breath of space disappears.

For all your life of stillness, you thought you’d learned to appreciate the depths and widths of movement. But nothing could’ve prepared you for this — for the push and pull of lips on lips, for the force and friction of skin against skin. For the gasp and hiss, for the breath and kiss.

For the feeling of his large palm as it settles along the swallow’s-nest bend of your neck, the way his thumb runs along your jaw like tracing the guard of his beloved sword, tilting your mouth towards him. For the way your heart might flutter like a tiny, caged bird, or the way you might feel his heart thumping like a fist from his chest to yours.

For the way his voice rolls over your name like a ship at sea; for the way it would shake your body from your bones and leave you more liquid than solid in his arms. For how you never used to think your story would be a love story, but then you realize that every story is a love story if caught in the right moment, in the right light.

And here, breaking apart from Zoro, with a thick, stolen streak of lemon-yellow sunlight leaking in from the kitchen window — that’s exactly what it feels like.

“Oh,” is all you have the strength to say.

Zoro, in all his solid brilliance and quiet audacity, laughs.

You taste the smile on your own lips before you realize you’re smiling. But when you try to bury your face in his neck, he winces slightly as you brush his still-fresh wounds.

“Crap, I forgot about these.”

Zoro chuckles as you hurry to press a few small bandages to the wounds.

“It’s okay. So did I.”

You finish dressing his wounds in silence, though this silence is markedly different from every other silence that had ever existed between you. There’s ease and tension, both, and when you’re finally finished, Zoro takes both your hands in his.

“So…” you say, unsure suddenly of where to look.

Zoro’s laugh is just as soft, just as uncertain.

“So.”

You try to look out the window, but by now, the dawning sun is so bright that it temporarily blinds you and you jerk back. Zoro smiles, reaching up to run his thumbs along your closed eyelids before dropping them to hook around your wrists again.

“Do you… wanna talk about it?” he asks, quiet as always.

You purse your lips and let your lashes flutter open. You find him watching you. Heat crests up your shoulders and into your cheeks, and suddenly, the exhaustion of the night before saps at your limbs. You sigh.

“Right now? Not really.”

“Yeah, neither do I,” he says, sounding as relieved as you feel.

You bite your lips and cast your gaze shyly across his face, your bird-wing heartbeat still flapping in your chest. You fight the urge to go still, to reach for that shield that has always protected you before. Faintly, you feel Zoro’s thumbs tracing circles along the insides of your wrists.

“Can I ask for something else, though?”

“What is it?”

You reach up a finger, nudging one of his golden earrings. You don’t miss the way he shivers, or the way his breath quickens in his chest.

“Kiss me again.”

Zoro grins, tugging you towards him, leaning into the curve of your palm as he does.

And does.

And does again.

reqs are: temporarily closed

but feedback is much loved and appreciated!!!

[lex-the-flex]

Fantasize

Old Man!Logan x reader

Warning(s): None, just adding more to the pile of Logan Howlett smut because it’s my only way to cope sometimes. 18+ – SMUT: Unprotected sex, (srsly wrap it before you tap it) skin and body appreciation, Logan talks you through it, basically the slow life. Reader is in their 30’s. SMUT BELOW THE LINE. NOT PROOFREAD!!

The fresh scent of hot coffee lingers through the air of the small kitchen whilst the early morning sunshine peeks in from the garden. The soft cooing of the occasional mourning dove broke the grand silence of the woods beyond the small cabin that you and Logan called home.

Tearing the white Henley from his chest, Logan tosses his hat and gloves to the other side of the living room. The sight of his broad, yet scarred muscles still made your heart swoon for the man you called your husband. Unzipping the button of his worn out jeans, Logan walks backwards, and into his favorite armchair.

Pulling you closer, you sit on Logan’s lap, moving the fabric of your nightdress out of the way. Running your fingers through Logan’s salt and pepper hair, his hazel eyes watch you intensely, overcome by your shared intimacy. Gripping his shoulders, a quick glance of doubt crosses over your face.

“You’ve got this, darlin’.” He says, reassuring you.

Carefully positioning yourself over Logan, he guides your hips over his own, allowing you to feel the weight of his manhood. Teasing your throbbing folds with his erect tip, a gasp escapes your lips. Slowly sinking into him, Logan sits up and bites your lip, releasing an intimate moan into the room. Thrusting your hips deeper into Logan, he buries his face into your neck. Collapsing your hands around his neck, his unkempt scruff tickles the sensitive skin of your collarbones.

Moaning at the different sensations happening simultaneously, Logan’s lips find the bottom of your earlobe, and he playfully bites it. Knowing how to set you off, a strong and fiery heat begins to rise up in your stomach.

“I’m here, bub. Let it out.” Logan whispers in your ear.

Leaning further into Logan, you practically hug him tighter than you ever have before. Pulling him closer into your neck, his hands wander over the smooth skin of your back. Your core starts to light up upon your own release and the airways of your lungs become clogged with ecstasy.

Soaking in the remnants of your orgasm, Logan leans his head back to observe how beautiful you are in the sun.

“Do you know how long I’ve fantasized about this? A fucking long time.” He admits.

“Don’t dwell on the past, Logan. I’m here now, and that’s all that matters.” You reply, leaning your forehead against his.

“And I love every second of it, Y/N.” Logan confesses.

Running his fingers through your hair, he touches the tip of your nose with his own, earning him the peaceful sound of your laughter to echo throughout the house.

wolverine taglist ~

@dreamliners

@chronicallybubbly

@dontfeedthebigbadwolf

@the-resident-vampire

@ovaryacted

@yellow-eyed-sams-wife

@lost-in-horrorland

@peterparkernotfound

@pcrushinnerd

@quillycrow

@till-hes-90

@the-moth-archives

@stilllivindue2spite

@wolviesgf

[saberlight1]

lovefool — billy the kid

pairing: billy bonney x fem!reader

warnings: mentions of violence, fluff, Y/N usage, reader is a cowgirl and gunslinger, hints towards murder, one bed trope, standard billy the kid warnings.

authors note: hii!!! i’m so happy to be writing about billy, thank you anon for sending in this request that this is based off of. i loved the show and slowly am getting more obsessed with tom blyth everyday i swearrr. i hope you enjoy!

masterlist

You and the boys damn near fell through the doors of some random boarding house you came across— the lot of you attempting to run away from a rival gang that caught you stealing cattle.

Jesse threw 10 dollars down on the counter, more than enough to get rooms for you all. You had been running around all day— but the smell of gunpowder and crimson blood still clogged your nose hairs and adrenaline still pumped through your veins. You simply wanted a bath and to go the hell to bed.

But, who would you be to turn down Jesse’s smiling face, holding out a shot of whiskey for you.

You sighed, your hat tipping down with your head as you shook it, your hands rested neatly on your gun-belt, cowboy boot tapping softly on the floor as you pretended to weigh your options.

“Oh, c’mon, Y/N.” He held it out for you. “Drink with us!”

You chuckled. “Why not,” You went to sit down at the bar next to them.

“Hell yeah!” Jesse and the rest of the boys who were scattered around the bar cheered— you normally weren’t one for their after hour shenanigans.

“Only for a little bit, though. I’m tired as hell.” You said, downing the whiskey shot.

“Sure,” Jesse waved you off with a knowing look, ordering a couple more rounds for you all. You laughed, going along with his antics as always. You had known Jesse since you were young— he was the one who had vouched for you in this group, who had helped you gain the respect that you had today.

You let out a hiss at the burning feeling of that whiskey going down your throat, slamming the shot glass back onto the table.

“I’ll have what they’re havin’.” You heard that familiar husky voice from next to you. Billy Bonney stood with a small smirk toying on his lips as he sat down on the stool next to you. He nodded at the bartender when he slid him said shot, the outlaw throwing it back without hesitation.

“Where you been, cowboy?” You asked, slightly tipsy.

“Been at the Saloon playin’ Poker.” He responded.

“You win?”

His smirk only grew. “Sure did. It was a big pot too,”

“Good for you, Billy.” You smiled, turning back to grab you and him another shot. “To your winnings.” You cheered, the pair of you clinking your glasses together before downing them.

“Aye, y’all get that cattle?” He asked, leaning closer to you with a quieter voice. “Y’all stink of gunpowder.”

“Nah,” You shook your head. “Their boys came out— the shots scared the cattle away, and we ain’t have enough ammo to fight ‘em off so we had to cut and run. Shot a couple of them, though.”

He hummed. “We’ll get ‘em next time, Y/N, don’t worry.”

“I hope so. Jesse here is runnin’ up his tab right now and we barely got enough cash to buy food.” You shook your head with a bitter smile. “Aye, at least we got liquor.”

“We’ll figure it out— we always do.” Billy reminded with a comforting smile.

“Yeah.” You sighed, trying to push the worries away. You downed one last shot before pushing yourself off the bar stool. “Alright, boys, that bath is callin’ my name. See y’all tomorrow.” You turned, heading to the stairs as you heard a string of good nights.

After washing up, you put on a comfortable nightgown, heading to the room that matched the key Jesse had given you.

You carelessly threw the door open, the towel in your hands still wringing out your wet hair. But said towel almost fell from your grip once you saw a shirtless Billy standing in the middle of your room.

“Oh, shit, I’m sorry,” You apologized as soon as his confused gaze landed on yours, backing out of the room. “Thought this was my room,”

He sighed, throwing on the shirt he was changing into before you walked in. “You’re good. Jesse told me downstairs that he ain’t have enough cash to get me a room— Hope you don’t mind, but I’d rather bunk with you than the one of the boys.”

“Oh, yeah, no, you can sleep in here. I don’t mind,” You nodded, walking in and shutting the door, placing your gun-belt down on the nightstand. Your eyes drifted to the small twin bed before you, your gaze going back up to Billy’s nervously.

“I can sleep on the floor, it’s alright.” He immediately tried to come up with a solution, already knowing what you were thinking of.

“Billy, I’m sure your back hurts just as bad as mine— if not more.” You waved him off. “I don’t want you to wake up even more sore tomorrow. It’s fine.. I ain’t scared of sleepin’ in the same bed as you. Unless you’re scared of sharin’ with me,” You lightly teased, laying down onto the bed, opening the covers for him.

A soft smile crept onto his lips. “Now, why would I be afraid of such a pretty lil’ thing like you?” He poked back, his words sending a blush to your cheeks as he got into bed, taking you up on your offer. The bed was quite small, and to ensure Billy wouldn’t fall off you were kinda hanging off the side.

A giggle left your lips. “There’s no way I’m not gon’ roll off this bed in my sleep and face plant onto the floor.”

He laid on his back, one arm thrown behind his head so he could look down at you. His gaze lingered onto yours for a moment— and you could see the gears turning in his brain. “Here,” He flipped onto his side, his hands slowly tugging you into him so your back was to his chest, his arm loosely hung around your waist. “I won’t let you fall,” He whispered into your ear, sending shivers down your spine.

“Thank you,” You leaned up to blow out the candle lit next to you before snuggling back into his arms, smiling. “G’night, Billy.”

His arms tightened around you, and you could hear a faint chuckle from behind you, the man placing a soft kiss to your head. “G’night, darlin’.”

[soleilpinto]

DRS = Defining Relationship Status?: Fake Dating at Full Speed °‧🫐𐙚⭒

“Defining Relationship Status Zone” 𓏲 ๋࣭ ࣪ ˖🎐

Synopsis: Motorsport fan and model, Y/n, and her thirst-filled tweets about Franco catch his attention, sparking a hilarious online banter that goes viral. As their playful exchanges become real connections, fans and media can’t get enough—will their chemistry survive offline?

Genre: Fluff, Crack, Slowburn, (Slight) Angst

AU: Social Media AU!

Pairing: Franco Colapinto x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Unserious behavior, crossing some (potential) boundaries, (some) inaccuracies bc lets face it, even if you are an F1 fan you still get things wrong (😭)

Note: Thank you all for the huge amount of support, I really can’t believe how much you guys are loving the series so far! As always don’t forget to like + reblog as a form of support to me and other writers!

DRS Masterlist. (PREV./NEXT.)

liked by lettiemng, jade_distinguinn, and others

ynbardot singapore grand prix 2.0

alexandrasaintmleux touch down

— ynbardot drinks on me later! x

lilymhe shopping and dinner on the agenda 😋

— ynbardot bet bet bet

@leclercpinto y/n coming in for media day, oh lord imagine the mess we’ll get today once her and franco finally cross paths

@callapinto moot tweeted that they saw y/n in the paddock, i am NOT ready 😭

@sainzbardot someone save y/n from the shackles of THAT one photographer this is actually insane

@dr3bardot @bardot.yn PLEASE UPDATE US ON DANIEL TOO 🥹🥹

@bardot.yn counting on it, i’ll post some stuff on my story soon!

@argentineace GUYS Y/N LOOKS SO GOOD ON HER STORY, FRANCO MIGHT HAVE TO LINE UP LIKE THE REST OF US IDK 😭

@pintovibes oomf just tweeted that franco and y/n kept whispering and giggling in the garage after free practice. pack it up guys 😔

@francopls she visited the vcarb garage to greet danny ric and yuki, i love her friendship with the drivers sm 🥹

@pinthispinto AHH FRANCO IMMEDIATELY WENT TO Y/N AFTER HIS INTERVIEW ?? THEY MUST BE DATING 😭

@francocloud nothing is confirmed oomf pls stop speculating and spreading rumors

@gridszn just ran into y/n and franco on the paddock after free practice, franco was kind enough to sign my hat and pass while y/n offered to give my letter to danny 🥹

@racevibes you can’t tell me they aren’t dating already, they were so giggly during media day it was insane

@drszones GUYS THIS ISNT A DRILL !! franco did immediately run over to y/n and his mom the moment the interview was finished, TWICE 😭

@carpinto OOMF WHAT ???

@polepositioned AM I READING THIS RIGHT?

@pinthispinto guys please stop speculating that franco and that model are dating, you’re spreading rumors and clogging up the timeline 🙏

@pintomoment smells like jealousy ijbol

You set your phone down, scoffing to yourself. Did that just happen? You’d just agreed to fake date the driver you’d been very publicly thirsting over. Why? For fun. Because you felt like it.

‘What could go wrong?’ You’d thought, but the truth lingered in the back of your mind—you weren’t even looking for a relationship.

You were supposed to be focusing on yourself. What if this went sideways? What if you caught actual feelings? You couldn’t risk it. Most of these feeder series drivers were all the same anyway: chaotic and definitely not relationship material.

“Hey, I get that you’re doing this for fun or whatever, but this might be the dumbest thing you’ve ever agreed to,” Elena said, laughing as she watched you pace across the hotel room. “What happened to ‘waiting for the right man’?”

Lily, Alex’s girlfriend, chimed in from the couch, barely holding back a chuckle. “Oh, come on. She’ll be fine. This only ever ends one way. You know, like in that movie.”

You shot her a look, one eyebrow raised. “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before? Seriously, Lily?” You slumped down beside her with a groan. “Fake dating turning into real dating is so overrated. This isn’t a rom-com—it’s real life.”

“Honestly,” Elena said, smirking now, “just go with it. It’s fake dating for clout. Worst-case scenario, if he messes with you, I’ll make sure he regrets it.” You wanted to feel reassured, but then she added, “Though… he is Estelle’s ex, and she’s your friend. Yeah, maybe this is stupid. Call it off.”

You were already reaching for your phone when Elena snatched it out of your hands, smirking as she dialed Estelle herself.

Time zones were weird, but luckily, Estelle picked up after a few rings. Her glasses perched on her nose and a stack of books in the background told you she’d been studying.

“Hey! What’s up?” Estelle greeted cheerfully.

You took a deep breath. Better to rip the Band-Aid off now than let this fester. But before you could say anything, Elena jumped in.

“So, Franco’s your ex, right? Well, here’s the thing—our dear Y/n, who’s been publicly thirsting over him, just agreed to fake date him for the plot. We wanted to check if we’re crossing any boundaries here.”

“Elena!” you screeched, lunging to cover her mouth, but it was too late.

Estelle stifled a laugh, shaking her head. “Oh my god. Yes, he’s my ex, but honestly, it’s been ages. I don’t have feelings for him anymore. I’m just praying he doesn’t mess this up for you.”

“I’m so sorry—” you began, but Estelle cut you off.

“Don’t be. Seriously, it’s fine. If he screws up, just let me know, and I’ll deal with him myself. It’s fake dating, right? No big deal.”

Relief washed over you as she smiled reassuringly. Whatever happened, your friendship with Estelle was solid—it would take more than a guy to shake it.

After chatting with her for what felt like forever, Lily eventually left for her and Alex’s room, leaving you alone with Elena.

“Don’t look so stressed,” Elena teased. “You’ll survive. Besides, the fans already think you’re dating him anyway.”

You rolled your eyes. “Who knew 2024 would be the year I started doing things for the plot?”

Elena burst out laughing. “You’re making headlines and living a Wattpad dream. Honestly, iconic.”

You groaned. Iconic, sure. But you couldn’t shake the thought of how Paul was going to tear into you if he found out. And with F1 Academy also having a race weekend, you just knew Lia would grill you for the real reason behind this fake relationship.

“Plot twist,” you muttered, slumping back into the couch. “This might actually be the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.”

© soleilpinto 24’ -. no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any manner without the permission from the publisher.

[tastesousweet]

⭒ the other woman

christopher sturniolo x poc!reader

summary: an angsty story of regret and selfishness told through different moments in time

warnings: alternate universe (takes place in the early 2000s bcs i’m obsessed), angst, implied sex, cigarettes, cheating (with, not on y/n)

a/n: hiiii srry for ghosting u guys again :/ i finally have motivation to write again!!! send in blurb or one shot ideas pls. unfortunately im putting tgwtt on hold for right now bc i feel writing that series takes so much out of me and i end up not enjoying anything i write. i hope u understand & im sorry to those who enjoy it! anyways i hope this is well received since it’s a bit different than my other works — lowkey tuned into my inner sally rooney bc her angst HITS . luv u baiiii

★ march 2004

there’s a vile and shameful look to you that you’re not so sure you’ve hidden well enough.

your stomach feels overweight and heavy with an extreme amount of pain bubbling and stabbing your insides whenever they decide to pop.

you clutch at the edge of the bathroom sink, staring at your figure and aching eyes (you added some dark eyeliner into your routine hoping to distract from your disdainful mood but you’re starting to think you may have drawn more attention with the dramatic look).

you suck your stained bottom lip into your mouth out of comfort or maybe a need for something to hold as you move to dig for the pack of slightly crumpled cigarettes in your small, wine-red purse.

the door handle begins to rattle unnervingly just as you spark the slim stick to life.

you comically still yourself in your exact position (bent over odd and cupping your hand around the cig as if there was any sudden wind to blow out your flame in your friend's classy bathroom).

"y/n? you in here?!"

your eyes widen first, before they eventually roll. you wave your hands around to cut through the plumes of clogged smoke in the quaint room.

“y/n!”

“someone’s in here!” you reply, taking another puff of smoke and adjusting your hair a bit in the mirror.

“you gonna open up for me?”

“ummm,” you sputter through the cigarette held in your mouth as you adjust your strapless dress with both hands in the mirror.

“y/n.”

you let out a soft groan and quickly smash the cigarette a few times against the french vanilla ceramic sink bowl, throwing what's left of it in the trash. you practically shove yourself against the tiny wall space to the side of the door as you inch it open enough for the two of you to gain a full view of each other.

you smile, “chris.”

★ december 2003

they say the holidays are worst when spent alone.

and despite having three siblings and parents who’d want nothing more than to spend their christmas eve with their son, chris has always preferred to spend the holidays with a beautiful girl — in hopes that she’d gift him the intoxicating feeling of her thighs tightly trapping his face by the end of the night.

so it’s shocking that he’s at your door step, dressed in a suave, ribbed white long sleeve, dark blue jeans, and somehow caught without one of his usual hats slouched on top of his head of fawn hair.

and it’s real fucking odd that you answer the door wearing a dress that fits you extremely well, paired with a cardigan to keep some modesty.

it’s so very weird given that chris has his girlfriend of over a year texting him another apology for abandoning their plans together to visit her family in wisconsin as you both share an intimate hug on your porch.

you try not to think it’s so unnatural for you and chris to go out for dinner, despite the fact that everyone in your small town knows he has a girlfriend who’s notably quite the opposite of you.

thank goodness chris keeps some casualty — leaving you to open your own door when climbing into his beloved truck.

★ february 2004

“okay, um, this is something you can eat and there’s, like, a million types- you like granny smith!”

“oo, apples!”

chris nods excitedly and flips to the next card, “it’s my favorite meal of the day.”

“breakfast!”

“yes, you’re perfect. alright this is casper the friendly-”

“ghost!”

“amazing! ‘kay, i’m always complaining that mine isn’t stiff enough.”

“your dick?” josh jokes.

“fuck off, josh! i’m more than capable…” chris laughs.

“gross! chris?!”

“what?! don’t make it a biggie. now hurry ‘n gimme that answer baby, please?”

“well i’m guessing it’s your mattress?!”

“you have 7 seconds!” nick says while intensely staring at the tiny hourglass.

chris gives an encouraging hand motion for her to continue on that path.

“ummm… your bed?!”

“yes! that’s what i’m talking about!” chris shoots up from his position, on the ground in front of the coffee table, and immediately picks liv up from the couch in celebration.

the group let out plenty of laughs and giggles at the fear in her eyes as she’s lifted up and down excitedly.

cassie yells out, “aw yay mom and dad!” when chris sets her down and kisses her lips.

you try to control your face. your eyes flicker over and see them smiling with their faces so close together. and it drives you a little mad that whatever chris whispered to make her burst into laughter can’t be heard from your spot across the couch, especially not when there are so many conversations going on at once.

it’s just a game. you have no right to be jealous. it’s fucking taboo.

you clear your throat and uncross your legs as you begin to leave from the leather couch, “matt and josh, you can go before me- i’m just gonna grab some water.”

★ march 2004

“smoking cigs again?” chris asks as he steps into the bathroom.

“no,” you lie, resting your hip against the edge of the counter.

he knows you’re lying but doesn’t bother to pressure the truth out of you, he’s not your father. or your boyfriend at that.

“are you doing okay?” he pauses and waits for you to acknowledge him.

you don’t.

he clears his throat, “you look beautiful in this,” he tugs your dress down showing off the cleavage you’d just got done hiding.

“‘m all good,” you answer his initial question while exaggerating a smile.

chris mindlessly nods his head and somehow gets even closer to you, to the point where you have to tilt your head just the slightest bit to make eye contact.

“can i kiss you?” he asks with a genuine glimmer of generosity in his eyes and tone; as if he wanted you to want it more than he wants it himself.

you’re silent. he holds your neck gently and raises his other hand to drag your large bottom lip downward, cooing a tease, “hmmm..?”

you whine a little to yourself — this can’t happen again.

“yes?” chris mocks a little, giving a squeeze to your neck, “say it.”

your eyes droop and suddenly the ache of pain and guilt melts down to a slush of excitement and warmth both inside and evidently outside, if the stickiness of your lace underwear says anything. you nod your head.

chris is so obsessed with your mouth, his thumb doesn't move from your bottom lip as you peek your tongue out to wet it, "yes, please." your words echo off of his lips that now practically hover yours.

even though you've used your manners you manage to deliver it as a command. and it doesn't help that you paired the sentence with your hands running up the hot skin underneath his dark shirt. his mouth hangs slightly ajar as his head nods softly once more and his eyes flicker over your pretty face.

you wait for his response before your eyes lock onto his and you pout, "i thought you wanted to kiss me, chris?"

★ december 2003

“that’s hot,” chris mumbles as he kicks his legs over eachother and stretches out on the longest part of your L - shaped, funky-green couch.

“what is?” you ask as you return to the living room, popcorn cradled in an oversized bowl against your waist.

“pamala anderson,” chris jokingly moans out, biting his bottom lip and covering his lower half with one of your fuzzy throw pillows.

“gross, you perv!” you throw a handful of popcorn at his face — that’s stretched into an adorable smile — and take a seat next to him.

“baywatch reruns are all that nbc play anymore,” you squint with a sigh, taking a swig of the cool bottle of beer chris requested before handing it to him.

“they lost the best thing to ever happen to ‘em, i’d milk that shit too.” he then takes a sip, smirking when a desperate pamala anderson begins to run in slow motion on your fuzzy box television.

“what would liv think of you drooling over some baywatch tits?”

“what would liv think of me replacing her with you for my christmas eve dinner?”

you can’t help but think that ‘replacing’ is possibly the meanest word he could have used.

he smiles and gives a soft laugh when your face doesn’t respond, “joking- don’t spaz on me now…” he rolls his eyes from you back to the screen in front of you.

you swallow and adjust your legs to sit underneath you, trying to get comfortable while remaining in your small red dress.

★ march 2004

“never again,” you remind chris and yourself as you step into your once discarded underwear.

chris nods his head a few times, replying when he finally catches his breath, “right.”

“okay,” you slip your dress back on and chris redresses himself away from you.

chris slowly comes up behind you, kissing your shoulder once and hugging you gently. you want to cry — because in any other circumstance you’d embrace this feeling. but you can’t help but feel dirty.

he whispers with his head buried in the side of your crowded neck, “you know your my best friend, right? i love you.”

and you can’t help the shivers and sobs that decide to escape from your sad, used body.

“shhhh,” he apologizes, “i’m sorry.”

★ december 2003

chris imagined having sex with you plenty of times before — figuring most guys have thought of it with all of their girl friends, at least his friends made it seem true.

though his imagination could never ever live up to your whines and the way your body effortlessly takes him as you bounce yourself on top of him.

you both knew this was a bad idea, it was bad before you ended up back at your place after dinner. chris is an admittedly horny drunk and you’re no better so sharing a few beers while sitting so close to each other was bound to backfire.

only in the morning would some ounce of guilt and regret wash over him, when he’d listen to the cheerful voicemail his unknowing girlfriend left him while he was busy with his fingers in your mouth.

★ november 2004

chris hasn’t spoken to you since you came clean to liv about your disloyalty, six months ago.

he yelled and cried at your doorstep. he told you that you ruined his entire life, that he never wants to see you again.

you convince yourself you never want to see him again, but you tend to miss him in the loneliest times. when you’re sat awake in your dark bedroom.

you still miss his voice and his face.

[mutedstarss]

2 Years Too Long

Summary: Luffy and the crew reunites and he's happy to see you

tw: none, all fuff

———

As soon as Luffy’s feet hit the deck, he was bombarded with millions of questions and tons of hugs. He laughed and stretched his arms, making sure he was hugging every last one of his crew members. “Did you guys miss me?” He smiled, waiting for their responses. Of course everyone missed their captain, especially after not being there with him at the ‘Greatest War Of All Time.’ Their captain needed them and they couldn’t do anything about it, so the only thing they could do was love on him and get stronger for him.

Luffy pulled away and his eyes wandered the ship, looking for you. He tried his best to answer the questions his crew had asked, but he couldn’t help but look for you. Something that was never said but was evident, he had taken a special liking towards you. Though he didn’t know it, everyone else did. Just something about the way you made his heart race, the way thoughts of you filled his head, the way he would only share his food with you with a smile on his face. He thought of you as a regular crewmate, just felt something different with you, that’s all. Or at least that’s what he thought.

Not being able to hold his confusion in any longer, he backed away from the crew with furrowed brows and looked around the ship. “Where’s Y/n?” He walked to the front of the ship, hands on the railings, eyes squinted as he looked in the distance of the forest to see if you’re anywhere in sight. When you were nowhere to be found, he turned around with a huff and folded his arms.

“I don’t know. Maybe she’s got caught up in something?” Nami said, trying to reassure her captain, placing a hand on his shoulder and rubbing it gently.

“Maybe she’s not coming.” Brook muttered, his fingers gently tugging at the strings on his guitar.

Luffy felt a pit in his stomach at the possibility of you not showing up, of you leaving the crew, leaving him. He swallowed the lump that was clogged in his throat and turned around, trying his best to ignore Brook’s comment. “She’s coming. I’m sure of it.” He said with certainty in his voice. He was sure you wouldn’t leave.

Just as the crew started to doubt whether you were coming or not, Luffy jumped up, a huge grin plastered across his face and a light rosy color coating his cheeks. His heart was beating against his ribcage, it was beating so loudly, he heard it in his ears. He knew you were here, he felt you, your presence through his observation haki. “Y/n!” He yelled, his smile broadening when you came into view. 

You placed a hand on top of your white sun hat, holding it down as you looked back and kept running, the marines hot on your tail. A huge smile spread across your face as you looked back at the Sunny and saw that your crew was waiting for you. Reaching the ship, Luffy already had his hand stretched out towards you, ready to grab you away from the marines. You reached for his hand, only to be met with them wrapping around your waist. Warmth spread throughout your cheeks when you felt his hands squeeze your waist. You landed on the ship, releasing a deep breath as Luffy steadied you when you were about to tip over. 

“Sorry, guys. I got held up by the marines.” You laughed out, looking around at your friends. You felt tears well up in your eyes from how much you missed them. 

“Oh, come here!” Nami smiled, tears sticking to her low eyelids as she held out open arms for you. You immediately ran into her arms, engulfing her in a tight hug. Not too long after, the rest of the crew joined, finally having everyone on board.

Just as you’re all basking in each other’s presence, a cannon ball hits the boat, making everyone topple over from the force. Usopp pulls his slingshot out and aims it towards the marine ship. Letting the rubber go, it snaps back just as fast and the ball of plants hits the boat, making it crumble apart. Your eyes sparkle in amazement and you run over to Usopp, opening your arms and pulling him into a hug. “That was so awesome!” He rubs his nose and lets out a proud scoff, chuckling as he starts to flex.

Luffy sees how excited you are with Usopp and his newly found skills and he wants to join in on the fun, too, so you’ll notice him as well. Luffy holds onto his bicep, ready to launch his arm for his attack, that is, until Nami grabs onto him to stop him.

“Luffy, we don’t have time. Let’s go!” Nami yells before running up to the helm, turning it all the way to the right. Luffy pouts as he looks over to you and Usopp, a weird feeling erupting like a volcano in his chest. He wants a hug, too!

The boat shakes and rocks in the water as the Sunny turns away from the marines. You guys get far enough away from them, finally getting to relax and talk about your training. 

You’re resting your arms on the railing of the Sunny, staring out at the sea with a smile on your face. 

“We really haven’t gotten the chance to talk.” Luffy pulls you from your trance. You turn around and your smile grows bigger, staring at the change of your captain. He’s gotten taller and his voice has also gotten deep. Blush coated your cheeks as you stared up at him.

“We really haven’t.” You gave him a soft smile before turning around and looking back at the sea. Hands are on your shoulders and you’re turned back around and engulfed in a hug. You gasp and your eyes widen in surprise. “Luffy?”

He sighs and his hold on you tightens. “I missed you. A whole lot.” He mumbles in your neck. The blush made its way back to your face as you took his words in. The only thoughts that filled your head was Luffy, and you didn’t try to stop it. You’ve had a crush on him for the longest time and now he's holding you and telling you that he missed you? That’s a bonus. You reciprocate the hug and bury your head in his shoulder. Luffy felt on cloud 9, no, cloud 10,000 when he felt your arms around him. He had felt like he won the One Piece, especially after he got the hug you gave to Usopp just moments before. “I missed you, too.” You replied truthfully.

Luffy’s heart speeds up hearing you say that and an uncontrolled smile makes its way to his face. He pulls away and lets out a giggle, “Come on! I have so much to tell you.” Luffy’s hand interlock with yours and he leads you away from the rest of the crew.

[asraxfile]

♱⋰ 𝗆𝗂𝖽𝗇𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾

sypnosis comforting Yunjin after reading the recent hate comments. genre fluff, angst, comfort warnings yall's fucking hate comments to my baby SHE DOESN'T DESERVE THIS. kissing, crying wc 1.2k

a/n: idgaf if she drank starbucks yall are so stupid cause war isn't gonna stop if people suddenly stop drinking or promoting starbucks. Yall know damn well hybe silences their idols about speaking up anyway. Enjoy reading anywayy ^^

Though the night was one of the peaceful ones, Yunjin’s head rushes with stress and hateful thoughts about herself. Scrolling through the blue bird app, twitter, she was met by everyone sharing their thoughts on the group LE SSERAFIM and they were no good. 

Tears started forming in her brown eyes as she leaned into her chair. Yunjin placed the phone on her table and rubbed her face then her eyes. She puts on her light colored cap and her black glasses. Tears started forming in her brown eyes as she leaned into her chair, letting out a deep exhale. 

She knew the members didn’t do a great job on Coachella during spring, she knew she shouldn’t have drank Starbucks in public, she knew they had to work harder. Death threads were aimed right at her and her members and so did countless fans who stopped stanning them. It’s all her fault she would think. 

She felt worthless, like there was no escape to this reality. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she lowered her hat down, hiding her face. Though it hurt like hell, the company silenced not only her but other idols speaking about certain themes, meaning she has to get over this. 

She needed comfort in this chaos, she needed reassurance, she needed you. 

Yunjin didn’t wanna bother you so she didn’t message you to come to her, you must’ve been too busy for her. Inhaling deeply, her nose was clogged with the feeling of sadness. Tears couldn’t stop flowing down her face. She leaned her head to her palms, letting the tears wet the tip of her fingers. 

Suddenly, she hears a knock on the door, afterwards, she hears a familiar voice.

“Yunjin, dear? Can I come in?” you called out on the other side of the door, clearly with a worried tone.

Yunjin’s heart dropped to the sudden noise, she didn’t want you to see her like this—so weak and worthless. Rubbing away the tears and clearing her throat she stands up to take a tissue. “J-just a second.” she spoke up, her shaky voice disclosed her current state making you furrow your eyebrows. You knew her like the other side of your palm, but you didn’t rush her to open the door. 

After a minute or two she lets you in, opening the door slowly. Her white mask and light beige cap covered almost her whole face—except her eyes who were kinda reddish.

You smiled reassuringly. With a steady move you open your arms to pull your girlfriend into a comforting hug. Noticing, she hugged you a bit tighter than usual—you knew she cried. You noticed her nose being filled with heavy breathing and her fidgeting her fingers. 

She let you inside the studio room, letting you close the door as Yunjin dragged the 2nd chair next to hers. “H-how come that you came?” Yunjin managed to mumble out with a little more courage this time, she really didn’t expect you right now. Turning to her, you held your phone in your left hand as you closed the door fully. You smiled once again, “I guess I just missed you.” as you huffed a chuckle. 

You sat down next to Yunjin who stayed quiet at your words, a sniff leaving her nose. “You surprised me, I couldn’t guess if you would–” she avoided your gaze, but you interrupted her. 

“Yunjin,” you start with a serious tone, startling Yunjin. Finally making her face you, you gaze at her until you grasp to take off her mask. “Don’t hide from me, I can see something’s bothering you dear.” you reassure her, holding her hands. “I’m always here for you.” 

Yunjin’s breath hitched as your words broke through the walls she’d been trying to hide in. Her lips trembled, and despite her best efforts, her emotions spilled out in waves. Tears welled up once more in her eyes as her hands clung to yours like a lifeline.

"I-I just..." she stammered, struggling to form her words. "I feel like... I’m not enough. Like I’m letting everyone down. The fans, the members... even you." Her head lowered as she avoided your gaze again, her vulnerability laid bare. “The hate we’re getting is all my fault..If only I,” she stops mid sentence, tears coming once again, that disgusting feeling wandering her mind once again. “If only I was more careful or-” Her voice cracked as well as your heart that ached upon her sadness. 

With no further hesitation you pulled her into a tight hug, not caring if she started bawling her eyes out again. Yunjin buried her head deep into your shoulder, wrapping her arms around your shoulders. “It’s okay, let it all out. I’m not leaving.” you whispered into her ears as she sobbed. 

You two stayed like that for a couple of minutes that felt like an eternity. But it didn’t matter–you just wanted to comfort her and make her sadness fade away. As Yunjin clung to you, her sobs eventually lightened. Gently, you rubbed her back in slow, soothing movements, whispering soft reassurances into her ear. “You don’t have to carry this weight alone, Yunjin. You’ve been so strong and know it’s not your fault.”

Her arms tightened around you, and her voice came in shaky whispers. “I know but...It’s just... so much. I don’t know how to stop feeling like this.” she slightly pulled away from the hug as you gently pulled her to sit on your lap. Staying as close as possible. 

You leaned back in your chair, just enough to look into her soft  teary eyes. With both hands, you cupped her cheeks, your thumbs gently brushing away the tears that still clung to her skin. Her watery eyes met your worried ones. “You really think it’s not my fault? Even with everything... drinking starbucks, lack in singing, the criticism...”

“It’s not your fault,” you said firmly, your tone leaving no space for doubt. “People can be cruel, but that’s on them, not you. You’re human, Yunjin. You make mistakes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn from them. You’re so much more than what anyone else says or thinks.”

Yunjin’s lips tightened, but a faint smile began to appear. It was small, but it was there—a spark of hope breaking through. You took her hands in yours again, holding them tightly. “You’re an incredible person, and you’ve achieved so much. Look at everything you’ve done, all the people you’ve inspired. None of that is erased by a bad day or by what others think.”

She nodded slowly, her voice soft but steadier. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you. You always know how to make me feel like... maybe I am enough.”

“You are enough,” you said, your voice unwavering. “To me, to your members, to so many people who love and admire you—you’re more than enough.” 

Yunjin let out a shaky breath, leaning her forehead against yours. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice filled with gratitude. “Thank you for being here.”

“Always,” you replied softly, your fingers tracing through hers. “We’ll get through this together.” Once again your eyes met hers. It was a sudden movement but both of you accepted it. 

You pulled Yunjin into a short but comforting kiss, just a sweet little thing to make her smile again. She held your shoulders as your grip on her waist tightened—you’re not letting her go especially in a moment like this. 

“I love you.” Yunjin whispered out with a smile. Grinning back, you chuckled upon her confession. “I love you too, dear.” as you kissed her once again.

[theemissuniverse]

KUNG LAO INTROS X ANTIHERO!READER MK 11

SUMMARY : MK 11 intros with Shang Tsung’s daughter. Flirting with Kung Lao

A/N : I’ve had this in my drafts for 3 weeks and I need to post it bc my drafts are clogging up so this is ass

WARNINGS : slightly suggestive

MASTERLIST

(Y/N) VS (Y/N)

#1 (Y/N) : Are you also fond of the man with the hat?

#2 (Y/N) : Who? Erron Black?

#1 (Y/N) : Definitely not who I was talking about

#2 (Y/N) : Kung Lao is worthy of us

#1 (Y/N) : That has yet to be proven

#2 (Y/N) : Then you are not worthy of him

#1 (Y/N) : Do I really date Kung Lao in the other timeline?

#2 (Y/N) : Date? You’re married to him

#1 (Y/N) : Oh boy…

KUNG LAO VS KUNG LAO

#2 KUNG LAO : You like (Y/N)?

#1 KUNG LAO : You don’t?

#2 KUNG LAO : She’s scary

#2 KUNG LAO : In my timeline, Liu Kang ends up with (Y/N)

#1 KUNG LAO : That won’t happen this time

#2 KUNG LAO : So you say..

#1 KUNG LAO : I already called dibs!

#2 KUNG LAO : You’re not the man of her dreams

#1 KUNG LAO : You know we’re the same person right?

KUNG LAO VS (Y/N)

KUNG LAO : Double date with Liu Kang and Kitana?

(Y/N) : You could not handle a woman like me

KUNG LAO : I think it is you that cannot handle a man like me

KUNG LAO : So, you’re really Shang Tsung’s daughter?

(Y/N) : Unfortunately, yes

KUNG LAO : Let me put you out of your misery

KUNG LAO : Why can’t you admit you like me?

(Y/N) : A sorcerer has no feelings

KUNG LAO : Who are you? Noob Saibot?

KUNG LAO : What are you doing here, (Y/N)?

(Y/N) : I came to suck the soul out of you

KUNG LAO : I always knew you wanted to do it

(Y/N) : Your body would make for an excellent experiment

KUNG LAO : So, you like my body?

(Y/N) : Ugh. Never mind, you

KUNG LAO : Liu Kang says that you’re interested in me

(Y/N) : I will burn him to the ground

KUNG LAO : Don’t be mad just because your secrets out

KUNG LAO : You’re with the good guys, remember?

(Y/N) : I choose my own destiny

KUNG LAO : This is not the mistake you want to make

(Y/N) : I prefer you to Liu Kang

KUNG LAO : An incredible choice

(Y/N) : I hate excessively humble people

KUNG LAO : You always look so stressed out

(Y/N) : I am ruler of the Netherrealm. I am

KUNG LAO : Let’s relive some stress than

KUNG LAO : So what was all that talk about not being able to handle you?

(Y/N) : Ugh. Just because you are good does not mean I like you

KUNG LAO : So why did we go for ten rounds then?

KUNG LAO : Why on Earth are you entertaining Johnny’s advances?

(Y/N) : Because I know that makes you mad

KUNG LAO : Oh, you’re good

KUNG LAO : You know we get married in another timeline?

(Y/N) : What about it?

KUNG LAO : How bout we speed up the process and I put a ring on that finger now?

LIU KANG VS (Y/N)

(Y/N) : You told Kung Lao that I was interested in him?

LIU KANG : Did I lie?

(Y/N) : I do not want him to know that

LIU KANG : I also see the good in you as Kung Lao sees

(Y/N) : I am not good, Liu Kang

LIU KANG : Your actions prove otherwise

LIU KANG VS KUNG LAO

LIU KANG : I did not know your type would be, (Y/N)

KUNG LAO : You’re telling me

LIU KANG : I guess there’s a first for everything

KUNG LAO : (Y/N), does not believe I like her

LIU KANG : She’s the daughter of Shang Tsung. She’s skeptical of everything

KUNG LAO : Yeah, true

LIU KANG : I am not childish like you

KUNG LAO : Good. So you won’t sing the song?

LIU KANG : *sings* (Y/N) and Kung Lao sitting in the tree

JOHNNY CAGE VS (Y/N)

JOHNNY CAGE : Let’s say you and me take a little spin

(Y/N) : You are not my type, Cage

JOHNNY CAGE : So, I gotta own a bladed hat for you to give me a chance?

JOHNNY CAGE VS KUNG LAO

JOHNNY CAGE : Fifty bucks says that I can get (Y/N)

KUNG LAO : You really want to go broke?

JOHNNY CAGE : I - you - Oh you know what -

KUNG LAO : Stop flirting with (Y/N), Johnny

JOHNNY CAGE : Aw, jealous?

KUNG LAO : No. It’s just annoying

NOOB SAIBOT VS (Y/N)

NOOB SAIBOT : The darkness yearns for your touch

(Y/N) : I am not interested

NOOB SAIBOT : Kung Lao is not worthy of you

NOOB SAIBOT VS KUNG LAO

NOOB SAIBOT : You are not worthy of (Y/N)

KUNG LAO : And you are?

NOOB SAIBOT : Precisely

[holyhadesimweird]

how we came to be

kisuke urahara x wife!reader

summary : ichigo and friends ask how kisuke met his wife. (this is part of kisuke's pregnant wife universe, which you can read here!)

word count : 1.3k

notes : while i am still early on in bleach, i do know some vague details about kisuke's past, so if what i write isn't accurate, it's because i don't know everything yet!

༶┈⋇⊶⊰✿⊱⊷⋇┈⋇⊶⊰✿⊱⊷⋇┈୨♡୧┈⋇⊶⊰✿⊱⊷⋇┈⋇⊶⊰✿⊱⊷⋇┈༶

sitting at the table together, ichigo, orihime, uryu and chad were curious about how you and kisuke met. you were such a nice woman and seemed so down to earth, that you being with kisuke seemed a little odd.

"so hat and clogs, how'd you meet (y/n)?" ichigo asked for everyone.

"and how did you two end up together?" orihime asked.

looking at each other, kisuke and yourself couldn't help but let out a laugh.

"well... here's how our story goes." kisuke said.

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

today was a normal day in university for you. an odd thing for a former soul reaper to do, but since you were here in the world of the living, you thought it would be worth it to do.

seeing as you met the same fate as a former member of squad 12, you were also banished from the soul society. long after he was as well. you were accused of something you didn't do, and were somehow found guilty.

so now here you were, living in the human world, with nothing better to do with your time than to go to university.

your human life had been somewhat normal so far. with the exception of the man you were now staring at.

he had a green and white bucket hat, a dark green samue and a black haori. through the crowd of people in the streets, you could see him standing very still and looking in your direction. the people who were walking avoided him causing the crowd to part slightly, highlighting his figure. not wanting to draw the attention of the humans nearby, you continued walking towards him, shoulders brushing against his as you continued on.

he was clearly a soul reaper, or someone aware of the lifestyle since he seemed to single you out in the crowd.

continuing to walk towards a secluded area nearby, you wondered if he would try to kill you. to be cautious, you decided to put a hand on your zanpakuto, which was concealed under the guise of a parasol.

dropping your bag next to a tree, you turned to face the man following you. he stayed at a distance away from you, most likely to protect himself. you saw he was leaning against a cane, but since he was relatively young looking, you figured that that was his zanpakuto.

"why are you following me?" you asked.

"why are you here?" he asked instead.

"i just finished studying at the university you followed me from. is there a problem?" you asked.

"i'm just wondering why a shinigami with your power would take the time to study at a human university." he answered.

"i'm not a shinigami." you told him.

"don't bullshit me. i can see your zanpakuto there." he said, a warning in his voice.

"i'm not a shinigami anymore. but you know that since you followed me. i was banished." you told him, a snide tone in your voice.

you saw his eyes widen for a second before hardening.

"you're lying, why would they have banished you?" he questioned, coming closer.

"i was accused of committing crimes i didn't do. they kicked me out of squad 12 and banished me from the soul society." you said. "but once again, you should know this since you came from there."

"i haven't been there in a long time, darling." you rolled your eyes at the name. "i was banished as well... if you're telling the truth."

"wait a minute." you looked at him again. he seemed to have the same features of the man from squad 12 that was banished before you. that would make him kisuke urahara. he was more attractive than what you had imagined.

"you're kisuke urahara, you were captain of squad 12 before i joined." you said.

"...you were in squad 12?" he asked.

"yes. and i was unfairly banished." you repeated.

"come with me, i think we should have a talk." he said, turning around.

deciding you had nothing better to do, you followed him.

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

"and that's how we met!" kisuke exclaimed, a bright smile on his face and doing jazz hands.

"woah! so you guys thought the other was out to get you?" orihime asked.

"wouldn't you think the same way?" uryu asked.

"that's true." she said.

"so then, how did you two end up getting married?" ichigo asked.

"i want to know how they started dating first." chad said.

"well..." you started.

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

"kisuke! i just finished my last class! and now i wait to graduate!!" you exclaimed, a couple of years after you had met, running into his shop.

during the couple of years after you and kisuke met, you'd become friends. you like to call him your best friend and he wanted to become more than that.

he was just closing up and the few customers that were there, watched as you ran up to the counter to talk to the man.

"that's wonderful. now you can work here and be my assistant~" kisuke teased.

hearing the bell ring from the front door, you and kisuke turned to see the last few customers leave.

"thank you and come again!" you said.

"now, where were we? oh yeah. in your wildest dreams old man!~" you teased back.

"hey! i'm not old!" he whined. "anyways, i have something for you. a little congratulations on finishing classes and graduating."

kisuke took your hand and pulled you upstairs. on the table, there was a bouquet of flowers and a small box. looking at him, he used his head to point towards the items, an encouragement to look at them.

grabbing the small box, you opened it to find a simple silver bracelet in it. picking it up, you saw that there was a flat part which had an engraving on it. looking at the engraving you saw that it was today's date, the date that you finished university.

kisuke grabbed the bracelet and clasped it onto your wrist.

"it's beautiful kisuke. thank you!" you threw yourself into his arms and he caught you in a hug.

"of course my dear, anything for you." he whispered in your ear.

pulling back, you looked up at him. admiring his features, you couldn't believe this is where you two were after you met. you've had a crush on him for a while and with a newfound confidence from today's excitement, you crashed your lips onto his. after kissing for a few minutes, you pulled away and smiled at him.

"if i knew this was the way to get you to kiss me, i would've done this a while ago!" he laughed.

"oh shut up you oaf." you teased.

"so does this make us boyfriend and girlfriend?" he asked, a teasing smile on his face.

"if you want us to be." you replied, with shy smile.

"of course i do. now come back here." he pulled you into another kiss.

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

"and that's how we got together!" you said.

the teens looked at you and kisuke with a straight face.

"...that is so much more different than what i thought." ichigo said.

"oh come on ichigo! it wasn't that bad!" orihime said.

"who knew you could be romantic hat and clogs?" ichigo teased.

"listen, you try to get a girlfriend and then you can say something." you looked at ichigo with a pointed look on your face. the sentence prompted ichigo to turn red.

"now the proposal was even better!" kisuke said. "i proposed in bed."

"HUH?!" the teens exclaimed. "WE DON'T NEED TO KNOW THAT."

"no! no! not like that!" you laughed. "he means we were in bed, not y'know, doing it."

"ohhhhhhhh." the teens sighed in relief.

"it was very nice, private. i enjoyed it." you said with a smile.

"and now we're here." kisuke said, taking your hand and looking at you lovingly.

[finelinevogue]

parisian love

summary - you are a little self conscious of your feelings in the city of love

word count: ~1.5k

pairing: boyfriend!harry x reader

a/n: harry had been looking too good lately so i had to write a little blurb about him again <3

“Quit it, will you.” Harry interrupted your scary glare towards your waitress.

You humphed and crossed your arms over your chest, leaning back against the little garden chair in the quaint Parisian cafe.

It was a gorgeous day in Paris and you and Harry were enjoying it together on his day off. Touring was always u such a hectic schedule, but Harry always made sure there was time for you.

Today he has suggested going to a cafe for brunch, seeing as all you’d been showing him were the infamous hot chocolates they serve here along with buttery croissants. You’d been waiting for the opportunity to have one, so Harry was treating you.

Only, the waitress was slightly ruining the experience by flirting with your, clearly, boyfriend.

“So you be the bigger person and be the one to quit it.” He replied calmly.

“So you be the bigger person and be the one to quit it.” He replied calmly.

His sunglasses and his hat shielded much of him away from the public, but clearly not enough for the waitress not to be all over him.

She kept making subtle touches to his shoulder, obvious glances towards his open chest where his linen shirt was unbuttoned and you could’ve sworn some buttons on her shirt had been undone since you arrived.

You picked up your hot chocolate and tried to let the smooth and sweet drink override your jealousy.

It wasn’t often that you were a jealous girlfriend, since you had to deal with it day in and day out, but sometimes it all got a little too overwhelming.

Especially in Paris.

All this trip you’d had this deep and unsettling anxiety in your chest. It made your chest feel hollow and your throat really clogged up. Your stomach was constantly full of anxious butterflies and you couldn’t bring yourself to confront as to why.

Harry was reading a tourist booklet about Paris, whilst you sat and people watched.

When you feel his hand cup your exposed knee, due to you wearing a pretty pink summers dress, you turn your head away from the people and focus on him.

“Hm?” You ask.

“I said, do you want to go on a walk after this?” Harry asked again, the first time having gone amiss to you.

“Oh, um, sure.” You gave him a small smile.

“I think there might be a garden around here that we can wander around.” He pointed to a page in the small book he was holding, but you get lost in thought again.

Harry returns to his book and before long the waitress comes back over.

You watched her put her hand on your boyfriends shoulder and look away just as quickly, in case you say something that will get you in trouble.

“Can I get you anything else today?” She asked Harry.

You sip your hot chocolate until it’s gone, having had enough of this.

You stand up abruptly, rattling the table a little. You turn to face the woman and notice that her hand is no longer on Harry’s body, but she is still stood rather close to him.

“I think I’m going to go somewhere where I don’t have to see another girl flirting with my boyfriend.” You say to her and watch her face void of emotions.

You look down at Harry, who looks up at the two of you with the same blank expression. You can’t tell whether he’s angry or annoyed, but you have a feeling it’s somewhere in between.

After gulping down the stone at the back of your throat that threatens the tears, you get up and walk off slowly so not to draw any more attention to yourself.

You sniffle your way out of the café and start heading down the road back to the hotel.

After an argument with Harry, sometimes you would walk off, similar to this, but what always happened is that Harry would follow you. Always a few meters behind, but he could never leave you fully alone after an argument and he would always find the fastest way to make it up to you.

A spare bench was located on the crest of a hill, where the rest of the city could be seen below.

You sat down and held your bag in your lap, opening the zip to find a pack of tissues with shaky hands. You took one out and dabbed at the corner of your eyes lightly, so not to smudge your eye makeup.

The view was gorgeous, but it was easily forgotten about when Harry sat down next to you.

He sat with a couple feet of space between you and as much as he hated it, he respected you want for space.

“M’sorry.” You spoke first, after a couple minutes of silence.

“You don’t have anything to apologise for, baby.” Harry comforted you by reaching one his arms along the back of the bench and stroking one of his fingers, gently, over the back of your neck. It was a reminder that he was really here for you.

At the subtle gesture, you sniffled and dived over to his side of the bench to snuggle up against the side of his body. Your head found home against his shoulder and his head rested atop of yours, after he left a little kiss there. His arm snaked around the back of your body and rested his hand on your outside hip.

You sniffled again and tried to control your watery eyes.

“What’s got you so sad, hm?” He asked.

“I hate being jealous.”

“Why?”

“Makes me look childish and insecure.”

“I don’t think it does, babe. I think it shows me how much you love me. You’re willing to get upset when someone else shows interest in me. It’s weird to say, but I find it comforting that you don’t want me for anyone else. The same as I don’t want you belonging to anyone else. I like you as mine.” His arm squeezes you a bit in reassurance.

“It’s nice when you put it that way.” You smiled, even though he can’t see.

“It’s okay for you to get jealous, Y/N/N. I just don’t like the idea of you getting proper upset over me.”

“You mean so much to me, Harry, i’m just scared it’s to good to be true being with you.”

“Well, how about we take each other for each day we have together and let what feelings we have for each override any fears or insecurities. Hey?”

“That sounds good.”

You both fall silent for a little bit, people watching as the sun sets over the city of love. It’s gorgeous how the sky burns a palette of oranges and yellows, you’ll probably never get over its beauty.

When you start giggling to yourself Harry perks up conversation again.

“What?” He asked with a slight giggle himself.

“Just thinking about how if you weren’t a musician you would make a good therapist.” You relay your thoughts to him.

“Oh definitely. I’d be good at any job.” You can’t see it, but Harry smiled down at you because he is happy now that you are.

“Oh really?” You laughed.

“Yeah. Try me.”

“Umm? A chef?”

“Oui oui. I have watched Ratatouille before.”

“Why are you a French chef?” You asked, giggling away the tears.

“Because we’re in the city of love, mon ami.” He laid on a thick English accent to answer your question, making you prod him in his tummy for being so annoying.

“Okay Chef.” This time Harry tickled you in your side instead. “Stop! Okay, um, what about… A firefighter?”

“You just want to see me in my suspenders again.” Harry laughed so loud that people turned to see what was so funny. You buried your head further into his body until your blushed cheeks passed over.

“Do not.” You counter argued.

“Do too. I know you do, because Lambert showed me his texts with you the other day of you demanding he bring the suspenders back to tour.”

“Ugh. He’s such a snitch.”

“Big Brother is watching you.” He referenced.

“Don’t refer to yourself as Big Brother again, you weirdo.” You laughed at him. You go to hit him playfully on his tummy again, but instead Harry caught your hand in his and brought it to his lips to play. He didn’t let it go afterwards, instead he chose to hold it tight.

Both of you go back to silence again, going back to people watching individually.

The sun had gotten lower now and there were more people coming into the city for a night out. You and Harry were going to be cuddled up in bed watching a Disney movie by the time these people enter their first club. The life of an introvert, you, loving and extrovert, Harry, meant you did very introverted activities together.

“Harry?” You asked quietly.

“Yes, m’love.”

“Can I ask you a question? And before you answer, I don’t mean for this question to start an argument between us but I am just genuinely curious.”

“You’ve got me a little worried now, babe, but go on. I trust you.” He replied and you shift a little in your position to gauge his facial expression.

“When you’re in Paris, o-or France for that matter, do you ever think about Camille? Like, do you get sad about her or feel anything?” You breathed out, but continue just as quickly, “Again, I’m not asking to provoke you, but I’m just thinking that someone of her importance in your life must have left an impression on you. Maybe, in turn, making you think about her at times like this?”

As soon as you’d asked your question, a wave of relief rolled off your shoulders. You couldn’t explain how freeing it was to have asked that. It was like that unexplained anxiety from the past few days had come from that question alone.

“Thank you for asking for politely, baby, first of all.” Harry kissed your forehead. “And since you were honest with me, I’ll be honest with you.”

“Okay.” You nodded a bit nervously.

“I do think of her.” He answered the way you were least hoping him to, but let him continue anyways, “But not in the way you think. When I think about her now I am always thinking of you, too. I rarely do think about her, because why would I need to, but sometimes certain moments will take me back and you’ll be there to get rid of those thoughts again.”

“I-I don’t think I understand.” You say.

“It’s like when we went for a coffee run the other morning and you happened to choose the same coffee shop that I’d been to previously with Camille. In that coffee shop, in that moment, all I could think about was how much happier I was to be standing there with you than I had ever been with her ever. I thought about, and still do, how lucky I am to have found someone that loves me just as equally as I love them.” He paused briefly, “So, do I think about her? Yes, but only because I’m reminded of how much more happiness and love and life I have gained from choosing you.”

You stared at him throughout his tiny speech and a little bit afterwards too. His eyes watered at the sight of yours watering - which you could tell even through his sunglasses.

“I need another tissue.” You laughed out through a couple of tears.

Before you could go diving in your bag, Harry cupped your chin with his fingers and drew your mouth close to his. He kissed you so feverishly that you would think it was your last one ever.

He pulled away with a pout, “I love you. I’ll always choose you. It’s you, forever, baby.” He kissed you once more with force. “Always. It’s a promise.

[cattlemons]

hi :)) a bit of a personal request but could i get wanderer comfort for a fem or g/n reader? (your choice) i have a...difficult relationship with my father. when he's sad/angry/upset he usually takes his frustration out on me by yelling at me and calling me names and other hurtful things. then when i cry he tells me that I'm pretending to be a victim, and blames me entirely for his feelings. i just had a sitution like this earlier tonight so its on my mind :) anyway, could i get wanderer comfort for a situation like this? or if this is too specific maybe where reader just doesn't get along with their father? thanks sm <33333

A Salve For Unhealed Wounds

TW: Toxic dad, name calling by a parental figure, emotional distress and familial conflict, crying in public, there's a swear word in there, 1,5k words

a.n. Nonnie, sorry for the wait :( I had an exam and couldn't be on here at all (also left you a short message at the bottom)

It happened again. 

The man you were supposed to trust with your life yelled at you again. Your heart aches at the implication that the weight of his love for you changes depending on the emotion reigning his mind and heart. Your mind crumbles when it recollects the words he spat out so easily when red paints his iris. 

It wouldn’t have hurt as much if he’s always this way. It hurts because you’ve seen the smile that escapes his guarded heart on rare occasions. You’ve also heard him say good things and do good deeds the way an honorable man would–when he’s not mad that is.

It’s unfair that he can’t always be that way with you.

You took off towards the Puspa Cafe, hoping the bustle of Sumeru evening would be the cooling salve you need to soothe your battered mood. 

Yeah, that’s a good idea.

Entering the establishment, scents of coffee and spice filled your nostrils as ease settled between the spaces of your bones. The balmy yellow and brown hues greeted your weary state as the inviting warmth of the cinders burning in the oven beckons you to rest. You made the right call to come here tonight.

Or, so you thought.

Despite being on good terms with the otherwise lonesome man, you did not want to see the infamous hat guy; not tonight. It’s less about his presence and more about yours. The dynamic between the two of you is akin to that of a flying serpent and a scorpion. You’d take frequent jabs at each other, flinging teasing remarks and poking fun at one another but somehow, in a very weird roundabout way, there’s always a sincere sort of care behind it all. 

Right now, however, you don’t think you have it in you to take what you know he can dish. You did get lucky and got a secluded seat, you just hope he does not notice you here. 

“What are you doing here, prickly bush,” he called out to you just as your train of thought chugged away to somewhere beyond the oak doors of the cafe.

Right, so much for peace of mind.

You turn towards him, the frown that began dissipating moments ago returning in full force. Grumbling before speaking, you let out, “Not today, please, I’m not in the mood.”

“Oh yeah, someone’s definitely a prickle bush right now.”

You were at a crossroads between telling him to leave and bursting into tired tears when he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Your eyebrows scrunched as he sat across you. You looked at him but his eyes were trained away from you, staring at some other patron sitting at the wooden bar just a bit away from the both of you. 

Since when was he a caring man?

Your thoughts and confusion settle into a prolonged silence. You half expected him to grumble out an insult along the lines of “Are your ears clogged” or “Need help finding a hearing aid” but he, surprisingly, sat still; eyes now hopping over to a woman by the door having a conversation with a balding man. 

Is he patient now? What kind of patron-saint bullshit is he pulling?

Not that you’re complaining, though. You much prefer this despite the weirdness of it all; or rather the newness. 

“I’m fine–”

“Don’t lie, if you can’t lie,” he interrupts as he points at your fingers curling in on each other. 

He sure is perceptive when you don’t want him to be.

Silent gathers the both of you in its arms once more as you think of a response to give to him. He’s being kind right now but you don’t feel like divulging everything to him. Your friendship is just beginning to stand on two feet. It’s taking baby steps at best. You don’t want to scare him away by dumping all your shit on him. By the abyssal name, he probably carries more baggage than you and you don’t see him throwing them around.

“You don’t have to tell me, don’t get all constipated just because I asked,” he said before continuing even softer, “You seemed down, just thought it’d be helpful to ask.”

Though you did not notice it at the time, your heart slowly began to lay down the walls you raised from the events that transpired earlier under the roof of your father’s house. 

Perhaps, he can help.

The wanderer was about to take his leave when you whispered with a certain weariness he found familiar, “My father isn’t always a nice man.”

He sat back down as quickly as he could. He probably sat on one of the ornate hanging detailings of his hat or on that long sleeve of his but he couldn’t be bothered by it. Though his eyes look past you, you know his focus is solely on what you have to say.

So, you told him. At first, you tried to be as close to the baseline as possible, choosing to speak of the basic details but soon you choked up and told him everything. Your thoughts, your fears, even your longing for a better version of the father you wanted to look up to, bubbled out of your tired heart. As the night sky grows darker outside, you find yourself slightly teary-eyed as your long story comes towards its end. 

Your eyes were still on your hands that laid on your lap, palms now sweaty from excessive nervous rubbing. You stole a glance at him and, just like you, he barely moved from his previous position. He’s still not looking at you, almost like he’s not listening at all but you know he is. 

It took a beat or two, almost like he was waiting to see if you had more to say before he opened his mouth to speak. 

“You’re kind, you know?”

What?

“I don’t get it. What do you mean ‘I’m kind’?”

“Just that. You’re kind, maybe even too kind.”

You fully looked up at him now to see that his eyes were already on you. 

“I listened to you tell me about the horrible things that man says to you and, yet, you still call him by a title he doesn’t deserve,” before you can question him, he answers, “A dad.”

You’re silent as he continues, “This cruel world decides to give him something so precious and he decides to lie and say all these shitty things. He’s not a good man but he’s dumb too if he’s got something so precious and decides that the best course of action is to call it untrue names. Does he not realize the power a name holds?”

Wet droplets stain your hands and lap as tears fall from your eyelids, lungs heavy, and muscles sagging. 

Taking a look at his surroundings he sighs before taking his hat off and placing it on you.

“I’m sure you don’t want anyone seeing you like this and speaking about it tomorrow, here.”

The tenderness of his voice and action winds your heart up as more choked sobs gurgle out of your throat.

Your neck tightens in protest as you try to speak but you fight the pain of your contracting muscles as you force out, “On a good day I… I know that he's lying… but sometimes I can’t help but think he’s right,” you sniffled and let a wave of uncontrollable sobs pass you by before continuing, “I mean there’s only so much… so much… I can deny before something false starts feeling real.”

Your admission broke the puppet's imaginary heart as he wills himself to hold back his instinct to swing insults and fists at your father. Instead, he chose to let what he supposes are comforting words drown your sorrow. It’s rigid and almost primal the way he tries to soothe your sadness but it's tender and warm in its own way, just as he is. 

“Are you… are you sure he’s wrong? How can you… you be so sure?”

The staccato of your unsure question is met with unwavering eyes as he nods. 

“I’m sure. I wouldn’t have said what I said otherwise.”

You hid your face with your hands as your back slumped forward. The wanderer could see the heaving of your shoulders and he could only comfort you by repeating his praise for you. Much like a devotee chanting his faith, he whispered kind words in hopes that by repeating it, you will believe this too. He hopes he’s done enough to override the names your father engraved into you with angered frowns, at least temporarily. The road to recovery winds away and is far from linear but he's ready to accompany you if you want him to.

As you continue to let out the emotions you thought dried up years ago, you hear him say, “Even if you forget again, just tell me and I’ll remind you that you’re nice, you’re smart and you’re so, so kind.”

Nice, smart, and kind huh? 

You don’t think you can believe it right now but slowly, you hope you will.  

Part two (not really that intertwined but I made it with the same characters in mind) To Nonnie, I'm sorry you have to go through this. I hope this little piece of fiction brings you some comfort, even if it might not fully capture what you're feeling. If there's anything more I can do to help or if you just need someone to talk to, please let me know.

[tohisprettyc00l]

hii can I request hunter x witch!reader where the reader catches human cold like when luz catched Demon Realm mold(?) and hunter takes care of them^^

ty♡

A/n: I have a cold while writing this-

Luz had asked you to go to the human realm for a bit. And you said yes without hesitation. But she had warned you of how cold it was. No matter. You brought a heavy jacket before going. You also grabbed a hat to cover your ears.

But once you got there the hat served more of a purpose than covering your ears. Well, it did cover your ears, but now from the cold and not just from others' eyes. A thin layer of snow covered the ground. The cold air bit at your nose and ankles, causing you to run to Luz's house,

When you finally got there you didn't bother to knock and just ran in. "Y/n there you are!" You heard Luz say, "You were the last one here and we were worried!" We? You looked around to see Amity, Gus, Willow, and Hunter. The gangs all here.

"I'm sorry if I had known that you were worried I would have come faster." That was a lie. You were going as fast as you could but your ankles felt numb. "It's fine just sit down. I'll get you a blanket." You nodded and sat down by where Hunter was sitting.

Despite Luz getting you a blanket you decided to cuddle into him to gain some warmth. Also because it was nice to just cuddle with him sometimes. "Holy- Are you okay!?" Hunter said once your skin made full contact with him

"Yeah, I'm just really cold-" Suddenly a blanket was thrown on you and him. You let out a pleased hum. A smile spread across your face. The rest of the night went relatively fine. But right before you left Luz asked if all of you wanted a sleepover, which everyone agreed to.

You fell asleep relatively quickly. Feeling pretty comfy. Once you woke up however your nose was super stuffed and your throat hurt. You coughed which irritated your throat more. You groaned and you suddenly heard a voice.

"Oh, you're up!" Luz said from behind you, "What's wrong?" "I have a stuffy nose and my throat really hurts." You cringed at the sound of your voice. Luz thought for a moment. "You probably caught a cold nothing serious... hopefully." "What do you mean hopefully!?" You accidentally yelled

She shushed you, gesturing to the others. "It's called the common cold, but I'm not sure how it witches." She walked closer to you, "It's kinda like the common mold back on the Isles. Excluding the mushrooms... And the deliriousness. Okay, there's nothing that similar besides the name, but if I was able to survive a demon realm sickness, you should be able to survive a human realm sickness."

"I'm just going to go home can you tell the others." She nodded. You got up, put on your hat and jacket, and went to the door. Just as your hand reached the handle you turned around. "What's the likelihood of someone seeing me teleport to the portal?" You asked Luz. "Not likely, nobody besides us really goes there."

You waved and wrapped yourself in abomination goop. But when you teleported you didn't arrive in front of the portal. Instead, you arrived almost falling into into the water. You backed up and groaned slightly. The teleport took more out of you than you anticipated.

You slugged your way towards your house. Despite this being normal for humans it was taking a toll on your body. You eventually got to your house and immediately flopped on your couch. You were on your right side and snot clogged your right nostril. You cringed and closed your body into itself. Even though you woke up a few moments earlier you slowly fell back asleep.

You woke back up to a fluffy blanket placed on you. Out of panic of suddenly having a blanket on you, you threw it off of you. Suddenly you saw your boyfriend's face by you. "Are you okay?" He asked concern lacing his voice. "Are you the one who placed the blanket on me?" He nodded. "Okay sorry, I just panicked. "It's fine you don't need to apologize."

You sniffled. "Do you have a tissue?" "One sconed." He left and then came back with a tissue. You blow your nose. "Ugh." You said looking at the wet tissue. You went over to a nearby trash can and almost fell over after a few steps. The only reason you didn't is that Hunter caught you. He picked you up and placed you down on your bed.

"Can you make soup?" You asked. Hunter inhaled through his teeth. "You know I'm not the best at cooking." "I don't care I just need something warm." Hunter nodded then leaned down and kissed you. You swatted him away. "Please don't. I don't want to make you sick." Hunter let out I light chuckle. "It would be worth it to make you feel loved." He said with pride. You grumble. He smiled sweetly, "I'll make sure you're better in no time! Trust me."

[jae-bummer]

Fake Boyfriends & Melted Ice Cream

Request: I’m super excited that you have requests open! 🥰 May I have either Yoongi or Bang Chan pretending to be your boyfriend to help you out of a tight spot, and if a second prompt is allowed, include the quote about needing to stop meeting like that. If only one, then just the pretending to be your boyfriend. Please, thank you, and wishing you all the best life has to offer! 😽

Prompt:

7) "We really need to stop meeting like this."

13) Your bias pretends to be your partner to get you out of a sticky situation.

Pairing: Stray Kids Bang Chan x Reader

Genre: Fluff

.

If there was a tenth circle of Hell, it would be the grocery store.

Your shoulders were bunched up nearly to your ears as you navigated your cart down one of the endless aisles in search of laundry detergent. Things were too expensive and there were entirely too many people clogging up the areas where you needed to be. Suddenly your clothes were too tight and the sounds were much too loud. This whole experience was a sensory disaster.

Finally eying your usual brand, you reached up on your tiptoes to grab it. Struggling for a moment, you heaved a sigh before giving a helpless little jump.

"Need some help?" an oddly familiar voice asked.

Turning around, you narrowed your eyes at the man dressed completely in black. He kept his hat pulled low over his face, causing you to pause for a moment and wrack your brain over where you had heard him before.

"Ah!" you gasped, the familiarity clicking. "Chris, how are you?"

He smirked before pushing his hat up a bit. "Good, good, just here grabbing ice cream for the kids."

You chuckled to yourself. If anyone else had been eavesdropping, they would have thought he meant his actual children, but you knew better. You had met Chan nearly a year ago when you had moved to Korea. Doing a few English tutoring stints with his company, you had bumped into him a dozen times. Of course he had never really needed your help with the language, but he was always one for kindness and small talk.

"Such a noble father," you grinned. Looking back up to your original task, you turned back toward him, and furrowed your brows. "No offense or anything, but-"

"Y/N," he said simply, placing his hand in a stop motion between you. "I may not be tall, but I am tall enough."

Smothering a giggle, you nodded as the man walked forward and concentrated on the laundry detergent in question. Looking around to make sure there were no store attendants to chastise him, he hopped up on the lowest shelf and leveraged the extra height. Reaching as far as he could, he finally snagged the container you needed and hopped down.

"Thank you," you hummed, plopping it into your shopping basket.

"No worries," he smiled easily. "We really need to stop meeting like this, yeah? We should go to a proper lunch some time."

"Oh," you squeaked, a bit dazed. In all of the one-off conversations you had with Chan, you never thought he would want to go anywhere beyond that. "Yeah, sure. That would be great."

"Cool," he said with a nod. "We'll sort that out then. I'll let you get back to it."

"Thanks again," you nodded, your brain in a bit of a fog. Bang Chan really just asked you for a lunch date. No, not a date, your brain halted. He asked you as a colleague to go to lunch with him in a totally platonic way because he apparently enjoyed your presence.

"That's still a pretty big win," you muttered to yourself, trying not to dive head first into delusions. Chan was objectively one of the most handsome people you had ever encountered. Disregarding the whole idol part, even without the makeup and hair, he was adorable. More importantly though, his personality was gold star. You had never met someone more open and caring to those he hardly even knew.

Enjoying the momentary high that came along with a positive interaction, you swerved toward the next aisle only to crash into someone doing the same.

"Hey!" a woman gasped, taking a step back. Shaking your head a bit, you did the same.

"I am so sorry, I wasn't paying atten-" you began, but finally made eye contact with the collision. Maybe it wasn't too late to commit a hit and run...

"Y/N," she purred, her voice turning sickeningly sweet. "It's been so long!"

"It has," you cringed, looking the girl up and down. Lynn had been one of your best friends when you had first moved to Korea ("had" being the key word in that sentence.) Just as you thought the two of you couldn't have grown any closer, she had decided it would be an appropriate time to start dating your boyfriend.

In and of itself, it was something that wasn't a huge deal. Or at least it wouldn't have been if she had waited for you to actually break up with him first. Nothing like a gut punch to your heart by two people you thought you had trusted to really make you feel alive.

"How have you been?" she asked. You took a deep breath before responding. You could humor her, it wouldn't kill you.

"I've been great," you hummed. "What about you?"

"Oh, amazing," she grinned disingenuously. You nodded, counting down the seconds until you could gracefully step away from the conversation.

"Oh, good," you said, trying not to to frown. "It was great seeing-"

"We just got engaged!" she gasped, throwing her hand in the air. "Isn't that great?"

"Of course you did," you grimaced. "That was quick. Congratulations, really."

"Jae's around here somewhere. I'm sure he would love to see you!" she smiled, glancing over her shoulder. The dread quickly began to pool in your stomach. You simply could not do this.

"Baby!" Lynn gasped, signaling over to a tall frame you were much too acquainted with. "Baby, Y/N is here!"

Snapping his head around immediately, his eyes locked on yours. Now would be a great time for the ground to open up and swallow you whole.

As he came closer, you could have sworn the temperature had changed.

"Y/N," Jae smiled. "How are you?"

"She's good!" Lynn said, wrapping nearly her whole body around his. It was very anaconda-esque and weirdly impressive. "I just told her we got engaged!"

Jae looked pained as he glanced from his new fiance to you. As he searched your face for any sort of reaction, you could almost see an embarrassed expression peak through.

"Y/N!" Lynn said, snapping you back to the conversation. "We should get dinner and catch up, don't you think?"

"Oh," Jae said, shaking his head immediately. "I'm sure Y/N is very busy."

"You would make time, wouldn't you?" Lynn asked innocently. "It could be a double date! Unless you don't have someone.."

Bitch.

You took a deep breath and tried to fortify your patience. You could get through this.

"Actually, I-"

"Lovie," a voice sounded from around the corner. Without looking, you felt an arm snake around your waist and tuck you into it's side. Trying to tap down the panic, you glanced to Chan who had suddenly appeared. Ice cream in hand, he sat it gingerly in your basket. "I told you to stay close!

Let me take this, it must be heavy," he hummed, taking the basket and placing it in the hand that wasn't preoccupied with holding you.

Glancing up in mock surprise, he looked back and forth between Jae and Lynn. "Who's this?"

"Oh, uh..." you trailed, your brain trying to catch up with the situation. Was Chan really taking the time to bail you out? "This is Lynn, and her fiance, Jae."

You could see Jae swallow hard after your explanation. He deserved to feel uncomfortable. Plus, how would you ever introduce him as your ex boyfriend?

"Nice to meet you both!" Chan grinned.

"Y/N," Lynn said, the smile slipping from her face as she sized up your "boyfriend." "Who's this?"

"Oh, sorry," you said quickly. "This is Chan."

"Channie," Lynn said, keeping her tone cool as she swallowed him with her eyes. "Is it okay if I call you that?"

"I would prefer if you wouldn't," Chan said, towing the line between a smile and a cringe.

Lynn immediately fell into silence, causing Jae to perk up. "I didn't know Y/N had started seeing someone new. How'd you two meet?"

Of course he wouldn't. It's not like the two of you were actually talking.

"Work," Chris chimed. "Y/N teaches English at the company I work for."

"What company is that?" Jae asked, quirking a brow.

"I work in the music industry," Chan said patiently. "Producing and a few other things."

Understatement of the year.

"Y/N and I used to be close!" Lynn pouted. "We definitely need to meet up now!"

Chan looked at you knowingly before pulling you closer. You were basically melted into his side at this point. You couldn't lie to yourself though, the contact felt good, especially coming from him. Your head swam as you attempted to grapple with the situation while simultaneously trying to calm your speeding heart rate. He tended to have that effect on you on a normal day, let alone when you were pretending to be together.

"I dunno," Chan said finally. "Y/N would you feel comfortable with that?'

You glanced up at him through your lashes. Popping your mouth open to answer, you weren't exactly sure what to say.

Chan chuckled before pressing a kiss into your hair. A KISS. INTO YOUR HAIR. You tried to quiet the mental screaming so you could hear him speak.

"My Y/N is pretty overwhelmed with their schedule these days," he said quietly. "I'm not sure if they would be able to shift things around for us to all meet."

"You would make time!" Lynn insisted. "There's so much we need to hear about you two! This is a total surprise."

"Lynn," Jae said sternly. It was interesting to see him issue the brat a warning.

"What!" she gasped. "I'm just terribly surprised! You never seemed like one to go out with someone like him!"

She appraised Chan again with greedy eyes. Apparently she didn't think you could pull someone successful or good looking...but then...

Jae looked down at Lynn in dismay. "She went out with me."

You looked to Chan who was eating up the scene in front of him. He gave a squeeze to your hip and attempted to choke off his laughter.

"I know, baby," Lynn whined. "Don't get defensive. I just meant-"

"Well, our ice cream seems to be melting," Chan hummed as he looked forlornly at the basket. "We better get going. It was nice meeting you!"

"Y/N! I'll text you!" Lynn insisted.

"I really hope you already have her blocked," Chan whispered into your ear as he steered you away.

"Everywhere," you nodded. "Even the Facebook she uses to recruit people into her multi-level marketing scheme."

"She seems like the type," he muttered, glancing over his shoulder at the couple now behind you. You could still hear them quietly bickering. "I really hope you don't mind me stepping in. I was coming by again to ask you something and may have accidentally eavesdropped a bit."

"Accidentally?"

"Alright, full on eavesdropped because I have never heard someone so..."

"So?"

"Absolutely fucking foul."

"Chris!" you gasped, trying not to laugh too loudly. Even though the two of you had gone toward the front of the grocery, he still had his arm protectively around you.

"Seriously!" he said, his eyes wide. "They're miserable!"

"I don't mind you stepping in at all," you laughed, allowing this moment to wash over you. It was nice to know that someone actually cared enough to save you in a less than ideal situation. Let alone that person being Bang Chan.

And had you daydreamed too close to the sun or did he actually kiss your head at one point?

"Okay," Chan nodded. "I never want to do anything that would make you feel uncomfortable, but at that point, I think I was the lesser of two evils."

You nodded as the two of you finally reached the register. "No, no evil at all. I very much appreciated it."

Chan smiled before pulling away from you. The sudden absence of contact immediately plunged you into reality. "What was your question by the way? That you were coming back to ask?"

"Oh," Chan hummed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I wasn't sure if it was too forward...but...how do you feel about caramel swirl ice cream?"

"I mean, not negatively," you laughed.

"I've got two spoons," he said, tilting his head to the side. "One of them could be yours."

If it were physically possible to have a sentence stop your heart, that one would be it.

"Sure," you nodded, not actually sure at all if you had even heard him correctly. "That sounds like fun."

"Great," Chan grinned. "Maybe if you ask nicely we can see where it tastes better, from the carton or my lips?"

Your eyes grew wide as you openly gaped at him. "What?"

"Kidding!" he laughed, throwing his hands into the air. "Unless you aren't in which case I'm totally serious."

You opened your mouth and immediately closed it. Giving the barest nod, you could see the tension relax from his shoulders.

"Good, good," he nodded, focusing more intently on getting his items on the conveyor belt. You could see the tips of his ears blazing bright red. "If I'm going to be your fake boyfriend, I just need some experience, that's all."

You continued to stare at him, only croaking out a laugh after a moment of silence.

"Good talk," he grinned sheepishly. "Remind me to bring it up again later."

[1-beansss-1]

It's Urahara Kisuke's birthday! Also new years, happy new years and happy birthday Mr. Hat n clogs lol