#He was. He found himself. Swept off his feet later on when they start catching feelings. If you’ll accept my very awful pun. I’m sorry

[floralstorms]

Idk doodled this a while ago but imagine if Prismo feeling touch for the first time happened due to accidentally getting swept/Scarab whacking him with the 2D broom to get him to move so that he can get to a spot to clean

[pellucid-constellations]

Of Oblivious Minds (2)

Pairing: Azriel x Reader

Summary: You're positive Azriel is in love with Elain. It seems so obvious. But Cassian is laughing at you and suddenly nothing makes quite so much sense anymore.

Word count: 3k

Warnings: Angst!! More pining and yearning

a/n: Here is part two! I love writing this little series :) There will definitely be more! let me know what you think ♡♡

Part 1, Part 3

~~

Sometimes you hated being a scholar. 

There were plenty of upsides to having such a cushy job, especially when your employer was the high lord himself. You got paid generously, got free access to the best libraries, and never had to pay rent. Millions of fae would kill to have your position. 

But as Cassian punched you in the ribs—for the third time—you found yourself questioning your role within the night court’s inner circle.

“Okay,” you breathed out, hunching over with a hand cradling your side. “Okay, please, Cass. Can we take a break?” 

Unfortunately, Cassian didn’t appreciate quitters. So, your feet were abruptly swept from under you and your back made contact with the floor. With a soft oof, the wind was knocked from your lungs. 

“C’mon, y/n, you’re better than that. I know you are.” 

You responded with a wheeze, blinking into the pale sun. 

This morning had been rough.

You’d been having some trouble sleeping, but that wasn’t necessarily unusual. Being alive for so long meant you had seen quite a few things, so nightmares came and went with the tide. You were going through a rough patch with them at the moment, and the lack of sleep was starting to catch up with you.

“You planning on laying there for the rest of the day?” Cassian asked, his large silhouette coming to block the light. 

You squinted up at him. “Maybe.” 

“Yeah, not happening.” 

You fought back a whine as the Illyrian pulled you up by your shoulders and steadied you. He nodded, giving you a moment to ready yourself back into position, and then bent his knees. Gods, you were going to be so sore later. 

It didn’t take long for you to end up on the floor again, this time on your stomach. Your chin cracked against the padded ring, your teeth snapping together at the impact. The sound made your brain vibrate as you rolled onto your side and held your temple. 

Cassian crouched down to the floor beside you and you could make out his worried brow amidst the shakiness of your vision. 

“What’s going on with you?” He brought his hand up to brush against your already bruising jaw. “We���ve been working on that move for weeks. You had it a few days ago.” 

You breathed through your nose and tried not to groan at the ache rolling through your body. “I think I’m just tired. I haven’t been sleeping very well.” 

At that, Cassian plopped down to a seat, keeping a hand at your elbow as you brought your own body up to mirror his. 

“You want to talk about it?” he questioned. 

“There isn’t much to say. I can’t remember them this time. It’s kind of strange—usually I remember them too much and that’s what makes it worse.” 

Cassian hummed in contemplation. He was always the one you went to the morning after a sleepless night. Cassian would listen as you talked through your nightmares, and you would do the same for him. He was a logical pillar in your life. 

But it was always Azriel you went to in the midst of them. You never talked about what you saw and he never asked. But it was always Azriel in the middle of the night. His shadows were a comfort in the pitch black and he was always quick to wrap his wings around you when it became too hard to breathe. 

You hadn’t gone to him these last few times.

The fact that you couldn’t remember your dreams was an unfortunate factor. Because if you knew what was causing you to wake up in a cold sweat every night, at least then you could talk about it. Or take a moment to rationalize. 

There was no rationalizing when the only thing you had to go off of was fear and hurt. 

“What does Azriel think?” Cassian asked after a small lapse in silence.

“What do you mean?” 

“Well, when you go to his room at night. What does he have to say about you not remembering?” 

You scoffed. And then scoffed again. “What? I don’t know what you’re talking about, I barely do that.” 

Cassian stared at you with a blank expression. “So we’re still doing that then. Got it.” He heaved himself up from the ground and then yanked you up alongside him.

“Still doing what?” you asked, trailing behind him as he reached for his canteen. He didn’t answer you, favoring the long gulps of water he was taking. You waited for him to finish and then asked again. He chose to unwrap his knuckles instead. “Cassian.” 

The man sighed. “Nothing, y/n. It’s just… It wasn’t a secret that you would go to his room after you had a rough night. Why do you think I never dragged you out here those mornings?” You cringed at his words. He shook his head. “There’s nothing wrong with that. Why do you hide it?” 

You didn’t have a good reason—well, you didn’t used to. You’d always sneak out of his room after the sun rose and never bring it up again. And there was never a solid explanation for why you evaded the topic. You knew Azriel would never hold it against you and you weren’t embarrassed for others to know that you sought out comfort in a friend. It just seemed like something you should keep to yourself. 

Now, though—now there was a good reason to wipe your actions from memory. To pretend they never happened and to never repeat them. 

“Cassian, Elain is my friend. Even if I did that in the past—in a friendly way—it would be wrong now.” 

A muscle in Cassian’s jaw twitched. “Right. Have you ever actually talked to Elain about her feelings?” 

“I don’t need to.” You reached down for your own water, ignoring the twinge in your side and the pulsing in your head. “She never stops talking about him. And they’re always together. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were already seeing each other.” 

“Who’s seeing each other?” 

The cool tone of Azriel’s voice washed over you and you whipped around to find him standing at the foot of the training ring, blades in hand. 

A nervous laugh fell from your lips and you fought the urge to slap your hand over your mouth. “Um, no one, just some friends I know.” 

“Who?” he asked again. 

“Oh, you don’t know them. Old friends.” 

The Shadowsinger raised a brow, sending Cassian a fleeting look. “I thought I knew all of your friends.” 

“You don’t. I know way more people than you. Even though you're older than me. Not by that much, though. Have you talked to Elain lately?” Words were spewing from your mouth in the worst combinations. You were never nervous around Azriel. What in the cauldron was wrong with you?

Azriel’s raised brow turned into a furrowed one and he blinked, assessing your face with a scrutinizing gaze. “Do you have a concussion?” He turned the Cassian, expression going from confused to provoked. “Did you give her a concussion?” 

“Honestly, maybe.” 

“I don’t have a concussion,” you rushed out, cutting off Cassian’s admission. “I was just leaving though. I’m tired. You guys can fight each other.” 

There was so much sudden pent-up energy inside of you that you had no intention of sleeping, but just seeing Azriel made you feel like you were intruding on something. Which was absurd. Azriel was your friend and had been your friend for centuries. Just because he loved Elain didn’t mean you had to avoid him. 

But this energy had to come from somewhere, and that somewhere was telling you to avoid him like the Illyrian flu. 

Making a break for it, you freed yourself from the training ring and attempted to skate past Azriel with a quick side smile, but he apparently had other plans. He caught your wrist as you walked past, glancing up at a “preoccupied” Cassian before turning to you with his wing out, giving the illusion of a private conversation. 

“You’re not sleeping well?” he asked, voice low. 

You warped your smile into one that met both sides of your mouth. “I’m okay.” 

Shadows crept over his shoulders and along his ears. His expression shifted and pinched and then returned neutral. “You know you can come to me if you need it.” 

“I’m okay, Az. Really.” 

“Would you tell me if you weren’t?”

Maybe before. 

“I’m a paper pusher, Az. I’m not out in the throes of battle,” you jested, scrunching your nose as you smiled up at him. “Nothing is that serious for me.” 

A lie. Something was that serious—serious enough to keep you up at night for the past week—but you couldn’t figure out what it was. 

“That is not what I asked,” he countered, sliding his hand up from your wrist to turn your chin. “You need to ice your jaw. Cassian shouldn’t be so rough with you.” 

“I’m okay,” you said again, words a pathetic repetition because your heart was beating so fast now and you needed to leave. Something was pulling at your chest and you needed to leave. 

“As you’ve said,” Azriel muttered, his fingers brushing down along the column of your throat. When his eyes flickered up and met your own, something inside of you lost its alignment.

You looked away before the feeling could return. Everything righted itself. You took a wobbly step back. 

“Have a good training session.” 

You turned on your heel and stalked away, feeling equal parts the betrayer and the betrayed. 

~~

“You mean that girl off-continent? The one from a century ago?” 

Cassian hummed. “Yeah, her. What I wouldn’t give for a visit from her.” 

“You’re a pig,” Mor replied, a scoff sharp on her lips.

“She didn’t think so.” 

You were eavesdropping. You didn’t like to, but somehow, in the time you’d spent in the inner circle, you’d picked up the habit. Oops.

Technically, you weren’t really eavesdropping. You had been in the room first. It wasn’t your fault Cassian and Mor decided to speak very loudly with only a few shelves separating you. If they wanted privacy they should have checked the area. 

“Is it that hard for you to get laid? You have to search off-continent?” 

Cassian’s responding laugh was almost defensive. “I’m sure you’d love to know about my sex life.” 

“I really wouldn’t, actually. You brought it up.” Mor paused. You heard her shift on the lounge chair. “I am, however, interested in Azriel’s.” 

“Aren’t we all,” Cassian droned. “Pretty obvious that he doesn't have one at the moment. Hasn’t had one in a while.” 

You felt your neck jolt at the reveal of that information. Azriel always kept his partners discrete, but you’d always known he’d had them. Many of them. You had no idea who they were or where he met them, but you would hear the girls occasionally... smell their perfume on a few rare nights. 

“You think? This whole time?” Mor asked, curiosity raising her voice an octave. 

“Mor, I think the sight of other females makes him want to vomit.” 

The book in your lap was all but obsolete. 

“Don’t be so dramatic.” 

Cassian tsked. “I’m not. He’s told me.” 

“I suppose that’s what having a mate does to a person.” 

Your fingers became abnormally cold, the center of your chest caving slightly.

Azriel had a mate? No, he would have told you.

He would have told you. 

Mor’s sweet voice slammed against your ears, harsh despite its nature. “Do you think he’ll tell her soon?” 

Cassian’s reply had you standing on shaking knees. “Hope so. He’s so in love with her it's suffocating. You should see when—” 

You were out of the room in a wisp, sliding out the small back door. The book you’d been reading was still clutched in your frozen grip and you held it against your chest as breathing became impossible. With a hand pressed to the wall and your head hung low, you sucked in air, greedy for some type of reprieve. 

You were happy for him. You were so, so happy for him. 

Right? 

The book fell from your grip, clattering to the floor. The pages collapsed in on themselves as it fell face down, and you listened to the paper crumple as your throat closed. Both hands now pressed to the cold wall. Why were you freezing? 

This made sense. It made sense. 

Of course Azriel had a mate and of course it was… Elain? 

No, it couldn’t be Elain. Elain was Lucien’s mate. 

Now you were confused as well as consumed. Your body was left aching from training and your mind was in a frenzy and you couldn’t even understand why you were reacting the way you were. 

It was completely plausible that Azriel had a mate and didn’t tell anyone about it. He was a private male who kept his lovers to himself, so of course he would keep his mate to himself as well. But he did tell someone about it. He told Cassian. And Mor knew. 

Your fingernails dug into stone.

Azriel didn’t love you. 

The thought came on so suddenly that you almost looked over your shoulder. It was as if the words had been whispered in your ear by some cruel, vicious wind. 

You had never cared if Azriel loved you before, because you knew that he did love you. Like a sister. You were Azriel’s family and he was yours. 

But as the thought of Azriel having a mate invaded your mind once more, your shaky legs propelled you forward, running from the creased book and the hallway that contained all of the worst things. 

You ran until you couldn't, until your toes hit the edge of the balcony on the far side of the house and the cool air of winter hit your cheeks. You had been so cold inside, but somehow the breeze felt even colder across your skin. 

“Y/n?” 

You gasped, whipping around and gripping the railing as it pressed into your spine. You couldn’t formulate words as Azriel stood before you. His hands raised up to his waist, reaching for you as he took in the way your chest heaved.

“What’s happened? What’s wrong?” he rushed. 

You only shook your head, squeezing your eyes shut. Embarrassment and confusion and a twisted sort of fear coursed through you. You couldn't look at him, afraid you would somehow see the bond connected to his chest—somehow notice things about him you hadn’t before. Maybe another shade of hazel in his eyes or a softness to his lips that you had never looked for. 

As you considered it now, it was obvious that you’d never let yourself look. 

Azriel was never supposed to be yours. 

“Talk to me, angel.” Azriel’s sweet whisper brushed against your skin. He was so close to you. You could feel him, but you refused to look. 

To see how everything had changed. 

“Let me fix it.” 

You heard the rush of wind from his wings as he expanded them outwards, followed closely behind by the whirling of his shadows, and it all clicked then. 

The images came quickly, dissipating just as fast. But they did their job, sending heavy, hot tears past the tight scrunch of your eyelids. 

Azriel with Elain. Azriel with Mor. Azriel with random, faceless women.

Him, in every iteration, with everyone that wasn’t you. 

That’s what had kept you up—the dreams plaguing your every resting moment. And you realized then that nothing had really changed at all. That you’d been in love with Azriel for longer than you’d been in love with anything. 

Your jaw trembled, your body rejecting the anguish that swept through you. Wind softly flowed from the west, swaying your skirts with a gentleness that made your breath shudder. That kind of gentleness was impossible. The world felt so cruel. 

“Y/n, tell me what happened. Should I get someone else?” Azriel pleaded. “Should I get Rhys?” 

Rhys could knock you out, and that would surely be a relief. You felt paralyzed by this overwhelming array of devastation. But Rhys would also have access to your thoughts. 

You shook your head. “No,” you said, but the word was lost in the wind. Azriel seemed to hear it anyway. “No, I want—I need to—go to sleep.” 

“You need to go to sleep?” He touched you now, something he seemed to have been avoiding. His hands came to rest behind your neck, thumbs at your jaw, and you pried your eyes open at the contact. You’d never seen the shadowsinger look so ruined, his hair askew, his eyes wild and panicked. “That doesn’t make any sense.” 

His expression was beseeching you for something you couldn’t give him. You hiccuped your next words out. 

“I’m—’m tired.” 

You wished you’d stayed oblivious. That you had never become privy to the depth of your feelings. 

This pain was immeasurable.

[sparrowritings]

how you two got together

pairing: gojo x zenin!male!reader

summary: non-curse zenin reader and their dynamic with gojo after defecting from the zenin clan to attend tokyo jujutsu high

tags: non-descriptive injury and violence, gay panic

word count: 2.5k

a/n: this started off as hcs, but then got really long as i worked on it lol. i might make a pt.2 where its bf hcs, let me know what u think!

Born into the Zenin clan with little to no cursed energy, a heavenly restriction was placed on you as a child

Similar to Maki, you were viewed as the family's disappointment

This was further accentuated since you were born around the same time as Naoya, who was gifted with one of the family’s prized cursed techniques

You were close to and looked up to Toji due to you both not possessing cursed techniques and became training partners 

When Toji defected from the Zenin clan, you defected too to pursue becoming a sorcerer, eventually ending up at Tokyo Jujutsu High

This is also how you got to know the other three first-years when you joined 

“Everyone, (Y/N) will be joining us for the rest of the school year. Please behave, especially you, Satoru.” Yaga states as you walk up to the front of the classroom.

You were nervous, there was no hiding that. This was the first time you interacted with sorcerers outside of the Zenin clan. 

“Please take care of me!” You say, bowing.

When you stood upright again, you took in your classmates for the next four years. The guy with bone-white hair and round shades caught your eye immediately. His hair looked fluffy, and you wanted to run your fingers through it. He was slumped sideways in his chair, arms draped to his side and his feet crossed on the table in front of him. He was attractive, you had to admit.

“This has to be a joke, Sensei. How is a person with no cursed energy ever going to become a sorcerer?” The light-haired man spoke, with a teasing lilt.

Well, he was attractive to you until he opened his mouth. 

The first sentence that came out of Gojo Satoru’s mouth immediately left a bad taste in your mouth

It was that day where you decided that he had a shitty personality and that you did not like him

Once your life at Jujutsu High settled into a routine, you began to adjust and get more comfortable with who you were

You would hang out in the morgue with Shoko when you were bored but didn’t want to train

You would train hand-to-hand with Suguru because he was the only one who could keep up with you in that regard

You didn’t hang out with Gojo too often; after that first interaction, you believed that he was like the people in your family back home

Gojo initially thought that you were a helpless non-sorcerer who had overly ambitious dreams until he saw you spar for the first time

Crickets chirped in the background as the sun beat down on you and Suguru overhead. The dull “clack” of wood on wood echoed through the training grounds. You and Suguru had become regular sparring partners since you revealed yourself as an excellent physical fighter and cursed tools user. 

You attacked from the sides quickly, before aiming one decisive, forward thrust towards Suguru’s chest. Caught off guard, he raised his waster to block the attack sloppily. Taking advantage of the surprise, you quickly dropped down and swept at his legs, catching him off balance. Before he had a chance to react, the tip of your waster was resting lightly on his chest. You were both breathing heavily from the exertion and heat. A beat later, you lower your weapon and help the other up, smiles on both your faces as Suguru punches your shoulder in a friendly gesture.

Taking a break from the session, the both of you sit on the side of the field, taking a water break.

Unbeknownst to you, Gojo and Shoko were just walking past the fields and had witnessed the entire exchange.

Gojo found himself unable to tear his eyes off you. He had seen other people fight with swords, but none were ever as graceful as you. You moved like water, each motion flowing into each other seamlessly. It seemed so effortless, but Gojo knew that what you were capable of was only possible with years of dedicated training. 

“Satoru, you’re staring,” Shoko spoke. 

“No! I-I wasn’t.” Gojo bit back, his cheeks and ears flushing pink.

“Sure, I believe you.” She chuckled.

So okay, maybe Gojo thought that you were attractive when you were fighting

It was something that was absolutely objective, really

At least, that was what he tried to convince himself

Okay, so maybe he had a tiny, tiny crush on you, but he didn’t really know how to go about it since you guys never talked

So he resorted to getting your attention in a mature way

By annoying the fuck out of you

“Oh look, it’s my favorite non-curse user!” He would squeal whenever he would see you and drape himself over your shoulder.

“Fuck off, Gojo.” You would huff before peeling him off you.

Initially, he had succeeded, and you had found it annoying

But as he did it more often, it became the dynamic between you two

You were cooking in the communal kitchen when the tall man had made himself known in all his lanky glory.

“How’s my favorite armrest doing this fine evening?” He spoke, opening the fridge.

“I’m doing better than your string bean-looking ass.” You shot back as you stirred the ramen cooking in the saucepan in front of you.

“You hurt me, truly.” Gojo responds, dramatically leaning against the fridge.

You began to understand why Gojo was the way he was, and slowly, a friendship formed despite the rocky start

You were on good terms, until the first time you were assigned a harder mission with Gojo

It was a semi-grade one, and the higher-ups were originally going to send Geto, but he had been whisked away on another mission

So Yaga assigned the mission to you instead of Geto

For this mission, you brought one of your favourite weapons, Shisui

Shisui was a katana that could absorb and accumulate cursed energy and release it  

The fight against the curse started well, but quickly went downhill when Gojo destroyed one of the walls in the building, and it started collapsing

You had to dodge the debris and the curse’s attacks at the same time, which was honestly a hassle

The curse was smart; it had caught on to how much the collapsing building was giving you trouble, and strategically positioned itself in front of the other wall, hoping to trick Gojo into destroying the other wall

However, you had picked up on it

Gojo had already pointed his fingers towards the curse, who was floating right in front of the wall. If he fired Blue now, the building would definitely collapse.

Pushing off quickly, you dash towards the curse, intercepting Blue with Shisui. You gripped the hilt of the blade; it was built to absorb cursed energy, but withstanding the force of Blue was still no easy feat. 

You landed stably, before shooting off again, rushing the curse perpendicular to the wall. You gripped Shisui, charged with the cursed energy of Blue, and with a pinpoint-precise thrust, the semi-grade one was no more. However, what you failed to realize was that as the curse was exorcised, it had sent out its tendrils in an attempt to take down the two sorcerers. 

Focused on taking it down without destroying the building, you had left your side open. Three tendrils pierced your side, searing pain shooting up your torso. You fell onto one knee, using Shisui for support.

Your erratic pulse drummed in your ears, and black spots clouded your vision. Your limbs tingle as you reach a hand to your side, your uniform now wet with your blood.

“(Y/N)...(Y/N)!” You hear Gojo’s voice become softer and softer as you slump over.

Gojo is the one to take you back to school with his teleportation

He appears in the morgue, frantic and panicked with your injured body in his arms

Shoko takes over immediately, using her RCT on your injuries

She tells Gojo that you will be fine and that you just need rest, but he refuses to leave your side

When you eventually wake up, you immediately get a lecture from Gojo 

“(Y/N), I had it handled. You didn’t have to jump in.” He stated.

“You would’ve collapsed the building, Satoru. That would’ve caused trouble for both of us.” You reasoned.

“You were being reckless; you should’ve left everything to me.” 

“Reckless? Me?” You started incredulously, “Well yeah, not everyone has Infinity as a get-out-of-jail-free card, so sorry, Gojo-sama, for worrying about getting crushed by a building.”

“Well this get-out-of-jail-free card could’ve exorcised the curse without getting stabbed in the side! Thrice!” Gojo exclaimed, frustrated that you weren’t understanding his logic.

“You should just go alone next time, seeing as you obviously don’t need my help. You could just say it to my face if you think I’m not good enough, no need to play pretend.” You spat.

“(Y/N), that’s not-” 

“I think you’ve said enough. I don’t want to talk to you right now.” You cut him off once again. He seems to hesitate before turning and leaving the morgue.

You hadn’t noticed earlier, but your eyes were watery

Whether from frustration or from betrayal that Gojo looked down on you this entire time, you didn’t know

Shoko gave you a reassuring look before rushing off after Gojo

She finds Gojo sitting under a tree right outside the school building, holding his head in his hands

Shoko lights a cigarette, plopping down next to him

“I don’t understand why he’s so stubborn. If he let me handle the curse he wouldn’t have needed to get hurt.” Gojo speaks, head still in his hands.

“You? Worried about someone getting hurt instead of whether they are slowing you down? Who are you and what have you done to the real Gojo Satoru?” Shoko replies.

Gojo feels his cheeks and ears heat up.

“I know you like him. You’re not exactly subtle with it. You should probably make it clear that you’re worried about him and not looking down on him, before he has time to convince himself otherwise.” Shoko speaks before taking a hit of her cigarette.

Many things are running through Gojo’s head, but the main thing his mind was screaming at him was how maybe his crush was something more

Initially he was drawn to you because of how good you were with cursed tools

But after spending more time with you, he realized that he cared about you 

In a way where he wanted to protect you, to hear your laugh and to see you happy

He’s never felt this deeply about anyone, or anything for that matter

He stands abruptly, rushing back towards the morgue

While this conversation was happening, you received a call from your clan 

They have not contacted you since you left so you were curious

You picked up, putting them on speaker

“(Y/N). We heard that you got injured badly.” Your mother’s voice, “We’ve deliberated with the elders. We are allowing you to return to the estate, (Y/N). We’ve been trying to tell you that you aren’t suited for the sorcerer life and today was just proof of that. The Jujutsu World doesn’t need any more weak sorcerers; you’ll just get in the way.” She spoke softly.

You could feel the tears well up once again, and you sobbed when you couldn’t keep them back. You knew that you had the odds stacked against you when you decided to pursue becoming a Jujutsu sorcerer. You had thought that you found people who viewed you as equal, people who respected your own skills, until Gojo had made you realise that he had looked down on you this entire time. 

You had thought that maybe, just maybe that you guys were friends, or even more, when he would entertain your banter and be physically affectionate with you. It hurt that this entire time, you were a joke to him. He didn’t even think you could handle that curse working in a team with him, let alone by yourself.

It hurt.

You were letting the tears flow freely down your face, now that the dam had broken. 

“(Y/N)-” Your father had started speaking but you stopped listening when you saw who was at the door. Unbeknownst to you, Gojo had overheard the entire conversation.

“Gojo, I told you I didn’t want to talk to you right now.” You spoke shakily, averting his gaze.

“(Y/N),  I-I came to apologize, actually.” Your eyes widen in surprise.

“You? Apologising?” You couldn’t stop yourself before those words tumbled out of your mouth.

Gojo looked down at the floor, face flushing. 

“Look, I didn’t mean to say what I said before- I thought that- What I meant to- How I meant-” He struggled with his words, but you waited for him to finish patiently, “I’m sorry I made you think that I didn’t want your help, or that you’re not good enough. That’s not what I meant.” He made his way towards you, kneeling at your bedside, resting his arms and head on the edge of the bed. He grabs your hand.

“I just got really scared that I had lost you, and I-I really care about you, (Y/N).”

You look down at Gojo, still processing his words. Your father’s voice cuts through the silence.

“-the weak don’t have to pretend to be strong. Give up this act and return at once, (Y/N).” It reminded you of your current circumstance and fresh tears rolled down your cheeks. 

Observing your distress, he picks up the phone before you could react. 

“Oi Zenin, (Y/N) here is one of the best cursed tool users this school has seen, so shut the fuck up before you start talking about someone you know nothing about. He’s one of the kindest, most considerate and strong sorcerers around, and he could wipe the floor with you guys in his sleep, so fuck off with your bullshit. Byeeeee~” Gojo singsongs before hanging up.

“I can’t believe you just did that.”

Gojo’s expression returns to the more serious one from early. He gets up, cupping your face in both his hands.

“I’m being serious, (Y/N). You’re an amazing person, and I’m mad that I made you feel otherwise.” He pauses before continuing, “And. I’ve been meaning to tell you this, but I have feelings for you, and I think I’ve been feeling this way for a while. Uh, it’s okay if you don’t return my feelings, and I understand if-”

You don’t let him continue, pulling him in by his arms and kissing him. He freezes for a moment before he reciprocates. When the two of you part for air, he rests his forehead on yours.

“I have feelings for you too, Satoru.” You speak softly.

He chuckles, capturing your lips with his.

[blue-aconite]

homecoming || j.h.s

Summary: This time, he had someone waiting for him. This time, he was coming home to someone. 

Warnings: fluff, jake being emotional and soft (yes that is a warning), no use of y/n

Word Count: 1.6k

Pairings: Jake Seresin x f!reader

Authors Note: Thanks to @a-reader-and-a-writer & @demxters for looking this over for me. mwah 😘

Long deployments had never bothered Jake. He had nothing at home waiting for him, so it didn’t matter that he was away for months at a time. Or at least that was what he tried to tell himself. 

For years, he had tried his best to believe that, since it meant that it hurt less seeing all the families reuniting when they docked. It meant he felt less lonely when his colleagues went home and he went back to the housing unit offered by the Navy. It meant he could fool himself that he didn’t need anyone. 

He was wrong. Jake knew he was just as human as anyone else but it hurt to admit because he didn’t have anyone. 

While Javy and his family always extended an invitation to join them, Jake felt bad intruding on their private time, no matter how many times Javy assured him it was no problem. Yet he had always declined. 

But this time it was different. Jake felt almost giddy, bouncing on his feet as he waited for his turn to leave the ship. 

This time, he had someone waiting for him. This time, he was coming home to someone. 

“Excited to see your girl?” Javy clapped him on the shoulder as they waited in line. 

Excited was an understatement. For the first time in years, he had someone waiting for him. Someone who had missed him. Someone who loved him. 

Jake smiled, thinking about Skip. “Hell yeah. I can’t wait.” 

Javy smiled as well, infected by the good mood his friend was sporting. “I’m happy for you. Are we still on for Friday?” 

Charlotte, Javy’s longtime girlfriend had wanted them to get together before their leave started. They were set to have a four-week leave, so she and Javy were planning to visit his family in New Orleans. 

“Yeah. Skip said she took the rest of the week off so we can meet you guys whenever.” Jake wanted nothing more than to just stay at home with Skip but Charlotte insisted on dinner before she and Javy left. 

Somewhere ahead it was announced that they could finally get moving. Jake wasted no time in slinging his bag over his shoulder and making his way towards the exit, Javy on his heels. 

The heat hit him as he headed down the walkway, the California sun beating down on them. Javy made a beeline for Charlotte the moment he saw her, telling Jake to call him later. There were bodies all around him as Jake swept the crowd for his girlfriend. It wasn’t easy in the sea of people and for a moment he worried. 

What if she wasn’t here? What if, during his time away, she had found someone better? Maybe she had gotten tired of waiting for him to come home? 

As his mind spiralled, Jake barely heard his name being called. His hand tightened around the strap of the bag as he tried to navigate away from all the people. He felt trapped and he pushed his way past a couple embracing, trying the leave the crowd. 

“Jake!” 

He looked up when he heard his name, heart pounding in his chest. Skip was standing away from the mass of people, a bouquet in her hand. Jake dropped his bag as she barrelled towards him, catching her as she threw her arms around him. 

Jake felt all the tension leave his body the moment she was back in his arms. He breathed her in, arms tightening around her. 

“I missed you so much,” Skip mumbled against his skin as she sniffled into his neck. 

“I missed you more, baby. Are you crying?” The thought that she was crying because he missed him was surreal. Jake never thought someone would. 

“No, I'm not crying. This is just my body getting rid of all the excess water.” She leaned back, smiling. 

He couldn’t help but laugh as he picked her up and spun her around. He cupped her face after putting her down, kissing her gently. More tears wet his cheeks and he leaned back, worry etched across his face. 

“Is this happy excess water or sad?” He joked, wiping away her tears. 

Skip laughed. “They’re happy, I promise. Oh, before I forget, these are for you.” She held out the flowers for him to take. 

Jake felt touched by the simple gesture. Nobody had ever given him flowers before and that fact that Skip had brought tears to his eyes. He cleared his throat to get rid of the emotions threatening to wash over him. 

“Thank you, darlin’. I’ve never gotten flowers before.” Jake tried to sound indifferent, like it wasn’t a big deal but Skip saw right through him. 

“That’s stupid. You deserve all the flowers, baby.” It warmed his heart and he pulled her in for another kiss, unable to say what he was feeling. Skip smiled against his lips, wrapping her arms around his waist. She always understood him, even when Jake barely knew what he needed.  

“Do you want to go home or wanna get something to eat first?” She asked when they broke apart. 

Jake wanted nothing more than to just go home and cuddle Skip on the couch. “Home, please.”

Skip refused to let him drive, pushing him towards the passenger door. 

Stepping through the door into their shared home brought a fuzzy warm feeling to his chest, feeling like he was finally home. 

“Okay, so how about you take a shower and I’ll order some food? We can watch a movie and just cuddle on the couch.” Skip rummaged through the kitchen drawer, probably looking for a takeout menu. 

“You’re too good for me,” Jake mumbled as he wrapped his arms around her, lips finding the back of her head. 

Skip turned in his embrace, a somewhat sad expression on her face. “No. You deserve good things. All I’m doing is exactly everything you deserve,” she paused, hands finding his shoulders, “now, go shower. You smell like a boat and fuel.” 

Knowing she meant business, Jake kissed her once before trudging up the stairs. Her words replayed in his head, over and over. His heart felt full from all the affection. 

The sight that greeted him when he came back downstairs filled his heart even more. Skip had pulled all the blinds down, lighting a lot of candles that were scattered around the room. Chinese takeout was on the coffee table and Skip had pulled out what looked like every blanket and spare pillow they owned onto the couch. 

They ate straight out of the cartons, legs tangled together. Jake thrived on the physical affection as Skip rubbed a foot up and down his calf. Even something so simple told him how much he had missed it for a larger part of his life. 

They barely paid any attention to the movie, content to just be in each other's company again. 

As the end credits rolled down the screen, Skip was snoring quietly, her head pillowed on his chest. Jake took a moment to just take everything in, how it felt to finally be home again. As Skip shifted in his arms, burrowing closer, Jake decided there was nothing better. 

He didn’t want to wake his girl but he also knew what a night on the couch would do to his back. So he only felt a little guilty as he gently shook her. “Baby? We should go to bed.” He whispered, stroking her hair gently.

“No.” Skip mumbled, face hidden in his chest.

Jake chuckled. “But the bed is so much more comfortable than the couch.”

Skip shook her head, inching closer to him. “No.”

Deciding that he could face her wrath in the morning, Jake untangled himself from Skip, ignoring her squeak of protest, stretching his arms above his head before bending down and picking her up. “Let’s go to bed honey. You’ll sleep better there.”

Despite the short walk to the bedroom, Skip fell asleep again. Jake gently pulled the covers over her before going back to the living room to put out all the candles and turn the TV off. When he got back to the bedroom, Jake turned off the lights before crawling under the covers. He was about to reach for Skip when he got hit with the overwhelming feeling that he needed to be in her arms.

As if Skip could read his mind, she reached for him under the covers, pulling on his hand to tug him closer. “C’mere.”

Jake let himself be manhandled until he was resting his head on her chest, Skip’s hand in his hair, scratching his scalp gently. He pressed his nose to her pulse point, breathing her in. It felt very intimate and Jake felt himself relax fully as she continued her mistrations. 

“Thank you.” He whispered softly, eyes falling shut as he melted into her embrace, enjoying the way her skin felt against his. 

Jake took a shaky breath, trying to contain the emotions simmering underneath the surface. For the first time in 10 months, since he left Skip standing on the dock waving goodbye, Jake felt at peace. 

Skip pressed her lips to his forehead, humming softly. “I’m glad you’re home safe.”

Jake couldn’t find the right words, so he simply grabbed her free hand and intertwined their fingers, trying to convey his feelings through physical touch. As always, she understood exactly what he meant, chuckling softly. 

“I love you.” He whispered against her skin and felt his heart flutter when she echoed his sentiment. 

As they laid there, Jake thought about how he finally got the homecoming he always wished for.

Taglist: @wildbornsiren​ @therebeccaw @imjess-themess @antiquitea @fuckyeahhangman @writercole @hederasgarden @yanna-banana @bobfloydsbabe @hollandorks @anniesocsandgeneralstore @ereardon @luminousnotmatter @roosterscock @thedroneranger @fandomxpreferences @honkytonk-hangman @princessmisery666 @bradshawsbitch​ @a-reader-and-a-writer @green-socks @angstybluejay @seresinhangmanjake @ayorooster​@notroosterbradshaw​ @indynerdgirl @gigisimsonmars @girl-in-the-chairs-void@bradshawbabes @unhinged-btch @horseshoegirl @sadpetalsstuff @bradshawbaby @ahopelessromanticwritersworld @ummjustfics​ @septemberrie​ @somenamewithepineapple​ @seresinsweetie​​ @crescentwolf​ @seresinhangmanjake​ @waklman​ @roosterforme​ @rosiahills22​ @dempy​ @i0veless​ @ilovewriting06​ @kmc1989​ @demxters @amortentiadrops @teacupsandtopgun @hangmanscoming

[levvisworld]

Kinktober day 16 - hate fucking.

(Levixfem!reader)

You had hated your captain for as long as you could remember and although you where on his special operations squad with your other friends from the 104th cadet corps who where all scared of the captain you felt nothing but hate for him and weren’t fear to his scare tactics. Today was a particularly sunny day and Levi had your group training which you found yourself doing often because of his strict schedule, you could feel the beads of sweat dripping down your four head as you where brawling with mikasa and with punches flying towards your head leaving you with no other choice other than to move erratically and dodge your care was really starting to burn. Although you quickly put her on her ass a few minutes later. Dusting your hands off and helping her up you turned to your right to see Levi sitting on a bench sipping tea, something about you and the rest of your squad doing mass labour and him sitting around doing nothing made your blood boil.

“Captain, you planning on doing anything?” You asked snidely with one hand on your hip and the other wiping your soaking four head. His head raised and his striking hard eyes met your own as he spoke, “would you like to repeat that soldier?” He replied coldly void of most if not all emotions “Well I’m just pointing out how you’re just sitting on your ass while we’re training.” You spoke harshly as he stood quickly pacing over to you. “Oh yeah? Let’s see how you do against me then.”

Quickly prepping yourself by raising your fists and getting into a fighting stance but Levi had given you no time to do so before throwing punches in your direction almost throwing you off your feet completely, but you steadied your self before going up to him directly and successfully landing your second hit on his abdomen, the rest of the squad had now stopped they’re own training to see what was happening. You thought the fight was going good until he swept your leg although your reflexes where fast they where only enough to grab his collar and drag him down to the hard ground with you.

It was almost as if time froze as your faces where only inches away and his hot breath was fanning on your face, with one hand on your breast which was accidental and most likely from an attempt to catch himself from the fall the other beside your head. His cold eyes on your own and this point you couldn’t deny his attractiveness especially when he was this close to you. Too close. He shoved himself off of you and started to brush the dirt from himself, “don’t pull that dirty little move again soldier.” He scoffed before walking away.

Time had passed and now you were leaving the dinner table in headquarters and on your way to your own room. When you saw the door to Levi’s office/room slightly open you stepped lightly and peaked inside seeing there was no one there you opened the door walking inside. Getting inside you went over to his desk looking at his papers and opened the first drawer to see a book of some sorts, opening it you skipped threw the pages beautiful drawings sketched on each page until you stopped at one of yourself, he had drawn you beautifully. You drew your fingers over the lines on the page every little detail of you he had captured. You paused when you felt how breathing in your neck “doing something y/n?” He whispered and you turned around harshly to face him as he stared at you.

“C-captain. I-“ you stuttered taken back by his sudden appearance and how gorgeous he truly was before he shushed you and walked over to the door closing it and locking it he took a deep breath before speaking “you have made my life full of frustration ever since you joined the survey corps, frustration and temptation. There is something about you so evil but innocent, so tainted but pure, so.. so disgustingly sinister but you fill me with so much desire it’s baffling do you know what I would do to you if I could..” he spoke roughly stroking my face with the side of his finger. “The way I would take you, teach you to behave, punish you for your actions, take that innocence and crush between my own two hands?” He said bitterly almost growling.

Heat rose to your core and you could feel the burning, which could’ve explained what you said next. “Take me. Do it captain.” lust filling your voice as you spoke. Without hesitation he grabbed you by the wrist bringing you over to his own bed and checking you on your back. “Strip now.” He spat pulling his office chair infront of the bed manspreading while he sat down watching you eagerly, nervously you started to loosen the black leather straps around your thighs and arms letting them fall onto the bed, before unbuttoning your shirt while he was still watching you almost not blinking while you could see the obvious tent in his pants.

It didn’t take long for you to be on your back naked following his commands when you heard the clinking of his belt hit the floor and he crawled on top of you in nothing but underwear growling “you think you can disrespect me and get away with it? Huh? Yeah I bet you do fucking slut.” You held your breath as you knew you were in for the best punishment of your life. You felt his tip touch your aching core,before he slammed himself into you as you squirmed letting out a gasp of pain from his sheer size alone never mind the force he came into you at. Waisting no time he started slamming into you giving you no time to adjust to his girth ruthlessly, “L-Levi! God this hurts I- I need time” you stuttered as you suffered threw his unusual forms of discipline although in your mind you where enjoying the cruel aspect of it. “No. You will sit through your punishment” he grunted after a few minutes your pain was turned into pleasure and immense amounts of it. As you let out incoherent moans Levi was muttering non-understandable words to him self the ones you could make out only by a sliver was ‘stupid slut,bratty whore,I’ll teach you’ and somehow these words of hate turned you on even more.

Your walls were closing and you felt your finish on its way but Levi didn’t drop his pace, even when you had came he kept going. Squeezing your hips so hards you were sure to have bruises. Your next climax was close and at you were close to crying from the extreme amounts of pleasure you were receiving. “Levi fuck! I’m gonna… again…” you whimpered and he lifted a hand to palm your breast and land the other down to your clit rubbing it vigorously, he had still not came and this had you wondering if he ever would. If there ever was an end to this man’s possibilities. You came hard reaching around to his back and letting out your overwhelming sexual frustration. His hips were bucking faster and faster and a few seconds later he let out a groan and you felt the warmth of being filled up by his hot cum.He collapsed beside you as you felt your legs shake and you where grasping for air you could tell his eyes where heavy.

“Remember this next time you decide to be a brat. I won’t be as easy on you next time” he spoke quietly and cold as you felt a smile on your face, if this was the punishment you would be acting like a bitch a lot more often.

Word count - IM TIRED LEAVE ME ALONE!!

This is so shit ilkkkkk took me ages to write because I was super busy today!! Plus I’m super sleep deprived!

Also I don’t think there will be a Kinktober tmrw cus I’m super busy and out with friends to a Halloween event sorry loves!!

As always

- berry,love ya!

[thedeerman]

Niffty’s Story

This is my interpretation of Niffty’s backstory and how she ended up in Hell. It’s part of Do You Want To Know, so check it out if you like this!

It was a pretty quiet evening at the bar, Angel had somehow gotten the day off of work. It gave him some time to recover from his injuries, which was a blessing. Without much else to do, Husk decided to listen in on the conversation unfolding in front of him. When he heard the content matter, he thought to himself, this’ll be good.

“Okay, but if you wanna know, I have to set the scene! And no interrupting.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll be quiet.”

“So it starts, I dunno, towards the end of the 1940’s, maybe?”

We met when I was young, about 16, I think. I’d lived in my hometown for my whole life, but he had only just moved there. He was older than me, a lot older. Almost twice my age. But he was exactly my type. A bad boy. The kind that broke the rules, that did what everyone said not to. The kind that snuck around behind your house late at night to throw pebbles at your window even though he knew he wasn’t supposed to be there. The kind that would wink at you from across the church during the service just so you’d blush, or secretly stick a tiny note in your hand with the address he’d wait for you at later on…

He took a liking to me just as fast as I did to him. It started with a couple of glances and smiles, but it wasn’t long before I started skipping school just to spend the day with him. My Ma didn’t like it, but Daddy didn’t mind. He said it was good that I’d found myself a man so early in life. I dropped out of school before I finished, there wasn’t much reason to have a diploma when I already knew what I was going to do. I was going to be a wife.

It was great at first. We got married when I was 17 and my Daddy helped us buy a nice house across town. It wasn’t big or fancy, but I loved it. I loved everything about our house when we first moved there. The floors, the rooms, the garden, the kitchen, the huge, beautiful windows. I loved it because it was mine. It was ours.

My husband was so kind in the beginning. He was that flirty, confident, charming man that moved into town from far away and swept me off my feet. But slowly, he became someone else. Someone less kind. Someone that was still fun and charming when there were other people around, but at home it was different.

It was like there were two different versions of him, and everyone but me got the good one. The one that was funny and kind. It was so strange, seeing the way everyone loved him. The way they spoke about him like he was the best man alive, how they complimented me on my 'catch' of a husband. They loved him the way I did before, not seeing the other side. The other side was… Not great.

My husband, at home, was angry. At just about everything. At the neighbors (they’re watching us, I swear). At the dog (if you don’t get that fucking thing out of my way, I’ll put it out on the curb). At me (What the fuck were you talking about with him? It doesn’t take that long to get the fucking mail).

I did my best to hold my tongue, but sometimes I spoke out of turn. And when I did, he went from yelling to hitting. He didn’t hold back either. I wasn’t allowed to leave the house without him, so he didn’t care where the bruises landed. I had a black eye so often I started to not recognize my reflection without it. I liked to hide the handprints on my neck though, so I tended to wear a scarf. But things just went that way, back then. That’s just what being a wife was like.

And after the anger? I’d never been so pampered in my life! He would apologize over and over, cry in my arms, profess his undying love to me, and buy me anything my heart desired. He would even take me out places, sometimes. That’s what I wanted to do most, I wanted to go places. See things. Things other than the view out of my big, beautiful windows. And he knew it, so that’s the only time I got it. When he was sorry.

And that’s how it was for years. The home I used to love became my prison. I was so alone, with no one but myself and my little dog. And my husband. Can you really blame me when I say that, as much as I wanted to avoid setting him off, I started to do it on purpose? I would do something wrong, knowing it would make him angry. Leave a dish in the sink overnight or not iron his tie right or not have dinner ready as soon as he got home from work.

The wait was the worst part, honestly. Waiting for him to see what I’d done and find his way over to me, grabbing me by my hair or my shirt to drag me to where he’d show me what I’d done. But instead of bowing my head and saying how sorry I was, I would look him in the eye. And when he asked if I was sorry, I would say no.

And then it would happen again, another set of bruises. Another black eye. Another round of gifts and apologies and makeup sex. Thank Satan we never had children. I would’ve hated bringing them into that. But that’s how it went for a good few years. I'd be lonely, I’d make him mad, he’d hurt me, he’d give me what I wanted, and then it would start all over from the beginning.

Anyway! Now that the scene is set... To answer your question, this one day came when it had been a long time since I’d been out, away from the house. Months, maybe. The same thing had happened, I upset him, he hurt me, but now I got what I wanted. And all I wanted was to go out. So that’s what we did. We went to church in the morning, I hadn’t been in some time. I saw my parents and some old friends, and I was so happy.

During the service, my husband gave me one of those flirty winks that he used to all those years ago at this same church. It reminded me of how I’d fallen for him, and the things I loved about him when we met. It made me think for a minute, ‘ How did things get so royally fucked up?’ I mean, why is it that everyone else got all the best parts of him and I only got… Whatever the rest was?

He had promised to take me to the park down the road to feed the ducks, it was something we’d done together before we were married. I'd loved those little moments that we used to have. But he insisted we stop back home first, so we did. And when we walked into the kitchen, there was a knife in the sink. It had only been there since that morning, but for some reason it just set him off.

He told me that he changed his mind, that he didn’t think I deserved any more time out of the house, seeing as the amount of time I had to do my chores wasn’t enough. I didn’t understand, he usually didn’t do this. If he was sorry, he was sorry for at least a day. He didn’t get angry again for some time, usually. Not unless I was really pushing my luck.

But here he was, having given me the full punishment and was cutting my reward short. My very long-awaited reward. I couldn’t believe it. Something felt different inside me after that. Something broke, maybe. Or shifted. Or just changed. I’m not sure, but it never changed back.

I was going to just do as he said, just clean the thing and maybe bake him something nice and ask to go to the park the next day. That sometimes worked. But then, as I was cleaning the knife, I heard a ‘yelp!’ I turned around and my poor doggy was limping, and my husband was yelling at her. He said he was tired of tripping over her, that he never should have gotten her for me, that she was a mistake and so was I.

My husband picked up my poor little dog by the collar and opened the window and threw her right out. It was the first floor of the house, so she didn’t have far to go. But she wasn’t a puppy anymore and she took the fall hard. She was yelping and crying, and my husband was still yelling at her through the window.

I didn’t even know I still had the knife in my hand until I got closer to him. I was angry. I was tired. I was done with him. Now he’d gone and done this. I saw the knife in my hand and I thought… Why not? Why shouldn’t I treat him the way he treats me? And I didn’t have an answer. I wasn’t planning to kill him, but I wanted him to hurt. So I jabbed him with the knife, right in the back!

But after that, it was odd. Once I’d done it the one time, I felt like maybe it wasn’t actually enough. So I decided to do it again, and it still seemed like too little of a punishment. So I decided I’d just do a whole bunch of quick little jabs and that would do it. And then… Well, I’m not sure. I guess stabbing was just too fun! Next thing I know, I’m on top of him, still stabbing. I’m not even sure if he made noise, I was laughing too loud to hear much else. Blood was all over. My face, my arms, my clothes, my floor, even my gorgeous picture windows were splattered with red. I hadn’t had such a rush in… probably my whole life!

After I got tired of the stabbing, I decided that now I could do as I pleased. I didn't know if my husband was dead, and I hardly cared. My dress was covered in blood, but I figured it might just look like a red dress to whoever passes by. So I put a fresh apron over it and gathered my kitchen scraps and walked to the park. My poor little dog had wandered off, I recall thinking how much I hoped she’d come home.

But as I got to the park and sat at the bench, I noticed a good few people looking at me. Maybe my dress wasn’t so normal looking after all. Or was it the rest of the blood? I'd hardly even wiped my face; it was still sticky with his blood. I didn’t have it in me to care. I sat and tossed scraps to the ducks for quite some time. I remember thinking that I should miss my husband, I should be turning to say something to him and then realizing he isn’t there. I should be mourning. But I wasn’t, I didn’t miss him at all. For the first time in five years, I was free. I sat there, giggling to myself. I felt great!

I didn't even pay any attention to the blood still on my hands, and the ducks were eating up bits of it that smeared onto the vegetables I was feeding them.

That was where I died, by the way. That park. Someone must've called the police when they saw me covered in blood walking down the street. They came and found me not long after, I think maybe the blood all over scared them. Or the smile. I hadn’t been able to stop smiling, I was so happy. I didn’t quite catch what they were saying when they spoke to me, so I stood to get closer.

But suddenly, I wasn’t walking forwards anymore. Something had pushed me back, like I had been shoved really hard in the chest. And then again. And then a third time. I was still smiling, just a bit confused? But the third one knocked me off balance, and I think it might have hit me somewhere important too.

I fell backwards, hit the ground, and the last thing I saw was a little bug in the grass. It was all red, of course. Blood was everywhere! I don’t know if it was my husband’s or mine or maybe both. I don’t remember much after that other than wondering… Shouldn’t I hear my blood rushing? Where did my heartbeat go?

Angel’s eyes were wide with horror as he cleared his throat and said, “Uhh… Niff, I asked about the best day of your life. Like, the one you enjoyed the most?”

Niffty let out a giggle as she rolled her eye and looked at Husk, who was just shaking his head. Finally he said, “She heard ya, Angel.”

Check out the rest of Do You Want To Know? here!

[hotcheetohatredwastaken]

Febuwhump Day 12 -- Semiconsciousness

Four hated the portals.

He hated them for a lot of reasons, a lot of good reasons. It was never fun to be swept off of one’s feet and deposited into a world that wasn’t their own. It separated friends from friends—his heart ached for Shadow—inhabitants of eras from their own timelines, it even stole one of his earrings, one rough morning where they were all stolen directly out of their beds. Sometimes the heroes found themselves dropped into chaotic battlefields, into icy tundra, into the very middle of deep lakes, every time without warning before and usually without a chance to catch a breath afterwards. The portals were uncomfortable, inconvenient, and above all, inconsiderate to those that they ferried from era to era as if they were nothing more than cargo to be taken wherever the whims of the Goddess pleased.

But the headaches that came with them, every blasted time. Oh, the headaches, and the nausea, and the disorientation. That was enough to make Four want to hang up his mantle of hero and go take a long, undisturbed nap, hopefully one that lasted forever. Unfortunately, that nap was not available because he was one of those said heroes, and a hero did not rest until their quest was completed, especially not in an era that wasn’t his own.

Still, it seemed that they had been dropped neither into a battle nor a lake this go around, and the grass upon which he found himself lying was nice, all things considered. Four didn’t remember stepping into the portal, and he didn’t remember stepping out, but the headache brewing behind his eyes and between his temples was testament enough to what had happened. The memory would come later, it always did when he thought about it hard enough. But he’d do so later, when everything wasn’t quite so sunny and swoopy and off balance. Four let out a hiss and threw an arm up over his eyes, shielding them from the brightness of the sky that he knew to be looming overhead. He gripped his fingers into the long strands of grass cushioning his rest, anchoring himself to earth spinning underneath his back—if he got up now, in his untethered state, he almost feared he could be flung off of the surface of the planet itself with the momentum of its rotations, and he’d be lost among the stars, his quest forever unfinished.

That’s a little dramatic, Vio, Four thought to himself. Nevertheless, he didn’t let go of his handholds that kept him anchored to the world itself as his head spun and throbbed and churned.

No, that was his stomach churning. He was going to vomit, Four realized with a start of rising panic. Abandoning his hold of the grass, Four only just managed to prop himself onto an elbow and lean over before his stomach emptied its own contents quite violently. Once the contractions wracking his body and compounding with his aching head to make his body into an unholy roar of pain passed—there went Wild’s rice and mushrooms that he’d made them for breakfast—he reared away from the puddle of sick, groaning.

“Foooour~,” Warrior’s voice drawled in a sing-song tone nearby. “Smithy, how’s it going over there? Don’t tell me these portals still get to you.”

Cheeky bastard. Warrior had never had a problem with the portals, owing to his experience with them in his War of Eras, a few years before he’d met the rest of them, he claimed. Realistically, Four knew it was a blessing that at least one of their members could be expected to be completely level-headed upon stepping out of a portal, no matter how bumpy the ride may have been, so that they were equipped to defend themselves and ready to face whatever threat was on the other side of it; right now, Four wished he could make him experience just a fraction of what it felt like, even if he had to throttle him to get the intended effects.

“Alright, Captain,” Four answered blearily as he pushed himself up onto his elbows with the greatest effort. His eyes streamed from the combination of the bright sun, his still-growing headache, and his earlier vomiting—at the thought his stomach clenched, threatening to go again—so that he was only able to open them in little pathetic slits. “Just dizzy.”

“Wow, it really got you this time,” Warrior laughed. Tall boots stopped in front of Four, just at the edge of his vision. “Can you walk, you think?”

Four took stock of his own condition, considering it. His body existed as one uncoordinated pulse of pain—his head throbbing, his stomach churning, the world still tilting and swooping jerkily beneath him, though it didn’t seem in danger of catapulting him into the stratosphere anymore. “No…” Four began, his tongue heavy with guilt. They’d have to compensate for him, again, like they almost always had to. “I don’t think so, Captain. I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to apologize for, dear Smithy, we’ve got you,” Warrior quipped back. Those boots walked away, and Four dropped his head into the cool grass, squeezing his eyes shut, as another wave of nausea and dizziness threatened to consume him. “Everything looks to be safe right now. Twilight, can you carry him?”

A grunted answer, then a shadow fell over Four. Four sighed, bracing himself as best as he could manage, and blindly thrust a hand upwards. What had to be Twilight pulled him up and off of his feet completely—Four pressed his lips together tightly as he fought to breathe through the new wave of nausea that arose from the movement, he would not vomit all over Twilight—and he found himself slung over furry shoulders similar to a baby lamb with a broken leg.

“Thanks…” he mumbled, heat rising in his cheeks, as he tucked his forehead against Twilight’s cloak. Nearly every portal, now, the heroes were forced to compensate for him. While the others’ tolerance had grown better over time, his only seemed to get worse and worse. “I hate this…” The words were already past his lips before he realized that he’d said anything at all.

“Don’tchu worry your pretty lil’ head ‘bout a thing,” Twilight answered affectionately. He tugged Four’s hood down over his face for him, sending the bell at the end of it jingling. It blessedly blocked out the worst of the sun, allowing him to un-squint his eyes at last. “You just get yourself some rest, n’ we’ll find you somewhere to lie down for a bit, yeah?”

That sounded like a good idea, actually. In seconds, Four was out, slumbering uneasily against Twilight’s shoulder as the world rocked in a steady rhythm beneath him, the movement no longer nauseating but instead lulling him to deeper sleep.

Read this on ao3! HCH Febuwhump Day 12 — Semiconscious

Or check out the whole series here! HotCheetoHatred's Febuwhump

[jenos-eye-smile]

catching the dreamies looking at you :))

nct dream scenarios where they can't take their eyes off uuuuuu

MARK

you and mark spent sooooo long bickering over what food to order but eventually you decided on pizza. the delivery arrived and you tucked in straight away.

halfway through the meal, your cheeks stuffed, you feel mark's eyes hovering over you. looking up, you catch him with a broad smile plastered across his face. "what? what are you looking at?" you grunt, mouth still full. "aigooo. look at you" he replies, leaning forward and wiping crumbs off your lips with his thumb, pinching your cheek and chuckling to himself. "cute" he whispers under his breath.

RENJUN

exam season was getting close and you had decided to study alongside renjun in the library. you worked together for a while but now the two of you had become super focused and continued your essays in silence. it was then that you realised that you could no longer hear renjun typing.

looking up from your work, you see him solely concentrating on you, instead of his laptop screen. your eyes meet his, catching him a little off-guard. embarrassed, he blushes and covers his grin with his hand. "sorry," he apologises, "i got a little distracted", he says smiling sweetly at you.

JENO

you had a hectic week at work and couldn't wait to meet up with jeno at the weekend to de-stress. he greeted you with a sweet eye-smile and a warm bear hug.

you were now sitting opposite each other in a local cafe giving him a debrief on all the office gossip. you found yourself rambling on and on and realised that jeno was no longer chipping into the conversation. "jeno? are you listening?". he looked startled at the mention of his name. "yes yes, i am sorry" he says "i-" he pauses, "it's just-" again he stutters. "you just look so pretty today, i can't take my eyes off you". you giggle and he joins in too, grinning broadly at you. (.◜◡◝)

HAECHAN

you had fallen asleep in haechan's warm embrace, his arms wrapped tightly around your waist, and your faces just inches apart. haechan shuffled backwards to get a better view of you. he couldn't get over how cute you looked. your eyes tightly closed, mouth slightly agape, chest rising gently with each breath.

unable to resist touching you, he repeatedly swept his thumbs lightly over your soft cheeks and pink lips, not once taking his eyes off you. the feeling of his smooth finger brushing across your skin made you wake and your eyelids flutter open. too tired to ask questions, you pull him in closer again and snuggled into his chest. "i love you" he whispers, squeezing you tightly. "i love you too" you reply.

JAEMIN

jaemin was walking you back home late at night after a date at the cinema together. you were both so engrossed in discussing the plot of the movie, that you barely noticed when the pavement started to spot with rain.

the rain began to get heavier. you look at each other panicked, as you realise neither of you had packed an umbrella. "it's okay" you reassured him "we can run home and dry off there!". and so the both of you began sprinting through the rain. you were soaked from head to toe within minutes. at this point you gave up on trying to avoid the puddles and ran straight through them instead, jumping and splashing water everywhere like children and giggling as you got progressively more sodden. you look up from stomping your feet and see jaemin flashing a smile. "i love seeing you so happy" he says. you flash a smile back and run towards him. he opens his arms and you collide with him, hugging his waist tightly "you make me happy" you whisper.

CHENLE

it was a cold evening and you were wrapped up in one of chenle's cosy hoodies. it was farrrrr too big for you. you had huge sweater paws and when the hood was pulled up, the fabric fell infront of your eyes causing chenle to giggle uncontrollably. subsequently his dolphin laugh caused you to have a laughing fit too.

later on, exhausted from all the laughter, the two of you huddled together on the sofa, scenes flashing on the tv. you were engrossed in the movie, chenle however was not. instead he kept glancing in your direction, softly smirking at you. your eyes catch his own momentarily and you smile back. after a few seconds chenle erupts in laughter once again and you join in, only stopping when you were both out of breath. "you're too adorable" he chuckles, ruffling your hair.

JISUNG

you were both in need of some fresh air after spending a lazy sunday morning cuddling in bed together. jisung had suggested a slow stroll around the local park so you could both get some sunshine and a stretch. the spring flowers were all in bloom making the air smell sweet like honey.

all of a sudden, a tiny snow white puppy sprang on you, jumping up at your feet. immediately, you kneel down and pet its soft fur. jisung however, still surprised at the arrival of the dog, was slightly hesitant to join you. "look at its cute little face!! there's nothing to be frightened of" you say, looking up at jisung while cupping the puppy's face. "aren't you just the cutest?" you continued, now directing all your attention back at the dog. "not as cute as you though" jisung murmured under his breath. "huh? what was that?" you teased, looking back up at him. "nothing" he replied, smiling brightly as he finally knelt down on the grass next to you.

[naha-division]

“If one chooses the simple things then you’ll find joy in nature’s treasures”

Timeline 

Age 0

Born to the only child to Kai and Izumi Sakuma in Naha, Okinawa. 

Age 1

His grandparents, Toumo and Chinatsu Sakuma from his father's side while Kosei and Ran Nagata from his mother’s side, visiting Naha to see their grandchild for the first time.

They stayed at their homes to spend time with the Sakuma family only for every summer.

Age 3

His parents’ took him for swimming lessons when he was just a toddler. The lesson brings him to enjoy the water.

At home, he spent longer in the bathtub after discovering his first love for swimming.

He cries a lot whenever his parents try to pull him out from there.

His mother bought a dolphin stuffed toy to calm him down, which surprisingly works.

Age 6

His mother and father received a call from their grandparents that their homes were demolished due to the heavy storm in Toyama.

They thought about staying at their place permanently and the parents’ agreed to it.

His grandparents arrived in Naha 5 months after.

This is the first time he saw his grandparents but he was very shy around them. On the other hand, they were pleased to see him again for a long time. 

Later on, his parents weren’t around with him at the house because of their busy work. Instead, his grandparents were there for him throughout his life.

They made a special bond together. 

Age 7

Two of his grandfathers made a partnership to start their own business of a fish market.

Usually went to his father’s fishing boat to watch him work by catching loads of fishes. 

He wants to try catching fish by himself.

Caught the biggest fish on his 30th tries and his dad was proud of him.

His father told him tales about sea monsters. He actually believed them and wanted to see one in person.

They had an idea to hunt for it just for fun but in disappointment, they never found any.

Age 10

His grandparents, Kosei and Ran, brought him to the aquarium where his mother works to watch the dolphin show. 

While waiting for the show to start, he looked around the area to see all the different fishes in the aquarium and was fascinated by it.

Age 12

Begin middle school.

He was a bit anxious about meeting his new classmates but Kyo managed to  make friends in his class.

He connects with at least 4 people in his class by finding a bridge in love for swimming and making up their group named GO FISH.

There wasn’t any problem with his academics, although he often got himself into a lot of trouble by the teacher for skipping class to sneak into the school’s pool even when it wasn’t their class time yet.

Haven’t gone fishing with his dad for a long time so he thought about inviting him, along with his grandfathers, to go fishing together. 

They spent a really good time on the fishing boat, chilling.

Age 13

On his 13th birthday, Kyo invites his buddies to celebrate at his home.

He invites them to the beach once they finish eating the birthday cake. They were exploring a rocky tide pool area just to fool around playing adventures. 

Right in the middle of the afternoon, his friends thought it was time to go home but Kyo persuaded them to stay a little longer as he was having fun. His friends were reluctant to say no to him so they continued playing. 

Then a sudden wave swept the kids off their feet. Most of them managed to grab hold of a jagged rock, while Kyo was also holding onto the rock with one arm and his friend’s arm with the other. However, they were caught in the surge and his friend got struck in the head. Blood mixed with seawater as Kyo struggled to keep his friend afloat until the ambulance arrived.  

They heard good news from the surgeon that their friend survived but Kyo was left traumatized with blood and is blaming himself for hurting his friend.

The injury had such a huge impact on Kyo that he couldn’t bear the guilt stemming from his childish selfishness so he decided to distance himself from his friends to prevent from getting hurt in the future.

He is also going to prioritize coping with his trauma, first. After a few weeks, the GO FISH drifted apart.

Age 15

2 years passed, he frequently made an appointment with the doctor to recuperate his trauma but until now, he wasn’t able to get over it.

The doctor suggests he could try something new for a change that would help him recover.

On his 15th birthday, Kyo doesn’t feel like celebrating his birthday. Instead, he focuses on finding a new activity that his doctor recommended but none of them interest him.

He saw a surfer at the beach and watched them riding the waves from a distance. The surfer noticed and asked if he was interested. Since he had nothing to do at the moment, he was curious to learn about surfing.

He was taught about surfing and jet skiing by that surfer. They become somewhat friends and Kyo often visits their place after school.

Thanks to that, surfing has now become his favorite hobby. He threw himself into activities that kept him close to the ocean but far from the danger he associated with blood. Because of this, he was slowly forgetting about his past trauma.

Age 16

Starts high school

He was approached by many students and ended up having a lot of friends again. 

He somehow became popular due to his handsome looks and sociable nature. Many of the girls were falling for him, although he was clueless about their affection.

A girl from a different class confessed to Kyo and he gladly accepted her feelings although it was a friendzone situation so she thought that she had been rejected.

Joins the swimming club.

Participated in every swimming competition and won 1st place.

Age 17

Kyo was invited by his friends to watch a kabuki play.

He meets Naoki Hamasaki and was intrigued by the performance that he wanted to ask for his autograph while Naoki was captivated by his looks.

They’ve been seeing each other from time to time and he enjoys hanging out with Naoki so they’ve been acquaintances for a while.

He then visits the surfer’s place to inform them that he graduated but then, he saw the surfer packing their furniture to move out to Tokyo city because of the promotion they got. It was sad that they had to leave.

After his lifeguard friend left, he was inspired to become like them so he started to take the training course.

Age 18

He learns to enhance his swimming skills, water safety skills, first aid, and CPR/AED along the way.

Graduated in high school.

Age 19

Successfully passed a 2-year training course.

Becomes a lifeguard and starts his first day of his job.

Age 20

When he was on an afternoon stroll, he bumped into a person (which he unknowingly knew was a burglar) and gives him the valuables and runs away from the cops.

The cops found Kyo but they mistakenly apprehended him to be the suspect of burglary. 

He met Ryuunosuke Sekiguchi during the interrogation. Both of them shared the same goal of capturing the real culprit and they decided to help each other out of their predicament.

They were able to catch the burglar and they quickly became friends.

Age 22-present

Had a pretty peaceful life without any problems except having a loving family, his job, and lots of fangirls.

Helps Ryuunosuke to look for a third member for the team and recommended Naoki Hamasaki.

Willingly accepts Ryuunosuke’s offer to participate in the Division Rap Battle as a 2nd member of Wild Shīnu.

Schedule 

12:00 AM - 9:00 AM: Asleep

9:00 AM - 9:30 AM: Wakes up getting ready

9:30 AM - 10:00 AM: Breakfast with his family

10:00 AM - 10:20 AM: Heads to the beach 

10:20 AM - 10:40 AM: Chat with his fan club

10:40 AM - 3:30 PM: Doing lifeguard duties

3:30 PM - 4:00 PM: Break time, getting lunch from a nearby store

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM: A quick surfing with coworkers

4:30 PM - 5:00 PM: Closing the beach

5:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Meet up with Ryuunosuke and Naoki to practice rapping for the upcoming rap battle

7:00 PM - 8:40 PM: Bid farewell to his teammates and went for a private swim at the public pool

8:40 PM - 9:15 PM: Returns home 

9:15 PM - 10:00 PM: Making dinner with his family

10:00 PM - 10:20 PM: Helping around with chores

10:20 PM - 10:30 PM: Cool down stretches

10:30 PM - 12:00 AM: Free time, nothing particularly just bonding with his family

12:00 AM - 9:00 AM: Asleep

Character Hashtags

Regular Hashtags

#Guardian of the ocean

#Positivity keeps me alive

#Water is life 

Trauma Hashtags

#Stuck in the episodes

#Ihatebloodihatebloodihateblood

#Sudden panic attacks

Other Info

Hobby: Surfing 

Weakness: Being so clueless

Trauma: “Every time I see red coming out of the body, I’ve lost my cool at the moment…..”

Twitter: ilive4sea

Drinks: Yes

Smoke: No

Special Skill: “I can beatboxing. It’s really fun playing beats with your mouth”

Intro Quote: “Nice to meet you guys, I’m Kyō Sakuma. If you’re in a pinch, the hero of the Sea will save the day!”

Trauma Quote: ”I can’t breathe….n-no…this blood….GET IT OFF ME!!!”

[apphiarothowrites]

I’m back again bitch! Time travel time!

“Ace, he’s married.”

Three words but they knock the wind right out of his sails. Izou gives a sympathetic smile and rubs his shoulder. Aces vision starts to blur and he furiously wipes at his eyes, of course, why did he even think…

“Oh honey.” Soft hands and a yukata that smells of sandalwood embrace him, holding him tight as he bawls like a baby. Over someone who had never been his in the first place.

It’s rough for the first bit and it had taken a lot of gentle bullying, long nights of sleeplessness and more than one crying session for Ace to not exactly stop being in love but at the very least accepting the love was one sided.

And of course marco had eventually found out, which had lead to Ace trying to throw himself off the ship multiple times until the older man had cornered him in his cabin. He had ignored all of aces pleas on ‘forget about it’ and ‘really I’m ok it’s just a crush’ and ‘I will go through the window! Don’t think I won’t!’

And he had just hugged him. It was weirdly un awkward for how awkward it should be, the hug was warm and full of love. (Just not that kind of love) and is of not to leave anything to chance marco told him directly “I love you” and kissed his forehead. And for once Ace didn’t doubt the man’s words.

Time went on, things got better. Sometimes ace did catch himself looking a little too longingly but kept those moments to himself. Things for the most part settled down.

Then Marco got a letter, everyone knew he got a letter because a crow had flown right into the mess hall and planted it on his head. It did not help that Marcos entire face had lit up at the sight and he immediately ran from the mess clutching the letter like a maiden getting post from her solider.

Marcos husband was coming to visit.

Marcos husband was coming to visit.

Oh no

Ace wasn’t exactly scared, marco knew about his crush and was fine with it. So there’s no reason that his husband would be all in a tiff right? And his husband seemed like a decent guy from what he could hear, lover of bad jokes, would do anything for marco. Kind of an idiot.

But then again thatch jokes all the time about his jealous husband, often sitting himself in Marco’s lap before going ‘don’t tell your husband, he’ll set something on fire again.’

So ace wasn’t worried but maybe concerned and Jesus when was this guy gonna get here?

A week before Marcos birthday, a loud cheer erupted from deck and pulled ace from a groggy slumber. He emerged on deck, still in his boxers because fuck proprietary he was up till 4am on watch. Just in time to see marco swept off his feet and into a very deep kiss by a tall handsome man.

Ace blinked and then the man was in front of him holding out his hand “names russett!” He laughed “but just call me Russ.”

Ace stared at him, Russ was tall maybe an inch shorter than Marco. Scruffy beard. Dark red wavy hair that piled up into a messy knot on his head. Gold glinting from his ears. An open floral shirt hinted at some sort of scarring on his chest.

“Ace.”

Russ’s face did a complicated thing before his eyes softened and he took the younger man’s hand “nice to meet you Ace.”

3 months later Ace dies on the battlefield in his brothers arms.

The last thing he thinks about is Russ and the night he asked if his hopeless crush would ever go away.

Grey eyes had turned pensive. “You’ll love him even after death.”

Ace dies

Minutes later he opens his eyes back up to see marco checking him over for injuries. “We pulled you out of the water, how the fuck did you get burns of all things?”

Ace mumbles a non response because why does marco look so young? And where is the fight? Unfortunately blue flames light up around his torso (fuck akainu) and darkness claims ace once more.

It takes him a couple waking and subsequent fainting sessions to figure it out.

White beard looking far healthier than ace had ever seen him asks his name.

Ace gives his best roguish grin “Russett, but you can call me Russ.”

Additional notes

- Ace stares at Marco, he remembered the man mentioned having a “promiscuous youth.” But goddam, he nearly walked into a pole when he spotted the gold bars on the others chest. Not to mention the hair, which he had only known as close cropped and shaved. Now it seems to be in a different style and length every week. (Later Marco discloses that his hair grows incredibly fast and the short cut was simply most efficient) but for now Ace watches a ponytail sway with sash covered hips.

- the scars are still there, the ones he got in his first life. Especially the one on his chest. Luckily or maybe unluckily the scarring on his back has taken out any trace of his previous tattoo.

- he meets Roger, he remembers this remembers Russ telling him a bout the father he only got to meet “after it was too late” and realizing that his father maybe wasn’t all that awful. And Roger really isn’t that awful, the way he acts around the two cabin boys… Roger would’ve been a really good dad..

- he meets rouge who is nothing like he expected at all, loud, obnoxious. With a wicked smile. She is a lot like luffy honestly. She sees his freckles and immediately claims him as a long lost cousin

- he also meets dragon?!? Who should not be considered the most dangerous man in the world. Ace has to stifle a laugh as a mere child started cussing him out in rapid northern before hauling him away by the cloak.

(He sees dragon again once more, this time smiling dancing with a handsome woman who seems endeared and exasperated by the man’s antics)

- Russ has no devil fruit, but somehow he is very good at setting stuff on fire

- ace/russ becomes a wanderer, home base sphinx. He is mostly like a cat that does what he wants.

Marco is 22 Ace is 20,

On Marcos 23 he gets a coaster to add to his collection

24 he gets a letter and a kiss

25 he gets ace in his bed holding a strategically coaster (that covers nothing at all)

26 he gets a ring

- shanks hates Russ (not really) but he jealous that marco married another red head over him

—

I did toy with the idea of Russ deciding to adopt the asl in second rendition, but this is already so long. So you decide

I also toyed with this being Marcora but.. I wanted Marace to grow old together so no sexy clowns

Russ defo checks in on Dawn Island. He realizes exactly what's going on, but even so he's selfish. A closed loop this may be, but that doesn't mean he can't tweak what he can.

I'm so in love with this concept. This might get written. It's going in the idea doc

[roeldraws]

The Wolf and Rabbit

Plot: In a world where everyone has animal ears and tails. A rabbit thief named Shez has never been caught. Now he finds himself being chased by a wolf cop named Byleth. Will Byleth catch Shez or…will he catch feelings?

Shez was a master thief, an elusive bunny boy who has never been caught. No other thief was as skilled or as fast as him. No cop could ever catch him.

That was until one day he was caught in the act, which was something that had never happened before. Shez had been under the cover of darkness grabbing a ruby when he heard someone say, “don’t move.” The voice sounded like a male and was monotoned.

Shez jumped to his feet in a panic, his heart pounding. He’d been caught! He couldn’t make out much facial detail because of the darkness but he could see two triangular ears and a long tail. Shez kicked at him but he dodged with ease, he grabbed Shez and tackled him to the ground.

Shez found himself pinned, “you’re under arrest.” Again there was no emotion in his voice.

“Hey what’s going on here?” A female voice asked. Shez flinched as the lights were turned on, he looked up to see the guy pinning him was a wolf. He had lime green hair and canine ears, his tail swished gracefully from behind him and green eyes held an emotionless gaze. 

Behind him was a girl who looked shockingly just like him, she had long lime green hair and wolf traits. But unlike the man, her eyes were curious. They appeared to be twins.

The woman sighed, “really Byleth? We’re supposed to be looking for a thief and you’re here messing around?” Shez could feel Byleth’s grip loosen when he turned to his sister and he couldn’t help but grin. A look of realization crossed her face, “wait isn’t he the thief-“ 

At that moment Shez freed his arm, throwing a punch at Byleth’s face. He was caught off guard which gave Shez the opportunity to slip away. His partner advanced towards Shez but it was too late. Shez was already jumping out the window “Later!” He called with a wave. And with that, Shez found himself running from the scene, his heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and fear.

Finally Shez stopped to catch his breath when he was safe in an alleyway. He had been so close to getting caught, there was something about Byleth that told Shez he’d be seeing the wolf more often.

————————————————————————————————————————————————

“Byleth!” The chief of police shouted when the twins arrived in his office, the chief was fuming. No one really knew the chief’s name, everyone simply called him Chief. He had dark blue hair and cat traits “You let Shez get away?!” He demanded.

“Actually Chief, I let him get away.” Byleth’s sister Claire admitted next to him with an embarrassed smile.

“Goddamn it Claire!” Chief swept some papers off his desk, “Shez is making a fool out of us! You two are my best officers and he still managed to get away! You two better catch him or it’s your ass! Now get out and find him!”

For weeks Byleth had put in hours of hard work and kept getting closer to catching Shez. The closer Byleth got to catching Shez, the more he noticed some strange emotions start to build inside him.

For some reason, Byleth couldn't stop thinking about Shez, his heart started racing with excitement every time he saw the thief. His ears would perk up whenever he heard his name and his tail would wag without him knowing whenever he thought of Shez. He tried shaking it off, he was just eager to catch the thief that was all. 

However the more Byleth chased the thief, the harder it became to ignore his emotions. He found himself constantly thinking about Shez. How his purple hair obscured half his face, his teasing purple eyes and the way he smelled of earth. He soon found himself thinking less and less about the case and more and more about Shez. In the end, he couldn't explain it, and it confused him.

Byleth knew that something was wrong, but he couldn't figure out what. He told Claire about his feelings back at the police station. Chief was getting more and more frustrated by the day.

Claire listened and bursted out laughing, her laugh startling several officers nearby. She grabbed her stomach wheezing, “come on, Byleth, you’re obviously in love!” Claire beamed. 

“Quiet down.” Byleth said feeling a bit flustered as he looked around but he didn’t know why. He turned back to his sister, “That can’t be possible.” He said. Love? How could he be in love with someone he was meant to catch? He was a cop and Shez was a thief, it was impossible for them to be in love.

“It’s possible, you can find love in the strangest places!” Claire said with a smile, she hugged him tightly, “aw! I can’t believe my brother is in love!”

“I am not.” Byleth said but she wasn’t listening.

She couldn’t be right could she? 

————————————————————————————————————————————————

No matter how hard he tried, Shez couldn't keep Byleth off his trail. he was the inching closer to catching Shez after each encounter. He had lost count of the times Byleth had been close to apprehending him—so close that Shez could feel the warmth of his breath—but time and time again, he slipped out of the cop’s grasp. 

But today it seemed like the chase would come to an end. Shez thought for sure he had outrun Byleth yet again, but something unexpected happened. In the middle of their cat and mouse game, Byleth rounded a corner and cornered Shez. His body was pressed against a wall.

Before he could run, Byleth slammed both his hands on either side of the wall, making sure he couldn't escape this time. This was it, Byleth had finally cornered him. Shez braced himself to be handcuffed and hauled away.

Instead Byleth lifted Shez’s chin with one hand while the other reached to grab his collar. Before Shez could ask what was going on, Byleth leaned forward and kissed him. Shez felt his heart skip a beat. 

At first, Shez resisted, but gradually his tail twitched in pleasure as Byleth's tongue probed and explored his mouth. He couldn’t help but let out a little moan, feeling his cheeks hot and blushing.

Byleth pulled away from their kiss but kept his hand on Shez's collar, his cheeks a bright pink which mirrored Shez’s. “Don’t let anyone catch you but me.” Byleth whispered, leaning forward and pressing their noses together. He could feel their hearts beating against one another, at one point they seemed to sync up. 

Shez looked deep into Byleth's eyes and felt something stirring inside of him. He felt a connection between them that he hadn't felt with anyone before. “I won’t.” He promised.

“Good.” Byleth said letting go of Shez’s collar.

“So, you’re not going to arrest me then?” Shez asked playfully planting a small kiss at the edge of Byleth’s lips.

“No,” Byleth said with a smile, “I think I’ll let you go… this time.” He turned around, walking out of the alley, leaving Shez. 

“Hey where’d you go?” Claire asked waiting by their car when Byleth arrived. She noticed his pink cheeks and wagging tail, “what happened to you?”

“You were right,” Byleth blurted.

“About what?” Claire asked her voice rising in excitement.

“You were right, I was in love.” Byleth replied, looking away in embarrassment. He continued to tell her what happened in the alley. Claire listened with her eyes sparkling and an “I told you so” smirk.

“Oh no! What’s Chief going to say about this? He’s not going to be very happy about this.” Claire asked after he finished his story. She opened the door to the driver’s seat while Byleth sat in the passenger seat.

“I’ll just blame you when we get back to the station.”

Had this weird idea and decided to write it

[motherofdragonflies]

A Very Prompty Christmas Day 7: Christmas Spirit

It was late in the afternoon when Sam and Dean returned to the Bunker from Indiana. They’d left Terre Haute shortly after convincing the Horns not to call the police, but neither Sam nor Dean had been up for driving all night after driving all day. Instead, they found a crappy motel in Illinois, patched up their injuries, and crashed for a few hours before hitting the road in the morning.

When Dean finally drove the Impala down into the garage under the Bunker and switched off the engine, Sam immediately jumped out, muttering something about Eileen, and Dean let him go. He was tired: he’d had a dream that Cas was sitting on the end of his bed, watching him sleep, and it had felt so real that when Dean had wrenched himself out of the dream and had woken to find the end of his bed empty, the room silent except for Sam’s rattling snores, it had hurt much more than the nightmares of watching the Empty take Cas over and over again. 

He hadn’t gone back to sleep after that.

Instead, Dean slowly made his way up into the heart of the Bunker, intending to grab some coffee, maybe some food, and then work on Baby until he couldn’t put off going to sleep any longer. She’d started making a weird rattling sound around the time they left Missouri, and Dean wanted to nip whatever was wrong with her in the bud.  When he entered the kitchen, he saw one of the Apocalypse World hunters standing by the advent calendar, staring at something he was holding between two fingers.

The man looked up at the sound of Dean’s boots on the steps down into the kitchen. “Hey, Dean. You got any idea what this one’s supposed to be?”

Frowning, Dean came closer and stared at the tiny figurine. It was a child, sitting on its knees, staring up at Dean with the most perfect expression of wonder and awe. The figurine’s big blue eyes were wide, eyebrows lifted, mouth open in a perfect ‘o’ of delight.

Tinsel, candy canes, those Dean understood. He had no clue what the hell this one was supposed to be. He said as much, and the man grunted. 

“Looks like one of them, whadya call ‘em? Hummel figures. My grandma used to collect ‘em,” the man said, twisting the figurine around and examining it from all angles before gently tucking it back into its place. He turned and patted Dean on the shoulder before leaving the kitchen, and Dean leaned forward to stare at the advent calendar. 

The tiny figurine of the child had come from door number six, which was one of the doors behind the large picture windows to the right of the front door. The way the door opened and the hunter had put the figurine back into its little nook, the child was staring up in amazement at the large Christmas tree Dean could see through the window next to it.

“Huh,” Dean said.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hours later, Dean was flat on his back under the Impala. He hadn’t found what had been making the rattle, but had noticed a few things that needed tightening, and decided that now was as good a time as any to do it. He reached for his wrench, realizing when it slipped off the nut he was trying to tighten that he’d grabbed the wrong one. Dean was about to slide out to grab the correct one when he heard the sound of footsteps coming towards him.

“Hey, pass me the 12” wrench, wouldja?” he asked, holding his hand out and waiting.

The tool was gently placed into the palm of his hand and he brought it under the car.

“Thanks,” he called to his helper.

“You’re welcome, Dean.”

Dean jumped, banging his head on the underside of the car and cursing before sliding himself out from under the Impala and clambering to his feet. “Jack?”

Jack smiled at him, pleased at Dean’s reaction, and lifted a hand. “Hello,” he said. He looked exactly the same as the last time Dean had seen him: white denim jacket over pale blue t-shirt and blue jeans, clean white sneakers. 

“Jack!” Dean stepped forward and swept the boy into a tight hug, catching sight of his grease-stained hands at the last second and holding his hands away from Jack’s clothing. He felt Jack return the hug, the boy’s arms wrapping around Dean’s waist, and Dean closed his eyes at how good it felt to hug Jack.

“Wait.” The unlikeliness of Jack being there suddenly occurred to Dean. “Jack, what are you doing here?” He stepped back to see the boy—no, not just a boy, God—smiling at him, sheepishly.

“I missed you,” he said simply.

“Yeah? What happened to you already being here, in every drop of rain and all that crap?” Dean asked. 

“I still am,” Jack said quickly. “But now I’m also here, like this.”

“Why?” Dean asked. “Is something wrong in Heaven? Is—” Hope surged through Dean like an electric current. “Is it Cas?”

Jack’s face fell, and he looked at Dean, his head tilted to one side the same way that Cas used to tilt his head, looking so much like Cas with his sad blue eyes, and Dean just knew. 

Cas was still in the Empty.

“No. I’m sorry, Dean,” Jack said, and all the hope drained from Dean, taking all his strength with him, and he felt his knees falter. A rock-solid hand under his elbow caught him before he could fall, and helped him over to the row of motorbikes on the other side of the garage, helping him to sit on one of the low dividing walls.

When he felt the solid wall under his ass, Dean waved Jack away, holding up a hand so the boy could give him a minute to pull himself back together. Jack had been Dean’s last hope: he’d managed to call Cas from the Empty with just the power of his mind when he’d just been Nephilim, so now that he was the big G-O-D, with the power of Chuck and Amara, as well as his own abilities, Dean thought that it would have been so easy for Jack to reach into the Empty and rescue Cas. That he’d want to rescue his father as he had before. But Jack had said that he was going to be hands-off, and Dean had to respect that. Hell, that’s what Dean had wanted, for God to stop fucking with their lives, so what kind of hypocrite would Dean be if he had said to Jack, “Kid, I know you don’t want to be part of the story, but I need to you to do one thing for me?”

But a small part of Dean had held out hope that despite all this, Jack would do something. That when Heaven was stabilised and the angel population was replenished and when all the wrongs had been righted then Jack would find Cas and bring him back. 

The look on Jack’s face, though, told Dean that he’d been holding out hope for nothing. Cas was gone, and there was nothing that anybody could do to bring him back.

“So, uh,” Dean said, coughing to clear his throat. “Everything’s all right up in Heaven?”

“Yes,” Jack said, sounding pleased. “Amara and I have been working together to make Heaven what it should be, a place where everyone can be together. Everyone seems much happier this way. Oh! And I’ve been creating new angels. The right way, this time,” he added, with a slightly sheepish smile. 

“That’s great, kid,” Dean said, forcing himself to smile. “I’m proud of you.”

Jack beamed. “Thank you, Dean,” he said, then the smile faded slightly.  “I’ve been watching Earth, and I saw that everyone is getting ready for Christmas. Well,” he amended. “Not everyone. But you and Sam and Bobby and everyone here in the Bunker. And I realized that I never had a Christmas, not really. There was that day that Mrs. Butters…” Jack’s voice trailed off and he frowned. “Well. I wanted to have Christmas with my family, and Amara said that since I was God now, I could do what I wanted, and if what I wanted was to come back and have Christmas then I should do that. So here I am,” Jack said, smiling down at Dean.

Dean bit back the urge to tell Jack that he couldn’t have Christmas with his family, because part of his family was missing, and that maybe if he wanted to play happy families he should start by rescuing his father from the Empty. But that would serve no purpose but the hurt Jack, and Dean had sworn that he would try to do better by the boy. That had been before Jack had become God, but hey. A promise is a promise.

“For Christmas,” Dean said.

“Yes,” Jack said. 

Dean took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “All right then, kid. You want Christmas, then Christmas you’ll get,” he said, getting to his feet and nodding decisively. 

Jack beamed. “Can we get a tree? And decorate it? And bake cookies? And, oh—”

Dean couldn’t help but laugh at Jack’s enthusiasm. He might look like he was a young adult, and might be God, but in terms of years on Earth, Jack was still a young kid, still delighted by the tiniest of things. His excitement reminded Dean of when Sam had been young, when Christmas had been a magical time of year, when the lights on all the houses had made Sam’s mouth fall open in awe, and he had been enchanted by stories of Santa Claus and his magical reindeer that flew all around the world in one night, delivering presents to all the boys and girls. Christmas really was all about children, Dean thought: the glitter and sparkle of the season wore off by the time you were an adult but children? The spirit of Christmas lived on in children.

“Huh,” Dean chuckled to himself. 

The small child staring in wonder at the Christmas tree.

Christmas spirit.

Son of a bitch, the advent calendar had struck again.

“What is it, Dean?” Jack asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

“Nothing, kid,” Dean assured him. “Now, c’mon. Let’s go find Sam and say ‘hi’. Tomorrow, we start making this the best Christmas you’ve ever had.”

Dean led Jack towards the stairs, letting the kid’s cheerful chatter about all the Christmas-y things that he wanted to do wash over him. 

Dean didn’t know if he was capable of having any Christmas spirit this year, but for Jack’s sake, he was going to try. Because that’s what Cas would want, Dean thought. For Jack and Dean to be happy.

And dammit, for Cas, Dean would try.

~

Welcome back, Jack! And you should also come back tomorrow for Day 8: Mistletoe!

Day One: Advent Calendar

Day Two: Tinsel

Day Three: Ribbon

Day Four: Shopping

Day Five: Ugly Sweater

Day Six: Candy Canes

[charcoalstardust]

got inspired by this prompt by @gingerly-writing and now i've got a new favorite duo to think about (and draw eheh)

nothing like some supervillain/journalist writing

-----------

The sun was barely staring to rise, people were beginning to leave their homes for work, and Clement Thyme found himself power walking down the pathways to his workplace. He had a deadline to make and if he didn't get there early, he wouldn't be able to rush to finish the article before everyone else got there. He hadn't exactly slept or eaten anything, but he'd find time for that later! Maybe... Probably not.

There was just a shortcut through here, and...

"Hello there, dear."

Clement skidded to a halt and took a few steps back. Shit. Of course they'd be here. He took a deep breath and let out a sigh. Maybe he could get them to leave so he could continue on with his day.

"Please, please, leave me alone." It was a back alley and too late at night to gel with the journalist's rocky 6am start. The single streetlamp in the area spotlit the city's most dangerous supervillain, Alvah. Inconveniently, there was no one else here to help him get out of this situation. Great. Just great.

"Now, why would I do that?" Alvah was already closer to Clement than he wanted them to be, and they were circling around him like a hawk.

"It's early. I'm too tired for this. I know you never slip up on anything that might even slightly count as a scoop, but it stopped being a thrill to see you six months ago," he bluntly responded, "I don't know who the big main hero is under the mask, where she lives, who her family is, or anything about her. It's all just theories and speculation by everyone else that I'm asked to write down for the blog."

"But everything you write is so... Detailed," Alvah commented. They practically towered over him, and the way they were eyeballing him was making him more nervous by the second. "I'd say you're quite the little detective for someone who simply writes down "theories and speculation" for the news."

"Okay. Fine. I do look further into the details, but they're still just theories," he sighed and dragged a hand through his unwashed hair, wincing at the amount of grease that was trapped in it, "Look– if you're here to kidnap me, could you at least knock me out? I'd hopefully have reasonable grounds to miss my deadline that way. Could actually get some rest for once."

Alvah stepped away, looking surprisingly mortified. At least, if it was actually genuine. It was always hard to tell. "I didn't realize you weren't enjoying these little games. My apologies, dear. It's hard to remember that people aren't pawns when the whole world looks like one big chess game." They paused, then held out a hand with an apologetic smile. "Please, allow me to kidnap you to a comfortable bed so you can sleep in peace. As recompense."

Despite his exhaustion, Clement raised an eyebrow. Usually supervillains didn't care much about bystanders and innocents. Or really anyone that wasn't their ally. Not without some sort of ulterior motive. "Alright. What's the catch?"

Alvah's apologetic smile turned into a mischevious grin. "Oh, I do love when the humans know they're being manipulated. Makes it all the more interesting."

"It's not that hard to figure ou– Wait..." Clement stopped to think about what they had just said. "... "humans?" What does... Are you not–"

The journalist let out a yelp of surprise as he was swept off his feet and into Alvah's arms without so much as a single response to his query. Great. He really was being kidnapped this time. No heroes around to scare them off from doing so either!

"What? No knocking me out with magic powder or a solid hit?"

"I'd never lay a hand on you, dear," the supervillain purred, "Afterall, you are my favorite little journalist."

"Your... Favorite?" Clement's face turned red. He always assumed they just wanted information from him with how often they'd bother him... That would still be the case, right?

Alvah chuckled, which caused the journalist to try and cover his face with his jacket. This was not going how he expected it would have. If his coworkers ever found out, he'd never hear the end of it.

Hopefully this was good enough of a reason to miss his deadline...

[zodiyack]

Rude! (3,000+ Follower Fic Special 1/3)

Pairing: Billy Hargrove x Female!Hopper!Reader

Warnings: Swearing, Billy stuff, lyrics, fluff

Song: Rude by Magic!

Words: 1,798

Summary: Billy's love for Hopper's daughter is too strong to be stopped by the tough Chief Jim Hopper. Despite being told "not in a thousand years", he plans to love her regardless.

Note: Thank you so so much! I love you all, and writing your ideas, as well as sharing mine with you, has been so fucking fun and amazing! I'm sorry for my lack of words, I wish being an author came in handy with writing this, however, all I can say is that I love you all from the bottom of my heart. I've seen people do shout-outs, and ask-related stuff with their follower things, and I may do that, I'm not sure. For now, I hope you enjoy this... Thank you all, again!

Also 1/3 means that there will be two other fics released for the 3,000+ follower present!

Taglist: @urie-bowie-mercury, @matth1w, @redspaceace-writes, @fandom-puff, @darling-i-read-it, @simonsbluee, @sebastianstanslefteyebrow, @dpaccione

Masterlist | Stranger Things Masterlist

"Saturday morning, jumped out of bed and put on my best suit. Got in my car and raced like a jet all the way to you. Knocked on your door with my heart in my hands, to ask you a question, 'cause I know that you're an old-fashioned man. Yeah."

Billy was freshly graduated, working as a lifeguard whilst his girlfriend worked her own job, both saving up for their chance to ditch Hawkins and move to California. Sweet Cali. Billy was excited to show the love of his life around the place he called home. Though, physically, he left the salty ocean and windy beach behind, the place never truly left him.

You could see it in his eyes. The waves crashing in his blue orbs. He swore the scent had just barely clung to his belongings; the smell of the tangy air that followed a majority of the state. Working at a pool was the closest he got to the memory of California. Chlorine was most certainly not the salted ocean waters, but with the circumstances, he decided it'd do.

The way his face lit up whenever he talked about his home...it made Y/n more and more excited to see it. His girlfriend had grown up in Hawkins, stayed there her whole life. Never once did the Hoppers leave Hawkins.

But the second that was introduced to Billy, he knew it had to change.

Although they were saving for a big move, Billy had...other things in mind with what to do with his first large pay-check (or series, rather. Working as a lifeguard didn't pay well with just one check). He began to work more shifts to make up for the money he'd spent, and one day after calling in for a day off, he decided to put his plan into action.

"Billy, stop messing with the tie."

"It's annoying." Hands slapped away his attempts of adjusting the black silk tie.

"Well it won't stop being annoying if you keep fucking it up."

For the first time in a long time, Neil Hargrove was calm. Not happy, not amused, not pissed off for some unjust reason- just calm. He wasn't wreaking havoc and he wasn't being an asshole to his son. Billy hadn't seen this side of his dad in quite some time, in fact, he thought something important was going on and he was about to fuck it all up. And then, Susan retreated to the living room with a camera and a freshly ironed suit.

"You're not putting me in that."

"And who asked for your opinion?" Neil deflected with a raised brow. One heavy sigh later and Billy was leaving the bathroom, dawning the whole black and white getup.

Susan clasped her hands over her mouth, a tear leaving her eye, "You look so handsome! Just like your dad!"

Billy rolled his eyes, "Great."

However, his careless attitude was swept under the rug when the blue Camaro pulled up to the police station, interrupting a clearly distressed Chief Hopper bickering with his daughter. Billy had to get himself together before stepping out of the car, jaw slack after seeing the beauty he got to call his date.

"Hello Mr-"

"Don't even try play nice with me, Hargrove. She's not going anywhere with you. End of story." Hopper kept his eyes trained on the blond, body tense like a snake preparing to strike it's prey.

Y/n grabbed Billy's arm, slowly directing him to the car, "And in the sequel, we find out I am going with Billy. End of that story."

"There is no 'sequel.' The writer got drunk and lazy." She paused, turning to face her father who stood tall, arms crossed and face unamused.

"So his daughter picked up where her father left off, and then the sequel was published and the two lived happily ever after, the end."

While her dad attempted to search for a line that would better hers and force her to stay, she pushed Billy toward the driver's side and slid into the car as fast as she could, rolling down the window as Billy started it up. "Bye! I'll be back before midnight!"

The two drove off toward the school, leaving behind a trail of dust and very, very, pissed off Hopper.

Prom was better than Billy thought it would be. He didn't want to go at first, but after Max found out and spoke to her mom about it (the little redhead a cupid-in-the-making), Neil pushed him to go (as he was "doing something else besides being a lazy-no-good rebel"). It was then that he called Y/n and asked if she'd be going.

The suit came in handy. Clashing with his rocker aesthetic, he put it back on once more. The once-annoying tie proved to be somewhat okay in the end.

Can I have your daughter for the rest of my life? Say yes, say yes, 'cause I need to know. You say I'll never get your blessing "till the day I die, tough luck my friend, but the answer is no!"

Why you gotta be so rude? Don't you know I'm human too? Why you gotta be so rude? I'm gonna marry her anyway. Marry that girl, marry her anyway! Marry that girl, yeah, no matter what you say! Marry that girl, and we'll be a family! Why you gotta be so rude?

With a deep breath, he ran-over the conversation in his head once more. Like a script for an actor, he had thought of every possible outcome and every possible line for him to face it with. He almost chickened out as his fist rose to the door, but it was too late, for his knuckles rapped against it before he realized he was even knocking.

El opened the door, eyes wide when she saw the familiar mullet and button-down. "Papa..." She muttered as she backed away and out of view.

Hopper traded places with her, his lazy expression sobering up instantaneously, replaced with a grumpy scowl. "Hargrove."

"Mr. Hopper, sir."

"What are you doing on my front porch?"

He swallowed roughly, palms sweaty against his sides. "I was wondering if I could talk to you."

"You seem to be doing just that right now, Hargrove." Hop crossed his arms and clenched his jaw.

Well, this was certainly not something Billy had thought of. He was on panic mode internally, attempting to find any response that could save his hide and accomplish what he set out to do. Unfortunately, the word-vomit button seemed to be misplaced under the button labeled "help".

"I'd like to marry your daughter, sir."

Hop's eyes grew just as big in size as El's had when she opened the door. He choked on his own surprise, coughing it off, then glaring at the boy in front of him. "Over my dead body, Hargrove. If that's all, I'd strongly advise you to get off of my fucking porch while you're still alive."

I hate to do this, you leave no choice; can't live without her. Love me or hate me, we will be boys- standing at that alter. And we will fly away, to another galaxy, you know. You know she's in love with me, she will go anywhere I go-

"Billy, he's just stubborn."

"No, no, I don't think he likes me."

Y/n sighed, rubbing her boyfriend's back. He hadn't told her of his proposal plans, only that Hop seemed to have it out for him. "It'll take time, but he'll warm up to you!"

"It's been how many years since he's met me?"

"To be fair, your reputation wasn't doing you any good until now..."

"It's not like that was fucking obvious." He slouched further down in the front seat of his Camaro. To Billy, all hope was lost. If he couldn't get Hopper to give him his blessing, he was sure he'd lose his goddamned mind.

Y/n frowned. Her frown flipped around as an idea popped into her head, her lips finding Billy's knuckles and quirking his attention. "Even if he never likes you, I'm not going anywhere."

Billy laughed softly, "he'll fucking kill me if you go against him."

"Eh, that's only if he can catch us."

"You're out of your fucking mind, Y/n Hopper."

"I know."

The rest of the night was spent in the Camaro, of course, doing one of Billy's favorite pastimes. By the time the sun rose, Billy was sneaking a kiss to a giggling Y/n before dropping from her window in the cabin and running to his car, parked far enough that Hop or El wouldn't notice. He blew her one more kiss, which she pretended to catch, then he broke into a sprint.

Maybe, he thought, just maybe; there was still a chance.

His knuckles hit the door again, shifting on his feet nervously. It swung open to reveal Hopper, an unimpressed look bringing no surprise Billy's way. It was quite expected, honestly.

"What." His tone made it clear he wasn't up for fucking around.

"Mr. Hopper, if you just give me one chance to prove to you that-"

"No, no, no, no, no. Let me make it very clear to you that I want you to have nothing to do with my daughter whatsoever. No marriage, no friendship, I don't even approve of you guys fucking or whatever-"

"We're in a serious relationship, sir. It's nothing like you think it is."

This made Hop laugh. He continued to do so, holding his stomach, until he realized Billy was unamused. "Oh, you're serious?... My answer is still no, Hargrove. My answer will always be no. Go find someone else's daughter's heart to break. You're not hurting mine."

"It's not like-"

Before he could even get the words out, he was met with a door in his face. Turned down, again.

Can I have your daughter for the rest of my life? Say yes, say yes, 'cause I need to know. You say I'll never get your blessing "till the day I die, tough luck my friend, 'cause the answer's still no!"

Why you gotta be so rude? Don't you know I'm human too? Why you gotta be so rude? I'm gonna marry her anyway. Marry that girl, marry her anyway! Marry that girl, yeah, no matter what you say! Marry that girl, and we'll be a family! Why you gotta be so rude, rude?

Again, again, and again, Billy incessantly pleaded with Hopper. Different tactics were all met with the same answer; rejection.

He held up a sign outside the cabin, only for Hopper to close the curtain and chuckle as he sipped his coffee.

He asked at the door again, only for Hop to threaten to give him a black eye (which was met with "aren't you the sheriff? Isn't that illegal?").

He raced past the police station, Max leaning out the window with another sign, only for Hop to threaten them with holding cells.

He even went as far as to ask Max and El to help, but Hopper had none of that, and sent Max home with a rant full of nos.

However, if Jim Hopper thought any of it would get it into Billy's head that getting his blessing was just not happening- he was as wrong as Nancy when she claimed not to have feelings for Jonathan.

Billy had another plan in mind, and this one was impossible to say no to.

Can I have your daughter for the rest of my life? Say yes, say yes, 'cause I need to know. You say I'll never get your blessing "till the day I die, tough luck my friend- but no still means no!"

"Hopper." Billy stood before his desk, interrupting his nice date with a delicious doughnut, and earning a very annoyed glare. "I got Miss Byer's blessing. Aren't you two a thing?"

"You son of a-"

"I got Eleven's too."

"Hargrove, I'm gonna-"

"Before you cuss me out, I think you should know that I've got a stable job, an interview with a mechanic so I have a job when the pool closes for the winter, and I've got a house on the market I'm looking at. I'm devoted to your daughter and she's devoted to me. You may not like me, but I think you're a great dad, better than the one I was unfortunately stuck with. You raised a strong and amazing woman. She's incredible and I admit, she deserves better than me-"

"You don't have to say that twice." Hopper huffed, crossing his arms.

"I know she deserves so much better than me, I'm surprised she's even with me too. But she loves me, and I think you can see that. I love her too. I would never, in a million years, break her heart."

Jim stayed silent for a few minutes. The silence brought uneasiness to Billy, but that was intentional on Hopper's behalf. He finally piped up with a cough, clearing his throat, before his piercing eyes met Billy's blue orbs.

"I'll hold you to that, Hargrove."

Why you gotta be so rude? Don't you know I'm human too? Why you gotta be so rude? I'm gonna marry her anyway. Marry that girl, marry her anyway! Marry that girl, yeah, no matter what you say! Marry that girl, and we'll be a family! Why you gotta be so rude? Why you gotta be so rude?

Bonus:

(after the wedding)

"What was that about a no?" Billy quipped with his infamous smirk.

"You're lucky I'm sheriff, Hargrove."

Why you gotta be so rude?

[potter-imagines]

Chosen Sister (Fred Weasley x Reader)

Pairing: Fred Weasley x Reader

Request: I had two Ginny idolizing reader requests so this is the first one! I can't find the exact request but the other will be posted during this coming week. 

Warning: None (vv short sad part)

Word Count: 3.8k

“Give me back my girlfriend, Ginny. I heard that you’re holding her hostage.”

A loud chorus of knocks sounded out from Ginny Weasley’s dorm room. Dinner had finished an hour before and since the meal ceased, Fred had been searching the entire ground for you, his girlfriend. After about thirty minutes tracing your typical patterns and steps around Hogwarts, Fred ran into Angelina and Alicia who informed him of your whereabouts.

They happily explained to them that they saw Ginny dragging you away after dinner. The girls cooed to Fred about how adorable it was that his girlfriend hung out with his little sister, something Fred didn’t exactly view the same.

Fred Weasley checked your dorm room, the common room, the library, Hermione’s dorm, and finally Ginny’s room. As he trudged up the stone steps grounchily, his ears perked to a point at the ring of a voice that was tattooed in his heart. Your innocent, childlike giggle played like a melody in the empty stairwell.

Fred could feel the corner of his lip tugging up to a smile at the sound. That sugared chortle that he had heard millions of times before but somehow still felt his breath catch at the sound. Standing outside his little sister’s door, Fred’s annoyance was dissolving by your haromous voice echoing from the opposite side.

When Ginny failed to open her dorm up the first round of knock, Fred banged on the door again. Huffing in annoying, Ginny shot you a look, already knowing Fred was gonna scold her. She crawled off her bed and waltzed over to her door, taking her sweet time as she did. You couldn’t help the giggles that rumbled through your chest.

Swing the door open swiftly, Ginny glared at Fred with flames blazing in her eyes. If they weren’t related, he might’ve felt a hint of her wrath. But she was his little sister and not even at her angriest did Fred find her intimidating, not in the slightest.

Ginny Weasley was only thirteen yet her sass and feistiness was beyond her years. Growing up with only brothers probably played a hand. The young girl sent her brother a disgusted look then growled at him,

“I am not holding her hostage! For your information, Y/n happens to be my friend. Might sound surprising to you but she actually enjoys hanging out with me, Fred.”

Fred looked past his sister at the mention of your name. A smile lifted to his lips when he found you. You returned the gesture

“You’re right, that does sound surprising.” The snarky remark caused Ginny to furrow her face in a scowl. Lunging forward the youngest Weasley snapped for her older brother, although missed by a long shot.

“You’re infuriating, Fred!” She howled. Her face was turning red with every second that ticked by. If the situation had been different, you might’ve laughed. Getting between the Weasley siblings when they were arguing- that just wasn’t safe for anyone. Ginny’s aggravation was fuming from her pores as she sent you pleading looks to stay.

It was now that you took a look at the old wooden clock hanging on the way above her roommate's bed. The little hand was pointing to the six as the big hand was approaching eleven. The time seemed to fly by at light speed. You had promised to help Ginny hang up some lights in her room. She had wanted to decorate it just likes yours, as she practically admired anything you did. It made you feel special knowing Ginny looked up to you. You had never experienced it before so it was exciting- but also slightly pressurized- to know she was admiring you as a big sister.

Fred let out an exaggerated groan leaning against the wall next to the door.

“Can I please have my girlfriend back? You got your girl time in. Y/n promised to hangout with me tonight, so I’m rescuing her!” A cheeky wink was thrown your way as Fred walked further in the room, slowly sneaking up to you. The annoyed girl rolled her eyes then ignored her brother. She looked back at you and pursed her lips into a thin line. Ginny was too oblivious to notice his stagger but your attention remained set on him the entire time. You didn’t fight the smirk lifting to your lips as he inched closer, and closer until his feet were only steps from his sister’s back. It was then Ginny noticed the amused tint to your face but before she could bring it to light, Fred bent down in one fluid motion and gripped his hands on either side of your hips. As light as a feather he swept you up and quickly darted for the door, as to escape Ginny before she had the chance to retaliate.

“Wait- hey!” Fred slammed the large door then proceeded down the steps.

“Freddie, love, that wasn’t nice.” The giggles poured from your soul as Fred continued to carry you down the stairs, then took a sharp right, and started walking up the boy’s dormitory staircase. You rested your head against the blade of his shoulder, bobbing with every step he took. He was so handsome, even from the most unpleasant angels. His sharp features stuck out in the darkness, striking your heart. His arms cradled you while he laughed, “Oh shush, you didn’t try to stop me. Wasn’t exactly nice of you to just run off in the middle of dinner. You still have time to make it up to me, though.” The teasing arrogance didn’t go unnoticed. You laughed into the material of his sweater, clutching to his chest. The movement of his legs stopped and he softly leaned over to place you on the ground. Taking his wand out from his back pocket he unlocked his door and opened it up for you to walk in.

You stepped into the quiet room then turned to you boyfriend,

“George and Lee in?” You asked. The grin that rose to his lips was an answer enough. Fred closed the door behind him with a slam then jumped onto his bed with a flop. You watched him lay in the middle of the mattress, throwing his hands in a fold behind his head. He shrugged his shoulders and replied,

“Nope. Was there something in particular you had in mind of doing?” His mask of innocence wasn’t fooling either of you, but it was part of the fun. Keeping your eyes glued to his, you slipped the material of your robes off, leaving you in a white long sleeve button up and a small plaid skirt. You basked in the widening eyes of your boyfriend as he shifted on the comforter. His eyes raked over your body from your head down to your toes. You noticed his gaze particularly set on your exposed legs. Smirking to him you sauntered over to his bed and climbed in with him. His large hands found your bottom instantly. “I think you know, Freddie.”

Almost a week later, it happened again. Fred was scrambling around the Gryffindor common room asking every waking student if they had seen you. Most students were getting ready for dinner, some already there. George was waiting near the portrait watching curiously as his twin ran around the room from person to person. Even to George it was a bit strange no one had seen you, although as the hours dragged on he took into account the absence of his little sister also. George sighed to himself then kicked his leg into the wall, leaning back against the brick waiting patiently for Fred.

On the opposite side of the large room, the other half of the Weasley twins was talking to Lee Jordan, seeing if he had any valuable information. Lee, just like everyone else he asked, had no clue where you were. Right as his conversation with Lee was dwindling, the sigh of a curly haired girl caught Fred’s eyes and he abruptly excused himself from Lee and ran over.

As Fred reached Hermione, he gave her shoulder a line of taps,

“Hermione! Hey! Do you know where Y/n is? George said he saw you two in the courtyard this morning but I haven’t seen her all day.” Fred questioned the bright witch in a pleasing tone. She swiveled around and tilted her head to the side causing her frizzy hair to bounce like springs. Eyebrows knitted together, her lips scrunched to the side. Deep in thought she hummed to herself then answered,

“No I don’t at the moment, Fred, I’m sorry. I spent the morning with her and Ginny but I haven’t seen either of them since we left the library around lunch. That was hours ago, though. Maybe try checking Ginny’s room?” Hermione offered.

You had been studying most of the morning in the courtyard then in the library. Ginny and Hermione joined you, despite all three of you being in different years. Not that it came as much of a surprise, but Hermione helped you with your work without missing a beat. Where you were stuck for minutes, she had finished four questions ago. She was a brilliant friend to have, schoolwise and personally. You might be older than the young witch but Hermione’s advice was like no others so you loved having her around.

Fred shook his head and mumbled a ‘no’.

“That was the first place I looked. Don’t know where she is either. Did I do something? Y/n’s not upset with me is she?” The fear and worry in his voice soaked the air and Hermione gave him a gaze of bewilderment.

“What? She didn’t say anything to me about being mad at you and I’m sure she would’ve if she were. She seemed perfectly fine so I don’t think it’s that. Ginny was the one who seemed in a mood if anything.” She stated firmly. As close as the two of you were, you would have told Hermione if Fred angered you. You shared everything with her.

The towering boy nodded, eyes scanning the space behind Hermione. He was running out of places to check and people to ask. Hermione was his best bet next to Ginny and no one knew where Ginny was either which, for anyone capable of putting 2 and 2 together meant you and Ginny were more likely than not together somewhere.

“Thanks, Hermione. Let me know if you see either of them, please.” Hermione nodded and smiled kindly to Fred, then walked off to join Harry and Ron. Fred took off towards the portrait, yelling to George that he would be back shortly.

Leaving the common room Fred shut the painting behind him and made his way to the moving staircase. While standing on the middle step, he tried to think if he was a girl, where would he go? The bathroom? No, not for that long. A swim in the lake? Well, it was a few weeks out from winter so that was unlikely. Fred huffed as he hopped off the stairs on the fourth floor and walked towards the library. Passing by he noticed a group of Hufflepuff boys sitting around a table and Professor Pince shushing them furiously. He kept on past the library and made his way down a mostly empty corridor.

The clock was nearing five in the afternoon and it was definitely out of the ordinary for the two of you to go this long in one day without even passing by one another. Maybe you were in the common room. Just with his luck you would show up right when he left. As the thought seemed to be a possibility, the sudden sound of your familiar light, delicate voice, hit his ears. Halting completely, Fred peeked his head towards the staircase on his left where the noise came from.

“Y/n?” The inquiry came quietly. Fred half wondered if he had imagined it. No reply came to his question, but he did hear someone speaking again, a new voice he recognized as his little sister’s. Moving closer to the open, cobble stairwell, Fred suddenly stopped when he heard the shaky voice of his little sister and the sound of tears splashing against the hard ground.

“He doesn’t even notice me, Y/n! I’m practically invisible in his eyes… I hate it.” Ginny’s somber cries became louder as Fred stood just on the other side of the arch in the wall. He caught a small glimpse of the scene around the wall. On the bottom step, you and Ginny were sitting next to each other. Her head leaned on your shoulder as she sobbed sadly. It was a new sight- Fred was pretty sure he hadn’t seen Ginny cry since she was in diapers. Part of him wanted to beat the daylights out of whoever hurt his little sister, but he knew it would only cause more chaos for Ginny if he injected himself now. Fred was brought back to reality when your comforting tone reassured Ginny.

“Oh Ginny, don’t say that. He’s just stupid- boys are like that. I honestly don’t think he realizes what he’s doing.” Fred wondered who you were talking about. Did Ginny fancy someone? The sniffles of his sister shook the air. Her face left your shoulder as she buried it into the sleeves of her jacket. The material soaked up her salty teardrops and she forced herself to take some deep breaths in order to calm down. Just as her body stopped quivering, the thought entered her mind again and she remarked,

“He’s never gonna-”

Fred looked on in surprise as you leaned forward and pulled Ginny in for a tight hug. Your hand rubbed along her back, soothing the young girl. She rubbed her eyes constantly, the redness only worsening. Pulling away, you rubbed the drops away from under Ginny’s eyes and gave her a small smile,

“No, he will. I just think he’s got all this stuff with ‘he-who-must-not-be-named’ on his mind… but even if he doesn’t, then he’s not the one. You’re an amazing person, Ginny. Any guy would be lucky to have you but you’re too young to be heartbroken over a little boy. I don’t want you wasting your time being sad about boys when you should be having fun with me and your friends!”

“You really mean that, Y/n?” Her eyes lit in hopefulness. Ginny had quickly become a little sister of sorts to you. Seeing her upset, hurt, mad, anything, you felt it too. Although Ginny was young, only thirteen. You didn’t want her ruining herself chasing after a boy who wasn’t able to give her the time and attention she deserved. Being friends with Harry, your judgement told you that the poor boy most likely didn’t even catch onto the fact Ginny fancied him.

Chosen one? Yes. Oblivious one? Also yes.

On the other side of the wall, Fred’s heart was basically goop from the exchange. He messed with his sister, sure, but she was still his baby sister and it meant the world to him to see you, his girlfriend, so kind, and sweet to Ginny.

“I would never lie to you, Ginny.” You promised her.

“I should go wash up before dinner, I’m sure I look a mess! I’ll see you then, okay? And… thank you, Y/n. It means a lot to have you around and I don’t know, it’s cool to have you as a friend.” She reached forward and gave you one last hug. You grinned at her and said,

“Of course, Ginny. It’s cool to have you as a friend as well.”

Fred smiled to himself. He never realized just how much his sister looked up to you and it made him feel prouder than ever to call you his.

Not long later, Ginny rushed off down the staircase heading back for her dorm room. It had been hours since she’d return so it didn’t seem like the best choice to go missing for hours then show up for dinner with a blotchy face from crying. She wasn’t up for the questions and prying. You waved goodbye to her then sat for a few moments by yourself in silence. Well, at least you had assumed you were alone.

Right as your body began sinking in relaxation into the step, an entering pair of footsteps caused your eyes to snap open. Emerging from the open hallway outside the stairwell was a particular adorning red head you had grown to love so much. Fred stepped in through the arch and grinned at you. You were surprised by his presence, you had yet to see him all day, having spent most of it comforting Ginny, so you were taken aback that he was able to find you.

“Freddie! How did you find me?” You jumped up with a grin and threw your arms around Fred’s neck. His knees pulled him down from the force and his hands wrapped around your waist, accepting the embrace fully. Chuckling loudly Fred joked,

“Ah, so you were hiding from me!”

You sent him a narrowed look and pointed towards the direction where Ginny had retreated.

“No, no, I wasn’t hiding. Your sister needed me so I decided to be with her. I’m sorry, I should’ve told you-” Your apology was cut short by the feeling of Fred’s plump lips kissing yours. He kept the kiss short and sweet, just wanting to taste your lips. He went almost the whole day not seeing you so he wasn’t able to resist for much longer. You kissed him back, a bit more forcefully than Fred. His lips danced against yours, the action of snogging being second nature among you two. Fred pulled away slowly, his lips staying close to yours. Your foreheads were leaning against each other, smiles plastered on both your lips.

“That was maybe the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen. You were so nice to Ginny, love. You didn’t need to do that.” He insisted in a whisper tone. Moving your forehead against his you explained,

“I wanted to, she’s my friend. I really care about her and… I don’t know, I’ve never had someone who looks up to me so, it’s kinda fun to know someone thinks I’m admirable.”

Glancing up, Fred’s eyes were already locked on yours. The warmth and homeiness of his honey pooled eyes pulled you in. Brown eyes never looked so perfect until you met Fred. Stepping up on your tiptoes, your hand secured itself along Fred’s jaw as you tugged him towards you. He parted his lips as you planted another kiss to his mouth. It was more of a peck, a tinny smooch leaving you to separate quickly. Leaning back into Fred’s arms, you basked in his hold. Never once did you ever feel exposed to danger when Fred had his arms clasped around you. It was impossible.

“That’s why I love you, you’re just perfect in every way. Everyday you find new ways to make me fall in love with you all over again...you’re too sweet, darling. Thank you for looking out for Ginny. It means a lot to me. Even if it means I have to share my time with you, which is just criminal, it does mean a lot.” His lips wasted no time scattering a mess of small, wet kisses along your face. No inch was left unkissed. You giggled wildly as he continued for a few moments. Planting one last kiss to your pursed lips, Fred stopped his attack and leaned back to smirk at you. Your laughter died out as you began to calm yourself. Smiling over to Fred, you reached for his hand and squeezed it in reassurance. “Of course, Freddie. I love you, babe.”

Lifting his hand, he rested his cheek on the skin of your hand. His face turned so he could press a faint peck to your hand, then he glanced up at you through his lashes.

“I love you too, darling. How bout we make up for all that lost time, hm?” That devilish, mischievous smirk you saw far too often had returned. Playing dumb you just chuckled,

“I was thinking the exact same thing, I was wanting some dinner too!”

“You know that wasn’t what-” You interrupted him, placing your pointer finger in the center of his lips creating a ‘shush’ gesture. He stared at you waiting for the next move. It was now you who held the bold smirk. You grasped Fred’s hand and pulled him towards the stairs so you could get to the Great Hall. His face fell in disappointment, clearly expecting a different turn of events. You didn’t leave him down for long when you batted your long lashes up at Fred and stated,

“Dinner first, then dessert after, okay?” It was the way you said it rather than the words themselves that did him in. That playful gleam that sparked in your eyes, he loved it.

Fred immediately felt his clothes, more specifically his trousers, turn tight at your words alone. He side eyed you as you skipped down the steps, unsure if you were the one teasing him now, or if you were being truthful. Narrowing his peer in seriousness, Fred tried to decipher the sickly sweet smirk on your lips. It wasn’t until you turned the tables, lifting his hand up to kiss the back of it, that he realized you weren’t joking. Eagerness took over as Fred locked his hand even more securely around yours and sped up his pace to the Great Hall. “Anything you say, love.”

He practically chased you the whole way to the dinning hall, your loud laughter filling the silence in the air. Your friends chuckled when they saw you two running in. You guys never seemed happier and it made all they ecstatic to see their friends finding love with each other. George waved the two of you over having saved a spot next to him for both of you. Fred escorted you to the opening, his hand never leaving yours even when you sat. For the rest of the meal, Fred’s hand rotated between your hand and your thigh, but never left your skin. And when Ginny sat down and smiled over at you, engaging you in conversation, Fred just squeezed your hand with a small grin, and pretended not to listen in. From then on, Fred only interrupted your hangout sessions to join in, and surprisingly, Fred Weasley was a great gossiper.

[heartfulselkie]

Ask game: Give me the first sentence and I'll write a short piece for it

Not taking anymore for the moment. Might do this prompt game again another time

---

@serenagold : Foot caught between the narrow ledge of two buildings, dangling upside down, 15 feet above the alleyway below, with the timer on a count down, Chat found himself in a bit of a pickle.

With a grunt, he curled his body upwards as he tried to reach for where his ankle had caught. It was starting to feel uncomfortably sore, but it was going to be so much worse if his transformation dropped before he could free himself.

"Come on," he groaned, claws scrabbling at the cuff of his boot. But his own body weight had firmly wedged his foot in place.

It wasn't the first time he'd been thrown over buildings when facing off against an akuma. Today though, it seemed like his bad luck was playing up even more than usual. He hadn't stuck the landing, tumbling down the roof which then resulted in him getting snagged in his current predicament.

"Chat Noir?"

And it was only getting worse.

Panic opened a pit in his stomach as his ring let out another series of beeps. "W-Wait Ladybug!"

"Chat?" he heard her call for him again from somewhere above. "Where are you? I can't see you."

"I'd prefer if it stayed that way right now," Chat answered, catching a glimpse of the last dwindling paw pad on his ring.

"Chat? Chat!" he heard her startled gasp. Ladybug was above him now, looking down in shock. "Hold on, let me help you."

"W-Wait I'm-"

She must have mistaken the urgency in his voice for him being panicked over his trapped foot as she knelt down.

"Seriously," she scoffed playfully as she grabbed his leg and tried to free him, "why couldn't you have gotten stuck in a tree like a normal cat?"

"Ladybug!"

She grunted as she finally pulled his leg free from where it had been stuck. "What?"

But any words he had to try and make her back away from him died in his throat as his ring gave its final warning call. This time Ladybug heard it too and he could see the colour drain from her face as the green light manifested around him. Black leather changed to designer denim where she held him around his ankle. As though burned by the change of material, Ladybug let out a gasping squeak and released him. Now no longer stuck or transformed, there was nothing to stop gravity taking hold of Adrien. He cried out as he felt the air rush around him and he braced for the impact of the concrete below.

But instead of his head cracking agaisnt the pavement, something collided with his side as he fell and swept him upwards in a rapid swing. For a split second he felt weightless as he was stolen from the force of gravity, jostled into someone's tight hold that forced his head to rest over their shoulder. His mind finally understood what had happened when he saw the stream of red ribbons flowing out behind his saviour.

Ladybug's hold of his was almost bonecrushing as her arm snared him tight against her until their bodies were flush against one another. Adrien clung onto her in return, his arms taking a respectful place as they wrapped around her shoulders. His heart was beating so wildly that he was certain she could feel it against her. Out of being close to her like this, or because he was a civilain with no mask to hide behind he wasn't sure.

A second later they landed in an alley. But even as their feet touched down on solid ground, neither of them made to move away from the other. They remained stuck together, both looking over each other's shoulder in a tense silence. Adrien could feel the way her chest moved against his with each nervous breath and he was certain he was the same.

His voice cracked as he tried to speak, "D...Did you-"

"No," Ladybug breathed as she cut in. "I didn't see much. Just a little of your clothes - your jeans. That's all."

Adrien tried to swallow the lump in his throat. "Okay...good."

This was fine. It wasn't like wearing jeans was an identifying factor. A lot of people wore jeans. Unless she looked closely and saw that everything he wore was of the Gabriel brand, that was a little more obvious. But she hadn't seen that much, had she?

They were still clinging to each other as they tried to catch their breath. Adrien wasn't sure what else to do. If he moved away then she would see his maskless face. Not that he was complaining though. Now that she's reassured him that she hadn't really seen him, he was enjoying himself. While hugs weren't unheard of between them, he was greedy for them. He kept himself restrained though and he toed that still uncertain line of what she was comfortable with when it came to him. She initated the hugs, never him. When it came time to let go, it was always on her terms. But with the way her hands currently rested comfortably at his back, he liked to think that she wasn't entirely upset at this temporary solution to not letting her see him.

Before they could fully calm down from the chaos they'd found themselves in, a distant crash and rumble reminded them that an akuma was still active.

"You have to go back out there," Adrien said. "I'll wait a bit and recharge."

He could feel Ladybug fidget against him as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "I'll close my eyes," she whispered after a moment. "And then I'll turn around. Okay?"

Adrien nodded before realising she couldn't see him. "Okay," he murmured for her.

He felt it as Ladybug took a few deep breaths. And then she stepped back.

Adrien held his own breath as he felt her arms slip away from her. His heart pounded in his ears as he came face to face with Ladybug. But as promised, her eyes were gently closed. She took slow, unsteady steps backwards until there was a firm gap between them.

A moment of impulse made Adrien want to take hold of her again, to beg her to open her eyes and look at him - to really look at him and see him. But he restrained himself, forcing that surging need back again. It still didn't stop the lump returning to his throat though as she then turned her back to him.

"All good?" Ladybug asked.

"Y-Yeah," he answered weakly.

"I'll see you back out there, Kitty."

"In a bit, Bugaboo."

He was glad now that she couldn't see the slightly bitter smile on his face. He stared at the back of her head as she hesiated. For a moment he thought - he hoped - that she too felt that wild and impulsive need to look at him. But if she did, she didn't voice it. Instead she did as promised. She took out her yo-yo and was soon quickly swinging away again, leaving Adrien alone and hidden in the alley.

Adrien watched her go. He should have felt relieved that the close call was now over, but a part of him was still a little sad.

His gaze drifted to the side as Plagg slowly floated into view. It was uncommon for the kwami to not loudly announce his hunger, but Adrien appreciated the restraint this time.

"Let's get going," Adrien said as he fished out a piece of camembert from his pocket. "Ladybug is waiting for Chat Noir."