#I can probably talk your ear off about each one of the characters I've mentioned here

[thousandbuns]

Tonight, on Bottom Gear: Ylthin gets extra sentimental about the spiky lads, and especially her fictional dysfunctional more-or-less-spiky children

(AKA I’m going to vaguely ramble about why I ticked so hard with Chaos and Chaos Marines as a faction, and how my personal experiences may or may not have seeped through into my renegade/CSM OCs)

---

Maybe I should begin by bringing up what exactly spurred this - and it’s a meme posted in a mutual’s Discord server this evening:

I saw it and nodded, for it is good and righteous to call the canon dumb and elope with some harlot to the wild frontier of headcanon, fanon and others. But at the same time - how about acknowledging canon... by defying it? How about taking the grand founding rule of this fictional universe and asking “okay, but what would happen if something didn’t conform to it”? Taking the one in a hundred, one in a thousand, one in a million... one-period, the sole existing or known exception to what’s considered the norm?

And then it struck me - it’s what Chaos and otherwise rogue Marines are to the Imperium. They’re the impossible, the anathema, the living defiance of both its founding principles and current ideological line, a thing so blasphemous their very existence is a desperately guarded state secret. They’re thoroughly brainwashed into total obedience, yet somehow break out of it, betray their sovereign - be it for the Ruinous Powers, their own agenda or both. They’re the exception to the rule - and an exception so powerful, so fundamental, it dates back to the founding of the Imperium and originally covered nearly half of the Legiones Astartes. They prove that the rule is hardly as set in stone as the Imperium would like you to believe, and if you think about it for more than a second...

Wouldn’t it mean other exceptions are possible, too?

Wouldn’t it mean that an Astartes can be of other gender than “male”? That they can experience sexual or romantic attraction? That they can feel the full spectrum of human emotions and desires, or at least parts of it?

And what would happen if they did so in an environment that denies them the knowledge or space to express themselves? One that seeks to repress those feelings and behaviors, directly or indirectly?

For example, what would happen if the hypno-conditioning was flawed beyond just allowing for “too much” free will or “not enough” attachment to the Imperium over the Marine’s own brotherhood? If he was unusually sympathetic and protective of mortals, genuinely invested in fighting “for the good of mankind”? Or if he felt particularly responsible for the brothers assigned to his command, seeing himself as a teacher and a role model, but more importantly someone they could confide in and seek advice from?

What would happen if a Marine found himself falling in love with - and simultaneously also feeling physically attracted to - another battle brother while understanding in theory how human sexuality operates but remaining firmly convinced it doesn’t - and shouldn’t - extend to Astartes? If “he” felt off about his hypermasculine appearance and secretly questioned the logic behind artificially maintaining an environment with only one, nominally “male” gender?

What would happen if a Marine was drafted into a war, but not given a cause to believe in or rally around, thrust into another man’s conflict without any personal conviction or stake, nothing beyond a vague claim of “duty” and “sole purpose”?

What would happen if this was confounded by snippets of knowledge - surviving memories of the past, direct experiences with mortals, overheard words - yet also faced with opposition in some way, quiet or loud, with misunderstanding, denial, hostility, punishment or deterrence? If this experience seemed to be an isolated case, a one-of-a-kind event at best and a major defect at worst?

What would happen to those one-in-many, to isolated grains of sand that slipped through a hair-thin crack?

And what if those unique experiences became compounded, layered on top of other, more conventionally-unconventional exceptions? A Rubric exile partially afflicted by the spell they helped cast, a noble-hearted Fenrisian who fought on Armageddon only to slip into Khorne’s clutches, an Imperial Fist successor who fought his way into the ranks of Iron Warriors to lead a squad of young, disheartened recruits...

After all, the galaxy is so massive that one-in-a-million events can basically happen every other day. One percent - one in a hundred - out of one million is ten thousand, and from our limited human perspective there’s almost nothing stopping reality from somehow hitting that one percent chance several times in a row.

After all, life spun the wheel with me and checked off a whole bunch of boxes in one go, making me queer, neurodivergent, mentally ill and very angry about a number of things in retrospect - and I wouldn’t be able to describe myself as either of these things if I haven’t heard from people who experienced them as well. Go figure.

[0xstarzx0]

DARK RED

Rafe Cameron S3x Reader

CLOSE COMMAND

[English is not my native language❗️❗️]

SYNOPSIS: Rafe found you and he’s planning on keeping it with him forever.

TW: toxic behavior, manipulation, control manipulation, threats, violence mentions, victim’s reprimand. !The reader is considered a weak-minded person, which explains her behavior towards Rafe! Mention of abortion. Insult

______________________________________________- [PT2]

6YEARS LATERS 

You watched your sons play happily in the streets of Chicago. You no longer lived as a kook, but you were happy with your children.

Music echoed through the streets as the boys were with their friends while you sunbathed peacefully.

"Mom, look what I can do!" said Elijah, making animal shadows with his hands.

You laughed and applauded, Dean coming to sit next to you.

Dean and Elijah are twin brothers.

Dean physically resembles you a lot. His eyes are just a little lighter than yours and his hair is not as wavy as yours.

Elijah strongly resembles Rafe, with the same hair, eye color, complexion, smile, EVERYTHING.

But in terms of character, they are completely different. Elijah inherited your character, while Dean has Rafe's character.

They are too young for you to say which one reminds you more of Rafe, but either way, you do your best to make sure they don’t become like him.

"When is Harper coming?" asks Dean with hint of frustration in his sad expression.

"She's coming at six-" Dean cuts you off. "How late is she staying with us?" You shrug your shoulders.

Tonight, you're working as a waitress for a high-end event in the north side of Chicago. You don't know what time you'll be home as these events can go on sometimes until three in the morning.

"I don't know Dean, but I'll make sure to come home as soon as possible," you say, gently stroking his hair.

"You always say that, but you come back super late!" The little blond puts his head against your shoulder.

It pains you to hear that because it’s true; sometimes in order to make sure you can make ends meet, you find yourself working overtime.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Dean hugs you with his little arms. "I love you, mom." You stroke his back. "I love you too, baby."

✯

The event had been going on for over an hour now, and the floors in the luxurious hotel where you were at began to fill up.

You stood up straight and tried to be as pleasant as possible. The atmosphere is enjoyable for the guests.

Each of them flaunts their wealth or talks about business. You recall the parties of this kind you used to attend with your family.

None of them were missed by you, you greet a woman as she starts talking to you.

She's quite attractive, with her medium-length black hair and her brown almond-shaped eyes. She acts as if you were the best friends in the world.

However, she doesn't do anything except talk about her life, there’s no coherence in what she’s saying, but you say nothing.

You hope to get at least a tip of $150 at this point.

She looks away from your eyes for a moment to look over your shoulder and smile. She waves her hand, probably attracting someone.

You begin to turn around to leave when you freeze. Bad memories come back one by one to the surface. Your heart beats so loudly in your ears that you can no longer hear.

You apologize and head to the bar, setting down your tray and run to the bathrooms. Rafe was there, he was right in front of you.

He still looks as charismatic and threatening as before. You walk to the sink and splash some water on your face.

And if he had recognized me? Will he make me pay? Will he be angry that I've deprived him of his children for so long? No, impossible that he’s recognized me.

You lift your head and find yourself face to face with him in the mirror. A satisfied smile on his face. You swallow hard and look at him.

His blue eyes are still as beautiful as ever, his shaved hair gives him a charm.

"It's been a long time." He says, locking the door. He advances, and you back away.

He straightens his tie and looks at himself in the mirror. "How's my child?"

You freeze in fear, the stress is at its peak. "I had an abortion." You gasp for air. He chuckles and looks at you. "You ran away just to have an abortion?"

You look at him angrily. "What do you want Rafe?" You tremble and he finally looks at you. "I know my children are somewhere in the streets of Chicago. Judging by your appearance, they must be in the South Side."

"Fuck off, Rafe!" You yell at him in anger. Rafe comes closer and looks at you with anger. "There are people who have disappeared for less than that Y/N. I suggest you lower your damn tone."

Rafe leans forward and tilts his head slightly. "I missed you." He tucks a strand of your hair behind your ear. You shudder at his touch.

"You broke my heart by leaving. How could you do this to me after everything I did for you." He grabs your chin and forces you to look at him.

There was a time when you would have apologized on your knees, but not anymore. "You were violentwith me."

He shrugs nonchalantly. "That happens in every relationship, it’s nothing serious." You look at him, shocked.

"How did you call them?" He asks, folding his arms across his chest. You furrow your brows. "What?..." he massages his temples. "The twins, what have you named them?" You tremble, how does he know?

"I don’t know what you mean." Rafe sighs loudly. "Do you really think I’m here by accident?" You frown, he takes out his phone and unlocks it.

He puts it on the sink, for the past five months he'd known where you live, your job, your friends, and most importantly, where his children were.

"I don’t blame you for leaving, Y/N, I’ve spent every day for the past six years thinking about you and the kids." He grabs your chin and forces you to look him in the eyes.

"I’m going to change, I promise, just give me one more chance to show you how I can be a good father for our kids." He caresses your cheek. "For our family."

You would like to scream at him, tell him to leave, but Rafe isn’t stupid. He knows that you won’t because you feel too guilty that the twins don’t have a father.

"Alright..." You say, looking into his eyes. "One and last chance." Rafe smiles and kisses your forehead. "Promise."

Rafe hugs you tightly and gently runs his fingers through your hair.

Rafe knew you were going to say yes, he was sure of it, and anyway, if you had refused, he would have made sure you wouldn’t be allowed near the children anymore.

Having money works that way.

Rafe knows it will take some time for you to no longer be afraid of him, but he will wait because that is what soulmates do. 

They always forgive their other half.

______________________________________________

Hello everyone!

And yes, after several months without news about this fan fiction, I finally write the end!

I'm sorry if the end hasn't pleased you, I don't like it too much either but I tried to do what I wanted the most. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask them to me in private or in request, I'll answer with pleasure <3

taglist 🏷️ :

@rafemotherfuckingcameron @macchili18 @devotedlyelectronicartisan @julesandro

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[smoshyourheadin]

yay!!!!!! mother is back!!!!!!

could i request a spencer agnew x reader where they meet at a bar and spencer ends up taking the reader home and it ends however you want

Butterflies That Flutter By

pairing: spencer agnew x f!reader

a/n: I. LOVE. THIS. anon u cooked w this. i went CRAZAAAAY!! two posts in one night who am i!! also sorry if u wanted smut i don’t feel comfortable writing it for real ppl!! charachters i can consider it tho ;)

warnings: if u don’t like mentions of alcohol or just a bar setting then this probably isn’t for u!! i’m sure ill catch you at another time tho <3

requests r open <33

saturdays are when you thrive. going out with all your college friends was just tradition at this point.

sitting at the bar in between anna and courtney, you complain about another failed date you had recently.

“ugh, he was just the worst! he was talking about his podcast the whole time, and then asked me to go back to his place? what do men expect me to say after that. ‘oh yes you talking about your alpha male, gym, i hate women podcast really made me so attracted to you’ like come on!” you turn to anna who’s laughing at you, with a sad stare, and she then is quick to put a hand on your shoulder.

“it’s okay! im sure you’ll find your man soon. isn’t court trying to set you up with that guy from her work?” she says to you, cocking her head to the side slightly.

courtney then chimes in, “yes! oh my gosh, her and spencer are literally perfect for each other! you need to meet him soon, you’ll love him!” she says with a wide smile.

“i mean, he is pretty cute…” you trail off.

courtney had been trying to set you and her friend spencer up for weeks now, and as she continued to gush about how spencer would appreciate your nerdiness and how you would adore his, you feel a tug of curiosity. ignoring the conversation for a moment, you make your way to the old street fighter arcade machine at the end of the bar. the familiar sounds of the game fill your ears as you slip a coin into the slot, your fingers itching to take control of your favorite character - ryu.

as you focus on the game, your mind drifts to the idea of meeting spencer. would he really be as perfect for you as courtney says? The thought lingers in your mind a bit as you unleash a flurry of moves on the joystick, losing yourself in the focus.

as you're deeply engrossed in the game, spencer enters the bar, scanning the room for courtney. spotting her animatedly chatting with anna, he makes his way over, a small smile playing on his lips. courtney notices him approaching and waves him over eagerly.

"hey, spencer! glad you could make it," she greets him with enthusiasm, nudging anna to make space for him between them.

"hey, court, thanks for inviting me!" spencer replies, returning her smile. his eyes then wander around the bar, landing on you as you fiercely battle your way through the arcade game.

courtney follows his gaze and grins mischievously. "oh, hey, look who's here! it's the girl i've been telling you about," she says, motioning towards you.

spencer's interest piques, and he watches you play for a moment, impressed by your technique. he can't help but notice how focused you are, your determination evident in every move you make. with a newfound curiosity, he watches in awe as you skillfully defeat everyone you fight with ease.

“hey…” you whip your head around and stand up straight from your practically bent over pose, as you hear courtney’s voice from behind you.

there, stood next to her, is possibly the most attractive man you’d ever seen.

he’s got beautiful brown eyes, and dark curly hair. with glasses. oh my. he’s dressed in slacks, tattered old vans, a flannel, and an old work jacket.

“um, hi court.” is all you can muster up to say to her.

“this is spencer, spencer this is the woman of your dreams!” she giggles.

spencer glares at her, but then smiles sincerely at you.

“so, street fighter, huh? you've got some serious skills," spencer remarked, impressed by your gameplay.

you glanced over at him, offering a small smile in return. "thanks! it's one of my favorite games. i've been playing since i was a kid. i think it’s one of the main reasons i decided to be a game developer."

courtney takes this opportunity to slip away from you both, leaving you to geek out together, and she rushes over to anna

“i told you! twenty bucks says they leave together!” she grins.

“you are so on!” anna replies.

across the bar, you and spencer are chatting it up, both leant against the wall near the machine.

spencer takes a sip of his drink before leaning in. "so, who's your main in street fighter?"

you grin, a rush of excitement at the chance to talk about your favorite character. "call me basic, but definitely ryu! i love his playstyle, and his hadoukens! they’re pretty gnarly."

"classic choice," spencer replied with a nod of approval. "i’m more of a ken guy myself. gotta respect the fiery spirit, you know?"

you giggle, nodding in agreement. "yeah, ken's cool. those shoryukens can really mess up the game though.”

he smiles at your reply, and the conversation flows on. you find yourself talking to him for the better part of an hour, eventually sitting at the bar with him.

“um, you don’t have to say yes,” he says, turning to you. “but, would you want to come back to my place?”

you smile at him, and tuck a strand of hair behind your ear “i’d like that.”

and so, you find yourself walking back to spencer’s apartment and talking to him about how much you love zelda.

stepping into his apartment, you’re immediately greeted by an array of nerdy decorations that cover every corner. posters of classic video game characters lined the walls, and shelves filled with action figures and memorabilia from various fandoms.

"wow, you have quite the collection!" you exclaimed, taking in the sight with wide eyes.

spencer chuckles nervously with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of his head. "yeah, i might have gone a little overboard."

but to you, it’s like stepping into a treasure trove of nostalgia, and honestly? you were jealous. you eagerly made your way around the room, pointing out your favorite pieces and telling him about the games and shows you loved most.

"that's a limited edition link figurine, right?" you ask, pointing to a display on one of the shelves.

spencer nodded, a hint of pride in his voice. "yeah, it's one of my prized possessions! i also have a few special edition zelda figures."

as you continue to explore, spencer watches you with a mixture of awe and admiration. he had never met someone who shared his passion for all things nerdy quite like you did. It felt surreal to have someone in his space who not only appreciated but genuinely enjoyed his interests.

before long, the initial awkwardness of the invitation fades away, replaced by a comfortable ease as you bond over your shared love for video games, movies, and everything in between.

the night continues, and you end up making him watch your favourite film - perfect blue, which you watch in comfortable silence.

as the credits roll, you stretch out comfortably on spencer's couch, feeling the pleasant weight of sleep pulling at your eyelids. the movie is intense, and you’re exhausted from the day's excitement.

spencer glances over at you, a soft smile playing on his lips as he noticed your drooping eyelids. he gently reached for the remote and turned off the playstation you were using to watch it, casting the room into a soothing darkness.

"you tired?" he asks, his voice low and gentle.

you nod sleepily, snuggling into the cushions. "yeah, it's been a long day. sorry for almost falling asleep on you."

spencer chuckles softly, shaking his head. "don't apologize. it's actually kind of nice having someone to watch movies with, even if they fall asleep halfway through."

you smile, feeling a warmth spread through your chest at his words. despite only meeting him tonight, you already feel a sense of comfort in his presence.

with a contented sigh, you let yourself drift off, the steady rhythm of spencer's heartbeat beneath you lulling you into a peaceful slumber.

later that night, as you sleep soundly against him, spencer can’t resist taking a picture of you, your peaceful expression illuminated by the soft glow of the tv’s ‘no signal’ screen. he texts it to courtney with a simple message: "she isn't too bad."

as he presses send, a smile tuggs at the corners of his lips.

courtney opens the message to see your face, her jaw dropping. she closes the messages from spencer, and immediatley texts anna,

‘u owe me 20 ;)’

[7ndipity]

Disneyland trips

Ot7 x Reader

Summary: what a trip to Disneyland would be like with them.

Warnings: brief mention of sickness

A/N: Full disclosure, I've never actually been to any of the parks, so this is all based off what I know from vlogs. This is just me indulging one of mine and @this-must-be-my-tardis current hyperfixations.

Masterlist

Requests are open

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Jin: Welcome to season 2 of Eat Jin! Fr tho, y'all would be one of those couples that visit every month for a different challenge, like trying/ranking all the different churros or smth. Matching ears, because this man is into couple outfits, idc what anyone says. Goes on a few rides, but screams the whole time and says "no more!" after each one(immediately turns around and gets in line for another one)

Yoongi: Knows all these random facts about the park. Like, did you know that the wedding ring stuck in the concrete outside the Huanted Mansion was originally just part of a pavilion post? Or that they use vegetable oil to grease the trolly tracks on Main Street so it won't leave residue on you shoes? Well, now you do! Actually laughs at the jokes on the jungle cruise, but will vehemently deny it unless you catch it on film.

Hobi: Night time visit because ((vibes)). So many mini photo shoots. Another that's into matching couple ears. Spends ages in Toontown going through the character houses. Gets motion sick after like two rides, and then just want to go to the gift shops and get dole whip. Might legit reuse the popcorn bag/bucket as a regular bag for a bit afterwards(acorn bags 2, disney boogaloo)

Namjoon: A bit embarrassed by the ears, but he'll wear them if it makes you happy. Another fan of going at night because it's a little calmer and y'all can take your time and just wander around. Has a surprising amount of fun on the rides in Fantasyland and even tries his hand at the sword in the stone, insisting he felt it wiggle(pls get him away from there before he breaks it).

Jimin: You might think he would be chill and more go-with-the-flow about your plans for the day, but no, he's got it all mapped out and is determined to do as much as possible. Like y'all are there from gates open to gates close. You work your way though the whole park, from one land to another. By the end of the day, you're both so exhausted you almost fall asleep during the fireworks show, but it was totally worth it.

Taehyung: Lowkey would be into disney-bounding(probably as someone like prince Naveen, so he can keep his aesthetic) but if you don't watch out, he's gonna get too immersed and start talking like the characters. Makes you go on the teacups with him, cause he thinks it'll be cute, but ends up getting motion sick. Soo excited to meet some of the cast members and get pictures. Is just a giant kid having the time of his life.

Jungkook: if you're not into rides, I'm so sorry, because he has to go on Every. Single. Ride. The Matterhorn, Huanted Mansion, Space Mountain(twice), even the Storybook Boat! He's skipping through the whole park, churro in one hand and pulling you along with the other. You're gonna feel so sick, but he's having such a good time, you almost don't have the heart to tell him you need a break. Almost.

[sweetmage]

Happy DADWC uwu can I get a little "Knowing someone else can hear" off of the smut list for either Celestine/Sebastian or Purple Mage M!Hawke/Anders

HIIII! Thank you so much for the prompt, this one was so fun to write 💖 @dadrunkwriting ---

Words: 2000+

Ships and Characters: Inquisitor!Purple M!Hawke/Anders, The Advisors (mentioned)

Tags: Rough sex, getting caught, banter and humor, purple Hawke, dirty talk, multiple orgasms

Summary: Anders had been driving him mad making eyes at him over the war table all evening. The moment they're alone he gives him just what he's been silently begging for, regardless of who hears.

All day Anders had been giving him those eyes from across the war table, practically begging with his eyes to bent over it and fucked all across Ferelden and Orlais. Hawke would have been more than happy to indulge him were it not for the fact that the two women who flanked him might have had some objection. Probably. One could never tell with Josephine, it might make for thrilling gossip.

He behaved himself, though his trousers grew uncomfortably tighter with each heated look Anders sent his direction. It was a miracle no one caught on, least of all the Commander, who may have erupted into ashes on the spot had he any idea.

Hawke could hardly focus by the end of it, letting them squabble amongst themselves for answers or taking advice from Anders, much to the chagrin of the less revolutionary-minded advisors. But finally, mercifully, Josephine declared an early dismissal, citing business that urgently needed her attention. Hawke tried not to linger on how abrupt and generous that was, opting to thank the stars beyond instead.

Once the crew had filed out and the doors were safely shut behind them, Hawke wasted no time cornering his lover, slamming him against the table and capturing his lips with his own. Anders groaned eagerly against him, hands already busy working loose belts and untying strings, trying to free him from his robes.

"Finally," Hawke growled against his neck, kissing and biting. "Thought I was going to burst."

"Couldn't resist watching you struggle," Anders taunted, hips canting desperately against him. "How badly you wanted to have me."

"I'm going to bend you over this table and fuck you senseless, mark my words." Hawke tugged impatiently at his coat. "Off. Right now."

Anders hastily shed his coat, leaving it discarded in a heap at his feet and fumbling for Hawke's. They shed their clothes piece by piece, desperate as teenagers and rutting against each other, hungry to get their hands on bare flesh.

Pressed flushed to him, Anders whispered softly into his ear. "I've been thinking about you all day. I got myself ready for you before the meeting." Anders punctuated his statement with a sharp roll of his hips. "So let's skip the foreplay, I want you now."

Hawke needed no further incentive. He hooked an arm around his waist, lifting him onto the table and slotting himself between his thighs, grinding their stiff cocks together. "Lay back." Hawke directed and Anders obeyed, splaying himself across the tabletop. Hawke took a moment just to admire him. Lean, freckled legs parted just for him, pink nipples pert and peaked, and his cock, swollen and leaking against his taut stomach, begging for Hawke's touch.

"Don't stare, get in me," Anders demanded, wiggling his hips enticingly.

“When did you become so demanding?" Hawke teased, running his hands along his inner thighs. "Where's my shy apostate, blushing and begging?"

"Oh please Ser Inquisitor, won't you defile me here among your advisors' most important documents?" Anders cooed theatrically, bucking his hips. "Happy?"

"Ecstatic," Hawke snorted and positioned himself at his entrance. He slowly pressed into him, savoring the wet slide and tight heat. He wasn't joking about being ready, already slick and stretched, waiting only to be filled. "You really were ready for me." Hawke remarked as he looked down upon him, not yet moving. "Naughty boy."

"Stop teasing. I told you I'm ready," Anders demanded, taking his cock into his hand, pumping impatiently.

"I should tease you for that," Hawke tutted, hips lazily rolling, sliding in and nearly free. "Making me suffer through a whole meeting." Despite his words, he was far too greedy to deny himself another moment. Hawke drove his hips forward, reveling in the filthy moan torn from his lover's throat as he buried himself fully and set a relentless pace. Maker, he could drown in his noises, so sinful and shameless.

"Fuck," Anders keened, clutching at Hawke’s shoulder with his free hand and wrapping his legs around him, encouraging him deeper. "Just like that. Fuck, don't stop. Oh, fuck." Words were reduced to fragments, babbled praises, and pleading gasps.

The table had looked sturdy enough at a glance, but it knocked and creaked noisily against the stone, rattled by the force Hawke pounded into him. The walls were thick, but not that much. Should someone only enter the corridor they'd no doubt be privy to their frenzied fucking. Maybe that made the rush all the more exhilarating, or maybe he just wanted people to know how he could drive Anders to make those noises for him. Anders seemed none too concerned either way and cried his name aloud for whoever might hear.

Hawke wrapped a hand around Anders's dripping cock and took over, stroking him in rhythm with his thrusts. He made the prettiest face then, long lashes fluttering over dazed amber eyes, mouth hanging slack as he gasped ragged breaths. Too lovely a sight to pass up, Hawke stole his lips as his movements became sloppier and harder.

"Right there," Anders whimpered against his lips, his nails biting into his back. "I'm so close."

"Yeah?" He asked, leaning back just a bit to meet his eyes and take him in hand. He could feel it building from the inside, his walls already tensing up around him. "That's it, sweetheart. Come on, come for me," he encouraged, never slowing his pace nor ceasing his touch. He was quickly rewarded as Anders writhed under him, the muscles of his abdomen jumping and contracting,  his eyes screwed shut as he screamed his pleasure. How gorgeous he was shivering and painting his chest and stomach, breathless and smiling. And to feel his body pulsing around him... Hawke chased the feeling, burying his face against his shoulder and thrusting feverishly as he neared his own peak.

The world, in all its cruelty, had different plans for him however.

He could swear he heard someone bumbling about in the hallway just outside, perhaps even whispers. The door was locked so it wasn't too pressing, but a small voice of alarm in the back of his mind nagged at him to pause his ministrations. From a distance it was fine, they had plausible deniability, but should anyone get closer the racket was sure to catch their ear in a way he feared he couldn't talk his way out of.

He sighed, half considering pulling out and taking it elsewhere, but Anders didn't seem to have registered it and thrusted his hips back against him, his spent body greedy and oversensitive. Maker, why was he so damn tempting?

He leaned in to take his lips again, whispering softly into them. "I think someone's outside." Hawke warned between kisses. "Keep your voice low, yeah?"

Anders nodded hazily, his teeth catching his lower lip and tugging. Hawke fought to muffle a groan, his hips rolling into him slowly now as he waited for the unseen interlopers to move along. It was near agony, this quiet, languid pace, the tension low in his belly tightening into something almost torturous.

Anders seemed no better, already hard again and rocking down against him, whining sweetly and needily against his lips. "Feels good, love," he murmured, arching his back and squeezing around him. "I love it when you take me slow like this."

"Shame the company's no good right no,." Hawke huffed against his cheek, still leisurely rolling his hips, relishing the gasps Anders struggled to stifle.

He couldn't take much more of this. To the Void with them if someone heard. What would they do? Fire him?

"Turn over for me." His voice came low and rough, barely containing himself any longer. "I want to have you hard." It took immense restraint to ease himself from him, already regretting the absence of his warmth. At his instruction Anders slid from the table and flipped around, face and torso flush with the wood and his ass raised invitingly. Hawke moved up close behind him, stroked his hands reverently over his soft skin, then sank back in. This time, Hawke allowed no quarter. He slammed into him fast and rough, the table raking across the ground with each thrust but he could scarcely find it within himself to care. His hand came around the front, roughly grabbing his partner's weeping erection, pumping him furiously while he fucked him from behind. With the table at that awkward height, all Anders could do was grab at it and hang on, whimpering and writhing while Hawke fucked him mindlessly, chasing his end.

"Not gonna last long," Hawke grunted, feeling his release rapidly approaching. "Push back against me." Anders did just that, matching the timing and force of his thrusts and Hawke swore, teetering precariously at the brink. "Oh, good boy. Love it when you do that."

Between the praise and the pounding Anders seemed lost to his bliss, no longer bothering to temper the volume of his moans. "Feels so good. Almost there... almost there again," Anders babbled, tossing a glance back at Hawke from where his head was pressed to the table. "Please don't stop." As if Hawke needed his coaxing, as though he had the self control to slow and pull away, let alone stop.

Hawke took him by the ponytail and tugged, yanking him upright, chest flush with his back. Anders melted against him, letting Hawke pound up into him as his hand jerked him off erratically. "Come again, baby." He purred into his ear, relishing in how he shivered at the command. "Come for me."

It took hardly a handful of strokes before Anders was convulsing against him, whimpering his name and spilling into his fist. Hawke wasn't too far behind. He bit down into the meat of his shoulder, muffling the low, satisfied groan that ripped from him as he finally found his long-awaited release, hips rocking gently as he rode through the waves of euphoria, twitching inside of Anders. Hawke held Anders's shuddering form tightly against him and pressed soft, loving kisses along the curve of his neck, trailed them over the scars on his upper back. It was all he could do to even remain upright, still a bit breathless as they both recovered. Eventually he withdrew, chuckling when he caught Anders trembling and heard him moan weakly as he pulled free.

Now in the silence, he turned his attention back to the door, though heard nothing on the other side. "Serves them right. Eavesdropping bastards."

"Or poor innocent scouts we just ran off," Anders mused, still struggling to collect himself as he leaned forward and draped himself lazily across the table. He stretched as a cat might, luxuriating in his sated stupor.

"Come on, let's go clean up before I have any ideas about taking you again." He trailed his hands over his hips one last time, helped him stand, and straightened his disheveled hair, smoothing it over. They gathered their scattered garments and dressed as quickly as they could manage, Hawke unable to resist pausing for a few playful swats at Anders's rear. "Try to put on a face that doesn't say 'just ravished in the War Room'. You know, that stuffy 'I am a very serious apostate' face. Act confident enough and they'll forget it ever happened."

"Really? I always thought that 'I just got my brains fucked thoroughly into next week' face suited me." Anders fell into step beside him as they left the room, both clearly relieved to find the hallway now empty. What lay beyond that, though, was not as welcome a sight.

The moment they crossed the threshold Josphine, a quill in one hand and the other pointing back towards the war room addressed them without even looking up. "Inquisitor," she cleared her throat, a faint blush tinting her cheeks, "please return the table and all of its pieces to its original position before you leave. Thank you."

Both of their faces burned scarlet, Anders looked like he might melt on the spot from sheer mortification, Hawke doubted his own composure fared much better. "Yes, Lady Ambassador," they managed to croak. They power walked back from the office to the beat of stifled giggles and hurried footsteps.

[fullmetalgirl98]

30 days Paradox Live challenge

DAY 22: characters that would be your crew

💿 Allen, Hokusai and Shogo

Strange jumble of interesting people, isn't it? Let's start with the simple things: Allen. Did anyone say "nervous breakdown," "over obsession," and "powerful fangirling? WELL. Allen and I are in. With Allen I feel I could bring out the worst in me, we would spend hours talking and freaking out about our favorite music and discussing about how genious the lyrics of that song is, or how catchy is the beat of that other one or the musical base of that other one too. The neighbors would probably hear dubious excited howls but it would just be the passion of two powerful nerds feeding off each other. Let's pass to Hokusai. Well, I've already talked enough about him in the post for Day 7 but, summarizing, we can say that character-wise we're very similar, besides the fact that both of us love cats madly. Hokusai is that ear ready to listen to you and give you support, he's that friend that always fortify you with that right advice you need. Hokusai is a certainty you know you can always count on, both in happy times and in the saddest ones. Finally, Shogo. I myself am surprised, but it's true: I would definitely get along very well with him! Besides being loyal, honest, serious, and a hard worker, Shogo is a very fragile person who always tries to meet others' expectations. This obviously causes him a lot of stress, and I feel that in this we're very, very similar. I can see myself patting him on the back and comforting him (just as Toma would) and I'm sure he would also do anything to help me in my time of need, he would surely be there to cheer me on! I might make an honorable mention of the couple of friends who join us up every now and then, namely Shion (tailing Hokusai, of course, and who would represent the ever-present gay friend of the group) and Chisei, who would just be the guy I would shamelessly hit on.

[tuliharja]

BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War double review of ep 12 & 13

It's double review time for the last episodes of Bleach!

Alright, I must admit episode 12's beginning did surprise me. I always thought back to when Isshin was still a captain, Byakuya, Kenpachi, and maybe Mayuri wasn't yet captains? I don't know, because it makes sense as much time has (probably) passed after Turn Back The Pendulum arc's end when Shinji and company got screwed over by Aizen. Even so...it surprised me. Not to mention the fact you're telling me Mayuri kept that same look for at least about 15-plus years as he had that same look at the beginning of Bleach. I can't accept that, even if I can accept everything else... But it explains everybody's reactions toward Ichigo in the Ryoka Invasion arc as most of the captains seemed to connect Ichigo to Isshin because of the obvious Shiba genes. (Kenpachi can be pardoned because while he can be observant, he isn't that observant.)

But because of this...man, now I feel even worse for Ichigo as he did basically grow up in the dark his whole life. That can be explained because Isshin and Masaki probably wanted to protect Ichigo (and his sisters) from such life, but once Ichigo got pulled into the shinigami business? And Isshin still wouldn't tell him? Or at least help him or protect him or anything? Man, my opinion about Isshin will remain as it's even after he told Ichigo the truth in the end and helped him.

Also, I loved the fact Yamamoto smelled Isshin leaving something untold but decided not to press upon the matter.

Gotta love it when things come back to bite someone's butt, in this case, Ryuuken's. After all, he should have talked with Katagiri if he truly wanted to cover up Masaki's little 'adventure'. But...well, since communication isn't a thing, it isn't. In a sense, Katagiri tried to help Masaki, even though she went against her young master's orders while trying to cover up what Ryuuken said. In that sense, Katagiri should have been honest, so maybe Ryuuken would have understood her point...man, so many unsaid things when both of them just wanted to help as they both are very kind. Just...bad when comes to communication. (Though, I assume in the end they talked with each other as they got married, ditto.)

Hmm, I loved how the animators showed Ryuuken's mother had that scar on her ankle. It subtly showed something bad had happened to her in the past, hence explaining a bit her strict behavior toward Ryuuken and Masaki. (Not to mention concern.) Cool way to add depth to a character with such a small detail.

It seems animators are continuing the line of 'let's cut off the ridiculousness of things to a minimum. Same with possible fan services.' After all, in the manga when Isshin went to rescue Masaki, there was that whole 'you're naked!' scene. It felt...super awkward, but this time around it was brushed aside and not made as a big deal as it should have been. Even though the animators did subtly hint with Masaki's goofy expression and her words something like that...but kudos for that to the animators/directors. Subtle hints like that are much better than just slamming things into the viewer's face. Or, at least I think so. (Though, the reason why I can see some of these subtle hints/changes might be because I have read the manga.)

I think that the movie part that they added for an explanation of 'Masaki was like the sun' was a very nice touch. It was very sweet and ended Isshin's story of 'how I met your mother' on a high note.

I must applaud Isshin's voice actor for spelling 'Auswählen' correctly as I imagine spelling the ä-letter even for Asians is hard, but he spelled the word correctly as far as I can tell. (I bet someone from Germany can confirm that better as I believe Aushwählen is Germany. But at least to my ear, he spelled especially that letter correctly.)

Alright, let's move to the last episode.

I've to ask...how Oetsu managed to send one of his bodyguards into the World of the Living? Like, does Zero Squad have their own portable little senkaimons that act like teleports or what? Because if they have such technology...why they haven't bestowed it to Seireitei? Would make moving between places much easier... Or, did Oetsu put on Ichigo marking or sort of that lead his bodyguard to him? (Like Minato Namikaze from Naruto would do when moving quickly between places.)

The whole scene where Ichigo was once again in the Asauchi pit gave me chills. It felt somewhat very...it's hard to put in words, but I could feel this charged-up tension in that scene as the Asauchi bowed down to Ichigo like he was King. Which he was. He was now finally the TRUE King that his inner Hollow had been mockingly using of him. Yet at the same time, Ichigo acknowledged his hollow/blade as the one. After all, the King needs a trusty blade if he will go to slay the enemy king. Man, that scene felt very intense and powerful in its own way. All the struggles Ichigo had faced were finally bearing fruit and Oetsu's proud smile? Yeah, it was worth seeing it. I bet he hadn't ever seen anything like that and probably won't ever again.

The shift to soul reapers and what they were doing while Ichigo was away was nice. Toshiro going back to basics was important in its own way as it showed one shouldn't look back at what they lost but forward and still do their best. While Hisagi was kind of in contrast to that in a way he was still hung up by the past...hence, both Kensei and Mashiro will show him a bit of 'tough love'. Seeing Akon back to his feet was nice and the fact Mayuri was doing something very...questionable was a nice cliffhanger. I'm happy over the fact they showed that little glimpse of Soi Fon training while Omaeda entertained his little sister. It showed the viewer despite the fact Omaeda is portrayed as this super annoying character, he still cares about his captain and is a good big brother.

I'm still questioning if Komamura's clan is a mixture of dogs and wolves...I mean, the Great Elder looked like a giant dog while Sajin looks like a fox. Sorry, I know Sajin is supposed to be a wolf, but his coloring always made me think he was a fox. I know there was the running gag of Sajin being a dog, but even so...*Shrugs.* This part actually made me a bit sad, because as a manga reader I know what will happen to Sajin. The only comforting thing is that Sajin will get to shine. Not to mention the fact we never got to learn more about Sajin's clan. I hope they'll add a little extra about that in the anime when/if it'll, gets continued. His clan, the fact they have to live in shadows...all that made me very curious about the wolf clan.

Alright everybody, don't take notes from Oetsu on how to forge. Seriously, your vision will get worse without proper protective goggles when forging. Even so, the whole scene when his bodyguards made the forge ready for him was very funny and epic. The music really helped to bring the mood up~.

It's interesting how Ichigo's inner world was now pink-white-grey tones themed instead blue white. Though, it was understandable as it was to set the serious mood and I bet the animators wanted to give their own flavor to it all. Not to mention, now the blue was used to symbolize Quincies. I think the fact when that pink faded into those blue tones was a very nice touch and showed Ichigo embracing himself and his all powers fully. (Also, I know it's cliché but I liked when Ichigo came from darkness to the light -from despair to hope.) The fact Number One was playing in the background when this all happened was a very good way to end the show -especially when we saw Ichigo's new twin Zanpakutos! A very harmonious ending for Ichigo.

And yes, Uryuu showing at the very end in front of Yhwach was a nice teaser for what is to come. ;) Can't wait for the next season as this one was totally worth waiting for all those years! So happy Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War arc's first season ended on such a high note and the series itself was extremely good almost the whole time. Made my inner Bleach fan squeal when watching this series.

Also, it was nice to write these silly reviews each week about the new Bleach: Thousand Year-Blood war episodes.

[kuraitsune]

could i have a vox x reader x shu poly 😋 i never see people talk about poly relationships and i love them both so much 😭

PARiNGS - ...Vox Akuma x GN!reader x Shu Yamino

MENTiONS - ...no one else!

SUMMARY - ...waking early really isn't great, and sometimes food is just the right thing to fix the day up!

READER'S PROFiLE - ...you are you!

DiSCLAiMERS - this fic is written by my friend, then I edited it! please know that these writings are a work of fiction and are the appearance and persona of the character! not the person behind the screen.

"[name]~…[name]~…[name]!" a very disturbing shaking of your body woke you up, turns out it was Vox trying to get you awake. Opening your eyes slightly, you see Shu still asleep, just snoring on the other side.

"What…? It's so early in the morning… can't we sleep longer?" you turn to see it's 6AM on your phone, the contrast from the dark and light almost blinding your eyes.

"Look I know it's really early, but I was thinking…maybe~ we could go and get some food soon. Me, personally, I'm really hungry," the voice demon continued trying to get you to get out of bed.

"Let…Us sleep…" Shu shuffled around, mumbling in his sleep, only slightly aware of what's happening.

"Come onnnn… I forgot to eat last night when I came home, I saw you guys sleeping and thought 'Oh! Why not go and sleep with them?' So I forgot to eat… pleaseeeeee…" you rolled your eyes, though eventually agreeing to the whines of the darker haired man.

After a while of laying in bed and trying to fall back asleep, Vox eventually wakes the two of you up, picking you up bridal style to the bathroom. "I just started your shower, just how you like it. So I'll leave you to do your stuff, don't be long dear."

He carefully shut the door, leaving you to stare at the mirror to wake up for a second. Finally, you finally decide to get in the shower and start to shower.

A loud pounding sound rang through the bathroom, the voice of the sorcerer getting picked up by your ears, "[name]! Hurry up! We've been waiting and you've been in there for 40 minutes now!"

"I’m almost done! Don't be such a prick!" you responded, a bit ticked off. You quickly ran out of the shower to get into clothes. Just as you went to open up the door and meet them, Vox froze in place, about to knock on the door again.

"Oh, at least I don't have to ask again. Shu's trying his hardest to stay awake waiting, he'd probably fall asleep again if you didn't finish up in the next minute," you softly laughed at his half-jokingly sarcasm, and headed out to the car. They ended up at a nice breakfast court to eat at last.

"[nickname], can I sit next to you today? Vox sat next to you last time we went out, so…?" Shu begged you, as you confusedly looked at him.

"Hey, we already share the same bed! Why can't we share them like normal?" Vox popped into the conversation, crossing his arms and furrowing his eyebrows at the shorter sorcerer.

"What about you two sit next to each other and I'll sit on the other side, so I don't have to worry about anything?" you giggled, just admiring the two.

NOTE - hi, kura here! as it was said before, this fic is made my lovely friend who would like to stay anonymous. i hope that was fine for the anon who requested this! (the reason why i let my friend write this was bc i've been extremely busy of the late! with other reqs & my own life)

hope you enjoyed this fic~

DO NOT: repost or copy any of @kuraitsune's works! sharing is fine with credits.

[bemylord]

todo finding out that his s/o is takada-chan’s younger sister

rq: Hey Ny👋 i would like to request something. Can you write a Drabble about Todo finding out that his s/o is Takada-chan’s younger sister? I thought it would be funny, you don’t have to do this but I appreciate it.🙏

characters: aoi todo x fem!reader.

warnings: just todo being overdose with his s/o and takada-chan. it's super fondness and funny + au. my grammar mistakes.

butler's remark: (^◕ᴥ◕^) hello lord, it's me with a fluff work as you might see. did his s/o a todo's type: man has a booty kink [if there is one], in any case, it's a short sketch. also, i couldn't find todo's image like gojo's one or itadori's so i apologize.

disclaimer: everything you read is purely my opinion - any detail, sketch, or event is a figment of my imagination.

you knew your boyfriend was is a huge fan of your older sister, that's why you kept hiding your 'secret' from todo. not because he'd a clingy and be asking to get acquainted with her. you were waiting 'till your sister will have a concert whilst todo will be on the mission - what a shame to be probably on the other side of town when your idol is performing - the probability of such a coincidence is extremely small, but not equal to zero.

like now, when takada has her performance, todo is fighting over the special grade cursed spirit. he couldn't do anything but to exterminate the monster, so he could watch the takada's concert.

a few hours after your sister's concert, when your lover showed up on the doorstep of the house.

'i missed the concert. it was a rare occasion, it-' todo is standing in the door frame, sobbing as he missed the concert his idol. you never mentioned you like her or watching takada's shows on the screen, therefore, todo has to impress you with her. /if he knew she is your sister/

aoi todo - as i mentioned before - would be freak around you when nobody sees: his hands will wrap your waist all time, mostly in the evenings as both of you will be watching tv, but in reality, neither todo nor you ain't seeing what on the screen, mainly, you give each other warmth and hugs.

todo upset as he couldn't show you her concert. he sits on the couch in the living room, tossed his head.

'i wanted to bring you to the concert, so afterward we could have the memory'

'aoi..'

'whose concert?'

takada's head peeked out from behind the door frame leading into the kitchen as she came into the room with her stage persona [?]. todo is sitting there, looking at you, at her, not knowing what's going on.

'y/n, do you see what i see?'

you looked at your older sister, giggled. todo laid his elbows on his knees, put a chin on his fist, speculating on the situation. even being a grade first sorcerer, his brain is mushy as his capability to think straight is lost. todo could calculate a masterful plan of how to beat the spirit but at this moment, he doesn't know what to say.

'my hallucination probably played out, there is no percentage to takada-chan being here and even had spoken'

'do you think i'm not real?'

aoi's brain starts to work as the idol came to the sorcerer, dramatically pouted her lips. the moment of realization of what's happening dawned on him, as light pink blush is dotted on his cheeks, as he almost jumped off the couch.

't-takada-chan, i.. you real? certainly, you ain't fake, just..'

todo is dawned by a sudden feeling, which is hard for him to describe - such an unplanned meeting with an idol unquestionably makes him impossible to talk. even tho he's a sorcerer, ranged first which means he's powerful and astute when it comes to finding the best plan to exterminate the cursed spirit.

'i've been all ears about you - y/n told me that you're the strongest among your students. i am glad that my sister is dating someone powerful and kind like you, todo-san'

have you ever seen someone red like a tomato? well, now you've got an opportunity to have a look - the side of aoi probably you and takada allowed to see is when he's as happy as a child, the full teeth smile [?] that will not leave his face until the end of the evening, he will illuminate the room.

'don't call me todo-san, it's aoi. you're my girlfriend sister, i feel uncomfortable for you to use the formal'

the second question - have you ever seen someone being battle-crazed meathead and willing to demolish everyone but actually melty ice cream and sugary? my answer is simple - aoi todo.

all evening todo had been listening to your sister's stories with admiration in his eyes, peeping at you with those practically puppy eyes as if they're reading: 'thank you, honey'. todo kinda complacent - not everyone has got a chance to talk to the idol like aoi does.

throughout the evening the little and cute blush on his dimpled cheeks staying as if that's how it should be. out of a significant and fearsome man remained a small, purring cat, if you can characterize him that way.

'takada-chan, may i-'

'call me takada, aoi'

'takada.. may you give me taka-tan beam, please?'

at last, before leaving your house, your older sister looked back at todo's request, as if she was waiting 'till he uttered the phrase. she let out a cheerful but quiet chuckle.

'here i go' as if at that meeting when todo had time to come [he probably missed the class to see your sister], still he gets tensed when takada cleared her throat a little.

at first, she clenched her left hand in a small fist, covering her face with a curve of her elbow, next swiftly closed left eye, bringing the index and middle finger toward her eye with the back of his hand to the todo and you, pronouncing, likely the most favorite phrase taka-tan.

'here you go, aoi. i had the pleasure of meeting my sister's boyfriend. goodbye, thanks for the invitation, y/n!'

you smiled as a response, closed the door whilst todo is still speechless.

'oi, y/n, why you didn't choose to be an idol? therefore i'd be your huge fan number one'

'i've chosen another way. but, if i'll be the idol like my sister, hm~ i'll have the huge crowd of fanboys, who'd like to steal my heart'

he wanted to respond but instead of saying, todo wrapped his arms around your body, kissing your forehead.

'i'm glad that you're only mine, y/n. i love you'

you smacked your lips against his as your hands are holding his cheeks.

'..maybe i should be an idol after all..'

'and show your boot- your body to every boy? i'm not allowed you, you. are. mine!'

what is going to be next? well, you'll spend the night in todo's arms as he'll tell you, probably thousand and one quotes why you're his and why he loves you. that fondness of his is unforgettable.

(☆ω☆)

butler recommends you to see this video of todo meets takada-chan and taka-tan beam. hope it's fluff and kinda funny, sorry if it's not. also that cute moment in the end, i think it was UwU.

[?] - correct if i'm wrong.

↳ back to the main master list.

[kissinginkitchens]

You Bring Me Home — Chapter One: Flightless Bird, American Mouth

a/n: I've been working on this story for mooonths now and I'm so excited to finally share it with the world! It's heavily inspired by Harry's Behind the Album mini doc, except I changed the setting to Hawai'i because I've personally spent some time there and as they say, write what you know! YBMH takes place in the period between One Direction's hiatus and Harry's first album/tour, but with that being said, this is entirely a work of fiction and some events don't follow the true timeline. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my little story, I hope you love it as much as I do! It will be updated every Friday at 5 PM PST. My inbox is open, so feel free to talk to me once you've finished reading! I'd love to hear from you :) Much love, Mel <3

Pairing: Hawai'i!Harry x Original Character

Warnings: swearing

Word Count: 5.5k

May, 2016

Harry watches LAX get smaller through the airplane window and visualizes all of his worries stuck at the terminal gate, their magnitude also diminishing as he takes flight. He sinks lower in his seat and skims through playlists on his phone when a nagging feeling at the back of his mind pulls his attention away from the screen. Looking up from the song choices, he spots a cell phone quickly lowered from his line of vision and a girl with flushed cheeks who quickly averts her gaze. Harry shoots a tight-lipped smile in her direction and goes back to his phone with a sigh. The days when he could roam the streets freely without fear of recognition—or worse, harassment—feel like an entirely different lifetime. He sometimes imagines that he’ll wake up back in his childhood bed as if the past five years had all been a dream, but he never does. In fact, his privacy and anonymity seem to dwindle with each minute of radio play that One Direction receives. It’s a bittersweet pill to swallow, but one he hopes will go down easier with some time in the Hawaiian sun.

His close friend and new manager, Jeff Azoff, had suggested the vacation as soon as the band privately agreed to take a hiatus.

“You’ll go home for a few weeks,” his voice had crackled through the speakers of Harry’s phone. “Visit your mom and Gem, lay low for a while until the smoke blows over,”

Harry mulled it over in his mind, eyes flickering over the rolling landscape outside of the tour bus window.

“Then what?”

“Then you go for a little vacation. The label offered to cover a house in Hawaii so you can start working on the album,”

“Alone?”

Jeff chuckled lightly on the other end before responding. “I mean, if that’s what you want,”

“No,” Harry corrected. “You and Tom should come. Mitch and Bhasker, too,”

“The dream team,”

“And there’ll be a studio there?”

“Yes,” Jeff started, almost hesitant. “But I don’t want you to think about that too much,”

“But you said the label—"

“I also said vacation. Look, Rob said ‘it will all happen in due time,' did he not?”

Harry twisted the rose ring around his finger, tracing over the silver petals and thinking back to his conversation with the CEO of Sony Music, Rob Stringer. Upon the proposal of his debut solo album, Rob had told him that the most important ingredient for a successful debut would be patience. The singer had agreed in the moment, but every day not spent in the studio felt like a test he hadn’t studied hard enough for.

“Yeah.”

“So you take the free vacation,” Jeff suggested. “You go out, live, get some writing material. Maybe mess around with some tunes. And then we come back to L.A. and get to work. But until then, I just want you to focus on taking it easy.”

So take it easy he had. Or at least he had tried to when he was back home in England. Harry quickly grew restless after what felt like the millionth awkward conversation with past friends and acquaintances, all of which eventually led to the topic of One Direction and it’s unexpected hiatus. After one month at home, his mind and journal were full of ideas for songs, things that he wanted to say before he lost his nerve. One night as he tossed and turned in bed, he shot Jeff a text, just two words that would kick off a three month getaway to the Big Island of Hawai'i:

I’m ready.

********

“Sounds great, I'll go put in your order.” Alani offers sweetly, trying not to overdo it with the customer service voice. After waiting on the family at her designated table, she heads back to the kitchen and finds her younger sister, Pua, crouched in the corner taking what appears to be a serious phone call.

“I don’t know, I just saw it!” Her sister cries in a hushed tone. “Where do you think he’s going?”

“Is everything okay?” Alani cuts in with concern.

Pua whispers into the speaker before bringing the phone to her shoulder.

“Harry Styles was just spotted on a plane this morning,”

“Who?”

“The guy from One Direction,” her sister explains with a hint of irritation in her voice. “The band who sings that song you secretly like, ‘Fireproof,'”

Alani vaguely recalls the melody, but she waits expectantly for Pua to elaborate. “And this is news because…”

“Because the band just broke up, so where could he possibly be going?”

"The unemployment office?”

Pua rolls her eyes and returns to her phone call while Alani envelops her in a tight hug.

“I’m just kidding!” Alani apologizes, squeezing tighter despite her sister’s attempts to break free. “I’m sure he’ll be living off of royalty checks until he’s, like, eighty,”

“Get off me, freak!” Pua cries out, finally breaking the embrace.

Alani clutches her chest and pulls out an invisible knife. “Ouch. I’m telling Harry you said that,”

“This is exactly why I don’t tell you things.” the younger sister huffs, storming out of the kitchen through the employee entrance where Alani’s best friend, Maleah, has just arrived.

“Looks like someone forgot to eat their Cheerios today,” she remarks, tying her curls into a high ponytail.

Alani shrugs and leans against the counter. “She’s going through something. Just discovered that boys in pop bands are, in fact, just regular boys.”

“Poor thing,” Maleah frowns. “We all have to learn eventually.”

********

The sky is a blend of cotton candy pink and burnt orange when Alani returns home from the café with a strawberry smoothie in tow. She empties the mailbox and sorts through the various bills and advertisements, but her stomach drops when she sees a familiar return address label. After a quick greeting to her excited dog who waits at the door, Alani bolts up the stairs and quietly shuts the bedroom door behind her. Breathe, she reminds herself before tearing into the envelope and discarding it onto the wooden floor.

Dear Ms. Hale,

We are very grateful to have received your submission to Rolling Stone magazine. However, we regret to inform you—

She doesn’t read the rest, slumping to the floor in defeat. The sixth rejection letter from Rolling Stone lies crumpled at Alani’s feet and she kicks it across the room with a frustrated grunt. She had worked for over two months perfecting her analysis of Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi and its allusions to the environmental impact of urban development in Hawaii. As part of her initial research, Alani had even traveled to both the Royal Hawaiian hotel in Honolulu, which is the famous Pink Hotel mentioned in the song, and Foster Botanical Garden that Mitchell referred to as “the tree museum.” She was certain that her effort and persistence would result in at least a consideration. The second third time's the charm! Maleah had joked watching Alani submit the piece. Six articles in the span of two years, each one facing the same rejection despite the increased effort Alani had put in over time. The fact that the rejection letter hadn’t changed over the course of the two years brings an incredulous smile to her face, and her stomach turns when she considers that the editors probably hadn’t even read her work, anyway. All that effort, she thinks to herself, all that time, for nothing.

“It will take time,” her favorite professor, Dr. Hudson, had reassured her three months after the Joni Mitchell article was submitted. “Every great writer faced countless rejection until that one piece. Yours will come. Keep your eyes open and your pen ready.”

Alani sighs and lifts herself off the floor, choosing to crawl into her unmade bed instead of slumping onto the hardwood. She hears a soft scratching at the door before her King Charles Spaniel, Freddie, pads into the room.

“Come here, bubs,” Alani whispers. He obeys and burrows into the duvet, giving her temple a gentle lick before nuzzling into the nape of her neck.

“You still love me, right?” she asks, voice cracking. “Even if I’m a failure?”

Freddie sniffs her ear in response.

********

“Right,” Harry says, his tongue peeking from the corner of his mouth as he reads the map. “No, left, sorry,”

“Do you actually know how to read a map?” Jeff teases, correcting the turn.

Harry pouts in response, his brows furrowing. “In my defense, we’re literally in the middle of fucking nowhere,”

“There are worse places to be,” Mitch pipes up from the back seat. “England, for example, where they say things like ‘litchrally’,”

“Very well said, Mitchell,” Jeff Bhasker adds with a fake British accent of his own.

Harry turns to his friends in the back seat with a finger pointed like an agitated mother. “If you lot don’t shut up, I’m gonna lead us to a volcano and push you in,”

“Where are we even going? I forgot,” Tom complains.

“To get food,” his manager responds from the driver’s seat. “I think,”

“Why can’t we just stop there?” Mitch asks pointing to a café pulling up on their right.

Jeff merges into the turning lane quickly without a second thought. “Good enough for me, I’m starving.”

“Sorry, H.” Mitch pats his friend on the shoulder.

Harry scoffs. “You’re the one who wanted poke.”

The Aloha Nui Loa Café is much more spacious than the exterior suggests, yet it still feels cozy. The walls are painted sage green and adorned with various local art pieces, as described by the plaques that accompany them. A skylight fills the center of the room with plenty of warm lighting, leaving the space along the walls in a bit more shade for an intimate feel. In one corner, a hanging disco ball leaves freckles of sparkling light along the walls where the sunlight hits, making the whole image very idyllic in Harry’s mind. As if he couldn’t enjoy the setting more, he hears the beginning of an Otis Redding song that he’s had stuck in his head drift through the restaurant speakers.

“Welcome in!” a voice calls, which pulls him from his survey of the room. His head whips to the source—a girl around his age with wavy, dark hair and honey skin. “For here or to go?”

Harry takes a hesitant step up to the counter. “For here,”

She smiles warmly and pulls some menus from under the counter. “How many in your party?”

“Five.”

“Great, follow me.”

Harry and his friends follow the waitress to the corner of the room under the disco ball and take their seats at the round table.

“My name is Alani,” she introduces herself, setting the menus down. “I’ll be serving you today. Can I get you started with some drinks?”

Harry continues scanning the restaurant while his group orders. His eyes land on the shirt that Alani is wearing, a white tee with the words “Enjoy Health, Eat Your Honey” in blue lettering that surrounds a picture of a cartoon bee.

“Harry,” Jeff says gently, catching his drifting attention.

The singer turns to his manager, who nods to Alani waiting with a pen pressed to her notepad. Harry feels a rush of embarrassment creep across his cheeks and he clears his throat to cover it.

“Just water,” he says, eyes glued to the menu. “Thanks.”

“You got it.” Alani nods, flashing a toothy grin at the rest of the group before turning back to the kitchen. Harry. Her mind repeats, finding a hint of familiarity, though she doesn’t know why.

When Alani arrives at the drink station, she finds her sister staring at her, mouth agape, while Maleah unsuccessfully conceals her laughter.

“What?” she questions, checking herself for any embarrassing stains or smells.

“You were—and he—” Pua stammers. “He was—and then he—”

“That’s Harry Styles,” Maleah translates, her voice hushed as she peers over her friend's shoulder.

Alani turns to steal a glance at the table she just seated, but Pua and Maleah latch onto her and shake their heads frantically.

“Don’t look!” her sister hisses.

Alani smirks, amused at their reactions. “No shit. That’s One Direction?”

Maleah snorts, clasping a hand over her mouth as Pua huffs. “No, dumbass! It’s just Harry. I don’t know who the other guys are,”

“But the blonde guy? That’s not—?”

“No!” Pua and Maleah giggle in unison.

“Okay, geez,” Alani relents. She manages to steal a quick glance at the table over her shoulder, immediately searching for Harry. Her eyes scan over the long, curly hair kept out of his face by a pair of white sunglasses that she had seen on Kurt Cobain once. All of his features are sharp and striking, from his pointed nose and defined jawline to the bright blue eyes. Or maybe they were grey? Alani wonders, trying to remember the exact shade. He doesn’t look anything like the fresh-faced teeny bopper she’d had in mind, the one from a music video her sister had shown her a long time ago. She would have never guessed that the What Makes You Beautiful singer had so much dark ink trailing down his bicep and forearm, though her knowledge of One Direction was very limited.

“What did he order?” Pua questions, her eyes wide.

Alani quickly snaps back to reality and resumes filling the drinks. “A water,”

“Oh my god,” Maleah swoons. “I’m never drinking anything else ever again,”

“I didn’t even know you liked him,” Alani teases with an eyebrow raised.

Maleah sneaks another peek at the table and catches her lower lip between her teeth. “I mean, I didn’t really think so either but look at him. What a fucking dream,”

Harry was objectively handsome, this Alani could admit, but she personally didn’t see the appeal and had a strong feeling that he was just like every other male celebrity. The fact that he hadn’t even bothered to make eye contact with her only served as further proof of what she knew to be true.

“Okay, well, your dreamboat is waiting for his water. So excuse me,” Alani winks, making her way back to the table.

The singer spots Alani returning out of the corner of his eye and the sight of her causes a strange flutter in the pit of his stomach that makes him want to duck for cover. Instead, he pulls his phone from his back pocket and pretends to be occupied with something on the screen.

“Okay,” she greets, setting the drink tray down. “I have a Blue Hawaii, a Mango Mama, two Loco Cocos, and a water,”

The group graciously accepts their drinks with a chorus of “thank you," but the only one under Alani’s scrutiny is Harry. He still doesn’t meet her almond eyes, and though she figured he wouldn’t, she can’t help the inkling of disappointment that washes over her. After taking their meal orders, Alani heads back to the kitchen, checking on her other customers along the way. Harry’s eyes follow her and he observes the way customers light up at her presence, indulging her conversation with laughter. He watches as she lingers by the jukebox in one corner of the room, a detail he had missed in his initial scan, and waits anxiously to see what song she chooses. Baby I’m-a Want You begins softly and Harry feels the corner of his lip curl ever so slightly. Good choice, he thinks.

********

“He’s still here,” Pua muses, peering through the tiny window in the kitchen door. It had been nearly two hours and the five men were still seated around their table cracking jokes and doing a lot of talking with their hands.

Alani doesn’t look up from her bowl of sliced kiwis, offering a hum in response. “And what do you want me to do about that?”

“Nothing,” Pua shoots back. “Don’t bother him,”

“What kind of girls do you think he’s into?” Maleah asks, attempting to peek through the window.

Alani shrugs, bored of the conversation and of thinking about Harry. “I don’t know, but I’ll bet he’s a real sucker for the ones who stalk him while he’s eating,”

“How does he make eating a salad look hot?”

“Can we talk about something else now?” Alani whines, poking holes in a lone kiwi with her fork.

Pua tosses a wet dish rag in her sister’s direction and cheers when it lands in her face. “Go see if he wants more water, he looks thirsty.”

“I already refilled it,” Alani defends. “Twenty minutes ago. I’ve refilled it a hundred times, I’m surprised he hasn’t peed his pants.”

I’m gonna piss myself. Harry thinks, his right leg bouncing to distract himself. He really wasn’t all that thirsty, but he couldn’t stop himself from finishing each glass of water that Alani placed in front of him. He really wasn’t all that thirsty, but he couldn’t stop himself from finishing each glass of water that Alani placed in front of him. Like clockwork, she would return to fill his glass almost as soon as the last drop had been drained, and so what began as a little experiment slowly turned into a bladder hazard. But if the trend was to be trusted, she would be back any minute and he wasn’t going to miss it; afterall, there were only so many ways to casually linger in a small café without making it weird. Unable to bear it any longer, he heads to the restroom and hopes that Alani doesn’t clear their table before he has a chance to see her again.

Harry pads down the back hallway with his eyes cast down at the floor, which proves to be a mistake when he walks directly into another person.

“Sorry!” they both apologize quickly, Harry’s palm taking purchase on the other person’s upper arm.

“I wasn’t paying attention,” he offers, finally meeting the dark, mocha eyes already looking back at him.

Alani presses her lips into a tight smile. “Me either,”

Harry’s heartbeat picks up when he realizes it’s her, and he isn’t aware of how close they’re standing until he detects the faint scent of kiwi on her breath. He takes a step back and rakes a hand through his hair.

“So I guess I’ll just—”

“Yeah, sure.”

Green. Alani notes to herself. His eyes are green.

********

Shortly after Harry returned from the restroom, him and his friends settled their bill and headed out. Alani cleared their table and her eyes nearly fell out of her head when she saw the hefty tip left behind. The word mahalo was also left behind on the receipt, underlined twice, and she wondered if it was his handwriting.

Later that night, she settled into bed with her laptop and hesitantly typed his name into Google. As she expected, countless articles about the split of One Direction emerged, most of them speculating what was next for each member. To her surprise, however, Harry’s name seemed to be mentioned more than his fellow bandmates as various sources labeled him “the next Justin Timberlake” and rising star of the group. Upon further investigation, she learned that the demand for information about the elusive Harry Styles was high, especially concerning any possible solo music. No news had yet been confirmed by Styles himself, nor anyone claiming to represent him, but she still wondered if his presence in Hawaii had anything to do with a possible solo project. Almost as soon as she thought it, Alani dismissed the theory in favor of the idea that he was most likely just taking a vacation. And from the buzz that she saw surrounding the news about One Direction, she couldn’t blame him.

The more Alani read, the more she wanted to know, and something deep down told her that his was a story worth telling. Of course, the only problem was that she had hardly talked to him, and there were only so many things she could say about the fifteen glasses of water he downed. There was no way of knowing if she would ever see him again, either, or if he was merely stopping in Hilo on his way to another island or somewhere else entirely. Alani sighed, thinking back to her most recent rejection from Rolling Stone. She knew that there was no possible way she would ever see or talk to Harry ever again, and even if she did, why would he bare his entire soul to a stranger? Still, she let her mind wander through the possibility.

Dear Ms. Hale, the letter would read, we are very grateful to have received your submission to Rolling Stone magazine and are pleased to inform you that your piece on Harry Styles will be featured in next month’s issue. Additionally, we would be honored to have you on staff, effective immediately.

It was far-fetched, Alani knew this, but she dozed off that night with endless ideas swimming in her head.

********

By the third day after his visit, the only trace of Harry is in Alani’s search history. She would have completely forgotten about him if it weren’t for her sister’s constant reminiscing and multiple attempts to rename the house salad to the “Harry Special.” As a result, a part of Alani’s thoughts periodically linger back to that day and the subsequent hours spent on Google that she’d rationalized as research instead of stalking. Somehow the knowledge that she’ll never see him again only adds fuel to the questions still burning in her mind, but a customer clearing their throat while she sorts menus below the hostess podium interrupts her thoughts.

“Welcome in!” She calls, standing. “What can I—”

She stops in her tracks, unable to believe her eyes. Harry blinks and waits for her to continue.

“What can I get started for you?” Alani tries again, hoping that he hadn’t noticed her shock. Luckily for her, Harry had been too focused on choosing his next words to register her mistake.

“What’s in the Honu smoothie?” he asks, mentally kicking himself for asking such a stupid question when the menu just inches above her head clearly spells it out.

Alani hums, thinking back to the times she had made the smoothie herself. “Kiwis, spinach, mango, avocado, and a hint of lime,”

“I’ll take one of those,” Harry says, reaching for his wallet.

Alani punches in the order with trembling fingers and nods. “For here or to go?”

“To go,”

Disappointment fills her chest. Sure, she hadn’t planned on seeing him ever again, but the fact that she did felt like a sign. If she wanted to take the chance, she’d have to do it fast.

“Anything else?” she asks, weighing her options while he skims the menu.

“No thanks.”

Alani makes the smoothie quickly, head spinning. She had spent most of the night after their initial meeting planning out exactly the type of questions she hoped to ask him and what kind of article she would write. She was used to writing about what she knew—artists and music she’d admired for years— but she figured that starting fresh with someone she hardly knew would be a good challenge. Not to mention that it seemed like just the thing Rolling Stone would jump for. Alani finally works up the courage as she finishes his smoothie, but when she returns to hand it to him and hopefully strike up a conversation, his ear is pressed to his cell phone. She holds out the drink and he graciously accepts, giving her a small nod as a “thank you” and rushing out of the restaurant.

Two days later he returns and is seated at the counter, typing away on his phone. Alani feels both a rush of optimism and annoyance at the universe for dangling his presence so unexpectedly. She starts heading over to him, but Maleah cuts in.

“Trade me?” she proposes, eyes wide.

Alani blinks. “Oh, I would but I—”

“Please,” her best friend pouts. “I’m leaving to see my grandparents in stupid California for two months. Who knows when I’ll get the chance to see him again?”

Alani sighs, but gives in, reluctantly exchanging Harry for the family of four seated by the window. A strange feeling settles into the pit of his stomach when he sees that she heads in the opposite direction after a hushed conversation with another waitress. He doesn’t know why she traded him for a different customer, but he takes the hint.

A week goes by without another sighting of Harry and Alani has permanently taken on the role of greeting hostess in hopes of seeing him again. Her heartbeat temporarily speeds up when she sees a long haired customer approach the door, but her spirits quickly fall when the face doesn’t match his.

Another week brings another disappointing realization that Harry might be gone for good. One rainy morning when the restaurant is quiet and only two customers huddle together in a booth near the back, Alani hunches over the hostess podium and doodles on a stray receipt— a sunflower, a crescent moon, and two hearts. The bell above the door jingles but she doesn’t look up, too absorbed in her scribbles.

“Do you serve coffee?”

The familiar accented voice stops Alani’s pen dead in its tracks. She lifts her eyes first to confirm, and then straightens up when she sees that her ears haven’t deceived her.

“Yes,” she swallows.

“Great. I’ll take it to go,”

She slightly deflates, but Harry thinks he’s reading too much into it.

“Actually,” he corrects anyway, just in case he isn’t. “I think I’ll stay for a while,”

Alani flashes a warm smile and nods in the direction of the counter. “Right this way,”

Harry sheds his windbreaker onto the back of the seat, revealing a black and white Rolling Stones t-shirt that makes Alani’s blood pressure rise. A sign, she thinks.

“What do you want in your coffee?” she questions carefully.

“Nothing,” he responds, shaking out his damp hair gently. “Or actually, uh, butter...if you have some,”

Alani blinks, not sure if she’d heard correctly or if there had been some transatlantic miscommunication.

“Butter?”

“Yeah,”

“Like the—”

“Spread, yeah,” Harry confirms. “It’s weird, I know,”

She lets out a light-hearted laugh and nods. “It’s a...unique request,”

“I thought the same thing at first,” Harry confides. “It’s not bad, actually. But maybe I’ve just been in L.A. for too long.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

She offers a polite smile and heads to the kitchen where the cook and two other waiters talk amongst each other. Alani is grateful that the restaurant is slow this morning because she knows that it means minimal interruptions to her time with Harry. To ensure this, though, she asks one of the other waiters to cover the podium and returns to Harry with his coffee.

“One butter coffee, free of judgement,” the waitress announces, setting it down.

Harry grins softly, stirring the drink with the spoon Alani provided. “You can judge, it’s alright,”

“I just wanna know why,”

The coffee had been part of a fad diet while on tour in order to boost Harry’s energy on stage and stay trim for the hundreds of photo-ops he would be a part of. He doesn’t know how to communicate all of this to Alani, however, not sure how much she knows about that part of him, so he shrugs and tells a simplified version of the truth.

“I read about this trend a while back, it's called bulletproof coffee. Supposed to get your energy up and I needed it for my job,”

“Which is…” Alani trails off, downplaying the knowledge that she had acquired from Google.

“I make music,” is all Harry says and he takes a sip of the drink to avoid elaborating.

“Anything I would have heard?”

He swallows hard and listens to the faint rumbling of thunder outside before replying. “Possibly,”

“Try me,” Alani challenges.

He narrows his eyes and takes another sip of coffee. “Why don’t you tell me something about yourself first?”

“What do you wanna know?”

Everything, Harry responds internally, though he reigns it in. “How you got into waitressing,”

Alani sighs, resting her elbows on the counter across from him. “There’s not much to tell, it’s a family business. What I really wanna do is write,”

“Music?”

“Articles. I’m studying Journalism at UH,”

Harry hums in response, filing the detail away in the back of his mind. “Sounds interesting. You ever publish anything?”

“Not yet,” Alani shakes her head gently, toying with the sleeves of her green University of Hawaii crewneck. “Hopefully soon, though,”

Harry racks his brain for something else to say, but before he can, Alani speaks up again.

“Is it my turn to ask something now?”

He offers a curt nod and stirs his coffee.

“What kind of music do you write?”

Harry chooses to be vague again. “Different stuff. Pop, usually. Been messing with some classic rock, though,”

“Explains the shirt,”

He peers down at the design on his tee and agrees. “Yeah, I guess so,”

“Do you like it?” Alani asks, her eyes begging to make contact with his again. “Writing music, I mean,”

“Yeah,” Harry confirms, tapping his spoon against the rim of the mug. “I really do,”

Alani’s heart pounds. This is her chance, a moment to finally secure her breakthrough piece. She doesn’t know how to approach it, so she opts to dive right in without looking back. The worst he can say is no.

“Can I ask you something else?”

“That’s cheating,” Harry teases lightly. “It's my turn,”

She pouts playfully, but obliges. “Fire away,”

Harry doesn’t know which question to ask first, but when he glances down at the crescent moon inked on her wrist, he decides to start there.

“What’s with the moon tattoo?”

Alani isn’t sure what she expected him to ask and wonders what purpose such a detail could possibly serve him, but she answers anyway.

“Oh, well,” she begins, tracing her index finger over the outline. “It’s kinda the meaning of my full name. It’s Mahealani, Hawaiian for ‘heavenly moon,'”

Fitting, Harry comments to himself. Every detail he learns about her makes him want to learn that much more, from her favorite foods to the last thing she thinks about before falling asleep. Studying her expectant eyes, he suddenly remembers that it’s his turn to respond.

“That’s cool,” is all he says.

Alani doesn’t know what to make of the faraway look in his eye, but she decides to pose her most burning question while he appears to be in good spirits.

“I know this is gonna sound totally out of the blue,” she starts, working past the lump in her throat. “But when you mentioned how you write music, I was just reminded of this assignment I’m working on in my class,”

Harry waits for her to continue, nursing his now lukewarm coffee.

“I’m supposed to write a piece about someone who I don’t know that well,” she continues. “You know, to practice our interviewing skills. And, well, I was just kind of wondering if you might be interested in helping me out—being the subject, I mean,”

Alani had every intention of telling Harry the truth, about how she really planned to submit the article to Rolling Stone in hopes of securing an internship before her college graduation next Spring. But as she started speaking, she quickly realized how it would come off: a complete stranger asking for personal information to submit to a well-known publication. She knew that there was a chance he would shut down and never return, so she lowered the stakes and hoped that this route would be less risky. Was it ethical? Alani hadn’t decided yet, but she would work out the details later. After six failed articles and two years of rejection, she saw a ray of hope and wasn’t going to let it slip away.

Harry ponders her offer for a moment, which confirms that she had recognized him. Normally he would be off-put by such a request, and to a certain extent he is, but there is something sincere in her voice that he trusts deep down. Before he agrees, however, he decides to fish around a bit to test her reaction.

“You know who I am,” he says gently. “Don’t you?”

Alani’s heart drops into the pit of her stomach, not sure what to say next. She hopes with every fiber of her being that she hasn’t upset him, or worse, ruined her chances, so she decides to offer some truth to throw him off her scent.

“My sister recognized you,” she explains. “That day you came in with your friends. I thought they were your bandmates at first,”

This lets Harry know that she isn’t a total stalker, which is comforting, but he wouldn’t have been minded if she were a fan simply engaging in conversation.

“Oh,” he laughs weakly.

“I totally understand if you say no,” Alani offers quickly, trying to smooth things over. “I just thought it was worth a shot. And that it might be more interesting than interviewing our produce guy,”

Harry decides to give her one last scan for any sign of insincerity. He’d always felt that his gut instinct was strong and it hadn’t led him astray thus far.

“An interview?” he clarifies.

“Just one,” Alani promises. “An hour, tops. And you can proofread all of it once I’ve finished, too.”

Harry waits a beat, already knowing his reply, but he wants to see how she will react to his silence. She doesn’t budge, almond eyes set and determined.

“Okay.”

next chapter

[yuta-nakamots]

misfit - j.sc

Pairing - Sungchan x Reader

Genre - Horror/Thriller, Angst, Fluff

Warnings - serial killer, character death, violence, murder, implications of sex

Summary - A murderer is on the loose, killing with no regret and ending the lives of more than just a few people. No one knew who it was, turning against each other upon even the slightest bit of doubt. Maybe you should’ve been more careful with who you chose to trust. 

Word Count - 5.3k

A/N - this is inspired entirely from a dream I had a few days ago. I've added very little to what I saw in my dream aside from Sungchan as the male lead. yes, I am freaked out by this and yes, I am scared of writing for Sungchan bc I don’t know his personality all too well but as an ‘01 liner myself I have faith in us

Written for the #NeoHalloween writing festival hosted by @nct-writers​. Check out the masterlist here.

For five months now, your town has lived in fear. A serial killer was on the loose and he was known by the name of Hickleback Jack though no one knew where the name came from or who had started it. Each month, the population of your town voted on the local community board to have one person executed who they thought was Hickleback Jack. So far, not a single guess was right leaving five innocent people dead. Well, five plus an extra thirty, give or take.

See, the thing about Hickleback Jack, was that every time the votes came in at the end of the month, he could see just who voted for him and targeted them as his next victims. He killed six of those people over the following month, adding up to seven dead each time the town guessed incorrectly. It was getting to a point where no one trusted each other, no one dared to say anything against each other in fear of being accused or in fear of being the next to fall mercy to Hickleback Jack.

Not much was known about this killer other than his appearance. He’s male with a tall and broad figure though he always covers his face with some kind of mask. His common weapon is known to be an axe. People have claimed to have seen him late at night under the dim orange glow of the street lamps but he was never caught by the authorities, leaving everyone restless and waiting for the next kill.

The night was still young when you had gotten home from school and it was a Friday night which was basically an open invitation for you to call over your boyfriend, Sungchan. He had transferred in to your university at the start of the school year, and had ended up sitting next to you during your sophomore seminar class, leading to the start of your friendship with him.

A simple friendship soon blossomed into a relationship after Sungchan’s bright personality began shining through his somewhat intimidating exterior. You lived without fear when Sungchan was around, the love you had for him blocking out anything else in the world that wasn’t him.

You sat on your bed, your homework spread out in front of you while you held your phone up to your ear. “Do you want to come over tonight?” You ask as soon as he picks up your call.

You hear rustling on the other end of the call before Sungchan clears his throat and speaks, his voice husky from sleep. “Sorry, can you repeat that?”

“I said, do you want to come over tonight?” You paused and heard him yawn. “You fell asleep after class didn’t you?” You smiled to yourself thinking of your boyfriend’s handsome face as he napped after getting back to his apartment once he finished with his classes for the day, which was a common occurrence now that the semester was in full swing.

“Mmm,” he hummed in thought, “as much as I’d love to, I really shouldn’t have taken that nap because of how much homework I have.”

“Oh, that’s okay, do your homework first,” you reassure him, “maybe we can hang out some other time this weekend. It’s only Friday after all.”

“Definitely. Are you starting yours right now?” Sungchan asked.

“Yeah, I’d rather not wait and end up cramming on Sunday night.” You laughed, knowing that said event has happened more times that you’d like to admit.

Sungchan let out a noise of agreement. “I’ll let you know when I’m done with my homework though.”

“Same here.” You promised.

“Alright, let’s get to work and I’ll talk to you soon.” He told you.

“Sounds good, love you.”

“Love you too.”

With that you hung up, eager to start on your homework in hopes of getting to spend more time with your boyfriend. You actually had a lot of it this weekend thanks to molecular biology, and you figured that if you couldn’t talk to Sungchan, who had yet to take the course, you called up your study group discord instead. Luckily, many of them were in similar situations as you, faced with the daunting task of completing all the worksheets assigned during class earlier in the day.

“Okay so was anyone paying attention during the lecture today?” Your classmate Chenle asked.

“I know Yeji fell asleep so you’re in the same boat as her.” You interject, recalling the sight of both of them knocked out in their seats as the professor droned on about the functions of the structures inside cells.

Yeji let out a gasp of shock at how blatantly you called her out. “I may have fallen asleep but at least I still know that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.”

“Everyone knows that, Yeji.” Your other classmate Jaemin said, his voice void of enthusiasm.

“Okay, Jaemin, we get it, Mr. Serious.” You teased.

“Yeah, this is a biology study group, not a bible study group, lighten up a little.” Chenle jokes.

Jaemin scoffed, “sometimes I feel like I’m the only one who’s trying to do well in this class.”

“Well not all of us enjoy the taste of coffee with six shots of caffeine in them.” Yeji argued back.

“Guys,” you called out as Jaemin and Yeji started arguing, “guys!” They finally stopped to hear what you had to say. “Let’s just get this over with sooner rather than later because I know none of us want to be awake at 2am trying to figure this out alone.”

“Agreed,” Chenle said, “so question three, the one about the DNA mutation, how is missense different from nonsense?”

“Missense is where one of the bases mutates and changes to something else, therefore changing the protein level,” Jaemin explained, “nonsense is the same theoretical concept except it spells out one of the stop codes.”

Yeji let out a groan, “can you slow down, or like, I don’t know, use easier words or something?”

Most of your night passed by like this and before you knew it, it was already nearing midnight and you could tell your classmates were just as exhausted as you. “I think we should call it here.”

“Definitely,” Yeji confirmed, “tomorrow morning at 10?”

You all let out similar answers of acknowledgement before Chenle spoke up. “The poll closes on tomorrow night so make sure to vote if you haven’t already.”

Because of how long this has been going on for, everyone was already on the same page once someone mentioned the poll or voting. “There were only five kills this month so I wouldn’t be surprised if the last one is announced tomorrow or Sunday morning.” Jaemin chimed in.

“All the recent kills were related to the university so I know a lot of people are suspecting someone in our age range.” Yeji informed the group.

Jaemin let out a chuckle, “if the killer actually is a college student, I wouldn’t be surprised since it is getting close to the last wave of midterms and then finals so that would explain why the victims fall into the same category.” The chat fell silent at that. “I’m just saying that he’s getting a little lazy by grouping all his kills like this.”

“Jaemin, are you sure you’re not the killer?” Chenle asked with a laugh at the end.

“Guys, I can promise you that I’m not the killer, I swear on my life.” Jaemin promised.

“Alright, that’s enough detective work for tonight, I’ll start the call again around 10 tomorrow. Sounds good?” You conclude, wanting to curl up under your covers already, which is exactly what you do once everyone wishes each other a good night and hung up.  

Morning came a little too quickly for your liking, the bright sunlight flooding into your room through the window and forcing you awake. Checking your phone, you saw that it was 9:30am, meaning you had some time to spare before your next meeting with the bio study group, along with a notification from Sungchan that he had sent well after you had fallen asleep.

Sungchan > y/n

2:14am: Just got rescheduled to work opening shift tomorrow.

2:15am: Didn’t finish my homework but I can stop by at your house after work with my stuff and we can hang out and have fun once we’re both done?

Your heart warmed at how he stayed up late trying to finish his homework for you and that he suggested the idea of coming over after his shift at a small local restaurant finished just so the two of you could be together even if you’d be focusing on your own tasks for a while.

y/n > Sungchan

9:32am: Sorry I didn’t text back earlier, I just woke up!

9:32am: But of course you can come over, I might even be done with my work by then ;)

You plugged your phone to let it charge and left it on your nightstand as you made yourself breakfast downstairs. The house was quiet since your mom already left for work and you dad worked a night shift job and was probably sleeping at the moment. It was strangely serene as you prepared yourself a bowl of cereal though the calm was rudely interrupted by the sound of your ringtone coming from your room.

Deciding to get it after eating breakfast, you poured the cereal in first, thinking about the way Sungchan had told you before that he liked to pour the milk first and let the cereal soak up the milk. “It makes it super soggy and I like it.” He tried reasoning with you, to which you only raised an eyebrow at.

Just as you put the milk carton back into the refrigerator and was about to take a bit of your cereal, your phone started going off again. You placed your bowl onto the kitchen table and made your way back up to your bedroom to see what it was that was so important this early in the morning. Checking the notifications, it was Yeji who had been calling you so you shot her a message.

y/n > Yeji

9:39am: What’s up?

Yeji > y/n

9:40am: I just dreamt that it was Jaemin who was the killer

9:40am: please call me right now I feel like I’m going to go insane

You heeded her words and called her immediately. “So what happened in the dream?”

“I don’t know, I just remember being chased by a man with an axe and I was running to the school to try to see if I could get help but then I tripped and when I turned around, it was Jaemin.” Yeji blurted out without a single breath in between.

You paused, trying to take in all the information she just threw at you. “Do you have any reason as to why you think you dreamt this?”

“The way he was talking last night,” she stopped to catch her breath, “he spoke so in detail that I couldn’t help but overthink like, what if he is actually the killer? What if we’re next?”

“Well, you can vote for him in the poll if you want but personally, I don’t think it’s him.” You think of your next words carefully. “I’m not trying to invalidate your thoughts but Jaemin does come from a reputable family-”

“Y/n, it could be anyone. Family doesn’t matter. We have no information on the guy, we don’t know what economic class he’s in or anything.” Yeji interrupted.

You took a few seconds to gather your thoughts before speaking again. “That is true, but we all know Jaemin wants to be a surgeon right? He’s in all these difficult classes and he maintains such high grades-”

“Okay but how is that relevant?” Yeji interrupted yet again.

She was getting on your nerves but you held yourself back. “Listen, I’m just trying to say that with the amount of time and effort he puts into school, I don’t think he could be the killer. The killer plans his kills well enough that we just can’t find him and that probably takes just as much time as school does for us.”

Yeji took a while to respond though when she did, her words surprised you. “Now you’re starting to sound like the killer.”

“Yeji, I can promise you that it’s not me. I’m just as scared as you are in this whole situation,” you reasoned, “I’ll even vote for Jaemin if it makes you feel better.”

She let out a sigh across the line. “Okay fine. Maybe a kill will happen while we’re on the call and it’ll clear Jaemin’s name.”

“I think you’re letting it all get to you, just try not to think about it for a bit.” You advised.

“But am I really overreacting y/n? We live every day in fear of being the next victim. Tomorrow is not promised to any of us, so am I really overreacting?” You look over at the clock on your wall as she spoke, realizing that it’s already 9:55 and you should probably start the call already.

“No, I don’t think you’re overreacting, I’m just saying that constantly thinking about it to this extent isn’t good for you. We still have school to pay attention to,” you explain, “speaking of, I’m gonna start the call now.”

“I can’t just stop thinking about it that easily but whatever, let’s just hope that we’re not associating ourselves with a murderer by doing this.” You can only shake your head as you start the call.

Chenle joined immediately followed by Yeji. “Good morning ladies, President Zhong here. How are we doing on this fine day?”

You rolled your eyes even though a smile spread across your face. “I’m doing good, Mr. President. Ready to finish off these worksheets.”

“Good, good,” Chenle affirmed, sticking with his act, “and you, Miss Yeji?”

“Fine.” She shot out.

Chenle let out a quiet chuckle, “someone’s a little grumpy this morning. Maybe we should’ve met a bit later.”

“No, let’s just get this over with.” Yeji grumbled just as Jaemin joined.

“Great! Now that the head brain cell is here, let’s get this meeting started.” Chenle exclaimed.

Four hours into your meeting and eight out of ten worksheets later, your phone begins to ring with an incoming call from Sungchan. “Hold on guys, I gotta take this call. Hello?”

“I’m downstairs, come pick me up.” You couldn’t deny the butterflies that spread throughout your chest upon hearing your boyfriend’s voice. You got up to let him in though you certainly didn’t miss the teasing coming from your laptop as your classmates yelled about you and Sungchan.

As you made your way downstairs, you froze halfway down the stairs, seeing Sungchan already in the kitchen eating the bowl of cereal you forgot about. “I’m guessing you made this for yourself earlier and forgot to eat it.” He said through a mouthful of food.

“Babe, no, don’t eat that, it’s like five hours old. The milk is probably stale.” You exclaimed, worried about his health if it really did go bad.

Sungchan only shrugged as he took another spoonful into his mouth. “Tastes fine to me.”

You rolled your eyes before turning to head back upstairs. “Join me in my room once you’re ready, you cereal monster. Leave the dishes in the sink too.” As you returned to your room, you couldn’t help but wonder how Sungchan got in though you figure he’s probably seen you use the spare key under the doormat a couple times since you often were too lazy to get your own keys out of your bag most of the time.

When you sat down in front of your computer again, Jaemin had just finished explaining the answer to the problem you guys were working on earlier so you chimed in asking him to go over it again though he was quickly overrun by an excited Chenle. “Is Sungchan there?” He practically yelled.

“No, not yet, he’s eating some soggy cereal downstairs.” You inform him.

“Alright, let me know when he comes in.” Chenle says, unphased by your boyfriends’ odd preference of cereal.

Halfway through Jaemin’s explanation, Sungchan came into your room, placing his bag down at the foot of the bed before he took his jacket off and stripped out of his work uniform. “I heard a door open, is that Sungchan?” Chenle shouted over Jaemin once more.

“I never get to fucking speak in this group.” Jaemin huffed, at which Chenle muttered a quick ‘sorry’ back.

“Yes, Chenle, Sungchan is here,” you announce, looking over at the boy in question who had just finished pulling a shirt over his head and winked when he saw you staring at his body, “he seems very flirty today, must be because of you, Mr. Zhong.”

Sungchan sits down next to you and places a kiss on your cheek, smelling oddly of cleaning supplies, but you pay no mind to that, figuring he must have used them at work. “How’s it going Chenle?” He asks, though his attention is only on you and he places his hands on your cheeks and leaves a quick kiss on your lips.

“I’m gonna pretend I didn’t just hear the two of you kissing,” Chenle remarks, earning a laugh from Sungchan, “but anyways, you should come back to the basketball team. We miss our giant point guard, you know.”

“Nah, I’m too busy these days. I already have work and school plus I still want to spend time with y/n.” He commented as he shifted to lie on his stomach next to you.

“Man, who knew a girl would be all it took to make this dude throw his love for basketball out the window.” Chenle taunted.

“Love makes you do things, you know how it is.” Sungchan replied, resting his head on your thigh.

Running a hand through his hair, “anyways,” you divert, “back to what Jaemin was saying about meiosis.”

“Thank you, y/n, I thought I’d never be able to speak again.” Jaemin uttered pointedly. “As I was saying, the main difference between meiosis and mitosis is that it creates four daughter cells instead of two like mitosis does.”

“Hey guys, wait, did you see the article that just came out?” Yeji inquired. “It’s another death.”

There was a moment of silence before anyone said anything. “No but you can read it to us.” Chenle concluded.

“Okay,” you could hear the deep breath Yeji took before reading the article, “it says here that the body was found at around 1:20pm in an alley between the lower-income housing apartments, the cause of death is assumed to be by Hickleback Jack using his axe, and the estimated time of death is anywhere from 12 to 1pm.”

“Wow,” Jaemin began, “so he just killed out in broad daylight.”

“Not gonna lie Jaemin, but I thought you were the killer.” Yeji let out blatantly.

You were mildly shocked at her bluntness, but not surprised given how stressed everyone was. “Me?” Jaemin gasped, “Yeji, you know I’m pretty much Rapunzel with how much time I spend in my room studying. And when I’m not studying, I’m either editing pictures or playing video games.”

“It’s true,” Chenle confirms, “he really doesn’t leave his room. We had a sleepover once and I felt like I was becoming a hermit like him.” Sungchan slightly wheezed at that, sending Chenle over the moon. “Did you hear that? Did you guys hear that? Sungchan thinks I’m funny!”

“Yeah yeah, enough about me being a hermit. But Yeji,” Jaemin addressed, “why did you think it was me?”

Yeji hesitated before responding. “I just- the way you were talking the other night...I don’t know. It just sounded so specific and detailed that I couldn’t help but think that it could have been you.”

“I don’t think a murderer would simply reveal his plans like that, you know.” Sungchan proposed.

“Well yeah, but it’s just the way he spoke, it was like he had things organized...you know what? Let’s forget I said that, but I know the four of us are clear.” Yeji resigned.

Sungchan sat up, “wait, why am I not cleared?”

“Y/n, what time did he call you?”

“Like 2-ish.”

“Exactly. Sungchan, you don’t have an alibi, as far as we know, until 2 and the time of death is stated to be 12 to 1pm.”

“I was at work earlier in the day, though.”

“Can you prove it to us?” Yeji pressed on.

“Yeah, my coworkers can vouch for me.”

You were quite surprised at how aggressive Yeji was being towards your boyfriend but you didn’t see any reason to stop her since she had very valid arguments. “Send a screenshot of it to Chenle and we’ll verify you from there.” Yeji commanded.

Sungchan slouched down a little next to you. “I don’t have the numbers of my coworkers though.”

“Alright, then you’re still on the list of suspects.”

After finishing all the worksheets for microbio and ending the call around 3:30, Sungchan pulled out his laptop and started typing away at a half-finished lab report for his human A&P class. You fell asleep curled into his body, his warmth and the constant tapping of his keyboard lulling you to sleep.

When you woke again, you immediately noticed the absence of a large boy next to you and frowned to yourself. As you came to, you heard noise coming from the kitchen and identified your mother’s voice followed by Sungchan’s. Noticing the time on your phone, you guess that he was probably helping her prepare dinner since it was already past 6 and your family ate around 7 before your dad left for work.

By the time you made yourself presentable and came downstairs, your mom and Sungchan were already setting the table. “Looks like our sleepyhead finally woke up.” Your mother exclaimed, making you grimace. “You didn’t tell me Sungchan was staying over,” you were about to open your mouth to say that you didn’t know that either but you weren’t given the chance to do so, “it’s okay, especially with that killer still on the loose, it makes me feel better knowing there’s someone around to protect my baby.”

You looked at Sungchan as if asking him for answers though he seemed to only avoid your gaze, reluctantly taking the seat across from you at the dining table. Your father walked in, delighted to see your boyfriend. “Sungchan! Good to see you, how are things at school?” He asked as he joined you all at the table.

“Okay for the most part, I haven’t taken to my writing class all that much though I enjoy my other science classes.” Sungchan answers.

Your dad hums in approval while you stare down Sungchan, trying to get him to look at you. “Remind me again what you’re majoring in again?” Your mom asks, Sungchan whips his head around faster than you can make eye contact with him.

“I’m majoring in forensics.” He states.

“Interesting, interesting,” your father contemplates, “you know, y/n here wants to become a pediatrician. The two of you are practically opposites in the science field, one dealing with crime and the other dealing with children.”

Sungchan let out a laugh, “I guess opposites really do attract then.”

You hated how well he entertained your parents and you hated how much they liked him. For the rest of dinner you tried to pin him down through your stares and even played a game of footsie with him but nothing seemed to work. It was only once the two of you were back in your room getting ready for bed that you were able to talk to him.

“Look, I’m not mad at you or anything, I’d just appreciate it if you talked to me first before just telling my parents that you’re staying over.” You told him as you went through your skincare routine.

Sungchan jumped onto your bed as he apologized. “Sorry, I just thought that since both of us finished our homework and with the killing today, it would just make sense for me to stay over.” He opened his arms, inviting you in as you stood up after finishing your night routine.

You copied him, jumping into your bed straight onto Sungchan, effectively pushing the air out of his body. He grunted as your weight fell onto him though he still wrapped his arms around your waist and shifted you up the length of your body so your face was level with his. “Hi” you giggle, shy from the sudden close proximity.

“Hey.” He says back with a smile as you slide off him, leaving an arm and leg slung over his body. “Tired?”

“No, not really, I took a nap earlier since someone didn’t care to wake me up.”

“You looked too cute, besides, you need all the rest you can get.” Sungchan explained, using his free hand to squish your cheeks. “If you’re really not tired then I know a way to make you tired.” His hand found its way down to your butt to further emphasize his point.

“Ew, no, not now.” You quickly refused, moving his hand up to your waist. “Just go to sleep and I’ll probably fall asleep after you anyways.”

“Oh wait,” Sungchan said, reaching over you to the nightstand for his phone, “did you vote on the poll yet?”

“No, I almost forgot.” You groaned, lazily reaching for your phone as well.

You pull up the local community board and enter your information, looking at the list of all the citizens, pondering on who you’d give your vote to. “Who are you voting for?” Sungchan asks, looking over at your screen.

“I really don’t know.” You tell him, though truthfully, you had someone in mind.

Thanks to the nap you had, you really couldn’t fall asleep no matter how hard you tried. You ended up dozing off occasionally but you’d wake up half an hour later only more irritated than when you first fell asleep.

You don’t remember what time it was, but at some point, Sungchan had removed himself from your grasp, unaware that you were still awake, though you made no effort to stop him thinking that he was just going to use the restroom and come back. Five minutes passed, five minutes turned into ten, then twenty, and you decided to check on him once thirty minutes had passed.

The house was completely dark, not even the light from the bathroom was on. You checked inside in case Sungchan had maybe gotten hurt and passed out, but he was nowhere to be found. After searching almost all the rooms in your house, you had yet to find any sign of him. After a bit of thinking, you had wandered out to your mothers’ greenhouse thinking that maybe some time with the plants would help to calm your mind.

It did anything but that.

Not long after setting foot inside of the small shed, you heard screams coming from nearby, getting closer and closer. You watched from the inside of the tinted glass as three girls ran through your backyard and into the next property. You couldn’t help it that you were frozen to your core, knowing who was coming.

You saw his frame as he jumped over the fence from the other end of your yard, axe in hand, running through the open grass and you thought he might have noticed you until he stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes glued on you. You should’ve ducked down as soon as the girls ran past but it was too late now and there was no second way out of the greenhouse.

You knew you should have tried to run, maybe smash through the glass panelling but something in you told you that maybe, just maybe, you’d be able to stop him. Steeling your nerves as he crosses the threshold of the greenhouse, you call out to him. “I know who you are.”

“I’m well aware of that.”

It was as if your world was crumbling before you, the once so comfortable relationship you knew felt fake, even though Sungchan, your loving boyfriend stood right there. The only difference was that you knew who he really was.

“Why?” You start, “why did you kill all those innocent people?”

“It’s all for fun, y/n.”

“What do you mean ‘for fun’? Those are real people you know, people with families and friends who miss them dearly.” You nearly cry out as he continues to approach you.

“You see, life is a game.” He paused his words as he came to stand in front of you. “Laws are nothing but a social construct that us humans follow mindlessly until our own demise.”

He takes a step closer to you, but you stand your ground. “Laws are what keep us safe and keep us happy. They allow us to lead our lives peacefully with others-”

“They are nothing but limits.” He closes the distance between the two of you, an arm wrapping around your waist, pulling you towards him, and you allow him to do so. “My dear, sweet, y/n. If only you weren’t so smart, I wouldn’t be faced with this dilemma.”

“You wouldn’t kill me.” You were trying to persuade him just as much as you were to yourself. “You’d never.”

“Oh? And what makes you think that?”

“You love me.”

“I do, I love you so dearly, but now that you know who’s behind all the killings, there’s no way that I can let you go.” You felt his axe nudge the back of your leg as he brought both arms around you. To an outsider, it would look as if a couple were having a conversation, but for you, this was a fight for your life.

“Take off the mask.”

“Why should I?”

“So I can talk to you properly.”

He took off the mask without much more convincing, his normally handsome face now distorted by the crazed look in his eyes. People often say that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and if they really were, then Sungchan didn’t have a soul.

“I swear to you that I won’t ever tell anyone about this, about you.”

“I don’t believe that you’ll keep that promise, my dear.”

“You know how much I love you. As long as we can stay together, I will not say anything.”

“This is not a tale of beauty and the beast. I am no beast to be tamed and there is no happy ending to this story.”

“Sungchan, no. You don’t mean that.”

“Do I really not mean it, or is that what you would like to believe? Something tells me it’s the latter.” He held you tight against him with one arm, the other raising his axe. “It’s truly a shame that your beauty must go to waste, you were truly a wonderful person both inside and out but I’m afraid that your life must end here.”

Before he could prep his swing, you pulled away and grabbed the nearest pot, launching it at him, the ceramic breaking against his head making dirt rain down upon both of you.

Not even a second passed before his axe was flying at you, lodging itself into your neck, nearly severing your head from your shoulder. You should’ve been thankful really, thankful that Sungchan had given you a quick death, not his usual route since it was so painless and easy for both the victim and the assailant.

He liked a struggle, but for you he made an exception out of love so that the last thing you’d see was him, your lover, before everything stopped.

[ressyfaerie]

Last suggestion! (I've only saw the dub & not read the manga so pls forgive if I'm wrong with this and they all know) Random headcanon that somehow Kai is the last to know about Tyson's mom passing. Idk but I feel like Kai makes a tasteless comment and the team are like dude we know this? And he's just generally ??? what? He misunderstands and thinks it's recent and speaks to Tyson but he tells him it's been years and years and he's at peace with it. Bonus if awkward hug/attempt at one from Kai 😂 (I also headcanon he's never had a hug so has no idea how to)

AWWW this sounds so cute im doin it. Oh alcohol mentions! It wrote itself but its v cute im proud of this one for sure!!!

Just teenagers being teenagers.

A night in the dojo without adult supervision and nothing to do meant stealing alcohol from the liquor cabinet and singing karaoke.

Ray and Max’s harmonies shattered eardrums.

Tyson laughed, “how can they be high and low pitched at the same time?”

Acting silly and opening up was what tonight was all about.

Even Kai got talkative after a few drinks, you could even say he was acting—

“Irresponsible! Kai get down from there!” Tyson held his sides laughing so hard he thought his lungs would collapse.

Kai hung off the edge of the couch, lounging like a rich prince.

Max hopped up beside him, “what are you doing buddy?”

“I’m a cat.”

The room fell into an uproar of laughs and giggles. Kai fell to the cushions laughing as well.

Tyson took every opportunity to jab questions into Kai.

“Favourite animal?”

“Cats.”

“Favourite food?”

“That ramen you made for us that one time.”

“Favourite dance?”

“Never done it, but I’m a fan of swing.”

“Favourite childhood toy?”

Now he got hung up on that one.

They both laid on the floor, everyone slowly joined. Music from karaoke turned on low escaped the TV surrounding the room in a comforting atmosphere.

“I never really had one.”

“Everyone had one!”

“My parents gave me a stuffed tiger.” Ray grinned while holding a pillow close to his chest, “I lost it though. Man, I loved that thing.”

Max started to talk, then stopped giggling, “I had a piece of silk.”

They laughed, Tyson was the first to respond, “a piece of silk?”

“I called it silky. I was from one of my mom’s old skirts. I would sleep with it every night when she was gone.” He chuckled, “I actually still have it.”

“Where is it?” Ray asked.

“At my dads. I keep it on my nightstand.”

Hilary was sleeping on the couch with her head on Kenny’s lap, Kenny joined the conversation with a hushed voice. “Was it hard? Having a mom that was only half there all the time?”

“Yeah. I always told myself… At least I have a mom. There’s lots of people who aren’t as lucky as me.”

“Yeah…” Kenny trailed off, knowing he had two parents that loved him, and he probably wasn’t welcome in the conversation about to ensue.

“Your Dad’s nice though.” Ray pointed out.

“I love my Dad. My Mom can be a handful…”

“Other way around for me.” Tyson had his arms folded behind his head, “at least you don’t have any crazy siblings.”

“Dude, fuck Hiro.” Kai hiccuped.

“Guess we learned Kai has a low alcohol tolerance.” Max threw a pillow at Kai to catch him off guard.

He caught it in midair.

“Ooohhhh!!” Tyson cooed in awe.

Kai grumbled,” I’m fine. I just hate that guy.”

“Well I never knew my parents thanks for asking.” Ray changed the subject delicately, Kai had a habit of getting aggressive when he talked about Hiro, he didn’t want the conversation to turn sour.

“Why not?” Tyson asked with a drunken lack of compassion.

Ray shrugged, “ it takes a village to raise a child, I guess that’s what happened.”

“Makes sense.” Tyson sat up lazily, “wanna know what my favourite toy was?”

“Hell yeah!” Max somehow had another pillow and was throwing it in the air and catching it over and over again.

“Other than Dragoon, it was this old kendo sword my mom gave me. It was an heirloom. I still have it, but I played with it so much I wore it out, I’m afraid to use it again.”

Surprisingly, it was Kai who responded.

“Wow, your Mom must have put a lot of trust in her kid to give them something like that. She must have loved you a lot.”

The room grew quiet and cold.

Kai turned to look at Tyson, who was just staring back with a blank expression.

“I’m going to go get some water.” Tyson sat up making his way to the kitchen.

As soon as they heard the door slide shut, Max shoved a fist into Kai’s chest.

“Ow! What the hell was that for?!”

“Idiot! Tyson’s Mom died when he was just born! He never even met her! He never talks about it because it's a bit of a touchy subject!”

Max frowned and glared at Kai.

“Sorry.” Kai started, “I never really clued in. I thought she died when he was older.”

Ray slapped a hand to his forehead, “dude, we know this.”

Kai sighed, “I’ll go apologize.”

“Yeah you better!” Max threw the pillow at him, this time Kai let it hit him, accepting his punishment weakly.

“Tyson?”

The kitchen was dimly lit, Tyson was making something at the counter.

“You want some tea Kai?”

“What kind?”

“Just green tea. Nothing special.”

Kai watched him pour the water, unsure how to start, he could still feel the effects of alcohol bouncing around his brain. He waited a moment, hoping to articulate his thoughts appropriately.

“I’m sorry—”

“It’s okay, Kai. It’s been a long time, almost two decades, I mean—you’d think I’d be over it?”

Kai saw his eyes, slightly damp with tears.

“This is a tough subject for you. I’m sorry.”

Tyson rubbed his eyes with his sleeve, letting out a sniffle.

“I’ve always been okay with it. I guess… I’ve never known anything different. I do wish my father and brother were more present though.”

Tyson stared out the window into the darkness of night. He couldn’t see anything, but he still looked, for a long while.

Kai licked his lips before continuing, “I never knew my parents well either. They abandoned me, I have some memories of them, but not much.”

Tyson gave him his attention, and tried to change the subject, “so you would have had a favourite toy then?”

Kai suppressed a laugh, knowing what he was trying to do,” like I said, my memories of that time are fuzzy. I actually remember more of the abbey—surprisingly enough.”

“Oh.” Now Tyson was worried he had overstepped.

“Do you remember what your Mom looked like?” Kai wasn’t sure why he was pressing the subject, he normally wouldn’t.

Tyson blinked a few times, surprised by Kai’s sudden curiosity. “Um, apparently I have her hair, and her eyes. Her face was soft too, so I guess I got all my Mom’s features.”

Tyson rubbed the back of his head grinning.

Kai agreed, “thank god.”

Tyson let out a fast laugh, “ha! Did you just call my Dad ugly?”

Kai squinted his eyes, “I guess I did?”

They fell into probably the hundredth laugh attack of that night, Tyson placed his hand on Kai’s shoulder stabilizing himself.

Their laughs drifted away, Kai glanced at Tyson’s hand, then at his best friend.

“I’m sorry you never knew your mother.”

Tyson was caught off guard at Kai’s soft voice.

“I’m sorry you never really knew yours…” Tyson returned the sympathy.

Kai grinned, and bit his lip, “I’m sorry your Dad’s so ugly.”

“Ha!”

The uncontrollable giggles had Tyson holding his side, and Kai hunched over. They were so close to each other now. Tyson’s hand had drifted to Kai’s neck, he could feel his warm skin and heartbeat. Kai had gone completely against his character, and was holding Tyson’s stomach trying to prevent him from keeling over.

Then Tyson fell forward, letting his chin prop on Kai’s shoulder.

Kai was halfway to hugging him.

When he realized this, he stopped giggling, and Tyson’s irregular breathing was the only remnant of laughter left in the room.

Kai’s voice barely reached Tyson’s ear, “I’ve never hugged anyone before.”

“First.” Tyson wrapped his arms around Kai’s shoulders.

Kai held his arms out loosely, “what are you, a youtube comment?”

Short laughs, Kai felt Tyson’s chest rumble with each chuckle, he let his hands fall into Tyson’s body.

He had his arms wrapped around Tyson’ abdomen, then curled them along his back, completely unsure if what he was doing was right.

Tyson’s voice reverberated through Kai’s ears, “I can hear your heartbeat.”

“What does it sound like?”

“Fast.”

They didn’t say anything.

Kai felt Tyson’s long hair against his cheek, he had never felt such soft hair, let alone so close… He breathed in.

“You smell like cedarwood and cherry blossom.”

“It’s my shampoo.”

Neither one of them had the confidence to break apart, or maybe... they didn’t want to.

Kai found his hand gliding up Tyson's spine, he felt Tyson shiver slightly at the touch. He gently played with the ends of Tyson’s blue hair, feeling it twirl through his fingers like silk.

“Are you… are you playing with my hair?” Tyson’s voice rang in disbelief.

Kai’s eyes grew wide when he noticed what he was doing. He pushed himself away, keeping one hand on Tyson’s side, he didn’t want to let go completely, out of fear he could never go back.

Tyson was in a mirror position with one hand on his shoulder.

“I won’t tell anyone.” Tyson smirked.

“You better not.”

“You can play with my hair whenever you want.”

“Can I!?” Kai took a step back after he realized how excited his voice was.

“Learn how to tie a braid and then we can talk.” Tyson pushed the envelope with his teasing.

“I’ll google it right now.”

[liyawritesss]

What A Year...

2020 has been a hell of a year, for reasons that were good, bad, and everything in between. I can safely say that creating my tumblr platform has definitely been a good part of this year. Not only have I been able to start back writing, I have met some amazing people here and discovered new things about myself.

In this post, I'll be giving thanks to a few people who have entered my life via tumblr, appreciating another milestone, and laying out some goals for the upcoming year.

Thank you to the following...

@todorkihoe

One day i decided to actually make my blog an actual blog, and i remember asking you how tf do I link shit on this platform and BAM! Friendship. You're the first person I actually interacted with on here and much of the inspiration to continue writing goes to you. We constantly bounce ideas off eachother and its so fun and chaotic, I love it. I hope we can remain friends for a long time to come 🥺.

@somberess

My precious kitty 💜💜💜 You seemed to listen to me even though you liked being a brat to every one else. You're the most adorable thing on this planet and I will protect you with my life 🥺🥺 Don't worry I'm still looking for your ears and tail 😌😌

@/chaoticbi

You were like hella intimidating when I first interacted with you directly, but with time even though you're still a bit intimidating its not as hard to talk to you. You're actually pretty funny and its great when we simp for Kirishima together. I am still planning on making that stoner!kiri fic btw, I got big plans for it. I'm not sure how I'm gonna do it, but imma do it!!

@combat-wombatus

You are probably one of the most creative people I've ever met. Like, your ability to brainstorm off the top of your head just blows my fucking mind. You're also so very very sweet and incredible at reading people. Definitely our resident vibe checker lmaooo. Love your brain my guy!

@amajikibby

You are a tease and I love you for it 🤣🤣 like when you came in when that shinsou anon popped in my asks I was like "chile PLS 😭✋🏽" I definitely enjoy the asks you give me, they're so fun to write and get my imagination running wild, and I love it!!!

Honorable Mentions; those who I've met recently and hope to build a relationship with over time:

@mountladysdaughter @cupid-molars @des-the-girl @dekuswhoreeee @shoutafilms

Surprise! We've reached 300+ followers!!!

Yes, you read right! We are 300+ lovelies strong! I am so so so happy and appreciate each and every one of you who have followed me, made requesting, commented, reposted and liked my content. As a creator it means so much more to me than what you realize.

I've always loved writing, ever since I was little. What started as a pastime became my outlet for the negative emotions. For a long time I hadn't been able to write. I wasn't sure if it was a burn out or a bad case of writers block, but finally after taking that stressful SAT, I was able to get my mojo back. Maybe I needed a stressful event like that to put me back into the swing of things.

I cannot say thank you enough, from the bottom of my heart, to everyone who's interacted in some way with the blog. I promise to work extra hard in making enjoyable content for you all to see!

Some goals for the following year...

So I had been thinking for a while about what I want to write for this blog, and I do have some ideas for some short series I want to produce. Although I won't start posting them here until I'm perhaps half way through the series, but I thought it'd put that idea out there and let you guys guess on what I'm gonna write about 😌😌

Secondly, I really do wanna start writing for more characters and more fandoms. I've been really focusing on My Hero because that's what I've been into recently, but I am also looking forward to filling up my Avatar and Legend of Korra masterlists because those are also two cartoons that I hold dear to my heart. I had ideas to also write for other animes I've watched, including Naruto, Boruto, Fairy Tail and more, but ill have to rewatch/revisit some of them in order to remind myself of the characters personalities and such.

If this is something you all are interested in, please let me know!!

That concludes the post! Please stay tuned for regular

content starting back soon!

[ceo-of-daichi]

Characters - Sawamura Daichi x Fem!Reader

Summary - Lockdown had really affected your social life and daily routine, luckily a certain someone was willing to help you get your life back to somewhat normal. What will happen when you start catching feelings?

Genre - Fluff

Warnings - Slight mentions of anxiety 

Word Count - 2.3k

A/N - Back again with another Daichi fic! Are you surprised, probably not i got a one man mind lmao. This one isn’t as long as the last but still as fluffy, hopefully you enjoy reading it :) p.s. this was almost called Toothpaste I blame Jas👀

Covid-19 had really flipped your year in a completely different direction to what you were expecting. You started the year hoping to finish your last year of high-school on a high, helping the volleyball team get to nationals and getting into university. However, the world clearly had a different plan for you, when the virus first started you didn’t think much of it. Why would you? It was only when the announcement came that the country was going into lockdown that your brain finally registered what was actually happening. Being the slightly more extroverted individual you thrived off seeing your friends, plus both your parents worked as nurses. You were going to be alone.

The first few weeks went by pretty fast, managing to keep up a routine by going out for runs and making yourself eat at certain times. Even keeping in touch with your friends from the boys volleyball team as well as Kiyoko, one of your closest friends. However, after this fairly stable period you had a really bad day. Nothing went your way, blender… broken, guess you weren't having a smoothie this morning. After that frustrating incident Tanaka and Noya decided to start poking fun at you in the group chat, which you were NOT in the mood for. Group chat… Muted. It was also raining extremely heavy so you decided maybe a well deserved rest day was in order, throwing on the TV you flopped down on the couch to start your film marathon.

5am. That was the time it was when you finally passed out on the couch. How did you end up staying up that late, Harry Potter. Why you thought it was a good idea to start watching the films you don’t know, but you managed to watch them all, all 19 hours of them. That was all it took to mess your routine up for the next month, not waking up till 2-3pm everyday just to lounge around. Barely keeping in touch with anyone, you hadn’t talked in the groupchat for close to 3 weeks, hardly even thinking about eating anything but snacks. 

Luckily you had a saving grace, Daichi. After going MIA , the third year’s started to get worried about you, especially Kiyoko. She had dmed you multiple times and got nothing in return, mainly because you saw the messages but forgot to reply. You were a whole ass mess to put it plainly. 

~ 3rd Years Group Chat ~

Kiyoko - I’m worried about [y/n]...

Suga - Tell me about it, she hasn’t been in the chat for weeks

Daichi - Have you tried dming her?

Kiyoko - She is ignoring me, she hasn’t replied to one of my messages

Asahi - Maybe she’s just busy?

Daichi - In the middle of lockdown…

Suga - Yeah thats unlikely

Kiyoko - Can one of you dm her as well? I just want to make sure she’s ok?

Daichi - I can... i’ll let you know if she replies and if she doesn’t Asahi or Suga can try

Having received a concerned message from Daichi, you realised how much you had lost track of everything and anything. Replying to both him and Kiyoko apologising and explaining you had just forgotten to press send. Although Daichi wanted to believe that was the case he couldn’t, instead of being upfront about it though he started messaging you throughout the day. Just small things asking if you had eaten and if you were staying hydrated, little did he know that this helped you get back into a better rhythm of lockdown life.

You slowly fixed your sleep schedule and got back to eating 3 meals a day. Although you hadn’t managed to get back into running, your talks with Daichi slowly got more frequent and for longer periods of time. The more you talked to him the more motivated you started to feel, eventually you got back into your running routine. It no longer became the odd message to make sure you were eating, but full day conversations about anything you could think of. Eventually you started relying on talking to him to cure your lockdown loneliness, a day without talking to him was not a good day for you. Daichi being the fairly observant person that he is, started to realise and eventually bought it up.

Daichi :) - Hey [y/n], I've been meaning to bring something up with you, you mind if we call?

[y/n] - Yeah sure Dai, just call me whenever i don’t exactly have anything going on

Receiving this was like a bullet to the chest, worrying what it could be about you pulled your knees up to your chest steadying your breathing. As you were lost in your head, your phone started ringing. Answering it you heard his voice for the first time in close to 3 months, it was music to your ears. Slowly over these 2 months you had grown fond of the boy, but you had quickly dismissed the idea of anything forming between each other. Both having different priorities in life, being scared of rejection also didn’t help.

After an hour and a half of deep conversation, a couple tears shed but more laughter at the end. You collapsed backwards onto your bed, he had found out everything. How your parents were barely home, always doing long shifts at the hospital, how you felt like you had no one during those 3 weeks you were MIA. Most importantly though you had confessed that talking to him was like receiving a warm hug. It's exactly what you needed at this time, obviously you would love an actual hug as well but that's pretty hard from a 2m distance.

~ 1 week later ~

Your eyes went wide as they announced on the news that lockdown was starting to be lifted, you were now allowed to meet up with people outside at a safe distance. Smiling you quickly messaged Daichi telling him how excited you were that restrictions were finally being lifted.  

Daichi :) - That's Great [y/n]!! So.. you fancy going on a socially distanced pic-nic tomorrow? Don’t worry about bringing anything but yourself. I got the rest covered, obviously if you're ok with that?😃

Reading the text over multiple times, pinching yourself to make sure it was real. You hadn’t seen Daichi in close to 3 months, and within that time you had developed feelings. What would it be like seeing him in person now, generally being awkward with past crushes, you started to worry about scaring him away. You couldn’t do that, you needed him. Taking a couple paces around the room thinking about what to reply, before realising you were most definitely overthinking it. He didn’t see you that way…

[y/n] - Yeah sure! Just let me know a time and place, i will be there

Daichi - 1pm at the park round the corner from your house?

[y/n] - See you there!! 

The next morning you woke up with a huge smile plastered on your face, excited for the day ahead. Jumping out of bed and rummaging through your wardrobe you pulled out a cute summer dress, not too dressy but showed you put effort in none the less. The summer dress was red and was covered in little white flowers, you had only worn it a couple times and decided it needed another outing.

Walking down your road and around the corner to the park, the wind hitting your face made you feel like maybe the world was getting back to normal. As you walked through the gates, you noticed Daichi stood over by a slightly more wooded area, smiling as you made your way over to him. Greeting each other you forgot how much his laugh and smile made it seem like nothing else mattered, making your heart beat faster in your chest. He ended up leading you through the woods and into a small opening which had 2 picnic blankets laid down at the appropriate distance. As you got closer you noticed that there were sandwiches, fruit and small cakes on both.

‘You didn’t have to do this Daichi you know? A simple sandwich would have been fine?’ You started smiling at him, no one had ever gone to this much effort for you and honestly you felt bad. ‘It must have taken you a bit to set this up…’

‘Oh no, honestly don’t worry about it… i wanted to, neither have been out in a while so i figured why not?’ The laugh that came out sounded almost nervous, which confused you slightly… Was he really as nervous as you?

The afternoon went by quicker than both of you wanted. Chatting, cracking jokes and eating, which the food Daichi had made was really good. You had asked why he had never told you about his clear culinary skills, apparently this was the first time he had attempted something like this. Trying not to get too far ahead of yourself when he had mentioned this, even though you were freaking out. Mainly chatting about quarantine life and how you missed being out of lockdown, being able to socialise freely and do whatever you wanted. 

You only realised how long you had been with Daichi when it started to get dark, letting him know you should probably be getting back. Even though in reality you could have stayed there for the rest of the night and into the early morning. Helping him pack everything up  occasionally sneaking glances at him, wishing you could pull him into a hug or give him a peck on the cheek. Just to let him know how much he had helped you over the past month. Sadly you couldn’t, once everything had been packed away Daichi (being the gentleman that he is) offered to walk you back.

‘I had a really good afternoon, thank you for this Daichi…’ Smiling at him as you walk up to your front door.

‘Would you want to do something like this again maybe?’ The way he looked at you, his eyes almost pleading, with a slight smile gracing his lips. This made your heart instantly melt.

‘If you want to? I would love that!’

‘[y/n]... why would i ask if i didn’t want to?’ Raising a brow at you playfully.

‘Shut up you dork, i’ll see you soon then!’ Laughing as you walk through your door giving him a wave before closing it and sliding down it on the other side, trying to calm your heart that was about to burst through your chest.

Another couple weeks past, you had only met up with Daichi once more, but both were still texting all day with the occasional call. You also had met up with Kiyoko within these weeks, explaining your situation. She thought it was really funny how much you were worrying about it because to her it seemed obvious that he returned your feelings. You were still completely denying this fact though, it was something your brain really couldn’t fathom. However, the next day lockdown was reduced once again, you were now allowed to have people in your house from other families. 

Being as excitable as you were and the fact your parents were out almost all of the time, you rattled off a text to Daichi asking him if he fancied a chill movie marathon night? Both of you deciding to watch The Hobbit trilogy later on in the evening. Hopping up from the couch you started cleaning the house, preparing snacks and setting up pillows as well as blankets on the couch. Seen as though it was a chill night you had decided on a pair of grey sweats and a plain v-neck t-shirt, that was tied so it wasn’t too long.

You had just finished setting everything up when there was a knock at the door, practically running to get it. Opening the door to his smiling face made something snap and you don’t know what came over yourself as you jumped into his arms, wrapping your own around him. Luckily he was quick to catch you. 

‘What did i do to deserve this hug?’ He chuckles to himself as you nuzzle into his neck.

‘Everything. Daichi I owe you so much, you don’t even understand’ Letting out a sigh, he closes the door and carries you over to the couch. Placing you down next to him as you pout at him, sad that the hug was over so soon. You had waited for so long to be wrapped up in his arms and when you finally get the chance it barely lasts 2 minutes. 

‘Listen Daichi… you have helped me so much over the past few months, and honestly…’ Taking a breath to figure out how to phrase your next words, however before you could say anything else he had pulled you back into his chest.

‘I like you too dork…’ Frozen in his arms, how long had he known… How long had he liked you back? All you could do in that moment was snake your arms round him and enjoy each other's company as he started the first film.

~ BONUS ~

‘How long have you liked me Daichi?’ You question him half way through the first film.

‘About 6 months give or take why?’ He turns his attention towards you and gives you a quick head kiss, before looking back to the film.

‘6 months… that's before we went into lockdown..?’

He hums, smirking at your clearly oblivious nature, as your brain was spiralling thinking about how many signals you missed.

Tags: @super-noya @stcrryskies @iwaxme @bb-noya @vventure @ardorwrites-hq-mha @scorpiosanssexy

[quirkdotcom]

The Arrangement //

Shoto Todoroki x Fem! Reader

Part One: The Mall Incident

Part Two

Summary: Your father is a particularly strong pro hero, and owns his own agency, however, he seemingly has picked an opportunity for you to be the tie between his agency, and pro hero Endeavor's agency.

Authors Note:

One; I'm planning this to be a three part fic, my next update hopefully on Friday May 15th ! Let me know if you'd like to be on this specific taglist, or even a taglist for anything I post !

Two; I wanted to have a little fun in this, so I added in an OC of mine! I made the reader attend an unnamed school, where her friends wouldn't be main characters from MHA, and decided to throw in Maiko (my OC) anyways, I hope you enjoy !

"A student from UA? Is father okay? I thought he hated that school?" You had to stop yourself, had you really heard your mother right?

She sighed heavily, shaking her head slightly, "He does, however, your father is willing to look past the fact as long as everything goes according to plan" 

This time, it was your turn to sigh.

This 'plan' was one of you meeting some student, your parents meeting, and at the end of the day, agreeing to a marriage after graduation.

You knew that you really had no choice in the matter, which is why you had never put up a fight about it, but it didn't mean that you were particularly happy about it.

Quietly, you stood up, excusing yourself from the table and your mother, leaving the dainty tea cup where it sat.

"Well, since the meeting with this student will be this weekend, I'm going to go out and buy an outfit for it." You bowed your head slightly before turning and leaving the room.

Now out of sight of your mother, you stretched, stifling a yawn as you made your way to your room, grabbing your phone from your pocket, sending a quick message to your closest friend, asking if she'd accompany you to the mall.

The two of you attended a private academy focused on teaching it's students to not only strengthen their quirks, or accelerate their academics, but also in etiquette and manners. Everything was about being proper and elite.

It was the very same school that your father had transferred to after his time at UA.

You personally didn't quite like it there, at times some students tried to pick on you, or the teachers would reprimand you for even the slightest mistake.

But, just like the marriage arrangement, you had no choice in what school you attended, your father was hellbent on you following his steps, and staying the hell away from UA.

Regardless, you had eventually made some friends, and for the first few years, you scored in the top of your class.

"Oh, (Y/n) while you're out, would you mind picking up a few things for me?" Your mother's voice rang out from behind your door, breaking your train of thoughts.

"Just make me a list, and leave it on the counter!" 

It didn't take long for you to change out of your uniform and into something comfier, or for you to grab your messenger style purse, or to find the list from your mother. With your father gone, there were no distractions or unnecessary lectures.

What took the most time was getting to the mall. You could have driven, but it was nice out, the sky was clear of clouds, and there was a light breeze that flowed through the leaves in the trees.

So, you took to walking. Though, when you got to the mall, your best friend was standing with her arms crossed and a bored look on her face.

"(Y/N)! There you are! I've been waiting for hours!" She gave a dramatic sigh as you walked over.

"Calm down Maiko ! " you chuckled, she was almost always over dramatic, something that had drawn you to her in the first place.

She gave you a playful wink, and nodded her head to the doors, starting to walk inside, "Whatever, we both know that I can't calm down," she paused, giving small jazz hands, "I've got constant anxiety" 

"Ah, the curse of having a third eye quirk," You followed behind, then moved to the side of her. 

"Oh! What's the occasion for today's trip?" Maiko tucked a piece of light brown hair behind her ear, eyeing you as she waited for a response.

You hesitated, she still didn't know about the whole arranged marriage, and it had been about a month since you had found out.

"Oh...my family and I are meeting another family for some business thing, so I needed to get a new outfit in case they have a son or daughter our age, " You spouted off a lie, knowing that she'd fall for it, only because she trusted you.

"Ooooh another potential merger for your dad's hero agency?" 

You nodded, pausing as your stomach gave a quiet rumble. 

Despite the lunch you were having with your mother earlier, you didn't really eat. 

"Hey, let's get something to eat first," You point to the nearest food outlet.

Before you know it, Maiko and you are each tossing fries to the other, both failing to catch most in your mouth, but you are having a good time regardless.

Once out of fries, you and her are left with your milkshakes, hers chocolate, and your's strawberry. Something kind of impulsive as you haven't had one strawberry flavored in a few years.

"Hey, I think we could probably take these with us to go look for an outfit," Maiko picks hers up, already a third of it gone.

With a nod, you stand up, grabbing your shake and bag, waiting for Maiko before heading off to your favorite store.

"Hey what about this?" She held up a pleated, light blue skirt, it would stop just above your knees, and complimented you very well, "It even has real pockets!"

"And I could wear it with this shirt...and maybe the jean jacket we found earlier?" You smiled happily, holding up a plain white t-shirt, a small v neck cut, nothing too extreme but not too plain.

Your friend placed the skirt into your basket, and you followed suit with the shirt. All that was needed now, would be to grab the jean jacket from earlier.

However, as you turned, you ran into a...hard surface and along with you, came your half finished milkshake.

You stumbled back, eyes wide as you realized what had just happened.

"Oh my gosh, I am so-"

But the male cut you off, his voice monotone as he did, "Save it, just move out of the way, I need to clean my shirt," 

You quietly moved to the side, watching as the moody stranger walked away, leaving you and Maiko to recover.

He had red hair...well only half of his hair was red, and the other half was white, leaving you to wonder how much hair dye it had taken to get it to look so perfect. 

"Well...I wish I could've helped you see that coming...but uh..I got the jacket?" She smiled sheepishly, causing you to let out a nervous laugh, releasing the tension you didn't know you had.

"Okay, cmon lets go pay!" You turned, still reeling from the encounter with that guy..but hey, at least you wouldn't be seeing him again! 

So, with that thought in mind, Maiko and yourself brought your chosen outfit to the front counters, paid and left the store.

"Hey, are you doing anything tonight?" You turned to Maiko after some five minutes, a thought in the back of your mind, nagging at you since you had left the house to meet her. 

"I don't think so! Why, is your mom cooking tonight? Anything she makes is always better than your dads...or yours," she poked her tongue out at you.

"Wha?! Hey! Im not that bad of a cook!" You pouted and crossed your arms, turning away from her, "Well I did have something to tell you but now its not happening," 

She immediately moved in front of you, "Wait no! Your cooking is good! Just tell me the news!" 

"It'll have to wait for my house, it's kind of big news…"

And with that, the two of you set off for your house, Maiko calling her mom and letting her know where she'd be for the night. 

The walk was spent talking about anything and everything, and at one point Maiko tripping and you having to catch her, but hey, that's what friends are for. 

As you approached your house, you spotted your fathers car in the driveway, causing you to screw your face up in dread. 

Hopefully he didn't have a lecture for you, especially if Maiko was here. You had always hated how he seemed to pick on you whenever your friends were over.

And much to your dismay, when you walked inside he met you with a sour look, "(Y/n), where have you been? Don't forget about this weekend's meeting, not to mention the exams coming up," 

You bit back a response about how the exams were two months away, and instead just nodded your head, busying yourself with slipping your shoes off, "I was buying a new outfit for our meeting. I told mother before I left."

He paused, now eyeing you and Maiko, "And came home with...Fujino was it?" 

She nodded, even though she practically lived at your house for a week at a time due to the amount of sleep overs you had, your father had barely bothered to remember her name. 

"Im sorry for not telling you ahead of time, Sir." She bowed her head slightly, only really apologizing because she knew that if she didn't, it would come down on you. 

"Make your way to (Y/n)'s room, I still need to have a few words with her," he commanded, waiting for her to go up the stairs before he continued.

"And (Y/n), do not forget how important this marriage arrangement is. The Todoroki family is powerful, Endeavor is rising in his ranks as a hero, and his son will follow suit. You have to make sure that you are seen as exemplary, no mistakes can be made. Do you understand?" 

You paused, heart hanging heavy, "Yes father…" 

Once he let you go, you made your way to the top of the stairs, seeing that Maiko was waiting for you, a worried look in her eyes, "So...a marriage proposal?" 

"Welcome to the news I had for you…" 

You two moved into your room, the bag of clothes dropped onto the floor, and you climbed onto your bed, grabbing an orange bunny plush, hugging it to your chest.

"Okay so I wanted to tell you about the arrangement but...I dunno, its hard. I'm having my choice taken away from me and for what? So my father and this other hero to have a more powerful agency?" 

"(Y/n)...im so sorry that you've been going through this alone. I'm here for you, whatever you need!" She moved to a swinging chair you had, sitting in it carefully as she thought for a moment, "So, you've never met this guy or his family?" 

"At most I know his family name. But Im too busy focusing on school work to pay attention to how his father is "So high up the ranks" or whatever. Its like my father thinks that this 'Endeavor' guy is the number two pro hero or something…" You puffed out a breath of air, pursing your lips as you thought quietly. 

Maiko stared at you for a few minutes, blinking a few times as she tried to break the news to you. 

"Uhh..Endeavor...as in Enji Todoroki?" 

You looked up, nodding quietly at her puzzled look. 

"(Y/n) he is the number two hero...or wait..if All Might retired a few years back... then number one actually!" She hummed as she herself started to think but eventually shook her head, eyes widening. 

Maiko quickly pulled out her phone, typing hurriedly into it and gasping, "(Y/n) wait! His son goes to UA! His son is reportedly one of the Big Three of his class!" She stopped, scrolling, "uh oh…" 

At this, you scrambled from your spot to her, pulling the phone from her hand to look at what the cause of this 'uh oh' was. 

It was a picture.  A picture of Endeavour's son. He had red and white hair, and a glare so deadly it probably would kill someone on sight. 

But what got you more was the fact that this was the guy from the mall earlier.  You had totally spilled a strawberry shake all over the number one hero's son, and the guy who you would be marrying after graduation. 

"This is...this is fucked. Im so screwed! Not only did I embarrass myself but now I've probably made it seem like im a clumsy girl who likes to shop all the time and now this...Todoroki guy is going to tell his father about me and then it'll ruin the arrangement and my father will kill me." You spouted off more worries until Maiko grabbed your shoulders, shaking you lightly.

"Hey! We aren't planning your funeral yet! Maybe we can meet up with him before you have to meet with his dad! I think I know one of the students at UA!" 

You looked to her, your breathing returning to normal as you nodded along, maybe that could work after all.

"Okay so, we ask whoever you know to get his number and text him about how it was me who spilled the drink and I wanted to apologize...and that Im also the girl he's meeting this weekend!" 

Maiko punched her fist into the palm of her hand, "Okay, lets set this plan into action! I'll text Kirishima!" 

You eyed her, realizing that you had never questioned how she knew anyone at UA, "While you do that, mind explaining to me about whoever this Kirishima is?" 

She only smiled for a moment, putting her phone down after sending him a message about Todoroki, "Oh! He and I work in the same coffee shop! Not everyone is super rich you know, but he's pretty nice guy, kinda cute too. But, you know how my mom is. Im surprised that she let me be friends with you, I swear, she's scared of anyone!" 

You gave a 'Mhhm' to her, knowing full and well that this was the coworker who she tended to talk about but never named, knowing that you'd probably show up to her work to try and get more information.  But hey, you'd leave it at that for now. 

"Well...I guess that now we wait for Kirishima to hopefully send us Todoroki's number?' 

"Now we wait! And with our good luck, by Wednesday we can smoothen out what happened at the mall…" 

You nodded once, as much as this plan seemed rickety, you were willing to take the chance. While you hated the idea of a marriage to whoever this young hero may be, you know that if you messed it up, your father would never let you live it down. 

[possiamo-andare]

No More Divisions - Chapter Eight: Why Should We Help?

JJ x Original Character

MASTERLIST

<3

~

At the makeshift headquarters beside the lighthouse, there's two tents. I'm guessing Kiara, Pope and JJ are in tent one because I'm in tent two and all that's in tent two is an officer watching me and a row of computers. They're turned off but I can still tell that this tent is a precaution, just in case they need to call in for more man power. For a teenager.

I'm sitting on a chair that has been pulled out of a computer desk. It's uncomfortable and I'm becoming more irritable the more I sit and do nothing. This also probably has to do with me being separated from my friends, but I don't care. I'm taking out my anger on this poor officer, who is seriously not doing anything, other than his job.

"I want to go." I grumble, crossing my arms over my chest.

The officer turns to me and rolls his eyes. "Anything else, madam?" His sarcasm is even more annoying than his voice.

"Yeah, your mom's number." I spit bad, acting very juvenile. I guess JJ has really rubbed off on me.

"Just sit still. Your parents should be here soon. Then you can go home." The officer says, one arm forward. He's trying to calm me down but it's not working. It's actually only making me even more pissed.

"I don't want to go home." I angrily mumble. "I need to see my friends."

The officer chuckles. "Not happening, sweetheart."

I roll my eyes. "Don't patronize me buddy." I had no idea where this arrogance was coming from. I was intimidated by the police but now, after all that I've been through, I could care less.

"Listen kid -" The officer is about to start on me, probably about respecting authority and your elders but he doesn't get the chance. Walking through the tent to meet me is the fed I saw from before, my parents, Ward, and Rafe.

I get up instantly. "Stay away from them!" I say, grabbing my mom and dad and standing in front of my parents.

I block them from Ward and Rafe, who are now face to face with me. For the first time since Peterkin's death, I'm looking Ward dead in the eyes. He looks back, very arrogant for someone that's guilty and surrounded by cops. But I guess it pays to be Ward Cameron; everyone believes you're good all the time.

"Callie," my mom cried, pulling me away from Ward and hugging me. "We were worried sick."

My dad hugged me and my mom. This is the first time I've seen them embrace in months. Its sad to think me going missing has brought them closer together.

"Once you get home, you're grounded." My dad says sternly, his eyes instantly softening. "But for now, we're so glad you're safe."

I'm happy to see them but I have to pull away. I have bigger things to be concerned about. I don't know if Sarah or John B. are okay, not to mention I have no idea how Kiara, Pope, and JJ are.

I look to the fed, glaring at him. "Where are my friends?"

I the fed nodded to his right. "They're in the next tent. I actually want to talk to you."

Ward's eyes widen. "Why? She's been clearly brainwashed by John B."

The fed looked at Ward. "It's just protocol.

My eyes widen now. "No!" The fed turns to look at me again. "I was there when Peterkin was shot. I know who did it."

My parents gasp. I look to them quickly and once I see their disappointed faces I have to look away. I feel a hand grab onto my arm. I look to my right and see it's Rafe. His eyes are filled with tears.

"Please Callie," he begged, "you don't know what you're doing."

I scoffed, ripping my arm away from his grasp. "I know exactly what I'm fucking doing. Get away from me." My anger is boiling over but I control myself. I have to do this for Sarah and John B. If they're not here to clear their names, then I will do it for them.

"Callie, I love you." Rafe chokes on his tears.

My hurt almost hurts for him. I swallow and the hurt is gone. "No." I say sternly.

Rafe nods quickly. "I do. I knew I loved you since you first said hello. We're so good together, we can go back to that place."

My mind goes to JJ. I feel his hand on my back and I remember his smile. "I don't love you Rafe. I don't think I ever did."

Love is supposed to make you feel giddy. Love is supposed to make you want to get out of bed. It makes you want to dance. Love is in the simple actions. Like, just talking for hours to them. Every kiss should feel like the first kiss. Every hug should feel like the first touch. I never felt that with Rafe; it was always more of an obligation. With JJ, it's natural. It's easy.

Rafe swallows, his tears sliding down his face. A year falls down his face. It's only one and he wipes it away quickly. Embarrassed, he then backs away, moving away from me.

I look to my parents. My mom is giving me a sweet smile. My dad, who always liked Rafe, seemed a little disappointed. I can't look at them any longer. Everytime I look at them, I feel very sad. I know I've let them down.

I look to the fed again. "If you let me see my friends, I'll do whatever you want."

The fed thinks for a moment and it's so silent in the tent. Then, he speaks, "Follow me." He tells Ward, Rafe and my parents to stay behind because it might cause too much drama. That's an understatement.

We both walk out of the tent, both staying silent. Finally, before we enter the first tent, he says one thing. "I believe you."

I am shocked. It feels so good for someone to say that to me. "Really?"

The fed nods. "You might not want to believe this but I am on your side."

As he says this, he pulls the curtain to the side and my eyes search for blond hair. This tent looks exactly like the other except there's just more people here. Dozens and dozens of officers walk and talk, doing god knows what.

Then I see it. Blond hair. It's JJ.

My heart bursts with joy. "JJ!"

JJ hears me over all the commotion and turns around, looking for me. Once our eyes lock, butterflies erupt in my stomach. He's there. It's been three hours without him but it feels like more. It feels like an eternity.

Once I see the smile on his face, I start to run. I'm pushing past the officers and I'm not being polite. I tell them to move. JJ, funny enough, is doing the same. Once we're close enough, my arms reach out to him and he does the same. I'm hugging him so tight I think I might suffocate. He's hugging just as tight though. I can feel his heartbeat as his chest presses against mine and I smile even wider. Hearing his heartbeat and touching him makes this whole ordeal better.

"God, I missed you." I smiled, pulling away from him for a moment.

"I would too." He jokes but I know what he truly means. He missed me too.

I can't help it. Even if we're in front of all these officers and our friends, I still kiss JJ. He's kissing me back instantly. Each kiss is amazing. It's always like the first time. I don't think my heart will ever be able to adapt to how he makes me feel. I want to deepen the kiss but decide against it since we are in public.

I pull away. "Are Kiara and Pope okay?"

JJ nods. "They're here. How about you?"

I shrug. "Better now."

JJ reaches up to my brown hair and pushes it behind my ear. His hand rests on my cheek for a moment then he pulls away. "Callie, I -"

"Callie!" Kiara yells from behind JJ.

I let go of JJ and and run past him to her and Pope. I'm sure whatever he has to tell me, he can say later. I'm just so glad to see that they're alright.

I embrace Kiara and I can feel her smile on my shoulder. "I'm so glad you're safe."

I smile back, still hugging her. We don't say anything for a few moments and then we finally let go of each other. Pope is now beside her, his arms out for me. I'm smiling so wide now. He was very apprehensive at first but now we're friends.

Once we hug, he speaks, "I'm glad too."

"Sorry to break up this reunion," the fed speaks from behind me. "But we need your help."

I let go of Pope and turn to the fed. I look at JJ. He's glaring at the fed. I walk to JJ and pat his shoulder, trying to calm him down. I know he doesn't trust this fed but I'm starting to. It might be naive but what other choice do I have?

"And why should we trust you?" JJ bitterly asks, Kiara and Pope nodding along with him.

I can see Deputy Shoupe behind the fed and I want to roll my eyes. He's listening in on our conversation and since he's such an ass, he speaks up before the fed has a chance.

"Because we want John B. and Sarah to live."

That grabs all of our attention. The fed shoots Shoupe a glare but he doesn't get a chance to say anything because JJ is already in his face.

"What the hell are you talking about?" JJ spits back.

I'm holding onto his bicep, trying to pull him away from the Deputy. JJ looks like he's ready to fight and that's the last thing I want. "JJ..."

He looks to me. His face softens and he backs up a little, standing beside me again. When he loosens his arms and lets them fall to his sides, I grab ahold of his hands.

"What Deputy Shoupe means," the fed says slowly, shooting Shoupe one last glare before looking back to us, "is that right now John B. and Sarah are on a boat, headed into a storm. They won't make it through the storm."

How did Sarah get on the boat with John B.? Did he stops to pick her up? I don't know and honestly don't care right now. My only priority right now is to make sure John B. and Sarah are safe.

"What do you need us to do?" Kiara asks, speaking up for the first time. I look to her and I can instantly read her face. She's so worried.

The fed sighed. "I need you to go on the radio and tell them to turn their boat around."

Once we all heard this, there was an uproar from all of us. That was not an option. The second John B. and Sarah's boat hit solid ground we all knew that the police would arrest them. This was their plan all along. The storm was a perfect setup. Sure we might save them from the storm, but we wouldn't be saving them from the police.

"Yeah, so you can arrest them the second they get here." Pope angrily spit back.

"Fuck off." JJ says, rolling his eyes.

"They will die if you don't do this." The fed argued, looking to me. "You really want your friends to die?"

That was it. This time, I wasn't gonna let this fed blame us. If he had done his job correctly, we wouldn't even be in this situation.

"How dare you try to blame us." I said coldly. Everyone looked to me, shocked. Even Shoupe seemed surprised that I had taken such a tone with a federal officer.

"I'm not -" The fed tried to explain. I wouldn't let him.

"No, you are." I looked to JJ. His smirk was what made me continue. "If you had done your job properly we wouldn't even be in this situation. If any of you just stopped and listened, John B. and Sarah wouldn't be on that boat headed towards that storm. But you won't listen and I don't know why. Is it because we're teenagers? It doesn't matter because we're not helping you arrest our friends."

It was silent for a moment as everyone processed my words. Even I had to process my words. I can't believe I had just said that. Maybe going through all of this gave me the confidence I needed. After a minute, JJ was the first to speak up.

"We're not gonna help the people that never helped us."

I looked to JJ, a frown on my face. I knew what he meant. It has been years and years and still, no officer ever helped him with getting out of his dad's house. I'm sure people knew what was going on. Most of the town did. They just chose to do nothing. Why should he want to help them now. JJ looked back at me, giving me a half smile. I knew he was trying his best to not show how upset he was with Shiupe and the fed and I wanted to kiss him for being so brave.

The finally responded by nodding and saying, "If you won't help us, then someone else will."

I heard Pope scoff from behind me. "Yeah? Who's gonna help you?"

That's when I saw him. Entering the tent, a face full of fake concern for his daughter, was Ward Cameron.

Shoupe smirked and pointed to Ward. "He will."