#I have the two remaining plates because one was my lunch plate and one was my dinner plate

[quicksilversquared]

I need to know which of my roommates has stored all but two of the house plates plus 90% of the silverware, plus the two short kitchen knives in their room, because this is getting ridiculous.

[wileys-russo]

aitana bonmati, “we can’t get a cat”, mapis apartment

Maybe w a corporate y/n?

not helping II a.bonmatí

"so you are done travelling for the year now?" ingrid questioned from where you stood next to her washing up the dishes from lunch. "hopefully! that conference should have been the last." you sighed, forever popping in and out of the country for work.

"tana will be happy, she becomes miserable when you travel." ingrid rolled her eyes making you smile, knowing exactly how grumpy your girlfriend became when you weren't around.

"i know, i get about a hundred texts an hour demanding i come back home because she misses me." you grinned affectionately, though you knew deep down she'd be far more upset with you if you listened to her and returned, knowing how important your work really was to you.

"tana!" you blushed as suddenly her hand smacked your ass as she walked past, returning from the bathroom. "stop talking about me amor." your girlfriend warned with a smile, joining mapi back in the living room.

"hey! like you can talk." you shoved the norweigen beside you who made a whipping noise with her mouth and flicked her hand. "i am not the one who is whipped, maría is." ingrid grinned, drying her hands as you placed the final plate in the dry rack.

"oh really?" you grabbed the taller girls hand, tapping the small m ring on her finger with a raised eyebrow. "really?" ingrid retaliated by tapping the small golden a necklace around your neck.

"well, guess we're both-" you mocked her whipping noise and gesture from before as the taller girl laughed and shoved you, the two of you returning to the living room where your girlfriends were.

"hola princesa." you chuckled as you sat down and bagheera settled immediately into your lap, finger stroking down her spine. "they say cats are good judge of character." mapi pointed out as she leaned into ingrid.

"clearly bagheera is not." she added on at your expense making your girlfriend laugh as you frowned at the noise. "i think we should get a cat amor." aitana hinted with a smile as you rolled your eyes assuming she was joking.

"so when is your next away game?" you changed topics, bagheera walking from your lap into aitana's who cooed at her affectionately. "two more weeks, next champions league match." ingrid answered you, both your girlfriends too caught up playing with bagheera as you sent her a grateful smile.

"oh! look, bagheeras sister had kittens last week." mapi grabbed her phone off the coffee table and clicked into the photo, your girlfriend melting as she stared at the screen. "oh they are so cute." aitana sighed with a pout.

"bebita..." the brunette handed mapi her phone back and slid closer to you with a smile you knew all too well. "oh no! don't even try it tana." you chuckled, pushing away her hands which tried to tug you even closer to her.

"we should get a cat, a kitten." aitana smiled, eyes burning a hole into the side of your head as you sighed, head thumping back into the soft cushion of the lounge. "no amor, we should not." you shook your head firmly.

"why! you love bagheera." your girlfriend pointed out as the cat in question rubbed herself against your leg which didn't help your case. "sí amor but bagheera is not my cat so part of the reason i love seeing her is that i get to hand her back." you grinned as mapi sent you a glare and snatched back her daughter, holding her close to her chest.

"but we looked after her when they went to norway and it was fine?” aitana continued, arm draping across the back of your shoulders. "sí but again amor we handed her back." you remained firm on your point, shaking your head when she asked again.

"is she interested in selling the kittens?" your girlfriend ignored you, finger tracing circles on the back of your neck in an attempt to distract you as you pushed her arm off. "amor, we can't get a cat." you spoke more firmly.

"i could call and ask her?" mapi offered, the two of them conversing as if you weren't even in the room as you scoffed and looked to ingrid for help who shook her head, staying out of it.

"tana, mi amor we can't get a cat. you're always at training or games, i work all the time, we would never be home to look after a cat. that would not be fair!" you tried to reason with her as finally she looked at you, your resolve softening just slightly seeing the pleading look in her eyes.

"we are out a lot and bagheera is fine. cats like being alone sometimes!" mapi chimed in as you sent her a murderous glare. "not helping león!" you hissed as she shrugged, stroking bagheera.

"i am not trying to help amiga, at least not help you." mapi grinned sending your girlfriend a wink. "bebita por favor. if not a kitten then a cat, a rescue cat maybe! you know you like helping people, why not help a poor innocent cat mi amor?" aitana pouted as you sighed deeply, sensing this was not something you'd not get out of easily.

"we can discuss it at home cariño." your girlfriend smiled suggestively as she squeezed your thigh, and seeing the look in her eyes you knew this wouldn't be a conversation you would win.

"can you send me the number for the lady with the kittens please maps?" you sighed, your girlfriend kissing your cheek repeatedly as ingrid chuckled and once again made the whipping gesture with her hand.

"well it sounds like bagheera is becoming a tía!"

[sunny-mercya]

Childs Guilt

Shikamaru Nara x Male Reader

Fandom -> Naruto

Masterlist

You hadn't been feeling well these past weeks already—stomach cramps, aching muscles, nagging hammering headaches, nausea, constant fatigue and slight waves of fever—though this week it had gotten visibly worse and once you had coughed out some blood and collapsed right after getting out of bed, Shikamaru had brought you into the hospital right away.

Sakura had checked you over and came to the conclusion, that your already broken seal—with the much heavyweight additional stress of being a parent, which Sakura could relate herself all too well with it—continues, which shouldn't even be happening in the first place, to take more damage and breaking completely down now.

Your body—more like your chakra core and mind, which can't process, without redeeming help of medical jujutsu (with by the current look of your seal, is probably too late to use) or specific sealing techniques—responds with signals of pain, trying to mend this sort of “wound” on its own.

Knowing this, Shikamaru thought he could—albeit it might not be much seen as help—relieve you from some of the stress and do most, if not even all, of the housework chores for the time being till you're feeling remotely better (or finding a way to stop your seal from breaking apart completely).

So here Shikamaru was, sitting at the dining table with his son and waiting—after being forced to do so, albeit grumpy with you about it—for you to serve today's lunch.

Now, don't get him wrong, Shikamaru would have made gladly—without hesitation or shame, most men would feel when being asked to do what their more household staying spouse would do—today's lunch, just so you could stay in bed and getting the needed rest, but you insisted to do lunch yourself (half heartily jokingly threatening him with any of your Oni's—preferably Raikou it would have been).

»I can't just lay in bed all day and do nothing. And no, laundry doesn't count as doing something.« is what you had said to Shikamaru, when he found you—instead of either laying in bed or the couch as you should and how Sakura had advised you to do—standing in the kitchen, hunched over the counters (a visibly tremor in your legs and hands) and preparing lunch.

~~~•~~~

»Here you go, soya sauce chicken katsu!« you announced happily, serving the two plates—your own appetite had significantly gone down in your sick ridden phrase, still is and the few bites you took during the cooking, were more than enough, too much even, for your stomach—to your husband and son.

Shikamaru said his thanks and started to eat, while Shikadai only moved the chicken around on his plate with his chopsticks—looking rather grossed out by it.

»Are you not feeling well Shi?« worry etched across your face as it's one thing if you're sick, but another if your son is—maybe Shikadai had gotten a seasonal cold or a stomach bug is being passed around, perhaps he just feels more tired than usual.

»Don't ask me.« muttered Shikadai, slamming the chopsticks down onto the table.

»Shikadai.« Shikamaru warned his son, giving an admonitory glance.

Shikamaru—in contrast to your knowledge—knows from his friends firsthand, that most of their children (Boruto and Sarada specifically) seemed to be getting more and more into a angry rebellious mood against them—and now Shikadai, for whatever reasons, as well it seems.

»Stop acting as if you're my dad.«

»What do you mean?« your worry turned in confusion, not understanding what exactly Shikadai is trying to say here and why he's getting so heated.

»You're not my papa and neither are you a supposed mother! All you are is a Monster, which shouldn't even exist!«

You remain silent, a crestfallen expression of hurt etched onto your face, because you knew you're a monster—having called yourself that a few times, even with a slight proudness just to provoke and to make Naruto (one of your closest friends) not feel alone anymore—but it's something entirely different when your own son (or any other person you love and hold dear) calls you such as it equals—akin to a heartache—to a stab into the heart.

»Shikadai! That's enough!« Shikamaru raised his voice—never thought he ever needed to with his son—disapproval sternness in it, because such outbursting outrageous behaviour—towards you—was line crossing and not acceptable.

»I hate you! I hate you!«

Shikadai was shouting—the hatred crystal clear to hear in his voice—by now at this point, chair screeching backwards—falling back with a thud onto the floor—when he stood up abruptly, running out of the kitchen and slamming some doors—either the front door itself or the one towards the garden—shut.

Shikamaru, standing up as well—who, even now as a parent, had never been one for strictness or tight enclosed rules—had half a mind to follow his son and reprimanded him that such behaviour wasn't acceptable as it certainly crossed a line—and while there a things, hurtful words, which a Parent should never dared to utter to their child, so are there words a child should never say to their parents.

But Shikamaru didn't go after his son, not when you have called out for him in a hoarse whisper—cup of (f.drink) slipping from your already shaky hands and shattering down onto the ground into million shards.

Turning to you, the once disappointing up-flaring anger vanish right away and morphed into concern upon seeing your pale sweat glistening face and the way how you clutched your stomach—Shikamaru, with a few steps towards you, puts his arms around you in support and walks you into the living room towards the couch.

~~~•~~~

»......something is wrong....« you rasped out in pain, fearing yourself for the worst already—a lingering sense crawling through your mind of what's happening to you and it's one of the few things which sparked pure terrific fear in you.

»Let me have a look.« Shikamaru raised up your shirt—being thankful that you wore much easier clothing nowadays and not the complicated traditional clothes—and coming to an unpleasant sight.

Your stomach, where the seal of the Oni Demons had once been placed—as you're, through all these years and despite the Oni's being long counted as friends and family, still a Vessel—looked bloody raw, skin tearing itself apart and the sealing marks coming off in a purple stream.

»Shika.....I'm scared.....I–I don't want to lose them, not again....Please, Shika, please don't let me lose them.« tears welled up in your eyes, the fear—which pulls Shikamarus heartstrings in an ache—visibly pooling in them, ascending down your cheeks and upcoming sobs—which bubbles up in your throat—threaten to escape over your lips.

Shikamaru as he shushes you gently, telling you in a promise—believing, although with not much faith in it, your husband as he had barley broken a promise before—that everything will be alright again and how he will do everything possible to not let you lose Raikou and the others—rubs his hand, in a careful and comforting manner, over your stomach.

»C'mon, let's get you back to bed, love.« Shikamaru picks you up and carries you into the bedroom—laying you down onto the bed, pulling him down with you as well, having a tight grip on his shirt.

And Shikamaru let you, holding you close while you cried yourself into sleep—squirming in pain and berating yourself, for something you weren't at faults even.

~~~•~~~

It had been days later—when Konoha had been evacuated, after being attacked by some cult Ninjas (close to being a second Akatsuki group) and either leading almost all possible Shinobi's, with a false lead, away from the village or locking them into a Genjujutsu—that Shikadai started to regret.

Seeing you—his Papa—getting purposely stabbed by the enemy, in order to protect him and Inojin—while telling Konohamaru and Mirai (despite them saying you shouldn't fight as you're still not recovered) to stay with them in protection, while you took care (in your words) of that fucker—sparked a flame of crashing guilt in Shikadai.

Shikadai argued with his Uncle—after the enemy had admitted that they're actually after you and your Oni's and seeing how brutal the attacks (which sends you crashing into the ground a few times already) you're receiving are—how he needs to help his papa and starting to cry out in frustration, anger and fear, when Konohamaru holds him back.

They don't understand, they just don't seem to understand the immense guilt and fear Shikadai feels, because this fight could risk your life and Shikadai didn't want to lose his Papa—not when these hateful words he had shouted at you, would be your last memories of him.

What Shikadai had said, wasn't true—you're aren't a monster, but it took the summoning of Raikou and the other three Oni's (who not only grand him sole protection, but also the whole village and Shikadai realise the extent of how strong you really are) and you literally sacrificing yourself—out of loyalty and parental love—to make Shikadai understand.

All Shikadai wants was to apologise and telling you, how much he loves you and how thankful he is to have you as his Papa.

I'm Sorry.

[watchmegetobsessed]

DATE NIGHT

A/N: some sweet soon-to-be-dad!harry content, bc is probably one of my absolute favs!!

WORD COUNT: 1.5k

SUMMARY: You're supposed to go on a date night, but when Harry comes home he finds you, his pregnant wife asleep, so he changes your plans for the evening.

MASTERLIST | SUPPORT ME!

Date nights are always Harry’s favorite. It doesn’t matter what you do, he just simply craves the alone time with you, whether you go out for dinner, catch a movie or go to a concert, it’s all about quality time spent with the person he loves the most.

He hasn’t had the chance to take you out anywhere these past months, his schedule has been hectic, he has to squeeze a lot into a short period of time since he is about to go on a massive break, taking on a role he’s been dreaming of his whole life.

He is going to become a dad in just about two months.

It’s also the reason why he is so excited about having a date night, he knows how little time you’ll have for romance once the baby arrives, so he wants to make the best out of the remaining of the time you have alone.

His last meeting of the day runs late so he heads home in a hurry, texting you from the car on his way, but he gets no response. The drive is about thirty minutes, he checks his phone every chance he has, double texting you, asking if everything is alright every time he stops at a red light. He can’t help but think of ways you could have fallen and hurt yourself or the baby, or maybe you’re stuck in the bathtub because you can’t push yourself up. The latter wouldn’t be the first time it happens. Your belly has been growing rapidly and moving around has become a challenge sometimes, though you’re handling the ups and downs of pregnancy like a true hero.

When Harry pulls up at your home you’ve been sharing for the last three years, his heart is hammering in his chest, afraid that something happened. Your car is parked in the garage and the lights are on in the house so he knows you’re home, but you still haven’t answered any of his texts.

“Babe?” he calls out, walking in, waiting for an answer, but nothing comes. He can hear the TV on in the living room, so he rounds the corner, following the voices, he picks up that it’s a rerun of that awful reality you’ve been obsessed with. He is just about to call out for you again, but then he sees you.

Curled up on the couch, a chunky blanket messily thrown over you, the TV illuminating your makeupless, sleeping face that’s squished into the pillow. The anxiousness quickly turns into warmth in his chest as he stops and admires the sight of you peacefully napping. An empty plate is set on the coffee table, you probably ate the leftovers from yesterday for lunch, there’s a half empty water bottle on the ground and an empty pack of your favorite snack next to the couch on the round. He can clearly see you snacking all afternoon, lounging on the couch, watching Netflix and having a chilling day while he works. He only has one more week of hustling before he can spend all his time with you and he can’t wait to be lazy with you.

Checking the time he sees that the two of you should be leaving to the restaurant in about twenty to make it there in time for the reservation. He knows you would want to do your hair and makeup nicely and that takes way more time. He also knows you won’t have the energy to leave the house judging from how you haven’t even moved since he arrived.

Kneeling down next to the couch he gently brushes your hair out of your face, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

“Baby,” he softly says, gently rubbing your shoulder. You stir in your sleep, burying your face deeper into the pillow that makes him smile. “Wake up, let me see those pretty eyes, I missed them so much all day.”

You hum and scrunch your nose before slowly blinking your eyes open. It takes a few moments to process what and who you see.

“Harry? You’re home already?”

“It’s past seven, babe,” he chuckles softly.

“Shit, I fell asleep,” you groan closing your eyes. “I was so tired, I couldn’t keep my eyes open!”

Harry’s not surprised, you’ve been extremely sleepy since the beginning of the pregnancy and he doesn’t blame you, growing a human must be quite tiring.

“It’s alright.”

“What time is it? Let me just get ready…” you start pushing yourself up and he helps you into a sitting position, but doesn’t let you stand. Instead, he sits beside you, placing a hand over your belly.

“Let’s ditch the restaurant,” he suggests, making it look like it’s his idea so you don’t have to tell him you don’t actually want to leave the house.

“But it’s our date night! I promise I will shake myself up.”

“Date night is to spend time together. Why don’t we do it at home this time? I can run us a nice bath, give you a massage and then cuddle.”

You blink at him for a few moments and he already knows he won you over with his change of plans.

“Can we eat something in the tub too?”

“Of course,” he chuckles. “We still have some of that vegan lasagna, right? I’ll heat that up.”

“That sounds awesome,” you smile and leaning over you steal a quick kiss.

Harry takes care of everything while you go up and change out of your clothes, putting on your favorite fluffy robe. Sitting on the bed you reply to some texts you missed along with Harry’s.

“Bath is ready,” Harry appears in the room and he helps you up from the bed, the two of you walking into the bathroom hand in hand.

“H, this looks so good!” you gasp when you see that he has lit candles, the food is by the tub on a tray and he used your favorite bath salt, the water smells amazing.

“Then let’s get into it,” he kisses the side of your head.

You’re done with undressing pretty fast since you only have your robe on, so you sit on the edge of the tub, watching him strip out of his clothes.

“What?” he chuckles as he kicks his pants off, leaving him in nothing as he throws his clothes into the hamper.

“You look so hot, no wonder you knocked me up so easily,” you bite into your bottom lip seductively and you love how his cheeks turn slightly pink.

“Don’t think those two things are linked, but okay,” he mumbles with a shy smirk as he walks over to you and helps you into the water, making sure you don’t slip.

When you’re settled in the warm water, he climbs in behind you so you can lean back against his chest, his arms circling around you, settling on your belly. You eat and talk about your day, he tells you about his meetings while he gently massages your back, paying extra attention to the spots he knows hurt the most.

“I’m sorry we didn’t go out tonight,” you hum, your head lying on his shoulder, his hands wandering over your body, his fingers caressing the skin on your arms, chest and stomach as if he is mapping your body.

“Don’t be. I just wanted to spend time with you and that’s what I’m doing.”

“Isn’t it weird that soon it won’t be just the two of us?”

“Terrifying and exciting at the same time,” he admits with a small chuckle.

“I think we’re gonna be cool parents.”

“Yeah?”

“I mean, we are pretty cool now,” you point out. “When I’m not like a tired sloth,” you add chuckling.

“A sloth?” he laughs behind you, his chest rumbling underneath your back.

“That’s what I feel like,” you shrug smiling.

“Then you’re a cute, sexy, pregnant sloth.”

“I think that’s the first time anyone called a sloth sexy.” You poke his thigh next to you playfully.

You soak for a little longer until the water runs cold, then you get out and Harry insists helping you lotion your body, taking his sweet time with your belly. He dresses you in your softest pajama set and cleans up in the bathroom, not letting you move a finger. When you’re both in bed finally, you make yourself comfortable with your pregnancy pillow that’s been essential to your nights for the past few months. You felt bad when you couldn’t get comfortable snuggling to Harry anymore and you even cried when you first tried the pillow and knew you’d need it to have a good night sleep. Being the sweetest person alive, Harry was the one who tried to make you feel better about it, telling you it’s alright, he completely understands and he just wants you to feel good.

Harry makes himself comfortable next to you, one arm tucked under his pillow, the other one reaching over, his hand plastered to your belly, this is his usual pose and you love it too, because even though you can’t cuddle him, you still feel connected to him.

“Date night next weekend? I promise I won’t turn into a sloth,” you smile at him sleepily.

“Okay. But tonight was great too, I love being with you, no matter what we do,” he smiles back.

Humming you reach out and cup his face in your hand, smiling at how he snuggles into your touch before you drop your head and slowly fall asleep.

Thank you for reading, please like and reblog if you enjoyed and buy me a coffee if you want to support me!

[bweeeb]

JEALOUS

Part two

Theodore Nott x Y/n Millicent reader

Friends to lovers- ANGST

Summary: The morning after the damage has already been done is always the hardest to fix things between two best friends who feel more than friendship.

The feeling of discomfort was the second worst feeling for Y/n because the first was feeling strange in a place she used to feel good. And Y/n was almost certain that at that moment, the two feelings were very close to each other.

The morning after, the group skipped breakfast and went straight to lunch. One thing everyone at the table could agree on was that the Slytherin elite seemed very uncomfortable. Sitting on the opposite side of the table from Theodore, Y/n's leg bounced up and down. The image of waking up naked in Mattheo's bed, with Theodore coming out of the shower, remained vivid in her mind as a source of discomfort. It felt strange for both of them not to be sitting side by side, especially after a party, a time when they would typically look out for each other.

Y/n felt herself sink into the bench, and her appetite diminished immensely. Thus, she pushed her plate away and stood up, anguished.

— Where are you going? Pansy asked, attracting the attention of all her friends.

— I've lost my appetite.

— But where are you going? Daphne asked with concern, her expression resembling that of a child inquiring about their mother, prompting Y/n to offer a weak smile.

— I have things to study. See you later. Everyone agreed with a deadly silence that embarrassed the group but left the rest of the students curious.

— Is she okay? Draco asked Pansy, who showed him the middle finger and got up angrily.

— This is your fault

— I didn't know that….

Daphne sighed and rested her head on the table, feeling a migraine starting to creep in. In a sudden move, Theodore got up from the table not long after Pansy and left the Great Hall quickly.

— Teddy! Anastasia called out. — Teddy bear! Anastasia, who had risen from the Gryffindor table, called to Theodore. He turned to her, much as Y/n had upon entering the Great Hall.— I missed you... I thought we'd see each other later.

— I don't have time for this, Anastasia. Last night was a mistake. Theo gestured with his hands in front of her face, glancing back where Y/n had left as soon as the nickname he used for her in their third year allowed her to call him.

— Fuck.

— Teddy?

— Don't call me that.

Theodore said rudely, and Anastasia grimaced.

— Who do you think you're talking to?

— Apparently you, but I wish it weren't.

— Excuse me? The girl stopped in front of Nott, and he, impatiently, placed his hands on her shoulders, not caring if he caused a scene. He needed to get to Y/n and make it clear that what he had done was foolish

— Listen to me, I've fucked a lot of people here and you were just another one. It won't happen again because you're the girl who hurt my best friend, so stop. He growled in her face, and the innocent look faded from Anastasia's expression. She stomped away.

— Oh, Theodore, believe me, no one hurt her more than you did. — she rolled her eyes — She was dying for you to fuck her, that's why it was so fun for me. I could see in her eyes how desperate she was, she seemed like a desperate slut. The redhead smiled maliciously and slapped the boy's face. He snorted and left the Great Hall without worrying about the whispers. He needed to apologize to his girl.

Theodore run as fast as he could to catch up with Y/n, who was still walking slowly down the hallway.— Hey! He shouted and saw the girl shake her head.

— What about our Italian lessons ? — Theo sighed, hating that if he allowed it, tears would fall from his eyes, and those tears would make his father call him ridiculous — Dolcezza…

— I think I'm dead, Theodore, I can't. Y/n rolled her eyes as her voice faltered.

— Don't call me, Theodore, mi amore.

— What should I call you, Theodore? Y/n mocked the boy while trying not to cry.

— Y/n… don't be dramatic, mi amore.

— Dramatic? I'm not being dramatic, Theodore. — Y/n turned abruptly to look at the boy not as far away as she had imagined he would be — Then tell me, tell me what I should call you.

— You should call me... Y/n interrupted Theodore before he could finish his sentence and shook her head with the same whispered tone as his.

—No, I shouldn't. She swallowed hard and looked at him with sad eyes. It was almost inevitable for her to wonder if she was being too dramatic, but that thought soon passed when she remembered her psychology lessons emphasizing the need for time to think.

— Go back to the Great Hall. Her anger softened in her voice when she saw him approaching.

— You are mad at me. — I'm fine!

— You can't be mad at me for what you did too! Theodore frowned and shrugged eagerly.

— You slept with the only person who really hurt me, she killed my cat when he was the only thing that calmed me down because I was away from home. My parents didn't see me for four months. FOUR MONTHS because they believed Nino had a communicable disease and he had nothing and you know it because you heard me cry every night without stopping because I was feeling alone. Y/n clenched her jaw and walked towards the Italian with her finger pointed at his face, which was pushed away when he retorted.

— You fucked up with Mattheo, damn it! Y/n mocked Theodore's argument and rolled her eyes as she walked away again while he followed her frantically.

— Go fuck yourself.

— You slept with Mattheo in my bed! You woke up in MY bed with him by your side. Theo shouted as he stepped in front of the girl, preventing her from continuing her walk.

— And since when do you care about that, Theodore? You fucked every single girl in this fucking school and now when I slept with ONE person you're get mad? — a sob escaped from Millicent's lips as she wrinkled her nose uncomfortably — You can't do this. Her voice became quieter and more vulnerable. — It should have been you, but you decided to sleep with her on my birthday.

— You sat on him in a way that I thought... I thought. Theodore's voice had also lowered in tone, and he looked at her seriously for the first time since the beginning of the discussion.

— It was a damn truth or dare game, we always did stupid things and we both know it means nothing, you fool. If I knew it would hurt you, I wouldn't have done a damn thing… — she murmured — But apparently you don't think the same way.

She turned away again, but this time Theodore just stood there, looking at her back, disappearing down the hallway.

— I would never do anything to hurt you, Y/n. I love you.

Theo shouted from afar, afraid to see her leave. He didn't want her to go like this, but he didn't know how to fix that mess.

— I can't believe you, Theodore, you lied about the dress. About her being at the party and wanting her there, maybe I'm being dramatic, but I can't believe you love me rigth now.

_____

So dramatic, I love it😍

Requests are open, message me if you have any ideas💞

Read the last part here

[dawneternal]

Just a Favor

✦ A Gwynriel first kiss one-shot (turned into multiple parts after requests for more)

✦ Inspired by a true story 🫣 when I started dating my wife in high school I had never been kissed before and she kept very politely asking if she could kiss me and I kept getting too nervous and saying no. That went on for like two months and then I finally told her to kiss me without asking or I'd keep saying no lol and she did. The end

✦ Word Count: 1.7k

✦ AO3 Link / Masterlist

"I have a favor to ask you," Gwyn's voice pulled Azriel from his thoughts.

She sat across from him at the kitchen table, half-eaten plates of lunch in front of them. The Valkyries had stayed for lunch after training, Gwyn lingering after Cassian had left to fly Emerie home. Nesta had excused herself to find a book for Gwyn, leaving the pair alone.

Azriel had not thought anything of this sequence of events, but now that he was looking at the Gwyn, head tilted to the side with an inquisitive gleam in her eye, he was finding it all suspicious.

"It's kind of an unconventional thing, so prepare yourself." Gwyn continued. He took note of her fingers fiddling with a buckle on her leathers.

"Okay," Azriel said slowly, resisting the urge to furrow his brows. Or maybe run away.

"Are you prepared?"

"Yes, I won't react."

"I want to be kissed."

True to his word, Azriel's face remained unchanged. Though his stomach had done a flip and his heartbeat thundered.

"Okay, you can react a little," Gwyn cried, indignant and incredulous.

"Are you asking me to kiss you?" Azriel surprised himself with his own calm tone.

"Either that, or help me find someone. Because I trust you to help me find someone who isn't an asshole." She had shrunk into herself a little, like her confidence had waned. Her gaze drifted down to her plate.

"Why me, though?" The corners of his mouth quirked up just a touch.

"Nesta hates everyone, Emerie only knows Illyrians and they hate Valkyries, Cassian is Cassian, and I'm not asking my High Lord or Lady to find someone to kiss me."

They were all fair arguments. He didn't bother asking why she wanted to be kissed so desperately. All of her actions pointed toward wanting to move on. He'd overheard the Valkyries several times encouraging Gwyn toward what they called 'the last step' - moving out of the library.

"I'll do it," Az said, cursing his voice for cracking. How could she unnerve him so?

She was just a woman. Except that a singular word could not fully capture what Gwyn was. Priestess, Valkyrie, Carynthian, she was something incredible. The most brightly colored thing in his life. Copper hair, turquoise eyes, white ribbons, auburn freckles.

Gwyn cheered and gave him a triumphant, toothy grin. He could not help smiling in return.

"What do you want me to do?" He asked, unsure how to proceed.

"I just want you to kiss me like you would anyone you really liked," Gwyn was blushing, now. Eyes a little wild, like she hadn't expected to get this far.

"That doesn't really tell me what you want," Azriel protested.

He picked at a leftover sliver of sandwich to give his hands something to do. His shadows buzzed with energy, darting to far corners of the room and reporting back about the dust that lived there.

"Well...what was your first kiss like?" Gwyn asked. She smiled at one shadow that approached her outstretched hand like a shy kitten.

"Probably not what you'd want," Azriel flashed a sheepish grin, still embarrassed by the centuries-old memory, "It was pretty bad. This will be your first kiss?"

"Yes," Gwyn kept her gaze on the tendril of shadow weaving through her fingers. "I think maybe I don't want you to ask me first,"

"I always ask before I kiss someone, no matter how I feel about them."

"Well, the problem is that if you ask, I might chicken out and say no," She sighed, "So I may need you to just do it."

"Ah," Azriel grinned, "I see. You want me to make it a moment."

Before she could answer, he stood and crossed to her in a few strides, turning her chair to face him and bracing one hand on the back of it. Gwyn looked up at him, eyes wide, lips parted. He leaned in close, nose a few inches from hers. Somehow, her nervousness had cancelled his out and returned his confidence. At the very least, he knew he was capable of making her first kiss better than his had been.

"I have no qualms with a surprise, if that's what you want." He said, deep voice rumbling in his chest.

"Yes," Gwyn whispered, heart hammering in anticipation.

This close, she could count every freckle scattered over his bronze skin. There was a beauty mark she had never seen before right on the edge of his full bottom lip, and glimmers of gold in his amber eyes. She hoped desperately that he could not hear the catch of her breath.

Azriel stayed still for a moment, gaze fixed on hers, letting her wonder if this was the moment. A part of her hoped that it wasn't, just so she could feel this again, have another chance to memorize his features. To breathe his piney scent, feel his shadows caress her skin.

Perhaps she should have just asked him to help her find a stranger.

Azriel straightened, flashed an insufferable smirk, and walked out of the room. Gwyn heard his footsteps echo down the hall, leaving her alone in the silent kitchen. She felt as though a summer storm had just rolled through her world, dark and alluring and thrilling all at once.

Nesta, with her brilliant intuition, returned a moment later, squealing when she took in Gwyn's red cheeks.

A few nights later, after a family dinner at the River House, a little group set out to the far corner of the estate. There, a little branch of the Sidra curved through the meadow before pouring back into the sea. A small stone bridge crossed over it, leading to an ivy covered gazebo. Azriel, Cassian, Nesta, and Mor all set out to get a moment of fresh air and a glimpse of the moonlight dancing on the water.

Gwyn followed, giggling with the group at Mor's tipsy stumbling and Cassian's booming voice declaring that he could definitely skip a rock father than the rest of them. This, of course, illicited a challenge and they all began a search for perfect rocks. Gwyn was particularly skilled at skipping stones and giddy at the idea of surprising the group with her talent and wiping the smirk from Cassian's face.

But just as she stepped over the little stone bridge, a hand grasped her arm and whirled her around. She found herself in Azriel's arms, among the swaying grass and delicate flowers. They stood halfway down the bank of the stream, Azriel's boots braced against the slope, holding them upright. The mossy stone bridge hid them from sight, only the tops of their heads visible if the rest of the group bothered to look.

It took Gwyn a moment to register what had happened, to calm her heart and adjust to the feeling of the shadowsinger's arms wrapped around her waist. He smiled down at her, moonlight gleaming in his hazel eyes. This was the moment.

Azriel softly placed his hands on her face and pulled her in a little closer. He was silent, giving her long moments to stop him if she wished. But she tucked herself into him, hands resting on his chest, fingertips just brushing the skin above his collar. She blushed deep red, looking up at him through lowered lashes, though the glimmer in her eye was eager.

Azriel could not help but notice how perfectly she fit in his hold, like her face and his hands had once been a single block of marble, the curve between them cut with a single motion. Something about it so familiar, so deeply rooted it felt almost ancient. Sacred.

And Gwyn could not help the feeling that bloomed in her chest when he brought his lips to hers. Soft, sweet, reverant. His touch was warm, every place where they connected sent sparks through her body.

She knew, deep down, was no fleeting feeling. This was the feeling of something beginning. Perhaps this was a spectacularly stupid idea, after all, as she was certain that no other kiss would ever feel this way.

Azriel pulled away, thumb brushing over her cheek. The moment he met her eyes, he felt it. It was nothing like he thought it would be. Neither pain nor pleasure, something so unique there was only one thing that it could be. Gwyn glowed before him, her aura golden. So bright, the star his whole being now orbited.

He knew he looked like a fool. Gasping, chest heaving like her kiss had hurt him. And the concern on her face stung, because it meant she had not felt it, too.

"Azriel?" She whispered, her rose-tinted stupor fading. Azriel let go of her, hands dropping stiffly to his sides. His skin burned, already craving more of her touch.

"How do you feel?" He croaked, though he knew the answer. She did not feel as he did, no matter how much she had liked it.

"Are you okay?" She asked, instead of answering. Her hands still rested against his chest, and now her fingers curled around his shirt collar, holding tight. He looked like he was beginning to panic.

Azriel shook his head, wings spreading out with a snap. It was too much. The sorrow, the longing, the roaring joy. Subtle hints of her own emotions drifting down the newly forged bond.

Mind swirling, he placed a hand on his chest and stepped back. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Just staring at the dazzling girl before him, who had been so shy about being kissed. Surely she would not be happy about such an intense bond, not be ready. And she had asked him for a kiss because she cared so little for him. She had hoped for a kiss that would not matter. No, she would not want this.

He could only think of one word and it was likely the only thing he should not say. Instead of saying anything, he shot upwards into the sky, disappearing as a dark smudge in the night. A single streak of blue in the darkness.

Gwyn was left alone, hands hovering where he had been. Confused, concerned, and entirely unaware of the bond singing in Azriel's chest.

[storiesofsvu]

A Cup of Juju

Addison Montgomery x reader warnings: maybe some language, just some cute fluffy flirting. a little drabble from a request that's been sitting in the inbox for like, 2 years LOL. oops. Taglist here. Buy me a ko-fi.

Seattle Grace had been your placement for a few years now and as chaotic as things could get, you found that it was exactly where you wanted to be. You’d been specializing in obstetrics and had been debating transferring to a different nursing program considering the lack of an OB attending until The Addison Montgomery walked through the hospital doors and you knew you were staying put no matter what. She was incredibly talented, hardworking, admirable, professional and as friendly as she needed to be, but she would always fall into the group of fancy high level doctors who half the time didn’t even realize just how much work the nurses were putting in. It wasn’t anything against her personally, it was just the way things fell through the cracks and honestly, she was better at getting to know patients personally than others around the hospital.

You were sitting at the nurses station, a single ear bud in to keep an eye on videos playing on your phone while you were finishing up a couple of charts and discharge paperwork. It had been a relatively uneventful day, a couple of check ups on moms and babies, some who were staying for another night and some who would be out of there before you could even punch out. The view in front of your phone was suddenly blocked, the white flash of a doctor’s coat before a coffee cup remained sitting on the counter. You glanced up to see Dr Montgomery standing on the other side of the counter with a soft smile on her face.

“Thank you?” You cautiously raised a brow, “or is this some sort of bribe to deal with the mom in two oh eight? Because I’m pretty much done your charting already.”

“You know I was coming back after lunch to finish that.” She replied in a near teasing tone, leaning against the counter, “and it’s not a bribe, just… good juju. Half sweet vanilla with oat milk, right?” She said with a little shrug and your head tilted as you continued to stare at her and she suddenly faltered, ducking her gaze while her cheeks pinkened.

She was about to step away from the counter and pretend like it never happened when you finally reached for the cup, cautiously taking a sip to not burn your tongue. You let out a near dreamy sigh as the flavour and warmth spread through your body and Addison couldn’t help but smile when the corners of your lips curved up.

“Juju, hey?”

“I mean, you’ve been my scrub nurse for over a year now, I figured it would be a decent way to start an actual conversation… maybe even convince you into joining me for coffee one morning?”

“What?” Your brow furrowed as your head titled once again and Addison let out a groan, her face dropping into her hands.

“Oh god. I completely misread things… you’re one of the ones who calls me spawn of Satan behind my back, aren’t you?”

“No!” You nearly jumped up out of your seat, “no, no. Sorry! I just..  I— honestly didn’t think you even knew my name. And honestly if I was going to call you spawn of Satan it would be to your face, not behind your back.” She glanced up at that, a small chuckle on her lips.

“So what do you call me behind my back?” She asked with a raised brow and it was your turn to blush, though she didn’t give you time to fully answer, “and of course I know your name, why wouldn’t I?”

“Because you’re The Addison Montgomery… you always have a million things on your plate, and half the doctors on this staff don’t know the nurses names unless they’re sleeping with them.” You paused, “and from what I’ve heard sometimes even then they get them wrong…”

“God.” She muttered, rolling her eyes because you were in fact, correct, leaning back against the counter, “well I do in fact know your name. You’re y/n Fossen, you’re without a doubt the best scrub nurse I’ve had, I’m pretty sure I got your coffee order right and…” she surveyed you for a moment, her lip tugged into her mouth, “your drink of choice is gin, but with soda… and extra lemon on the side instead of lime.”

“Have you been stalking me Dr Montgomery?” Your voice softened as to not be overheard, raising a brow at her and she chuckled, her own voice lowering.

“No. I just happen to have a bad habit of staring at pretty things who are also incredibly smart and happen to be absolutely adorable when they’re blushing.”

“You don’t say.” You murmured over the rim of your coffee in an attempt to hide behind it and she laughed, the smile lingering on her cheeks.

“To get to the point, I’d really like to buy you a drink tonight, maybe dinner?”

“You already bought me a drink.” You raised the coffee up in your hand. Before she could reply, the call light went on over room two oh eight and practically the whole floor groaned. You moved to stand from your chair but Addison held up a hand to stop you.

“No. I’ll deal with her.” She paused after a couple of steps, “are you really done my charting?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay well then drinks really are on me tonight.” She flashed you a dazzling smile before making her way down the hallway and you knew the one on your face in that moment was a dreamy one.

Turns out all it takes some days is a cup of good juju to secure a date with the stunner you’d been lowkey crushing on for a year. From that day forward, if you were ever offered juju, you were definitely going to take it.

___________

@svulife-rl @temilyrights @summergeezburr @ssa-sapphic @mickey-gomez @clarawatson @hbkpop @itisdoctortoyousir @emilyprentiss4life @somethingimaginative17 @borg-queer @swimmingstudentchaos891 @red1culous @imlike-so-gaydude @disneyfan624 @littlegaybabe @mysticfalls01 @bumblebear30 @solemnnova @samwithnoplan @multifandomlesbianic @narvaldetierra @dxtery @kellykidd @poisonedcrowns @summergeezburr @temilyrights @alexxavicry @anya-casablanca  @daddy-heather-dunbar @evilregal2002 @aliensaurusrex @alcabots @wandsmxmff @7thavenger @dextur @m00nkn1ghts @augustvandyne @msvenablesbitch @peanutbutterprincess @kdaghay  @sapphicprentiss

[storm-angel989]

Outside The Office Part Twelve

Hi All! Trigger warning for Valentino, adverse reactions and Lucifer being himself. As always, feedback is welcomed and appreciated!

The next thing I knew, Valentino’s hand was pressed against my forehead, and another on my shoulder. I opened my eyes and looked up at him, involuntarily breaking out into a smile. The man truly had the most handsome face, especially when it was doused with love. 

“Come on, Princessa. You can’t sleep yet.  You need food, and then a nap. In that order.” He said gently as he shook my shoulder. 

On the coffee table, he set a plate of sandwiches, several bags of chips, two bottles of sweet sixteen and a plate of cookies just close enough for both of us to reach. He sat down next to me and I leaned into him. He nudged me gently until I reached across and chose one of the sandwiches. Valentino gave me a look and I nibbled on my choice of lunch.  Across from us, Vox and Velvette had their plates and Vox began flipping through the television channels. 

“When is that episode due to air?” I asked between bites. 

“Bright and early tomorrow morning,” Vox answered. “Which means tomorrow night we need to go out on the town and get back into that routine of being seen. As long as you can stand it, of course. ” 

“Back to the routine of being seen, hmm? Can’t say I disagree with the idea.” Lucifer’s voice boomed from behind. 

All four of us jumped. Lucifer grinned and opened his arms. “Hello hello!” 

“Twice in one day? Uncle Lucy, what gives us the pleasure of your company?” I asked, trying to bite back the sarcasm that threatened to drip with each word. 

He bent over and plucked a sandwich from the plate on the table and shrugged. “What, I can’t visit my favorite niece for lunch?” He laughed at his own joke. “No, but really. I came because I saw the tape Vox sent over. It’s perfect darling, honestly. Couldn’t have done better if I wrote the script myself.” He took another bite, chewed and swallowed before he continued, “I took a little field trip based on what Valentino and Velvette told me about your remaining injuries. Hell’s medicine can’t fix everything, but I think what I have in my bag will speed up the remainder of the process.” 

He opened his suit jacket and pulled out an orange bottle, shaking it. I could hear the pills rattle and I began to raise my objection. 

He shook his head before I could protest. “Listen to me. I know you’re not a fan of medication that makes your head fuzzy, but believe me when I tell you by tomorrow night you’re going to need to be at the top of your game. These pills get swallowed on a full tummy. Do you understand? Full tummy. Otherwise you’ll spend the night puking your guts out instead of getting better.” He paused. “I would have offered them earlier, but they’re incredibly strong, sweetheart. And they will make you high. If it wasn’t so damn important that I drop this news tomorrow morning I would push it off. But I can’t, and there isn’t a fucking thing I can do about it. So please, even though I know you hate the idea, or maybe the actual process of being high, take these for your Uncle Lucy, so I know that when you walk out that door tomorrow night you are fully ready to handle whatever comes at you.”

I hesitated. I saw his oint, but the idea of taking something to quell the pain left a solid distaste in my mouth. And quite honestly, I had never experienced any sort of high- the closest I got to losing control was drinking too much. In the angelic realm, painkillers that did that were reserved for the utmost emergencies, of which I had experienced none. At least, none I could remember. The soreness in my muscles, the offer of relief along with the desire to be able to protect myself was tempting. But I couldn’t. I could push through the pain, right? No need to take anything to speed up the process- I would heal on my own. 

Sensing my uncertainty, Valentino leaned into me, dropping his voice to almost a whisper. “Princessa. The sooner you heal up, the sooner I can show you…all of the things we’ve talked about the past few days.”

As if magic, the butterflies returned and my hesitation vanished. Lucifer narrowed his eyes at Valentino and opened his mouth as if to say something. I quickly cut him off.

“Alright. I mean, if it makes you feel better Uncle Lucy. But this is an exception to the rule, not the norm. Got it?” 

His expression relaxed. “Ah. Good choice dear. Valentino, will you step out to the kitchen with me while she finishes her lunch?” He looked down at me. “I cannot stress enough that your stomach needs food in it before you can take this medication. Eat as much as you can, alright?” 

Lucifer slung his arm around Valentino. “Come now, good man. We need to talk.”

I looked at Vox and Velvette. Vox shook his head and turned up the television volume, making it impossible to make out what was being discussed. I listened for any sound I could discern from the kitchen as I finished my sandwich and, with Lucifer’s warning in mind, grabbed a cookie and one of the bags of chips on the table. I had swallowed the last bite and taken a few sips of Sweet Sixteen when Lucifer and Valentino walked out of the kitchen, both thankfully in one piece. 

“What was that about?” I asked worriedly. 

Lucifer stood behind me and leaned on the back of the couch. “Nothing to worry your pretty little head about,” he said, patting my hair. “Did you eat?”

“Vox and Vel as my witnesses, I had had a sandwich, a cookie, and a bag of chips,” I answered, the uneasiness washing over me.  “Is that enough? I’m nervous, Lucifer.”

He did a double take at my admission. “Totally natural to be nervous, sweetheart, but I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you,” he assured me, and then gave Valentino a look. “I promise you, this is your best choice at the moment.”

 Valentino grinned at Lucifer, but didn’t respond. Instead, he draped his arm around me and pulled me to him, kissing the top of my head. 

“Val, what did he say to you?” I asked, nudging him.

“If I told you, Lucifer would probably kill me,” he answered lightly.  “Really. Don’t worry about it, it's between us and has nothing to do with you.”

“Alright then, let's do this,” Lucifer tapped my shoulder as he spoke. “Hold out your hand.”

I did as he directed, and two bright orange capsules dropped into my outstretched palm. 

“Here. Put these in your mouth and swallow. Drink the rest of the Sweet Sixteen with them,” Lucifer said. 

I did as he instructed, and when I finished the bottle, Lucifer leaned over the couch. “Now open up, so I know they’re safely in your tummy.”

I rolled my eyes but leaned back and opened my mouth and lifted my tongue as he requested. While I didn’t expect him to ask me to prove I had swallowed them, but it wasn't totally unusual in my world. Or should I say, my former world. The doctors at the military base required us to do the same with any medication they dispensed. 

He frowned. “It concerns me on so many levels that you knew exactly what I was asking you to do. And compiled without so much as a hesitation.  But regardless, atta girl. They should kick in in about…twenty minutes or so. Let me know how you feel when you wake up tomorrow afternoon.”

“You mean tomorrow morning, right?” 

And with that he vanished and I looked to Valentino, fear crackling through my chest.

 “What’s about to happen to me?”

He wrapped his arms around me and brought me to his chest. “Nothing that will last forever, my love. And I’m right here to get you through it. I know you’re scared, but we’re here. We are all here.” He looked at Vox and Velvette. “Right?”

“Absolutely. We’ll work from home for the rest of the day too. Just in case you need anything.” Velvette said, yawning and cuddling into Vox.

I snuggled into Valentino and he took the final bite of his lunch before lifting me up and cradling me to him. Once he was finished, he carried me down the hallway to his bedroom. 

“How about a warm shower before the medication kicks in?” He suggested, setting me down on the bathroom counter as he turned on the water.  “Or if they do kick in, I’ll be there to hold onto you so nothing awful happens.”

“That sounds lovely,” I answered, kicking off my heels so they fell onto the floor. “I feel exhausted. And every inch of me hurts.” 

“Mmm, I can help with that, princessa,” he muttered, reaching under my dress and yanking down my pantyhose with practiced ease. “We have a few minutes until the water warms up, how about we have some fun while we wait?” 

Every part of me wanted him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he ran his hand down my back. Involuntarily, I yelped from the pain and he recoiled instantly, and concern washed over his features. 

“Or not. Princessa. You hurt that badly? Why did you keep that from me?” He asked with frustration. He paused for a moment and took a deep breath. “See, princessa? I am frustrated that you didn't communicate with me.  I communicated that frustration to you. Therefore that frustration isn’t festering into anger. And you know how I feel. Keep that in mind as you start to explore all the things that come with your power. Communication helps to  keep emotion in check.” He bent down and kissed my forehead. “ It’s the key to other things as well, but we can discuss that once the pain subsides. Come on, the warm water will help.”

I jumped down from the counter and I swore I could feel the pills knocking around in my belly. Or maybe it was the nervousness of what was to come. Valentino took my hand and we stepped inside, sinking us both beneath the streams of water. I breathed a sigh of relief as the pain slowly eased up, laying my head against his bare chest. Even over the sound of the water, I could hear his heartbeat thundering under my ear, taking in every single moment of that soothing sound as I let the water wash away the discomfort. 

And then it hit me, fast and sudden. The pain was gone, vanished as quickly as it had been present.  I felt my entire body relax, leaning my weight against him. I held onto him just the slightest bit tighter and  I swore I heard his heartbeat grow louder. 

“What’s happening? Why is there so much…” Is what I tried to say, but to my ears it came out garbled and broken. 

An amused smile broke out across Valentino’s face. “Princessa? Have you ever been high before?”

Confusion ripped through my brain like wildfire as any thought I had disappeared. I desperately tried to bring myself back to focus. “No, that isn’t right. It’s…it's…why does the world seem so, not real?”

I felt him laugh under me, a steady movement. “Ah, princessa. My sweetheart. Come now. Let’s go get you dressed and in bed.” 

The next thing I knew my head was on his chest, wrapped up in the softest blankets I had ever touched. I felt his hand on my back and the loud click of his laptop keys as he continued to work. It sounded too loud, but I couldn’t bring myself to care enough to ask him to stop. Not a single part of my body hurt. I felt like I was floating. All my worries, my fears seemed far away, too far for me to grasp. It felt unnatural and wrong that for the first time in my life, I just didn’t care about, well, anything. 

I didn’t like it. 

I tried to reach for Valentino, tried to tell him about this feeling. I tried, but I couldn’t make out the words I wanted. 

 “Shush. Babydoll. It’s alright, I’m here.” Valentino answered soothingly. “Go back to sleep. I know, mi amor. But you’re safe, I promise. 

I felt his lips press against my forehead and I closed my eyes, allowing the darkness to consume me once again. 

Dreams turned into nightmares as around me, monsters flew. Dark shapes cornered me time and time again as I did everything in my power to fight them away, fight for my own survival.  I felt Val shaking me gently and I startled awake for the briefest of moments. The terrors of my nightmares faded away slowly before resurging, again and again. I would escape and they would come back, yanking me back into the abyss. Somehow, I was vaguely aware of his hand on my wrist. 

“Sweetheart, wake up, it's okay, it's just a bad dream,” he muttered gently as he shook me. “Babydoll, come on. Wake up.” 

I tried to sit up, the need to sleep washing over me as I leaned into him, closing my eyes again as the darkness flooded my brain. 

Just a few more minutes, Val, I thought. I didn’t have the energy to speak even if I wanted to. 

“Come on babe, you’ve slept long enough. It’s time to get up.” 

My voice barely registered the urgency in his voice. I felt his hands lift me up and carry me to the couch, propping my body upright against him. 

“I can’t leave you by yourself like this,” he muttered, running his hands through my hair. “Come on babydoll. Wake up for me.”

“Val, go do what you have to do. We’ll keep an eye on her, get something in her when she wakes up more,”  Vox said. “She isn’t in any shape to join you. She’s safe here, with us. 

Somehow, Valentino was now next to Vox and I was propped up against a pile of pillows. I opened my eyes just a touch and the entire room spun, the walls a shade of purple I couldn't piece together. 

Velvette looked up at me and did a double take. Or at least, I thought she did. Honestly, was that Velvette? I couldn’t tell. I closed my eyes and put my head back against the pillows, letting the darkness consume me once again. 

This time I was being chased, my father’s face in front of me. He swirled into his angelic form- wings broad as he vanished behind a raging sea of blackness. I tried to scream as I fell in the opposite direction, sure every bone had shattered when I landed. Instead, I found myself in a raging sea, fighting against the waves as I struggled to swim. I sank, down, down, down…

How much time passed, I couldn’t tell. The next thing I registered was the TV shaped face looking at me as he shook me for reasons I couldn’t quite piece together. I startled awake, looking at him in confusion. Why was Vox trying to wake me up? Around me, the room spun, and I couldn’t remember exactly where I was or how I had gotten there. 

Vox leaned over and brushed the hair out of my eyes. “Come on babe, I brought you soup. Lucifer said you’ve got to eat.” His arm fell to my waist and he hoisted me upright. “Come on, babycakes.” He handed me a spoon and set a mug on the coffee table in front of me. 

I stared at him and then at the spoon, trying desperately to remember what he had said, and  what in the world a spoon was used for. Velvette’s face appeared next to me and Vox shook his head, knelt down and waved his hand in front of my face. 

“I honestly can’t tell if it's like a bad acid trip, or if she’s stoned out of her mind,” He said with concern. “We should probably wait for Valentino if she’s this fucked up. He should be back any moment now. I wonder if I can get her attention on the TV, try to keep her awake? Otherwise, I’m out of ideas.”

“Worth a shot,” I heard Velvette say. 

I watched the black screen on the wall flicker with pretty lights, unable to make sense of them, but somewhere in my brain I felt a happy buzz. I drifted between the pretty lights and the blackness, unable to fight when either one overtook my thoughts. 

It could have been minutes, or hours later when Valentino sat next to me. My brain felt ever so slightly less fuzzy, and I couldn’t feel any pain. Or anything at all, really. Valentino wrapped my hand around a plastic cup and ever so gently, he guided the straw to my mouth. 

“Drink, babydoll. That’s it. Good girl.” 

I tried to think about what he was doing and slowly, slowly, I tasted the liquid on my tongue. 

“My brain is fuzzy.” I tried to say, but it didn’t quite come out right. 

Nonetheless, he seemed to understand. I saw him turn to Vox and Velvette. “If she were anyone else, this might be cute. Refreshing to see someone so easily put under the influence.” He ran his hand through my hair. “But honey, this isn’t a good look on you.” 

I felt the cup leave my hand and around me the room began to swirl, only this time much, much faster. 

“Yeah, I think I’m going to call Lucifer and make sure this is…right.” I heard Valentino say. 

Valentino’s voice sounded very far away, and I wondered why he sounded so nervous. Wasn’t he used to this? After all, he told me himself he was the top drug lord in Hell. The thought quickly vacated my mind and I vaguely felt his hand brush against my neck before the darkness yanked me down once again. 

Flashes of the next few hours, trying to fight against the restraints that held me down. A prick in my arm, and Lucifer’s voice echoing around me. I couldn’t tell what was real and what wasn’t as the medication overtook me. Fighting monsters both invisible and real. I watched as a faceless angel plunged towards Valentino, carrying him off to someplace I couldn’t reach him. Velvette and Vox in pieces, and Lucifer on his knees, kneeling over a graveyard of white and yellow souls. I yelled, and yelled but no one I could recognize would make it stop. Finally, finally the blackness shaded into gray, and then white. 

I sat up, my heart pounding and my body covered in sweat. The crook of my arm had the telltale tape and gauze and I looked around the room frantically as the haze drifted away, leaving a crystal clear image of my bedroom. Next to the bed, Lucifer sat, thumbing through a book. His eyes lit up when I sat up. 

“Finally, the princess awakens.” 

Valentino stirred next to me and sat up at the sound of my voice. “Princessa. You’re awake.” Relief flooded his tone and he gingerly ran his hand through my hair before pulling me to him. 

Lucifer yawned, and stuck a post it note in the middle of his book before it vanished. “So glad you’re alive. There were a few moments where I wasn’t sure that would be the outcome of this whole ordeal. Tell me, how much do you remember and how do you feel? Any pain?”

I stretched my body slowly. Stiff, as though I had been sleeping for way too long definitely, but no pain.  I tried to think back, willing my brain to pull out some sort of solid core memory of anything that happened since I swallowed the medication. All that came to mind was blackness, pain, fear and another emotion, one that cracked and crushed my chest and rendered me unable to breathe. I remembered Valentino’s voice somewhere far away and Lucifer’s eyes hovering over me. 

“I don’t know what that was, but I never, ever want to go through that again. How long was I out for?” I asked.

Lucifer smiled, “At ah. My questions first. How much do you remember, and how do you feel? Any pain?” 

I looked at Valentino and he nodded, his face awash with worry. 

“Just blackness, emotions. And not ones I’m eager to feel again, anytime soon. And flashes of you and Val. No pain, but I’m really stiff. I think with a hot shower and some stretching I’ll be back to normal. Now answer my question- how long was I out for?” 

Lucifer checked his watch. “Well let’s see. The medication hit your belly at about three oh five yesterday afternoon and it is now almost four in the afternoon today. I’m no math wiz but I would say you were on and off for about twenty five hours.” His tone faded from its usual lighthearted banter to something more serious. “But honestly, how do you feel? You had a much, much worse reaction than I expected.”

“I feel fine. Honestly, it's the best I’ve felt since the start of this whole thing. Why do you both look like I’m going to die any second?”

“Because at one point, I thought you were.” Lucifer said simply, leaning over and planting a kiss on my forehead. “And I cannot tell you how glad I am that I was wrong.” He looked at Valentino begrudgingly, “thankfully, Valentino knows a thing or two about…adverse reactions. He got you through most of it, even though I’m sure you don’t remember.” 

I picked at the tape on my arm and Valentino reached over, and gently tugged it off. “No need for that anymore. I gave you fluids about six hours ago, but you were thrashing and fighting so badly you ripped the IV out.” He leaned in and kissed me, cupping my chin. “Princessa, I have never been more scared in my life. I never want to see you like that again.”

“Neither do I. So let’s do our best to ensure that doesn’t happen.” Lucifer added as he stood up. “Now that you’re awake, the first order of business is for you to eat. And then when you’re cleaned up and full, go see Velvette. You four have a busy night ahead. And don’t worry- I have eyes on all.” He paused and looked at me, “glad you’re okay, love. You really did frighten me for a moment.”

And with that he vanished.

[bri-cheeses]

Dorcas stares as pink and red confetti starts falling over Evan’s head. They’re currently seated at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall, eating breakfast, and it happens to be Valentine’s Day.

“Looks like you’ve got a secret admirer,” Dorcas tells him, eyebrows raised in mirth. Her fork is paused halfway between her plate and her mouth, food forgotten in favor of poking fun.

Evan’s surprised and somewhat confused expression turns into a frown as he starts swiping at the confetti, which has gotten thicker and has started to fall much more frequently.

“Yeah,” he replies, hands swatting around his head, “because it’s such a big secret as to who it is.” He sends a meaningful look to Barty, who’s seated just left of him.

In response to that accusation, Barty simply grins and says in an unconvincingly innocent voice, “Don’t look at me, I have no idea who would do such a thing.”

“Right,” Evan says, “because you’d never do such a thing in your life. Showering me in confetti just sounds so unlike your subtle touch. Wish my “secret admirer” would send me chocolate instead of all this confetti, though.”

Barty lifts his hands in a “don’t-mind-me” gesture, shaking his head slightly. It might have been a slightly more convincing act if he hadn’t had a shit-eating grin plastered to his face. “Still don’t know what you’re looking at me for, though.”

There’s a sudden burst of laughter from Dorcas. Traces of her amusing are evident on her face as she looks back towards Evan and says, “Yeah, well, I personally can’t blame you for wanting chocolate instead of a cloud of confetti. You better hope that thing doesn’t follow you around all day.”

“I’ll keep my fingers crossed for chocolate,” Evan promises, shooting a dirty look at Barty before mumbling a quick “Finite incantatem” at the confetti.

Oddly enough, the counter jinx isn’t enough to stop the flow of red and pink. The continued falling of confetti despite his best efforts causes Evan to huff a defeated sigh and simply give up. He goes back to eating his breakfast, not bothering to ask Barty how to get the confetti to stop, because he knows that Barty will deny knowing anything. Sometimes, Evan thinks that his boyfriend is going to be the death of him.

Thankfully, however, the confetti stops once he’s walked out of the Great Hall, step in step with Barty as they head to their upcoming class.

“It’s stopped,” Evan comments as soon as he’s noticed the absence of red and pink, looking up in disbelief. “How’d you do that?”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Barty says, smiling up at the ceiling.

Evan simply shakes his head at Barty’s antics, then grabs his hand and drags him off to class.

Their classes leading up until lunch pass without incident, thankfully. Well, without a Valentine’s Day related incident, at least. (Not without any accidents entirely, because one of the Hufflepuff girls was so bad a casting a certain spell that it caused the Charms room to be filled with the smell of rotten eggs, but luckily the odor dissipated after only a minute or two).

So, after the incident in Charms, Barty and Evan find themselves walking to the Great Hall for lunch, trying to get the smell of rotten eggs out of their noses. As they walk together, Evan has the feeling that it’s almost past time for his “secret admirer” to strike again. His gaze slides to Barty, but Barty’s expression gives nothing away—good or bad.

Walking into the Great Hall does nothing to stop Evan’s growing apprehension (though the smell of lunch food does help with the egg problem), and he looks up to see if the cloud of confetti has returned. To Evan’s relieved surprise, it hasn’t.

Off to his left comes a small laugh, no doubt Barty realizing why Evan suddenly looked up at the ceiling. Evan nudges him with his elbow to get him to stop, but it doesn’t have the intended effect. Rather, Barty simply drags them closer to Slytherin table, then plops down at his usual spot.

Evan, however, remains standing, eyeing his seat warily.

“What?” Barty says playfully, noticing Evan’s hesitation, “It’s not like it’s going to bite or anything.”

“Right, but you’ll excuse me if I’m a little worried it might turn my hair pink, or something as equally ridiculous.”

Barty’s laugh is easily forthcoming, and mischief dances in his eyes as he says, “Well, if it’ll make you feel better, you can always sit on my lap instead.”

He pats his lap invitingly, but Evan opts to simply sit on the wooden bench. No need to cause a scene at the lunch table, right?

Thankfully, his hair does not turn pink, and nothing out of the ordinary happens for the entirety of lunch.

No, the next gift from his admirer becomes evident only after he’s finished eating, as Evan goes to pick his bag back up.

Somehow, over the course of one lunch, its contents have managed to triple in weight. So Evan looks down into his bag to see what caused the sudden change, then shoots an incredulous glance towards Barty. Barty’s still working on finishing his food and is steadfastly ignoring what is happening to the right of him. But the fact that the corner of his mouth has turned up into a smirk gives him away instantly.

“Barty,” Evan calls to get him to look over, a sarcastic tint coloring his words, “you want some chocolate, by any chance?”

He turns his bag to Barty, opening it up. Barty doesn’t look at all surprised to see a multitude of wrapped chocolates filling the bag up to the brim, and his expression is gleeful as he chirps out a mischievous “Sure!” and takes a chocolate.

Unwrapping it, he pops it into his mouth and smiles at Evan as he chews. “You know,” he says, after having finished it, “this admirer of yours is incredibly smart. They even got you your favorite type of chocolate and everything.”

Evan raises his eyebrows at him. “Yeah, he must be incredibly wise to do such a thing.”

“Now now, Evan,” Barty cuts in, waggling a finger at Evan. “You mustn’t assume that this secret admirer is a guy, you know. It could be anyone.”

“Whatever you say, dearest,” Evan replies, then gets up and blows a kiss at Barty, walking backwards before turning around to go meet up with Pandora.

-

From there, everything is normal. Barty is his usual flirty self, the castle is decked out in pink and red, and Evan eats a ridiculous amount of chocolate as he goes throughout his day. Everything is fine, that is, until dinner.

The problem with dinner is not that there is confetti or that there are hundreds of chocolates. No, it is that every item of food that Evan touches turns to some shade of red.

His water turns into a bright shade of fuchsia as soon as his lips touch it, his main dish becomes colored with deep reds and pale pinks, and even the cheesecake he has for desert turns into a lovely magenta shade as he eats it.

Maybe it shouldn’t make Evan smile as much as it does, but by the time that dinner is over, he’s laughing so much that he can hardly finish his brightly colored cheesecake.

Barty, of course, still denies everything. But his expression is incredibly fond as he gazes at his boyfriend, drinking in Evan’s every smile.

That night, Barty excuses himself from dinner early, but not without slipping a folded piece of paper into Evan’s pocket. Evan doesn’t notice right away, too busy laughing alongside Dorcas and Pandora.

However, Evan does notice the parchment during a break in the conversation some time later. Sliding the paper from his pocket, he unfolds it to find a simple note. “Come up to the dorm,” it says. Evan smiles as he takes it in, eyes sliding back over the words. It’s written in Barty’s handwriting, slightly crooked but endearingly so.

“I’ve gotta go,” he says as he stands, attempting to make a smooth exit.

From the look on Regulus’s face, he doesn’t quite manage it. “Do I want to know?” Regulus asks, grimacing.

Evan grins. “Depends on what it is, doesn’t it? Anyways, bye guys, I’ll see you later.”

There’s a mumbled chorus of goodbyes, and Evan grabs his bag. (Which happens to be noticeably lighter than it was at lunch, but we don’t need to talk about that).

Walking through the halls at this specific hour is a bit odd, because almost everyone is at dinner. There’s no one wandering about the castle as Evan makes his way to the dorm, his footsteps echoing loudly on the gray stones.

He gives this week’s password as he nears the common room, passing through it in order trek up the stairs that lead to the boys’ dorms.

As he pushes the door to his dorm open, he doesn’t know what he expects. Whatever he does expect, however, is not what he finds.

Barty is standing in the middle of the room, wearing a wide grin. And in his hands is a bouquet of gorgeous roses, their petals a deep red color.

Evan’s mouth falls slightly open as he takes in the scene, crossing over to Barty to fawn over the flowers.

Tracing a finger along one of the rose’s petals, he whispers softly, “Where did you get these? They’re beautiful.”

Barty shrugs, but Evan can tell that he’s pleased by the reaction he’s gotten. “Magicians never tell their secrets, Evs.”

Evan hums at that, taking the flowers from Barty’s outstretched hands. “Well, either way, thank you. They’re really, really pretty. ”

“Only for you,” Barty replies, gazing at Evan, who looks up and smiles shyly at him.

A thought then occurs to Evan, and he pauses for a second before asking, “Do you have a vase for these? I don’t want them to die.”

“Oh, uh, hold on one sec—“ Barty rifles through his pockets as if he’s going to find a vase there, and Evan looks on in amused silence.

After minute of confused rummaging, Evan realizes that Barty’s looking for his wand—which happens to be tucked right behind his ear.

“Barty,” he says, amusement lacing his words, “your wand’s right here.” He reaches out a hand and slides the wand out of place, then presents it to his bemused boyfriend.

“Oh, right,” Barty says, reaching out to take it, “I put it there so I wouldn’t forget where it was, you know.”

“Only you, Bee,” Evan says, smiling as Barty conjures a vase to put the bouquet in. Evan takes the vase from him and puts the roses in it, then walks over to his bedside table. He sets the vase down, positing it just so, and admires the roses for several moments.

“They really are lovely,” Evan says, still looking at the flowers. He turns around. “Thank you.”

Barty smiles. “Can’t resist the opportunity to lavish my boyfriend with gifts and chocolate and confetti, now can I?”

“Ah yes, my “secret admirer” has struck again, hasn’t he?”

“You know it,” Barty quips, swaying closer.

Evan closes the distance between them, tilting his face up towards Barty’s. “Happy Valentine’s Day,” he says, lips brushing against Barty’s. Barty kisses him in response, smiles lingering on both of their mouths.

“Happy Valentine’s,” Barty whispers back.

All in all, it’s the best Valentine’s either of them has had. And it doesn’t hurt that the chocolate lasts for weeks, either.

[bwabys-scenarios]

I feel like upon first meeting, Kurapika might not be as open, maybe even standoffish. But after reader gets through that shell, he doesn’t even realize how starved he is of affection. I feel like HE doesn’t even know he’s crushing until someone else points it out

The beginning, AKA how killua and Kurapika became frenemies in regards to YOU.

warning: none other than this isn’t proofread and Kurapika is horny for reader, but that isn’t anything new lol

You two meet during the Hunter exam. You join the group around the same time Killua does.

At first, Kurapika treats you the same as he would any of his other comrades. You’re sweet, and he likes that, but he wouldn’t consider you as anything other than an acquaintance.

Through the exam, you prove yourself to be reliable and kind, feeding the group and using your skills to help keep everyone together and on task.

His feelings change for you during the final phase of the exam. Kurapika doesn’t realize why at first, but seeing you fight against someone so much stronger than you makes him so fucking MAD. You get pretty beat up and lose your first match, but power through and win the next one!

He’s proud, but he’s also extremely upset. So much so that he avoids you. He doesn’t WANT to feel these things for anyone. He wants to remain distant from you, from Gon too, but when you follow them to the Zoldyck mansion to get Gon back, it’s a hard to ignore you.

You train with them, even though you’re exhausted and badly injured. You push through, helping them save Killua before finally going home, giving them all your number and making sure they know your home is always welcome to them.

——————

It isn’t until Kurapika is in town and in need of somewhere to stay that he thinks of you again. He tried so hard to push you out of his mind that he groans. If he didn’t want to sleep outside tonight, he’d have to take you up on your offer.

You answer the call with surprise and excitement. “Kurapika, is that you? I’m so happy you called!”

Something in his chest flutters at your words. “… sorry that this is the reason I’ve called you, but do you remember saying we could stay with you if we needed to?”

“Hmm? Oh yeah, you want to take me up on that offer, hun?”

Oh dear, his face is turning red from the petname.

“Erm… yes. I’ll be staying in town for a week. I can get a hotel later I j-“

“Oh nonsense, I have a few free rooms. You can stay as long as you need!”

He is silent for a moment. This was his first time talking to you in nearly two years, and yet you were happily saying he could stay in your house. “… alright, thank you.”

When he shows up, you pull him into a hug. His arms shoot out around your sides, hovering. Kurapika isn’t able to do anything other than stutter out a ‘h-h-hello’.

“Are you hungry? I just made lunch, so you should probably hurry and get some before Gon and Killua eat it all.”

He blinks down at you. “Gon and Killua are here?”

You nod. “Oh yeah, they come here at least a few times a month and eat me out of house and home. But how can I say no when two hungry kids are on my doorstep covered in dirt? They say don’t feed stray dogs because they won’t leave you alone, but I never believed in that. If I have the food to feed someone hungry, then I will.”

Kurapika takes in your words, nodding.

You lead him into the kitchen where Killua and Gon were munching on fried chicken and fruit, both staring open jawed when you led Kurapika in by the hand.

He kind of just… hovers in the living room. He’s just standing still, glancing between you and the two boys as you fix him a plate of food.

He takes the plate and eats quietly before asking which room is his. After that, he walks in and gets unpacked.

“Why’s Kurapika here?” Gon asks, reaching into fridge to grab a soda. Killua is quiet, snacking on a plate of cookies you placed in front of them earlier.

“I’m not sure, he just needed a place to stay.” You answer.

Killua narrows his eyes. He hadn’t exactly LOVED the way Kurapika had pretty much ghosted you after you helped save him from the Zoldyck manor. He’d met up with them in York New, but refused to see you. It made him a bit suspicious he might just be using your kindness to have a free place to stay.

“Weird. He hasn’t talked to you in two years, right?”

Gon raises an eyebrow at his friend. “To be fair he only met up with us once in York New.”

“I just find it weird he only contacted you when he needed something.”

You huff and flick his forehead. “That’s the whole reason I gave you all my number. If Kurapika just wants somewhere to stay and then never talks to me again, that’s okay. I’m not going to force my friendship on him.”

Unbeknownst to you three, Kurapika was leaned against the door listening to your conversation. Killua’s words drove a stake through his heart. He felt like such a douchebag for ghosting you, and even worse for only contacting you when needing something. Killua was right, but…

You didn’t seem to mind. That’s what made him so hesitant to be around you, you were way too nice. If he allowed himself to be softened by your kindness, he might just get attached.

He couldn’t let that happen.

—————

Kurapika followed you to town as you go grocery shopping. He could at least accompany you and help carry your bags home, considering you’ve been feeding and housing him for the past three days.

You’re a woman, a relatively defenseless one at that. Although you know nen, it’s more of a support type than defense or attack. You heal people, not fight them.

As the two of you stroll through town, he can’t help but watch as your hips sway, your pretty legs bare. Before, seeing a woman with bare legs wasn’t something that would fluster him at all.

But with you… he couldn’t keep his eyes off of you. And because of his eyes on your legs, when a breeze passed by and lifted up your skirt, he caught a sight of what you were wearing underneath.

White panties. That’s all he saw, a plain part of white cotton panties. When he’d passed by the women’s section in clothing departments, he’d seen the exact same pair in a pack of 5. No biggie, it’s just a pair of panties.

But the sight of it… awoke something inside him.

He paused, mouth agape and palms sweaty as his face turned red. Kurapika had never seen a LIVE women’s underwear before. Sure he’d seen the occasional porn or billboard of a woman in her underwear, but you were his friend. A person right in front of him.

“Kurapika? Is something wrong?”

You look back at him, your face innocent and sweet. You had no reason to suspect your grocery shopping companion was having his sexual awakening right then and there over your panties.

“I… it’s nothing. Let’s get the shopping done.”

Kurapika is a little bit less standoffish, seemingly observing you. It’s a little unnerving, but he’s nice enough to carry your bags and help you choose between different items, so you ignore it.

When you get home, he talks with you.

“What is your favorite color?”

“Hmm? (Color), why?”

“Curious. What music do you like to listen to?”

The questions go on for a while until you leave to shower, throwing your hoodie off to reveal a crop top underneath.

He’s staring, and it’s way too obvious. It’s just a crop top, nothing special. You even wore one the last time you saw him, so why was he only reacting like this now?

——————

Gon and Killua watch Kurapika with frowns on their faces. He’d been acting more aloof than usual, only perking up when you walked in the room. Kurapika seemed to follow you around like a lost puppy, asking you questions and watching over you.

Killua did not like it one bit.

“What’s up with you?”

Him and Kurapika were at a bakery, picking up and order for you. It was a batch of cupcakes for a small get together you were having. Killua’s sister and Leorio would be coming, so you’d be busy making dinner to work on cupcakes.

“What do you mean?”

Kurapika thanked the cash register and handed over the money you had given him.

“I mean what’s your deal with (Name)? You keep following her around like a creep.”

Kurapika bristled at the young boys words. “Creep? I’m just observing her. She’s… interesting.”

Killua raised an eyebrow. “Interesting how?”

Kurapika scoffed. “What are you, her dad? She’s just interesting. I’ve never met someone that made me… feel the way she does. She’s strange.”

Killua’s frown deepened at his words, but he didn’t say anything else.

When the two arrived home, you took the cupcakes and gave them both a quick hug. “Aww, thank you for running that little errand for me, my sweet boys!”

Killua, who was already used to your affection, just smiled and hurried to find Gon so they could go pick Alluka up.

But Kurapika was frozen to the spot. Again, his palms were sweaty and his face red.

He’d gotten a whiff of her scent, and it was enough to make him dizzy. She smelled sweet, like flowers or some kind of fruit, along with whatever she was cooking.

It made him think of what a wife would smell like when you arrived home from a long day of work. You’d greet him with a kiss and hug, telling him about your day as he joined you in the kitchen to spend some time baking with you.

Wait, why were you the wife and he the husband in that scenario? It felt as natural as breathing to imagine you in an apron, carrying a baby on your hip as you welcomed him home.

His heart thumped against his chest painfully. The sight of you working away on some potato dish was awfully domestic.

Deep in Kurapika’s heart, he wanted nothing more than a family to come home to. He wanted that domestic, normal life where he didn’t have to worry about avenging his clan and killing the Phantom Troupe.

A future where he could lay his head on your chest at night, listening to your heartbeat to confirm in his paranoid mind that you were there and alive, and you loved him.

He shook the thought from his head, taking a seat at the counter and watching you cook.

Kurapika didn’t understand you, not even a little. Something about the mystery was alluring to him. He wanted to soak up everything you had to say.

“(Name)?”

You look up from the stove. “Yes, sweetheart?”

He has to take a moment to recover from the pet name, glad your attention had returned to the pit you’d been stirring.

“Are you… have you ever thought about what you wanted… in the future?”

She blinked, glancing back at him. “What do you mean?”

He frowned in thought before replying. “Like… getting married. And having children.”

“Mmm, i want to get married one day, but I’m afraid I’ve never been exactly… sought after. And for kids…”

You glance back at Gon and Killua running out the door. “Hey, don’t forget your jackets!”

The two run back in and grab their jackets, thanking you for reminding them on the way out.

“I feel like I already have them. Gon and Killua basically live here.”

Kurapika didn’t think his strange infatuation could increase anymore. “Really? That’s… interesting.”

“What about you?”

Kurapika glanced up at you as you stood right in front of him, leaning down slightly to meet his eyes.

“I… I want a big family one day. But I fear I may not… live that long to have one.”

You tilt your head and lean back. “Why do you say that?”

“… I’ve chosen a dangerous path. One of sufferings and hardship. It may kill me one day.”

You’re silent for a moment, before you cup his cheek and look him in the eye.

“Please don’t throw your life away. I won’t tell you what to do with your life, but just know that you are important to me. If you can’t live for yourself, try and remember all the people who have loved you in the past, present, and who will love you in the future. You’re a sweet man, Kurapika. Too sweet to die so young.”

You say softly, your eyes never leaving his. When you finish, you pull him into a hug.

Even before you’d finished, Kurapika had begun crying. How could you say that you cared for him so easily? When he thought of all the people that had cared for him, it would be hard to risk his life to avenge his people.

Part of him wanted to be angry at you. How dare you remind him of the people he lost? His chest ached at the thought of his old friend seeing him now. Would he be angry that he was so careless with his life?

But the other part of him leaned into your hug, his tears soaking into your shoulder. You rubbed circles into his back as soothingly as possible, placing a kiss on the top of his head.

Kurapika needed to pull away. He shouldn’t indulge in this weakness of his, in you. But he couldn’t. He wrapped his arms around you and pulled you even closer, letting himself sob like a child.

He’s never really been able to grieve his clan, constantly being on the lookout for the Spiders and unable to truly relax due to his scarlet eyes.

But now, he cried so hard that snot mixed in with his tears. You just ran your fingers through his hair, rocking him gently as he sobbed.

He was beginning to understand why his friends seemed so drawn to, although he was pulled towards you in less… platonic ways.

“Kurapika, we can move to my room, the guests will be h-“

He shook his head and looked up, his eyes red in two ways. His scarlet eyes shone up at you as he smiled.

“No, i… I think I’m okay now. Sorry for just…”

He gestured to the mess he made on your shirt. “This.”

You waved your hand dismissively. “Don’t mention it. It’s not the first time someone’s cried on me.”

You grabbed a wet paper towel and cleaned off his face, cupping his cheek when done.

“There, all better. I’m going to change, you’ll watch dinner for me, yeah?”

He nodded, watching her go with a sigh. Kurapika felt weirdly uncomfortable with the lack of your presence, awkwardly hovering around your room.

When you leave, you’re wearing a knee length long sleeve dress. It’s simple, but cute. The thing that Kurapika notices first however, is the dip that exposes some of your cleavage, his eyes going from your face, to your tits, to your face again.

He hopes you didn’t catch him checking you out, he truly didn’t mean to. Your chest was just in perfect view and he was having trouble controlling himself for some reason.

“Killua just called and say they’ll be here in five minutes. Let’s get everything ready!”

He helps you set out plates and mix up a batch of lemonade, finding little ways to brush his hand against yours. Every time it happened he’d blush and apologized, but you didn’t mind!

The group arrived just as dinner was finished. Alluka walked in the door, looked around, then gasped when she saw you.

“Momma!”

She ran forward and jumped into your arms. You twirled her around and laughed, the girl clinging to you like a koala.

“Aww, miss me?”

She nodded, Killua chuckling. Alluka had to be attached to you for at least five minutes before Killua would be able to pull her off, so you sat down and chatted with her until you were released.

Kurapika watched this with growing interest. You were great with kids, each of them holding you in high regards. “What’s for dinner? I’m starving!”

Leorio arrived 15 minutes late, panting as he walked in. “S… sorry for… being late… had to… grab these…”

He placed a bouquet of flowers into your arms, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “Thanks lending me your old textbooks, the notes you took helped me ace my test.”

You look up at him in shock, holding the flowers to your chest. “You’re so sweet, Leorio. Thank you for the flowers!”

Something stirs in Kurapika’s chest, something he isn’t able to place. The way Leorio watches your ass as you go to grab a vase to put the flowers in makes him frown. He elbows the man in the stomach, grumbling something about being a pervert.

But Kurapika had been looking too.

Everyone gathered at the table, Alluka on one side of you and Killua on the other. Kurapika grumbled again as he took the chair in front of you. Why was he so upset over not getting to sit next to you?

Kurapika watched you throughout dinner. The way you ate, the way you wiped food from Allukas, your cute laugh when Killua made a joke. He absorbed everything about you, trying to understand what he felt for you.

Did he also see you as a mother figure, like the children did? Maybe a little, but that wasn’t quite it. He enjoyed your affection and sweet words, but there was something else bubbling beneath the surface.

Something… not platonic. Not friendly.

Sexual.

You were pretty, that was a known fact. He had known many pretty women, but you… you were different. You weren’t just pretty, you were… alluring. Something he wanted, desperately.

And he couldn’t understand why. Kurapika hated when he couldn’t understand things, it made him feel stupid.

“Kurapika, do you like your dinner?”

He was stirred from his thoughts by you, leaning forward a little bit and smiling at him.

“Oh, yes. It’s… delicious.”

He took another bite of his food for emphasis. It wasn’t a lie, the food was delectable, but he hadn’t been able to enjoy it due to being… distracted.

“Alright, everyone done? Time for cupcakes!!”

Killua and Gon carried the box in and set it on the table.

When they opened it, Kurapika was surprised. Instead of being cupcakes like he had been told, it was a vanilla cake with strawberry icing.

Written across the cake in white frosting were the words…

“Happy birthday Kurapika!!”

The entire group gathered around him, smiling and laughing. While he’d been reading the cake, they’d thrown on party hats.

Kurapika flinched when felt you put a hat on him, your chest squished against his back.

“This… is for me?”

KIllua watches him, his arms folded against his chest. “It was (Name)’s idea. She found out your birthday was last week and had to celebrate it.”

Kurapika couldn’t understand why. He hadn’t done anything for his birthday just a week prior. Kurapika had severe survivals guilt, and struggled to see why he should.

You leaned forward, your hair tickling his cheek as you placed some candles on his cake. You light them and pull back, putting your hands on his shoulders as you all sing happy birthday to him.

“Okay, now blow out the candles!”

He does, his eyes closing as he thought of what to wish for.

‘I want… I want to be closer to (Name).’

He was surprised by his own thought.

——————

It was later in the night, the kids asleep in their respective rooms leaving the adults to chat. (Name) was tucking Killua into bed, the two other adults sitting in an awkward silence.

“You uh… been doing alright, Kurapika?”

Kurapika glanced at Leorio from his seat on the couch and nods in response.

“You look a little… rough.”

He wasn’t exactly wrong. His eyes were still a bit puffy from crying and his hair was ruffled, with dead ends.

Kurapika struggled to take care of himself besides the bare necessities to continue living. As long as he was able to keep moving, that was enough.

But now he pulled a strand of his hair toward and stared at it. His hair had grown out to nearly touching his shoulders, able to be put up in a ponytail if he needed.

He wondered if you liked his hair longer. It may be a bit rough and tangled, but in his heart he knew you wouldn’t mind.

You stepped out of Killua’s room, closing the door behind you slowly as to not make any noise. Once far enough away, you grin at the two.

“He likes being tucked in. It’s cute really.”

You plop down on the couch next to Kurapika and pulled a pillow into your lap to hug. “So, Kurapika, are you having fun?”

It was hard to concentrate on your question whne you were so close to him, but he managed to asnwer.

“It’s the best birthday I’ve had in a while.”

You give that pretty smile and squeeze his shoulder. “If you let me, I can make sure all of your birthdays will be fun.”

He blinks, taking a moment to process her words. “Wh-what do you mean by that?”

His cheeks turn pink, getting a little excited.

“I mean I want to be your friend, Kurapika.”

He’s unable to speak. This kind girl, who is sitting next to him smelling so sweet, wants to be HIS friend.

“You can think about it if you need to. I won’t make you-“

“I…”

He was unable to look her in the eye, his hands gripping the fabric of his pants.

“I want to be your friend, too.”

You are quiet for a moment before you lean against his shoulder and laugh.

“I’m really glad. Thank you for being my friend.”

Unbeknownst to the three adults, Killua was listening from behind his door, an eyebrow raised.

‘Does he…’

——————

Although Kurapika has said he was only staying for a week, it slowly turned into two weeks, to three, and then a month.

He would leave to go on missions or find information, but would always come back, looking around for you.

“Is (Name) home?”

Kurapika set his shoes by the door as he walked in. It was just a question for appearances, he couldn’t sense her aura so he knew she wasn’t there.

“No, she’s on a job right now.” Killua replied, flipping through a comic book and sipping on a glass of orange juice.

“A job? Like as a Hunter?”

“Duh.”

Kurapika sighed as he leaned against the wall, glancing from Killua to the boxes of chocolate robots strewn across the floor.

“Did she say when she would be back?”

Killua closed his comic book and looked at him annoyed. “Why do you need to know?”

Kurapika raised an eyebrow. “Do I need a reason? I’m just curious.”

Killua rolled his eyes. “You mean you miss her.”

“What?!”

Kurapika’s face turned red, the white haired boy huffing. “You miss her. It’s way too obvious she’s the only reason you’ve stayed in town so long.”

Kurapika scowls and sits down, tapping his foot against the ground. “That’s not true. I stay here because it’s safe and convenient.”

“Keep telling yourself that, maybe it’ll come true.”

Killua stand up and walks to the door, opening it as you raise up your keys to unlock it.

“Oh, thank you Killua!”

You pocket your keys and pat his head before noticing Kurapika.

“Oh, you’re back!”

You rush forward and pull him into a hug, kissing the top of his head. “I missed you! How did you m-“

Kurapika stood up and promptly rushed out the front door, his face a dark shade of red.

“I-Ill be back in a minute. Forgot to- forgot something.”

As soon as he’s far enough away, Kurapika holds a hand to his head, panting. The sensation of your lips on him lingered, making his heart flutter.

Why did he feel like this?

After cooling off, he walks into a random bakery and picks up some cookies.

“Hey, I’m back. Forgot to pick these up.”

You look up from brushing out Killua’s hair and give him a smile. “Oh, cookies, how sweet of you! I’ll set these out!”

You look up and grab a platter and start to place them on it. Killua glanced back at Kurapika before standing up and pulling the man back outside.

“What do you-“

“What’s your issue with (Name)?”

Kurapika blinks down at the boy. “I don’t understand-“

“Don’t play dumb, yes you do. (Name) isn’t stupid, she’s noticed your strange behavior. Are you trying to worry her or what?”

“Why would I worry her? She’s… dear to me. A good friend.”

Killua groans and slaps a hand over his face. “Oh right, I forgot you’re dense. You mean you like her. It’s so obvious that even Gon has noticed.”

Kurapika splutters out a “w-what?!” before Killua continues.

“Let me clue you in. Every time you pass her by, you smile. You blush like a girl with a crush every time she hugs or touches you. Honestly you’re worse than Leorio..”

Kurapika wasn’t listening. Was that what he was feeling? He… he liked you?

It was starting to make sense.

“I…” he looked away, quiet, but didn’t deny Killua’s accusation.

“Listen, I don’t care if you like her or not. Just know that she is important to a lot of people, me and Gon included. You hurt her, you’re dead.”

With that, Killua walked back inside and joined you in the kitchen.

Kurapika held a hand over his chest. He knew he should push these butterflies away and distance himself from you, but before he could, something draws him back to your side.

Maybe he can indulge himself in these fuzzy feelings, just for a little while.

[life-at-hogwarts]

Darkness within (House of Gaunt)

Pairing: Ominis x GN! reader

Warnings: mentions of drinking, intrusive thoughts, panic attacks, hurt/comfort

Word count: 3.3 k

“I’m sorry I’m making it so difficult. I wish I was easier to love.”

“Nothing about you is hard to love. In fact, loving you feels as easy as breathing. You don’t need to be ashamed of your scars. I know what I signed up for, and I haven’t changed my mind.”

Summary: Bromance. Violence. Trauma.

A/n: More emotional torture because that's just how I roll.

Chapter 5 of House of Gaunt

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 AO3

If you hadn’t felt the lack of sleep when you came back from your date night, you certainly felt it now. You had struggled to pay attention in your classes all morning. Partly because you were so sleep-deprived your brain could barely process what was going on, but also because just sitting next to Ominis made your stomach flutter. All you could think about was kissing him and your mind kept wandering back to the night before. Your distractedness cost you 5 housepoints in potions class when you accidentally added too much leech juice, causing the liquid to burn through the cauldron and flooding the potions stations of all those around you.

By lunch you were so exhausted you seriously considered skipping the rest of the day and calling in sick. You listlessly pushed your food around on your plate and fought the urge to rest your head on Ominis shoulder. The blonde had been quiet all morning, struggling to stay awake and was now resting his head in his palm, lost in thought, his meal still untouched.

“What’s on your mind?” you asked and pushed your plate away, officially giving up on trying to choke down lunch.

“Sebastian wasn’t in his bed when I came back. He must have spent the entire night in the Undercroft studying the journal,” Ominis sighed. “I’m worried about him.”

Since both of you had skipped breakfast, you had only seen your freckled friend briefly in class today and you hadn’t had the time yet to catch up.

“Have you tried talking to him about it?”

“He doesn’t listen!” Ominis groaned exasperated and tiredly rubbed his face. This entire thing with the journal really ate at him but you didn’t want to get caught in the crossfire between him and Sebastian. “His obsession with finding a cure is going to be…” Ominis stopped in the middle of the sentence and muttered under his breath,“Speak of the devil...”

You didn’t have to look up to know that Sebastian must be on his way towards the Slytherin table. No one could sneak up on Ominis, especially not Sebastian, whose footsteps and heartbeat he knew as well as his own. The freckled brunette slumped on the seat next to you, looking about as bad as you felt. Judging by the dark circles under his eyes he must have gotten about as much sleep as the both of you.

 “Sebastian! You look awful. How long did you stay up?”

“You’re one to talk. I know the two of you snuck out last night too. How was your date by the way?” he shot back, a taunting smile on his face. You laughed and gave him a cheeky wink.

“Don’t try to change the subject. We are worried about you,” Ominis chimed in, his voice sounding strained and tired.

“Look I don’t feel like being interrogated. Leave it alone. Seriously,” Sebastian groaned, unable to hide his annoyance. You shifted uncomfortably in your seat, and prayed they would leave you out of it. Trying to diffuse the tension you dramatically collapsed on the table, burying your face in your crossed arms. “Merlin what I would do for a quick nap right now. Do you think Professor Binns would even notice if we missed class?”

“Nice try darling, but I am not risking detention for a nap,” Ominis sighed and let his fingers run through your hair. Surprised by this public display of affection Sebastian raised an eyebrow but remained silent. It must be odd for him to see his best friends dating, you thought to yourself. I hope he doesn’t feel left out.  “Says the one who falls asleep in class,” you replied teasingly and laughed when Ominis pretended to pout. Sebastian joined in and just like that the tension between the two was gone and they were back to being best friends.

“Watch out Ominis. Mc will lead you down a dangerous path. Sneaking around the castle at night, skipping class, soon you will join us on our little excursions in the Highlands.”

“You wish. I don’t even want to know what you two are up to when I’m not around.”

“Don’t worry I will take care of your sweetheart,” Sebastian grinned, earning an annoyed eyeroll from the both of you. Then he added, “I’m happy for you. Truly. You two deserve to be happy. Just keep the snogging at a minimum when I’m around, please.”

----------

You clutched your scarf, buried your nose in the soft fabric to protect it from the sharp wind so typical for the Highlands and hurried your steps. The path to Hogsmeade was usually filled with Hogwarts students, but to your luck the weather seemed to have scared off most of them. The sky was dark and hung with even darker clouds, and the wind tugged on your clothes mercilessly, no doubt the presage of a storm. You rushed past the shops on main street and made your way up to the town square where Sebastian already waited for you at the foot of the giant willow tree.

“Hope you didn’t have to wait too long,” you greeted him, still out of breath.

“Tell me again why we didn’t just meet at the three broomsticks?” your friend grumbled as he tried to keep his thick brown locks away from his face.

“It was your idea to meet here,” you protested but your friend gave you a playful nudge to signal that he was just messing around.

“Tell you what the first round of Butterbeer is on you and we are even,” he laughed.

Only minutes later the both of you warmed your hands on the warm mugs and inhaled the sweet scent of the liquid. The three broomsticks was relatively empty but you welcomed it. The things you and Sebastian usually discussed required a certain degree of privacy.

“So, tell me about your date,” Sebastian wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. He seemed to be in a good mood today.

“Didn’t Ominis already give you a play-by-play?”

The brunettes face darkened. “Not exactly.” Seems like I’ve hit a nerve. Of course, you had noticed that something between them had changed ever since the scriptorium. Usually, you tried to stay out of it, but today you felt like you had to ask. “What’s going on between the two of you?”

“The usual. We’re still having…a disagreement over the spellbook. I’m sure your beau must have told you all about it,” he scoffed, and his entire demeanor changed. Gone was the lighthearted mischief maker that you knew and loved. You had seen and felt his dark side several times, this irritable, angry and bitter version of him and knew arguing with him would be pointless but you had to try.

“He’s worried about you because he loves you, you know?”

“If he loved me, he would help me find a cure for Anne,” Sebastian spat, his voice cold as ice.

“Don’t be like that.”

“Of course, you take his side.”

“Now that we are courting you mean. That doesn't change anything for me. Our friendship is a separate thing, I’m just trying to understand what’s going on between the two of you,” you protested and fought the urge to roll your eyes. It was unfair of Sebastian to accuse you of taking sides, when you had always been there for him to help him execute whatever crazy plan he had come up with.

“Don’t. This is between Ominis and I. Now let’s talk about something else. You still haven’t told me how your date went,” he tried to diffuse the situation and gave you a tired smile. “But first, I’m going to get us something a little stronger.” You couldn’t help but smile too when you watched your friend work his charm and quick wit to convince Sirona to slip him two glasses of Firewhiskey.

On your way back to the castle you felt the alcohol taking effect, keeping you warm from the icy wind. Next to you, Sebastian swayed dangerously – he had had even more shots than you. We are going to be so hungover tomorrow. The way back to the castle felt endlessly long. This was made even worse by Sebastian who tried to lay down on the floor or run away from you every two minutes. You felt like a babysitter chasing after him and getting him to follow you. When you finally reached the castle, you decided to escort him to the dorms. Ominis welcomed you with raised eyebrows when he noticed the state his friend was in and together you dragged him into their room. After you had taken care of your friend, Ominis accompanied you back to the exit of the common room. “I take it you two had fun tonight. I’m going to have fun holding back his hair all night, judging by the condition he’s in.”

“Are you mad at me?”

“Of course not. I’m just tired,” he quickly reassured you and placed a quick kiss on your lips before he backed away and made a face. “That bad?” you giggled.

“Let’s just hope you don’t run into any professors.”

Still, he didn’t back away when you pulled him closer for another kiss. You buried your fingers in his hair and pressed your cold body against his warmth. He replied by deepening the kiss, his tongue starting to explore yours, as he tightened his grip on you. You enjoyed the way he shivered and gasped under your touch when you ran your hands down his spine. Then suddenly, the warmth was gone. Ominis had forced himself to pull away and left you longing for more. You looked at him, puzzled, and watched him catch his breath. Why did you stop? “We shouldn’t. Not here. Not like this,” he finally managed to get out and gestured at the room. You didn’t care. Ominis cupped your face and placed a gentle kiss on your forehead.

“You know how much I want you. But this is not the time or place.” Pretending to pout you turned away from him, but you were too drunk to keep up your pretense and started giggling. 

“Go to bed, darling. Sleep it off. I have to go look after Sebastian,” Ominis murmured softly and stroked your cheek. “Are you going to make it back to your dorms safely?” The concern in his voice made your heart soar. It felt good, being loved this way. “I’ll be fine,” you reassured him and reached for his hand. He pulled you into a hug instead and you buried your face in his chest, listening to his heartbeat. “Goodnight, darling”, he whispered and placed another kiss on the top of your head.

As soon as you stepped through the doorway into the corridor someone grabbed your arm. “Ominis…,” you giggled and turned around. You froze when you were met by Marvolos piercing stare and instinctively took a step back.

“You know if you want to be with a Gaunt so badly, I would be the better option. I don’t get why you waste your time with my crippled brother. It’s not like he is going to inherit anything,” he sneered, his voice dripping with hatred and disgust.

Without hesitation you took a swing and punched him. Hard. A disgusting cracking sound echoed through the empty corridor, followed by a long silence. Finally, Marvolo looked up, a nasty smile on his lips, blood dripping from his broken nose. You suddenly became aware of how helpless you would be if he decided to fight you right now. Still half-sedated from the alcohol you were an easy target. You clutched your wand and waited for Marvolo to retaliate. Nothing happened. The only sound was the steady dripping of blood onto the stone floor. It made him look even more dangerous. Even though he was younger than you your instincts told you not to underestimate him. According to Ominis he took great pleasure in practicing the Unforgivables on other people. After a few more moments that felt like an eternity he simply turned around and vanished through the entrance of the common room. Your hands were shaking when you made your way back to your dorms. Whatever this was with Marvolo, you could feel that it was only the beginning.

-------

When you woke up in the morning your head was throbbing. You could only guess how Sebastian must be feeling.  Thinking about the events of last night you groaned, knowing that Ominis would not be amused when he found out what you had done to his brother, and you were not in the mood for conflict. Maybe I’ll just stay in my room all day. As much as you loved that plan you knew you had to go to the Room of Requirement to take care of all your rescued creatures. Highwing always got grumpy when he didn’t get his dinner on time, and you really didn’t want to deal with a grumpy Hippogriff.

You spent the entire morning feeding, grooming, and playing with your creatures, really taking your time. After that you tended to your plants and quickly brewed a few more healing potions for good measure. You even managed to get Deek to bring you a couple of sandwiches from the kitchens, so you didn’t have to go to the great hall for lunch. Just when you thought about taking Highwing out for a ride you heard someone enter the Room of Requirement. Ominis.

“I knew I’d find you here.”

You tried reading his face to figure out how to approach this, but he remained expressionless.  While you were thinking about what to say he continued, “You don’t need to hide from me. I heard what you did to Marvolo last night. What was that about?”

“I can handle your brother.”

Ominis furrowed his brows and moved closer. “What happened?” he asked softly. He didn’t seem angry at all, he seemed concerned. You let out a shaky breath and gently placed a hand on his forearm, “It was nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

“What did he say to you?” Ominis asked again, his milky gaze holding yours.

“He insulted you and I lost my temper. That’s what happened.”

For a long time, no one said anything. You would have done anything to know what was going on inside of Ominis’ head as you waited for his response. Was he angry at you? You thought about Marvolos disgusting grin and clenched your fists again. I’m not going to apologize for this, you thought grimly. Finally, Ominis spoke up.

“I think it’s best that we end this right now before you get hurt.”

It felt like someone had hit you in the face and you quicklypulled back your hand that was still resting on his arm. This reaction didn’t make any sense. It wasn’t even you who got hurt but Marvolo. If anything, this proved that you could look after yourself.

“Where is this coming from? I had a little disagreement with your brother and you want to break up?”

“They will come after you. It was stupid of me to think they would ever let me be happy,” he said, his voice shaking.

“Ominis, I’m not going anywhere,” you tried to reassure him, but he was starting to panic. His hands were shaking violently, and he kept cradling his head repeating the same thing over and over again. “They’re going to hurt you. And it will be my fault.”

Seeing him like this, you felt helpless. “I need you to calm down. Focus on my voice and breathe. Nothing is going to happen to me, alright? Your family won’t hurt me. It’s alright. Everything is alright,” you once again tried to talk him down, but it was no use. He seemed to be trapped inside of his own mind and you couldn’t get him out.

 “My thoughts are so loud. I can’t make them stop. It’s so loud. I need to make it stop,” he whispered, tears in his eyes. Now you were starting to panic as well. You had never seen him like this before and it scared you. What scared you even more was that you didn’t know how to help him.

“Stay here. I’ll go get Sebastian,” you said and hurried out of the room. You didn’t even bother searching for him in the Slytherin dorms and headed straight for the Undercroft. Sure enough, you found your friend, his nose buried in the old tome you had found in the Scriptorium.

“What’s wrong?” Sebastian asked when he saw your flushed face.

“Something is wrong with Ominis. I don’t know how to calm him down. He insists that his family is going to do something to me. He says he can’t make his thoughts stop,” you blurted out, stumbling over your words.

Sebastian nodded and closed his book. “I see. He gets like that sometimes. Bring me to him. I know what to do.”

-------

The sun was about to set when you made your way to the Slytherin dorms. A few minutes ago you had received an owl from Sebastian, that Ominis was better and wanted to talk to you. As you hurried down the corridors of Hogwarts you smiled to yourself. It was heartwarming the way these two took care of each other, despite being in a fight. The connection between them was more than friendship, it was brotherhood.

Ominis waited for you in front of the entrance to the common room. Before you could say anything he offered you his hand. “Care to accompany me for a walk?”  Even though you wanted nothing more than ask how he was and what had happened, you silently interlocked your fingers with his, giving him space. For a while you walked in silence, leaving the dungeons behind and passing the empty great hall. When Ominis lead you through the courtyard towards a little iron gate you finally understood where you were headed. The boathouse. Of course. On your way down the endless-seeming staircase Ominis finally started to speak.

“Sorry you had to see me like this.”

“There is no need to apologize. Do you want to tell me what happened?” you asked tentatively. The blonde took a shaky breath before answering and you squeezed his hand reassuringly.

“Sometimes I get these thoughts. They are not real, but they feel so real that I lose myself in them. It’s like they are screaming at me. I don’t know how to explain it.”

“What are they saying?”

“Usually my worst fears. Things I don’t want to happen,” he whispered and lowered his gaze, collapsing into himself. You had seen him like this before – at Gaunt Manor when his father had raised his voice at the dinner table. Seeing what his family had done to him made your blood boil, but you put your anger aside and asked softly, “That sounds awful. How can I help you when something like that happens?”

“I don’t know.”

“We’ll figure it out.”

“I’m sorry I’m making it so difficult. I wish I was easier to love.”

“Nothing about you is hard to love. In fact, loving you feels as easy as breathing. You don’t need to be ashamed of your scars. I know what I signed up for, and I haven’t changed my mind.”

Ominis still didn’t look at you, his empty gaze fixated on the dark water of the lake.  “You haven’t seen me at my worst yet. Believe it or not I’m actually keeping it together pretty well at the moment. That can change. And when it does, things get ugly. You don’t want to be around when that happens.”

You could feel him trying to pull away but you didn’t let him. “Stop. I’m perfectly able of making my own decisions. Try to push me away as much as you like, but I’m not going anywhere.”

[icallhimjoey]

Imagine this: Wesley makes a new friend and Joe is jealous of how close they are UNTIL he sees her for the first time. Suddenly, he can’t stop nagging Wesley about her.

ok so, i need everyone to understand that i do not know wesley or his mannerisms at all (obviously i do not know joe either, but we've established what my fictional joey's like) so i TRIED and it was AWKWARD for ALL SORT OF REASONS but i hope that you LIKE IT enjoy! (rewritten 16 nov 2023) Wordcount: 2.8K

Inevitable Sparks

part one - part two - part three - part four - part five The noise of a soft ringtone cut through the conversation and made Wesley stop talking mid-sentence.

"Sorry, I have to take this," Wesley said when he saw your name grace his phone screen.

Sat opposite him, Joe made a face.

"Um, you literally don't?" Joe jokingly frowned in frustrated confusion.

"Hey!" Wesley answered, far too chipper for Joe's liking. He hadn't been in the best mood. Conversation had been fine, but sort of serious. This different version of his best friend that he saved for someone else rubbed him wrong, just a little.

".... yea, I'm not doing anything, what's up?" Wesley turned away from Joe, his full attention with you now.

Joe flung up both arms and shook his head in bewilderment. Couldn't believe what he was hearing.

What did he mean, he wasn't doing anything?!

Going for lunch with his friend, hanging out at home, even taking him on trips around the globe - his best friend seemed to always be talking to his other friend.

This other person who seemed to be replacing Joe on that number one spot fairly quickly - too quickly, because you hadn't known each other long at all, Joe thought.

But anytime Joe would call Wesley, he either didn't answer, declined his call and sent him to voicemail, or he would answer but he'd say he wouldn't be able to talk long. Would ask for Joe to make it quick.

"You up for dinner tonight, mate?" "Sorry, I can't do tonight, I've already got plans," "Oh, is it with her again?"

The fact that he was out having lunch with him now almost felt miraculous.

It was silly. Everyone had friends that their other friends didn't know, didn't they?

But this was Joe's best friend. And he was his too. Wanted it to remain that way. Too many things were changing already, and keeping this the way it was, always had been, felt important. Grounding.

But then Wesley talked on the phone for over ten minutes and didn't even seem that bothered that it was incredibly rude to Joe.

After a lot of humming, yes-ing, and even some loud, loud laughs, Wesley hung up, turned back to Joe and pretended the call had never even happened.

"So, Tokyo, you said? How was that?" Wesley took another bite of his lunch, falling back into their previous conversation, leaving Joe to squint at him.

"Yea, no... Japan was amazing... what the- how do you even know her, again?"

Wesley looked up from his plate at his friend, for a second unsure who Joe was referencing.

Like Joe hadn't just listened to him talk to you for ages.

"Oh," the penny dropped. "Um, we went to school together, did a film- a thriller, together for a class, and then I ran into her randomly, what, two, three months ago?"

"Mmhm, school, huh?"

"She did awful storyboard drawings of a girl being punched once, and then we made her be the girl, and she accidentally got socked right in the eye! We didn't even use the footage," Wesley recounted a funny memory and chuckled lightly.

"Almost didn't recognise her without the bruised face, but she recognised me, so," he shrugged, took another bite.

"Oh, she did, yea?" Joe acted up his hatred in rivalry with you, and it tickled his friend, but he swiftly moved onto another topic and didn't mention you again.

Joe took Wesley with him to events for his job all the time. They seemed the perfect pair: the film maker (you know, the camera guy) and the actor.

Besides the hopeful networking Wesley maybe got to do, Joe was mostly happy to have a friend at these things; someone to ensure that he'd actually have fun and wouldn't just be a big ball of nerves throughout. Would say he was his PA if anyone asked. They never asked, it was always fine.

Sometimes, of course, there were moments when Wesley couldn't tag along, because of his own obligations.

Not a problem, there were plenty of other friends to ask to come to things with him.

It's just that... Wesley sometimes didn't have time for him because of you, and when he caught onto how annoyed Joe would get over it, he started mentioning your name loads. Just to fuck with him.

Like a couple of days later, hanging out at Wesley's place, spread out across the sofa, Joe and Wesley had the TV on in the background, but weren't really watching what was on.

"The absolute units of yachts they had over there," Joe scrolled through his phone gallery, looking for a picture to show his friend. "Just, ridiculous. No one needs a boat like that, really, do they?"

"You know who's got a yacht?" Wesley took a sip of his drink, eyes glued to his phone, before continuing, "Like, a sailing yacht?"

Joe turned his phone to show a picture he took in Newport Beach a couple weeks back.

Wesley peeled his eyes away from his own screen, looked at Joe's, and went, "Yea sort of like that one."

Joe tutted, immediately groaning, knowing Wesley was going to mention you again and it instantly made Wesley grin.

"Not her, she doesn't have a fucking yacht. Fuck, could you imagine? Someone our age with a massive sailing yacht?" Wesley said and let Joe visibly relax before continuing.

"Her dad does, though,"

"Okay," Joe slapped his knees as he got up from the sofa.

"At this point, is she even fucking real? What are you hiding from me?" Joe flung an arm about, slid his phone into his pocket and grabbed some shit from the coffee table he needed to throw out.

"I'm not hiding anything!" Wesley argued, but couldn't help laugh at his friend accusatory tone.

"So why haven't I met her yet?" Joe collected the empty beer bottles from the table too, and made his way to grab two new ones.

"You wouldn't- I just... I don't think you'd get along, you know? You're very different people," Wesley lied, not sounding as confident as he would've liked, and Joe poked right through it.

"What are you on about, mate? I get along with everyone!"

Wesley sat up and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, contemplating if what he was about to say next was the right move to make.

"People love me." Joe definitely didn't believe that in his gut, Wesley knew. But he also understood that... yea, people kind of always did really like Joe.

"Yea, exactly... maybe that's the problem,"

Joe turned around, jaw dropped, but eyes showing nothing but absolute cheek.

"Oh?" suddenly, Joe was intrigued, but Wesley was quick to hold up his hand.

"No!"

"What was her name again?" Joe whipped his phone from his pocket, ready to look you up anywhere he could think to. Not being on any social media himself didn't have to stop him from googling yours for a quick look.

Mentioning you had bit Wesley in the ass, and he sighed in annoyance, knowing from the start this is exactly what it would eventually lead to.

How could it not have?

It was absolutely inevitable.

Joe was single, you were single, and hot but approachable. And also friendly, sweet, kind, fun. All the good shit.

Wesley was drawn to the same type of people. The amount of times he'd been hanging out with you and had thought to himself, wow Joe could've said that, or, Joe would've done the same thing, had really started stacking up.

So when you had a couple of friends over on a random Friday night, for drinks and chats with music playing in the background, you had also invited Wesley to mingle with this new group of people he suddenly was a part of.

Half way through the night, Joe'd facetimed him and Wesley had decided to answer this time.

"Joe," Wesley said upon seeing his friend's face fill out his phone screen.

He saw Joe's face go from utter shock and surprise, because Wesley never fucking answered his FaceTime calls, straight into a frown as his face get closer in the camera. He was obviously trying to figure out Wesley's surroundings.

"Where are you?"

Wesley grinned and switched the camera around to show your living room, aiming his camera to see out the window and Joe could see three people out on a balcony, smoking, drinking, chatting and laughing.

"Is that-"

Before Joe could get a proper look, Wesley had turned the camera back onto himself, hiding a grin as he took a sip from his beer.

"Wait, turn it back a second, I thought I saw something," Joe said, sounding so very earnest, but it just made Wesley laugh because he knew Joe just wanted to check again, see if one of them had been you.

"Why are you calling?" Wesley tried to shift the focus away from you.

"Just checking to see what you were doing," Joe feigned being incredibly bored, speaking through a dramatic sigh.

Joe could see his friend look over his phone for a second as someone asked him something. Then Wesley's eyes scanned his phone, and Joe was shocked when his friend muted himself so he couldn't hear what was going on.

Muted.

Shut Joe right out by muting the audio.

He saw Wesley talk to someone off screen, then look at Joe when leaning to show someone who didn't step into the camera's vision enough for Joe to see.

It was obvious he was showing Joe's face to someone in the room. To the person he was talking to about something Joe wasn't allowed to hear.

Fucking muted.

What the fuck.

Then Wesley laughed, raised his eyebrows questioningly in that same direction and then nodded before turning back to his phone and unmuting himself.

"You want to come over?"

Wesley texted your address, and about half an hour later, you were stood out on the balcony when you heard the buzzer go inside. You knocked on the window and interrupted Wesley's conversation with one of your other friends, gestured for him to open the door.

You'd seen Joe walk up to the building and knew it was him who'd rang your doorbell.

You knew what Joe looked like, it was almost impossible not to in the year of our Lord, Eddie Munson, 2022.

But you also remembered meeting him once on a night out when you'd just turned 19 and you'd been out with a bunch of people from uni. Wesley had brought Joe along, and you only remembered that he'd been goofy. Sort of didn't really fit in with the group, but was funny enough for people to enjoy and appreciate his presence.

You didn't know if you had actually spoken then, but a swift plow through countless now hidden Facebook photo albums showed you weren't in any photos together.

A shame, you thought, because Joe was handsome.

And Wesley had been a little bitch for weeks about having the two of you meet.

It's not like you hadn't been pushing for it. A little.

"Are you gatekeeping Joe?" you had asked him, more as a joke, but you did wonder. Wesley talked about Joe all the time like they were joined at the hip, but you had yet to meet him.

"Absolutely." Wesley had thrown a bag of nuts into your shopping cart.

You snorted. You had expected him to deny your accusation, to come up with a million different excuses, but instead Wesley jokingly confessed and you couldn't help the giggle that escaped you.

"What possibly for?"

"Joe's.... he's sort of... I don't know, you won't like him, I think. Joe's weird," Wesley'd scrunched his nose to really convince you.

"Wouldn't that make you weird by default?" you'd laughed, referencing the fact that they'd been friends for years.

"No, it's like... like, I don't know. He's just weird. Joe likes wallabees, you know those shoes?" Wesley had raised his eyebrows at you, making a point.

"Oh, ew," you'd grimaced.

"See? He's a weird fucker. Best to steer clear of him." Wesley'd concluded, and you had agreed to put it to rest, but you couldn't lie.

You'd seen pictures of Joe on red carpets looking sharp.

In your opinion, he was allowed to be weird and like wallabees if he wore suits like the ones you'd seen him wear every other week, no problem.

When you saw Wesley walk him into your flat, the first thing you did was pan down to see what shoes he was wearing.

Sneakers.

Okay.

Good.

Sneakers were fine.

They didn't match his outfit, but, they were fine.

Wesley pointed at you, and you smiled and waved at him from outside. Joe did the same, small smile, small wave, and then you turned back to your friends, turning away from the window completely.

"Shit," you whispered, making two of your girlfriends turn to see who you had just waved at, and they chuckled when they saw Joe.

"Shit," Joe said softly under his breath upon seeing you, his hand still stuck up in his wave, even after you'd turned around and faced away from him.

"Okay, let's go," Wesley said, dragging his friend into the kitchen. "We've got to talk."

Whilst getting Joe a drink from the fridge, he sighed deeply.

"There's no way..." he started, handing Joe a beer bottle, but not letting go of it just yet. "You're obviously each other's type, so there's no way I'm going to be able to stop this," Wesley looked his friend in the eye sternly.

Joe was just about to object, but Wesley was quick to speak over him.

"But if you fuck this up," his grip on the bottle strengthened. "She won't want to be my friend anymore, and then I won't want to be yours." Wesley warned, finally letting go of Joe's drink.

"Mate, nothing's gonna happen," Joe reassured, obviously lying to himself and to his best friend, planting a heavy hand on his shoulder and making Wesley scoff loudly.

Who was Joe trying to fool here?

"All right, well, we'll see about that,"

"Hi!" you stepped into the kitchen, and very obviously walked in on them talking about you. Both heads turned towards you and you were met with four big, bulging eyes and silence. You stared at them for a second, eyes going from one to the other, until you cleared your throat loudly.

"Hi," Joe snapped out of it and smiled his warmest of smiles before reaching out a hand and bowing his head down slightly as he shook yours.

Sparks.

You smiled back and silently told yourself you'd been right all along.

Joe really was handsome.

And cute?

How could you describe him... handsomely cute?

Pretty.

Joe was pretty.

Yes, pretty felt right.

Wesley formally introduced you to each other, but you couldn't even hear what he was saying.

Inside your head you heard classical music playing- a full orchestra, loud with violins and flutes and harps. Several harps, very romantic.

You held onto each other hands for far too long for it to be normal, and Wesley's eyes darted back and forth between the two of you.

"That's um... that's a lot of prolonged eye-contact, guys," Wesley spoke, his voice slightly hesitant, like he knew he was intruding.

"Yea," you sighed, still not breaking eye contact.

"Yea," Joe agreed and his smile grew wider, almost impossibly so.

"Greaaat... yea, this isn't making me uncomfortable at all," Wesley sarcastically elongated his words.

"Yep. yep. Great, this is just great. Well, I trust you guys will let me know if you need anything," Wesley's voice sounded uncomfortably constricted as he took awkwardly big steps to tiptoe around you as he stepped out of the kitchen, leaving the two of you alone.

"I've um... I've heard a lot about you," you said, finally snapping out of it.

"I've heard a lot about you too," Joe replied before taking a swig from his beer.

From outside on the balcony, Wesley and your two girlfriends watched as you and Joe chatted, exchanging pleasantries with flushed faces, pursed smiled, and probably painful cheeks from suppressing your grins so much.

It was an adorable sight to behold, and it made Wesley chuckle a little.

"I am either going to have to write two best-man-speeches for their wedding, or I'm going to be the deciding factor in who gets the dog when they break up," Wesley said, making your friends laugh as he shook his head.

He wasn't joking though, and inhaled a sharp breath before taking a sip from his drink.

There was no other choice for him but to stand back and watch this unfold.

We'll see how this pans out, he thought.

We'll see.

-----

The Taglisted: 

@ghostinthebackofyourhead @kiwisa @jasminearondottir @josephquinned @cancankiki @sidthedollface2 @dylanmunson @munsonsgirl71 @alana4610 @emmamooney @xomunson @sadbitchfangirl @thatonefan-girl @paola-carter @eddiemunsonfuxks @figmentofquinn @haylaansmi @thewondernanazombie @hellowhatthehellisgoingonhere @munsonmunster @kellysimagines @dirtyeddietini @mybffjoe @harrys-tittie @chaoticgood-munson @harringtonfan4 @sherrylyn628 @bdpst-massacre @xeddiesbattattsx @05secondsofsexgods @lovelyblueness @adoreyouusugar @nadixq @prozacandnicotine @munsonswhore86 @alwayslindie @thefemininemystiquee @hauntingbastille @eddie-joe-munson @ali-in-w0nderland - add yourself

[ashbrat488]

Candy - Chapter 6

Word count: 1089

Cassidy confronts August over lunch...

August glances up at Cassidy as she comes into view where he sits at the small table in the back of the restaurant. He smiles at her as she scowls, removing her yellow peacoat to display curve-hugging jeans and a light blue blouse as she took a seat beside him and lifted the menu in front of her.

Cassidy ignores August in his button-up, his tie loosened around his neck. She ignores how good he looks, as he brings his hand up to smooth his forefinger and thumb over his mustache. She smiles at the waitress as she greets the table. "I'll have the New York Strip."

"12 or 16 oz?" The waitress glances at August as he just sits quietly, waiting for Cassidy to finish.

"16. Medium. And a bottle of the Cabernet." She hands the menu to the waitress as August chuckles.

"Same for me is fine." He hands over his own menu, not taking his eyes off Cassidy as she finally glares back at him. "So? To what do I owe this pleasure?"

She takes a deep breath, trying to remain calm as they were in public. "What do you think you're doing?"

August chuckles, looking around the restaurant as the waitress comes up to them with a bottle of wine and two glasses. He rolls up his sleeves as Cassidy watches the veins on his forearms, getting momentarily distracted as the waitress poured them both some wine. He nodded at her, waiting for her to walk away before looking back at Cassidy. "I don't know what you mean. You invited me here, Ms. Turner. Called me in the middle of the day at work and insisted I buy you lunch."

She huffs, shaking her head before bringing the wine up to her lips. The wine is dry and bitter and she forces herself to swallow it as August smirks at her amused.

"You don't like it?"

She smiles as he takes his own drink, and she forces herself to take another. She made a show of ordering the most expensive bottle, and she was not going to let him win. "It's fine."

"So, doll..." he leans toward her at the table as she swallows hard, the endearment shooting straight through her as she recalled their last time together. "What are we doing here? I can get us a hotel room for the night..."

She scoffs, leaning toward him too. "No! Why did you pay for my school? And my student loans?"

"Did I?" He asks with a flirty smile, cocking his head to the side.

"Fuck you, Walker!" She spits as he grips her wrist, his smile falling as his brows furrowed and his eyes darkened.

"Watch your mouth, doll. You should be saying thank you, August. Don't give me attitude or I'm going to beat it out of you."

She could only nod as he released her, leaning back in his chair. She knew it was a threat and a promise and it was one she wanted him to follow through on. She took a large gulp of the wine, trying to stifle the sour face as she set the glass back on the table and August chuckled. "You know what I mean. Why?"

"Because I could." He responds nonchalantly with a small shrug as she just seethes, becoming angrier. "You could always work it off with me in a hotel room."

"No." She shakes her head with a groan as she feels August rest his hand on her thigh under the table.

"I miss you, doll." He rubs her thigh, moving his hand to her inner thigh, his pinky reaching her pussy as he hears a sharp intake of air. "Don't you miss our time together? Don't you miss the feel of my cock claiming your pussy?"

She feels her face heat, turning red as she leans away from him, shoving his hand away and avoiding the gaze of the waitress as she set their steaks in front of them. When they're alone, Cassidy picks at her plate. "I do what I do because I do it on my own terms. No one else's. You can't manipulate me into doing what you want, August."

"So think of it as a gift then. A bonus. Speaking of..." he brings his hand up, running his fingers gently along her collarbone and up her neck as she trembled slightly, "why aren't you wearing the necklace I bought you?"

"Because," she brings her hand up to her neck where his hand just was, "my boyfriend didn't like me wearing something from a client."

"He knows what you do?" August is surprised at this revelation as he cuts into his steak, taking a large bite.

"Yes. I don't lie about it. He just isn't allowed to know who my clients are. But I keep my relationships neat and clean so that I don't even know who they really are. And you had to go and fuck that up, didn't you?"

August laughs, much to her chagrin, obviously annoyed. "Look, I was surprised as you were. But you're here now and I don't want to sever our relationship."

"Well I do..." she spits, knowing he was about as convinced as she felt, which was not at all.

He nods, letting it go to change the subject. "So, major in economics and minor in art? Why art?"

"Because I like art and you know nothing about me, August." She flags down the waitress, handing over the plate she barely touched. "Can you box this for me, please? Also a slice of your white chocolate cheesecake."

The waitress glances at August as if asking for permission as he only nods, chuckling. He looks back at Cassidy with a grin. "I might not know much about you yet, but I will." He leans toward her, hovering his face inches from hers to really drive the point home. "And I know you miss me. I know you miss our time together. I will have you again."

She shakes her head, not moving from her spot. "Keep dreaming, August Walker." She stands up and pulls on her coat as August watches her accept the bag of food from the waitress.

He sighs, pulling his phone out, and messaging The Contractor.

August: She's on her way back home.

He pulls out his wallet and sets some cash on the table before grabbing his jacket and leaving the restaurant. The lunch didn't exactly go as well as he had hoped. But he knew he was leaving with the knowledge that she still wanted him too. And that was enough for him to work with... for now.

Chapter 7 Candy

Taglist If you want to be added or removed from my list, let me know 🫶🏻

@identity22122212 , @alicedopey , @propelkingkitten , @critfailroll, @mrsevans90 , @carrie80readss, @thearcana-moonlight, @devotedlythoughtfulanchor , @alwayzmsbehavn

[givemeonereason]

My Blue-Eyed Master Part 2

Part 1

Photo Credit: Here

Rating: Sassy Candy!

A/N: Gojo is such a tease! I can't say I wouldn't mind his flirting.

Thank you for the wait as well. I am trying to space out my pieces because it gives me a chance to cool down before starting again. Creators are all susceptible to the dreaded creator block.

If you're interested in being added to a taglist for this series, please send me an ask or a message and I'll be happy to add you :)

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Days are a blessing when they don’t have nonsense caked into them. 98% of them are no-nonsense and you like it that way.

People come into the cafe, eat and drink, converse with the ladies on staff, and leave.

There haven't been any major incidents in recent months, which puts everyone's mind at ease. It is rare, but people disobey the rules and something will be done about it. Thankfully, the police have never had to get involved. June would most likely have to shut Cafe Sakura down if that would be the case.

But, like most things, it's only a matter of time...

And that thing, is him.

Today was going good. There was a morning rush, and by rush, several tables were being taken by a small group of housewives chatting about their social club and two local college students who used the wifi to send exam papers. They all order drinks and small treats.

It's relaxing when you don't have a stereotypical crowd. The crowd is there for one thing and one thing only, girls.

It's true, that cosplay cafes are made with the fantasies of men in mind, but that doesn't mean that lots of different people don't come in to enjoy what Cafe Sakura has to offer.

Afternoon crowd, that's a different story.

People come in from all walks, and straight out of the woodwork sometimes. Salarymen on their lunch break, dear Ren who has been coming to the cafe for years since she practically raised June while her mother was working, students on their vacations, tourists who are looking for that otaku thrill, and some stragglers who stumbled in without knowing what they would find.

Halfway through your work day, you dropped off a plate of scones and clotted cream at the table you were assigned to. You smiled and gave a small curtsy towards the three gentlemen in business suits before turning away towards the back.

“..Scuse me?” You heard the suave voice before you saw who spoke. “Miss crustacean, I would like to order now.”

You stopped dead in your tracks. And closed your eyes tight.

I swear to the gods above that if it’s who, or better yet what I think it is, I’m quitting tonight.

“Helloooo?” You saw him waving at you to get your attention out of the corner of your eye. You turn towards him, the look in your eye very well would have been a K-O, instant kill, high score.

He threw his hands up in self-defense. “Woaaaaah there missy, what’s got your panties in a bunch?”

Die.

Your eyes relaxed a little but still remained narrowed at the white-haired man when you looked at him. “Who said I was wearing any?” It was deadpan, but took that shit-eating grin off his face.

His eyes went wide for a moment, but he smiled wider than he was before. “Is that an invitation?”

Die.

Keeping eye contact with him. “Sure, an invitation to go to hell.”

He smiled so wide his eyes closed. “As long as you’re there with me.” He opened one eye to make a wink at you.

God, please, if you exist, smite this man down!

“I’m not your waitress today.” You turn with your nose in the air, walking towards the coffee bar to brew a cappuccino.

The pout on his face drew the other girls to his table, rushing to take his order and steal his smiles from him.

You snickered to yourself. A small win for you.

The current standings: Jackass 1 - 1 You.

You kept the smile on your face when you walked up to a nearby table. "Good afternoon Master, what can--"

"Oh please say you'll come!" A young hostess is gawking and squealing loudly at the irritating man.

You shake your head and start over. "Forgive me, Master, Milla is very excited today. What can I get for you?"

You wrote down the small order the younger man asked for. He looked to be in college and it showed in the way he couldn't help but stare Milla's backside as she batted her eyelashes at the white-hair, blue eyes...

"Mister, please come. It's going to be so much fun!" She's gyrating and swaying her hips. "All the girls are going to dress up." She gave him the look, the eyes, and the cleavage money shot. "You'll love what my costume is going to be."

He rested his chin on his hand, elbow propped up on the tabletop. The way he looked at her over his dark sunglasses almost made her melt into the tile floor below her. She giggled. "And what is the costume you're going to wear?"

The college kid at your table spoke up, super intrigued as to what she's going on about. "Yeah, what are you going to wear?" He sounded so desperate, you thought as you set down the fruity mocktail on the table.

Milla turned so that both men could see her, giggling in a very cute way, her face flushed. "It's a secret." A finger pressed against her lips. "So that means you'll have to come find out." She poked her cheek, smiling largely.

The man who you were serving had stars in his eyes the way he stared at her. He pulled his phone out. "Just tell me when!"

She sashayed to the entrance door and grabbed a few flyers. And handed them to the guys, flashing winks at each one of them. "I'm going to be so excited to get to wear my outfit."

You looked at her, she's still so young. She has so much to learn about the ways of men. Not to say that she doesn't know much, but she's way too eager. The men eat that right up though.

You were her age once. Eighteen, almost out of high school. The guys who came to the cafe would request you by name. It was super exhausting to keep up with it every night after school, but it gave you a sense of worth. Being an honor student and working as a hostess at a maid cafe are polar opposites, but the confidence boosts what's best. Most of the time you came off as stuck up, shut out, but at the cafe, you could woo any man's fantasies.

If you truly wanted to gain that type of attention back, all you had to do was crank up the charm and the men would be at your feet. But after working there for several years there really isn't much point in trying too hard. The level of respect you received was good enough, especially from your regulars and new customers alike. You were polite and sweet and that was all you really needed to do.

"What about you Y/N?" Him again.

You turned to him with a sweet smile. If the gods won't strike him with lightning then an uncharacteristic smile from you might work. "What about me, Master?"

His smile was larger than life. He took his glasses off his face, his blue eyes peeking out behind the strands of hair in his face. Milla was blinking in his direction. Her cheeks were red. You knew what she was thinking, he's so hot. But this is just the game you're playing.

"What are you going to be dressed as?" The words practically roll off the tip of his tongue.

You stand at the front of his table and playfully pop your hip, taking your pointer finger and tapping your bottom lip. "Hmmmmm, I don't know. Do you have any suggestions?"

He tilted his chin up exposing his sharp jawline. Milla almost fell over so she turned towards you. "I know, Y/N you should be a kitty-cat. That way you can meow and wiggle your butt at all the cute boys."

Blue eyes, the college kid, and a few other tables are now listening in. "I think all of you ladies dressed up with cat ears would be really hot." A high schooler at a nearby table added.

Kiko, a tall, slender hostess with long red hair walked over to join in the fun. "Maybe we should have a kitty day. What do you think Masters?" She's egging all of them on. She's a star vixen in the cafe. And her sensuality knows no bounds. The entire cafe is practically drooling when they hear her suggestion.

A loud and pronounced, "Yeah!" could be heard from across the room. She swirled around, her hair flowing over her shoulders like a goddess. "I'll make sure to put in a word with the Mistress." She went and grabbed some more of the costume day flyers and handed them out to the other tables. "Make sure you come to see us for this too." She whispered to two middle-aged gentlemen at a table she walked passed, "I'll be wearing a Wonder Woman outfit." The men delicately folded the flyer and tried to find a place to treasure it, one in his wallet, the other shoved in the interior pocket of his jacket.

You laughed to yourself. Sometimes you forget how lively the place can be when your coworkers are stirring all the men up. And you have to admit, it's very fun to play along. Maybe you would actually enjoy costume day. It will probably be packed and who knows what ruckus is going to ensue.

The warmth from your side tore your attention away from the tables that were hooting at Kiko. The voice coming smooth in your ear. "I was thinking maybe mermaid-related since you like seafood so much." You could feel the heat of his breath against your neck. It caught you off guard.

You turned and just barely brushed your nose against his. He was bent at the waist for equal eye level. You blinked a few times getting a clear view of those celestial eyes. The burst of color like a blue void sucking you in. But mostly you notice how gentle his eyes are. You shake your head before you're lost through time and space alike. You take a step back. "I would really like to see how well you wear a shell bra."

Annnnnnd, done.

You scoff. The sugary, sweet tone of your voice back to a sarcastic cadence. "Sure, and I'll make sure to be glistening wet too."

He bent further towards you. His response was too quick with his excitement. "You will?!"

Time to take the lead! Jackass 1 - 2 You.

"Only if you kiss the girl."

He almost fell by how he moved in towards you. You took the opportunity to flick his forehead.

"Owwww." He placed a palm across his forehead. "That hurt." His nose was scrunched up, his lips pouting.

"Don't be a big baby."

He rubbed the spot marred against his skin with red. "Oh! Let me kiss it," Milla went towards him, but you stopped her. "No, let him suffer."

He narrowed his eyes at you. "Curses!" He balled his hand into a fist. "I will get you if it's the last thing I do."

"Okay, when you get back from the 1950's murder-mystery, give me a call." You laugh and walk away.

"Don't worry Master, she can be a big meanie sometimes." She took his arm and helped him back down in his seat. "You never know, maybe she's mean to you because she really likes you."

Milla and the man both heard the echoing burst of your laughter.

"I promise, she's really great." Milla sounded hopeful, her face showing worry. "I don't know what it is with you. I haven't ever seen her act like this before."

He thought for a moment. "Milla, my sweet, could you do me a favor?"

She smiled at his enderment. "Of course, Master."

If only she could have recognized the wickedness in his intention.

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© 2024 givemeonereason

Don’t steal other people’s works! Respect creators!

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[jerzwriter]

What's Cooking?

Thank you to @tveitertotwrites for the suggestion: Any pairing, Cooking from this ask. Of course, I completely crapped on the 100-word thing, but hey, it's short for me :)

Book: Open Heart (Book 2 timeframe) Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Kaycee MacClennan) Rating: Teen (suggestive, but nothing explicit) Words: 523 Summary: Ethan wakes up to an unusual surprise. A/N: Participating in @choicesseptemberchallenge2023 Day 16 Cooking

Sleeping in had never been Ethan’s thing. He believed being in bed any longer than eight a.m. was indulgent and non-productive. But as the small hand on the clock struck ten, he was blissfully smiling without a care in the world. Until the scent of cinnamon wafted into his room. He jumped out of bed and rushed to the kitchen.

“Kaycee,” he asked nervously, “What are you doing?”

“I’m cooking,” she said with a crooked smile before flipping a slice of French toast over in the skillet.

“What did we discuss last time you attempted... cooking... in the condo?”

“We decided my brand of cooking was best left to other rooms.”

“Mmm hmm,” he grinned sleepily, “and if you were to attempt cooking in the kitchen?”

She rolled her eyes with a sigh. 

“Then you needed to be present with a fire extinguisher.” 

She plated two slices of French toast and placed it before Ethan. He was astonished, but it looked absolutely... edible.

“Here, wiseass,” she teased. “I know my culinary skills are... nonexistent... but I can make a decent French toast. I think I sustained myself on it for my first year of college.”

Cautiously, Ethan cut a small square and lifted it to his lips. His eyes widened in pleasant astonishment as he cut another slice.

“I have to admit, this isn’t bad. It isn’t bad at all.”

“Would it kill you to say it’s good?”

“You should know I’m not about to give you that great of an endorsement before a second bite,” he teased.

“Hmm. That’s not what you said the first time we...”

“Kaycee...” he interrupted as she giggled.

“Just tell me how the French toast is.”

“It’s dewicious,” he muttered unintelligibly, now easily on his third bite.

“So,” she smiled with satisfaction as she straddled over him on his chair. “Can we now admit I can heat things up... to some degree... in every room in the house?”

“Is that what you were going for?” He smirked. “Because my answer to that would have been yes, even before I sampled this.”

Kaycee lifted a strawberry off the side of Ethan’s plate and shoved it into his mouth. “Would it kill you to say I can actually cook breakfast... well... one specific recipe... unless, of course, you want Cheerios, then it’s two.”

“I already said it’s delicious, so yes, I can admit. You are officially the master of French toast in this relationship. In fact, leave lunch and dinner to me. You’re our designated breakfast chef. Just remember... I’m usually up by five.”

“Ha!” she laughed, jumping up from his lap and grabbing a familiar yellow cereal box from the cupboard before placing it on the countertop. “In that case, I’ll leave this out for you each night before bed. But, Ramsey?”

“Yes?”

“I assure you, now that you’ll be sleeping with me... your up at five a.m. days are going to be a thing of the past... after all, my best cooking does not take place in the kitchen.”

“On that note,” he grinned, “shall we return to bed?”

“Of course,” she winked. “I’ll race you there.”

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Remaining tags on reblog.

[aneenasevla]

Red Velvet - Chapter 1 (part 1)

MasterList / Akane’s profile / Art by @aneenasevla

TIMELINE: this story begins after Cookies'n'Cream and at the same time as Devil's Food. If you haven't read those, I recommend you check them out. This is part 4 of an ongoing series.

Chapter 1 - Hopeless (part 1)

"Huh? Girl, what the hell!", Akane almost screamed into her phone, while talking with her old high school friend. "I was just joking around!"

Her face turned very red. That stupid comment she made on Instagram under a photo her friend had posted was still there and she wouldn't take it back, but hey, people were always saying stupid shit on social media, right?

Yes, the men in that photo caught her attention, and she really liked that hot tanned guy too, but there were at least seven or eight girls asking for his DMs, so as a second option, she turned her attention to the other two, who were as big as gorillas. Apparently the bald one was a famous MMA fighter and she was well aware of how utterly thirsty her friend was for that type of man, so she decided to look at the other one. Blonde, his hair clearly bleached, and a face so dumb-looking that she felt a little sorry for him. Of course, as a joke, she asked for his DMs...

She just didn't expect that her damn comment would be taken seriously.

"Well... that's the problem, Akane. He didn't take it as a joke," Tomori sighs on the other end of the line, sounding a little tired. "Rihito is a very literal guy. Especially when it comes to women. It's been four months and he won't fucking drop it..."

"For fuck's sake… Giiiiirl…," she rubs her face, exasperated. It was her lunch break, so she was eating at a nearby convenience store. "I even forgot about that dude's face, can you believe it? I already have too much on my plate. But is he really bothering you? Tell your pet gorilla to tell him to knock that shit off! Isn't he a badass fighter or something like that?"

"No chance, sis, he’s one of Naoh’s best friends. The most he can do is tell him to leave me alone while I'm in the middle of work. But as soon as I go to sit with them during lunch break, he resumes with his bullshit", She snorts, and Akane can imagine her rolling her eyes. He goes like 'What about your friend, Tomori? Has she made up her mind? Did you give her my number?', and so on. Seriously, I like him, but it's getting really annoying. That's why I decided to end this once and for all and tell you what's going on."

"Holy shit, that sucks", Akane sighs. "It's just that I... I just dumped an idiot, you know who... dipshit wanted something more serious and I really, really didn't, he's a bum and has nothing going on for him, you know... ?," She remembers the fight they had. "Sorry, I don't know if I want an encore for a while. You were lucky, but you know I'm not... and I really doubt that the blonde gorilla can handle a Gyaru..."

"Shit, girl…," Tomori says sympathetically. She remains silent for about two seconds before saying, more quietly, as if she had brought the phone closer to her mouth "Look, if you don't want to, just say so, and I'll tell him to drop it. But...," She hesitates a little. "I don't believe he wouldn't know how to deal with you. He... well, he's a pretty intense guy. Not to say batshit crazy. You had to hear about all the crazy things that Naoh and he were up to, it even involved the police..."

"Oh, hell no… didn’t you hear what I just said?!," She whimpers. "I don't want an idiot who has a history with the damn dogs, Tomori..."

"I know, relax. They've straightened up, I swear," She sighs. "What I'm trying to say is that your lifestyle wouldn't be a shock to this guy, because he's seen and experienced a lot of crazy shit that I can't even name properly, you know?"

"Damn…," she sighs again. In truth, she didn't want to say that it had been a few months since she had kicked her stupid, good-for-nothing fuck-buddy to the curb, but she was still too upset to start anything new... The problem was that she was already feeling the urge, and Papa Satan knew very well the type of woman she was. Hiro, her brother in arms on nights out, knew very well what she was like. "Okay, here's the thing... do you have his Instagram so I can check it out? I want to see if he can make me wanna take off my panties… but hey!," she almost shouts into the phone, as a warning. "I'm not doing this for him, didja hear me? It's only to make him leave you alone, and if you said he can handle me, I'll go all out. I won't hold back on the Gyaru gear. I want to see if he can handle the heat."

"He doesn't have an Instagram account, but I have some photos that I took with them over the months, and others that Naoh sent me. I'll send them to you. And I appreciate it, but seriously, you don't need to force yourself. If you don't want to, just say so, and I'll tell him to knock it off. Rihito is insistent as hell, but he also knows when to throw in the towel," She assures, her voice becoming a little more urgent.

"Wait, what kind of dumbass caveman-wannabe doesn’t have an Instagram account these days? And seriously, what kind of name is Rihito? That's either a really stupid name or a nom de guerre or something. If it's a nom de guerre, I understand, I even think it's cool..." 

A straight man having a nom de guerre... that was news to her. But why "Rihito”? Why a name that literally meant “beyond human reason”?

"He says it's 'social media for sissies’. Yeah, I'll let you know that he's that kind of guy. And he's got a bit better over the last few months," Tomori grunts a little. "And Rihito is his nickname. Or his public identity, as he likes to say. He likes to act like he's a comic book superhero or something. It's cute and kinda ridiculous at the same time..."

"Fuckin' hell, woman, look what you got me into…," Akane lets out a grunt.

"Sorry! I swear I wouldn't even be bothering you if I weren't sick of this. I'm doing this more out of conscience, to make it clear to him that I at least tried, because again, you don't have to accept it," Tomori guarantees, her tone now softer. "I really didn't know about your situation with your fuck-buddy. We've been so out of touch lately, now I'm feeling guilty."

"Relax, honey, I’m also to blame. I've been busy at the beauty salon too. I've also been a little down and I'm not even going out with my friends from the Izakayas anymore. They're all kinda settling down too, since they're all in their late twenties or early thirties. They're becoming like the ladies whose hair I cut and dye in the most boring colors," she makes a theatrical sound of nausea. "Nothing against your hair color, Tomoh, but it's sorta like when you're making your cookies, y'know? Eventually you get tired of seeing them every day... speaking of which, I want a box of 'em. I'll pay you the next time we meet."

"I understand, Kane. I got sick of sweet stuff for a reason, after all," Tomori laughs a little. "And of course, I'll make you a pretty fancy box. I can even offer a discount, to compensate for the trouble... oh, shit, me talking like that makes it seem like going out with him would be fuckin' torture," She laughs more.

"I'm a warrior, my dear. You know about my battles and my scars'', which were almost metaphorical, of course. She prided herself on having very good skin, thank you very much. "I endured gaslighters and even stalker threats... what's a gorilla compared to that?"

She laughs loudly. "Yeah, ​​I know all about your struggles, hahaha! And yes, he is a gorilla. A gorilla plush, in this case. He's pushy and very inconvenient, but a really nice guy once you get to know him better. He wouldn't be one of my boyfriend's best friends if that weren't the case," Akane could almost hear her smiling fondly.

"Hnf… I can only believe it when I see it, so send me those damn pics. Don't say anything to him yet, I don't promise anything either. If there's one that shows his pants, I want it too. Gotta check it out to see if it's worth it...," she laughs quietly. "My lunch break is almost over, so I'll see it later. Then I'll give you an answer, okay?"

"Okay, I'll send it as soon as I hang up. The first one will give you a good idea of ​​the quality of this specimen. The four of them took it on a day when they decided to go fishing, so clothes were a bit unnecessary, haha. The others were on nights I went out with them, casual things... and...," She now hesitates a little. "Please, don't think that this is me trying to pressure you, but... send your answer as quickly as possible, please. If I have to hear one more "what about your friend, Tomori?", I'll be forced to commit murder, which will really harm my criminal record and probably cost me a relationship, haha."

"I'm an expert on this matter and I can say that you can claim self-defense in court!," she laughs loudly, snoring a little. "Okay, I got back to the salon and my boss is already glaring at me, so I'm going to hang up. Send those pics and I'll make my decision. A punch in your eye and a kiss on your check, honey! Bye!," She hangs up.

It doesn't take long for her to hear the sound of notifications coming in, indicating that Tomori had wasted no time and was already sending her the photos. The poor thing must have been really desperate to get rid of that Rihito guy. She takes advantage of the fact that she didn't have any clients at that time and opens the photos Tomori sent her, making a discredited pout. The Gorilla type was a kind of bodybuilder who worked out to get strong, on any and every body part that there was to work on, and they ended up looking like a Hulk wannabe. The Okubo guy, who her friend menaged to put in a leg lock, was that type of man, and with excellence. He was easily almost seven feet tall, which made her wonder, with some hilarity, how they managed to fuck without him having to contort himself like a pretzel. The second one in the right corner of the photo was the hot tanned guy who had made every single woman in their social circle wet their panties. He wasn't a mountain of muscles like Tomori's boyfriend, but he had his own defined biceps, triceps, chest and abdomen to show off, accompanied by a tanned skin that would make most of her Gyaru friends jealous. The third, on the far left, was the smallest of the four, and despite appearing to be pretty fit, he was nowhere near as large as his fishing companions. His straight black hair, his affable expression and his fox-like eyes gave him a somewhat intellectual air; most likely the brains of that group. And the last one, right next to Okubo…

"Gorilla" was certainly an appropriate definition. He was huge. Really huge, with a broad chest where you could bury your face in and stay there until you suffocated, and if you tried to escape, the absurdly muscular arms wouldn't allow it. His six-pack would give Tomori's boyfriend's a run for its money. His face at first glance wasn't anything special (the tanned guy was by far the most handsome of the group, there wasn't any doubt), but his eyes were big, green and very expressive. They showed a somewhat smug happiness as he lifted the huge fish by the fishing line, which seemed to weigh nothing to him.

"Hnmm…," she licks a little of the lollipop she had bought to accompany the tedious afternoon that would be the second half of her working day. She zooms in on the photo, wanting to see a specific part better…

And those stupid baggy swimming trunks didn't show much. Damn it. Normally she was good at figuring these things out. But it seemed proportionate, which left her giving it the benefit of doubt. Yeah... he seemed like her type. He could even become a nice fuck-buddy... she checked the other photos. They didn't have much focus, but they confirmed that she needed to see it in person to know... he had a nice ass too; apparently someone also worked well on that. She looked at a photo with another guy with wavy black hair, and she got a little interested, but she looked away as soon as she saw him sitting with his arm around the shoulders of another friend of hers. Oh, so Kanami the Butch got herself a boyfriend too? Attagirl! And a hot one too… she nodded in approval. Okay, back to the blonde guy.

After a thorough analysis, she shrugged. Yes, he was her type, in addition to having a nice body. He also seemed kinda cute and practically had “idiot” written all over his face. Just the way she liked it. She starts to tip a response.

Panther:

Verdict: he'll do

hey wolfie, tell this guy I wanna test him

but if he complains about my style, I'll kick him to the fuckin curb

also, you said rihito isn't his real name, right? 

what's this specimen called?

Wolfie:

you're completely within your rights, panther! 

but I don't believe he'll do that, he likes women who aren't afraid to show their bodies

naoh almost punched him once when he caught him looking at my legs lmao

and his name's ichiro 

nakata ichiro

but he prefers the nickname

again, superhero with a secret identity

kinda cringe xD

Panther:

I told ya, if it's a nom de guerre, I'm cool with it

I have one after all

still, don't send him my number yet

from what I know about this guy, he'll probably keep sending me dick pics 

no matter how much I wanna see it, it's still gross, c'mon

Wolfie:

I didn't give him your number for that very reason 

he'd definitely call you a hundred times and send you some gross stuff

but he calmed down when I suggested he make an instagram account to talk to you 

fragile masculinity, imma right?

Panther:

oh boy... I foresee some debates, and not the good kind...

sheesh, here comes a old hag for us to salvage

sort everything out for me and I'll give you a really nice trim as a thanks 

what do you say? 

afterall you now have a human king kong to impress

Wolfie:

girl, I love you so much! 

I'm in! 

and yes, he loves to run his hands through my hair, so it's good to keep it nice and smooth hahaha

they're coming back from their trip in a couple of days, so I'll give them the news 

you can choose the best day for the date

Panther:

any weekend is fine

I have nothing scheduled, not even for the holidays, so it's up to you

just remember that it’s almost winter, so I wanna go somewhere warm, for god’s sake.

Wolfie:

leave it to me!

now I'm gonna let you do your thing

 I know that's a lot of work hahaha

I'll send you a message when I sort everything out with him

I just have to let you know

I wasn't exaggerating when I said he's intense

he's the clingy type, and is kinda difficult to push him away

so, if you need to, put your foot down 

he's a bit clueless but he understands what ‘no’ means

Panther:

sweetheart, you're talking to a professional

get a grip

and I'm in the mood for a physical dude

mama’s gonna eat good 🍑🍑

Wolfie:

LMAO 

yeah, I know you

but I'm warning you for a reason

he's really strong

like, REALLY strong

so you better lay your boundaries from the beginning

cause if he grabs you, it will be difficult to get out of his hug lol

Panther:

bitch you're scaring me a little here

do you want me to fuck him or not?

"Tomori, I need help at table three...," Kanami's voice echoes from the counter, arriving in the kitchen and turning down the volume "There's a group of teenagers here and a young Gyaru here who eats like a freakin' pig... Sounds like my boyfriend, I swear…"

Tomori laughs loudly "Okay, Kanny, I'm gonna help you with Ohma's clone!," She calls over her shoulder before finishing typing her answer on the phone.

Wolfie:

go ahead, I said he's nice, and he is

it's just that I worry about how you'll feel, considering you just came out of a bad situationship

and he may not understand that at first

he's a nice guy but he's not the sharpest tool in the shed

Panther:

girl, don't rain on my parade 

let me have a taste first

I'm a pro, I'll fold him like a napkin, trust me

now bye, go find something else to do

And her icon went offline.

Tomori sets her phone aside and gets up from the table with a sigh. Well, her part was already done. Rihito was going to owe her a big one. She worries for a few seconds, wondering if that was a good idea. But she didn't fear so much for her friend. She feared more for her boyfriend's friend. He had no idea who he was messing with... but perhaps an experience with the fierce predator that was Agata Akane was what that dumbass needed.

…

"Wait, really, babe?," Okubo blinks, while they were returning home, after he sent the other three idiots away and picked her up from work. "You really convinced your friend to go on a date with him?"

"I did. Even I'm finding it hard to believe that it worked!," She widens her eyes at him, an arm around his waist while he rests his on her shoulders. "Do you remember that post I made on Instagram, a few months ago, with that photo we took that Saturday? The five of us, after we left the market."

"Yeah, I remember. And I also remember what happened a few weeks later. Rihito spent fuckin' forever talking non-stop, and on the second weekend we beat his ass because we were fed up. I even left him limping, so he got the message, hahahaha! But yeah, he even said this chick's name, Akane. He kept bothering Himuro to look at her profile and everything. That was the last straw, dipshit refuses to make a profile and wants to invade her DMs with other people's accounts. Can you believe it?"

"That's so mean, Naoh, hahaha!," She laughs loudly, resting the side of her head on his chest. "But yeah, he deserved it. Akane thought that his beef with Instagram was stupid, but she overlooked the rest. Lucky him," She shakes her head. "I swear to you, love, I only did it because he wouldn't stop bothering me. Every single day! All I had to do was sit down to have lunch with you guys and he would start talking his ass off! I was almost beating him myself, sorry about that."

"No, relax. I was actually hoping that next time you would bring your baseball bat because I’m fed up too. But the hardest part will fall on your friend's shoulders, you know, he could do something stupid and she would run away from him like the devil runs from a cross."

"Oh, you don’t have to worry about that…," She smiled at him, and that smile was sharp, almost dangerous. "Akane isn’t the type to run away like that. It's the others who run away from her. Rihito is going to be in for a real surprise, trust me."

"Hnmmm...," he didn't seemed very convinced. "Look Tomori, I don't know... I've seen Rihito go after lots of women, in all shapes and sizes, and... it's kinda sad, actually. He really doesn't know how to behave around women. I mean, he was even worse than me, he only behaved a little when we were all together and...," his eyes widened, and his face lit up. "I have an idea! Tomoh, how about a double date?"

"Huh?," She blinks at him, her mouth opening in surprise. "A double date? Like, you, me and the two of them?"

"Yeah! This way I can hold the idiot back. I mean... with us together, he'll hold his tongue and he won't feel obligated to impress her, you know? Not to mention that if you need to, you can take her to the bathroom and have a chat, then you can give me a hint as to whether everything's going well or not. I... I feel like I owe him this one,  y'know..."

"... Oh. You still feel indebted to him, don't you? For what he did after our disastrous first date...," That was now a distant memory that no longer affected her, so she could remember the humiliation of having to deal with a completely drunk Okubo in a public place without it upsetting her. "I understand. I think I would feel the same way. It was because of what he was willing to do that I concluded he was a nice guy after all."

"Yeah… so… do you think it'll work? And...," he pulls her closer to him, smiling mischievously. "I miss you, y'know... after we've both left, we can have some quality time for ourselves too. What do you say?"

She smiles sweetly at him, hugging him sideways, snuggling the side of her head against that broad chest that she loved to use as a pillow. "I was thinking the same. I miss you too... our last outings were to my parents' house, and there I can't cuddle with you the way I like, haha. So yes, it was a great idea!"

"See? From time to time I have some good ideas, I'm not that stupid…," he jokes, smiling at her.

"You're not stupid. You just have a simpler and more direct mentality, and a lot of good things can come out of that. Like now," She jokes too, taking his hand in hers and placing a small kiss on its back.

At that moment they arrive at his car. He opens the door for her, closes it when she gets in and walks around to get on the other side.

NEXT CHAPTER HERE