#I honestly wonder if my heart could take it

[genshingorlsrevengeance]

Hello hello! I was just reading through your account and saw the ask of some hsr characters being the big spoon, so I was wondering if you wouldn't mind doing hsr characters being the little spoon? I was thinking characters like, Silver Wolf, Asta, Acheron and Firefly, if that's ok with you.

Have a good one!

(H:SR) Silver Wolf, Asta, Acheron, Firefly, Feixiao, Qingque, Serval, and Tingyun being asked to be the small spoon

(Silver Wolf) "'Kay."

Silver Wolf doesn't get flustered nor does she really hesitate to let S/O hold her.

As long as they don't block her arms and hands from moving and to keep playing her game, it's good.

It's a nice feeling, sure, but she's too busy grinding.

For in the grim darkness of the far future, there is only material grinding.

(Silver Wolf) "...What? Turn down the brightness? Hang on, just need to see in this cave for a second-"

(Asta) "A-Alright, go ahead!"

Asta feels honestly a little giddy being held by her S/O.

She isn't particularly shy with her affection, but to be in such an intimate space never failed to get her heart beating faster.

Asta takes a deep breath before exhaling, snuggling into S/O's chest and hugging them back.

For now, she doesn't have to worry about work, she can just decompress with their arms around her.

(Asta) "...Do you think we need to buy a new blanket? This one feels a little too thin-...N-No need? Hm. True, this would be our third blanket.-"

(Acheron) "...You may hold me if you wish."

Acheron takes a second to adjust in their hold. Normally, she was the one holding S/O.

She wasn't entirely 100% positive at first if she liked it, but with how quickly her body relaxed she figured she could learn to.

Regardless, it's something she will start to treasure, any time spent with her beloved is time well spent.

Acheron's face is unmoving until S/O's hand brushes the back of her head, holding her gently yet firmly.

(Acheron) "Is your hand stroking my hair?...No, it is not unpleasant, it's quite nice, actually..."

(Firefly) "If you don't mind...!"

Well, Firefly doesn't really need sleep that much, but she'll never pass an up an opportunity to snuggle!

As much as she enjoyed being the big spoon for S/O sometimes, she could not deny how nice it felt for someone to care for her like this.

Even if it was something small like cuddling, it still meant a lot to Firefly.

Firefly's smile is ear to ear, accompanied by a light blush as she holds S/O back, her head underneath their chin.

(Firefly) "Dream well, S/O..."

(Feixiao) "Hm, alright, guess I could!"

Feixiao as the little spoon? Now that was a novel experience!

It felt absolutely divine to her to be held by S/O like this, as well as very strange.

Usually her strong arms would be holding S/O, sober or otherwise but she could get used to this!...Probably!

Her Foxian ears droop ever so slightly as she smiles, leaning into S/O's touch as their hand caressed her face.

(Feixiao) "Just don't blame me if you wake up when I do! With your arms around me it'll be kinda hard to get out."

(Qingque) "...Is that some kind of joke, S/O?!"

As if Qingque wasn't always the little spoon anyway!

Pouting, she'll just sigh before letting S/O hold her tightly, blushing.

It takes only a few seconds for her attitude to soften, simply yawning and ready to fall asleep.

Even if the hardest thing she did today was play a few games at work.

(Qingque) "...Why am I yawning? I'll have you know I do work from time to time you know!...STOP LAUGHING!"

(Serval) "Change of pace, huh? Sure!"

Serval doesn't hesitate, at least not until S/O holds her closer, making her blush.

She fiddles with her fingers for a brief moment before shifting their arms around her stomach, allowing her to move her head backwards into them.

Serval closes her eyes with a wide smile, already feeling comfortable.

Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

(Serval) "Hm, you're really comfy too, S/O..."

(Tingyun) "Mind the tail!"

Tingyun giggles at their request, but promptly settles in after doing the proper care for her tail, making sure that S/O can't mess with it during their sleep.

But afterwards, Tingyun happily lets herself be held by S/O.

After a long day, nothing is better than being held coming home. Well, maybe that and a promotion.

But she probably shouldn't complain.

(Tingyun) "Good night, S/O!~...Hm? What about my ears?...Alright, a little touching is fine, but don't mess it up too bad!"

[8thhousepriestess]

Hi! Was just wondering what could make someone consistently outcasted/alienated/bullied in their workplace? No matter how they act or where they work? Always with co-workers, not really their bosses.

Hey fellow misfit 🖤🤩

I can totally relate to this because I’ve also felt outcasted & alienated my entire life in social settings, including my workplaces & really just any new social environment where I had to interact with others. No matter how kind, funny, or friendly I was, there were always people who really just did not like me, or made no effort to connect. I spent a good chunk of my life & growing up wondering what was wrong with me, why I couldn’t hold convos or connections like other people & why I was “socially cripple���

Anyway, here goes…

• Mars, Saturn, or Pluto in the natal 6th house or transiting…can create tension in work environments, often leading to conflicts, power struggles, or feelings of alienation. these placements might unknowingly come across as intimidating, even if they don’t mean to. 

[ Pluto transiting my 6th house gave me years of difficulties at my work places & with co workers. I ended up being wrongfully fired & I was devastated .. BUT HONESTLY BEST thing that’s ever happened to me. Pluto completely destroyed my shit. But i found ME & where I belong ]

• Mars in the natal 11th house or transiting… Can bring conflict or competition. The person may find themselves repeatedly clashing with coworkers or facing tension in team dynamics. It’s like there’s always someone who wants to get competitive with you for whatever reason which can lead to defensiveness, aggravation, fighting.

• Saturn in the natal 1st house or transiting… can give off a “resting bitch face” or make someone seem overly serious, even if they’re really just shy or approachable at heart. The 1st house represents how others perceive you, so this can lead to first impressions that feel cold or distant, even if they’re far from reality. Pretty sure this is partly why the phrase “never judge a book by its cover” exists.

• Saturn in harsh aspect (square, opposition, or conjunction)… to Venus, Sun, Moon, or Mercury can create a disciplined or rigid demeanor that others might find unapproachable. Can struggle with feeling socially accepted, often being seen as too serious or distant.

• Saturn in the natal 10th or transiting… can create professional obstacles & a sense of isolation. People with this placement may feel unsupported or excluded by coworkers.

• Saturn in the natal 11th house or transit… can make it hard to feel like you belong in social groups…workplaces included. It could take you longer in life to find where you really belong .

[ Wherever Saturn is in your chart, it brings challenges, delays & restrictions but also rewards after hard lessons are learned. It’s important to remember that Saturn isn’t punishing you. The challenges aren’t happening to you; they’re happening for you—for your growth & soul’s evolution. ]

• Chiron in the 6th house or transit… can reflect deep wounding in daily work relationships or routines. The person can often feel like they don’t fit in, no matter how hard they try.

• Chiron conjunct the Ascendant or Midheaven… can bring repetitive themes of wounding & healing in social or professional settings. Though painful, these experiences often lead to finding your “tribe” after significant personal growth.

[ When transiting Chiron made a conjunct to my MC is when I entered a new profession & finally found my tribe of like minded people. Where my puzzle piece finally fit. I first had to change my career path in order to find my place in the world/with others. So this transit triggered career change & deep healing around my confidence & self worth. Chiron is the REAL MVP ] 

• Aquarius or Uranus in the 6th house or transiting… could indicate unique work style that might make the person stand out, sometimes in a way that others misinterpret as cold/distant or difficult to relate to. You could just rub some people the wrong way. Sounds like a THEM problem, not a you problem.

• Black Moon Lilith in the 6th, 10th, 11th or transit… can indicate being scapegoated, alienated, or made to feel like an outsider in social/work settings.

• Mercury or Venus retrograde in the natal chart… can cause communication or relational styles that feel “off” to others, even if unintentional.

• Moon square Saturn.. difficulty in expressing emotions in a way others find relatable, leading to misunderstandings or feeling emotionally cold. [ I have this placement ]

• Moon square Pluto.. intense emotions that others might find overwhelming or intimidating.

• Moon square Uranus.. emotional unpredictability that can disrupt social harmony, making connections harder to maintain. One day you might feel like talking & the next you don’t. Easily upset one minute &the next bubbly & joyful. Changeable mood. Hey it happens 🤷🏼‍♀️ it’s hard being crazy 🤣 [ I have this placement lol ]

• Sun, Moon, Mercury, or Venus in the 12th house.. can make someone feel unseen, misunderstood, or overlooked, even when they try to connect with others.

• Chiron in the 12th house or transiting… reflects deep wounds around invisibility or rejection, which can play out in workplace dynamics being opposite to the 6th house. [ I have this placement ]

• Leo Ascendant… ruled by the Sun, which shines bright & radiates high energy. Some people just do not like a bright light especially if they’re unhappy with themselves. So people will try to take that light & diminish your spirit. The spiritual shade being thrown around so freely out here is real.

✨🪐💫⭐️☄️

I’m sure the list could go on but I hope you found some of these helpful/insightful to your personal situation. You’re definitely not alone. These experiences are helping you grow into your highest self.

Ultimately, it’s not about changing who you are.. you are perfectly imperfect & exactly who you are suppose to be. It’s about embracing your unique energy & finding environments that appreciate & support it. Even if that means going in a completely different direction professionally.

Thank you so much for writing to me 🥰

-🫶🏻💜STEPH

[treatbuckywkisses]

Nika the way you write !!!! Is SO !!!!!!!!!!!!! Every piece you ever make is so vivid and visual to me !! YOU ARE SUCH A STORYTELLER!!!!!!! 

CAUSE AND EFFECT 

"It’s infuriating to him, the way you get to use your powers. The way you don’t need to think about consequences, because they don’t have to be permanent, don’t have to be something you need to live with for the rest of your life. To you, time has always been something that can be changed with a single snap of your fingers. Whatever you do can just as easily be undone." - I am OBSESSED with Bucky's pov this is everything to me🥹 and the way he's thinking about readers powers being a gift while she's carrying it calling it a curse is SO scream worthy 

"With all the good that you could do, you choose to do nothing instead; to stay out of the picture entirely and burn through your powers just because you can, wasting them all on things that don’t mean anything. " - GOD YOU ARE SO EVIL this is such a realistic first impression from bucky though 😔 

"Something about her words strikes him like a match, and so he tilts his head and squints at her and thinks that maybe, just maybe, he’s got it wrong." - Bitch I have CHILLS. (Also Becca knows he's in love w her) This realization is everything. Pure perfection.

"Honestly, he can’t. He’s still trying to pick up on it, the split second between before and after, that little change of your posture, your hair, your face, that tells him more time has passed for you than it has for him. " - FUCK OFF SRE YOU ACTUALLY KIDDING ME HES WATCHING FOR HER TIME TRAVELIJHBTHROUGH SUBTLE CHANGES YOU ARE INSANE SOMEONE LOCK HER UP IM DONE WITH HER GET AWAY 

"He can’t help it. He wonders what your original answer was." - IAM KICKING MY FEET AND TWIRLING MY HAIR AND SCREAMING AND WRITIJG IN MY DIARY HE WANTS HER SO BAD I CANT STAND YOU 

"You’re grouchy in the mornings and you make terrible jokes when you’re nervous and you have a strange feud with his cat and your smile makes him want to put his fist through the wall because what is he supposed to do with any of this?" - BAGSJSG THIS IS SO FUNNY IM SO GIDDY RN UOURE INSANE KISS ME ON THE MOUTH 

"You’re you, and he’s him, and there’s a sort of "us" in the both of you that doesn’t exist in real life. So when you let him lace his fingers with yours and press your lips to his forehead and it feels easy, that’s usually the point when he wakes up, heart tumbling over itself, right hand tracing the ghost of your touch, always too much, never enough. " - oh my God get a GRIP girl I'm tearing up at this paragraph you are fucking joking and then you go and MAKE THEM HOLD HANDS OH MY GOD AND HE DOESNT EVEN FUCKING REMEMBR SRE YOU FUCKING KIDING NE RIGHT NOW THATS EVEN MORE FUCKED UO EHY DO YOU HATE ME RIGHT NOW NIKA OH MY GOD ?????????????????? 

here I am feeling all of the feelings with a SIDE PIECE you're clinically insane I can't stand you 

Pls fix my heart I can't take this i need them to kiss rn and he together forever and ever 😭😭😭😭😭

❤️ a good time!

tat!bucky’s favorite (or least favorite) thing about twelve

… why not both?

cause and effect

chapter summary: How Bucky fell in love with Twelve: Slowly, and then all at once.

pairing: bucky barnes x time witch!reader

word count: 1.8k

warnings: light angst and negative self talk (this is bucky y'all); some light pining 🤭please note that my blog is rated 18+. minors dni. ageless/empty blogs will be blocked without warning.

a/n: i've literally had this one in my drafts for about two years and i hadn't actually planned on posting it for a while yet but i did promise distractions. and i missed him. i always do.

this is part of the time after time universe but can be read as a teaser and/or a standalone 💚

Bucky’s relationship with time has been fractured ever since a cold day in January that stole away the life he was headed towards and turned him into the monster underneath a child’s bed.

It’s hard to feel good about the concept of time travel once a lot of your own time has been taken away from you. Even now, there’s only so many things in his life he has control over; like the fact that he’s actively choosing to go back to therapy now, or that he’s able to keep a pet for the first time since he was thirteen years old. Stupid little things, like what kind of food he wants for lunch or whether he should take the stairs or the elevator.

Every single one of these things he’s fought for tooth and nail, clawing his way out of the past and carving out his own space in reality again, struggling, trying, hanging on like he wasn’t able to all those decades ago.

He’s probably still failing.

Some days, clinging to the present is tense and brings him nothing but grief. Sometimes, it feels like he’s going to have to mourn the past forever, whatever might have been; and maybe that’s his sentence.

He wouldn’t have wished it on anyone. He deserves worse.

And then there’s you.

Flickering in and out of time, constantly moving, changing in the time it takes him to blink.

It’s infuriating to him, the way you get to use your powers. The way you don’t need to think about consequences, because they don’t have to be permanent, don’t have to be something you need to live with for the rest of your life. To you, time has always been something that can be changed with a single snap of your fingers. Whatever you do can just as easily be undone.

Once you decide you’ve seen enough, you can just take the scene from the top.

And you’re so stubborn.

You’ve already seen how this goes on if you let it, and so you’re always right, end of story. There’s an ease to your steps because of it, a nonchalance in every movement, and it makes Bucky’s blood boil to see it so plainly.

With all the good that you could do, you choose to do nothing instead; to stay out of the picture entirely and burn through your powers just because you can, wasting them all on things that don’t mean anything.

How many lives could you potentially save?

Instead, you consume disturbing amounts of caffeine and then continue to provide running commentary to the world around you based on things that, to him, never happen at all. "Do this", "don’t do that", "take the other one", or, his absolute favorite, "don’t make me fix that".

Why not? he wants to ask, say, demand. Why not fix all of it?

It takes a while for him to realize that all of your fire means you’re burning from both ends. In fact, it takes Becca.

"You should bring her by sometime," she tells him on a rainy afternoon. "While I’m still alive and kicking."

His little sister just turned ninety-eight. Her kitchen sideboard is filled with black-and-white pictures reminding him of all the things in her life that he missed, arranged in perfect little wooden frames.

"And why would I do that?" Bucky asks, scowling at his cards.

"Because you keep mentioning her," Rebecca says dryly and whisks the cards onto her pile with quick fingers.

"You gotta be kidding me," he groans, noting down her points. "And I don’t."

"Do, too. I don’t remember you being this terrible at this game."

"Because I haven’t caught you when you’re cheating."

"Exactly. It’s embarrassing." She wins the next trick, too. "How’s Tuesday?"

"Am I clairvoyant now?"

"I was thinking lunch."

"No." Finally, he gets a couple of points down. When he glances up at his sister again, she’s looking at him expectantly and he sighs. "What?"

"You can’t fault me for being curious," she says. She has just as many opinions as she did when she was sixteen. Her eyes are still the same, too, the same shade of blue as his and the same glimmer of archness as their mother.

"Don’t you think it’s weird?" Bucky says, finally giving in. "The whole … time thing?"

"I think it’s very weird, but so’s you returning from the dead and kvetching about it." Her eyes narrow when he starts to protest. His mouth closes again. "Besides," she continues, shuffling her hand around, "it doesn’t sound all that fun."

"To have the power to never make mistakes?"

"To have to live through every mistake twice without anyone knowing."

Something about her words strikes him like a match, and so he tilts his head and squints at her and thinks that maybe, just maybe, he’s got it wrong.

That you carry not only your past, but all the futures you’ve seen that never came to be; all the what ifs having turned into answers.

And he thinks, how nice. And then he thinks, how horrifying.

It’s a thought that follows him over the next couple of weeks, and it starts reframing your interactions for him, in a way.

"Will you stop staring at me," you say without looking up from your book.

Honestly, he can’t. He’s still trying to pick up on it, the split second between before and after, that little change of your posture, your hair, your face, that tells him more time has passed for you than it has for him.

It’s more of a feeling than anything else, something right at the back of his mind telling him that something is different if he concentrates on it enough, but he’s never sure what it is. And he doesn’t like that; not one bit.

So Bucky crosses his arms and leans back. "Why?"

A flash of irritation makes your nose twitch, even though you still refuse to meet his eye.

"It’s rude, for one."

"Noted." He waits for the two that never comes. "Anything else?"

And there it is. A blink-and-you-miss-it kind of moment, like the air shifting around you ever so slightly, a certain knowing glint in your eyes when you roll them and get up.

"Annoying!"

He can’t help it. He wonders what your original answer was.

***

Bucky’s relationship with time changes slowly, the deepest cuts carefully mending themselves until looking back doesn’t feel like getting his bones ripped apart anymore, until he looks at you on a cold day in January and realizes he’s fucked.

At first, he hopes that it might be a fluke. A trick of the light, maybe, or seasonal allergies. That’s the reason why his eyes are drawn to your face as soon as he enters a room; the closest source of discomfort always the thing he seeks out first. That’s the reason why his chest constricts like that.

But the truth is, he knows this feeling has been building slowly; he’s just been unwilling to admit it.

Something soft and delicate has started to nestle in that gaping hole inside his chest, unbothered by the walls he’s so carefully built up.

He’d never planned on you.

Fuck, if he’d known in the beginning, he might’ve …

No, he thinks. He wouldn’t have changed anything.

Because you’re too good for him, anyway, and he knows it. Smart and strong and funny and gorgeous and capable of things he’s not sure he’ll ever fully comprehend; and it’s worse than that, because he knows you now.

You’re grouchy in the mornings and you make terrible jokes when you’re nervous and you have a strange feud with his cat and your smile makes him want to put his fist through the wall because what is he supposed to do with any of this?

He’s not made for this dance anymore. That part was taken from him so long ago, and he’s delusional to think that anything or anyone could return it to him after all the bridges he’d been made to cross and burn. Why would someone like him deserve to be given tenderness anymore in this life? Why would anyone want to try?

But that foolish thing blooming inside him feels a lot like hope, despite of what he keeps telling himself.

There’s just something about you that keeps pulling him in, and honestly, he’s tired of fighting it. Then again, the thought of you feeling the same is nothing short of ridiculous.

He’s not the same guy as he used to be. Hell, sometimes he’ll look at old photographs and barely recognize himself.

He remembers life before, and maybe that’s what makes this so hard. He remembers talking to pretty girls, their bright smiles, their soft skin underneath his hands. Good times were easy to come by, even though life was hard in a different way, then. But he was good at it; acting on his feelings alone used to be simple, fun, second-nature almost.

It’s different now.

It used to be different only once before, and look where that’s gotten him.

No, he can’t say anything. Not ever; or not yet, at any rate.

Sometimes, though, Bucky lies awake at night and listens to the rain knocking against his window, and he remembers how much easier falling asleep used to be when he had someone next to him and his mattress didn’t swallow him alive.

He’ll remember the dark circles under your eyes and wish it could be as easy as asking, too. He wonders if there’s a universe you remember where he tries, but he doubts it.

These days, he knows his mind again. And it’s not a burden he wants to share.

You have enough to carry on your own.

Maybe, he thinks as he stares up at the ceiling at three in the morning, maybe there’s still a certain comfort in your powers, in knowing all the possibilities, but it also means constantly losing something that’s real; always mourning the life that isn’t.

He can relate to that.

And maybe that means you can relate to him, too, at least a little bit.

It’s odd, how comforting that last little thought is to him.

When he does eventually fall asleep, you make your way into his dreams, too, sometimes. Those times are the worst.

You’re you, and he’s him, and there’s a sort of "us" in the both of you that doesn’t exist in real life. So when you let him lace his fingers with yours and press your lips to his forehead and it feels easy, that’s usually the point when he wakes up, heart tumbling over itself, right hand tracing the ghost of your touch, always too much, never enough.

He knows it’s not real.

He knows it’s just an indulgence; selfish, really.

The problem is that whatever small hope has decided to settle in his very core is impossible to kill, no matter how much he pushes it down; and he’s not sure he wants to lose it again.

Secretly, silently, serendipitously, you make him have faith in the future again.

But it’s not time for it yet.

if you want to read more about these two (plus a lot of time related shenanigans), read the main series here. or check out the rest of my bucky fics, that's also an option 💚 i don't do tag lists but you can follow @intrepidacious-fics for update notifications

[mt-oe]

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

Hey dears!

Thank you so much for understanding ;; I was honestly very scared because it felt like I was making excuses. Don't worry. I'm getting professional help currently and I'm trying my best. People like you deserve the best in life.

On another note, I love this idea so much ❤ I've always wanted to write something like this but often forget to or life just gets in the way. In a way, this kind of helped me push towards that agenda.

Hope you enjoy! Mwa mwa :*

note/s: not proofread, implied afab reader, she/her for mizu, fluff, menstruation

"Just a little bit more."

...you told yourself for the nth time this afternoon. What could have been a productive afternoon which could have been filled with adventures in the local markets ended up with you staying indoors while your wife looked for whatever she could buy with the little money you had.

It wasn't like you wanted to stay inside. You wanted to help her. You really do. However, the past few days, your back had been acting up badly. At first it started with a dull pain, a slight throbbing pain on your lower spine whenever you walked or stood up for too long. Then, the pain started turning into a constant ache. A type of pain that felt like your spine was creaking and was about to snap at any moment until you couldn't take it anymore.

Mizu never really understood your pain. Both of you had extremely irregular cycles, her's probably worse, but her goddamn pain tolerance was something to be envious of. And whenever her periods did hurt, she was never one to dwell on the pain. This woman was immovable.

You, however, were a different story.

Sometimes you'd lay on a bed of leaves, looking at the stars with your eyebrows knitted together, teeth gritted, and a fist punching your lower stomach lightly in a steady rhythm, wondering if you were some kind of disaster in your past life to deserve this pain.

Thankfully, your wife never really judged you for that.

At first, she was insistent that you kept pushing on your travel, that it was just a little bleeding. However, no matter how cold her exterior was, her heart couldn't take the sight of your pale lips and the sound of your stuttered labored breathing. It didn't take long for her to crumble and for you to burst into tears in her arms.

After some time, both of you sort of eased into it.

Well...mostly her.

Periods never really became easy for you.

This led you to your current situation now.

The two of you had just settled in a small, fancier inn last night. Usually, the two of you would find a cheaper place to save money, but the growing exhaustion on your face and the sluggishness of your movement began to concern Mizu; thus, both of you settled on the first inn you saw.

It was slightly more pricey than the ones you usually settled in, and that made you feel a bit guilty. Despite her insistence that it was okay, you promised you'd make it up to her by helping her look for cheaper food options in the market. However, this morning, you surprisingly woke up feeling like hell. Your nose slightly congested for some reason, your skin feeling a bit more sensitive, and worst of all, your back sending waves of pain with each movement. You didn't know what was going on. You were pretty sure you were doing a good job at keeping yourself healthy despite the conditions the two of you were in.

Each gust of wind against your skin felt like a dull blade attempting to run across the smooth expanse. The congestion of your nose was making the simple task of boiling water a chore. You couldn't go out like this and both of you knew it. Even if you did try to help, you'd end up risking getting sick anyway.

After several attempts on trying to convince your wife that you were okay, that you could go with her, she finally shut you down. Her tall figure towering over you for a moment before a soft audible exhale passed through her nose. Warmth covered your being as she slowly yet tenderly wrapped her arms around you, kissing the top of your head, leaving you with no words and the silent reassurance that it was fine.

A little while later, you soon grew bored of tidying up and undoing and redoing your hair, and decided you were going to wait for her to come back. With your hand alternating between massaging and lightly pounding your back, you got up and made your way past the silent hallway, footsteps echoing, and sat down on the genkan.

It was...an odd place to stay, yes, but it was better than the lonely confines of your room.

Sighing softly, you rested your head against the cypress beam, eyes staring at the door with a sense of unexplainable exhaustion. A slight churning sensation twisted in your gut as the minutes turned an hour, and the hour turned into hours.

You knew Mizu was strong, but what was taking her this long? Yeah sure, Mihonoseki wasn't exactly known for vegetables, but buying some shouldn't take you hours.

Was she okay? Did she run into trouble? She had always been a magnet for trouble. Did she get scammed? Did she run into some prettier woman who she wanted to wife up more than you? Nononono—

'Okay, let's stop overthinking,' you thought to yourself, taking a deep breath in. Besides, your back was an even bigger problem right now.

Straightening yourself up, you slowly exhaled, closing your eyes as you took another deep breath in an attempt to ease your ache. The pain wasn't actually dissipating, but you liked to think it did.

As the cycle of you taking a deep breath in and exhaling slowly continued, your body slowly started relaxing despite the miserable ache your spine was feeling. Taking another deep breath, your hand stopped massaging your back and fell on to the smooth varnished wood beneath you. The sound of the busy street or the footsteps of the guests in the inn seemed to fade in the background, your eyelids relaxing. Before you could even process it, sleep enveloped you like a blanket of comfort.

Some time after, the door slid open quietly, allowing the breeze to enter the warm constraints of the establishment. Mizu's figure entered before pausing at the sight of you curled up near the entryway. Her cold eyes softened, feet automatically carrying her towards her love with soundless steps.

A soft exhale passed her nose as she crouched down, setting the produce and herbs she had just bought down. Gently, her fingers made their way to your cheeks, caressing them as if you were made of porcelain. Her thumbs made their way to your eyelids, feeling the warmth under them. Then, your brows, gently gliding over them and making their way to your temples which she gave a soft press. A small, almost undetectable smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

Mizu continued to admire your features a bit longer before deciding to stop. Taking a quick look around, she placed her purchases on your lap, moving your arms to hold them loosely, and hooked her arms under your knees and around your shoulders. She tightened her arms around you as she stood up, carrying you bridal style, adjusting to make sure you and the things she bought were secure as she brought you back into your room.

The soft plush of the futon greeted your skin as she set you down to do her own chores quietly. It was a comfortable silence. The type that she was only able to feel around you.

Soon, the sun had set but you were still deep asleep. It was starting to concern her, but you weren't showing any sign of a fever. Unable to think of a reason for your body's distress, she did the best course of action she could think of which was to rest.

A little while later, a soft groan rang through the air as you woke up. It was dark and you could barely see anything. However, one thing was apparent to you. You were no longer sitting on the genkan and the sun was no longer up. Blinking, you tried to make things out through the darkness and recognized your wife's figure.

Your eyes widened a fraction before softening. With a soft touch, your fingers combed through her hair in a steady pace. Usually, the feeling of her strands across the pads of your fingers would comfort you. However, this time, you couldn't explain it but it made you feel...guilty.

Has she been waiting for you all this time? Oh gosh, she probably carried you all the way here. "Love..." you whispered breathily before sighing. It was a small thing but a lump in your throat was forming. You felt so grateful and yet so guilty. So touched yet you wanted to sob just from imagining her carrying you.

However, the emotional rollercoaster you were in was abruptly cut off. Maybe the tea you had this afternoon was starting to terrorize you because goddamn you needed to go relieve yourself. 'Great fucking timing,' you huffed to yourself mentally. Shifting a bit, your face soured even further.

Why the fuck did your clothes feel sticky? Greaaaat. Now you were just plain annoyed.

Ignoring the ache in your back, you pushed the covers off and got up, making your way towards the outhouse. With each step, the more your discomfort grew. You couldn't really see it through the darkness but you could feel a patch of wetness on your behind and it was NOT helping your mood at all.

Leaves crunching reverberated through the air as you approached the outhouse, glaring at the squat toilet. The stench was catalyzing the growing disgust boiling in your system. At this point, all you wanted to do was piss and go back and crawl into Mizu's arms.

However, the moment you lowered yourself, an odd feeling of something jelly-like leaving you alarmed you. Your eyes widened as you froze and slowly looked down.

A clot.

Immediately, your eyebrows furrowed, panic starting to set in you. Grabbing the back of your kimono, half a gasp and half a groan disgustedly escaped you upon seeing the red taint your digits.

This seriously couldn't be happening right now.

You already felt so guilty, making your wife spend so much money on an inn and making her go out alone. Now, you had to be an even bigger burden.

Your breathing grew shakier with each breath. The guilt was starting to weigh down on you. Poor Mizu. Always having to deal with you. How could do this to her? Thoughts continued to flood your mind as tears started to line your eyes. You were feeling so many shitty things right now and you felt so fucking bad. Shit. The futon was probably stained too. You didn't even bring a cloth with you right now. Your clothes would be so fucking stained and smell so fucking bad and—

Fuck. You can't take this anymore.

Sobs softly left your lips as you stood up and glared at the ground. You couldn't even bring yourself to go back. Everything hurts. Your tummy, your back, and not to mention how sticky the drying blood was. You also felt so bad and so ashamed for making Mizu deal with your errands the whole day. Soft trembles racked your shoulders as the tears continued to drip down from your eyes.

Suddenly, you saw a pair of feet stop just in front of the wooden enclosure of the outhouse, prompting you to stop. You couldn't see the person's face and who knows what they intend to do. "It's occupied," you muttered, sniffling softly.

"I know," the sound of your wife's gruff voice could be heard. Her feet turned towards the entrance, about to walk towards it before she stopped, deciding against it. "Are you alright?"

"No," you immediately shot back, regretting it immediately. Your guilt dug deeper at how harsh you sounded but...you can't help it. You felt so damn frustrated.

A squeak reverberated through the air as Mizu leaned her weight against the wooden panel, a silent sign that she was waiting and listening. Your eyebrows furrowed while you looked at her feet, wondering how could she be so patient with you. Taking a deep breath, you opened your mouth to speak, "I'm...bleeding."

She didn't reply immediately, her eyes flickering between her two feet as she thought of how to respond. After a moment of silence, she finally replied, "I know. I saw it on the sheets."

"But that's not what I'm asking," she continued, pushing herself straight. "I'm asking if you're alright." Her tone was firm but soft. You could tell that she wasn't mad. It wasn't like a 'no' you barked out sufficed. You weren't okay, and she knew that, but she wanted to know how she could help.

The question that left her lips, the softness, everything invoked another sob from you, unable to handle how loving she was. "No," you repeated, voice quivering. "I don't know what to do. I bled onto my clothes and the futon too," you started to spill.

"As if that wasn't bad enough, I didn't bring a cloth and it stinks here and I feel so guilty for leaving you to look for supplies and...and now I'm being so unreasonably emotional," you began ranting.

Mizu's eyebrows furrowed at your sentiments. She remained silent once again before she audibly exhaled. "May I come in," she asked.

You nodded even when you knew she couldn't see you before sniffling out a small 'yes'. Grass crunched underneath her feet as she walked in. In her hands was a cloth. "What's that for?" you asked.

"Lift your kimono up. I'll help you," she said, already approaching you. Your sobs reduced into soft sniffling as you lifted your kimono up obediently. Immediately, she began tying a fundoshi on you, making sure it covered what was needed before she took off her coat and wrapped it around you, hiding the blood on your clothes. Each movement, each touch firm yet soft at the same time.

"Let's go inside," she breathed against your ear, hands on your shoulders and gently guiding you inside.

As soon as the two of you were back in the comfort of your room, she immediately helped you change into more comfortable clothing, tossing the bloodied ones in a pile along with the futon covers.

Now both of you sat on her futon, a hot cup of tea in your hands while you spilled your feelings out to her. Turns out the reason why Mizu took hours in the market was because she had already suspected your period before you even realized it and had decided to buy some medicinal herbs to ease your pain. Learning this, you began to wrack up in sobs again, making her eyebrows knit together ever so slightly.

Her rough, calloused hands swiped against your cheeks, feeling the heat radiating from them, wiping your tears off. Your eyes look up at her, head resting against her shoulder. "I'm sorry," you sniffled quietly. "I don't know why I'm feeling this much. I swear I'm not trying to—"

Suddenly, the feeling of her pulling you closer cut you off. Your body froze for a moment and slowly, you wrapped your arms around her. You could hear her soft, slow breathing against your ear, the rhythm calming your tears down slightly.

She continued to hold you close tenderly as the time passed by, nothing but comfortable silence between you. With a soft, content-sounding sigh, she pulled away, eyebrows relaxing at the sight of you looking at her with those glossy doe eyes before she pulled you in again. Despite not knowing what to say or what to do to comfort you, she still wanted you to feel reassured that she wasn't mad nor did she feel burdened.

The comfort of her being around yours helped ease the storm of emotions boiling in your heart. As you calmed down, you felt her strength push you down carefully, laying you down to rest and joining you. With the love she enveloped you in, your eyes started growing heavy until you finally fell asleep.

It didn't matter how bothersome your period was. Mizu was always glad to be with during this time. The same way you always are when she needed you, she'll be there with you when you need her. Always loving.

[kurokawaia]

❛ I MISSED YOU !! ❜

Uchiha Sasuke 彡 Fem!Reader

MDNI 18+ | WARNINGS :: Post war sasuke, the last! sasuke (so like 20 y/o), sasuke x fem reader, reader is a female, afab, fem anatomy, she/her, reader is said to be a medic nin and likes the colour pink, ooc sasuke?? soft but mean sasuke at the same time?, NSFW, oral -> male receiving, implied size difference/kink (reader is a ways smaller than him), throat fucking? implied cock warming, cum swallowing, use of 'good girl', mean? praise, possession + more . (total word count 2.6k+)

⋆·˚ ༘ * SYNOPSIS :: Sasuke has been away for a mission, or more so, trying to rekindle and make up his mistakes by travelling around and looking out for any sign of Otsutsuki. It's been so long since he's been home, his home is you, he can't stand being away from you any longer, so, he asks you something you didn't even expect.

m.list | naruto m.list | uchiha m.list

Thinking about Sasuke coming home from a long mission, two months you think he's been away for, maybe even longer. However, in reality he was only gone for three weeks but you like to over exaggerate sometimes... what else could you say though, you need Sasuke so much in your life.

Your shared house is so empty without him, you can't wait until he comes home. It was the daily tasks that are difficult without Sasuke near you, falling asleep (you don't have anyone to snuggle up agaisnt when he's gone), making breakfast + lunch + dinner for only yourself knowing that Sasuke loves your food causes your heart to ache because you wonder if he's feeding himself alright food.

You don't even want to start on how alone you feel in the house knowing you can smell Sasuke's soft cologne on his cloths the moment you open the wardrobe. His toothbrush, his shampoo and conditioner, his plain white towels set up on the rack in the bathroom (you use pink towels).

All this stuff making you realise how much you love him, not even work can take your mind of him and healing patients is quite a tasking job to focus on, yet he fills your mind completely. When Sasuke does come home, you hear the door click open and your head perks up instantly from wherever you are in the house, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen etc.

If Sasuke could see you right there and then, the moment you hear the click at the door, he would definitely picture you being like a puppy, all excited to see their favourite person. Honestly, as much as he doesn't want to tell you, he thinks that it's cute, how much you love him being around and getting all excited when he comes home.

You come to him so fast he almost stumbles back into the door as your arms wrap tightly around his neck and shoulder. He gets an instant hit of your vanilla perfume, your strawberry shampoo and conditioner. The smell of home. Sasuke wraps an arm around your waist, leaning down to make you more comfortable even though you are still on the tips of your toes.

As your head buries into his neck, a sigh of content leaves your plump lips, relishing in how his strong arm wraps around you and how the smell of mint completely engulfs your senses. "I missed you so much, Sasuke," you say softly, although, your voice is mumbled due to clinging to you man so tightly.

His arm moves higher up your back and he savours every single inch of warm radiating from your body before his hand cradles the back of your head. "I know," he murmurs gently into you ear. "I missed you more," before placing a soft kiss to the side of your head.

"How long... will you be home for? Before you're off again," you ask slowly, hesitantly. You don't even want to know his answer, because it's just doing to make your heart ache again, but that's what happens when you love someone.

Sasuke lets out a sigh which is so quiet you almost missed it and then you knew what his reply was going to be. "A couple days, my love," he confirms and your grip tightens around him before you steadily unravel your arms from him.

As you now stand before him, a soft sheen of tears in your eyes, Sasuke's hand plants itself on your waist, pulling you closer into him once more. Your head meets his chest as your fingers grip his coat, the black material scrunching underneath. His chin sits on the top of your head.

Neither of you knew how long you were there for, just standing at the front of the door, holding each other. Sasuke's heart aches at the sight of you. He's finding that it's getting harder and harder for him to leave you as the time goes by, he doesn't know how much longer he can stand to be away from you.

Sasuke gently lifts your chin, his dark eyes meeting yours. His thumb brushes across your cheek, wiping away a stray tear as he leans in, his lips barely grazing yours. "You don’t know how much I think about you when I’m away," he murmurs.

Your hands clutch his coat tighter, pulling him closer, your bodies pressing together even closer than before. His lips capture yours in a kiss that starts gentle but deepens quickly. The way his hand slides down to the small of your back, pressing you even closer and it makes your knees weak.

You miss him. You miss him so much it hurts. You miss the way he holds you while you sleep, you miss when he cooks something that can't be eaten, how his lips feel on yours. You miss how safe you feel with him the most.

A soft, breathless moan escapes your mouth, getting swallowed by the kiss and Sasuke responds by pulling you tighter, his hand tangling in your hair. His lips trail down to your jawline, leaving a burning path to your neck, where he places slow kisses that make you tremble. You feel his warm breath against your skin as he whispers, "I don’t want to waste a single moment we have together."

You can feel your heart pounding as Sasuke's lips linger on your neck. He pulls back just enough to look into your eyes, a soft smile playing on his lips. "Come on," he murmurs, taking your hand gently in his taking you to your shared bedroom.

You both sit on the edge of the bed. His fingers trace gentle patterns on your back, and you rest your head on his shoulder. "I’ve missed this," you whisper, your voice barely audible. "Just being here with you."

Sasuke tilts his head, pressing a soft kiss to your temple. "Me too," he replies. His hand finds yours, lacing your fingers together as he leans back slightly, bringing you with him. You settle into the familiar embrace, your head resting against his chest, feeling the rise and fall of his breaths.

For a while, you both stay like that, wrapped in each other’s warmth, the world outside fading away. His hand gently brushes through your hair, and you can feel the tension from the past weeks slowly melting away.

You don't think you could survive Sasuke leaving again. You need him here with you. It doesn't matter where you are, you just need him with you.

Sasuke shifts, his lips finding yours again in a kiss. It’s unhurried, he wants to savour your touch. His hand trail down your sides, guiding you to lie back against the pillows, his weight pressing gently against you.

The kiss deepens, his touch becoming more insistent as his fingers brush against the hem of your shirt, pushing it up slightly. You shiver under his touch, your body reacting to the familiar sensation of his hands on your skin. He pulls back just enough to look at you.

"You’re all I thought about," he murmurs, his hand caressing your soft cheek.

Before Sasuke can continue, you abruptly sit up, pulling away from him. His brows knit together confused, watching you. "What’s wrong?" he asks slowly.

If he was being honest, he could almost laugh at your actions. Your hair is messy, one strap of your bra fell of your shoulder and your blinking wide eyed at him. Cute.

You don't answer right away because your heart is pounding. You aren't nervous, that's not it, you want more. Anticipation. Without a word coming from your lips, you lean forward to Sasuke and place your hands on his chest, your fingers unbuttoning his coat, letting it fall to the floor.

This is before your hands slide under his shirt, your small hands resting above his pelvis and he lets out a deep sigh at your touch, shivers running down his spine. Then, you grip the hem of the black fabric and Sasuke takes it as a sign that you want the garment off his body, revealing his abs and chest.

You about to melt. All of this, all of Sasuke, this six foot man of abs and a nice back is all yours.

Gently you push him down to the bed which catches him off guard and his eyes widen almost confused. Sasuke has never seen you be this confident when the two of you are intimate. "What are you up to?" he murmurs amused.

You lean over him, your hands resting on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath your palms. "I just missed you," you say softly. "And I want to make sure you know it."

Sasuke's smirk deepens, his hand coming up to rest on your waist. "I think I’m starting to get the idea," he replies, his eyes never leaving yours.

You lean down, capturing his lips in a slow kiss, pouring all the love you’ve been holding onto into the moment. Your hands slide up to tangle in his hair as you press yourself closer, relishing the feeling of his strong arm wrapping around you once more before his fingers unhook your bra clasp. Without pulling away from the kiss, you managed to get the straps off your arms, the bra now laying somewhere.

As the kiss deepens, you both lose yourselves in each other. Sasuke’s hand roam your back, pulling you closer, his lips moving with yours. Shivers run through your body as his tongue forces itself deeper into your mouth and hopeless whimpers get consumed by Sasuke as did his own groans emitting from his throat.

You move from his lips trailing slow kisses down his neck, sucking softly at the skin, knowing you will be leaving marks. It wasn't before long where you finally skimmed your mouth across his toned abs, (your favourite part) and then made way down to his abdomen. You can feel him getting restless under neath you as you place a kiss to his clothes dick, causing him to jerk under beneath you. "Don't tease me, love," he sighs breathlessly.

"Of course, Sasuke," you tease affectionately pulling down his boxers (with the help of Sasuke lifting his hips slightly for you) and his lengthy cock hits his abdomen, now, no wasting any time, you don't know how long you can hold out.

Placing a soft kiss to his tip, his head leans back into the plush pillow, a breathy moan leaving his mouth. He wanted so desperately to wrap your hair into his fingers and push your head down to his base, but he had to hold out, not yet, he repeats over and over in his head. Sasuke will let you have your fun for now.

You lick a long stripe up from the underside of his throbbing cock, trailing the sensitive vein up to his flushed tip, Sasuke's breathy groans fueling you to continue. Your panties are getting more and more soaked by the second. Plump lips move to his tip, wrapping tightly as you hollow your mouth, but Sasuke couldn't take it any longer with your slow teasing moves, he knows you want to savour him, but he can't take it.

You have him all to yourself for the next couple days, but now he just wants you.

Sasuke's fingers entangle with your strands, and you let out a breathy sigh before he pushes your mouth further down his cock, taking him inch by inch, all until his throbbing shaft is nudged all the way down your warm throat until you can't take any more. He looks down at you with his pupils blown wide as you struggle to take him all, but he knows his pretty girl can do it, you're made for him.

A groan leaves his mouth, hips slightly twitching up, forcing more down into your mouth causing you to gag softly. Sasuke letsb his hand leave your hair to affectionetly rub small circles on your cheek with his thumb. "You can take it, love," Sasuke says before groaning, head tilted back. "Come on, you can do it for me."

You hum, agreeing, and the vibrations cause a hiss to leave the uchiha's mouth. You wrap one hand around the base of shaft as you begin to bob your head along his cock.

You were trying to take him as deep as you could without gagging on his cock, using your hand to jerk off the reminder that didn't fit into your mouth. Sasuke moans grew louder before he struggled to maintain a still stature. Sasuke began to move your head through the tuffs of your hair, your movements not your own as you removed your hand and let him take control.

He moans, "That's it, doing such a good job for me. Such a good girl, taking me so well. Your panties just became more soaked than they already were as you moaned helplessly on his cock at the praise and a breathy laugh left his throat, and it made your lower abdomen tingle. 

Tears well up in your soft doe eyes, before they fall down your flushed pink cheeks. Your cunt was soaking wetter by the moment, and the moans coming out of his mouth made it even more unbearable. You just wanted him to have his way with you, that's all you want, to have his touch, his body pressed against yours as he fucks you deeper and deeper in your cunt and the bed.

Sasuke started moving more quickly, which made you start crying even more. When you hollowed out your cheeks, he let out a stifled sigh that made him hesitate to approach further. It wasn't too long before his hips rut up into your mouth, a groan exiting his lips, his eyes briefly turning that familiar red as his cum fills your mouth.

You pull away, his cock going soft but still was hard. "You can spit-" Too late you've already swallowed it. "- you didn't have to do that," Sasuke sighs, still relishing in the pleasure of his high.

You let out a deep sigh, still tasting the tinge of musk and salt on your tongue and mouth. "It's okay, love," you murmur teasingly, moving up quicky and whispering into his ear. "I know all the dirty things you like."

A soft chuckle leaves his mouth and your heart flutters. "That's why your such a good girl for me," he replies, hand slithering down to your rear and you let out a playful gasp. "Sasuke!" you puff out, feigning shock before a comfortable silence washes over the two of you.

Sasuke leans up to give you a kiss and you smush his cheek with your palm and push him away with a pout on you lips. "Yuck, no. Kiss me after I brush my teeth," you say, looking a way from him and you feel him smile against your palm.

"Come with me," Sasuke says suddenly and you feel his hand over your own. You turn back to look at him and find that his black iris is already gazing deeply into you, you could see a peak of his Rinnegan behind his fringe.

You tilt your head confused. "To the store? I think they would be closed, but we can go check-!"

You cut yourself off and you think you finally realised what Sasuke was getting at. "When I leave again, I need you to come with me," Sasuke confirms and your eyes widen in surprise and shock, no way this is happening.

"Really?" you say slowly in disbelief, not believing him and he nods, nudging his lips against your palm, planting a kiss to your skin.

"Please," he says barely audible against your palm and your eyes light up, arms wrapping around his shoulders and he falls back in his back to the bed with a winded grunt.

His arm wraps tightly around you. "I love you," you tell him. "I love you more," Sasuke replies, not wanting to leave you behind ever again, at least not now. His home needs to be with him wherever he goes, home is wherever you are.

Do not copy, steal, modify, etc. Relogs and like are appreciated.

m.list | naruto m.list | uchiha m.list

im sorry this is probably ooc but i firmly belief in mushy the last! sasuke i jst think he'd be rlly sweet but short with you ^.^

if you say the sneak peak this was only supposed to be 1K words but then i added 1.5k more 😭

[aishangotome]

[Nokto] Love's Cleaning Time - Part 3

Part 2

Emma: Could that man perhaps––

Emma: Resemble the person I love?

The shopkeeper blinked in surprise, then burst into laughter.

Bookstore owner: So that's how you're going to play it. I see, there's no gag order on that question.

Bookstore owner: I'll just say they resemble each other.

(Just as I thought... All those books were sent by Nokto.)

*flashback over*

(After that, I actually tried to press Nokto for answers, but...)

(I reconsidered and stopped, thinking he might have a reason for wanting to keep it a secret.)

(But now... I wonder if I can subtly ask him about it.)

Keeping my eyes on the books I was holding, I voiced the question that came to mind.

Emma: Even so, every single book that arrived was interesting.

Emma: They were all full of love amidst the sadness, and I reread them many times.

Emma: It must have taken a long time to choose them, Nokto, right?

(...I wonder if this kind of rudimentary, leading question is no good...)

While my heart pounded, I tried to maintain a calm facade...

Nokto: Well, yeah. But it wasn't such a bad way to spend my time, surprisingly.

Emma: Eh...?

I hurriedly looked up at his unexpectedly straightforward answer, but Nokto was looking at me with his usual relaxed smile.

Nokto: The person who sent them probably thinks it wasn't such a bad way to spend their time.

Emma: I asked that question to Nokto just now, right?

Nokto: That's right. So I just answered on behalf of the person who sent them.

Emma: That doesn't seem to make sense...

Nokto: So, let's say you've figured out that I'm the one who sent the books. What are you going to do about it?

Nokto: It was so long ago, and now there's no evidence.

(It's true there's no evidence, but I did hear that story at the bookstore.)

(Nokto's reply just now, maybe this is the final push...!)

My heart races with the premonition that this time, I might be able to hear the truth from his own mouth.

Emma: But whoever the sender is, I'm very grateful.

Emma: Back then, my life had changed completely, and I was so busy learning that I couldn't even go to the bookstore to carefully choose books.

Emma: Rio, Sariel, Leon, and the others were worried about me. It was really a good way for me to take a break.

Emma: Around the time I started to get used to palace life, I went around to bookstores in town to make up for lost time.

Nokto: You know, there was that day when you went out to browse bookstores on your day off and didn't come back until evening.

Emma: Was there...?

Nokto: Oh, you don't remember? I was waiting for you to come home, crying sadly.

Emma: ...Were you really crying?

Nokto: Now, who knows?

Emma: Honestly...

A smile naturally spreads across my face at Nokto's teasing reply, which hasn't changed since those days.

Emma: But it's true that I might have been going around bookstores from morning till night. The bookstores in town have slightly different selections, you know.

Emma: Oh, speaking of which, the owner of the bookstore near the fountain praised Nokto's taste in alcohol.

Emma: He was impressed that you even knew about rare alcohol. How did you learn about his taste in alcohol?

Nokto: How, you ask? Well, that's...

Nokto: ......

After a moment of silence, Nokto gave a small smile as if admitting defeat.

Nokto: Hmm, it seems difficult to recover from this.

(...!)

Nokto: You've become quite the negotiator, haven't you?

Emma: So then, could it be...?

Nokto: You win this time. Trying to trick me like that, you're pretty good, aren't you?

Finally arriving at the answer, I smiled, suppressing the urge to jump for joy on the spot.

Emma: I'm growing thanks to you, Nokto. I was pretty natural, wasn't I?

Nokto: Just a little. Well, I admit you did your best, but...

Nokto: I've got a bone to pick with that bookstore owner. I bribed him, and yet he still gave you information.

Emma: He didn't tell me it was Nokto.

Emma: I just asked, "Doesn't he resemble the person I love?"

Nokto: Ah, so that's how it is.

Nokto: When you first came to the palace, you were a stiff, serious girl. When did you become so cunning?

As Nokto chuckled and sighed, I asked him what I had always wanted to know.

Emma: Why didn't you tell me back then that you were the one sending the gifts?

Nokto: Why, indeed? Just a whim, I suppose?

Not satisfied with that answer, I stared up at Nokto.

Nokto: So, would it sound more plausible if I said that giving books as gifts isn't really my style?

Nokto's evasiveness triggered an intuition, a gut feeling.

Emma: It sounds plausible, but that's not the real reason, is it?

Emma: The me from back then might have believed that, but it won't work on me now, the one who knows Nokto inside and out.

Nokto: Oh? That's a nice thing to say.

Emma: Could it be that you were too embarrassed to say so, Nokto?

I thought I was getting close, but Nokto's expression didn't change.

Nokto: No way. I said it was just on a whim, didn't I?

Emma: But to give me that many books on a whim...

Nokto: If it makes you happy, it's a small price to pay, right?

Emma: ! Nokto...

Nokto: Right now, I'd rather focus on getting back at you for tricking me than dwell on the past.

Emma: Eh... Ah!

Nokto placed the books he had received on a nearby table.

Then, he smoothly pulled my arm and pushed me onto the bed.

Emma: Getting back at me? But I told you just now that I'm still cleaning!

Nokto: Of course I'm interrupting you. Getting back at you is my top priority.

Emma: Wait... Nn, ah!

Nokto's hand entered my skirt without hesitation, and my body trembled with a shiver at the sensation of his fingers caressing my inner thigh.

(No, if this continues, I'll be swept away again. At least...)

Before our lips could touch, I lightly grasped Nokto's shoulder as if to stop him.

Emma: I... have one thing I want to confirm.

.

.

.

Part 4

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[morrowbright]

First of all, thank you so much for posting this, @tvgirlsays! Gil-galad and Elrond are two of my favorite characters, both separately and in terms of their relationship as king and herald. We haven't had nearly enough Gil-galad for my liking (I do understand that there are a lot of stories being told) so I appreciate how you've highlighted so many of these small moments that speak not just to their mutual care and respect for one another, but their changing relationship as well. I found myself nodding enthusiastically with all of your points! As you opened to door to other thoughts and theories, I'd like to offer the following:

On putting Elrond in charge of the company going to Eregion, yes, I agree that this is in part due to Gil-galad's respect for the steadfastness of Elronds convictions. I think it's also an acknowledgment of Elrond's growth and understanding that sometimes chosing the course for the greater good of the people you lead (or love) may challenge or contradict those very convictions. Sometimes there are no perfect, or even good, choices; sometimes the best choice is the one that will do the least harm, or the one that contains that small glimmer of hope in an otherwise nightmarish situation, and a good leader has to be able to navigate such complexites in order to make difficult decisions for the greater good. We've seen this theme come up between Gil-galad and Elrond a few times already, but a deeper discussion of those scenes, as well as the scene with with Cirdan that starts to shift Elrond's thinking, may be beyond the scope of this reply.

On the scene with Damrod the hill-troll, I think you've analyzed it beautifully and have nothing to add to it.

That moment in the battle when Elrond is on the verge of breakdown, and Gil-galad looks at him with compassion before turning to rally the remaining elves is honestly my favorite Gil-galad moment in the show thus far. It was the moment I found him the most relatable and the most, dare I say, human.

You know his heart is breaking for Elrond, who has already experienced so much trauma, but perhaps not quite like this, as a battle commander with the added weight of his father's casual propechy that one day he would hold Celebrimbor's "life in [his] hands". He has been bolstered by the belief that if he could manage to hold the city until dawn then Durin's forces would arrive to save the day. When the morning arrives without Durin, Elrond, already exhausted, is unable to absorb this fact along with the realization that despite all their efforts, the bloodshed and lives lost, Eregion will fall. When Gil-galad takes command and turns to rally the remaining elves with a weary and resigned call to form ranks, I initially saw it as Gil-galad simply doing what needed to be done: make a final stand of resistance because what else was there to be done? Your post has re-framed it slightly in my mind: he is not just taking command, but he is specifically taking it from Elrond, because he knows that Elrond is unable to shoulder it in this moment, and I just quietly love that. (As a brief aside, I'd also like to reference this beautiful post by @fantasyquests centered on a Tolkien quote about "doomed resistance," which expresses so much of what I love about this scene far more eloquently than I can.)

Benjamin Walker has intimated that Gil-galad does have a sense of what his eventual fate will be. In the moment he glances down at Elrond, I wonder if he is also getting a foreshadowing of Elrond's grief and the burdens he will have to bear in the wake of Gil-galad's eventual but inevitable fall.

As alluded to in your post, we as viewers, are also getting a possible foreshadowing of Elrond's future grief, rage, and devastation during the scene where he goes absolutely beserk after the uruk threaten Gil-galad's life. It's a scene that I've been trying to wrap my head around and get into words for some time, but I shall do my best.

As Elrond is a scholar, a lover of learning and philosophical truths, it is understandable that he is desperate enough to bargain his own life for the safekeeping of Celebrimbor's scrolls. Elrond even voices a willingness to trade Gil-galad's life for the preservation of the scrolls as well; at the very least he suggests that the books are more valuable than either of their lives. I am not certain to what extent this is his actual belief or how much it is his desperation speaking. I think the scrolls represent the one small piece of goodness and light that he can still hold on to in the midst of all the other desecration and loss. If he cannot keep Celebrimbor safe, there is still a chance he can keep his lifework safe. Of course the uruk move to burn the scrolls anyway, AND threaten Gil-galad's life, and this is when Elrond finally, completely loses it. The loss, devastation and desecration has become too much; in that moment, Elrond is willing to BURN AN ORC ALIVE at the thought of losing Gil-galad too.

Finally, I have a slightly different take on the sword vs. the shield scene. Although he doesn't say it outright, it seems to me like Elrond is advocating for the "shield". He points out that the refugess from Eregion are exhausted: "Many of Eregion's bravest fell. The few that survived are all but broken, in body or spirit. They have little strength left with which to fight. They barely had strength to flee." Arondir then asks Galadriel what course she would advise. Galadriel's reply falls outside the sword/shield dichotomy. She recounts Celebrimbor's wisdom to "remind our people that it is not strength that overcomes darkness, but light. And the sun yet shines."

When Gil-galad raises his sword, it's not a battle cry (raising Aeglos would be more appropriate for that) but a sign of hope, resistance, and leadership. Like you, I love the fact that it's Elrond that Gil-galad turns to (literally and figuratively), after Galadriel offers her little nod/bow of support and encouragement. Elrond's expression is a bit difficult for me to read here. I interpret it that Elrond supports Gil-galad's decision, but he is also growing into and developing his own type of leadership: for him, founding Imladris as a place of healing, sanctuary, and beauty is going to be his priority. The fact that he is positioned a little further back than the others underscores this for me*. I do believe that both their characters and their relationship will continue to grow in season three, and it will be interesting to see how their relationships shift as Gil-galad begins to build the Last Alliance, and Elrond founds Rivendell.

(And to anyone who has actually read this far, thank you. I've been wanting to talk, really talk, about these characters for so long)

*In fact, I think the positioning of Galadriel, Gil-galad, and Elrond could be read as the following: Galadriel is positioned on Gil-galad's right; she represents the "sword", but again, not sword as a weapon, but sword as a symbol of hope, resistance, leadership, and light. Elrond is to his left, in the position of shield; his represents a different type of strength: ensuring the protection of those who are most vulnerable. So as you alluded to, I think Elrond will remain Gil-galad's faithful herald, while continuing to follow his own path forward.

Gil Galad and Elrond: Season 2

While Season 1 and the beginning of Season 2 were fraught with tension between High King Gil Galad and Herald Elrond, there were some interesting and subtle moments that seem to hint that we will be seeing them form a stronger bond as king and herald in Season 3. I would like to highlight those moments!

The first comes when Gil Galad places Elrond in charge of the company being sent to Eregion. Despite the disobedience displayed in Elrond's waterfall jump, I think Gil Galad respected his steadfastness to his convictions.

I think that's why he puts Elrond in charge of the mission. As Benjamin Walker stated in an interview, Gil Galad now sees Elrond as a "wild card" and someone is now coming into his own. Placing Elrond in charge is a huge show of trust and an opportunity for Elrond to explore his potential as a leader.

There is a subtle moment between them in the Battle of Eregion that I love: Gil Galad does not join the fight until after Elrond has been swiped by Damrod the hill troll. Did Gil Galad see this happen, and this is why he finally took action? It certainly seems that way.

Of course, Elrond is upset that the king has put himself in danger, to which Gil Galad responds "A king's place is whenever the need is greatest." And it's true. This is the moment that Elrond needs him the most.

Throughout the entire battle, Elrond's goal has been to reach the wall and the stop the ravager from breaching the wall. He starts off on horseback with his cavalry, then continues on foot with a small company, and finally reaches the wall alone, and damages the ravager on his own.

But it isn't enough, because the troll presents a new and even more dangerous threat. Arondir's arrows cannot kill the troll and Elrond cannot face it alone (although he likely would have tried). That is when Gil Galad arrives, helping both Arondir and Elrond to kill it. It's one of the best moments of the episode!

Then comes the moment when the Elves find out that the Dwarves are not coming... Elrond is in denial, clinging to the belief that his friend will come, despite being told otherwise.

Elrond is usually a very logical, very calm elf. Throughout the entire battle, from beginning to end, he is focused and resourceful, giving Adar more of a fight than the Uruk leader expected.

But in this moment, we see his human side coming through. He can't wrap his head around the fact that Durin is not coming and that the battle is lost.

Gil Galad clearly sees this and recognizes that Elrond is on the verge of emotional collapse. He knows how much the friendship with Durin means to Elrond (in Season 1) and he knows how eager Elrond was to save Eregion.

I think he also realizes that Elrond has been fighting all day and night (not to mention running to and from Lindon to Eregion) and is at the end of his strength.

So he takes command for the last charge and does not reprimand Elrond for failing to join the fight. I like seeing this dynamic between them on the battlefield, because it sets things up really nicely for their roles in the Battle of the Last Alliance.

Once the battle has been lost and the leaders taken captive, we see Elrond pleaded with the Orcs to spare Celebrimbor's collection of scrolls. They laugh in his face and burn them anyway. It is not until they hold a knife to Gil Galad's throat however that Elrond unleashes his fury on them.

It takes 2-3 Orcs to subdue him, and even then, he manages to kill one and injure several others. While Elrond is clearly distraught by the burning of the scrolls (his library of Alexandria), his rage is only triggered when his king is threatened.

Despite their differences over the years, he clearly feels protective of Gil Galad. I suspect Gil Galad's death in the Battle of the Last Alliance is going to truly destroy him for that reason.

In the final scene of Season 2, Gil Galad chooses "the sword" rather than the shield as he faces what remains of the people of Eregion. I love that the last person he looks to before raising the sword is Elrond, his faithful herald. My hope is that this is an indication of their relationship heading into Season 3.

Gil Galad gained a lot of respect for Elrond in Season 2, and Elrond came to see that Gil Galad would always there for him whenever "the need was greatest."

What's interesting about Elrond's position in this final scene is that he stands directly in Gil Galad's shadow and is apart from the rest of the group.

What does this mean for Season 3? Will Elrond's role as Gil Galad's second in command become more of a highlight? Will he be separated from the other Elves as he establishes Imladris?

What are your thoughts and theories?

[koetjingwarrd]

You're my baby, say it to me...

[lafilleestmorte]

the thing is, toey never initiates emotional intimacy with q. he'll wonder for a year what kind of music q listens to but never even think to directly ask. he'll bug q about all sorts of tips to make his art better without revealing why he chose to pursue art at all. he'll collapse onto q's lap when he is drunk and extremely tired but won't ask to sleep next to him or even try to come up with an excuse to when he's sober. he doesn't actually ask q to come with him to the park - he asks peem and then peem asks q. toey will nag q with his tone or with his teasing or with his eyes? but never ask for what he actually wants

but even when q (or peem, or tan) takes initiative to make their intimacy possible, toey just seems happy and content to be held as close or as far as q is willing to have him.

If q came all this way to teach toey how to shade, if q is worried about toey being in the studio alone at night, if q (maybe) wants to learn how to skateboard, if q is worried about toey getting kicked off of the bed by peem, toey interprets it as exactly that and nothing more

[cerealbishh]

"Hey, I'm just gonna take these down to the vault."

[theotherrichardpapen]

nigel & alex - to be haunted by your love

henri nouwen // like minds (2006) // death - melanie martinez // pope alexander - crywank // her mother's kiss - eugene carriere // sometimes i fall asleep thinking about you - catarine hancock // the song of achilles - madeline miller // achilles lamenting the death of patroclus - gavin hamilton // lee martens

[rosicheeks]

Oh it would be so easy to hunt you down. I’d just toy with you, calling out to you “Rosie my sweet trophy. Why do you hide? You know you want this.�� Then as soon as I find you my hand would be clasped over your mouth before you even have a chance to scream whilst my other hand roughly tears at your clothes so I can slide inside you. “Oh…why are you so wet if you don’t want this? I can see the fear in your eyes and feel your screams against my hand but your pussy is telling a different story.”

🫠

[soleilapproves]

Older boyfriend Price who is absolutely DISTRAUGHT over the fact that you don’t care about marriage because you think he’s over it.

Note: this one has no smut but it has mentions of sex and sexual relations so interact at your own discretion.

Masterlist

“What the fuck do you mean by you don’t want to?” If Price had been any louder, anyone outside his car would’ve been able to hear him.

It had been a few months into your relationship with Price after almost a year of being friends with benefits. You weren’t sure how your arrangement changed over time but you were glad to be with him as he valued you a lot.

“I mean, think about it. You’re like, what? 40-“

“I’m 37, love”

“Right, yeah, I just think that it doesn’t really matter as long as we’re having fun together. Honestly, I thought you’d agree,” you said before taking a bite out of your burger.

Price could only watch you in shock. Sure, your relationship started on the basis of sexual benefits but when he did think of the future all he thought of was you. Even if you were a generation younger than him, he had never felt such synergy with anyone before. It was a connection of a lifetime - emotional and sexual.

“So you don’t give a shit about marriage because you think I don’t care about it.”

“Kind of. If I’m gonna get married I need my partner to be on board too, don’t you think?” He sighed at your reply. You looked up at him, confused and cheeks full with your dinner as you grabbed the plastic cup of coke.

His heart swelled at the sight. It was like looking at an innocent chipmunk. To think that the same face looked fucked out an hour ago awed him but he couldn’t let himself get distracted by your unintentional seduction.

He grabbed your drink and put it back in the cupholder. You were about to whine but he grabbed your face and pulled you close, noses almost touching.

“You—“ peck “—are the most wonderful thing to happen to me and I’ll be damned if I don’t tie you down with me in the future.”

Your face heated up. You had swallowed your food not too long ago but your mouth felt like it had gone dry.

With your face in his hands he continued. “I’ll have a rock on your pretty little finger before you know it.” He left a longer peck on your lips this time and pulled away.

What you didn’t know was that he already had a ring for you. It was stored away in a hidden drawer in his desk, waiting to be worn by you.

In fact, he had brought it just a month into your relationship. He wasn’t religious but he knew that a person like you was the blessing of a lifetime.

[tonycries]

A ranking of JJK men from best to worst during your period (absolutely no one asked for this):

Nanami - Are you kidding me? In what world would this perfect husband NOT be number one?? Doesn't even need that lil' app on his phone to track your periods, bro remembers. He has it mapped out in his brain AND on his calendar. You don't even have to tell him when it starts, he'll be home with chocolates, your fav movies, and enough heating pads to last a lifetime going, "Hi, my love, I hope m'not too early but I got you these." He's never too early. Never.

Geto - Bro has been through the whole process twice already with his daughters. He KNOWS exactly what's going down when you get just a lil' too sensitive, when your cravings become just a tad sweeter. Would lay you down and give you the most soothing massages whispering about how it'll "all be over soon" and "his girl can tough it out." 10/10 is so patient, even has a period tracker on his phone.

Choso - Y'know he's a lil' confused but he's got the spirit. Curses don't have periods so trust he'll be MAD confused wondering whether you've somehow developed the same jujutsu technique as him. When you teach him though, he's gonna be the sweetest babygirl. Let's you cuddle and use him all you want, throw him around to your hearts content until you have the perfect pillow!! Only minus points would be for that little intrusive thought in his brain that just wants to.....experiment......with his technique....

Gojo - Now, you'd be confused about who has the period - you or HIM? Which, honestly if distraction is your go-to then it works out pretty well. Every cramp you get, Gojo just hates to see his pretty baby in pain, so he'd be crying out. He'd be right there moaning and groaning along with you until you're crying tears of laughter because what the fuck?? Extra points because he's a sweet connoisseur and knows ALL the best places to get you everything you want. Trust, bro doesn't skimp out either he'd be diving IN to that Gojo Estate old money just to get you more than everything you need. Much more.

Toji - Now, hear me out it's not that man doesn't know what to do. It's just that he doesn't want to. Not to bully his cute girl, but does he really have to get out of bed and walk the treacherous block down to the convenience store to get you extra pads? Really? He'd much rather stay in bed cuddling you and kissing every inch of your face he could reach - seriously, his old bones are creaking at the very thought of moving. But, eventually, when you do bribe him with a dollar convince him to go, he'd be pampering you and more with your own money.

Sukuna - Bro definitely tells you to "just suck it back in wtf." -3878473 aura for him, but at least Uraume is on your side and gives him a good whack to the head. When he realizes a bit tho would be a bit softer than usual, at least he'll stop calling you his usual names after your sensitive self tears up at them. Mhm, definitely take him to try out a cramp simulator, though he deserves it.

[preqwells]

imagining simon with a reader that's extremely awkward since it's their first serious relationship.

simon was practically yearning for your touch, ready to burst at the seams and teeter over while you hesitantly refrained. you two had been dating for at least eight months and had known each other for longer around this point, so he was well-adjusted and within his comfort zone with you; he trusts you. you’ve had flings here and there, all of which lasted more than a month if you were lucky— not your fault these assholes did a complete 180 once you officially put a title on things. for a long time, you convinced yourself that it was your fault since the only common factor in all of those relationships was you until simon was practically desperate to prove you wrong— although his poker face and lack of flowery words would ever allow him to do so.

every time simon would try to get closer to you at night? you didn’t know what to do. cheek kisses? you’d just press your lips into a tight-lipped smile, managing a small “thanks” and averted your gaze. if simon tried to hold your hand? it was almost like you’d find a way to wiggle out of it. it was almost like you weren’t used to affection— how could you of all people not be used to affection, he wondered.

he started to eventually get discouraged at one point. he wasn’t one for affection often, but you didn’t seem to want to get closer to him— why didn’t you want to get closer to him? he’d try to brush it off, but he wasn’t good with words and touch was all he had left.

it was abruptly brought up when you two were seated on the couch, his eyes mindlessly mapping out how your hair framed the side of your face, assuming it began to tickle you from the way you raised your hand and began to gently scratch the softness of your cheek. “why do you move away from me when i try to touch you?” he suddenly asked, his voice vibrating in his chest. he caught onto the way your jaw undulated at the question which only fueled his curiosity. were you aware you had been doing this to him? were you dangling your affection above his head? what a cruel game if you were, honestly. “um…” you began, a silence ensuing between you two. you didn’t know what to say— what could you say? your reasoning felt silly the more you thought about it— you didn’t want to push simon away of all people.

“i don’t know what to do or where to put my hands… and im afraid i’ll get clingy. its not that i dont like it… i do…. i just…” you mumbled, your eyes flickering between his and the tv.

…that was it?

you didn’t know where to put your hands and you thought you’d be clingy just after giving him a small hug? small kiss? he stifled a laugh which you caught onto, prompting a small pout to form on your plush lips. “why’re you laughing? i’m being serious!” you groaned, slightly frustrated at the feeling of simon not taking this seriously. simon took your frustration in stride, the roughness of his hands grazing across your cheeks as he gingerly cupped the sides of your face. “s’nothin— nothin a’ all…” he mumbled, secretly on cloud nine as he silenced you with a kiss, feeling you tense up to which he elicited a throaty chuckle. “it’s not— s’not funny!” you attempted to reprimand him which failed, seeing as how you were holding back your laugh at simon’s smile and at how ridiculous the situation was now that you thought about it.

“you’re right. i’m afraid you’ll be like a leech if you get used to me.” he mumbled against your lips. he was pleasantly surprised at the feeling of your hands returning the gesture and cupping his face, your thumbs grazing the stubble which pricked and prodded needles into the soft pads of your fingers. “shut up.” you mumbled back, pulling him down onto the couch with you as he landed on your chest. he tried to ignore the rapid beating of your heart and how it hammered in your chest, but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t think it was cute.

if you weren’t used to affection, he’d have to change that.

[kateschi]

where pride meets love

synopsis: in a u.a. highschool reunion, your husband is up next in introducing his family.

pairing: timeskip!bakugou katsuki x f!reader

⊹ ࣪ ˖ notes: inspired by @call-memissbrightside

the gymnasium at u.a. is alive with activity, filled with faculty, students, and heroes from all walks of life.

katsuki’s standing near the back, holding your baby girl in his arms, her tiny hands clutching at the fabric of his hero uniform, her eyes wide as she takes in everything around her.

his expression is a mix of annoyance—because honestly, this whole “family introduction” thing is a bit much—and tenderness, which only those closest to him will ever notice.

you stand beside him, your hand resting on his arm, and for a split second, you catch a glimpse of something different in his usual scowl—something soft.

you’ve seen it before, but only in moments like this, when he’s looking at the little life in his arms or the family he’s built.

principal nezu steps forward with a polite clap of his paws.

“thank you all for coming! we’re glad to have so many wonderful alumni here today. if anyone with families would like to introduce them, now’s your chance.”

the crowd goes quiet, waiting for someone to step up. katsuki glares around, crossing his arms over his chest, but it’s obvious he’s trying to look disinterested in the attention he’s about to receive.

it doesn’t work, though. he feels all eyes on him, even before nezu directs them that way.

you give him a small smile, teasing him with a gentle nudge to his side. “you ready to show your family off?”

he scoffs but doesn’t pull away. instead, his gaze softens just a little when he looks down at your daughter, who smiles up at him with those same bright eyes you both adore so much.

his chest swells, and despite his usual gruffness, his pride is impossible to hide.

you feel it too—the silent understanding between the two of you, the knowledge that this moment, in front of everyone, is just another reflection of how far your life together has come.

with a sigh, katsuki straightens his back, shoulders broadening as he stands a little taller. “alright, fine. let’s get this over with,” he mutters under his breath. but then he clears his throat, lifting his chin just a bit.

he shifts his daughter against his shoulder, gently adjusting her so she’s more comfortable in his arms, and with a look at you that says, here we go, he raises his voice for everyone to hear.

“this—” he gestures to your baby, her tiny hands reaching for him in her usual, curious way—“this is my kickass baby.”

he flashes a rare smile down at her, the kind that could melt the hardest of hearts, before pulling you into him with his free arm, draping it over your shoulders.

“and this here,” he says, puffing his chest out slightly, “this is my kickass wife, y/n. the best damn woman in the world.”

you catch his eye, and for a brief moment, it feels like the whole room has faded away. there’s only the two of you, standing side by side, as he proudly introduces you to everyone in his own way.

a few of the students near the front start whispering to each other, smiles on their faces. kirishima, always the supportive friend, claps katsuki on the back, his grin wide.

"man, you really went all out with the family introduction, huh?" kirishima laughs, his voice loud enough for katsuki to hear.

katsuki looks over at him, narrowing his eyes, but there’s no malice in his gaze.

instead, it’s just the usual katsuki way of pretending to be annoyed. “shut it,” he growls, but his hand tightens around yours.

kirishima raises his hands in mock surrender, still chuckling. “I’m just saying, you’re looking like a proud family man.”

“damn right I am,” katsuki mutters, his gaze falling back on your daughter, who is now gripping his finger as she babbles in her own little way.

his eyes soften again, a rare, unguarded moment that no one else seems to notice, but you do.

you always do.

as the buzz in the room continues around them, katsuki’s gaze remains fixed on your daughter, his lips pulling into the smallest of smiles as he watches her reach for his hand.

she’s talking—if you can call it that—her baby words tumbling out like she’s already got something important to say.

you can hear the quiet adoration in katsuki’s voice when he responds to her, low and soft, “yeah, yeah, I hear ya, kid.”

you lean into his side, the warmth of his arm around your shoulders feeling like home. it’s one of those moments where everything feels right.

amid the chaos, in front of so many people, katsuki looks just like the dad you always knew he’d be—strong, protective, and completely head over heels for the tiny person in his arms.

the crowd slowly starts to disperse, some students moving towards the refreshment table, others chatting amongst themselves.

katsuki stays still, barely noticing the shift in the room. his eyes stay locked on your baby, a tiny, content smile playing at the edges of his lips.

“want me to take her?” you ask, nudging him gently with your elbow. “you look like you could use a break.”

katsuki looks down at your daughter, his arms tightening ever so slightly around her. she stares up at him, her big eyes soft and trusting, and for a brief second, it seems like time stands still.

then, just as quickly, he shakes his head, but the fondness in his gaze remains.

“nah,” he mutters gruffly. “she’s good here. I’m fine.”

you let out a small chuckle and settle against him, your hand resting gently on his arm as you watch your daughter settle down against his chest, a soft yawn escaping her lips.

katsuki pulls her a little closer, his other arm winding around you, bringing you both in.

the way his grip tightens around both of you, the way his hand moves just a little bit to the back of your neck, drawing you in closer.

you rest your cheek against his shoulder, and the sound of the crowd fades to the background.

kofi — navigation — masterlist

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