#I looked away from the app for a SECOND I’ve never seen so many notes at once lol
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@queenlilithprime BAHA
#si shitposts#my friends are silly#I looked away from the app for a SECOND I’ve never seen so many notes at once lol
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I need to talk into the void about the stuff i’ve read about Fragile Threads so far (because everyone I follow on the non-blue bird app hasn’t read it yet) since it came to my house early and I need to scream in a way that’s cohesive and also non-spoilery.
I just. I have so many thoughts.
So if you don’t want spoilers please don’t unravel this post.
I’m warning you.
Please do not click the “Keep Reading” tab if you don’t want spoilers.
You cannot hold me accountable otherwise.
Okay, if you’re reading this, I’m assuming you’ve sealed your fate on spoilers.
Good. Cool. We’re on the same page.
It should be noted that, in the five hours I’ve been reading, I just got to like, the second chapter of part three. We devoured two whole parts, which will be my main talking points here.
—————
First thing’s first: I’m desperately awaiting more from Kosika and Tes. I really love their characters so far (more Tes than Kosika, because I’ve only seen that first chapter from her and Tes I’ve seen two). I want to know what it is about Tes’ sister (or, maybe, who her sister is involved with) that has Tes so absolutely terrified. Her character as a whole intrigues me and I’m excited to see how she interacts with everyone down the line (if she does).
Also, bonus points and shout outs to Tes naming her owl Vares. She’s just like me for real.
Second thing’s second: I really LOVE how so far the first nearly 150+ pages are a reunion for characters from Shades (which I think is really welcome if you read the Shades of Magic books first). Seeing Maris and Kell and Lila again was just REALLY nice, and I missed them.
Which, speaking of Kell and Lila, holy crap I missed them and their dynamic so much. I do very much love the growth they’ve gone through in the seven years from what I’ve seen. Lila, while she has some of the same traits (knife kleptomaniac), feels like she’s softened a little and Kell, while he has some of his sadboi traits, definitely feels…way more confident. Like, I’m talking LEAGUES more confident.
Plus, seeing them both function as Antari magicians is really cool, because Lila only really “grew” into her powers starting in AGOS. To see her using magic with proficiency is like “Wow”.
It isn’t the same for Kell, who, first and foremost, those flashback scenes to the months/early years after his magic was shattered hurt me so much, dude. Especially because like, magic was the thing he was valued for as part of the crown—his worth always lied in his ability to not just do magic, but wield it with ease and proficiency. He was always looked on as this figure of power.
I don’t blame him for being so afraid and anxious about what that means for his sense of self-worth. Especially considering that most, if not all of his worth, hinged on his ability to do magic.
I did like the little analogy that Lila gives him, though, about the swordsman who learned to use his other hand to fight (implying that Kell can still fight, just with using other things instead of his magic—magic, whether he can use it or not, doesn’t define his worth).
But the other little thing I appreciated is that this, even seven years after the fact, is still something Kell struggles with. Using magic, Antari spells or otherwise, is still a fallback for him when his swords and knives fail. It isn’t something that just goes away.
Some other small things I wanted to note is just I love all of the little callbacks to the first series (Lila and Kell’s little “What was that for?” “For warmth.” exchange had me giggling and kicking my feet. They’re so whipped it’s insane).
Also, this would explain where the ring (in that one snippet that had me literally on the floor) came from. It’s not a wedding ring (like I assumed it was), but it’s a binding ring. Which, is almost kind of like a wedding ring, but without the vows. Plus, the fact that Kell mentions he only wears two for the people he loves most (his girlfriend and his brother) made me 🥺
Some things for these characters never change.
And I’m excited to see the rest of it and meet the newer ones.
#the fragile threads of power#shades of magic#spoilers#kell maresh#maris patrol#lila bard#tesali#kosika#i’m only 150 or so pages in and i’m loving every minute of it#also: the small parts where kell is just like ‘man rhy im so sorry you’re gonna end up feeling this pain’ is just#a lovely little call back#i live for the maresh brother relationship in all of its forms#some steph rambles
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situationships be like im dissociating on ur couch at 7am and i haven’t slept meanwhile ur sleeping peacefully in ur bed in the other room. i’ll always be in love with u no matter how far away you move and how long it’s been since i’ve touched you. your lips are my favorite thing in this world. you’re my best friend and we’re just friends but then why were we cuddling and making out all night. u refuse to kiss me or touch me first bcuz u love me too much to lead me on or hurt me so i swear ur not leading me on or hurting me even tho that’s exactly what ur doing. i’ve written three full songs about you and dozens of other random scattered lyrics in my notes app. i love showing you my favorite movies. it’s my ex’s birthday but i’m here with u, the guy i told him not to worry about. ur all my therapist and mother and groupchat and diary and our other coworkers ever hear about. no one’s ever loved me like this before. what are we? i cried in front of you for the first time tonight. we said “i love you” for the first time tonight and i’m not sure if we meant as friends or more. i’m sleeping in ur hoodie. i’m a little tipsy and ur all i can think about. ur moving in two months and i will never miss anyone more. i’ll love u til my dying breath. i love how ur stubble feels on my face when we kiss. i miss the tiny bruises u left on my thighs when u pulled my body into urs. u still give me butterflies. i have a photo album of memes to send u. we’re each other’s #1 best friend on snapchat. ur why i always have a bottle of pheromone perfume on hand. casual by chappell roan is on repeat. i want to take you to the cemetery where i write all my songs about u. i’ve only ever taken one other person there before. u own my whole heart. the sun is coming up thru ur blinds and i still can’t sleep. my heart hurts. will u come with me when i get my ribcage tattoo? u look like my celebrity crush did in the 90s. i’m wearing ur favorite cow print hat while i write this. i eat every bite of food u make me when we close together even if i’m not hungry. we’re like the same person but also polar opposites. i think i knew u in another life in this same little town. we ruled this whole fucking city together. i think you’re my twin flame. i swear ur eyes look like the most beautiful eclipse i’ve ever seen whenever you look at me cuz ur pupils dilate so much. i can see how much u love me in ur eyes. i wanna cuddle u while we fall asleep but u say that’s too far. i told u some of my deepest secrets my second or third time ever meeting u. no one has ever gotten me off that fast. i wrote my first ever love song about you. i miss the way things were last christmas. i love hugging u in the parking lot at 3am. every song on superache reminds me of u (well besides family line). every song pete wentz wrote about mikey way reminds me of u. every song dodie wrote about jon cozart reminds me of u. tuesday is my favorite day of the week bcuz of u. i see us in every romance movie. i wanna get matching tattoos of our first inside joke of many. when will u want me to leave ur place tomorrow, well technically today? my therapist is in for an earful. the sky is the color of ur eyes. i love opals now bcuz they’re ur birthstone and they remind me of ur eyes. i love ur eyes. baby blue has replaced pink as my favorite color. i cried for two days straight when u accidentally unadded me on snapchat and then laughed my ass off with you when you apologized and told me it was a misclick. i hope ur 23rd birthday was ur favorite. i’ve never felt this way before. i’ll never look at the color crimson the same. we have the exact same myers briggs and enneagram type. my favorite memory is smoking a joint with you on ur back porch in my oversized ghostface tee from spencer’s, or maybe u going down on me. i would follow u to the west coast. what if we made a pact to marry each other if we’re both still single by the time i’m 30 haha just kidding. how do you feel about me? everything is so fucking bittersweet.
we’ll love each other til the earth stops spinning and the sun explodes. honestly? i think we could survive even that.
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What is love? the romantic type of love, that is. What is it?
i’ve never experienced it before. even though i thought i did. twice. thought it was once. experienced a second. realized the first was not love at all. a half a dozen of years post the second, i realized the second wasn’t love either.
that was at the end of last year. when it finally registered that both of those relationships were weirdly mildly emotionally abusive. i think it’s when you finally have love for yourself that you know what love truly is.
but romantic love, what is it?
i’m sitting in a random park in Copenhagen. the second random park of the day for me.
it’s 6pm. the sun is still bright. like a 3pm in summer in los angeles. just without the heat. there’s a couple next to me. they’re playing coldplay very softly on their bluetooth speaker.
that’s something about Copenhagen. it’s quiet. it’s soft.
i noticed people can hear my soft spoken voice easily. i don’t have to “yell” which is my experience everywhere i go. especially at home. and i do feel like i’m yelling when to others i’m just speaking up, speaking louder.
but here, i speak softly. even softer than usual and people hear me. and understand me. it’s amazing.
i’m heard. and i don’t have to project my voice for others. i can speak kinder, or so it feels, and i’m heard.
so, this couple came and sat next to me. in a place i thought secluded. clearly not secluded enough.
two boxed pizzas in hand. a blanket. two cokes.
they sat down, facing the sun. which is facing me. so i suppose i faced away from the sun.
they ate and sipped and listened to coldplay and laughed and chatted. and that’s when i realized there must be a coldplay concert coming up or one that just happened because i’ve seen so many people wearing coldplay shirts around today. (i googled it when i got to wifi, it happened two days ago.)
i went back to reading, writers and lovers. (Thanks Katie for the book rec.)
they’re laying down now, absorbing the sun. his hand is on her upper thigh, tapping along to the beat of yellow.
i hadn’t noticed they moved from eating to laying. i myself was absorbed in the book i’ve downloaded.
in the shade.
but when i looked up, i looked directly at them. looked at that slight touch of his hand. her hands resting on her own chest, on her heart.
i thought, how beautiful.
two people. dating. and the touch of a man. a man you like.
every time i look up they’re in a new position.
now she’s moved to be laying on her side, towards him. he remains laying face up, and his hand is between her legs.
she’s slowly tracing his arm, gently up and down. their eyes are closed.
yet, despite the physical distance that still exists between them, i can feel their warmth and comfort.
i don’t know what love is. but i feel like whatever exists between them is pretty close. it’s not the physical touch i note. rather the lack of it. the comfort of just the tiniest trace of affection and yet they’re clearly independent. i can feel their individuality. and i can feel their choosing of each other. i can feel that they’re happy alone and happy together. i don’t know how else to describe it. their individuality and their coupling exists at once. and maybe a part of love is the choosing of yourself and the choosing of another. that they can coexist. that you don’t need to lose yourself to love another. of course that’s true.
of course.
and like magic, it’s like a vision of them thirty years from now just walked by and set their own picnic up a few feet away.
and when i look back at the young couple they’re both laying on their sides, facing each other. the man laughs.
i didn’t really realize i was missing something until it was right in front of me.
so with that, i’ll slide up away from this notes app to another app, the app that holds my book, and continue reading.
ps my allergies are horrible.
xx
7.7.23
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Hendrix: A Pittsburgh Titans Novel
Sawyer Bennett
Release Date: June 6, 2023
Synopsis:
Hendrix Bateman is one of The Lucky Three, a trio of players who were not on the Titan’s team plane the night it crashed. Feeling as if he’s been given a second chance, Hendrix is determined to make the most out of his life, but that doesn’t mean he’s not suffering from scars that can’t be seen.
When I lost my Titan brothers in the crash, it was a mixed bag of emotions. I was devastated and grief stricken, but I was also grateful to be alive. Yeah, that might cause a little—okay, a lot of���guilt, but now I’m determined to live each day as if it’s my last.
A night out with friends puts me in the crosshairs of Stevie Kisner—the devastatingly beautiful bar owner with a sharp tongue and a fire in her eyes that lets me know she has zero tolerance for guys like me. I’ve never been one to back away from a challenge, so I’m not dissuaded by Stevie’s tough as nails attitude or her big biker dad who looks like he wants to kill me. Fueled by too many shots and the raucous urging of my teammates, I set out to show Stevie I’ve got game both on and off the ice.
While I shouldn’t be looking for anything more than a good time, I can’t help but be captivated by Stevie. She’s cool as hell and we burn hot together. But the more I get to know her, the more I can tell she’s holding something in reserve, and let’s just say I’ve got some trust issues after my last disastrous attempt at a relationship. Now I need to decide if I’m going to let my past dictate my future or if I am willing to put my heart on the line to find out if Stevie is exactly what I think she is—my everything.
Get Hendrix: A Pittsburgh Titans Novel in digital, signed paperback and audio (narrated by Tor Thom and CJ Bloom) direct from Sawyer: https://bit.ly/HendrixPO
Download Hendrix: A Pittsburgh Titans Novel at the following retailers:
➜ Amazon: https://amzn.to/3P6s9BU
➜ Nook: https://bit.ly/3Q7fqAl
➜ Apple: https://apple.co/3BRfrnX
➜ Google: https://bit.ly/3P4OKig
➜ Kobo: https://bit.ly/3d85x6U
PLEASE NOTE:
Ebooks purchased from the Sawyer Bennett Bookstore will be delivered via BookFunnel and can be sent to the e-reader of your choice.
Audio will be available exclusively on the Sawyer Bennett Bookstore for approximately 90 days before releasing at all retailers and libraries (excluding Audible). Hendrix is narrated by Tor Thom and CJ Bloom. Audio purchase from the Sawyer Bennett Bookstore must be enjoyed within the BookFunnel app (which is VERY user friendly and FREE!).
About the Author:
New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Sawyer Bennett uses real life experience to create relatable stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From contemporary romance, fantasy romance, and both women’s and general fiction, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.
A former trial lawyer from North Carolina, when she is not bringing fiction to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to her very adorable daughter, as well as full-time servant to her wonderfully naughty dogs.
If you’d like to receive a notification when Sawyer releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter (sawyerbennett.com/signup).
Connect with Sawyer:
✦ Facebook: http://bit.ly/Sawyer_FB
✦ Reader group: http://bit.ly/Sawyer_NEP
✦ TikTok: https://bit.ly/Sawyer_TOK
✦ Instagram: http://bit.ly/Sawyer_IG
✦ Goodreads: http://bit.ly/Sawyer_GR
✦ Newsletter: http://sawyerbennett.com/signup
My Review
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is book seven in the Pittsburgh Titan Series and the players and their relationships just keep getting hotter and hotter. This is Hendrix Bateman and bar owner Stevie Kisser’s journey to their HEA and boy oh boy what an incredibly entertaining and emotional journey it was. I have become a huge hockey romance fan and this author always manages to make the books in this series, so realistic, with so much love and emotion that I just can’t get enough.
Hendrix is one of the Lucky 3 of the original members of the Pittsburgh Titans Hockey team, but due to an injury he wasn’t on the plane that crashed and killed all his teammates. He deals constantly with his survivors guilt while also working hard at a relationship that has become increasingly difficult with his girlfriend Tracy. He finally realizes while at a toy drive that she was ruining with constant complaints, that it was time to move on without her. And he already has his sights set on the utterly unique, hot, bartender.
Stevie is the owner of Jerry’s Lounge, which is named after her grandpap who originally opened the bar. Every year since the bar has been open there has been a toy drive and with the help of her best friend since her freshman year in high school, Harlow Alston, who is now the girlfriend of Scott Dumelin, Pittsburgh Titans first line left winger, they have enlisted some of the players to come out to help with the event to increase the amount of donations.
Stevie has had a tough life with her mom leaving when she was young, to only calling now when she wants or needs money. Her days are too busy with her bar and her life, to be looking for love or a relationship until Hendrix walks into her bar and the sparks fly between them!
“I want Hendrix Bateman more than I think I’ve ever wanted a man in my life. “
This is one that you NEED TO READ! Why? One word…YUM!
I received an early copy and this is my honest review.
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Hendrix: A Pittsburgh Titans Novel Sawyer Bennett Release Date: June 6, 2023
My Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3TUYMTW0I06NI?ref=pf_ov_at_pdctrvw_srp
My GR Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5591031475
Synopsis:
Hendrix Bateman is one of The Lucky Three, a trio of players who were not on the Titan’s team plane the night it crashed. Feeling as if he’s been given a second chance, Hendrix is determined to make the most out of his life, but that doesn’t mean he’s not suffering from scars that can’t be seen.
When I lost my Titan brothers in the crash, it was a mixed bag of emotions. I was devastated and grief stricken, but I was also grateful to be alive. Yeah, that might cause a little—okay, a lot of—guilt, but now I’m determined to live each day as if it’s my last.
A night out with friends puts me in the crosshairs of Stevie Kisner—the devastatingly beautiful bar owner with a sharp tongue and a fire in her eyes that lets me know she has zero tolerance for guys like me. I’ve never been one to back away from a challenge, so I’m not dissuaded by Stevie’s tough as nails attitude or her big biker dad who looks like he wants to kill me. Fueled by too many shots and the raucous urging of my teammates, I set out to show Stevie I’ve got game both on and off the ice.
While I shouldn’t be looking for anything more than a good time, I can’t help but be captivated by Stevie. She’s cool as hell and we burn hot together. But the more I get to know her, the more I can tell she’s holding something in reserve, and let’s just say I’ve got some trust issues after my last disastrous attempt at a relationship. Now I need to decide if I’m going to let my past dictate my future or if I am willing to put my heart on the line to find out if Stevie is exactly what I think she is—my everything.
Get Hendrix: A Pittsburgh Titans Novel in digital, signed paperback and audio (narrated by Tor Thom and CJ Bloom) direct from Sawyer: https://bit.ly/HendrixPO
Download Hendrix: A Pittsburgh Titans Novel at the following retailers:
➜ Amazon: https://amzn.to/3P6s9BU ➜ Nook: https://bit.ly/3Q7fqAl ➜ Apple: https://apple.co/3BRfrnX ➜ Google: https://bit.ly/3P4OKig ➜ Kobo: https://bit.ly/3d85x6U
PLEASE NOTE: Ebooks purchased from the Sawyer Bennett Bookstore will be delivered via BookFunnel and can be sent to the e-reader of your choice. Audio will be available exclusively on the Sawyer Bennett Bookstore for approximately 90 days before releasing at all retailers and libraries (excluding Audible). Hendrix is narrated by Tor Thom and CJ Bloom. Audio purchase from the Sawyer Bennett Bookstore must be enjoyed within the BookFunnel app (which is VERY user friendly and FREE!).
About the Author:
New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Sawyer Bennett uses real life experience to create relatable stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From contemporary romance, fantasy romance, and both women’s and general fiction, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.
A former trial lawyer from North Carolina, when she is not bringing fiction to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to her very adorable daughter, as well as full-time servant to her wonderfully naughty dogs.
If you’d like to receive a notification when Sawyer releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter (sawyerbennett.com/signup).
Connect with Sawyer:
✦ Facebook: http://bit.ly/Sawyer_FB ✦ Reader group: http://bit.ly/Sawyer_NEP
✦ TikTok: https://bit.ly/Sawyer_TOK ✦ Instagram: http://bit.ly/Sawyer_IG
✦ Goodreads: http://bit.ly/Sawyer_GR ✦ Newsletter: http://sawyerbennett.com/signup
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almost. (m) jjk.
not yet, almost, right now
pairing. jungkook x reader genre. fluff, baby angst, smut word count. 6.4k warnings. two idiots!!, pining, masturbation (m. and f.), use of vibrator, accidental voyeurism?, more feelings come to light!! summary. jungkook tries to be the best wingman he could be in your new venture after your breakup. he could do it, right? note. part two of not yet, some more feelings are exposed, please don’t hate oc she is but a pendeja that doesn’t see the obvious feelings jungkook has but she has good intentions i promise<3 there will most likely be a final part,,if you guys are into it lmao okie bye
The cool summer breeze flows around you as you’re sitting under the shade, eyes focused on the chaos of runny yolk and hashbrowns that is your breakfast. Jungkook on the other hand, is focused on you. His signature yellow shades block out the sun reflecting from passing cars, concealing his eyes just enough for you to not see him blatantly staring at you while you stuff your face.
The charmed smile he has falters slightly when you look directly at him, hashbrown lingering by your lip as you repeat his name. “Sorry, what?��
Your brows come together as you smile at his zoned out state, something you had grown fond of in the years of knowing him, always enjoying the small dazed look that graced his face whenever he was lost in his thoughts. His lips push out slightly in question, curious eyes wondering just what you could have been asking him.
“I was saying that I think I’m giving up on crushes and love.” You say it so easily, mind made up as you grin at him before continuing to shovel hashbrowns into your mouth, only pausing to take a sip of your iced coffee.
Jungkook tries his best to seem unaffected, nodding along in interest as he takes a steady bite of his own food. “Really?”
“Yeah,” you sigh, taking a look around at the people surrounding you: friends having breakfast together and snapping photos, couples feeding each other food with smiles on their faces, a lone man with his dog perched on the seat across from his while he worked on his computer. You briefly wonder if all of them, even the dog, have better luck with love than you do.
“I think I’m cursed,” you continue. “All of my exes have been assholes, and I’ve always been too blind to see it until it’s over and I’m left crying over Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams.”
“Maybe you’re just looking for love in the wrong places,” Jungkook shrugs, internally screaming because he’s who you should be looking at if you wanted love.
Not to toot his own horn, but Jungkook liked to think he was a good guy, a great boyfriend even. His previous track record of relationships could attest to that, all of them ending on mutual terms, still friendly and civil with each other. He’s almost certain if there was a Yelp page for him it would be at least 4.5 stars with comments raving about how great he is, even little anecdotal touches about how he always gave away his hoodies or offered to cook breakfast.
He was a god damn catch, why couldn’t you see that?
“Maybe prince charming is a lot closer than you think,” he grumbles out, stabbing his omelette with a little more force than necessary, fork clanking against the plate. And when you gasp in realization he freezes, slowly looking back up at you and seeing the way your eyes widen.
“Wait, maybe you’re right!” Your hand shoots across the table, gripping onto his forearm and it sends a shock throughout him, skin tingling at your touch. “You know that coffee shop below our building? That cute barista always puts a heart next to my name. Do you think I should ask for his number?”
Jungkook blinks once, slowly twirls his fork in his hand and blinks again before staring up at the sky, mentally asking why he couldn’t just go out and say it. “Hm, I don’t think you should.“
With a defeated sigh you retract your hand, slumping back into your seat and grabbing your iced coffee once more, stirring the straw and ice around as you nod. “True. What if he feels obligated to give it to me just because he doesn’t want to get fired in case I go all Karen on his ass.”
That wasn’t why Jungkook had said not to, but sure, that works too, so he hums along.
“I bet he draws hearts on all the other girls cups too.” You huff, playfully wiping a tear under your eye with a smile.
“I’ve actually—“
“You know what I—“
You both freeze mid sentence, Jungkook’s cheeks tinted a light pink as he stutters on his words, wide eyes staring at you as if he had caught himself before you cut him off. But as you’re about to tell him to go on, he waves you off and urges you to speak first.
“I was just gonna say that maybe I should go through that wild phase people usually go through after breakups.”
He sets his silverware down on the plate and sips his water, giving you an odd look. “Wild phase? Like you wanna dye your hair red and get bangs?”
“No,” you cackle, ruffling a hand through your own hair as you picture yourself with that combination. “I should just go out and hook up with people. I feel like I’ve either been in a relationship or entirely single, so it could be fun right?”
“Uh, maybe...” he trails off, rolling his lips together in thought, not exactly fond of hearing you say that when he had felt the confession about to roll off his tongue. He takes a slow breath, trying to see this from a neutral point, the point of a supportive friend wanting to help you get over a breakup.
“How do you go about it?”
“Me?” he chokes, pointing at his chest as if there was magically some other person you could be addressing.
“Yes, you. Need I remind you, we share a wall between our beds.” You roll your eyes, but the smile on your face shows that you’re speaking of this lightly, not entirely annoyed by the fact that you had heard Jungkook during his own fair share of hook ups.
He’s not ashamed of it, but considering he never really brought up being able to hear you, he thought you’d pretend to never hear him. It wasn’t too often that he had a girl over, the number of hookups only increasing after you got with Hajoon and loosely cut ties with Jungkook. But from what you had heard—and seen thanks to your nosey self looking through peep holes once they left—it was very rarely the same girl.
So to you, Jungkook was a pro at the art of hookups.
“Right, sorry,” he grimaces, a sheepish smile on his lips as he wonders just how many times his activities kept you up at night.
“It’s fine, consider us even.” A teasing laugh follows your statement, enjoying the flustered look on his face, how his cheeks get even darker in embarrassment. Jungkook was used to the two of you talking like this, neither of you having a filter especially when it came to sexual aspects, but he hadn’t had a conversation like this since before you got with Hajoon. It would take some getting used to again.
“So, give me the tips. Where do you find people?”
Jungkook leans back into his chair, arms stretching out on either side of him, short sleeves of his black tee bunching up and revealing more of his tattoos and the rippling of his muscles. With a small laugh he rakes his hand through his fluffy hair, giving you a small smile. “Honestly? Anywhere. I’ve gotten girl’s numbers at the gym and at coffee shops, but bars are the best bet for something quick.”
“Ugh, fuck you and your pretty privilege.”
“What?” he guffaws, smiling wide and showing you his adorable smile as he laughs loudly, not caring about the attention he draws to your table. He doesn’t even realize how the table full of girls is now trying to discreetly stare at him, because his eyes are on you. You see it though, and it further proves your point. “What the hell is pretty privilege?”
Your wild hands gesture towards him, a look of disbelief on your face as you do so. “You! Of course girls line up to hand you their number, have you seen yourself? Pretty privilege,” you jab your fork at him in time with your final words, a smirk on your glossy lips.
Jungkook feels his confidence grow at your casual compliment, tongue prodding at his cheek as he stares down at his food, trying not to smile too hard. You thought he was pretty, that was a win in his book.
“C’mon,” he teases, foot gently nudging your leg underneath the table. “You could totally score someone's number. Plus there's always apps if you just wanna test the water.”
You give your plate a contemplated stare, “Sure, how hard could it be?”
Admittedly, the answer to that question was: not hard at all. You had met all your previous boyfriends in person, through mutual friends or shared classes back in college, never once dipping your toe into the world of Tinder or Bumble. Who knew all it would take was a couple of selfies and the strategic body shot to have boys circling around you like some new-age, slightly filthier version of rapunzel.
Jungkook knew though, not at all shocked by how quickly you get a match the following day when he’s at your place. His eyes are focused on the screen in front of him, helping you beat a level in your favorite game that you had been stuck on. But the second you gasp as if you’ve won the lottery, he pauses the game entirely and gives you an odd look.
“What?”
His answer comes in the form of your phone thrusted in his direction, lit up screen displaying your profile picture and the one of the boy you had just matched with. Jung Hoseok. Jungkook’s eyes narrow as he reads the name, trying to remember it in case he somehow had a friend in common that knew all the dirt on him.
He has a similar pair of yellow shades on his own head, thicker black rims around them and a charming smile on his face. Jungkook chuckles to himself. Yellow shades? How original.
“What do I say?” you question, eyes looking nervous as you wiggle the phone in his face. The small white bar beneath your match urges you to start a conversation, and coming up with the right words to say makes you overthink it all.
“Just say hi and tack on some cute emoji. It’s not that hard,” he laughs, pushing the phone back at you. Jungkook knew you could start the message off any way you wanted and this Jung Hoseok would eat it right up. How could he not, the alluring smile in your profile photo would draw anyone in.
“Okay, I did it.” Your phone is instantly locked and chucked aside in an attempt to be forgotten, choosing to grab the remote out of Jungkook’s hands for another distraction. It only lasts a brief second before you’re killed by the boss Jungkook was trying to defeat.
“Really?” Jungkook huffs, yanking the remote back into his hands, needing a distraction himself. He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that you were searching for a fuck buddy while he sat beside you. How crazy would it be if he suggested being your fuck buddy, offered to help you through this so called wild phase you were searching for.
No. That’s not what he wants.
Would he enjoy it? Sure. But he could already imagine how much worse his heart would hurt if his feelings came to light and yours were non-existent. That is if you’d even agree to it.
“Relax, he’s probably thinking of what to reply.”
You make a noise of disagreement, fingers itching to unlock your device to see if it was true, slowly inching towards it until you finally grab it and go back onto the app. Jungkook just chuckles as he goes back to helping you with your game, not wanting to look at you as you giggle at your device. He could already imagine what this guy was telling you for you to turn into a giddy mess not even two minutes in.
He tunes it all out, eyes focused on the screen, fingers gripping the remote with a little more force than needed. His concentration helps him though, finally passing the level you’ve been stuck on for the past two weeks.
“You’re welcome,” he sighs, making a show of stretching out and sending you a smile, having it falter slightly when he sees your eyes still focused on the screen of your phone. With a frown he looks back at the television, saving the game before turning it off altogether.
Once he gets up from the couch, making his way over to the media console to store the remotes, is when you look up at him. “You’re right, this is easy!”
Jungkook doesn’t feel the usual pride that comes with being right, but the cheerful look on your face prevents him from feeling salty. Coming back towards the couch, he sits beside you once more, facing you as he rests his elbow on the back cushion to lean on. “Told you so.”
He keeps that same smile on his face as you mention how quick Hoseok was to ask you out on a date, even as you bring up the fact that this date would be at his place, and Jungkook could decipher netflix and chill any way some greasy boy tried to conceal it.
“I hope he knows I don’t want anything serious,” you mumble, chewing on your fingernail as you scroll through the messages.
Jungkook could almost laugh at how blissfully unaware you were of the piranha infested water that was the great sea of Tinder. Of course this yellow sunglass wearing wannabe version of him knows you don’t want anything serious, why else would he be so quick to invite you over with the cheeky excuse to watch movies.
All he can do is shrug as he stares at you, lips pressed together in an effort to not say something that would totally ruin everything. Instead, Jungkook does everything he can to be the best version of a wingman you could get. He tells you the ins and outs of hookups, how you should definitely not text him the minute you leave his place and tell him you had fun, don’t talk about anything super personal involving family or your work, and if he doesn’t offer to go down on you but expects a blowjob he’s a loser.
It’s solid advice that you mentally jot down, subjecting him to further questions your mind comes up with and even asking him for help on an outfit via text the night of your hangout with Jung Hoseok.
Jungkook stares at the photos for a little too long if he’s being honest. They weren’t spectacular selfies that you had taken much effort for, their sole purpose being showing off the outfit, but the way you look so focused as you snapped the shot had him zooming into your face and smiling like an idiot. When you double text him with a long line of question marks he snaps out of it, deciding on the second option you picked of mom jeans and a cropped shirt. Cute and casual, and definitely something Jungkook preferred, but he’d never tell you that.
When you finally text him a thumbs up and tell him you’re on your way out he just hearts the message before locking his device and trudging to the living room. It’s not often that he wallows in self pity, spacing those days out so far he barely remembers them. But they usually went exactly like this, ordering a large meat lovers pizza with extra cheese, drinking far too many Mike’s hard lemonade—because despite how much they made his stomach hurt they were tasty so he didn’t care—and binge watching his comfort show: Modern Family.
But even as he sulks on his couch, practically sinking into the cushions with horrible posture and a slice of pizza resting on his chest, he can’t find it in himself to chuckle at Cam and Mitch’s usual banter. He’s too busy thinking about which movie you’re currently watching, if you were watching it. Who’s Jungkook kidding though, you were totally getting your guts rearranged right now.
Taking an aggressive bite out of the crust he frowns and raises the volume up on his television, attempting to drown the mocking voice in his head calling him a loser for not admitting to his feelings. He knew this, knew he should have said something when he wanted to at breakfast, but Jungkook was afraid that if he confessed as you were talking about hooking up, that you’d see him as taking advantage of a situation instead of being genuine. I mean who wouldn’t? You say you want something casual and suddenly he’s spilling his heart out and you’re supposed to believe he’s not some pig trying to butter you up. He didn’t want to get labeled as a creepy neighbor after the good times you’ve had.
“So stupid,” he grumbles to himself as he takes another swig, the last drops of the alcohol hitting his tongue with a tangy aftertaste. As he sits up to place the empty bottle onto his coffee table his muscles ache, neck stiff from the unfortunate position it had been subjected to for the last three hours. With a small huff he’s rolling his shoulders, reaching for his discarded phone to see the time—and also check if you’d sent him some SOS text—but he finds nothing besides the bright numbers indicating that it was nearing midnight.
In true pity party day fashion, he doesn’t even bother cleaning up after his mess, just tossing the dirty dishes into the sink to be washed tomorrow when he would force himself to be in a better mood. Instead, he grabs a water and his phone and waddles into his bedroom.
The moonlight illuminates the space enough for him to keep the light switch off, undressing from his crumb covered sweats and shirt, choosing to remain in his boxers as he slipped under the cold duvet. The sheets feel fresh against his hot cheeks, flush from the alcohol, cooling him down and making his body relax.
Jungkook knows he should sleep, needing to be up early tomorrow for work, but he can’t stop his mind from wandering into dangerous territory. His buzzed brain has no qualms imagining exactly what you were doing right now, wondering if you’d be the type to act shy at a guy’s house for the first time, if you’d initiate the first move or not. Jungkook had only seen it up close once under the flash of strobe lights and the haze of alcohol, but he can still picture the soft smile on your face before you go in for a kiss, and he grumbles under his breath when he realizes that he wouldn’t be the one kissing you tonight.
What he doesn’t know, is that you wouldn’t be the one getting kissed tonight either. The Jung Hoseok you had perceived through Tinder, assuming he was all casual and DTF with his netflix and chill suggestion, had been anything but. What you thought would be a steamy night, ended up becoming a nice dinner and comedy watched, morphing into some version of game night where you discovered he was a little too competitive than you were used to. The only action you got was a kiss to your cheek as he walked you to your car and a promise for another date. A promise you would not be keeping.
So as Jungkook lays in bed while his thoughts turn into some fantasy of you moaning out his name, you shuffle into your bedroom and slip into your pajamas with a defeated sigh. You had already texted your best friend telling her what a bust tonight had been, deciding to just tell Jungkook all about it tomorrow because you knew he was most likely fast asleep now. And as you settle under your own covers, inches away from Jungkook with only a wall seperating you, you decide to just call it a night and pretend it never happened.
Just as you shut your eyes, nuzzling into your pillow, you hear the first moan come from behind the wall. A small cry of despair escapes you as you bury your face into your sheets, tugging them up and over your head to block the sound of Jungkook getting some action the same night you had been left high and dry. Of course he would, assuming you’d be getting the same treatment at your date's place, why wouldn’t he take advantage of your absence and not have to muffle his partner’s moans the way he usually did.
You’re just going to ignore it, until you hear a moan that sounds strangely like your own name. Maybe it's wishful thinking on your part, your horny brain deciding to pretend that Jungkook was calling for you instead of whoever he was with. It might be a little wrong for you to have that fantasy of your neighbor, but you aren’t blind. He’s hot, and adorably sweet, the perfect package for any girl he tried to swoon. And judging by the cries you’ve heard of lucky girls prior, you know he was good in bed.
You’re just desperate now. That’s the excuse you tell yourself as you slowly settle onto your back, feeling your body warm up when you focus on his muffled groans, desperate and needy. As your hand slowly slides down your shirt, you shut your eyes, biting down onto your lip to muffle any sound you could make when your fingers slip underneath your pants and past your underwear.
Jungkook on the other hand doesn’t care about his volume. His boxers are tugged down his thighs, knees bent as he slowly ruts into his sticky palm. His hand is tacky with the lube he had messily squirted on, thick cock glistening in the light coming in from his window. He can’t look away from it, mouth dropped open as he groans, imagining it was your hand tightly wrapped around him, your spit covering his cock instead of that strawberry flavored lube.
“Ah fuck,” he moans, shutting his eyes and throwing his head back onto his soft pillows when his thumb rubs along his slit. It continues to leak beads of precum, quickly wiped away to join the mess on his cock when his hand slides back down and squeezes along his base.
You hear that loud and clear, and when the female voice you’re expecting never follows, you realize he must be taking care of himself. It makes you feel a little less guilty now as your fingers trail along your slit, collecting the slick coating your folds before you softly circle your clit. A choked gasp fills the air at the small sensation, your body already wired after having expected to get some action tonight; it totally had nothing to do with your hot neighbor jacking off inches away from you.
With your eyes fluttering shut, you strain your ears to make out any other noise, muffling your own groans with a hand pressed against your mouth. The bed creaks lightly underneath you as you roll your hips into your hand, getting into a smooth rhythm that makes your body buzz.
Slowly, your imagination runs wild, and you wonder just what Jungkook was thinking of as he did this. Was he watching some porn as he did it, using his own filthy thoughts to push himself to ecstacy, or was this just something he needed to do to be able to sleep?
“Shit, so good,” he groans out, voice raspy, but you can sense his desperation through the drywall. It’s what has you sinking a single digit into your drenched entrance, biting down onto your lower lip when you feel the glide of your walls as you start to thrust into yourself, easing in another and mewling at the slight stretch.
Jungkook would absolutely give his left leg to know what your pussy felt like, he didn’t even care how disgusting he sounded by admitting that to himself, it was true. Blame it on the hard lemonade that made his stomach ache and his mind unfiltered, but he could almost visualize how you’d look above him, could practically feel the warmth of your core wrapped around him, dripping down his length as he fucked into you.
He knows you’re loud in bed, never being one to conceal your cries of pleasure and he would die happy to hear his name come out of your mouth as you creamed his cock. But for now, his hand would have to do.
His lids feel too heavy, jaw slack as the pleasure flows through his body. The wet squelch of his palm fills the room, mingling with his pants and groans, air growing thick around him. It’s been a while since Jungkook had jacked off, and even longer since he’d been able to do it shamelessly in bed without the fear of you hearing him, but now that he thought you were gone he can’t find it in himself to cover his mouth or groan into his pillows like he usually did.
The pent up frustration fogs up his mind, cranks the lust up to 11 until his free hand is gripping his sheets beside him, bed frame creaking as his thrusts speed up. The thuds of his headboard hitting the wall come from behind you, a choked moan blending in with it, and it has you scrambling for your bedside drawer.
The pajamas you wear get yanked off your legs and tossed aside after you grab your trusty vibrator, settling onto your back once more with huff. All it takes is a press of a button for the device to come to life, buzzing in your hand as you trail it up your thighs. A gasp escapes you when you pass it over your mound, brushing against your clit and sending a jolt of pleasure through you.
“Oh my god,” you whimper when you finally press the vibrating head directly onto your sensitive clit, legs spreading further apart as you increase the intensity. You could clearly hear the raise in Jungkook’s moans, and that's when the first irrational thought pops into your mind.
How easy would it be for you to head over to his place and deal with both of your problems. Surely Jungkook wouldn’t have an issue with you offering to suck his dick, wouldn’t mind letting you sink down onto him if it was just a friendly favor.
The little devil on your shoulder tells you it would be mutually beneficial, urging you to get up and walk to Jungkook’s with the vibrator still in your hand, but you can’t. This alone felt like enough of a dirty secret, a secret you’d have absolutely no problem keeping because although you feel slightly ashamed, you couldn’t deny how turned on you are.
The flashes of all the times you’ve heard Jungkook with other people play in your mind, the screams of his name that he tried to muffle, pleas for him to go faster, the resounding smack of his palm on flesh that always left you wide eyed when you heard it. And you start to wonder if maybe you’d be into that, the feeling of his large tattooed hand connecting with your ass, gently tapping against your cheek for you to open up for his cock.
That fantasy is like the first ember needed to start the fire inside of you, spreading uncontrollably until you’re bucking into your vibrator, teeth biting down on your lip to keep any potential moans of his name from slipping out.
“Fuck, fuck,” he chants, the same fire burning within him. Maybe your minds are linked telepathically, his thoughts gravitating to the same filthy fantasy you had. Jungkook was very much an ass man, knowing very well how good your butt looked in jeans from how often he stared at it, he could only imagine how good it would look as he fucked you from behind. Picturing the way it would bounce back from the force of his thrusts, eyes glued to the way you’d soak his cock, mimicking the tightness of your walls with a firm grip of his palm.
Jungkook can sense his orgasm approaching, leaves his chest feeling tight as he pants, legs gliding along his sheets for leverage to continue fucking into his hand. You’re not far off either, vibrator set to the highest setting you can practically feel your bones rattling, free hand slipped under your shirt as you pinch at your pebbled nipples. You’re both on the brink of falling over the edge, the same question playing in your mind: where would you want Jungkook to cum?
As his moans get breathier, whiny in a way you’d never imagine them to be, you mentally decide that you’d want him to cum inside of you, wanting to see the way his cute face would twist up in pleasure as he filled you up. Jungkook hopes you would, throwing all responsible thinking aside for that sweet moment of ecstasy and the mental picture is enough to finally push him over.
“Ah shit, baby,” he cries out in his room—thankfully having half the mind to not cry out your name as he came—eyes rolling back as his cock twitches in his palm, ribbons of cum splashing onto his stomach and chest. The warmth hits his skin, more droplets continuing to leak out as his palm milks his orgasm, stomach hiccuping and back arching from the stimulation.
The choked moan is what has your own orgasm washing over you, your palm slapping over your mouth so hard you know you’ll feel the ache later but you don’t care. A muffled gasp blends with the buzzing of your toy, thighs tensing up as your body tingles and writhes around on your sheets.
The only thing you can think of is Jungkook, the charming smile he’d give you when he listened to you rant about anything, his annoying habit of rolling up his sleeves to show off his muscles, the cute scowl on his face whenever you managed to beat him at Mario Kart, and the soft feeling of his alcohol coated lips on yours. It leaves you feeling warm as your orgasm flows through you, lying limp on the bed as you mewl at the sensitivity.
When you realize your thoughts have strayed from ‘pure sexy Jungkook fantasyland’, and switched over to ‘Jeon Jungkook your adorable neighbor’, your eyes go wide, finger immediately going to turn off the vibrator. In your haste to shut it off, you click the wrong button, changing the pulsing settings and nearly screaming when the device starts to buzz erratically against your overly sensitive clit.
With a strained gasp you yank it away from yourself, turn it off and throw it aside, horribly miscalculating the size of your bed and watching in horror as it lands on the floor with a loud thud. The complete silence from both sides makes the noise sound deafening, and all you can do is sit on your bed, half naked, and hope Jungkook is still too busy basking in his post orgasm bliss to hear the bang.
Although the blood is still pumping in his ears, he heard the thud clearly. His heart stops in his chest as he lays there, too scared to breathe in case he’d somehow make too much noise, suddenly afraid of being too loud after he had just made a show of himself. Jungkook slowly sits himself up, grimacing at the stickiness on his stomach before pressing his ear against his headboard to try to hear anything else.
All you want to do is yank the covers over yourself and go to sleep, pretend your horrendous date and your dirty thoughts about your friend never happened. The sobering mentality that comes after an orgasm settles into you, leaving you staring at the floor with a crease between your brows as you wonder what the hell came over you.
When Jungkook hears nothing else, he sighs in relief, hauling himself out of bed to grab another pair of underwear before entering his bathroom to clean up. As he stares at his own reflection in the mirror, he frowns at how pathetic he feels. The throbbing headache of his earlier drinks is already starting to kick in, body now sweaty from exertion, stomach covered in his cum.
“Such a loser,” he grumbles out, grabbing a wad of tissues to wipe away the mess on his skin before walking back out. Here he was, getting off to the thought of you, while you were out having your post-breakup wild phase.
His hands grab his phone as he reaches his nightstand, flopping back onto the bed and unlocking the device. It’s now one in the morning, and you still hadn’t text him, which either meant you were having the time of your life, or Jungkook had to track down this Jung Hoseok. The slightly protective side of him won’t allow him to sleep until he hears back from you, fingers already typing out a message and hitting send.
Jungkook 1:23am : you safe or am i gonna have to go all Liam Neeson on this guy?
When your phone vibrates on your nightstand you gasp, grabbing it before it could make any more noise. Seeing Jungkook’s name flash on the screen makes your blood run cold, already imagining what the text could be: calling you dirty for getting off on him, making fun of you, telling you to come ove—no stop that.
Finally mustering up the courage, you open it up, a small laugh spilling out as you read his message, relief flooding through you as you realize that meant he thought you were still with Hoseok.
Y/N 1:26am : oh yeah, you gonna show him your very particular set of skills? lol
Y/N 1:26am : i just got home though
Y/N 1:26am : like right now
Y/N 1:26am : still sitting in my living room
Y/N 1:27am : haha
He laughs at your string of texts, something you hear as he settles into bed. Jungkook ebbs away the small feeling of jealousy in his chest, trying to see the silver lining of this. You weren’t rushing to tell him anything about your date which meant it either went so good you wanted to keep it to yourself, or it was subpar and you wouldn’t be seeing this yellow sunglass wearing copycat again.
Jungkook 1:29am : glad you got home safe, goodnight y/n!
Sending back a goodnight text, you lock your phone and slide deeper into bed, pulling the sheets up to your chin as you stare at the ceiling. You already know the only thing you’ll be dreaming about is your cute neighbor with a bunny smile and body proportions that contradicted it. And as Jungkook lays in bed, wondering if he’ll have to push the crush aside, you’re barely coming to terms with the fact that the small glowing feeling that came with being around him might be something else.
Every single one of your interactions gets rewinded and played back like a seamless montage, remembering just how many almost moments there was between you. The way his eyes would flash down to your lips whenever you playfully argued on your couch, hands yanking the remotes from his in a game of tug of war that left you way too close in the heat of the moment. How he’d let you braid his hair anytime you found a new youtube tutorial, his starry eyes staring at you with so much adoration it made your stomach flip, brushing it off as love for a friend.
Then came the jokes from your friends, constantly teasing you about Jungkook, playfully saying they would try to sleep with him just because they liked the scowl on your face, and how quickly you tried to play it off. How the sweet old lady from the convenience store downstairs always assumed you were dating when you came in together, the low jab she sent when you walked in with Hajoon and she said she preferred you with Jungkook. That argument had been one of the ones that left him bolting out of your apartment with a nasty slam of the door, spewing nasty words at you, calling you blind for not seeing it and dumb for acting like you had no idea what he was talking about.
And for the first time, you come to the sudden realization that Hajoon was right. His deep set insecurities about Jungkook had stemmed from scraps of the truth, not just from him but from you too. The amount of times you’d find a way to slide Jungkook’s name into a conversation about anything, telling him funny stories about him, too lost in thought to see that while you were giggling as you reminisce, he was staring at you in disbelief.
The final thought that makes you want a blackhole to swallow you up, comes in the form of you, grabbing Jungkook’s face before planting a kiss on his unsuspecting lips at the club. You want to scream into your pillow as you recall it, how he had almost leaned back in to kiss you again before you had sobered him up with your dumb question rooted in revenge.
“Oh my god, I’m such a bitch.” you whimper. Subjecting Jungkook to be your wingman, jokingly telling him he should be your fake boyfriend more often, asking him for tips with hook ups. If everyone else could see it but you, he probably thought you were purposely friendzoning him.
The guilt piles on top of you as you start to piece together every moment that flew over your head, only making you bury yourself deeper into your sheets. It makes your heart twist, taking note of how Jungkook was always so quick to put a smile on his face despite how naive you were to it all, wondering if maybe it was too late to try to make something of this now. How many times could you call Jungkook ‘bro’ and treat him like you didn’t see him romantically, before he decided there was no hope for him anymore.
So as you force yourself to sleep, nerves and uncertainty weighing heavy on your mind, Jungkook snores away as he dreams of the almost moments that could have been.
#heartsforbts#btswritingcafe#btsghostie#bangtansorciere#bangtaninn#ficswithluv#btscreatorscorner#jungkook smut#jeongguk smut#bts smut#jungkook angst#jeon jungkook#bts fics#new
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selfish | one (18+)
Summary: You're a former coworker of Kento Nanami back when he was just an office worker. You accidentally run into him at a bakery many years later which gives you a second chance at getting to know the man who had always caught your eye.
Pairing: Kento Nanami x f!Reader
Words: 11.1k+
Warnings: Explicit sexual content, vaginal sex, vaginal fingering, oral sex, creampie, explicit language, attempted sexual assault, kidnapping, canon-typical violence, alcohol
Note: Read on ao3 here! I’ve been on tumblr on and off for about 10 years at this point (yikes), but I recently decided to start a new one as sort of a writing blog with a lot of anime gif reblogging on the side as well haha. Kind of nervous to post my first fic on tumblr for some reason, so I hope you enjoy! Thank you for reading!
Index: [Part One] [Part Two]
“Nanami? Kento Nanami? Is that you?”
You couldn’t believe your eyes. It had been years! Was that really him?
---
The night you accidentally ran into Kento Nanami started off like any other night in your life. After an exhausting day of work, you decided to treat yourself to some sweets at a nearby bakery. The small chime on the door signaled your entrance with the lone employee warmly greeting you.
“Welcome!”
There was only one other customer in the small shop. A tall man stood at the cash register.
Hmm.
There was something strangely familiar about the man’s demeanor. Curious, you drifted over to the display case next to the register to try and sneak a peek at his face. While admiring the delicious-looking pastries on the counter, you listened in on the conversation between him and the cashier.
“That will be 2000 yen,” the lady said.
“I’ll pay with card.”
You stiffened slightly, eyes widening in surprise.
That voice!
You recognized that voice!
The man shifted his face towards you as he reached to grab his wallet from his pocket. You were finally able to get a glimpse of his face.
You gasped.
“It is you!” you exclaimed in surprise. “Nanami!”
He looked as prim and proper as ever. The man still wore a suit and tie with his hair neatly parted. The only major difference in his appearance was the sunglasses that now completely shielded his eyes.
“It’s good to see you again! How have you been?” you asked eagerly.
Nanami looked at you silently, trying to recall where he had seen your familiar face before.
Then he remembered.
A flood of memories from a different life overcame him. The man hesitantly said your name, like he couldn’t quite believe your unexpected appearance before him. You nodded enthusiastically while he absentmindedly handed his credit card to the cashier.
“Oh wow,” you breathed, feeling a little giddy. “I haven’t seen you since you quit all those years ago. What are you doing now?”
Nanami seemed to pause for a second, adjusting his sunglasses. “I work at a school.”
“Oh! As a teacher?”
“No, just as staff.”
“That sounds nice. What school?”
“It’s a private religious school in the mountains. It’s not particularly well-known,” the man replied vaguely.
“Oh, I see.”
A loud beep of a cell phone interrupted the conversation. Nanami reached into his other pocket and took out his phone. He frowned, looking at the device. “I apologize, but I have to go immediately.”
“Oh, uh, ok,” you said, feeling slightly disappointed. You barely had any time to catch up with your former coworker. Nanami grabbed the bag from the counter and swiftly exited the store. You watched him walk away with a sigh. What were the chances that you would bump into him again? You pouted, upset that the circumstances hadn’t exactly worked out in your favor.
“Oh no!” the cashier suddenly cried out. “He forgot his card!” She pointed at the blue credit card on the counter.
“Lemme see if I can catch him!” you responded, already running out of the bakery. You pushed open the door and ran in the direction you saw the man leave. “Nanami!” you shouted. Other pedestrians looked at you curiously, but you couldn’t see the tall man anywhere. You walked around a bit further out, continuing to call his name but to no avail. Sighing, you headed back to the bakery.
“No luck,” you said to the cashier. “He’s gone already. I have no idea how he disappeared so quickly.” Crossing your arms against your chest, you looked at the forgotten card in frustration. “What should we do now?” If only you had his number!
“I guess I can keep it here in case he comes back,” the lady reasoned.
Hmm.
An idea popped in your head.
A selfish one.
“Wait! How about I take it and return it to him?” you asked. Then you realized that your request might come off as suspicious. “We used to work together, I promise I’m not trying to steal it or anything.”
The cashier smiled at you softly. “I trust you. You come in here quite a lot and that man did say your name, so I know you’re not lying.”
You sighed in relief.
Thank goodness.
After buying some pastries for yourself, you walked out of the bakery holding Nanami’s credit card in your hand. You carefully stored it in your bag before beginning the walk back to your apartment.
A private religious school in the mountains, huh?
It shouldn’t be too hard to find.
---
You groaned, fighting the urge to pull your hair in frustration.
How hard was it to find this damn school?!
You were sitting at your desk in the dark. The only light in the bedroom came from your laptop screen which was full of search engine results for “tokyo private religious school”. You were on page 15. Not a promising sign.
Recalling your conversation with Nanami, you remembered the man said he worked at a religious school in the mountains. However, none of the private schools you had found so far were located in the mountains. You frowned. Had Nanami been lying?
You shook your head to yourself.
No.
He’s not the type to lie. He did say it wasn’t well-known.
You scrolled further down and clicked on the next page. Quickly skimming the results, you finally found something that caught your eye.
Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College.
Huh. What a strange name for a school.
You clicked on the link. It brought you to a strange forum that looked somewhat sketchy and unreliable, but someone had at least posted an address for the school. You grabbed your phone and immediately plugged the address into the map app.
You punched the air in triumph.
“Yes!” The dot was located in the mountains by some Tokyo suburbs.
This has to be the place!
Luckily, tomorrow was Friday which meant you had no classes, and you weren’t scheduled for a shift at work. You were free to find the school and return the card to Nanami in person.
“Ok!” you said to yourself, rubbing your hands together. “Now to find out how to get there.”
---
You looked at the dot of your current location on your phone and then back at the vast empty woods in front of you.
This can’t be it!
You groaned out loud in frustration, stamping your feet in a little tantrum.
Why is it still so hard to find this damn school?!
Looking at your phone again, you double-checked the map to see that you were in fact at the exact location of the address you inputted, but nothing was here. It was just trees!
You sighed in disappointment but refused to give up right away. Maybe your phone’s GPS was off because you were so high up in the mountains and the signal was bad. You decided to follow the road that led up the mountain with the hope that you might accidentally stumble across the school. If there was a road, it had to lead somewhere! But strangely enough, you hadn’t seen any cars, buildings, or pedestrians since entering the area.
After walking around for almost an hour, you decided to take a break. Sitting in the shade of some trees by the side of the road, you took your water bottle out of your bag for a quick sip. You admired the beautiful, quiet scenery in front of you.
Maybe this was a bad idea.
You were currently lost in the mountains of Tokyo looking for a school you weren’t quite sure actually existed. And it was all because you were selfish and wanted to see Nanami again. Your old coworker.
You hadn’t been particularly close to him at work, though he didn’t seem overly friendly with anyone in the office. Nanami was the stoic and serious type. He didn’t talk much with the team, but you could tell he worked hard. He was always one of the last people to leave the office for the night, if he did leave. On many occasions, you found him dozing at his desk in the morning when you arrived early to work before everyone else with the sneaking suspicion that he had spent the entire night in the office.
Unlike most of the other employees and especially your boss, Nanami seemed to still care about the clients instead of just the company’s profits, judging from the small snippets of conversations you overheard from him. You had always wanted to get to know him better, but he didn’t particularly have an approachable demeanor. At the time, you were just a young, newly graduated woman who was afraid of everything and everyone. So you often just kept to yourself.
You sighed, looking down at the ground. Taking Nanami’s credit card hostage was a pathetic way of trying to rekindle a relationship that never existed in the first place. You made up your mind. It was time to head back home and drop off the card at the bakery so he could pick it up himself. Today’s excursion was just a giant waste of time much to your disappointment.
“Excuse me, miss. What are you doing here?”
“Huh?” A man was hovering over you. You swore he hadn’t been there a second ago.
You screamed. “P-please don’t hurt me!” You put your arms out in front of you, shielding yourself from any potential harm. “I don’t have much money, but you can have it all!”
The man burst out laughing. You slowly lowered your arms, hoping that his laughter meant he wasn’t going to attack you.
“I’m not going to hurt you, and I especially don’t want your money.”
You let out a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness.” No longer afraid, you took a closer look at the stranger. He was tall. Very tall. Wearing a black outfit and a matching blindfold that spiked up his white hair.
What a strange appearance.
“Well, I won’t hurt you as long as you tell me what you’re doing here.” You gulped, hearing the silent threat in his words.
“Umm, umm, well, you see I-I got a bit lost and w-was just taking a rest,” you stuttered nervously, fiddling with your hands. “I heard there’s a private school around here and I’m trying to find it, because I know someone who works there. His name is Kento Nanami and we used to work together many many years ago and I just happened to run into him last night at a bakery but he left his credit card there and I wanted to give it back to him in person, so I thought it was a good idea to deliver it at his workplace but this school is so hard to find I have no idea where I’m going and-and I think I’m just going to leave now actually.” You realized you were rambling, so you forcibly shut your mouth to stop yourself from looking like a complete fool in front of the stranger.
The man hummed in thought for several seconds before suddenly grinning and chuckling to himself. His demeanor no longer felt threatening.
“Kento Nanami, huh,” the man said, still smiling happily.
“Oh, you know him?” You perked up, suddenly hopeful.
Maybe they work together!
“Leave it to me!” the stranger cheered, giving you a thumbs up. “I’ll escort you to the school and make sure you hand-deliver that credit card to Nanami!”
You felt relieved, tears almost prickling your eyes. “Oh thank you so much!”
---
“Satoru.”
“Mm.”
“Can’t you tell there’s a human who has been wandering near the barrier for quite a while now? It looks like they’re trying to find a way in,” Yaga commented.
“Well, they can’t. Isn’t that the whole point of the barrier?”
“I know that!” the principal grunted angrily. “But since you’re just lounging here around doing nothing, go check it out.”
“Fine.” Gojo got off the couch and headed outside, wondering how a human accidentally wandered this close to the school so far up the mountains.
---
It only took several minutes before you and the strange man found a path leading to the school. You blinked in surprise. You felt like you had walked by this part of the road earlier but had seen nothing.
Walking alongside the man quietly, you suddenly realized you had completely forgotten your manners. Quickly bowing to your escort, you introduced yourself and thanked him for taking the time to safely bring you to the school.
“It’s no problem. Any friend of Nanami is a friend of mine. Oh, and I’m Satoru Gojo by the way. I’m the first-year teacher here.”
He was a teacher? This man wearing a blindfold in broad daylight? You swallowed nervously. You wondered what kind of school Nanami was working for exactly.
Once you finally reached the main school grounds, all of your reservations immediately melted away. “Wow!” you breathed. The campus was absolutely gorgeous with beautiful statues, shrines, and gates. You couldn’t help but stop and admire your surroundings. “This school is beautiful.”
Gojo brought you to the teacher’s lounge and gestured for you to sit down. “So, tell me again how you know our dear Nanami?”
---
Nanami had just finished a mission when his phone chimed, signaling a text. He finished wiping his blade clean before grabbing the device. The message was from Gojo.
Gojo: Come back to Jujutsu Tech. Your girlfriend is here ;)
The sorcerer stared at the message.
Nanami: I have no idea what you mean.
Gojo: ( ˘ ³˘)♥
He angrily shoved his phone back in his pocket and walked over to the car where Ijichi was waiting. He entered the back seat before closing the door behind him. “Hurry up. I need to find a certain white-haired idiot and destroy him.”
---
Nanami was walking towards the teacher’s lounge when he heard your bright laughter. He froze for a couple of seconds.
What were you doing here?
He picked up the pace, quickly entering the lounge to see you giggling on the couch next to Gojo. For some reason, it bothered him to see how close the idiot was to you and how happy you looked in his presence.
“Nanami! You’re here!” Gojo exclaimed, immediately noticing the other sorcerer’s presence.
You turned your head quickly towards the doorway with a bright grin. “Oh, Nanami! Hi again!”
Nanami observed the scene, trying to figure out what was going on, but he was drawing a blank.
First of all, you weren’t a sorcerer. How did you enter the school grounds?
Second, did you know Gojo? The two of you seemed quite friendly on the couch together.
Third, was Gojo implying that you were his girlfriend? That was absolutely ridiculous.
“What are you doing here?” Nanami asked you cautiously, adjusting his sunglasses.
“Oh!” You dug around in your bag, pulling out your wallet. You removed a blue credit card. “You left this behind at the bakery yesterday. I tried to chase after you, but you disappeared so quickly. I had the day off today, so I thought I would try to find your workplace and give your card back to you.” You got off the couch, approaching Nanami and handing him the card.
Nanami took the card from you before placing it back in his own wallet. “You didn’t have to do this. How did you even find your way here?”
“I found her wandering nearby!” Gojo jumped in, grinning at the other sorcerer. “Imagine my surprise when she said the two of you used to work together back when you were just a salaryman. I just had to invite her back here. You never mentioned you used to work with such a lovely lady.”
You visibly blushed at Gojo’s words which just bothered Nanami even more. “Thank you for returning my card, but I think it’s about time y—”
“Nanami. Nanami. Namami,” Gojo said in a singsong voice. “You’re all work and no fun. It’s been years since the two of you have seen each other, and you’re already trying to get rid of her? Don’t you want to catch up a little bit?”
You played with your hair, a little nervous. “I mean if you’re busy Nanami, I can go. But I was hoping we could talk a little bit.” You looked up at him with bright eyes. “I want to hear how you’ve been doing.”
Nanami took one look at your hopeful face and immediately gave in. “Alright.” He gestured for you to sit back down as he walked over to one of the armchairs. The sorcerer pretended like he didn’t see your little jump of excitement as you hurried back to the couch with Gojo.
Once the three of you were all seated comfortably, you brought up what you had been previously discussing with Gojo. “I didn’t know you’re teaching at the same high school you went to as a student. That’s pretty cool!”
“He was one of the few students who graduated and decided to leave the community,” Gojo pointed out. “Most of us stay here and continue working for the school.” Nanami subtly glared at the white-haired sorcerer, wondering how much he had told you about the jujutsu world.
“Why did you decide to come back then?” you asked curiously.
“I changed my mind,” Nanami simply stated. “I realized I would find my career slightly more rewarding if I worked for the school than that company.”
You nodded in agreement. “That makes sense. I’m glad we eventually both left that job.” You slightly grimaced, just thinking about your past. It didn’t go unnoticed by Nanami.
“When did you leave?” he asked.
You hummed, recalling the past. “It was probably a couple of months after you left. I, uh, messed up something really badly and I got fired.”
Nanami raised his eyebrows in surprise. You didn’t seem like the type to make big mistakes. He remembered you as quite the careful and diligent worker. He narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering if you were being deceitful.
“It’s ok though,” you continued. “I worked a couple of odd jobs afterward to keep up with the bills until I decided I wanted to become a nurse! So I’m actually back in school now and working part-time to help pay tuition.”
“A nurse, huh,” Gojo remarked. “What a noble career choice.”
“Ahh, I wouldn’t say I’m noble or anything. I just think I would find my life more fulfilling if I was actively helping people,” you explained. “Probably similar to how you felt when you switched careers, Nanami.”
He nodded at your words.
uThe three of you chatted amicably the rest of the day. Gojo and you mostly carried the conversation, but Nanami would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy listening to your voice. After he ran into you at the bakery last night, he couldn’t stop thinking about you. It was the first time he was confronted with his old life after deciding to become a sorcerer again. Part of Nanami wanted to never look back on that phase of his life again, but perhaps it wasn’t all bad. Sure, he hadn't particularly liked anyone from that office, but he didn’t mind you. You had always been quiet, polite, and hardworking.
Nanami still remembered his last day at the office. You had organized a surprise farewell party just for him with a cake, balloons, and everything. After everyone had their fill of free food and left the conference room, you had shyly wished him luck in the future and said you would miss seeing him in the office. All those memories came rushing back after encountering you in that bakery.
The sun started to set when you finally noticed the time.
“Ah! I should probably go,” you announced, checking your phone. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to overstay my welcome.”
“No, no,” Gojo assured. “You are very much welcome here. Like I said earlier, any friend of Nanami is a friend of mine and all my friends are welcome here!”
“How do you plan on getting home?” Nanami asked, mildly concerned.
“Don’t worry!” Gojo said. “I got it handled. Ijichi will drive her back.”
“Huh? No, it’s fine,” you tried to argue. “I can get back by myself. It’s not a problem.”
“What kind of gentlemen would we be if we didn’t ensure you got home safely? Ijichi is our finest chauffeur,” the blindfolded man insisted. “He will take care of you.”
You looked at Nanami who simply nodded at you, encouraging you to accept Gojo’s offer. Sighing, you crossed your arms over your chest with a pout. “Alright. Thank you.”
The two men waved goodbye as you left in Ijichi’s car to head back home.
“Was it really wise to have her on the school grounds?” Nanami asked.
Gojo hummed. “It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not. Normal humans aren’t allowed here for a reason.”
The blindfolded sorcerer didn’t reply. Instead, he took out his phone and started tapping on the screen. Nanami’s phone chimed. It was a text from Gojo. Opening it, he saw it was a string of numbers.
A phone number.
“You should call her sometime,” Gojo said. “She likes you.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do. What kind of woman travels to the mountains on her day off to try and find a publically non-existent school to return a credit card to someone she doesn’t like?”
Nanami remained silent.
“Just because we’re adults and jujutsu sorcerers doesn’t mean we aren’t allowed to have some normal fun. It’s alright to be selfish every once in a while.”
How badly Nanami wanted to believe Gojo’s words.
---
You heard the door open and close.
“Hello! How many I help y—Gojo?”
You blinked in surprise, not expecting to see the teacher at your workplace. While taking classes to become a nurse, you worked part-time at a small boba tea shop. You had just finished serving the flurry of college students who needed a midday pick-me-up when Gojo appeared. Several of the seated patrons whispered and pointed at him, wondering why he was wearing a blindfold and how he could see.
“Thought I would drop by and say hi,” he said with an easy grin.
You returned his smile. “Is Nanami with you too?” you asked, trying to sound casual.
“No, not today, unfortunately,” he replied. You tried to ignore the flash of disappointment you felt. “I’ll bring him next time.”
You perked up at Gojo’s promise, nodding eagerly. “Sounds good. So, would you like something to drink?”
The man ordered a large brown sugar milk tea with extra sugar. You looked at him, mildly concerned. “You sure you want 120% sugar? It’s pretty sweet to begin with. Trust me.”
Gojo nodded. “Yup!”
“Alright,” you said with a shrug. You did try to warn him.
You finished preparing Gojo’s drink and handed it to him along with a straw.
“Hey, do you mind if I borrow your phone for a second?” the teacher asked.
“Oh, sure,” you said, grabbing your phone from your back pocket.
Gojo took the device and opened the camera app. “Smile!” That was the only warning you got. He had taken a selfie of the two of you together. You weren’t even smiling in the photo, completely caught off guard. But Gojo was at least prepared, grinning happily and showing off his milk tea in one hand. You watched as the man repeatedly tapped on your phone screen.
“What are you doing?” you asked hesitantly.
“Here!” Gojo handed the phone back to you. Looking at the screen, you saw that he had sent the selfie of the two of you to a random number with a text that said “Having fun without you!”
“Um. Who did you send this to Gojo?”
“Nanami, of course!”
“Oh,” you said quietly, feeling butterflies in your stomach.
Nanami’s number!
You finally had it!
Gojo chuckled to himself as he saw the way your eyes lit up.
“Oh, by the way,” you said, looking up from the phone. “It’s my birthday next weekend. I’m going out with a couple of friends on Saturday at 8pm at the bar around the corner, and I was wondering if you and Nanami would like to join? You should bring Ijichi too and anyone else from the school! Only if you want though. It’s ok if you don’t want to come or you’re worried about being awkward with my other friends even though they’re super cool and encouraged me to invite you guys and I promise I won’t be upset if you can’t make it because this is kind of last minute and I—”
“Sounds great!” Gojo interrupted your rambling. “I’ll be sure to pass along the information. We'll be there.”
“Really?” You grinned at the teacher. “Awesome! I guess I’ll see you then!”
Gojo waved at you goodbye as you tried to compose yourself before the next wave of customers arrived.
---
“Ahh!! You guys actually came!” you squealed as a group of individuals approached your table in the bar. You stumbled out of the large booth where your other friends were seated, already several shots in for the night. You clumsily hugged Gojo without thinking. Releasing him, you took in his new appearance.
“You look so different!” you commented. “But not in a bad way!” The man had traded in his signature blindfold for a pair of sunglasses that still hid his eye. His hair was lying down flat instead of its usual spiked-up look.
Behind Gojo, you saw Ijichi with a woman you didn’t recognize.
“That’s Shoko Ieiri,” Gojo said, following your gaze. “She’s the doctor at our school.”
You happily greeted both of them, thanking them for coming.
And finally, you saw the person you were looking forward to seeing the most. Nanami looked good as always. He was dressed a little more casually for the night without his signature jacket, tie, and sunglasses. Instead, he wore a crisp, blue button-up shirt with the top few buttons undone. You tried not to stare too much at his revealed skin.
As you approached Nanami, you reached out to hug him but you managed to stop yourself in time. You were worried about coming on too strong and opted for a small wave instead.
“Thanks for coming, Nanami! I’m so glad you came!”
Sitting at the table altogether, your other friends immediately fawned over Gojo. One of them grabbed you and whispered in your ear.
“What the hell? You didn’t tell me one of your friends was incredibly hot?”
You shrugged and ordered another round of shots for the whole table. Gojo ended up passing because he didn’t drink, so you took it upon yourself to finish it for him.
Nanami quietly nursed a beer as he observed the scene. He didn’t typically like crowded, loud bars like this, but he would make an exception for you. Gojo had also been extremely intent on making sure everyone from the school attended your little celebration. He managed to get Ijichi to come along only after getting Shoko to agree by bribing her with free alcohol.
Nanami was currently sitting across the booth from you, watching as you chatted with your friends. You were wearing a dark red dress that perfectly showed off your curves. The left strap of your dress was a little loose and it kept falling down the entire night despite you constantly readjusting it, not that Nanami had noticed.
You looked so carefree and lively in this atmosphere. Every once in a while, you caught Nanami’s gaze and beamed at him happily.
At some point during the night, you left the table to go to the bathroom. It was only once you tried walking back to everyone that you realized how drunk you were. Stumbling a bit in your high heels, you leaned against the wall by the bathrooms for stability.
“Excuse me miss, are you alright?”
A man approached you, but you instantly waved him off. “Mmm, I’m good,” you replied. “Thanks though.” You were determined to make it back to your friends on your own, but as soon as you took a step away from the wall, you tripped. The man caught you before you could hit the ground. He had a tight grip on your waist.
“You don’t seem good,” he chuckled softly. “How about I help you?” You could feel his hands starting to go lower, and you quickly latched onto them and tried to pry them off you.
“I said no,” you said firmly, but the man ignored you and pressed you against the wall. “Get off!” You struggled against him but to no avail.
Suddenly, the weight of the man was lifted and you felt like you could breathe again.
“Are you alright?” a smooth voice asked.
You looked up to see Nanami in front of you. You nodded silently and admired his strong jawline and sharp eyes in the bar’s dark lighting.
“Can you walk?”
You nodded again. Taking a step away from the wall, you immediately staggered again much to your embarrassment. Nanami grabbed your arm and lifted you up until you were half leaning on him for support. Inhibitions suddenly gone from all the alcohol in your system, you wrapped your arms around his broad shoulders and gave him a hug. The man tried to ignore the shiver that went up his spine when he felt your warm, soft body pressed up against him. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was quite jealous that you had hugged Gojo when they first arrived. What was so special about that idiot anyway? Nanami slowly wrapped his arms around you, indulging himself for once and returning the hug.
“I’m so glad you came,” you mumbled against his chest. “I was so happy that I ran into you at the bakery that one night. But I was afraid I would never see you again.” You paused. “I really wanted to see you again.”
Nanami didn’t know how to respond to your words, so he gently rubbed your back instead. You leaned into his touch happily.
“Let’s get back to the others,” he said gently. You sighed and reluctantly removed yourself from the embrace. Nanami half-carried you back to the table and carefully deposited you next to your friends. To your disappointment, he didn’t sit down next to you and instead headed towards the front doors.
“Nanami? Where are you going?” Gojo asked, eyebrows raised.
“I’ll be back.”
When Nanami exited the bar, he was greeted by several couples who were taking a smoke break. He walked a bit further away, so he could be alone. The sorcerer leaned against a random building, taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself down.
Nanami felt quite ashamed of himself. Acting like a hormonal teenage boy just because he briefly held you while you were wearing that damn dress. He tried to ignore the way his cock was straining in his pants. Gritting his teeth, he willed his body to relax. Nanami refused to let you see him so worked like this. He especially couldn’t let Gojo see. He could only imagine the endless teasing he would endure from the blindfolded idiot.
Inside the bar, you watched sadly as Nanami left. You wondered if it was something you did to scare him away.
Gojo sat next to you and handed you a glass of water. “Drink,” he commanded.
You did as you were told, keeping an eye on the doors to see if Nanami had come back in yet. “Does Nanami not like me?” you asked Gojo quietly with a pout.
The man chuckled. “I assure you that’s not the case.”
You turned to look at him. “How do you know?”
Gojo lowered his sunglasses slightly, and you were able to get a glimpse of his gorgeous blue eyes for the first time. “Trust me. I have good eyes.”
---
Nanami ended the call with Ijichi. He leaned against the wall of the bathroom with a grimace. He was still applying pressure to the wound he had received from Mahito. The sorcerer scrolled through the contacts list on his phone. He found himself hovering over your name.
Yes, he did save your number from Gojo’s text. Why wouldn’t he? It would be frivolous to ignore that kind of contact information.
Nanami grabbed another wad of paper towel to replace the one that was already drenched in blood. He grunted in pain.
A nurse, huh.
He wondered what you would do if you saw him right now. If you fuss over him and take care of his injuries yourself. Nanami sighed. He wouldn’t mind that. Would you carefully unbutton his shirt to get a better look at the wound? He could almost imagine the way your fingers would ghost over his stomach.
With a groan, Nanami banged his head against the wall. He couldn’t believe he was fantasizing about you while profusely bleeding in a public restroom.
The sorcerer cleaned up his blood all over the sink and threw out the dirty wads of paper towels. He went outside to wait for Ijichi to bring him back to school for proper treatment.
---
“I’m going to take my break!” you announced to your coworkers as you exited the bubble tea shop. You decided to go outside for a quick breather because it was such a nice, sunny day. Avoiding the crowds, you headed over to the alleyways near the shop to scroll through Twitter in peace.
You were so engrossed by your phone that you didn’t notice the presence of someone next to you. It was only when you heard them clear their throat that you looked next to you to see a man wearing sunglasses and a hat.
“Oh, sorry. Am I in your way? I can move.”
In the blink of an eye, he held a knife to your neck. You felt the cool blade lightly press into your skin. You held your breath, afraid to react in any way.
“Don’t scream. Don’t move,” he hissed.
Your eyes widened in shock.
That voice.
You recognized that voice.
The man grabbed you by the back of the neck and pulled you in the opposite direction of the busy street where unaware pedestrians were still walking by. He pressed the knife against your side now, digging it into the thin t-shirt you had to wear for work.
“Walk.”
He led you to an abandoned building several minutes away. Once you were inside and the door closed shut, he roughly shoved you to the ground.
You landed in a heap, groaning in pain. Turning around, you finally faced your captor.
“It’s you, isn’t you,” you said evenly. “Boss.”
The man chuckled, removing the hat and sunglasses. It was your former boss from the company where you and Nanami had once worked together. You dug your nails in the palms of your hands. If he was here, you knew you were in trouble.
“You called the cops, didn’t you!” he yelled at you, pointing the knife at you menacingly.
Cops? What was he talking about?
“No, I didn’t,” you replied honestly.
“You BITCH! Don’t lie to me.” He waved the knife closer at you.
“I promise! I didn’t tell anyone!”
With a shout, the man grabbed your hair and held the knife to your neck again. You squeezed your eyes shut and couldn’t help but let a small whimper leave your lips.
The truth was you weren't just fired from your job. You were threatened. When numbers weren’t adding up, you realized that your boss was embezzling money and had been doing so for a long time. He found out that you knew the truth and protected himself by forcibly ousting you from the company. As a young professional, you knew better than to fight against a big shot financial executive. When he warned you to stay quiet or face his wrath, you were wise enough to shut your mouth, clean your desk, and leave the building immediately. True to your word, you had never mentioned your boss’s crimes to anyone. You thought you were safe to move on with the rest of your life but apparently, that was not the case.
The man spat at you before roughly kicking you away. He started pacing as you wiped his spit off your cheek with a disgusted groan.
“This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening. I’m about to lose everything. EVERYTHING!”
As he muttered to himself, you tried to survey your surroundings and determine if there was a way you could safely escape. Before you could figure anything out, your old boss approached you again, knife still in hand. He seemed to have made up his mind about what he was going to do.
“You’re going to fix this. Yea. This is your fault. I’ll pin it all on you. You’ll go down for this, not me!”
As the man ranted and raved at you, something appeared in the shadows behind him. There was some movement. You blinked your eyes, wondering if it was just a trick of your imagination. But to your horror, a green creature grew larger and larger in the background. It had three heads, each with multiple eyes and giant drooling mouths with huge teeth. The monster raised its multiple arms, hovering over your boss with all eyes fixed on him like he was a piece of prey.
“Scared, aren’t you?” the man commented with a chuckle. He was misinterpreting the horrified look on your face. “This is what you get for messing with the wrong man.”
You shook your head slowly and lifted a shaky finger to point behind him.
He turned around, dropping the knife in shock.
The weapon clattered to the ground.
Your boss screamed. He immediately tried to run away, but one of the monster’s arms snatched him in a tight grip. The three heads fought with each other as if deciding which one of them would get to swallow the prize. You took that as a cue to start running.
The monster was blocking the way you entered, so you ran towards the only other door you saw, which led to a stairwell. You ran up a couple of floors before hiding in a small closet you found. It was cramped and dusty but you hoped it was enough to hide you from that creature.
Sitting on the ground, you took out your phone shakily and called the police.
“Hello, what is your emergency?”
“I’m trapped in an abandoned building, and there’s a monster here.” You realized it sounded ridiculous, but you didn’t know what else to say in the moment.
The dispatcher groaned. “This is the last time! You kids have to stop with the prank calls. This line is for emergencies only!”
They hung up on you.
You stared at your cell phone in disbelief.
Shit.
Instinctively, you scrolled through your contacts list until you found who you were looking for. You pressed the call button.
Please pick up. Please pick up.
It went to voicemail.
You cursed to yourself again.
“Nanami,” you whispered quietly, voice quivering. “I don’t know when you’ll listen to this, but you have to believe me. I’m in an abandoned building near my job, and I swear there’s a monster here. I-I think it might have killed our old boss. I don’t know what to do, I tri—”
There was a loud bang. You quickly hung up and pressed the phone into your chest while you covered your mouth and nose with your other hand to quiet your harsh breathing. The sounds got closer and closer until it sounded like it was right outside the closet door. Your heart was beating so loudly you were worried the monster would hear it. But luckily, the noises started to become fainter. Eventually, you heard nothing even after a long time of terrified waiting.
Once you were reasonably convinced the coast was clear, you quietly opened the closet door and peeked out. The hallway was empty. Maybe this was your chance to finally escape the building.
You carefully climbed to your feet and tiptoed your way back to the stairwell.
Your phone loudly chimed. The noise echoed throughout the empty building. It was a text message from your coworker asking where you went. You had forgotten to turn your phone on silent.
Almost instantaneously, the monster started roaring from the floor beneath you. You barely caught a glimpse of it before running up the stairs again until you reached the top floor. Exiting the stairway, you ran through the hallways until you reached a dead end.
Back pressed up against the wall, you watched in horror as the monster let out a sharp laugh as it approached you. There was blood dripping out of the mouths of all three heads. You didn’t want to think about where it came from. With no other options left, you weakly held your arms up in front of your face and squeezed your eyes shut with a whimper.
Suddenly, there was an angry shout and a loud splat.
You felt some sort of liquid splash all over you. Lowering your arms, an unexpected sight greeted you. It was the body of the monster all chopped up into pieces. You realized you were covered in its blood.
Behind the monster’s corpse stood Nanami. He had a covered blade in his hand that was also stained with the creature’s purple blood.
“N-Nanami?” you whispered hoarsely.
You couldn’t believe your eyes. Did he take down that monster? With a sword?
Nanami wiped the blood off his weapon, putting it away in its holster. He approached you as you shuddered violently, still in shock.
“Are you hurt?” he asked gently.
You shook your head no, wrapping your arms around yourself.
He kneeled down in front of you, taking out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping the droplets of blood from your face.
“What was that thing?” you whispered.
Nanami sighed, twisting the handkerchief in his hands once your face was relatively clean.
“A curse.”
You gave him a confused look.
“It’s a long explanation.”
“Yo!”
You flinched as Gojo suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the hallway. You instinctively grabbed onto Nanami’s arm in fear. He glared at the blindfolded sorcerer in anger for startling you.
“Oh, you’re already done here? I thought I’d check up on you two to make sure everything’s okay.”
First, your boss had threatened you with a knife. Then, a giant monster, no, curse appeared and attacked both of you. Nanami killed said curse. And now Gojo had appeared out of thin air. Your brain was officially broken. You just wanted to go to sleep. Surely this had to be a dream. You would wake up and everything would be normal again.
“We should probably bring her to Shoko just to make sure she’s fine and clean her up,” Gojo said, observing how your eyes were starting to glaze over.
Nanami nodded in agreement. He lightly touched your shoulder, but you hardly reacted. He said your name quietly. Blinking slowly, you finally turned to acknowledge him. “I’m tired,” you mumbled.
“I know,” Nanami said gently. He picked you up in his arms. “You can go to sleep. I’ll keep you safe.” With a sigh of relief, you closed your eyes and surrendered to the darkness.
You woke up in a small room, tucked under the covers in a warm bed. Nanami was silently sitting in a chair next to you. You let out a deep breath and turned towards the man. The rustling of the covers alerted him that you were finally awake.
“Why was the boss with you?” Nanami asked suddenly.
So it wasn't a dream.
“Oh. He was trying to threaten me,” you explained. “I didn’t lose my job because I made a mistake. I found out he was embezzling money. He said the cops were starting to question him, so he accused me of reporting him.”
Nanami clenched his fists in anger. That bastard.
“Is he alive?” you asked.
“No.”
“I figured.”
You quietly observed Nanami. He had taken off his sunglasses and blazer. You admired his wide shoulders and the way his tie was slightly loosened.
“Nanami. What do you actually do?”
He shook his head. “I don’t want to tell you.”
You gripped the covers. “Why not?”
“Because,” Nanami sighed. “It’s a dangerous profession. You don’t need to be dragged into this world for no good reason.”
“What do you mean?” You didn’t understand what he was saying. “I do have a reason. It’s you.”
The man didn’t respond.
You sat up in bed suddenly. “If you won’t tell me, I’ll ask Gojo.” You started to climb out of bed, but Nanami stopped you.
“Fine. Fine. I’ll tell you. Sit back down.” He let out of a deep breath, rubbing his face.
You silently listened as Nanami discussed the existence of curses, the theories behind cursed energy, and the role of jujutsu sorcerers. He explained how the school’s true purpose was to train the next generation of sorcerers and act as the main headquarters for all jujutsu-related activities.
You only asked one question. “Why was I able to see that curse?”
“Regular humans can see them in life or death situations.”
“I see.”
Nanami was surprised at your reaction to learning about cursed spirits thus far. He expected you to ask more questions, to be more doubtful, to laugh and call him an idiot, or to scream and accuse him of being crazy. But you did none of those things. You just listened quietly and accepted everything he said as true.
In your heart, you knew there was no reason to doubt Nanami. You were trying to wrap your brain around the existence of curses you couldn’t see, but you didn’t consider that the sorcerer was lying to you for a single second. He wasn’t that kind of person.
Nanami abruptly stood up. “Ijichi will drive you back home.” He started to walk away from you, but you quickly grabbed his wrist.
“Wait, don’t go,” you pleaded, eyes wide. “I haven’t thanked you for saving me yet. Thank you, Nanami.” You didn't want him to leave you. Not yet. You didn't want to be alone.
The sorcerer refused to look at you. “I think it’s best if you kept your distance from Gojo, me, and this school.”
“What?” you breathed. “What are you saying? I-I won’t tell anyone about curses or that you’re a sorcerer if that’s what you’re worried about. I promise.”
“That’s not it. I already told you. This world is dangerous. You should stay away.” He paused. “Stay away from me.”
You flinched, releasing Nanami’s wrist. The sorcerer walked out of the room without another word. You didn’t call out after him.
As Nanami walked away, he knew he made the right decision. There was no reason for you to get involved with the jujutsu world. He wanted you to live a normal life, not one plagued by constant death and despair. He was doing this for you. For your future and your safety.
“It’s alright to be selfish every once in a while.”
Gojo’s words echoed in his mind.
No. This wasn’t about him. It was about you. It wasn’t right for him to drag you into his world. He should be happy. Happy that you would eventually move on and live a long, successful life.
But why did he feel so sad instead?
---
Numerous opened textbooks and notebooks were scattered around you on your bed. You had an upcoming exam at the end of next week and were in the midst of cramming a semester’s worth of information in your head.
There was a knock on the door.
You frowned, carefully getting off the bed and walking over to the door. You weren’t expecting any visitors or a delivery today. Looking through the peephole, you gasped. You clutched your hands against your chest, trying to calm your frantically beating heart.
What was he doing here?
You hadn’t talked to or seen Nanami since your last conversation with him at Jujutsu Tech. And that hadn't ended well. You respected his request to stay away from him and Gojo, making no attempts to contact either of the two sorcerers. Instead, you had thrown yourself into your schoolwork and picked up some extra shifts at the boba shop. The less free time you had to think about your emotions, the better.
But now the man who still weighed heavily on your heart was at your doorstep. You wondered whether or not to pretend you weren’t home, but you couldn’t bring yourself to turn him away. He had clearly come here for a good reason and you wanted to know why, especially because he was the one that told you to keep your distance from him.
You unlocked the door and opened it slightly.
“Nanami.”
He said your name quietly.
The two of you looked at each other in complete silence. You waited for him to say something, but the man just continued to stand there without a word.
“Umm, well, I have an exam I need to study for, so if you have nothing to say I’m just going to g—”
Nanami suddenly pushed the door open wider, shoving you into your apartment. You stood there in shock as the door slammed shut behind the sorcerer. His unusually aggressive behavior had you baffled.
“What’s wrong with you?” you asked sharply. The man told you to leave him alone but then showed up at your apartment and invited himself inside without a word. You couldn’t help but feel a little irritated. “What are you do— mmph!”
Nanami had pushed you against the wall and kissed you.
You froze in surprise for a second before immediately kissing him back fervently.
One of his hands had settled on your waist while the other was pressed against the wall by your head. You wrapped your arms around his neck and pressed him closer to you, unable to get enough of this man. Nanami eventually left your lips, causing you to groan in frustration before he attacked your neck with wet kisses. You panted heavily, brain suddenly fuzzy as you tried to process that this was actually happening.
“W-what happened to staying away?” you breathed as Nanami sucked on a particularly sensitive spot that left you weak.
“I changed my mind,” he muttered against your skin before continuing to attack your neck.
After Itadori had saved him from Mahito’s domain, Nanami realized he had been given a second chance. He didn’t want to live a life without regret, especially as a sorcerer. So he decided to heed Gojo’s advice for once.
He wanted to be a little selfish.
He wanted you.
Nanami pressed his forehead against yours as he rubbed his hands up and down your soft curves. You breathed heavily, trying to catch your breath as you got lost in his dark gaze.
“Bedroom,” you whispered. Nanami nodded and quickly released you, so you could guide him to your room.
As soon as you entered the bedroom, you inwardly cursed. In the heat of the moment, you had completely forgotten what you had been doing before Nanami arrived. “Uh, sorry, let me clean up real quick.”
What a way to kill the mood!
Nanami didn’t seem to mind. He looked fairly amused as you swiftly closed all the books on your bed and haphazardly tossed them on the ground. Once the bed was finally cleared, you turned around to face Nanami, but he was already one step ahead of you. He gently pushed you on the bed, so you landed on your back as he hovered over you. Your breath caught in your throat as you admired the man in front of you. He was absolutely perfect.
Nanami played with the hem of your shirt. Taking the hint, you sat up a little and swiftly removed your shirt and bra, throwing them in the corner of your room. Nanami let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding as you took in your body. You fought the urge to cover yourself, feeling slightly embarrassed at how intensely the man was looking at you.
“You’re beautiful,” he breathed as you flushed in response. He reached out with both his hands to start kneading your breasts. You moaned as he began playing with your nipples that were already hard from excitement. Nanami removed his hand from your left breast and replaced it with his mouth. You squirmed underneath him in pleasure as he lapped and sucked on your nipple. Once he was satisfied with his work, the sorcerer switched to your other breast to give it the same treatment. With every flick of his tongue, you could feel electricity run through your body. You only craved his touch more and more.
Nanami started kissing down the valley of your breasts to your stomach. He eventually reached the hem of your shorts. “May I?” he asked.
You nodded, unable to trust your voice at the moment.
As he started tugging down your shorts, you lifted your hips to assist him. The garment was carelessly tossed to the ground. Immediately, Nanami could see how soaked your underwear was with your own arousal. His dick twitched in his pants. The sight of you so wet and eager from his touch alone only heightened his lust for you.
You practically sighed in relief when Nanami removed your underwear, fully exposing yourself to him. The heat from your core was overwhelming. You needed him to touch you and relieve some of that pressure before you lost your mind. A single finger stroked your folds, already slick with arousal. You gasped while Nanami groaned, enjoying how wet you already were for him.
“I’ve barely touched you and you’re like this already,” Nanami teased. You panted, trying to grind yourself on his hand for more friction, more pressure, more anything. He chuckled seeing how desperate you were for his touch. The sorcerer finally reached your swollen nub and rubbed it leisurely. You immediately cried out, arching your hips into man’s touch.
“Fuck,” you cursed as pleasure surged throughout your veins. Your eyes were squeezed tight as Nanami continued to play with your clit. You were so distracted by his fingers that you barely registered the hot breath near your entrance. It was only when a wet tongue began to prod into you that you realized what was happening.
With a gasp, your eyes flew upon to see Nanami’s head comfortably settled between your legs as he licked at your cunt without restraint. The sight of him eating you out only stoked the raging fire inside you. You buried one of your hands in Nanami’s hair as he worked diligently to get you off. The way he lapped at your fluids and sucked at your entrance had you moaning and quivering uncontrollably.
“You taste so good,” he groaned against your folds as you barely registered his words.
A familiar pressure was building in your body. As it got stronger and stronger, you couldn’t stop your legs from thrashing about. With a growl, Nanami locked his arms around your legs to keep them as still. It only took a gentle suck to your swollen clit for the tension in your body to finally snap. Mouth opened wide in a silent scream, you writhed around on the bed as you finally reached your peak.
Your mind was completely emptied while white-hot pleasure overtook your entire body. You swore you could see stars behind your eyes. As you rode out the last waves of your orgasm, Nanami eagerly slurped up your release, refusing to let a single drop go to waste.
Once you came down from your high, you released Nanami’s hair and laid back on the bed with a sigh. He removed himself from between your legs. Your fluids still covered his face, and his normally styled hair was a complete mess from your grip. Just the sight of him was enough to cause another spark of desire to flare between your legs. This man was going to be the death of you.
“Holy fuck, Nanami,” you breathed.
“Kento,” he replied, wiping his mouth clean on his sleeve. “Call me Kento.”
You flushed. Saying his first name felt incredibly intimate.
“Kento.”
He grunted with approval and then began to unbutton his shirt. You licked your lips as his broad shoulders and wide chest were finally revealed to you. He was incredibly well-built with defined muscles and abs, but a number of scars littered his body. Some looked quite fresh while others were old and almost completely faded.
This was the body of a jujutsu sorcerer.
You now understood why Nanami warned you that the jujutsu world was unsafe. You couldn’t imagine the suffering behind all those wounds. Perhaps one day he would be willing to share his pain with you, so you could understand his world.
You wanted to rub your hands up and down Nanami’s bare chest, but he moved out of your reach to start fiddling with his belt. Eyes lowering, you swallowed nervously as you stared at the large bulge that greeted you. Nanami slid down his pants and underwear in one go, erect cock finally released from its confines and bobbing in the air slightly.
The sight of him was both mouthwatering and intimidating. You admired the bulging veins and the bits of pre-cum that were already leaking out from the tip. He wasn’t excessively long, but he was incredibly thick. You nervously wondered if you would be able to handle his impressive girth.
You wanted to touch and taste him, but Nanami wasn’t interested. He gently pushed away your eager hands and instead spread open your legs once again. At the moment, he was more concerned about prepping you than chasing after his own pleasure.
He pressed one finger into your entrance, groaning as your walls greedily sucked him inside. You gasped, clenching around him. With how easily you were able to take one finger, Nanami slipped a second into you. It didn’t hurt, but you could feel your cunt stretching around them as they thrust in and out of you. Nanami’s fingers were so thick and long that you already felt so full.
“You’re so tight,” Nanami hissed as you got lost in pleasure once again. He pushed those two fingers in and out of you, occasionally scissoring them to loosen you up. You could hear how wet you were as he continued prepping you to take his cock. Nanami moved his fingers at just the right angle to hit a spot that had you instantly moaning and clenching around him. But he suddenly removed himself from you which had you whining at the sudden loss of contact, feeling empty. However, you stopped complaining as you watched Nanami stroke his dick, spreading your fluids and his pre-cum all over himself.
“Are you on birth control or do I need a con—”
“I’m on birth control,” you cut him off impatiently. “Hurry up. I want you inside me.”
Nanami didn’t keep you waiting much longer. He lined himself at your entrance and slowly began to push in. It wasn’t painful, but you still gasped as your walls stretched to accommodate his girth. The sorcerer immediately cursed when his tip entered you. You were so hot and tight around his cock that it took all his self-restraint not to immediately ram his full length into you. With slow, shallow strokes, you were able to accommodate more and more until his entire cock was buried inside you.
You felt so incredibly full. Your hand gripped the blanket on your bed to anchor yourself as you tried to get used to the sensation of being stuffed with Nanami’s dick. He tried to remain still above you, waiting for your signal. Eventually, you met his gaze and gave a little nod. He sweetly kissed you on the lips before he started to move.
Nanami started at a slow pace afraid to hurt you at first, but he eventually settled into a rhythm that had you moaning his name over and over again. You were so wet that he slid in and out of you effortlessly, rubbing against your walls in a way that had you seeing stars again. You had wrapped your legs against his waist, allowing him to enter you even deeper.
You were almost babbling nonsense at this point, unaware of exactly what you were saying as your mind was just consumed by pleasure. “Fuck. Kento. You’re so big,” you whined. “Faster. Harder. D-don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”
Nanami adjusted the angle of his thrusts until he finally found the spot that had you gasping and clenching down on him again. He groaned, making sure to continue hitting the same exact spot with strong, fast thrusts at just the right tempo. “You’re so perfect. Looking at you, taking my cock so well,” he growled.
The pressure was building again. Everything was so overwhelming. The lewd, wet noises of your bodies moving together. The way Nanami growled praises of you in your ear. The muscles on his back rippling with exertion underneath your wandering hands. You just needed that one final push.
One of your hands sneaked down to rub your clit, but Nanami pushed it away and pressed his thumb against your swollen nub instead. Just a couple of strokes had you reaching your peak again. You clenched down so hard around Nanami that his hips stuttered, groaning loudly in your ear. You were completely consumed by wave after wave of pleasure. You couldn’t think. You couldn’t hear. You couldn’t see. All you could register was the pure bliss that racked your entire body, leaving you gasping and shuddering.
Nanami continued to fuck you through your orgasm, ramming his cock into you over and over again. His thrusts had become more frantic and uneven, chasing his own climax after you started to come down from yours.
“Where should I cum?” he groaned with gritted teeth.
You wrapped his arms around his neck and pulled him down closer to you.
“Cum inside me,” you panted against his ear.
He groaned. You were perfect. Absolutely perfect.
With a couple of more thrusts, Nanami completely buried himself inside you when he flooded your cunt with his cum. He remained inside for several more moments to catch his breath before finally removing himself from you. You slightly winced as his cock brushed past your sensitive walls. Nanami couldn’t help but admire the way his cum slowly dribbled out of you.
He laid down next to you as you both began to calm down. No words were needed between the two of you. The silence was comfortable as you cuddled against his chest. Nanami rubbed your back absentmindedly as you hummed in delight.
Eventually, the two of you got out of bed and cleaned up. The textbooks and notebooks haphazardly thrown on your floor were ignored for the rest of the day. You thought you deserved a break anyways. The two of you ate dinner together, cuddled on the couch while watching a movie, and went at it again for another round before settling down to go to sleep.
You were passed out next to Nanami, completely worn out from the day’s activities and normal sleep deprivation you had as a student. Your heavy breathing was the only sound in the tiny apartment. It strangely calmed Nanami just listening to you. He turned towards you and stroked your hair affectionately.
A part of Nanami still worried if he had made the right choice with you. He was still concerned about your safety and well-being. Would he only bring you more grief if you constantly agonized over his dangerous missions as a jujutsu sorcerer?
He let out a quiet sigh. He knew he would have regretted it if he continued to push you away. And if he was going to be a sorcerer, he wanted to be a sorcerer with no regrets.
Nanami only hoped that he would never cause you any pain and anguish because of his profession. It was rare for sorcerers and non-sorcerers to find happiness as a couple. But perhaps the two of you would be an exception.
He prayed the two of you would be an exception.
---
“Welcome! How may I help y—oh!” You blinked in surprise as three individuals walked into the small boba shop.
Gojo waved at you with an easy grin. Nanami stood next to him as handsome and stoic as ever, but there was a new face behind them. He looked like a high schooler.
The blindfolded teacher wrapped his arms around the boy’s shoulder and pointed at him. “Meet Yuji Itadori! One of our first-year students!”
“Oh, it’s nice to meet you,” you said introducing yourself.
The boy tilted his head, looking at you curiously. “How do you know Gojo-sensei and Nanamin?”
Nanamin?
You chuckled at the cute nickname.
“I told you to stop calling me that, Itadori,” Nanami replied, clearly bothered.
“Well, I’m…” you hesitated. You didn’t know what to say. A friend? An ex-coworker? A normal person who couldn't see curses but knew about their existence?
“She’s Nanami’s girlfriend!” Gojo exclaimed to your horror. You immediately flushed and looked to Nanami for him to clarify, but he didn’t react. He glared at the blindfolded sorcerer as per usual but didn’t refute the statement. Your eyes widened in realization.
“Uh, y-yeah,” you stammered. “I guess I am.”
“Nanamin has a girlfriend!?” Itadori gasped. He had even more respect for his mentor now.
“Don’t sound so surprised,” Nanami growled much to your amusement.
You took their orders and began to prepare the drinks. Nanami and Idatori were talking in the corner while Gojo hung out at the counter near you. You had just finished sealing the drinks when the teacher explained something to you.
“Oh, by the way, Yuji is supposed to be dead so be sure to not mention his existence to anyone else.”
You almost dropped the drink you were holding. “Um, okay.” You thought it was better not to ask questions.
Gojo thanked you as he took his drink from your hand and grabbed a straw for himself. “Yo! Nanami! Yuji! Grab your drinks and let’s head out!”
Itadori followed Gojo out the door once he had his milk tea, but Nanami stayed behind.
“I meant it.”
“Huh?” you asked, cleaning the counter with a rag.
“I want you to be my girlfriend.”
You blinked, processing his words. A bright smile grew on your face. “Well, according to Gojo, I’m already your girlfriend.”
Nanami let out a rare chuckle and flashed you a small smile. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Goodbye!” You waved as he left the shop.
Your coworker came out of the back room, looking at you suspiciously. “Why are you so smiley?” She looked around the empty shop. “There’s no one here.”
“Oh, no reason," you replied with a hum.
#nanami x reader#kento nanami x reader#nanami smut#kento nanami smut#jujutsu kaisen fanfic#jjk fanfic#jujutsu kaisen x reader#jjk x reader#jjk smut#jujutsu kaisen smut#mine#n/sfw
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j.b.b. | Marley
Summary: Eventually, Bucky gave his deepest secrets away and you let him know yours. Her name was Marley.
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x single mom!reader
Warnings: Mention of past and present relationships, parenting, mention of food
Word Count: 3.7k
a/n: This is my first story posted on here. I’ve been writting for +12 years now but for the last couple of years, I couldn't finish a single story. Turns out Bucky Barnes was all I needed to get over my massive writer’s block. Feedback is greatly appreciated. (Also, english is not my native language so if you spot any grammar mistake, please let me know!)
Masterlist
It all began with his friend, Sam.
On a night they were out for drinks, he had made it his mission to find someone for Bucky. Someone or anyone for the matter. He talked to everyone in the bar that night, while Bucky drank his beer, sitting at the counter. When it was clear enough that nobody there that night would keep grumpy Bucky company, Sam turned his attention on the dating app his friend had downloaded on his phone some weeks ago. He probably went through a dozen of profiles, sometimes showing the phone screen to Bucky, to what he would just respond by rolling his eyes and drinking some more beer.
That was until Sam showed him your profile. Bucky stared a second longer to the picture displayed on his phone screen than for the others. He couldn't tell what that was: the smile on your lips, the wrinkles at the side of your eyes or simply your eyes; but he couldn't get his eyes off it. Sam immediately started typing a message for you to what Bucky obviously protested. He did not need company because he was just fine on his own.
Despite his super-soldier abilities, he wasn't quick enough to take the phone from his friend's hands. The smile that appeared on Sam’s face annoyed Bucky even more. "What are you afraid of, though guy?" Sam had asked and Bucky eventually backed off, letting him do whatever he was planning on doing. There was no point in stopping Sam. He knew you wouldn't be interested anyway... To be honest, who would be? Bucky got his phone back along with a smirk from his friend. There was no answer after that, and Sam eventually found another topic to annoy the heck out of Bucky.
When he woke up the next morning, your reply notification was patiently waiting for him. For a second, he thought of deleting it, without having a look first. What did he have to lose? Gathering his courage, he opened it. Your words were as genuine as your smile and it made him grin like an idiot, though he made a mental note to later murder Sam for his poor choice of pick-up line. It took him the whole morning to be able to type an answer and another afternoon to press the ‘send’ button. It was the first text of many. Eventually, a lot of texts turned into calls; that turned into meeting up in your favorite French bakery; that turned into movies and restaurant dates.
This was nearly one year and a half ago.
Your relationship with Bucky was cautious and steady. He liked how you would give him his space, but still being right there for him. He liked that you let him stare at you in total awe or that you always had small kind thoughts for him like when you made his eggs the way he preferred in the morning and that everything was so simple - obvious even - by your side. Eventually, Bucky gave his deepest secrets away and you let him know yours.
Her name was Marley.
If Bucky was being honest, finding out you had a two and a half years-old daughter was quite the shock. Not that he couldn't have seen that coming; you would always make plans, your handbag was always full of snacks and hand wipes and for some reason, you would never be available between five and eight p.m. That was also what he liked about you. The stability.
The idea of being involved in a relationship with somebody that already had a child did scare him off. If he decided to continue the relationship, it would not only be a matter of breaking your heart in the process – and well, maybe his too - but breaking a child's heart too. And that more than anything, he was refusing to assume the responsibility, but he owed you that much. You knew his deepest secrets and still, you didn't run away from him. Worse, you trusted him to be around your child.
You both had a lot of discussions about him meeting Marley - Bucky even seek advice to Sam. And as for the rest of your relationship, you took it slow. It started with Bucky showing up to your Sunday walk in Central Park, feeding up the ducks and sharing snacks. You also spent some time at the carnival where he would watch you two on the carousel – sometimes joining the ride too - and he would help Marley win at pick a duck or buy her popcorn. Eventually, he would spend more time with the two of you. It started with spending at least one evening per week at your place, making dinner while watching you playing with Marley in the living room. One evening turned into two, three, five evenings per week. He still could step out if he needed. You still could spend time with your daughter where he wasn't there. You still spent time just the two of you, when Marley was asleep at night or he would take you on date nights. The routine you three put in place was nice, but Bucky wasn't planning on taking Marley’s dad place. God, he would never see himself as a dad and Marley already had one - though in Bucky's opinion, he would not be awarded father-of-the-year.
Today, Bucky was picking Marley up from daycare.
He had done it a million times already, but this time was a little bit different. He was doing it on his own. The babysitter stood you up and you were stuck in an endless one-day meeting. You had called in utter panic, asking him to pick Marley up from daycare and taking care of her until you would be home. He had assured you he would do it and it would be fine. Now that he was standing in front of the building, he was doubting himself. He didn't know if he could do it on his own.
Another shaky sigh and Bucky entered the building. The childcare workers greeted him when he showed up at Marley's room. She was sat at one of these tiny tables making some kind of collage crafts. He planned on waiting for her to finish, just staring like he always did, before announcing himself, but Marley spotted him the second his figure appeared at the door.
"Bucky!" Marley cried out, leaving everything behind and running towards him.
"Hey Mar-Mar," he smiled. She always seemed happy to see him and Bucky wondered if she would eventually grow tired of him being always around.
After they hugged each other, Marley was called to put away her crafts and Bucky encouraged her to go do it. In the meantime, he collected her stuff - her panda backpack, shoes, and coat - so he could get her ready to leave. And he did just that when she got back to him.
"We are taking the train home. I'mna carrying you, is that okay?"
She wrapped her little arms around his neck in response and he lifted her up from the floor. After sharing goodbye to the childcare workers, they were heading home.
On their way to the station, Marley explained in every detail what she had done at daycare that day; Bucky was listening carefully, sometimes asking questions - Carol, she is the one with the curly hair, right? Was Mark mean to you again? - but mostly he was just nodding along. They made it to the station just in time to take the 5:17 p.m. train. It was rush hour and Bucky mindfully chose to hop on one of the cars at the end of the train - the ones he knew would be the less busy at this time of the day. He had only seven stops, so he didn't sit and stood against one of the train windows. By that time, Marley had finished reporting on her day, and she was just watching around, smiling at anyone she would make eye contact with.
After the second stop, her eyes caught the sight of the dog tag around Bucky's neck. She fiddled it through his T-shirt, probably wondering what that was, before taken it out to have a closer look. In her tiny hands, the metal tag seemed to be huge. She looked up at Bucky, with bright eyes and he swore, he would do anything for these eyes.
"What is that?"
"Uh- " Bucky wasn't sure how to explain it in a way a three-years old would understand. "-Every soldier has one. It uh- has my name on it and some other information."
"Is it if you get lost?" she asked, her little eyebrows raised high on her forehead. She did understand a lot of the world around her for her age. "Mommy put a card with her name and her phone number in my bag."
"Yeah, it's something like that."
Marley smiled at him and returned her attention on the letters’ reliefs on the metal. By the fourth stop, she was resting her head on his shoulder while he was still firmly (but not too much) holding her with his left arm. She kept holding his dog tag in her tiny fist and was patiently waiting.
"She is very sweet," the old lady sat on the seat in front of them said to him before leaving the train.
He nodded shyly and looked back at the little girl in his arms. Marley looked so much like you. Her face had still some baby features, she just turned three after all, but she had the same nose and her eyes had the same color as yours. They were the same piercing eyes that when they’d look at him, he felt like they could read his soul. And she did not just look like you. She had also some of your habits and personality traits. She would always be smiling to people she didn’t know. She was always saying ‘thank you’ or ‘sorry’. She was obsessed with any kind of animal; the Sundays walks would last forever if she could pet all the dogs she encountered.
The rest of the ride was quiet, and Bucky got off the train on the seventh stop as planned. At the station, people turned on them as they passed. Maybe this was an odd sight: a man in combat boots, dark jeans, and a black leather jacket, carrying a small child in his arms. Especially knowing the kid in question was wearing white leggings, a red fluffy coat, and a stuffed panda backpack. Bucky didn't mind and continued his way to your place.
Marley stayed quiet for the five minutes’ walk to your place, but once Bucky had turned on your street, she wriggled to be freed of his hold. Once her feet touched the ground, she directly ran towards a car parked not far away. She squatted down and started clicking her tongue. A ginger cat immediately came out from underneath the car.
"Careful," Bucky called out. He knew it was not recommended interacting with stray cat as they could be sick with all sorts of disease. And to be fair, it got him a little worried the cat was getting this close to Marley. He could already see her getting bitten by the cat, getting rabies, and losing her arm, or worse: dying.
"That's Gus, he lives at number 7," she said pointing at the building they stopped in front. It had the number written on it.
Gus started rubbing itself against Marley's shins and she gently petted his back. The cat then went to rub on Bucky's combat boots, also greeting him even though they never encountered before. And it continued his way to the building's porch, where it lazily lay down.
"Mommy said we could have a cat when we get a house."
"I've got a cat," Bucky stated and Marley cried out in excitement. She asked him about a hundred questions. What was its name? What was it looking like? Was it friendly? Was it sleeping in his bed with him at night? Bucky never failed to answer one of her questions and they talked about that until they made it in front of your apartment door.
Marley was already on her way to her room when Bucky turned around after locking the door. She had removed her shoes and coat on her own and left them behind without putting them away like you would always request it.
"Uh-uh, we go wash your hands first, okay?"
After that was done, she ran to her room for good this time. Bucky went back to the living room and focused on what he could do to help you. He knew you would get home exhausted from your day at work and he did not want to have you do all the chores you usually did. It was the least he could do.
Somehow, your place was always tidier than his, and he lived on his own. In the kitchen, he found breakfast dishes in the sink and the dishwasher full of the dishes that had been cleaned the night before. That was where he would get started. He put away the dishes easily; he had been around your kitchen a lot those last months and he knew exactly where everything was. He even knew where you were hiding away the chocolate and candies; somewhere Marley didn't have access to.
"Hey Bucky, can I have snacks?"
A look at the watch sitting on his right wrist, she had still a good hour and a half before dinner and he replied positively. He wiped his hands on the dish towel resting on his shoulder and took one of these bamboo sectioned plates he just washed. He was reaching out to the first cupboards in front of him when it suddenly appeared to him, he had no idea what he could give her.
"What does your mom usually give you?" He asked Marley, turning back to her.
Marley shrugged. "Carrots and hummus." And Bucky swore this kid was eating healthier that he ever had.
He started by the fridge, looking for anything he could give to Marley. Thankfully, she wasn't a picky eater so it would be easy for him. Tonight's dinner was in it, along with some vegetables and fruits. He chose grapes because it was the only food, he could see himself eating at that time of the day.
"Grapes and uh-" he looked at the cupboards right next to the fridge "- crackers?"
Marley nodded. Bucky prepared it all on her plate, making sure there was just enough for her to be full but not too much so she would still eat dinner, and handed it to her. She carried it carefully to the living room, Bucky following behind. She had laid out all her crayons on the coffee table next to her Paw Patrol coloring book. He knew about this cartoon because it was the only one Marley ever wanted to watch, she was literally obsessed with it, and she did make him watch some episodes with her. He knew that, when she was playing alone in her room, she would usually pretend she was saving the world with them.
Bucky sat on the carpet, next to Marley, stealing one grape from her plate. She threw him a death glance but offered him some more if he would help with the coloring. He happily complied.
Before dinner was normally bath time. Thankfully, you had said over the phone you would deal with that in the morning. For some reason, Marley did not like baths. A little bit of water in her eyes or ears was too much for her to handle and he wasn't sure he could deal with her being so upset on his own.
He still got her changed in her pajamas - she obviously chose the one with the dalmatian puppy from Paw Patrol you had agreed on buying a few weeks ago; washed her face with a cotton pad and some cleansing lotion, brushed her hair and tried the best he could to tie them in a low ponytail. You would normally braid them for the night, but this was not something Bucky mastered at all - he made a mental note to watch some tutorials on YouTube to learn though.
"Will you and mommy get married?" Marley asked out of nowhere while Bucky was carrying her back to the kitchen to have dinner.
"I don't know," he said, confused. "Why do you ask?"
"I prefer you over my real daddy," Marley admitted. And it broke his heart. Bucky knew how her dad forgot about her third birthday and missed most of his custody days lately. He didn't really understand how somebody could have a child and knowingly decide not take care of them anymore.
The child in his arm was so precious. It amazed him every day how much she could comprehend of the world around her. She was smart, creative, kind. She knew what she wanted, would be very stubborn about it and would do anything to get it – you always said you didn’t understand where she got her fierce mind and Bucky laughed every time because he knew exactly from whom she had gotten it: you. You did such a good job raising her on your own. He also knew you would always choose her over him, and he had to admit, it made him fall in love even more with you.
"Even if I'd marry your mom, I still wouldn't be your daddy officially."
"To me, you would," Marley concluded as if it was as simple as that.
Living with you two permanently. Marrying you. Bucky never thought of it. He liked how this relationship was working: the kindness, the trust, the love. He loved the movie dates with you, the Sundays walks, and the evening just the three of you. He loved how simple it all was and how it made him just happy. Happiest he had been in a long time. And he wondered if he wanted more. The way his heart was fluttering in his chest made him realized, he did. He didn't know if he was ready though.
Back to the kitchen, he put her down on her seat before getting the casserole of potato gratin out of the oven. He put a small portion in her plate, next to some chopped carrots and apple sauce he already prepared. He put it down in front of her and sat next to her.
"Will you eat with mommy?"
"Yeah, is that alright?"
She nodded, rubbing her eyes. They had stayed coloring her books a little too long and it was nearly her bedtime. Smiling softly, he encouraged her to eat. She did while asking some more questions on his cat in between each mouthful. How old is it? Why did you name it Alpine? Has mummy already met it? Do you think she'll like me? Turned out this little one never run out of question.
After dinner, Bucky gave her a small portion of chocolate from the special cupboard and they agreed it would be their little secret. Then, he carried her to the bathroom to brush her tiny teeth. It was started to be late for her and she was clearly fighting against sleep, the lack of it upsetting her.
"I want to see mommy," she cried, lips trembling and eyes full of tears.
"I know Mar-Mar, she'll get there soon," Bucky tried to comfort her. You hadn't text yet, meaning you weren't on your way still. He knew Marley would be asleep before you got home. "We can read a book in your bed while we wait for her, yeah?"
Marley nodded and let Bucky carry her to her bed. She had her head rested on his right shoulder the whole time. She crawled under the covers the moment her body was dropped off on the bed. She let Bucky choose the bedtime story and he chose the one he knew she liked so much.
He laid beside her gently and she immediately reached out closer to him. He wrapped his right arm around her, and her hands somehow found his dog tag again. A small kiss on her forehead and Bucky started reading the book in his left hand. Marley was listening carefully, helping him by turning the page.
At the end of the story, she was fast asleep against him, his dog tag still in her tiny fist. Bucky did not dare moving, afraid he would wake her up if he did. He observed the small child against him and listened to her soft breathes. She looked so peaceful and it made him thought of the way she had welcomed him into her life. Just like you, she had taken him as a whole; with his trauma, his insecurities, his quietness, and his staring habits. And now, she had him wrapped around his little finger. He knew deep in his guts he wouldn't let anything happen to you or your daughter. He realized that now. That made him think some more: maybe he was ready after all. And this time, he would not let happiness slip away from him.
Bucky stayed like that until twenty minutes later, when you showed up on your daughter’s room doorstep. You looked exhausted yet still radiant. A smile had formed on your lips at the sight in front of you. It made you melt right on the spot.
"Hey," Bucky greeted you softly.
You came closer, walking on your tiptoes, careful of not waking up your daughter. You laid besides them, kissing your daughter little fist, and tucked yet another strand of hair behind her ear. You looked back at Bucky, who was intensely staring at you. His left arm was already wrapped around your shoulders, bringing you close. You kissed his jaw, making him smile gently. "Thank you for taking care of her. Did it go okay?"
"More than okay." He kissed your forehead while you snuggled closer to him. His heart could burst of the feeling of having you two near him forever.
He wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
#jbb#bucky x reader#bucky barnes x reader#bucky x y/n#marvel imagine#mcu imagine#bucky barnes one shot#bucky x single mom!reader#lea's writing#bucky barnes x you
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↬ FATE
↬ PAIRINGS: kenma x f!reader (side aka rebound mention) miya atsumu x f!reader
↬ WARNINGS: a whole lotta angst, breakup, it’s an online relationship, kenma is cold and hurts ur feelings
↬ SUMMARY: your relationship with kenma really had felt like the last one. He was it, turns out he didn’t have similar feelings.
↬ A/N: alright loves!! This isn’t proofread at all it’s 2 in the morning I’ll edit when I wake up, butttt Thanks to my lovely ex girlfriend you are now being graced with this steaming pile of trash. (Lovely was not meant sarcastically at all she is in fact very lovely.) Ngl almost, if not all of this story is about my relationship with my ex gf. This is how I cope people. → It’s taken me awhile to actually be able to right something that’s why things kinda stopped. Tbh after she broke up with me it’s been very hard for me to write so hopefully this helps! And I hope you enjoy!! I would also just like to say if it feels a lil weird it’s cause these are things I’ve actually written in my notes I tweaked it a little to fit the story but it’s straight from the source 😩
WC | 2.5K
You sighed as you opened your notes app. Your eyes scanning over all of the little facts and quirks he had told you about himself. All the stuff you’d wanted to remember. The stuff that had seemed so important to you before. Now it was meaningless, almost like facts about a stranger. Almost as if you hadn’t spent four months learning about and growing with eachother.
You scrolled down a little bit right under, how his favorite marvel character is Spider-Man and you chewed on your lip. Your fingers hovering above the keyboard on your phone. You looked over the facts again. The things he dislikes and the stuff he adores, the things he likes to collect to the way he feels passionately about a certain topic. You begin to type.
Friday June 25th 2022 12:22 Am
I cried again tonight, because I still love you. It’s been a month and six days since we broke up. It feels like there’s a hole in my chest. You seem to be doing fine though, so I’m happy for you! This is the second time since we’ve broken up that I’ve felt actual physical emotional pain in my chest. Remember when I told you how bad it hurt after we broke up? Remember how you didn’t even ask if I was ok? Didn’t even bother to answer. Do you remember that? I remember. I’ve thought about it every day since. I remember it being so bad I genuinely thought I was having a heart attack. Wasn’t until I’d called tetsu crying that he’d told me it was just emotional and I should probably try to relax.
I read through our old messages. I’ve never wanted something back so bad. Never wanted to beg anyone to stay till now. I wish you loved me like I love you. I wish I hadn’t grown so attached, wish I hadn’t fallen so deeply into love with you. I wish it wasn’t my fault that we broke up. I wish I wasn’t so fucking scared. I wish I was fearless. Wish I could rise into love bravely. I wish I was brave when it came to you. I keep telling myself it was me. It was me not you. You didn’t love me anymore. You don’t love me anymore and you’re just too nice to say that. So you told me in the only way I could handle. Except you hadn’t used the words you should have. You got bored. We both know it’s true. You were bored of it, and I don’t blame you. I know we’ll never talk again, and part of me is so glad. Another part of me forces myself to read through all our messages though. I wish I could just tell you one last time. I love you.
You sighed saving it before closing out of it. Tears you hadn’t known were falling finally became known to you as they streamed down your cheeks. Your eyes puffy as you wet your lips, the salt of them coating your tongue. You were bitter and so were your tears. I briefly wondered what he was doing right now. Probably playing a video game. You knew his schedule all to well by now. Probably testing out a new game for his stream.
A new set of fresh tears fell as you remembered how you used to call him right before he went on. Being lulled to sleep by his occasionally curses and the clicking oh his controller or his keyboard.
You never expected things to end this way. You really thought he was the last one. Yes it had only been four months, but the way he made you feel. The way that it had felt. It had felt final, and you’d been friends before you even started dating.
You sniffle moving yourself to the kitchen to poor yourself a glass of water as you remembered how nervous you were when you first texted him. You had acumulated quite the crush on him back in high school. As Inarazaki’s manager you were required to go to the games, and even after your team lost you had stuck around. Watched him play and cheered him on. Two weeks later you had begun to text, as friends of course. It wasn’t until four months ago that you’d gotten together.
Your anniversary was only two days prior to your break up. You both had never been one to even care about that stuff. You had agreed early on in the relationship that we wouldn’t do anything due to the distance, and the business of our schedules. You were never one for remembering things like anniversaries anyways.
He really did feel like the one. Sometimes you just know. Sometimes you can just feel it. Like, you know that feeling you get when you know something is off or you know for sure something is about to happen even without being told it’s going to. That’s what it felt like to be with kozume kenma.
You thought you knew, you thought this time, this time its for real. You thought it was finally safe to say, that he was the one. You both had even admitted to looking for each others initials in those stupid soulmate tik tok videos.
You were finally in a mature relationship with someone you could talk about anything to. You had gotten so caught up in it, that you didn’t even see the end creeping up on you.
↝
You’d finally gained the courage to text him again. Unfortunately it was in a drunken daze. Your hands shaking as you fumbled with your phone typing things you’d come to regret in the morning. You’d sent him a series of texts telling him how much you missed him, how you didn’t understand how he was so okay. You had been a wreck that night. One of your friends puking in her toilet as you cried. You were happy of course that he was doing so well, but you’d been a wreck for so long and he hadn’t even changed. You told him you wished you could be okay.
When you’d awoken the next morning hair knotted in a complete mess and wiping drool from your chin your heart had sunk even lower. His response was cold. You knew that kenma could be cold. You knew that it was just who he was, but this particular text had felt so unfeeling and unfamiliar, it was as if he hadn’t even sent it himself. He had only ever talked like this to you once and that was when you first became friends all those years ago.
Kozume ❤️
Hey, it’s okay. And yeah you see what I choose to put up. I could be better. But I choose to stay optimistic and busy. Sorry that things are this way.
You had never seen so many periods in a text before. He only used grammar like that when he was peeved, and maybe you were wrong, maybe he’d done that on purpose, but it had hurt so bad. It had caused an ache so deep in your chest that you weren’t sure if you’d ever even dated him at all.
Yeah.
It was the only thing you could bring yourself to respond back with. How were you supposed to respond to that? You’d stared at it for so long and after you’d sent it you wished you had said more. Wished you would’ve said something more insightful than a simple, heartbroken, “yeah.”
Not too long later there was another ping and you held your breath. His name briefly appearing across your screen.
Yeah. I could be better. But I hope you do well soon. I’m sorry that I can’t really do much to help out
And of course you did the only thing you could do. Deflect. Pretend like you hadn’t said what you’d said not even fourteen hours ago.
No it’s fine. I’m fine. You don’t have to apologize. I’m sorry that you could be doing better.
He left you on seen. You knew you sounded like an asshole. At least to you, you felt like an asshole. Why couldn’t you have come up with something else. Why couldn’t you tell him the truth. Tell him how you felt. Tell him that you didn’t think you should be broken up anymore. That the month long cruel joke was over and you were ready to spend your nights falling asleep to him playing video games again. You didn’t though, and you never would. You’re not brave enough, too prideful to even try.
You swallowed down the bile rising in your throat as you realized even if you did beg him. Begged him to take you back. Tell him that you still love him. You were too late, and you just couldn’t be selfish when it comes to him. He is over you and it was so plainly obvious. You know that deep down. Know that he’s moved on, and it kills you inside. So you did the only thing you could do. Try and put it into words.
So as you lay in bed the warm body you let occupy your space sound asleep beside you, his toned blonde hair tousled slightly and you sighed. Finally away from the shenanigans of your friends you took a deep breath before you closed your eyes.
You opened up your notes app again and scrolled past the last entry. You swallowed again as you blinked the tears out of your eyes. Your thumbs beginning to move before you even gave them permission.
Wednesday June 30th 2022 1:39 Am
Here I am again. Stuck. Stuck in the same place I’ve been for so long. You know, I write so beautifully when I’m broken. I’m most of my best work is written when I’m being torn apart. But I just, I can’t seem to find the words. I can’t seem to put it into a document and turn out little story into a different story to cope. Can’t seem to write it out. Can’t seem to move on.
I hovered over the unfollow button on your page today, to keep myself from scrolling through your things again. To keep myself from getting hurt. So I don’t have to be reminded. I want to delete it. Delete where we officially met. On a chat through my screen. I wanna wipe the messages clean. And I’ve tried. Oh how I’ve tried. But I can’t.
I want to delete our conversations. The hours long talks we had, but then, what happens afterwards? What keeps the memories alive. I’d never been so in love with someone before. I’ve never actually…. Been in love before. I thought I’d been in love, but it didn’t feel like that, and losing them never hurt like this. Losing someone has never hurt this bad before.
I’ve never felt the emptiness you left so deep in my very being with anyone I’ve ever met before. I can’t seem to pull myself together. And it’s pathetic I know. It’s pathetic that I’m still here. In the same place I was a month ago. It’s about to be two months we’ve haven’t been together. I’m hurting. Hurting so bad. It’s painful to look at you.
I haven’t deleted the photos even though I probably should. They’re still tucked away in an album in my camera roll labeled “us <3” the one one I made specially just for you. The way I’d been so excited when I was finally ready to tell my friends. I even have this stupid notes folder from when we were dating where I wrote all the little things about you that I never wanted to forget. I find you so endearing. Everything you do. I just couldn’t help but right it down to keep it safe so it never leaves my mind. So that I never forget. But now, forgetting is all I want to do.
I never thought there’d be a time in my life where I was more emotionally stunted that I normally. So stunted I can’t even put this, our split up, into words. Make it something entertaining for somebody else to read. Write a book about it. My publicist keeps asking when the sequel for my book will be done. I don’t know if it’ll ever be finished. I can’t do the one thing I’ve always been good at. I’m crying as I write this.
And I wish it would just end here in this little notes app. Wish the love would die in here. I always think I’m over you and then I see you again, and nowadays your everywhere. A very big hit and I’m happy for you and your success, but seeing you makes my heart squeeze in my chest.
I think I’m over you until I play that stupid fucking game that causes me to scream at my phone, or my laptop in frustration, but I just can’t seem to delete it because I know it’s something that you love. That show we used to talk about. I know you know which one, I can’t seem to watch it without thinking of what was. You’ve ruined it forever cause now it only reminds me of you. I know you’ll never see this, but I like to imagine you can. That my time for closure has somehow come.
When you told me you were sorry that things were this way, it was a real slap in the face. It stopped my false hope. My wishing. It all came to a halt. I’m glad. Glad that you’re happier. That you’re better without me. But god, now I’m so fucked up and I can’t even talk to you.
You were the only person I had left. The only one who understood me. And now you’re gone. You took a part of me with you that night. A part that I’ll never get back. I should’ve known that you would leave. I’ve never been able to get someone to stay for longer than three to four months.
I thought I could let my guard down though. I thought we were in the clear. I’d thought finally. Finally someone is gonna stay. I thought you were my person. I still think that to this day. I thought we were gonna make it. And now I’m with this guy I don’t even like. He’s not you, he doesn’t act like you. He doesn’t like video games like you do.
He doesn’t talk to me like you do. Like you did. But you know how it ended I don’t need to put it here. Unfortunately I’ll always love you even if you don’t love me. This is so scattered, I’m sorry I couldn’t make you happy.
With that you closed the app and put down your phone. Plugging in it and as it dinged miya atsumu rolled over in his sleep. He reached for you his hands wrapping around your waist to tug you against his strong body.
His gravely voice whispering through sleep, “mmm finally decided to come to bed?” You hum moving an arm under on of his to wrap around his thin waist. “Mhm, thought you might need the company.” You began to draw little shapes and letters against his back as he chuckled, “oh yea? How thoughtful of you princess.”
Suddenly it was quiet and your closed eyes opened to his wide brown ones, his eyebrows furrowing .
“Did you just spell kozume on my back?”
#kenma x reader#kenma angst#kozume kenma#kenma#haikyuu kenma#miya atsumu#atsumu x reader#haikyuu imagines#haikyuu angst#niksfics#haikyuu fic#hq angst#hq fanfic#hq kenma#hq atsumu#atsumu x y/n#kenma x you#atsumu x you#kenma x yn#angst#this is trash#I’m so sorry that this is what I’ve written instead of mf#dilf atsumu#you’ll get your dilf atsumu smut soon though
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puzzle pieces
This is slightly terrifying because while I’ve sent many an anonymous blurb to my favorite blogs, I’ve never written anything under my own username. And this is the longest thing I’ve written in like, ten years. I wrote it in my notes app and it might be incoherent but pls be nice because posting this is scary
Pairing: Din Djarin x f!reader (two hands, but I think otherwise there’s no descriptors—let me know if you find something, please)
Rating: M/mature
Word count: 6.6k
Warnings: pure fluff tinged with a tiny bit of sadness bc the mandalorian show b like that, suggestive/sexual content that I don’t consider to be graphic but you may think differently, just a whole lot of contemplation of how much you like to touch Din and how you want to snuggle his son
“Dank farrik!”
At the sound of Mando’s curse, you glance up from the maps you’ve been staring at for an hour.
“Are you okay?” you ask. He has one hand tucked under his cowl, rubbing at his neck.
Mando grunts. “‘M fine.”
“Sure,” you say, holding back a smile.
“Just pinched a nerve or something, I don’t know,” Mando grumbles after a moment. “My neck’s been stiff for a few days and I just turned it wrong.”
It’s a mundane piece of information but it’s so rare that Mando volunteers anything without you prompting him. He’s a puzzle, but he’s locked away most of the pieces.
“Um… do you want me to… try to work on your muscles?” Somehow you feel awkward saying the word “massage” around him.
Mando pauses, obviously weighing his comfort level with this suggestion. “I didn’t mean to suggest you do anything about it,” he says.
“I know,” you say. And you do. The only thing Mando ever asks of anyone is help with the child or minor work on the Crest. He does things for you constantly, and you feel like you don’t do anything for him. “I want to help if you’re comfortable with it.”
He’s quiet for awhile and you’re about to rescind the suggestion when he says, “That would probably help. Thank you.”
You try to hide your shock at his acquiescence. He agrees to your suggestion that you do it before he goes to bed that night, and you spend the rest of the day thinking about what’s about to happen.
That night, you feel like you’re about to jump out of your skin, waiting for the moment to come. Mando, of course, seems completely unfazed. You suppose, considering he doesn’t have a gigantic crush on you, he probably hasn’t been thinking about it for the last eight hours. You blow out a deep breath as quietly as possible. “Ready?”
Mando and the kid look up at you simultaneously. You love seeing the way the baby imitates Mando more and more. Every time he tries something new, he looks over at Mando for his approval and he’s rarely disappointed.
Mando nods and stands, picking up the baby and following you out of the cockpit. He helps brush the kid's tiny teeth as you add another blanket to the baby’s sleep hammock. After saying goodnight to the little one, you’re left standing awkwardly in front of his bunk, the two of you just looking at each other.
Finally you gesture over to your side. “Um… so just sit down and I’ll get started.”
Mando unclips the armor from his back and removes his pauldrons, leaving him more exposed than you’ve ever seen him before. You thought he’d have to look smaller without the beskar, but his back is still broad and solid-looking. You can see a bit of softness around his midsection and hips that you didn’t expect. He sits so stiffly that it’s almost comical. Okay, so he’s not completely unfazed. But of course he’s not used to being touched.
Shuffling over to him, you warn him that you’re about to touch his shoulders. He still jumps a little when your hands rest on his body, and you take a second before gently rubbing his tense muscles. You can immediately feel a whole mass of knots under your hands. It’s going to take a long time to work these out.
By the time his shoulders feel the slightest bit looser, the muscles a tiny bit more responsive and pliant, your hands and forearms are aching. You don’t want to stop—this man deserves a full body massage, you think—but realistically there’s no way to get to his entire back tonight with the amount of effort his shoulders alone took. He’s slumped over a little, finally, and his breathing is deep and even.
“Mando?” you ask quietly.
“Hmm?” His voice sounds slurred, lazy, and you preen as you realize he sounds relaxed.
“I think that’s all I can manage right now,” you admit. “But I want to keep working on your back. I can’t believe how knotted it is. Can I do this again tomorrow?” You rub his back gently, not working on the muscles, just soothing motions.
He turns to look at you. “If you’re sure you want to.”
“I do,” you say. “I think it’s going to be satisfying.”
. . .
It takes over two weeks of nightly massages before you start to feel happy with the way his back muscles feel under your hands. You’ve never seen Mando’s posture look so relaxed nor seen him move this easily. You even think he might be more playful with the baby, offering him the silver gear stick knob more often and chuckling at the way the little one struggles to use a fork. He even walks you back to your own bunk each night after the massage, gently resting his helmet against your forehead before you enter the little compartment. It’s something he had done a few times before, usually when he came back from a hunt or sometimes before he left. It feels like it means something, though you’re not sure what.
You take a day off to rest your hands before asking to work on his arms. He agrees and that night, before you can ask, he removes all of the beskar above his waist for the first time. You can’t help but stare at his broad chest with just a hint of a soft belly—unfortunately, all covered with a thin long-sleeved tunic. You aren’t sure how old Mando is. At first you had guessed early thirties because of his strength and stamina, but without his armor he seems maybe a decade older than you originally thought. The thought of him fighting and hunting for decades is insane, and you wonder how his body feels to him.
You knead his forearms and then, without thinking, intertwine your fingers with his to direct his hands and wrist the way you want them. It takes a minute to realize he’s gone completely still. Looking up, you see his visor locked on your face and you freeze.
You look back down and realize the two of you are basically holding hands. It’s not a touch that you would even notice with pretty much anyone else, but with Mando it feels intimate.
“Is this okay?” you ask carefully and he just nods. To your surprise, his fingers are relaxed, curling over onto your hand a little, holding your palm against his.
When you start concentrating more on his lower back, Mando switches to laying down. The first time he moved to lay down rather than sit, it felt like the air changed in the room. The position feels vulnerable coming from him. You feel more comfortable getting closer to him now, too. You sit closer, press against him when needed, and he doesn’t seem to mind if you even sit on his legs while you work on him.
“All done,” you say quietly, resting on his thighs and soothingly rubbing his back one last time. There’s no response. You’re about to say his name when you hear a quiet, modulated snore that makes you giggle. Looking around, you spot a threadbare blanket that you pull up to his chin. You wish you could run your fingers through his hair but instead you just switch the light off and head back to your own bunk.
Every night you wish you were just laying next to Mando in his bunk instead, despite how abysmally small and uncomfortable it is. You know the man understands comfort—he picks up the warmest, softest blankets he can find and tucks them into the little one's crib, and when you first joined him on the Crest he gave you the bigger and fluffier of his two pillows (though that’s not saying much) despite your protestations. But for some reason, he doesn’t allow himself the luxury of a comfortable sleeping area.
You have a plan. At the next planet you stop on, if there’s a market, you’re going to buy him a nice pillow and a warm blanket. Maybe even a cushioned bedroll, if you can afford it. Definitely some oil for the massages.
. . .
One night, everything changes.
After you shower the baby with kisses like usual and Mando rocks him to sleep in the hammock, Mando closes the door and switches off the light.
“Keep that off, okay?” he asks. You agree, confused, but then you hear a hissing sound and Mando’s inhale… unmodulated. Your eyes immediately snap shut until you remember you can’t see anything in the pitch black.
He lays down like nothing is out of the ordinary. You have a thousand questions, but you worry if you ask any of them, he’ll change his mind and put his helmet back on. So you just settle into your usual position on the backs of his legs.
“Can I… touch your head?” you whisper. You always end up whispering in these moments, like you’re trying to keep everything contained within these four cramped walls of the bunk. It’s funny, because in this quiet, small room is the one place you allow yourself to indulge in the enormity of your feelings for Mando. For a little while once each day, you get to touch him with the care that you don’t think he’s felt in decades, but that he so deeply deserves. In these moments, you feel like he’s yours, and you’re taking care of him. Maybe that’s why you whisper. If you let this little dream of yours out into the open at full volume, it might just disappear.
There’s a pause before he agrees. You start with his shoulders like usual, working your way up his neck, reveling in the way his muscles tense and then relax, lengthening under your fingers and his skin warming with your touch. Finally you slide your fingers into his surprisingly soft and shaggy hair.
When you lightly rake your nails across Mando’s scalp for the first time, he lets out a moan. The way he pushes his head into your hands as you massage his head makes the place between your legs clench. You know he enjoys the massages but this feels like he’s desperate for your touch, and you love it.
When you’re done, he carefully directs you to stay where you are while he resituates his helmet and turns the light back on.
“Thank you,” he says, and you think it’s not just for the massage.
After that, he starts taking his helmet off almost every time. One night, he even shyly asks if you’ll spend more time rubbing his head. He falls asleep almost immediately that time, something that makes you feel incredibly proud of yourself. You spend a long time just gently massaging, not wanting to wake him up, but eventually your own eyes are starting to drift closed. You wake him up as gently as you can and tell him you need to go to bed so he needs to put the helmet back on.
“It’s okay,” he says drowsily. “Just close your eyes until you shut the door.”
You stand up in the small space next to the cot, but you’ve forgotten that his helmet was set down on the floor. When you take a step towards the door, you immediately trip and fall backwards onto the bunk. Thankfully, Mando has those insane bounty-hunter-preternaturally-smart-toddler-dad reflexes. Strong arms catch you against his upper body, but what really catches your attention is the evidence of how much Mando enjoyed the massage pressing into you.
“I forgot I put the helmet on the floor,” he says awkwardly.
“It’s fine,” you manage. It’s not fine. Your toes hurt like hell now and all you can focus on is where his body is pressed against yours. But what are you going to do about it? Nothing.
You wonder whether he’s reacting because you were massaging him, or because you were massaging him. Probably the former, given he’s gone years without touch. But you still hope it’s personal, selfishly.
You didn’t think life could get any better than that, but you’re wrong. One night, he’s fallen asleep and when you lift off of him to go back to your own bunk, he startles you by pulling you back.
“Stay?” It’s slurred and quiet but you can hear the hesitant request.
“Sure,” you whisper, even though you want to scream in excitement. Mando gently pulls you onto the cot, facing him, and he touches his forehead to yours lightly before putting his helmet back on. Then he turns on his side behind you, pulling the blanket over you. He doesn’t touch you otherwise, doesn’t put his arm around you or pull you into his body like you hope, but it still feels beautifully intimate.
You fight to stay awake as long as you can. Between the occasional soft snores behind you and the tiny baby snuffles coming from above, you feel surrounded by this little pseudo-family and it almost makes you cry. It’s safety. It’s love, even if that’s never verbalized by anyone.
When you wake up, he’s gone. He doesn’t say anything about it, but after that you notice occasionally whenever he’s particularly tired or seems more stressed than usual, he asks you to stay. They’re your favorite nights and you wish you were brave enough to ask to stay every night.
. . .
Every once in awhile, on nights the helmet and lights are still on, you might glance up and see two giant dark eyes peeking out of the baby hammock above you. You’ve figured out that whenever the kid doesn’t fall asleep immediately, he seems to like watching you work on Mando. Tonight, the child whined every time Mando tried to set him in his bed, so instead he’s letting him play with the ball on the floor while you start on the massage.
After awhile, the baby claws his way up and Mando’s helmet tilts down to look at him.
“Hey, kid,” he says with an obvious note of fondness in his voice. “Don’t you think it’s past your bedtime?”
The little one burbles out an answer and then waddles over to where you sit behind his dad. He extends his tiny hands, pushing into Mando’s back with a look of concentration of his face. He looks up at you as if for approval.
“Are you helping with the massage?” you ask, grinning, and the baby nods. “Great job,” you praise, and Mando’s shoulders shake a little as he represses a chuckle.
It takes literal months—almost three, to be exact—of regular massage before you feel like you’ve actually worked out the knots and tension all over Mando’s body. Instead of masses of knots across the smooth skin of his back, you can start to feel how his muscles fit together like puzzle pieces. You feel like your upper body strength has doubled with the effort it’s taken.
The night you mention the improvement to him, there’s a long pause before he quietly agrees, but you don’t miss the way he suddenly feels less relaxed below your hands. When you lift off of him, his hand shoots to your wrist and you wait for him to ask you to stay. Instead, he just thanks you quietly and you tamp down the disappointment before heading back to your own bunk.
The whole next day, Mando is quieter than usual. You don’t notice it at first—he doesn’t talk too much anyway. It’s when you are playing with the baby and try to include Mando that you notice he’s more withdrawn.
“Are you okay?” you ask when the little one is distracted. Mando nods and turns away, shutting down the conversation before it even begins.
You return to the cockpit that night after settling the baby in his little hammock. Mando is sitting a little slumped over. You can’t figure out why he’s seemed dejected all day. Nothing has happened—he hasn’t been on a hunt in almost a week. Maybe he’s just worried about credits, but it’s odd.
Gathering your courage, you lightly rest your hand on his shoulder and he looks up at you.
“Ready?” you ask, inclining your head towards the cockpit door.
There’s a pause. “You… I thought we were done,” Mando says in a questioning tone.
“What?”
“You said the knots are all gone, so… Didn’t you mean you weren’t going to do it anymore?”
Hm. You think that probably would be the logical conclusion, but giving up your near-nightly chance to touch this man is out of the question. “Well… I think it would be good to keep doing it. Because the knots will probably come back. Your armor is really heavy, you know, and you hunt a lot and sleep in weird positions. If you get to sleep at all. And I don’t have to work as hard at it if we do, like, regular maintenance,” you ramble. Then a thought hits you—maybe he’s using this as an excuse to stop? “I mean, if you feel like you’re done, we don’t have to…”
Mando stands up, his posture strong and straight again like it normally is. “No, I think you’re right,” he says. “If you don’t mind.”
Ha… if you don’t mind. More like you can’t stop thinking about it.
You sit behind him that night and start rubbing his neck and head, pretending to ignore the little noises of pleasure that escape him. These days, you’re lucky enough to know from experience that a head massage is the fastest way to fully relax Mando, and a guaranteed way to put him to sleep.
This time is no different, and when he slumps over and threatens to fall to one side, you guide him down until his head is resting in your lap and you can continue stroking his hair. You’re surprised when he turns on his side, pressing his face into your thigh and bringing one arm up around your hips. It feels so intimate, more than you’d expected he’d be comfortable with even after all this time, but it feels amazing to have him want to be close to you this way.
After awhile, you start to fall asleep too, your hands drifting to a stop, fingers tangled in his loose curls. When your legs start to shift under Mando, he wakes up and you whisper an apology. “I’m just going to go to bed,” you say quietly.
Mando grumbles a “no” and pulls you down until you’re laying next to him, and then he pulls you into his body. You’ve slept next to him several times now, but it’s always been with as much space between your bodies as possible in the tiny bunk. Not now. He’s so warm and his arm over you is so heavy and comforting, one of his legs pressed between yours. Your body feels like it’s on fire. It’s both comforting and driving you crazy, but eventually the comfort wins and you drift off, feeling more peaceful than you can ever remember.
. . .
The two of you fall into a routine of sleeping together almost every night after that. You wouldn’t have expected it originally, but Mando is proving to be extremely tactile now that he seems to feel comfortable around you. He never fails to touch you while you both sleep. Often he’s spooning you from behind, sometimes pulling you into his chest while he lays on his back, and lately you’ve been waking up with his big warm hand up your shirt, splayed against your back or your stomach. You’d like it if his hand moved further up or down, but even in his sleep he has too much propriety for that. You love when you wake up in the middle of the night and find him unconsciously nuzzling into your neck or your hair. If you get up to use the fresher in the middle of the night, he immediately pulls you back to him when you get back into the bunk.
More and more, Mando actually declines your attempts to rub his back every night. At first, he just says he’s not that sore or tired, and eventually you only end up massaging him after he comes back from a hunt or fight or whenever you can convince him. It’s true he doesn’t need it every night anymore, but it feels odd to change the routine you developed over so long. Your feelings would be hurt except for the obvious fact that Mando isn’t declining the massages as a way to put space between you. It’s the opposite—he seems eager to have you in bed with him, tucked into his big body with him curled around you. He even massages you a little when the angle is right.
But your nights spent together almost seem like a dream once you leave the little bunk each day. In the morning he’s always gone, or retreated back to the chastest of touches—a leg or an arm barely brushing your side, his fingertips resting near your back. It’s your dream to wake up before him someday, to return to consciousness still surrounded by his big, warm body. Feeling his soft breaths across your ear, a muscular leg pressed between yours. You dare to dream of his entire body molded against you, pressing into you, asking entrance into your body. You’d let him in in an instant.
You don’t want to assume your nights together mean anything more than they do, so you try not to act any differently. Mando is still focused on his work and taking care of his hyper-intelligent but still immature baby. And you respect that he has a lot to think about and do, and you don’t want to distract him. But you can’t help but touch him more often. Just a little—a hand on his shoulder when you lean over to look at a screen he’s showing you, holding onto his hand a little longer as he helps you up. You’ve noticed him doing the same: a hand on your back as he passes by, steadying your hips as he passes behind you in the galley, his gloved fingers brushing against yours when he hands you the kid. Just the briefest of touches. Accidents, perhaps. But enough to stick in your thoughts.
One day, you’re holding the baby as Mando gets ready to leave the ship for a hunt. The weather on this planet is stormy. Probably good cover—the thunder and pouring rain would hide any signs of Mando, even better than he normally manages to hide, but you’re worried.
“What if your comm doesn’t work in the storm?” you ask.
“I shouldn’t need it. It will be quick,” he says.
“But what if it isn’t? Or what if we need it to contact you?” You bounce the baby on your hip as the little one starts to wiggle, picking up on your anxiety.
Mando awkwardly places a hand on your shoulder before gently touching his forehead to yours and you freeze. He’s never touched you so deliberately, so obviously, during the daytime.
“It will be quick,” he repeats. “Just stay in the ship while I’m gone. It’s warm rain, so even if there’s a problem with the power, the two of you should be comfortable.”
“Okay, Mando,” you sigh.
There’s a long pause. His hand flexes on your shoulder several times as his helmet stays fixed on your face. You’re about to ask what the issue is when he says, “Din. My name is Din.”
Your eyebrows shoot up and you want to repeat it back to him but you’re a little too shocked to get the words out before he quickly turns around and heads out.
You practice saying his name out loud while he’s gone. It takes a lot of courage and a few rotations to start calling him by name once he returns to the ship. He doesn’t seem quite at ease with you calling him that at first, but eventually he stops reacting with surprise to you saying it.
. . .
One night, the two of you are awoken by the baby crying above you, most likely from a bad dream. Din quickly stands up and wraps the little one in his arms, bringing him back to the bunk, bouncing him a little in his arms.
“It’s okay, little bean. You’re safe. We’ve got you,” you whisper, sprinkling kisses on his wrinkled little face that’s damp with tears. The baby is clutching onto Din’s thumb with one tiny, trembling clawed hand and squeezing your cheek with the other, reassuring himself that you’re both there. You’re reminded how much he must have seen and endured. You wonder how long he’s been alone. Thinking of this sweet little one scared and overwhelmed, without anyone to comfort him, breaks your heart every time. You whisper into the darkness how much you love him, how happy you and Din are to have him with you, how the two of you will do anything to protect him.
Din has both of you in his arms now to allow you to get close to the child. The baby clearly loves the arrangement, his breathing slowing and happy little coos coming from him as he burrows further between your bodies. He’s out again soon, and you can’t tell but you think Din is asleep too, the three of you tucked into the tiny bunk together.
“This is nice,” you murmur, talking to yourself. “The three of us.”
Din makes a noise of agreement, startling you a little. “You’re good with him,” he says quietly and you squeeze his hand.
After a few more minutes of silence, you’ve almost drifted off when he speaks again. “You were right, you know.”
“Hmm?” you hum drowsily.
You hear his face shift towards you before he moves, gently setting the kid to his other side and scooting to lie down. You follow him until the two of you are laying down in the bunk completely.
“What you said to him… it’s true. I will do anything it takes to protect him.”
You smile. “I know, Din. You already do. And I’ll do everything I can, too.”
There’s another long pause. “I want to protect you too. If you’ll let me,” he finally says softly, and you inhale deeply a second before his mouth gently touches yours. A shudder runs through your body as you raise your hand to his face to keep his lips on yours. He’s a little awkward and hesitant, clearly inexperienced and nervous, but it’s the best kiss you’ve ever had because it’s him.
The two of you break apart finally for air, your faces still touching as you catch your breath.
“I like kissing you,” you whisper. You can feel his mouth curl up in a smile.
“I’ve been kissing you for a long time,” Din says back quietly.
“What?” You would definitely remember if he had kissed you before.
Din touches his forehead to yours in the familiar gesture. “This is how Mandalorians kiss with the helmet on,” he says.
“Really?” you ask, a little skeptical. He’s been doing that for months, before you ever gave him the first massage. You hadn’t even thought he noticed you back then. The thought of him expressing affection and intimacy in his own secret way, long before you had any idea, makes you feel warm all over.
“You’re the first person I’ve kissed,” Din mumbles. You can feel the heat rise off his skin, and you have a feeling he didn’t mean to admit that.
“Without the helmet?”
He nods and you finally realize that his whole body is shaking.
The gravity of that isn’t lost on you, but you don’t think you’re able to process what that might mean yet, so you just kiss him again. He loses himself in the kiss immediately, one big hand stretching over your neck and jaw, opening you up a little for him. He pulls you so close it’s like he wants to climb inside of you, burrow inside the heart that he doesn’t know is already his.
His nose rubs against your neck as he breathes you in greedily, making you shiver. Din’s voice has captivated you from the moment you met him, and hearing it now, unmodulated, whispering against your skin how much he needs you, wants you, is incredible. You feel drunk on this moment, on him. You want to feel more of what is pressing into your leg, even though logically you know going from Din’s first kiss to sex in one night wouldn’t be a good idea. That’s when the baby burbles in his sleep, breaking the spell between the two of you and making you both freeze as you’re reminded you’re not alone.
A surprisingly loud snore comes from the little bundle on the bed, making you and Din both laugh.
“Don’t wake him up,” you scold him through giggles. Din rolls onto his back, bringing you with him and carefully scooting over to avoid rolling onto the child.
“Why not? He keeps us up all the time,” he gripes playfully. The moment feels almost painfully domestic and your heart feels like it could burst. You thread your leg between his and press yourself as close as possible, gently kissing his neck. Even though he just showered, you can still catch a faint scent of the oil he uses on his weapons and the residue of blaster smoke.
Din’s hands are warm, drifting up your back under your shirt. His fingers trace little patterns on your skin that are unrecognizable to you.
“Will you kiss me every night now?” he asks huskily, and you smile.
“I could manage that,” you tease, reaching up to kiss him again. It seems you can’t stop now that you know it’s allowed. He doesn’t seem to mind, greeting your mouth with fervor, a little less fumbling and unsure each time.
You drift off to sleep, cocooned by Din’s warm body and lulled by the sound of the baby’s quiet, whistling little snores. This is happiness.
. . .
The two of you find Ahsoka Tano, and through the helmet and armor you see Din’s amazement and happiness at learning Grogu’s name. And the deep pain he’s trying to deny at the coming prospect of giving up his son. You aren’t as good at hiding your emotions about it, but you try to hide it from the baby as much as you can. And you can always hope that when the time comes, maybe it won’t be right. Maybe Grogu will be able to stay with Din, and you can stay with the two of them. Honestly, it’s too painful to contemplate either of the alternatives, so you do your best to live in the moment.
Din is navigating the Crest while you bounce Grogu on your lap. The baby is practicing levitating his silver ball and you cheer him on each time it goes higher, Din glancing over and offering a “good job, kid,” every once in a while. You like sitting in the cockpit like this. Din is always going to be quiet. He has a dry sense of humor and always participates in a conversation that you start, but he doesn’t talk a lot even though he’s comfortable with you. But even so, you like just sitting in the same room as him with occasional talking and you think Grogu feels the same way. You know Din does, too—if you’re making a meal in the tiny galley, he’ll move a box right outside and clean his weapons where he can see you and listen to your silly conversations with the baby.
“Can you put the ball back on the gearshift?” you ask Grogu, pointing to the goal. He tries a few times, just missing the narrow stick or flicking it off when he tries to screw it back on. When he gets it, you cheer, clapping his hands with yours and kissing him. “You did it, sweet pea!”
Grogu turns to Din, seeking his approval too.
“You did good, kid,” he says. “Very impressive.” Grogu looks pleased, even more so when Din unscrews the ball again and tosses it back to him.
You keep playing with him for a few more minutes, but you can feel Din’s gaze on you even through his helmet. Finally you look up at him, curious.
“I—“ he starts to say but then cuts off and turns back around. Weird.
Something similar happens several more times over the next few weeks. When he leaves for a bounty, when you’re falling asleep together at night, when you’re cuddling the baby. You wonder what he wants to say, but you try not to push.
The three of you stop to get supplies on a busy planet. You thought you’d be safe and anonymous there, but it turns out there’s Empire scum even in the most unexpected places. Thankfully, the scuffle happens on your way back to the ship—you get the food and the baby back safe. The Crest sustains a little more damage and you get a little space-sick from Din’s escape maneuvers, but the three of you are able to make it into hyperspace anyway.
“Are you okay?” he asks, finally able to get up from his chair and coming over to check you and the child.
“We’re fine,” you reassure him.
“When I saw them point their blasters at you…” he trails off. “If they took you or the kid, I… I would do anything I needed to do to get you two back. Anything.”
You set Grogu on the chair and hug Din tightly. “Hopefully you never need to.”
You hear him take a deep breath before he says quietly, haltingly, “I love you.”
You’re completely blown away. Shocked. Honestly, you never thought you’d hear him say that to you. You feel loved around Din, but what little you know of his life sounds traumatizing and almost completely void of emotional connection. You wonder when the last time he heard or said those words was—thirty or so years ago when his parents were killed?
You’ve always seen Din be affectionate with Grogu in his own understated way, but you’ve never heard him tell his son he loves him despite how obvious it is that he does. So to hear those words directed at you is incredibly unexpected. You realize you’ve been quiet for a beat too long when Din stiffens.
“Um…” He sounds like he’s about to take it back or apologize.
“I love you too,” you blurt out too loudly, your cheeks hurting with the force of your smile.
“Really?” He sounds genuinely unsure.
“Yes,” you laugh, your eyes shiny. “I just didn’t know if you would be comfortable with me saying it.”
He swallows. “It’s not… easy for me to say. But I mean it. The first time you stayed after helping me with my back, and we fell asleep… that’s the first time I wanted to say it. But… I felt it a long time before that. I just… didn’t know what it was.”
That was so long ago. Back when you just had a giant crush on Mando. And now Din is telling you he was in love with you even then.
“I want you to know I always feel it, even if I don’t say it a lot,” he says awkwardly, earnestly.
You kiss his cold helmet. “I can say it so much, we’ll break even.”
. . .
One night, you’re laying half on top of Din while he nuzzles his chin against your forehead. He tenses underneath you a little, and you’re about to ask what’s wrong when he speaks.
“Have you ever thought about what you want to do… after?”
His casual tone of voice is obviously forced, and you can feel how stiff his body is under you.
“After what?” You have a feeling what he’s referring to before you ask.
“After we find the Jedi and the kid is safe,” he says. “Or… unless you had other plans. I was just wondering. If you had plans. To go somewhere. Or do something. Do you?”
His stammering would make you laugh—could he really think you would just leave after you make sure Grogu’s safe?—but you don’t dare even smile, not wanting Din to think you’re laughing at him. And a part of you is still a little worried he’s trying to hint that you should leave. Even though he touches you like you’re the only person in the galaxy. Even though he just started telling you he loved you a few months ago. He was alone for so long. Maybe in some ways he preferred that, especially in his line of work.
“I hadn’t made any plans,” you say. You decide to come right out with it. “Do you want me to leave?”
“No,” Din says immediately. His arms tighten around you and there’s a long pause. “Would you want to stay? For awhile?”
You touch his face, wishing you could see his expression. “Mmhmm,” you murmur, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. You feel his throat bob as he swallows.
“What about forever?” he says almost soundlessly.
You pull back. “What?”
Din is shaking under you but he continues on bravely. “Would you want to stay with us forever?” You notice that he’s still referring to himself and the baby, even though this conversation is referring to the time when he will ostensibly have given up Grogu to his own kind. But that’s not the biggest question you have right now.
“It sounds like you’re asking me to…” You can’t even say the words. You wish you could see his face.
There’s a long pause.
“Marry me?” he asks softly. “What would you say if I was?”
Your body feels frozen, and you can tell the longer you can’t get your voice to work, the more anxious Din becomes.
“Yes,” is all you can manage, tears welling up in your eyes.
“Yes?” Din asks, sounding shocked, which makes you laugh.
“I told you I love you,” you say, and he kisses you deeply, muttering in between kisses that he loves you.
The baby, whom you hadn’t even heard wake up, startles you by climbing up the bed and squeezing your face. “Patu!” he chirps loudly and you laugh through your tears.
“I know, nugget,” you say, feeling around for his little face and showering him with kisses. He giggles and launches himself onto Din next, nuzzling into his broad shoulder as Din cradles him gently. “Your daddy just made me so happy,” you say, and you hear Din’s head flip back towards you.
Oops. You realize you’ve never called him Grogu’s dad in front of him before, even though it’s obvious to everyone that’s what he is. Ahsoka Tano even told him, but he may have been distracted by everything else to focus on it too much.
“Your mama always makes me happy,” Din says eventually, very softly, and then you do cry, squeezing the two of them as hard as you can.
The three of you share the bunk that night, without even noticing how cramped it is. The baby drools a little puddle on Din’s chest as you play with the wispy hairs on his tiny head. Your little family. You drift off thinking about how just a cycle ago, you were alone. You didn’t even know you were a missing piece of this little puzzle, each piece a little scarred and worn, but sealed together with a love bigger than you could have ever imagined.
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When Stars Ignite - Author's Notes (lifeofkaze)
HPHM Rockstar AU
Thank you, friends
Wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you
I'm so grateful for all the things you helped me do
~ Big Star - Thank You Friends ~
Wow.
This is it.
When Stars Ignite - the Rockstar AU - is now officially over, and I still can’t quite believe it yet. Even though it has been written and edited for months now (honestly, I’ve never been as organised before), there wasn’t a single day since putting “The End” beneath the final chapter that I haven’t thought about the Rockstars I have come to love and hate (but that’s another story - hopefully not literally).
Never in a thousand years would I have imagined what would come from me innocently listening to the radio while going on a foodshop back in the spring of 2021. It was a new band that was playing - or, new to me at least, not new new - and their song blew me out of the park so much that I instantly downloaded it and played it on repeat until I was home and then some more. I don’t want to know what the people must have been thinking of me nodding my head like a maniac between tomatoes and grapes, but I digress.
The same evening - still listening to and discovering more of the same band - my then new friend @the-al-chemist and I were just chatting away and I mentioned that I thought my OC Lizzie would make a fine drummer. One word led to another and before we even knew it we were distributing our favourite characters to instruments and jobs behind the scenes.
I honestly thought that that would be it but if I have learned one thing about the Rockstars (looking at you, Lizzie) it’s that they’re the divas if I’ve ever seen some. So, as I was taking a walk the next day I found myself stopping and frantically typing the first loose scenes and snippets into the notes app of my phone, long before there even was anything resembling a plot.
Cut to a few weeks later and I had given up every pretence of not wanting to write this AU instead of the second instalment of my Balance series, had a full plot, draft and script and had bullied convinced Al into not only letting me borrow her OC Artemis, but join me as a full co-author.
Cut to a few months later again and I was sitting in front of my computer, a glass of cherry wine in hand, and crying my eyes out because 63 chapters of this wonderful story that still won’t leave me alone were written and all was well. It was like finishing An Art of Balance all over again, and I felt empty and full all at once, and so incredibly proud of Al and myself it’s hard to put it into words. But as a writer that kinda is my job, so let’s try anyway.
There are so many people without whom this monster of a story would never have been possible, so first of all thanks to all the characters I put through so much shit.
Thank you to my main girl Lizzie, for all the stories she is forcing me/allowing me to write, for giving me eternal joy and teaching me that making mistakes is okay. Thank you to Orion for letting me into his incredibly exhausting mind and showing that there are different and unexpected sides to all of us. Thank you to Charlie, who was ready to strike a balance (pun very much intended) between two writers and two (non-)ships and was a real champ in the process. Even (a small) thank you to Everett, who was never meant to be as important as he turned out to be and helped me write better and more emotionally involved than I had ever thought possible.
And, of course, thank you a thousand times to Artemis for letting me write her at all.
Thank you to @kc-and-co and @that-scouse-wizard for trusting us with KC and David and thank you to @whatwouldvalerydo and @thatravenpuffwitch for lending us Talia, Leila and Ellie for some teeny-tiny cameos that were so much fun to do.
And - of course and most of all - thank you to my dear, dear Al. Thank you for your support, thank you for helping me plan this thing, thank you for only fighting me half-heartedly when I asked you to join me. Thank you for holding my hand when I wrote the smut, thank you for lifting me up when I had a creative crisis, thank you for the amazing Rockstar gift you wrote for me. Thank you for all the lyrics, thank you for so much “new” music, thank you for teaching me so much about the British day to day life (and all the insults, especially the insults). Thank you for making my writing infinitely better. Thank you for hopping on a plane in the middle of a pandemic to come and see me when we had withdrawal symptoms after the fic was done. Thank you for becoming my friend, the best friend I’ve had in years, and the friend I never knew I was missing from my life until you were suddenly there. Don’t you ever dare leave again.
I could go on like this forever, so let me put it like this - your friendship was the best and most rewarding thing to come out of the Rockstar AU. And no, I will not be taking notes on this.
And last, but certainly not least, thank you to all of you reading these credits. Thank you to all our readers for putting up with this endless story. Thank you for following, engaging and commenting, for rooting and suffering with Lizzie, Orion, Charlie and Artemis. Thank you for being on that ride with us. Without you, it would have been a lot less fun.
So, in that regard, I think the curtain calls and it’s time for our last bow.
Don’t wait for an encore.
There will be none.
At least I hope so.
I really fucking hope so.
No promises.
We love you. Rock on.
#hphm#hogwarts mystery#orion amari#lizzie jameson#rockstar au#when stars ignite#besties collaborate#author's notes
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i saw your post about Charles and what his personality past and part in the story line so i was wondering if u could do the same for vlad? :)
Ah, well, I can at least let you know what I’ve seen so far? I haven’t delved too far into Vlad, and some of his general impressions can be confusing, so I’ll do my best to make it sensible and unbiased! Here you go lovely <33333
Fair warning, there will be mentions of a lot of JPN app content since Vlad and his boys aren’t around much in the ENG app yet.
My general sense of Vlad is basically discount vampire Sasuke Uchiha.
What I mean by this is to say–according to what I’ve read so far–his clan/family were murdered by vampire hunters in cold blood when he was just a young boy. Presumably as a result of that traumatic event, he harbors a sizable enmity towards humanity and kind of lashes out on them in weirdly specific moments of violence. Another aspect of his motivation is something that’s mentioned within Comte’s route; which is that Vlad went through the timespace door on his own one day and allegedly saw a devastated future, where nothing remains of life on earth more or less.
I guess the reason I find him to be so perplexing is that he speaks about his actions in terms of efficiency, while most of the things he does just feel like unhappy outbursts (v often a product of unresolved trauma symptoms, I’d wager.) I also say this because he appears to have no larger pattern to his fury beyond the original event of his loss. Most of the human beings he attacks aren’t much of a threat to him and hurting them really doesn’t bring him any dividends beyond revenge.
For instance, he insists his disdain for humanity and insistence on controlling them is for the sake of ensuring they do not destroy the future–the horrifying wasteland he witnessed when he traveled through the timespace door. However, I’m not really sure how his current movements really speak to that goal? I mean sure, maybe he’s relying on Faust to create an immortal human so that humans will be forced to care because it will be their future too, but he doesn’t allow Faust to draw his pureblood blood for experimenting. (One can most certainly argue this was more about a lack of trust, and perhaps for plenty reason: Faust is vindictive enough to try to turn the tables and exert control over Vlad, or act on his own whims with his findings.) But if that’s the solution he’s waiting on, turning the rivals of the men in the mansion doesn’t really bring him any closer to that vision either? I mean, what good does it do to bring back Gilles de Rais–a prominent French serial killer? How would unleashing him on the populace help humanity “realize the error of it’s short-sighted and wasteful ways” and move to a brighter future?
Can’t help it, I ask these questions as I read.
In Comte’s main story, Comte hammers home that Vlad is not somebody to be taken lightly. One day when MC goes out to buy flowers, Vlad poses as a human florist to sell them to her–which is how Comte finds out he’s in France, and that he’s made contact with MC. When prompted, Comte describes him in a very particular way; and I think people really overlook this when they talk about their relationship. He says that Vlad is frighteningly pure in terms of the way he thinks and acts. The way I understood his description (given what I’ve seen of Vlad) is that Comte really does mean it point blank: Vlad is very simple in terms of why and how he does things. The issue with this is that nuance and context are lost on Vlad as well–and that’s where the problems start to flood in. Vlad is angry at humanity for what they’ve done to him. Baseline? That’s fair, they killed his damn family. However, Vlad thinks that by extension he has the right to decimate the general public and attack people completely uninvolved in his hurt.
And that isn’t right either–it’s ignoring so many factors here. He’s ignoring how much vampires use and toy with humans as pawns, it’s ignoring the massive power imbalance between him and his victims (this really isn’t a case of self-defense most of the time, nobody but Comte/Leo is a sizable threat to him), and he’s ignoring whether or not a person even did anything to deserve his retributive violence. While murder is never okay, it is perhaps more understandable when we see Jeanne’s frenzied and violent belligerence in response to a man who murders a boy’s mother for the sake of his own amusement/convenience. Vlad literally sees almost every single one of the rivals he created begin to heal/improve and murders them in cold blood because they are no longer of any use to him. That’s uh……..that’s a little messed, not gonna lie to you chief.
While part of me understands the efficiency here–he doesn’t want to leave any traces of his involvement, he doesn’t want any loose ends–it’s also just kind of foolish and cruel ultimately. From my understanding of the narrative, all the people he turned had some visible sign that indicated their origin to Comte. So even if he claims it was for the sake of concealment, it was more likely about his personal convenience. Which…..also yikes.
[Comte clearly does not trust Vlad to be reasonable, and I think there’s plenty of good reason enumerated above, but I actually don’t sense quite so much hatred? I think he’s just given up on the idea of Vlad growing up, even if he doesn’t like giving up on people. And considering Vlad’s behavior, I think it’s overkill to say that Comte just abandons him because he doesn’t care lmao. Even when Comte expresses real anger at the end of his own route, it was more because Vlad was fine with endangering MC’s life just to get back at him. I think Comte’s unhappiness with Vlad has more to do with Vlad’s treatment of human life as meaningless and worthless. It’s fascinating but also kind of sad? Vlad’s traumatic experience results in behavior that is a direct exacerbation of Comte’s trauma, and as such--no matter their potentially fond history--they can’t stomach each other.]
In Comte’s route, Vlad also has Shakespeare abduct MC and take her to the cathedral. Later on in the castle, we see an immediate display of Vlad’s shocking powers: he has the ability to manipulate people’s desires/thoughts. I’m not exactly sure how this works, but he is able to give MC visions of the mansion and Comte coming on to her–which shocks her into realizing it’s all just a dream. It’s not reality; it’s all manufactured by Vlad.
After that...weird introductory note...Vlad gives MC the rundown on his life together with Comte, which as always is subject to a question of bias. My assumption is that he did not lie, only because he was trying to convince MC that he was “right.” Furthermore, he does not omit the most damning evidence of his erroneous judgement, which suggests a continued inability for him to see where he went wrong.
We get a series of three flashbacks. The first is them as young kids. I don’t know if Vlad had already experienced the horrors of his family being destroyed, but this particular flashback focuses on Comte. His parents, in an effort to teach him that vampires and humans have no ability to co-exist, send away all of his teachers/mentors/nannies/the servants--pretty much everyone and anyone he was closely bonded to. Think about it this way: we can see that Comte is very sociable and affectionate by nature. He was living in a house full of people, all of whom cared about him and looked after him in their own way. Now the house is entirely empty. Naturally Comte is very very upset, and Vlad appears to try to cheer him up with little success.
[When I look back on this scene I don’t think I initially registered the sheer dissonance of Vlad’s reaction, versus Comte’s catatonic misery. There was a very solemn feeling to that memory, and the correct choice in terms of extending comfort is to hold his hand believe it or not. There is a sense that he feels very alone. When young boy Vlad enters one can argue that it was the proper thing to do; he was trying to cheer up his playmate and friend. But at the same time, I think I need to double check. Because I’m beginning to wonder if I was wrong. What if Vlad was happy to see someone as alone as him, and that joy is accordingly dissonant for that reason? He can’t see what Comte needs or how he’s hurting because he’s so glad he isn’t alone anymore in a way.]
The second flashback is the war nurse scene that I have spoken at length about. The important thing to focus on here is Vlad’s surprise that Comte would opt out of turning her out of respect for her wishes. The way Vlad frames the situation is starkly different from Comte’s. Comte sees himself as an outsider, somebody who invaded her life as a result of the timespace door and therefore has no right to suddenly change the course of her fate. He had no idea if she even wanted to live (considering the horrors she’d have to cope with and remember) or leave that time period at all, for that matter (considering the only thing keeping her going was helping the wounded/victims). Comte really was listening to everything she had to say, and he was taking her concerns and motivations seriously.
Vlad simply says: if you want her, take her. It’s as simple as that for him. And in one way that’s not entirely wrong--assuming Comte would have every intention of looking after her and actually cares a lot about her. But what’s being ignored here is her agency and the fact that they really don’t know each other that well? Something like that could begin and be rocky, if it doesn’t end in complete disaster. Worse, I get the feeling Vlad is perfectly fine with the notion of turning her and if things don’t work out, just kill her or get rid of her. Again, the simplistic thinking comes into play here: it ultimately comes down to Vlad being self-centered. He’s thinking only in terms of satisfying his needs, he doesn’t seem to have any concept of a larger pair or group feeling. There’s an inability to bend/be flexible for the sake of maintaining a greater harmonious feeling.
[For the record, I don’t think this makes him irredeemable? Only that it makes it very hard to live with him or love him, probably. There’s an inability to live at a joint pace? It’s always answering to what he wants without room for anything else most of the time, which to me is not living and it’s not love ;;;;]
Following their escape back to their own time, Vlad explains how he wants to use the door to turn geniuses and control humanity. He eventually wants to create a surveillance state, which would mean everyone is forced to move with his explicit approval, more or less. (He almost reminds me of Louis XIV, can’t tell if that’s what they were going for.) I have my doubts that his abilities could extend that far, but human history shows us that we are plenty susceptible to fascist and totalitarian rhetoric. In a shocking display of anger, Comte draws the line at controlling humanity and forcing them into a regime in which, and this is Vlad’s description not mine, “we (purebloods) would be like kings.” There’s definitely a concept of evolutionary superiority at play here, which echoes what I mentioned earlier; vampires seem to have this awareness that they’re apex predators in a sense, and enjoy the power that comes with that. Unfortunately, that probably makes for a fairly toxic/uncomfortable larger species culture, which is exactly what Comte and Leo hate lmao.
Vlad does not seem to find any issue with this sort of outlook, and asks MC to decide which of them--Vlad or Comte--is right. Who is more realistic, who best understands the future? As expected the MC replies that it's Comte, and Vlad goes from beseeching to big mad at record speed. He's p much that gif of the teddy bear that smacks its head down on the tables and then has the angry eyebrows.
This is where Comte intervenes, firing a warning shot that grazes Vlad's cheek and demanding he let MC go. In response, Vlad shoves MC into the turbulent timespace door--p much guaranteeing MC's death. (Essentially timespace is a void of sorts, a human being could never survive in that environment for long. Vlad fully knew this, and yeeted her anyway.)
So uh, yeah. Disagreement? Death. Moving on? Death. Nuanced approach to reality? Death. Beginning to think he doesn't really have a lot of patience or open-mindedness or any other kind of problem-solving approach.
He raises flowers and gardens like a fiend, and he openly plucks any single flower with a blemished leaf. Even if a single petal is slightly damaged, it will be removed and destroyed. So one could argue his extremism reflects a kind of perfectionism as well. No room for errors or troublesome dissent. No ugliness of any kind. I mean in all of his interactions with Faust and Charles this is the overt undertone. Don't ask more of me than I'm willing to give. Behave like good children, mommy's busy. Is that insubordination? boss music begins
One thing I actually don't understand very well is his decision making in Dazai's route. Dazai finds out about what Vlad's doing in a nanosecond when he senses MC is in danger, and yet Vlad makes absolutely no move to eliminate Dazai? He just watches from the shadows. Even when Dazai grills Charles about his loyalty to Vlad, no retribution.
My best guess for this specific situation is that Vlad does derive some level of satisfaction thwarting the future of human beings/former humans. Dazai--being somebody with no great desire to live, no rivals to speak of as far as we can tell, and no larger aspirations--is a life that is easily extinguished. There's no satisfaction in it. When Vlad's clan was murdered and he saw the future decimated, it could be that he felt humans had invaded and eradicated every potentiality that was important to him. Where he might have lived happily with his family, that future was ripped from his grasp. Where he might enjoy his flowers and the creation of an immortal for the rest of conceivable time, that too was ripped from his grasp with a desolate future.
So much about who Vlad is is about control, so it's very possible his lashing out is an extension of that. Dazai does not awaken any of the disdain he feels, and he does not succeed in overthrowing Vlad's control over Charles, so Vlad simply lurks in silence.
And last but not least, I've seen the preview to Vlad's newest birthday event story. The contents are incredibly revealing, in that MC wishing him a happy birthday and offering him a gift has him saying that it was "the best birthday ever." Granted idk if that’s sweet or just...beyond sad, but here we are. It’s only compounding my curiosity about the wound on his chest--I really do wonder if he was attacked and locked away by vampire hunters or hostile human beings or something. I say that only because that line speaks to a lot of isolation, and given how little he seems to care about turning people/subjecting them to his whims it feels odd. Why the isolation or lack of people who care about him? Is it a perceived lack where his actions alienated all the people who wanted to be close to him, or is it a more involuntary lack?
When she says let’s celebrate again next year, he seems a pleasantly shocked by the notion, and remarks “Ah yes, it’s a promise c:”. The preview was also mega horny: “You make me feel so loved, I don’t think I can be gentle with you tonight. If you enjoy it so much, then I won’t stop. I want to see you completely lost for me. I’ll teach your body what it means to be loved by a pureblood.” Aaaaaand pretty sure the CG was alluding to him licking the good stuff from her basement, though not entirely sure given it was only the preview.
The brief POV they give us is also very revealing:
“You always keep your promises, and I think I underestimate all the time how much you saved me. You are good, only you are good in this world.”
“Will we continue to make promises to each other in the future? Well in that case--you will always, always be mine, my vampire.”
Tbh he’s...v sweet? In his own way? Honestly he feels like a crabapple that is just so sick of the world and wants softe wife to take comfort in. While granted that’s not really my thing, I know a fanbase appeal exists for these types--so if that’s your thing, have at it!
So now that we have reached the end of my ridiculously long analysis (when am I ever brief, I’m so sorry. If you made it all the way here you deserve a cookie at the very least, if not the right to chase me with a bat) perhaps it’s more clear why I said discount vampire Sasuke Uchiha? “My clan is gone, every other second I’m going to be in retraumatization insanity, when I’m not I’ll be seeking power/hobbies, planning the demise of people who wanted the best for me, building a team to my advantage and unquestioned control, and eventually settling for a lifelong love who sees the best in me despite my more difficult moments and perceived hollowing loneliness. Not the most ideal comparison, but I will say if Vlad was not already named the historical figure, would have pointed and yelled Uchiha.
That’s all from me folks, hopefully this was a fun way to get introduced to him? And again, hope I didn’t alienate--I fully respect what people do and don’t enjoy o7
#asks#ikevamp#ikemen vampire#ikevamp meta#ikevamp vlad#ikevamp comte#ikevamp saint germain#ikevamp leonardo#ikevamp faust#ikevamp charles#ikevamp dazai#i hope this was helpful!#i had too much fun writing it jkahlgkjhgdf i love meta#but thank you for submitting <33333#oh discount vampire sasuke uchiha we really in it now#rambles#not incorrect quotes
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I Miss the Misery (Shoto Todoroki x Female Reader Band AU)
Warnings: sex, oral (f receiving), cussing
S/O to @unbreakablekiribaku for thirsting over this with me and @thewheezingwyvern and @nocturnalazura for betaing!
Also this is over 3000 words and I don’t know how that happened.
“When we get out there, I wanna do the set like normal and then end with the new song.” You told your band mates. Your bassist Eijirou Kirishima, guitarist Shouto Todoroki, and drummer Denki Kaminari all snapped their heads in your direction, wondering if you’d lost your mind. Shoto was the first to speak.
“You mean the song that I’ve practiced with Kirishima and Kaminari and Kaminari and Kirishima have practiced with you, but we have yet to all run through together? Are you dense?” His smooth voice stated. That voice used to be the last thing you listened to at night and the first thing you heard in the morning, it gave you the idea to start your band after he had heard you sing God knows how many times, and it was the voice that broke your heart when the two of you broke up less than six months ago. The two of you had been together for years, starting your band with your friends before you started dating and being together throughout the rough stages of becoming one of the most loved alternative bands in the world.
Now you hardly spoke to each other on bad days, and joked around like best friends on others.
“Yeah. That song. I think it’ll be fine, you know the tempo even without hearing me sing the lyrics. We’re doing it.” You told him flatly, side eyeing him to see his muscles tense.
“I haven’t even seen the lyrics, how am I supposed to know what the song is about? Or play it without fucking you or Kaminari or Kirishima up? It’s not a good idea and you know it.” He glared at you.
“I think you forget who runs the show, Shoto. If I say we’re doing a song in the set, we’re doing it. Besides, Denki and Ei have heard me sing it and they think it sounds good. Just go with me on this, please?” You finally asked him.
“If we fuck up, this is on you.” Came his reply through clenched teeth. Hearing the signal that you four were to be on stage in five minutes, he grabbed his guitar and left the dressing room. Kirishima and Kaminari both turned to you.
“He’s going to hate you when he hears the lyrics since they’re about him Y/N.” Kirishima told you.
“Yeah, he’s gonna be pissed. I can’t wait to see what the tabloids and Twitter have to say about the end of the show!” Kaminari laughed.
“There’s a reason he hasn’t seen or heard the lyrics. I can’t wait to see his face.” You stated before grabbing your mic and following the two boys out the door. Oh yeah, this show was going to be one you never forgot.
The show so far had been uneventful, but you could tell the closer it got to the last song of the set how agitated Shoto was getting. As the final notes from your penultimate song echoed through the stadium, you knew it was time to announce a slight change of plans.
“You guys have been a fantastic audience tonight, but unfortunately we’re at our last song of the show. I know the set list had been given out and Playing God was supposed to end the night, but I think it’s time a new song we’ve been working on is played. Would you guys like that?” You asked through the microphone. As soon as the words left your mouth, the audience went crazy at the thought of getting to hear a new song before it was released.
“That’s what I thought! This is something I’ve been working on for a few months, so here’s I Miss the Misery!”
You paused for a second, letting the guys get ready and the crowd to calm down. When you’d decided it was time, you signaled Shoto and Denki and the music began.
“Oh, I miss the misery!” You began. Hearing the boys come in with the music, you walked around the stage letting yourself get into it.
“I’ve been a mess since you stayed, I’ve been a wreck since you changed. Don’t let me get in your way, I miss the lies and the pain, the fights that keep us awake. Oh I’m tellin you! I miss the bad things, the way you hate me, I miss the screaming and the way that you blamed me. I miss the phone calls, when it’s your fault. I miss the late nights, I don’t miss you at all. I like the kick in the face and the things you do to me. I love the way that it hurts. I don’t miss you, I miss the misery.” You continued the song, glancing at Shoto every once in a while to see if he had figured out that it was about him. He stood calm, cool, and collected while watching his fingers pluck the guitar strings. One of the best and worst things about him was that he knew how to keep his emotions under control when needed. That was always one of the things you’d hated when you got into arguments, he could turn his emotions off at the snap of his fingers. You shook your head and continued to focus on the music.
“I’ve tried but I just can’t take it. I’d rather fight than just fake it. You know that I’ve had enough, I dare you to call my bluff. Can’t take too much of a good thing. And I’m telling you. I miss the bad things, the way you hate me. I miss the screaming, the way that you blame me. Miss the phone calls, when it’s your fault. I miss the late nights, I don’t miss you at all. I like the kick in the face, and the things you do to me. I love the way that it hurts. I don’t miss you, I miss the misery.”
Walking closer to the boys, you took a spot close to Shoto. You glanced over at Kirishima and nodded, signalling him to sing his part of the song while you did yours. (Bold is Kirishima singing).
“Just know that I’ll make you hurt.”
“I miss the lies and the pain what you did to me.”
“When you tell me you’ll make it worse.”
“I’d rather fight all night than watch the tv.”
“I hate this feeling inside, you tell me how hard you’ll try. But when we’re at our worst, I miss the misery.”
You turned to face Shoto head on and placed a hand at the nape of his neck, pulling his forehead to yours as you sang the next part.
“I miss the bad things, the way you hate me. I miss the screaming, the way that you blame me.” You trailed off, turning away from Shoto after seeing the rage in his eyes.
“I miss the rough sex, leaves me a mess. I miss the feeling of pains in my chest. Miss the phone calls, when it’s your fault. I miss the late nights. I don’t miss you at all. I like the kick in the face and the things you do to me. I love the way that it hurts! I dont miss you, I miss the misery. I don’t miss you, I miss the misery! I don’t miss you, I miss the misery.” You were panting as the song ended, the adrenaline of being in front of a crowd this large seeping out of you as you tried to catch your breath.
“Thanks you guys! Stay safe and we’ll see you again soon!” You called out as you began to walk off the stage. Heading back to your dressing room to grab your things, you grabbed your manager and whispered in his ear “I’m not waiting for the boys, I’ll be at the hotel.”
He nodded as you passed. You hurried to the room, grabbing the few things in there and then heading to the car that was awaiting you outside the venue. You laid your head on the window after climbing in, wondering if debuting the new song without Shoto having heard it first was a mistake.
-----------------------------------
After arriving in your hotel room, you stripped and took a shower. You stayed in the shower for a while, letting the warm water soothe the tense muscles from the nerves of the show. Ten minutes after you’d gotten out of the shower and gotten dressed you heard a knock at the door. Shoto stood before you with an unreadable expression on his face.
“Did you think that that was a good idea? You could have ruined the show.” He seethed, stepping into your room and shutting the door behind you. You took a step back.
“I knew that we could handle it, and I wanted to do that song at the end. I knew it would be good publicity too. Who else would debut a song at a concert instead of releasing it on music apps?” You asked, still stepping back as he prowled towards you.
“You make me so goddamn angry sometimes. Don’t think I don’t know who that song was about. And that little stunt that you pulled? Pulling my face towards yours? I wanted to punch you and kiss you at the same time.”
You stilled at that. He wanted to what?! You felt the back of your knees hit the edge of the bed and knew you had been caught. Sitting on the bed slowly, you looked up at him as he towered over you. He knelt down so you were at the same eye level and placed a hand on your cheek.
“You drive me absolutely crazy. Sometimes I feel like we can get along and maybe go back to being friends and others I feel like the only reason we still talk is because of the band. We need to figure out what’s going on because I feel like I’m going to explode otherwise.” He stated softly.
You placed a hand over his and sighed softly. Feeling bold, you moved your hands to cup his cheeks. He leaned his forehead to yours and exhaled slowly.
“I want to kiss you. Honestly, I want to fuck you. You need to stop me if you don’t want this, okay?” He asked.
His confession shocked you, and you gave your answer when you pressed your lips to his softly. The first kiss was short and soft, only lasting for a few seconds until he pulled back. He searched your eyes for any hesitation and when he didn’t find any, he smashed his lips to yours. It was a flurry of lips, teeth, and tongue as you fought for dominance over the kiss. Shoto won, as he normally did, and as his tongue swept through your mouth you felt his hands slip down your arms and grip the bottom of your shirt. He quickly pulled it over your head, leaving your chest bare to him.
He pulled back slightly, smirking as he took in your chest. “You know, not much has changed. You’re still beautiful.”
Lowering himself, he took one of your breasts into his mouth and grasped the other with his hand. You moaned lightly, feeling his tongue slip over your perked nipple with ease.
“Sho-Shoto.” You gasped. He pulled back once more, only to slip his hands into your bottoms and slide them down your legs. You lifted your ass up to help him pull them off your hips and then pulled his face back to yours. This time you led the kiss as you traced the tip of your tongue over his bottom lip before slipping it into his mouth. He let you familiarize yourself with his mouth once more before breaking the kiss and pressing open mouthed kisses to your neck and down your chest to your cunt.
“You have no idea how much I’ve missed this. Seeing you writhe in pleasure underneath me, seeing the face you make when you cum. I’ll make you do it over and over until you can’t anymore.” He accented the statement with a graze of his teeth over your right thigh, causing you to jerk in response.
Chuckling, he moved so his face was in front of your core. Shoto slowly ran his fingers up your leg until he slowly pushed one into you and groaned at the way you clenched around it.
“How long has it been since you’ve been fucked, love?” He asks, slowly pushing his finger in and out of your cunt. “It feels like it’s been a while.”
You groaned out “a while” in response, digging your heels into his shoulders and trying to lift your ass so he’d put his tongue to use doing something other than talking. He pulled his finger out and smacked your clit lightly.
“Ah, ah. Remember I’m in charge baby. Be a good slut and stay still.” Shoto smirked at you before plunging two fingers back into your core. You moaned at the sensation as he began to increase the speed of his fingers before finally bringing his tongue to flick at your clit. He flicked it twice before flattening his tongue and dragging it up and down your slit slowly, allowing your juices to coat his tongue and the bottom half of his face. Slowly sliding his fingers out of your cunt, he brought them up to his eye level while pulling back slightly.
“Suck.” Was all that was uttered out before he shoved his fingers into your mouth, letting you clean them off for him. When his fingers were clean he grabbed your thighs in both hands and spread your legs as wide as they could go. Once you were maneuvered to his liking, he plunged his tongue inside of you, using the tip of it to play with your walls. You could feel your impending orgasm, and apparently so could Shoto because right as you were about to cum he pulled back.
“You don’t get to cum yet sweetheart. I’m nowhere near done with you.”
He quickly undressed himself before leaning over you and kissing you once more. You felt him grab his cock and rub it against your folds for a few seconds before pulling back to gauge your reaction.
“Are you okay with this? I can stop if you don’t want to.” He murmured. In response you wrapped your legs around his waist and pulled him forward.
“I promise if I didn’t want this I would tell you. Now please Sho, fuck me.” You whined out.
He didn’t need to be told twice, grabbing your hips and sheathing himself inside of you with one thrust. A dull ache began within your walls and you winced slightly at the sensation. Shoto noticed the slight hesitation and stilled.
“I’m okay Sho. It hurts a little because I haven’t done this in a while, but I’ll be okay.” You felt him relax and push slightly further inside your aching cunt.
“Fuck I missed this princess. I missed the way your pussy sucks me in every time I try to pull out, the faces you make as I hit your spot, and the sounds you make as you climax.” He accented every statement with a particularly deep thrust that had you writhing. You could feel your juices sliding down your ass and dripping onto the sheets below you and you made a mental note to leave some extra money for housekeeping.
“Sho-” You whimpered. His control seemed to snap at that as he grabbed your ass and lifted it off the bed, angling your body to only allow your shoulders and head to touch it. This angle had him going deeper than before, and you felt your climax rising once again.
“I’m gonna...I’m gonna cum. Please can I cum?” You babbled. Shoto got harder at the pleas.
“Cum for me Y/N. Let me hear your pretty little noises.” He grunted out. The permission was all you needed as you felt it crash over you in one big wave, your back arching and lifting you further off the bed. Your cum gushed from your cunt, splashing against Shoto’s abdomen before dripping down his thighs.
“Fuck. I can’t hold back much longer.” He groaned, thrusting into you harder and harder as he chased his own release. He slammed into you four more times before he stilled, then thrusted three shallow thrusts to ride out his own orgasm.
Shoto slowly lowered your ass back onto the bed, trying and failing to not lay you in a wet spot left on the sheets. He laid a hand on either side of you and tried to catch his breath before trying to speak.
“That was probably the most intense fucking we’ve ever done.” He chuckled. You smacked his arm before covering your face.
“I can’t tell if that was a hate fucking or a makeup fucking.” You said.
“It can be whatever you want it to be.” He said softly. “I know we were bad for each other, and fought all the fucking time. But I miss this. I miss waking up next to you and falling asleep with you. I miss going out and doing things whenever we’re in a different city. Hell I even miss people following us and asking us to sign things together. I promise I’ll try harder to be worthy of you, and not fight as much. If we do fight, we’ll keep it out of public and listen to each other instead of being so stubborn and hard headed,” he flicked you lightly in the forehead to accentuate that he meant you, and you pulled your hands off your face to look at him. “and just try to understand the other person’s point of view. These past six months have been hell without you, and I want to try again. Please Y/N, can we try again?” He looked at you with pleading eyes as you processed everything he had laid out for you.
There were a few seconds of silence, and you saw the emotions in Shoto’s eyes. You could tell he was wondering if he should’ve kept his mouth shut when you pressed your lips to his lightly. He kissed you back hesitantly at first, then harder. You were the one to pull back from him and sigh.
“If we’re really going to make it different this time, I’m okay with trying again. I’ve missed you so badly these past months that I was hoping the song was going to grab your attention. I didn’t expect it to do this though.” You laughed and gestured to where he was still inside you. “We can try again. But only if we both promise that it will be different this time.”
“I promise it’ll be different.” Shoto said softly, moving one hand from the side of your head to cup your cheek. You lifted your hand to cover his, and turned your face to kiss the palm of his hand.
“I promise, too. Now get out of me before I want to go for round two.” You tried to push him off of you but he caught your hands.
“Wait, we can do round two?”
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Distance Makes the Heart Grow
CHAPTER 1
Series Masterlist
Pairing: Mafia Boss!Neville Longbottom x Reader
Pronouns: She/Her
Word Count: 1.8k
Summary: (Y/n) lives a normal life. But that’s the issue, it’s normal, it’s plain, and it’s growing boring. Everyday she wishes for something, anything to spice up her life. But, when her old school friend (and crush) shows up at her bakery with a new look (and what looks like a new life), what will it bring for her? Will their puppy love grow? Will his big secret lead to the end of them or will it spark a new beginning?
Warnings: None for this chapter!
A/N: Nothing major happens in this chapter, this is sorta just like the beginning stages.
(Y/n) let out a load groan, hand searching aimlessly for the alarm clock on her side table. “Where is it?!” she continued to slap her hand around on her table, many objects falling to the floor before her hand finally landed on the right one, the rooster noises ceasing as her hand collided with the big snooze button. She rolled over, sighing as she stared at her speckled ceiling. “Perhaps I really should take the time to learn how to use the alarm on my phone.” it wasn’t that she was bad with technology persay. It’s just if it was produced after the year of 2008 you could forget it. Could you really blame her though? During all her years at Hogwarts, she had never made the switch her fellow classmates made with modern technology. Sure she had a smart phone but the only thing she could manage to do with it is call, text, and make notes in the notes app (something she had just recently learned as well).
Unwillingly, she crawled out of bed, stretching as she let out a large yawn, bones snapping and cracking like a New Year’s firework. She made her way to the bathroom, looking into the same mirror she always did, watching the light in the center flicker the same way as always. Life for (Y/n) was seemingly unchanging. Day after day, month after month, was spent exactly the same. She’d wake up, get ready for work, and then travel a few blocks down the street to open the bakery. Her bakery.
It wasn’t that (Y/n) didn’t enjoy what she did. She happened to enjoy her job very much. All her friends at Hogwart’s had encouraged her, giving her the push she need to travel the journey of opening her own business. It was something she had always wanted to do but her parents begged her not to. In their words they didn’t want ‘an over zealous and unrealistic’ daughter on ther hands. However, their rude words simply were fuel to the fire. During her 5th year, she began to busk tables at various shops in Hogsmeade. It was hard work, balancing long shifts at 3 different shops and still maintaining decent scores in each class. But, she knew if she couldn’t handle that then there was no way she’d be able to handle running a bakery. So day in and day out she’d work, and work, and work and by the end of her 7th year she had a decent amount of money saved up!
The first issue had been finding a place in a good area that would gain traction and attention while the second one was finding someone willing to sell to someone fresh out of school with no prior business experience. She’d spoken to many people in various different places, some good, and some bad before she finally had been blessed with the chance of meeting Mary and her wife Denise. It was a miracle really. (Y/n) was short on the money, exponentially so however, Mary had sold to her anyways. She said she saw a passion in the girl that she hadn’t seen for a very long time and that it was something she wanted to help foster considering she had had her time to live her dreams and explore passions of her own. So with that, a handshape was exchanged for a beat up envolope filled with the entirety of the girl’s life savings. She had invested every nickel and dime she had ever earned into the place and she prayed it wouldn’t blow up in her face.
Which brought her to where she was today: a proud owner of a highly successful business. And of course, with great business comes a nice chunk of money which caught her parents’ attention. They had began to call her everyday but when that they didn’t work, they showed up at her shop unannounced. At first, she had felt warm inside. Her usual cold and distant parents had come to visit her! However, when they started crunching out numbers and percentages, that short lived happiness was replaced by irritation in which she quickly kicked them out, placing a charm on the building that when they’d attempt to enter (if they really, truly, had the balls to come back), their bodies would be flung right back onto the sidewalk into the heaping piles of trash on the city side walks. Now, (Y/n) was by no means wealthy, but she made a nice amount of money to be engaging in something she enjoyed so heavily, which is why she was confused where they had gotten the idea she had money to share with the main two people who were the cause of her insecurities. Plus, every extra dollar she had she put right back into the shop. Paying her workers, building maintenance, ingredients. She wasn’t a fan of having too much money, her family had shown her what that could cause (and how easily you could lose it all).
Yet still sometimes she found herself wishing she could live the lavish lifestyle her parents once did. She mainly dreamed more so of the more engaging parts instead of the status and power that came with it. As she frosted various different cakes with thick buttercream, her mind would wonder to vivid imagery of beautiful hotel rooms, with breath taking views. Michelin five star meals, coated in delicious cream sauces. Endless adventure waiting to be discovered.
And yet here she was, sitting at a table as she stuffed her face with a raspberry marzipan cupcake. It was a Wednesday, first one of the month and as per usual, her and Twyla were set together, sampling cakes, chocolates, and other treats for the upcoming days. Wednesday had been the official day they had chosen due to the slowed flow of people that would come in. (Y/n) liked to have a different theme each day of the week. The customers lived for it and she had massed a group of frequenters who came each day, wondering what the theme would be that day.
“You know boss, I’ve gotta say it. Working here and sampling all these cakes with you is giving me quite the ass!” Twyla said, turning around as she wiggled her ass in the girl’s face for emphasis. (Y/n) giggled, rolling her eyes as she swatted at the girl, missing as she jumped away from her last minute. “Hey! You gotta take me out to dinner first for that.”
“Just because we’re sampling cakes doesn’t mean that the store is closed! Anyone could walk in at any moment and would you really want that to be their first experience here?” she asked, eyes scanning the silver platter in front of them. She decided on the new dessert flavored chocolates she had been working on. Popping it into her mouth, she let out a moan of approval.
“I mean, I dont’ see why not! We’d definitely make a lot more money with a cake like mine!” the blue haired girl said, sitting down as she grabbed a chocolate as well. “Besides, I don’t think those little noises you’re making would help the scene.” she stated, snickering as the girl across from her tensed up.
“It-it’s not like that! The chocolate- it just- I just- ugh!” she stuttered out, huffing as she crossed her arms over her chest, pouting at the girl. “If you’re gonna keep being mean we can end this process. Just tell me what you think of the blueberry pie chocolate so I can know if we’re adding it to tomorrow’s spread.”
“Oh come on (Y/n) it’s good! Every first Wednesday we sit here, you overly critique yourself, then me and Tiana end up picking out our favorites for the next day!” Twyla was right, even their patterns for trying new things remained the same. (Y/n) wiped her messy hand on her aprons, sighing as she stood up to go back to her position behind the counter. Her employee followed, grabbing the platter to put back into the kitchen before joining her boss behind the counter.
“You’re right. I swear everyday is beginning to feel the same.” She opened her notepad, beginning to take inventory of the sweets they had in the display counter. “I’m grateful for everything I have, I really am. But sometimes I just wish I could have something, anything….”
“New?” the green eyed girl added, catching the (h/c) haired girl’s attention. She nodded, looking at the girl who had snuck a cookie out of the glass case. “I feel ya, girl. Everyday feels the same. Sometimes even when new people come in, I can already tell how they’re going to be. How they’ll act, what they’ll order, what method of payment they’ll use.” (Y/n) eyed the girl up, raising a brow.
“Are you sure you’re not just using legilimens?” she questioned, watching as the girl shifted on her feet, scratching the back of her neck.
“Okay so maybe I do sometimes. But a lot of the times I don’t! Like the other day this weird guy came in and- woah. (Y/n) I don’t wanna freak you out but I have a feeling those hotties in suits across the street are going to be walking in here soon.” Twyla said, in an uncharacteristically quiet tone. The shorter girl followed her friend’s gaze, looking out the glass doors across the street. Three unfamiliar men were crossing over, all in suits that she could only assume cost as much as four months of rent. However, the one in the middle really caught her eye.
Before she knew it, the bell chimed and the three of them made their way in. They looked very out of place in the brightly decorated shop. The one in the middle looked the most important, towering over the other two men. He had dark slicked back hair, an eyebrow piercing, and tattoos that were visible on his neck and hands (which had a few beautiful looking rings on them (none of which were a wedding band…)), yet his hazel eyes held a soft look to them. To his left was a redhead boy, freckles danced all along his face. His eyes were bloodshot from god knows what. He had tattoos as well (not as many as the middle man) and a few unique ear piercings. The guy to the hot tall guy’s right was attractive too but not nearly as serious looking as the other two. In fact, he was humming a song under his breath, a smile causing the tattoo on the right side of his face to crease.
As she went to open her mouth to greet them, the man in the middle eye’s grew wide, his mouth gaping as he stared at her. He walked closer, examining her face closely which caused her to grow confused.
“I’m...I’m sorry. Do I know you?” she asked.
“(Y/n)?” she gasped at the sound of the familiar voice, her notepad and pen dropping from her hands. She made her way around the counter, staring up at the tall man.
“Neville?!”
NEXT||
TAGSLIST: @vayeya11 @pink-hufflepuff @clancyscookies @beewitchedlou @nevillelongbottomsgirlfriend @redpanda-poetry @vibingaesthetically
#neville x reader#neville longbottom x reader#Neville Longbottom#neville x you#neville longbottom x you#Harry Potter#harry potter x reader#harry potter imagines#harry potter imagine#mafia#mafia!neville#mafia!au
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[MONSTA X] Changkyun - Happy Without Me
word count: 3.8k warnings: alcohol, suggestions of smoking, swearing, suggestions of sex summary: I don't think about you sometimes 'Cause I think about you all the time a/n: I’ve been listening to the All About Luv album a lot recently and Happy Without Me hit a little different the other day. I hope you don’t notice how I slacked off near the end 💜
“Yerim what are you wearing for tonight? I wanna look cute but not like ‘I’ve put effort in’ kinda cute, you know? Like I’m always this cute.”
Yerim laughed as she replied, “You’d look hot wearing a bin bag so shut up and let me know what drinks you want. It’s ‘bring your own booze’ so I was gonna run to the store for extra before we go.”
“Umm, vodka? Tequila? Maybe rum? I’m getting smashed tonight and you’re all going to carry me home, just letting you know.” Soobin winked and blew kisses at the both of you with a coy smile on her face, as some form of ‘thank you in advance’ for the troubles that you would be going through later that night. As much pain she put the both of you through, it was hard not to love her.
“Yeah, you say that as if that’s not what happens every week, you psycho.”
You smiled from the comfort of your sofa as you witnessed the two of your best friends bicker. You were never really one for parties, but you decided to let yourself go after an unfortunate night maybe five? six months ago. You thought that you could vent your frustrations into your notes app and be done with it, but your friends took pity and introduced you to another option. One where you could numb your mind with alcohol and crashing bass, and you figured that it was somewhat more enjoyable than cry-writing shitty poetry on a Friday night. Notes app therapy was now a thing of the past.
Changkyun had become such an integral part of your life that you couldn’t help yourself from unconsciously replaying memories that you had attempted to bury. A simple look at the most irrelevant objects would have him running through your mind before you could even stop yourself. Oh, we bought this mug together. You were surprised he hadn’t taken it with him when he left. It was his favourite mug to drink whiskey out of. Speaking of whiskey, you needed a drink. It had only taken days for him to make himself at home at the forefront of your thoughts but how long was it going to take to rid of him?
As much as you tried to keep those thoughts at bay, no amount of alcohol could ever stop them from crashing back over you whenever you saw that little smiley face appear at the top of your Instagram feed.
imnameim. When had he posted a story? You hadn’t seen the pink circle earlier. Would it be too early to look at it now? You couldn’t risk tapping on it only to see that it had been posted 12 seconds ago, just like you had done the other day. And the day before. And the day before that. Should you just make a burner account? No, that’s too far, we’re not going there today, bitch... Maybe tomorrow.
You hated how much power that tattoo face held over you, looking straight into your eyes - almost mockingly. Oh, did I look like a smiley face to you six months ago? Well, I’m a sad face now and that’s all you’re ever going to see.
“Y/N! Hey! You’re going to stare a hole into your phone.” Soobin clapped in your face, trying to get your attention. You looked up, softening your expression to meet Yerim’s eyes.
“Soobin was asking what you’re going to wear tonight.” Yerim said.
“I don’t know, probably that top I got yesterday?” you shrugged, unbothered by your friends’ question. You weren’t going to parties to impress anyone; you were going to drink the last of your braincells away.
“Y/N, ‘that top’ you got yesterday is a free t-shirt you got from the Domino’s pop-up stall on campus. I’m not letting you do this again.” Yerim dead panned.
“OK and...?” You met both of their concerned faces only to have them grab each of your arms.
“Come on. Up. That’s it.” You made unintelligible noises as they dragged you up off the sofa and into your closet. The thoughts about Changkyun’s story were left on the sofa as your mind was now filling with an excited buzz. “You act like you hate this, but I know you love getting trashed with us, Y/N.” Yerim laughed and you knew it too.
-
Changkyun lay in Jae-in’s bed, with her nestled in his chest as he looked up at the ceiling and sighed. Being careful not to wake her, he slowly squeezed his arm out from under her head to lay on his stomach to scroll through Instagram.
He had posted a story over an hour ago, half hoping that you’d see it – a cover of Dean’s Instagram. How ironic.
He shook his head at how pathetic his efforts seemed, whispering to himself, “What the hell are you doing?” He refreshed his feed for the last time to see that you had posted a video of the three of you dancing to a song in your walk-in closet. Probably drunk. Upon re-watching the video on loop for the third time, he concluded that you were most definitely drunk.
Seeing you having fun like this had him torn between being happy for you, moving on with your life and probably on to other men too. Being attractive plus the endless number of parties you went to now was just the perfect recipe. You were bound to have found someone.
And this is where the hatred washed over him. He despised it. Hated seeing you have fun without him, moving on as if he had never existed. Was it that easy for you to just forget? It seemed unfair that he was still struggling to keep you off his mind while you were out having the time of your life, letting your followers know of that fact too.
Deep down, he knew that he wasn’t happy for you at all. He was just trying to kid himself into thinking that he was. Be mature and everything. That was what both of you had agreed to be when your relationship came to an end. After days of what could probably be called a verbal equivalent of a nuclear war, the two of you had given up.
Crying, shouting, complete silence, you had done it all and there was no end in sight. On day three of radio silence, you felt as if you could do without speaking to Changkyun at all. When you brought it up, he admitted he felt the same. Exhaustion making both of you devoid of any emotion, you agreed to disagree and act like the fight had never happened. You were tired and wanted nothing more to do with it. Or each other. Thinking of yourselves as somewhat grown, you decided to be civil since you were in the same circle of friends, not wanting to burden them with any of your problems.
With so many things left unsaid and ties still loose, there was no way that you could just cut clean. But you never so much as bumped into each other since.
You hadn’t blocked each other though, as you both felt that it was some sign of weakness. Yeah, I’m tough enough to keep them on my socials. They don’t bother me. Not at all. But in the small hours of the morning, you were on each other’s profiles, hoping for a glimpse of what they were up to. Wondering if he had finished that song he was working on. If you were eating well. If he was really seeing Jae-in seriously. If you were well and truly happy.
“Hey, how are you doing?”
Y/N’s doing just fine for themselves, everyone can see that.
“Did you finish that essay?”
No, that’s too random.
“I think about you all the time.”
Shut up Changkyun.
Though you had both agreed to be ‘friends’, there was no easy way in going about messaging one another when you had fought so explosively. Changkyun also felt that he had missed the right timeframe for him to salvage whatever there was left of the relationship. Whether it be platonic or romantic. No matter how much he wanted to message you, his pride falsely masked as maturity stopped him from ever doing more than wish for you to call him and say that everything was going to be ok. That you can start over.
“Do you wanna go to Minhyuk’s house party?” Jae-in’s voice was heavy with sleep, squinting her eyes at the bright screen of her phone. Changkyun was startled from his thoughts, not realising that she had been woken up by a text.
“House party…?” Changkyun was dubious.
“It’s ok if you don’t want to, it’s just that we don’t ever do anything besides fuck, and I thought we could do with a change of scenery.”
“I mean yeah it’s just that we’ve never hung out with other people before. Like together.”
He had met Jae-in at a bar a few months ago. Holed up in his studio after the breakup, Changkyun got to channelling his anger into working on his music until his course mate Minhyuk persuaded him out for drinks. Minhyuk had flirted with the girls from the table over to get them to join in on the pity party. Jae-in had seated herself next to Changkyun and a few drinks later, they had quickly bonded over their childhood obsession with Death Note to which she followed up with an invitation to watch it at her place. Who was Kyun to reject? With all this pent-up energy to spare, music wasn’t quite cutting it.
“I doubt anyone will care that we arrived together.” Jae-in shrugged. “Let’s go.”
-
“Yeah, I invited Jae-in and I think Changkyun might come with her too.” Minhyuk stated nonchalantly over the phone. You choked on your wine and thanked God that the music in your room was loud enough to cover the unnatural sound you had just made. “Y/N, is that ok? I should have asked you befo-”
“No, I don’t care.” You replied a little too quickly, “It’s been months and we broke up on good terms anyway, remember?”
“MINNIE! I MISS YOU!” Soobin drunkenly shouted across the room as Yerim held her back from throwing herself at the phone.
“I MISS YOUR FACE TOO, BINNIE! I’LL SEE YOU LATER!” Minhyuk chuckled as he didn’t hesitate to match her volume through the phone.
“Ugh, you two make me sick”, Yerim rolled her eyes, “You literally saw each other this morning. Just get together already.”
As Soobin and Minhyuk continued to chat, engulfed in their own little world, you reached to grab another drink. If Minhyuk’s predictions were right, you were going to need something stronger than wine to get you through the night.
-
Stepping into Minhyuk’s apartment, Changkyun could feel the bass rumble underneath his feet already.
“Hey! You made it! I thought you guys weren’t going to come, it’s so late! But we have drinks and snacks in the kitchen. Oh, and Jae-in, the bathrooms just through the hallway on the right…” Minhyuk’s voice trailed off into the loud music. Changkyun followed behind Jae-in as his friend gave the newcomer a guided tour of his place.
Though he was familiar with the apartment, it felt a little weird for him to walk through it with someone else by his side. A pack of cards strewn over the floor jogged his memory back to a particularly warm night in June. With the sun just beginning to rise, you both stood below Minhyuk’s balcony at 4am. You shouted,
“HEY MINHYUK, WE’RE GOING TO PLAY UNO AT YOUR PLACE, D’YOU WANNA JOIN?”
“THOUGHT WE’D ASK IN CASE YOU’D FEEL LEFT OUT.” Changkyun added. You both snickered as Minhyuk opened his window to shout back at you, regretting that he had ever given you two the spare keys to his apartment.
“ARE YOU REALLY INVITING ME TO PLAY CARDS MY OWN HOUSE RIGHT NOW?!” Birds fluttered away startled, as a neighbouring window flashed on a light in annoyance. Your shouting combined could never top the sheer volume of Minhyuk’s voice. Changkyun grabbed your hand as you ran into the building laughing before the neighbour could join in on the screaming match.
With classes finished for the year, you had what felt like an infinite amount of time on your hands. Kyun smiled to himself as he was reminded of those summer nights that he had spent with you. Stargazing, pillow talking, daydreaming on repeat.
“Yeah, so you can get to the outdoor space through the living room but I’m giving you special access to my little balcony through my room because you’re uh, Changkyun’s friend.” Minhyuk grinned as he ended his tour.
Upon entering the actual party in the lounge, Changkyun stopped in his tracks at the sight of you on the other side of the room. For a moment, the smoke in the room seemed to clear as his eyes trained on you throw your head back in laughter at Yerim’s animated storytelling. Hearing your voice so crystal clear made his heart swell with something that he couldn’t quite put into words. Half a year had passed since he had last seen you, sat broken on the floor of your apartment, explaining that it would be best to part ways. You had looked so drained of emotion then; it was such a stark contrast to what he was seeing now. He stood frozen, heart beating hard against his chest like a hammer.
“Kyun! Why are you so late?” Wonho, another friend of Kyun’s appeared out of nowhere with a bottle of tequila in his hand. “You gotta catch up on the drinks now, come on, open your mouth.” Wonho went to grab his face with one hand as he proceeded to try and pour some alcohol into his mouth jokingly. Changkyun chuckled as he play-fought with Wonho only to stop midway when he noticed Jae-in smiling at the sight.
“Oh, this is my friend Jae-in.” Kyun straightened up and brushed off his clothes.
Wonho went to shake her hand as Minhyuk snuck up behind him.
"Yeah, friend.” He giggled as he raised his brows suggestively and left as quickly as he appeared shouting, “Binnie! Where are you? We gotta go make those s’mores you wanted!”
Changkyun rolled his eyes and smiled as he guided Jae-in to the nearest table of drinks and set to introducing her to the rest of his friends, hoping that you wouldn’t notice him.
-
At this point, the three of you were beyond gone. Soobin had already passed out with a s’more in her hand as Minhyuk hauled her over his shoulder to put her to sleep in the guest room.
“And she.. she was telling me to sythensi.. she was telling me thynsenise, no, synsi.. she wanted me to synthesise, there we go, snythi…” Yerim tripped over words, dead set on getting her pronunciation right while Hyungwon sat and nodded with his signature painful smile on his face. She was determined, hand on his shoulder with a grip that let him know he wasn’t going anywhere until she had finished her story.
As for you? You were sat next to Yerim, a vacant smile on your face as you struggled to keep your eyes open. Day drinking followed up with a house party in the evening really wasn’t the best idea for the lightweights that you are but there you were, listening to your friend repeat the same sentence over and over again. An urgent voice in your head piped up, letting you know that you should probably go for a breath of fresh air.
“Yerim, hey, Yerim, I’m.. going for some air… stay with Hyungwon okay? Hyungwon, call me if anything happens?” You stood up, struggling to find your balance and teetered across the room to get to Minhyuk’s balcony.
The thing about you is that you are one of those blessed people that can sober up as quickly as they get smashed. You felt refreshed, taking in a deep breath as if to cleanse your alcohol ridden bloodstreams with the cool evening air. Your head still spun a little but as long as you kept your eyes anchored on the moon, you’d be fine in no time.
As much as your body needed a break from the party, it wasn’t the greatest timing for your mental state. Once you had assumed that Changkyun wasn’t coming to the party, you let go of the anxiety holding you back from enjoying yourself. You had been overstimulated from the alcohol, music, and people, not giving yourself a chance to think about anything else. But once those factors were gone, it was just you, alone with your drunken thoughts on a balcony looking up at the moon. And just like that, those suppressed memories regarding a certain boy couldn’t help but unpack themselves from your unconscious. Oh man, this was going to be such a good cry.
-
Changkyun was beginning to feel a little too tipsy for his liking. Though he was having a great time, it felt as if he wasn’t entirely present at the scene, like he was watching and laughing along through a TV screen. He slipped away from the kitchen island to get a breather.
“Oh shit, sorry, I didn’t realise anyone was here.” He apologised, going to close the door of Minhyuk’s balcony to a figure hunched over the railing. You looked up from your hands at him and tried to focus on the blurry face.
His movements faltered when your eyes met, door still open. Just one look at you was enough for that knock back into reality Changkyun had needed. God were you a sight for sore eyes. He drank up the way your cheeks and nose were flushed pink, how your eyes were glossy in the moonlight, eyelashes thick with tears, and the way the softly coloured city lights behind you framed your face. With the night air stained with your perfume and the sounds of muted traffic perfecting the scene, he had never felt so in the present until now. He wanted this moment to last a lifetime.
“Changkyun?” You replied, as you wiped your eyes clear of the tears blurring your vision. You could tell that voice apart anywhere, you only questioned in the slight chance that you were just hallucinating, going insane.
“Are you ok? I can leave if you want, I-” He began hurriedly, knowing that you hated having anyone see you cry.
“I’m fine.” You sniffed.
“Bad day?” He asked softly, bringing himself to stand next to you, looking over at the cityscape.
“Yeah, something like that.” You replied, letting out a small laugh as you wiped the last of the tears from your face.
Tension hung so thick in the air you could feel it weigh down on your shoulders. Changkyun hated that you, the person he had once shared the deepest parts of his mind with, was someone he was now so uncomfortable with.
You both stood there awhile, looking out at the blinking lights of the cityscape. As quiet as it was, you could almost hear the sound of your brains whirring, going back and forth over whether or not you should say something to break the silence. Changkyun had spent months thinking of questions he wanted to ask you for when this moment came, but the alcohol and nerves fogged up his mind. All he could think of doing was holding you in his arms, hoping for you to be able to feel his apologies, sincerity and promises through the beating of his chest.
A heavy pressing in your lungs only intensified, as you thought about how the present situation had become the outcome of those few perfect years. You regulated your breathing, trying to break down the lump from coming up in your throat, on the verge of tears again. Thinking back, you realised that you probably could have been a little more understanding, could have softened your sharp words, could have opened your heart up some more to allow for Changkyun to do so in return. These thoughts and emotions bubbled up inside your chest to spill out of your mouth before you even knew what you wanted to say.
“Changkyun, I-”
“I found a really nice place for nights like this. Y/N.” he cut across with an anxious tremble in his voice. He could feel the apology ready to tumble from your lips, he had to stop you from apologising for things that you really didn’t need to. He hated that your heart was so big and so loving that you were willing to start trying to mend this relationship first. But he hated himself more for not having the courage to try to be even half as loving as you are.
He continued, still looking out over the balcony, worried that he’d start to tear up if he met your eyes again, “you can see the stars so clearly, it’s insane.”
You turned to him, tears welling in your eyes again. Despite having cut each other from your lives for what felt like a lifetime, it broke you how he could still read you like his favourite book.
“Can we go? Y/N? I’ve waited so long to show you.”
Hot tears fell down your cheeks again as Changkyun noticed and turned to you, pulling you into his chest as you cried out the mess of emotions you had amassed.
The person you had wanted to talk about your breakup with Changkyun the most, was so ironically Changkyun. He’d know how to calm you down, how to sort out your problems with ice cream in bed like any other issue you were facing. But what were you supposed to do when you had cut the one who understood you the most so bluntly from your life? Who were you supposed to turn to when you wanted to talk about that?
Your cries pierced into his heart deeper with every second that passed, feeling the hurt in your voice in the deepest parts of his soul. He replied by holding you tighter, and you could feel all those things he left unsaid that day you left in the warmth of his chest.
“We don’t have to rush,” He whispered into your hair, “I have all the time in the world for you. Let it out.”
He brought a hand up from your shoulders hesitantly, feeling almost undeserving of comforting you after the pain he had caused you. But to you, his hand stroking your hair was where you found your solace.
So, there you stood, in each other’s arms having poured out your hearts to one another without having said a single word. But you both knew that you felt every single one.
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