#I pause. think the best of my partner before jumping to conclusions.
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deoidesign · 7 months ago
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I love Time and Time Again!! It was genuinely interesting to see two characters talk things out. Of course they kept secrets, but they knew when to reveal them and that made me want to stick around and read it. Thankyou for making such a wonderful comic!!
Thank you so much!!!
This really means a lot to me <3
I think there's generally a tendency to believe that relationships can't be nice in a romance or the story will be boring.
I understand where this idea comes from, stories should have conflict! And, real world relationships have conflict, as well. They always will! It makes sense that most stories centered around relationships would, inevitably, at some point, have disagreements, fights, anger...
I get why others enjoy it, its messy it's fun it's drama! but for me personally it just stresses me out since I've done so much work to NOT be like that!
As a writer, when presented with two people who are reasonably at odds with eachother, where neither of them is in the wrong per se, but someone still ends up hurt... it's a fun challenge to write them working through it in a believable way. it's a fun challenge, too, to put them into situations that feel equal and human.
I just think it's a necessary thing for who I am as a person to write relationships the way I do, and so I'm just very very very glad that other people resonate with it as well!
It means a lot. Thank you.
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astaroth1357 · 4 years ago
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I don’t know if this’ll make the cut, but brothers with an MC wearing their (the brothers) clothes, and I’m talking full ensemble not just a random jacket or accessory (you can delete if you’re not comfortable of course)
So when left with the question of whether this was a full on clothing theft or a cosplay of some kind, I'm going with theft because that's just funnier to me. Just a little MC marching around in Beel's tent of an outfit
 Hilarious. đŸ€­
MC Steals the Brothers’ Outfits
Lucifer 
It started out like any other morning, Lucifer woke up early in bed - as he always does - but when he rolled onto his side to stir the MC, he found their side of the bed empty
 
Normally, he’d have thrown up the alarm in an instant, but his mind was still groggy as he tried to recall what happened the night before
 He could have sworn the MC slept over
 unless

MC: “Good morning, love.”
Their voice was enough to get him sitting up again and he uh
 well he was not prepared for what he saw. The MC was sitting with their legs crossed at his desk, attempting to imitate his “I’m-in-Complete-Control-Here” energy as much as they possibly could, but with an added detail

They were wearing his clothes. His favorite suit to be specific which was tailored to his much bigger frame, resulting in a frankly ridiculously ill-fitting look on their smaller human body...
MC: *picks up a poisoned apple off the desk, continuing their very best Lucifer-impression*  “You should get up, love. We have an early meeting today and we can’t keep Lord Diavolo waiting.”
The MC appeared to polish the apple with his sleeve for a moment before taking a bite, looking pleased with themselves before their eyes widened in complete horror. It only took a split second for them to spit the unchewed hunk of apple into a nearby waste basket and toss the apple away in panic.
MC: “Ah FUCK!! I forgot I can’t eat these!!! SHIT!!”
Their panic only grew as Lucifer could no longer hold in his laughter, the booming volume of which is enough to wake up all his brothers throughout the House.
MC: “Lucifer, don’t just sit there laughing!! Bring me some water or something!!! LUCIFER!!!”
Mammon
Look, Mammon always gets up late so not being able to find, like, any of his normal clothes was a serious problem! He’d already dug through half his closest and still couldn’t find anything!!
He had a photoshoot that he had to get to in less than hour and he still needed to take a shower, get dressed, get his stuff together, then bolt halfway across town before-
MC: *literally kicks open his door Kuzco-style* “Yo, yo, yo!! What’s up, Mammon??”
First off, the sudden loud bang of his door hitting the wall nearly scared him out of his skin, but before he could even yell at the MC for their weird entrance his brain had to process what they were wearing
.
Good news! He found his missing clothes, the MC had thrown them on while he was sleeping - sunglasses and all - and now stood before him with a toothy grin on their face.
MC: “What's the problem, Mams? Lucifer got your tongu-EEEK!”
Apparently, they weren't expecting Mammon to literally lunge at them and capture them in a tight hug, practically lifting them off their feet with a laugh.
Mammon: “What'cha think your doin', MC?? I'm gonna need those back ya know?”
MC: *laughs loud and bright, throwing their arms around his neck* “I know, I know... But I wanted to surprise you!” *stops laughing suddenly and blinks* “Huh
”
Mammon watched the MC experimentally lift his glasses off their nose then put them back down, repeating the action several times before snickering.
Mammon: *frowns* “What's so funny?”
MC: “Nothing really but
 Mammon, do you wear these just to make everything look like gold?”
Mammon actually had to pause before responding, pulling the MC closer with a devilish grin.
Mammon: “Nah
 I ‘cause got all the gold I need right here~”
MC: *chuckles and nuzzles his cheek* “Nice save...”
Mammon: *his cheeks flush and he frowns* “I dunno what your talkin’ about... But could ya go put on a t-shirt or somethin’? They’re paying me big for this shoot and I really gotta go!”
Leviathan 
Another convention, another cosplay far too complex to ever hope to peel out of
 Though Levi would never regret wearing his five piece Lord of Shadow cosplay, it’s a heavy thing and certainly not something he can change out of in a bathroom stall

When he finally got back to the House, he wasn’t looking to do anything but drag his tired body back to his room and change into some more manageable clothes
 but
 well

When Levi opened his door, he saw the MC sitting alone at his computer desk playing a game by themselves. That was all well and good but
 WHY IN DIAVOLO’S BLACK HELL ARE THEY WEARING HIS CLOTHES???
When they heard the door, the MC whipped their head back and they both stared at each other in an awkward silence
 His clothes didn’t even fit them right!-or maybe they did?? His mind was panicking because they had the collar of his shirt covering their mouth and it looked so moe it was actually ridiculous!
Levi: 


.
MC: 



.
MC: 
. “I can explain.”
Levi: 

. “Y-yea?”
MC: “I was having trouble on this one level and you wouldn’t pick up the phone
 so I thought ‘What would Levi do?’... and it escalated
”
Levi: “You think??”
Levi felt like he could die right there, but he wasn’t entirely sure if it was from embarrassment or happiness
 On the one hand, the MC was  literally trying to be him in order to get better at video games - which was flatteringly adorable
 And on the other, the MC is pretty much cosplaying as him, right in front of him
 and looked so damn cute doing it too
 
MC: “Is this weird
? This is weird. I’m sorry, I’ll go change-”
Levi: NO-agh! *he throws a hand over his own mouth, surprised by how loud he just shouted* 
 “U-uh
 no it’s fine
”
MC: “Okay...?”
MC: “But could you put your phone down? I think you’ve been taking pictures for the past two minutes
”
Levi looked down at his hand and sure enough he unconsciously pulled out his phone in camera mode and has been spamming the “Capture” button long enough to have his thumb cramping...
Levi: “Oh.” *stops for a moment, then seems to second guess himself*
Levi: “Uh
 just one more?”
Satan
When you share a house with Mammon, you grow accustomed to not being able to find things from time to time, but an entire outfit?? 
When he woke up one morning to find that he couldn't find any of his normal clothes, he blamed Mammon right off the bat
 
I guess in hindsight, what would Mammon want with his jacket? But anger doesn't always jump to the most rational conclusion, you know?
After searching for "long enough," Satan stormed out of his bedroom on a warpath. He didn't stop his march until he was banging on Mammon’s door with a closed fist!
Satan: “Mammon!! What did you do with my clothes you useless, money-grubbing asshole!?”
When he didn’t get a reply, likely because Mammon was hiding in his closet or something, he was about to kick the door in when he felt a tap on his shoulder...
When he turned his head, much to his surprise, he found his missing clothes!... They were on the MC - right down to the single sleeve - and the MC met his eyes with a mischievous grin

They had a book in their hands he recalled seeing once at the library: "101 Ways to Prank Your Partner," open like they'd been reading down the hallway.
MC: 
 Page 47.
They winked at him before bolting back down the hallway in a fit of giggles and oooh, it was on now.
Satan spent the morning chasing the MC through the House, both laughing and dashing around in reckless abandon. He really needed his clothes back and he wouldn’t mind an extra hour or two with the MC when he got them
 😏
Asmodeus 
Asmo isn’t exactly a morning person
 Though he forces himself awake so he can perform his wake-up routine, by the time he comes to the table it’s a hit-or-miss on how irritable he’s going to be...
Of course, his favorite outfit suddenly disappearing from his massive closet did not help his mood in the slightest!
Who would take his clothes?? Well, that’s not even a question - surely plenty of his devoted, adoring stans would kill to even have his scarf, so maybe the better question was, “How??” Lucifer keeps all the doors and windows magically sealed at night! (He would know, having been locked out on numerous occasions)
Asmo was tearing through his closet, wracking his brain for any place he might have left his beloved outfit, before he heard someone clear their throat by his bedroom door.
What greeted him was a lovely look at the MC wearing the missing clothing in question, even with all the grace and style he would himself!
Asmo: *jaw-drops* “MC???”
MC: *smirks at his delight and winks at him* “Looking for something?”
They strutted into the room with the confidence of a mock fashion model and took a silly vogue pose in front of the closet, barely holding in a fit of laughter from their actions.
MC: “
 Or just at me?”
Asmo, of course, snatched them right up in his arms with a delighted squeal.
Asmo: “Oh. My. Diavolo!! MC, you look just gorgeous!!!- Because you look like me, of course.” đŸ€­
MC: *laughs and cups his cheeks to pull him closer* “Who wouldn't want to be you, Asmo?”
Asmo: “So true
 But you’re already perfect, my love~” 😘
And he went on to prove that to them all morning long...
Beelzebub 
Beel didn't even get the chance to notice his clothes were missing. He had a tournament the night before and was sleeping even harder than Belphie that morning...
What woke him up was the smell of food: scrambled shadowhawk eggs, hellboar bacon, pancakes with nightshade syrup
. 
Beel's stomach had him sitting up long before his eyes ever opened, drawn in by his nose alone.
MC: “Beeeeel. Wake up!”
Beel's eyes dragged open at their request and what he found had his mouth watering... The MC had brought him a dining cart with a complete breakfast spread, brimming with portions only Beel could ever finish, but for once he wasn’t looking at the food.
The MC, for whatever reason, had decided to put on his clothes
 And keep in mind that Beel's built like an ox compared to almost anybody. They were absolutely swimming under all that fabric (thank the Devil for his suspenders
) 
MC: “Congratulations!!!”
They throw their arms up excitedly, making the unzipped jacket balloon out like a parachute behind them
 It's a remarkably cute image.
Beel: *blinks* “Oh.” *he gets a little pink, still very confused* “What did I do exactly
?”
MC: “You won the championship last night, remember? Or did you forget already??”
The MC takes a step to the side and begins pointing at the plates on the cart.
MC: “I thought we'd celebrate with some breakfast! I brought you eggs, bacon, pancakes, toast, cereal-”
As they continued their list, Beel's hand naturally reached out towards the cart eagerly, before something finally clicked in his head. WHY were they wearing his clothes??
Beel: “Wait. MC, why are you wearing-...?”
MC *holds their hand up* “Hold on!”
MC: “-oatmeal, muffins, banana bread, annnd
” *they get onto the bed and plop down onto his lap with a grin*
MC: “Me! Congratulations, Beel!!”
They lean up to peck his cheek while his arms automatically wind around their waist. The combination of their scents already bringing out a different sort of hunger in him

Let’s say if this is his reward, he'll never lose a game again. 😏
Belphegor 
Belphie was in the middle of his afterschool nap in the library. The day was exhausting, so he didn’t even bother changing uniforms
 The couches there were comfortable and the space was quiet, really nothing should have woken him up...
But somehow, for whatever reason, something did. A tug
 Something was chasing away his dreams by tugging on the cow pillow in his arms.
MC: “Beeelllppphie
.”
The tugging did not cease and he half growled in response, still keeping his eyes firmly closed.
Belphie: “What now...?”
MC: “I need this
” *they tug on the corner of the pillow a little harder* “Can you let go please
?”
What kind of question is that?? No one takes away his favorite pillow!
Belphie: *hugs the pillow tighter* “Go away, I'm trying to nap
”
MC: “Noooo please
! I need it for something right now
!!”
They started really pulling on his pillow now and he only held on tighter in annoyance. Since they wouldn’t leave him alone, he finally opened his eyes.
Belphie: “MC! Why are
 you..?”
His voice trailed off as he finally saw the MC standing there in his usual outfit. His cardigan was so long over their arms that they had to grasp his pillow through its sleeves...
While his drowsy mind tried to catch up, the MC snatched the pillow from his grasp with one swift yank.
MC: *grins* “Mine now!”
They turned to bolt out of the library, but Belphie snatched them by the waist and dragged them back to the couch with him.
Belphie: “Fine, but then I get a new pillow.” 😏
The MC yelped as he flopped on top of them, pulling them close like a body pillow and resting his head into the crook of their neck to enjoy the soothing smell of their scent mixed with his.
MC: “W-wait Belphie
!” *tries to wiggle out from under his surprisingly heavy deadweight* “I was just playing around
! Please don't fall asleep on me!!”
Belphie: *yawns and settles in, already drifting off* “Too late
 G'night, MC
”
MC: “Belphie!!!” đŸ˜«
They could complain all they liked, he wasn’t going to let them go for a few hours. Cute or not, MC, nobody takes his pillow!
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archived-kin · 4 years ago
Text
simeon with a himbo boyfriend
note from kin: once again i am writing for the boys because this fandom doesn’t have nearly enough content for them, especially for Big and Beefy Men. let them be in dating sim fandoms too!!!!!! give them more content!!!!!
anyway i’ve made you an angel since i don’t want to have to think about the deeper repercussions of what simeon dating a human would be (i mean we all know what happened to lilith when she tried it)
fandom: obey me!
character(s): male!reader, simeon, luke, belphegor, beelzebub, asmodeus, satan, leviathan, mammon, lucifer, barbatos, diavolo, solomon
pairing(s): simeon/reader but it accidentally becomes everyone/simeon’s boyfriend at some point whoops (this ended up as a pretty big block of text as a result so please let me know if you have difficulty reading it so that i can try to format it better!)
warning(s): nope!
genre: fluff!!!! fluff everywhere!!!!!!!!!
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simeon thinks you’re the cutest goddamn thing in all three realms
you may be six foot four inches of muscle but to him that is six foot four inches of ADORABLE
you’re very strong so he likes to just run and jump up at you from behind and wrap his arms around your neck because he knows you won’t be fazed by it (physically anyways, emotionally is another story)
the other angels always gasp when he does this in public because it’s so far from his usual ‘poised and elegant’ thing but how is simeon NOT supposed to climb all over you like a koala when you’re so big and huggable???
simeon just really loves jumping at you like that okay
because every time he does you’ll just pause for a second and look very confused as to why your back has suddenly gotten heavier, and then you’ll turn your head, and your smile and excited little ‘simeon!!’ is to DIE for
he has to be incredibly upfront with you about what he wants because otherwise you will not understand
he has to say, word for word, “i want to sleep in the same bed as you every day” before you actually realise that that’s what he meant
the whole exchange kind of went like this:
simeon, being sappy at like seven in the morning: “i want to wake up like this all the time from now on”
you: “??? do you want me to come lie down next to you before you wake up tomorrow morning?”
simeon: “no, for the whole night”
you: “you want to wake up like this for the whole night??”
simeon: [sighs]
he also often has to be the one taking charge when it comes to physical affection  
like you’re always willing to give him hugs and carry him around and let him sleep sprawled out on your chest like a starfish and give him kisses but half the time simeon has to ask you because for some reason you just won’t do it on your own???
at one point simeon starts getting a little insecure that you don’t actually really like physical affection and are just going along with it for him
because he’s a sensible angel, he brings this up with you before jumping to conclusions
he was not prepared for you to reply that you always wait for him to confirm that he wants affection because you’re afraid that you’ll accidentally hurt him with your strength if you go for it by yourself
simeon doesn’t cry a lot but dear god did he come close that day
after that it’s just hand holding and hugs and forehead kisses galore from you and simeon couldn’t be happier
now, it’s time for a bit of backstory
you were created purely to fight during the big celestial war, which is why you are so Beefy and Stupid
the beefy is because they needed you to be both strong and intimidating, while the stupid is because they didn’t create you with anything but fist fighting in mind
during the war you were a force to be reckoned with because you could just run at and headbutt a demon and they’d immediately be flung straight out of the skies and back into the devildom
and, even better, this meant that you didn’t have to kill anyone! you could just punt them so hard that they’d be flung out of the realm where the battle’s taking place entirely
once the war was over though they didn’t really know what to do with you
you were basically just this giant baby who didn’t know how to do anything but war
so they just dumped you in a garden and told you to take care of the flowers
which was how simeon originally met you! he was taking a walk around the gardens and saw you crying over a tree that you accidentally snapped in half with your big clumsy hands
now, simeon wasn’t one to believe in love at first sight, but HOLY FUCK
if he hadn’t already been an angel in the celestial realm he’d have thought you were some divine being from the heavens
anyway long story short simeon consoled you and started helping you take care of the garden, taught you how to live a life in times of peace, spent entire nights just lying awake and thinking about your smile and your laugh and how warm your hands look to hold and how it would feel to hug you, and finally managed to confess to you without you misconstruing it as just a Friendly Act of Kindness, and now you two are the proud holders of the title Cutest Couple in The Universe
granted only asmo calls you two that but you’ll take it
speaking of asmo allow me to segue this to the rad exchange programme era
you get so sad when simeon tells you he’ll have to leave for a year
your face falls when he breaks the news and your voice is all lost and quiet when you ask, ‘does that mean i can’t see you?’
simeon is absolutely devastated
it’s like a thousand puppies and kittens are being murdered right in front of him
he nearly cries (when i say nearly i mean he does)
but he can’t back out of the exchange program now, and one year isn’t THAT much for beings that live for possibly forever, so in the end, giving you a giant hug and about a million kisses to make up for the ones you’ll miss over the coming year, simeon leaves for the devildom
he makes it about a month and a half without you before he starts getting all mopey
and you’re not doing much better up in the celestial realm
michael actually has to message simeon and ask him how to deal with you because you spend every day dejectedly shuffling around the gardens that you take care of and it’s making everyone sad just looking at you
simeon reads that message and immediately decides that either he’s going back to the celestial realm or you’re coming down to the devildom
the authorities are a little cautious about it because you’re one of the purest angels they have and they really don’t want you getting corrupted by demons
but simeon assures them that the few demons that you’ll actually be having contact with wouldn’t do that, and you’ll be under both his and lord diavolo’s protection
so you end up being allowed to join simeon in the devildom for his exchange year!!!
honestly with the way the two of you react when you see each other again you’d think you hadn’t seen each other in years
simeon runs up to you and jumps straight into your arms and you spin him around in a big hug and ahhhhhhhh it’s like a teen romance movie but with an actually compelling relationship
and so you move into his bedroom (because of course you’re still going to share one down here) and take up a temporary position as a gardener to take up time since you can’t really do school
pros: simeon now gets to see you every day again and you look very cute bustling around the devildom’s fancy gardens with a watering can and wheelbarrow. also he gets to watch you lift an entire shed and it’s the best thing he’s ever seen
cons: the others are all basically in love with you now as well
simeon’s torn between ‘why wouldn’t they be, he’s literally the most perfect being ever’ and ‘what the fuck, that’s MY boyfriend’
belphie likes you because you are similar to beel and you’re also warm and big and strong so he can take naps on you and you won’t be bothered in the slightest
one day simeon sees belphie just jump onto your back and start sleeping there while you’re crouched in the garden doing some weeding and he’s so stunned by the sheer audacity that he forgets to be mad about it
honestly you don’t really notice that belphie is sleeping on you until you go to get up and feel something move on your back
and then, being the dumb precious idiot you are, you just lie face first there on the lawn so that he can carry on sleeping without being disturbed
consequence: simeon nearly cries at your sweetness but is also incredibly jealous and belphie is now having Feelings that he didn’t sign up for
beel meanwhile isn’t sure how to feel about you at first because he kind of feels like you’re stealing his twin all the time, but then you make him your special candied fruits (from produce that you grew yourself) and he loves you from that point forward
also PLEASE share your workout routine with him he wants to know your secret
it turns out that you don’t really have a workout routine?? you were just made like that
though the constant exercise and heavy lifting and stuff you do as part of your daily garden-care routine (you take care of basically all of the gardens back in the celestial realm) helps as well
he’s a bit disappointed but he does like that you can pick him up without any effort
one time he asked if you were capable of it and without missing a beat you went ‘let’s find out!’ and straight up swept him off his feet
beel was fucking screaming on the inside but no can’t feel feelings that’s simeon’s boyfriend
meanwhile asmo
 okay we all know the way asmo is
boy took one look at you and immediately started drooling (figuratively anyway. physically his jaw just dropped)
kudos to him though, he backs off with the flirting as soon as simeon informs everyone that you’re his partner
asmo may be the avatar of lust but he is no home wrecker (he still finds an excuse to hug you every time he sees you though because awooga, muscles)
(he does know his boundaries so simeon doesn’t mind too much)
asmo also very likes the fact that you have such a green thumb because it means you can grow the prettiest flowers and you’re always willing to trim him a few to use as accessories
at some point simeon accidentally eavesdrops in on a conversation between the two of you where you’re just gushing about what kind of flowers he likes and how you’re going to plant them everywhere in the devildom because you like it when he smiles when he sees them
CRITICAL HIT!!!!!
simeon is pretty sure he combusts on the spot, while asmo is just squealing
thus was the origin of the title ‘Cutest Couple in the Universe’
satan on the other hand is mostly disinterested in you at first
the two of you live in pretty different worlds even if you live within the a five minutes’ walk of each other. he prefers to stay locked up in his room or the library and just curl up with a good book or ten for hours on end, while you’re always outside, digging flower beds and pruning bushes and cleaning fences and walls and basically doing every other little bit of manual labour that none of the brothers could be bothered to do before
he does note that you’re pretty good at what you do but that’s about it
until one day
you’re just pottering about in the garden outside the house of lamentation doing your angelic gardener thing when the stray cat that satan’s secretly been feeding for the past month or so comes by for its usual afternoon meal
satan has the window overlooking the garden so he quickly spots its ginger fur as well as you staring directly at it, and he immediately panics because what if you scare it away with your intimidating stature???
(yes, part of the reason satan doesn’t acknowledge you before this is because he was kind of scared of you and your muscles that he heard could punt beings out of entire realms back in your hey-day)
so he quickly dumps his book (though not without carefully bookmarking his place first) and rushes down to the garden in hopes of salvaging the situation, only to find you lying face first on the grass once again, though this time it’s not his little brother on your back
it’s the cat, who is purring like a little motor and aggressively kneading its paws against your back
satan can’t even see your face in this moment but he still basically gets cupid-shot in the heart because this is the cutest thing he’s ever seen
he has to force himself to calm down for a bit before he approaches lest he get overexcited and accidentally incur simeon’s wrath in the process
anyway after that satan makes a beeline for you every time he sees you and learns that you are an Absolute Idiot, but it just makes him like you even more
if satan was intimidated by you at first though, levi is downright terrified
you look like you could snap him in half with a single punch
he doesn’t try to talk to you at all for the first few weeks because how could he possibly find common ground to talk to you about?? you probably hunt dragons and eat rocks or something in your spare time
it isn’t until satan brings you up one day and mentions that you are incredibly dumb of the ass and probably couldn’t hurt a fly even if you tried that levi even entertains the idea of befriending you
he’s still not making the first move though
but it turns out that he doesn’t have to! one day you just show up at his bedroom door holding a giant crate of his latest akuzon haul
turns it got dropped off at the local post office after traffic problems and you volunteered to go pick it up and bring it back
anyway levi thanks you and starts unpacking his stuff, expecting you to leave in silence, but then he looks over and sees you just standing in front of his tv and staring at it
he’d been playing some battle platformer to pass the time before you showed up, and while levi himself doesn’t consider it particularly remarkable, you’re absolutely fascinated
being a gardener in the celestial realm you’ve never really had experience with this kind of thing, and you’re even more tech-illiterate than simeon, so what you’re seeing is basically like magic to you
so levi takes it upon himself to teach you as much about the art of gaming as he can in the short span of the next four hours before simeon gets home from a meeting of some kind and you inevitably immediately run off to greet him
you learn the basics relatively quickly but you’re still pretty awful at it
levi loses count of the amount of times you’ve accidentally run right off the end of the platform and fallen to your death once it reaches thirty two
it’s pretty much the most he’s laughed in, like, forever
congratulations! you have gained a new member in your party! levi will now follow you to the ends of the earth because you are the first person he feels like he can just be totally at ease around without being judged at all and just have fun with
(once, after you leave another gaming session to go cuddle with your boyfriend in the garden, levi catches himself thinking that ‘it isn’t fair that simeon gets to date him’ and has to do some serious self assessment)
mammon meanwhile has none of the reverence for you that his brother does
the amount of times he’s tried to rope you into his money-making schemes (which never work because he fails to realise that you are incapable of doing anything malicious in the slightest) is honestly just embarrassing at this point
simeon has to step in more than a couple of times because honestly mammon could ask you for your wallet and you’d probably just give it to him without another thought
that being said your wallet wouldn’t be much use because you never have any money
you just don’t understand the concept of exchanging money for goods and/or services so you never see any need for it
that being said, simeon does give you some money every time you go out into town on your own because something will inevitably catch your eye and you’ll suddenly realise that you just cannot live without it
the thing is simeon spoils you ridiculously so he always gives you way more money than would be considered a reasonable allowance
which means all mammon has to do is tag along and ask you nicely and you’ll probably buy him anything he wants
he does this a couple of times but then stops because he actually starts feeling bad about it
something just doesn’t sit right with him when he’s walking around with a bunch of shiny new things you’ve bought him with money that was meant to be spent on you while the only thing you’ve bought of your own volition is a pack of chocolate lollipops shaped like rabbits to share with simeon and luke
he may be the demonic avatar of greed but even he has a line that he won’t cross
he makes up for it by buying you things instead
nothing too expensive (he’s still mammon after all), just little things like sweets or bulbs for flowers you haven’t tried planting yet or food colouring for you to use for your candied fruits
speaking of those candied fruits, guess who loves and would probably kill a man for them?
lucifer
man may not seem like it but he has a hell of a sweet tooth
there was a bit of tension between the two of you when you first met (well there was tension from lucifer anyway) because he’d never met you like he had simeon and luke and had no idea what you were like
plus he’d heard about how you’re everyone’s favourite now back in the celestial realm and the little piece of him that still misses his life as an angel is a little petty about it
but then he interacts with you more and he realises that that favouritism is absolutely deserved
he will not admit it but he has wondered what being carried by you would feel like on multiple occasions
figures out how to read you really well which isn’t much of an achievement when you wear every single feeling you have on your sleeve but it still brings him a bit of satisfaction when he notices something that simeon doesn’t
he may be a pridey mcprideface but he is willing to give up a bit of that pride by pretending he can’t carry something heavy so that he can watch you do it
simeon acts like he doesn’t notice this but he absolutely does and he doesn’t know if he should tease lucifer about it or whack him over the head with a newspaper for it
all that aside though, much like simeon,  lucifer also thinks you’re just the cutest
he comes across you building a pillow fortress in the middle of the house of lamentation’s living room one day and is understandably like “what are you doing in my house and what are you doing with those pillows”
you explain very seriously that satan asked you for help in an apparently pre-arranged pillow fight with mammon and that every warrior needs a well-protected base of operations and offer to show him all the optimised battle features somehow recreated from nothing but cushions and blankets and chairs 
lucifer’s heart goes d o k i  d o k i
he also has experience with Big and Dumb men from dealing with both beel and diavolo (when the three of you are together it’s just himbo3) so the stupid doesn’t bother him much
speaking of diavolo (wow i am nailing all of these transitions from character to character look at me go)
this man is basically just a grown up golden retriever boy and you are a big gentle st. bernard so the two of you get along like a house on fire
you’ve seen how much this man gushes about lucifer. now imagine that times a thousand
that is how he talks about you
honestly sometimes you’d think HE’S the one dating you
simeon would probably get defensive if he didn’t get so much whiplash from their conversations about you
diavolo: “i must say, i never would have pinned [name] as being your type”
simeon, ready to Fucking Brawl: “excuse me?”
diavolo: “though i don’t blame you, have you seen his page in that book about the celestial war? the illustration does his true beauty no justice, of course, but it’s enchanting in and of itself. to be honest i’d have loved to have seen him in action during the war, i imagine it would have been quite breath-taking to see”
simeon: “
what”
barbatos is usually just there in the background during half of these exchanges and he has to seriously stiffen up his poker face to resist just bursting into laughter
the other half of the time the conversation is just simeon and diavolo going back and forth gushing about you
barbatos honestly dislikes you a bit at first
not for any personal faults of your own! it’s just that all your garden work + your very forgetful mind means that you’re often tracking dirt everywhere
it doesn’t help that diavolo keeps inviting you over to the castle for tea and a chat and half the time you leave these big footprints on the floor and he wants to cry because he just spent four hours mopping that
he mentions it to diavolo in passing at one point, who then passes the message on to simeon
barbatos kind of gets concerned for himself because he knows simeon does not take well to you being insulted (one time a demon at the r.a.d. called you an ‘unintelligent buffoon’ and he was ready to start a fist fight right then and there)
not that it was an insult, but you never know how love can blind you to reason
but simeon just assures him not to worry and tells you to remember to clean your shoes as well as changing clothes after doing some gardening
normally you’d forget being told these things within a few hours but simeon offers to give you a kiss every time you remember to do this so now you remember every single time you’re about to enter a building after doing some gardening
after that barbatos holds no ill will to you at all
he teaches you how to bake and is honestly so endeared by how clumsy you get in the kitchen
you knock an entire container of salt into the cake mix by accident because your hands are too big and you moved too fast and barbatos is just like đŸ„ș
he low-key babies you even though he’s like an entire two heads shorter than you
you don’t mind though because getting babied by barbatos means you get given all sorts of cakes and sweets all the time
simeon isn’t sure how to feel about it but it doesn’t seem to be the patronising kind of babying (it’s more of an affectionate doting) so he lets it happen
what he doesn’t let happen is solomon’s relentless attempts to feed you his food
you are both too dumb and too nice to realise just how bad his cooking is, but simeon knows you have a sensitive stomach and are actually a pretty fussy eater - you just tend to stay quiet when something isn’t to your liking because you don’t want to complain
having had a sample of solomon’s food himself in the past, he knows that you’ll probably get sick eating it, and he doesn’t want you to be uncomfy so he refuses to let you try even a bite
it’s like he has a radar in his head that goes off every time solomon approaches you will a bowl of ‘noodle soup’ that looks more like something he’s fished out of a nuclear waste tank
solomon, when he’s not trying to indirectly poison you, is probably the guy you spend the most time with apart from simeon and luke
he’ll just hang around nearby with a spell book while you do your gardening and show you some neat little magic tricks every now and then
he tries to help with the gardening but he’s not exactly physically strong and he nearly breaks his back trying to lift a giant bag of compost
so he decides it’s probably better for him to just watch from afar
kind of wants to conduct an experiment to see just how much weight you can lift before you start getting tired
one time he sees you cut down a whole tree with one hard swat of your hand and just walk off carrying it over your shoulder and he has to take several deep breaths
luke knew you already, so not much changes while you’re in the devildom
he really wants to learn to make candied fruits the same way you do but he can never get the hang of boiling the sugar mixture to the right heat and consistency (plus he’s kind of scared of how hot it gets)
you like to just carry him around on your shoulders and while luke would normally bristle at being treated like a child, you act like this with nearly everyone
(once he sees you running around the garden with diavolo of all people perched on your shoulders, arms raised in the air like he’s on a rollercoaster ride, and he nearly passes out on the spot)
he seriously adores you and acts like a guard dog whenever he feels like any of the others are trying to take advantage of your dim-witted naïveté because NO demons are allowed to harm his big brother like that
he will also chase them off with a stick if he has to if they get too close because no being is allowed to even remotely try to disrupt your relationship with simeon 
simeon himself is no fool, and he’s well aware of the effect you have on pretty much everyone you come across, but he trusts them because they’re his friends
besides (and he isn’t being cocky or anything), it’s not like the relationship you have with them even holds a candle to what you have with him
they’ve all known you for less than a year, he’s loved you for nearly two millennia
they might be allowed take naps on your back while you work or be carried about on your shoulders, but do they get to spend every night snuggled up in your arms, feeling your chest rise and fall with every breath you take? no, he doesn’t think so
in conclusion: one day himbos like you will probably take over the world with their big muscles and unwavering loyalty and clueless grins that could make anyone’s heart skip a beat, and simeon’s pretty sure he’d be okay with it
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xoxo-teddybear · 3 years ago
Text
Fair Warning - Bakugou Katsuki
Bakugou x f!reader
Warnings: cursing, crack, fluff, Yui Kodai slander (I’m sorry), STREET FIGHTING (but inside a classroom), we love supportive boyfriend Bakugou, and we love bestie Mina <3
Request: I need a female Y/N to beat a bitch’s ass and have Katsuki in that background like “that’s my babyâ˜ș”
BAKUGOU’S MASTERLIST
“Bitch!” Mina comes in yelling with excitement. You were currently cuddling with your boyfriend as you sat on his lap at his desk seat when you took notice of your best friend calling for you.
Katsuki had his arms wrapped around your waist as you had your own wrapped around his neck. Both your eyes were closed as your head was tucked into Katsuki’s neck and his head was leaning atop of yours. Did y’all care that y’all were in the classroom? No. Bakugou was so clearly irritated by the pink girl. I mean, she was interrupting cuddle times.
“Listen Pinky, I had a bad morning and we’re in the middle of something here so if someone isn’t fucking dying then you better scram.” Bakugou calmly warned your friend as his eyes remained shut and his hold on you tightened. You giggled at your boyfriend’s empty threat and pecked his cheek before looking towards your bestie.
“What’s up?” You asked with your sweet voice. Bakugou groaned as he realized now some dumb shit has to happen.
“What’s up? What’s up?! Girl! Yui Kodai-“
“Ew.” You and your boyfriend both said at the mentioned of the girl’s name from class 1-b. For some reason, she just rubbed the both of you the wrong way. And it wasn’t even that Katsuki was just following your lead because you were his girl, he just genuinely didn’t like her either.
“Right!” Mina agreed. “But anyway, I was walking by 1-B’s classroom and I overheard her talking her shit, and here’s the best part, about you and Bakugou.”
At her words, you and Katsuki both tensed up at that. What the hell did this bitch have to say about your very happy and nearly perfect relationship?
“The fuck did she say?” You asked with a still very calm voice. You were very intrigued with where this conversation was going. It was a very known fact that your boyfriend was very attractive and yes he pulled bitches left and right. So yes, you were well aware of Yui’s little crush on him, but that usually didn’t bother you because Katsuki made it very clear that if it wasn’t you, he didn’t want or need it.
“She’s all talking about how if you weren’t around, she could easily pull Bakugou and how you’re an ‘ugly bitch’-“
As she continued to tell you all the shit that was said, you felt Katsuki’s hold on you tightened even more. You look to your boyfriend while you listened to Mina and noticed his angry expression. To soothe his nerves, you gently grabbed his face with your tiny hand and gave him a sweet peck on the lips before giving your attention back to Mina.
“-and then she finished it by saying she’d whoop your ass any time of the day.” Mina finished.
“Oh really?” You chuckled out. You lightly tapped on Katsuki’s arm to signal him to let you go and he reluctantly did so.
You were far too calm to be at ease with this whole thing. You were like the calm before a storm or a jaguar getting ready to pounce. You walked out the classroom and Katsuki chuckled as he had an idea of what was about to go down. He followed you out the room and Mina was left with excitement. She went to follow the both of you but not before telling the whole class about the shit that was about to surely spiral.
“Y’all wanna go see Y/N beat a bitch?” She called out and the lot of class 1-A, especially the Bakusquad, excitedly followed. The class watched as you slid opened the door to 1-B with a very calm demeanor.
You looked inside until you spotted your target. Yui Kodai. You motioned for the class to watch from the doorway, with the Bakusquad having front row seats to the upcoming show. 1-B quickly took notice of 1-A’s presence and silence rang through the room. You walked to Yui, finally grabbing her attention as she looked at you in shock and fear. She stood up from her seat as she backed up a few steps, which did nothing as you just went in closer.
“You know we ‘bout to fight, right?” You bluntly said.
“What?” Was all she could get out before you jumped her ass. At least you gave her a fair warning. You brought her to the ground as you banged your fist into her face while your other hand tugged at her hair. All the students grew rowdy and watched from beyond. You finally picked Yui up by her hair and used your training to kick her across the room and to the front. She got up in a hurry to defend herself but you continued to beat her ass.
The students all looked to Bakugou to gaze his reaction on how wild his girlfriend was getting, but they were only met with a grin of a proud partner.
“That’s my Teddy Bear,” Katsuki said with a hand over his heart while he had a goofy smile on his face as he watched you drag her ass around the front of the room.
“Teddy Bear?!” Denki questioned. “Y/N’s a freaking she-beast!”
“Yeaahhhhhhhh....” Katsuki said as he continued to look at you in bliss. Eventually, Yui began to bleed and that’s when Bakugou sucked in a breath. As much as he wanted to watch the fight continue, he came to the conclusion that he would have to stop you before you got expelled or something. He didn’t care if Yui got hurt, he just didn’t want you in trouble.
“Uhh, Y/N! Don’t you think you should tone it down a bit before Aizawa or Vlad comes?” Kirishima asked. You took a pause from the fight but still held a firm grip on Yui’s hair as you looked towards the red head.
“What’s he gonna do? Erase my quirk?” You said with a sarcastic voice.
“Yes, actually, I will and am.” Aizawa said from behind the 1-A crowd. The students moved out of the way as Aizawa walked to you with his hair up in the air and his eyes glowing red. You continued to look at your teacher with an unbothered and unfazed face as your hold on Yui’s hair never faltered. You and your teacher had a 10 second stare off before you turned to Yui....and continued to whoop her ass. That’s when Bakugou and Awase decided to pull you two apart.
“Okay baby, that’s enough,” your boyfriend said as he pulled you back. You pouted at your boyfriend with an angry scrunch on your nose that he found adorable but knew it was a sign that you were pissed at him for stopping you. “Don’t give me that look.”
You huffed and looked back at Yui to take a look at the damage you caused. Her hair was mangled and some of it was ripped out and scattered the floor as her nose was bleeding and she had scratches and bruises covering her face and body. Tears filled her eyes and her clothes were dirtied while you looked as pretty and fresh as a daisy. Not a scratch on you. You smirked at the sight and settled in Bakugou’s hold. He took notice of your calm cooperation and let you go. You turned and smiled at him with a proud look. Unfortunately, the spotlight was on Bakugou and so he had to choose his words very carefully.
“Y/N, you know I love you but all that was uncalled for. You should’ve handled the situation differently, dumbass.” He blankly said. Your proud look fell and was replaced with a look of sadness as your boyfriend reprimanded you. You looked down to your shoes in embarrassment as Aizawa sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Alright look, my class go back to the room. I’ll stay here and wait for Vlad to come in so I can explain the situation. Awase, take Kodai to recovery girl and Y/N, I would scold you but I’m pretty sure getting told off by your boyfriend was enough. That’s all. Dismissed.” Aizawa said as he waited in 1-B’s room.
The students of 1-A all walked back to their own classroom, everyone all hyped up over the exciting fight. You kept your head down as you walked but felt a grip on your arm as you were dragged to another hallway away from everyone. You looked up to see your boyfriend looking down at you with a serious face. You pouted at him in embarrassment until his face grew a smile that showed how proud he was. Your mood instantly improved and you smiled like a happy puppy as he pulled you in for a hug and kissed your forehead.
“Nice work Teddy Bear.” He said, holding you tight.
“You’re not mad at me?” You said, smiling up at him as you were pressed into his chest. He just shook his head and smiled some more.
“‘Course not. You kicked her ass, and she completely deserved it.” he laughed out. You laughed with him before you both shared a cute kiss and walked hand in hand back to the others.
Yes. We very much love a supportive Bakugou boyfriend.
A/N: horrible ending, Ik but yeah :)
Taglist: @sxcker4you @aomi04
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aminiatureworld · 4 years ago
Text
Affection
Characters: Albedo, Beidou, Keqing, Zhongli, gn!reader
Word Count: 4,705
Warnings: Swearing
Premise: Sometime we know something is impossible from the start. But still we walk towards it, even if we know it will hurt us. It’s only flirting, only a smile or a hug or some food. Even if nothing comes of it, there is nothing to regret. Even if it hurts.
In which the reader gives affection, expecting nothing in return.
Author’s Note: More “new” characters! I’ve been neglecting Keqing and Beidou, they deserve some love. I hope as always their characterizations live up to expectations! This was very fun to write, so I hope you enjoy it!
I couldn’t tell whether to make this melancholy or fluffy, so I guess I half-and-half-ed it. Best of both worlds, right? Although the tone feels definitely lighter.
Albedo
Your friends never could figure out why you were flirting with Albedo.
“That alchemist has nothing on his mind but work,” one of them once told you, “he’ll never reciprocate your feelings you know.”
“I know.” You’d replied, smiling the sort of smile people put on when they’re trying to show they’re not annoyed. “I know he doesn’t like me in that way, you don’t have to tell me.”
“Then why are you doing it?”
“Because I want to.” You’d shrugged, shifting the conversation to some other topic. In all honesty, it wasn’t as if your friend was lying. But neither were you, not really. There wasn’t any good explanation for why you were flirting with Albedo after all. You knew that he’d never take it seriously, knew you weren’t good enough for it anyways. Maybe that’s why you flirted with him. Maybe it was better to make the slightest fool of yourself than drive yourself mad thinking about something that could never be.
So you continued on your merry, if slightly self-destructive way. Every time you saw Albedo, which was quite a bit considering the fact you were often posted around Dragonspine and spent a lot of your free time in the square right outside his office, you ran his way, asking him what he was doing, or telling him about your own day. You’d developed this habit of leaning in a bit whenever he spoke to you, and the slight pause he gave as his smile grew wider whenever you did made your heart soar.
Not that you ever started thinking there was ever a chance. I mean, come on. Albedo was Albedo and you were you. There was a great deal of distance between the two of you, as if you were standing on opposite sides of a bridge which was liable to fall at any moment. You could shout across at each other, but never did you attempt to walk over to him, knowing it’d surely result in disaster.
Still, why did you flirt with Albedo? The question sort of haunted you at times. You enjoyed his company, you’d even told him you enjoyed his company. He’d smiled his sedate smile, pausing for a moment to look away from the painting he was working on. “I enjoy your company too.” He’d said, before turning back to his work. It was a quiet, calm, even sort of response, just the sort you’d expected. And yet you kept going, and though you made no attempt to push the boundaries or go any farther, you still wondered at times what the point of it was.
Perhaps following that line of thought was a bit dangerous. You found the more you asked yourself what you expected out of your closeness with Albedo, the more absent you seemed to be. It wasn’t as if you were trying to avoid him or anything, no quite the contrary. It was only that you tended to want to be alone when you were thinking about something like this. Reaching out was hard, especially to the person who you were thinking about.
“Are you alright?” You glanced up from the lunch you were pondering over to see Albedo leaning over you. Feeling your cheeks redden you jumped slightly.
“Albedo! Oh I’m so sorry, I wasn’t paying any attention to my surroundings! Sit down!” You gestured vaguely to the spot on the bench next to you. Albedo smiled politely, sitting down as directed. He seemed to sober however once he was sitting, scanning your face for something, though you weren’t sure what that something was.
“You seem
 absent recently, I was wondering if something was the matter.”
“Oh, I’m perfectly fine!” You shook your hands out in front of you. “I guess I’ve just been sort of busy recently, or maybe a little tired I guess. You know that the festival is coming up, right? Well Acting Grand Master Jean is really running us ragged! But I promise I’ll be back to normal soon!” You laughed awkwardly; it wasn’t as if you weren’t telling the truth per se, just
 not the whole truth. But you’d rather not put all your troubles on Albedo, not when he was reaching out to see if you were okay. Smiling once more you attempted to switch topics. “How’s your research? Have you found something new while I’ve been gone?”
“Yes, I’ve begun to study the reaction between macrophage and eukaryotic cells in contrast with prokaryotic cells, and how adding elemental effects to reactions either speeds up or slows down the reaction. But I’m glad to hear you’re alright,” Albedo seemed to relax a bit, leaning backwards slightly on the bench, “everything has been much quieter with you gone. It’s unnatural, I can’t focus as well. I keep finding myself distracted by little things. I look forward to participating in our conversations once more.”
“Well I’ll be there soon!” You promised, heart fluttering slightly. Did he really mean that? I mean sure, it didn’t mean anything more than what was on the tin. Your situation hadn’t changed that much. Still, it meant something to you that Albedo wasn’t just tolerating your presence, that he was actually somewhat involved in your friendship. “I promise I’ll have some very interesting topics of conversation when I come back.”
“Good.” Albedo nodded once more before smiling slightly sheepishly. “My workspace is currently going through a cleaning and the lab isn’t supposed to let any foreign substances in in; would you mind terribly if I ate with you?”
“Not at all!” You responded. “I love spending my free time with you. What have you brought?”
Why did you flirt with Albedo? Why did you seek out his presence despite you and everyone around you knowing full well that it was never going to come to anything? What did you even think of Albedo? Well you could answer that last one at least. You loved him. You loved him very much. And even if he didn’t reciprocate the way you did, even if your friends told you it was pointless and your mind chastised you for putting yourself through the ringer, even if all that was true, you weren’t going to stop. Because you were Albedo’s friend and he was yours. And for now that was enough.
Even if a part of you continued to hope that one day this would change.
 Beidou
Beidou was utterly out of your league and you knew it.
It wasn’t exactly a difficult conclusion to come to after all. Brash, outspoken, good with a sword, Beidou embodied that sort of restless, self-reliant spirit you wish you yourself could emanate.
It didn’t hurt that Beidou had essentially rescued you from destitution, having found you languishing in a corner of one of the seedier docks of Liyue, and having taken you in quickly after the fact. You owed her a great deal, and was glad to do so. After all you’d fallen hopelessly in love with Beidou.
Life aboard a slightly illegal ship was bound to be an intimate one. Everyone knew everything about everyone else, and it was very difficult to find someone that hadn’t heard about your crush. Someone who wasn’t Beidou, that was. Although it wasn’t like you attempted to hide it; you just never brought it out in the open. And who could blame you? How could anyone who’d nearly died of starvation waiting for some sort of divine help compare to the bravest captain you’d ever met?
So you two settled into a routine of sorts, at least in your mind. You ate every meal as close to her as possible, something which had been difficult at first but as the “secret” spread around became almost comically easy, you discussed your plans with her first, gave her various trinkets you’d found in your travels, asked her opinions about your weapon then asked her to train with you. The training sessions had almost killed your resolve not to tell her, nothing was so intimate as having someone constantly checking your posture, moving and arm here a leg there, closely monitoring how you moved and acted.
All the while you said nothing. It felt selfish after all to even think about it. Beidou had many a time told her crew that they were one big family. On top of the obviously platonic motives behind her love for you, you weren’t about to impose on the crew by trying to take the spot as favorite or partner. It’d make you feel sleazy.
But damn if sometimes your resolve wasn’t tempted. It was the night after a particularly successful raid, and everyone was drunk out of their minds. Even you were tipsy, although compared to the rest you were positively sober. Sitting next to Beidou, who was walking up and down the tables making speeches of various levels of comprehensibility, you thanked the archons above that this woman had saved you. It was all worth the pain and suffering, if only to see her smile, which was blinding at the moment.
“You were brave, my dear compatriots! Distinguished! Honored! Positively courageous!ïżœïżœïżœ Beidou let out a slight “hic”, her vocabulary always did turn a bit grand when she drank too much. “Indeed, I’m sure not even the greatest of emperors had an army which could rival the visage of our band of brothers! Storming the deck, why we all might’ve perished! Damned visions, they’re for cheaters! For fraudsters! You all fight without them, and in doing so you prove yourself far more valiant, far more exemplary than they do!” Evidently Beidou had forgotten she herself was a vision wielder. Then again, so had everyone else.
“On this night of victory, of perilous and prestigious triumph, I wish to congratulate the greatest of warriors! This! My proverbial right hand man, the distinguished
” Beidou turned around towards you, gesturing in a very flamboyant sort of manner. You stood there, shocked by the sudden attention, blushing deeply, brain so filled with awe that you only half realized Beidou couldn’t remember your name.
“Yes! This person, this noble scalawag!” Beidou lifted you up so you were standing next to her, archons was she strong. “Now I don’t believe in laws, but if I did I’d marry them I would! You all ought to be more like them, mark my words I want to see some shaping up! There are no levels on this ship, but if there were they’d be higher than you all! Pay attention to my words, they are final!” And with that, speech apparently over, Beidou planted a soft, if slightly messy, kiss on your cheek.
If it weren’t for the people around you, you might’ve fainted.
The next day announced itself with a headache, though as the least hungover of the group you were put in charge of dishing out the medicine and water. The whole ship appeared to be groaning, and though the crew was usually quite active and excited at almost any hour of the day, you could tell that most of the men and women just wanted to roll over and go back to sleep.
“Captain wants to see you when you’re done with your rounds.” There were a few other people helping you out, and the one that informed you about this raised an eyebrow as you promptly turned white as a sheet, before a splotchy shade of red covered your face. What was she going to say? Had she remembered what had happened the night before? You admitted to yourself that maybe banking on Beidou forgetting was a doomed cause from the start. Beidou was perhaps brash and a lover of alcohol, but her memory was sharp, and she somehow managed to never drink herself to total incompetence. If you challenged a drunk Beidou to a duel your chances were going to be about the same as if you’d challenged her sober. Hell maybe they’d be even worse. With that grim thought in mind you distributed the last of the medicine, wiping your hands needlessly on your clothes before walking towards the captain’s cabins.
You loved Beidou’s cabins, they somehow seemed both incredibly grand and inexplicably homey. With furniture made out of a plush and luxurious red sort of material, it was nonetheless crowded by knickknacks; drawings, carvings, and other such paraphernalia littered the shelves and the dressers. Beidou had once told you almost all of it was from current or former shipmates. The luxuries they stole had no use in her home.
“Captain Beidou?” You ventured. The captain was at her desk, scribbling out something, probably a plan. She loved to plan in her free time, whether or not the plan was something doable or a total fantasy. Now she looked up, setting her pen down and smiling her classic, cocky grin.
“Ah, my favorite shipmate. How’re we feeling today?”
“W-well!” You managed to get out, a bit distracted by the nickname. Ah, it seemed she had remembered at least part of it. “Um, captain, I was told you wanted to see me.”
“Yes, I did. I’ve been thinking since last night, thinking a great deal, and I was wondering, what would you think to becoming my partner, in a, well, romantic sort of sense.”
“So suddenly?” You replied, eyes widening but nevertheless cracking a smile. Beidou’s confession had been blunt, devoid of all the usual flourishes. And yet it was what you wanted, what you’d always wanted.
“Well why not?” Beidou shrugged nonchalantly. “After all considering how you’ve been acting towards me for the past few months, I figured why not become my partner. Unless I’ve been reading you wrong of course.”
“No!” You exclaimed. “I mean yes, I mean, well yes to the first and no to the second. I’d love to become your partner, and you haven’t been reading me wrong.” Your gaze dropped to the floor. “I just figured I wasn’t good enough. I mean you’re
 you. And besides, you said we were all a family. I figured you wouldn’t want me as a partner.”
Beidou raised her eyebrow slightly as her smile melted into a smirk. Shaking her head slightly she approached you, raising your gaze every so slightly. “Well I can tell you right now I’m not too good for you. Not only are you good with a weapon, but you’re about as tough and fearless as they come. I don’t want to hear about how you’re secretly scared or whatnot. Everyone is that doesn’t matter. But you fight well and without second thought. And I admire that. And as for the speech about family, well a romantic partner is family of some kind. Besides the crew won’t mind, they’ve been talking about it for ages.”
“I guess they have.” You blushed; apparently Beidou hadn’t been as uninformed as you thought.
“Any last words before you’re my partner?” Beidou’s smile was as wide as you’d ever seen it and just as infectious; you grinned back.
“I love you.”
“Good. Now,” Beidou smiled, planting a soft kiss on your cheek and then a peck on your lips – something which left you grasping for coherent thought “let’s tell the others.”
 Keqing
Working with Keqing was an experience akin to slowly dying inside.
You’d become somewhat enamored with the Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing ever since you’d first met her. Her brusque and honest manner was refreshing, and when listening to her talk about the archons, about Liyue, about how the past and the present tied together, you never really seemed to question her. She always gave off the impression of intelligence, and, unlike some others you’d met, she had the brains to back it up. And what could you say? Before you knew it you had a crush on her.
Yet working with her showed other sides of Keqing too. She was very self-conscious when it came to compliments. Not that she minded them per se, as one time you’d asked her if your constant praise was a bother. “I just never know how to respond.” She’d admitted, and to be fair you understood that. But as long as she told you she liked them you’d compliment her.
Of course you knew it could never go beyond that. Keqing was your coworker; she was your superior in almost every way, both in occupation and in character. She never lost her cool or found herself off guard when fighting treasure hoarders or when dealing with rowdy citizens. She was efficient, capable, and aware of her incredible abilities. And she didn’t feel the need for a partner, something she had told you every time someone else worked up the courage to ask her out. You couldn’t bring yourself to impose on her like they did, not when you knew what her answer would be.
It was a slightly disheartening existence, and indeed sometimes you wondered what the point of it was, wondered if you shouldn’t just quit. But that wouldn’t be fair, not to Liyue, and not to Keqing herself. She relied upon the other members of the Liyue Qixing  to work efficiently and without sudden disruption. And the sudden quitting of someone who was hardly at the bottom of the ranks would’ve certainly done just that.
Besides, Keqing was first and foremost your friend. It was a bit of a fragile friendship, yes, but it was friendship nonetheless; and you valued that friendship well above your own infatuation. If you had to bottle your feelings up so be it. You owed it to Keqing to keep it together, to not impose on her what she obviously didn’t want and to not punish her for it by drawing away. So it hurt, so what? A lot of things hurt, doesn’t mean they aren’t worth doing or experiencing. And this was certainly one of those things.
It was late evening, and most of the cubicles were dark. You sat, writing the last few sentences of a report, trying to ignore the headache that had been developing since earlier that day. A friend had attempted to set you up on a blind lunch date, and though you appreciated their motive the whole thing had been a chore, and now you were late on your work.
“Almost done?” Keqing’s voice broke through your mental grumblings. Looking up at her you nodded, and Keqing smiled in satisfaction. “Good. Can’t have one of our best workers getting sick on account of working too hard.”
“I won’t get sick.” You assured her. Finally stamping the paper you let out a sigh leaning back in your chair.
“A difficult day?”
“You could say that,” you admitted, “a friend went on a slightly appreciated but incredibly unnecessary mission to get me to go out on a date. Honestly, I’d rather her just treat me to lunch.”
“I can understand the feeling.” Keqing frowned in sympathy. “People are too obsessed with the idea of romance, so much so it blinds them. There are more important things in this world.”
“I’d say most people consider love pretty important.” You commented. Keqing shook her head in response.
“Perhaps, but aren’t ideals better than individual wishes? Romance may be fun, perhaps, but there are other things to consider. Besides, I find your company far more enjoyable than I would any date.”
“You do?” You responded, heart fluttering slightly; you hoped Keqing didn’t notice the blush spreading across the bridge of your nose and coloring your cheeks. Luckily it was slightly dark in the office.
“Oh certainly,” Keqing waved her hand dismissively, “you’re the best coworker and friend I’ve ever had. No significant other could give me advice like you do, or help me so much when I’m struggling with work or with my thoughts, and dates are so formal and boring and awkward compared to spending an afternoon with you. Really I’m perfectly content relationship wise with our friendship. Relationships are full of pitfalls, people keeping this little thing from their partner, or omitting that little act. No, better to have an open and supportive friendship like we do.”
“I’m glad you think so.” You replied, and really you did. You’d known since day one that a romantic relationship was off the table. So if you could stay by Keqing’s side and support her, if only a little longer, then you’d be perfectly content.
Even if a part of you still wished that things could’ve been different.
 Zhongli
To be fair to Zhongli you weren’t sure how much he understood of any type of human relationship. The fact that the Geo Archon had befriended you in the first place was an achievement in itself.
And yet he had befriended you, and soon you’d found yourself falling in love with the slightly aloof, slightly out of touch geo archon. Zhongli was much more than that of course. Surprisingly open, the ex-deity took to finding out information about humanity with zeal. Always eager to ask you questions and to hear about how your day had gone or how you felt after something particularly happy or sad or gratifying, Zhongli had morphed into a pseudo confidante for you. Someone you found yourself relying on more and more. His gentle nature didn’t hurt either, or his looks for that matter; all in all Zhongli seemed like the perfect sort of person, and though you knew that you’d never be able to measure up to an archon, you found yourself unable to suppress the overwhelming love you felt for him.
Zhongli didn’t seem to mind your openness at all, indeed he sort of relished it, or at least he seemed to. Every time you reached out to grab his hand he gladly slipped it into yours, and whenever you ran up and hugged him after a long period of not seeing one another he always hugged you back. He’d eat lunches with you, and sometimes dinners, and sometimes weekends were spent running around Liyue, or at home listening to one another’s stories or reading one another’s books. It’s truly a magical sort of feeling to share a book with someone. But then again with Zhongli everything seemed magical.
Of course affection aside the whole matter never crossed the line of friendship. You never told him of your affections, and in return Zhongli never initiated anything further than conversation. Not that it bothered you; you felt there was a bit of a gap between you and Zhongli. After all surely it was idealization which caused you to recognize that someone like Rex Lapis had no want or inclination towards engaging in a relationship with a mere mortal. Facts are facts, and there’s no changing them, no matter how much you wanted to.
And yet how odd fate is.
“What is being in love like?”
You looked up at Zhongli, trying desperately to act as if you hadn’t felt your heart rate spike to unhealthy levels.
“Uhm
 what do you mean what is love like?”
“I’ve noticed mortals are very enamored with love. I have to admit, my experience with romance is minimal; archons and adepti seldom see romance as something that affects them. But I want to know, as a human, what is love like to you?” There was no mockery or sense of superiority in Zhongli’s face. Not that you expected there to be. Zhongli never looked down upon humans as unequal. Many times he’d told you he admired them. Taking a breath you thought of your answer.  
“Well
 hmm. Love is very different for everyone. To some love is like an inferno; it’s very sudden and very intense. It sort of burns them up, it’s all they think about. I think that’s less love, more infatuation, but to some that is indeed love. To others love is sort of
 staid. It’s being able to rely on them, to talk to them about anything and everything without feeling embarrassed or like you have to put on some sort of show. It’s knowing that there’s someone who will always side with you or help you realize what’s right, or be there when you feel terrible. To them love isn’t passionate, it’s comforting.”
“And to you?” Zhongli interrupted, a look of thoughtfulness on his face.
“Well to me it’s somewhere in the middle, I suppose to most people it’s somewhere in the middle. And this is only romantic love after all. Love is so big, so all encompassing, I think it’s hard to pin down. But to me romantic love is both; it is the passion that causes people to do crazy things and espouse crazy sorts of ideals, and it is the staid comfort of knowing there is someone who will always understand you, and always support you in that understanding.” You paused, realizing you’d been prattling on a bit. “Why, may I ask? Is there a reason you want to know.”
“Yes,” Zhongli admitted, voice slightly less calm than usual. “I, I’ve been thinking about my feelings towards someone a great deal recently; they’ve been alien, although not distressing per se. They feel as if I’m always on some sort of edge, but I don’t feel upset by it. Instead I want to approach it, want to be around the person who makes me feel that way. I wanted to understand that emotion more. I wondered if it was love. Thank you for answering my question, it was most enlightening.”
“That person must be very lucky.” You replied, keeping your tone as light as possible, trying to ignore your emotions, which had risen and dropped so very quickly. “I suppose I’ll have to lay off on the affection now. Part of love is sometimes being a little bit jealous, at least in the beginning, at least for some people. It’s silly, really, but I wouldn’t want to impose.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that.” Zhongli’s tone was surprisingly wry, as if there was a joke somewhere you’d missed.
“Why?” You asked, brow furrowing slightly.
“Because the person whom I was enquiring about is you.”
Honestly you would’ve been less surprised if Zhongli had told you that he was going to run away from Liyue and join the circus. All you could manage to sputter out was: “Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure!” Zhongli chuckled slightly. He raised his hand, gloved fingers ghosting your cheek as he tucked a lock of your hair behind your ear. “I’ve suspected it for some time, but I wanted to be sure. Are you alright with me telling you this?”
Alright? You were over the moon! Had you ever been this happy before? You weren’t sure, but you were happy now.
“Of course it’s alright. Zhongli, I’ve liked you for months now.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me?” Zhongli tilted his head slightly in confusion. You stared down at your hands, slightly embarrassed.
“I thought I wasn’t good enough for you. I mean you’re an archon and I’m a mortal. I’m hardly different from the other people of Liyue, and I just, I don’t know, I was scared of rejection, I was scared you’d think I was overstepping and that our friendship would crumble. And I didn’t think I could stand that.”
At first Zhongli said nothing, instead he held out his hand. You gladly placed your palm in his, comforted by its warmth.
“You shouldn’t hold yourself so cheaply,” Zhongli spoke softly, “there are a great many extraordinary things about you. Your affectionate nature, your determination to live even when the world is dark and dangerous, your willingness to open your heart to some ancient archon who knows little of humans. If that’s not extraordinary, I don’t know what is. I don’t feel towards anyone as I do towards you, at least I haven’t in a long time. So don’t think of yourself that way anymore, please.”
“I won’t.” You replied. And it was true. You knew you wouldn’t be able to, not anymore. Zhongli would make sure of that, already you could tell.
To some love burns like fire in the mind, to other it wraps you up in a blanket of comfort. You felt incredibly lucky, for you despite yourself demanded both, and somehow fate had bestowed it upon you. And for that you would be forever grateful.
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milkacchan · 4 years ago
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Fav boys thinking S/O reader has a kid bc they misunderstood a conversation with friends or on the phone but in reality they were talking about their pet
Bc i talk to my dog like he's a small child and care for him like one and its caused confusion
Bakugou:
‱ he's just chillin
‱ youre in another room of the dorms
‱ You're within the ear shot
‱ and your phone rings
‱ he doesn't really think anything of it but he can't help but eavesdrop when youre on the phone
‱ nothing alarming until
‱ "How's my son?"
‱ and he freezes
‱ he feels himself pale but he keeps listening
‱ "I miss him so much, I didn't know it was going to be this hard to be away from him," you groan. "I just want to see him and boop his nose and coddle him."
‱ Jesus christ
‱ "he's getting chubby though, thats good, he was so tiny when he was born. So much loose skin-"
‱ Ngl his stomach kinda drops
‱ You have a kid??
‱ How did this happen- WHEN did it happen?
‱ It couldn't have-
‱ oh it very well could
‱ You disappeared for your 2nd year in UA- it could've happened then-
‱ and you didn't tell him.
‱ Not when he was your best friend and not when he was your boyfriend
‱ He feels betrayed- he feels gross-
‱ he has a right to at least KNOW of the child's existence- I mean he knew it wasn't his, but still.
‱ And so for the next days he's really weird.
‱ he tries to he normal with you, text when he can, hug you goodbye, just continue like things were
‱ but he just couldn't.
‱ And he dreads when you confront him about it- he knew you would, you've always been like that
‱ "You have a kid!" He snaps. "You left during second year, didn't tell anyone about it and then you came back- and you didn't tell me. I wouldn't have been mad! I wouldn't have pushed you away, I-"
"Katsuki what the FUCK are you talking about?"
"You. Have. A. Child."
"Source?"
"When you were on the phone with your mom?"
You paused for a moment. "Jesus Christ Kat, I was talking about my puppy. I got a dog while I was traveling ABROAD during my SECOND year, with my COUSIN. I helped deliver him because I was interning at a vet. He was the runt and they thought he was gonna die. So I stayed an extra two weeks and I brought him home."
He clenched his jaw. "God damn."
"Katsuki, I tell you everything. I wouldn't hide that from you. Besides," you made a face, "i'm too scared to have sex with you, because sex is scary. Why the fuck would I have it with anyone else?"
"I dunno." He mumbled.
‱ You take him to see your dog, obviously
Kirishima:
‱ he isn't even entirely sure what you were doing
‱ all he knows is that you're cooing into the phone held against you ear
‱ "Hey baby, its me! You miss momma?"
‱ Momma.
‱ bro- he just kinda zones out.
‱ his mind immediately going to the fact that you might have a child- not might- you do
‱ I mean how else could you explain that?
‱ he didn't even stop to think WHEN you could've had a child. He just jumped right in.
‱ He wasn't mad- how could he be?
‱ it wasn't wrong for you to have a kid.
‱ maybe you should've told him but you could've been scared.
‱ afraid he might leave you
‱ he wouldn't leave you, God no.
‱ he loved you and it was going to stay to help you
‱ I mean, he doesn't want you to go through this alone.
‱ You guys are what, just barley 18? You already have a kid, thats gotta be tough.
‱ So he makes the decision, instead of being upset or hurt that you didn't tell him, he's just going to step in and see if you'd like help.
‱ He won't push to meet the kid, thats up to you. Introducing kids to partners before its really serious doesn't always go over too well.
‱ he plans what he's going to say in his head, goes over it twice and nids to himself.
‱ that all goes out the window when you sit on the couch again
‱ "You have a kid?" He blurts and mentally kicks himself afterwards.
"I'm sorry what?"
"It's okay, I'm not mad, really," he put his hands up, "It's hard to tell someone about it. You can trust me with stuff, even things like that. I won't use it against you or get mad- I'll even help out if you need. Sure its not mine but it really doesn't need to me-"
"Eiji, baby, shut the fuck up for a second."
He closes his mouth, stopping his ramble.
"What are you talking about?"
"On the phone, you were talking. To your kid right? You said 'it's momma,' and-"
"Babe I was talking to my dog. I haven't seen her in two months and she recognizes my voice over the phone. I talk to her most nights before bed. We just had to do it earlier today."
‱ He feels his face flush.
‱ Jesus christ.
‱ you're cackling.
‱ he doesn't think its that funny
‱ he profusely apologizes for thinking you had a kid, implying that you did /things/ with anither person
‱ Obviously you take him to meet your dog because what kind of mother would you be if you didn't?
Deku:
‱ Dekus the kind of guy that would definitely take a few days to himself if he found that out.
‱ You've got a 50 50 chance of him staying
‱ He doesn't like it when people lie to begin with, it makes him feel weird
‱ So for him to find out you have a whole ass /child/ that he didn't know about?
‱ he's pissed. And sad. And confused. Because when the fuck did you have it??
‱ You'd think with all the analyzing he did, he'd be able to pick up maybe you were talking about a pet or something??
‱ Wrong. His emotions take over and he's just gone
‱ and once you get off the phone you're like?? Zuku? Baby where'd you go???
‱ 3 days.
‱ 3 Days he ignores your texts, calls, approaches before you get tired of it
‱ during those 3 days, well- day 3 more like, he goes to his friends
‱ like fuck i have a problem
‱ and theyre like ?????
‱ "So um- they have a kid."
"They what??????"
"Y/n has a kid. I heard them talking over the phone."
"Do you think maybe you mught've misunderstood? I mean when yould they even have had time to have one?"
"I don't know! But they didn't tell me! What am I supposed to do?"
"First off," todoroki begins, "what did they say that led you to believe they have a child?"
"Well, they were like, he's my son- not yours, and then they were like, he's growing out of his clothes, and but that his feet were still tiny-"
"Did they use a name?"
"Yeah, well, a nickname I guess, stubby? I think it was?"
"Midoryia that's their dog. They have a dog who likes to wear sweaters. Since he's a puppy " Todoroki sits up. "She refers to her dog as her son.
"I thought they only had a bird," he dropped his head to the table and whined.”They only told me about their bird,” 
"Good luck fixing that."
‱ He brings you flowers.
‱ and chocolate
‱ to your dorm
‱ and when you answer you look very displeased.
‱ you just kind of eye him, waiting for him to speak.
‱ "Angel," he begins, "I'm sorry. I- I jumped to a conclusion."
"And what conclusion was that."
"That you had a kid." He mumbled. "When you were talking about your dog."
"You dumb fuck, we haven't even had sex yet. Who else would I be with? When would I even have had time to make a human being?"
"I know. I'm sorry."
‱ He wants to meet the dog.
‱ You make him wait.
‱ HOWEVER
‱ You do show him pictures.
Sero:
‱ He's high off his ass bro.
‱ fuckin zoinked
‱ you take a phone call in which you clearly mention dog features but he only seems to catch baby, princess, daughter, small toes, and chubby
‱ N he's like sweet you have a daughter,
‱ and then he forgets about it, too caught up with staring at something on the ceiling
‱ a bug he thinks
‱ and then he starts laughing because he thinks the word bug is funny lmao
‱ and when you get off the phone he leans his head against you
‱ and like 10 minutes later he remembers as he's kissing your neck
‱ "oh, so you have a daughter? How old is she?" He's so nonchalant too lmao
"Baby what?"
"You have a daughter, right? You were talking about her over the phone. She has small toes. How old is she?"
"Sero, you're gone," you smile, ruffling his hair.
"What? Did I do something? I don’t want to leave,” He frowns. 
"I’m not making you leave babe. I don't have a daughter. I have a puppy named bubbles, but I call her princess. She's a teacup."
"Oh that's so cute,"
‱ its just amazing that he wasn't conflicted by the possibility that you may have had a daughter
‱ maybe its because he's high
‱ maybe he just really doesn't fucking care
‱ either way he vibed with the idea
‱ and then was like oh cool can I see a picture of your dog then
‱ and then fell the fuck asleep when the high started to wear off
‱ boy what a day
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missyasf · 4 years ago
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Game Of Hearts
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↳ Summary: Your life is in monotonous tones of grey, day in, day out. Nothing matters besides your sister, the only thing you remember is seeing fireworks before waking up to Tokyo abandoned . Soon enough you are properly introduced to the deadly Borderlands where you must fight for your life in Games to survive. When things can’t possibly get worse soon division arises and rivalries are made. No matter what though, you are constantly plagued by a blonde who, no matter how hard you try, just can’t seem to go too far without.
↳ Pairing: Chishiya/Reader
↳ Genre: Angst, smut, thriller
Word Count: 7k
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Trigger Warning: ⚠ much like the manga/Netflix adaptation this will be a dark fic which includes mentions of prostitution, attempted murder, child ab*se, sexual harassment, heavy grief and attempted suic*de among other things. Additional warnings will be added for chapters when triggers are brought up. Please read with caution if these are triggers for you or just skip all together! 
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“So...you beat a 6 of diamonds by yourself on your first try?” 
..what the fuck was your sister doing. No really. What did she think she was doing? She had this...look on her face ever since she had been formally introduced to Chishiya and you didn’t like it one bit. Akari had exchanged glances with you several times as you wanted to wilt in embarrassment while your sister continued to parade with this act.
“It was a game of Blackjack, I wasn’t familiar with the rules but after one round it was easy to pick up.” If anything this was a good stroke on his ego which he had to know was getting on your nerves. 
It was painfully obvious your sister was trying to make an effort to show some sort of attraction to him to get his attention? You weren’t sure, truthfully all you knew was that if you knew it had to be clear to Chishiya as well who as always kept that same stoic expression on his face, not the slightest interest besides potentially making you mad, “Losers were hung and cheaters were shot.” 
You scrunched your face as you watched his eyes flicker to yours briefly, a glimpse of a cheshire smirk on his lips that vanished instantly making your eyes hone into a childish glare. He knew you didn’t like this! He knew it! You just knew that he did! 
“Hey, not to come off strong or anythin’ but
” Akari scrunched her nose, “Is your sister a virgin or something? She seems like she really wants to hop on that guys dick.” 
You didn’t mean to flail at her words but they were just so jarring to hear. Virgin? Dick? Chishiya? No way in hell should those three words ever be in the same sentence. This drew his attention briefly despite not hearing what Akari had said- thank god.
“I don’t fucking know
!” You whispered harshly to her, “And it’s none of my business but
” you rubbed your neck as you sighed, “She probably is.” You relented making Akari howl laughing as you pinched the bridge of your nose, “She’s always had this thing with being insecure and feeling like she’s never enough for guys
personally I always felt the opposite.”
“You’re extremely attractive and no man is worthy of you?” Akari tilted her head as she shrugged, “I can see it.”
“No!” You replied a little flustered, tugging on a strand of hair, “I mean I feel like if she was just confident in herself she’d get laid as much as she wants
” you had decided to not continue your original words with what you had intended. Which was, Nanami always compared herself to you. Nothing made you feel worse than knowing she constantly beat herself up because of you. 
Many considered it pretty privilege. It existed, sure.
Did you experience this? More than your fair share, more than you ever wanted truthfully. To the point of feeling dehumanized in a way. Particularly in your line of work as a prostitute before all this happened. Or maybe it was before then? You can’t remember anymore. 
Regardless, you often found that while people were much nicer to you. They are always extremely insincere. Particularly men. Watching Nanami get a little closer to Chishiya made you immediately stand up as you gave her a menacing smile, “Nanami, can I talk to you for a second, alone?” 

.
“What’s the problem with it!” Nanami had that sour pout she always sported when you call her out on something that wasn’t typically considered- but she also knew- wasn’t a good idea either, “Sure he’s not a prince charming but
” She tugged on a strand of hair as she let a tiny girlish smile tug on her lips, “He’s still pretty cute, and besides we almost just died tonight! I feel like I earned it.”
Shifting away from her, you facepalmed as you sighed, you understood. You did, you all almost died and now what better way to celebrate then getting finally losing your virginity in celebration. No you couldn’t relate to that in particular but you understood. Still...couldn’t she have picked someone a little more
 “I just...don’t think it’s a good idea talking to him. That’s all
! I mean seriously, look at him. He’d probably stab us in our sleep if it meant he got an extra charge on his phone.”
“What? So you’re saying I can’t talk to him?” Nanami crossed her arms as she glared at you ungratefully, as you wistfully sighed, looking out to where the other two sat, they were a good distance away where they both sat talking at the fire Akari had built.
You glanced away from her as you puffed a breath, not sure why she was getting such a sour attitude, did she seriously like this guy that much already? Because that wouldn’t do, at all, “Look I’m not saying you can’t talk to him I’m just saying...stop...whatever you’re trying to do! Chishiya is...Nami
!” You cried out in frustration as you grabbed your head, “A guy like that is only going to gaslight the fuck out of you! Take it from me, no amount of skill in bed is good enough for that! He’s trouble Nanami.” 
“Then why did you ask him to come with us?” Nanami accused you as she glared at you even more sour than before as you groaned. To be fair he did decline at first. Initially you had asked Chishiya about the beach just as a start to figure out what the guy Ryu was talking about but all of sudden Chishiya said he changed his mind and he wanted to stay with you all. Probably out of curiosity of what the Beach was. You couldn’t blame him. 
“He wanted to come with us regardless of me because of looking for the Beach!” You retaliated, why was she getting so defensive!? You just had her best interest at heart here! Whatever if she really wanted to sleep with him that much it wasn’t your business but you didn’t want to deal with her crying when he busted one and conveniently found a reason to leave again. You paused your thought as you glanced at Chishiya who was looking up at the sky.
Would he really do something like that though? Brief hesitation passed through you, you didn’t know. You didn’t know anything with him. For the first time in your life, you didn’t know. And it put you on edge. Severely. What was his intention here? A part of you doubted he’d even sleep with Nanami, just because of who he was. 
Regardless of what happened, you still weren’t sure about him. Just because you had been partnered with Chishiya, you had the distinct feeling, it would be wise to not trust him completely. Not yet at least.
Nanami groaned as she stomped her foot, “Why are you always like this Y/n! Can't you just let me do what I want? I am an adult now.”
Yes that’s right, she was an ‘adult’ now, making very adult decisions. Sighing you rubbed your forehead, deciding to just give up for now, “Yeah you are, clearly. Do whatever you want.” You didn’t have the energy after tonight to try and do this right now. And maybe Chishiya would leave on his own, he seemed pretty intended on that before you had brought up your search. 
Puffing a breath you watched as Nanami stomped away as she crossed her arms and headed back for the camp. You couldn’t believe her right now
! Out of all the guys she had to choose she wanted to choose the most lifeless guy possible
?
You knew why she was doing this, well you couldn’t know for sure but you had the sneaking suspicion it was because when you both were younger it was because guys always tended to linger around because of you. Perhaps that’s where that sense of insecurity came from
? 
Truthfully you never wanted a rivalry between you and your sister, in some ways you considered yourself her caretaker, when no one else was there for her you made sure you were. Every, single, time. You wished she’d just be a little more transparent when it came to things like this and you could work things out without so much emotional stress. Especially now that your life hangs in the balance between life and death constantly. 
Wrapping your jacket around yourself you let out a soft sigh shaking your head before turning to face the car parking building, it spiraled upwards and suddenly an idea struck you. Rather than going back to the camp you entered it, pushing into the small room of staircases where you walked up. 
Your legs ached by the time you pushed the door open to the top floor that overlooked the night sky. A smile slowly crept on your face as you inhaled the cool night air, you used to love doing this back when you were still in school. Climbing up here all by yourself to listen to some music and overlook the city lights. 
Grabbing onto the ledge that overlooked the city you frowned again looking over the wash of black, all the venues must’ve been finished tonight, where some had a game clear or game over would never be known to you. But still, just the notion made you feel nauseous, who could ever do something like this? You tried tracing your memory back but you drew a blank.
Hoping up you sat down on the ledge letting your legs swing out over the blank unknown, looking down you came to the conclusion that if you leaned just a little too far, you’d probably die from falling. Who would’ve thought that would be a kind death compared to other people here. 
Hearing a loud blast you jumped as you looked up at the sky only in horror to watch red lasers shoot from the sky all in synchronicity. Your stomach churned once more at the sight that was straight out of a horror film and within a brief second, suddenly it was gone. 
“It happened last night too.” 
You jolted once more at the cool toned voice as you grabbed your chest, “Jesus do you want me to just slip to my death!?” You chastised as you turned to Chishiya, when did he even get here? Heaving a breath you grabbed back onto the ledge as you leaned back on your hands, “...I guess we know what happens to those who don’t participate in games
” 
How horrid, really...how could this even be reality at all? Was this really some kind of simulation or...experiment? A cruel one? Your mind drifted to the Beach again where Ryu must’ve hoped you’d go with them...His girlfriend though...you weren’t sure you trusted her either to be honest. 
“...Where do you think we’ll find the Beach?” You turned to Chishiya, his hoodie covering his head as he leaned onto the railing overlooking the city that was engulfed in darkness, his eyes however cast out to the sky where those constellations from before only became more vivid. 
He snorted, “Over a body of water, clearly as the name suggests. An actual beach would be too literal otherwise a full name would’ve accompanied it. Perhaps a ship or a hotel? I’ll need a map tomorrow and we can narrow it from there.” 
Tucking your tongue into your cheek you heaved a breath, “I’ve known you less than a day but...I get the feeling I’d hate to be your rival.” It was the truth, Chishiya if anything, was not someone who was considered all bark and no bite. Something about those eyes looked so cold and ruthless. As if he genuinely held no concern or resolve for anyone but himself. You frowned as you watched him carefully, what a sad life to live if that was the case. 
You watched something akin to a smirk twist on his lips, as if he was proud to hear those words despite it insinuating some amount of fear in you. Which you’d say was partially true, not that you truly feared him but...If he was an enemy? You were simply glad he wasn’t. Especially if he was as ruthless as he appeared.
“So you don’t want me to talk to your sister?” 
Your eyes immediately shot open from their lazed state as you twisted to face where Chishiya leaned on the railing, something so annoying about those smug eyes of his as if he was just talking about the weather. Tucking your tongue into your cheek an annoyed smile appeared on your lips, “Oh, so that’s why you’re here? What did she tell you.” 
Chishiya didn’t say anything only looking at you with that cocky smirk and dark eyes as slowly your expression faded as you realized she didn’t tell him anything he just took a guess as to what happened between you both and you just confirmed, “You are very annoying you know that?” Your voice lowered a little as you leaned a little closer to him, your expression dry at the realization you fell right into his trap. 
He shrugged, but you could tell in his demeanor even when you weren’t meaning too you were still feeding that massive ego of his, “Now that you confirmed it, what’s the problem?” You weren’t scared of him in terms of confrontation. Even if you felt the internal voice in the back of your head tell you that you should be. 
“It’s nothing personal against you,” You shrugged, deciding that regardless, it would be best if you were careful with your interactions with him, “Nanami is just
” You pressed your lips together, looking out over the night sky as you spoke, “This world doesn’t deserve someone like her, and someone like you?” A lopsided smile twisted on your lips as you laughed a little, “Be honest with yourself, I shouldn’t have to even explain that.” 
“Someone like me?” Chishiya challenged much to your surprise as you looked at him, it was your turn to be amused as he waited for an answer that you didn’t want to give. Why would you? And personally, it was as you said, it was nothing against him. 
You had no problems with him, “What about someone like you?” His expression turned smug and cold as he spoke, “I get the feeling you just infantilize your sister to the point she feels suffocated, if she chooses to do something stupid it’s only to get away from you. So what does someone like me have to do with this?” His expression became all the more sinister at your face darkening, “It shouldn’t be me you should be worrying about.” He shrugged, that calico smug smile of his on his lips as he shrugged, “So by all means, explain your wording, I’d love to hear you blame shift to ignore your own problems.” 
You glared down at your shoes, infantilized? You didn’t
! Anger simmered in your veins as you took a shaky breath to calm yourself as you let out a short laugh, suddenly looking up with a strained expression as you spoke, “Alright, I was going to be nice, but since you have no social ethic I’ll tell you why. I took one look at you when we first met and all I see is someone who’s completely hollow on the inside. Someone like you?” 
You spat out as your brows furrowed, “Has no remorse or care for others and after trying to figure out why I realized it’s not out of a bad life or mistreatment of any kind. You're just that kind of person that really doesn’t care. You’re the worst kind of person Chishiya, you don’t have any reason for the way you are, and I think you know that more than anyone else. This isn’t me trying to blame shift, I’m very well aware of my own problems, this has to do with someone like you manipulating and taking advantage of anyone, in your own words, stupid enough to fall for it.” 
You shrugged, your expression dim as you had hoped maybe Chishiya would’ve intervened to counter you and dispel your argument, but the more you spoke, the more you watched his expression become more cold and the more your own words were confirmed to you, “And you know what I think?” 
You frowned a little now, somehow saddened by the fact that there was obviously some truth in your words, “I think deep down, you're envious of people like us who can at least outwardly muster the attempt to be kind to people. Where as you?” You laughed a little, “You're so empty, you can’t even fake that. Every time I look at you, I see nothing. No concern, no care, not even anger. Just, nothing.”
The silence between you both, for the first time, felt very loud. Tapping your lip you hummed, deciding to shove even more salt into the wound, a bitter aftertaste about his words previously making you speak, “You know
” You turned around as you hopped off the ledge, now looking up at Chishiya’s figure that was still outlooking the city, “I’d diagnose you as a sociopath, but well...typically they’re charismatic. So I really don’t know what you are. Other than an incredibly sad existence.” 
Walking down the steps by yourself you felt the silence loud as your footsteps echoed. A part of yourself was licking your own wounds at his words, infantilizing
! You didn’t...you paused at the bottom of the steps, your expression wavering as you rubbed your neck...did you really do that to your sister
?
Looking back up at the steps you suddenly felt the urge to go back up and apologize to him, you were incredibly honest in your assessment, but...he did ask for it. Even after you tried to be polite about it. And if you could get anything from that, it was the assumption that he just genuinely thought you couldn’t read him or anyone else that well. 
You shook your head as you went back to the camp, whatever...It’s not like you’d be in contact with this guy for long. Once you all figured out what this Beach was, you’d simply part ways afterwards and you would no longer have to deal with him. Laying down on the taller grass wasn’t a great bed as you looked up at the sky. 
Still...it seemed like you were fire and ice together. You starkly remembered the look on his face, similar to now but something was different when you had both heard the words Game Cleared...you groaned as you rolled onto your side. 
Men were so frustrating.
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“Are you sure this is it?” You felt a little reluctant at the sight ahead, there were certainly a lot of people but...it was as if they were far, far away from the reality of the Borderlands. And then it became apparent. Escapism, at it’s pure finest, if you had seen anything like it before. 
Chishiya’s eyes scanned over the map as he nodded, “If it’s anywhere, it’s here.” He confirmed as you all looked ahead as you curved a brow before shrugging as you sighed, it was better than nothing and you could use some answers. 
Strangely, it was as if last night's conversation didn’t exist between you both. You had woken up this morning and continued on as you had before, it was...very strange. You had anticipated he’d either leave or he’d alienate you. Maybe both? But then it occurred to you, he probably just didn’t care what you thought. 
You thought back on his expression which lead you to assume that no...It wasn’t that he didn’t care, granted he definitely didn’t care what you thought, that was a give but it wasn’t that he didn’t care in another way...That expression, it was dark and cold, not angry but...something bitter...How strange. You couldn’t pinpoint it. You were just glad you could, at the very least, co exist for the short while you’d be together.
“Well! Let’s go say hi then! I’m sure they’ll take us right to the leader or something...right?” Nanami leaned over to you in confirmation as you gave a weak smile before shrugging. You didn’t see any weapons and everyone was too busy playing around in the pool for you to assume otherwise. 
“Well shit let’s go! That looks like a lot of fun!” Akari was the first to bolt and Nanami was quickly after her as you and Chishiya walked behind them both and upon someone seeing you they had called out, “New comers!” 
And it was as if the whole party stopped. You wrapped your arms around yourself as you rubbed your neck, “Talk about party crashing...” You mumbled, immediately feeling unwelcome. 
“Hey
! You guys made it!” Ryu had pulled himself out of the pool in excitement as he ran up to you all, a boyish grin on his face in awe, “You found us surprisingly fast! It usually takes most people a week at most.” Well most people didn’t have a brainiac in their group...You briefly glimpsed at Chishiya who stayed just as stoic as always. Had it not been for him it probably would’ve taken two weeks to find this place. 
“Well if you’re here to join us I’ll take you to number 1!” Ryu nodded as he gestured to you all to follow him as you carefully looked around as you frowned, this place almost felt too good to be true...What even was it? 
Opening the doors to the upper level where all the higher ranked...members? Stayed you weren’t sure what you were expecting, “Welcome to Utopia! The Beach!” The man held up a bottle and his frizzy blonde hair swished around with his eccentric waving hands. It was the wall behind him that first you noticed. 
Playing cards had been drawn and only a little more than fifteen were X’d off? Was this supposed to be a whole playing deck? “Number 1! This was the group I told you about last night
!” Ryu waved a hand to you all in excitement, “I think they’d be a great addition to the Beach and it’s search for the cards!” 
“Cards?” Akari echoed out as she crossed her arms, flicking her hat up a bit to see better as you looked between both men.
The man let out a hardy laugh that made you wince a little...why did it feel like he was more than just...eccentric
? “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves Ryu.” The man slammed him on the back a little to hard making him jump as he rubbed his neck sheepishly, “Allow me to introduce myself! I’m Danma Takeru formly, most know me as the Hatter. Here in this paradise we foster hope for all! Drink as much as you’d like, eat to your heart's content do whatever pleases your soul!” 
This was way too good to be true. It had to be...
Something about Hatter seemed absent but you couldn’t figure out what only for it to immediately strike you, it wasn’t that he was eccentric, no...He was definitely neurotic, you weren’t sure how or in what way, but your professor had made your class do a project based on the signs and symptoms of neuroticism based in serial killers that could be attributed to the lead up in their crimes. Not that you assumed this was the potential for Hatter but...well it was the Borderlands and surely it had taken a toll on everyone to a degree...some more then others...
“There’s only three rules to allow you to stay here! The first being when on Beach property, swimwear is required!” He pointed a finger before lifting a second, “The second can be considered quite important.” Hatter turned around as he waved at the large wall, “It’s quite simplistic and I can’t leak my source. There’s only one escape from this hell, and that’s by collecting all the playing cards!” 
All potential problems aside your chest fluttered a little at his words, escape
! So this really was real, and you all were experiencing it and the only way out was through collecting a whole deck? Hatter madly grinned as he spoke, “A team of players is created each night as a group of three or four with balanced strengths in their respective game type where the chances of death are lowered significantly! The way this works is simple, rule two is to give up all your cards.” 
Really? That's all it took, this was
! This had to be full proof, a part of you still felt this was too good to be true, and you were sure part of it had to due with Hatter, despite his obvious signs of some sort of mental illness, he was quite the charming and upbeat person, it would be hard for anyone to not want to match his energy, “That’s right!” Hatter crossed his arms triphumantly, “Once we collect a whole deck a single person will be chosen to leave!” 
What

Just
Just one person! “But
wait- how does that work? I don’t understand.” You immediately spoke up, pushing forward a little bit as Hatter’s gaze turned onto you, that wild grin of his showing as he chuckled. 
“We have a whole ranked system here! The more cards you collect the more your rank moves and the value of each card contributes to your rank. Creating one full deck is impossible for one person but the impossible becomes possible when you band a whole crew together, we have a lot of repeating cards so once the first person leaves more will soon follow after. That’s the goal of our utopia The Beach!” 
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“I can’t believe we’re actually a part of something so
! Hopeful!” Nanami squealed from behind the barrier, she had finished changing faster than you but she was too excited, a brief smile tugged on your face as you glanced at the barrier before back to your dilemma, “I’m gonna go lay out at the pool! Catch up later?” 
“Yeah! Don’t wait up for me I’m...probably gonna be awhile
” You sighed as you rubbed your neck, you never really liked swimsuits all that much

Nanami hurried out of the room as you sighed, picking up the bikini top in dismay...did they really expect you to wear beach attire the full time? Grabbing the halter top you hummed...beach attire! Okay you could make this work.
It had taken a little longer than you expected to find something that didn’t make you feel so exposed but in the end it worked out. Pulling up the high waisted shorts you ignored how far up your ass it pulled. You’d make it work! Pulling up the sheer beach cover you nodded in affirmation. Still somewhere in your mind lingered an important question, was this really worth it? 
Much to your surprise after Akari had agreed straight away Chishiya was the one after to agree, he didn’t seem thrilled...hardly excited either. It made you briefly wonder if he was only staying because this place had electricity which Ryu explained on the way to the dressing room that was fueled by a mass of propane tanks.
Regardless you wouldn’t be picky...It didn’t seem too terrible here. Just cards for free stay to food and a warm bed? It’s not like you’d get a full deck on your own, much like Hatter said you’d prefer to just live out your days at least in functional condition. And hey maybe if you gathered enough cards you’d move to a higher rank. You still wanted to chat with Ryu but just how the Borderlands worked. 
Closing the door the room you decided you’d search for him immediately.
The hotel was massive and not even all the floors were in use, looking down at your bracelet that was slated with 52, there was only currently what
? Forty members? Maybe a little more? Stepping out onto the terris your eyes scanned the large crowd that was all laid out, some in the pool and you could spot your sister surrounded by three guys, clacking your tongue you shook your head as you watched her giggle. It was hard to believe she had a complex some days but men not liking her...Honestly. 
Close to the middle of the pool you spotted Ryu and Hiroko, who for once had a smile on her face as she splashed him with a giggle. You felt brief hesitation, not wanting to interrupt but...you did want to hear a more detailed explanation about...well everything and Ryu seemed the most approachable

Shifting a little as you looked down at your attire as you sighed in exasperation, finding a pool chair before shimmying your pants off and kicking off your flip flops before sitting at the edge of the pool dipping your feet in, “Hey Ryu!” You waved over, “Hiroko! Can I have a minute?” Hiroko frowned immediately upon sight of you but with a few whispered words from Ryu she adhered. 
“Hey
! I never did get your name. I really am glad you made it! Hatter has been asking us to go out and find people to bring it to help keep growing the Beach.” 
You offered a small smile as you kicked your feet in the water, it was the heat of july after all and the water was perfect for swimming, “Y/n, and that's my sister Nanami over there.” You nodded towards Nanami who was giggling over two highscool boys who kept shoving each other in hopes of getting her attention, “Thanks by the way, for last night. Honestly if it wasn’t for Chishiya it probably would’ve taken us weeks to find this place. It’s nice here.” 
“You mean the sour blonde?” Hiroko snorted as she glanced over near the pavilion they had set up, turning to follow her gaze you had spotted where Chishiya now was, sporting a pair of white swim trunks and his jacket still zipped up only with his headphones in and on his phone. 
“Is there even a wifi signal here?” You frowned as you tilted your head in wonder, he did look pretty sour sitting there, “Ah- anyways, yeah! That’s him, unfortunately he does live up to expectation.” You rolled your eyes a little as you returned your gaze back to the both of them before offering a weak smile, “What I wanted to ask was...God where do I even start, what are the playing cards, and what do they represent? Given we’re supposed to collect them I’m sure they have some significance, that’s a given.” 
“Playing cards are awarded for each game you play, the numerical value determines how long you’re allowed to stay at the borderlands on your visa, so if you were to complete a game at a value of five, you’d be allowed five days of stay” Ryu explained carefully, “Much like in a regular deck there’s four suits. What we played last night was a Clubs game, it stands for team building, meaning the game is usually associated with needing to work as a team to clear the game. Spades are related to physical activity- ah...not really my strong suit
” He rubbed the back of his neck feeling a bit sheepish. 
“He’s great at them!” Hiroko boasted, obviously proud of her boyfriend as she wrapped an arm around his waist, “He’s just modest- Diamonds stands for intellect and wit, typically anything that has to do with puzzle solving or use of logic and reason. Hearts though
.” She winced a little as her nose wrinkled making you tilt your head in confusion, “I’m not sure to be honest, many say it’s a game of psychology, playing with the players minds to make simple game clears a lot harder. I’ve never experienced a heart game though. We’re still missing a lot on the board.” 
You tapped your lip as you hummed, “That doesn’t sound too terrible, I did notice they only have the 2 of hearts and the Ace up on the board...The most they’ve collected is spades and clubs?” 
“They’re the most common from what I’ve seen.” Ryu shrugged, “I’ve also never had a heart game, I had two diamond though and a lot of clubs and a few spades.”
You thought about it for a moment before nodding, alright this made sense, “And I’m guessing numerical value is the rating of difficulty?” 
Ryu brightly smiled as he nodded, “Yeah! We haven’t gotten anything past a seven though! And only one person experienced it and that was a Clubs too
” He rubbed the back of his head in thought, “Well things here only took off a few weeks ago to be fair
” 
“Just a few weeks ago?” Your mouth dropped in surprise before looking around in awe, “I never would've guessed! I thought it would take longer to build up such a crowd honestly
” 
“Not a few weeks-” Hiroko smacked Ryu on the back of the head as he whined a little, rubbing the sore spot as she spoke matter of factly, “It’s been a few weeks that we’ve been here...I think it’s been going for about a month altogether though...Things have been a little...tense
” She looked reluctant as she glanced away, a shadow cast over her face as you frowned, turning your head a little. 
Ryu and Hiroko exchanged looks as she nodded a little, “Well
” Ryu rubbed his shoulder as he lowered his voice, “Hiroko is in the top ten right now because of how much she participates in games, so one day she was with Kuzuryuu, Mihiru and An number 3, 4 and 5 right?” You nodded as you brows scrunched a little, wondering why Ryu seemed a little flighty as his eyes darted around as he lowered his voice once more, “Keep this between us alright? But when they opened the door with Agni- number 2 to a room full of slaughtered people. Apparently Hatter killed them all because they were hiding cards from him.” 
...Oh...so you were right? In assuming Hatter was definitely neurotic. Your professor would probably be proud but somehow you had a hard time taking pride in your assessment.
Hiroko winced a little at the memory as she looked away reluctantly, “...Hatter hasn’t really been the same, he only just created rule number three last week
” Right, rule number three. 
Death to all traitors. You had definitely suspected something was up with Hatter when he had explained that one but...you always tried your best to give the benefit of the doubt to everyone until you could no longer defend their actions by logic.
That one had admittedly caught your attention when Hatter explained that anyone with holding cards would be killed or if they tried to desert the Beach, a little scary but...again it wasn’t like it was possible for you to create a deck by yourself...But know knowing the story behind why that rule was put in place did make you feel a bit...Uneasy.
“That just happened?” Your face twisted a little as you wrapped your arms around yourself, both Ryu and Hiroko nodded. 
“Mhm, just last week. Things are slowly getting back to normal, there've been a few people resistant but I try not to think about it, word of advice? Just stay away from the militant sect, follow the rules and you’ll be fine.” Hiroko, for the first time offered a weak smile, despite her cool disposition she wasn’t too terrible. 
“Coming through y’all!” All three of you turned to watch Akari running full speed at the pool before jumping in making you jump as you covered the droplets of water that sprinkled you, “Whatcha talkin’ about over here? Secrets?” Akari swam up, floating on top of the water with a dorky smile, “I love secrets!” 
You couldn’t help but giggle as you splashed Akari with your foot as she yelped, flailing to stand up right, “Nothing that concerns you, did you abandon Nanami by herself.” 
“No offense but I think she’s doing pretty fine by herself.” Akari snorted as she nodded to Nanami, still yet again surrounded by boys but now had at least three drinks untouched sitting on the glass table next to her. Puffing a breath you rolled your eyes with a smile, typical. 
“They’re back!” Someone screamed before you heard more cheers making you straighten up as Hiroko puffed a breath, laying her arms on the edge of the pool as she rolled her eyes, “They went out to gather supplies because that snake tongue freak kept joking about using Ryu as target practice. I told Agni we were low on dry foods and alcohol so it worked out.” 
“W-well he wanted to set stuff on top of my head to um
” Ryu coughed a little as he looked away bashfully, twisting around you frowned as you watched several men walk in making your expression further contort. They all had guns. Like all of them. How has there not been a mass shootout? 
“We got all the liquor you could need! Get it fresh in the back everyone!” Your nose wrinkled at the sight of several piercings and you immediately knew who Hiroko was previously referencing to. 
“That’s Samura he just joined a few days ago,” Ryu spoke up as he nodded towards the guy with a fucking katanna on his back and tattoos all over his face, “People uh, just call him Last Boss though, he kinda looks like the end boss of a game that takes ages to beat. I think it suits him to be honest, a bit weird though
He immediately joined the militant sect as soon as he joined.” 
Hiroko rolled her eyes as she spoke, “Yeah Niragi apparently took a liking to him or something- I try not to keep up with them, they give me a headache. Plus that guy looks like a total shut in before he got dropped into the Borderlands, he has zero social skills.” You weakly smiled as you rubbed the back of your neck, that was a bit harsh...although you would say Last Boss did seem...there was something so focused yet...absent about his eyes. 
He in a strange way almost reminded you of a toddler that was still working on coordination between completing an action with someone's speech. 
The sun was suddenly blocked and a shadow casted over you as a raspy voice shouted out, “Well what do we have here? Fresh meat.” You glanced up to the tall dark haired figure, oh it was...snake tongue freak? As Hiroko had previously said, you would’ve in any other situation snapped something but this guy was carrying a sniper rifle like it was a loaf of bread. 
You wrapped your arms around yourself as you looked a little away, unsure of what to say as Hiroko suddenly stood all the way up, pushing herself out of the pool to stand up fully as she gave him a sneering glare, “Niragi go fuck with someone else.” 
The man- Niragi leaned back a little as he took a few steps back, cackling as he held up his hands, his tongue sticking out showing off the piercing briefly before he spoke, “Well excuse me miss bitch, I wasn’t talking to you.” A twisted smile appeared on his lips like it was some sort of sick amusement at Hiroko’s darkening glare, “Lemme see you kitty.” 
You made a noise similar to a yelp as you were suddenly dragged up to your feet and way too close to guy for comfort, his tongue sticking out and you were for a half a second wondering if he intended on licking you, “What a nice little body here, and such a pretty face too.” He cooed out sickeningly as he squeezed your face harshly, as you looked away from him, “I bet you and me would have a great time wouldn’t we.” 
You had dealt with a lot worse truthfully, and somewhere deep inside you were grateful you had otherwise you’d probably be in tears at how terrifying and semi psychotic this man was, “Sorry
” You winced looking up at him with an unappreciative look, “I only fuck people like you when they have a good paycheck.” 
Niragi howled out laugh making you briefly relax for a moment, offering a weak smile, at least he had a sense of- “Hey!” You screeched, suddenly being hauled against him as you squirmed to push away from him as you felt his hot wet tongue on your neck, “Let go!” 
His hands crawled their way up your waist as you squirmed, his tongue dragging up the lobe of your ear as he growled a whisper, “Why deny a good time huh? It’s okay, they’re always more fun when they resist.” He couldn’t get further when you jammed your knee between his legs taking the brief moment of his pain before harshly shoving him into the pool where a loud splash covered everyone who didn’t even pay any mind to the scene which obviously happened often much to your disappointment. 
Hiroko was immediately at your side, something motherish about the way she held you close as you watched Niragi flailed before getting his footing in the pool as he snarled, “You bitch!” Hiroko immediately brought you both back, her chest puffed as she glared him down as he crawled out of the pool, now towering over you both. 
What happened next baffled the both of you, something- No...a rock? It smacked straight across his head, not enough to cause any damage but enough to gain his attention, “These are quite useful for short range,” 
You whipped around in shock at the familiar voice, Chishiya had thrown a rock up before catching it as he glanced at the small thing, holding it up in examination, “Throw it hard enough and it could probably take out an eye,” He looked up at Niragi with perhaps the most frightening smile you had ever seen, his eyes in that classic cold sneer as he spoke, “Looks like you could use it given how blind you are.” 
You stepped away a little uneasy at the tension in the air that suddenly spiked as Niragi glared him down, Chishiya’s lips quirked into a smirk as he shoved his hands back into his pockets, not looking the least bit concerned. 
Wasn’t this just perfect? 
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Note: I am by no means a Niragi simp but like,,,he lowkey kinda fun to write when Chishiya is constantly baiting this man into violence. Next chapter is v fun!! lemme know what you guys think so far! :)
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jamie-leah · 4 years ago
Text
War of Wolves (22) Finale
Season 1
Episode 22 - Everything Has Changed
Bucky x Reader
Summary: You have been on the streets for the past two years, ever since your accident that left you with the ability to tell if someone is lying. You work as an informant for the white wolf and his mob but you had never met him
until you overhear a phone call that leads you to saving his life. Now he wants you to work for him. Its an offer you couldn’t refuse
right?
Word Count: 1634
Warnings: Cliffhanger, swearing
A/N: Its the end Lovelies, I can't believe the journey its been with these characters! If you don't like cliffhangers I would advise not to read this part and take the previous episode as the last. I want to thank you all for the love and enthusiasm for this series and for loving them as much as me.
<---Previous Episode
WoW Masterlist Series Masterlist Oneshot Masterlist
The weeks of recovery were long but you knew you were in the best hands. Bucky put work on the back foot to look after you despite your protests.
You had been having a hard time sleeping though, ever since waking up and finding Bucky in the hall. Dreams of the past and a future that sometimes scares you.
It got so bad that you went to med bay to talk to the Doc about it, to see if he could give you anything. He was reluctant and I was too. He suggested talking about it, professionally. But no matter who you chose, you didn’t think they would quite understand the type of life you lead. You could never be totally honest with them and that would defeat the point.
You didn’t acknowledge how bad or strange it all was until you woke up with a start. The room was bright, the one you shared with Bucky. He was nowhere to be seen but a note was left on his pillow
“Come to the reception room when you’re awake”.
Which is odd, we only usually use that room for certain Client’s. Either way, you were distracted. You had a dream last night that felt more than a dream and it was starting to become troublesome.
The dream itself was nothing bad, in fact it was happy, lovely. Bucky had thrown you a surprise party, balloons and friends and family celebrating your recovery. It was lovely, one of the best dreams you had had for a long time, but it still left you with a sense that something was off.
You get dressed and make your way to the reception room lost in thought, that’s why when you open the door and hear “SURPIRSE!” you almost scream the place down.
Hand on chest, you take in the sight of balloons, banners and food. Everyone you love a few others were smiling broadly at you, Steve, Sam, Peggy and the kids, Darren even made an appearance. But your eyes were on Bucky and his wolfish grin.
“Did you do this?”, you ask.
Bucky shrugs casually, “maybe”.
Bucky walks across the room to you, holding you close and leans you down in front of everyone to kiss you deeply. Love and passion sweeping across the both of you, the sound of howls, whoops and cheering the only thing keeping you from tearing into each other.
Bucky pulls back with a broad smile before lifting you back up and turning to the crowd, “everyone, as you know we’ve been through a lot over the last year. We’ve lost good people, and parts of ourselves while trying to keep the organisation going and keeping each other safe. But we’ve also found new love, and welcomed another member into our family, Tommy”, Bucky gestures to the sleeping baby in Peggy’s arms.
Everyone cheers at the shout out before Bucky continues, “I wanted to celebrate Y/N’s recovery. I wanted to celebrate the people that made it possible for her to be here today. I also wanted to give everyone a reprieve. Things will only be more difficult for a while. We have Isaac and Harry to track down and we have other enemies to prove we’re still the strongest enterprise out there. They will be coming for us, but I wanted to take this moment to say we’ll be ready. I also wanted to take this moment to thank you all, for standing by me through it all.”
Bucky looks down at you with something fierce in his eyes, a love and devotion that you’ve never seen in another human being before, “to us!”, he shouts as he raises a glass to the room.
You wake up with a start, panting from feeling yourself trying to wake up. The dream was so vivid, it felt real

You look to the pillow next to you and you see the note from your dream, the exact placing, the exact wording from Bucky.
You don’t even bother changing out of your pyjamas as you rush from the room. You make your way to the reception room as fast as possible, almost bashing into people trying to get to your one goal.
You mumble apologies until you make it to the doors of the reception room holding your breath. You hesitate with your hands on the knobs, you didn’t want this to be true, but hiding from it wouldn’t make it not true either.
You swallow despite your dry mouth and swing the doors open to “SURPRISE!”

All through the party you convince yourself that it’s a coincidence. You don’t tell anyone, not even Bucky what you’re thinking but its all you can focus on until Peggy catches you on your own.
“Is everything okay?”, she asks, concern etched into her friendly face.
You nod, “yes”, and distract her by fussing with Tommy for a while.
By the end of the day, as night creeps in you feel exhausted by going through all the possibilities in your head.
Bucky takes you away into a private corner with another grin on his face just like he did with the surprise and for a moment you forget your troubles as you smirk back, “what is it Buck?”, you ask.
He grins wider, “I have another surprise for you.”
You shake your head with a small smile, “I don’t think I can handle any more surprises right now Bucky.”
He strokes your cheek for a few moments before saying, “I came close to losing you and having you here, happy and healthy is something I wanted to celebrate with everyone but I also wanted to celebrate with just us
so I booked us a night away in a hotel underwater.”
Your grin splits into a dazzling smile as you jump on Bucky murmuring your gratitude and love.
You arrived at the underwater hotel the next day. Checking in with Lisa at the counter as Bucky finishes checking in he asks her, “the extras I asked for
?”.
Lisa didn’t look up from the computer in front of her as she answers, “they should be in your room.”
We make our way to the room, our overnight bags in hand. Bucky steps into the room first looking around at everything.
But you barely pay any attention as you look out into the water and all the fish, your fingers are touching the glass when Bucky comes out of the bathroom, “none of the extras are in here”, he says with annoyance lacing his tone.
He starts towards the door before turning back to you, “did you detect the lie at all?”.
You shrug, “she probably believed it, so go easy on her Buck”.
You hear the door close behind you and you pray for a normal night of sleep or perhaps you could convince Bucky not to sleep at all. You stand there thinking about all the ways you and Bucky could ruin the room when you finally hear the door open.
You turn as you say, “hey Buck, I was thinking-“
Bucky is looking at you with shock and confusion on his face and that horrible feeling you had the night of the crash comes back in the pit of your stomach.
He doesn’t say anything for the longest time as he stares at you. Finally, you couldn’t stand anymore silence as you say, “what?! What is it Bucky? What’s happened?!”.
He clears his throat, “she knew the stuff wasn’t in the room.”
You pause before laughing at his statement, “Jesus Buck, I thought something was seriously wrong, like danger level wrong. You need to stop giving me heart attacks.”
But Bucky never starts laughing and so the smile slowly fades from your face as you say, “okay
so what if the extras aren’t in the room, we can ask for them or you can get a partial refund.”
He shakes his head as he finally steps in the room and closes the door behind him, “you’re missing the point Doll, she lied.”
You scrunch your face up, “yeah Buck, people lie-“
You stop the sentence dead in its tracks as you look at Bucky in alarm, finally realising what he’s getting at.
You have no words. Bucky is the one to fill the silence, “I’ve noticed it a few times over the last few days. The fact that you haven’t clocked some lies and have become more shocked at some of the things that happen around our home. I thought it was just because so much was going on. Your recovery, us never getting moments alone these days, but you never picked up the lie today, you even said so yourself.”
You shake your head, “wait a minute, we’re jumping to conclusions here, this is a new place and I wasn’t paying attention-“
Bucky interrupts you, “my favourite flavour of ice cream is mint, I’m wearing boxers under my pants, my mothers name was Sarah.”
He says all the lies he told you when you first met in quick succession and you never detect a single one as a lie even though you know they are.
Your stomach lurches and you feel your hands shake by your sides, you look up at Bucky as tears well in your eyes, “I’ve lost it Buck, I’ve lost my ability to detect lies.”
You sink to your knees before Bucky can reach you. He joins you on the floor as he wraps you in his arms trying to protect you from the truth that has become a truth in a long line of truths in a never ending nightmare.
You try to will this not to be true as you question your worth not only as a member of Bucky’s organisation but also as his partner and your ability to keep him safe. And you know, everything has changed.
WoW Taglist: @a-really-bi-girl @crazyblonde124 @summerwelsh @scuzmunkie @loving-life-my-way @pequenaguaxinim @paranoid-borderline-insane @lilsonbucky @somanyfandomsblog @broco8 @inquisitor-selvala @mad-red @k-n-e @rinkashirikitateku @duhh-danielly @boundtomyfate @kalesrebellion @booktease21 @whatinthyworld @flyingbabyunicornnamedangel @asapkyndall @yaszx @amoredashley @aveatquevale- @putinovertime @melimelbean @valsworldofcreativity @lokilokilokilokilokilokilo-blog1 @vesper852 @littlenerdgirl16 @wiccanmetallicrose @aya-fay
I have an entire plan for Season 2 and written some too. If you want to see more of this please let me know. The more people wanting more the more likely it will happen. Taglist for all things Season 2 are OPEN <3
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courtlyharlequin · 4 years ago
Text
Amaranthine
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Warning(s): female reader, mentions of anxiety, slow burn (I think), 17K word count, self-indulgence, Vivi’s Vil brain rot with no plot,  not proofread
Summary: There was this monster inside your head. It went by the name of Anxiety. To you, it was, and always be, more so of a parasite you couldn’t live with, but you also couldn’t live without. It looked after you in the strangest of times. For the most part, it was a hindrance, cluttering your mind with dark and bitter thoughts, assuming the worst in people you’ve never met before, jumping to conclusions, and crying over the smallest things. It made you extremely aware of yourself and others, for better or for worse. That was Anxiety, the monster in your head. The exact moment in time when it nestled instead into your mind is unknown to this day, festering in the back of your mind. Then there was Vil Schoenheit, your lover, your soulmate, and most importantly, your pillar of support who cheered you on in his own way. He taught you how to tame Anxiety. But alas, a monster will always be a monster.
A/N: It’s my birthdayyyyyy~ so I made a very, very, very self-indulgent fic for myself. While I did write it as a reader insert, it pertains to my mental health, particularly my anxiety, and there may be aspects of it that you may not understand. That is okay. I wanted some feels with Vil on my birthday because I have a case of Malleus syndrome;;;
A/NÂČ: To clear things up, the reader in this fic is female. She is not Yuu (I usually write the reader as Yuu and yes, I’m aware they can be two separate entities). She likes to scrapbook, bake, and wear lolita clothing. She also attends NRC though her dorm is left pretty open-ended. However, it might not make sense if you’re in Pomefiore. This might not work if your birthday is in March either. I’m sorry asdfghjkl;
Disclaimer: Please note that this is not a fanfic that romanticizes mental illnesses. A significant other cannot solve everything. They shouldn’t solve everything. They aren’t meant to fix you; they’re there to bring out the best in you and be by your side when you need them to be. By no means, is it their job to help your completely overcome your mental illnesses. It’s a common trope in fanfiction and gives off mixed signals to me. This self-indulgent fanfic of mine is not meant to give anyone false hope. It is simply a love story that I always wanted to experience. Think of it as my own anxiety story. The only thing real about this is some events like the presentation meltdown though my partner eventually turned into my middle school bully so I just replaced him with Vil because Vil>>>>>>
[ Present Day, Vil’s Bedroom ]
Fwip!
You flinched. You looked up. Vil had flicked your forehead. His eyes were filled with worry, brows creased and his lips strung in a frown.
“Fairest, is something on your mind?” he asked.
“No. Not at all.”
“Hold still for a minute. This lip tint is watery,” he said in a stern tone, tilting your chin upwards
He lined your lips in red and handed you a small mirror.
“Beautiful, my love.”
You stared at your expression. Vil was right. You were beautiful, all dolled up in this getup. You were prettier than usual, that’s for sure. However, the look isn’t for you or your hollow eyes. He snapped his fingers.
“Fairest,” he paused, sitting down on his bed, patting the space next to him, “Come here.”
You obliged.
“Now, talk to me. Don’t deny it. Something is on your mind. You’ve been zoning out all day. If you need a break just say so.”
“No, no, it’s not that. I was just thinking
”
“Thinking?”
“Yes. About the past and whatnot. Trivial things! No matter,” you dismissed, leaning onto his shoulder.
Vil crossed his legs, “How could I help you if you give me such a vague answer?”
Had he truly forgotten your special day, the only day you were willing to break out of your shell and be showered in compliments and praise without feeling like an alien? While you didn’t have a cake to share and you were certain that he wouldn’t want to eat it either, you expected he would remember the date as your lover of seven months now. So far, he only asked you to drop by his room for makeup practice as he just landed a part-time job as a makeup artist. Not that you minded of course. He made you feel beautiful, one of the many reasons you loved him.
“I don’t think it’s something you can help me with. I was thinking about middle school and—”
“Don’t waste your time with those fools.”
“I told you it was trivial.”
You nuzzled against his shoulders.
“It’s been hard lately, you know? I’ve been overthinking again. About silly things. Group projects, you know? Presentations too. Ah, there was this one person who told me to shut up because of a misunderstanding and everyone laughed and I felt— But you mustn’t hurt them!”
You clutched his arm. His posture had stiffened. He gave you a blank expression though his eyes told the whole story.
“I felt a little out of place. Things were going fine until they showed up. It’s not their fault, don’t worry. I was excited to talk to them, but it ended up going downhill. I felt like I was overstepping my boundaries. It was embarrassing,” you continued.
“I know you don’t like it when I say this but it’s not as bad as you think it is. Know that you made progress compared to your pot– first year self,” Vil said, squeeze your hand, “If you want help with your presentations, then I’m here for you— as always.”
Straightforward as always. He never tolerated things he deems piffling, but you were glad he didn’t pity you, not one bit.
“I’m sorry for bothering—”
He placed the tip of his index finger on your nose.
“What do we say instead of apologizing for something we cannot control?”
“T-Thank you.”
“Go on now.”
“...for listening to me.”
“My pleasure, Fairest.”
His finger shifted as he cupped your cheek with one hand, leaning in to kiss your forehead. He must’ve forgotten your birthday, but you mustn’t going to ruin the mood. You watched his back as he gathered his makeup brushes. Vil was a busy man though that was something you were used to as his lover.
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[ Two Years Prior, Alchemy Classroom ]
“Are you just going to sit there while everyone picks their partners, little potato?”
You flinched at the sudden comment. Potato? You had a name. Did you do something to be labeled in such a way? Moreover, what was the Vil Schoenheit doing standing in front of your desk? You prayed for the conversation to be brief. Part of you also prayed for him to ask to be partners.
“What are you staring at? Answer.”
You shook your head. This was bad. You were staring at him for too long. While you were dying from embarrassment, you let your gaze linger for a little longer. He was gorgeous. You loved how his blonde hair transitioned into a pale lavender, complimenting his violet eyes, eye makeup, and fair complexion.
Vil snapped his fingers before your field of vision.
“I know you aren’t mute. Answer.”
“Probably
” you said.
“Hah? That won’t do, potato. I’ll be your partner then.”
“Pardon?”
“I said, ‘I’ll be your partner’. Now, move over.  We’re in direct sunlight here and it won’t do any good for our skin if we sit there everyday for so long even if we are indoors.”
You nodded, sliding one seat over. He sat down next to you, arms and legs crossed. He seems mad, concerned with something, something else. His body language didn't match his facial expressions though he wasn’t hard to read. 
“Why me?”
You bit your lip, cringing at your own inquiry.
“You seem responsible enough to be my partner for this project,” he said, propping his head on his elbow, turning to face the blackboard.
What did he mean by that? Sure, you were responsible, but were you worth noting of? You were decent, not the best but not the worse either. Failing a class meant coming the topic of conversation when a teacher asks you to stay after class for a brief checkup or tutoring sessions. Excelling in a class meant being called out on your exemplary work by teachers. Anxiety was not equipped for either circumstances therefore it tried to help you maintain your grades discreetly. But Vil noticed, indicating that you were overachieving. Perhaps you should purposefully miss a few questions on the next quiz. You got a perfect score last time. It wouldn’t hurt. However, you were partnered with Vil, someone who strived for perfection, someone who stood out against a crowd. The phrase goes “...like a sore thumb”, but Vil stood out like a well polished and manicured appendage. He was beautiful, so beautiful that one had to stop for a moment to admire his beauty.
That was Vil, your partner. You could feel heavy stares in your direction. They were directed at Vil, but you couldn’t help feeling nervous. You fiddled with the ends of your hair, fixating your eyes onto your textbook.
You flinched when Vil pushed your back lightly. You shot him a widened stare, opening your mouth to ask him why he touched you. He placed a finger on your lips.
“Bad posture isn’t good for you. Straighten up and pay attention.”
Heat rose to your face as you adjusted your posture. 
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[ Library ]
“Mind telling me what this is, potato?” Vil said, throwing a stack of papers onto the table.
Your shoulders tensed. You set your textbook down, avoiding eye contact.
“It’s our project.”
“No. It’s your project.”
“I wrote your name on it too so don’t worry about it. I don’t mind sharing the credit.”
“It’s not about the credit. It’s about the integrity. I dropped by Crewel’s office hours today with a question about this project and he told me that we had already turned it in. Fortunately for you, I’m good at improvising so we’re off the hook. I got our project back so we can work on it together.  Scoot over so we can get started. I’m assuming you also did the slideshow, but I–”
As usual, you complied to his demands, allowing him to sit next to you. He was a bit too close for comfort. Your peers could manage with this proximity so you probably could too if you took deep breaths every now and then. 
“We only have a day left, you know.”
“I know.”
“So why bother?”
Vil clicked his tongue, throwing his French braid over his shoulder as he slid the stool closer to the desk, “I bother because we’re a team.”
He paused, pondering, “I don’t like things being handed to me either.”
“That’s gold especially since this is coming from someone who’s always too busy to even reply to my texts,” you replied.
As soon as those words left your mouth, you bit your tongue. Was that too much? Should you have just listened to him? Kept quite? How will he react? Will he shame you on social media? Spread rumors? Tell Crewel?
“Listen here, potato. I work various part-time jobs and I run a club. I apologize for my poor time management, but I am here now. You, on the other hand, have only sent me one text pertaining to scheduling and this assignment during the three weeks we had to do it. We are both at fault, got that?”
“Yes,” you murmured, pulling out your laptop.
“Wonderful. You won’t have to rewrite everything. Just subtracting here and adding some words there for smoother transitions. It’ll sound better.”
You bit your lip. You were hoping that because you made the entire presentation, Vil would take up the speaking part out of guilt. Unfortunately for you, he was too self-righteous to give in. He can’t be persuaded either. His eyes were glued onto his own laptop, typing the evening away.
You’ll have to make due.
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[ Presentation Day, Alchemy Classroom ]
From the brief time you’ve interacted with him, you knew that Vil was meant to be in the spotlight. He shined brightly, you could feel his charisma even from the back from the classroom. His performance was worthy of a standing ovation. You could never compete with him, let alone get through a single presentation. You had made it through all of your slides, but every time Vil spoke, you felt out of place. Your hands were shaking and you were on the brink of tears. Your peers must think you were incompetent. Their intense stares were unbearable. Did they pity you? Or Vil?
“It’s your turn,” Vil whispered.
You refused. His hand twitched as he grabbed your shoulders. This exchange was awkward enough yet your silent plea for help didn’t reach him.
“Go, potato.”
“No.”
He enunciated his words, “It’s. Your. Turn”
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can.”
“You couldn’t possibly understand,” you cried.
Vil’s expression softened. He reached for you and you braced yourself yet it never came. He huffed and proceeded with the rest of the slides.
Ah
 crying in the first semester as a first year in high school? Because of a presentation overwhelming you? Wonderful. You’ll never be able to live that down. Should you transfer to RSA then? No, that won’t do. They had mandatory choir classes or so you heard. Maybe an ordinary high school from your hometown then? But what if the headmaster disapproved?
You meekly walked up to Crewel, “I’m going to the infirmary.”
Your instructor only nodded with reluctance. Dissatisfaction was written across his face, but turning down a frantic student in tears for an unknown reason would be frowned upon. You heard him mutter something about the puppies this year being too sheltered. You gave Vil a second glance before heading out. He brushed you off and continued with the deliverable. 
You were hopeless.
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[ Infirmary ]
You pulled the covers closer to your face, hiding behind your hair. He was there. Why?
“(y/n),” he said.
You inched away from him. He finally called you by your name. Not by “potato”. Why were you a potato in the first place? Was it because you were beneath dirt? Were you that ugly to be beneath him?
“Are you just going to stay here forever? Curfew is soon. You should hurry and get to the mirror chamber.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same, potato.”
 You were beneath him. The tears won’t stop falling. You were trembling.
“What did I do this time?” he sighed.
His voice was firm. He must’ve been irritated by today’s stunt.
“Nothing. Nothing at all. Just leave me alone... please.”
The blanket shrouded your eyes. How pathetic. How could you let him of all people see you in such a miserable state? You’ve only seen his social media profile once or twice. Was he the type to post and gossip about others?
The mattress sank as Vil sat down. You hugged your sides.
“Fine then. Be a stubborn potato.”
“... You honestly did nothing wrong. I’m the problem. I can’t function as a human being. I can’t talk to people. I can’t- Well, I can but it’s...”
“Difficult?”
“Yeah.”
“What is there to be scared of? Follow that trick where you pretend everyone is potato.”
Is that where the potato shtick came from? How reassuring. His tone was unchanging in pitch. Was he trying to comfort or criticize you?
“It's more complicated than just being shy. It’s tiring. I don’t have a clear mind. I worry too much. I spend my days in fear. I don’t really know how to explain it.”
Vil pulled the covers off your small figure. You turned to him in a haze.
“I believe the term is ‘anxiety’, potato,” he said.
“Y-Yeah. Was it obvious? It probably was. Pretty silly now that I think about it, but anyways curfew–”
“Did you think I was stuck in some era where I don’t even acknowledge mental health? And would look down on you because you have anxiety? Please. Give me more credit than that. I’m not close-minded. You’re still a person and you have feelings. So you have anxiety. What of it? Certainly no less of a person.”
Oh how your heart fluttered.
“Get up. You can stay at the Pomefiore dorms tonight. I should get you cleaned up. I can’t stand the sight of those red and puffy eyes
. Cheer up a bit, will you?”
He held out his hand. Was this his way of apologizing? It wasn’t his fault you crumbled in the first place so why? What did he want? Did he want to help you out to boost his reputation?
“Why are you helping me?”
“You clearly need help don’t you?”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“Yes or no, potato.”
“I can’t burden you more than I have,” you shook your head.
“I talked it over with Crewel. You’re fine.”
“I suppose I’m not excused either.”
You shrugged off the blankets and took Vil’s hand.
“No, you are. He seemed to be under the impression that you were actually ill,” he said, tapping his finger against his cheek.
“Then–”
“Leave it for now. We can discuss this over tea. After we clean you up though.”
“Do you pity me?”
What if you sounded desperate? What if you sounded needy? Was that needy? Would he change his mind? 
You clamped a hand over your mouth. Vil squinted at you as if he was trying to inspect a stain on a fine textile. He proceeded to grab your cheeks, squeezing them. He exercised his authority.
“I. Do. Not. Remember that. I don’t stoop that low. Good grief.”
“Then... what’s the price?” you cried.
“Excuse me?”
“Your time is valuable, isn’t it? You’re clearly busy. Why are you wasting your precious time on me? Shouldn’t you be compensated for the time I’ve wasted?”
“Yes, my time is valuable, but we can talk about compensation another time.”
He let his hand go, leaving you to gasp in sheer terror. So forceful
 he scared you. What did he want from you?
“You coming, (y/n)?”
“Yeah.”
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[ Pomefiore Dormitory, Vil’s Bedroom ]
“Hold still. After you cleanse your skin with this superfruit cleanser, you have to apply this fir extract to exfoliate. It’ll sting, and it’s even worse when you get it in your eye, so be careful. Try not to move too much, potato.”
Vil dabbed the cotton ball on your face meticulously. You felt like a celebrity with your own hair and makeup team.
“There. All done,” he beamed.
He spun the chair around so you faced the vanity mirror.
“Beautiful. One hundred points for you.”
You gripped the hem of his shirt. He shouldn’t say things like that and expect you not to combust. What’s more was that this attire was incredibly lewd. What if someone came in and got the wrong idea? What if they spread rumors? You were wearing nothing but his shirt after all. It was long enough to reach your knees, but it was his shirt regardless.
“What do you think, potato?”
“It’s nice, I guess.”
“You guess?”
“It’s not for me?”
“Well, I think it does,” he said.
You patted your cheeks. Soft. Oh dear, you were soft.
“Ah, ah. Don’t touch,” he scolded, prying your hands away.
Goodness you were hopeless.
“Eh? Stop crying. No! Don’t rub your eyes either. Let me get you some tissues.”
Annoyance was etched into his speech, but his actions betrayed his words. He never left your side; he wiped your tears with his own thumbs. You held his wrists tenderly. His touch was like a thousand butterfly kisses.
“I’m sorry. I just
 Annoying
 Nobody
 I’m not.. You
”
He sighed, “Don’t apologize for your feelings. You’re not that annoying as you think. Instead, why don’t you try saying thank you?”
“Thank you?”
“Yes, something like ‘thank you for listening to me’. That shouldn’t be hard for you now, is it?”
“Thank you
 for not being annoyed with me.”
Vil palmed his face, “Not that bad. We’ll work on it. Twenty points for you.”
You sniffled and broke out into a small fit of laughter. He smiled too, standing up straight. He towered over you. He was a giant. You watched his back as he approached his bed, fluffing up the pillows.  His heels clicked and clacked against the flooring. He was still in his school uniform. When was he going to sleep? Didn’t he say he wanted you to stay here? People would really get the wrong idea now. You tugged at his sleeves. Vil turned to you, waiting for you to speak.
“I’ll be going now.”
He grabbed your wrist, “Stay.”
You pulled away from him.
“No, not like that. I’m not going to do anything to you, potato. You really have to stop associating me with other potatoes. I meant stay for some tea. Of course, if you really feel uncomfortable then you’re free to go, but at least let me walk you back.”
“I’ll stay,” you said.
“Wonderful. Give me a moment to fix the bedding. The tea should be ready by then.”
When did he prepare the tea? When you were bathing? When you were changing into his pajamas?
“Vil, if I do stay the night, where will I be sleeping?“
“We have one spare room left over since one student never showed up to the ceremony so you can sleep there.”
You sighed, shoulders at ease.
“Did you honestly think I would let you sleep here? No, potato, I need my beauty rest.”
“No, not at all.”
“You are terrible at lying.”
“I’m not dirty minded I promise!”
“Did I say you were?” he smirked.
Vil had a frisky side to him
 how unexpected. Nevertheless, you were relieved. You had insomnia already. If you had to sleep next to Vil
 you would never see the dawn again.
“Potato, your tea.”
You jumped.
“Careful! It’s hot and these pajamas are made of silk. I dare you to stain them,” Vil scolded.
You nodded. He handed you a tea cup. 
“I was hoping to talk some things over with you, but it’s getting late. You can take this to the spare room down the hall and relax. Self-care time if you will. Here’s a bag for you to put your dirty clothes in. You can drop it off in the morning to the ghosts for laundry. When you get the chance to change, return the top to me. Capeesh?”
“Capeesh...” you mumbled, turning to the door, fumbling with the tea cup.
“(y/n),” he said.
“Yes?”
“Don’t disturb my beauty sleep.”
“Got it.”
“You didn’t let me finish, potato. You can disturb me if you need help with anything else regarding your anxiety. I won’t do things on your behalf, but I’m there to hold your hand. Just not during my beauty sleep, okay?”
“Okay
”
Vil was not lying when he said he wouldn’t treat you any less of a human. Even if there was a monster in your head, Vil treated you like he would anyone.  Perhaps he wasn’t so bad. But how could he say such things with a straight face? It sounded like something out of a fairy tale. 
No, no, (y/n). You mustn’t catch feelings for someone this quickly. If anything, you were in love with the idea of him, his kindness, how he helped you out and cared for you. But was it even kindness?
Even if these feelings weren’t spawned from the idea of loving him, Vil would never return them. He seemed to be the type to be into someone independent. Or at least someone who was not broken. 
Mainly the former, it would seem. He didn’t pack your clothes even though he was the one who demanded that you strip, plunging you into a rose petal and lavender sprig bath. Admittedly, it was relaxing. He said something about lavender having a calming effect earlier. You smelt nice too. 
Maybe for today, you could be comfortable in your own skin. Just this once. You smelt really nice.
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[ Four Weeks Later, Alchemy Classroom ]
“Alright, puppies. We have another lab project. The details are in the packet. You are to concoct a potion using the ingredients we learned about this unit. Any potion is fine, but Amortentia is forbidden– as usual. This project will be due in two weeks. You will present your findings to the class in small groups. You can choose your partners. You were good puppies for the last few weeks so I’ll let you choose this time. Do not disappoint me,” Crewel said, cracking his whip.
You watched as the class swarmed into a chaotic mass. Students laughed and embraced one another. You scanned the crowd, looking for someone as unfortunate as you, someone without a partner.
“(y/n). Would you like to be partners?”
Oh. Vil. After all this time, you were baffled by the fact that he continued to interact with you after your meltdown weeks ago. What’s more is that he even followed you back on Magicam. He engaged in conversations with you, asking to check answers with you despite passing tests with flying colors just as you did. You never minded per se. Vil always had something to say. He wasn’t talkative, but he was captivating and civil with a hint of sarcasm. He had a lot to critique. Moreover, you two were from different worlds. Whenever he shared stories about his life, from modeling to troublesome classmates, you felt like a child with a new toy. You were immersed, zoned out of your surroundings, your focus on that one, single thing. In turn, you shared your own anecdotes, anxiety struggles and small victories— to which he celebrated with you through small, almost satirized, cheers and affirmations. 
You were comfortable around him. Anxiety kept you from advancing your acquaintanceship to a friendship, but you were more than happy with sharing homework answers and making small talk. Vil most likely wanted to work with you because, as he said so before, you were reliable. Or was it responsible? Whatever the word was,  you were useful to him. You were noticed in the best way possible. A twisted way to put it, but that’s simply how you felt.
Vil was not what Anxiety said he was and that was more than good enough for you.
“Sure,” you said.
“Wonderful,” he smiled.
You slid over as he took a seat next to you. Away from the sun, just as he liked it. You remembered your first encounter well.
“We’re presenting in small groups this time so you don’t have to worry that much about it,” he paused before continuing, “We can practice. When are you available?”
“Any time, really, I don’t have any clubs.. Or part-time jobs.”
“How does this Friday sound then? I’ll ask my manager to clear my schedule for that day.”
“You don’t have to clear your schedule. I can manage even if you come back late
 Just don’t come to me the day before the deadline?”
Were you being too bold with this request?
“Friday then,” Vil said, flipping through the packet, “What type of potion do you want to make?”
“You can choose. I’m not really sure.”
“No, you are sure. You keep staring at that one page. I know you’ve read everything the moment it was handed to you. You certainly weren’t zoning out either.”
If there was anything worth noting about Vil over the short time that you’ve known him, it was that he was observant. Profoundly observant. Perhaps even more than you.
Vil clicked his tongue: “Spit it out, potato. I won’t judge you. I don’t have much of a preference either. We can compromise if we don’t agree.”
“Amortentia,” you winced.
“Now, that we can’t do,” he waved, “Didn’t you hear the professor say?”
“I did, but the structure of this potion is so intricate. I want to try.”
“Aphrodisiacs are prohibited. We can’t do it.”
“I know. I can dream though.”
“Do you have a boy in mind, potato?”
“It’s not like that,” you huffed.
If only he knew. You were head over heels for him– or rather the idea of him, someone who accepted you wholly without ever wanting to tame the monster inside your head. You weren’t sure if you loved Vil for who he was or what he did for you as a classmate. Do mere classmates have afternoon tea in each other’s dorms? Did they engage in small talk frequently?
Vil chuckled, “Whatever helps you sleep at night, potato.”
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[ Friday, Library ]
“You’re late, (y/n),” Vil said, leaning against the door frame.
“Sorry.”
“I hope you weren’t planning on skipping out.”
“No, sir.”
“Sir? I’m not that old, you potato.”
You weren’t fond of the session already. While you enjoyed talking to Vil, his strict attitude was oftentimes a trigger for Anxiety. Vil made it rage, rattling against the cage that encasing your heart. It didn’t fancy that. Neither did you.
“Come sit,” he walked over to the desk.
His braid swayed back and forth. You followed him in suit, taking a seat. Vil reached for your shoulders and the small of your back. You yelped.
“Posture is the first step to confidence. If you shrink, you’ll portray your nervousness in the most obvious way possible. Feet flat on the ground and shoulders back.”
You felt exposed, flustered, but not to Vil’s touch. You felt vulnerable to a nonexistent crowd. 
Vil stood up and took a seat before you, staring at you intently.
“Now, deep breath. Scan the crowd and focus on a point behind them, away from their eyes, but still in their direction. Remember to look around occasionally so it’s not obvious that you’re staring at the back of the room. You don’t have to make direct eye contact.”
You nodded sheepishly and obeyed. It wasn’t difficult. You could stare into his eyes forever. You hoped it wouldn’t be too awkward if you kept your gaze fixed on his.
“Shall we begin?”
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[  Two Weeks Later, Alchemy Classroom ]
“Hold still, potato,” Vil hissed.
He held your jaw steadily as he applied a glossy red lip tint onto your lips. In a classroom. In public. How many people were staring at you two? What did they think? Did they think you were his plaything?
“I don’t see the point in dressing up.”
“Please. Lip tint and a few touch ups isn’t ‘dressing up’. Plus, you’ll feel more confident if you look confident. Own it, my friend.”
Friend? You were his friend? You could feel your cheeks getting rosy. At the same time, you felt a surge of adrenaline. Was it confidence? You were on cloud nine, feeling unstoppable. If he said so, then Vil would be your first friend at Night Raven College outside of your dorm. 
But
 what if he didn’t mean it?
No, no. he meant it. There was no need for Vil to lie. For him, lying was pointless. It was a waste of time; he preferred to get straight to the point even if it might be harsh on someone’s feelings. You’d learn to accept that his words come from honest intentions.
Crewel blew his whistle, signaling start time. Students flocked to their not-so-small groups. Vil had volunteered for the both of you to go first despite your protests, saying that it would be best to go first so you would not overthink and compare your presentation to others. 
“I’m Vil Schoenheiit.”
He squeezed your thigh. The gesture was of chaste intentions, you were sure. Your leg was the only place he could touch in hindsight. Or so you assumed. Regardless, it set your insides on fire, but it made his presence known— as if to say “I’m here, don’t worry.”
Your breath hitched: “And I’m (y/n) (l/n).”
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[ One Day Later, Vil’s Bedroom ]
“Potato, what are you doing here? It’s the weekend.”
You hugged your sides. He was sweating. You’ve never seen Vil in anything but his school uniform, Pomefiore’s dorm uniform, and pajamas. There he was
 standing right before you in a stormy gray tank top. While he was wearing pajama bottoms, the look was foreign to you. What should you say? You never knew he worked out.  Were those weights heavy? Is he training for a certain role?
“I have something for you: a small thank you gift for yesterday,” you said, brushing past your thoughts.
“Oh? You don’t have to thank me. I wanted a good grade too so don’t think too highly of me
 Simply improving is enough.”
You shook your head, “I insist. I want to do something for you too. I would feel guilty if it were any other way.”
Vil rested his palm on your head. You looked up at him attentively. The height difference between the both of you was immense. Compared to Vil, you were a dwarf.
“What is it that you want to show me?” he sighed.
You jumped with excitement, handing him a small container. He took them.
“What’s this?”
“Open them.”
“Alright, alright. Such a demanding potato
”
You watched him gingerly pop off the lid to reveal your culinary creation. Your eyes wandered back to his violet orbs.
“Potato, what is this?”
Did he honestly not know or did he think you were jesting?
“They’re oatmeal raisin cookies. I made them myself. It’s all organic ingredients, I promise. There’s apples in it too. I know you watch your diet, but I think it would be okay if you ate just one. At least?”
You scratched the back of your neck while Vil stared at them in bewilderment.
“Just one.”
“Yay~”
His furrowed eyebrows softened as he took a bite, “Not bad, potato.”
He placed it back in the container and closed the lid. Your heart sank. Was it just for show? Were they bad?
“Don’t take it personally. They are delicious. I don’t eat too many sweets though. I
 also have a meeting with my producers after this. So perhaps later, my dear.”
“Oh alright.”
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[ Someday– Your Birthday, Alchemy Classroom ]
You weren’t sure what kind of strings were pulled or if this class had free seating, but Vil gradually sat closer and closer to you. Now, his seat was next to you. He said that it was because he could not stand the other potatoes near his old seat and that he’d much rather sit with a friend who helped him stay on task– which in turn made your heart melt.
Answers weren’t the only things you two shared now. You often brought snacks to share with him. You brought healthy ones like apple crisps and celery sticks for accommodate the diet of your classmate. He only consumed workout smoothies in the morning. He would drink one before he went for a run with no post-workout smoothies to make up for the calories he burnt. For someone who claims to life a healthy lifestyle, Vil was oftentimes too busy to keep up with it. He rose when the sun kissed the tips of the hills. Granted, he could have risen earlier so he could consume his post-workout meal, but his work trails later in the night. Sleep was important to him. Between balancing his beauty sleep and fitness regime, he frequently came to Alchemy with his hair still wet from a morning shower, his eyes caked with concelaer, and an empty stomach.
The first time you offered him something to munch on and regain the calories burnt, he declined. But as these days became more frequent, Vil caved.  
“Potato.”
He slumped against his desk– a rare sight from the Pomefiore student.
“You should stop pushing yourself,” you said, taking out a container.
He shook his head.
“A break would be nice once in a while, Vil.”
He rolled his eyes, slipping off his gloves to take off the lid. God, he was so stubborn. He was going to burn out one day.
“I don’t mind sharing food with you, but you should pace yourself. Take a day off”
He shook his head again. Why though? Did his schedule not allow him to? Vil worked late sometimes, but was it worth it?
“Potato.”
“Hm?”
“Do you have anything aside from these cookies?”
You inhaled sharply, closing the lid and shoving it in your bag. They might have crumbled, but you didn’t want him to know. 
“Unfortunately, no sorry,” you sighed, clutching your bag’s handle.
“Fine then. I’ll just eat one then.”
“No.”
“Why not? “
“It’s not healthy for you.”
Vil lunged for your bag. His stomach growled. You did your best to stifle a giggle. 
“You just said it was alright to take a break,” he said.
“You can’t have them.”
“How come?”
“They’re for me
” you whispered.
“Come again?”
“These are mine.”
He hummed, clearly not buying into your excuse. Perhaps excuse was not the right word because they were for you. They were self-indulgent treats that you made for yourself around this time of year. They were self-indulgent with a miserable origin. 
At this point, he was gripping your wrist. Since when was VIl this forceful? He never crossed any boundaries. He was never nosy. Was he concerned? Or did the madness of hunger consume him?
He was akin to a stray kitten. You were the one to offer him food in the first place. There were two cookies. One wouldn’t hurt.
“Fine. Just one. Please don’t eat the other though. I’d like to eat one on my birthday.”
“Birthday? Potat–”
You put your hand over his mouth on impulse. He was going to throw a fit with you for placing your “breeding ground for bacteria”  on his face, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
“Don’t tell anyone,” you pleaded, “But, yes, today is my birthday.”
Crewel’s footsteps echoed through the room, “Silence, puppies!”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Vil hissed under his breath.
“I’m not big on birthdays. The attention is too much– plus, rarely anyone celebrates with me.”
“You honestly remind me of that one miserable Diasomnia first year from the class next door.”
The conversation was left at that.
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[ A Few Hours Later, Courtyard ]
“Potato.”
“Vil?”
Where did he come from? How did he find you? Class had ended a few minutes ago. What’s more is that you only saw him every other day due to the Alchemy schedules. It was the only class you had with him. You never saw him outside of class, aside from rare encounters in the cafeteria. You ate in the library to avoid people so that was partly your fault too.
“Come with me.”
“Pardon?”
“I won’t take no for an answer. You are the birthday girl, after all.”
He struck his signature pose, one hand on his hip and the other pointed, barely touching his cheek. When did he develop this again?
Wait. What did he just say?
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[ Pomefiore Dormitory, Vil’s Bedroom ]
“Here. This is an anxiety journal. Think of it as a diary to write your thoughts down in case you don’t have anyone to talk to”
“Vil, I can't take this,” you said, pushing the notebook away.
“I insist.”
“Still
”
“You said you didn’t celebrate. And that others didn’t celebrate either, no?”
“Yes
”
“If you don’t put yourself out there and let people know, then how are others going to celebrate? And then you go mope around and eat cookies all by yourself in the library with the ghosts?”
Was he watching you? You were sure that there was no one there when the ghosts sang you happy birthday.
“I never said I was moping. I don’t care if I’m all alone. I don’t mind at all. I’m perfectly okay with that. I don’t need to be acknowledged or receive any gifts of pity so please just leave it at that
. I appreciate the gesture though.”
He leered. You took a step back. Was he angry? Why? This doesn’t concernto him. Why was he getting angry?
“I care. So take it.”
You caved, taking the journal. It was similar to the Pomefiore dorm leader’s grimoire: leather bound, decorated in gold decals in floral patterns and peacock feathers. It was pretty. You were a fool. A sensitive and broken fool. You were crying over a notebook, a gift put together at the last minute with tender loving care by a classmate you barely knew. It had been a long time since you felt this happy, this acknowledged.
Vil grimaced, “Oh stop crying already. I told you that I was here for you.”
He embraced you. It was awkward, but wholesome. You never hugged him before. He was warm. Perhaps a little bony for it to be of any comfort, but that was most likely due to the position you two were him. His head pats were stiff. It was ill at ease, but endearing.
Vil was your friend. Though not the closest, you treasured his actions. You weren’t sure how he put up with you. Or why even, but all you were concerned in at this moment was that he cared. It would be lovely to not assume the worst in people for once.
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[ Present Day, Vil’s Bedroom ]
What would Vil surprise with you this year? He hasn’t mentioned anything yet.
The makeover was nice, but you weren’t big on makeovers. Did you get to keep this dress? It was embellished with lace and frills– fancy. It was white, pink and floral like the Heartslabyul croquet court. You felt pretty albeit out of your own skin. Vil hummed a soft song whilst cleaning his makeup brushes.
Would that be all?  It was your first birthday as a couple. Were you ungrateful if you asked if there was anything else? His schedule was tight. What would he say if you mentioned that today was your birthday? What would he say if you asked if he had forgotten? Would you sound narcissistic? 
Would he say the same thing he said to you when you were second years?
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[ One Year Ago, Someday– Your Birthday, Hallway ]
“Vil!”
You were so excited to see him again. You couldn’t stop yourself from running up to him.
“(y/n).”
“I haven’t seen you in forever. How are you? Congratulations. It’s a bit late though. How’s being Pomefiore’s new dorm leader treating you?”
He brushed his hair off his shoulders. Ah... a new hairstyle. He was wearing the barette you made for his birthday. You missed the French braid, but you felt that he was more relaxed when he let his hair down (literally).
“Rook. Guide the baby potatoes back to our dorm. Give us a moment,” Vil said to the person he was walking with.
Rook, you assumed. He was bizarre with his exaggerated features and hat. You were certain that the accessory violated campus dress codes. Needless to say, he was beautiful in his own way– just like any Pomefiore student.
“Oui, Roi du Poison. I shall leave you with ta chĂ©rie~” he breathed, prancing away with the first years.
“Ta what now?”
“Don’t mind him,” Vil said, “I am doing well, thank you, (y/n).”
No “potato” this time? Not even once? You hadn’t seen him since your second year started, only keeping up with his life through Magicam and story replies. Sometimes, he messaged you to check up on you or ask to compare answers for Alchemy and Potions. You packed snacks for him though that routine eventually ceased as Vil began taking better care of himself, opting only to run when he had the time.
You missed those days, but his well being was more important than your own selfish feelings. You had grown fond of that nickname since he used it so often. It was a term of endearment. It saddened you that he called others potatoes as well.
“Happy birthday by the way,” Vil said.
“Oh! You remember?”
“There you go again. I don’t have the memory of a goldfish– of course I remember. Though I don’t have a gift for you this time around.”
Did you offend him? Did you sound needy? You weren’t asking for any presents. Did it come off that way?
“I don’t need anything so it’s fine.”
Or rather, you didn't expect anything.
“Good grief. It’s your birthday. Chin up. Have the attention on yourself for one day. It’s your day after all. Anyhow,I would love to chit chat more, but my schedule is tight. I cannot dilly dal–”
You reached for his hand, “W-Would you like to hang out at a cafĂ© sometime then?”
You cut him off. Was that too abrupt? Rude? Uncalled for? You should have let him leave even if you did miss being around him, being friends with him.
“Huh?”
“You don’t have to. I was just thinking that maybe we could spend some time together and catch up. We haven’t seen each other in person too much. I’m not comfortable with too much attention either so yours is more than enough.”
God, what were you saying? That was cringe-worthy. You prayed that he would decline your impulsive proposal.
“I don’t see why not. Very well then, (y/n). Text me the details so I can adjust my schedule accordingly.”
Wait. He agreed? Was he pitying you? No, no. Stop doubting him. Vil was your friend. He must’ve missed being around you too.
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[ One Month Later, Cafe Rosé ]
When he said he was busy, he meant it. A month had passed since your birthday and just now were you able to meet up.
You sat in the café idly. He watched you consume your third plate of strawberry shortcake. You glanced at him then at your growing pile of dishes. He squinted. Should you stop?
“Don’t.”
Did he read your mind?
“No, I’m not a mind reader.”
“But you did it again.”
“Your expressions are easy to read. Do yourself a favor and don’t feel bad if you  enjoy something and I don’t. Someone who makes you feel bad for getting excited about something– something harmless, something you enjoy, is the worst kind of person. Enjoy your cake, birthday girl. Don’t let me, or anyone for that matter, stop you.”
Vil sipped his hand-pressed superfruit smoothie vehemently.
That was oddly inspiring despite having relevance to your self-esteem and cake. Funnily enough, you did feel better about yourself.
“Excuse me? May I get three more slices of this cake? And another teapot, please?” you called out to a server impulsively.
What on earth were you doing? Was that rude? Did she find you demanding?
“Anything else?”
“That’ll be all for now.”
You turned from the waitress, bringing your attention back to Vil. You cocked your head to the side: “What?”
“Consume cake in moderation, you potato.”
There it was. You’ve been waiting all semester to be called a potato. Pomefiore first years have expressed a strong dislike for the nickname. You, on the other hand, treasured it. Time and memories were built into that nickname.
“It’s fine. I’m paying anyway so don’t worry.”
“You are not paying on your birthday.”
“It’s not my birthday though.”
“We’re here for a belated celebration.”
“So an unbirthday?”
“No, no. Don’t bring the Queen of Hearts’s rules and gimmicks into this,” Vil waved his hand.
He set his smoothie down, The ice shifted, echoing throughout the café.
“I want to pay. I wanted to go here in the first place.”
“Think of this as my belated birthday present for you, atonement for not getting you anything or talking as much we’d like.”
“Vil, I don’t require anything from you. You’re busy. You don’t have to talk to me everyday. I think I would combust if you did. My social battery would drain.”
“That’s reassuring.”
The waitress cleared her throat. Vil nodded, sliding his glass to the further end of the table. She placed the cake slices in a neat triangle before setting the teapot down in the center. Then she followed up with the teacups–one for you, one for Vil. He raised an eyebrow at you. Your server gave a polite bow and dismissed herself.
“Eat one slice. Then I’ll let you pay,” you beamed, sliding him the plate.
He glared at the confection, “Alright.”
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[ March, Pomefiore Dormitory Hallway ]
“Bonjour, bonjour! What brings you to our humble dorm?”
Rook was his name right?
“Hello, Rook. I was hoping–”
He scared the living daylight out of you. Where did he come from? Why was nobody else around? You spun your heel and scanned the hall. It was empty.
“EchantĂ©, mademoiselle! Let me guess!”
You yelped, falling backwards. Where did he come from? He was behind you a moment ago. His eyes widened as he lunged for you, hooking his arm around your waist, catching you before you made contact with the ground.
“Careful, careful, little fawn,” he chuckled.
Fawn?
He set you straight then pointed at you. His gloved index finger barely touched the bridge of your nose. This man, Rook, was sending your nerves in a downward spiral. 
He smiled at you, resuming like nothing ever happened: “Let me guess– you’re looking for your darling Roi du Poison?”
“Darling
 Roi du Poison? Who? Vil?”
“Oui.”
“No, he’s not.. we’re not. We’re just friends. I’m looking for him though bec–”
“Are you here for compensation?”
Rook set Anxiety loose. With a few words, he sent shivers down your spine. Compensation. Would your friendship end the moment you fulfilled his request? It had always been in the back of your mind. The thought of Vil using you to make him feel better about himself shatters you into a million pieces. The thought of owing Vil something for helping you, for being your friend, was heart-wrenching. Was it pity after all this time? Was it so wrong to want to hang out at yet another cafĂ©? You looked forward to those every month– ever since your unbirthday date. Was your relationship that superficial?
No, it wasn’t a date. You wanted it to be, but it was not a date. You never quite shook off those romantic feelings you felt when you saw a different side to him. Beneath the surface of the poised, strict and sometimes narcissistic prefect, Vil was extremely hard working, passionate, and observant. He was the greatest friend you could ever ask for. You can’t say that he was your best friend, but he was close. If he didn’t feel the same, then that was okay with you. You weren’t even sure if it was love. You’ve had this debate with Anxiety before. It kept telling you that you were in love with the idea of him fixing you. That was not love.
You shook your head. Vil genuinely was your friend. If those feelings were not returned, then you would still be friends.  He told you time and time again that you should never feel sorry for the way you feel. If so, then would it be alright to tell him one day? And feel terrible about it later?
“He’s here, isn’t he?” you asked.
“Oui~”
“Rook, (y/n),” a voice from the end of the half coughed.
Pomefiore’s vice dorm leader crossed his arms and gave you a smug smile. Vil. He was decked out in a trench coat and a black turtleneck. Stylish as always, but his hoarse voice told a different story. You rushed to Vil’s side.
“Vil, are you alright?,” you tugged his sleeves, “Your eyes are so puffy. Have you been crying? You’re burning up too. You should rest. Go back to bed this instant. Our cafĂ© rendezvous can wait.”
He staggered: “No. I want to go with you. I finally have the time.. to see you
 I have to make it count...”
“No, Vil. You have a fever. You need to rest,” you said, sliding his arm over your shoulders, ready to haul him back to his quarters.
Rook hummed a bird’s song.
“Would you mind helping?”
The height difference between you and Vil was awkward. His legs are dragged across the floor in a languid manner. One could imagine how uncomfortable that was.
“Non non, little fawn! My hands are dirty. Roi du Poison wouldn’t allow me to taint his beauty with such bacteria. DĂ©solĂ©!”
“Can you at least get the door then?”
“Will do, milady,” he bowed before complying to your request.
He held the door for you as you dragged Vil to his bed. You gasped as Vil’s limbs tighten around your neck.
“Would you mind getting the sheets too? Pull them out so I can tuck him in?”
Rook hummed in response. You plopped Vil onto the mattress. Your companion’s eyes widened, hands thrown in the air.
“Mademoiselle! Careful! Roi du Poison is fragile like a flower’s first bloom.”
“He’ll be fine don’t worry. Now if you could–”
Where did he go? You blinked for one minute and the vice prefect was gone.  You shook your head in dismay, turning to Vil and tucked him in bed. He looked so peaceful. His eyes were so distraught and dull before. Did he overwork himself to the point of tears? His room was a mess– shreds of fabric and crumpled balls of paper were discarded on the floor. You could hear his breathing as you made way to his desk.
What’s this? A script? And a sewing machine? What was he making? His sketches were stunning. Was this a side project of his? Was he too busy with films to continue with it? But why were his eyes so puffy?
Whatever the case was, it wasn’t your place to pry. Your fingers trailed off over the sketchbook as you made your way to his bathroom. You didn’t know where he kept the medicine or what kind he used, but it was worth a try to look around.
You opened the cabinet and your face fell. At a glance, he didn’t have anything aside from comesetics. There were a few bottles of potions, but you couldn’t make out the labels. It was best not to guess and check. The least you could do was place a wet on his head to cool down the fever. You peered over the bathroom’s door frame.
He wouldn’t mind. He was breathing heavily. You’ll face the consequences later if it violated his beauty regime. Hurriedly, you grabbed a small towel off the shelf, rinsing it in cold water in the sink. You squeezed off the excess and rushed to Vil, cursing at intervals where the water dripped onto whatever expensive material the flooring was made of. Was it expensive? You couldn’t tell. You placed it on his head gingerly. 
Before you could stop yourself, you leaned down and kissed his cheek.
Holy
 what did you just do? You were taking advantage of him when he was out cold. If he was awake what would he say? Why did you do that? Why did that make your heart flutter?
“F-Feel better, Vil. I’ll be going now. Tell me when you wake up,” you sighed, patting your cheeks down.
You were a fool for initiating such an intimate act while someone was sleeping. You were also talking to said someone as if they were listening. It was best to excuse yourself now. Though maybe a little note would be helpful for when he wakes up. Your sleeves dipped. Your eyes went to the source of motion: Vil.
“Fairest
 can you stay?”
You were at a loss for words. Vil called you “Fairest”– as if your other nickname didn’t exist. His face was flushed from the heat and his eyes were red and teary. What to do? What to do? What to do?
Vil tugged at your sleeves and pulled you onto the bed. Your mind went blank. You were on top of him, preventing yourself from crushing him with your weight, hands pinned on each side of his head.
“V-Vil?”
He pulled you onto him, then turned to the side, causing you to face each other. The blankets were ruffled, wrapping you two into a contorted position. The towel slipped off his face. You scrambled out of bed. Vil lunged for you, pulling you back in.
“I said stay,” he pouted.
“I know, I was just getting out of bed to get back in. Wait that doesn’t make sense?”
“It does,” he said, lifting the sheets so you could climb in,
You yelped as he pulled you into his chest, “Vil? What are you doing?”
“I wanted to see you today.”
“I’m here.”
“I wanted to go on another date with you.”
Date? Does he think it was a date too? Every single one? Great Seven, have mercy

“You should rest. We can hang out here if you want.”
Your hold on his waist tightened. You inhaled the faint scent of his cologne. Perhaps to him, this was a fever dream. Stil, all love takes patience– if what you both felt was love, that is.
“Thank you for staying , (y/n).”
“...Do you want to talk about it? Usually you’re the one listening to me, but I’m here for you too. ”
Vil buried his head into your shoulders, “Nothing much. Just overworked. Stress came to me in the form of sickness, unfortunately. How inconvenient.”
He clicked his tongue while you giggled. Even if bedridden, Vil’s mind was as proactive as ever.
“Were you crying?”
“...”
“You don’t have to answer.”
How do you comfort someone? You’ve always been the one comforted, especially from Vil. Were you gaining more from the relationship than Vil did? You wanted him to cheer up though...
“No, no. It’s fine. It’s better to get it off my chest while you’re still here.”
What did he mean by that? You weren’t leaving. Why would you? How could you?
“Do you think I’m more than my appearance?”
He was shaking. Vil was shaking. What could have possibly happened from the last time you saw him? Was he alright?
“Why do you want my opinion? We both know you’re more than a pretty face.”
“Answer the question.”
“Alright, alright. I do think you have a pretty face. You’re gorgeous, very handsome
 but you’re also hardworking, diligent, strong-willed, driven, intelligent, observant and more words that I can’t think of to describe how I feel about you. Oh and a great alchemist and friend I might add. Vil, you’re pretty. You’re beautiful. Inside and out.”
Your heart hurt. Calling him your friend didn’t sit right with you. He threw his head back in a fit of laughter.
“Did I ramble too much?”
“No, not at all. I feel much better so thank you.”
“I’m glad you’re feeling better then. Whatever happened, I hope you know that it doesn’t define you. If you feel like it does, then remember that I’m your biggest fan.”
Ah, too cheesy. You’ve gotten too comfortable around Vil to think about Anxiety or your verbal filter. When you were with him, words flowed as freely as time.
“I’ll
 keep that in mind.”
He didn’t say anything much about it. Was that not weird for him? Did you offer the solace he was looking for? He merely pulled away from your embrace. You thanked the heavens that his eyes were closed. If he made eye contact with you while you two were still sharing the same bed, you might as well ascend to the afterlife.
“Why do you ask though?”
“Oh I just had a miserable case of self-doubt is all. My manager kept taking roles that type-casted me as beautiful as the main character. I know I’m worth more than my looks- I want to be more than my looks-  but so far the industry has told me otherwise
 but thank you, (y/n).”
He stayed like that for a while, inhaling and exhaling softly. Was he sleeping? How much time had passed?
“Vil. I have a question for you. You don’t have to answer if you’re not up to it. I know you have a lot on your mind right...” you said, breaking the silence.
“Shoot.”
“Will I be able to see you again after I compensate for the time I’ve wasted?”
“You don’t waste time. You don’t have to compensate for anything. I’m glad you’re here with me. If anything, I wasted your time.”
“But you said that we could talk about compensation later. It’s been over a year, Vil,” you whimpered.
“What do you mean by compensation?” he asked firmly, opening his eyes.
You choked on your own words. This was a bad idea. It might even offend him. Would if offend him? You wanted to know.
“Our first presentation. My anxiety attack. The infirmary. You helped me. I asked why then you said there was a price and we could talk about it later. But that conversation never came up. Why is that? Why did you come to the infirmary that night? Why did you take me in? Why am I here? Why do you still talk to me?”
You couldn’t stop yourself from spewing all of the questions you had for these past months. You needed to know. You needed your heart to shatter.
He sighed, “Good grief, (y/n). You remember all of that still? It’s not as bad as you think.”
He was offended.
“Please don’t say that.”
He inhaled sharply. 
“My apologies, potato. I didn’t mean it like that. But to answer your question, I felt guilty especially since I was the one who forced you onto the podium and made you redo the presentation because I couldn’t manage my first major acting role and my academics at the same time. I am sorry that you had to suffer the consequences.”
Vil turned onto his back. He brought his forearm to cover his eyes. Was he embarrassed? Ashamed? Did it hurt his pride? 
“I didn’t think of it like that. I’m sorry that I ruined our project because I couldn’t manage to improvise.”
“You shouldn’t apologize for that.”
“You shouldn’t either. Your feelings are just as valid as mine. Even if you don’t have anxiety, you still can feel anxious and overwhelmed.”
“TouchĂ©.”
“And the compensation?”
“You needn’t worry about that. My time is valuable indeed but you’re not a waste of my time at all. You’re worthwhile.”
“You shouldn’t say things like that,” you muttered.
“Hm?”
“What would have been the compensation?”
Vil turned to face you, rustling the sheets, “Are you that curious, Fairest?”
“F-Fairest?”
“Hm, yes it suits you now more than ever. Close your eyes for a moment. This should be quick.”
You obliged, closing your eyes. Vil wouldn’t do something terrible to you would he? He gripped your shoulders and pushed you flat on your back. You felt him shift his leg so he could straddle you. You instinctively cursed yourself in a ball.
“You can relax. I’m not going to hurt you.”
You loosened your muscles, trying hard not to burst into a fit of nervous laughter. You were scared.
“Fairest.”
“Yes?”
“How was your day?”
“Well, it was—mmmphhh!”
Vil had told you to keep your eyes closed, but how could you? Not when he was kissing you. You had waited for this moment. You fantasized about it, daydreaming, pining for him on the daily. You never saw it coming. Did he return your feelings? After all this time? You mewled as he bit your bottom lip. You were hot, feverish just like your beloved prefect. Was he alright? He was flushed, coughing as you pushed him away.
“My time has been compensated,” he smirked.
His expression quickly changed, “Hey! Why are you crying? Did I hurt you? That was too bold wasn’t it
 Goodness (y/n)...”
You cupped his cheeks.
“Not at all. I’m just so happy that you feel the same.”
“Feel the same?”
You faltered. Was he toying with you? No, he wouldn’t

“I-I like you a lot, you know. I don’t know of a time I didn’t. You’re so confident and I adore you for that. I love how you’re always there for me, how you always listen to me, and how you lean on me too. I love how you include me and see me no less than anyone else. I love you so much that my heart hurts,” you paused and moved your hands to clutch your chest, “But if it isn’t love then I suppose that’s fine too. I think I might be in love with the idea of you. It might be a little presumptuous here, spouting nonsense to you, but I don’t want to be just friends. Even if I am broken, I want to make you happy so please accept my feelings-!”
Cheesy. Too cheesy! You’re oversharing, (y/n). Stop. It. Death suddenly seemed like a viable option. You loved him so much that you must die. Yes, that was the only way.
Vil kissed you. This time, it was more of a peck.
“This whole time
 you
 I love you too, Fairest. I accept you and your feelings.  Thank you for being so patient with me,” he kissed the trail of tears running down your cheeks, “You already make me so happy. I love your innocence, your beauty—inside and out as you would say. I admire your strength to help others despite being in a world of your own. I love your selflessness and... your adorable reactions to situations that make you anxious. Please, tug at my sleeves some more.”
You pouted at the last bit. Vil was observant. You’ve come to learn that the hard way. The trait never withered.
He continued: “I will be in your care from now on.”
Ah. He was crying. Smiling too. What a sappy mess of emotions you two were, sobbing in each other’s arms over a mutual confession.
He flicked your forehead, “And don’t you dare call yourself broken. You are not below me and I am not above you. We’re in this together. I love you and you love me and you better love yourself too. You hear me, potato?”
“Yes, but–”
“Did I stutter?”
You pressed your forehead against his, “Will do, Vil.”
He lowered his weight onto you, nuzzling into your neck. You wrapped your arms around his neck and combed through his champagne gold locks. You were sniffling. You were relieved that he loved you the way you loved him. You were relieved that you didn’t fall in love with potential. He loved you for you and you loved him the same. What if you weren’t good enough for? No, no, he said he felt the same. Stop overthinking, (y/n). 
You were drained after all this worrying. Being plagued by thoughts assuming the worst about him and the worst case scenarios concerning your confession consumed your mind. There was not a single day where your head was clear.
You were exhausted. So, so, so tired. Tired of thinking. Tired of Anxiety. Sleep seemed nice right now especially with Vil laying on top of you. The monster inside your head had gone dormant. All there was the thought of Vil being by your side, loving you and Anxiety all the same.
Your consciousness faded.
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[ April, Someday– Vil’s Birthday, Pomefiore Dormitory Hallway ]
“Vil. Vil!!!”  you squealed, tackling your lover from behind.
He staggered on his toes, but recovered swiftly. He was tall. The stilettos made him taller. You were up to his shoulders, giggling, slipping under the long sleeves of the Pomefiore dorm uniform.
“Au revoir, Roi du Poison. Mademoiselle (y/n),” Rook chuckled and excused himself.
Vil gave Rook a look of disdain yet the vice prefect skipped along the halls, paying no mind to the daggers coming his way. Your beloved turned to you and smiled.
“Happy birthday~”
“You’re frisky today.”
“I’m excited.”
“I can see that. Thank you,” he pats your head.
“Are you busy?”
“I’m finishing up something. You’re welcome to wait in my room. Might I tell you that you look beautiful today? Red lipstick suits you.”
You followed him into his quarters, seating yourself on the bed, fiddling with the ends of your hair. He called you beautiful. You were giddy over something trivial. It was normal for one to call their significant other beautiful. In truth, he was the fairest, not you. You never minded. You loved watching him flourish in the spotlight.
You watched him undo his bun, letting his hair fall loose. The ends were curled, bouncing on his shoulders. He stepped into the bathroom to shed the dorm uniform off, opting for a black suit with faint floral patterns. Your eyes widened, coming to terms with the fact that he wore no dress shirt underneath the suit.
“You’re eighteen now, Vil,” you mused.
“What of it?”
“Oh nothing. I was just thinking.”
He hummed in response, “Is that so?”
“It feels like yesterday when we were both- what? Fifteen? Nevermind that. It’s silly. Would you like to see your gift now?”
“How does after the party sound?” he asked, lining his eyes with a thick eyeliner.
A thin smirk creeped up on his lips.
The look was similar to the standard ceremonial robes makeup. His silver chain-like earrings, leather choker and red heels threw off the professional look. Vil was striking. From what he told you, his producers had invited him to a party celebrating the release of a film he starred in. It was conveniently on his birthday. He spent the last few weeks convincing you to go with him. 
You gave in, but the thought of attending a social gathering with people you had never met before worried you. Vil reassured you that he would remain by your side at all times. You agreed on the spot, putting on a brave face for his sake. He promised to spend time with you afterwards. Just you and him. He even agreed to eat cake.
“I’m okay with that.”
“Thank you. I know you’re excited, but I want to save all the birthday related things for after.”
He set his makeup down and handed you a container of gel, climbing onto the bed while you got on your knees. You wrapped your arms around his neck.
“You never let me do your hair.”
“Think of it as a reward for coming along with me.”
“I told you that you didn’t have to worry about that,” you said, letting go of your embrace and popping off the container’s lid.
“I’m thankful, but don’t push yourself for me.”
“I won’t, don’t worry. Besides, I want to. You’re going to be busy after today. I want to spend as much time as possible with you today.”
He smiled and helped you push his hair back. Dipping your fingers into the cool aquamarine substance, you combed through your lover’s hair, bringing his bangs back. When you finished, he turned around to kiss you. He caught you off guard, but you leaned into the kiss instantly. It wasn’t passionate nor was it chaste. It was somewhere in between as to not smear your lipstick. You reached for his hair to deepen it, but he grabbed your wrists. Right. You had forgotten. 
“Later,” he whispered.
Your cheeks were dusted with a rosy tint. Later? As quickly as he pulled away from you, Vil slid off the bed. He passed by his mirror, patting down his suit and hair. Then, he extended his hand to you, “Shall we go?”
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[ Land of Pyroxene, Venue’s Rose Gardens ]
Vil said it was a small social gathering. A small party. The amount of people was fair to his description, but the setting was overwhelming. It was sophisticated. There were fae servers and ice sculptures. You were surprised to learn that the soirée was held in his homeland. You were expecting a carriage yet he simply led you to the mirror chamber where the headmaster bid him farewell.
And here you are. You were in a rose garden differed from Heartslabyul’s greatly as the roses were as white as snow. They grew on pickets and hung over your heads like grape vines. It was scenic, ethereal, like something out of a fairytale. There was also a castle in the distance, adding to the regality of the venue. 
“Vil! Oh thank goodness you’re here. I almost thought you were going to leave me to fend against all of these actors wanting to know more about you,” a stout woman said, scrambling towards him, “Oh? Is this your– ohhhhh–”
“Adella, this is (y/n). Fairest, this is Adella, my manager.”
Vil paused, cueing you for an introduction. He glanced at you.
“Chin up, dear,” he wrapped an arm around your waist, “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
Breathe. Breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Adella was Vil’s manager. Like he said, she’s nothing to be afraid of.
“P-Pleasure to meet you,” you extended your hand out.
She took it with a death grip. Sheer willpower prevented you from wincing. 
“No, no, the pleasure is mine. Vil has told me so much about you. And my, he calls you ‘Fairest’ how adorable~”
“What has he told you?”
You heard his breath hitch. Vil’s arm slithered back to his side. Was that too much? You were curious, but what if that made him uncomfortable? You should apologize later. 
“Nothing much. I didn’t even know what you looked like even! His pet name for you suits you so well. Oh! I do know that he frequently asks about his schedule because he said that he wants to spend time with the s–”
“That’s enough now, Adella,” Vil said, crossing his arms and putting his weight on one foot.
Shoot. He was displeased. 
“Yes, yes, sorry. Shall we go greet your colleagues? You are free to mingle afterwards. I know that there was this one actor who was practically begging me to see you. You weren't here yet though so what could I do? Fufufu~”
“Are you coming, (y/n)?” Vil asked, turning his head to see you trailing behind.
You halted and pointed to the dessert table, “You can go on ahead.”
He nodded and followed his manager to the east side of the garden. You made your way to your own destination. While you wanted to go with Vil, meeting Adella set your nerves ablaze and drained all the social energy you had. Plus, you felt out of place when you stood next to Vil.
Compared to him, you could never pull off silver earrings. A pair of red heels simply looked better on him than they ever would on you. Then there was Adella who was also gorgeous with her messy bun and nude lipstick. She wasn’t a public figure yet you felt small around her presence. She exuded a lovable aura that drew people around her.  If you had to meet more people who were meant for the spotlight, celebrities no less, you could never manage through the night. If you avoided strangers, you should be fine. There were cake pops amongst other treats at the table. You were going to have a ball of a time.
You plucked the confection off its stand, examining it thoroughly. It was as luxurious as the party’s decor. The dessert resembled the poison apple the Beautiful Queen from the stories you were told as a child. Gold foil acted as the poison while a red coating of candy melts acted as the skin of the apple. You bit the top off. It was a vanilla sponge cake. Odd for an extravagant event like this as you assumed the flavors would be bolder. Maybe it was the kind expensive vanilla. Were they all the same flavor? You plucked another one from the stand, biting into it. Oh this one was red velvet with a cream cheese filling. Were there other flavors?
“My, my, you sure like the cake pops, don’t you?” a voice cooed.
You turned your head to meet the owner of that sweet voice. He had hair as black as ebony and skin as white as snow. His eyes were a warm chocolate brown. He wore a yellow jumpsuit with a red ribbon which was complemented by a black beret. He strained a smile at you.
“You needn’t look at me like a deer in headlights. It’s okay I like cake pops too,” he laughed.
“Who are you?”
“Eh? You don’t know who I am?”
You shook your head. He blinked twice. 
“I’m Neige LeBlanche, lead actor of the film. But, say, since you don’t know who I am, I’m assuming you’re someone’s plus one? You seem kind of young though...”
He took a cake pop from the stand, peeling off the gold foil.
“I’m Vil’s plus one.”
“Vil? I would have never guessed. I thought he said he wasn’t bringing someone. He didn’t seem like he wanted to either...” he mumbled something and paused, “As expected of my senior! Say, what are you to him?”
You pulled the ends of your hair, “I-I’m his girlfriend.”
“Is that so? He never mentioned having a girlfriend. I always thought he was going to end up–”
“We started dating a few weeks ago.”
“Oh my, that’s–”
“I have to go so if you’ll excuse me, Neige. It’s been nice meeting you. Congrats on the film,” you waved.
“No, no, the pleasure is mine, (y/n). I’m glad I got to meet Vil’s girlfriend. You were so sweet! I hope we can talk some more in the future! Oh I know–You should follow me on MagiCam! We can talk there,” he exclaimed, clasping his hands around yours.
He was so bubbly
 You didn’t know how to handle him. Was this interaction not awkward to him at all? Your cheeks flushed as you excused yourself. You held your head down low and avoided eye contact with everyone you crossed paths with. Where you were headed to was a mystery, even to you. Anywhere was fine. Anywhere secluded. Anywhere without people, but close enough to trace your footsteps back to the rose gardens should anything arise.
Of course, that was the ideal scenario. In your situation, nothing was ideal per se. You were lost. You had trudged forward whilst looking at the ground, not getting a good look of your surroundings at all. It was hard to tell where you were. If you had known better, you would say that you were in a children’s book. The rose bushes towered high above your head and the castle was closer than it was before. In the center of it all was a gazebo adorned with intricate floral details. There was also a well to the side of the structure. You made your way to the gazebo and sat down on the bench, gazing upon the beauty of the raven sky. It glittered like a thousand fireflies.
You sighed, “The moon is beautiful tonight.”
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[ Some Ungodly Hour, Venue’s Rose Garden ]
“Nghh
”
“You’re awake now?”
Vil? What was he doing here? The moon was high in the sky. It was late. You were resting your head on his lap. You sat upright in an abrupt motion.
“I’m sorry.”
“What for?”
“Ruining the party by running off and falling asleep, wasting your time when you could have been talking to someone more important–”
Vil put a finger to your lips: “I was getting exhausted of people commenting on my looks anyway. You did worry me by running off though. To think that I had to ask Neige of all people too.”
That last part about Neige. Did he not like his co-star? He ran his hand through his hair while you adjusted yourself into a more comfortable position. You opted to lean your head on his shoulder. Vil reciprocated by placing his head on top of yours, nuzzling it.
“The party is still ongoing so don’t worry,” he said, “Though you could have told me where you were.”
You exhaled. Thank goodness. It would have been embarrassing if it ended.
“Sorry about that.”
“Was it that exhausting for you? I told you not to push yourself for my sake. It makes neither of us happy.”
“At first, no, I wasn’t. I was a bit nervous around your manager but then Neige threw me off for a bit–”
“Neige? What did he say to you?”
“Nothing. He just asked what I was to you and I wasn’t prepared for that.”
“We’re leaving.”
“What? Why?”
Your stomach growled. You looked down at the ground. Suddenly the grass below your feet was the most interesting thing in the world. He took your hand firmly. His grip was different. He held you as if he was about to lose you.
“I had talked to everyone I needed to talk to. I’m done for the day and so are you. I would like to celebrate my birthday now with my dearly beloved if she would please.”
It wasn’t a request. It was a demand. There was no room for apologies.
You rose from the bench, grimacing at the soreness and took his hand, following him to the mirror.
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[ Midnight, Vil’s Bedroom ]
Was he mad? He said he wasn’t. But then why was he handling you so roughly? Vil pulled you into the bathroom. He turned the faucet on, drawing water into the bathtub. He grabbed a bottle of bubble bath product and rose petals. He emptied the contents and discarded the containers onto the cool tiles. They rattled and echoed. Vil turned to his cabinets, searching for something. Strands of his loosely gelled hair swayed back and forth as he sifted through his cosmetics. He muttered gibberish as he found makeup wipes. Pulling you towards him, he began to wipe the gunk off your face. His motions were rigid, frantic, like he was wiping at a stubborn speck on a mirror. He turned you around and undid your dress’s zipper. The process was akin to a kitten’s first yawn. Slow, drawling yet somehow winsome. The act was intimate. Vil manhandling you was a first. It spawned many mixed motions. The positives outweigh the negatives, but was he alright? His eyes were ready to cry. They were glossy to the rim. When the zipper reached the end of its path, he pushed you aside and tended to his own face with a new wipe.
“Strip and get into the tub,” he instructed.
Strip? That was off-putting, especially from him. He didn’t want to have birthday sex did he? Or would he leave when he was done with his makeup? It had to be the latter. You held your sides, preventing the dress from slipping down your shoulders. But what if he did? What if he wanted to let out his frustrations on you? Was that it? He said he was more worried than upset, but his actions betrayed his words. He was tense. He could burst at any moment. Vil, as he was now, was a time bomb, ticking away. You feared he might break.
Vil snapped his fingers before you. You flinched. As you regain focus into the real world, you come to the sight of your lover in the tub, hair wet and his body leaning against the edge. His clothes were hanging on the laundry hamper. You looked away, excusing yourself under your breath. A tug on the hem of your dress stopped you in your tracks. He had broken. His eyes were red and puffy though no tears trailed down his fair complexion. You knelt down beside the tub, tucking his hair behind his ear.
“Vil
”
“Could you stay?”
“In the tub?”
“Only if you want to.”
Why is it that he could always see through you? Was your discomfort obvious? No, no, he was merely attentive. Then again, you were equally observant to everyone, especially towards Vil. Your darling was an open book, an easy read– the merit being that his words rarely matched his actions. He was a novel full of metaphors, eloquent tones and arbitrary words. Underneath the complications, he was as simple as the next composition. He was as insecure as any other person, if not more. To read Vil Schoenheit, you mustn't analyze his speech. Words fail in this case. You had to look for the little things: his weight shifting on one leg, his shoulders tensing, his eyebrows furrowing for a brief moment, his shortness of breath, his eyes.
In this very moment in time, Vil needed you. He said there was no obligation, but the small frown on his lips told you otherwise. He was aware of your own boundaries, but at times like these, when he needed you most, your instinct to reach for him, to hold him, triumphed over your murky thoughts. There was mutual trust between you and Vil, two profoundly regardful people. One was observant because he had a keen eye for details and all things beautiful. The other was observant because she was wary of the opinions of others.
Vil turned away from you as you let your dress and undergarments fall to the ground. His eyes were closed when you climbed into the tub.
“You never have to push yourself for my sake, Fairest,” Vil said as he wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled your back closer to his chest.
“I don’t mind if it’s for you. I will tell you when I can’t do something, I promise.”
“You better,” he sighed.
You turned around and cupped his cheeks, “What about you? Are you alright? You’ve been so stiff ever since we left.”
You scooped some soap suds onto his hair, lathering and combing though his silky locks while you waited for him to formulate the right words.
“Fairest, do you think I am more than my appearance?”
You stopped mid-caress and nodded. His looks were always a touchy subject. Vil had a severe case of type-casting, a situation where he was only casted for roles with “beautiful” as the main attribute of the character. At first, he was content with them, but as time went on, he felt defined by his appearance. His hard work was futile in an industry that valued beauty over effort. Comments such as “you only got to where you are now because of your face” was a stab in the heart for Vil. He often sought out you or Rook for comfort. It came to the point where Vil frequently declined callbacks.
He continued, “No matter how much I talked to others about my role in the film or attempted to make more connections to those in the industry, they would always comment on my ensemble first. Sometimes they comment on how I look and nothing more.”
“So you feel invalidated for your efforts?”
“Yes, I feel like none of the work I put into getting where I am now. I feel like all I had to do was look pretty and everything will be handed to me
 just like Neige. I want to be as pretty as him. I want to be as popular as him. I want to be recognized for my skills and get casted for the best roles. Not superficial ones. I want
 I want....”
You embraced him as he choked on his own words.
“This is hypocritical since it’s coming from me, but you should never compare yourself or your efforts or progress to anyone else. You are enough as you are, at your own pace.”
His arms engulfed you. He kissed you, intertwining his tongue with yours.
“I’m sorry,” Vil said, pulling away. 
“I’m sorry too.”
“What did I tell you about saying sorry for something that’s out of your control?”
“But you’re apologizing too,” you laughed.
He snorted.
“But I do feel guilty for leaving you alone though. Maybe I could have said something for your sake. I feel even worse since it was your birthday.”
“We’re both pathetic in that regard.”
You scooped water onto Vil’s head. He did the same for you. You looked him into the eyes before averting your gaze. They were as intense as ever.
“I accept your apology though. In turn, you should accept mine.”
“I can’t. Sorry, Vil. You told me that I should never apologize for how I feel. Neither should you.”
“But I don’t have anxi–”
“You don’t have to have anxiety or anything to have a bad mental health day. You don’t have to have anxiety or anything to feel insecure or worthless. Those feelings are valid for anyone”
“You do have a point there,” Vil said as he tousled his hair.
“I have something for you. It may not be your birthday anymore,” you glanced at the clock, “but we haven’t slept yet so in my mind the day isn’t over yet.”
“What kind of logic is that?”
“Does it still feel like a ninth of April to you?”
“Yes, but technically it’s not.”
“Think of it as a feeling then,” you said and climbed out of the tub.
Vil assisted you in the process and got towels for you both. He languidly dried your hair.  His touch was soft like a ghost’s embosom. You could barely feel his touch. Then, he waltzed over to his dresser and gave you one of his silk pajama tops. While he was getting dressed, you grabbed your gift for him, sitting on the edge of the mattress waiting for him.
Shortly after, he plopped down on the bed. The pillows bounced on impact. You held the gift bag over his chest. He looked up at you then at the bag. Sitting up, he opened it.
“Well?”
Your lover tore through the tissue paper, revealing a small box wrapped in brown wrapping paper, red ribbon and twine. His eyes sparkled like a child on Christmas Day.
He read the present tag aloud: “‘To my darling: Vil Schoenheit. Happy birthday.’”
He undid the bow, careful not to ruin the label. He found the edges of the wrapping paper and picked off the tape piece by piece and discarded it on the ground. It fell with grace. Vil lifted the lid of the box.
“A book?”
“Open it.”
Granted, you were more nervous than he was. Would he like it? Today was not his day. You hoped to make him feel better. If he didn’t like it in the slightest, you wouldn’t know how to feel. You wanted to see him smile. It was his birthday. He did not deserve to feel insecure because of soirĂ©e guests. He did not deserve to feel so small when he was your world. In fact, he deserved the world for all that he was. He worked too hard not to. His efforts deserved to be paid off. Perhaps not every day, but for his birthday, he should have. It was his day.
Vil obliged, turning to the title page.
“Eighteen things I love about you,” he read.
You leaned over his shoulder.
“Did you honestly write an essay about your love for me?”
“No,” you said, burying your head into the crook of his neck, “Just look.”
“I jest, Fairest.”
Vil licked his finger and turned the page.
“Ah. A scrapbook? Let’s see
 ‘Number one: I love how—”
You put a hand over his mouth, “It’s embarrassing if you read it out loud.”
“I think it’s endearing. Besides, I live for your flushed face.”
You whined and he let out a laugh.
“I’ll spare you. I’ll only read the first one aloud.”
“That’s fair,” you mumbled.
“I hope it is. Anyhow
 ‘Number one: I love how you carry yourself with utmost respect. I love how you know your worth. I love how angry you are when you are undermined– because you know you are worth more than what the current situation offers. Your confidence is contagious as it inspires me to acknowledge my own worth, to be bolder and seek opportunities that are on par to my own capabilities.’”
He paused.
“What?” you asked.
“I like how you included a photo of us as freshman potatoes,” he said, running his fingers over the image as if he was wiping away dust.
“You always were always like a star to me, ever since we first met. It was hard to start off this scrapbook without referencing that.”
You twirled the ends of your hair.
“I’m glad that you see me in such a way.”
His voice was so soft, inaudible even.
“Vil?”
No response. He flipped the book to page two. Then to page three and so forth. He was still. His chest did not rise and fall each breath. He didn’t even blink. He stopped at the last page. It read: “I love you. You as a whole– the person you present to the crowd and the person you present to a select few. I love you for every flaw and insecurity. I love and accept you in the same way you love and accept me and more. I promise to love you forevermore– no shunning, no judging, just staying by your side and watching you grow into a person I fall in love with more and more every day.”
He pushed you down onto the bed and kissed you, dropping the book onto the ground.
“V-Vil
”
A sense of déjà vu washed over you.
He was vulnerable. He knew, you knew. His lips were quivering and his eyes were glossy. But did he like it? You tried so hard not to say that you liked him because of his looks. That was a touchy subject for him. Did that last one come off as too cheesy? You were told you were quite sappy on top of having an ability with words but still

“What are you doing writing a bunch of wedding vows, you sweet potato?” Vil muttered as he cuddled you.
“I didn’t mean for it to come off like that. We’re barely a month into this relationship so that’s out of the question. I’m pretty sure we’re still in our honeymoon phase too. But that’s how I feel right now. So
 What if I wrote a bunch of wedding vows to you? What of it?”
You could feel heat rising to your cheeks. Hopefully, he didn’t find your sudden confession cringe-worthy.
“I never said it was bad... I feel the same.”
He let the last part of his sentence trail off into silence.
“Do you feel better now?”
Was that out of place? Did that kill the mood? What if you soured his mood?
“Much better, thank you. I appreciate it and
 I love you too. I know I don’t say it a lot, but I think you know that already.”
“I do.”
He peppered your face with kisses. Some were on your lips, Others were on your cheeks and forehead and occasionally trailed down your jawline.
“I also have something else for you,” you spoke up, pushing him off of you so you could grab another bag that you left by the foot of his bed.
“You spoil me, Fairest.”
“It’s not much. Just a cake I made for you.”
“A whole cake?”
“A cupcake, I mean. I know you’re not one for sweets.”
“And you left it in my room with no refrigeration.”
You pointed to the ice pack. He nodded. You pulled out a cake box, propping it open on Vil’s hands and told him to hold still. You placed a candle in the center and lit with a little spark of fire magic.
“Make a wish~”
“What am I? Twelve?”
“You have to make a wish.”
“Fine,” he said as he blew out the taper, “I wish to be with you for as long as possible.”
“You can’t say your wish out loud. It won’t come true!”
“Do you have any intention of separating from me?”
“N-No.”
“I don’t see why my wish won’t come true then,” Vil said as he cut the cupcake in half, handing you a piece.
“I guess you’re right about that.”
“Careful. If you get crumbs on my bed, you’re sleeping in the spare room.”
“...Understood.”
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[ Present Day, Pomefiore Hallway ]
One moment he was dolling you up, the next he was wrapping a blindfold around your eyes and led you down the hallway to god knows where. You were still walking straight so you only assumed that you were still in the Pomefiore dormitories. Unless you walked through a mirror. Or maybe you simply had a terrible sense of direction. Whatever the case was, it did not change the fact that you were trembling.
“Vil. Where are you taking me?”
He exhaled. You could hear his chest heave.
“Darling, are you scared?”
Like how you could read him like an open book, he knew you like the back of his hand. You nodded and you felt him undo the blindfold. He held the ribbon in his hand and yours in the other. You looked into his eyes for comfort. He was wearing a single French braid. It was nostalgic. It was like you were first years again. He wasn’t wearing a school uniform, but it was enough to stir up fond memories. Instead, Vil wore a casual ensemble with a kimono-esque silhouette. He wore a white dress shirt with a pair of shapeless, high-waisted black dress pants. A cardigan with an ornate pattern accentuated the look, He wasn’t wearing the barrette you made him for his sixteenth birthday either, but you felt nostalgic regardless.
“I still need you to close your eyes for me though,” he said, putting the hand with the ribbon over your eyes, “I know you’re scared, but please hold on for a little longer.”
You nodded and closed your eyes. You felt his hand leaving your face, but the other was holding yours tightly, guiding you to your destination.
“Fairest, are your eyes actually closed?” Vil asked, breaking the silence.
“Y-Yes.”
You had been walking for a few minutes now. Where was he taking you?
“Vil, do you know what today is?”
No response.
“Vil
 You’re scaring me.”
“We’re almost there, don't worry.”
Would it hurt to trust him for a little bit? You trailed behind him aimlessly. Your steps lagged behind his.
“You ready?” he asked, cupping his lanky fingers over your eyes.
You nodded. Whatever could it be? Lacking sight made Anxiety rattle against your skull. Was Vil going to push you off a cliff? Send you to your doom? No, no, no. He wouldn’t. That was too extreme, (y/n). Calm down.
He lifted his fingers off of your eyes, whispering a faint “happy birthday” to you. You gasped. Pomefiore lounge decorated with streamers and balloons– color coordinated to match both the dorm’s interior as well as your favorite colors. Rose petals were sprinkled on the ground. You heard Vil step away from you. You jumped as you heard something pop and turned around to find the source. Before you could react, a swarm of confetti went your way followed by a loud “surprise!”
You blinked twice, pulling bits of paper out of your hair..  You stepped forward and spun your heel. Were you dreaming?
“Hey, are you crying? I forbid you from crying. Your mascara is going to smear. Stop touching your face,” Vil scolded, running to your side, whipping out a handkerchief to pat your tears dry.
He had no confetti on his person. He was pristine.
“Vil
 it’s wonderful. Thank you. I’m so glad you didn’t forget.”
“How could I forget? You must give me more credit, Fairest. I may not have the time to be with you every day, but I’m not cruel as to forgot your birthday,” he huffed, pulling you into a hug.
He was right. He could have never forgotten. Was he mad that you doubted him? He didn’t seem irritated. It wasn’t like him to forget such an important date. You’ll give him credit for being a good actor; he fooled you well. He ignored you for almost two weeks. Whenever you brought up your birthday, he brushed over it and changed the subject. You were on edge the entire time. A weight was lifted off your chest.
“I know you’re not one for parties, but I figured I’d go all out for a small group of people you are comfortable with. You’re seventeen now. Rejoice, my dear.”
You pecked his lips, “This is fine. Thank you so much.”
Snap!
“Cute~ Hashtag: Vil-Did-Not-Forget. Hashtag: (y/n)’s-Growth Record. Hashtag: (y/n)-And-Vil-Forever. Hashtag: Birthday. And posted! Happy birthday, (y/n)-chan~”
“Ah. Thank you, Cay-kun.”
“Did you have to do that?” your lover asked, hands on his hip.
“It’s fine, Vil.”
He nodded. You hoped he wouldn’t bicker too much with Leona as the upperclassman was lounging a bit too close to the throne for [Vil’s] comfort. You sighed as he went to the refreshments table.
“You’ve grown for much,” Cater said with crocodile tears, hugging you.
“I’m still the same height.”
“I didn’t mean that, silly.”
“What did you mean then?”
“Nothing, much. You just look happier. Anyways, here’s your present. Continue to blossom, m’kay?”
You took the gift: “Alright?”
“Cater. Mind your manners. You’re being rude. According to the–,” a voice called.
“I don’t think I am, right, (y/n)? Tell Riddle for me~” he pouted.
His eyes widened as the complexion of Heartslabyul’s prefect grew as red as his hair. 
“Hey now. Let’s not fight,” Trey, the vice prefect, hurried over to pat Riddle’s back.
You sighed, “There’s nothing to worry about, Riddle.”
You could have sworn you saw a vein deflate on his forehead as he mumbled something about the rules. He handed you a bouquet of roses.
“Happy birthday, (y/n).”
“Let’s take a Heartslabyul selfie to celebrate! Say cheese!”
No one said cheese. The flash flickered before your eyes as you held the flowers close to your nose. Riddle’s eyebrows were scrunched together. He was socially awkward in that aspect.
“Hashtag: Heartsla
”
Cater’s words faded. Since when have you been comfortable taking pictures with him. It was nice. You felt pretty today. Was it because Vil dolled you up to a T? You hugged the bouquet closer to your chest as you walked towards the refreshments table.
“Oi. Herbivore. Watch the tail,” an all too familiar voice groaned.
“Good afternoon to you too, Leona.”
“Here’s your present.”
He handed you a small box and he waved you goodbye. Was he not going to stay? You watched his back get smaller and smaller as he walked out of the Pomefiore Lounge. He wasn’t big on parties either. That was alright.
You continued the refreshments, stopping occasionally and accumulating presents here and there, engaging in idle chatter. Soon, your arms were full of trinkets and parcels. You panted as you set the gifts onto a spare table.
“You’re quite the attraction,” Vil said, sipping on a glass of apple cider.
“I don’t really think I’m–”
“Own it for a day, will you? You look absolutely divine.”
“Thank you, Vil.”
He wrapped an arm around your shoulder, “My pleasure, Fairest.”
215 notes · View notes
itsallagatha · 4 years ago
Text
Part 2
Agnes(Agatha) x OFC
wc: 1,792
warnings: none? memory loss?
This one is bit long and angsty lol -brie 💜
Ella found herself sitting on a couch of the ever intriguing woman who had seemingly for lack of a better word “kidnapped” her.
Since running into her outside, Elara hadn’t left Agnes’s side. They had chatted about Westview, the new couple across the street, the pecking order amongst the women in town, and anything else Agnes felt was necessary she know.
When they sat down for dinner, Elara hadn’t expected anything extraordinary. After all, this arrangement had only happened a few hours prior. But Agnes had gone out of her way to make it the most spectacular, dare Ella say, romantic, dinner she has ever taken part of. Maybe it was just the candlelight, but Agnes seemed to be glowing as they talked. She was absolutely stunning in every way, Ella couldn’t keep her eyes off of her, something Agnes ended up pointing out a few times to which Ella would avert her gaze and deny with a soft blush.
Ella knew without a doubt she was hastily falling head over heels for the nice woman with the boisterous personality and sparkly smile. She could hope (though she had many doubts) that Agnes would feel the same one day.
After dinner, Agnes had stepped away to clean up the dishes, insisting she do them herself, leaving Ella with a rare moment to herself. She began to truly look around for the first time. Getting up, she began to walk around the cozy sitting room. What first caught her eye was the wall full of stocked bookshelves.
Reading
She remembered sitting in front of a fireplace wrapped up in someone’s arms with a good book. She couldn’t remember who though, or when for that matter. Honestly it felt more like a dream than a memory.
Meanwhile Agatha was brewing a special pot of tea in the kitchen. Hoping a little bit of truth serum would help get to the bottom of all her questions. Of course she could always easily force her way into Elara’s head, but the side effects were...less than desirable.
Picking up her tea tray, Agatha made her way back into her sitting room. About to announce her presence, however a certain sight made her pause. Her eyes landed on Elara who looked blissfully lost in a book, unaware of the world outside the pages.
A wave of sadness flooded Agatha’s mind as she quietly watched her from the doorway. She missed her wife. It hadn’t been particularly easy the past few days watching Wanda and Vision live out their newlywed fantasies while she was isolated from her own partner. It was in that moment that Elara felt so close yet so far out of reach. It was frustrating.
Agatha cleared her throat before announcing herself. “Sorry about the wait, dear! Why don’t you join me?”
Ella jumped slightly, startled out her daydream. (Agatha most definitely noticed how timid her wife seemed to be acting since arriving in Westview, but tucked away that tidbit of observations for a later date). She slid the book into place on the shelf and made her way back to the couch, watching Agnes carefully set out her tea set.
Agatha patted the cushion next to her, “Come on, don’t be shy, I don’t bite! Unless you ask nicely first.” She chuckled a bit after that, reveling in the way it made Elara blush as she took her seat.
“Well-I...You’ve been so kind to me today, I just want to express my gratitude, Agnes, truly!”
“Don’t even mention it! Here.” Agatha handed her a cup of tea, then grabbed her own and once again started rattling on about everything and nothing all at once.
It didn’t take long for Elara to begin to feel the effects of the doctored tea. Her eyelids started drooping of their own accord and suddenly her teacup felt much too heavy to hold. Grasping the back of the couch with her free hand, Elara tried to steady herself, but to no avail.
“Agnes
”
Agatha quickly grabbed one of Elara’s shoulders as she set her own cup down, then took Elara’s and placed it with her own. “Steady there! Are you feeling alright?”
“I don’t-I
” Elara’s eyes were filled with worry as she struggled to feel even slightly present. It was like all her thoughts simply...vanished.
“Good.” Agatha used her now free hand to gently hold her wife’s waist, occasionally nudging her swaying figure to keep her sitting upright. “Now look back at me dear, I just have a few questions I'd like to ask you.” She gently reached for Elara’s chin, turning her face to look at her own. “Is that okay?”
Ella, now completely under the influence of the spelled tea, merely flashed a dopey smile in response. “You-you’re very pretty
”
“Aren’t you precious,” Agatha cooed while softly stroking her thumb across Elara’s cheek in an attempt to ground her. Feeling her lean into the touch, Agatha decided to move forward with her questions. “Who are you?”
“Ella.”
“Your real name?”
Frowning slightly, Ella began pulling away from Agnes’s touch. “I think I would know my own name.”
Agatha let her hands fall into her lap. “I have reason to believe you don’t.”
“And what reason would that be?”
“Women’s intuition, perhaps? Now, riddle me this: how did you get here? To Westview?” Agatha’s eyes wandered all across Elara, hoping to pick up any conclusions from her body language. Elara had bit her lip and was frowning as if trying to concentrate or remember something. Agatha could tell she was beginning to get frustrated.
Elara inhaled rather sharply before stuttering out a response. “I don’t-I...I don’t know.”
“Now you and I both know this particular piece of information is buried somewhere in that pretty little head of yours. Don’t lie to me.”
“I’m not! I promise!” Elara pleaded. “I truly don’t know!” The reality of her situation was finally caving in on Elara. The fact that she truly couldn’t remember anything about herself prior to the past few hours was unsettling to say the least.
Agatha was also beginning to look concerned. She saw the panic begin to set into her wife’s features. She was all big eyes and shaky hands. Agatha didn’t want to upset her this much, but it seemed like the best point of action: the intensity of Elara’s emotions paired with the effects of the tea should be just the distraction her mind needs to break free of the hex.
Tears started to form in the corners of Elara’s eyes. “I’m not lying, Agnes! I-I really have absolutely no idea how I got here or what any of this is supposed to be! I know I must sound out of my mind.” Elara leaned forward a bit too quickly in an attempt to grab one of Agatha’s hands and almost fell over in the process, but Agatha reached out to grab her side before she could.
“Careful dear-“
“You have to believe me!”
“I don’t think I can.”
“Why not? I’m telling the truth!” Elara reached out a hand, aiming for Agatha’s knee as a way to appeal to her but ended up missing and landing much higher up her thigh.
Agatha faked a gasp at the contact and quickly removed Elara’s hand. “Now now, seduction will get you nowhere, dear.”
“I didn’t-I’m not
” Elara huffed in frustration, the tears now steadily falling down her face. She had probably ruined any chance she might have had with Agnes. The last thing she wanted was for Agnes thinking she was trying to come onto her. She wasn’t. And she didn’t have any of the answers Agnes wanted and she didn’t understand why she was being so emotional either. Not to mention, she truly had no idea where she was. Nothing made sense anymore and it was starting to get to her head.
Clearly Elara was overwhelmed. That was more than obvious to Agatha. She didn’t know how much longer she could keep pressing her, or if she wanted to for that matter. Agatha herself was beginning to get upset at Elara’s current state, so she gently grasped her chin in one hand and pulled a kerchief out of her pocket with the other and began carefully wiping away Elara’s tears.
“There now, I know you weren’t darling. I was just trying to lighten the mood.” Elara started apologizing, but Agatha cut her off. “No need to apologize. You’re doing just fine!”
Ella took a deep breath and leaned into Agnes’s touch. She couldn’t help but think about what a terrible first impression she was making. Agnes was so captivating to Ella. She didn’t know what she would do with herself if they never spoke again. She had already lost her once, she couldn’t loose her again.
Wait.
Loose her again?
“Why are you here, darling? Think you can at least tell me that?”
Ella merely stared curiously at Agnes, lost in her own thoughts, she didn’t hear the question.
“What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?”
Shaking her head, Ella moved Agnes’s hand off her cheek, holding it tightly in her own. “I’ve been looking for you. I lost you...how do I know that? How is that even possible? I just met you today.”
Agatha froze. Had she finally gotten through to her? “I assure you, it’s much more than possible.”
One last single tear fell down Elara’s face. “I’m scared, Agnes.”
Wrapping her arms around Elara’s shaking form, Agatha pulled her into a tight embrace, tucking her blonde head of hair under her chin. “I know, dear. Believe me, I know.”
Before either could speak again, there was a knock at the door. Both women turned around as a female voice called out for Agnes.
Agatha grimaced. Wanda just had to have impeccable timing. Glancing between the door and her wife, Agatha knew she had to make a quick decision. If Wanda saw Elara like this, she’d know something was wrong and possibly banish her from Westview. She was unwilling to lose the progress they had made on Elara’s memory, but was more unwilling to lose her all together.
With a flick of her wrist, purple smoke filled the room then dissipated. The tea set disappeared and Elara was returned completely to her Westview self with no recollection of their post dinner conversation.
Wanda knocked on the door and called out for Agnes once more.
Ella blinked, her vision clearing revealing Agnes staring carefully into her eyes.
“Are you feeling alright, dear?”
Ella frowned. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Agnes shook her head. “Nothing. Just...checking in on my lovely house guest.” With that, she got up, leaving Ella alone, as she went to answer the door. Hopefully Wanda wouldn’t sense anything amiss.
At least not yet.
69 notes · View notes
not-reagan · 3 years ago
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milf: man i love forests
pairing: deforester boo seungkwan x frat boy mirror demon han jisung (side pairing reagan x rainbow)
genre: crack, strangers to friends to lovers, non-idol au
warnings: cursing, brief supernatural elements, i don’t know if this applies but all lcase, and i listened to christmas music and abba while writing this
word count: 2.7k
authors note: happy birthday @miyuuraiura !! i am so sorry about this monstrosity being your birthday gift but you asked for it so it's your fault entirely. i was gonna include some context on this story for those who are not rainbow and i but actually i don't think i will.
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seungkwan did what he could to get by. he loved nature, he really did, but sometimes you have to make moral sacrifices to survive. he was a college kid strapped for cash, and when he saw a sign reading “GET RICH QUICK, INVEST IN DEFORESTATION” in the summer going into his freshmen year, he jumped at the opportunity. sure, he would have rather been a freelance singer, hired for bar-mitzvahs and children's parties, but that job market was flooded at the moment.
jisung, on the other hand, had no care for nature. actually, he didn't care for any human things, apart from “banging parties, booze, the boysℱ, and bitches”. he hated quite a bit about earth, the worst of all to him being college. as a demon, he had no reason to attend university, but after he was summoned in the bathroom of a frat house by the school’s power couple; rainbow and reagan, he felt obliged to follow the two around and keep them company.
for seungkwan, his main job rarely required in person work. he usually just chose plots of land to demolish, and sent plans to local managers. the only time he actually had to knock down any trees himself was during his summer break. he has a part time job of course, but it didn't provide him enough cash to survive. for someone with a job as a deforester, he truly did do what he could to save the environment. he joined his schools environmental club, becoming vice president his sophomore year because of his work with them. he kept his job a secret, not even telling his parents where the influx of cash was coming from. he kept a low profile and went through the motions of life. he didn't have much of a social life, with his small amount of friends being from the environmental club.
han jisung found joy in witnessing his professors and fellow students lose their minds over his lack of effort in class. he did the bare minimum and still passed with flying colors. most of all, it angered his seatmate in earth science, who happened to be none other than boo seungkwan. seungkwan was a hard worker in everything he did, particularly in school. he didn't get the best grades, but by no means was he the worst. averaging a steady B+, seungkwan spent most of his nights studying or working, rarely going to parties and enjoying himself only through one person karaoke rooms.
this fact upset jisung. he didn't know why, but seeing seungkwan so tired every day made him feel sad(? jisung wasn't sure what it made him feel. it was an emotion he had never experienced before. rainbow told him it meant he had a crush. to this he threw an empty soda can at them). not to mention seungkwan’s upsetting karaoke addiction, which he knew all about the danger of because of reagan, who spent most of her weekends drunk and singing. jisung didn’t know why he took such a liking to seungkwan. what he did know was that he was ecstatic to find that they would be paired together for a project. a project that required quite a bit of teamwork, and a lot of after school work sessions.
seungkwan liked to think that he didn’t hate anyone. he hated evil people, like hitler and stalin and jyp, but he didn’t really hate anyone besides the worst of the worst. that was until he experienced jisung. he wasn’t sure why jisung always talked to him when he was trying to take notes in class. he especially wasn’t sure why he was so excited to be partnered up together for the project that was worth 25% of their grade. seungkwan was less than happy to have to cooperate with jisung for an extended period of time, and he was not looking forward to letting him into his dorm room, or going anywhere near jisung’s frat house. seungkwan had no idea what he was pushed into.
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they planned to meet at the cafe on campus at 5:00 pm after class. seungkwan was less than happy. jisung was thrilled. when jisung arrived seungkwan was sitting at a table drinking an americano and working on an english essay. he wasn't sure how to approach him, slowly walked closer before tapping on his shoulder. seungkwan jolted in his seat.
“jesus fuck jisung. you scared the crap out of me,” seungkwan gasped. jisung’s ears flushed as he brought his hand to the back if his neck.
“sorry,” he started, pausing for a second before starting again, “why don't we get started?”. he swung his bag down to the ground as he took a seat. seungkwan offered a small, non genuine smile before pulling out the project’s guidelines.
“let's try to finish this as quickly as possible. im pretty busy and don't have much time to fool around.” seungkwan said. jisung felt his heart drop. did seungkwan really think that little of him? granted, he always dozed off in class but he got his work done on time and in an orderly fashion. he felt his mind begin to wander. if seungkwan felt this way about him now, how would he feel when he found out that jisung was a demon. would seungkwan start to like him if he knew him better? jisung couldn't figure out why he cared so much about how seungkwan perceived him. he had never had an issue with others opinions of him before, so what made seungkwan so different? for some reason, jisung felt the need to connect with seungkwan. if not for himself, then at least to help him let loose.
after working silently on each of their portions of the projects for 3 hours, jisung finally spoke up. “do you want to maybe come to my party next month? well, it's not my party, it's for rainbow’s birthday. i know you're not one for social interaction but it would be cool to see you there. i’ll give you the details if-”
“i’d love to go,” seungkwan cut off jisung’s rambling. to be honest, he wasn't exactly sure what he was agreeing to, but he knew it would shut jisung up, and seungkwan valued his peace and quiet. part of him also just felt downright bad for the other. he seemed to be trying awfully hard to become friends with seungkwan, and he wouldn’t admit it, seungkwan had started to warm up to the boy. he really wasn’t as much of an issue as he had thought before, and was actually really respectful of seungkwan’s wishes. maybe i’ll give him a chance, seungkwan thought before going back to his work.
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over the next month, jisung and seungkwan continued meeting to work on their project. seungkwan was less short with the other, and jisung was still red faced every time seungkwan decided to talk to him, which became quite frequently over the next few weeks. jisung was starting to realize that the feelings he had for seungkwan were not simply platonic, and that he didn’t just want to be friends with him. with the help of rainbow and reagan, he had come to the conclusion that he really, really liked seungkwan, and that he was going to do something about it. remembering that he had invited seungkwan to the party, he devised a plan to not only tell seungkwan about his whole “i’m actually a demon” thing, but also about his true feelings. it wouldn't be easy, but it was what he had to do.
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a month later, seungkwan still wasn’t exactly sure why he had agreed to go to jisungs frat house at 9:00 pm on a saturday night. yet there he was, standing on the front porch of a large house, wondering if he should bite the bullet and walk in, or spare himself and leave right then. he didn't get a choice, however, as rainbow and reagan stepped out of the house giggling while clutching onto each other. both stopped in their tracks when they saw seungkwan. the couple and seungkwan stared at each other for a good minute before seungkwan shook himself from his trance.
“hey rainbow!” seungkwan started, “and reagan too. i know we aren’t super close, but jisung invited me and i thought i’d just drop by and wish you a happy birthday.” he passed her a birthday card filled with $50 bucks and then turned to leave. “i’ll leave you guys now. have a great birthday!” before seungkwan could get very far, however, rainbow grabbed him by the arm.
“hey, i’d love if you’d stay! at least go say hi to jisung. i’m sure he’d like to see you,” she said, silently making note to have jisung pay her back for being a great wingwoman.
“he’s probably hiding in the second floor bathroom. if you don't see him in there, just say his name three times in front of the mirror. he’ll appear.” reagan explained. seungkwan thought she was joking. how wrong he was.
following his entrance to the house, he had to refuse not one, not two, but three different people who were looking to give him bottles or cups of something which seungkwan presumed to be various types of alcohol. navigating through the house was difficult, reaching the stairs to the second floor only after running into numerous people borderline fucking on two large couches in the living room, a smoke circle taking place in what seungkwan assumed to be a dining room, and a very aggressive makeout session against a wall. once he finally reached the second floor, he had some difficulty finding the bathroom, accidentally walking in on reagan and rainbow, who had miraculously made it upstairs faster than he had.
“if you don’t stop shitting constantly i am going to break up with you! also, stop taking feet pics! it’s weird!” he heard rainbow shout.
“at least i can eat seafood! how does it make your head hurt? you’re the weakest link! that fucking seafood platter was delicious. and you know what, i’m glad i didn’t have to share it with you!” reagan responded. seungkwan quickly shut the door, not wanting to get involved in whatever drunken argument was going on there. after a bit more searching, he finally stumbled across the right room. knocking first to see if anyone was in there, he entered, and to his surprise, nobody was there. jisung was nowhere to be seen. seungkwan reviewed his options. he could a) leave the party, or b) continue to look around the packed house. but there was another option. he thought about it for a second.
“what's the harm in trying,” seungkwan thought out loud, before staring directly into the mirror.
“han jisung, han jisung, han jisung.”
nothing happened. that's what seungkwan thought, until a minute later the lights in the bathroom flickered off and the mirror began to glow. “what. the. fuck,” seungkwan managed to squeak out before falling backwards into the tub. first a leg emerged, then two arms, and finally the rest of jisung’s body.
“i feel like the genie in aladin every time i have to get into a fucking mirror,” jisung complained before seeing seungkwan toppled over. to that view, he jumped down off the counter and moved to help him up. seungkwan, aside from falling, seemed to be reacting well to the whole situation, at least in the sense that instead of freaking out he seemed to be in a state of shock. jisung took this as a good sign, and lifted the motionless body up onto the toilet seat.
“hey seungkwan, you there?” jisung waved his hand in front of seungkwan's face as he slowly came to his senses.
“what kind of twisted party trick was that?” seungkwan asked, pretty seriously. jisung just laughed.
“you summoned me from the mirror. i’m like a funny version of michael jackson except i'm a demon and not a man in the mirror.” jisung explained. seungkwan just stared. “are you ok kwan? do you want me to get you some water?”
“it was
 kind of sick.” seungkwan stated. he didn't know why he wasn't scared. under any other circumstance like this one, he probably would have shit his pants. for some reason he felt comfortable around jisung. he felt warm. he felt seen. it was something he hadn't felt before. that's when he realized. he wondered why it took himself to long to figure it out. he never hated jisung. he just didn't know what to do with the fact that he made him feel special, and that he felt as though he belonged when they were together. it had hit him why he was so nervous the whole night, why he had wanted to make such a good impression, and why he was willing to embarrass himself by calling out jisungs name as opposed to just choosing to go home. it was because he loved him.
“can i tell you something?” both of the boys said at the same time. jisung giggled and seungkwan flushed red. **authors note! bonus starts here**
“you first,” seungkwan offered. he wasn't exactly sure he would be able to make it through a sentence without getting any redder than he already was.
jisung took this opportunity to finally get his true feelings out into the air, “i like you
 uhh like, i like like you. i have since we first became seatmates. well, i think that's when i've liked you since. i knew whe-”
“you're rambling again,” seungkwan told him. jisung flushed a dark shade of pink. “it's a habit of yours. i think it's cute actually.” seungkwan wasn't sure where his sudden surge of confidence came from, but he was glad it came. he was standing up now, holding jisungs hands in his. jisungs heart was racing a mile a minute as he looked down at their intertwined hands and them back up, catching seungkwan looking directly at his lips. “can
 can i kiss you?” seungkwan stuttered out. jisung couldn't find his words, so he opted to just nod.
when their lips connected, seungkwan could have sworn he heard fireworks. he did later find out that someone was setting off a firework in the back yard, but it was the thought that counted. their lips melted together perfectly, and seungkwan wondered why it took him so long to admit his feelings to himself. he could have been kissing jisung for a month before this.
once they finally parted, seungkwan spoke softly, “i like you too. i think that's pretty obvious now but just in case you didn't know.” jisung had the dumbest, most confused face on, and seungkwan had the brightest smile he'd ever had. seungkwan had rendered jisung speechless, for once in his life. not long after, they started kissing again, content with their emotions and their new relationship.
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seungkwan was never one to believe that good things were permanent. he was overdramatic, stubborn, and hated interacting with people outside his small social circle. that was until han jisung came along. he was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, he could let someone else into his life.
jisung was a simple man. well, not a man, but he was simple nonetheless. he liked banging parties, booze, the boysℱ, and bitches. well maybe there was one more thing he liked. he knew for sure he liked boo seungkwan. maybe he loved him. maybe seungkwan even felt the same way.
-fin
**BONUS**
reagan and rainbow leaned up against the door to eavesdrop on their matchmaking work.
“holy shit!” reagan gasped.
“what is it?? tell me what happened. you're hogging up the door!” rainbow hissed.
“our boy is so grown up,” reagan pretended to cry. “put your goddamn ear up here.” rainbow felt her ear connect with the cold door just as jisung confessed his feelings.
“i like you
 uhh like, i like like you. i have since we first became seatmates. well, i think that's when i've liked you since. i knew whe-” his next words were cut off on the girls side of the door as reagan squealed.
“shut your mouth! seungkwans saying something!!” rainbow said, obviously annoyed that reagan was obstructing her ability to hear the exchange.
“can
 can i kiss you?” they heard seungkwan say. both looked at each other in shock.
“oh. my. god.” was all rainbow could say.
“i think we should give them some alone time,” reagan suggested as she tugged rainbow down the hall.
“i think we need some alone time for ourselves,” rainbow said as reagan pushed her into a random room and locked the door behind them.
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wrenhyperfixates · 4 years ago
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Be Good When I’m Gone
Pairing: Loki x reader Summary: When Loki starts to go on missions across the galaxy, you and the trickster god do your best to keep your relationship alive. Warnings: fluff with just a touch of angst peppered in A/N: inspired by the song Be Good When I’m Gone by Four Year Strong
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Disclaimer: Gif not mine
Dating Loki was difficult. The two of you had finally broken down all the barriers and walls he had put up, and for a little while, everything was perfect. Then Thor decided to start taking Loki for off-world missions. You were happy that the brothers had gotten back the trust they used to have. It’s just that sometimes you felt so lonely without Loki. Of course, you had plenty of friends in the Tower, but none of them understood you the way Loki did. You’d first caught the trickster god’s attention when he found you trying to pull a prank on him. Since then, you’d been partners in crime. Or, in this case, mischief.
You were currently perched on the edge of Loki’s bed while he packed the necessities for his next trip with Thor. Every time you had to say goodbye to him was harder than the last. You tried to remember that saying your mother had always told you. The one that goes if you love something, let it go, and if it’s meant to be, it’ll come back to you. Well, Loki did always come back, but you couldn’t shake the fear that one day he just...wouldn’t. Fears aside, the time away from him was agonizing. It was like having half your heart violently ripped from your body and kept away from you, often for weeks at a time. That’s why you were doing your best to distract him from the task at hand in the hopes he wouldn’t leave. Was it selfish? Probably, but you couldn’t help it.
“What’s wrong, my dear?” Loki asked, gently cupping your face in his hands.
“Do you really have to go?”
Loki sighed in response and placed a kiss to your forehead. He wanted to give you the world and had great difficulty denying you anything, but these missions were important. Not only did they often save lives, but they also helped him repair his relationship with Thor. Still, the thought of staying on Midgard with you was tempting.
“Not if you need me here,” he finally replied.
Now it was your turn to sigh. You would have begged him not to leave if your pride allowed it, yet all you had to do was ask, and he’d stay for you. Your heart desperately wanted to tell him that, yes, you did need him. And you honestly did, just not so desperately that you should be allowed to keep him from living his life. Besides, you wouldn’t want to be the reason he got into a fight with his brother. Seeing him in distress would cause you more pain than having to live without him for a little while.
“No, I’ll be fine,” you reluctantly said. “I’m going to miss you, though. I just wish it didn’t have to be so long before I can see you again.”
Loki captured your frowning lips in a kiss. “I feel the same way,” he said, sincerity burning in his emerald eyes. “Just try to be good when I’m gone, my little prankster.”
You giggled at the nickname and helped him finish packing. Sure, he’d be leaving soon, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t enjoy this time with him. Besides, he’d be back before you knew it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jolting up out of bed, you looked around in the pitch black room for the source of the incessant ringing that had abruptly awoken you. It was your phone that you apparently forgot to put on vibrate. You quickly grabbed it and headed into the bathroom of the small hotel room you were sharing with Wanda, your partner for the mission you were currently on. You said a silent prayer it hadn’t woken her up and checked the caller-ID. Seeing that it was your boyfriend calling made your heart beat faster. It had been two weeks since you’d talked to Loki last, and you’d been fraught with worry, unable to banish the thought that he was hurt. Or worse, dead.
“Hello, my darling,” his voice crackled through the phone. “Guess who will be arriving back at the Tower tonight.”
“Oh. That’s great, Loki,” you said, trying not to sound too disappointed. The timing couldn’t have been any worse if you tried. “It’s just that I’m on a mission right now.”
His end was silent for a moment, and you worried he might have hung up or lost whatever weak signal he found. Then, with as much enthusiasm as he could muster, he said, “Oh, that is alright. I will see you again when you get back. Certainly this mission can’t last for much longer, right darling?”
You winced, knowing that, at best, you’d be in the field for another two weeks. You didn’t want to disappoint him, though, so you told him you’d be back soon. The yawn that punctuated your sentence let Loki know just how tired you were, and he felt a stab of guilt that he was keeping you up. After all, you needed your rest to perform well on missions, and the last thing he wanted was for you to get hurt. You bid each other goodnight and hung up.
Walking back out into the bedroom, you saw Wanda sitting up, rubbing her eyes. Even in a half-asleep stupor, she was able to tell something was bothering you and tried to get you to talk about it. You, however, were emotionally drained and only wanted to sleep. She did give good advice, though, so you resolved to tell her in the morning.
Meanwhile, back at the Tower, Loki and Thor’s ship landed in the hangar. Loki was feeling just as miserable as you were. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anyone he felt comfortable enough to confide in. Thor tried to get him to talk, but whatever trust there was between the two still felt too fragile to Loki for him to talk about something as precious to him as you were. Besides, Thor’s approach to dating was a lot less graceful than Loki’s, so he was sure whatever advice his brother would offer him would be more annoying than helpful.
It soon became clear to Loki that you wouldn’t be home as soon as you had said you would. When the loneliness became unbearable, he found himself in your room, taking it all in. Sometimes he laid down on your bed, enjoying the way it smelled like you. Your room often looked like it was hit by a hurricane, and while he usually liked for things to be neat and organized, Loki found he didn’t mind all that much. It reminded him of your chaotic energy that he so loved. When you knew he’d be in your room, you always made sure to clean it up, but a part of him wished you’d leave it as it was. He didn’t want you to feel like you had to hide any part of yourself from him.
It was during one of these such musings that you arrived back from your mission and stumbled into your room, only to find your boyfriend sprawled on your bed. Exhausted, you flopped down next to him and curled into his side. He put his arms around you and placed a kiss to your forehead.
“Hello, my little prankster. I’ve missed you.”
Needless to say, you missed him too, but for as much as you loved him, this arrangement was taking its toll. The way you saw it, you had two options: Ask him to stay with you or break up with him, neither of which you could bring yourself to do. You supposed you could have travelled with Loki, but you didn’t think SHIELD would let you off the hook from your missions that easily. So, you’d just have to enjoy whatever fleeting moments with him that you could.
“Me too,” you said after peppering kisses along his jawline. “But we’re together now. I’ll stay right by your side until you have to leave again.”
“Well, about that. I have been doing quite a bit of thinking, and I came to a conclusion that I should have reached a long time ago.”
You pulled away from him and sat up on the bed, your mind immediately jumping to the worst-case scenario. “Oh,” you said. “I understand. We can still be friends though, right?”
Glancing over your shoulder, you gave him a sad smile. You should have known that even if you weren’t willing to break up with him, he wouldn’t want things to continue as they were now. He probably met plenty of other people during his travels, and here you were holding him back. It would get easier with time, you were sure, but still, you didn’t want to drag this breakup out for longer than necessary.
“Darling, listen to me,” Loki said, sitting up beside you and lifting your chin when you tried to avoid his gaze. “There is nowhere I’d rather be, nothing I’d rather do than be by your side. I’m staying here. With you.”
“But the missions. And Thor-”
“Thor,” he interrupted, “will understand. My place is with you.”
You couldn’t believe your ears. Overjoyed, you pulled him in for a passionate kiss. It struck you in that moment how silly you’d been to think he wanted to break up. Your love was no fragile thing, and he’d never been anything less than completely devoted to you. And now he was giving up intergalactic travel just to stay with you. It reminded you of what he’d said on the night of your first kiss. He’d told you he didn’t need a kingdom or a title or anything else, so long as he was king of your heart. You hadn’t realized at the time just how serious he’d been.
“Loki,” you breathlessly whispered, “I love you.”
“I love you too, my little prankster.” He paused for a moment, lost in your eyes. “Now then, if I’m staying, I think we’ve been a bit too good recently. I do believe the Tower is due for a little mischief. What do you say, darling?”
You laughed, happier than you’d been in a long time. “Absolutely,” you said, snuggling next to him again.
“You truly are the best thing that has ever happened to me,” he whispered into the night, after a short, peaceful silence. “I hope you know how much I mean it when I say I love you.”
“I do,” you said before falling asleep in his arms for the first night of many to come.
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cupidcreates · 4 years ago
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Love You Equally
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Chapter Thirty-Six: Put In Motion
Part 2: Final Meeting
Hitoshi pushed through crowds of shoppers and bystanders as he made his way to the cafe he’d told Monoma to meet him at. Steeling his nerves as he walked he adjusted the small recording device attached to his chest, being sure to not jostle it too much. It would record his entire conversation with Monoma and relay it back to administration. Once Hitohsi had found a way to make Monoma confess they would send security in to apprehend him, then without their leader, Dabi and Y/n’s ex would be left to either abandon their revenge or attempt to go it alone.
Hitoshi had no doubt in his mind that Dabi and Y/n’s exes would flounder their chance at revenge if Monoma was removed from the picture. Monoma was the brains behind the movement, and he’d already lost two important pieces in his game, the school's cameraman and security officer. Without them he had no way to get back onto campus to torture Hitoshi or any of his soulmates, but undoubtedly he was waiting for a chance to strike once school was out. 
Hitoshi couldn’t let that happen, he couldn’t let his soulmates get hurt because of his inability to deal with his ex. No, this was it, putting an end to their torment relied on him alone now. He needed a way to get Monoma to inadvertently confess to what he’d done, and he thought he just might have a way to weasel it out of him; it wouldn’t be easy, but as Hitoshi rounded the corner and saw Monoma waiting for him at a table for two away from everyone else, he knew it could be done.
Hitoshi slid into the chair opposite Monoma, meeting his gaze for the first time in months and once again beginning to feel the inferiority Monoma always instilled in him. He mentally shook himself, not allowing the feeling to consume him as it always had, and instead focused on keeping his face and voice steady as he greeted the man who’d been tormenting him and his loved ones for months now.
“Monoma,” He greeted, “How very nice to see you again. Thank you for agreeing to meet me here, I know I was rather unkind to you the last time we met.”
“Oh the pleasure is all mine love,” Monoma purred back, resting his chin on his propped up hands and narrowing his eyes at Hitoshi, “I believe you needed the comfort, what with all that’s been happening to you and your....unfortunate life partners.”
“Indeed,” Hitoshi replied, “As you know someone has snuck into our dorms and completely trashed them. We’re all out on a shopping trip now to replace what we lost.”
“I do know,” Monoma said, tilting his head slightly to the side and pouting, “I also know you wanted to blame me for that, which was very rude and hurt my feelings Toshi. I’d never do anything like that to you.”
“I apologize for jumping to conclusions Monoma,” Hitoshi said, interlocking his fingers and setting his hands on the table, “It was unkind of me. I was stressed is all, I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”
Monoma hummed and gazed off down the street, “Yes well, I am very used to you treating me like trash Hitoshi, I do not mind and I forgive you. Which is more than your soulmates could probably say,” He added, gazing out of the corner of his eye at Hitoshi with a foul grin, “I’m sure they’ll tire of your outbursts eventually, and once they do I’ll be all you have left. It’s only a matter of time, I’m sure you realize.”
Hitoshi gazed down at his hands and ground his teeth to keep the nasty remark he had on the tip of his tongue in check. This was, after all, where he needed the conversation to go.
“Regardless,” Hitoshi replied, lifting his head up and fighting to keep his face impassible and voice cool, “We think we might have evidence for who was in our dorms, the same people who’d been working with the security guard and cameraman at UA.”
“Oh?” said Monoma in a bored voice, “And who might that be?”
“Well Dabi and Y/n both have exes, rather clever the pair of them,” Hitoshi replied, hoping his casual voice didn’t sound too forced, “We think they’d been paying off the two UA employees, and we think they’ve got a plan for us today.”
“Clever huh?” Monoma said in a dry voice, “I doubt that but sure. Are you worried for the safety of your little friends? Is that it?”
“Yes,” Hitoshi replied honestly, “I love them more than I’ve ever loved anyone before. I’d hate for something to happen to them because a past lover couldn’t let them go.”
That’d done it, Hitoshi thought with relish, for that sentence struck a nerve with Monoma and his mask of cool indifference broke into a nasty scowl. He lay his hands down flat on the table and glared at Hitoshi.
“So that’s it, is it?” He snapped, “You think those two idiots are trying to scare your partners away? Make them so terrified to be near you that they break it off and abandon you?”
Hitoshi did his best to look genuinely shocked at Monoma’s words, “I didn’t think that at all, actually,” He replied in a startled tone laced with underlying worry, “I thought maybe they just wanted to hurt us. Do you really think they’re targeting me? I’ve no evidence for that.”
“Yes you do,” Monoma snapped, “Back when your stuff was being moved around, did it not end up in your room? They were clearly trying to alert your soulmates to the danger being attached to you would put them in.”
“But why would they want my soulmates to be afraid of me?” Hitoshi countered quickly, “It’s Dabi’s ex. It’s Y/n’s ex. Wouldn’t they want us to be afraid of them? Why pin it on me? I don’t think you’re right about that Monoma, it doesn’t make any sense for them to have a grudge like that against me.”
“Why else would they place things in your room then?” Monoma shot back through clenched teeth, his hands now fists as he glared daggers into Hitoshi, “Why else would they move your soulmates stuff all around campus but leave yours alone? Why would they follow your partners around and not you? It’s clear they’re out for you Hitoshi, I don’t think you’re taking this very seriously.”
Hitoshi heaved a deep sigh of relief and smiled at Monoma. “I think that’s enough,” he said, “I think you knowing the stalking habits of these two as well as where the stolen items had ended up without me ever having mentioned that to you is incriminating enough. In fact, if I’m not mistaken that’s the footsteps of several security guards headed this way I hear now.”
And indeed the sound of many thunderous footfalls were approaching them, causing many people in the outdoor cafe seating area to look around toward the source of the sound. Hitoshi pushed his chair back and rose from it, looking down at Monoma and saying, “It might not be enough to get you indicted on anything, especially if you refuse to confess, but I definitely think we can get a restraining order put in place and maybe a potential house arrest. In any case, you’ll definitely be banned not only from campus but the entirety of the city surrounding UA with this.”
To Hitoshi’s utter shock, Monoma didn’t seem to be upset at all. Instead a horrible foreboding smile was spreading across his face as he stood up and raised his hands above his head.
“Oh I’ll confess alright,” Monoma said, tilting his head and narrowing his eyes at Hitoshi, “I knew this little game was going to come to an end soon. And after I lost my eyes within the school I knew it would end this way. Your biggest mistake was assuming I’d come alone and without any contingency plans. I wonder how your precious soulmates are doing now, Toshi?”
Security guards finally rounded the corner, descending upon Monoma instantly and pulling him away from the table. Hitoshi felt himself being shoved backwards through the crowds as people gathered around the commotion. He paused only to send a message before sprinting flat out in the direction of the park, praying that he was able to get to his soulmates before the other two exes found them.
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blkpnkwriting · 4 years ago
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first time | sadism/masochism | gags | baths
jennie x f!reader
NOTE: this is a little longer than the rest will mostly likely be because i wanted to honour the request someone made literally years ago for jennie x reader first time (i.e. i’m the worst)
Red splashed up the far wall of your bedroom, crawled over the carpet as Jennie switched on the small light source. So, it was a lava lamp. Someone sue you, you liked having it as a lamp even if it wasn’t the 90’s anymore. But there you went overreacting to the littlest thing again, and a lava lamp was the least of your worries. The clock read a late hour, but not late enough to condone Jennie facing back to you in evident puzzlement. Since the pair of you had left the house party, you could barely string enough words together through the muddle of your brain to explain why you had to leave. You just did.
“Are you okay?” the brunette asked, shrugging off the fur bomber jacket she wore against the nip of night air. Underneath was a sheer top that soaked up the ebbing glow of the lamp with an eerie crimson aura. The juxtaposition between the ominous light and the concern etched on her face was only furthering your confusion.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m good! I — well, I just
 forget it.” It came forth as a scramble of syllables. You were pacing, running a hand through your hair and deciding it was best you took something off, too. Your fingers could barely undo the clasp of your skirt but was stopped when Jennie was suddenly at your side, taking your hand, turning you back to her. Your best friend knew you better than you knew yourself most times, and even if she didn’t, it wasn’t hard for anyone to discern you were downright flustered.
“Was it that girl? The redhead? What did she do — I’m going to ruin her life if she—!”
Jennie was on the right path, but leave it to her to jump to conclusions, hand squeezing yours protectively.
“No, no! It wasn’t like that
” You interrupted. You were going to have to explain the tangle of emotions if you wanted her to relax. And you did owe her an explanation for blanching abruptly and dragging her out of the building before either of you had finished your first cocktail. Now, you could feel it filtering out of your system, eased on by the anxiety pushing your blood faster through your heart. “She was
 nice. Really nice. I think she might’ve even liked me?”
The look on Jennie’s face was cute. Cocking her head, “Why the hell did you run away then?”
You flapped your arms, appearing like a petulant child for a second. Then, “I don’t know what I’m doing!”
Jennie glanced around the dim room before landing her eyes back on you. “You’re in your room, talking to me?” A hand met your cheek. “Are you feeling alright? How much did you drink?”
“I’ve never had sex, Jennie!” You blurted out. It came with a heavy pant. Honestly, you could’ve done better explaining it with less simple terms, but it was the truth and it was out. Not like it was shocking. Jennie was the first person you told after each time you made out with a stranger in a bathroom or that one boy back in high school under the bleachers. There was no way she would have missed you having sex for the first time somewhere in there. “I don’t know what I’m doing in the bedroom
”
It still surprised Jennie. She blinked, open her mouth. Shut it. Finally, “She wanted to sleep with you?”
“No,” you admitted, sagging slightly. “I could just tell we were clicking and she was putting on the moves. She was interested. And I’m not sure what happened but it just got into my head that it could
 lead to that. Sex. And I just sort of panicked.” It was your turn to blink. “Oh my god, I just walked away from her
”
Jennie’s giggle was enough to draw you back to the moment with her. Watching her, you knew the girl at the party didn’t amount to much in your world. Not when so much of it was occupied with your best friend. It wasn’t your typical ‘in love with your straight best friend’ bit, considering Jennie wasn’t exactly straight herself. But there wasn’t a whole lot to base any idea that she felt attracted to you. It wasn’t like you were freaking out about trying to impress Jennie in any bed with your utter lack of experience.
As the thought ran through your head, Jennie seemed to think the opposite. A step closer, she was reaching up to take a lock of your hair and twirl it around her finger. Those eyes, so dark, looked ever deeper as they lifted to catch yours. A cruel grin on her lips. If you didn’t know better, you’d say it was only because she was drunk that she was approaching you like this. Invading your space like this. Making your body vibrate like a magnet as she neared.
“You know,” she started, voice deeper. Sultry. You felt the urge to take a step back but a much stronger yearning kept you rooted to the spot. “We are in a bedroom.”
There was little more you could do than just nod.
“It doesn’t have to mean anything,” she continued. Shapes shifted in the red of the wall, slow, tantalizing. “You can say no to me right here and now, and we’ll pretend that I never said anything at all.”
Bone dry, you couldn’t speak to any sway in the decision. Jennie took that to mean you didn’t quite understand, and in keeping with the theme of complete clarity, she whispered.
“Do you want me to teach you how to fuck?” The hand playing with your hair now rested on your shoulder, fingertips warm and gently kneading the tense muscle there. “Do you want me to show you how to please a woman?”
All you could do was nod.
Something told you in the moment Jennie pressed her lips to yours and sought to make them pliant that she had been looking for this opportunity. It was almost too perfect.
It was a spell, how she kissed you. Made all those meddlesome thoughts and emotions that liked to control the heart disappear. Made your body respond before you could comprehend the way the two of you fitted together. Made time flit by from the second she started to peel your clothes off and you for her. Maybe those montages you saw in films held some measure of truth in the fluidity they portrayed sex. Abruptly kissing and then naked and then—
“On your bed,” Jennie instructed. A tone of voice unlike you ever heard, and had you backing toward the furniture obediently as she kicked off the last article of clothing around her ankle.
Aware that you were nude and about to part from her, that she would be able to see you in all your glory, you suddenly stilled. Nervous. What would she think? You couldn’t compare to some of her past partners, the men and women she’s bedded that she could have easily pulled from fashion magazines. That apprehension started its beady crawl back into your throat.
A gentle touch. Fingers on your chin. Bringing your eyes from the floor to hers again. Still just as excited about the prospect but with a blanket of care.
“You’re beautiful,” she murmured, kissing you again. Reading your thoughts. “I am attracted to you, mind and body.” Tongue lapping at your lip. “You have the power to stop whenever you like.”
As though the words thawed your insides with security of your bond, you broke the kiss and found yourself sinking down to the bed. Looking at Jennie expectantly. It must have been a sight she liked. A smile spread across her lush lips and she placed a hand on your shoulder to ease you back on the sheets. A pause taken to marvel at your form, one that gifted you the ability to do the same of her.
“Have you ever touched yourself?” Jennie inquired, face glowing in the light. It saved her the satisfaction of seeing you blush profusely at the question. Nodding, a hand smoothed up your thigh. “Then I want to begin with something you haven’t had the chance to practice yet.” Slinking upon the bed to level herself with your waist, “It’s better to show than to tell.”
Teeth tickled at your navel. You whimpered, silently chastising yourself for breaking so easily, and could hear Jennie chuckle darkly. Kissing, nipping, licking, she teased at your waist, biting tenderly at your hipbones, licking the invisible line of your waistband. The sensations unraveled low in your stomach, better than anything you could have ever made yourself feel, and she wasn’t even where your fingers had wantonly explored. Chestnut hair brushed over your skin, heightening the act, and when you started to writhe mindlessly did she take that as a sign you were ready. A hand splayed over your hip, holding you still, and then she was drawing lower.
You strangled out a gasp as you felt Jennie lave from your entrance to your bud. It was a good thing she had prepared with the hand on your body for you immediately tried to buck. The idea alone would have been enough, but for Jennie to demonstrate so willingly had you like putty. How did you taste? Did she like it? Or did she just enjoy how you responded? The questions started tallying up in your brain, losing track when she did the same ministration again, and then again, and fuck, again. The sounds of her mouth and you were obscene, the flush on your face a mixture of embarrassment and lust. And she was only picking up momentum. The dips into your folds came faster. Held more pressure. And she paused at your clit, sucking it between her lips, groaning from the den of her chest when a cracked cry fell from your mouth.
You wanted it to last forever. But it felt like no time at all before you were fisting up the sheets and openly moaning, attempting in vain to ride her tongue as she held you below and ate you like she was addicted. Blame laid on the virgin nerves driving you beyond sense. There was no moment wasted to ask what you liked, what she could do better, what more you needed. Jennie was bringing you close to an imperceptible edge composed all of her own and you wanted to fall already. Tossing your head to the side, chest heaving with a great inhale, legs shaking
 it was approaching. Oh, you wanted it

“Jennie!” You gasped out when she departed before finishing the climb. As if you had any jurisdiction to criticize her.
All she did was smirk that damned way that she did.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, baby,” and the way Jennie said the pet name so casually made you want to keen. “That wasn’t even the main event.”
With surprising strength, Jennie cupped the back of your head and drew you into a kiss. So that’s what you tasted like. An unfamiliar taste but not one unpleasant, and she didn’t seem to mind sharing. Distracted, you complied as she skillfully switched your positions until you broke apart and noted how she was now the one lying on the bed. Jennie was stunning, gentle curves and unobstructed flesh. A shine of the light and you were swallowing a knot to see how wet she had become from the opening act.
Reaching up, Jennie took a spare pillow at the head of the bed and brought it down so that she could fit it under her hips. You watched absently, brain fog too dense to allow any real thoughts to form. The cushion lifted her, and when she spread her legs for you to join her, it exposed more than your dreams dared picture. It was almost comical how your jaw dropped in increments. Hands gripping your hips, you allowed her to usher you closer.
“Put your hands on my knees, baby.” Were you trembling? Doing as instructed, thankful your hands could still, you listened as she continued with, “You can push them apart or up toward me if you need the space.” What was she talking about, so unabashed? You glanced down between your bodies and shuddered. Your cores so close to touching. And to drive home the point, Jennie pulled you tighter.
Stars sparked in your vision as you bumped clumsily together. Despite your copious desire, you could still feel her own hot, wet slick. God, you wanted to be closer, and following her advice, you gently urged her knees further into a fold toward her chest so you could press in earnest against her. Jennie hummed, eyes fluttering shut, hands never leaving your hips as she locked you there.
Eyes still closed and voice breathier, “Start grinding, baby.” You did, sighing out. “Yes, just like that
 mmm, that’s good. You’re doing so good.”
The viscosity of the lava lamp trailed over your room, over your bodies as you worked up a rhythm. Abiding Jennie’s every instruction. You tried not to think about the awkward beginning, the uncertainty of what you were doing, what it could mean now that you had both passed a threshold of no returning.
It was easy when Jennie started to lose the ability to speak. Words ceased, coming in intervals of “Faster!” or “Like that, like that
” until they weren’t being spoken at all. At least not coherently. Tuned to her frequency, you began relying on the moans as they came to know what to do, and often found it correlated with what you wanted yourself. Jennie working you as close as she did with her tongue made holding on difficult, because there was no way you were about to finish before she would. Perhaps that had been her goal from the start, but grounding your hips into hers, the only thing that would bring you to that end would be hearing Jennie cry out her own climax.
When the jerk of Jennie’s hips to meet yours started to become unhinged, and the hands bruising your hips slackened with one coming to rest on your lower abdomen, digging nails, did you notice she was about to come. It made your chest tight, panting, beads of sweat running down the rivulet of your spine, and you just had to hold out. Head thrown back, you focused on keeping the pace as Jennie scratched at you, volume rising, whines sharpening and cracking. Then, your name, like she was calling for you. A quake ran the length of your body, and you cried out, unable to stop yourself if you had all the strength in the world.
Dark hair splayed over the sheets, hands scrambling on you for anything to anchor her in reality, Jennie came with nearly enough force to push you off her. You tried to fight it, keep her legs open just long enough to keep rutting until you were both finished. Ribs expanding to accommodate the inhales, Jennie tapered off into deep breaths. When she could manage, she opened unfocused, bleary eyes and smiled wide up at you. You were barely able to hold yourself up, setting her legs down slowly on the bed to stretch after holding the position for so long. Losing contact, you immediately missed the feeling of her against your centre, but couldn’t go another round if you wanted to. The second your high was finished, you were far too sensitive for anything else, and positively a mess.
Jennie didn’t care about the mess. A hiss escaped your teeth at the agony of having her grab your bruised hip again to pull you down onto her body. Sticky, hot, you laid together to catch your breath.
“I don’t think you’re going to have any problems,” Jennie finally said, laughing sheepishly at the end. Now that you were done, Jennie had lost the confident façade and became the mild kitten you had always known her as. It made your head spin.
You couldn’t voice it, even as she hugged you close and played with your hair to drift into sleep, but you weren’t sure you ever wanted to hear another person moan your name that wasn’t Jennie.
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aminiatureworld · 3 years ago
Text
Melusine
Characters: Albedo, gn!reader
Word Count: 2,221
Warnings: Brief depiction of pseudo-drowning
Premise: In which the reader’s somewhat inexplicable fear of water prompts questioning
Author’s Note: This prompt reminded me of the book (and series) The Tail of Emily Windsnap, which, if you haven’t read at least the first book, you totally should read as it’s just really a wonderful read. The descriptions of the ocean are especially atmospheric. Anyways, as for the prompt, I had a lot of fun. I tried to write a mermaid story in middle school and while it didn’t go that well I have a lot of nostalgia for the mermaid genre. Though this was more about the discovery than actually being a mermaid.
Also the title is a pseudo-historical reference.
Albedo
The first time it had happened Albedo had brushed off the whole incident as completely explainable. After all, it wasn’t as if you hadn’t explained what had happened.
You two had been sitting on one of the craggy hills of the Whispering Woods, you sprawled on the grass, Albedo attempting to paint a landscape of Mondstadt, one of the more ambitious paintings in his current portfolio. Especially since he had traded his more opaque oils for the gentler tones of watercolors. At one point he must have made some sort of noise of frustration, for you lifted yourself out of the shade and made your way over to the canvas.
“That looks absolutely lovely Albedo!” Your smile had always had a calming affect on the alchemist, and this time was no different. Albedo could feel the tension slowly leeching away from his shoulders.
“Do you think so? I’m afraid that I still can’t handle all the odd shadows the buildings cast.”
“The buildings look perfect to me! Though if you feel that way, maybe you could lighten the side facing the sun a little more instead of darkening the area over here? So the shade doesn’t become too muddy.”
“You have a wonderful eye, you know,” Albedo replied, smiling at the way your mind had immediately jumped to the conclusion that he had drawn as well. Reaching for the bowl of water next to him Albedo went to water his brush a little more before trying again.
Unfortunately that’s when things appeared to have taken a turn for the wrong. Instead of reaching over the bowl Albedo’s elbow collided with the glass. Though the grass was soft and close enough to prevent any damage, that didn’t stop all the muddied water from spilling out over the brim and right over you. You let out a sort of squeak, and for a moment Albedo though it was just the initial shock, but then the expression on your face came into view and Albedo could immediately sense you were seconds away from panic.
“Is something wrong?”
“I, I don’t like water very much,” you let out a strained laugh. “I just, I don’t know. I really, really don’t like water.”
“I’m so sorry,” Albedo immediately replied.
Taking off his coat he did his best to dry you off, wiping off your arms and attempting a valiant effort with your now sopping clothes. Though you assured him that it would be alright the alchemist could sense those were only platitudes, and it wasn’t until you seemed significantly calmer that Albedo turned to pick up the bowl and refill it in Cider Lake. And though a part of his mind wished to delve deeper into what had happened he pulled himself back, figuring it wouldn’t help you if he was suddenly enquiring over something you were afraid of.
Now perhaps that should have been the long and the short of it, but the revelation had begun to make Albedo see water everywhere and, more importantly, see how much it appeared to affect you every time you appeared to come in close contact with it.
Thankfully you didn’t seem to have trouble with water in glasses, at least as long as someone was actively drinking it. If not however you would glance at the glass every so often, as if it were your mortal enemy, waiting to catch you off guard to it might tip its contents all over your clothes. Other things, like obsessively drying your wands after washing them and draping layers of towels over your shoulders when you washed your hair, also became apparent. Suddenly Albedo couldn’t stop noticing your discomfort, and the more he noticed the more he wished he could do something about it.
“Exposure therapy?”
“Yes.”
You were sitting on Albedo’s desk, leaning slightly over your partner, a slightly bemused look on your face. It had been about three weeks since the incident, and finally Albedo thought he might have found some sort of solution to your problem. Now he eagerly pressed forward, figuring you’d understand once he’d explained everything fully.
“I know that it might seem counterproductive to subject you to what gets a frightened reaction out of you, but if you subject a person to something they’re afraid of in very small doses over a long period of time, usually they begin to feel a little less afraid of the thing in question. It’s sort of like how you can sometimes make allergies less serious by slowly exposing the patient to more and more of the allergen.”
“I understand where your line of thought is coming from Albedo, but I’m really not sure if this is the best idea for me.”
“I know that it might seem daunting at first. I would not bring up the topic if you didn’t seem so miserable sometimes. I worry that you might become so unhappy by your fear that it will become debilitating eventually. That is why I decided to bring up the option.”
“I really appreciate you going out of your way to think about me Albedo. I really do. I think what you’re trying to do is very kind and noble of you. But in all honesty I don’t think that’s going to work. You see, the way my fear works, I just don’t think that exposure is going to make it go away.”
“Are you sure?” Albedo pressed on, still hoping that you might see the benefit in what he was suggesting. “It won’t start with something drastic I promise. And at the end of the day, I think that it will help a lot.”
“I understand that, I really do, but like I said my fear doesn’t work that way.” You paused, as if sensing the sinking of your partner’s heart, before smiling slightly. “If it makes you feel any better I promise to give it some more thought. Alright?”
“Thank you,” Albedo replied, though in his mind he knew that you thinking about it probably wouldn’t change anything.
Thus the cycle continued, with Albedo growing more and more uneasy. He didn’t bring it up with you again, sensing it would be walking over some invisible line, but still his mind whirled in trying to understand what you meant. If your fear wasn’t simply irrational, then surely something must have happened once. Though the alchemist didn’t pry, surely if you wanted him to know you would tell him in your own time, he had to admit that sometimes his brain went off on various daydreams, as if trying to decide for itself what might have happened.
As it turned out, Albedo didn’t have to speculate for long. Nor did the truth come out the way that he had expected.
You two were on the very small dock at Cider Lake, checking the rafts were tied down properly before the beginning of the stormy season that wreaked havoc through Mondstadt once every year. Though normally you probably would have never done such a thing the Guild was spread thin, preparing for storms, though not nearly as fierce as Dvalin’s winds, that would blow shingles off roofs and destabilize the occasional out of place rock on the wall. As of such the task of shielding the boats used to carry supplies from the City to the larger Mondstadt region had fallen to you. Albedo had tagged along, knowing how uncomfortable the experience might make you feel, and unwilling to leave you alone in a state of anxiety.
“These remaining boats are the ones we need to tie down. They’re too big to be stored in the sheds inside the City.”
“I see,” Albedo replied, already moving to nail the tarp down on one of them as you secured the roping. Already the air seemed alive with the fresh smell of impending rain.
“It’s too bad really, we can’t guarantee these boats’ safety the way we can the others. Thankfully these ones are mostly insured by the Knights. Though really maybe we should build a larger shed,” you mused to yourself, keeping up the tell-tale stream of conversation that Albedo knew you used to distract yourself.
“Perhaps you can make a query via the Guild?”
“Perhaps,” you mused. “Or I might be able to ask Amber.”
Albedo replied that would be a good idea, turning to put another temporary nail onto the top of the longboat. All seemed alright for a moment, then there was a shriek and a terrific splashing sound. Whirling around Albedo had just enough time to find your head in the water before you seemed to seize up and your head dipped below the still crystal-clear waves.
Immediately Albedo stripped himself of his coat and dove in. Though no amazing swimmer himself the alchemist was hardly the worst at staying afloat, and even if he only knew a select few amount of swim strokes that paled in comparison to the idea of you drowning. Making his way over to you he fought the panic rising up inside of him, the part of his brain that said it would be much more difficult to rescue someone terrified of water.
However almost as soon as Albedo approached you he noticed that something was distinctly off. Firstly you didn’t seem like you were drowning, in fact you appeared quite graceful in the water, swishing softly back and forth. Secondly the reason for said grace quickly became apparent to Albedo. For in the spot where your legs should have been, indeed in the spot where your legs had been mere moment ago was something long and slightly shimmery and distinctly fish-like.
Letting his mouth fall open Albedo immediately hoisted himself up above the water, choking on the gasp of breath he had found himself taking. What was that, what in all of Teyvat was that? You were half fish. How were you half fish? Did such a thing even exist, for Albedo had certainly never heard of it! Though the alchemist later admitted that in the moment such fantasy creatures as merfolk had completely fallen out of his head, there was something distinctly different than reading about something in a book and seeing it in real life.
Dragging himself onto the shores of Cider Lake, Albedo waited for you to emerge, still breathing heavily from what had just passed. His brain seemed to shut off them, for he found himself with no questions to ask. You were a mermaid, you were simply a mermaid. There was nothing more to do or say about it.
Eventually you joined him on the beach. Albedo watched in an odd sort of fascination as your legs emerged from the scaley fin which your lower body was now made up of. For a moment individual spots of iridescent seemed to remain, but soon your limbs were back to normal, ignoring the fact that you were soaking wet.
“So now you know why I said exposure therapy wouldn’t work out,” you said, letting a grim sort of laugh escape your lips.
“You
 you are a
 a
”
“A merfolk, yeah,” you laughed awkwardly. “Not sure why I get stuck with the weird power that is more annoying than good but, you know, oops?”
Albedo could sense your vulnerability, but try as he might he couldn’t get the words to come out of his throat. For a moment he sat there, gasping like a fish, but finally the expression of muted misery on your face wormed its way into his brain and finally Albedo felt as if he had regained some ability to talk.
“I think it’s fascinating.”
“Of course you do.”
“No, really. And not just because this is something I’ve never experienced or seen before. Though it was really surprising, it was also wonderful. As an alchemist you study all the wonders and anomalies of nature, and in doing so you see all these differences aren’t just something to be written down, but they also beautiful. And so I think you’re really beautiful.”
“Thanks,” you replied, though you still seemed uncomfortable. “I just, yeah
”
Reaching over to find your hand in his Albedo squeezed your palm softly. For a moment you did nothing, then, slowly, you leaned your head on Albedo’s shoulder. Letting you stay there Albedo found himself wishing that he could convey all the emotions he felt in that moment to you.
“I know that it can be difficult to talk about things that you’ve kept secret, especially when you feel like they make you stand out in a bad way. But I promise, there is nothing wrong with that. And I hope if I made you feel uncomfortable in any way that I can apologize.”
“Thanks Albedo,” you murmured. “You don’t have to say sorry, but thanks anyways.”
“Always.”
“I love you, you know?”
“I love you too.”
Albedo planted a soft kiss on your forehead. As the boats sat, woefully forgotten, the two of you basked in each other’s presence. For Albedo a mystery had been solved, and explanation given that, while not necessarily scientific, was certainly satisfactory. Yet at that moment he couldn’t care less about it. All he could think about was how lonely it must have been, and how, if he could help it, you would never feel isolated in your discomfort or in your secret ever again.
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giuliafc · 4 years ago
Text
Caught in the Loop
Read on Ao3 || FFN || Wattpad
Chat Noir bets to Ladybug that he loves the girl behind the spots, no matter who she is. Ladybug bets to Chat Noir that he's only her partner and best friend, she doesn't love him 'that' way. What happens when they accept to get caught into a spiritual 'loop' , living through many alternate realities to prove that they're right and win their bet? They end up losing it, of course. They lose *ROYALLY*. Lovesquare identity reveal with a twist!
Written for the March 2021 Writer-Artist Collab! Collab with ThatCattyCatCult (tumblr.com) here on Tumblr :)
Written by JuliaFC
Part of the March 2021 Writer-Artist collab for the Miraculous Fanworks server. The art in the story has been made by @TheCattyCatCult
Betas: KhanOfAllOrcs, Agrestebug, Etoile-Lead-Sama, Malauu-Ladynoir, Genxha
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by (c) Thomas Astruc; TS1 Bouygues, Disney Channel, Zagtoon, Toei Animation. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
oOo
Part 1 - The bet
“Pound it!” Ladybug and Chat Noir’s gaze locked as they fist bumped after the latest akuma attack.
The fight hadn’t been that hard and they still had a couple of minutes to spare. Luckily, because the students of Françoise Dupont didn’t seem to want to let them go; Alya especially was pressing on their ribs like a thorn.
“Can you spare a word for the Ladyblog?” she asked excitedly, while plenty of other voices came from everywhere and nowhere, “Please, Ladybug, can I have an autograph?” “Chat Noir! Chat Noir, please smile at the camera!” The warning beep of their Miraculous rang worryingly unheard in the confusion.
“Sorry, guys, but we need to go,” tried to say Ladybug before being wrapped in yet another hug for a picture by yet another student. “Yes, it’s time to s-cat
” But the students still didn’t seem to want to let them go. Eventually the beep became stronger and Chat Noir grabbed Ladybug bridal style and, using his baton, he lifted both of them up and off from the crowd.
“As we said already: sorry, guys, we need to go!” He jumped out of the way, to then fall unnoticed in front of the door of the locker room.
“We don’t have time to find a place to hide!” said Ladybug worriedly.
Chat Noir sighed. Out went his chance of pretending that he didn’t know the school. “Come with me, there’s a place that I know.”
He grabbed her hand and dragged her away (just in time, because the locker door opened as soon as they moved and Chat Noir didn’t want to know who the student that had just come out of it was). He ran with her and reached the side of the library, quickly opening a closet door and disappearing inside it with her, closing it behind them. He had just done that, that in a flash of green and pink, their transformation fell. They could only turn around and stand back-to-back, their hearts racing in their chests. Tikki and Plagg came out of their Miraculouses with a twirl and fell into their hands.
“Gamin, that was close,” said Plagg panting.
“I need food, *burp*!” Tikki burped purple bubbles. “Whoops, sorry,” she concluded.
Marinette reached for her little purse and took out a macaron, which she handed to her little red friend gently. The kwami picked it up and started chewing on it with a thankful gleam in her eyes. On the other side, Plagg was doing the same with a slice of cheese.
“I’ve never seen this closet, Chat Noir,” said Marinette, sitting down on the ground, immediately imitated by her partner behind her. She pulled her legs close to her chest and rested her chin on her knees.
Chat Noir fell silent for a long time. A suspiciously long time. After an even longer time, Marinette cleared her throat. “Elementary school, huh?”
Chat Noir was silent again. Only after a little while did she hear him say shakingly, “I had to say something.”
Marinette’s heart pounded in her chest. Was he admitting it? Was he a student at Françoise Dupont too? Marinette knew that she shouldn’t ask this information. She really shouldn’t, because it could jeopardise his identity, but she didn’t think before connecting her brain to her mouth. “So that’s why Plagg was here.”
She felt his head shoot up behind her and rest against the back of hers. “Careful, M’lady. Tikki was here too.” Her heart started pounding in her chest. Shoot. After all her hard work during the Kwamibuster’s fight, it only took one sentence to blow her carefully crafted cover.
She chuckled dryly. “So what? It’s a big school, there are hundreds of girls and boys studying here, Chat Noir. It’s not as if you’re sitting in front of me in class.”
Tikki facepalmed. Why did Tikki facepalm?
“I could,” came his voice from behind her back.
Her dry chuckle turned into a laugh. “Yeah, right
 that would be close to impossible. Just think about it!”
“Why? Who’s sitting in front of you? A girl?” he asked. She didn’t like the tone of doubt in his voice as he asked that. Nor did she like the fact that he sounded as if he was genuinely interested and inquiring.
“Chat? We shouldn’t have this conversation. It’s already dangerous enough that now we both know that we attend the same school. It’s too dangerous to reveal our identities while Hawkmoth is still around.”
She clearly felt him tense behind her back. “Why is that, Buginette? What would change? You already know the identity of all the other holders, and you also have the entire Miracle Box hidden somewhere. If Hawkmoth gets his hands on the Miracle Box we would have a really hard time fighting against a whole team of superheroes. It would be dangerous anyway. What would change if we knew each other’s identities?”
Marinette sighed. His words rang true to her and she couldn’t deny that she had thought about it a few times and had always come to a similar conclusion. What was it that was wrapping such fear around her heart when she so much as considered the idea of revealing her identity to him? “Please, Chat, you know we can’t.”
She felt him crouch over himself. “It’s just
 frustrating. We were talking about it the other day, Plagg and I. He was also there saying that because you’re the Guardian I should know who you are and you should know who I am. What happens if he’s sick, M'lady? Or if anything happens to me and I can’t return my Miraculous to you? The Black Cat is a powerful weapon in the wrong hands. You can’t afford to lose it like Master Fu did with the Butterfly and Peacock.” He said all of that in just one breath, or at least Marinette thought he did, because there was no pausing in between his words, it was all coming out at once.
“Wow, you have really put some thought into it,” she concluded.
She had to admit that what he had said again rang true to her. She knew that kwamis could get sick. Tikki had been sick once, after all; Plagg could be next. And the time Tikki had been sick, she had had to take Marinette to the Guardian. What if Plagg was so out of it that he wouldn’t be able to tell Chat Noir where to go?
“You know, Chat Noir has a point,” said Tikki in a very low voice. Marinette looked at her warily.
“I know, Tikki.” She sighed and hugged her legs more tightly, frowning looking at the air in front of her face. “I know, you’re right, chaton.” She heard his loud gasp from behind her and added quickly, “However
 even though I know you’re right I still—I still can’t get myself to do it.”
“But why? Why, M’lady? Why don't you trust me? I know I’ve been a bit unreliable when you left for New York, but I had been forced to go myself. And beside then, did I ever give you any reason for—”
“No, you didn’t, Chat,” she interrupted his ramble. “And I know you’re right but
” She felt her throat clenching shut and tears starting to prickle at the corner of her eyes. “I don’t know what to do. The truth is that I’m scared. I’m terrified to change our balance. We’ve worked so well as a duo up to now, if we reveal our identities and the balance changes
”
“What would change? We would just put an unmasked face and a name in the equation. Why would it change anything if I think of you as Ladybug or... Marcelline or Martha or Marvel or Marinette?”
Marinette gasped so loudly that she had to move and peeked quickly by opening a small crack on the closet door to make sure that nobody had heard and was going to open the door on them all of a sudden.
“Are you okay?” asked Chat Noir. “Did I say something wrong?”
Marinette blushed crimson even though she knew that he couldn’t see it because he was back to back with her. How did he still remember the only slip up she had ever had about her identity, that first day when they faced Stoneheart? “Uh, no, you didn’t say anything wrong. You’re right.” Her breath caught. “I-I m-mean ,y-you’re r-right in y-your theory
”
She felt Chat Noir scratch his head. “Yeah. What else could I be right about?”
“N-nothing
”
It was Chat Noir’s turn to gasp. “I got your name right, didn’t I? Your name is one of those!” She couldn’t avoid tensing up and that was all he needed to confirm his suspicions. “M’lady, you know that, whoever you are, I would love you regardless.”
Marinette chuckled. “You always say that, minou, but would you really?”
“I swear I would! That day when we faced Stoneheart, when you spoke with Hawkmoth the first time, I saw the way you put your fears aside and faced that monster all by yourself. I heard the way you spoke to reassure the people of Paris that we were going to protect them, even if we both didn’t have a clue how things would have worked out. You were so brave, so passionate, so fierce, so compassionate, so
 amazing. I felt something break in me and next thing I knew I was head over heels in love with you.”
“Chat, I’m not fierce and brave in real life!”
He grabbed her hand with his and Marinette jumped a little for the skin to skin contact. That time when the faced Knight Owl she had touched his naked hand, but it hadn’t felt half as intimate as this. “I’m sure that you are, Buginette.”
“And
 I could be very ugly. Very fat. I could be a boy for all you know.”
“You wound me, M’lady. I’m not that shallow. I fell in love with the girl within.” Then he fell silent for a long moment and Marinette could feel the mad beating of her heart right into her ears. “And you can’t be a boy.”
She tried pulling her hand off his grip but he didn’t let her and started moving his thumb on her bare skin. This caused Marinette’s heart to do funny things in her chest but when she felt how tensed his shoulders were behind her, she realised that probably it was the same for him too.
“You got me,” she said softly. “I’m not a boy.”
“That’s good, because I’m not into other boys, as far as I know.”
Marinette giggled. “Well, after all, you only flirt with girls.”
More silence wrapped up the secluded room. “Can I ask a question?” said Chat Noir’s voice from behind her.
“Yes?” she tentatively answered.
“Why have we started talking about my feelings for you?” He paused significantly. Marinette felt her heart skipping a beat. “I mean, we were talking about revealing identities and you not wanting to do it. Have you caught feelings for me finally, M'lady? Are you afraid I wouldn’t love the girl behind the mask?”
Marinette’s heart did again some funny things in her chest as he said so. She gulped awkwardly. “N-no, I told you I like another boy. That hasn’t changed, Chat.”
She felt him slump his shoulders behind her. Her lips curled in a small smile. “Then why? Why does it matter to you if I would love you without the mask?”
Marinette sucked her breath in. “Uh. I-I d-don’t know. It just b-bugs me every time you say it.”
“Was that a pun, M’lady?” He chuckled.
“Of course not! It really annoys me.” She raised a little her tone of voice as she felt blood rushing to her face again.
“But why would it bother you or annoy you if you didn’t have feelings for me? You know what I think?” He poked her in her back with his elbow until she ‘mh?’-ed dubiously. “I bet you’ve developed some feelings for me and you just don’t want to admit it!” She could nearly hear his smirk.
“Not going to happen, minou. It just annoys me when you say it. As if you could just look at me detransform and accept whatever would come in front of your eyes. I bet that you wouldn’t love EVERYONE who could appear behind the Ladybug mask. There must be someone you would rather be me than anybody else.”
“Wanna bet? Such a shame that there’s no way that I can prove to you the depth of my feelings for you, M’lady or I definitely would.”
“You’re right, there’s no way to prove who would be right or not. I would love to prove to you that I’m definitely not having feelings towards you. You’re just my best friend, chaton.”
She heard Chat Noir behind her take some breath in, as if he was about to answer. But as he did that, they heard someone cough politely, so they both turned towards the origin of the sound and saw Tikki and Plagg looking at them with a gleam of annoyance in their eyes.
“Actually, there would be a way,” deadpanned Plagg.
“But it’s something that hasn’t been done for a very long time, nearly a millennium,” warned Tikki.
Plagg folded his paws to his tiny chest. “Yep. But it has been done and it’s possible, Sugarcube.”
Both Marinette and Chat Noir looked at their two kwamis in amazement. “What are you talking about, Plagg?” asked Chat Noir eventually.
Tikki sighed. “There’s a very, very ancient spell that hasn’t been used for nearly a millennium. It was mostly used for training purposes. Training of our holders.”
Marinette squirmed a little her eyes and looked at Tikki. “What do you mean, Tikki?”
“It’s called ‘the loop’. It’s yet another power that you get when you combine our Miraculouses.” Plagg looked at Marinette very seriously. “It’s not the Wish. It doesn’t change reality for real. It just wraps you two in a loop to learn a lesson.”
“Or to get clarity on a doubt,” concluded Tikki. “It was used solely for spiritual training.”
“How does it work?” said Chat Noir. Tikki sighed.
“You unify us and then ask for the loop. The loop creates a, well, loop, that creates in your mind a repetition of events that can bring clarity in your doubt.”
Plagg continued, “Basically it creates new realities, but only in your head. Since there are no consequences for anybody, as it is only in your head, it is not forbidden in the same way as the Wish.”
“Are you sure it won’t have bad consequences like with the Wish, Tikki?” asked Marinette. “Master Fu has always warned me not to unify you and Plagg.”
“It won’t have consequences that can change the balance of the universe, so in that sense it’s not a bad thing. But it’s still something you should consider very carefully,” pressed Tikki. “It could lead to you two understanding each other’s identities.”
“How?” asked both of them at the same time.
Tikki sighed. “You will understand if you decide to take on the loop. But one thing you need to remember if you do so.” Both teen agers looked very intently at the red kwami. “This loop creates entire realities in your head. You will be unconscious in this world and won’t be able to wake up until in your heart you will get clarity on whether you won or lost your bet. You will be bound in the reality you’re exploring and will have to take any difference between it and the “real world” as fact and just go with the flow. Don’t resist them or the loop won’t work.”
“I don’t know,” sighed Marinette. “It sounds so complicated.” But as she said that, she felt an elbow poking her ribs.
“Come on!” said Chat Noir. “Are you afraid of finding out that you are indeed in love with me, M’lady?”
She sucked her breath in. “No way! Maybe you should be afraid to find out that there’s no way that you can love just blindly whoever it is behind this mask!”
Chat Noir folded his arms on his chest. “There’s only one way of finding out!”
Anger started pooling into Marinette’s heart. Anger and a feeling of competition. Competition because she was being challenged. And she wasn’t the type to give up a challenge without a fight. She would prove to her kitty that she was right.
“Okay then. Give me your ring.” She distinctly felt Chat Noir gulping next to her. She presented her hand to him, expecting him to put the ring in her palm immediately, but the boy hesitated.
“What are you waiting for, Chat Noir? Christmas?”
She heard her partner breathe in to start talking at least four times. But he didn’t say anything and eventually, she felt the heaviness of the Black Cat ring on her palm. With a little sigh, she wore the ring on her own finger, watching as it changed from black to pink.
“Don’t worry, chaton. I will give it back to you,” she said calmly. Then she looked at the two kwamis in front of her and said it firmly, “Tikki, Plagg, Unify!” The two creatures got wrapped in a flash of light and their bodies merged together. Marinette looked down, as the light was very strong and hurt her eyes and heard Chat Noir gasping. “What is it, minou, if you can’t take it, don’t dish it out.”
He sniggered next to her and tsk-ed a couple of times. “Let’s see how cocky you are after you wake up and you realise that you’ve lost, Buginette.”
“Likewise, Chaton!”
When Marinette looked up, she couldn’t avoid widening her eyes. In place of Tikki and Plagg there now was a different kwami. A kwami that brought back memories that she would have preferred to keep buried into her subconscious for the rest of her days. It was a cat-like kwami, but its piercing blue eyes were the same shape as Tikki’s. It was completely snow white with black spots in the places where Tikki had her spots, and antennae at the front of its cat ears.
“I’m Chaoss. Who summoned me?” it said, its voice deep and strong. It sounded a voice too powerful for coming from a kwami that was a mixture of sweet Tikki and goofy Plagg.
“W-we’re the wielders of the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses,” she heard her voice saying without almost realising she was actually saying it. “We want to ask for the loop.”
“Do you know what you’re going to face?” the kwami asked. Its gaze was deep and stern; it didn’t have any of the softness of Tikki or the playfulness of Plagg.
“Tikki and Plagg have told us something about it,” said Chat Noir. Marinette had to force herself to keep her eyes trained on the white kwami, because she hadn’t expected Chat to speak and she had nearly—nearly—turned her head towards him instinctively.
Chaoss’s gaze pierced through their very soul. “I’m amused,” it said with a smirk. “This is going to be great fun.”
“W-what do you mean?” asked Chat Noir, his voice having lost all cockiness all of sudden. He sounded scared. Marinette had to yet again bit her lower lip very hard to resist the urge to turn around to look at him.
“You will experience a series of realities related to your heart’s inner desire. Don’t look at me like that. This is why the loop has only been used for spiritual training. Your inner desire, Black Cat, is to prove to your Lady that your feelings for her are strong and that you love the girl behind the mask truly, no matter who she is or what she looks like.” The kwami smirked and Marinette assumed that Chat Noir must have nodded because Chaoss was looking at him directly when it continued, “You will face exactly that, Black Cat. Are you ready to face the consequences of your choice?”
“I am.” Chat Noir sounded so sure of himself that Marinette’s heart sank. She wasn’t sure at all. All her cockiness was only due to her competitive spirit and now that the possibility of the loop had become real, she didn’t feel confident anymore at all. That and the fact that Chaoss looked really creepy and was digging up memories in her heart that she really wished she had forgotten about.
But she couldn’t give it more thought, because Chaoss’s gaze locked into hers and her whole back tensed.
“And you, Lady Luck.” Marinette blushed crimson, she didn’t know why. “Are you so sure that your feelings towards him are only platonic?”
“Y-yes.”
The kwami’s gaze was so stern that Marinette felt as if it burned a hole in her soul.
“Are you certain that you wouldn’t miss his flirty ways and his puns if he didn’t use them anymore?”
“Yes!” That was much easier to say.
“Funny you say that,” smirked the white kwami. Marinette frowned. “You told him so many times that he’s irreplaceable, right?”
Marinette’s frown deepened. It was like talking to an old friend but to a new person at the same time. “Y-yes?”
“If he didn’t flirt with you and didn’t pun, wouldn’t he be like a different person?” The white kwami gave her again a look that seemed to be piercing her whole soul.
Shoot. She hadn’t thought about it in these terms. She didn’t know what to say and couldn’t bear to hold that icy blue stare, so Marinette lowered her gaze and flushed pink.
“Tell the truth, M’lady, you would miss my puns.” Chat Noir elbowed her jokingly.
Marinette groaned. “No way! I just wis—” but the second she said the word, a red gleam flashed through the white kwami’s icy gaze.
“Enough! Don’t say the forbidden word. Remember what you’re doing, Lady Luck.” The kwami’s voice was so deep and cavernous that Marinette was left terrified.
“I-I’m s-sorry,” she whispered. She flushed crimson. She was the Guardian of the Miracle Box. She was wearing the two strongest Miraculouses in the world, unified. She had nearly inadvertently made the Wish that would change reality. Oh she was SO not ready for this responsibility!
She felt a tight grip clench on her throat and tears started to worm their way out of the corner of her eyes, but before she could utter even one strangled sob, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Once again, he was at her side. He believed in her. He wanted her to feel his support. Her heart swelled for the gratitude that she felt towards the boy next to her. She nearly (again, so nearly) turned towards him, but she refrained from doing so at the last second.
“Tikki and Plagg were right. There’s so much chaos inside your soul that you need the loop to gain clarity and order. Order will make you stronger.” The white kwami started floating higher.
“I thought your name was Chaoss?” asked Chat Noir. “And you want to make order in our souls?”
The little white kwami sniggered. “Yes, Black Cat. There’s no Order without Chaos. There’s no Creation without Destruction. Chaos leads the way to Order in the same way as Destruction leads the way to Creation. Two parts of a whole. You need chaos to create order. You need death to allow life. Creation left alone would eventually produce death.”
“It kind of makes sense,” said Chat Noir.
“In a very twisted kind of way, yeah,” continued Marinette.
Chaoss smirked and flew again higher than their heads. “Good. You don’t need to understand it all, Black Cat and Lady Luck. But there are a couple of things that you do need to understand, and accept.” It turned towards Chat Noir. “You, Black Cat.” Chaoss paused significantly. “You will see many different realities in the loop. One of them will be real.”
“Wh—” started Chat Noir, but Chaoss’s cold gaze turned sterner.
“I won’t say. The first one? The last one? Any one in between? You just need to know that one will be the real deal. I will leave it to you to decide what to do with that information, and with what it will mean to you.”
Then, Chaoss’s gaze moved to Marinette and she couldn’t avoid gulping dryly. “You, Lady Luck.” The white kwami closed his electric blue eyes and sighed before opening them again.
“Your challenge will be different, but no less difficult. Maybe more difficult, in fact. The realities you’ll explore don’t exist. None of them exist. But they exist within themselves and within themselves the people who live them are real. Don’t fight them, or the loop won’t work. Remember that they may be alternate realities to this one, they may not exist, but they are still related to, and very much linked to this reality. You can think of them as ‘what if’s’. You will see, and experience, things that will surprise you. You may be shocked at some points, or feel as if you want to rip your heart out of your chest. But don’t fight the reality. Live it as if it were real. There’s a lesson in each and every of them, and the lesson is true.”
Marinette closed her eyes shut and breathed heavily before nodding. When she opened her eyes again, Chaoss was staring at both of them, a wide smirk on its lips.
“This will be fun. Not for you, but it will be fun.” The kwami flew higher. “Ladybug. Chat Noir. You called for my power and you asked for the loop. You’ve been informed of the consequences of your request. Are you ready to begin?”
Marinette started feeling hot. And cold. And hot again. Her frame was shaking so heavily that her teeth started chattering. “Y-yes.” She nodded a couple of times, as if trying to convince herself that it was okay, even if it wasn’t. She heard Chat Noir say the same thing, with a voice as shaky as hers.
“Good. Get ready to both lose your bets, kids. See you next time!” Marinette widened her eyes. What made Chaoss so certain that they would both lose their bets?
“Wait!” she shouted, moving a hand forward as if trying to stop the white kwami, but the creature’s eyes started gleaming and its body pulsating. The darkness of the room was lit up with a spark of pure energy and Marinette had to close her eyes shut because the brightness was nearly hurting her pupils. She felt as if pulled up by a strong wind and then pulled back down again, almost feeling like falling.
Author's Note
Hi there!
This is my effort for the March 2021 Writer-artist collab. It's an idea I had for a while, and when the artist I was paired with showed some interest on it, I thought 'why not', so here it is! Hope you'll like it :)
In the next chapter, we start getting into the loops. I can only tell you that it will be quite an experience, for both of them. Chaoss wasn't kidding!
I hope you will leave me a comment. What did you think about Chaoss? Chapter 2 isn't written yet, so I don't know when I will update, but you know the drill. I tend to prioritise the stories that receive more feedback, because I feel I let down less people ^^. So if you want to know what happens next and what will they find in the loop... subscribe, comment, put the story in your favourite, leave a kudos... not only it cheers me up, but it also makes me more eager to dedicate my nights to write rather than to other menial activities (like sleeping for example!)
Last but not least, as usual, if you read this and you’re not part of our wonderful Discord server already, but you enjoy reading, writing and talking about Miraculous, please join our Discord server, Miraculous Fanworks (for people on FFN, discord dot gg slash mlfanworks). See you there soon. Not sure when I will update this story but it won't be too long! Promise!
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