#I should be studying why am I fooling around….

[auroracalisto]

with all the power in oz

movie!fiyero x gn!reader, 2.2k words summary: the reader, rather anxious and studious, finds their self head-over-heels with none other than fiyero, supposed boyfriend to galinda upland. to placate this, they somewhat agree to meet him at the ozdust ballroom. a/n: YOU pronouns are used to address the reader, but there is no usage of y/n. just watched the movie today. tried to find a fic, couldn't. here I am writing one instead. reader worries a lot. so me. you're welcome. also, I'm going into this blind. I have unfortunately never seen the actual musical (downsides to living in the middle of nowhere) so I'm only going off based on wikis and the movie. it should be gn as I read through it like... five different times, but please let me know if I missed something!

Breathtaking. That's what he was. But could you truly refer to a man like him as breathtaking?

The very features that graced his face were absolutely mesmerizing, and you felt like a fool watching him at times. How could you not? He seemed so full of life, so full of... well, not a care in the world, really. It was as if he brushed everything off of his shoulders without hesitation.

You could only wished you were the same way.

No cares, no worries. How lovely that would have been.

No, you hold onto the things that happen to you as if you have no other way to live. You hold grudges, you think over things that happened years ago that no one could possibly remember.

For someone who wished to be a sorcerer, you had a hard time simply letting things go. Your emotions often got the better of you, even when you knew better. Even when you wished it could be the opposite. But perhaps that was the way of the world.

Not a man in Oz could tell you otherwise.

Books in hands, you crossed the path to your dormitory, brows cinched together in mild concentration.

You had a project in your history class, and an extensive paper to complete on the study of mathematics—of all the things you could have had, a paper in mathematics. You'd rather perform magic in front of the entire student body, but you couldn't.

As you walked, you heard your name come from behind you. Eyes flicker back, a soft frown on your lips. You see him—Fiyero. The one fool you meant to avoid with all the gumption within you.

You'd melt just being near him.

"Fiyero," you softly greet.

He gave you a charming smile, coming up to walk with you. "Heading back already?" he asked.

"I am."

"Working on the project, hm? We could work on it together if you'd like. I'm sure our minds could do wonders," he said, a playful wink coming from him.

"I'm fine," you simply said.

He blinked slowly, but his smile never wavered. "Come now," he said, your name leaving his lips rather sweetly. "Surely you're not going to spend the rest of your evening alone. Why don't you come to Ozdust tonight?"

You looked back at him, frowning. "Ozdust. Me. I don't think so, Fiyero."

"And why not? I'm sure you'd be as dashing as ever."

You stopped in your steps, eyes searching his for but a moment. "Dashing. Are you in earnest, Fiyero?"

"Yes," he said, smiling.

"And what of Galinda? You'll be with her. Why invite me?"

"She doesn't need to know. It's not her business," he said. "Besides, she will be busy with Elphaba. I'd much rather spend time with you."

"And I think you're just pulling my leg," you said defensively. You crossed your arms over your chest, careful to keep your books close.

"Pulling your leg? I haven't even touched you," he said, a cheeky grin on his lips. "Come now, don't play coy. You should come."

"And if I do?"

"Then I'll be quite happy."

You rolled your eyes and went to walk away.

A hand wrapped around your bicep, and you paused, glancing over your shoulder at him.

His eyes widened a bit and he dropped his hand, albeit hesitantly. Perhaps he didn't think he would actually reach out to you. He cleared his throat.

"I really would like you to be there. You'll have the time of your life."

"The time of my life," you repeated. "I don't think you realize how much I dread parties."

"Have you ever been to one?"

"No."

"Then how do you know you dread them?"

"I just know," you said. "I feel it in my bones. I know going will just get on my nerves."

He scoffed, placing his hands on his hips. "I think you're foolish for that," he said. "Come on. What are you losing? A couple hours to work on a project that you know you could finish in a morning session? You'll be fine. Come to the Ozdust tonight. I'll show you a good time."

You clenched your jaw. "I don't want—"

"—I would like you to be there. That is all. I won't ask again." He gave you another small smile before he looked away. "I'll see you around. Perhaps tonight?"

You stared him down. He would like to see you there? Was he being honest? And what of Galinda? Would he be going behind her back? Wasn't he madly in love with her, or something? Or was it the other way around?

He said your name once more, and you looked up at him, letting out a soft sigh.

"Right. Perhaps tonight," you softly said.

The smile on his lips was rather... hopeful than anything else. There wasn't anything smarmy by it. He seemed as genuine as the glint in his eye—the one he used when he spoke with anyone he trusted. At least, you hoped so.

The night came quickly as you finished up your outfit—one you would hope you didn't look completely foolish in. The color you chose seemed to fit well with almost anything, but you still worried. You always worried about something.

Time was of the essence. You weren't even supposed to leave Shiz University's campus, but here you were, sneaking like some scoundrel.

Well, perhaps you were, listening to the requests of a man who already had a girlfriend—a fantastically beautiful one at that.

But you paid no mind. You did what you could, and soon, you found yourself walking down the steps of the Ozdust Ballroom.

Never had you been in a place like this. It was almost... breathtaking, had it not been for the overpowering smells of perfume and some kind of drink wafting from the bar. Your eyes flitted from patron to patron until you finally spotted him—Fiyero.

He looked just as handsome as ever.

Good Oz, what in the world were you doing? This was foolish.

You took a step back, staring at Fiyero for a moment as he spoke with another man, drink in hand. You needed to leave. This was ridiculous. You were ridiculous! Never in a thousand years would you ever imagine yourself to do such a thing—

"You made it!"

Fiyero's voice rang out above the music.

You look to him, eyebrows furrowed in frustration. Because of course he saw you as soon as you had decided to leave.

Fiyero smiled and made his way to you, taking your hands in his, drink left with the confused man behind him. Surely he didn't just up and leave in the middle of his conversation.

You part your lips and go to speak, but to your dismay, Fiyero is instant.

"I was afraid you had changed your mind," he said. "You look ravishing, darling."

Your eyes widened. Ravishing? You'd been called many things in your life, but never ravishing.

"Galinda couldn't make it?" you asked.

"Wha—no, she couldn't. But what of it? I didn't ask her to the Ozdust, I asked you. I'm glad to see your face."

Warmth blossomed in your cheeks as you watched him. "Fiyero, please... I shouldn't be here."

"Oh, nonsense," he said, grinning all the while. "Come. Dance with me."

"But I don't—"

"—do not say you don't dance. I can teach you."

"Teach me?"

"It's as easy as breathing," he said.

"For you, maybe, but not for—"

"—humor me," he said, smiling.

You pursed your lips. Of course he had to give you that charming smile and the sweet bat of his eyelashes.

"I do not dance," you repeated.

"I think I will be the judge of that."

He grabbed your hands once more and pulled you out into the ballroom floor, smiling all the while.

"You'll be a natural. I can just see it."

"I feel like if I were a natural, you wouldn't have to teach me," you said, gasping as he pulled you close to his chest. His face was dangerously close to yours, his eyes flickering from your eyes to your lips.

"You know," he began, eyes flickering back to your eyes. "We all start somewhere, do we not? You should know that better than anyone."

"What? What does that—"

He interrupted you by spinning you by your arm, back into his embrace. The music was rather ambient, not quite one for dancing so enthusiastically, but Fiyero embraced it. Hand to your hand, face close to your face.

"See? A natural."

"You merely spun me around, Fiyero. Do not be foolish."

"You could have fell flat on your face," he said, a boyish grin evident on his lips.

"Stop looking at me like that," you defiantly said. "You are far too close to me for my liking."

"Oh, feisty, are we?" he asked, moving his body along to the music and forcing you to go along, too. You nearly stepped on his toes several times. "I do not think there is anything wrong with the way I'm looking at you. You're rather breathtaking, if I may."

Breathtaking. The same way you had described him only hours before. He wasn't a mind reader, was he?

No.

Of course not. That was foolish. He was merely a man. Nothing of great importance—no power within him other than the power he held in every single eyelash as they batted down at you, making you melt over and over again.

"What of Galinda?" you repeated.

"What of her?"

"You shouldn't be calling someone who isn't yours breathtaking. It's quite..."

"There is nothing wrong with admiring the beauty in front of me," he said, your name playfully leaving his tongue. "Look at me. Galinda and I are only friends."

You rolled your eyes. "Do not lie to me."

His eyes widened a bit. "Lie? I do not lie. We are friends and nothing more. Though I do believe she thinks differently..."

"She must," you said, huffing softly.

"But that does not make it true. I have eyes for someone else."

"Eyes for someone else?"

He tilted his head once more. He was rather endearing when he did that.

"Who did I ask to their very first party?" he asked, smiling. "It's quite a feat, isn't it? Afraid you wouldn't show, and then you do, questioning me and everything I stand for, hm?"

Warmth found its way to your cheeks once more. You looked away from him. With the crescendo of the music, Fiyero pulled you closer, fingers lacing with yours. His lips hover dangerously close to yours.

"You know, if you would just give it a chance, perhaps you and I could make some magic of our own."

You let out a curt laugh. "You—oh, good Oz, I hope you never use that line on anyone! Has that worked for you before?"

He gave a cheeky smile. "It seems like it's working on you."

"Absolutely not!"

"Not even a little!"

"No!"

His smile only seemed to grow. "Truly?"

You looked away, swallowing thickly. "I mean... no. Not even a little. Not at all."

"You're lying," he said.

"I am not."

"I do think I know what I'm talking about," he said, leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to the soft skin of your cheek. "Come now," he said. "Stop with the lies."

You looked up at him, a soft huff escaping you.

"Fine. I lied. It may or may not be working. But it's not just because of what you said."

"Oh? Are you saying you like me for more than my suave words?"

"Suave words? Who in Oz said they were suave?"

He just smiled, his eyes flickering to your lips once more. "Do you think instead of just a dance, I could try something more?"

"Try what?"

"I think you know."

You blinked slowly at him, your fingers gently gripping onto his tunic. Your lips part in mild surprise, but you realize that you shouldn't have been. He'd been eyeing you the entire evening.

"Very well," you softly said.

"Wonderful," he replied, and in a swift motion, he pressed his lips to yours. It was short as he pulled back almost as soon as he had kissed you, but it was enough to keep you wanting more.

"Fiyero, that wasn't—"

"—come with me," he softly said, lacing his fingers with yours once more. "Somewhere without so many prying eyes, yes?"

Your answer was almost instant: "Yes."

Fiyero led you back up the staircase, and he didn't look back once at the ballroom.

"Where are we going?" you asked.

"Somewhere where I can see you and only you," he said. "If that's alright."

"Oh," you softly said. "Yes. That's alright."

"Then follow me," he said. "Do you trust me?"

You smiled sincerely for one of the first times in the evening. Did you trust him? What kind of foolish question was that? If you had the chance, you'd do whatever he'd ask of you. You found your answer rather quickly, knowing within yourself that it was far truer than any other statement you had ever uttered.

"With all the power in Oz."

[shytastemakerthing]

Ooooo I think I’ve noticed this being being a thing across some other fics & HCs and stuff, but would you be willing to do headcanons for Vil with a yuu (where he somehow found out about their feelings) who wouldn’t confess to him about their feelings & tried to get over him because they were worried he’d brush them off as typical paparazzi/fan behavior because he’s so used to it?

Hello and thank you so much for your request! I am sorry that this took so long to get out, school and work have been rather crazy right now XD, I hope you enjoy!

Tw: None

A/N: Reader is stated to be Yuu

It was safe to say that you were not the first person to ever have a crush on the Vil Schoenheit, but you were certainly one who was in his presence more than some of the others

It was only a matter of time before such feelings would develop, especially with how often you two crossed paths, and how often you found yourself in his dorm

But there was absolutely no way that you could tell him such a fact

After all.... who were you compared to him?

He was a world famous celebrity, top-class model, a highly skilled actor

You were just.....nobody

A magic-less nobody from another world who didn't even belong to this world, especially the one that he lived in

If you told him, the chances were high that he would simply see this as some joke, or the typical fan behavior that he is quite used too, and there was no way that you would ruin the friendship that the both of you had just because of how you felt

Perhaps that is why you started to put a distance between the both of you

Last minute cancellations of study plans, doing your skincare at Ramshackle, stops at his club becoming less and less frequent, the works. Anything that would work a gradual decline in your time around him

In hopes that these feelings would soon diminish, no matter how it hurt

Oh, but a fool you were to not think that Vil would certainly take notice

At first, he didn't think much of it. He knew that Crowley, the worthless and lazy headmaster that he was, kept you rather busy. Not to mention that gremlin cat of yours followed by your first-year friends

But then more suspicions arose... as if you were actually actively avoiding him

Now he really didn't know how to feel about that

It wasn't until several key points were stated by Rook (stalker), when Vil began to piece it all together

Especially noticing how empty his heart had been feeling, how lonely, he felt when you weren't at his side

Why wouldn't you have just come to him about such feelings? How could he turn you down? Did you think so little of yourself? Perhaps you did, and he would certainly need to correct that

Which is probably what led him to the steps of Ramshackle, actually compiling each and every ounce of strength that he had to actually come to the rundown dorm to see you, standing straight and knocking on the door.... honestly hoping that he didn't sound as desperate as he felt

"You should never hide your feelings from me, Leibling. Especially if you do not know if they are reciprocated or not. Hm? Well, it would seem that this is my confession to you. Will you accept?"

Have a wonderful day/night!

[yarafic]

Imagine~ You get hurt while arguing with Stefan and Elijah finds you

"Why do you still care about her?" I yelled

He rubbed his temple and gave me a look, and toon a deep breath.

"Y/n, you know what Elena means to me." He says as he takes a step forward.

"Stefan, you told me that you won't see her anymore. That you will let your brother and the rest of the Save Elena squad to do the saving." I retaliate back to him, I was done and beyond annoyed that he will drop anything to save her.

He looked at me and stayed silent, he took a step back and sat down on the couch. I knew he did not want to argue anymore but I was done with him putting Elena first then me. I am his girlfriend, he should put me first. I shook my head and said, "I'm sorry, I can no longer do this."

In that moment his head instantly look back right up, he replied angrily," You are being unbelievable! This is just your jealously talking. I only love you! How many times do I have to tell you? Just because Elena is my ex, who for a fact means nothing to me!"

"If she means nothing to you then why are you still helping her out. If she means nothing to you then why isn't when she is in trouble you drop everything to go and save her. If she means nothing to you then why you always go back to her."

I shook my head and sighed, "I can't do this anymore. This is over. I do not want to be in a relationship where my significant other is still attach to his ex. I do not want to feel like I am the second choice."

I walk toward the door and left, I heard Stefan calling for me to come back inside. I kept on walking.

________

I was now in the woods, tears fell down my face. I am such a fool to believe that he was over her. I sat down and look up at the starry sky, you have a better view of the stars.

Sat there alone with my thoughts, I am finally hearing my thoughts for the first in two years being in this relationship. I am scared to were my thoughts will lead me to.  The wind blows harder, shivers runs down my spine and I knew I'll be staying here for the night.

I slowly closed my eyes, then I heard a snap from my right. Fear rises through me, I was scared to see what will come at me. I slowly got on my feet and began to take steps back. I remembered myself to take deep breaths and to maintain calm. A small adorable bunny hop out of the bush, I began laughing hysterically because of the fear that I felt. A hand place itself on my shoulder, I jumped away from the mysterious silohoute and turn around, to see Elijah Mikaelson standing there.

"Y/n, do by telling me why are you in the woods?" He questions.

You gave a skeptical look and replied back, "Do tell Elijah, why are you back in Mystic Falls? Aren't you suppose to be New Orleans?"

He chuckles softly and shook a his head, "You still have that witty attitude."

You smiled softly and replied, "I got into an argument with Stefan."

He shook his head, took his hand out for me to hold, I careful put my hand on his. He locks his fingers with mine, he began walking forward. I stumble with my own feet, he wraps his arm around my waist.

"You're still clumsy." He retaliates.

I huff in annoyance, he has the nerve to drag me around as if I am a nuisance of a child that wants a piece of candy from the store and the mother sad no.

But here I am allowing him to drag me to that unknown place, I am a fool. Maybe those are the reasons why Stefan chose to hang out with Elena more than he ever did with me.

We come near to A house, wait a minute not a house, a freaking mansion. I took a better look it was the Mikaelson Manor, this was where they use to live until the business that Klaus had in New Orleans, he decided to leave Mystic Falls.

Elijah opens the door to the mansion, gesture for me to sit down and stay there. He came back with nightgown and a robe then told me to take a shower.

______

When I got of the shower I heard voices downstairs, I followed the voices until I reach to the study where they were at. There stood, Elijah and Klaus, they both look at me and smiled.

"Hello, love. How are you?" Klaus greets me and open his arms wide for a hug.

I accept the warm hug that I miss, he whispers into my ear saying that he knows that i I am having trouble in paradise.

He lets go and Elijah hands me papers, I took hold of the  stack of paper then gave ten both looks "what's is this for?"

"You have now where to stay so Klaus and I decided that the Mikaelson Manor will be yours now at the moment." He explains.

"I will pick up your belonging and put them in my old room and for right now we will be eating pizza." Klaus says.

You are very thankful for having them in your life, mostly Elijah. He has been the only one person to help in stressful situations.

𝔸/𝕟: 𝕚 𝕒𝕞 𝕤𝕠𝕣𝕣𝕪 𝕚𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕚𝕤 𝕙𝕠𝕣𝕣𝕚𝕓𝕝𝕖

[sserpente]

What makes a Loki a Loki?

Synopsis: Every time the TVA annihilates a timeline in order to “fix” the universe, Variants get left behind. Variants who then get taken to the TVA to be either brainwashed or pruned, deleted from existence. But not you. Not those who fight back. As part of a rebellion against the ruthless time police, you live a life on the run, a life as a nomad, dedicating yourselves to one goal: To destroy the TVA just like it intends to destroy you. Nothing could have prepared you for the God of Mischief himself to interfere with those plans. So what happens when he finds out that in order to protect yourself, you pretended to be a Loki yourself?

A/N: *tiptoes in quietly, gently puts the oneshot on your dashboard, tiptoes out again* This should have been posted weeks ago. I’m so sorry. I was in a writing slump and then I neglected it altogether because I was playing Baldur’s Gate 3 literally non-stop. Also threw in a request from @jazziefeybaby as it fit really well here, you’ll see! ;) SO, WHO IS EXCITED FOR SEASON 2 BECAUSE I AM!

Words: 4421 Warnings: semi-public smut

You skittered around the corner into a narrow alley. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. Barbed wire, right in front of you. You didn’t slow down and took a deep breath instead. As soon as you were close enough, you jumped, pushing yourself off the brick wall with one foot to grab the very top of the wire. Pain rippled through your palm, a sticky wetness almost making you lose your grip but you pushed through and pulled yourself up.

With a lot more grace than you would have expected from yourself, you landed and kept on running. The man who was chasing you looked familiar but, being more concerned with your survival, you hadn’t taken the luxury of studying his face. He seemed more skilled, faster than the others.

You’d still outrun him. You knew these streets well enough to find your way about blindly. And that was exactly the reason why you came to a halt with a start, surprised and shocked to find the man chasing you appear right in front of you. Your eyes widened. For just a split second, you allowed yourself to take in his features.

Long black hair, a sharp jawline and cheekbones to die for, thin lips, and piercing blue eyes… there was no doubt. You had seen this man before. But it couldn’t be…

You turned on your heel, ready to bolt in the opposite direction when you saw the strange man charge toward you yet again. An illusion. The man who had appeared in front of you was an illusion…

“Nice try, you fucker…” you muttered. You turned yet again, running off. It wasn’t until you saw the illusion flicker and solidify that you realised your mistake. A groan escaped your lips when you collided with a hard chest, all air knocked from your body. The recoil threw you off balance and you tumbled to the hard asphalt, hurting your already bleeding palms further. They were burning like hell, adding to your anger. He had teleported. That fucker had teleported.

You glared at the questionable TVA agent, ripping off the black mask covering your face from the nose down. He had you. For now, it was game over. “Who the hell are you?”

The stranger’s lips parted, a frown growing on his face. He was about to speak up when you were joined by another TVA agent with grey hair and a moustache. He slowed down, out of breath entirely.

“Well done, Loki.” Loki. “T-take her,” he continued then, waving at the Minutemen in their silly armour. You growled when they grabbed you by the collar and pulled you back on your feet, fastening one of those ridiculous time displacement collars around you.

They had to drag you through the time door they opened all the while Loki kept on watching you in silence… and, if you were not mistaken, fascination.

“Take her to the interrogation rooms, I’ll be right with you,” the TVA agent with the moustache announced. Loki led the way and the Minutemen holding on to your arms to keep you in check retreated. You would have called them fools if you hadn’t witnessed a live demonstration of Loki’s powers only a moment ago. Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!

“Sit,” he said upon entering the room, pointing to a table with three chairs—one on one side, the other two on the opposite side. You rolled your eyes. The only reason you did as you were told, so you told yourself, was because your feet were tired from all the running, and thus made a point of it by crossing your arms before your chest.

“If you think I’m going to tell you anything at all, you’re a fool.”

Loki scoffed. “We’ll see about that,” he said, narrowing his blue eyes at you. “Let’s start with something easy. What’s your name? You already know mine by now. I am Loki, of Asgard.”

It was truly one of him then. You would have laughed out loud if it wasn’t for your fucked-up situation. So you told him your name coldly. A nickname, no last name. He didn’t deserve that information yet.

“Look, the more you resist, the harder you are going to make this for yourself. I know from personal experience. They can be quite brutal.”

“Oh, I know. That’s why we’ve been running from them.  And yet…” You smiled at him mockingly. “Here you are, right among them, wearing a TVA uniform.”

“Desperate circumstance,” was all he replied. “It’s complicated.”

It was on you to scoff this time.

“I understand that your group has been wanted by the TVA for a while now. Why? Who are you? Why are they hunting you down?” He stared at you for a few moments. It was like a game at this point. Who would blink first?

“Shit, you really don’t know, do you? They didn’t tell you a thing. Shouldn’t surprise me.”

Loki leaned back. “Tell me.”

“You’re serious,” you spat. “They recruited you to chase us and you don’t even know of the crimes we’ve allegedly committed?”

The God of Mischief remained silent. You had him—for now.

“So? What is a Loki Variant doing working with the TVA of all horrible corporations then? What desperate circumstances prompted you to team up with the enemy?”

“Mobius is not an enemy.”

You shrugged. “He is to me.”

The God of Mischief appeared to think about it for a moment. It was like he was contemplating whether you were telling the truth. Just before you could offer him another snarky remark, however, the TVA agent in question entered the room, breaking the intense eye contact between the two of you for just a fraction of a second.

He sat down as if this was a casual business meeting, fixing his tie in the process. “Any luck yet?”

“Define luck,” Loki said without taking his eyes off of you.

“Well… Loki has probably told you by now but I’m Agent Mobius. And listen, let me make one thing clear. You don’t wanna get on Loki’s bad side.”

You raised your eyebrows. “Is that supposed to be a threat?”

“Maybe. It could be. Or you could just tell us what you know.”

“And then die anyway? Or turn into a brainless TVA agent like you? No. I’d rather keep my dignity and my pride before I kick the bucket.”

Mobius sighed. “Who is your leader?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“How many of you are there?”

“More than one, clearly.”

You smirked all the while Loki kept glaring at you as if he was trying to figure you out. Which he probably was.

“You’re not going to leave this place either way. But if you cooperate now, then I can make sure to make this more comfortable for you, alright?”

“What? So you won’t wipe my memory, perhaps? Hire me like a puppet? Like him?” You nodded at Loki with your chin. “I’d rather die a slow and painful death.”

Much to your surprise though, Mobius smirked with a start. “Does she remind you of someone?”

Loki did not take his eyes off of you for a second. “Yes. Indeed she does.”

“You don’t think she could be…”

“One of me? Doubtfully. She has no powers or if she does, she was very good at hiding them.”

You frowned, overwhelmed by sudden hot flush. There was no way he could guess that…  “Powers? What are you on about?”

“Who are they, exactly? This group she belongs to,” Loki asked, ignoring you entirely.

“We call them time breakers. Rebels whose only purpose is to kill—us.”

You scoffed. “Wow, you really believe that, don’t you?”

“Oh, were you not trying to kill me back there?”

“I was. And I would try again. But not for the whitewashed reason you believe I would.”

Mobius sighed. “We understand that there is a small group of you here in Manhattan. Why don’t you tell us where your friends are? We could… help.”

“No,” you said dryly, crossing your arms before your chest again.

Mobius sighed once more. “Okay, you know what, let’s continue this tomorrow. See if you’re more approachable after a good night’s sleep. Then you can get patched up too,” he said, pointing at your injured hands.

“Hardly. Hope is a tedious thing.”

The TVA agent ignored your comment. “Thanks for your help today, Loki. Will you take her to the cells? Just in case she tries something.”

You rolled your eyes and stood, too proud to be dragged about again. Right before you could make your way to the door, however, Loki grabbed your arm. “There is something else.”

“What?”

“You looked at me like you recognised me.”

“I did not,” you said quickly. “Clearly I did not.”

You could only hope that the God of Lies himself would fall for your words, for he could not know under any circumstances that this man, the infamous leader of the time breakers… was a Loki too.

Loki led you to the cells without a word. One of the Minutemen guarding it opened one of them for you to step in, seemingly used to agents bringing in new prisoners without asking questions. But unlike what you expected, Loki entered the cell with you.

“Comfy,” you said, sarcasm dripping from your voice. “But I actually have a bed. Perhaps I’ll like it here after all.”

“We’re alone now. You recognised me. Don’t deny it.” Damn it.

You rolled your eyes, anxiety rippling through you. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Yes. You do.”

You scoffed. “Do you wanna know why they’re really hunting us, Loki?”

He waited for you to continue. “It’s because they fucked up. You know how they destroy entire timelines, right?”

“Yes.”

“Well, some of us didn’t take kindly to being… annihilated, to be wiped from existence. One of us… one of us was the first, he got away and he came for others, taking them under his wing and building an army with but one goal—to bring down everything the TVA stands for. I’m what they call a Variant, Loki. I’m just trying to survive. And if that means that I have to destroy those who aim to destroy me, I will. You of all people should know.”

“Me?”

You scoffed once more. “You’re a Variant too, aren’t you? It’s as clear as daylight.” You knew he was, so the question was a rhetorical one. He looked just like him, only this Loki… this Loki right before you, he seemed… softer. Gentler. He was just as handsome of course and yet… there was something about him that attracted you to the point it scared you.

“So there you have it. You captured me for a death sentence—but you already know that. They’re never gonna let me go. According to them, I shouldn’t exist. And I’d rather live a life on the run rather than become a mindless soldier like the others. Like you,” you spat. You’d attempted to despise him in the interrogation room. You just… couldn’t.

Loki swallowed. He studied you quietly for a moment and sat down on the edge of the small desk in the cell.

“I’m just like you,” you repeated. “You should be joining me, us, instead of working with them.”

“You don’t know Mobius like I know him. He is not a bad person.”

“Oh yeah?”

“No. He is not what you think he is.” His blue eyes darkened, yours widening when he stepped closer to you.

“Don’t you think we both know how corrupt the TVA is? I understand. I understand your pain and I understand your anger. You don’t have a home. Mobius and I, we can give you one. Not here at the TVA, not as an agent. But in order for us to do that, you have to tell us what you know. Some Variants, they are… dangerous. That Variant who leads you...”

You gnashed your teeth, meeting his piercing gaze. Perhaps that was your mistake. You swallowed.

Loki’s face fell. “He’s a Loki…”

“What?”

“He’s a Loki, is he not?”

You tightened your jaw, remaining silent.

“So that is why you recognised me.”

Oh, fuck it. “Well, unlike you, he truly is a saviour, Loki.”

You didn’t know what to expect from him after that. But certainly not that he would sigh, turn around… and leave the cell, leaving you behind pondering over what the hell had just happened.

He knew. Not just about you following another Loki but also… the effect that he had on you. Both of them. Mobius had kept his so-called promise. You were not going anywhere. Day in and out, they asked you more questions you refused to answer and even started taking you out on the field with them in the hopes you’d sooner or later provide useful information to them. You were on edge, constantly.

The more time you spent with him, the more Loki made you feel things you’d never thought possible. He might have figured out that he was not the first Variant you were dealing with—but he had still not yet found out how you had managed to survive that well.

It was an accomplishment you were rather proud of. The double deception had you reel with excitement and even superiority, for they were desperate for your secrets. Desperate. That’s what they truly were. Both Mobius, Loki, and the entire TVA were reaching for straws at this point. They needed all the help they could get—perhaps that was why you were still alive. Perhaps that was why they hadn’t turned you into a mindless agent. Or perhaps Loki had convinced them to keep you just the way you were.

You had seen the way he looked at you when he thought you didn’t notice. There was a silent admiration in his blue gaze whenever you caught him, along with an urge you hadn’t quite been able to place until you started spending more time together. It was desire. Carnal desire. And whatever connection there was between you, he was giving in to it.

It became a game all too soon. The subtle looks, the dancing around one another—wondering, preying on who would cave first. Sex was not off the table, you had realised that much. Neither of you needed to speak the word to agree that this was inevitably what your odd relationship would lead to. It was a circumstance Mobius had not failed to notice.

“I digress… is there something you want from me?” The man Mobius had managed to track down wasn’t quite part of your group. In fact, he’d tried to kill you before he had realised who you were, or rather… who you had pretended to be.

You kept in the background, quiet and observing, ensuring the slimy git wouldn’t catch a glimpse of your face. You didn’t even know his name.

“You’re hiding something,” Loki whispered with a start.

You flinched. His breath was a little too close for your liking. He enjoyed doing that, so you’d realised. Creeping up on you, catching you off guard like he was a predator and you were his prey.

“No shit?”

“I’m not talking about the Time Breakers. You know this man. Who is he?”

Frowning, you took a step back only to collide with a pillar. Damn it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Instead of responding, Loki nudged you forward—and right into view of the git as you lost your balance and tumbled a little.

“You? Shit, they’re with you? I’m… I’m so sorry, I didn’t know. I apologise.”

“He’s afraid of you,” Loki stated with wonder in his voice.

You rolled your eyes. “What? Is that so unbelievable?”

“Actually, yes.”

“You don’t mess with a Loki,” the git responded for you.

You gnashed your teeth in response when Loki narrowed his eyes at him. Lucky for you, however, he appeared to think the git was referring to him rather than you.

“I’m sorry… a what?” His confused expression almost made you laugh but then again, the situation was rather sinister. “I‘m a Loki. I am Loki. Not her.”

Mobius clocked it first; and you were overcome with the overwhelming urge of wanting to wipe the shit-eating grin from his face fast.

“Ask her,” he said.

“Ask her what?”

“Ask her how she survived this long. Ask her why she has the respect of her leader.”

Loki raised his eyebrows. His blue gaze travelled over to you as if to silently pass on the question.

When you didn’t say anything, Mobius chuckled. “She’s pretending to be you, Loki. She’s pretending to be a Variant. That’s why Marcus here is so terrified.”

“Oh, Marcus? That’s what the slimy git is called?” Changing the topic did not work in your favour. Loki did not let it go.

“Thanks,” Marcus murmured.

Loki, on the other hand, remained unfazed. “You were pretending to be me?”

“Not you. One of you. A goddess of Mischief. It worked quite well for some time. It was his idea, actually.”

“So you were hiding this under my nose this entire time?” Loki smirked—certainly not the reaction you had expected from him. You’d assumed he’d lash out or feel deeply offended or perhaps both. Instead, you sensed pride.

“You’re taking this a lot calmer than I assumed you would.”

His smirk grew even wider—eerily so, almost. “I am flattered, darling.”

“You’re what now?”

“Well, I must say, it’s quite an impressive disguise. Tell me, did you wear something more flattering whenever you pretended to be me?”

“Oh fuck off.”

“Lokis have style, dear. Dressed like this I might have a hard time believing you.” Your heart skipped a beat when he winked. The way your body reacted pissed you off enough to growl.

“Are we done here? You got what you came for. The git doesn’t know anything else.”

“Wait! I know something. I know where her leader is currently hiding.” Marcus pointed at you.

“I can assure you, you do not,” you interrupted, crossing your arms before your chest.

“The docks, head to the docks! There’s a warehouse there, and it comes with a basement. There’s a hatch to the left of the south entrance. That’s where you’ll find him.”

You wished that Loki wasn’t as perceptive as he was when he noticed you stiffening—and perhaps, that was all both he and Mobius needed to know to confirm the git was telling the truth.

You stormed out before either of them could comment. You had to go back. You had to warn him. The Loki you were with now, you hated to admit that you trusted him. Hel, you even trusted Mobius now—but their cause? You didn’t trust that. Nothing good would come out of confronting the very Loki Variant who had helped keep you alive all this time… right? You owed him that.

You could swear that you heard Loki sigh when you took off, almost as if he didn’t take your attempt to escape seriously. You scoffed at the thought. He’d tricked you once before, he wouldn’t easily be able to pull the same maneuver on you again.

You left the main street fast, diving into a narrower side alley dimly lit by the street lanterns. It was getting dark out—that would make it easier for you to blend in with the shadows. Rapidly moving shadows, too.

Loki was right behind you. Even without turning around, you could practically feel him. His energy, his… his magic?

You gasped when you tripped over something seemingly invisible only to find a horned shadow gliding across the brick wall to your left. It was his shadow. He was making his shadow attack you. Before you were able to react, it wrapped its arm around your waist, ramming you against the wall. You hissed in pain.

“What the fuck!”

Pressed against the bricks, the invisible grip around your neck tightened immediately.

“I don’t think so, dear,” Loki purred. Annoyingly enough, he wasn’t even slightly out of breath. He narrowed his eyes at you as he approached you without a care in the world, the tension between you tripling. You struggled against the invisible bonds, unable to budge an inch. Within the twinkling of an eye, he was right in front of you, his hands replacing the shadowy shackles.

He was almost… surprised when he felt it too. Almost as if the constant banter, the unintentional flirting, and all those longing glances would not have led to this very outcome. And then, you could see it in his blue eyes, he realised that he’d won this game of seduction the two of you had been playing without ever setting the rules.

To hel with the other Loki. To hel with the git, to hel with Mobius, wherever he was. Loki was consuming you. Perhaps he already had a very long time ago when you had taken up on your leader’s advice and pretended to be a Variant yourself to keep yourself safe.

His kiss caught you off guard nonetheless, igniting you from the inside out. You moaned into his mouth, all of the bottled-up desire for this man unleashed at once. It felt like you were meant to be kissing, like you were supposed to become his all along.

Loki was met with no objection when he slid his slim fingers under your shirt, swayed by his own longing for you. You only pulled away when he lifted the skirt the TVA had given you to wear, his thumbs hooking under the hem of your knickers.

“You’re not going to fuck me in public!” you hissed, your resistance bleeding away more with every passing moment.

“Such vulgar language… did they truly believe you were a Loki with this mouth?”

“Oh, fuck off!”

Instead, he kissed you once more, pressing you against the wall even further until you gasped for air. That was it—the moment you were done for, taken in by his dominance and submitting, much to your dismay, willingly.

You jumped, wrapping your arms around his middle and holding on all the while he all but yanked the belt off of his TVA trousers, pushing them down just far enough to reveal the growing bulge between his legs. He’d kept his Asgardian underwear—but for now, it was in the way. The moan that escaped your lips the moment you finally felt his hard cock against your pussy lips to test your wetness was unholy if anything.

You had to press your face against his neck to stop yourself from crying out when he sheathed himself inside of you with but one swift thrust. Loki’s groans were heavenly—you could tell it took him every fibre of his being to not lose his composure even though right now… that was all you wanted. For him to fuck you like he meant it.

You threw your head back when he withdrew only to rut back into you, finding a rhythm that had your eyes roll to the back of your head. You didn’t have much time for this, of course. You weren’t keen on getting caught, especially not by Mobius.

And gods, he was screwing you good… working out that tension between you with every single stroke. It felt so right you could burst as you clung to him, inviting him even deeper both physically and mentally. Right now, in this very moment, you were his—and you were rather certain that he was yours. Where you’d go from there, you did not know but that didn’t matter right now. All that mattered was his warm dick sliding in and out of you, making you see stars—and doubling the frustration when he slowed down with a start.

“Why are you… stopping?”

“It’s been a while…” He smirked against your lips.

“Don’t hold back on my account. You’re a prince—I expect you know how to make it worthwhile for your partners.”

Loki growled in response and you knew then and there that he’d accepted your challenge. He ground against you, circling his hips, hitting pleasure spots hidden deep inside of you. He riled you up further and further, almost possessed by the idea of giving you pleasure before he took his own.

Your back was hurting at this point, the rough wall against your skin close to drawing blood. You didn’t care. You wanted more. More of him.

The God of Mischief picked up his speed again, burying his face in your neck now and inhaling your scent deeply—his little grunts had you dig your fingernails into his TVA jacket, and fuck, you never wanted this moment to end.

Faster and faster, Loki brought you closer to shattering into a million pieces. How the hell that was possible, you had no idea—the man had not even touched your clit, and yet, you were about to… gods, you were about to…

You cried out his name when you came, clenching around his cock repeatedly. Your toes curled as you milked him for all he was worth, triggering his own release fast.

With one final stroke, he buried himself inside of you as deep as he could before coating the inside of your pussy with his seed, his member jerking against your walls. And then—silence. Comfortable, relaxing silence.

You whimpered at the loss of him when he withdrew, set you back on the ground, and took a step back, his magic ensuring to make you both look presentable again.

“Thanks. Well, I certainly feel better now…” you muttered.

Loki smirked. “So do I. Well then. Shall we?” He offered you his arm, presumably to take you back to Mobius.

“You’re not…” Panting, you caught your breath for a moment. “You’re not really going to side with the TVA for this, are you?”

Loki sighed. “No. But I won’t let you destroy the TVA either. As much as I hate to say it, we need them—as strategic allies, if anything.”

“Spoken like a true king, huh?”

The God of Mischief narrowed his eyes a little, smirking down at you. “I wonder what else you have learned about me through this other… Loki.”

“More than you think.” You paused. “What about Mobius?”

“Mobius I trust with my life, pet.” Pet. Oh, for Heaven’s sake… “Don’t you worry.”

You wouldn’t. Not about this anyway. For now, you’d worry about not falling in love with him.

A/N: And sceeene! Keep an eye on my socials, will you? I’ll be seeing the first 2 episodes of Season 2 at the BFI on the 5th and I’ll be doing the TVA Experience on the 7th! I’m so hyped! I simply must share it with you all! Also if you’re in London and you see me there… COME SAY HI!

[fxckadoodledoomunson]

A Heart Divided -3-

Previous

|3| The mermaid’s wrath…

Summary: The truth about your sister and Eddie comes to light, leading your parents to make a decision. And on the day of the semifinal, Eddie gives you a piece of his mind.

Warnings: Swearing, blood, slight mention of sex but no smut, Eddie Jason and Andy being dicks, fat shaming.

Tagged: @somethingvicked @ali-r3n @mirandasidefics @mewchiili @erisdogwood @hufflepuffobsessedwithmarvel @yourdailymemedelivery @pretendthisnameisclever

You rode as fast as you could, unaware that you left your bag behind at Steve’s. You were unsure why your father wanted you home immediately. But you figured that it had to be something to do with your sister. As soon as you arrived at your house, you got off your bike and you rushed to the front door, swinging it open. As soon as you shut the door behind you, you shouted, “I’m home.”

You walked through the living room, as you asked, “Why did you need back so…quickly?”

You stopped, as you saw your father holding your sister’s broken radio while your mother was on the sofa, comforting your sister, who you could see, was putting on the crocodile tears. Your father approached you, as he lifted the radio in front of you. “I need you to be honest with us,” he sternly said, before asking you. “Did you break your sister’s radio?”

Before you could even answer, your sister sniffled, “Don’t know why you’re asking her, Daddy. She’s only going to deny it.”

As your mother comforted her, you crossed your arms, confessing, “Yes, I did.”

Your father gave you a stern look, while your mother who was still cuddling your sister, as she asked, “Why would you do that? What gave you the right to do break something that brings happiness to your sister? You know that she loved that radio.”

Your blood started to boil, disgusted at your mother’s words. Before you knew it, you blew up. “Why? Why?!”

Your parents flinched at your wrath. In their eyes, you were mild, hardly getting mad at anything. But in that moment, all they could see was just an angry teenager.

“Maybe if she and Eddie weren’t being inconsiderate arseholes, making things hard for me by fooling around when I’m trying to study and practice for the swimming competition, and-“

“Whoa!” Your father exclaimed, raising his hand for you to stop, before turning to your sister, before asking her, “Eddie? As in Eddie Munson? The boy your sister’s been tutoring?”

“Oh! Don’t be absurd,” your mother interjected. “She wouldn’t-“

Suddenly, you heard the door knocking. Your father pointed at you and your sister, as he sternly said, “We’re not finished.”

He stomped to the door and opened it, to find Laura Cunningham standing outside.

“Laura, what brings you here?” He asked.

Without asking your father’s permission, Laura stormed inside. “I need to speak to your wife,” she announced, as stomped into the living room.

“Not interrupting anything, am I?” She asked.

Your mother mentioned to her that you had broken your sister’s radio, before mentioning your sister and Eddie’s relationship.

“I mean, have you heard anything more absurd?” Your mother nervously laughed, before her laughter died down, as she met Laura’s glare.

“Actually I have,” Laura spoke, before revealing. “You see, I went to see Mrs Banks earlier for coffee and a chat about her son’s sermon, and she told me what she had witnessed.”

Your sister lowered her gaze to the ground, as your parents attentively listened to what Laura was saying, mentioning that not only Mrs Banks saw you break your sister’s radio, but also mentioned what she and Eddie had gotten up to after you left.

Laura pointed her finger at your sister, as she told her, “You should be ashamed of yourself, young lady. I’m only thankful that my son wasn’t home to hear you doing all sorts.”

Laura shuddered, when your father turned to your sister, and gave her a stern look, as he asked, “What do you have to say for yourself?”

Your sister looked up at him, before shifting her gaze to you, giving you a sly smirk. She then turned to your father and Laura, and confessed, “Yes, Eddie and I have been seeing each other ever since spring break. And we did it…a lot.”

Your parents gasped, as Laura looked like she was going to have a heart attack. Your mother went to check on Laura who retaliated, “Don’t. Just know that you and your family are no longer welcome to our home. Not until you turn away from sin.”

As your parents pleaded and apologised to their neighbour, you turned to your sister who was still looking smug, before angrily rushing upstairs to your room, your father called out to you, as he followed you only to have the door slammed shut in his face when he heard another knock on the door. As he stomped down the stairs, your father groaned, “Who is it this time? Devil worshippers?!”

He opened the door to find Steve standing outside.

“Oh, hello Steve,” your father greeted him.

As Steve greeted your father, he overheard your mother, your sister and Laura arguing, before asking, “Is this a bad time?”

Your father stepped out and closed the door behind him, drowning out the arguments. “What brings you here?” He asked.

Steve lifted up your bag, handed it over to him, letting him know that you left it behind.

“Oh, thank you very much,” your father replied. “I’ll pass it back to her.”

Just as your father was about to go back inside when Steve asked him, “Also, could you let her know that if she needs more practice that she’s welcome to come to my place again?”

Your father gave him a small smile, before telling him, “I will do.”

After saying goodbye, your father stepped back inside, leaving Steve to go back to his car when Chrissy approached him.

“Hey,” she greeted him, as she crossed her arms.

“Hey,” Steve replied, as he leaned against his car door.

“I take it that my mom’s still in there?”

Steve furrowed his eyebrows when Chrissy mentioned that the pastor’s mother saw Eddie with your sister earlier and snitched on them to her mother, as she looked up at one of the upstairs windows, before commenting that she hoped that you were okay.

“Well,” Steve shrugged, as he replied, “She was still down about Eddie and her sister when I spoke to her earlier.”

Chrissy shook her head, as she told him, “There’s definitely more going on than what we know. I mean, her sister was never nice to a lot of people. When I first joined the cheer squad, she always teased me for being too short for cheer.”

“She may be hot, but she was always a bitch. She makes Carol Perkins look like Snow White.”

Chrissy stifled her giggle as Steve lightly chuckled, “Well she does. But I get what you mean.” Steve leaned his head back, as he asked, “ I mean, how could Munson fall for someone like her sister who wouldn’t have look at him twice at high school?”

Chrissy nodded, as she told him that you had always been nice to him even before you began tutoring him. “My heart broke for her when she admitted that she liked him,” she confessed, making Steve move his head forward, facing Chrissy.

“I figured that she had a thing for him, even before the whole situation,” Steve revealed, as he looked down at the ground. “Unrequited love sucks.”

As Chrissy stood beside him, and leaned against his car, she asked, “Do you like her?”

Steve furrowed his eyebrows, as he turned to her when she asked if he liked you.

“Uh…no!” Steve retorted , as he raised his hands. “I do like her, but definitely not in that way.”

“Oh,” a surprised Chrissy exclaimed. “I thought you…”

“Definitely not. I’ve always thought of her as a sister, and the feelings are mutual.” Steve let out a chuckle for a few seconds before hearing the door open.

It was Laura.

As she stomped on the pavement, she turned to her daughter and sternly said, “Chrissy, come inside. That family is no longer welcome in our home.”

A confused Chrissy turned to Steve, as she silently walked away when Steve called out, “I’ll see you around, Chrissy.”

Chrissy turned her head, giving him a small smile, before turning away as she followed her mother.

Meanwhile, you were sitting on your bed in your pyjamas, drying your hair with a towel when you heard a knock on your door.

You didn’t answer at first, thinking that it was your sister standing outside. But then, you heard your father’s voice, “It’s only me, pumpkin.”

You huffed, before telling him to come in. As soon as he opened the door, your father lifted your bag, as he said, “That Harrington boy said that you left it at his place.”

You couldn’t believe that you left your bag behind. As he handed it to you, he assured you, “Don’t worry, I made sure that your sister didn’t peak inside.”

You softly thanked him, when your father sat on the bed beside you, before he asked, “Do you want to talk about it? About your sister and Eddie?”

You shook your head, trying to fight the tears. You could tell Steve and Chrissy about your feelings, but sadly, you couldn’t do the same with your family.

Your father sighed, before informing you, “Listen, I thought I should let you know first, as you knew Eddie before their relationship. I’m planning to invite Eddie and his uncle over for dinner tomorrow night.”

You lifted your head and swiftly turned it, as you were about to protest against the idea when your father mentioned, “Since the relationship’s out in the open, we might as well do it. Besides, I want to hear Wayne’s thoughts about it. But if it makes you uncomfortable, then I won’t-“

You shook your head, as you blankly told him, “Do it. It would happen sooner than later, so invite them over.”

You didn’t want it to happen, but like your father, you wanted to know Wayne’s input on the relationship. It was wishful thinking, but you hoped that maybe by tomorrow night, Eddie will change his mind about dating your sister.

“No way. Are you serious?” Chrissy asked you the next day after you told her that your father had invited Eddie and Wayne over for dinner.

“I wish I wasn’t,” you replied, as you and her were sitting on the bleachers, as you watched the first two groups play volleyball. “There’s no way I can go through with it.”

“You’ll be fine,” Chrissy assured you, as she squeezed your hand. “And you said that his uncle’s coming, so maybe Eddie will have to behave himself in front of him.”

You sighed, as you shifted your attention to Eddie, who was sitting in the bottom row of the bleachers, talking to Grant, who begged Eddie not to cancel Hellfire, while watching Jeff play.

“How many times do I have to tell you? I’m not cancelling. It’ll just be later than usual,” Eddie told him. “Her parents want me and Wayne over for dinner.”

As soon as Eddie turned his head, you swiftly shifted your attention back to the two teams playing. Not long after, the coach blew his whistle, telling the teams to go and sit on the benches, before calling the rest of the class, including you to step to the net.

You couldn’t think of anything more awkward than being on the same team as Eddie, especially as he looking back at you before muttering to himself. Fortunately, you had Chrissy, Patrick and Aimee on your team.

However, you felt bad for Grant who was stuck on the same team as Jason, Andy and Chance along with Andy’s girlfriend, Hannah.

You could hear Robin and Vickie cheering for you while Jeff cheered for his friends before hearing the coach telling everyone to get into position, as he passed the ball to Jason. As you moved further back away from Eddie, the coach raised his hand before swiftly move it down, as he blew the whistle, letting the match commence.

As soon as Jason served the ball net, you watched the ball heading for Patrick, who smacked it towards Chrissy, who then hit it towards Aimee, who managed to smack it over the net. Grant tried to hit it over, but missed, earning a point to your team. After you gave high-fives to the girls and Patrick, you turned to Eddie, who had his arms crossed, and was about to high-five him only for you to remember that you and him were not on good terms. As you lowered your hand down, you and Eddie noticed Jason and Andy ganging up on Grant for missing the ball. “What was that, freak?” Jason sneered.

“I bet if it was a giant meatball, he would catch it,” Andy cackled.

Eddie was about to give the curly haired meat head a piece of his mind when you called out, “Hey Andy! Why don’t you quit fat shaming someone, and actually learn how to play?”

Eddie and Jeff exchanged surprised looks as they heard you defend Grant, who was unsure whether or not to thank you for sticking up for him.

Eddie turned to look at you when you quickly faced onwards. Why did she do that? He thought. I thought she…

The whistle blew, making Eddie lose his train of thoughts.

As the coach passed the ball to Aimee, Eddie shook his head as he thought, I’m sure she only said it to make herself look good.

After the whistle blew again, Aimee began to serve, hitting the ball over the net, heading towards Chance, who managed to hit it towards Jason, who then smacked the ball between you and Eddie, causing you two to collide and fall, earning the point to Jason’s team.

After you managed to pick yourself up, you stuck out your hand, offering it to Eddie, only for him to harshly smack it away, before picking himself up. You hissed as you rubbed your hand, realising that he scratched your palm when Chrissy checked if you were okay. You silently nodded, as Chrissy glared at Eddie, while Robin shook her head.

After Chance served, Patrick smacked the ball back, only for it to be hit by Hannah, who smacked it to your direction. With your hand still feeling sore, you used your other hand to hit the ball, only for it to hit the net, giving Jason’s team another point.

While the rest of the team praised you for trying, Eddie scoffed, before muttering, “Clearly doing it for attention as always.”

His words angered you. You didn’t know what you did to make him treat you like shit. You didn’t know if your sister had said or did something to make him think about you the way he did, but all you knew is that you were no longer tolerating it.

As soon as Andy smacked the ball towards you, you grabbed it, making your teammates, including Eddie, wonder what you were doing when you abruptly threw the ball square right in Eddie’s face, causing him to fall down on his back.

Everyone became shocked when they noticed blood gushing from Eddie’s nose. Jeff and Grant rushed to his side to pick him up, as Jeff asked you, “What the hell’s wrong with you?” As soon as Eddie got to his feet, he told them, “I’m fine.”

He elbowed them, as he bellowed, “I said I’m fine!”

As he wiped his bloodied nose, Eddie stomped towards you, getting up close as he growled, “You really are a fucking psycho. Your sister was right about you.”

Angered by his words, you slapped him across the face. Andy and Jason chortled at what they had witnessed when the coach blew his whistle as he approached you two and shouted, “Okay! That’s enough! You two! Principal’s office now!”

A few moments later, the two of you waited outside the principal’s office. While you had a an ice pack for one hand and a bandaid for your scratched one, Eddie held a tissue up his nostril, leaning his head back, as he muttered, “You didn’t need to be so dramatic, I was just telling you what she said.”

You turned your head, silently judging him for being a arsehole, as you told him bluntly, “You’ll make yourself choke if you tilt your head back.”

Eddie silently mocked you, when he started to choke, causing him to spit the blood out of his mouth on his shirt, which disgusted the receptionist. You immediately went to her desk and grabbed some tissues for Eddie.

“I did tell you,” you retorted, as you passed him the tissues. Eddie, who snatched the tissues off you, as he glared at you when the door opened with Higgins stepping outside, asking for you to come in. As you followed Higgins, Eddie commented something crude about you being Higgins’ pet to you when you harshly threw your ice pack on his crotch.

“Jesus,” Eddie winced, as he removed it from his crotch, placing it on the chair next to him.

After Higgins asked you to take a seat, you bluntly said, “Look, just get it over with and suspend me or expel me. Because I really don’t want to be here right now.”

Higgins looked at you with concern. You were one of the brightest students in the school, and hearing that you got into a fight with Eddie Munson, he had to think of something so that the school’s reputation wasn’t ruined.

He sighed, as he told you, “You’re one of our best students, and one of our star swimmers. It would be a shame if it was thrown away because of one bad seed, especially as the race is tomorrow.”

You wanted to tell him that Eddie wasn’t a bad seed, despite how he treated you of late and how he pushed you to throw the ball at him, causing his injury.

However, you remained silent when Higgins continued to speak, “However, given your…recent aggressive behaviour, you’ll be given a week’s detention starting from next week and I advise you to see Ms Kelly once a week for the next month.”

That’s all? I expected worse, you thought, as you watched him write a pink slip, before handing it to you, as he told you that you’re free to go. As you left, you heard Higgins say, while walking past Eddie, “Mr Munson, back here again…” As soon as you left the office, you were walking through the hallway where you were greeted by Chrissy, Robin and Vickie.

“Are you okay?” Chrissy asked.

“What happened?” Vickie asked.

“Did you get suspended?” Robin asked.

You shook your head, as you told them that you had detention from next week and you were advised to see Ms Kelly.

“To be honest, I was expecting a lot worse,” you replied, when Chrissy took your hand and checked your palm, before suggesting, “I think we should go to the nurse to get it wrapped-“

You shook your head, as you told her, “I’ll be fine.”

Suddenly, the girls’s faces fell, as Eddie marched through the hallway, glaring at your direction, as he stormed past. You and the girls watched him heading outside, as Robin asked, “Who does he think he is, treating you like shit?”

You deeply sighed, wondering about the repercussions that would follow.

Later on in the evening, your mother was preparing the dinner, while your sister was putting on her make up when your mother asked her, “Honey, can you help me set the table?”

“Mum, I’m trying to do my makeup,” she retorted before telling her to ask you instead. She then complained about not having a new dress for the dinner.

Meanwhile, you were in the living room, being lectured by your father about the earlier altercation between you and Eddie.

“You’re lucky that you didn’t get kicked out of tomorrow’s semifinal. You could’ve lost your scholarship, you do realise that?”

“Yes sir,” you responded with sincerity. Your father sighed, as he sat down next to you, before taking your injured hand, and told you, “Look, I know things have been awkward since your sister’s relationship had been brought to light, but I need you to-“

“And apologise to Eddie, I know,” you told him.

“Well, it’ll definitely show that you’re being the bigger person. But also, I want you to make sure that you’re on top of everything. You’re graduating soon, so you can’t let yourself slip up. Okay?”

You silently nodded, as your father patted your back when you heard the doorbell ring.

After your father asked you to answer it, you got up from the couch and headed to the door and opened it, finding Wayne and a bruised Eddie standing outside.

You were unsure how Wayne would greet you, given your earlier fight with Eddie. What you didn’t expect however, was Wayne smiling at you, as he opened his arms to give you a hug.

You lightly hugged him back with a puzzled expression on your face, wondering why Eddie didn’t snitch on you. After he let go, Wayne turned to Eddie, telling him to give you a hug. You turned to Wayne with confusion, before shifting your attention to Eddie who huffed, before stepping towards you and reluctantly hugged you, while Wayne shook your father’s hand. You were about to apologise to Eddie for earlier when your sister stepped out of the kitchen and rushed towards him, as she greeted him in a shrill voice, “Hi baby.”

Wayne rubbed his ear, irritated by her voice while Eddie immediately pulled away from you and went to kiss your sister, when she stopped him, telling him that she had just done her makeup.

“That hasn’t stopped me before,” Eddie lightly chuckled.

You rolled your eyes, as you headed into the kitchen where your mother asked you to help set the table, unaware that Wayne was watching you with sympathetic eyes.

All through out dinner, the adults were chatting and your sister and Eddie were flirting, while you sat there, silently fiddling with your food with your fork when Wayne said to your parents, “I must confess, when you said that Eddie’s been seeing one of your daughters, I thought it would be her.”

He pointed to you, which made you lift your head up when he continued to speak, “Then I figured maybe they finally reconciled after their fallout.”

You then heard Eddie scoff , before he retorted, “Well, he thought wrong. I’d say that I picked the right sister…” He then took your sister’s hand, making her smirk, before he muttered, “And not that psycho bitch.”

Your eyes widened, as you heard Eddie. You looked around the table, feeling embarrassed, almost at the brink of tears. Your father was about to open his mouth when Wayne sternly told Eddie, as he put down his cutlery, “Eddie, apologise to her.”

Eddie silently glared at you when Wayne told him, with a more angry tone, “Eddie, I said apologise to her.”

Eddie swiftly turned his head to his uncle and retorted, “Why should I? She’s the one who started it. Did you not hear me tell you that she almost broke my nose?”

Wayne turned your parents as he coolly asked them to excuse him, so he could talk to his nephew in private.

As soon as Wayne got up, he grabbed Eddie by the arm and dragged him out of the dining room, telling him, “I’m aware of that incident between you two, but I also know that I brought you up to have manners.”

While the pair were arguing, you sat there silently when your sister spat, “I hope you’re happy. You ruined everything.”

Your mother tried to calm her down, when your sister whined, “No! She always ruins everything for me-“

Your father told her to stop, which led to an argument between your family.

Tears streamed down your face, hearing the commotion around you when you suddenly heard a clock ticking, followed by a deep voice telling you, “She’s right…you do ruin everything…”

Unable to take it anymore, you pushed your chair back so hard that you almost broke the leg and shouted, “Stop it! Just stop it!”

The house became silent, as everyone turned to you, gaping, while your sister commented, “Gross…”

You realised that blood was dripping from your nose. As soon as you wiped it away with your sleeve, you immediately ran out of the dining room and headed to your room as your father called your name when you slammed the door behind you, before sliding down against it, as you sobbed.

“What’s going on with me?” You blubbered, unsure what was happening to you. Ever since you found out about your sister, you had been getting bad headaches, then the recurring nightmares in the past two nights, and earlier on, you heard a dark voice echoing what your sister commented, along with a nosebleed.

Back downstairs, your father apologised to Wayne and Eddie for your outburst when Wayne shook his head, as he calmly said, “Don’t worry about it. I’ve heard worse.”

“Well, at least that’s one less mouth to feed,” your sister snidely commented, which made Wayne’s blood boil, wondering what Eddie saw in her.

Instead of confronting her, Wayne took a deep breath before asking your mother where the bathroom was.

After been given the directions, Wayne went upstairs. However, he went to the door with your name on it, and knocked on it.

“I don’t want to talk about it, Dad,” you sobbed from the other side of the door. “Please leave me alone.”

“It’s me, kiddo,” Wayne called out. Not long after, you opened the door, revealing your puffy eyes.

“Wayne, I can’t tell you how sorry I am-“ you began to apologise when Wayne stopped you by hugging you.

“I understand what you’re going through,” Wayne told you, as he let go of you, before sitting on the edge of your bed. “I’ve been on the same boat myself.”

You looked at him with a confused expression, as he patted the bed, prompting you to sit next to him.

As you sat down, Wayne told you that he loved a girl who gave him the same treatment as Eddie gave you.

“She started treating me like crap for no reason after she got together with my brother. I couldn’t understand why she did it, even to this day. But I’m sure that Al said something to her put her off.”

“And, was this girl…Eddie’s mother?”

Wayne shook his head, telling you, “No, not sweet Elizabeth. She was an angel. No, this was before my brother met her. This girl’s name was Eunice. Unfortunately for her, she got her heartbroken by Al after he was seeing her best friend behind her back.”

“Oh God…” you muttered, “Well, it’s her loss I guess.”

He had let out a small chuckle, as silently gazed at him, before you began asking, “How long have you known…?”

“It wasn’t hard to tell,” Wayne lightly chuckled, as he replied. “I saw how your face lit up whenever you looked at him during your tutoring sessions.”

Meanwhile, Eddie went upstairs to find his uncle when he overheard you two talking.

“It’s just a shame that you two are no longer on good terms,” Wayne told you.

“How did know about me and Eddie?” You asked.

“I saw him and the Mayfield girl arguing about you. She saw the way he spoke to you on the first day back, and gave him grief for it.”

You sighed, before telling him, “I don’t know what I did wrong, Wayne. Before spring break, we were fine, but now everything’s gone to shit.”

Can’t believe she’s got Wayne on her side, Eddie angrily thought. But she won’t get away with it.

Eddie snuck into your sister’s room and got on all fours, as he searched under her bed when he found what he had been looking for.

“Gotcha,” he whispered, as he pulled out a diary from underneath the bed.

He tucked the diary into his inside pocket, before picking himself up from the floor. As soon as he left the bedroom, he called out Wayne’s name.

As soon as Wayne’s head popped his head out of the door, Eddie said, “I thought you were in the bathroom.”

“Oh, I was,” Wayne lied, before telling him that he was just saying goodbye to you.

“Well, we need to get going so I can get the campaign started, and introduce everyone to my girl,” Eddie told him, as he ambled towards your door.

You stood up, trying to suppress your emotions, as Wayne looked at his watch, before he said to you, “We better make a move. I’ll see you tomorrow at the race.”

You nodded, as the two men were about to leave when you called out to Eddie, who reluctantly turned around.

“I’m sorry about earlier, I should’ve controlled my anger.”

Eddie’s face softened, as he felt confused. The last thing he expected was an apology from you. However, he quickly thought you were made to apologise by your parents.

Eddie remained silent when Wayne nudged him, as he asked, “Eddie, do you have any to say to her?”

Eddie glanced at his uncle, before shifting his attention back to you. He cleared his throat, before mumbling, “Sorry…”

“Eddie?” Wayne sternly said.

Eddie sighed, before speaking up, “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have kept pushing your buttons.”

“Now that we’ve got that out of the way,” Wayne said, as he patted Eddie’s shoulder. “We better make a move.”

After saying goodbye to you, Wayne immediately went downstairs to say goodbye to the rest of the family.

You went to sit down on your bed, reaching for something in your bedside table draw when you realised that Eddie was still standing by the door. You turned to him and asked, “Was there something else?”

Eddie blankly gazed at you, before scoffing as he went back downstairs.

You huffed, as you shook your head, before grabbing your diary from your draw and started writing…

The mermaid had never been so angry in her life, until the not so valour bard had pushed her too far. Fortunately, the wise man was able to help keep the peace between the two of them for now.But how long will it be before the storm of conflict started to rage again?

The next day, almost the whole town came to see the race. You were outside the changing room, making sure that all of your hair was tucked in your cap, as thought about what happened last night when you heard someone calling your name. You turned to find Dustin, Mike, Lucas and Max approaching you. To be truthful, you were prepared for the boys to give you the same treatment as Eddie and the older boys had given you.

“We just wanted to wish you luck on the race,” Mike told you.

“Yeah, you’ll totally blow everyone away,” Dustin said, as he smiled at you.

“Oh, thanks,” you replied, feeling surprised. “I’m surprised that you guys are actually talking to me, after I’ve been avoiding you and Hellfire.”

“Well, Max told us what happened with you and Eddie,” Lucas explained.

“And what a total asshole he’s been to you lately,” Max elaborated.

“Sinclair!” You heard Jason calling Lucas, telling him to sit with him and the rest of the jocks.

After Lucas wished you good luck, he and Max went to take their seats when Dustin spoke up, “Listen, even though Mike and I are still hanging out with Eddie,” Dustin mentioned. “We know that you’re not like what he said. So whatever his problem is, I just hope that he’ll see sense.”

“Not with his new girlfriend around he won’t,” Mike mumbled.

“So, my sister actually went to the campaign then?” You asked, as you crossed your arms.

“Yeah she did,” Dustin replied. “Although, all she did was flirt with Eddie when he was supposed to be Dungeon Master.”

“He even ended the campaign early, just so he could spend more time with her,” Mike mentioned. “I hate to admit it, but since he got with her, his story telling has fallen flat. Even Gareth, Jeff and Grant agreed.”

“Is that so, Wheeler?”

You looked up to find Eddie standing behind the wary freshmen, who turned to him and started rambling when Eddie pulled them back, dragging them to the bleachers, as he told them before pushing them to the barrier, “We’ll discuss my story telling skills later.”

After the two freshmen took their seats, Eddie turned around, darkly looking at you, as he growled, “I need to talk to you.”

Before you could answer, Eddie discreetly grabbed your arm, pulling you into the changing room.

“What are you doing?” You angrily asked. “I need to be out there-“

“You might have pulled the wool over everyone else’s eyes, thinking that you’re so innocent.”

“What are you talking about?” You asked. “I don’t know what I did-“

You stopped, as Eddie pulled out the hidden diary of his jacket pocket, and held it near your face. You realised that it was identical to your own diary, but you knew that it wasn’t yours.

“Recognise this?” Eddie asked, as he moved it away, before opening it up, flipping through the pages.

“It looks like a diary,” you replied. “But whatever you think it is, it’s not-“

“Looks like I have no choice but to tutor the freak. How he’s a senior three years in a row, I’ll never know,” Eddie read aloud, which left you confused.

“What? What are you-?”

“I don’t know why I bother helping him. The freak should just give up and drop out.”

Before you could say anything else, Eddie flipped through the pages, before reading aloud, “Corroded Coffin, ha! What a joke! Those guys couldn’t even carry a paper bag, let alone a tune.”

He then glared at you, as he said whilst flipping the page, “Here’s another…”

He then read aloud, “Who would’ve thought that the Hellfire Club could be so dull? I would rather have my ears chopped off by Freddy Krueger than hear that dreary so called campaign again.”

You glanced at him with confusion once again, as Eddie slammed the diary shut, before waving it about, whilst asking, “Any of that ring any bells?”

“You think that I wrote that kind of shit?” You asked.

Eddie opened one of the pages, showing it to you, as he scoffed, “This is your handwriting, is it not?”

Before you could respond, Eddie read one more page to you, “Munson really thinks he’s God’s gift to women, because he can play that stupid guitar. How any woman can stand him, I’ll never know.”

He slammed the diary shut once more, as he sighed, “Now, not gonna lie… that one really hurt. Especially, as I actually liked you. And I don’t mean as a friend.”

You gaped, hearing the confession.

“You liked me?” You whispered, as a tear fell down your cheek.

“Yeah, liked, as in past tense.”

Eddie sarcastically laughed, as he put the diary back in his pocket, before telling you. “You know, I thought you were different from the other girls I’ve been with. But you’re just the same. At least your sister had the decency to show me the type of person you really are.”

You gasped, realising that your sister might be the reason for Eddie’s recent treatment towards you.

Just as Eddie was about to leave, you rushed behind him, and grabbed his hand, as called out to him, “Eddie, wait. Eddie, listen to me. You have to believe me.”

Eddie angrily turned to you, as you continued to speak, “It may look like my handwriting, but believe me, I never wrote any of that. Why would I write those things? Why would I write all that shit about you when I actually liked-?”

“Don’t!” Eddie growled. “Don’t you dare say that you actually had feelings for me. You mean nothing to me anymore.”

You silently sobbed when you heard the coach calling your name. You wiped your tears away, as you headed out of the locker room, leaving Eddie behind.

He took deep breaths, as he was about to leave when he heard a door slam open from the changing room. He then turned to find an angry Chrissy standing in her cheer outfit, clenching her fists.

Eddie’s face fell, as he glanced at her, muttering her name.

“We need to talk,” she growled, as she stomped towards him and grabbed his arm, pulling him to the fire exit door, as she said in an angry tone, “Now.”

Next

[x-bluefire-heart-x]

So...Now?

Alright Chapter 9 of Dating up is here. I split it in half, this is set directly after Chapter 8. I hope you guys like this and the next chapter is almost done and will be up soon.

Let me know if you guys want to be added to the tag list! Also if you have any ideas you want to see, like any episodes that you would like to see Chica in.

Warnings: Sexual contact, fingering, sucking dick, a hint at anal play, marking, dirty talk

Master List

Prompt List

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10

Tag List: @pear-1206

“Oh god,” you muttered shoving your head deeper under the pillow. “I hate life.”

Your mouth was dry and felt like cotton but also a little minty as you tried to work out what happened last night. It all got a little fuzzy around the time Rafael and his friends showed up. But you were sure there was something in there that was embarrassing, something…

“Oh jesus, please tell me that was just a weird ass dream?” you pleaded.

“If you’re talking about last night, then I’m afraid not Chica,” Rafael’s amused voice drifted over you. You groaned in response, burrowing further into the nest you had made in his bed. The events of last night became a little clearer the longer you were awake, you felt your body turn to ice, your stomach dropping as you remembered in detail what you did and said.

“I am so sorry,” you whispered sitting up, turning to look at Rafael, you felt so bad about last night. You couldn’t believe what you had done.

“Why?” Rafael asked moving forwards, sitting down and taking your hand, bringing it to his lips.

“Cause I was meeting your friends for the first time and I was so drunk that I talked about your dick and sex,” you whined eyes watering a little. “And everything else, I must have been so embarrassing.”

“Carino, they thought you were adorable,” he assured you cupping your cheek and stroking under your eye to catch the stray tears. “And believe me they were happy for the material for teasing me.”

“Are you sure?” you asked. Rafael tugged on your hands urging you to move so you were sitting in his lap, legs straddling him and arms fiddling with the buttons on his shirt. His hands ran up and down your sides soothingly.

“Sweetheart, I am so sure,” he nodded, kissing your nose. “You could never do anything that would embarrass me. You were showing affection and being yourself around my friends. That is all I could ask, plus you made such a good snarky remark against Carisi, so there’s that.”

“Rafi,” you smiled feeling a little better about last night. “Promise me you’ll tell me if I made them uncomfortable?”

“Of course,” he agreed. “Do you feel better?”

“About that yes, but I still feel like death warmed up,” you rubbed your head. “Thank you for drinking my margherita.”

“Ah, see I made a good choice,” he tweaked your nose just to hear you giggle. “Alright, do you want to have a shower or some food?”

“Hm, shower, definitely,” you were about to get up but suddenly sat back down your eyes staring at Rafael, studying him.

“Chica?” he asked, brow furrowed unsure what you were doing.

“You said no to sex last night,” you stated

“Of course, you were drunk,”

“Huh,”

“Why?”

“It’s like a low bar, don’t get me wrong but thank you,” you shrugged. “But just for future reference, I would be okay with us fooling around when I’m a little drunk.”

“Noted, let’s have this conversation when you are a little more awake and alive,” he grinned.

“Alright,” you agreed. “But…wanna join me in the shower? I’m not drunk anymore.”

“If I ever say no to that question, it isn’t me and you should call Liv,” Rafael’s grip tightened on your hips holding you to him to stop you from getting up. “First, though I want you to drink some more water.”

“Rafi,”

“No, water and I’ll join you in the shower but that is it,” he tapped you on the nose. “You are hungover and as much as I would like to fuck you in the shower, I don’t think you’re really up to that are you?”

“No,” you pouted. “Though speaking of, did you clean my teeth last night? Whilst my mouth is dry it is minty.”

“Ah, no, you woke up, threw up and then cleaned your teeth while complaining about the light,” Rafael answered. “And then you preceded to do your whole night skin care. Which was not something I thought I would ever see done after a night of drinking.”

“….yeah that sounds like me, sorry should have warned you I tend to do that,” you scratched the back of your neck. “Sorry about throwing up.”

“Chica, it’s fine, you made it to the bathroom,” Rafael kissed your neck nibbling on the skin there.

“Woah buddy, if you don’t want to fuck me you better stop,” you wiggled away from his mouth before groaning a little. “Yeah, I think I need water. My head is trying to kill me.”

Rafael laughed wrapping his arm firmly around your waist as he leaned to grab the water bottle from the side table. Opening it behind your back before bringing it up to your lips, raising an eyebrow when you pursed your lips, face confused.

“Oh, so I can help you drink water when you’re drunk and don’t want to let go of my friend’s hand but now that it is the two of us suddenly it’s weird?” he asked. “Nice Chica.”

“Oh my god, I did that?” you asked.

“You did, and you owe me for that,” he nodded. “It completely ruined my hard arse reputation.”

“I’m sure you can make that back the next time you make a witness cry, or refuse to get a warrant cause they don’t have enough evidence and their “maternal instincts” aren’t enough,”

“Okay I told you I did that in confidence for it to never be mentioned again,”

“You never said off the record,”

“You suck,”

“You like my sucking,”

Rafael rolled his eyes as he brought the water bottle back up to your lips. You eyed it for a second longer before opening your mouth and letting him pour some in before swallowing, repeating the action until you pushed the bottle away.

“Alright, let’s get you in the shower, so you can eat something and take some pain meds,” Rafael said, recapping the bottle and sitting it on the bed beside the two of you. His arm still holding you close on his lap. “Now hold on tight.”

“What?” you were confused until Rafael stood up holding you against him. “Aw, you’re spoiling me.”

“Don’t get use to it,” Rafael warned you walking towards the bathroom.  “How’s the light?”

“Hm, hurts a little,” you admitted, eyes squinting against the harshness of the light. Rafael hummed as he sat you on the counter before reaching for the light switch and dimming them.

“Now?”

You merely hummed in response, smiling a little dopily at him. Rafael chuckled in response, pressing a kiss to your temple as he walked past you to the shower, fiddling with taps until it was the temperature you preferred. He made quick work of removing his own clothes before helping you out of yours, pressing kisses to your cheeks, temple and forehead as he did so.

“Want to wash your hair?” he asked carefully running a brush through it to get rid of the knots that appeared overnight. He hummed when you didn’t answer right away, leaning to press a kiss to you should blade. “Carino?”

“Don’t know but that feels nice,” your voice was getting drowsy from the gentle way Rafael brushed your hair, you were always a sucker for anyone who played with your hair and this, surprisingly, was the first time Rafael had brushed your hair.

“It doesn’t feel like it needs a wash, so maybe that can wait for when you’re more human,” Rafael joked reaching for a hair-tie that seemed to live on the bathroom counter. His fingers were gentle as he carefully gathered your hair and tied it into the bun he had seen you wear when you didn’t want your hair to get wet when you showered. “Is that too tight?”

“Not at all, I may have to demand that you play with my hair more often now,” you told him turning around to press a soft kiss to his lips. “I think it may be my favourite thing for you to do.”

“We’ll see,” he said, but he knew that he would never be able to deny you that request. Turns out he rather liked being able to play with your hair and brush it for you.

“We both know that means ‘Yes of course, Chica, whenever you want,’” you attempted to mimic his voice, arms wrapping around his shoulders as you pressed your naked bodies together.

“Chica,” Rafael warned, as he grabbed your hands and pulled them away before leading you into the shower. “Behave.”

“Sir, yes sir,” you mocked, attempting to hold a serious look before you broke and giggled at him.

“When you’re feeling better you are going to get it,” Rafael stated, gently turning you around so your whole body was wet before he grabbed the soap and a wash cloth. He switched places with you as he started to lather you, being so gentle with his movements.

“That feels nice, Rafi,” you whispered leaning to kiss him as he turned you around to wash your front. His eyes were soft with an emotion in them that you had never seen before, it caused your stomach to flutter and not in the way it normally does after a night of drinking.

“Good, let’s get you rinsed off,” he smiled. “Do you want to spend the day in bed?”

“Only if you are with me,” you prompted, taking the wash cloth and soap from him. “Can I wash you?”

“Maybe next time,” Rafael promised you switching places with you again to rinse off the soap. “Let’s get you dried and in bed, which yes I will join you, after I have made you some food.”

“Ooh, some greasy?” you asked.

“Bacon and egg sandwich with hashbrowns?”

“Perfect, with a cup of tea?”

“Of course, Chica, this is technically your breakfast, I know you need tea with breakfast,”

“You know me so well,” you grinned following him out of the shower.

Later in the day

“So, how are you feeling now?” Rafael asked running his hand through your hair. You smiled happily up at him, relaxing more against his lap. The two of you stayed in bed all day after your shower together, Rafael cuddling you at first and then he switched to sitting up with you laying on his lap while he read over some case notes.

“Much, thank you for looking after me,” you nodded.

“Of course, my darling,” he bent down to press a kiss to your forehead, gently stroking your cheek, before tweaking your nose.

“Normally, on our girls nights out we don’t get quite as drunk as we did,” you moaned.

“Oh?” Rafael sat his case file on the bed side table. “You young girls don’t go wild every other night?”

“Rafi, you read my dating profile, I’m a nerdy little librarian, all four of us are nerdy,” you rolled your eyes. “I prefer a night in. Last night was special it had been over four months since we were all able to meet up.”

“I know but you are still young,” he shrugged. Your eyes narrowed as you studied the way his face was twitching a little. “If you need to spend more time with your friends so you can meet up more-”

“Wait, wait, wait,” you interrupted him sitting up so you could look at him properly. “The only reason we weren’t able to meet up for nearly four months was because Shannon was out of the country visiting some of her family and Courtney had been out of state for work. And that is the second time you have said I’m young in a short time span. Rafi, does our difference in age bother you?”

“No,” Rafael denied, but he refused to look at you as he shifted sitting on the edge of the bed rubbing his face. He had hoped this might never come up between the two of you but he forgot that you were annoying observant, well, annoyingly only when you turned it on him. Adorable when it was any other time.

“Really, cause it seems a little like maybe it does,” you insisted. “Rafi, why haven’t you said anything before?”

“Because I guess I never realised until last night when I meet your friends,” he said. “And a part of me worried that I was keeping you from being with your friends and that maybe I was a little old for you.”

“Absolutely not,” you assured him, climbing onto his lap grabbing his face between your hands to ensure he couldn’t look away from you. “You listen to me right now Rafael Barba. You are not too old for me, me and my friends rarely get drunk like that, we all actually prefer hanging out at one of our places, checking out a museum or just getting a nice dinner. We occasionally get drunk like that but it is rare. You are not keeping me from my friends, now that Courtney and Shannon are back in town, we will be meeting up like we normally do. Understand?”

“Chica,” Rafael whispered his hands reaching up to cover yours, the light in his eyes coming back.

“Do you understand?” you repeated forcibly. “I need an answer bub, I need to be sure that you understand that the gap in our ages is not an issue, my friends adore you.”

“Yes, Carino I understand,” he nodded leaning forward to kiss you. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

“Anytime, babe,” you nuzzled your nose against his. “Please tell me if you start thinking like that again. Because I can tell you how you blow all other men out the water, my girls said their first times never ended with them having orgasms, well cept for Courtney but she had her first time with a woman so.”

“Really?” he asked, hands moving down to grab your hips.

“Yep,” you hummed popping the ‘p’. “So, I’m never letting you go, for the sex alone. God only knows if I could find another man who can make me orgasm from finger fucking me.”

“Good to know you aren’t superficial at all Chica,” Rafael squeezed your hips teasingly.

“I mean obviously I’m not letting you go because you’re-”

“Gorgeous, charming, sarcastic and incredibly intelligent?” he asked.

“Did…I say that last night?”

“Correct,” he nodded. “You also said I was really good in bed so.”

“God,” you groaned resting your head against his shoulder. “I’m never gonna be able to see your friends ever again.”

“Well, I mean at least you whispered your attempt at bribing me to give you your drink back,” Rafael pointed out dryly, causing you to lift your head to stare at him blankly.

“That’s something I suppose,” you agreed, wrapping your arms around his shoulders, running your fingers through his hair.

He hummed contently at your actions, letting his head fall to rest on your chest. You pressed a kiss to the top of his head, settling more firmly in his lap. The memory of what you whispered to him coming back, you couldn’t believe you said that even if no-one else was able to hear it. Though, the thought of doing that did make you excited, it turns out not even being hungover was enough to keep your desire for him down. You wiggled a little on his lap, feeling his dick underneath you didn’t help. You whimpered as you grew a little wet. Rafael’s arms tightened around you as you continued to wiggle in his lap.

“Want another shower?” Rafael asked.

“A shower?” now you were just confused…well, confused and horny but mostly confused.

“You’re feeling better,” he started, his hands holding you firmly in his lap. “And if you still want to, I would like to join you in that shower.”

“Hmm, I suppose I could be persuaded to have another shower,” you sighed, moving to get up from his lap.

“Oh, no, stay right there,” Rafael clicked his tongue, his hands holding your hips tightly to keep you firmly in his lap. Smirking when you looked at him confused. In one smooth motion he stood up holding you to him.

“Rafi!” you squeaked grabbing hold of his shoulders, legs wrapping around his waist as one of his hands moved to hold your ass, squeezing it teasingly as he walked to the bathroom. “Thought you said not to get use to this.”

“Hm, I thought this was an excellent way to get you to the bathroom so I can have my way with you,” he shrugged. “Now, what was it you said to me last night? Come on bub, let’s go.”

“Rafi,” you giggled, before grinning at him, words bubbling up inside but you held them in. Instead, you nuzzled into his neck, kissing and nibbling at the skin.

“Shit, Chica stop it,” he groused. “I could drop you.”    

“Oh, now why would you ever do that?” you asked licking up along his neck.

“Oh, now you’re going to get it woman,” he growled, a dark promise in his voice that caused you to shiver in delight. Both of his hands grabbing your arse and squeezing.

 “Maybe after this shower, we could do what I suggested last night?” you proposed.

“I have a question about that, what was with the vest?” Rafael asked sitting you on the counter, hands trailing along your thighs.

“I saw how you got one time I tried it on,” you raised an eyebrow. “It’s the same look you get in your eyes when I wear lingerie.”

“Hm, wear my blue and silver one,”

“Yes sir,” you reached out to start undoing his shirt. “But…how about I suck you off in the shower first?”

“Twist my arm, Chica,” he grinned, hands tugging your panties down as you finished with his shirt, pushing it off his shoulder and dragging your fingers back up his torso scratching over his nipples to get that little noise out of him.

His fingers trailed back up your thighs and under the shirt you were wearing as he started sucking kisses along your neck, he thought it was a little bare and that just had to change. You gasped, wrapping your legs around his waist to pull him closer, you could feel the outline of his cock against you as he rolled his hips.

“Rafi,” you moaned. “I thought I was meant to-”

“We’re not in the shower yet, Chica,” he whispered into your ear before he bit your lope gently. “I think I want you to cum on my fingers first.” Leaning back, he smirked down at you, the fingers that were gripping your thighs squeezed once before one hand inched up closer to your pussy. “So, be good and spread those legs a little more for me.”

“Aw, don’t you have enough room?” you teased before gasping as Rafael’s thumb pressed down on your clit without warning. “Rafi!”

“I suppose I could make you cum just from this but I really want to fuck you with my fingers,” he growled lowly. “Don’t you want to feel my fingers inside you?” He moved his thumb in a circular motion alternating between pressing down and barely any pressure, his other hand slipped up under your shirt to tease along the underside of your breast. “Come one, Carino, don’t you want my fingers inside you?”

“Yes, fuck yes,” you nodded.

“Then spread your legs,” he ordered. You unwrapped your legs from around his waist, opening them wide biting your lip at the look in Rafael’s eyes. It didn’t matter how many times you saw it; it still took your breath away to see him look so hungrily at you. “Good. Girl.”

Rafael kissed you as he slowly teased you by pressing the tips of two of his fingers into you before taking them out and then inserting them again just a little further each time. Each time he pulled them out he stroked them upwards and rubbed at your clit with his thumb drawing out whines and gasps from you in between kisses. He knew exactly how to work you; he could bring you to the edge but never let you tip over.  He left his fingers inside, stroking them against your walls drawing out your pleasure as he removed his thumb from your clit.

“Rafi,” you moaned leaning back from him your hips rolling as much as they could.

“You know, I have heard that orgasms are great for hangovers,” Rafael grunted nibbling on your bottom lip.

“That is true,” you whimpered a little, one of your legs moving to curl around his waist as your hands scratched at his back when his thumb pressed down on your clit rubbing it in circular movements again. “Ah, fuck!” tears started to form in your eyes as the pleasure built.

“That’s it, Chica,” Rafael encouraged. “Cum for me baby. You can do it, be a good girl and cum on my fingers.” Your walls clenched as your orgasm hit you, clamping down on his fingers. Your hips twitched as you clutched at Rafael tightly as you let your high run through you.

“Rafi,” you whined as his fingers continued to stroke you. He pressed a kiss to your lips, his tongue swiping into your mouth.

“Hm, fuck I love feeling you cum on my fingers,” Rafael whispered against your lips, slowly pulling his fingers out. He made sure your eyes were focused and on him when he put them in his mouth and sucked the wetness that clung to them. “Fuck you taste so good.”

“Come here,” you dragged him back to your lips, tongue licking into his mouth tasting yourself on his tongue as they twined together. “Fuck Rafi. You’re a menace.”

“Pay back,” he murmured before tugging your bottom lip between his, letting it go so he could kiss along your jaw and down your neck to make another mark.  “And I’ve been holding back since last night.”

You tilted your neck to the side allowing him more access to your neck as your other leg wrapped around his waist joining the other squeezing him tight. Your hands lightly running over the marks you left on his back, grinning a little at the shiver that ran through him.

“Rafi, I need you,” you whispered, running one of your hands up into his hair and tugging humming at the groan it pulled from him.

“Hmm, but I’m not done yet,” he pulled back lips pouting a little.

“You keep going at my neck like that and it’ll look like I was mauled,” you laughed, tapping his lips. “Plus, I need to get your cock in my mouth like now so…”

“Only if afterwards, I can take my time eating you out,” Rafael countered.

“You drive a hard bargain Mr Lawyer,” you rolled your eyes. “But I guess I can live with that.”

Rafael helped you down off the counter, using that as an opportunity to squeeze your arse and thighs again, sighing a little happily. His hands moved upwards, pulling the shirt up as he went, making a slight detour to lightly squeeze your breasts before throwing the shirt into the laundry basket. His hands trailed down your body again before you stepped away from him, backing towards the shower, reaching out blindly to turn it on.

“Boxers off mister,” you pointed. “Then you can get back to copping a feel.”

“A little hard to cop a feel while you’re on your knees,” he complained. “Why don’t you help me take my boxers off and I can cop a feel.”

“Always a lawyer,” you chuckled stepping towards him, before grinning cheekily and backing towards the shower again and crooking a finger at him. “Come on bub, boxers off or you won’t get to take your time eating me out.”

“I should hire you as my second chair,” he muttered as he pushed down his boxers before joining you under you under the warm spray of the shower. “Let you turn those amazingly, annoying negotiation skills on the defence. I’ll never have to go to trial again.”

“I don’t think that’ll happen,” you warned him.

“Oh, I don’t know, you got Liv to drink a shot by looking at her,” he shrugged. “I think you could get Buchan to agree to a deal.”

“Buchan…oh that big fella who is an absolute piece of shit?” you asked turning Rafael around so he was under the spray.

“That’s the one,” he nodded, hands pushing your hair away from your face, before they started stroking down your back. “Chica!” he whined as you dropped to your knees taking away his ability to touch you anywhere other than your head.

“I’m about to suck your cock and you’re whining?” you raised an eyebrow at him. “Got to say, I don’t think there are many men out there that would complain about getting their dick sucked.”

“That’s because those men are idiots and don’t know how to appreciate a gorgeous woman in-front of them,” he defended himself. “And dios do I appreciate you, with your-.”

You ignored his statements as you leaned closer to press a kiss to the head of his dick, causing him to cut off his statement with a curse. You looked up at him, grinning as you pressed kisses along the length of his cock, before licking up along the vein before you took it into your mouth. Swallowing around it as you took it down all the way to the root. Rafael wasn’t the only one who learnt how to play your body. Your hands held onto his thighs for balance as you moved up and down, swirling your tongue around the head, dipping into the slit before you swallowed it back down. This time only taking a small part each time you went down.

“Fuck,” Rafael moaned. “You’re so good with your mouth Chica.” Tangling one of his hands into your hair he tugged on it as you moved, his hips lightly thrusting to match your movements. “That’s it, you’re taking me so well.” Pulling all the way off, you smirked up at him as you trailed kisses along his length again.

“Bet you’re glad I talked you into this, huh?” you asked him as you pressed a kiss to his balls, quickly licking them before moving suck on his tip again, tasting some of the precum that was dripping from it.

“Hm, I think I would prefer this if I could be eating you out at the same time,” he mused.

“You’re impossible,” you sighed, before going back to sucking his dick.

One of your hands reaching to gently squeeze his balls, before you gently reached behind to stroke at the skin there. Rafael slumped against the wall the water hitting his chest and falling down to you, his eyes watching you burned with a hunger that he knew would never been fully satisfied.  His hand continued to tug on your wet hair, encouraging you to take him all the way down again and hold him in your throat, swallowing around his thick length.

“Carino, look at you,” his whispered in awe, his other hand stroking along your cheek before rubbing along your bottom lip, his thumb pushing in a little beside his cock before retreating. “Fuck you look gorgeous with your mouth so full.”

Your body warmed at the words coming from his mouth. You hadn’t really heard him dirty talk before, it was doing things to you. Your pussy was throbbing in need, suddenly you wished this was happening in a bed so you could feel his tongue inside you. Although, if that was happening you wouldn’t be seeing this side of him. You swallowed once more around him before pulling off so just his tip was inside your mouth.

“Fuck, gorgeous I am close,” he told you, pulling your hair a little rougher. “You going to swallow for me?”

You whimpered in response, focusing on his slit as you moved your hand back more, lightly rubbing it over his hole. The first time you did it was a slight accident but when you noticed how Rafael reacted you made sure to do it more often. You even thought about brining up an idea you had been having for a while but you weren’t really sure how to go about it. But for now, it was a good way to get him even more turned on as he got closer to finishing.

“Ah shit, close,” he whimpered, hips thrusting a little more as he got close. You hummed around his cock before you felt his orgasm fill your mouth, you moaned at the taste as you swallowed it down. Licking at the head as you pulled off to catch any stray drops.

“Not to copy you, babe but, fuck you taste good,” you stated pressing one last kiss on the head of his cock before an idea hit you. You ignored the way he tugged on your hair to try and get you to stand up instead you started kissing along the top of his right thigh. Biting at the skin, sucking on it to leave a mark, as you moved along it to his hip bone.

“And you’re a menace,” he moaned. “Come on stand up, please.”

“Aw, you’re begging?” you asked teasingly as you marked up his hip bone and then left a path of kisses along his stomach to his other hip bone to leave more markings. “And at least these can be hidden.”

“You like my markings,” he pointed out finally managing to get you to stand up as he pressed lightly against one of the markings on your neck.

“Not as much as you do,” you said stroking your hands up his stomach to wrap around his shoulders. Rafael grumbled a little as his hands found their way to your arse again, the grumbles turning to happy little hums. “You’re an easy man to please, you know that?”

“Hm, maybe,” he shrugged. “But it’s not like it could be used against me.”

“Really?” you asked as you attempted to step out of the shower but his hands tightened their grip on you tugging you against him under the stream. “Well, that’s rude.”

“Aw, don’t you like that I can hold you against me?”

“You know I enjoy how strong you are,” you leaned up to kiss him. “Just like I know how much you enjoy my arse, my thighs and my pussy.”

[lovebvni]

Shifting Timeframe? Pick A Pile

Welcome back to my bi-weekly pick a piles!! I was compelled by spirit to do a timeframe of when you will probably shift. Remember, general reading and YOU have the POWER to change it.

Also I've been seeing 325 a lot  - 3/25 is actually my birthday SOOO if anyone knows what that means please tell me!

Everything comes with a grain of salt, I will also have a shufflemancy going on in the background.

So, take a deep breath in...

Now out...

What emoji is your third eye telling you to pick?

🥚|🍭|🍬|🍶

pile 1 -- egg

A Month and a half, your day to shine.

Cards: Strength reversed, The Tower, Temperance, Knight of Cups

BESTIE OMG UR SO CLOSE TO SHIFTING WTF IM SO PROUD OF YOU, I KNOW ITS BEEN HARD BECAUSE OF THE TOWER CARD BUT I KNOW YOU'RE PUSHING THROUGH! You may feel vulnerable in some way, like you're not good enough? You are! You are the universe, you are the most powerful being EVER!! You should also take a quick 1-2 day break from shifting - this will also help you shifthere will also be someone coming in *possibly a friend, witch, or spiritual person* helping you out on this journey - they might be the one to give that final push.

Possible Personality Traits: Loving, giving, annoying {To yourself}, confident {On the outside}

Shufflemancy :

"Don't be afraid of heights 'cause we flyin'" - Rebels Call Me Karizma

"The time is upon you to show them what you can do and soon they will know that the day has COMEEE" - The Day - From Boku no Hero Academia, NateWantsToBattle

"I'm a little faded" - Slumber Party - Ashnikko

"It's exactly the same, they say 'why do you dress that way?' 'why do you act that way?' 'why aren't you just like me?" - Fire Drill - Melanie Martinez

Phrases, Numbers, Signs and more: 777, 666, Christmas, Bakugou, short tempered, Denki, Shinsou, shy, "You've got a friend in me", "Movie night!!", "Get in loser, we're going to the mall", "So you're obsessed?" Capricorn, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Taurus.

pile 2 -- lollipop

Within the next 48 hours, your dreams will come true.

(2 days to a week, actually)

Cards : 9 of Pentacles reversed, King of Pentacles reversed, 3 of Wands, The Fool reversed

OKAY FIRST OF ALL HOW LONG HAVE YALL BEEN SHIFTING I FEEL LIKE UR JUST A VERY SPIRITUAL PERSON!! But I feel like to get to that point you have to be less dependent on the things outside around you, and more on yourself. YOU'RE the one who can shift, the signs mean NOTHING if you don't take action. Do you abuse your power to shift in one way or another? Like start denying it exists JUST so The Universe will let you shift? Approach shifting like a timid animal in your backyard that's hurt. But yes, you definitely are shifting within the week. Your child-like wonder inspires me btw 

but keep your hopes up, you need more faith and hope that you will shift!

Possible Personality Traits: Softie on the inside, kind of shy?, risk taker, lover of music, goofy

Shufflemancy:

"Stupid boy think that I need him, I go cold like change the seasons, I go red hot like a demon, I go ghost for no damn reason, stupid boy think that I need him, stupid boy think that I need him." - Stupid - Ashinikko

"I'm not your friend, or anything damn, you think that you're the man, I think therefore I am" - Therefore I am - Billie Eilish

"You've got troubles, I've got em too, there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you." - You've Got A Friend In Me - Cavetown

"We bark alot" - GOODMORNINGTOKYO! - TOKYO'S REVENGE

"We can fill it up with grass and all the things that make it warm. When you leave to go fly across the sea, I'll be waiting here with Junior and the flowers that we've grown." - Things That Make It Warm - Cavetown

"We might hotwire this old car to drive" - Everything Is Temporary (Sticks and Stones) - Cavetown

"Look like I'm going for a swim" - Chun-Li Nicki Minaj

Phrases, Numbers, Signs and more:  Denki Kaminari, "I'm failing all my classes omg", 444, "Hey, a frown won't get you anywhere - SMILE MORE!", calming music, study sessions, sexually active, dirty-minded, lack of physical affection, "Rough around the edges", Cavetown, Air Signs, any dominant sign tbh, "Have high hopes but low expectation", UA traitor, villian

pile 3 -- candy

44 Days, but It feels like years.

TW: DRUGS, SMOKING, ETC.

Cards : 8 of Pentacles, King of Cups reversed, 6 of Cups, The Hierophant

If you've read any of my other tarot readings you KNOWWW the hierophant makes me feel like I'm being choked, but before you shift you're going to realize something new, something new will come to you I suppose? So it will be a new beginning, then shift, it will probably be a new hobby or a job you like. And, like pile one, you will get good advice from a friend. I know some of you guys are like 'im not attracted to people in this reality' but you might be soon?? it's probably someone you knew in your past life or something. It may just be a friendship though. But the hierophant is just emphasizing what I just said, a good friend is going to give you advice.

Possible Personality Traits: ignored, quiet, lonely, friendly, smart, emotional

Shufflemancy:

"The worlds a little blurry, or maybe it's my eyes." - Ilomilo - Billie Eilish

"Maybe I'm too emotional, or maybe you never cared at alllll" - Good 4 U - Olivia Rodrigo

"I don't smoke, I just like how it smells" - Cigaratte Ahegao - Penelope Scott

Phrases, Numbers, Signs and more: Senpai/teacher, "You sure do cry a lot.", "You shouldn't care so much", watching youtube, hbu?, ignorant accidently, 666, 999, 69, st0ner, dr!nking, first time

pile 4 -- drink

Anywhere from to day to the 29th of this month

Cards : Queen of Wands, The Lovers, Judgement, Page of Cups

CLEARLY YOU'RE SHIFTING FOR SOMEONE WITH THE LOVERS CARD COMING OUT I MEAN SAME BESTIE, you don't know when you will shift, and you def look to higher spirits. Try some shadow work - your inner child needs healing. The universe sees you and how much you have bene struggling and working towards this, and it thanks you deeply. Your hard work is going to pay off soon!

Possible Personality Traits: Disappointed often, violent, gay, dramatic ASF, popular, two face, probably on medication, has been hurt physically, emotionally, or some other way

Shufflemancy :

"She moves on pretty BLOODY QUICK" - Your New Boyfriend - Wilber Soot

Literally any MHA song

"Baby hotline, please hold me close to you!" - Baby Hotline - Jack Stauber

"She said you were a hero, you played the part. But you ruined her in a year, don't act like it was hard. And you swear you didn't know,  I wonder why you didn't ask, she was sleeping in your clothes, but now she's got to get to class." - Your Power - Billie Eilish

I hope this pick - a pile resognated! I've been going through a lot this week and I don't know if my accuracy may have failed bc of the stress I'm experiencing but I'm so glad like NOBODY is shifting in a year+( like 2023) bc I know you all work SO HARD to shift.

[doumadono]

Hejka, my beautiful friend 🧡. It's been a while. I would like to place an emergency request. I am going to be alone and away from my family for a few months and am very scared. Could I ask you to write me a story on how Kokushibo is my guardian demon? Maybe a little fluff? You know how much I love my imaginary man. Please take your time as this is something I will be experiencing over the course of tge the entire summer and autumn. Thank you 💞💞💞

Unexpected light - Kokushibo x Reader

A/N: please forgive me it took so long to complete your request! I'm really sorry to hear that you're feeling scared about being away from your family. It's completely normal to feel this way, but remember that you are stronger than you think. This time apart can also be an opportunity for personal growth and self-discovery. Stay connected with your loved ones through calls and messages, and try to find things that bring you comfort and joy. We're all here cheering you on! #silnekobietyrządzą

EMERGENCY REQS - PART 2

The forest loomed around you, its dense canopy blocking out the moonlight and leaving you in near-total darkness. You stumbled over roots and rocks, your breath coming in ragged gasps as panic gripped you. The reality of being separated from your family for months had begun to sink in, and the weight of that loneliness pressed heavily on your shoulders. That was why you decided to take a night stroll in the woods — it had provided you with a great deal of solace in the past.

You had heard tales of the demons that haunted these woods, terrifying creatures that preyed on the unwary. You hoped against hope that you wouldn’t encounter one, but deep down, you knew the odds weren’t in your favor that night. As the night grew colder, you found a small clearing and sank to the ground, hugging your knees to your chest. Tears stung your eyes as you thought of your family, wishing more than anything to be with them again.

A sudden rustle in the bushes snapped you out of your thoughts. You scrambled to your feet, your heart pounding in your chest.

From the shadows emerged a figure, tall and imposing, with six glowing eyes that seemed to pierce through the darkness.

Your blood ran cold as you recognized him: it was Kokushibo, Upper Moon One, the most feared of the Twelve Kizuki.

You took a step back, but there was nowhere to run.

He moved with a grace that belied his size, closing the distance between you in an instant. His eyes bore into yours, and you felt like a mouse caught in the gaze of a hawk. "You should not be here," he said, his voice a deep, resonant growl. "Humans who wander into these woods seldom leave."

Your knees threatened to buckle, but you forced yourself to stand tall. "I… I have nowhere else to go," you stammered, tears slipping down your cheeks. "I'm alone. My family is far away, and I… I don't know what to do."

Kokushibo regarded you for a long moment, his expression inscrutable. "Why should I spare you, mortal?" he asked, his voice carrying a dangerous edge.

You swallowed hard, the reality of your situation crashing down on you. "I wish to be reunited with my family," you admitted, your voice trembling. "If you have any mercy, just let me go, demon."

He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. "Mercy is not something I am known for," he said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "But there is something intriguing about your spirit. A determination, even in the face of fear."

You couldn't fathom why he would care about such a thing, but you clung to his words like a lifeline. "Please," you whispered.

Kokushibo's eyes flickered with an unreadable emotion as he continued to study you. The silence stretched, each second feeling like an eternity, until finally, he spoke again. "Speak, then. Tell me of these struggles that weigh upon your spirit. Don't try to fool me, I can sense all of your despair."

The unexpected invitation made you gasp, but the sheer intensity of his gaze compelled you to respond. "I’ve been separated from my family," you began, your voice trembling but gaining strength as you continued. "I was forced to leave them behind, and I don’t know how long I’ll be alone. It's… it's been overwhelming, trying to survive each day, not knowing if I’ll ever see them again."

There was a subtle shift in his stance, a slight softening of the harsh lines of his face.

You took a deep breath, the words flowing more freely now. "I feel like I’m constantly fighting against despair. The loneliness, the fear — it’s like a heavy weight that never goes away. I wander these woods, hoping for a miracle, for some idea that would fall on me and help me to find my family again. But every day, it feels like that hope slips further away."

You glanced up at him, expecting indifference or even mockery, but his expression remained inscrutable, his eyes fixed on you. "I don’t know why I’m telling you this, demon," you admitted, almost to yourself. "Maybe because you're the first being I've encountered in so long who hasn’t tried to kill me immediately."

A faint, almost imperceptible smirk touched Kokushibo's lips. "A low bar, but one I have surpassed nonetheless," he murmured, his tone holding a hint of dry amusement.

You found yourself returning his almost-smile, a spark of something like relief flickering within you. "I guess so," you said softly.

Kokushibo shifted his gaze to the moonlit forest around you, his voice thoughtful when he spoke again. "Humans often cling to hope, even when it seems futile. It is both their greatest strength and their greatest weakness."

You nodded, understanding his words. "Hope is all I have left," you said quietly. "Even if it feels like it’s slipping away every single day."

For a moment, neither of you spoke, the silence of the forest wrapping around you like a shroud.

Then Kokushibo turned his gaze back to you, his eyes reflecting the pale moonlight. "Your spirit, your determination, is intriguing," he repeated. "It reminds me of… what I once was, before I became this."

You blinked in surprise, not expecting such a revelation from a demon as powerful and feared as Kokushibo. "What do you mean?"

His expression darkened slightly, shadows crossing his face. "There was a time when I was human, like you. I had dreams, struggles, hopes. But those days are long past, buried under centuries of darkness and blood."

A shiver ran down your spine at his words, but you couldn’t help but feel a strange connection forming between you. "Is that why you’ve spared me? Because I remind you of who you once were?"

Kokushibo's gaze grew distant, as if he were looking through you into a past only he could see. "Perhaps," he said finally, his voice a mere whisper. "Or perhaps it is simply because your spirit intrigues me in a way I have not felt in a very long time."

You took a step closer, the fear that had initially gripped you slowly giving way to a cautious curiosity. "Thank you," you uttered, sincerity lacing your words. "For sparing me. For listening."

Kokushibo nodded slightly, the movement almost imperceptible. "Do not mistake my actions for kindness, mortal. I am a demon, bound by my nature. But I will allow you to continue your journey, for now. Leave now, if you value your life. And never come back here again."

As you turned to leave, a sudden impulse made you stop and look back at him. "Demon," you began hesitantly, "do you ever wish for something more than this existence? Beyond the darkness and the hunger?"

His many eyes widened slightly, as if taken aback by your question. For a moment, he seemed almost human, a flicker of something unspoken passing across his features. "Wishes are for the living," he said finally, his voice tinged with an emotion you couldn't quite identify. "For those who have hope. The night is long, but it will pass, mortal. And when it does, you will be one step closer to finding your way."

With that, he turned away, his form blending into the shadows. You watched him go, feeling a strange mix of emotions. Fear, relief perhaps.

The journey back home passed quickly as your heart beat faster within your chest. You still felt the adrenaline rush, but simultaneously, for no particular reason, you felt a sense of hope. You would find your family again. You would survive this separation, no matter how long it took. And you would remember that even in the darkest of places, there could be moments of unexpected light.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Hi!! I absolutely love your fanfics. I was wondering if you could do a Gideon (Gordon) x reader fic that’s kinda angsty to fluff? Maybe the reader and him were close, but he ended up leaving because of how successful G-Man studios was. Then, when Matthew humbled him, he realized that he never should have left?

Awh thank you! For this one, Reader is just replacing Julia more or less

..............

"Are you okay? That looked pretty rough.."

Blinking in surprise, Gordon gazed up at you for a brief moment, seeing the look of concern written all over your face. Yet he didn't have the courage to say anything, as he just sniffled and shook his head, trying to bite back tears.

He thought you were going to make fun of him..just like the rest of this stupid school did after he tried asking out one of the popular girls.

Finally, he had gotten such a burst of confidence, thinking his "fearless" nature was going to score him a date.

But that was all gone now.

He made a damn fool out of himself in front of everyone.

"I think this is yours, Gordon."

Looking back at you, he was shocked to see you kneeling down, the book dusted off and being handed over to him. He quickly snatched it back, cradling it to his chest. "Th-Thanks.." He mumbled. "I'm surprised you even know who I am in all honesty.."

"Well, we do share classes." You mentioned, smiling a little as you both stood up. "You know, they can laugh all they want. But I bet none of those jerks would have the balls to ask her out like you did. I'd say you're truly living up to the "fearless" title."

He was frozen in-place, unsure of what to say as you alluded to his shirt, which he bashfully covered with his oversized coat. When you footsteps walked past him, however, he spun around and saw you going to your locker.

He stumbled after you. "W-Wait!"

"Yeah?"

"You know my name, but I'm afraid yours has slipped by me. What was it again?"

"[Y/n]."

"[Y/n]...well..thank you for the kind words, [y/n]. I wish more people in this stupid school were like you." He tried mustering a smile, although at the moment he seemed self-conscious about his braces. "Would you...l-like to come by my place to study for that test we have tomorrow?"

"...damn it's tomorrow? I was working on a whole flash card set but I kinda fell behind and-"

"Oh I have my own set, too! Maybe we can exchange them and quiz each other!"

"Sounds good." You chuckled, entering your lock combination to grab your notebook. Once you shut the door, you glanced at him, smiling. "I'll catch you after school then, G-Man."

Gordon blinked, jaw-dropped in disbelief as you walked away from him. He just stood there, watching you vanish into the crowd of students on their way to their next class.

A few people whispered and giggled at the way he was staring at you, some even calling him a weirdo or creep.

But this time, he didn't pay them any mind.

You just gave him the coolest nickname ever.

G-Man..

.

.

.

.

"Wait, the G-Man Empire has fallen, you said?"

"Yeah! Don't you ever watch the news? Apparently Matthew Patel is the new CEO!"

"...hah, I figured karma was gonna catch up to that son of a bitch sooner or later."

"Woah, [y/n]..that's kinda harsh. Didn't you go out with that guy and start on it together? I thought you'd be pissed off about it."

"Why would I be pissed off? He pushed me aside when it got successful and claimed he didn't have "time" for a relationship anymore. And it made me think "well shit, maybe it was never a real one to begin with...maybe he saw us as business partners and nothing more"."

"...damn, I didn't know all of that. My bad."

"No, it's..." Pausing, you held the phone away from your ear for a moment, taking a deep breath before you could get too upset. "Look, I'm over it. I'm not glazing over everything I might've done wrong..it was all him. He turned into a rich douchebag."

"Right, and now he's a broke douchebag." Your friend laughed. "Anyways, if I see him on the streets..I'll deck him in the face for ya, alright?"

"Thanks. Maybe I'll do that, too, if I happen to see him.." You joked as well, already feeling a bit better after ending the conversation, hanging up the phone.

With a small sigh, you turned back to the TV and put on some anime episode, relaxing as you focused more on the show and less on the rainstorm outside...

And Gideon.

But unfortunately for you, a name like that was hard to forget.

Especially as you once knew him as that aloof yet sweet nerd who used to hang out with you after school and on the weekends. Most of your days were spent either studying or watching anime while he explained every bit of lore under the sun.

Sure, highschool had its cringy moments, but other times it was great.

Gid--Gordon made up the best parts of it.

He was the first person you ever saw the Sparks(tm) with.

You two were close, graduating and going into college together, and ultimately helping him form the G-Man business from the ground up. He was inspired by that cool nickname you've given him in highschool, assuring you that you deserved all the credit.

At some point, however, he suddenly changed his name..apparently because he felt like "Gordon Goose" was dead to him.

You agreed that being addressed as "Mr. Goose" was one way to ensure he's never taken seriously, so you accepted his name-change to Gideon.

Then...even more about him began to change.

And soon you barely recognized the man you fell in love with.

As soon as he discovered something called "The Glow", his wealth skyrocketed, but he refused to let you in on what this little secret of his was. And he barely gave you his fair share of the earnings anymore.

It wasn't long before you got shoved aside, and he stayed up on his high horse alongside all the other millionaires and billionaires while you worked at your drastically lower-leveled job that was connected to his business empire.

Yep. His empire.

Not yours and his.

He didn't speak to you again unless it was through some random agent.

You were livid for the way he just left you in the dust, and right as you thought you couldn't hate him even more...

He went out with Ramona Flowers, got broken up with, and formed some bizarre group that apparently included her six other "evil" exes.

Oh, how furious you were.

Not at her, though. You felt terrible after she told you about how controlling he was, but it made you wish that you had a time machine so you could go back and warn her NOT to date that prick.

Or better yet..go back and stop him from turning into a prick.

Now according to your friend, Matthew Patel--Ramona's first ex--won the rights to all of Gideon's properties after a tough fight. But oddly enough nobody knew of his current whereabouts.

They emphasized the point that he was kicked out and not killed..

That made you wonder where he is and if he's-

'Wait..why do I suddenly feel sorry for him?' You blinked, before shaking your head and deciding to pause the episode, realizing you weren't even focusing on the story anymore.

Only that jerk.

Okay, so maybe a small part of you did miss him..and hoped that Gordon would come back. But you had a feeling things won't ever change nor return to what they used to be..

Deciding to clear your thoughts, you threw on your coat and opened the front door, stepping out onto your porch. You didn't go any further, as you simply wanted to take in the sights, sounds, and smells of the rain.

Of course it was windy, too, making the air feel chillier than it actually was.

Through the downpour, however, you could make out a figure that was seemingly limping down the sidewalk.

They were barely lit by the streetlamps, but your heart sunk into your stomach the moment you realized who that was exactly..

"G....Gideon..?"

Sure enough, it was him.

Gideon Graves. The rich asshole who now looked as though he was dragged through the mud several times in a row..completely disheveled with bruises on his face and tears in his usually pristine clothes.

Not to mention he seemed utterly defeated.

Upon hearing his name, he stopped and looked over, stunned to see that you were still living on this same street. "[Y/n].."

You scowled, the words you've exchanged with your friend from earlier coming back into your mind. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen."

"Please..don't remind me.." He rasped, his voice sounding so broken and tired.

"I think I will, actually. Now you know how I felt when you kicked me to the curb."

"...I'll admit it..that was a stupid thing for me to do. And I'm sorry.."

Blinking, you were surprised by his sudden apology. But your guard remained up, as you just huffed. "What? Just because you lost your big empire..you finally decide to grovel at my doorstep in the cold rain and apologize? Where was this last year? Two years ago?"

"........"

You sighed. As much as you despised seeing how sad and pathetic he was acting...it did tug on your heartstrings a little bit. You were starting to catch glimpses of that sweet kid you once knew..

"Gordon?"

He perked up. "Yes?"

"...I see. You haven't entirely killed your old self, then.." You quietly mused.

"You were right, [y/n]. I..I-I never should have left you." He took off his glasses as he sniffled and put them in his pocket, shivering. "I don't have any right coming here, but..I used the last of my money to catch a bus. Just to see the one person I still care about...and...hopefully cares for me, too.."

You blinked. "You...still care about me?"

"I know it didn't seem like it, but...I never stopped.." He mumbled. "I got greedy, ambitious...and lost sight of who really loved me. Now I'm back to where I was before.."

"And that is...?"

"..being a loser.." He was even quieter this time around. So much so, you barely heard him at all...although you knew what he said exactly.

"Sorry, what was that?"

"I said...I'm back to being a loser."

You smirked. "One more time?"

"I said I'm a LOSER!!" Gordon snapped, tears finally streaking down his sunken cheeks as he scowled at you. His shout was hoarse, yet pained at the same time. "I-I'm a loser, okay?! A loser who doesn't deserve to grovel at your doorstep like this. A loser who should just lay down and die-''

Then he heard your small laughter and stopped his pity party, sniffling as he stared at you. "Wh-What's so funny?"

"You are a real loser for leaving me...but I'm just as much of a loser for wanting to let you back into my life.." Sighing, you shook your head before you grabbed the umbrella beside your door, opening it and heading down the steps.

He stared at you, now seeing that you two were standing under the umbrella together, totally sheltered from the rain.

Why were you doing this?

You looked at him. "You know, I thought about decking you in the face earlier..but I'll take you admitting you're in the wrong any day. Now let's get out of this rain."

A small whimper left his lips as he shuddered, practically clinging to you while you wrapped an arm around him, leading him back into your house.

In that moment, sparks flew, and Gordon realized he was finally seeing them at their strongest.

[itsdeniini]

⋆JAKEHOON BOND⋆

୧ ‧₊˚ 🦇⋅ n☆ote : i am a self-taught tarot reader, and the interpretations i provide are personal. if anyone would like to share their own insights, i would be more than happy to hear them! please be kind <3 ⎛⎝( ` ᢍ ´ )⎠⎞ᵐᵘʰᵃʰᵃ

Oh, those two are such a playful duo in MANY ways. Whether that is good or bad, it doesn't matter! Doing the dumbest sh!t together, like getting drunk in a hotel and starting a pillow fight? Yes. A common idea pops into their minds, like assembling a drawer together, where Jake will study the instruction attentively while Sunghoon will assemble it according to his logic. Yes? OF COURSE. What I want to say with this is that their connection is very strong. I may sound boring and quite obvious, but Jakehoon are certified soulmates, and I can't put that in any other words. It's just like that! They're vibing, a perfect fit for each other in terms of friendship, so I think destiny is most probably involved here. (The Fool, 2 of Cups, The Lovers)

They take good care of each other and are protective of their friendship because they don't need third-party intervention; they're cool in two. Also, sometimes they make no sense. They're really extremely random, and if that is the case in the future, they may organize something spontaneous together, like a trip to the countryside, where they can enjoy each other's company. (The Empress, The Hermit, The Knight of Wands)

One thing about them is that they bring their softer sides to each other. While they're trying to appear resilient with others and just occasionally joking around with them to not appear blunt, in private, Jake and Sunghoon are two different people. They enjoy their local jokes, which can be quite dirty, mock each other's expressions or actions, take embarrassing pictures while sleeping, or do it stealthily, and then use them as compromising evidence. (The Moon, 6 of Cups, The Page of Swords)

Into the bargain of those things I said until now is that they enjoy to improve simultaneously, be well-traveled, and introduce themselves to new people. They are doing that to expand the circle of their interests and not stomp on one place in their own connection. They want a highly structured bond that is based on principles and ethics that both should follow. Since Jakehoon are both career-oriented people, they are willing to advocate for each other even if that will cost them something. Either way, they know that they have a lot of opportunities together or separately, so they won't back off until they achieve justice for both. (The Chariot, Justice, The World)

Now I want to specify one thing that can sound a bit somber, but let's not forget that in terms of being controlling, Jake and Sunghoon are taking the first two spots in ENHYPEN. They are not only protective of each other but also of their partners. Let's take this example: One of them gets a partner, and the other one is still single, and he would obviously be supportive, but with a pang of jealousy. Maybe he would like to take his revenge in a playful manner just to tease his buddy and see his reaction. Why not? What can he try? Flirt with his lover? Hm, good idea! So here it GOES... If 1 sees just a hint of flirtatiousness in the behavior of 2, then it's DONE! 1 will be infuriated and will demand explanations; why would he do that to him when he knows that he's protective of his lover? 2 would just brush his words off and say that this was just a joke, but then he wouldn't be happy with that joke at ALL. That may create a conflict between them that they will solve shortly after, but the aftermatch will taste bitter. They will warn each other to never do that in the future if they want to protect their friendship. (The Emperor, 7 of Swords, 5 of Wands)

Did I say something about bantering higher? Anyways, the thing is that they're both so stubborn about how they live or should live, how the world works, and how life situations should be approached. Damn! Those dudes are bickering too much 😭 In a way, it's something that keeps them entertained, and they know that only when they're together can they debate such topics. (5 of Swords, 2 of Pentacles, The Magician)

They got that sense that they both belong together, and they make a quality team! Don't you ever get the feeling that Jakehoon is just THAT duo? You can't see them in any other way, can you? They're just so natural in everything they're doing together, and that's what attracts other people to look after their friendship. Their details don't have to be the same when both of them are Siamese twins. (2 of Cups, 4 of Wands, 2 of Wands)

Public image. They want to show everything to ENGENE. They want to trust them with the front and back sides of their friendship! They've been through a lot, and they are continuing to experience things that the majorities don't know about. You know how it works; there is always a hidden aspect to every connection between people, and they are not an exception. There are also things that are not for the public's eyes or ears, something that they can share with each other. And in fact, they have some secrets that they would like to keep in a box under a lock. If they started together, then they will go together until the end, and everything in the name of their joint goals. One of those joint goals is working in order to represent something, so I think they will continue with the double brand deals. There is the start of a new thing, a new beginning... (10 of Cups, The Hierophant, The Sun)

[literatooru]

pairing: gn!reader x miya osamu

flufftober 2024!

Divination has never been Osamu’s favorite class. He always finds himself feeling drowsy; and whether it's because of how it seems to make the hours dreadfully drag on and on, or because of how the professor’s voice mixed with the heavily perfumed smoke that wafts all around the slightly claustrophobic room, he’s not sure.

He had only chosen it because it was easy to fool the professor by making up “predictions” of the future, as long as a tragedy or two (or five) were added. But by Merlin, sometimes he wonders if he should have picked Arithmancy or Study of Ancient runes to at least keep his brain a little more active. He’s also unsure as to why it’s even taught at all, considered that, at best, it’s viewed as a flawed and feeble “art” by most. He thinks it’s more of a fraud.

The only perk he could think of was that at least he got to spend an hour (or two, if he was lucky and had double period) with you.

Osamu heaves a sigh as he climbs the silvery ladder and looks around the crammed classroom. He blinks a couple times to adjust his eyesight to the new, crimson lighting, the corners of his lips automatically quirking up when his eyes finally land on you.

He makes his way to you, evading the dozens of small, circular tables filling the classroom. Once he reaches you, he lets the strap of his bag slide down his arm and it lands on the rug with a muted thud, then sinks onto the little round ottoman right across from yours.

“D’ya think she’s gonna make us continue the dream diary?” he says as a greeting.

You rest your chin on the palm of your hand as you let out a groan. The classroom slowly starts filling up with students, all of them disrupting the silence with animated chatter.

“I hope not. I barely managed to make up enough of them last year,” you mumble, blinking slowly as drowsiness immediately starts taking over you. “I wish we could open a window. It’s so stuffy in here.”

“Psh, ya really wanna disrupt yer Sight like that?” he says with humor.

Osamu busies himself pulling out his textbooks, dropping the heavy tomes on the table with a small huff and rolling his shoulder where his bag had been slung over.

“Ah! My darlings! I could sense you had all finally arrived,” Professor Trelawney speaks in that typical misty tone of hers, rearranging her shawl delicately. “Welcome, welcome. Oh, no need for those today, my dear,” she says, gesturing at a student that had just pulled out one of his textbooks. Osamu purses his lips and carelessly drops his own books into his bag. “I am aware that everyone’s minds seem to get rather foggy after a prolonged break."

“All the incense does a rather fine job as well,” your friend mutters under his breath, and his smile grows when you stifle a chuckle behind your hand.

"I myself make sure to exercise my Inner Eye as often as I can,” the Professor continues. She pushes her large glasses further up the bridge of her nose, sniffing softly as she walks among the tables.

“We shall make a revision of the subjects we’ve previously touched, starting with the basics, just as a refresher. Pass me the large silver teapot, dearie."

A girl stands up from her seat to do as told as Professor Trelawney runs her eyes across the various shelves, grabbing a couple different things off them. “Now, everyone please collect a teacup from the shelf. I will fill it for you.”

Osamu and you stand up from your seats and walk towards the shelves, waiting in line to grab a cup.

“Hold on, I got it,” he tells you. He walks through the crowd, mumbling apologies as he gently nudges people aside, and he takes advantage of his height by reaching out to take two of the teacups and saucers from the top shelf. After that, he makes his way back to you and offers you the delicate china with a warm smile.

“Thank you, giraffe,” you say with a smile of your own.

“I presume you all remember how this goes. Really, the process is fairly simple,” the Professor says. She pours tea into the teacups that are extended to her. “Of course, reading the leaves is the complicated part. Only those that possess the Sight, such as myself—”

Her voice is drowned under the chatter as you and Osamu go back to your table and take a seat. You blow lightly on the scalding liquid, dark ripples disturbing the surface.

Osamu moves the teacup to his lips, gently places the rim against them, takes a small sip and immediately frowns.

“Oof!” he exclaims. His whole face soon scrunches up into a grimace as he takes a second sip without even waiting for it to cool down. “It could do with a little sugar.” 

“More than a little.” You nod, coughing a little after taking the first sip. “I wish we could do this with butterbeer instead.”

“Man, what I wouldn’t do for one right now. It’s getting chilly.”

Once you both finally manage to down the bitter beverage, you each swill the remaining dregs around the cups three times with your left hand, then turn them upside down on the saucers and wait for the last of the tea to drain away before exchanging cups.

You reach into your bag to pull out your old copy of Unfogging the Future (which you had casted Reducio on to decrease its size until it matched that of a small dictionary’s) and place it on the table, flicking through the pages as you examine Osamu’s teacup.

“All right, hit me, partner. Exactly how many tragedies are in store for me?”

You roll your eyes with humor, shaking your head softly as you peer into his teacup. 

“I see… a…” You squint your eyes and frown as you try to make out exactly what the shapes are supposed to depict. “An umbrella. According to what the book says it means ‘difficulties’. And I think that’s— an apple? No, wait, it looks more like a butterfly,” you mumble, rotating the cup and craning your neck with your lips pursed. Osamu snorts, earning a glare from you before you shift your gaze to consult your book. “Which means… success. And that over there could be a crescent moon, which means… prosperity. So I guess you’re going to struggle with something you’re working on but end up successful, and that’s going to bring you good things."

“I don’t think you’ve exercised yer Inner Eye much, have ya?” Osamu says with an arched eyebrow, and his index finger pressed against his lips to suppress a smile.

You scoff. Your eyes remain on him as you set the teacup down, then mimic his cocked brow and lean forward, closer to him. 

“So you’re an expert now?” you ask.

You drum your fingers on the surface of the table as you watch his smile grow, and it’s almost infuriating how pretty he looks. The corners of his eyes crinkle, and his entire face seems to light up, his eyes glued on you as he gives a sharp nod. Is it just you feeling a little lighter? Perhaps all the smoke and incense have finally gotten to you.

“‘Course. I have an innate ability for divination. M'great, great, great, great aunt was a renowned Seer. She used to read Tarot Cards for the Queen herself.”

You throw your head back with laughter, the sound filling Osamu’s ears and making him feel warm and fuzzy inside. He knows it’s not the environment he’s in—it’s because of you.

“Right, sure. Go on then.” You grab your teacup from the saucer and offer it to him, a look full of expectation on your face. “Tell me what the future holds for me, O' great Seer.”

Osamu huffs out a chuckle. When he reaches out to grab the teacup, his fingers accidentally brush yours. You jerk your hand back and he clears his throat. He stands up from his ottoman and walks over to you, halting once he’s right by your side. Osamu leans down, rests his elbows on the table and gets closer to make sure you can see the inside of the cup as well.

His arm brushes yours every time he moves it, and you you can’t help glancing at him every now and then. How have you never noticed he has such a pretty profile? Well, to be completely honest, his entire face is pretty. It’s just that you’ve somehow only just paid close attention to it. He takes a quick peek at you and smiles when he catches your eyes on him, making you immediately avert your gaze and lean forward so much that your nose is almost touching the teacup.

Osamu chews on the inside of his cheek. You’re so… adorable.

“See that, right there?” he asks quietly, index finger stretched out to point at what looks like… a dark blob. You shoot him a concerned, sideways glance, absolutely confused as to what he’s seeing. “That’s a hat. Means Improvement, if I recall correctly. And a sun and horseshoe right text to it! That means such improvement will also bring you great fortune and happiness.” He cocks his head to the side, his breath mingling with yours due to the closeness. His voice drops in volume, almost forcing you to get even closer to him—close enough that he can smell your perfume over the smokiness of the room. And it just smells so good that he has to stop himself from taking a very obvious deep breath. “A pumpkin…” he carries on, forcing himself to focus on the dregs rather than you. “A circle… huh.”

“What?” you murmur. 

You had actually been so focused on his words that when you turn your face to look at him, you start when you find him so close to you. You feel warmth creep up your neck, and—yep, it’s definitely not due to the ambiance of the Divination classroom.

“It’s a good cup,” Osamu declares, tapping the rim with his index finger. He sets it back down on the saucer and places his left hand on the table, his right one moving to rest on his hip as he looks down at you, lips pursed as he seems to mull something over. “Maybe I should just pop the question then.”

“What are you talking ab—”

“Go out with me,” Osamu interrupts you.

You blink up at him once, twice; suddenly feeling so very grateful that you’re sitting down. You mouth wordlessly at Osamu, then blink once more.

“That’s not a question,” you manage blurt out when you finally find your voice. You’re not sure whether you should slap yourself or punch yourself in the face. Both options sound appropriate for the situation. Osamu Miya has just asked you out on a date and there you are, making a fool of yourself.

To your surprise (and relief), Samu smiles.

“Will you go out with me?”

You dig your teeth into your bottom lip, reaching for your discarded teacup and fiddling with it for a second just to keep your hands busy.

“I don’t know. What are you thinking?”

“That you will if you say yeah.” He adds a cheeky smile to his retort, earning a snort from you.

Smartass.

“And what if I say no?” you ask, narrowing your eyes at him.

“Well, you can’t say no.”

“Why not?” You force a frown onto your face, if anything to conceal the nervousness threatening to take over you.

“Because, my dearie,” he begins, mimicking Professor Trelawney’s misty voice as he yanks the teacup from your hands and waves it in front of your face, “it’s written in the tea leaves.”

This time, the laugh that bubbles out of you is so genuinely filled with good humor that Osamu can’t help the smile that almost splits his face in two. Merlin’s Beard, he loves that sound. He’s willing to make himself look like an absolute idiot if it means getting to hear it again and being the reason for it.

“is it, now?” you say through your chuckling. “I didn’t see anything like that in my cup.”

“Because you don’t possess the Sight, unlike me,” Osamu retorts, tapping his index finger right between your eyebrows gently. “If you had broadened yer mind and casted yerself into the future, you’d know it. I saw it with my own two eyes— er… three?”

“You’re such an idiot, you know that, Samu?”

“A lucky idiot, I hope?” he says leaning forward a bit. “The Three Broomsticks, Friday night. You, me, and a couple of Butterbeers. I’ll wait for you outside your Common Room.”

And there it is, the smile he’s found himself longing for more times than he can count and that you’re convinces makes you like like an absolute idiot.

“It’s a date.”

[jjameslily]

FALLING (FOR FOOLS) | Read All Chapters on A03

Written for @jilychallenge's September Prompt: James takes Muggle classes and they go on a class outing and he asks Lily for help to blend in.

Partner: @fullb1n-blog

This was my first challenge and I'm late, but I accidentally hammered two of my fingers so editing was tricky for a few days... don't ask. Enjoy and Happy Jilytober, friends!

“You can’t be serious,” she muttered under her breath.

Lily stared at the pile of clothes and magazines that had begun to overtake the desk in the small section of the library they’d taken over for the last two hours. With her brow furrowed in disbelief, all Lily could think was one thing. 

She cannot believe she agreed to this. 

She watched as he began to transfigure more clothes, copied from the images he’d torn out of the magazines Lily’s mother had sent. 

James, who was now holding up two shirts for her to inspect—one tie-dye tee with garish hues that hurt Lily's eyes to look at and the other a classic white oxford shirt that was somehow more baffling for its simplicity. He stood there looking impressed with himself, his eyes darting between the two options with an almost comical amount of concentration. 

She pressed her fingers to her temples, trying to fend off her growing sense of exasperation.

His head snapped up, eyebrows raised. “What? What’s wrong with this one?” He pointed to the crisp collared shirt.

With a deep sigh, she crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. “You do realize this is all for one day, right? You’re not infiltrating the Muggle world permanently?”

“Well, I don’t want to look like an idiot.”

She raised an eyebrow, smirking at him. “You say that as if it’s not your usual state of being.”

James gasped, feigning mock offense at her words. “I resent that.” He dropped the shirts in his hands onto the pile. “You just have a talent for making me look worse than I am.” 

“Or maybe you just have a talent for making it too easy.”

He shrugged, a lopsided grin appearing. “Maybe I’m just trying to impress you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, is that what you’re meant to be doing? I thought being an arrogant toad was just who you are.”

James leaned in, closing the space between them as he braced his hands against the desk. His face now mere inches from hers, eyes glinting with mischief. “Guess that’s why I need your help, isn’t it?”

Lily’s heart gave a traitorous skip, the air between them suddenly charged with something unspoken. 

Lately being around him had felt like this—a pull she couldn’t quite fight. She tried to ignore the heat spreading up her neck, threatening to give her away, and instead fixed him with a sharp look. 

“Could you at least behave if you’re going to hold me hostage, Potter?” she said, hoping her voice didn’t betray her.

James chuckled, the sound deep and lazy, sending an involuntary shiver through her. He leaned back just enough to still linger in her space. “Only if you do, Evans.” 

His words were met with silence as her gaze dropped to the table, where her fingertips had unknowingly drifted close to his, brushing lightly against his hand. The moment she realized, she snatched her hand back, clearing her throat in a flustered attempt to recover.

She caught the glint of amusement in James’ eyes, the corner of his lips twitching as he tried to suppress a laugh. He was always like this—flirting just to get a rise out of her like it was some kind of game. And annoyingly enough, he was good at it. 

It was infuriating.

It had been infuriating for the last two weeks. 

———

Lily knew should have walked out the moment James Potter strolled into her Muggle Studies class. She should have known that it would only end with her getting tricked into some kind of ridiculous scheme in his relentless need to drive her mad.

Her quill practically froze midair when she caught sight of him sauntering in from the corridor, his usual self-confident smirk plastered across his face. He should have been on the Quidditch pitch. She knew—and she definitely wasn’t keeping tabs on him—that he was supposed to have a free period. He was supposed to be forcing all the other sixth-year players to follow the ludicrously meticulous— albeit a little bit impressive—training schedule he had planned out for the entire year. So, why was he here and not there? Not that she cared all that much. 

But what had really thrown her off was the absence of his usual entourage. No Sirius Black causing a commotion at the door, no Peter Pettigrew ready to jump in with some prank of his own, and no Remus Lupin quietly chuckling in the background, pretending he didn’t egg them on.

It was just James.

Alone.

Sliding into the only empty seat in the room just across from her. 

Of course.

He smiled at her, his usual nod and “ Evans” in greeting. She looked away, returning her attention back to her desk, scribbling absolutely nothing onto her parchment in an attempt to remain focused on anything else. 

He was glancing down at his textbook, his brow slightly furrowed as he flipped through the pages, clearly lost. 

A small, traitorous smile crept up before she could catch herself. Focus.

But her gaze had refused to cooperate. It kept drifting back to him, eyes trailing over the odd mix of precision and disorder before her, as if he’d carefully crafted his appearance to look effortlessly unkempt. His tie was just a bit askew beneath his vest, and though his robe was neatly tied, one side was beginning to slip off his right shoulder. His black curls, always a little wild, tumbled over his forehead, brushing against the glasses that perched precariously on the bridge of his nose.

On anyone else, it might have looked sloppy, a sign of carelessness, but on James Potter, it seemed intentional, almost... charming. A charm she would deny ever noticing, yet here she was, unable to look away.

She tapped her fingers against the edge of her desk, silently scolding herself. 

She hated him. 

Hated his confidence, his messy charm, the way he managed to take up space even when he wasn’t saying a word. 

Absolutely. Totally. Without question.  

But, as much as she tried to focus, she couldn’t shake the nagging thought. 

She’d never noticed just how distracting James Potter could be.

Lily watched as he pushed his glasses up his nose with a quick and careless movement, his fingers brushing against the curls that fell into his eyes… Merlin’s sake.  

“Ms. Evans?”

Professor Harwicke’s voice sliced sharply through her thoughts, jolting her in her seat and mercifully derailing the path her thoughts had been heading.

It wasn’t until then that she realized James had his head tilted in her direction.

Lily quickly snapped her attention to the front of the class, cheeks burning as her professor’s gaze lingered between the two of them. 

“I will take your silence as acknowledgement,” he said, not giving her a chance to respond.

“Now that you have all been partnered up,” the professor called out, “Please remember this outing is meant to be educational. You will be expected to submit a joint field report and analysis comparing the atmosphere, social interactions and cultural significance to a related Wizarding event of your choice. Please include your observations on the similarities and differences in audience behavior or even music appreciation as one of the main events will be the band.”

Lily, now completely tuned in—her somewhat unjustified irritation with James (only somewhat) still lingering—caught just enough of the professor’s words to understand what the hell just happened. 

A festival. In a Muggle town. Paired up. Safety precautions. 

Her eyes widened as the realization sank in.

As soon the lecture ended, Lily hurriedly gathered her things and turned on her heel towards where Professor Harwicke was climbing the steps into his office. 

“Professor?” she called out, her voice barely audible over the noise of the students packing up and chattering amongst themselves. 

The professor glanced over his shoulder at her, stopping just outside his office. “Yes, Ms. Evans?”

“Is there any chance I could switch partners?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady as she climbed the steps up to him. “I think there may have been a mis—”

The professor didn't let her finish. He folded his arms and gave her a pointed look. “You were paired for a reason, Ms. Evans. I expect you to take the assignment seriously.”

Lily opened her mouth to argue, but Harwicke cut her off again. “My decisions are final,” he said, “I suggest you make the best of it.” 

“But professor—”

“No buts,” he said, his gaze softening just a fraction. “Consider it a learning opportunity, Ms. Evans. Both of you may benefit from it more than you realize.” And with that, he entered his office and closed the door behind him with a soft click.

The most devastating closing of a door she'd ever heard. 

When she turned around she found James leaning casually against the wall at the bottom of the steps, waiting for her.

“Trying to trade me in, Evans?” he asked, clearly taking pleasure in her failure to do so. 

She huffed. “Unfortunately, Harwicke’s return policy had a tight window.”

James pushed himself off the wall as she brushed past him, a grin spreading across his face as he followed her across the room towards the door. “You know, I’m hurt. I think we’ll make great partners.” His voice had that familiar teasing lilt, the one that made her want to both roll her eyes and— well, never mind.

“And what makes you think that, Potter?” 

“Well, for one, you’re smart enough to keep us out of trouble, and I’m charming enough to get us into it.”

“Oh, so I’m the brains, and you’re… what? The bad idea?”

James chuckled. “Maybe, but you’re stuck with me now.”

She spun around, catching him off guard for a moment as he halted to stop much closer than she’d thought he was. “Did you need something, Potter? Or should I expect you to follow me to my dorm?”

“Is that an invitation?” James said, still smiling as if her obvious annoyance went right over his head. 

“You’re delusional,” she said stiffly. Though his closeness had a confusing effect on her—it was infuriatingly impossible to ignore despite her best efforts. 

“Just thought I’d check-in. I figured you’d want to talk about the assignment.”

“As long as you don’t draw too much attention to yourself, Potter—which I’m sure is a monumental task for you—we’ll be perfectly fine,” Lily replied, her voice laced with dry amusement. She tried to step past him, but he sidestepped smoothly, blocking her path.

James tilted his head, pretending to consider her words. “You’re right.”

She blinked. “What?”

“It is very hard not to attract attention,” he said, flashing her a wide smile. “I assume you were referring to my extraordinarily handsome face?”

“Actually, Potter, I was referring to that loud mouth of yours and your insatiable need to cause trouble.”

He raised his hands in mock surrender, “Alright, Evans. You win,” he paused, eyes lighting and Lily could practically see the ideas forming behind his eyes. “You should help me.”

“Help you?” she repeated, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

“Yeah,” he said, leaning forward with a sly smirk. “Help me.”

“What are you on about?” she asked, folding her arms, entirely unamused.

“If I’m so hopeless,” he said, “help me blend in.”

Lily shook her head in disbelief at him. The idea was laughable. Her, of all people, helping James Potter blend into Muggle society? Not a chance. 

“And I would waste my time doing this, why exactly?”

“Because how else am I to turn into someone who can walk through a Muggle festival without causing chaos? Think of it as your civic duty.”

“You overestimate how much I care about your ability to blend in, Potter.”

“Come on, Evans. Here’s your chance to mold me into something halfway decent.” His smile widening. “You know, for the sake of education. I’d be a shame to get my partner in trouble because I didn’t know any better.”

She gave him a long, measured look, lips pressed into a thin line as though weighing her options. “You’re impossible,” she finally said.

“And yet,” James said, leaning just a little closer, “here I am. Your partner for the week,” he responded, seemingly taking the mild insult as her reluctant agreement. 

“Unfortunately.”

“Oh, come on,” he nudged her gently with his elbow. “We’ll make a great team. You’ll see.”

Lily finally met his eyes, and though he was being his usual insufferable self, his eyes looked at her warmly, a sincere gleam in his eyes. Whatever it was made her feel unsteady, so she masked it with exasperation—a much more familiar feeling she could handle. “I highly doubt that, Potter.”

“We’ll see,” he said, his voice softer now, but still teasing. “Who knows? By the end of this, you might even like me.”

“Don’t hold your breath,” she said and turned, leaving him standing there. 

As she stepped into the corridor, she found herself acutely aware of the lingering warmth from his closeness, and the faint scent of something sweet like cinnamon that somehow refused to leave her thoughts—just like that idiotically annoying smile he wore on his face when she’d turned to leave.

[unhappy-last-resort]

PGR Fanfic Recommendations

Just wanted to compile a little list of my favorites.

These range from 18+, to fluff, to angst, to suggestive (smut will be labeled 18+)

Knight's Longing - Sensabo

If you know my blog, this is not a surprise at all. I think I've talked about this fic like three times on here. It's gold if it were words. This is...not really angst or fluff, more of a character study if anything.

In This Moment - Sensabo

You like Noan? You like pain? Well do I have the fic for you! This is a slight canon divergence AU that takes place around CH26 / Cradle's Parade. If you know, you know.

|18+| 2023 Kinktober, Shameless - Starry

So, I did forget to mention (and was also self conscious about my writing so I lowkey didn't want to), but the Vonnegut segment is partly responsible for the existence of Forgive Me, My God. So...thank you for inadvertently enabling me?

Bloodbath - Starry

Yandere. Roland. Blood. My favorite things. Do I need to explain more? Like probably most people who are getting into the PGR fandom on tumblr, Starry's fics where one of, if not the first fanfics I read and this was absolutely the first Yandere PGR fic I read.

Am I The Only One? - Chronoshot

To be honest, these two fics by Chronos are a little special to me. Sprial of Chronos is one of my favorite patches and it's the one where I really got into PGR so it holds a special place in my heart

Luck Had Your Name - Chronoshot

This one I love a lot. The writing and use of color really emphasizes Lee's sincerity. On that note, this person is just a very good writer and you should read their stuff beyond this!

Regret - Les

a very cute little Chrome fluff fic that I read many, many moons ago but still warms my heart.

Marks & Claims - Les

A little Noctis fluff fic, one of the few that exist in English, I believe and I still remember being excited when I first saw it.

You Don't Have To Knock Next Time You Come In - Squishy

I still love this little yandere drabble from Squishy. They were the first one who really encouraged me on my blog and those asks and interactions I still hold dear to this day.

|18+| Twilight Falls (Bloodborne AU) - enupairdepartment

I, unfortunately, have yet to play Bloodborne, but I am obsessed with its aesthetic. Have you seen some of the scenery? Or the bosses? Terrifying, elegant, beautiful, and horrifying, are some of my favorite things. Hence why I had to read this AU. The ideas and potential this has definitely kept it in the back of my mind ever since I first read it.

Side Note: This author writes primarily Character X Character ships including Camu/Roland, Lee/Liv, Lee/Vera, Bianca/Watanabe so if that's something you've been looking for, consider checking them out!

Untitled Work - Shrimp Dumpling

Shrimp is one of the lovely people who participated in my PGR Writing Game, they have some lovely little fics that are honestly just a lot of fun to read.

Cherished Dreams - Eden

Do not be fooled by the author's ominous name, this is a fluff fic! With our one and only Wanshi written very beautifully.

|18+| Yandere Alpha - Rei

Look man, I have to include this okay. Ms. Lightning McQueen herself broke into my house and threatened me to do it, it's not my fault.

That's all that will be in this post, I will probably do this again at some point, but regardless I hope you found some new writers you'll enjoy. Remember to let them know that you appreciated their fics if you do!

[cottonlemonade]

Confessions After Hours

word count: 1124 || avg. reading time: 5 mins.

pairing: Akiteru x chubby!Reader

genre: fluff, friends to lovers

warnings: like one time swearing

synopsis: Akiteru accidentally confesses to you

You looked outside the café windows for the fourth time in the last 5 minutes, it was past closing time, all the cleaning was done and your fellow part-timers had already left. So you just tried to find some busy work to have a somewhat legitimate reason to stall. The rain was getting worse and by now you were pretty sure Akiteru wouldn’t come.

It’s not like it was an actual plan, you reminded yourself, it was just kind of implied that he wanted to walk you home but no one could expect him to go out in this weather.

And so you hummed to yourself while carefully brushing down mint leaves and edible flowers with egg whites and sugar.

Your mood dropped a little when you checked the clock again. You had been looking forward to spending time alone with Akiteru.

Of course, you had little hope that he was interested in you romantically but that didn’t stop you from dreamily staring at him during study sessions or making a fool of yourself whenever possible - like running into a glass door when he smiled at you like last week.

When you laid the sugar coated decoration out on a baking sheet, a familiar figure caught your eye.

He stood on the other side of the road, waiting for a safe crossing. Quickly you walked over to the front door to unlock it and let him in.

“Ugh, wet.”, he commented, waddling in.

“Why didn’t you bring an umbrella?”, you asked incredulously when he pulled back his drenched hood and shook his soaked hair like a dog.

“We only have one and one of the others got it tonight.”, he explained as if that was normal.

You swallowed the start of what would probably be a rather long discussion about why it wasn’t smart that 4 roommates shared a singular umbrella and so instead opted for “You should get out of those wet clothes before you catch your death.”

He gave you an overly dramatic look of shock, clutching his soaked collar like a Victorian lady.

“Oh, grow up!”

Together you peeled him out of his hoodie (his t-shirt underneath was dry for the most part) and you considered the dripping bulk of fabric for a second, before making a decision.

Wringing out as much of the excess water as possible over the kitchen sink, you then opened the still warm oven from the banana bread you made earlier and placed the black hoodie on a baking sheet inside.

Akiteru watched you with crossed arms and then asked in complete earnest, “How long do you think it needs?”

“I don’t know, Akiteru. I have never baked hoodie before. I’d give it like 5 minutes and then I’ll turn it over. We’ll see.”

To warm him up you brewed him a big mug of coffee in the already cleaned machine. A gesture that didn’t fail to impress. “I have never felt this special in my life.” He wrapped his large hands around the steaming cup and breathed in the cozy coffee scent.

“Don’t get used to it.”, you said, smiling, taking a sandwich and a bowl of fruit you had prepared for him earlier out of the fridge.

“This café has such excellent service. Thank you.”

You pulled a folder of various papers from a shelf, turning pages as if to check things - he didn’t need to know that you were just pretending. “So, how is the Kei situation - still hating the club?”

“Not so much hating, I’d say indifferent, which somehow is almost worse.”

“How come?”

“At least hate would indicate a strong emotion.”, he said wisely, plopping a grape in his mouth and feeding you one, too, while you were “busy” tapping something on your phone’s calculator and writing gibberish numbers on a slip of paper. When his fingertips accidentally brushed your lips in the process your brain came to a full stop.

“But the spring tournament is right around the corner and I am almost sure he is actually starting to enjoy himself - a little.”

Another grape.

He took a sip of coffee and sighed.

“Your coffee tastes like a hug.”

Your eyes lit up. “I… that is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. You mean, like a good hug though, right? Not one of those half-assed one armed thingies.”

He spluttered into his mug and coughed to clear his throat.

“Yes, a good hug. Both arms, full body contact. I am talking full-on cocoon.”

With a bragging smile, brain still fried, you said “I’ve been told I give pretty amazing hugs like that.” proudly pushing your chin up.

“Oh yeah? Well then let’s see what you got.”

You thought for a second, then dropped your highly important paperwork back on the counter. “Let’s have a look at your hoodie first, don’t want it to get too dark.”

A moment later you stood across from each other stretching as if getting ready for a fight. “Alright, little one. Give it your all.”, he said and opened his arms.

He had been ready for a lot of things. He had held your hand before, when navigating through a crowd (only as friends of course), so he was no stranger to the tingles your touch sent through his body.

What he hadn’t been ready for was your head to be leaning against his chest and your hands gently stroking over his back. He returned the hug immediately, placing one hand on your back and one gently cradling your head, resting his cheek against your temple. A perfect fit. It was better than he had ever imagined. Where did they even make people as soft and heavenly squishy as you? For many hasty heartbeats he held you like this. Then you gave the smallest sigh and actually snuggled even closer to him. He couldn’t take it. It was too much. And so without thinking in one quiet breath he let out, “Shit, I’m so in love with you.”

He felt you stiffen in his arms and prepared for the worst. You lifted your head to look at him, your eyes sleepy like you had been about to doze off.

Akiteru loosened his arms so you could pull away like you undoubtedly were going to. But you didn't.

"I'm... I'm sorry that was really stupid.", he said quickly.

"Don't worry, I accidentally tried freezing a cucumber last week. You're good.", you said in a drowsy sort of way.

"What?"

"What?"

He didn't know what to do. You hadn't pulled away. You weren't screaming or running away or hitting him. Instead, you got on your tip-toes, a hand on his chest and smiled, before you set the softest kiss against his surprised lips.

[circyexistforcontent]

Sagau with a mitsuri like god?

SAGAU: WITH A LOVING GOD READER

❀ synopsis: the god of teyvat is finally looking for a consort, and Zhongli just so happens to be the chosen candidate. What will be Xiao's response to this epiphany?

❀ notes: I wanna make headcanons about demon slayer soon, probably once I am done watching the swordsmith village arc. Also this is a bit rushed because I just want to post something before I study for days on end with exams coming by. pls, this is Xiao and Zhongli centered because I'm making my way to Liyue BABY-

❀ pronouns: they/them

Stories about your strength and benevolence have been shared all around Teyvat. How you have fought countless outer gods and purified multiple worlds from corruption were shared with kids and studied by historians to understand more about your past. But of course, you acolytes are the ones who know just how deep your love runs for your people.

One of them was Xiao. Xiao was one of your followers who got to know you personally, ever since you manage to defeat the tyrant who took control of him. He swore loyalty to you and stood by your side ever since. Small talk was common, and though you have to initiate and carry out the conversation, it was still pleasant.

He makes sure to check that the food you were consuming was safe and not poisoned (as if poison would affect you in any way), and he pressures the cooks to ensure you are only served the best gourmet food. Most of your acolytes know how protective Xiao can be for you so they stay out of your way as much as possible, only communicating with you through gifts and letters that are present in your shrine.

Only a selected few acolytes that can talk to you are the archons. Mostly because Xiao knows he can't defeat them even if he tried, and he wouldn't be a fool to try and intimidate them. He respects the Geo Archon, he can tell he was a very devoted follower of yours and he respects his values. His least favored archon was the Anemo God, though it's more of indifference than dislike.

While he does enjoy the bard's musical talent, all he has ever done is push you away from your work and distract you with little escapades. He has confronted Venti about it multiple times and all he did was shrug off the commotion and skip away.

May Celestia help anyone daring to approach you after you made an announcement that you are finding a consort. They have to go past Xiao first if they want to go to you. He would be supportive of Zhongli being your consort, but something felt off when he proposed the idea to Xiao. He isn't very educated in the ways of feelings, but he can sometimes tell when the emotions are good or bad.

He knows Zhongli is more than worthy to be standing beside you. He should be proud that his Master has found someone like Zhongli, but...why does his heart tell him otherwise? He does his best to shove it down when he watches him hand you a bouquet of qingxins, every time you hold his hand and kiss his face, every time you feed each other Xiangling's latest dish. He doesn't understand, why isn't he happy for the both of you?

Is the problem in him? Why is he like this? He projects his anger towards hilichurl camps before he is left alone to reflect on his feelings. He usually feels like this when he senses something bad is going to happen...is it because the Geo Archon is hiding something? Was something going to happen on the day of the wedding?

Yes, that must be it. The wedding is going to be sabotaged. Or! Or! The wedding must be a scheme to put you in danger. He needs to find a way to postpone the wedding date to find out whats causing him to feel uneasy.

So now it's mostly just him trying to convince you that you don't need to rush the wedding process, while you just sit there for hours straight waiting for him to finish.

[dogwatch05]

Religion

Humans are Weird. Religion. There's so many. Now personally I am Christian and I don't know a lot about other religions, but I'm always open to learn about other cultures and beliefs if only to understand others better and to satisfy my own curiosity. But what if Aliens had never heard of Christianity before? Unlikely, I know, considering that Christianity is one of the most popular religions, but bear with me.

Aliens may not have religion, or they may have at one point and abandoned it once they became true spacefaring races. I present to you the Christian trying to explain to their alien friend(?).

I am not infallible, so if you have questions or think I got something wrong, please reach out to me.

Post writing note here (all my author's notes are written before the story is done): Man I don't like Rjoll and I'm the one who wrote him.

I would also like to add that while Rjoll did not become a Christian, he did develop a certain respect for Humans in general after hearing Christina's speech.

************************************************************************

Rjoll was a stellar xenohistorian. He prided himself on his ability to recall any fact requested of him about any race in the galaxy. But Humans had to come along and ruin that. With so many factions, tribes, countries, and realistic historical-fiction galore, Rjoll had his work cut out for him to become passably literate on Human history. Not to mention sifting the fiction from the reality. This is why Rjoll had done something unprecedented in his career. He requested a native of his subject of study. The Human had arrived yesterday and Rjoll was determined to use every second of the month that he had her.

As Rjoll navigated the labyrinth of a ship they were living on, he thought of how best to introduce himself. And what if the Human didn't like him? What if he made a fool of himself. What if the Human was a fool themselves and could barely do Pre-Calculus?

What was happening to him? He'd never had these doubts about himself before. He'd always prided himself on his self-assurance and his ability to deal with those intellectually inferior to himself. Having to depend on someone, especially such a new, primitive species like the humans, was something so new to him that he didn't know how to react.

Before he knew it, he was at the human's door. Sighing, he resigned himself to the humiliation he knew was coming and knocked.

"Enter!" came the call from inside the room. Rjoll was stunned. She should have stopped what she was doing and greeted him at the door to perform the standard greeting ritual of inviting someone into your living space. No species he'd ever interacted with had foregone this practice.

Uncomfortable, Rjoll opened the door and peeked inside. The human was siting on their bed with hands folded in their lap and eyes closed. Glancing around, Rjoll took note of the human's room.

Sparsely decorated, the room consisted of a single occupant sized bed, a bedside table with a drawer and lamp, a chest to hold personal items and uniforms, a desk and chair, and a wooden ornament hung above the headboard of the bed. On the desk was a notebook and pencil with a leatherbound book decorated with golden gilded pages and the same wooden symbol in gold on the cover.

The human muttered something under their breath and glanced at the ceiling before standing up and approaching Rjoll.

"Hello sir, my name is Christina. How do you do?"

"Uh...I am very well. Xenohistorian Rjoll at your service. I am under the impression that you are the human assigned by the Terran-Xeno Relations department to assist me in my research. Is this to be held true?" Rjoll was caught off guard by Christina's off-hand and informal introduction but he congratulated himself for recovering so well and redirecting the conversation in an appropriate direction.

Christina smiled at Rjoll. "Yes, I am to be your primary source on human history. I'm sure that you've read my file sent to you by the agency," (Rjoll had not, in fact, read that file)," but in case you haven't had the chance, I am a world historian back on Earth. If you require access to documents, I can give you supervised access to the human internet for research purposes only."

Rjoll was pleased that the human could apparently be professional and asked if they had a seat that he could use. Might as well be nice to the human so that he could get as much information out of her as possible.

Christina nodded and brought over the chair from her desk and sat on the bed facing Rjoll. "Well, lets get started then," she said," What would you like to know first?"

Glancing around the spartan room again, Rjoll focused on the wooden ornament. "Lets start with you. Who are you, what do you do, what's that symbol on your wall."

"Well," Christina started, "I've already introduced my self but I can do that again. I am Christina Carpenter. A civilian historian currently on government contract with the TXR department for the duration of your research currently set for one month. I served briefly in the United Earth Space Exploration Corp. Like the United Earth Space Fleet, but civilian, not military, and focused on exploration, not defending our space. As for that symbol on my wall, how familiar are you with human religion?"

Rjoll grumbled and mumbled, "Not very" before mentally slapping himself and speaking up. "I am not familiar with the majority of human related topics. Please explain everything to me as if I were a student, but without speaking down to me if you please. I can always get a more respectful human if you decide to not show me the proper respect."

Christina closed and rolled her eyes, then she took a deep breath, opened her eyes, and began speaking. "Alright. That symbol on my wall is The Cross. It is the symbol that represents Christianity, one of the most popular faiths on Earth with roughly 2.4 billion of the 7 billion humans on Earth being Christian. A monotheistic religion with the God being of three parts: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost/Spirit. The holy text of this religion is called the Bible. Literally translating to Holy Book. There are sixty-six books within the Bible split into the Old and New Testament. The key beliefs of Christianity are: there is one God, we are all sinners, His son died for our sins that we would be forgiven, His son rose from the dead, and the Bible is the word of God as given to humanity.

We believe that God is a loving and good God, often referred to as our Heavenly Father because Christians believe that we are all God's children. Christianity is a religion that focus mainly on forgiveness, redemption, and relationship. We als-"

Rjoll cut Christina off. "Sounds like a weak religion then if you focus on forgiveness. What do you do if someone insults your religion? Turn the other cheek? Where's the honor in that. Weakness."

Christina smirked. Fine, she thought. Let's do it that way then.

"Actually, yes we are to turn the other cheek and grant forgiveness, mercy, and grace. But do you know how God's child, The Son, part of the Holy Trinity, died? Would you like to know?"

Rjoll nodded, convinced that nothing this human said would be able to change his mind.

Christina's smirk fell. Poor, poor Rjoll. He doesn't know what he is getting into.

"Jesus, the son of God, had 12 disciples who are also known as apostles. They were his students who followed him wherever he went. Jesus traveled and performed miracles and taught about God and the new kingdom to come. Well the Jews, what Jesus was, did not like that he was performing miracles and claiming to be 'The Son of Man'. Particularly the Sanhedrin. At this time the Romans had occupied the lands of the Jews, and the Romans were not merciful masters. Judas, one of Jesus's apostles, was paid 30 silver pieces to betray Jesus and identify him to Roman officials who had been convinced to arrest him by the Sanhedrin. A trial was held for Jesus and he was found innocent of breaking any Roman law by the Romans. The leader of the Romans, Pilate, still sentenced Jesus to death because of pressure from Jesus's own people.

Jesus was whipped until skin separated from bone, had a crown of thorns shoved on his head, and forced to carry his own roughly hewn cross through town to the place where his death would take place.

And do you know what we did Rjoll? We nailed the Son of God to a tree (common alternative name for the cross) and left him like that for six hours.

And still he did his work. He forgave a thief of his sins while they were being crucified together. He took care of his mother's future while he was being crucified, and when Romans mocked him, he asked his Father to forgive them 'for they know not what they do'.

So yes, Christianity is a religion that focuses on forgiveness for that is what we are called to do, but don't forget that the reason we can do this is because we were first forgiven by our God who 'gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life'. The Son who was tortured and nailed to a tree through his wrists and ankles; who was left there for six hours before he surrendered his spirit.

So yes, we forgive and we find not weakness but honor in forgiveness because we strive to be like our God.

Humans, like many, are capable of terrible things. Many have asked if we are who we are because of our nature or how we are raised, and none have come to a definitive answer. And so many turn to religion and ask: If he can forgive, why can't we?"