#I started the one because I was stuck on the other! and now I'm stuck on both!!!

[creamecafe]

I haven’t seen many fics about player 333 yet (Myunggi) 😔 Could you do maybe an enemies to lover type story with him!!!

Wicked Game | Myung-Gi Pt. 1

𝚂𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚢: You're stuck in the squid games fighting for your life. It also doesn't help that you are stuck with a wanna be rich scammer fraud.

𝙿𝚊𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐: Myung-Gi x GN!Reader (No pronouns used)

𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: enemies to lovers, hurt

𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝙲𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝:

𝙰𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚛'𝚜 𝙽𝚘𝚝𝚎: Thank you so much for requesting. I hope you enjoy this! Also the reader is an ex of Myung-Gi before the games. Please understand I don't HATE Kim Jun-hee, I just thought it would fit more for enemies to lovers. I also believe I may put this into two parts as the 3rd season is yet to come

If you would like to be tagged for the next part, let me know in the comments down below and I'll add you to the list!!

Want a request for a Squid Game character like this one? Check out my latest post, read my request guidelines and send a request!

Read on Wattpad & AO3 here

Joining the squid games could possibly be the last thing any person with common sense and a reason to live would consider doing. Unless they either had none.

That's what it looked like for you. The games you had to do to win 45.6 billion won had you either questioning if it's still worth it to still keep going or just to end it all on this island.

Out of all the people in these games, there's one face that you despised seeing and wondered how he's still alive after what he did, Myung-Gi.

He's your ex boyfriend. Being with him was great at first, but once he was invested in the crypto coin thing business, it felt like you're being cheated on. It also didn't help that he had an affair behind your back with a girl named Kim Jun-hee who turned up pregnant.

You didn't hate Kim Jun-hee, as you felt bad for her that your ex abandoned her and their baby, but the whole thing hurted you.

There's nothing more you wanted to get out of here with enough money to move to another place and start off fresh.

When you first woke up in the dormitory with all the other players, you wondered where this possibly could go. You looked around to see so many unfamiliar faces.

Then a man in a pinkish red suit all the way across the room wuth a black covered mas with a white triangle comes out from double doors and starts explaining why majority are here. Because of their debts.

They showed different videos of people playing Ddakji and getting slapped in the face. There was one face you recognized, your ex. It wouldn't be surprising that he was in debt for trying to chase after the crypt coin thing.

It looks like you're not the only one who hated him, many people who fell for the crypto coin were also mad at him. A purple-haired guy stood out from the rest, as he was a rapper you heard from others who were apparently fans. You had no interest in him or your ex but were wondering what the whole ordeal of winning money is.

You had to sign a waiver for the games, and you were soon directed to take pictures. It was rough enough. Then you would have to climb stairs that seemed like you were going to Mount Everest. You saw your ex from the right side across. You also didn't want to risk being seen.

Finally, you reached the first game after what seemed like an eternity. There was a huge robot doll and the whole layout was supposed to imitate a school playground with its blue sky and sand ground.

"Hey there pretty" You turn around and see the purple haired guy who was talking to your ex

"Who are you?" You exclaimed looking him up and down not in the mood to be hit on.

"I'm Choi Seung-hyun, Thanos for my music. You might of heard my raps before?"

"If I did, I probably would want to be deaf right now. Including not hearing this conversation."

He pretended to be hurt and put a hand over his heart.

"Ouch girl. Cold aren't you?"

You rolled your eyes. He sees another girl walks by and also tries talking to her. Poor girl, you thought.

"Y/N?" You hear your name being called and look around.

"Y/N!" A hand fell on your shoulder and you flinched turning around.

It was Myung-Gi. Your panic turned into annoyance as you rolled your eyes again.

"What are you doing here?" He asks

"Should be asking you that too, but I think it's obvious."

"Can we please talk?"

"What's there to talk about Myung-Gi? You chose a cyrpt coin over me and cheated on me, and got another girl pregant"

"And I regret it very much. Please come back."

"Share those regrets with the others in here too, including the mother of your child."

He tried to reply back but you walked away from him, ignoring him.

Speakers came on, explaining the rules of the game.

A screaming man came into the front and said it's not what we think the game is. He exclaims that if you move, you'll die.

People around you scoffed and found the man crazy. It seemed like to you he was crazy too, but what if he was right?

He was still screaming telling people not to move a muscle when the game starts.

The robot started turning around and putting her hand up to the tree to not look at the other player.

It started singing.

"Everyone freeze!" The man in front says.

Nobody moved a muscle. Your eyes looked around and saw no one moving. What if the guys telling the truth?

The doll looked away and you started moving forward quickly along with everyone else.

"Everyone freeze!" Yelled again the older man.

There was a scream coming from a girl who moved. She laughed exclaiming she just moved. A bullet came through her head and she dropped dead.

The guy really wasn't lying then. One wrong move, you're dead. More people started moving and more gunshots were coming.

Bodies were dropping. People are screaming. This was a bad idea to be here. You were also pretty sure you were going to die with your ex boyfriend. That another cherry on top to add.

"If you don't make it to the finishing line on time, you'll also die." The man yells but has his mouth covered like he was going to take a sneeze.

It felt impossible to win this game. You were so sure you were going to win money but now the only thing you could be winning is death. You wanted to see if Myung-Gi was still alive.

But you couldn't risk being shot. Everyone sooned formed into a single file line. The man explained that the doll can't see what's behind a person if there's a bigger person in front.

More gunshots came. More bodies dropping. You couldn't stop now though. You're close to the finish line, you can feel it.

You soon reached the finish line relieved that you made it alive. You looked around for Myung-Gi to see if he's alive.

Why do you care so much about him? You thought to yourself.

It's just basic human sympathy you thought. Hating him is one thing, but him dying is another.

The game ended and you witnessed the man who warned about the game, you see his number was 456 and another, a woman helping a man who got shot in the leg reach the finish line get shot in the head.

This isn't just a game. This life or death. Everyone including you who passed were allowed to go back to the dorms.

Zoned out walking, seeing bodies and blood, you hear your name being called.

"Y/N!"

Turning around to see who called your name, you see Myung-Gi run up to you.

"Hey, are you okay?"

A light smile came from your face.

"Yes I'm alright and you?"

"Alive thank God." He chuckled.

You chuckled lightly but didn't know what to say after. Usually, you would have something smart to say to him but after what happened, you wanted nothing more to be out of here.

There were yelling and shouts to how the man knew they would shoot if you lost the game. They were accusing the man of being behind the game.

A pink guard then came out and congratulated us for completing the first game. It then if a majority voted to O, you could leave the game.

Everyone chose their own sides O and X. You chose X, even though you desperately wanted the money to be able to move to another city. You see Jun-Hee, his other ex, chose X too. Myung-Gi chose O, which you weren't surprised.

Unfortunately there were more O's than X's which meant you had to stay. You were heartbroken but also upset and turned to Myung-Gi. Now you wish he died in the first game.

You went up to him and turned him around aggressively and slapped him across the face. People looked at you guys, but you didn't care.

"You're really that selfish, you had to choose O?"

"Y/N-"

"The mother of your child is in this game and you choose O. I should have known from the start dating you was a bad idea. If these games don't kill you, I will."

You stormed off away from him and went to your bed. Myung-Gi probably thought you were bluffing about you killing him.

Something deep down you wanted to keep that word true.

It looks like you'll have to wait and see the next day.

𝙽𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚐𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 | 𝙼𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝙼𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝 | 𝚂𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚍 𝙶𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝙼𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝 | 𝙹𝚘𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝!

[star-sim]

show me how ☆ jake sim

☆ non-idol! jake x fem! reader ☆ summary: jake didn't think his casual crush on you, his hot coworker at the local ice cream parlor, would flourish into anything. but one day, after a power outage during a shift, the two of you are forced to huddle up together to keep warm, opening up many, many, many doors into your relationship. ice cream was sweet and soft. and despite your appearance, so were you. ☆ genre: coworkers to lovers, fluff, a lot of bickering, alternative! reader, jake is kind of a loser, rock references, nonchalant crushes, summer romance, baddie reader, JAKE IS JUST REALLY DOWN BAD ☆ warning(s)? slightly suggestive? just tbh its js jake being really attracted to you LOL ☆ word count: 12.3k ☆ joining @bywons 1k event for "show me how" by men i trust. i had a little bit of a different approach to crushes this time. this is extremely late im so sorry enjoy!

"Can I get uhhhhh…"

Jake deadpanned for the 15th time in the past hour.

He was trying to be kind, to be understanding, to be loving in all ways possible… He really was.

But was it that difficult to order a mint chocolate cone with rainbow sprinkles?!

Jake watched as the snotty child before him picked his nose, his eyes glazing over the menu. It’s been ten minutes and this kid was taking too long to order. For fuck’s sake, he was holding up the line!

For his summer job, Jake started working at the ice cream parlor near the pier. He thought it was a good idea, since the pay was above minimum wage and he liked ice cream.

Wrong!

It was horrible!

From rude customers to his asshole of a boss to his incompetent coworkers, Jake dreaded coming into work everyday.

It was another summer afternoon, where Jake slaved away for his corporate overlords. Summer was only kicking off, so the June gloom stuck like glue. This morning, there were already storm warnings, so imagine Jake's surprise when a whole bunch of people went to the beach today and the ice cream parlor next to it.

"Please take your time," Jake said with a tight-lipped smile. Translation: I’ve given you enough time, kid. Hurry up and order or I’ll actually snap.

The kid blinked at Jake, before picking his nose. "Can I get uhhhh…"

Jake winced, but forced a smile with a nod. "Would you like any recommendations?"

Translation: You better tip me, you little punk.

By now, he could see the angry mothers and kids at the back of the line, quietly complaining about the hold-up. All Jake could do was smile apologetically, hanging his head in embarrassment.

And to Jake's horror, as the snotty little kid was still deciding on what he wanted to order, Jake could hear the back door creaking open, followed by a "Bye, Jake!" before it slammed.

Did Jake ever say that he hated his coworkers?

Today wasn't even Jake's shift, but he had to cover three shifts, because his other coworkers couldn't give a damn. They loved to leave early because they knew that Jake would work his ass off either way. So here he was, now forced to run an entire ice cream parlor with already angry customers all by himself!

"Actually, I don't want anything," the snotty kid blinked at Jake. "Bye, mister."

With that, the kid left, oblivious to Jake's gawking face.

You've got to be kidding me.

If it weren't for the fact that his name tag had his name printed in big, thick letters and that there was already a line of impatient customers, Jake might have yelled.

As he put on his customer-service voice for the next customer in line, Jake could hear the back door creak open again if he listened past the generic pop music playing in the background.

And the moment that he heard a familiar voice, Jake nearly ascended into the sky.

"Jake, I'm here!"

There was only one part of working at this dinky little ice cream parlor that Jake liked.

And it was you.

His savior, you.

You were the only coworker that actually did your work. In fact, you went above and beyond. The only shifts that seemed to be productive on all ends were when it was you and Jake.

If he could recall correctly, today wasn't your scheduled shift either. You were probably covering someone's shift like him, too.

And plus, you were cute.

Really cute.

Jake never really thought he had a "type" when it came to girls. In fact, Jake couldn't even remember the last time he had a crush. But the moment he saw your smudged eyeliner, constant annoyed look, the multiple tassel and charm bracelets on your wrists, and your black nail polish, he knew that you were his type.

You looked like you could probably scare a baby with a single look. Honestly, you could make Jake piss himself with a single look, too. And for some reason, he liked it. A lot. Which was weird.

Within seconds of just arriving, you were already throwing on your apron, fixing up your work uniform before appearing at the counter, ready to do your fucking job.

Jake tried his best to focus on the group of middle schoolers who giggled over every word as they ordered their ice cream, but even from behind him, he could hear you cleaning one of the scoopers and getting the keys for the second cash register. Even though all you were doing was your job, Jake couldn't help but straighten up his posture and run a hand through his hair as you took the register beside him. Just in case you spared him a glance, he had to look his best.

"Hi, what can I get you?" you said chirpily, putting on your best customer-service voice, something that Jake could tell was not your forte. Although he didn't know you seriously, he's had conversations in passing with you, whether it be on slow days, during breaks, or as the two of you closed up the parlor together. You never sounded as enthusiastic as you did now, as you happily helped an old lady pick her order.

You were cool like that.

Actually, really cool.

Jake couldn't think of anyone cooler than you.

And you were pretty, and hardworking, and honest, and responsible, and cooperative, and a little bit scary, but that was hot. You were also very kind to customers, and even though Jake could see your lips— which were nice, by the way— twitch, he could tell that you were trying your best, which was good, and—

"Um, sir, can I order now?"

Jake snapped out of his daze, tearing his eyes away from you.

"R-Right!"

Completely missing the way you rolled your eyes at him, though without a little chuckle.

It wasn't always easy being the only competent worker at the parlor. While it meant you got paid more for covering so many shifts, you couldn't say it was fun working the late shifts.

The parlor closed at 11PM on weekdays, so here you were, working late into the night. 

You yawned as you rang up the last customer of the night, using all of your last bits of strength to muster a smile, before saying, "Have a good night!"

As the door slammed shut, the building winds outside providing more than enough force to ring through the entire parlor, you let out a sigh.

"They're gone, Jake," you called.

From inside the break room, you could hear Jake groan something muffled but definitely, "Finally."

Jake Sim was the only coworker you could rely on. He was the only person your age, both of you were freshly graduated highschoolers working to prepare for college experiences. Despite his party-boy look, he was surprisingly diligent. You definitely noticed how he ended up picking up another person's shift, just like you. Unlike everyone else, he actually gave a damn, which you could appreciate.

Tonight was no different from any other.

It was just Jake and you, working the closing shift together.

The moment you entered the break room, you let out an exasperated sigh, leaning on the door frame. Jake, too, was slumped over on the table, his face buried in his arms.

Your shitty coworkers always tried to convince you that you should be happy to work extra shifts: extra pay, more work experience, have a good rep with the boss.

But what they didn't mention was how absolutely draining it was to work 7 hours straight in a short-staffed busy ice cream parlor.

"Why were there so many people?" Jake groaned, shoving his face deeper into his arms. If you weren't exhausted out of your mind, you would've thought the scene before you was a funny sight. Jake, in his silly white uniform designed to look like that of a sailor's and crooked worker hat, practically melting on the break room table.

"And why were there only two of us?" you added, letting your eyelids fall shut as you leaned against the door frame.

Though, you would say, you did like working for one extra reason: Jake Sim himself.

He was as cute as a button, and pretty easy to talk to.

Jake lifted his head, quickly checking his phone.

"No seriously," he rested his face on his fist. "It was cold and dreary all day— and wasn't there a storm warning?— Why would anyone want to get ice cream on a day like this?"

You shrugged. "Beats me."

The two of you stayed in the break room in silence for a few more moments, catching your breaths after a long day. "Let's get outta here, Jake."

Here was your favorite part of the work day: closing up. Not just because it meant that you got to leave, but you could do whatever you wanted.

Jake locked up the front door and flipped the sign, while you locked up front displays and cash registers. The two of you tidied up the breakroom (which was empty because your slobs of coworkers weren't here), before pulling out the mops and cleaning up the floor.

This was the fun part.

"Hey!" Jake cried as you splashed water onto the floor, your wet mop sludging up the water as it moved against the checkered floor. Looks like some of the water got onto his pants. "What was that for?"

You shrugged, with a sly grin. "No reason in particular— Hey!"

Jake shook off the excess water on his mop, pointed directly at you, the water droplets spraying all over your shirt.

"See?" he pointed to the wet drops on your shirt. "We're even now."

You rolled your eyes, but you knew he was being playful.

It was fun now because this was the time that you could play whatever music you wanted. Your manager always insisted that you'd play generic pop music during store hours, but now that it was closed, you could play any music you wanted. And it was great, because you and Jake had the same music taste.

"Really?" you whipped your head over to Jake as he passed your phone, which controlled the sound system, back to you. "Bon Jovi?"

You winced as loud vocals, strong guitar riffs, and a drum louder than you could imagine blasted through the speakers.

"Bon Jovi is good!" Jake shouted all the way from the freezers.

Maybe your taste was just a little bit different.

Jake was a cool guy. He really was. Very personable and someone that you could have fun with, even if you weren't that close to him. But sometimes his music choices were too much.

"You have no reason to be blasting hard rock at 11PM," you murmured.

"I heard that!"

You stifled a chuckle.

As you cleaned the floors, you nodded your head to the music. You could hear humming along wherever he was. It was all quiet, only the sound of mops, the freezers' buzzing, and your queued music playing in the background. It was small moments like his that made you want to keep working (other than the pay).

And plus, the parlor was very close to the beach.

At times like this, you could hear seagulls squawking overhead, with waves crashing against the shoreline.

Which... now that you thought about it...

Why couldn't you hear any of that?

Usually, even if Jake was blasting the hardest rock, you could still hear the sounds of the sea.

But now, all you heard was wind.

You glanced out the window.

Palm trees blew against the night sky. Wind whirled, creating a howling sound.

And before you could think anything of it, you heard two things: the back door slamming, and the sound of electricity buzzing.

One moment you could see everything, and the next moment it was completely dark.

Your blood ran cold.

The music stopped. The buzzing of the freezers stopped, too. It was completely dark, so dark that you couldn't even see your own hands, save for the single stream of moonlight leaking through the front windows.

You would consider yourself a calm person, you really would.

But in that moment, you felt panic set in.

Because here you were, working a late shift in a tiny little ice cream parlor in the middle of the beach, with no one but your teenage coworker. And now all the power went out.

And because you were afraid of the dark.

The mop in your hand dropped, clunking! against the checkered flooring.

Your heart pounded, so loud that you could hear it in your ears. You could feel it jumping out of your chest.

"J-Jake?" you called out.

No response.

Your mind did wonders to scare you, and now it was working over time.

What happened to Jake? Did he disappear with the lights too? You dug your teeth into your bottom lip.

Were you all alone in the dark? Just you and this dark abyss, a dark abyss so suffocating yet so cold that you couldn't even tell if you were standing or curled up. By this time, your legs were feeling weak, so you wouldn't be surprised if you were on the floor, your knees to your chest.

You squeezed your eyes shut.

The howling of the wind sent chills down your spine. Realistically, nothing could get you. You were just at work, like always, but it was just dark. But you felt like something would jump out at you, something scary and from your worst nightmares. It would get you, maybe hurt you. Were you going to die? Why did you feel so alone? What happened to everyone? What happened to Jake—

"[Name]?"

At the sound of a familiar voice, your eyes shot open.

But instead of being met with a pure, unknown darkness, you were met with a tall figure before you, completely shrouded in darkness, save for the stream of yellow light coming to illuminate its face.

Terrifying.

You let out a shriek as you jumped back.

What the hell was that? Was that what got Jake?—

It took a step forward, and before you could scream again—

"[Name]!" it was Jake's voice. He reached out for you, his hand resting on your shoulder. "It's me, Jake!"

You heard a bit of clicking, and it was then that you realized that the scary figure that you saw was just Jake with a flashlight. You relaxed.

"You okay?" Jake crouched down to your curled up figure, the yellow light of the flashlight glimmering against the floor. Although your eyes had slightly adjusted to the darkness, you could see your hands now. "I think the power went out."

You nodded slowly, still with your knees against your chest. Your heart was still pounding in your chest. You felt Jake's hand reach out for yours, interlocking fingers before giving it a squeeze.

Boom!

You jumped away from Jake, a small "eep!" escaping your lips.

Jake flinched, pointing the flashlight at the front windows.

"Thunder," he muttered under his breath. Although all the streetlights and signs had shut down too, he could see the lightning as it struck in the night sky.

He glanced at your startled form.

"Damnit," he cursed under his breath. "There was a storm warning earlier."

You hid your face in your palms.

This was everything that you didn't want to happen.

It was completely dark, and here you were practically trapped inside. It was impossible to get home, because the roads were all dark, and there was probably an oncoming storm, too. It was cold, and it was just you and your coworker. You just wanted to go home!

Although he couldn't see your face, Jake could sense your uneasiness. 

"C'mon," he tugged at your hand. "Let's go to the back."

Although Jake bumped into a few tables and counters on the way to the break room, he didn't mind. After all, there was you, who was clearly startled. He'd rather get a bruise on his hip than you.

He could hear your breath hitching, small whimpers of fear tumbling out as he led you through the dark abyss. Jake had to admit, it was much scarier when it was completely dark than when it wasn't.

The breakroom wasn't much better than in the middle of the floor, but at least there were chairs. Not that it mattered.

You and Jake decided to sit under the break table, shoulder to shoulder with the flashlight between you.

It was silent. You couldn't see Jake, but the feeling of him next to you relieved only some of your anxiety.

The flashlight only illuminated enough for you to see a few feet around you. Otherwise, everything else was a dark, bottomless void.

You knew it was illogical and practically impossible for something else to be lurking. But as minutes passed in silence, the thought of something—or someone— prowling in the dark and ready to jump out at you gnawed at you more and more. Goosebumps rose along your arms, the hair on your neck standing.

"I'm scared, Jake," you whispered, your voice shaky. "I'm so scared."

Thunder boomed in the air, lightning crackled, while heavy rain began to shower down. You jumped at the sound, your hands immediately shooting to grab Jake's arm and leaning into his touch. You squeezed your eyes shut, a scared squeak escaping your lips.

"I'm scared!" you squealed.

Jake's brows furrowed, throwing his arm around your shoulder and pulling you closer to him.

"Hey," he said into your ear, watching as you curled up against him, clutching his arm tight. "Hey, I got you."

Your hold on him only tightened as another round of thunder boomed through the night. "Open your eyes, [Name]. It's okay."

You shook your head profusely, your face pressed into his shoulder.

"Nothing's gonna get ya," he whispered, slowly rubbing circles on your back. "You're okay."

You shook your head again.

"It's so dark," you peeped. "Too dark."

"It's okay," Jake's voice was soft, soft as a cloud as he comforted you. "I'm here. I got you."

You nodded into his shoulder, but you kept your face pressed against it, not letting up.

Jake watched you, both with a soft heart and with wide eyes.

He wouldn't say he knew you too well. Even so, he'd spent a lot of time with you this summer so far, he had a few good memories with you. You were always so... cool.

Always on-task, always ready to fight a rude customer, always ready to speak up if you thought something was wrong.

It was weird. Seeing someone that Jake had always seen as a pillar of support one way or another completely drop that image of strength was… something that he never expected.

Here you were, so vulnerable in his arms.

Jake would have never expected you to be afraid of the dark, let alone some thunder, but he didn't mind. Even with your eyes closed, and even with his arms wrapped around you, you still jolted at each crackle in the sky.

If only he could do something to help you...

Jake let out an 'ah' sound.

He leaned into your ear, whispering right against the shell of your ear, "I'll be right back."

You let out another squeak as you felt Jake slipping away from you, yet he didn't take the flashlight with him.

"J-Jake—!"

"I'm still here," he said, yet you heard as he took a few steps. He was rummaging through his bag. He tried his best to feel for what he was looking for: a small, square case. "I'm with you, don't worry."

And as quick as he left your side he was back. Jake slithered his arm around your shoulders, pulling you into him. Your eyes widened a fraction as Jake fished for his phone from his back pocket.

"What were you—" you furrowed your brows— "Why’d you get up?"

You could feel Jake turn his head to look at you, and you could hear him grin.

"To get this." In his palm, Jake revealed a small, square case. His earbuds.

You blinked. "W-Why?"

"Don't worry about it." You watched confused as Jake took his earbuds out, jabbing it into the headphone port of his phone. Then, he handed you both of the ears.

"For you," he said simply.

As you were about to object, lightning striked again in the sky, yet another squeal coming from you.

You took his earbuds, jamming them into your ear.

Jake pressed the first song in his playlist.

And if you weren't scared out of your mind right now, you would have yelled at him.

Because really?

Bon Jovi?

At a time like this?

The music was loud enough that you could be distracted, but quiet enough that you could still hear Jake's voice. And when Jake noticed that you were relaxed enough, he opened his mouth.

"I'm surprised you didn't want to rip out my earbuds the moment you heard Bon Jovi," he said.

You elbowed him, yet you were still clinging onto him for dear life.

"Read the room, man," you muttered. "I'm scared shitless."

Jake laughed, and you rolled your eyes again. "This is the only time that I'll willingly listen to Bon Jovi."

"Hey!" Jake cried. "Bon Jovi is a good band."

You shot him a look. "Play some Pink Floyd, something."

You cursed Jake. Of course he'd let you listen to his music, because he got to control it!

"Nah," Jake said. "Bon Jovi is perfect for rainy nights."

You scoffed. "In what world?"

You could hear him grin again. "In my world."

What a loser.

You could see his phone screen light up, probably texts from his parents, but he ignored it. Jake’s phone was on the floor on the other side of him, the side that you were not on.

“Are you sure you won’t play Pink Floyd?” you asked slowly.

“Nope.”

Extreme times call for extreme measures.

Your arm reached across Jake’s lap, jerking to take his phone.

“Hey!” Jake yelped, squirming away from you in a way that blocked your hand from reaching his phone. “What the hell are you—“

“I’m changing the song!”

The two of you struggled like that for a few more moments, and then the next thing you knew you were on Jake’s lap, your arms pinned above your head.

“Let go of me!” you writhed, the earbuds in your eyes still blasting the hardest rock you’ve ever heard. Although you managed to take Jake’s phone, there wasn’t much you could do if he was pinning your hands above you.

“Then give me my phone back,” Jake ignored your struggling.

“Then change the song!”

“No!”

You huffed, continuing your attempt to wriggle out of Jake’s hold, but alas, he was stronger than you. “How are you so strong—“

Boom! Crackle! Thunder and lightning struck.

“Eep!” Immediately, you collapsed onto Jake’s chest, pressing your face into his shirt. You clung onto him, squeezing your eyes shut. When you could feel his chest rumble with a few chuckles, you punched his shoulder lightly. “Shut up.”

Jake chuckled again, but he only pulled you in closer by the waist, allowing you to cling to him more comfortably.

As the storm raged on, any hope that the power would be back up was lost. Jake's phone still had service, but you could tell he was being polite and not going on his phone to not make you feel alienated. Your phone was somewhere in the front, probably on a counter or something.

"We really shouldn't have agreed to cover shifts today," you murmured, your cheek pressed against Jake's chest.

Jake hummed.

He wanted to get past the way that anytime you spoke to Jake, it was either about music or work. He didn't mind talking about these things with you, but he wished he could say more. He wanted to know what you were thinking, and hear about what you liked and disliked, what silly stories or memories you had to tell him.

He wanted to get to know you.

“What’s your favorite color?”

???

"What?"

Jake blinked. "What's your favorite color?"

You stared at him. "Why?"

He shrugged under you. "I dunno. I just wanted to get to know you better."

"Oh." What a simple reason. It made sense for such a simple question. "I like black."

Jake scoffed. "That's not a color."

"Huh? Then what is it?"

"A shade."

"Says who?"

"Says science!"

And then it was quiet again (at least on Jake's part, you were still listening to his music)

But not quite awkward.

Despite the compromising position that you were in, there wasn't any feeling of embarrassment or discomfort.

That's how Jake would describe how he felt toward you. It was an easy thing. You were cool and pretty, and he liked you. Nothing more, nothing less. No games to play, no extra calculations or hours of planning. He liked you, and he was just going to do what felt right. It was as straightforward as that.

"What are you doing after this summer?" you asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

That's right. You and Jake had never discussed much about your personal lives, like where you went to high school, what your plans were post-high school, etc.

And now that the two of you were alone, in the dark, with virtually nothing to do, it was the perfect time to talk about it.

"I'm going up to Santa Barbara," Jake said coolly. "I'm studying biomed engineering."

"Oooh," you mused. "How exciting."

Jake let out a chuckle. "You don't sound excited."

"I am," you deadpanned, and Jake couldn't hold back a laugh.

"What about you?" Jake asked. "What are you doing?"

Even though it was dark, Jake could hear you frown.

"I'm going to Davis for International Business." You paused. "I don't know."

"Whaddaya mean?"

You shrugged. "I dunno if it's really my passion. I just chose it because—"

You're interrupted by a loud bang! followed by buzzing. You jolted, tensing up in Jake's hold, whose hand shot to the small of your back protectively.

"Eek!" you cried, and the next thing you knew, all the lights were back on.

You and Jake stayed where you were for a few moments, long enough for the freezers in the back to start buzzing again. As if someone just snapped their fingers, everything turned back on. The bright lights hitting your darkness-adjusted eyes made your eyes water.

"Oh," Jake said plainly. "The lights are back on."

"No shit, Sherlock," you muttered, earning a pinch to your side. It was now that you and Jake really realized your current positions: you were on top of him, with your head resting on his shoulders, with his arms wrapped around your waist. And it seemed like the two of you realized this at the same time.

"We should—" Jake averted his gaze from you, finding the floor next to him very interesting.

"Yeah, you're right, we should—" you slowly pulled away from him, grimacing at the feeling of Jake's arms slipping away from you.

"Yup, and—" Jake trailed off, not fully completing his thought.

Awkward.

The two of you were back on your feet in no time, both with slightly-disheveled work uniforms, but hey, it was to be expected.

Together, the two of you inspected the parlor. Just in case something slipped in while it was dark (even though that was virtually impossible).

Everything was exactly as you left it.

The mop that you dropped on the floor, your phone on the counter, the keys to the freezer that Jake threw by accident, even the messy chairs.

"Are you scared right now?" Jake asked with a chuckle as you stayed close behind him, your fingers clutching his broad shoulders. From time to time you'd peek around him, but for the most part, you stared straight at his back, unwilling to look ahead. Just in case a monster jumped out!

"I'm not." Lie.

Jake laughed, but before he could poke fun at you more—

Boom!

Oh right, the storm.

Like a cat, you jumped almost immediately, gripping Jake's shoulders for dear life.

Jake peeked out the windows. The streetlamps and signs were illuminated again.

"Looks like all the lights are back up," he said. He glanced over his shoulder to you, who clung to him. "I think we can go home now. The storm's dying down already."

You nodded, and the two of you finished closing up in silence, before preparing to leave.

"Do you have a ride?" Jake asked you as the two of you packed up your things.

Shit.

"My mom was going to pick me up because she didn't want me driving late at night," you groaned. "I'll call her right no—"

"No," Jake shook his head, reaching inside his pocket. You watched as he really shoved his hands in there, like he was searching for something. At last, after digging through his pockets for what felt like hours, he pulled out a bunch of keys, with a tiny lego keychain dangling off of it. "I'll drive you home."

After that day, you weren't called into work again for a few days. In those few days, for some weird reason, you couldn't get Jake off your mind. Which you thought was weird.

You never really thought about Jake aside from work. And it wasn't even the fact that you were thinking about him! It was the fact that you felt weird for feeling weird about thinking about him. If that even made sense.

He's always been cute. Gentlemanly, too.

When he drove you home the other day, he insisted that you didn't need to pay him back for driving you home. In fact, he said that he'd rather use more gas than have you wait alone at the parlor to be picked up. He opened and closed the door for you, showed you how to control the heaters so that you could be warm, and even let you play your music!

He was reliable too, someone that you knew you could count on. And he was very kind, because no matter how many rude customers there were, he understood that everyone was human and served them with a smile. Unlike you, who always exercised that "we reserve to deny you service" right.

These were all things that you knew. It was no surprise. You knew these things.

But after that day, you couldn't help but feel like it was... amplified.

Jake was cute, but now he was cuter. Way cuter.

He felt even more gentlemanly and reliable and kind now. Him going out of his way to comfort you, even if it meant that you had to listen to his god-awful music, warmed your heart.

And that was the weird part.

It was just so odd. You couldn't stop thinking about him. And you felt all weird and mushy for thinking about him, which made you feel even weirder!

You didn't really get it.

Surely, it wasn't a crush.

It wasn't like you were all over the place, distracted and spacy and blushing now that Jake was on your mind. You weren't rolling around and kicking your feet, nor were you giggling.

But you would be lying if you said that the simple thought of his name didn't make you excited.

Meanwhile, Jake knew exactly what was happening to him.

And it was that his crush on you definitely deepened tenfold.

In the moment, when he was with you, whether it be the other day or any other day at all, he was always nonchalant. It was a casual crush, he'd say. Everything was straightforward with no games to play.

But that was a lie.

Because here he was, lying on his bed and staring at his ceiling. He hugged his pillow, embarrassingly pretending that it was you. He felt like a weirdo, but he couldn't get the feeling of you clinging to him and in his arms out of his head!

Just the mere thought of that night made him have to roll around and giggle for a few moments.

Jake sucked in the scent of his pillows. Unfortunately, they didn't smell like you, just like laundry with a faint scent of his own cologne.

You were so pretty, and cool, and kind, and smart, and practical, and just everything good in the world. And then when you got scared and clung to him, it made his heart flutter, because who knew you could be so cute?

Jake let out a squeal into his pillow, his cheeks hurting from how much he was smiling.

For the first time ever, Jake actually wanted to go to work. Just to see you.

He couldn't wait for it.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," you said for the millionth time today. "We don't have that here—"

Another day at work. Just when the idea of going to work didn't sound too bad, you're reminded why you hate it.

Apparently some kids on TikTok spread a rumor that your parlor had a special, limited-edition, summer unicorn flavor. And even worse, your damn social media manager was hinting at it on Instagram, too.

So here you were now, trying to explain to a hoard of angry customers that this limited-edition unicorn flavor was absolutely false. To think that your own social media manager would betray you and your coworkers like this just to attract more customers... You shouldn't be unsurprised but you were.

Diabolical.

It must've been the 90th time in the past hour that you had to explain that you had no fucking clue what a unicorn flavor would be, and if you weren't a tired and overworked teenager, you would've felt bad when a little girl bursted into tears in the middle of the store.

Cry about it, you thought, and you couldn't tell if that sentiment was towards your angry customers, or if it was towards upper management that were about to get multiple complaints about you.

Breathe, you had to tell yourself. It's not worth it. Where was everyone else anyway? You couldn't believe that you were left completely alone to operate the establishment on your own. And most of your coworkers were older than you anyway. Those bums!

You sucked in another breath, putting on your best smile.

"You're telling me that you don't actually have the limited-edition unicorn flavor?!" an angry father crossed his arms, upset with his children cowering beside him.

"No, sir," you said as politely as you could. "That was just a rumor. My apologies for the inconven—"

"Unacceptable!"

You winced, feeling your ears warm up. If everyone in the parlor wasn't already watching you like a hawk, all eyes were now on you.

"I had to drive two hours here," the father slammed his hand on the counter, leaning in so close that you could smell him. "I drove two hours here for unicorn ice cream and you're telling me that it was all a lie?!"

All of this.... for ice cream?"

"I apologize, sir," you hung your head low to appear genuine, clasping your hands together. "That must have been a long ride and—"

"Shut up and give me my ice cream, you bi—" Your eyes widened a fraction as you saw a big palm swinging your way... Was he about to slap you? In the milliseconds that you could even react, you squeezed your eyes shut, preparing for the stinging feeling of a hand against your cheek.

But instead, you felt nothing, only the sound of a few gasps and light chuckling.

"Hey, there, sir," you heard Jake's voice as you peeled your eyes open.

Jake was beside you, his hand wrapped around the man's wrist that was mere inches away from your face.

"J-Jake?!"

The man struggled in Jake's grip, attempting (and failing horribly) to pull his wrist out of Jake's hand.

"Let go of me, boy!" he yelled. Everyone's eyes were on the scene now. How embarrassing.

Jake narrowed his eyes, tightening his grip.

"Here at Layla's Ice Cream Parlor, we reserve the right to deny any patron service," he said plainly.

The man scoffed. "And are you about to deny me service? What are you, the manager?"

Jake only shook his head calmly.

"You were about to assault my coworker here," he motioned toward you, then to the man's still-raised hand. "I don't need to be any manager to realize that someone of that sort has no business here."

Jake shot him a smile, before roughly letting go of his wrist, letting it fall to the counter.

"Please leave, sir."

He glanced around the room, noticing the way everyone stared at him. Another tight-lipped smile spread on his face.

"There are no limited-edition summer flavors, so if that is what you are here for, I apologize for the disappointment. " Jake glanced at you. "Please help yourself to the flavors that we actually have."

With that, Jake took you by the wrist, pulling you into the breakroom.

"W-Wait Jake—!" you tried to pull out of his grasp. "There's still customers out there."

He gently pushed you down onto a chair.

Jake crouched down at your sitting figure, putting his hands on your knees. He squeezed them playfully. "You've done enough today. I'll handle the rest."

"But— But there's a lot of people today," you reasoned, placing your hands on his. "You can't run the entire place on your own...!"

But before the last syllables could even leave your lips, Jake was already retying his apron, fixing his dumb uniform hat. Before he slinked away through the door, he glanced over his shoulder, gripping the door frame.

"I'll prove you wrong," he said with a grin. "Just watch."

(You were right, he was wrong. Not even the most exemplary worker like Jake could handle an entire exuberant ice cream parlor by himself. The moment you saw his tired eyes you were already throwing on your apron. Though, you got a good laugh out of it afterwards.)

You deadpanned.

This was not what you signed up for.

It was Saturday, the day that you swore was your break day from work. And then all of a sudden you got an urgent call from your manager and you rushed to work immediately.

You thought that the parlor got robbed, or maybe something broke down.

Nope.

"You want me..." you blinked, "To wear that?!"

Lo and behold, before you was a comically large ice cream costume, with a brown waffled body for the cone and the most obnoxious white swirl reaching high in the ceiling, with only a circular cut-out to see your face.

Apparently, sales were dwindling, so your managers decided to try out some new advertising.

You were going to wear that godforsaken ice cream costume and hang outside the parlor to attract customers.

"Kid-friendly language only," your manager instructed you matter-of-factly. "No swearing, no saying mean words."

You tuned him out.

And if the walk of shame out of the bathroom in your ice cream costume wasn't bad enough, you were hit with the last thing you wanted to see: Jake Sim.

You were about to jump and shriek and let the ground open up and devour you whole... when you realized that he was wearing an ice cream costume too...!

"You too?!" you cried. Behold, in front of you stood your favorite coworker Jake Sim with an equally deadpan expression, clad in the ridiculous ice cream costume.

"Yup," Jake muttered, popping the p. "I guess we'll never be free."

And he was indeed correct.

There was truly nothing more mortifying than standing outside the damn ice cream parlor, holding an even more obnoxiously bright sign and trying to attract customers... all in your humiliating ice cream costume.

Kids laughed at you from across the street. Cars that passed by you probably did the same. Absolutely demoralizing.

"Come to Layla's Ice Cream Parlor," you said in a monotone voice, trying your very best to not burst into tears of sheer embarrassment. "We have ice cream... and... uh—"

You glanced at Jake, whispering to him, "What else do we have?"

"Ice cream." He said, absolutely no expression in his voice or face. Oh god, we must have lost him too! "Nothing but ice cream."

Poor guy, he looked like he wanted to disappear.

This must have been a punishment, or something. Maybe a humiliation ritual. But after a good ten minutes, you and Jake just decided to commit to the bit. After all, you were getting paid extra for this.

"Ice cream, ice cream!" you and Jake chanted as you paraded around the vicinity of the parlor. After all, there was nothing you could do but make the best of it. You went out of your way to speak to oncoming customers, advertising with the most energy you could. "Come to Layla's Ice Cream!"

But it wasn't always easy.

Like always, customers and children were rude.

"Hello, miss, are you interested in trying some of Layla's yummy yummy ice cre—" and then you got laughed at. Like actually. They just started pointing and laughing at you. Like you were some freak.

And then Jake tried to square up some little kids a few times, it was a mess.

And finally, after what felt like years out there trying to advertise to people, your manager finally called you guys back in. Apparently, you and Jake did such a wonderful job that you guys were needed back at the front. Your coworkers couldn't seem to keep up. Lazy asses.

You and Jake went back inside to change back into your work uniforms— those stupid blue and white sailor uniforms. Except, one of your coworkers was having an "emergency" in the staff bathroom (you were certain it was just Beomgyu sitting on the toilet with his phone and refusing to do his job), so both you and Jake had to change in the staff break room.

At the same time.

"Okay, you will change, and I will cover you—"

"Shut up!" you exclaimed. "Why can't we just change at the same time?"

Jake was being terribly awkward about it.

"B-Because!" he reasoned, unable to hide the way he couldn't look you in the eye. "Because.... you're a girl, and I'm a guy!"

"Aaaaand?" you drew out your syllables, crossing your arms over your chest.

"We can't possibly change in the same room?" Jake cried. "What if— What if I accidentally see your—"

Your cheeks warmed up. What was he on about? "You're not going to!"

Your boss was really annoying about punctuality, so you and Jake should probably change quickly anyway. You ignored Jake's fussing, raising your arms as you began to pull your shirt over your head.

"What are you—"

"Just change!"

In the end, you guys just did the easiest option: turning around so that you faced opposite directions while the other changed... which should have been intuitive for Jake (but he's a little slow).

When you two were both done changing, you turned back around to face Jake, about to let out your grievances about working.

Except, when you saw him, you couldn't help but let out a giggle.

Because your work uniform was supposed to resemble that of a sailor, there were a few complex pieces, such as the sailor scarf draped over your shoulders and neck. Usually, you need a mirror to tie it properly. There was also the damn paper sailor hat that you had to wear.

Since you weren't changing in the bathroom, there was no mirror, so poor Jake's hat and tie were sloppily done, crooked on his person.

"Jake," you smiled, motioning for him to come toward you. And when he was close enough, you yanked him even closer to you by his shoulders, causing him to let out a yelp.

"W-What are you doing?" he asked, unable to hide the panic in his voice.

You giggled again. Your hands began to work on his tie, undoing his sloppy tie and neatly folding it. "Relax, you big baby."

When you were done with his tie, you fixed Jake's hat, oblivious to the way Jake's ears and neck turned a noticeable shade of red.

"There you go," you said with a grin. "All good!"

Jake looked at you with shaky eyes. You were close to him now. Close enough that he could feel your breath fanning his cheeks. Close enough that if he just leaned in a bit more, he could kiss you— Jake jerked himself away from you abruptly. His heart was pounding in his chest at an abnormal rate.

Don't think about kissing her when she's right in front of you! he scolded himself. You gave him a questioning look, before you just grinned again and left the break room.

Ah, Jake was going crazy.

Man, fuck you Beomgyu! you mentally cursed your other coworker. You were absolutely correct; earlier he was indeed hogging the staff bathroom so that he could shirk his responsibilities. According to Jake, Beomgyu did this really often, to the point that the staff bathroom ran out of soap too fast because Beomgyu was busy playing with soap and making dumb ass bubbles in there.

Of all times, it had to be now that the staff bathroom just decided to run out of soap?

It was getting late, so your manager told you to start cleaning. And just as you began, some little unsupervised middle schooler skateboarded right into you, spilling his three scoops of chocolate ice cream with layers of caramel and peanut butter sauce all over your white uniform.

And all you were given were a few measly napkins to wipe but the sticky sweet mess, only after you cleaned up the mess on the floor. Now as you desperately tried to clean the mess off your uniform in the staff bathroom, you were certain that your manager was going to yell at you later.

As you reached for another hand towel from the dispenser, you let out a groan as you realized that there were no more. Seriously, what was Beomgyu doing in here that he just used up all the soap and paper towels?

"[Name]," you heard a knock on the door. It was Jake. "You good in there?"

You groaned again.

"No!" you cried from the other side of the door. You were frustrated, how bothersome! Even if there were more paper towels, there still was a giant brown stain on your shirt. And you'd probably have to get another uniform. "It looks like a shit stain!"

You heard Jake chuckle from the other side of the door, before his footsteps retreated. After a few minutes, Jake came back.

"Can I come in?" he asked, knocking again on the bathroom door.

"Door's unlocked."

Except, instead of seeing Jake in his usual work uniform, he had a big black hoodie thrown over him, probably one that he was wearing before he changed into his uniform earlier. In his hands was a white shirt.

"Wear this," he said as he shoved the white shirt into your hands.

It was his own uniform shirt.

"But—" you tried to reason with him, but he put his hand up, silencing you.

"Can't have you walking around with a shit stain on your shirt," he said with a cheeky grin, earning him a slap on the arm.

"But you'll get in trouble," you breathed. Your manager was really particular about workers wearing uniforms, and for some reason not about workers actually doing their job.

Jake shrugged. "It's about time I did." And flashed you another smile. "And plus, I was going to get in trouble anyway. Apparently, defending my coworker from a rude customer is punishable."

Ah, the unicorn ice cream incident from a few weeks ago.

Was he really that willing to get in trouble for you?

As you closed the door to the bathroom, you could already hear your manager and another coworker making their comments about Jake. Although you couldn't exactly hear what they were saying, it must have been the usual remarks about inefficiency. And probably about how he wasn't wearing work-appropriate clothes.

You sunk your teeth into your bottom lip as you listened to their muffled voices.

Jake was really getting in trouble all for your sake.

As you buttoned up his white shirt, you noted that it carried the scent of his cologne. It smelled good, and you instinctively brought the sleeve up to your nose to catch a better whiff. But then you felt weird and stopped immediately.

It wasn't fair. Everything about your job.

You and Jake had to do all the work, but even so, the managers were disproportionately harsher with Jake than they were with you. Probably because of some sexist bullshit.

And then there were rude and entitled customers.

Jake was taking the fall for you too much.

And you couldn't keep letting it happen.

As you made your way out of the staff bathroom, you could hear your manager berating Jake, with another coworker joining in.

"And why are you not in our employee dress code?" your manager chided. "This is unacceptable! A hoodie? What do you think will happen to our store's brand?"

Jake just hung his head low, but you could tell he was annoyed more than anything. "It was because [Name]'s shirt got ruined, and she was uncomfortable."

"And what business do you have with [Name]?" your coworker joined in lambasting the poor Jake.

"Look, man," Jake looked up at them. "I was just helpin' her out." Jake paused for a moment. "And plus it's closing hours anyway. It's not like anyone sees me out of uniform."

Your manager and coworker thought for a few moments, before your coworker said, "Well, you're still causing a hindrance for our parlor. I think we will cut you weekly pay—"

His weekly pay? Ridiculous. Your body moved on its own, and before you knew it, you had bursted through the door.

"I-It was my fault!" you blurted, your lips moving faster than you could think. "Jake was just helping me."

You ignored the way Jake looked at you with eyes big as saucers, surprised. You swiped your tongue over your lip. "I-It's really my fault. If there's anyone that should get their weekly pay cut, it should be me."

Jake's face visibly contorted, his brows crashing together. "[Name]—"

"That's enough," your manager finally spoke up. The older man sighed, before checking his wrist watch. "Jake, [Name], just forget about it. Don't make this mistake again. Just close up for the night."

And with that, you and Jake were left alone once more.

"What was that all about?" Jake asked you as the two of you closed up.

"What was what?"

Jake huffed, leaning on the mop. "You know, what happened earlier about uniforms?"

"Oh." You shrugged, not really paying him any mind. "What about it?"

Jake huffed again. "Y'know... Why did you step in?"

You finally looked at him, before blinking a few times. "Isn’t it obvious?"

Jake smiled. "No, that’s why I’m asking you."

You scoffed playfully. "Okay, smartass."

You paused for a few moments. "You’re my friend, Jake. You’ve protected me in the past, so I'm just returning the favor."

"Thank you," Jake replied, unable to hide the smile growing on his face. "That's very kind of you.

You just hummed in response, going back to cleaning up.

Jake teetered on his feet, back and forth, as he played with his fingers. His heart pounding in his chest, Jake chewed on his bottom lip.

He was nervous.

Just this morning, you texted him if he wanted to hang out with you, because as you said, you were bored.

Hanging out? With you? The hottest girl that he's ever seen? There was no way in hell that he'd say no to such a golden opportunity.

You'd told Jake to meet you at the pier, because there was a nice mall area around there. As you relayed in your texts, you were going on vacation in a few weeks, and needed to go shopping for it.

You'd be lying if you said you didn't have any ulterior motives. You weren't really sure how you felt about Jake. He was cute, and sweet, and you definitely wanted to get to know him better. And there was a part of you that desperately wanted to impress him.

Maybe today could be an opportunity for you.

You checked your reflection in the car window before you got out of your mom's car. Muttering a "bye," you made your way toward where you told Jake to meet you.

It was a sunny day. You chose to wear something breathable, a pretty pink sundress with a cardigan. You didn't dress like this on most days. You liked to opt for dark colors, but today you wanted to be... cute.

Pretty for Jake.

You spotted Jake pretty easily. Not because he had anything that made him physically easy to identify, not at all. It was more like... you simply could just spot him. It was like you had a newfound Jake-radar.

"Hi," you said with a smile. And for some reason, it seemed like Jake was startled, with his eyes widening as he caught sight of you. "Are you okay?"

Jake stared at you for a few moments, and you swore you saw the way his eyes looked you up and down. His lips parted, and he sucked in a sharp breath as he swiped his tongue over his lips.

You felt a twinge of embarrassment. You didn't wear light colors normally, was it obvious that this dress was not something that you usually wear? Did you look strange? Maybe you should've worn your typical black clothing, and—

"N-No," Jake stammered, his eyes still looking you up and down. Truth be told, he had to bite back a "damn." Because yes, damn, you looked hot. "You look— You look nice today."

Your cheeks prickled with warmth. "Oh. Thank you."

"You don't..." Jake continued, as if he was on autopilot. You were beginning to feel really shy when you realized that he was really staring at your chest area. "You don't wear pink often, do you?"

You averted your gaze. "You're right, I don't." How embarrassing! So he notices the things you wear... and he probably 100% knows that you don't wear pink at all. "Does it look weird, or—"

"No!" Jake blurted, before catching himself. He cleared his throat, his ears a warm shade of pink. "Not at all. I really, uh, meant it when I said— When I said you looked nice."

You nodded slowly. Was it normal to feel so warm? Maybe you should check the weather again?

"Really nice," Jake echoed himself. If you weren't busy feeling shy yourself, you would have noticed Jake checking you out for the 50th time already.

You murmured a brief "thanks," before you quickly changed the subject.

"Shall we go?"

It was unusual to feel awkward or shy around Jake, and vice versa. You knew for sure that Jake was a special person, but it never affected you. For Jake, he was determined to be calm and nonchalant when it came to you. And plus, your friendship was always casual anyway.

Which was why all of your shyness dissipated pretty quickly.

You took Jake along to all the spots at the pier's mall area.

"What are you looking for?" Jake asked as he trailed after you. Jake will never understand women. You've been to 4 stores already, and all you've done is touch things and say, 'Oh this is cute.' And then you'd leave.

You shrugged. "Cute things for vacation."

Jake looked around, through the store mirrors as you two traversed the mall area. "Any preferences?"

You shrugged again. "I like dark colors, but I don't mind brighter colors for vacation, yaknow?"

Jake hummed.

The two of you walked around for a little longer until you stopped in front of a store.

"What's this?" Jake asked.

You grinned. "A swimsuit store."

Listen, Jake wouldn't consider himself an easily-excitable guy. He wasn't pervy, either. Especially toward you! He was nonchalant!

But as he entered the girly swimsuit store, he couldn't help but redden at the thought of you in some of these swimsuits. Some of them were provocative and cheeky, making Jake's stomach do flips as his mind crept into places that made it hard for him to make eye contact with you. Other ones were cute and frilly, arguably making Jake's heart pound even faster as he imagined you in them.

"Hey, what do you think about this one?" you asked Jake as you took one of the suits off the rack.

On the inside, Jake was already drooling at the thought. But on the outside he simply nodded, giving a playful smile and a thumbs up. And really, he thought that if he could maintain that attitude for the rest of the time in this swimsuit store, he'd be fine.

But he was wrong.

"Okay, I'm gonna try these on, and I'll have you give me feedback."

What.

What?

And so Jake sat in the couches in front of the changing rooms, simply awaiting his death.

He's not weird, he swears. He doesn't want to be creepy or gross toward you.

But how could he not sweat and basically hyperventilate in these changing rooms when the hottest girl that he's ever seen (you) is about to ask him for his opinion on swimsuits?

Jake was certain that no matter what, you would look hot.

And he was proven correct when you slipped out of the changing rooms.

"Okay, first one," you said, in a voice that was a little too relaxed. You went on your tiptoes, doing a few turns here and there so that Jake could see the full extent of the suit on you. "What do you think?"

And oh.

Good lord.

Jake was really trying his best not to make you uncomfortable.

But there was absolutely no way that he could just sit there and not react. His jaw quite literally dropped the moment he saw you.

The way the suit hugged your body, the way the colors illuminated your skin, the way you were 100% feeling yourself in it— All of it was making Jake 2 seconds away from crashing out.

You must have been a goddess. Or maybe Jake saved a country in his past life.

"It looks— You look— I— You—" he stumbled over his words. There were no words to describe how you looked. You looked downright beautiful. Like, if Jake died now he wouldn't mind. And when you giggled at his reaction, he took a deep breath. Don't be a weirdo! he told himself.

"You look beautiful," he breathed, finally catching himself. His eyes flickered back up to your pretty, pretty face. "You look really beautiful in this one."

"Thank you," you smiled at him. You did another twirl, something that you definitely knew drove him crazy. And if you hadn't noticed him checking you out, Jake was certain that you definitely knew now.

And maybe Jake didn't know enough about women. Because he really believed that that one swimsuit was the only one that you were trying on.

And he was so wrong.

Because there were at least 3 more that you wanted to show him!

Oh, he wasn't going to survive this.

Well, Jake did survive.

After insisting on carrying your shopping bag full of your new swimsuits (Jake didn't dare peek inside because he thought he'd combust), you decided to do some more exploring.

You got some food to munch on, and went to all types of stores. And you took many pictures, too! Pictures together, of you trying on hats and sunglasses. Candid pictures of each other, many of which where you look pretty without even trying and Jake's mind is blown.

More exploring, walking, sitting down, walking, and then sitting for 30 minutes because both of your feet hurt. A lot of laughing, a lot of dumb conversations, and even more laughing.

And before you knew it, it was getting dark out. Suddenly, the sound of the waves crashing filled the air, the cool beach wind blowing against your cheeks. 

"Let's go walk along the shore!"

And so you did.

The orange sky was fading into a dark blue, and yet, the sun still shone so brightly as it submerged into the horizon. The water gently rocked against the shoreline, while the scent of sea salt and seaweed filled your senses.

It was a cool evening, and you tugged on the sleeves of your cardigan to warm your cold hands.

By now, the beach was quiet. Many people had already left, as it was slowly becoming nighttime.

In quiet moments like this, you couldn't help but fully conceptualize Jake as a person.

He was a handsome boy your age. He was kind, sweet, responsible, silly, everything great in a person. And he had a similar music taste to you, too. And here he was, walking alongside you as the sun set.

Your eyes fluttered over to him. His eyes were trained on the sand below his feet, appreciating the way the wet granules covered his skin.

He was a straightforward person. Things went from A to B with him easily. No games, nothing to hide. And yet, you felt like there was so much to discover about him. There was an entire world undiscovered in his head. And you wanted to be a part of it.

"What are you thinking about?" you asked suddenly, interrupting the calm silence.

"You."

.

.

.

You?

You could feel your heart picking up speed, but you kept your composure. Meanwhile, you swore your skin was prickling with an uncharacteristic warmth.

"I-I mean—" Jake seemed to snap out of his daze. "I— I was just thinking about you, and work, and summer, and—"

You blinked, but your lips spread into a tight smile. You didn't know why you felt disappointed.

You sucked in a breath. "The water's really nice tonight."

"Mhm," Jake agreed. He wasn't blind. He could see the way your face fell ever so slightly. He could see when you felt flustered or shy because of him.

But what if he was misinterpreting things? What if his eyes were playing tricks on him?

But then you'd look up at him with those shiny eyes, almost like you were begging him to give you his heart.

Just go for it.

His eyes dropped to your hands, which were still tugging on your sleeves to keep warm.

Jake clicked his tongue. Boldly, he grabbed your hands, clasping them in yours.

"Hey!" you cried.

"Geez, your hands are so cold," he murmured, before locking his fingers with one of your hands. As if nothing happened, Jake just continued walking along the shore, this time with your hand in his.

You stared at your interlocked fingers for a few moments, before you swallowed all of your shyness and continued trailing with him.

The two of you returned to walking in silence, nothing but the sound of the water and your breaths filling the air.

Jake wasn't lying when he said he was thinking of you, because he really. He always was. And just as he was about to fall back into thought, your hand pulled away from his.

With curious eyes, Jake watched as you silently pulled out a tiny plastic case from your purse.

Your earbuds.

You plugged them into your phone, before jamming one of the buds into your own ear. You looked at Jake expectantly, and he took the second earbud graciously.

You bit back a laugh as you turned on your music.

The second you pressed 'play,' a hardy bass and an unforgettable drumline played into your ears.

"Are you serious?" Jake immediately snapped his head at you. "Fleetwood Mac?!"

You laughed, throwing your head back. "I wasn't about to let you ruin the beach vibe and play Bon Jovi."

"I don't only listen to Bon Jovi—!"

And just as you and Jake were enjoying music, the beach, and most importantly, each other, Jake's phone rang. And of course, his ringtone was a Bon Jovi song.

You gave him a look as his lips spread into a goofy smile.

Not daring to tear out the earbud, he picked up his phone and listened with his other ear.

And even though it was nearly nighttime by now, you could still see how Jake's face morphed.

When he hung up, his face dropped.

"They need me to take someone's shift."

Oh.

This was really, very, genuinely, seriously annoying.

Because unfortunately, the truth was that if they needed Jake to work, then they probably needed you to work too.

Because they always needed you and Jake to work.

And so, here your (not-so official) date was ending.

Apparently, it was extremely urgent, and they insisted on paying Jake extra if he came. Not to worry, because he texted your manager to make sure that you'd get extra pay if you came along, too.

The moment that you stepped into the parlor, you could feel all the joy leaving your body. You swore that Layla’s Ice Cream Parlor had evil spirits in there, designed specifically to simply fill your body with dread.

You put on one of the spare work uniforms that the parlor had in the back. It was a little big, and a little itchy, but whatever.

When Jake got the phone call and explained to you the situation, you were fully expecting a packed parlor, with a line that went out the door and your incompetent coworkers couldn't handle it, or something. But now that you were in the parlor, you realized that that was just a load of bullshit.

"Empty," Jake muttered behind you. "There is absolutely no one here."

You hummed in agreement, equally deadpan.

Those lazy bums.

They just didn't want to work the closing shift. They just didn't want to do the cleaning or locking up. They just wanted you to take their shifts so that they could go home and relax.

And so here you two were, just lazing around in the breakroom, just trying to pass the time. You let your phone play some random playlist.

"I'm sorry," Jake said, with his cheek pressed against the breakroom table. "We were hanging out and I decided to take us to work."

"Nah, you're justified," you said lazily. "They're promising us extra pay, so it's fine."

The room went silent again, but you could tell Jake was thinking something. And indeed, he was.

Jake felt horrible! Although you did agree to come to work with him, he still felt back. Did he just fumble your first (unofficial) date? God, he's so stupid! Now you two were stuck in the worst place on earth.

He stared at your bored expression.

He couldn't let you stay bored.

Without a word, he got up from his seat in the breakroom and disappeared out to the front. You could hear some cluttering and buzzing.

"Close your eyes!" he yelled before he came back to where you were in the breakroom. And you complied.

"What are you doing, Jake?" you asked, but you couldn't help but smile. He was definitely up to some antics.

"Just close your eyes," he instructed you, before sitting down with you at the breakroom table again.

Jake clasped his hands together. "I have three cups of ice cream here. You will close your eyes and guess which one is which."

You let out an exasperated sigh. "Are you serious?"

"Yes!" Jake laughed. "We can't get bored in here."

You chuckled. "Okay, fine."

Jake watched you intently as he spoon-fed you the first spoonful of ice cream.

The first flavor was strawberry, your personal favorite.

Maybe it was getting late, or maybe Jake was just too obsessed with you, but he couldn't take his eyes off of the way your pretty lips opened up for the ice cream. He was simply so mesmerized by the way you licked your lips, relishing in the way the sweet strawberry ice cream melted on your tastebuds.

"This is so obvious," you nudged him, kicking him from under the table. "At least make it hard for me!"

Jake rolled his eyes playfully. "Just guess!"

You huffed, mumbling something about him being stupid under your breath. "Strawberry. Duh."

"Woo hoo!" Jake cheered for you. "It was strawberry!"

"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock."

The second flavor was ube. Which you guessed almost immediately.

"Next flavor, please," you giggled. "This game is too easy,"

But Jake wasn't listening to you in the slightest.

Just why did you have to start licking the spoon clean? The way your glossy lips wrapped around the spoon, your tongue wrapping around the smooth plastic, and now he was feeling all types of things, and—

"Seriously, make it harder for me!"

Jake gulped.

The last flavor he had was salted caramel. His own personal favorite.

He'd already taken a few bites out of it.

He glanced at your lips, then down at the salted caramel ice cream.

Even under the corporate light of the break room, you still glowed so prettily. And you must have been doing it on purpose, the way you were keeping the spoon in your mouth, with your lips wrapped around it so prettily.

Jake's eyes flickered back to your lips once more, then to the salted caramel ice cream.

His heart was already pounding in his chest. All the blood was rushing to his head and Jake thought that he'd faint.

Your lips were just so damn pretty.

It seemed like something was possessing Jake's body. While his mind was frozen on your lips, his body was moving on its own.

He reached out for you first, his large hand taking solace on your shoulder.

And in one, fluid motion, Jake leaned in, and closed the gap between his lips and yours.

Your lips were soft and sweet, like clouds. Jake's eyes had unconsciously fallen shut, and the moment that he realized that he was kissing you, they shot open. However, just as he was about to pull away, because oh my god he was kissing you, and he didn't even ask!, Jake felt your hand slither up around his neck.

You pulled him in even closer, deepening the kiss.

Jake felt dizzy. It was the way your tongue dipped into his mouth when he let out a little gasp. Or maybe it was the way your fingers ran through his hair, almost as if you were desperate to keep his lips on yours. Your everything— your hands, your lips, your scent— they were all driving him insane.

Jake didn't want it to end, and if it weren't for his need for air, he wouldn't have pulled away. Ever.

The two of you sat there, breathless, staring into each other's eyes for what felt like an eternity. Jake's cheeks were red, his pupils blown out with desire. His eyes fell down to your lips.

"Salted caramel," you breathed, your hands sliding down to his shoulders. You squeezed his shoulders. "You taste like salted caramel— kiss me if that's the answer—"

And you didn't need to ask him twice, because Jake was already crashing his lips against yours.

There was something so addictive about your lips. The way you moaned against his lips, the way you clung onto him like you needed him, it was all driving him crazy.

Jake needed more, he needed you.

In his head, it was all just you, you, you.

"I want you so bad," Jake mumbled against your lips. "Please."

He could feel you giggle, but he simply just slides his hand around your waist to pull you closer.

Your lips moved against his in ways that were too perfect to be real. Jake felt like he was in heaven. You were heaven. You were angelic, you were godly, you were—

"Um, excuse me, are you guys still open?"

!!!

You and Jake jumped away from each other.

Shit.

It was still store hours.

"Are we going to get fired?"

Now it was actually closing hours.

You and Jake started cleaning after you were so rudely interrupted, and now it was time to close up.

And it was awkward.

Your heart was practically leaping out of your chest. It felt like forever since you shared your kisses with Jake. And now, you craved his lips once more.

But what if it was just on the whim? What if Jake just did it to do it?

You just wanted him so bad. You wanted to kiss him again, you wanted to feel him again.

"For what?"

You shifted uncomfortably, your eyes refusing to meet Jake's.

"Kissing coworkers."

"No!" Jake's cheeks flared up. "Of course not!"

"Then..." your brows furrowed. Your face felt hot to the touch. You felt like you were going to get a heart attack. Seriously, you felt like you were burning up, all the while you felt frozen in time and space. You slowly looked up at Jake. "Then can we... you know... keep doing it?"

.

.

.

"I— I mean, if you don't mind— and if it's not something that we could get fired for—" you stammered— "Then can we... you know— can we keep kissing?"

Jake was already on it.

“Eek, Jake, lock the doors first!”

After a few more weeks of hiding in the storage closet to makeout, and honestly straight up shirking your responsibilities to kiss in the breakroom, you and Jake did the unthinkable.

"We resign!"

Your manager looked at you incredulously. "W-What?"

You and Jake smiled. "We quit."

You've never felt more free. With your boyfriend at your side, it seemed like the summer was endless.

BONUS

"Did I ever tell you that I liked you?" you asked Jake, in his car just moments after you quit your job.

"I don't think you did, babe," Jake laughed.

"Oh."

You should probably put that on your to-do list.

You glanced at your boyfriend. How his lips looked so kissable.

Sigh. You'll tell him what you like later. It's time to kiss!

note: please reblog n comment if you enjoyed! xoxo vanya >_<

[sanaexus]

don't wanna leave you anymore- itoshi sae

synopsis: you meant alot to sae but football meant more to him he was sure of it so why is it when he had to say goodbye he found himself second guessing his decision.

"I'm packin' my bags that I didn't unpack the last timeI'm sayin', "See you again, " so many times, it's becoming my tagline"

you were used to this right? sae often travelled for because of football. you've been there helping him pack his things almost every time he went but why was it different this time?

he's said the phrase "you'll see me soon enough" so many times and everytime it was true but why was it different this time?

probably because this would be the last time you'd help him pack his bag and probably because the promise of you seeing him soon enough won't be soon enough.

"But you know the truth, I'd rather hold you Than try to catch this flight"

sae wasn't never an affectionate man, he knew that but he also knew that you knew he loved you, you were his and he was yours up until now. he still loved you, but he loved football more right? at least that's what he thought.

so why was it that now that you were both standing in front of each other he’d rather be with you, hold you, love you than try to catch the flight that would guarantee his success to achieving his dream. 

his heart broke at the thought of leaving you. his heart broke at the thought of you thinking that he didn’t love you anymore because that wasn’t true. he wanted to prove that to you so badly but he didn’t know how he could, he didn’t know if he could. 

“So many things I'd rather say But for now, it's goodbye”

there was a lot to say. he didn’t even know where to start, maybe with a sorry? or maybe an i love you? he didn’t know. but whatever it is that he wants to, no he needs to tell you will just remain in the back of his mind etched there forever because now is the time to say goodbye. 

“You say I'm always leavin' You, when you're sleepin' alone”

you often told him how he’s always leaving you. and he’d always say “but i still come back to you don’t i?” you used to laugh at that because it was true. he always came back to you. but this time when you told him “sae you’re leaving again” he didn’t, or couldn’t reply with “i’ll still come back to you” because he wasn’t a liar. he knew he wasn’t coming back so he chose to reply with a “i guess i am” with a sad smile. 

he always came back to you but not this time. and you’d have to get used to sleeping alone knowing he wouldn’t be coming back. the one time it mattered the most he wasn’t going to come back, he wasn’t going to come back home, he wasn’t going to come back to you.

“But the, the car's outside But I don't wanna go tonight”

you’ve seen this before, the car waits for him, you cry about him going he comforts you, whispering sweet nothings promising he’ll be back to you before you know. but it was different this time, you didn’t cry you couldn’t cry. probably because they all dried up. 

he looked down at you and he felt his heart shattering the moment he realised this was real, it wasn’t a dream, he was leaving. the car was waiting for him but he knew he should probably go before his heart convinces him otherwise but he felt as if his legs were stuck. he didn’t wanna leave not tonight not any night, but he left. left without turning back to look at you.

“I'm not gettin' in the Addison Lee Unless you pack your bags You're comin' with me”

he wanted to fight the urge to yell, scream, cry and breakdown. but you wouldn’t be there to comfort him. and technically it was his fault. he didn’t even wanna get in the car, he just wanted to be with you. maybe he could have convinced you to go with him, he probably should have. 

once. if he asked just once, “come along with me will you?” you would pack your bags then and there. perhaps in another universe he did ask you that and you did agree and you had a happily ever after story but not in this one. 

“I'm tired of lovin' from afar And never being where you are Close the windows, lock the doors Don't wanna leave you anymore”

he wanted to hold you, be with you, love you. he was tired from doing it from a distance. he was tired of never being there. now that he thinks about it he probably would have stayed back if you asked just once. he didn’t wanna leave you anymore. 

sae was a complicated person and being honest it was very hard to love him. but not for you, never for you. hell every time you looked at him it felt as if your prayers were answered. you should have tried asking him to stay, who knows he might have stayed, but as much as you loved him, you knew he loved his dream more. if it meant he’d be happy you were fine with loving him from afar, no matter how tired you were of it. 

“Oh, darling, all of the city lights Never shine as bright as your eyes I would trade them all for a minute more”

when you admired the sunset he admired you, because in his opinion you were the most gorgeous most beautiful thing to ever happen to him. he loved everything about you, because you were just so bright and full of love. just once more, he wanted to see that smile once more, he wanted to listen to that contagious laugh once more, he wanted to see the twinkle in your eyes when you talked about something you loved. just one more time. he’d trade everything he had just for a minute more with you.

HIII GUYS THIS WAS JUST SOMETHING I WROTE IN THE SPAN OF AN HOUR MB ITS LIKE VERY RUSHED

also with the rin x reader series i ran into a bit of an oopsies but it's fixed nOWWW SO GET READY FOR THAT SHIT

@fishii-writes

[schizodelicpunk]

My furballs

Astral (green), Coven (purple), Cupid (pink), 6 mos

Astral's my lazy boy. He's female biologically but when the kittens were really little and still pretty ambiguous someone identified their genders for me and told me he was male and I started calling him "little man". When he was old enough that it became obvious it was just kinda stuck so I said y'know what, he's trans. He seems more like a male cat anyway. Very chill and the only one who's friendly with other animals. Eats SO much and spends the rest of his time napping. Will pretty much let you handle him however cuz he just doesn't care. He imprinted on my ex's dog and has a lot of dog like traits because of it. Even plays fetch. Polydactyl!

Coven is the feisty one, always attacking my toes when I'm trying to sleep. Will tear up any house she enters. Always trying to chew my bracelets off. Very friendly and loves people, but not other animals. She hates my sibling's cat and always hisses when you pet her after him. Super loud purrs. My brother (dog person) likes her best. Loves eating inedible objects. We have to be extremely careful with rubber bands, which are apparently her favorite food. The first time we got bagged cat litter she tore open the bag and started eating it. Pain in the ass but adorable.

Cupid is the youngest and the princess. Super duper prissy and has to clean herself every time you pet her. Not super vocal except when she's annoyed, then she will whine and whine and whine. Can only be held for short periods before this happens. The most likely to come sleep next to me. Still thinks she can breatfeed despite her mom not giving milk in quite a while. Tries to breastfeed on her siblings regularly. Super sweet. Lost half her tail when she was a few months old (we think her mom accidentally bit it) so she is nicknamed Stumpy. She always goes for the tail when battling her siblings and mom. Likes to be pet a lot but not held for long unless you catch her in the right mood. Used to be really shy before we started crashing at my parents' place but she loves human attention now.

And their momma, Ashes, 1yr

My soulbound companion and evil sidekick. The only one of these little bastards (affectionate) I signed up for. I got her from a friend who didn't know she was pregnant at the time. Hates everyone but me and my girlfriend. I knew she was my cat from the moment I met her. She wouldn't even let her previous owner pet her but purred when I picked her up. We were destined. Took a lot of negotiating with her previous owner (had too many cats to take care of but was really attached to them) but eventually I took her on and we've been inseperable ever since. Aggressive towards every other animal she's met except the kittens and their father, who she grew up in the same house as. Hated every other cat in that house though. Only one that responds to her name. And by responds I mean makes direct eye contact and turns around and walks the other direction just to spite me. Malicious as fuck and will pee on my bed when she's mad. The most evil creature on earth. I would 100% choose her life over a human's. And probably my own if I could guarentee her safety.

ways a pet cat can help you deal with psychosis:

•if you see or hear something and dont know if its real or not, check if youre cat is reacting to it, something loud would make them look at it, someone intruding would startle them

•theyll make sure you get used to hearing random noises throughout the house, you can always check and see if they did it

•if tacticle hallucinations are bugging you, go over and pet your cat, they have such a nice real texture you can focus on

•some cats learn to come and comfort you when you need it most

•if nothing feels real, cuddle up to your cat, you can feel them breathing, feel their heartbeat, maybe feel them purring, thats real right there

•notice how your cat isnt judging you, they dont know or care that you are psychotic, they just see you as their owner and they love you

[sturniololuv08]

S. & M.

TW: Rough painful sex, Choking, Sex after passing out, Punching, Masochistic things? Sadistic things?

You giggled. There was something about sneaking around that made everything seem funny. Your stomach was in knots as you quietly tip-toed down the carpeted hallway. The boys finished their show tonight, and everyone was crashed out. Except for Matt. He just texted you asking you to come keep him company in his room. The other boys knew nothing about your secrets nights with him. You didn't mind only because you didn't want your friendship with Chris or Nick to change. You went to knock on Matt's room door, but it swung open before you could even make contact. As soon as you stepped inside, Matt grabbed your biceps and spun you around. He swiftly backed you up until you fell on the bed.

"Really?" You giggled excitedly. This has been going on for a week now. Every night a new position with Matt. No one knew a thing.

"I missed you." He wasn't quiet at all.

"It's been less than twenty-four hours." You slipped your tank top off.

"I don't care." He reached behind his back and ripped his shirt off, messing up his fluffy brown hair even more.

"I can see that." He crawled on top of your body on the squeaky bed. You were surprised no one caught on or heard anything from any of the previous nights. Matt didn't want to speak anymore. Instead, he wanted to taste your lips. He started sucking on them. You noticed even though he liked to switch up his sex positions, the one thing he never changed was how he kissed you for the first time. His initiation ritual was always passionate. He constantly nibbled lightly on your lips and licked his to show the halfway point. He slipped his flannel pajama pants down to his mid-thigh. You mimicked his action to expose yourself. There was never any awkwardness between you two. Not even the first night. The first night you two slept together was an accident. The hotel overbooked the rooms, and after a lengthy game of rock paper scissors, you got stuck rooming with Matt. Sometimes, you wondered if you'd be in this position with Chris had he lost the final round instead of Matt. Regardless, you were here and loved every minute of it. Matt grabbed your thighs and spread them apart to make room for himself. He never wasted any time. You moaned a little.

"I'm not even inside of you." He chuckled on your chest. You were filled with anticipation, waiting to feel him glide inside of you like the memory of every night before.

"Please, Matt, please." You begged. He knew your kink. He discovered it early on, making it easy for him to excite you. Without any hesitation, he pounded into your raw flesh. The pain drove you crazy. You loved feeling him grind across your walls without any lubrication. The friction makes you hot. He didn't mind getting right to the point. He enjoyed hitting you raw and fast. He loved not having to hold back for foreplay. He loved hurting you because you liked it. "Fuck!" You cursed out, feeling him tear into you. You arched your back, pushing your chest into his. He kissed your neck lightly for his own pleasure. He knew you didn't care for little sentimental touches.

"Does it hurt?" He asked hypothetically for dirty talk. He knew it hurt you to feel his entire length pounding in with no preparation and pulling out without any lubrication.

"Yes." You mumbled, biting your lip. He went faster. He wanted to get in as many pumps as he could before your body's natural responses caught up. "Fuck, it hurts so good." You whimpered. Matt's breathing picked up in a pant to match his pounding pace. You looked up and saw his face scrunched up a little from all of the pressure he was applying in to you. You grabbed his arms and squeezed. "Fuck me." You let out. Matt continued his speed, knowing it was exactly what you wanted. He felt your inside get slippery. Since he knew he couldn't hurt you vaginally anymore, he took his tattooed arm and gripped your neck. You smiled. This drove him crazy. He never knew he liked choking anyone until he saw you smile at him like that the first time.

"Fuck." He gripped your collar tighter, hoping to see the light in your eyes dim a little. Your legs went limp, and he felt your involuntary submission. "Fuck." Your fingers dropped from his arms one by one until your arms lay flat on the bed. "Fucking take it." He grunted at your seemingly lifeless body. Your smile never faded. He had never been this sexually explicit with anyone before, but he loved every night he got to dominate your body. He loved that you let him fuck you without any objection. Of course, it was hard to object with his fingers crushing your esophagus. You took all of him. Your version of consent was sneaking into his room every night. You knew what you were getting into. Your eyes slowly started to close. Matt noticed you were fading away under his grip, and he let up his pressure.

"Matt..." You whispered. He was listening. "Make me cum." You begged lightly. He knew what it took for you to cum. The first night you let him fuck you, he was hesitant, but every night after became a part of your ritual. Matt pounded his hips as hard as he could down into you fucking your body into the mattress. Just as he was about to cum he knew what he had to do. He took his closed fist and punched you right in the sides with medium force. No matter how distracted he was from filling you up, he was always aware of the force of his hand on you. He punched you a few times until he saw the gratification on your face. Your mouth dropped open and you let out a little scream. "Oh my god, Matt!" You didn't care if the whole house knew how good he felt. He was a little nervous about having to explain your connection with his brothers, so he covered your mouth. He slowed his hips down, and with one last pulse inside you, he came, filling you up with his personal juices. He collapsed quickly because of the gratification. His muscles felt weak from having total control over you.

I know this is random but I just needed to post SOMETHING.... So SMUT it is 😅😅

Random Tags: @strnilolover @kirby0strombolli @mattsside @sturnshood @sturniolowhore @ksturnz @marrykisskilled @thenickgirl (sorry its matt) @trevorsgodmother @abbilmao

[ghsface]

I knew it, i know you - Matt Sturniolo

Sumary: You return to a place in the past, where memories and guilt haunt you as you find your ex, facing what you could never let go of.

Warnings: angst, break up, insecurities (on the part of the protagonist) guilt, no happy ending, I think that's all.

A/n: Merry Christmas super late, I've been really inactive so sorry about that but I'm back now yayy, I wrote a second part of this fic if you can call it that idk, I wasn't sure about posting this version because I wrote a happy ending in the other version, I'll probably post both as an alternate ending so enjoy this and happy holidays!!!<3

𝜗𝜚 Part one , another ending (posting later)

⛧°。 ⋆༺ ✮ ༻⋆。 °⛧

The cold night wind hit you as you left the restaurant, sending a chill down your spine that had nothing to do with the weather. You walked down the cobblestone streets of the city that was once your refuge, your home, but now felt alien. With every step you took, you could hear the echo of your own thoughts, and the words you never said to Matt repeated in your mind like a mantra of regret.

You had decided to leave him, decided that it was best for both of you to be apart, but that decision hadn't brought the peace you'd hoped for. All it had accomplished was filling your life with awkward silences, lonely nights, and memories that seemed to torment you more with each passing day.

The night was calm, but your emotions were a whirlwind. Every corner you turned reminded you of a moment with him. There was the cafe where he knelt in the snow to tie his shoe while you laughed nonstop. There was the park where you shared your first kiss, when Matt had taken you by surprise and made you feel like the whole world had stopped for an instant.

The city lights flickered above you, and cars whizzed by, but all you could feel was the weight of his gaze on the restaurant, the way his eyes had pierced you, as if they could see every single regret you carried in your chest.

When you finally stopped, you were facing the river. The water reflected the city lights, creating a colorful spectacle you couldn’t enjoy. You just stared at your reflection, searching for answers in a version of yourself you no longer recognized.

“Why?” you wondered out loud, even though you knew there would be no answer. The reason had always been the same: fear. Fear of being happy, fear of not being enough, fear of Matt realizing he loved you more than you could love yourself.

You didn't know how long you were there, lost in your thoughts, until you heard a familiar voice behind you.

"I didn't think I'd find you here."

You turned around, and there he was. Matt. With his hands in his pockets, his hair ruffled by the wind, and that look that had always left you speechless.

"Matt..." you murmured, as if his name were a confession.

He took a step towards you, but kept his distance, as if he was afraid that getting closer might break what little remained between you.

"Why did you leave so quickly?" he asked, his voice calm but full of that intensity he'd always had.

You wanted to answer, but the words stuck in your throat. How to explain something that you yourself couldn't understand?

"I didn't want to interrupt..." you started, but he shook his head before you could finish.

"Don't lie. We're not at that point anymore, right?"

His honesty hit you like a bucket of cold water. He had always had that ability to see right through you, to decipher the emotions you didn't even know you felt.

“I didn’t want to make this harder for you,” you finally admitted, shifting your gaze back to the river.

“Make what harder?” he asked, taking a step closer. “See you? Talk to you? Because, believe me, nothing can be harder than the last few months without you.”

His confession made the air feel heavier. You looked up at him, and his eyes were filled with pain, but also something else: hope.

“Matt, I…” You tried to speak, but he cut you off.

“No, let me speak this time.” His voice shook slightly, but there was a firmness to it that you couldn’t ignore. “I don’t know what happened, I don’t know why you walked away, but I know that I haven’t stopped loving you for a second.”

The words hit you with a force you didn’t expect. Tears filled your eyes, and for a moment, all you wanted was to run to him and tell him you were sorry, that you loved him, that you never stopped.

But the fear was still there, like a shadow you couldn’t shake.

“Matt, I can’t…” you murmured, and you watched as the glimmer of hope in his eyes slowly faded.

He nodded, taking a step back, as if he understood there was nothing more to say.

“It’s okay.” His voice was soft, but the sadness was evident. “I just wanted you to know.”

And with those words, he turned and began to walk, leaving you alone once again, with the sound of the river and the echo of what could have been.

You watched him walk away, and a part of you wanted to run after him, to scream his name and ask for another chance. But your feet remained planted on the ground, unable to move.

When you finally turned around and started walking in the opposite direction, you felt like you were carrying with you not only the weight of your own regrets, but also that of his love, a love you never knew how to accept, but one you would always carry with you.

And as you walked away, the city seemed darker, emptier, as if it knew that, this time, there would be no turning back.

⛧°。 ⋆༺ ✮ ༻⋆。 °⛧

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Tags... @matthewsroses @sophand4n4 @strnilolover @lolastrniolo @marrykisskilled @sweetshuga

[writememysticfalls]

Nice Kitty | Kol Mikaelson

Summary: Kol stared up at you from the floor. His chest gleamed with sweat. “Nice kitty,” he whispered.

You and Kol are dirty rivals. A spell gives you total control over his body, so you decide to teach him a lesson.

Pairing: Kol Mikaelson x witch!reader

Genre: Suggestive, Enemies to lovers

Word count: >1k

“Morning, princess,” Kol said, sliding into the cabin’s tiny kitchen.

He rested his hands on either side of your head, caging you in.

Kol was naked - apart from a towel draped low on his hips. He shook out his brown curls, spraying you with water.

“You're in a good mood,” you said, eyes fixed on your book.

“Yep,” Kol said. “Because that nasty spell you tried on me last night didn't work.” He booped your nose. “Maybe little Y/n’s not ready for big boy magic.”

“How do you know the spell didn't work?” you said, smirking.

You reached behind your back, and pulled out a human heart - Kol’s heart.

“What have you done to me?” Kol panted, clutching his empty chest.

You smirked. “I stole your heart. I control you now.”

You lifted the heart.

“I am sick of you calling me princess… ” you said, squeezing the heart, so Kol groaned, “and little girl…” he sank down the wall “and mamacita, which is just yuck.” Kol fell to his knees.

Kol stared up at you from the floor. He was panting like a dog, mouth open, his chest gleaming with sweat. “Nice kitty,” he whispered.

You grabbed his hair in your fist.

“If you want your heart back…” you said, twisting his hair, “you'll have to beg.”

Kol narrowed his eyes. “Never. I've been tortured before, love.”

You pulled his hair harder, till his eyes welled up in pain.

“Can I-” Kol stuttered. “Please can I have my heart back?”

You giggled, releasing him.“I'm not giving you your heart back, dumbo. I’m going tell Klaus to give me the white oak stake, or I'll crush the heart and kill you.”

You booped Kol on the nose. “But I couldn't resist. You look so pretty on your knees.”

You and Kol marched through the woods, on the way to meet Klaus.

“I get it. I'm your slave,” Kol said. “But is the outfit really necessary?”

Kol was wearing a pink tutu, a pink fluffy tiara that said “FAIRY PRINCESS”, and a matching pink wand.

“No,” you said, skipping along, holding Kol’s heart. “But you look so cute!”

Kol had had enough. He reached out to snatch the heart from you.

You refused to let go. You and Kol fell to the ground. You rolled over each other in the dirt.

“Get - off!” you shrieked. Kol’s heavy body pinned you to the ground. His hot breath tickled your face.

“Vasmatos-” you tried to say, but Kol pressed his hand over your mouth, stopping you.

You and Kol both squeezed the heart at once.

And you got the weirdest feeling.

It was like being drunk on champagne. Everything turned hazy, golden. The world felt like one hilarious joke.

You suddenly felt that you didn't want to hurt Kol. You wanted to… kiss him.

Kol looked down at you like he was thinking the same thing.

Kol pulled his hand off your mouth, and flicked your plump lips with his thumb.

“That feels funny,” you giggled. “Good funny.”

“Yeah?” Kol said softly.

Kol stuck his tongue out, and licked your pink lips. You started laughing hysterically.

You pushed Kol down onto the soft forest floor, so your body was above his.

“Ha ha,” Kol said. “Upsy daisy.”

He bit the soft skin under your jaw, sending a shiver down your spine.

You noticed Kol’s heart, discarded on the floor. You had a vague feeling that the heart was important. But that felt so distant… and Kol’s mouth was so close…

You reached out, and dug you fingers into the heart.

You and Kol were struck by a vision.

-

A teenage Kol, stretched out on his bed, asleep. The twisted sheet left little of his sun-kissed back to the imagination.

“Taya…” Kol mumbled.

He bit down on his pillow. His breaths sped up.“Taya...”

A woman appeared at the doorway, clearing her throat.

Kol scrambled to a sitting position. The sheet slipped onto the floor.

“I’m awake,” he said thickly, his muscled arms wrapped around his knees. He blushed, and red exploded over his chest and legs.

“You're late for your morning lesson,” she said, faintly smiling. “And… I’m not ‘Taya’. I'm Miss Taya, to you.”

-

“Who’s Taya?” you said, walking behind Kol as he stormed through the forest. You were carrying Kol’s heart in your bag, to avoid touching it.

Kol’s face was a painful red. “You. You got inside my head!”

You said, “Technically, I got inside your heart-”

“Shut up!” he said. “Please… don't do that again.”

Kol was trembling with shame and anger. Your brown eyes had seen deeper into his soul, into his memories, than any girlfriend’s ever had. And it terrified him.

“It's not like I enjoyed that,” you said. “The freaky magic of the heart made me… like you for a second.” You shivered.

Kol realised that they had almost arrived at the Mikaelson house. His time was running out.

“Okay,” Kol said, stopping in his tracks. “You've won. You've humiliated me.” He grabbed the tutu in one hand, and danced around in a circle, waving the wand with the other. His face fell. “Just please don't give me to Klaus.”

You stared hard at Kol. “Why are you so afraid of Klaus?”

Kol scratched the back of his head. “I can't tell you. Just trust me.”

“If you want me to help you, I need the truth,” you said.

Kol looked down. “I've never told anyone this. I don't know how.”

You waited.

Finally, Kol pulled out his heart, and dug his nails in. Both you and Kol both struck by another vision.

-

Teenage Kol, peeking through a cottage doorway.

He was clutching a thorny rose, and his brown, muscled forearms were covered in scratches.

His eyes grew wide.

In the dark room, Taya was gripping the wall, her long hair flowing over her naked body. She was breathing hard.

A naked man grabbed her body from behind, his hands on her waist.

The man’s laughing blue eyes met Kol’s for a second.

It was Klaus.

The rose crumbled in Kol’s fist.

-

You gasped lightly. “That was Taya, your teacher. The one you had a crush on. Klaus was…”

“Klaus was fucking her,” Kol said darkly. He sat on the forest floor, crushing a pebble in his fist.“A few months after that, she disappeared, like all of Klaus’s girlfriends. The bastard killed her.”

You held Kol’s hand. “I'm so sorry,” you said, gazing up at him. “You loved her.”

“I think I did,” Kol said. “You know, before Taya died, I was a nice guy. Worthy of a good girl like you,” he said, smirking. “But that night, I decided to stop loving people so easily. Trusting them.” He thumped his chest. “Enter Kol Mikaelson, world-class arsehole.”

“You're not an-” you started. You smiled. “Okay, you are an asshole. But you're not… a bad person.”

Kol placed your hand on his cheek. His chestnut eyes held yours. “You're not like me, Davina. You're good; you're beautiful. And Klaus hates things which are good and beautiful. You can't make a deal with him. He’ll destroy you.”

You stepped away from him.

“I'm sorry, Kol,” you said quietly, tears welling in your eyes. “I really liked you.”

Then, your face hardened into a mask of fury.

“Klaus Mikaelson!” you yelled, running towards the Mikaelson house. “I have your little brother’s heart. Give me the white oak stake or he'll be dead by the time I count to ten…”

Kol pounded a tree trunk with his fist in anger, again and again, until the wood crumbled under his fingers.

He had trusted you. He had let you in. And you had used him.

Kol was lying in his bed in the Mikaelson house that night, when he heard a quiet “Ow.”

How was he such a trusting idiot, despite being hurt a thousand times?

-

He laughed, sitting up. Your head was stuck halfway inside his bedroom window.

“Help me,” you said. “My hair’s stuck.”

“Hurts, doesn't it?” Kol said, massaging his head. “Having your hair nearly yanked off.”

“Let me in,” you repeated, your voice breaking. “I'm here to rescue you. And this hurts like a bitch.”

“Who taught you that word, little girl?” Kol said in mock horror. “Wash that pretty mouth of yours out with soap.”

But he gently untangled your hair and gave you his hand to climb inside.

You sat down on the bed. Kol flung himself into an armchair in the corner of his room, his bejewelled finger tapping the arm. His head lolled back on the seat.

“Where did you get that pose from? GQ?” you said, laughing into your hand.

Kol got up and sat quietly down next to you, his ears burning. “Shouldn't you be more sorry or something?” he said. “You did try to sell my body today.”

You looked down. “I am sorry. I was going to leave you with Klaus, but then I thought about your story, and… I felt bad.”

Kol lightly brushed your hair behind your ear. “Is that the only reason you came back, then? You felt guilty?”

You met Kol’s eyes. You looked perfectly serious in the way only young people can. “No. I felt… a lot of things.” You looked down. “But I can't like you that way, Kol. When I like boys that way, people get hurt.”

“I know,” Kol said. “That tends to happen to the people I like, too.” His hand nudged yours on the bed, so your little fingers were touching. “I do have a knack for falling for the wrong people, don't I?”

You scoffed. “Are you talking about Taya right now? Because I really don't think bringing up your-”

Kol silenced you with a kiss. He was surprised at how good a kisser you were. Your body melted against his without shyness. You wrapped your arms over his shoulders, pulling him closer. For a second, he was jealous of the boys who had kissed you before him.

“You're a good kisser. Should I be worried?” Kol said. He twirled a strand of your hair around his finger, possessively.

“You're a bad kisser. Should I be worried?” you said.

“Hey!” Kol said. “I have a thousand years’ experience…princess.”

“Yeesh,” you said. “You must not have done a lot of kissing in the last thousand years.”

Kol laughed. This was probably a bad decision, but it didn't feel that way.

It felt like hope.

​—

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[mllekurtz]

My 2024 in Writing

I saw @rowanisawriter do this and I thought I would give it a shot too!

2024 was not an easy year for me. It started out with a wave of creative energy, allowing me to get the bulk of the Shadowgast Witcher AU written down, then I got blocked in April/May, picked myself out of the gutter in June (and ended up discarding most of what I wrote then lol), wrote a bunch of shadowgast stuff I haven't posted yet in July and August, and then had some very, very bad mental health for a while, and spent basically the entirety of October napping on the couch with my cat and dog. Then Veilguard came out! I was so inspired by it, I've been happily writing Veilguard fic since mid-November.

Words written: 201k

Words posted: 46k

Days written: 229/366

Fandoms: Critical Role (184k words) and Dragon Age (17k)

Fics posted: Critical Role strange magic (commuter au) the end of all our exploring (pre-c3 fic) losing hand chapter 5 (part of my birds of prey series) Fox's Claw prologue (first bit of the Witcher AU sequel)

Dragon Age the art of mending broken things (Lucanis/Neve getting together) we all fall in love sometimes (act 2 Lucanis/Neve) the toughest part of the body (post-canon Rook/Neve) to fade or at least to kneel (act 2 Lucanis/Neve)

What I learned: that forcing myself to write when I feel down sucks, it just does, and I won't to do it anymore. I actually expected my annual word count to be much lower because of the Bad Mental Health months, but what I wrote when I was feeling good more than compensated for that.

I also noticed a switch from writing fics about characters getting together to established relationships. Falling in love has always been easy to write for me, but clearly my focus shifted to staying in love, which is just as interesting.

What I want to write next year: I have a long, long list of Veilguard fic ideas that I'll try to get through, most of them Lucanis/Neve, some of them featuring Aglais, my Rook. I will probably bury myself even deeper in rarepair hell because I've been having thoughts about some niche pairings that I'll turn into something at some point. I will definitely come back to shadowgast and work on my long wips, some of which could go to kindergarten by now.

Last thoughts: I write for myself, but I share for others. I am so grateful to anyone who's commented, kudosed, liked, or otherwise talked about my fics with me: most of my motivation to keep sharing my writing comes from you. I'm also happy for the new friends I've made, and for the old ones that stuck with me. ♥

[themindofachronicdaydreamer]

Suites & Sweets

freshman year at Jujutsu University Tokyo seems like it will be uneventful. and, well, that's true... until you meet the boys in the suite across the hall, and one in particular piques your interest.

satoru gojo x reader | jjk college au | no curse au | fem! reader | fluff, angst, & slow burn | SMAU & writing <3

introduction | previous | next PSA: mentions of panicking! ALSO: listen to kintsugi by lana del rey for the best reading experience <3 okay bye love you

₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑̑˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑̑˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑̑˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑̑˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑̑˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑̑˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑̑˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑̑˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑̑˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇.ෆ˟̑̑˟̑ෆ.₊̣̇.

ˋ°•*⁀➷˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ 22. 𝓣𝓗𝓔 𝓒𝓤𝓡𝓢𝓔𝓓 𝓢𝓟𝓘𝓡𝓘𝓣𝓢: 𝓛𝓘𝓥𝓔 𝓘𝓝 𝓒𝓞𝓝𝓒𝓔𝓡𝓣 ⍣ ೋ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ ... wc: 9.3k (oops)

You're finishing your eyeliner when Shoko appears behind you in your mirror, walking into your room. She's in a short black dress and has a vape in her hand - something she swears is helping her quit cigarettes. ("I said I'd quit smoking, not quit nicotine," she had told you when you noticed earlier, to which you scoffed out a "Sure.")

"We gonna leave soon? It's 7, didn't you wanna get there at 7:30 to catch Choso before he starts playing?" She asks as you watch her reflection in the mirror move closer.

"Yeah, almost finished," you answer, looking at your friend and smiling.

"'Kay," Shoko clicks her tongue. You look to face her as she reaches you. "'Cause the boys are coming any second to take our traditional round of shots before going out."

"I know, I know," you roll your eyes. You turn your head back toward the mirror to finish the last touches when Shoko's hand grabs your shoulder, stopping you.

"You don't have to force yourself to go out, y'know?" her voice is quiet, as if she doesn't want anyone else to hear.

You take a deep breath and stare back at her attentive eyes. "I want to go," you affirm. "I've been wanting to see Choso play for a minute now. I think it'll be nice. Good for me." You nod, though it is more to yourself than her, eyebrows furrowing for a moment before adding, "Plus, I'm getting tired of being so..."

"Stuck?" Shoko finishes, but the word carries so much to it. You have had years of friendship to learn about each other and form the close bond between you, that she probably knows you better than you know yourself.

Which mean she can likely tell you have a bit of shakiness to you, which is why your eyeliner has had to be been redone three times by now. She might have an idea that you're second guessing yourself from the number of clothes thrown on the floor from failed attempts at outfits. Which means she's already come to this conclusion: you're panicking.

You sigh in submission, looking down at the eyeliner in your hand. "Yeah, I guess," you admit, trying to smile but aware you're failing to make it look convincing. "I don't know why I'm making such a big deal out of this."

Shoko watches you with bored eyes as you pivot to try to finish your eyeliner. She's quiet, but you know the gears are turning in her head. Her expression softens as she takes a couple paces to sit on the edge of your bed beside you at the mirror.

"I see," she thinks out loud. "You're not forcing yourself to go out because you want to see Choso," she says gently. "You’re forcing yourself to do this because you think it's what you should do. You're scared of staying home and letting yourself feel, aren't you?"

Her words hit you like a ton of bricks, too accurate for comfort. You swallow hard, trying to push the sudden wave of anxiety down. She is really the definition of tough love sometimes.

"Maybe," you mumble, your fingers fidgeting with the hem of your dress. "But I don't want to just... hide away forever, you know? I can’t keep running from it."

Shoko’s gaze doesn’t waver. "You don't have to run. You don't have to act like everything’s fine either. It's okay to just... be, for a while." Her voice is soft, the calm tone only making the weight of her words feel heavier. "You don’t owe anyone anything tonight."

You turn to face her, the lump in your throat growing bigger. It’s hard to look at her, because Shoko knows how to call you out without making it feel like an attack. She sees through you, and she always has.

"I know. I just I thought if I went out, maybe I’d feel like myself again." You press your lips together, biting back the frustration building in your chest. "I don’t want to keep letting other people control me."

"You’re not controlling anything by distracting yourself, though," Shoko says quietly, her hand reaching for your arm, giving it a light squeeze. "You're just putting a bandage on it."

You close your eyes, feeling the sting of truth in her words. You feel tears forming, your face becoming warm in attempt to suppress your emotions. "I'm tired of feeling like this," you whisper.

"I know," she says, and there's no pity in her voice, just understanding. "But you're not alone, okay? You don’t have to hide it from me."

You nod, swallowing the lump invading your throat, and finally give her a small smile. "Thanks, Shoko."

"Listen," she begins. "You got through this last time. You will this time. And you'll be even stronger on the other side. You have me, Hime, and Mei. And Satoru - and, by the way, you need to catch me up on what's going on between you-"

"Nothing is going on between us!" you interject, but she continues talking as if you said nothing.

"-because I can tell something has shifted and I need to know everything. But that's for another night. Right now, you have all these people here for you, who miss you. We want what's best for you." She grins, nudging you with her shoulder. "So, if you want to go out, we’ll go out. But if you change your mind, we can always bail. Choso would understand," her voice is stern, yet so gentle and caring. She takes a deep inhale, putting her hands on your shoulders. "No pressure. Just... please don't do it because you think you have to."

You pause, thinking it over, before nodding again. "Yeah, you're right... I've been a bad friend-"

"Nuh-uh, no. Not that. We are not doing that. Are you aware of what you're going through right now?" Her tone is assuring as she looks down at her feet. "It's okay to not be able to give 100% all the time. Like I said, we're here for you. I'm here for you."

Tears begin to well in her eyes, and you reach out to her. She wraps you tightly in a hug. "I just want you to talk to me. After junior year, I promised myself I wouldn't let Naoya get to you again," Shoko says while releasing a shaky breath. "And I failed. I'm sorry-"

"Sho, no," you cut her off, backing away and grabbing her face. The two of you are a crying mess. "If I have no control over the situation, you don't either. Please, Sho."

Guilt wracks through you. Has she been feeling this way the whole time? But she's been holding it together, feeling responsible.

Wow.

Maybe this is really the reality check you needed.

You wipe the tear that escapes your eye, guilt mixing with a deep sense of gratitude as you look at your friend. "I had no idea you were carrying this too," you say, your voice cracking slightly. "I didn't mean for you to feel that way. I swear, I didn't want to burden anyone."

Shoko takes another large breath, letting it out slowly. "No, not a burden. Or an obligation. I want to carry this. I want to be there for you. You don't have to carry this all alone." Her hands are still on your arms, but there's a softness to her grip, as if she's reassuring both of you. She wipes her eyes, smirking through the vulnerability. "You're my best friend. I’m not gonna let you get torn down by this by yourself. If you ever need to cry, or yell, or just be a mess, I’m here. We’re all here, okay? Because, luckily for you, you have some stubborn ass friends. We're not going anywhere."

You let her words sink in, a weight lifting off your chest, a smile tugging at your lips. It doesn’t solve everything, but it’s a start. You’ve been so caught up in trying to manage things on your own, thinking that by pushing people away, you could somehow make it all better. But Shoko’s right. You don’t have to do it alone.

"Can- Can we make a pact?" she looks at you hesitantly.

"Depends on the pact," you laugh through the tears rolling down your face.

"If one of us says the magic word, we have to say what's on our minds," Shoko offers. "No matter what."

"What's the magic word?"

"Um...," she looks around the room, then seems to come to a conclusion. "Kintsugi."

"Why kintsugi?"

"Because why the hell else would we be saying kintsugi?"

"Fair point," you say and hold your pinkie out for her. "I promise. Kintsugi is the word."

"Promise," she mimics, then interlocks her pinkie with you own, sealing the deal.

You lean your forehead against hers for a brief moment. The look you share is one of words left unsaid, of forgiveness for mistakes, and of pure unconditional love between you and your dearest friend.

"I love you, you know that?" you say, emotion flooding every syllable. "I don't deserve you."

She scoffs lightly, pulling back and giving you a playful shove. "Shut up, you deserve everyone. Even me."

From the hallway, you hear a knock on your front door, Mei screaming she'll get it, a creaky door, and four male voices entering your suite.

Shoko turns to her reflection in your mirror, widening her eyes at her now messed up mascara. "Well, that's an issue." She giggles, standing up and brushing off her dress. "Let's fix this and go take that shot?"

A small laugh bubbles up from you.The tension in your shoulders loosens as you look at her, appreciating her more than you could express in words. "Sounds like a plan."

You grab some emergency makeup wipes and cotton swabs you had sitting in your vanity, handing some to Shoko. The weight of the conversation settles in your chest, but not in a way that weighs you down; for the first time in a while, you're hopeful. You're excited. You're ready to be happy.

Footsteps echo down the hall and closer to your room until, from the reflection of your doorway, a tall, white-haired man leans against it, hands in pockets as he looks at you in your leather jacket and red mini dress.

"Hey, pretty," he says when you turn to look at him. He's wearing a black button up, sleeves rolled up to his elbows and top few buttons undone, with black pants and sneakers. He then notices Shoko wiping her eyelid with a cotton swab and says, "Shoko."

"Freak," she greets without bothering to look at him.

"Hey, Satoru," you smile. His presence always finds a way to calm you. "One sec, we're doing the last touch-ups."

"I'm done," Shoko says, turning to you and giving you a look, her eyes saying oh you are so explaining this to me later and leaving the room.

"I'm almost done, I swear," you tell him, grabbing the eyeliner to finish the last little bit of your makeup. Satoru watches you from the entrance to your room.

"Take your time, sweets. I don't mind," he says, pushing off the doorframe and walking toward you at your mirror.

The day had gone by smoothly up to this point. Classes, which weren't as bad as you were expecting, then lunch with the Suites crew, and a spontaneous trip for boba with Satoru where he asked about ten times if you were certain about going out tonight. "Keep asking me that and I'll throw my shoe at you," you threatened, and although he conceded, you know he is still wary of how you are feeling and paying extra close attention to you.

Satoru rests a hand on your vanity, leaning down slightly to look at you in the mirror. His expression softens when your eyes meet, and a small smile pulls at his lips. You return it, turning to him fully, your eyeliner finally satisfying you. He takes his time memorizing your figure while you stare so innocently up at him, your soft grin emphasizing your radiant beauty.

“You’re gonna steal the show tonight,” he teases and pokes your cheek. There’s a sincerity in his tone that excites you.

You roll your eyes, though a faint blush creeps across your cheeks. “Please, Toru. I’m just trying to look somewhat decent."

“Decent?” he scoffs, straightening up. “If this is your idea of ‘decent,’ then I am very interested in how you look put together all fancy-like.”

You laugh, shaking your head as you finish the last stroke of your eyeliner. “You’re so dramatic.”

“Comes with the territory,” he replies with a grin.

“That, it does,” you say, You set it down and meet his eyes, and the way he’s looking at you makes your heart flutter. His gaze is warm, soft in a way that feels almost intimate, and you’re suddenly grateful for the light blush you applied earlier because it hides the one he’s causing now.

“So." He reaches out to gently tug on the sleeve of your oversized jacket. “Are you ready to steal hearts tonight, or just mine?” Satoru teases, his voice light but carrying that familiar undertone that always makes your pulse quicken.

You shake your head, a small laugh escaping. “I think stealing yours is more than enough work for one night.”

“Good answer,” he says, his grin widening. His hand lingers on your sleeve for a moment before he lets it drop, as if reluctant to pull away.

Before you can respond, Mei’s voice cuts through the air from the living room. “Guys! Are we doing this or what? I could be on my third shot by now!”

Satoru rolls his eyes but offers you a hand. “Shall we, my lady?”

You take it, his hand warm and firm in your own, and let him lead you out of your room. Shoko is already in the living room with Mei, Utahime, and the guys, who are gathered around the kitchen island. Mei is pouring some alcohol into shot glasses, glass bottle almost empty from previous nights of fun.

“Finally,” Utahime drawls when she sees you. “Thought we were gonna have to send a search party.”

You stick your tongue out at her playfully. “Beauty takes time, Hime. Don't you know this?”

“And some of us need more time than others,” Mei quips back, earning a chuckle from Shoko.

Satoru steps in, his arm draping over your shoulder casually, though the gesture feels protective. “Leave her alone, you two. She’s already putting all of you to shame.”

"Judge, I object," Utahime puts her free hand up as if telling Satoru to stop, turning her head away in disgust. "He is obviously biased."

"I second that," Yu nods his head.

Satoru lets out a dramatic gasp, clutching his chest. “Biased? Me? I am offended—nay, wounded—by such accusations.”

Shoko rolls her eyes. “Wounded my ass.”

Mei chuckles, setting the shot glasses on the counter. “Okay, stop fighting, let’s get this over with so we can actually leave. Tequila waits for no one. I'm sure Choso's band doesn't either.”

In response, everyone gathers around the kitchen island, Satoru slides a glass in front of you and himself.

"Here’s to making it through the week," Suguru says, raising his glass in a toast.

"And to not running away," you add with a small grin, your heart feeling a little lighter as you clink your glass against his.

"To not running away," everyone echoes, and you take the shot with a sense of camaraderie, feeling the warmth spread through your chest.

Maybe, just maybe, you can do this. One step at a time.

The group erupts into playful banter, but Satoru doesn’t move his arm, and you don’t make him. You feel a sense of belonging in the warmth of the room, in the laughter and teasing, in the way Satoru’s thumb absentmindedly traces small circles on your shoulder, a subtle method to ground you.

-----

The bar isn't too far from your dorm, but the autumn chill nips at your bare legs for the entire walk. Inside Levi's, however, is quite the opposite, hitting you like a wave of hot, stuffy air.

The room is bathed in moody neon lights - red and purple hues bouncing off the brick walls, casting shadows that move like living things. It’s packed but not suffocating; it's the kind of crowd that feels alive without overwhelming you. Your group files in, Mei leading the charge with a confident strut as if she owns the place. Utahime follows, muttering something about needing a drink immediately, while Shoko scans the room with her usual cool detachment.

Satoru stays close to you, his hand placed near your lower back as if silently guiding you through the crowd. The touch is light but reassuring, and you feel a little less out of place with him at your side.

"I have to find Choso!" you announce soon after walking in, speaking loudly against the loud music. "You coming, Yu?"

"Yeah!" he grins and gives you a thumbs up.

Mei turns to you, already setting her sights on the bar. "What do you want to drink? I'll get it for you," she asks.

"Hmm, vodka cranberry?" you reply, glancing over your shoulder at her.

"I got you," she says with a wink, turning on her heel and heading toward the bar.

"Grab us a table with a good view," you say to Utahime, who salutes, then follows after Mei, who raises her hand to grab the attention of a bartender. Shoko waves, and Suguru and Kento walk with them, chatting amongst themselves as they make their way to the alcohol.

You turn to notice Satoru still standing next to you. "You can go with them, if you want," you offer, voice louder than usual to cut through the pulsing of the DJ's speakers. "If you want to stay with everyone else-"

"Nah," Satoru leans closer, his lips brushing against your ear as he cuts you off, voice a smooth whisper in the cacophony. Shivers are sent down your spine and you swear you have goosebumps, even with how warm it is. "I wanna tag along. Just lead the way, baby."

A teasing glance over your shoulder is all you can offer before you slip through the crowd, Satoru staying right behind you, a constant presence you can feel without having to look. Yu follows, his excitement tangible as he navigates the sea of people with ease.

The music envelops you. Its bass vibrates through your body, a pulse that feels like it's coming from the very walls of the building. The lights flicker in time with the beat, casting a surreal glow over the entire room, giving everything a euphoric quality. The crowd moves in sync, almost hypnotic as they sway to the rhythm like a living being.

Levi's isn’t just a bar - it’s a maze. It's a labyrinth of bodies and lights that shifts every time you look away. Each step feels precarious, like a game of chance. One wrong move and you’ll be lost, caught in the tide of people that ebb and flow with the music.

Your eyes scan every corner of the room until you finally land on Choso. He stands near the back, tucked beside the slightly raised stage. He’s dressed in all black with a focused look on his face as he tunes his electric guitar.

"There he is," you say, nodding toward Choso. You turn to Satoru, who’s following closely behind, and he gives a short nod of acknowledgement before continuing to trail behind you.

Yu’s excitement skyrockets. "Yay!" he practically shouts, taking the lead and weaving through the crowd with surprising speed. You watch him speed up, practically running to Choso, who looks up and notices. With a smile, he puts his guitar down to greet Yu with a side hug.

You follow behind with Satoru close beside you. His body brushes against yours once in a while, the briefest contact, but enough that you’re acutely aware of how close he is, how the rhythm of his movements somehow aligns with yours.

“Hey,” Choso greets once you reach him, his deep voice somehow cutting through the music. His gaze flicks to Satoru briefly, giving him a polite nod before returning to you, then to Yu. “Glad you could make it!"

“Choso!" you greet, wrapping your arms around him excitedly. "Of course! Wouldn’t miss it,” you let go of him, backing up and offering him a genuine smile.

"Yeah, man!" Yu says. "Of course we'd come!"

You gesture to the blue-eyed boy beside you. "This is our friend Satoru, by the way."

Satoru gives a playful wave, his usual easygoing demeanor shining through. “Pleasure to meet you, Choso.”

"Nice to meet you, too!" he says with a small, genuine smile, the kind that reaches his eyes.

"I'm sorry we got here so late," you say, feeling a twinge of guilt. "I-"

Choso waves it off with a soft chuckle, his expression warm and unbothered. "Hey, no, it's okay. I'm glad you're even here at all!" his smile is so genuine, it makes you smile. He glances between you and Yu. "Where are you sitting?"

"Not sure yet," Yu responds. "Our other friends were grabbing drinks and a table."

"But I told them to try and get close, so hopefully they listen!" you add.

From behind the stage, someone calls Choso's name. "I'll look for you after," Choso chuckles, ruffling your hair before giving you a thumbs-up. "Gotta go, thanks for saying hi!"

From behind a curtain hiding the backstage from the general crowd, a boy with pink hair comes out. "Um, hey, bro. You ready to play?" he queries.

"Yeah, yeah," Choso says while already in the process of grabbing his guitar. "I'm coming."

"Good luck!" you say to both Choso and pink hair.

Choso gives you a quick nod and a smile before disappearing behind the curtain, his guitar strap slipping over his shoulder as he walks toward the stage. The pink-haired boy follows, his energy buzzing with anticipation, and he gives Choso a playful nudge. You watch them go, the atmosphere in the room seeming to shift with their departure, as if everyone is waiting for the performance to begin.

The air around you is thick with excitement now, everyone’s eyes starting to turn toward the stage. The DJ’s music transitions into a softer, more ambient beat, setting the tone for the performance. A sense of collective anticipation fills the space, and you can feel the energy in the room begin to build. You turn, scanning the crowd again, and spot your friends at a table on the side wall, the perfect spot with a great view of stage. Mei is holding space for your group at a table with an impressive view of the stage, a drink already in her hand, while Utahime lounges in the corner with a mimosa in front of her. Shoko, as usual, looks perfectly composed, her attention flitting between the crowd and her phone, glass of something dark and definitely strong at her lips. Kento sits back, a small smile playing on his lips as he watches the chaos unfold around him.

"Found them," you say, your voice lifted just enough to be heard over the DJ. Yu grins, excitement still evident in his eyes as he speeds ahead, his long legs helping him navigate through the crowd faster than the rest of you. Satoru stays close behind, his hand placed lightly against your back, the small connection grounding you in the whirlwind of lights and music.

As you approach, Utahime notices you, her eyes lighting up. “Finally!” she calls out, waving enthusiastically. “Took you guys long enough!”

“Yeah, this place is like an obstacle course," you say. You slide into the seat beside Utahime, grateful to be out of the crowded space for a moment. Satoru and Yu sit across from you, Satoru's long legs knocking against yours as he relaxes into his spot.

Kento offers a nod of acknowledgment from across the table, his calm demeanor never shifting. "Glad you made it through the chaos." His gaze sweeps over the table, a slight smirk curling on his lips. "You guys didn’t lose anyone, did you?"

"Not yet," you chuckle, stealing a glance at Yu, who is already deep in conversation with Suguru, likely discussing the music lineup. His energy is almost tangible, electrifying in a way that could power the entire room.

Shoko raises an eyebrow, her eyes shifting from her phone to you. “Found Choso?”

“Yeah,” you answer with a grin. “He’s back there getting ready to play. We’ll catch up with him after!”

And the next thing you know, the lights are dimming and Choso is walking out onto the stage, guitar in hand. The pink-haired boy follows, and a tall, muscular man walks on after.

Pinky boy reaches the center microphone and says, "Hello, again, Levi's!" He raises his guitar in hand and shouts, "I'm YuujI!"

Yuuji as in... Sukuna's brother?

They both have pink hair, so it makes sense. Plus, you're certain Yuuji is his brother's name. That's who Ino mentioned in his texts to Satoru, right?

The world is getting smaller and smaller.

"Todo." Muscle boy sits at the drums, tapping his drumsticks together, starting a beat in the background of their introductions.

Your attention is regained by Choso speaking into the mic, "I'm Choso, and we're The Cursed Spirits!"

Their music fills the air, loud and exciting.

Utahime gasps. She has to scream over the music, "You didn't tell me Choso is so hot?!"

"Yes I did!" you respond loudly. "I told you he played guitar! What do you think that meant?"

Shoko, drink in hand, shouts over the growing noise, "She's got a point!"

"They're not bad," Kento comments, his voice slightly drowned out by the music as he takes a casual sip of his beer.

"Yeah! They're good, right?" Yu agrees. Choso has shared his music with you two before, in class and getting coffee, but hearing it live is a completely different thing.

It's an entire experience.

The music flows through the room, the energy vibrating in the air as Choso's deep voice fills the microphone, Yuuji's harmonizing perfectly. Despite the slight unease that lingers from your earlier conversation with Satoru, the atmosphere of the club lightens your mood. It’s a welcome distraction, a chance to escape the tangled thoughts in your head, if only for a moment.

You smile, eyes landing on Satoru across from you. His face artwork, you think as you stare at it, eyes tracing the curve of his nose. To your dismay, eyes meet yours, and for a brief moment, the noise and chaos of the club feel distant, like it's just the two of you in this tiny, quiet world.

You quickly look away, pretending to focus on the band again, but your smile betrays you. Satoru notices, of course, and his grin widens in response.

By the time their set is over, you feel like you've lost your voice. They played old hits, like Zombie by The Cranberries and The Chain by Fleetwood Mac. It was mesmerizing, and they were all extremely talented. The whole band was on fire, their energy infectious, and you can’t help but feel a little lighter than when you first walked in.

With a final goodbye, Choso thanks the crowd, and the band members exit the stage.

After about ten minutes, your rockstar friend finds his way to your table, his brothers in tow. Without a second thought, you leap from. your seat.

"You were so good!" you exclaim, almost breathless from the excitement.

"Thanks! I'm glad you liked it." He shrugs. His eyes sparkle under the club lights, still full of adrenaline from the set.

"Gonna introduce us?" Utahime pokes into your conversation from beside you.

"Right!" you say, turning to your friends. Skipping Yu in front, you begin with the girl beside him. "Choso, this is Utahime and Shoko. That's Mei. Those three are my roommates. That's Suguru, Kento." Kento puts his hand up in a polite greeting." You met Satoru already."

"Hi everyone," Choso greets. "Thank's for coming!"

"Hi, I think I'm in love with you," Utahime deadpans, eyes wide directed at Choso.

A laugh erupts from the bo beside her. "Consider us your first fan club," Yu announces, making Choso laugh.

"New fan club?" Mei chimes in, her sharp eyes flicking between Choso and the rest of the group. She leans forward, resting her chin on her hand with a sly smile. "Hm, I guess I'll join."

Utahime, who hasn’t taken her eyes off Choso since he walked out on stage, glares playfully at Mei. "Don’t scare him off, Mei. I think he actually likes us so far."

"Don’t worry about me," Choso replies, a hint of humor in his tone. "I think I can handle it."

You giggle. "Just you wait."

People from the club compliment them as they walk past, some girls going so far to ask for a picture with the bandmates. Choso humbly obliges with a soft smile gracing his features as he poses between Yuuji and Todo. The three brothers radiate charisma, their energy still buzzing from the performance.

At some point, Mei rises to grab some more drinks from the bar.

Choso returns to the table after taking a couple more photos, looking sheepish. "Sorry about that. Happens sometimes after gigs."

"It's fine," you assure him with a grin. "I mean, it’s not every day you see someone you know getting fangirled over."

"You really have a following, huh?" Shoko remarks.

Utahime, still clearly infatuated, mutters, "For good reason."

Choso chuckles, running a hand through his hair, clearly still a little embarrassed by the attention. "I guess I’m not used to it yet. It’s all a bit overwhelming." His gaze flits toward the crowd, where a couple more fans wave at him from across the room. "But, uh... I’m glad you all came out tonight. Really means a lot."

"Of course we came!" Utahime says, still giddy. "This was so much fun! Your band is ah-maze-ing."

"Thanks," Choso replies, a shy smile tugging at his lips. "We’ve been working on some new stuff, so it’s good to see people enjoying it."

"So," Shoko says, leaning forward with her glass in hand, her eyes gleaming with mischief, "any chance we get to see more of you performing live? I think I speak for everyone when I say we’d love to see another show."

Choso laughs, a soft blush creeping up his neck. "You guys would really come to another one? I mean, I’d love for you all to come. We’re still figuring out our next gig, but yeah, I’ll let you know."

"Yeah! You guys are great!" Yuuji says. "Do you go to Jujutsu University, too? My brother goes there!"

You nod. "I'm guessing it's Sukuna?" you query.

Yuuji looks to you. "Yeah! What gave it away?" He gasps. "Was it my hair?" His hand rubs the top of his hair.

"Wait, I thought you and Choso are brothers?" Kento says, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Yeah, we are too! Same with me and Todo! The family is a little complicated, I guess," he smiles in amusement at the joke that is his family tree. His cheeks start to turn a little pink as he leans back, looking at Choso with a hint of embarrassment for having overshared.

Choso lets out a low chuckle, shrugging slightly. "It’s not that complicated, just a bit messy," he says, a modest smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "But it works."

"When isn't family complicated?" Satoru asks. "Or chaotic?"

"He has a point," Suguru chimes in.

"Yeah," you giggle. "Though, you’re much less… intimidating than he is."

Yuuji lets out a loud, hearty laugh, visibly pleased by the compliment. "I’ll take that as a win!" He grins, his eyes sparkling. "Sukuna’s got that scary vibe down, huh? I try not to be too unapproachable."

"You're doing great!" you giggle, and with that, the topic shifts to Todo's drumming skills.

As everyone chats, the club’s energy swirls around you, with each new conversation creating more threads between you and the people around you. Despite the chaos of a club, there's a sense of comfort in knowing you're surrounded by good people, even if the world around you keeps shrinking in ways you didn’t expect. It feels like things are settling into place.

Loud music continues to play in the background, but the noise of the club fades into a comfortable hum in the background. Choso, still flushed from the excitement of the performance, lounges back in his chair, his fingers absently tapping against his drink. He's engaged with your table's conversation, and while the attention from a fan in the audience catches his attention every now and then, it doesn’t seem to faze him as much anymore, though there’s still a slight awkwardness when people come up to him. It’s clear that the spotlight, while flattering, is something he’s still adjusting to.

Looking across the table, your eyes land on Satoru, who sits comfortably, something of a casual confidence emitting from him. He’s leaning back casually, watching the conversations unfold with a slight grin. Again, to your dismay, his eyes meet yours, and there's a flicker of something behind them - maybe amusement? He catches you staring and raises an eyebrow, a silent challenge in the way he looks at you, as if daring you to ask him what’s going through his mind. You smirk, turning your attention back to the band members.

Mei slides back into her with a flourish, holding a tray of shots. "Miss me?" she asks, her mischievous grin widening as she sets the tray down on the table. "Answer correctly, and I'll give you a shot."

"Always, Mei," you tease, your grin matching hers as you reach for one of the shots. "You're the life of the party - only if you're not drinking wine."

"Okay, fair," she laughs, then passes a shot to you, your friends all taking turns grabbing one from the tray. The club’s lights flicker as the music shifts, but for now, your group is content in your own little bubble.

"Cheers to the band!" Yu declares, raising his glass.

Everyone joins in, lifting their drinks and echoing her sentiment. "To the band!" The clink of glasses is barely audible over the music, but it doesn’t matter.

As the shots are downed and the buzz of alcohol adds to the already electric atmosphere, Yuuji turns to Choso with a mischievous grin. "Dude, you have to tell them about that time you fell off the stage during rehearsal."

Choso groans, already bracing for the worst. "Why would you bring that up? No one needs to know about that."

Yuuji grins wider, clearly relishing the opportunity to embarrass his older brother. "Because it was epic! He tripped over his own mic cable, like, mid-riff, and then-" Yuuji doubles over with laughter, barely able to get the words out, "-he landed on top of Todo! The sound Todo made- oh my god, it was like he got hit by a truck!"

Todo, wise smile on his face, shakes his head, a small but amused smile tugging at his lips. "To be fair, it did feel like I got hit by a truck. Choso's not exactly light."

The table erupts into laughter, Utahime nearly spitting out her drink. "Oh my god, I need to see this. Please tell me there’s a video."

Choso’s face flushes as he waves a hand dismissively. "There is no video. And even if there was, you’d never see it."

Yuuji smirks, clearly enjoying himself. "That’s what he thinks."

Utahime leans forward, her eyes lighting up. "Yuuji, you’re my new favorite person. If you can get your hands on that video, I’ll buy you a drink."

"Done," Yuuji replies instantly, and Choso buries his face in his hands.

You feel a foot tapping yours and look up to find Satoru staring at you. His smirk grows when your eyes meet, and he nudges your foot again, this time with more purpose. You raise an eyebrow, and turn away, back to the conversation.

You can play whatever game he's playing, too.

"The setlist was well-curated," Kento comments as you're tuning back in.

"Thanks," Choso says, genuinely touched. "We’ve been working on some originals, too. Maybe next time we’ll debut one."

“Yeah, that was definitely one of the best crowds we've had,” Yuuji adds, his enthusiasm contagious. “I swear, the crowd was louder than we were at some points. It’s crazy to think that all these people are here for us.”

"I was screaming, like, the whole time," Utahime brags.

"Clearly, Utahime likes you more than us already," Satoru pokes, shooting a teasing glance at her.

Utahime turns bright red, her eyes narrowing at Satoru. "I—! That’s not—! Satoru, shut up!" She grabs her napkin and throws it at him, but he catches it mid-air with a smirk.

"You wound me, Utahime," Satoru says dramatically, pressing the napkin to his chest as though he’s been shot. "I’m just trying to help you live your truth."

"Why can't you help by being quiet? That'll sure help me live my truth," she snaps, but there’s no malice in her tone, only the exasperation of someone who’s used to dealing with him.

"Hey, don’t fight in front of the band," Yu interjects before Satoru can say anything. "They might think we’re not cool."

Choso laughs softly and shakes his head. "Don’t worry. It’s nice to hang out with people who aren’t afraid to give each other a hard time. Makes me feel at home."

"Is that your way of saying we bully each other?" Shoko deadpans, raising her glass. "Because you wouldn’t be wrong."

Choso shrugs with a sheepish grin. "Maybe."

Yuuji, clearly enjoying the moment, leans forward with a mischievous grin. "Yeah, definitely. Bullying each other is basically how we show love, right? That's what Sukuna does, at least."

You take a sip from your drink, watching the group interact with each other. There's something about this moment, the ease and comfort of being surrounded by your friends, that makes you feel grounded.

After a beat of watching the banter continue, a question crosses your mind, and you casually ask, "Do you guys ever get nervous before a performance?"

"Yeah," Choso smiles, blush creeping up his neck. "Honestly, tonight was nerve-wracking because I wanted to impress your friends."

"Really?" you ask, your voice teasing but warm. "You were nervous about impressing us? You killed it!"

"I just didn't want to disappoint you all. I hope I didn't!" Choso's nerves start to get to him.

You smile, touched by his sincerity. "You didn't disappoint anyone. You were amazing, Choso." You lean over to him slightly, offering him a reassuring look. "Seriously, everyone had a great time."

Choso meets your gaze and gives a small, appreciative nod. "Thanks!"

"We should go talk to our crew," Todo says. "And there's others we gotta thank, so we should get goin'."

"Yeah, sorry guys, gotta go!" Yuuji says, smile wide as ever.

After exchanging goodbyes and a final few thank yous, they walk toward the stage and the workers beside it. The chatter doesn't stop, however; your friends and you continue enjoying each other's company, the conversations flowing effortlessly. The dim lighting in the room, the soft hum of music, and the clink of glasses create a cozy atmosphere as everyone settles into the comfortable rhythm of the night.

Once more, your foot is nudged by someone else's. You look to Satoru who's watching you with a playful, knowing glint in his eyes. His foot taps yours again, this time with more insistence.

You turn away again, smiling to yourself at the fun little game you started.

"Wait, Mei," Yu says all of the sudden. "Didn't you say you were bringing someone?"

Mei looks at him confused for a moment. Then, she makes an oh sound as if understanding the question and asks, "My pookie?"

"Yeah, I think so!" Yu says, and Mei leans her head against her han

"Shit, I forgot about that," Shoko comments.

"I forgot to tell you guys, but her lame ass bailed. I think I'm done with her. The rooftop was nice but she seriously needs to get over her boyfriend and, maybe, figure herself out," Mei rolls her eyes.

"Weird," you grimace. "Was she even real?"

"Honestly, maybe not," Mei sighs. "A girl can dream."

"Maybe she was just a figment of your imagination," Suhuru grins, clearly amused. "Like a ghost from your past, haunting your texts."

"Stop," Mei groans, rolling her eyes. "I don’t need you adding more fuel to the fire."

The group erupts into laughter, and you smile. It’s moments like these that make everything feel right—surrounded by people who accept you for who you are, flaws and all. You’re all misfits in your own way, but together, it’s like everything just clicks.

At some point, Kento breaks everyone's hearts.

"We have classes tomorrow, we should leave soon."

"Do you hate fun?" Mei groans.

"No, he's right," Shoko counters. "It's midnight, and we still have to walk back."

"I hate that you're always right," Utahime mutters under her breath.

"We going, then?" Suguru checks.

Quickly, you send Choso a text: leaving now jsyk!! thanks for the invite :), and he responds almost immediately with: thanks be safe!!! i'll let you know when our next show is!

Following your friends, you exit the club. Satoru's pace beside you matches yours as you exit. Once outside, he nudges you with his elbow.

"Hey, angel," he says.

"Hi Satoru," you return with an innocent smile. "What's up?"

"Nothin' much. Just wondering why you were starin' at me so much, hm?" He pokes your shoulder.

"I don't know what you're talking about," you respond, and he chuckles.

"Oh, you definitely were," he teases. "You got all flustered, too. You're adorable when you're embarrassed."

Satoru's teasing lingers in the air, but there’s something comfortable about the silence between you two. The cool night breeze wraps around you both, and the sounds of the city - honking cars, distant chatter, the hum of life - seem to blend together with the lightness of the evening. You glance at Satoru out of the corner of your eye, catching the playful spark in his gaze as he walks beside you, his hands tucked casually in his pockets.

“You sure you don’t know what I’m talking about?” he presses, his voice low but still full of that teasing tone. “Because, you know, when someone keeps looking at me like that, I can't help but wonder what's going on in their head."

You let out a small, amused sigh, not wanting to admit how much his attention actually affects you. "Maybe I was just lost in thought. Ever think of that?" you counter, your voice lighthearted, trying to brush off his question.

Satoru smirks. "Mhm, sure. Those thoughts seem a little... distracted." He pauses for a moment, his tone turning serious. "Are you alright, baby?"

"Yeah, Toru, I'm good," you send him a quick smile. "Why?"

"Just checkin' in on you. I'm proud of you, y'know?" he says, and you furrow your brows. "I'm serious."

The sincerity in his words catches you off guard, and for a moment, you're speechless. You hadn't expected this side of him, especially after all the playful banter.

You smile, the warmth in your chest spreading as you meet his gaze. "I appreciate it, Toru. It means a lot, especially coming from you."

He gives you a gentle nudge, the smirk returning to his lips, though it's not as teasing this time. "Just make sure you keep kicking ass," he adds with a wink. "It's hot."

You choke on air. "Will do!"

Shoko calls your name from ahead. "Hurry up!" You glance up, catching Shoko's voice cutting through the quiet air, and see her standing a little farther ahead with the others, waiting for you and Satoru.

You nod, trying to recover from the moment of embarrassment. "Yeah, yeah, we're coming!" You quicken your step, pulling ahead of Satoru just slightly, though you can still feel his presence beside you, the easy confidence he exudes somehow calming even in the chaos of the night.

You fall in line with Shoko, and for the rest of the walk home, your group stays close as you walk together through the quiet streets, past homes, heading to the path that leads to your sleepy university. The stars shine above you, lamps dimly illuminating the ground. It's a beautiful campus, and even more beautiful during a full moon.

A yawn escapes you, and you laugh. "So, I'm definitely going to need coffee in the morning," you joke.

"Same," Kento replies with a groan, rubbing his eyes dramatically. "I'm already planning my entire morning around caffeine. If I don’t have it, I’ll probably end up asleep in class."

"Honestly, I’m just hoping I make it to class in the first place," Yu laughs, his voice light and carefree. "You know, one of those days where you just pray you wake up on time."

Suguru gives Yu a playful shove. "Sounds like a you problem. But I guess I’m not judging. I’d probably skip, too, if I could get away with it."

"Don’t even joke about that," Shoko grumbles. "If I have to drag you all out of bed, I will. I’m already considering bribing my alarm clock to work harder tomorrow."

You laugh at the image of that in your head, knowing full well Shoko is serious about that kind of thing. "We’ll see how well that works," you tease. "God, we’re all going to be caffeine addicts by the end of this semester."

"I already am one," Mei quips, flashing a grin. "Don’t even need to wait for the end. I’m fully on the coffee train."

"Don't you think it's weird how we've only known the guys for, like, a month?" Utahime ponders out loud.

"Yeah," Yu agrees. "I feel like I've known all four of you so long already!"

You glance at your friends, your heart light. It’s strange how quickly you’ve all connected, how easy it is to laugh together, to just be together. Despite the differences, the chaos, the occasional miscommunication, there’s something undeniably comforting about this group.

"It's like we're a little family," you agree.

Satoru giggles. "Shoko's our mom, Kento's dad. Obviously."

"You know, I wouldn’t be opposed to being the cool aunt," Utahime adds with a wink, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I could definitely get behind that role."

"Then I’m the rebellious cousin," Yu says with a grin, hands making wild gesticulations. "Always getting into trouble and dragging everyone else into it."

"At this rate," Mei says, a smirk on her face, "we should just start a family reunion next weekend. What do you think?"

"I’d be down," Suguru agrees, grinning. "Could use more of these chaotic family dinners."

The conversation lulls for a moment until you hesitantly say, "Sorry for being MIA the past week, guys."

"Hey, don't apologize! Did you have fun at least?" Yu questions.

You look at him walking behind you and smile. "Yes! Lots. I'm glad I went."

Utahime nods her head beside Yu. "That's all that matters, then."

"You looked happy to be there," Suguru comments.

You smile softly at the unexpected sentiment, feeling grateful for the friends around you. "You all make everything better, you know that?"

Reaching the dorm building, Mei opens the door. Kento rushes to grab it from her and backs away to hold it open for the rest of the group. Everyone files in, scanning their JJU IDs to allow access - a safety procedure for campus.

The walk to your respective Suites was short and quiet, sans the sound of everyone's footsteps. At the intersection between 12A and 12B, you're sad to see that it's time to part.

You give each of the boys a quick hug goodnight, hugging Satoru last, and longer. His grip is tight, his body warm against you. You feel his lips press against your forehead, then he murmurs into your ear, "Night, angel."

"Night, Toru," you say back, smiling at him before you enter your dorm, Utahime following and closing the door. The girls are already talking about plans for tomorrow, but you can’t help but feel a little caught up in the tenderness of the night.

"Okay, okay," Mei says after lookin in the peephole to be sure the boys are in their suite and couldn't eavesdrop. "Satoru seems to be the reason you're all mushy now."

You laugh, rolling your eyes. "No, I'm just grateful is all."

"Be honest," Utahime leans kitchen counter. "You like him or not?

There's a tense silence that thickens the air in the room as everyone looks at you, awaiting a response.

Suddenly, you chuckle softly. There's a playful glint in your eyes as they glance between your roommates. "I think you all know the answer to that..."

The teasing smiles on Mei and Utahime's faces widen as they exchange knowing glances. Shoko leans back, raising an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the moment.

"Do we?" Mei raises a challenging eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "You’ve been a bit... coy about it."

You shrug, trying to keep up the act. "I don’t know what you're talking about. I’m just... being myself?"

Utahime laughs, clearly unconvinced. "Being yourself, huh? You like him. It's that simple."

"Okay, okay," you give in with a dramatic sigh, throwing your hands up in mock surrender. "Fine. I like him. I like him a lot. Happy now?"

There’s a brief moment of silence before all three girls burst out laughing.

"Yes!" Mei exclaims, pointing dramatically at you. "Told you! I knew it."

Shoko leans in, her smile softening as she crosses the room to sit beside you. "It’s cute, you know. The way you two look at each other. But don't rush it, okay? Take it one step at a time. No pressure. But you're gonna tell us everything."

You nod, relieved by the sincerity in her voice. "I know. I’m just... trying to figure things out. It's a lot to process."

Mei, noticing the seriousness in your voice, softens a bit, her teasing tone giving way to something more understanding. "It's okay to take your time. You're not in any rush!" She gives a playful nudge to your shoulder. "And we’re here for the ride, no matter what. Satoru's a good guy, you know. He’s been pretty obvious about how he feels."

Your face scrunches in thought. "Huh? I don't even really know how he feels," you add.

The girls exchange glances. Mei shifts a little closer, her voice softer now. "What do you mean? He's obvious, right? He's always with you, talking to you, about you. He's all over you, really."

You sigh, leaning back against the couch. "I know, but sometimes I wonder if it's just his... well, Satoru energy, you know? He's always like that - so confident, always playing around, acting like it’s no big deal." You fidget with your sleeve, unsure of how to put your thoughts into words. "I guess I just don't want to make anything weird between us. He's been so great, but-"

"Wait, you think Satoru doesn't know how he feels?" Utahime interrupts, arching an eyebrow. "Girl, he definitely knows. And so do you. Don't act like you're not into him. You wouldn’t be this shy about it if you weren’t."

You bite your lip, trying to suppress a smile. "I’m not shy," you mumble, but the way your heart skips a beat whenever you think about him says otherwise. "Okay, maybe I’ve been overthinking it. I just don’t want to mess it up, okay? After Ino...."

"I get it. After everything with Ino, it’s normal to be cautious. You don’t want to rush into anything or get hurt again." Shoko's voice is laced with understanding.

Utahime leans in, her tone more serious than usual. "That's why you’ve got us, right? We’ve got your back, no matter what. You can take your time with Satoru or anyone. Don’t let the past dictate what happens now. We’re all learning, growing, figuring things out as we go."

You smile, touched by her words. "Thanks, guys. I really needed to hear that."

Shoko gives you a gentle nudge. "And remember, Satoru’s not going to pressure you into anything. He’s been patient, so he knows what’s up. He’s got your back, too, you know."

A warm feeling spreads in your chest at the thought of Satoru. "Yeah, he does. I just... I don’t know what to do with all these feelings sometimes."

Mei, with her usual mischievous grin, teases, "Well, at least you're not trying to hide them anymore. That's a step, right?"

There’s a comfortable pause as the girls nod in agreement. Mei, ever the one to break the tension, grins mischievously. "And, just remember, when you’re ready to make it official, we expect an invite to the celebration dinner."

You roll your eyes, trying to suppress your laughter. "If that ever happens, I’ll be sure to let you know."

Utahime smirks, her arms still crossed. "Oh, it’ll happen. We all know it’s only a matter of time before you two become official. You can’t hide that kind of chemistry forever."

"Now, let’s get some rest," Shoko insists. "You have an eight A.M. class."

"Ugh, don't remind me," you say as you drag a hand across your face. "But fine. Night everyone!"

With one last laugh, you head to your room, feeling a little lighter than you did earlier. You felt genuine joy today, and you're glad you pushed yourself to go out. You missed your friends. They really lift you up.

As you make your way to your room, the weight of the day starts to settle in, but it's a comfortable kind of exhaustion. The laughter and teasing from your friends linger in your mind, a warm reminder of how lucky you are to have them by your side. It's easy to forget how much they've become a part of your life in such a short time, but tonight, it feels like everything has fallen into place.

You close the door behind you and shed your clothes, slipping into something more comfortable. You sit on your bed for a moment, taking a deep breath and letting the silence wash over you. Your thoughts drift back to Satoru, his smile, the way he looked at you tonight, the challenge in his eyes, the softness of his touch. It’s easy to get lost in the warmth of those moments, but you push the thoughts aside for now.

You know you need to rest—class comes too quickly in the morning. But before you settle in, you pull out your phone, letting your fingers hover over Satoru's contact name for a moment. There's a hesitation, an uncertainty. What if you're reading too much into it? What if he's just being his usual self?

The thought nags at you, but you decide to send him a message anyway.

A notification of a text from Satoru tells you he beat you to it.

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hi everyone :3

this was a challenge to write. I thought it was going to go a very different way but then my fingers typed this... sigh anyway

i hope everyone likes it, because ive been trying to weave in yn's connections and relationships with other character than just gojo, like choso too! i feel like it adds a depth that is hard to find with focusing on just one relationship. just wondering (if anyone wants to respond to this or even reads it lol) if you guys would prefer me to just stick to gojo or find the shoko conversation boring or unnecessary?? lmk pls!! i wanna make this as enjoyable to read as it is to write!!!!

guys we haven't even reached the most dramatic part... that's a few chapters away. but i wanted to thank everyone for all the love i've been receiving lately <3 it makes my heart so warm. I've been feeling really motivated lately and i'd have to credit a lot of that to everyone who supports me :))) just want everyone to know i really really do appreciate you and am so happy you are (hopefully) enjoying this series !! it's been a blast to write and I can't wait for you all to see what I have planned !!

i love you all <3 - c

[dunkledog]

another gabriel post

this is him around when he finished combat training. He was officially contracted around mid-1959, but spent six months in combat and field medicine training by choice. (Usually they give former civilian newbies a lot less than that, but he insisted for as long as they would let him. Procrastinators, am I right?) He started actually fighting in 1960. Oh, also for reference this is pre-medi gun. I think in this little world I mess with that won't be created until 5-8 years later. I have not decided.

didn't go so well.

1960 really wasn't his year, because not long after he settled into his first team, he witnessed his first respawn failure. I like to call it "The Incident." (Gets a little prose-y and descriptive beyond this point, so I'll add a cut to keep the post neat.)

[TW for graphic descriptions of body horror.]

[also just a little emetophobia warning.]

His team was wiped by the enemy; all got sent to respawn at around the same time. For reference, it was a full team of 12 counting Gabriel. The only reason he survived was because the RED soldier that had him cornered felt bad about killing doctors, and let him go. He ran back to the base in hopes that at least one of them was back by now. The shutter to respawn seemed to be stuck, but there was banging on the other side. Gabriel slid his fingers beneath the inch of it that was jammed open and pulled. What came out was not his teammates. You ever see the circus clown chymus from Mystery Flesh Pit National Park? The fusion experiments from Steven Universe? Sorta like both those things. Their bodies, or at this point body, was one but incompletely printed. They leaked fluids from partial veins, bled all over from every orifice. They struggled to support their weight even on all those limbs and lumbered for the team's only doctor, who at this point was still very alive and anything but well. Many hands came toward him, begging and pleading without any words to be helped. To be healed. I'm imagining the layout as like if you tried to make the body plan of a starfish, but with human spines and ribs as the armature. Ribs are fused together, and can't hold the organs in. I've tried to draw it before, but nothing looks quite like what I'm thinking. I'll get around to it one day. By the time Gabriel snapped out of the initial freeze response, they were basically on top of him and there wasn't much else he could do but scream his head off, apologize, and try to get the hands away. He might've drowned in the blood and vomit if that enemy soldier from earlier hadn't followed him and shot them off. The blast burst an exposed stomach and splashed Gabriel's leg with the acid. He still has trouble with the skin on his knee being tight.

In the aftermath, there was an armistice in the local area in case other units were affected. The eleven who suffered the failure had to have their corrupted 'profiles' deleted (as is typical with a disaster of this magnitude) and were officially lost forever. The body was dissected in a bi-faction investigation under the supervision of Hoch (RED) and Greybeard (BLU.) Which was... certainly something, to say the least. Greybeard wanted to keep it a BLU-only affair, but upper managements with more power than he insisted that Hoch be involved as the machine's other developer. Hoch also insisted to be involved.

Gabriel was interviewed about what he saw, which is likely a long tape of him sitting there, staring a thousand yards into the distance and saying nothing in response to various questions. Regardless, Greybeard decided to invite him to the dissection. Which, he actually attended, though he still couldn't say anything, and wasn't exactly... there. Greybeard wanted him there to make diagrams. Gabriel didn't go there to draw pictures for himself. He felt some responsibility to be there. For his teammates, as their former doctor. Out of guilt for being unable to help them. To appreciate their contribution to this... horrific branch of medicine. Maybe just for closure. To say goodbye. Or, to ensure himself that they were, in fact, dead.

Anyway he's just more haunted than he began with. So that's... cool. I guess.

[volo-thereforeiam]

I’m glad we agree that everyone should handle basic responsibilities and share the load so no one is stuck carrying more than their share. I don’t think you’re a misogynist, but the circles you engage with on Tumblr dot com might have left you misinformed.

I think you’re still in the “sexism hurts men too” mindset, but what’s overlooked is that men are largely uninterested in abolishing gender roles because they still benefit from them. Sure, some men might face criticism for not fitting masculine norms, but they’re in the minority. Even these men still benefit from the expected labour of women around them.

If sexism truly harmed men as much as they claim, they’d be at the forefront of fighting it. The reality is, men as a group are willing to endure minor disadvantages because the benefits far outweigh them. If feminism succeeded in securing full equality for women, men’s lives would be harder than they are under patriarchy—because patriarchy eases men’s lives by putting women in subordinate, service-based roles. This is the dynamic of any oppressive system: the oppressors’ life becomes harder when the oppressed are freed, but that doesn’t make it unjust. No group should suffer under a system just to improve the standard of living for another.

The idea of feminism as a movement focused on equality is, as I mentioned, a postmodern rebranding. This framing is mostly pushed by Western progressives who aren’t even feminists themselves. Outside the West and its peripheral regions, feminism is fundamentally about female liberation. In most parts of the world, when people talk about feminism, it’s understood as a movement prioritising women.

"I'm not expecting any help from them nor expecting them to focus on both sides since not all social movements have to focus on all aspects of all groups, just to clarify"

But you do, and again I don't blame you since you are misinformed about what feminism is. It didn’t take much scrolling to find your reblog expressing disappointment that feminists don’t recognise male victims. But they do—far more than MRAs ever do. And while I’ll reiterate that feminism isn’t obligated to address men’s issues, it's actually already done so. Here are a few examples off the top of my head:

Fighting toxic masculinity and advocating for fathers’ rights in child custody cases, recognising that fathers are equally capable of raising children. (However, most custody decisions happen outside court, where both parents often decide children are better off with the mother.)

Classical feminism’s push for workplace safety (stemming from home economics principles) laid the groundwork for OSHA, reduced workplace deaths (which overwhelmingly affect men), and established the 40-hour workweek to combat exploitative practices like Communist China’s 996 workhour culture.

Legal recognition of rape and sexual assault as serious crimes, which protects male victims as well. (You could argue that they are not as supported as female victims but male victims had it even worse before this legal recognition. Even then, it's not women's fault. The fault is in the patriarchy that refuse to accept that men's biggest issue is violence—to self and to others.)

Improved identification of domestic violence and the creation of DV resources. While many started as grassroots efforts for female victims, many are now unisex, and even those that aren’t will direct male victims to appropriate resources.

Feminists overwhelmingly support the abolition of the draft.

When I say "men deserve something better than the current manosphere as a support system," I mean a movement that helps them see that, systematically, most of their problems don’t stem from women. A movement that encourages men to accept that achieving true equality means giving up the unearned privileges they hold as a group. A movement that isn’t so outdated and rigid that it crushes the spirits of men who already feel like failures for not fitting into traditional ideas of masculinity. What men don’t need is a movement that coddles their mistakes and blames women with myths like "hypergamy" or laziness.

Sorry for the long reblog I'm a certified professional yapper. If you're too lazy to read I won't be offended.

Some men expecting women/feminists to be the ones to advocate for "men's mental health" is so crazy to me because THEY'RE the reason mens' mental health is so awful😭 men are literally each others worst enemies yet for some reason we have to be the ones to advocate for them

[ironworked]

So, my theory about the Bucktommy breakup (the tldr is: maybe they're fucking up around to find out):

Minear gets the go-ahead for Bi Buck but he knows the audience might not approve of that, on top of the usual issues with previous relationships (hard to write/sell to the audience). He wants to give the relationship a chance to get off the ground so he tries to avoid past mistakes with LIs etc, but also 'prepares for the worst' (initial run of 4 episodes).

Then they get whatever numbers that tell them the audience was fine (steady ratings? internal research?), they get good press, so they keep on going: contract extended; LFJ is on the 7.09 bts and the s7 thank you video, and it's him and OS paired up to promote the finale on Access Hollywood.

So now it's s8 prep time and Minear has this relationship that's going fine when they'd started it thinking it would probably have a close expiration date. Fandom/media wise, it's still all stuck on Bvddie (as far as they can see, I figure).

But there isn't an offscreen breakup.

As far as we've been told, going into s8 they were still unsure, and LFJ seemed more surprised about the timing than anything.

So.

It could be that they pushed things they couldn't wrap to s8a and this was one, but... at the end of s7 they added more Bucktommy and it was positive, so I don't think that's the case for this storyline.

My thinking is then, that since a breakup was always in the cards, they decided to go ahead with it now and the way they did it because, say...:

for plot reasons they want Buck to go through it

they can test audience/fan 'attachment' to the relationship via reactions to this

they don't have to settle now on exactly when they'd want LFJ in s8b (which he might have needed to know for his other projects)

gives them extra time before Buck is settled in a relationship (this could buy them like, a season)

they might be waiting to see if they're cancelled or renewed before making certain choices

Know what I mean? basically that they didn't have a plan and so they decided to go for what provided immediate drama as well as some info about the audience's feelings wrt to it.

[I hope I didn't make many mistakes with this. Anyway, Abby's breakup appears 3 times bc it had 'aftershocks']

You see how Natalia is an outlier, but the rest follow a similar pattern (the relationships served a purpose and ended when it was time to close arcs for the season). But Tommy... it could've ended offscreen or right before this hiatus, or before that timeskip or whatever that's supposedly coming and has them in different places. But it was there in 8.06 and they used the following eps before the hiatus to show Buck mourning the relationship...

Maybe, just maybe, they're testing the end similarly to how they tested their beginning.

I'm not saying this is absolutely right, or even that all these things mean something (or that it must mean this). Just that it's an option.

[itz-pandora]

There's only one person I truly hate with all my being

[uncanny-tranny]

Hi! would you by any chance have tips on how to get a binder when your parents refuse to buy you one? ☹️

That's definitely a sensitive and complex answer, and while I might not know of the best option for your unique situation, there are some ways you can go about this.

If it's a foregone conclusion that you cannot convince them of this, what I used to do is DIY my binder. The ways I primarily did this were:

Option One: Wearing a camisole that was one size smaller than I actually was (so, wearing a small instead of a medium, for instance), then folding it up over my chest. As a disclaimer, this may only work well if you are smaller in the chest

Option Two: Layering two sports bras in my size over each other. Some of the DIY tips I found before I got a traditional binder advised to wear one sports bra in your size, then wear another sports bra backwards in a size smaller. I would advise against this for potential safety reasons, but also because (at least personally), it can be ineffective and a waste of resources.

Some people have also had friends or other family members order their binder for them, but this can be risky, depending on your situation. While I don't know the ins and outs of your specific circumstances, risk management is important to me, so I would recommend this if it is a risk that is acceptable to make.

I understand what it's like to not have access to this resource, so what I will do is advise you against:

Binding with ace bandages (I did this before (multiple times, in fact, because of dysphoria), and believe me, not only did it hurt like hell, but it constricted my body so heavily that I may have done long-term harm)

Wearing a DIY binder (or any kind, for that matter) for longer than your body can handle

Doing DIY in such a way that even mimics binding with ace bandages. This means that your binder shouldn't constrict your ribs, breathing, or range of movement

Here are some general good practices that you should use to guide you for any type of binding, whether traditional or DIY:

When you start binding, only do so in very short sessions to begin with. While binding shouldn't outright hurt, it can be a weird transition while your body is getting used to that new sensation

Minimize heavy lifting or exercise while binding. If it is unavoidable, drink plenty of water and take plenty of breaks

Stretch after binding

Don't bind while sick or have inflammation in your lungs or chest

If you DIY, treat your binder like it is a traditional binder. Don't make the mistake of assuming you don't need to listen to your body because you aren't using a "traditional" binding method

Ultimately, listen to your body. If it is telling you that it needs a break, honour that. Your body isn't punishing you, it is trying to keep you (and it) safe, even if it doesn't feel like it

In the end, this isn't perfect. Sometimes, parents do come around, even in their own ways, even if little by little, they come around. When I first came out officially around 2016, I was convinced that my transition would be completely forbade by my family; I concealed a lot of it in the worst instances of this. However, now, I think most of my family has come through their own journey with the understanding of the reality of what and who I am. I tell you this, anon, because I want you to know that this, too , shall pass. You can make it. I know this might be devastating to you, and believe me, I know what that's like. But it won't be forever. These bridges aren't burnt forever, and I hope you can find your happiness and contentment wherever it may be.

[xiii-e]

//ooc posting: I NEED to find more fun/silly things to do with my two they are Not meant to be all agony all the time I swear- I just have a penchant for the dramatic and they're a little in the torment nexus o(-< but on god they will Have Fun too

[ourstochoose9]

"Write the story you want to read" is all well and good until you realize that you have no idea how to write people in romantic relationships