#I used to explode at people over the tiniest of things

[rancidarling]

I love when people are like "oh noes you can't hold in all your anger/emotions bc eventually it'll build up and explode :("

and I've just been doing exactly that for the last 5+ years and it's going perfectly, smh you're all just weak I'm built different I'm not gonna explode <3

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

am i the asshole for yelling at my dad?

🚗 to identify

TRIGGER WARNING: somewhat stalking, anger issues, mentions of violence, mentions of threats. stay safe guys.

just to provide some background, i (14n) am a bit of an unregulated crier. the tiniest things (like what happened today) make me start bawling. i'm trying to work on it since my mom (47f) says it's me being a bit dramatic. on the other hand, my father (48m) has some problems when it comes to getting frustrated. the place where i live can have a lot of traffic and road rage incidents so this isn't too uncommon for me to experience. i just never reacted quite like this before.

anyways, what happened was my dad had just picked me up from school. i had just had a very long day (school hours are from 7:30-2:30, i stayed until 5 for additional extra curriculars) and was letting him know about my day. we were talking, he was driving a bit slow, and everything was kinda okay. but when we got to this intersection, someone turned in front of him, cutting him off. i could tell the random driver was in a bit of a rush, so it wasn't really that upsetting to me. but my dad got really angry, flipping them off and honking loudly, as well as rolling down the window to give them a few choice words.

i told him to calm down, and he kind of did, saying to me a couple of curse words about that driver but i ignored him. but as we kept driving he seemed to get more frustrated. eventually, someone else cut him off and he completely lost it, screaming and honking and cursing really loudly. again, i told him to calm down, it wasn't really a big deal. but he wouldn't stop.

he continued to get mad about that driver, saying he was going to speed up and catch up to them to give them a piece of his mind. he ran a red light just to do so (he later told me it wasn't that important since its one of those tiny lights by little gated communities and no one was in the road). eventually when he caught up, he followed them for a while, and noticed them turning into our neighborhood.

he got weirdly fixated from then on, going in circles around our neighborhood to see where the car went. he kept making comments, saying that the driver was screwed because "he'd know where they live", and that "they were going to regret it".

i got scared, because i know sometimes when he gets into one of these moments he won't be sensical. there have been several moments before where i've begged him to just let things go because they (to me at least) aren't a big deal. he's repeatedly made threats in our house to the neighbors (he doesn't like their fireworks) and has mentioned specifically how he planned on getting a gun and sh00ting them. so i might've gotten a bit scared.

i told him to stop, and i told him he wouldn't find them because i saw them park. immediately he turned on me, demanding to know where they went. i got scared again but didn't say anything. he got really pushy and so i took my phone out and called my mom.

my mom (47f) is one of the only people my dad listens to. after calling her twice, she picks up the phone. it's hectic because he's still circling the neighborhood, and im trying to tell her that he's trying to chase someone to their house and she has to tell him to stop and to take us home.

she does tell him that, and he relents. we take a turn back to our house but that's when he sees the other driver's car. and that's when all shit goes down. because he starts laughing and saying they'll get what they deserve, and that they'll regret it, and he memorizes their fucking address.

i tell him to stop, to just ignore it (for the fiftieth time) but he ignores me. i just explode, yelling at him and telling him not everything is a personal slight against him, and not everything requires such an extreme response. i tell him he gets upset over minor things, and he doesn't have to be like that.

he just replies that he isn't the one upset, and that i'm the one yelling at him. i cry.

so tumblr, am i the asshole? it's none of my business what my parents do and i could've told him nicely to let it go. and my fears were based on assumptions of prior comments i didn't have the full context of. i really hope i did the right thing but it bothers me i stooped to his level by getting upset.

What are these acronyms?

[lueurjun]

costars to lovers — beomgyu.

in which beomgyu is a world renowned actor who harbours a little crush on the gorgeous costar, who also turns out to be his love interest. how interesting. lovesick actor!beomgyu x whipped actor reader! — brain fog turned into this :/. requests are open if u want something specific<3 thank u for the support!

CHILD ACTOR BEOMGYU TURNED HEARTTHROB

because who’s heart wouldn’t throb for him?

this generations leo ;) ❪ but a less of a creep ❫

known for being rowdy and wild but the second the cameras are rolling this boy IS IN CHARACTER

talk about professional

why’s that hot tho? someone revoke my simp privileges the bar is in the ground

he’s the wild golden boy that has the world wrapped around his finger

enter you

gosh.

good golly

the people’s prince/princess/royalty whatever u wanna go with bby

i see you having the same hype as zendaya

bc why wouldn’t you? LOOK. AT. YOU! you have it all

save some perfection for the rest of us bae

when people heard that THE y/n y/l/n and THE choi beomgyu were going to be sharing the same screen

PEOPLE DIED!

not literally but i’m sure someone went into cardiac arrest

it was me

because this was HUGE!! two of the biggest young stars at the moment on one screen???

set to be the next big thing purely just because of you two

not even exaggerating twitter crashed

and when they found out you were playing love interests?

oof. the internet damn near exploded

and when the two of you met??

leaked pictures of the two of you EVERYWHERE

every single person in the area was absolutely astounded

because?? choi beomgyu?? was speechless??

YOU HAD BROKEN THE UNBREAKABLE

i c o n i c

he couldn’t form a sentence

obviously he knew what you looked like and he knew you were beyond attractive

but there was something different about you in person?

you aura, just everything about you stood out to him and it left him completely tongue tied

BREATHLESS EVEN

and you’re no better because you’re sure your mouth dried up the moment he cracked a smile

absolute simps

love at first sight vibes

STOP THATS SO CUTE SORRY

lingering glances and shared shy giggles

SHARED SHY GIGGLES

like one of you cracks a joke to ease the tension and you both just erupt into a fit of laughter together

and no one else is laughing?? just you two?? in your own little moment

as the filming days roll along and the two of you grow more comfortable

beomgyu is more laid back and you get to see the real side of him

but not the one the media sees like yes he’s rowdy and wild but he’s also?? quite sensitive and tender

you learn so much about him that others would never even dream of knowing and he’s the same with you

he knows the tiniest mundane details about you

but to him they’re the most interesting??

like he loves knowing what your favourite beverage is?

and he’s fascinated by the design on your duvet at home because he knows your blanket brings you comfort

it’s the small things that no one else would even care about

but he does and you love that!! because finally someone wants to know you as a person not just as an entertainer

he enjoys the fact that you’re not afraid to act all weird with him on set

and he’s comforted by how comfortable you are with him??

it’s a dynamic neither of you have experienced before and though new can be scary, it’s also really nice because you just get each other

i just wanna smoosh both of your pretty faces together!! so goddamn cute! so cute! it’s all just soooo cute! gosh!

come here. bring it in. i need to hug the hell out of you both for being so damn cute

before long the staff are starting to place bets on how long it will take before one of you falls

your hairstylist bets you

what a traitor

but your director — who has worked with beomgyu on a number of occasions — knows that it’s gonna be him

because he’s never seen beomgyu so smitten

and he believes that beomgyu has already realized his feelings

over the course of filming the two of you hang out off set

beomgyu keeps up his ‘rowdy’ image and attends countless parties

but he’s never arriving nor leaving with a random person on his arm

instead, he’s arriving and leaving with the same person everytime

oh em gee? can you guess who?

you!!

stopped countless times by paparazzi who have no regard for personal space or privacy

and you both insist you’re just friends

but there’s something about the way beomgyu holds you by the waist or keeps his hand on your lower back everytime

that has them questioning whether there’s something more there

and to be honest

so are you

because choi beomgyu is so confusing

you don’t deserve that. i reckon u should come to me instead;)

you know he’s naturally flirty but the way he flirts with you is different to how he flirts with other people

romcom player core

he’s never explicitly said he likes you or anything

but he goes out of his way to compliment even the smallest things about you

makes an extra effort to open doors and pull out your chairs for you

even his friends are surprised by his behaviour

but low-key don’t blame him because you’re y/n y/l/n and they would be the same

beomgyu is a very hard person to read so you can’t tell whether he’s doing this because he likes you

or whether he’s just trying to gain even more hype for the film

the mixed signals are KILLING YOU

but you keep your mouth shut because making things awkward is the last thing you wanna do

nah i say go off on him! i’ll even stand behind you and hand you toilet rolls as a weapon! LETS GET HIM

instead you decide to distance yourself just a little

you couldn’t do a whole lot considering you worked with the boy

but you decided to limit how much you hang out with him in your personal time

which soon comes apparent to you both that you spent pretty much every second together

and neither of you liked the sudden space

poor beomgyu is lost because why are you so busy all of a sudden?

you’ve had at least four dental appointments in the last week

bae you act for a living and you can’t even make up a good lie?

sorry that was judgemental ily but still HOW ARE YOU SO BAD AT LYING?

anyways after your fifth dental appointment and nineteenth doctors visit, beomgyu is starting to get a sneaking suspicion that you’re avoiding him

nooo? really?? who would’ve guessed?

he’s a lil slow

since you’re all booked and busy, he decides to confront you at work

legitimately barges into your trailer and slams the door shut

staff members walking by are like 0>0 side eyeing each other bc they live for the gossip

it’s me. i’m staff members :P

you’re in shock because why is bro literally standing like a troll in your trailer?

troll gyu lowkey hot

absolutely kidding :D

breathing like he just ran a marathon

though you take a sec to notice the muscle tee he’s wearing and how it clings to him in all the right places

proof or it didn’t happen

“are you-“

“why are you avoiding me?”

he’s so blunt with it but you don’t expect anything less from beomgyu

“i’m not?”

why u always lyin?

“yes you are. talk to me!”

“i am talking to you. this is a conversation, is it not?”

smart ass

truth be told you’re embarrassed

and the fact that beomgyu looks quite upset is only making it worse

nah i’d evaporate if i ever made him sad

“no one visits any medical professional that much in two weeks. i’m starting to believe that you didn’t even shrink your bones now.”

so he believed you miraculously shrank your bones but not that you would have to visit a medical professional frequently?

yeah cos that makes so much sense

how beomgyu of him

“fine. i’ve been lying to you.”

nah. fr? nah cos i thought you really shrank your bones

“why?”

he sounds so disappointed and it actually hurts your soul

what makes things worse is that he grabs your hand and peers at you through big puppy dog eyes

“did i upset you?”

instant guilt

“no-no. not really. it’s—it’s more me than you? like—”

you’re well aware that none of what you just said made sense

and beomgyu is also confused now and you just sigh in defeat

me every three minutes after writing a sentence that makes no sense :(

“i don’t know how to say it.”

“then say words and i’ll put them together.”

instantly swooning

literally does not help your case because now you’re blushing

he literally didn’t even do anything but it’s the way he said it

the chokehold this man has on you—

“like—okay fine. i guess i feel like you’ve been kinda giving me mixed signals and i just didn’t wanna get hurt…”

cocks his head to the side like a little puppy

“mixed signals?”

you just nod and fiddle with your hands which are still being held by him as you wait for his brutal rejection

“i’m sorry? i didn’t mean to…”

you: *sniffs about to break down* nah it’s good, i literally don’t even care about you

he squeezes your hands tighter and takes a step forward

which sends your heartbeat wild because you did not prepare for him to enter your square of personal space

“i’ve never been the best with words so i usually try and show how i feel through actions, and i guess that was my first mistake. i didn’t mean to confuse you, i actually really like you and just assumed by being affectionate and such, it would become clear.”

:O

quick everyone act shocked

he’s very close now

and the only thing you can focus on is whether your breath stinks or not

he’s not dry heaving yet so you assume you’re good

“oh.”

you’re a person of many words, i see

in true beomgyu fashion, he takes another step closer with a gleaming smile

“so…what do you say we practice that kissing scene a little early?”

wot 🧍‍♀️

you literally shut down

did he just ask to kiss you???

“in like a friendly way like two actors practising for a scene or a—”

beomgyu doesn’t let you finish before he cups your cheeks and presses a kiss to your lips

butterflies.

fireworks.

his lips are so soft and suddenly, you never want to experience the feeling of not knowing what it’s like to kiss him

though you’re still a tad confused

sweet little oblivious dumbass<3

“so was that a practice or—“

beomgyu can’t help but laugh at you

because you’re the cutest thing he’s ever seen

needless to say, you had many more ‘practice’ kisses after that

and when news broke of your relationship?

the world exploded.

running off four hours sleep ready to plan your wedding rn

yes i’m using my lack of sleep to blame if this was bad :D

[privaterecording1clips]

I have been away since the MCC, and I haven't been really posting things or keeping up with the group activity. Imagine my fucking reaction when I wake up on a Sunday morning to Discord exploding over night.

I have some conflicting emotions towards CCs talking so openly about fanfics. Part of me is glad that they acknowledge our existence, like I know a few of them are here, and even seen my own posts, like OMG MY STREAMERS KNOW I EXIST. And fanfics, it's huge! It's a step up from liveblogging and headcanon posts, it's a fanart in its spirit, but painted with words, and similarly poured the author's soul into.

But there's like that thing with...prejudice? I've seen people mention fanfiction in Chilled's streams before, and in yt as well, and there were not exactly positive opinions. I know they were talking about there being very few smut works, but it feels like they were bringing them up the most, and it's just frustrating to not be understood in the right way. After all, everything we do here, and everything we write on Ao3 is us expressing our love and support in the ways we can, none of us have any malicious thought or want to be hurtful and spread hatred or smth.

Do you think there's a world where they could speak of Tumblr/Ao3 part of their community from a bit of a different angle? Do you think that fanfiction should be acknowledged and spoken about more?

(Also, I know it's stupid, but I feel just the tiniest bit salty. I wrote good stuff, why won't they talk about me too?!)

Yeah, I have very conflicting emotions about it too. (Mostly I feel betrayed by whoever was linking Platy fics LMAO)

Tumblr and Ao3 get a bad rap for being “cringe” I guess. Personally I think that they are the only places left on the internet that are well-known and not too corrupted by capitalism and algorithms (especially Ao3 my beloved). But I really don’t give a shit - I hate cringe culture with a passion.

But yeah. It’s the whole thing of like. You can’t post works on the internet and expect people (especially the streamers themselves) to just not see it? Because it’s out in the public. They have every right to view it.

But, I’d personally rather my fics NOT be spoken about on a livestream, in front of thousands of people. That’s just my preference, because honestly the reason I post fics at all is this is a very small fandom, and they won’t blow up or be noticed and judged by multitudes of people. I’m far more comfortable with a small audience, and I would not want my fics to be mentioned on stream where lots of people (far too many for my liking) may go looking for them. (This is why I post more about PR1 than mcyt, even tho I love both equally).

But i think if the streamers are fine with fanfic being posted, I see no reason for people to hate on fanfic??? In fact, I see no reason for people to hate it at all? You can inform someone that a creator is uncomfortable with fanfic/certain types of fanworks and ask them to take it down without being a hater. Decency is not difficult, and when you’re in a fandom that is not against fanfic and stuff I don’t see why you’d ever waste your energy hating on something that literally doesn’t effect you?

It’s the same thing with any type of hate comment. If there’s no reason to be upset by something other than the fact that You Don’t Like It, take some preschool advice and walk away. It doesn’t concern you. (Btw Tasha, I don’t mean you specifically, I mean the Royal You!!! Sorry if this was confusing I just realised lmao)

Sorry for getting pretty serious, but I am just quite upset by people who discourage artists when they haven’t done anything wrong.

That said, if a creator has expressed a desire to not have fanworks made of them, then I implore you to respect their boundaries. It’s just the kind thing to do.

[callsign-bunnie]

For MJ

Gaz x Alex

Vampier hunter Gaz, trained under Legendary vampier hunter Price, killing one vampire is usually a walk in the park for him, but vampier Alex is different.

Vampier Alex never had a problem killing a hunter, but this one just smells delicious and his blood is the best blood he drank in this century.

There is blood play and lots of biting

I’m always excited when I get one of your requests! -MJ It's true, she wouldn't shut up about it.

--

Alex had been fighting Gaz for a while. He should have done the right thing and ended it already, but this hunter just smelled so nice. They had been playing a game, with the hunter trying to stab him or even get a hit in and Alex tossing him back. Gaz was getting tired from it, getting sloppy and a bit slow. 

Alex had managed to scratch Gaz earlier and the blood was still on his hands. Slowly, watching Gaz carefully, he dragged his tongue along his hand. The taste almost immediately took him out. It exploded on his tongue and he knew immediately that there was no world where Gaz got away from him unbitten. He knew it would taste so much better from an actual artery. The one in his neck was a classic, but the femoral artery, the one on the inside of the thigh, would be better. 

Gaz took advantage of the distraction, trying to get a hit in, but Alex was experienced. He grabbed him and dragged him into the rafters, the thin beams creaking under their weight. Alex yanked him up, pinning his wrists above his head so he couldn’t strike out. 

“Let go of me.” Gaz hissed at him, but considering he was dangling a couple feet off the ground with only Alex keeping him up, he really should rethink that. 

Alex hadn’t gotten as far as he did by being stupid, so he patted Gaz down, dropping anything that could be of use on the ground. Stakes, holy water, crosses, though they burned his fingers. Gaz took a deep breath to steady himself, clearly scared.

Alex dragged his tongue along the cut on Gaz’s cheek, letting out a small groan. The hunter tried to kick him so he readjusted, his hips between Gaz’s legs so they couldn’t reach anything, pressing him into one of the beams so he had leverage. He kissed at his pulse point, feeling how fast it was and with his free hand, he grabbed Gaz’s hair and forcibly tilted his head. His fangs extended, dripping with venom. 

Gaz whimpered, just the tiniest bit

Alex felt his cock jump in his pants.

Gaz looked down to where they were pressed tightly together as Alex blushed.

“Sorry. You’re pretty cute.”

Gaz flushed and put a pause on the escaping thing, staring at Alex. “Shame you’re going to kill me then.”

“Kill you? No. There’s no fun in that.” Alex slid his tongue over his pulse again, feeling the vein before slowly sinking his teeth in. He didn’t want much, planning to get Gaz out of these pesky clothes and find much better places to drink from later. 

Gaz moaned softly and Alex felt his hips press closer. Did all the fighting effect him too?

He removed his teeth and mouthed over the wound, moaning softly. Gaz did taste even better like this. Like foods Alex forgotten existed. Drinks he shared with friends long dead. 

“I see why people… enjoy this…” Gaz panted softly, pressing against Alex. His hips rolled against Alex who pulled away slowly. He stared at Gaz who flushed and looked shy. “Is this normal? What I’m feeling?” His mouth slightly open and his arms still held high above his head, he made a gorgeous portrait. 

Alex felt himself start to flush. This was not good. He should stop. Put Gaz on the ground and leave. His ma had raised a gentleman.

“Course it is. Not every vampire likes scared prey. Used a little venom to make it feel nicer.” He could feel how hard Gaz was, his legs having slowly wrapped their way around Alex instead of just hanging limply. “Do you feel drunk? Or high?” He didn’t think he dosed him with that much, but he wanted to make sure.

“No.” Gaz swallowed and Alex nodded, kissing where he had bit him, smearing his mouth with blood before kissing Gaz. 

“I think I found something very, very fun we can do.” He yanked off Gaz’s shirt, tearing it as the seams. Gaz tried to push against his grip again, but he still wasn’t able to get anywhere, helpless against Alex. Next came his pants, Alex tried his best to get them off correctly, but the moment he hit a snag, he tore them like tissue paper, admiring Gaz’s body. He dropped Gaz’s hands, only to pull him to the floor, grabbing his legs and kissing along his inner thighs. 

For a brief moment, Gaz hit his shoulders before sinking his fingers into his hair and whimpering when Alex ran his fangs gently along his thigh. He palmed Gaz through his boxers as he sucked a hickey into one of his thighs, Blood smeared almost everywhere he went, starting to bead up where he had ran his fangs. He licked over the area desperately, wanting to drown in the taste.

Gaz’s hips started to buck up, already twisted so tight just from his hand. Alex pulled it away and sank his teeth deep into him. He didn’t sugarcoat this one, letting Gaz feel the pain with the pleasure. 

Gaz let out a scream that had Alex struggling not to fuck him just like that. He held his hips down, expecting a struggle but Gaz pushed himself closer, offering himself to him.

“Oh god…” Alex felt the flash of pain immediately and slapped Gaz’s ass hard. 

“Alex. If you need to say something like that, use my name. Alex.” 

Gaz nodded, head thrown back. “Alex…” It sounded like just as much of a prayer as it did before. 

Alex bit along his hip, along the curve of his v-line. Not enough to feed, just enough to leave marks. He’d have to make sure no other vampires got to him. No one else got a taste. He shoved two of his fingers into Gaz’s mouth, needing them slick. He almost gagged him with them, his tongue darting out to lick at some of the blood on him. 

Gaz’s boxers joined the rest of the destroyed fabric while Gaz slicked up the fingers. Alex was going to have to get a camera specifically for him.

When they were slick enough, he pulled them away and pushed both of them into him, enjoying Gaz’s barely stifled screams. He worked him open, trailing his hand on the still bleeding bite on his thigh and dripping it over Gaz’s chest. He licked it off of him, watching Gaz’s expression as it fought between embarrassment, pain and a blissed out pleasure most of Alex’s victims felt. 

“Alex…” Gaz pleaded, pressing his hips up back against his fingers. “What are you going to do to me?”

Alex groaned softly and kissed him, tongue running its way along Gaz’s teeth. He finally pushed his pants down, just enough to get his cock out of his pants. Lifting Gaz’s uninjured leg so his ankle was hooked over his shoulder, he started to push in. Despite the want to be brutal, he didn’t want to hurt Gaz. Well… he wanted to hurt him a lot, just not like this. He kissed along his calf as he continued to push, ignoring the feeble resistance Gaz’s body gave.

Gaz himself was a moaning mess. He was fighting to keep his legs in the position Alex had put him in and one of his hands was pressed lightly against his stomach. 

“Never… ah… never done this before.” Gaz admitted. 

“Fucked a vampire?” Alex sounded just the tiniest bit smug. 

“Had sex with… anyone. Period.” Gaz tensed as Alex shoved the last inch in, turning away to hide his face as he whimpered. “It’s so much… Think you’re breaking me in half.’ 

Alex leaned down, recapturing his mouth. “You’re doing so well. I’m not hurting you too much am I?”

“No.” He sounded shaky. “It’s good, just don’t… don’t move yet.” Gaz whimpered, clenching around Alex and making him groan. Alex didn’t mind waiting, Gaz’s body was tight and hot and he was a patient man. Instead, he busied himself with biting more of Gaz, until his shoulders down to his chest were covered in a mix of bruising and cuts. Venom dripped into him, keeping him from feeling the worst of the pain but still very much lucid. 

Slowly, Gaz shifted against him, moaning sweetly. Alex slowly thrust into him, relieved when he moaned. Gaz buried his hands in Alex’s hair, pulling him for another bloody kiss. Alex scraped his nails down Gaz’s side, loving the little whimpers he got in return for it. 

“You can speed up a little.” Gaz mumbled against him, that shy quality coming back and Alex felt himself short circuit. He was so goddamn pretty and so willing. Alex slammed into him, the grip in his hair growing painful. He wanted to ruin Gaz. Make sure no one else would ever be as good. No one else would ever be him. 

Gaz held on tight and bit Alex’s shoulder, his nails digging into his back. Alex wished it cut him. Wished their blood would mix together until they were completely inseparable. He relented to just continuing to hold him, finding Gaz’s prostate and hammering into it. Gaz couldn’t muffle himself anymore, screaming over and over again, begging, pleading, overcome and overstimulated. 

Alex knew he’d never find someone like this ever again. He licked the blood from around Gaz’s mouth, partially dried but still one of the best goddamn things he ever tasted. 

Gaz came hard, shaking and holding on tight. Alex came in him almost immediately, enjoying the embarrassed look on Gaz’s face when he realized what he did. 

Gently, Alex pulled out before leaning in for another kiss. Next time, he’d be sure to bring silk rope. Maybe some toys. Anything he’d think Gaz would like. 

He pulled away and took of his over shirt. He put Gaz in it, smoothing it out carefully. 

“What are you doing?”

“Don’t want you to be indecent when help comes up.”

“You really aren’t going to kill me?” Gaz looked up at him, blood soaked and marked all over. So irrevocably Alex’s. 

“I’ll see you soon, darling.” He jumped down from the beams and found Gaz’s phone, giving it to him, like a gentleman of course, before leaving him to call Price. He did not envy the kid.

--

Hey, want to get added to a tag list for this ship or AU? Reply to this with "add me to the tag list for [ship/au]" and I will tag you in everything I post for whichever you choose. If you want to be added to a different tag list, send me an ask or dm.

[izdatazn]

S.U.I.T.S - Terran's Hidden War

TERRAN 3 - JONGBANG CASTLE INFILTRATION

After my one-day trip to the Siberian wilderness, I returned to school the following day as if it were just another ordinary day, although there was a slight twist. The only thing that altered in my mundane life was Viktor's decision to accompany me back to Japan. This hulking muscular Russian man loomed over me like a bodyguard, arousing weariness and suspicion among the people whenever I ventured into public spaces.

What's even stranger is that Viktor registered to attend my school immediately, despite the fact that the school year was ending in a couple of months. However, Viktor doesn't actually go to classes; instead, he lingers near the school gate or on top of the bell tower while wearing my school uniform. It's understandable for anyone to find such a big muscular foreign guy suspicious.

"Where did you find him?" Nanako asked, taking a bite from her bento box that she had brought from home.

"Russia," I replied between bites of my bread. "Or maybe in the Siberian wilderness."

It was Friday, January 28th, 2079. Nanako, Hideki, and I were having lunch on our favorite rooftop as we enjoyed our food.

"Did you adopt him?" Hideki inquired.

"I think he adopted me," I responded.

"I don't think it works that way, Kobayashi," Nanako chimed in.

"Well," I continued as I took another bite. "He declared before leaving Russia that he would follow me back home and hasn't left me alone since then."

"Like a Siberian husky," Nanako giggled. "Aww," she huffed playfully. "Cute."

"This will take some getting used to," I sighed, changing the subject. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Hideki. How are you feeling?"

"My little sister and anyone else don't seem to notice that I was gone for two weeks so it's okay, I guess," he answered.

"It's because SUITS offers a temporary solution for operatives who suddenly vanish for a mission or need time to recover," Nanako explained.

Curious, I probed further. "What exactly is this temporary solution?"

Nanako responded emphatically, "Cloning with impeccable precision." She stressed once more: "I mean absolute perfection." My skepticism showed on my face as she continued talking. "Yes, there have been instances when we were absent for days and replaced by clones. You never suspected anything, did you?" In response to her question, I nodded silently. She concluded with conviction: "There you have it – flawlessly executed down to the tiniest detail. Isn't that unsettling?"

"It certainly is," I replied, shrugging my shoulders. "What about your brother? I haven't seen Ren at school since he was discharged from the hospital."

"He's been hiding out in the bell tower," Nanako revealed. "I think he's become best friends with Viktor."

"Really?" I asked, curious. "Viktor didn't mention anything to me."

"Well, at least Ren has someone else to befriend instead of constantly following me around," Nanako remarked.

I witnessed a beam of light shooting out from the top of the Yokohama Marine Tower and ascending into the sky. It exploded brilliantly, spreading outwards and revealing a transparent wall-like layer above the city.

Hideki informed me, "What you're witnessing is SUITS conducting their monthly check-up on their illusory defense shields. As you can see, they are holding up quite well." He continued, "These orbital defense guns and illusionary defense towers are also positioned in other major cities worldwide. However, construction is gradually taking place in smaller cities and rural areas."

"There's a catch though," I interjected.

"Approximately 75% of Earth's surface is covered by water, so SUITS believe it's pointless to construct these defenses at sea," Hideki explained further. "They don't have enough funds to expand into maritime territories."

Curious about their construction process, I asked, "How are these structures built?"

Nanako replied, "Private multi-conglomerates, corporations, and various military sectors are involved in their construction."

"How did you come to know about this?" I questioned.

"You may have heard certain private names appearing on news sites like Xaba Pharmaceutical and Arcane Aviation and Motors," Nanako added. "These companies are actually owned by SUITS but disguise themselves as regular corporations to gather funds from the general public."

"Like money laundering?" I queried.

"Confirming along those lines," Hideki said. "SUITS secures investments from public corporations and military installations through these private companies. They create presentation rooms showcasing advanced technology behind everyday innovations during annual events attended by millionaire, billionaire, and trillionaire investors who contribute funds to SUITS' private corporations. In turn, we utilize this money for constructing massive defense guns."

"SUITS seems to have thought of everything," I sighed in disbelief. "The Organization is quite scary.” I took another bite of my bread as I broke the silence once again. "Is it strange that we discuss SUITS missions in public?" I asked.

"No one is around, so it's fine," Hideki replied. "We act casual until the others join us." Just then, Saki and Hina stepped onto the rooftop and joined our group. "Like right now."

Hina sighed contentedly. "I can feel the temperature getting warmer. It's almost spring." She sat next to Nanako and opened her bento box. "Do you mind sharing, Nanako?"

Saki joined Hideki and me near the railing as she stood between us. She looked directly at me and asked, "That big guy following you is unsettling to me. Why is he suddenly following you?"

I chuckled nervously as I took a bite of my food. "Honestly, I don't know."

Every time I step out of the elevator, I am always astounded by the immense size of SUITS' expansive atrium. As I make my way through the bustling officers and operatives going in various directions, I head towards a specific sector. It's still difficult to believe that these top-of-the-line facilities are hidden deep within the Earth's mantle.

Viktor followed closely behind me as we had a meeting scheduled at Daisuke's office. When I arrived, Kokoro, and Aikawa were already there.

"Are you here to join us, Aikawa?" I asked.

“Of course, I’m here to protect you,” he replied with a chuckle, extending his fist towards Viktor. “Big man!”

"I'll consider it," I said annoyedly.

"Slightly bigger man," Viktor laughed as he fist-bumped Aikawa.

Daisuke initiated the meeting, visibly exhausted. "Alright, everyone is here," he announced. Though the lights remained unchanged, he tossed thirteen cards into the air, suspending them in front of us. I observed as the two of clubs burst into flames and slowly disintegrated, while two other cards glowed red.

"Thanks to Kokoro extracting information from the deceased Annisa Hidayat's two of clubs card," Daisuke began, "we have learned the recent locations of the Four and Five of Clubs that she encountered." A hologram of Earth hovered above his desk as all but the Four and Five Club cards disappeared.

"You're seeing this correctly, Issei," Daisuke continued. "We are going after both the Four and Five." The faces appeared on each card as he spoke. "The Five of Clubs, Dominic Kaiser, is currently in Venezuela influencing the regional population as he recently became mayor of a local town. His objective is to secure a position as President and eventually expand Venezuela's borders by invading neighboring nations to establish a powerful single nation. You will receive more information about our source later."

Aikawa interjected with additional details. "The Four of Clubs, Imka Mlambo, is hiding deep within Jongbang Castle in North Korea. He believes his immunity lies in SUITS' absence within that country. My friend Lee Miyoung has been disrupting his operations in South Korea while awaiting our arrival."

"Since South Korea is nearby," Daisuke informed us, "your team will depart immediately after this meeting." Holding up Annisa Hidayat's head card for emphasis, he added: "With her demise came speculation that the Deck of Clubs may finally be revealing themselves to public eye."

Curious about how this conclusion was reached,I asked Daisuke: "How do you know that?"

"Words spread quickly when there's a shift in status quo," Daisuke explained while laying out remaining cards on the table. "Though subtle, if you look and listen closely, you'll notice these cards vibrating." He met my gaze. "Your mission is to disrupt the Deck of Clubs' operations on Earth while we gather information about the other decks."

Viktor and I trailed behind Aikawa and Kokoro as they led us to the atrium. Since South Korea is in close proximity to our country, Asuka had access to faster modes of transportation and didn't want to waste any time getting there. The sun was setting as we departed from our homeland.

Following them, we arrived at the Front Line Sector of the Facility which eventually brought us deeper into the facility's transportation sub-sector. It was yet another part of this vast underground complex that I hadn't seen before, and as always, I couldn't help but be amazed.

As we continued on, passing by SUIT engineers fixing various machines, I noticed two tubes positioned on both sides. We found ourselves in an empty station with no one else around. Suddenly, doors swiftly opened nearby and a transportation capsule came to a halt. Asuka and Kokoro wasted no time boarding it and taking up empty seats. I followed suit just a few seconds later.

An automated voice spoke up, saying, "Welcome. Where is your destination?"

"Seoul, South Korea," Kokoro replied.

"Destination: Seoul, South Korea. Estimated arrival time: 10 minutes."

Only 10 minutes? The doors closed and I hurriedly fastened my seatbelt. Glancing around the capsule, I realized that the walls were transparent - I could see outside but not inside. Then the capsule started moving swiftly without any perceptible sense of motion within it. It astounded me to discover such advanced technology concealed on Earth.

Kokoro chair swiveled, revealing a sphere that materialized beside her. She delicately extended her hand towards the sphere, causing it to activate. In the darkness of the ocean, I had failed to notice the transition due to the capsule's transparent and dark walls, but suddenly we found ourselves submerged in water. A navigation map instantaneously appeared on the screen, with a red blip hurtling towards Korea at an astonishing speed.

Responding swiftly, Kokoro adjusted the capsule's trajectory upward. We ascended steadily as I observed through the translucent walls that the surrounding water was gradually illuminating. Moments later, we broke through the surface of the ocean—yet our journey didn't cease there. Propelled by its momentum, our wingless capsule soared above land.

Once again, I marveled at this incredible technology.

"Will anyone witness this?" I inquired curiously.

"What do you mean?" Aikawa responded. "This capsule is practically invisible when moving at high speeds and equipped with a cloaking device. No one would be able to perceive it." It took a couple more minutes for us to arrive above the city of Seoul. Kokoro’s chair turned once again and the sphere disappeared. The doors on both sides slid open.

"Activate your cloaks," Kokoro instructed, pointing at the button on my shoulder. "While our transportation is advanced, we are not." Viktor activated his cloaking device as he jumped off the ride, followed by Aikawa and Kokoro.

The computer chimed in, "Thank you for riding with us today." I pressed the button on my shoulder, unfastened my seatbelt, and became invisible. "Please have a pleasant day." I hopped off the transportation and landed silently in an alleyway.

Five random stars suddenly appeared in front of my face, thanks to the SUITS wrist device. "Please rate our service," it prompted. I rated the service with five stars and the stars disappeared. "Thank you for rating. Please utilize SUITs transportation soon," a message followed as I watched a capsule zoom away from above us. Damn advertisements, always popping up at inconvenient times. Since there was no one in the alleyway, I pressed the button on my shoulder to uncloak.

"Took you long enough," a female voice remarked, catching me off guard. Instantly, I drew my pistol and firmly gripped it in my hand. "If I had intended to kill you, I would have already done so. Lower your weapon." With hesitation, I held onto pistol for a few moments before finally relenting and lowering it. A female figure materialized before me, pointing her pistol at my head.

"You see," she stated calmly, "I could have dealt with you as soon as you landed." She holstered her gun near her waistline while briefly allowing me to catch a glimpse of her appearance—her left eye blind and her right eye mechanical, unmoving.

“This is Asuka’s other contact in South Korea," Kokoro said, standing behind Aikawa's where others stood patiently waiting their turn in our narrow alleyway circle formation.

"For now," she continued without further pleasantries or introductions—and with an urgent tone—"we must move swiftly." She paused for emphasis before revealing her name: "I am Lee Miyoung."

It took us another hour to reach the 38th parallel, but before we could cross, Miyoung made the decision to take a break and lift our spirits with a homemade meal. Therefore, we entered Miyoung's temporary home near the 38th parallel. It turned out to be a small studio apartment. I settled at the dining table while Viktor collapsed onto the sofa and promptly fell asleep. I couldn't understand how he could doze off when Aikawa, Miyoung, and Kokoro were cooking up such an enticing aroma of food. I checked Imka’s and Miyoung’s dossier while I waited for the food to finish.

Imka Mambo was born in 1610 in the region of South Africa, which was formerly known as Portuguese Angola and is now present-day Angola. Little information is available about Imka's life; however, it is mentioned that he was drafted into the Portuguese army and participated in the Portuguese War of Independence against Spain. This decision was made because the country promised soldiers who took part in the war the opportunity to own land. Imka joined with hopes of obtaining land in present-day Angola, but tragically died from dysentery due to a lack of immunity to Europe's diseases. 

I switched my reading to Lee Miyoung dossier. Lee Miyoung, who was born in 1405 during the Joseon Era under the reign of King Sejong the Great, faced numerous challenges in her early life as a blind orphan. However, her fortunes changed when King Sejong expressed interest in adopting young Lee Miyoung to serve his wife, Queen Soheon. Growing up within the palace walls of Hanyang (present-day Seoul), it became evident to Sejong that despite her blindness - indicated by the scarf she always wore around her eyes - she would become a devoted protector for Queen Soheon.

This proved to be true when Lee Miyoung, a teenager at the time, fearlessly saved the Queen's life during a failed assassination attempt. King Sejong entrusted her with a mission to apprehend or eliminate the leader responsible using his prototype makeshift rifle. Remarkably, Lee Miyoung succeeded in capturing the leader and proved herself invaluable to both King Sejong and Queen Soheon. Her exceptional abilities were recognized, leading her to assist King Sejong during the day and serve Queen Soheon in the evening. She eventually earned nicknames such as 'The Ghost Sniper' from King Sejong and 'The Blind Protector' from Queen Soheon. Tragically, her life came to an end while protecting Queen Soheon during a nighttime raid.

"Kobayashi, how's the light reading going?" Miyoung inquired. "I hope you came across something interesting that happened in my life.”

"I have discovered through my research that you consistently protected King Sejong and Queen Soheon until their final moments, even though you disregarded SUITS' orders to stay out of human conflicts," I continued reading. "It appears that you have a deep affection for the King and Queen."

"They are like my precious family, and I am forever grateful to them, even in death," Miyoung replied. "My loyalty is dedicated solely to them."

"It also mentions that despite being blind, you were so captivated by Queen Soheon's beauty that you couldn't resist her invitations," I questioned. "How could you be enchanted by her beauty if you are blind?"

I detected a slight hesitation in her voice. "I would prefer not to talk about it," she stated, swiftly changing the subject. She proceeded to place both the side and main dishes on the table while the girls gathered around. We commenced our meal. "For a few years now, I have been monitoring Imka Mlambo's activities," Miyoung began as she reached for the side dishes. "I observed an unusual disruption in and around Seoul, so I decided to investigate further. It turns out that Imka has been causing trouble by interfering with South Korea's economy.”

"In which case, you will need SUITS to assist you," I stated.

"No, I only require Asuka's help," she corrected me. “But she’s busy with her own mission so this team will do. However, since this is your second mission, Kobayashi, I am interested to see how well you perform.” She continued. ”Anyway, let's finish up so we can apprehend Imka.”

We leaped over the guarded fence as we crossed the 38th parallel into North Korea. Midnight was approaching as we continued to move forward through the grass. The border guards on both sides had not noticed anything suspicious thus far. As we reached the castle wall, ascending in the dark of night, we noticed a guard stationed above us. Miyoung silently took down the guard from up close, her gun making no sound.

We hopped over the wall while Miyoung decided to separate from the group and head towards the entrance door. Through our communications, she informed us that she would be observing us from another location. As we got closer to our destination, two guards near the castle entrance suddenly collapsed to the ground. We hid behind a tree or a bush nearby.

"The guards have been taken down," Miyoung spoke.

"Your gun doesn't make any sound?" I asked.

"I forgot to mention this, Kobayashi," Miyoung stated. "But my specialty is sound manipulation. My guns are completely noiseless."

After a brief wait, we noticed the castle entrance suddenly opening. Despite the darkness, the moon provided enough light for us to see a large, heavily armored female figure emerging from the opening accompanied by two lightly armored guards.

"My gun will be effective against that heavily armored woman," Miyoung remarked. Just as she said that, both guards standing beside her fell to the ground. "But I can take care of them."

"The Ghost Sniper is too afraid to fight up close," the lady taunted with a roar. "Come out of hiding, Sniper. Your gun won't penetrate my armor!" She laughed and confidently slapped her spiked mace against her armor.

"Gisela Brant is her name, Imka's personal bodyguard," Miyoung shared with us. "She's quite a nuisance."

In that moment, Viktor decided to leave his hiding spot and boldly approached Gisela at the entrance. "Since The Ghost Sniper enjoys hiding," Viktor confidently spoke up. "I will gladly take her place as your opponent. My Wilma would love this.” Viktor rested his weapon on his shoulder. Another guard rushed out from the entrance and attacked Viktor but was easily taken down by his heavy weapon.

"Viktor will be your opponent," he declared proudly and patted his chest while another guard aimed their gun at him. However, before they could pull the trigger, Miyoung swiftly took down the guard with precision accuracy.

While Viktor kept Gisela distracted, we seized this opportunity to make our way towards the castle wall under cover of darkness in search of an alternative entry point.

"Is this large woman afraid of Viktor?" he provocatively inquired of Gisela.

“Big man believe I'm frightened?" Gisela mockingly laughed. Several dozen additional enemies could be seen emerging from the entrance as Gisela joined in to assail Viktor.

We noticed a faint light emanating from the open window above us. Determined, we made the decision to scale the wall towards that very window. Upon reaching it, I heard a loud thud and glanced into the hallway to find an enemy guard sprawled on the floor. Miyoung had successfully incapacitated the guard stationed there. Moving quickly, I assisted Aikawa and Kokoro in entering the castle just as two guards appeared across the hallway. However, thanks to Miyoung's quick action, one of them was swiftly apprehended as they passed by an open window. At the same time, Asuka skillfully threw her fan and successfully eliminated the second guard. Their response time was so fast, I didn’t have time to aim my gun at the enemy. We continued on as we followed our map to the castle’s main thrown room. 

“Viktor, how are you holding up?” I asked.

I suddenly heard his faint laughter echoed outside the castle but I heard him response. “Viktor is having fun with Gisela!” He laughed in the coms as well.

We proceeded down the hallway towards the top floor, silently and swiftly neutralizing the remaining guards. Upon reaching the door leading to the throne room, I detected some noises coming from behind us.

"I'll handle them," Kokoro declared, walking away. "You guys deal with Imka," she added as she trotted off.

I placed my hand on the door and sensed a surge of energy emanating from beyond it. My heart raced, overwhelmed by this immense power. I felt Aikawa firmly put his hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry, I’ll protect you,” Aikawa patted my shoulder with confidence.

“Thanks? I guess.” I took a deep breath before exhaling heavily. Pushing open the door, we stepped into the throne room. The doors closed behind us, enveloping the room in complete silence as moonlight streamed through. His energy extended across the space as he hid in darkness.

He revealed himself by cautiously stepping closer to where moonlight bathed him. "Kobayashi, it's finally time to meet someone who killed Annisa," Imka spoke with confidence. "I won't go down easily like her." Suddenly, he charged at me with full force.

Viktor forcefully struck his weapon against Gisela's chestplate, bracing himself for her counterattack. Neither of them budged. Viktor followed up with a punch to Gisela's face, only to receive a swift retaliation as she struck him with her mace before falling to the ground.

Though the impact of the mace left only a minor scar on Viktor's cheek, it failed to faze him. Gisela promptly stood up, her helmet bent from Viktor's previous blow. She tossed her helmet at him and launched another attack. As Gisela swung her mace, Viktor skillfully evaded each strike while delivering quick jabs at her armor. However, these jabs had no noticeable effect on Gisela given that she was focused on swiftly ending their battle.

Gisela increased her speed and managed to land several solid punches and hits with her mace against Viktor. Despite the force behind these blows, they did not shake him; instead, they fueled his enjoyment of the fight even more. Determined not to be outdone, Viktor matched or even slightly surpassed Gisela's speed. He repeatedly slammed his weapon into her chest area, progressively weakening her armor after each strike.

In one final swing, Viktor successfully lodged his weapon into Gisela's chest plate and proceeded to rip off the rest of her armor. He delivered a powerful punch directly to her chest causing Gisela to stagger backwards onto her knees while the remaining pieces of armor fell away.

"Wilma loves your gift," Viktor chuckled triumphantly. "Thank you for this opportunity, Gisela." The armor attached to his weapon began melting and covering most of its surface as he took steps towards Gisela.As he continued speaking, Viktor revealed,"You may not know this, but Viktor is made entirely out of metal.My weapon, Wilma, enjoys devouring metal." Gradually, his arm transformed into metal. "You've been destined to lose from the onset of this match." His metallic hand firmly grasped Gisela's head, and Viktor knelt before her, piercing her with his intense gaze. "You have chosen the wrong side." His weapon ominously brushed against her vulnerable chest.

Gisela laughed weakly as blood trickled from her mouth. "I have witnessed a superior version of this world, one far more magnificent," she spat out defiantly.

Without hesitation, Viktor impaled Gisela's face and chest with sharp metal spikes, abruptly ending her life. He released his grip on her face and took a step back while leaving the spikes embedded in her body. With one final swing of his weapon, he decapitated Gisela.

I did my best to assist in the battle against Imka alongside Aikawa, but my efforts proved to be in vain as I lacked a weapon like Aikawa’s massive axe, which allowed him to engage Imka at close range. Although Imka managed to evade Aikawa’s attacks, he attempted to strike me only to be blocked by Aikawa.

I engaged in a game of cat and mouse with Imka, which irritated him. Nevertheless, I was able to land a few gentle punches on his face, causing him frustration. Asuka and I continued the two vs one fight, playing with his emotions.

Eventually, he pushed Aikwa to the side and successfully landed a couple of swift punches on my body before shifting his focus to defending himself against Aikawa. Those swift punches were truly agonizing. Imka managed to land a powerful punch that sent Asuka flying across the room, then quickly refocused his attention on me. Moving at such speed that I couldn't track his movements, I dropped my gun and drew my knife, desperately swinging it in hopes of finding an opportunity to strike at Imka. It was no easy task.

"Do you need any assistance?" Miyoung asked.

Desperately gasping for breath, I managed to respond, "Just give me a little more time." In an instant, Imka materialized in front of me once again, his arm cocked back and ready to strike at my face. Acting swiftly, I blocked his attack with lightning reflexes. Seizing the opportunity, I reached for his arm, expertly twisted it, and swiftly severed it with my knife. "You see? All I needed was a little extra time," I declared triumphantly as I kicked him away.

"Quite impressive," Imka admitted as his arm began regenerating. Without hesitation, he resumed his assault. "But not impressive enough." He hurled his weapon at me once more and ensnared my left wrist with its deadly grip. Pulling forcefully on it in an attempt to overpower me, he underestimated my resilience. With unwavering strength and skillful precision, I deftly wrapped the weapon around my own arm before exerting enough force to draw him towards me.

Now that I had gained the advantage in this intense battle of determination, Imka approached me with a menacing stagger and his other arm ominously drawn back.

I observed as he once again directed his fist towards my face. Swiftly sidestepping, his punch barely brushed against my cheek. In response, I forcefully sliced off Imka's entire arm, causing his fist to collide with the wall. Simultaneously, I propelled him backwards with a powerful kick and applied even more pressure. Severing his remaining arm and forcefully returning him to the center of the room, Imka lay motionless on the ground.

I reached down for his discarded throwing weapon, wiping the blood off my lips as I made my way over to Aikawa. Assisting him to his feet, I noticed movement from Imka. Slowly rising to his knees, he gave me a grim smile.

"Is that all you've got?" I noticed his arm slowly regenerating. "I'm not done with you." I threw his weapon at Imka, which struck his chest and caused him to fall to his knees.

"Finish him," Miyoung commanded.

"S.U.I.T.S will apprehend him," I gasped for breath. "He will eventually die from his wounds."

Miyoung disagreed, saying, "He won't."

Imka laughed, gasping for breath. "Yes, Kobayashi. Either end me now or I will seek revenge on you once I recover." His laughter filled the dark room, echoing around us.

"Fine," Miyoung stepped out of the dark corner and raised her pistol. The barrel touched the back of Imka's head as silence enveloped them, with only Imka's heavy breathing breaking it. "I'll do it myself." With a single shot to the head, she ended his life. Miyoung lowered her gun and said sternly, "You still have much to learn about this world, Kobayashi."

[sukepami]

Dear S,

Before you start reading this, I’ll need you to promise me something. It is not the hardest thing to ask of you, nor it is the simplest, but please, hear my plea: do not ever mention any of the things I’ll write further down this e-mail to anyone else, not even me. Don’t remind me of it. Don’t make me think about it. Do not ever, ever show even the barest inkling of knowledge about whatever it is that festers in these pages. If you can’t do this, please stop reading right now and simply send it to your junk mail. 

I’ve been thinking of writing to you ever since I asked if you remembered your old address. I didn’t do it because I forgot; I don’t think I’ve ever forgotten even the tiniest detail about you. Much on the contrary. I remember it all, in painstaking clarity, all your thoughts and opinions, what it is that makes you tick, what you hate, what you love. I know every single thing that once appealed to you and you let it go as years went by, how your world changed with your age. How, little by little, you forgot me too, like some infant dream you were finally ready to part ways with. As you may or may not know, things didn’t go the same for me.

Between the two of us, you were always the most level headed one. While you from time to time entertained my childlike wonder for the world and all the things I discovered as I grew up, you stood focused, not letting anything stray you from your path. You fought hard not to let the crackling energy housed inside you explode and, in turn, you had to find a different approach when it came to life. Your intensity made you sullen on the outside, expressionless. Even then, it could never make me admire you any less. In fact, it did the opposite: the more you pushed people away, the more I wanted in. To this day, you are still my most hard-fought over friend, the most special of them all. I never wanted to understand you. All I wanted was to stay close and bask in your light, even if only for a while.

What I’m trying to get at is that talking to you again is making me revisit some of the most bittersweet memories of my entire life. I could cope fairly well if you never made yourself known, but having you day in, day out in my line of sight and texting me out of the blue is doing things to me I can’t even understand. It hurts me, yet I’m still desperate for it, and maybe that is the reason why I entertain each and every one of your unsympathetic chimes, breaking me with the absolute disinterest with which you talk to me. If you don’t want to, why do you keep doing it? Why won’t you let me be?

Somehow, in this whirlwind of chaos, I still find a thousand reasons why I should never cut the cord. Knowing your whereabouts is vital to me, tranquilizes me in the most sickening way. A few weeks ago, I passed by your training room and peeked at you fighting like a man possessed, no light in your eyes. Days later, you walked past me on the street, but yet again I didn’t have the heart to say hello. Your air scares me, makes me want to pull away. How much of a coward does it make me, to hide whenever you’re around? Will I ever be able to face what you have become and not break down when I realize you’re not the friend I cherished so terribly anymore?

I just wish there was a way to know you’re still doing somewhat fine. You told me your dad’s been well and your mom’s fought depression again. What problems loom in your life? I’d do anything to be able to help. If you could spare me the tiniest bit of attention, the smallest of kindnesses, this selfish thing that beats for you inside me would finally be put at ease. If not, to forget you would be the immediate second desire I tend to so fiercely. To have my friend the way I do now is pure despair. To not have you wouldn’t change much about it. Still, I’d take your hatred over invisibility any day.

I missed writing to you too much. I hope you forget everything about this e-mail. 

Love, ten 

[theinconveniencing]

1 3 5 7 10

damn go crazy thank you so much abby. this got long so

what are 3 things you’d say shaped you into who you are?

cop out answer but 1. my mom and my sister but like truly I do not think I would be anywhere near the person I am today without them. and when I had nobody (often) I always had them god bless 2. pinterest. just everything about it. it inspired me to join tumblr. It shaped my humor. it taught me to cook. it kept me busy. it raised me more than my father. no joke. 3. I didn’t want to have another person answer but my oldest and dearest friend [readcted] she’s like a year and a half older than me and we grew up three houses down from one another and hung out all the time and I cannot recall a time in my life when I didn’t look up to her. she was always such an inspiration to be the most confident and real version of myself. I don’t see her as much anymore bc college but to this day when I’m worried I said something horrible I always ask myself “what would [redacted] think if she heard I said that?” And it’s not even like I’m putting her up on a pedestal she really is just one of the most amazing human beings I’ve ever met in my life

3 films you could watch for the rest of your life and not get bored of?

HUSTLERS 2019 ocean’s 8 and the goonies 

what made you start your blog?

I was really into skam and pinterest wasn’t cutting it anymore so I started lurking then actually liking posts then reblogging then posting and. here we are.

what’s the best and worst part of being online/a creator?

best part is all the people I’ve met and the friends I’ve made I love you all so sincerely sometimes it feels as if my heart could explode. worst is having to block twenty million tags and phrases to avoid t*ylor sw*ft and h*rry styles. and having to see the most abysmal takes known to man from my own MUTAULS no less. love y’all regardless it’s okay when you do it

what scares you the most and why?

well. first of all getting shots because holy shit keep needles out of my body. and a more philosophical answer is being a bad person without even realizing it

would you say you’re an emotional person?

oh my god yeah. I used to consider myself a logical person in like middle school and I look back at that and I’m like what the hell were you talking about. I make every decision with my heart and honestly like half the time I feel like my emotions are so big they could explode out of my body. lol.

do you believe in ghosts and/or aliens?

aliens yes absolutely. they’re out there and they’re so real. they are the teeniest tiniest bacteria ever and little green men and beings as big as the moon i truly to believe that. ghosts? no unless I get literally thrown across a room.

what do you do when you’re sad?

take a shower listening to my silly little music. never fails. also helps to put on a fancy dress. idk.

any pet peeves?

girl where do I even start. obviously slow walkers I’m a fast bitch. chewing with your mouth open. pronouncing frustrating as “fustrating” men speaking in philosophy class. people looking at my phone over my shoulder. people not using their sleeves to open doors (this one is actually ridiculous but you don’t know who touched that fucking door handle what is wrong with you). saying jokes I literally saw online and claiming them as your own who do you think you’re fooling. off pitch singing just do not fucking sing #chiorkid. coughing into your hand like I bet you went and touched a door handle afterwards huh. when people pull out their phone (without a reason) when you’re in the middle of talking to them like okay. condescension. I could go on but I’ll stop.

hopefully I didn’t take any and this took a lot of time so sorry but I had fun so thank you again!!!

[the-original-skipps]

Poly!Bakugou x Reader x Todoroki || First Time Sleeping w/ them Headcanons ||

Note: So I've been obsessed with these two I needed to get it out of my system 😩 just in love with the thought of being in relationship with the two of them ahhhhh

Warning ⚠️: First time writing for them, oocness, spelling, grammar

When the three of you got together, it didn't slip into any of your minds about wanting to sleep together. So, you all slept in your respective rooms.

However, there was one time where you had a terrible nightmare which left you unable to sleep so you asked Todoroki if you could sleep in his room that night which he agreed to. You did consider going to Bakugou's room but you figured he'll not wake up or get mad at you for waking him up.

It was awkward when you both shared the same futon since Todoroki only had his own. Being so close to each other made it hard to fall asleep but eventually you both fell asleep.

Bakugou was not happy to find out that you went to sleep in Todoroki's room instead of his. So, you came up with an idea that maybe the three of you could sleep together.

The two boys recoiled and stared at you blankly before Bakugou started yelling about how dumb it was and that there's no way he'd share a bed with the half and half bastard.

After some persuasion and lots of convincing from you, they both agreed to sleep in your room. Which wasn't a good idea since your bed couldn't fit three people. That night was spent you being squished by the two males as they argued all night about the tiniest things. Still you didn't want to give up on the idea.

With much deliberation you figured that Todoroki's room would be the best place to sleep since he sleeps on the floor and there's enough space for the three of you. Bakugou really did not like the idea.

Todoroki brought over a giant futon where three could sleep in it. They both insisted that you slept in the middle while Bakugou on your right and Todoroki on your left.

Bakugou likes to sleep early so he insisted to get into bed by 8 pm. He immediately slipped into the covers and turned his back on you as he tried to sleep. However, you and Todoroki couldn't sleep right away so you both ended up talking which was interrupted by a very angry Bakugou telling you both to shut up.

None of you were used to sleeping with company so there was a lot of awkward silence where you all tried to sleep. Also trying not to accidentally one another.

Eventually, you fell asleep and the rest followed. You were woken up many times by Bakugou moving around in his sleep while Todoroki slept as still as a log. Neither of them snored, only softly breathing.

When you woke up that morning you found Bakugou draped over you while Todoroki slept on his side facing you. You couldn't help inwardly squeal at their two handsome sleeping faces but most of all you felt comforted having them both by your side.

Soon enough, Bakugou woke up and literally jumped off when he noticed how close he was to you. Him trying to yell at you while his face was flushed red.

Then Todoroki groggily woke up to the noise but tried to ignore it choosing to fall back asleep by unconsciously snuggling closer to you. It left you and Bakugou speechless for a while until Bakugou exploded for him to get up.

It was awkward and tiring in the beginning but eventually you all got used to the idea of sleeping together peacefully.

[enhypia]

SN ; bestfriends

bestfriends answers questions with the choice of drinking instead of answering

pairings: kim sunoo x gn!reader

genre: fluff

words: roughly 1.3k

masterlist ⸺ series masterlist

~guides and warnings~

italics - reader speaking

bold - sunoo speaking

[enclosed] - interviewer speaking

italicized bold- both reader and sunoo speaking

[enclosed bold or italics] - question (depends on who's speaking)

heavily inspired by: rec.create lie detector games, cut truth or drink

warning: contains and mentions of !!! drinking and swearing

i don't promote underage drinking, save your livers

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

hi i'm sunoo!

and i'm (y/n)

and we're bestfriends~

[okay, you guys were invited here today as bestfriends for a fun little drinking game, you guys aware of that right?]

yup!

we'll probably answer everything honestly

but we're still drinking

*they high-five

[how long have you guys been bestfriends?]

for about 5 years now?

6 years if you include our dead period

*sunoo laughs

[dead period?]

it was a time where our label as 'bestfriends' was basically dead

it was a year where we weren't in the same class and both of us found new friend groups

we still talked but i could count all the times we hang out that year in one hand

honestly we still considered each other bestfriends, we just didn't look and feel like bestfriends

then the 'dead period' joke was born

[did you guys fight during the 'dead period'?]

there was just tension at first but then we talked about it

like the mature adults we are

*sunoo rolls his eyes

it was a period of growth too, so we didn't fight, we just understood each other better

yeah if it happened years earlier, we would probably hate each other right now

[how did you guys become bestfriends?]

*both burst out laughing

i'm not sure if we can say that on video

no we're not cowards, we can say it

*they have the classic bestfriend eye conversation

we shared the same dislike towards a person

*(y/n) laughs

dislike is putting it mildly

shhh *sunoo does the shush gesture

so that was the main reason and then we just got to know each other better and here we are

still hating on the same people

shhh *this time (y/n) shushes sunoo

don't expose us too much

*both laugh

[how about we officially start the q&a between you guys?]

*both nod and played rock paper and scissors to determine who gets to ask first, (y/n) wins

let's see *(y/n) picks up a card and laughs after reading it

[if your significant other and i don't like each other, will you be on my side?]

you better choose carefully kim sunoo

first of all,

*sunoo drinks

okay, friendship over i guess 😒

let me finish, gosh 🙄

first of all, why would i even date them in the first place if you didn't like them?

very true, but still, you know i won't hold you back from a person just because i don't like them

yeah but i'd be on your side if ever that happens

*(y/n) grins

*sunoo picks up a card to read

i already know the answer to this one

[if i got arrested and needed 10M won, would you pay for it?]

HELL NO ?!?

*both burst out laughing

that's like 8,500 dollars? i could buy a car with that

i wouldn't bail you out too honestly

bestfriend who? idk them

*they take a shot for fun

[did you like me when you first met me?]

probably ?

i didn't like you when i first met you

who asked?

*they roll their eyes at each other

[why didn't you like him?]

because he was so bright and sunshine-y ?? and i'm always sus of nice people

they have bad history with fake nice people

but i eventually learned that he wasn't like that

awwww

his halo is held up by thorns

*sunoo's mouth drops in shock while (y/n) laughs at his reaction

*(y/n) pats sunoo's head as he pouts

it's okay i accept you for who you are

yah~ !

[have you ever considered to stop being friends with me?]

nope

*sunoo does a heart to (y/n)

you know too much about me

*sunoo is shocked again

i would never release anything you shared to me even if we stop being friends !!!

*he is pouting your honor, don't tease him

*(y/n) laughs at sunoo's cuteness

i know, i know, i'm just kidding, i'll stop now.

[is there something that i could change to be a better friend?]

*sunoo drinks as revenge

*(y/n) :OO

if you stopped teasing me 24/7 then maybe i'd think you're a better friend

yah! you act like you don't do the same to me

once he-

*sunoo cuts (y/n) off by clamping their mouth with his hand

let's drink to that bestie, cheers!

*he removes his hand from (y/n)'s mouth and basically forces them to drink with him

i told you, halo held up by horns

*sunoo grins widely as if he was innocent.

[would you slap me for 10M won?]

do i even have to answer that?

let's use the 10M won to travel

let's go to paris

and then i'd slap you as well so we both have 10M won

i like the way you think

*they high five and takes a shot together

[regardless of sexual orientation, will you ever date me?]

*awkward silence

aha ha haha

*both reach for a shot, they even clink their glasses together

*after, they just smiled at the camera

[if we're still single by 30, would you agree to marry me?]

man would we even reach 30?

that's what i was thinking

if we're both single, i might think about it

let's get married and enjoy the benefits from various marriage laws

what if we end up like in those crime documentaries where you get life insurance

then you kill the partner for the money

... .. .

no murder in this household please

*they burst out laughing

[question for both: what's something you want to say to each other?]

do i go first or?

yeah, you first

okay but don't look at me

*sunoo rolls his eyes but looks away anyways

we rarely talk about our friendship because once one starts, the other teases

*sunoo laughs while nodding his head in agreement

okay uhm, you know i would never say this on a normal day but i really am thankful that you gave me the chance to get to know you, despite my initial slight hostility towards you. thank you for being by my side no matter what. and even if we constantly clown the word "bestfriend" there's no one i'd really call my bestfriend other than you.

*sunoo smiles softly

your turn. *(y/n) looks away as well, purely because they will combust if sunoo looks at them with that soft loving look

just like you said, there's no one else i'd give the title of bestfriend other than you. thank you for giving me the chance as well and for trusting me. i'm not one to talk much about what's going on with my life but you're always there to make sure i don't pile it all up and explode. thank you for being my rock.

*both eyes are glassy

don't cry, if you cry, you'll pay for my food for a whole week

don't ruin the mood, (y/n)

*they both laugh, instantly lightening up the air around them

oh wait that was the last question

we still have alcohol left

can we take this home? *(y/n) holds up the bottle of alcohol

*the crew laughs

[we'd allow it, if you answer one more question}

okay! let's go~

[was there a time where you felt just the tiniest bit of butterflies because of each other?]

*sunoo and (y/n) look at each other, both holding in laughs

*they reach for their glasses and take a shot

and that's the end!

bye~ thanks for having us!

»————-　♡　————-«

bonus: youtube comments

masterlist ⸺ series masterlist

a/n: for this one i wanted to keep the feelings for each other thing kind of open?? like the vagueness in those moments are up to you guys if you want to give it meaning or not. you guys are free to think if you want those feelings to be romantic or platonic.

also!!! this series is about to end omg :(( i can't believe we're down to one post before it ends aaak. thank you so much for all the love so far!! ni-ki's will be uploaded next! please look forward to it~

[obeymeluv]

Quick! Kiss Me! [Part 3 - Mammon]

Same rules apply from Part 2: thoughts are italicized and bolded. May be slightly NSFW because the boys have a crush on you and such. If anyone has suggestions for Asmo’s part or Belphie’s, I’m down to hear it. I kind of have one for Belphie but I feel it’s a little cliché.

Also, I’ve logged back in and started playing Obey Me! since I have a three day weekend and the “Are You Kidding Me?!” event is making me want to write those baby headcanons. Might do that next.

Mammon:

You’d been following a buzzing, bubbling sensation around the house. It was enough to make your teeth rattle at points and you wondered if one of the brothers were using shadow magic to stay on the fringes of your vision (or just out of it). Sometimes it would feel like you were right on top of it, your whole body feeling like loose change in a can, and just as quickly it would stop. The cold wash of going the wrong way was a welcome reprieve.

Exhausted, feeling like you’d lapped the house several times, you dragged yourself back to your bedroom. It wasn’t very romantic but at this point you’d had it! The only thing your poor brain could think of was texting them one by one and just kissing them. If you were honest with yourself, you wouldn’t even need to text all seven. If you were really honest with yourself, you just wanted to text one of them.

And he was in your bed, cuddled into your pillows and half-wrapped in your sheets like he was supposed to be there.

Was he asleep?

You resisted the urge to stomp your foot or startle Mammon awake. His jacket was tossed haphazardly over your small desk chair but his sunglasses had been placed with care on your nightstand. Mammon? You placed on knee on the bed, planning to crawl towards him from the opposite corner. Mammon tended to wake up swinging and flailing; you remembered Belphie yanking him off of “his” spot on the couch but not before he’d fluffed his pillow and took a defensive stance.

Your little brain tap was enough to make him snort and stretch but not open his eyes. Tanned limbs dragged themselves across twisted sheets. He sounded like he’d mumbled something but you couldn’t be sure. You were sure he’d scooped up another pillow to stuff his face in and squeeze to death.

Was that a giggle? Mammon gave a contented little hum, snuggling his face into the new, cool pillow. Mammon! you tried again. It was weird to speak with your brain. Could you raise your voice just by thinking it? You froze in the middle of the bed, Mammon snapping up with a slow blink and a confused slur (and a huffy demon gurgle).

If he wasn’t hugging the pillow, he probably would’ve swung his arms out or fallen out the bed and taken half the sheets with him. Mammon blinked again, his white brows furrowing as he scanned the room. He leaned forward and you barely remembered how utterly blind he was as you watched the sleep lift from blue-yellow eyes.

“So who was the lucky—“ Mammon started off in his fake ‘I’m not interested’ tone but the words died out before he could make them any more indifferent. “Your lips are still sealed shut.” he lurched forward, your noses practically touching. “Your lips are still sealed shut!” he whispered again breathlessly, the quickness of his words matching the excited pulse in his throat.

Mammon’s heart squeezed in his chest. His mouth dried and suddenly he couldn’t think of anything to say. This wasn’t how he thought your first kiss would be but Diavolo be damned if he’d turn it down! The demon could barely filter his desire for you, trying to keep the YES! GIMME! KISS ME, KISS ME! in his head and out of yours. His face started to heat up when the pact mark on your shoulder glowed a soft golden color, painting both of your faces in a candlelight-like glow.

The tiniest part of his awed brain could feel his mouth slipping open in shock. You were a vision with golden highlights. Golden highlights from his pact mark! It made him want to take you on a fancy restaurant date and see it again.

Mammon? you were waiting on him now, ever so careful. So considerate. That’s what he loved about you. You put up with a lot of his walls and his loud behavior but deep down you knew. He knew you knew, and he was glad you kept his secret.

The people who made the loudest echoes were often the most fragile. He was a giving heart that had been corrupted against his will, and he had not totally hardened with the fall. You saw those scars and chips and cracks and somehow healed all of it with your human hands. With your smile. Your touch.

Hell, you just saying his name could wipe centuries of suffering from his mind.

“Was I your first choice?” Mammon’s voice turned raspy and tight. He couldn’t bear to hear you say you’d gone to one of the others first. He’d seen you going from room to room, slinking around the house in a way only the second-eldest could master. Years of trying to slip out past curfew and make off with a few odds and ends no one would miss without getting caught had its perks. Watching you touch doors and turn halls gutted him and drove him to seek refuge in your room.

He’d consoled himself amongst your pillows—your scent—and tried not to cry. Even if you didn’t choose him, he’d still have you as a friend. Maybe an in-law. That didn’t stop the cold twisting in his guts or the burning anguish in his chest as he realized over and over that he was one of seven. The other six were better than him, he feared. He was just scummy, scummy Mammon.

You don’t think you are? You tilted your head as you looked at him, hands coming up to comb gently through his hair and massage the bottom of his ears. Your hands smoothed down his neck, drawing him into a hug that was just…very you. Comforting and genuine and wholesome. He felt it first physically, then emotionally as your pact mark burned a little brighter.

You dummy, it was so light, so teasing and gentle that Mammon couldn’t help but smile as you cupped his face and brought his lips up to yours. “Of course you’re my first choice. You’re my first man, aren’t you?”

Mammon realized you said that with your mouth--your open mouth—and he exploded into a rolling yayayayaya victory warble. His eyes were a molten yellow, almost as bright as Diavolo’s (maybe brighter). Tears beaded in his eyes and Mammon blinked them away, stuffing his face into your neck as he tackled you to the bed. A burst of heat rolled over you as his horns came out a hot skin touched yours, the demon greedily snuggling into like he’d finally found his home.

He was scenting you with all his snuggling and ‘settling’ but you didn’t mind, patting his back and running your fingertips across the seams in his black jacket. In all his ‘settling’ you’d been turned onto your side and scooped up by him. Mammon locked his arms around you, feet tangling with yours. He’d tucked you under his chin to keep you away from his horns. “I can’t believe you took so long!” he whined, fingers playing with your hair, “making me wait like that! I’m a busy guy, you know?”

“I can take your place if you’re so busy!” you saw a hint of Asmo in the doorway and probably Levi behind him before Mammon’s wing blocked your view. They’d been called by the noise Mammon made earlier.

“Get lost, the lot of ya!” Mammon flapped his free wing at them. He hugged you closer and you briefly wondered if this what a dragon did with their hoard. You laughed at the thought. “This is my human! And my human is spending time with their first man!” he’d made a little tent out of his wing, peeking down at you with pride and love and a little hesitancy that begged you to back him up because his embarrassment was outweighing his ability to run his smart mouth.

You responded by kissing his chest, little kitten kisses that climbed his throat and jaw and could definitely be heard with demon ears. Popping out from just under his wing, you pecked his lips. His nose just to catch him off guard. “It’s very personal time.” you teased, rubbing his shoulders as his wing unfolded to show you off, sitting happily atop your man.

There were scowls and little demon grumbles you’d never be able to understand, but you didn’t care. You couldn’t even hear them over the sound of Mammon’s purr.

[starshine583]

New Girl on the Block (19)

(Hey, everyone!!! Thank you so much for your patience while I was away. It’s good to be back! I hope you all enjoy this next chapter!)

Ch. 1 / Ch. 18 / Ch. 20 (ao3)

Chapter 19: A Date with Misery

“Marinette, you are.. an incredible person.”

“You don’t need anyone to validate how amazing you are.”

“You are talented, kind, and capable all on your own.”

Felix’s words from the night before played over in Marinette’s mind again and again, an endless loop that she found herself incapable of escaping, and with each echo, her heart seemed to melt further than she thought possible. The comments were simply too honey-sweet, too sincere. She couldn’t help reveling in them. How long had he thought of her that way? How long had he placed her on such a high pedestal that she wasn’t aware of? Marinette knew that Felix had a tendency to make unexpected comments every now and then, but last night truly caught her off guard.. and perhaps made her just a tad bit love-stricken. Had he always spoken to her in that soft manner, the one that made her believe she could be the very stars in his night sky? Had he always possessed the ability to send her heart fluttering the way it did last night, when he allowed her to pull him onto the dance floor and hold him incredibly close? She had no way of knowing, and certainly not enough nerve to ask aloud. But, oh, how her mind ran rampant with fantasies anyway. Will she ever be able to dance with him like that again? Would he look at her the same way he had then, with eyes that felt soft as a cloud in the moment? Did he go home last night and think about her too, endlessly turning on his bed and glancing at his diary- if he kept one, that is -and thinking maybe just one more entry-

“Marinette?” 

Marinette jumped, nearly falling off of the ladder that she’d been balancing on, and felt a blush explode across her cheeks.

“Nothing! What? I mean-” She flailed her arms a bit to regain balance, then peeked down at the person below, the very boy she’d been fantasizing about “-Did you need something?”

Felix stood at the base of the ladder, his brows furrowed slightly. “..No. I just wanted to know if there was something wrong with your heart.”

Marinette sputtered, her blush deepening considerably. She couldn’t have been that obvious, right? What expression was she making before he came over? 

“M-My heart?” She asked- or rather, squeaked.

Felix pointed to a stream of hearts on the wall, the ones she was supposed to be taking down. “You were staring at one of the hearts for quite a while. Is it ripped?”

“Oh.” She said, staring blankly at the wall. The paper hearts. He meant the paper hearts hanging next to her. Not her heart specifically. That made a lot more sense. “No, sorry. The hearts are fine. I was just, uh.. you know.. reminiscing. We had a lot of fun times with these decorations.”

“Ah,” Felix tilted his head up in a slight nod, “my apologies for interrupting you then.”

“Oh, you didn’t.” Marinette assured hastily. “It really wasn’t anything important.”

Definitely wasn’t anything important..

She plucked out the pin that held the hearts and started down the ladder to move to the other end of the stream. Felix offered a hand to help her down in the process, and she took it, strongly ignoring the tingling sensation that came from doing so. 

“If you’d like to keep one as a memorial, I’m sure Allegra wouldn’t mind.” He remarked. “I doubt she’s going to keep any of these things herself after all the parties they’ve had.”

Marinette hummed. Keeping a heart streamer as a memorial, huh? That didn’t sound like a bad idea. 

“Thanks. I just might do that.”

Felix gave her the tiniest of smiles, the kind Marinette was used to catching at this point, and slipped his hand out of hers when her feet hit the ground. She clasped her hands together afterwards to compensate, also ignoring the fact that it might have been nice for him to hold her hand just a tad bit longer.

“Would you like help moving the ladder?” He asked, to which she shook her head.

“I’ve got it, but if you could move the box over to the other round table while I move the ladder, I would be grateful.”

Allegra had given her an empty box to put the decorations in as she took them off of the wall. So far, Marinette had exactly.. zero decorations in the box. Gosh, how long had she been staring at that heart? Was she going insane? Why would she even be thinking about Felix this way? He’d just told her last night that he wasn’t interested in romance. Falling for him would be guaranteed heartbreak! It would be completely ridiculous! It would.. It would..

It would probably be inevitable.

Felix was just too sweet to her, too kind. He was always looking out for her and supporting her, always sharing his quiet laughs and amused smiles, and he said too many things that made her head spin for her not to start liking him. There was just no escape! It was going to happen eventually. The only question now was when.

And maybe today was her answer.

Stop it. Marinette scolded herself as she picked up the ladder to walk it over. It’s just some butterflies in your stomach. How many of those did you digest around Adrien?

Marinette froze midstep, an immense sense of horror washing over her. Oh, gosh, this wasn’t going to be another Adrien situation, was it? It couldn’t be. She refused to go through that again. At least not this soon.

Marinette continued walking, if only to avoid Felix’s suspicions, and set up the ladder under the next pin that was holding up her stream. 

When you think about it, this really can’t be another Adrien situation, right? With Adrien, she had no idea whether he liked her or not, but was hopeful despite that and used her friends in an effort to gain his attention. With Felix, she already had her answer. She knew for a fact that he didn’t like her romantically, that he wouldn’t ever like her romantically, and she also hadn’t asked any of her new friends to help her gain Felix’s attention. (Though, in all honesty, she probably wouldn’t need help even if she was looking for his attention, because he already gave it to her willingly on a constant basis, but that thought didn’t exactly help her cause.)

“Is here alright?” Felix asked as he set the box on the end of the round table.

Marinette nodded, scaling the ladder to pluck the next pin. “Yep. That’s great, thank you.”

“Of course. If you need anything else, I’ll be wrapping the candles and putting them in boxes.”

“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” She said, pulling a smile. 

No, this wasn’t going to be anything like her crush on Adrien. This time she at least had closure before she began, and although it might be just as heart-shattering in the long run, she won’t be wasting her time wondering “what if” or tripping over herself to become his dream girl in an effort to be ‘chosen’. She’ll simply be his friend, as he’s been to her, and if she’s lucky, this sort-of-tiny-little crush of hers will wither away before it grows into a bigger problem. 

After all, it’s like Felix said: She’ll find someone new who appreciates her eventually. It just.. won’t be him. The sooner she took this lesson to heart, the better.

Marinette plucked the next pin out of the wall, watching the stream of hearts fall into the box below, and started back down the ladder again. That’s one down. Five to go.

She paused at the bottom of the ladder, ready to pull it together so she could pick it up and move it again, when her phone started buzzing in her pocket. She quickly shimmied it out to check what the buzzing was for, only to be met with the flashing words “Adrien Agreste - Café”.

It was her alarm clock telling her that it was time to go meet Adrien for lunch. And it couldn’t have picked a worse time. She still had five other heart streamers to take down, and at this rate she was going to have to run half way across town just to make it on time. Ugh- why didn’t she set her alarm clock earlier?

“Hey, guys?” She called out to the group, tucking her phone back into her pocket. “I hate to say it, but I actually need to get going. I’m sorry I couldn’t help out more.”

If she hadn’t stopped every two seconds to daydream about somebody-

“Oh, don’t worry about it!” Allegra called back with a smile. “You’ve helped out plenty.”

“Yeah,” Claude agreed. “This was our party anyway.”

“I know, but I only managed to get one of the streamers down.” Marinette sighed.

“But you also helped fold all of the tablecloths and put them away.” Allan reminded her.

“And you swept the room after the trash was taken care of.” Allegra added.

“Go have fun at your appointment thing or whatever. We’ve got everything covered here.” Claude assured, emptying the water from another flower vase.

Marinette smiled as she grabbed her purse from one of the round tables. Her friends were so great, each and every one of them. 

“I’ll see you guys later then.”

“See ya!”

“Bye, Mari!”

“Do you want me to call my driver for you?” Felix asked, briefly setting his candles aside. “It’s quite a walk from here to your house, isn’t it?”

“Thanks, but I’m good. I can have Maman and Papa come to pick me up if I start running late.” Or she can transform into Ladybug and swing right over to Adrien herself, which was exactly what she planned on doing. “I’ll text you guys when I get there, though.”

That seemed to satisfy Felix, because he nodded and continued placing his candles in the box. “I’ll be waiting to hear from you then.” 

Marinette pursed her lips and spun towards the door, hoping he didn’t notice the fresh blush that was creeping across her cheeks. Gosh, how was she ever going to survive this boy? Maybe Adrien’s presence will give her a good slap in the face and bring her back to her senses.. She highly doubted it though. With her track record, she’ll probably end up falling for Adrien again too, and then she’ll be stuck between two unrequited crushes! Great!

..Why does she always have to fall for the people who don’t love her back?

~~~~~~~

Wind rushed past Chat Noir’s face as he raced across the rooftops, his grin stretching wide from ear to ear. Today was the day! It was finally the fifteenth! In just a few short blocks, he was going to meet Marinette at their agreed café, and they were going to have a whole lunch together just to themselves! It made him buzz with excitement at the very thought, because finally his plans were progressing. Finally he was gonna have a long, drawn out chat with Marinette as Adrien, and perhaps, if he had gained even the slightest bit of luck from his partner, he would be able to convince her to transfer back to Dupont. Or at least have her consider it. She probably shouldn’t come back right this second. 

Chat Noir landed on a rooftop and slid down the tiles with glee, but before he could leap to the next rooftop, a red and black-spotted figure flew out in front of him. He stumbled back with a yelp, staring at the person with wide eyes as they sailed onto the rooftop across from him. Was that..?

“My Lady?” He called out, pushing himself back onto his feet. What was she doing out at this time of day? It wasn’t like her to be out and about during daylight when no akumas were present.

Unless there is an akuma. Chat realized with horror. He glanced around the city, looking for explosions or destruction of some kind. Please, let there not be an akuma. That would mean he’d have to skip out on his lunch with Marinette! And he’d worked so hard just to get her there!

The spotted figure turned around- proving that it was, in fact, his wonderful Ladybug -and flashed him her signature, Lady-Luck smile. “Oh, Chat Noir! I didn’t realize you would be out today.”

Chat Noir returned her smile and hopped over to her rooftop. “I could say the same to you, Bugaboo. Is an akuma on the loose again?”

“No, not that I’m aware of.” She assured, to his relief. “I just had some free time and thought I would do a small patrol around the city to make sure everything’s still in order.”

Chat Noir chuckled. That’s His Lady for you. Never ceasing to protect Paris. Could she ever become more amazing?

“Sounds like a great idea. I’d be tempted to join you, but I’m actually on my way home already. I’ve been out for a while.” He said, though none of it was true. He hadn’t been out for a while, and he certainly wasn’t running home, but Ladybug was extremely strict on the ‘keeping identities a secret’ policy. If he let something about his civilian life slip- like, say, meeting someone at a cafe about five minutes from now to talk about school transfers -she’d get upset and scold him for divulging too much information. It wasn’t fun lying to the person he was supposed to trust the most, but this was the set up that they’d decided to use. 

“That’s alright. I wasn’t planning on staying out long anyway.” Ladybug replied. “I’ll see you during our next patrol?”

“Or attack.” Chat Noir agreed, giving her a little wink before he took off again. This time he turned to the left of the café, moving in a direction that was somewhat opposite of it. He didn’t want Ladybug seeing where he was going- again, secret identities -but, he also didn’t want to stray too far from his and Marinette’s meeting place, or else he was going to be late. So, he figured he could find a comfortable alleyway about a block or two away from his destination and simply run the rest of the way on foot.

Thank goodness he did, because as soon as he turned left, Ladybug swung off in the exact direction he’d originally been heading. Can you imagine if they’d started going the same way? The explanation for that one would have been awful, he’s sure.

Chat Noir dropped down into an alleyway a few minutes later, just as planned, and detransformed back into Adrien. Running around Paris in his civilian form probably wasn’t going to be any easier than jumping rooftops, but at least he didn’t run into any problems with His Lady. That was a plus, right?

“Ugh,” Plagg groaned as he swirled back into the air, “remind me again why we had to waste my precious energy on a lunch date?”

“Come on, Plagg, you know I hate having Gorilla hover over my shoulder.” Adrien said, offering his kwami a slice of cheese. Gorilla does his best to give Adrien as much space as possible, but still, when you know someone is there specifically to watch you.. “Besides, it’ll give Marinette and I more privacy while we talk.”

Plagg gave a dismissive sigh as he snatched the cheese from Adrien’s hands. “Oh, that’s right. We’re still on pigtails.. I don’t know why you’re so obsessed with her. It’s not like she died or anything.”

Adrien frowned. “I’m not obsessed. I’m just trying to be a good friend. She’s always been there for all of us. So why shouldn’t I be there for her?”

“Mm.. Does this really count as being there for her, though?” Plagg asked as he shoved the first half of the cheese into his mouth. 

“What do you mean?”

“You’re trying to be there for her by bringing her back to Dupont, right? Well, she seems perfectly happy at her new school to me. So why not leave her be? If you want to be there for her, don’t you think you should be supporting her decisions?”

A bit of guilt festered in Adrien’s chest, and he rubbed the back of his neck. “I.. get what you’re saying, but I want her back too. I want to hang out again and talk like we used to.”

“You’re about to talk with her right now.” 

“You know what I mean. I want to talk with her daily, like we do at school.”

“Then, why don’t you transfer schools?”

Adrien let out a small chuckle. “And leave Nino? I couldn’t do that to him.”

“Okay~, but don’t say I didn’t warn you if things don’t work out the way you want them to.” Plagg said. He then shoved the rest of the cheese into his mouth and zipped into Adrien’s shirt pocket.

Adrien furrowed his eyebrows, but didn’t reply, instead starting for the cafe. Why would Plagg say something like that? Of course everything was going to work out! Yes, Marinette was happy at her new school, and yes, getting her to come back to Dupont might be a tad tricky (especially since he had to deal with Lila first) but that didn’t mean his plan was going to fail. He simply needed to remind Marinette that she loved being at Dupont too! More so than Rosemary even! It’ll be alright. Plagg will see.

With little time to spare, Adrien booked it to the café, careful to keep his head down and not catch the eyes of the media. Thankfully, he made it there in one piece, albeit five minutes late. It should be fine, though. If anyone were to understand missing the mark for an appointment, it would be her, right?

Adrien slipped his phone out of his pocket as he walked inside to check for any new messages from the ravenette, then silenced it when he saw that there were none. He didn’t want this precious time to be interrupted. 

The bell on the café door jingled above him when he entered, reminding him of a certain bakery. He glanced around the room for Marinette hopefully, then lit up when he caught sight of a pair of ravenette pigtails at a table in the middle of the room. Yes! She was here!

Adrien wasted no time strolling over the table, tapping the top of her head to get her attention. She jumped- as she usually does -and whirled around with wide eyes.

“Hey, Marinette.” He greeted with a smile.

“Adrien!” She said, letting out a nervous laugh. “Y-You’re here.”

“Yeah!” He chirped, slipping into the seat across from her. “Sorry I’m late. I ran into a bit of traffic on the way here. How have you been? Did you have a good Valentine’s Day?”

Marinette settled back into her chair as well, pulling a small, tight smile. “It’s alright.. I’ve been pretty good, and my Valentine’s Day was wonderful. How was yours?”

“Oh, you know,” Adrien shrugged, “same as always. I got some cards from a few fans and did a special photoshoot for my father, but that was about it. I tried to go see Nino or something, but he was with Alya, so..”

“Aw, I’m sorry. I wish it could have worked out better.”

“No, it’s fine.” He quickly assured. “I’m used to it. Besides, Nino and I have actually been hanging out a lot more during the winter break.”

“Oh,” Marinette said, “That’s good then. You deserve the free time.”

Adrien smiled. What a very ‘Marinette’ thing to say. “Thanks. Have you ordered anything yet?”

She shook her head. “No, I figured I’d wait for you.”

“Then let’s go get some food.” He said, standing from the table again. “I’m starving.”

Marinette stood with him, and they made their way over to the line that led to the service counter. It wasn’t long, thankfully, only holding about three people or so. They should be back at the table in no time.

“So, are you enjoying your new school life? I heard you transferred to Rosemary.” 

“Yeah, I’ve been having a great time,” Marinette said, a bit too cheerful for Adrien’s liking, “but I do have a question. How did you know I transferred to Rosemary?”

“Oh, uh..” 

Would she accept ‘my good friend Chat Noir’ as a proper answer?

“..Mlle Bustier. She announced to the class that you had transferred, and when I asked about it afterwards, she told me that you went to Rosemary.”

A hum came from Marinette, the corner of her lips tugging downwards. Why was she frowning? Did he say something wrong?

“Is that a problem?” He asked.

“Oh! No.” Marinette replied hastily. “Well.. sort of. I’m just worried that if she told you, then she’d be willing to tell other people.. Like Lila or Alya.”

Ah.. She made a good point. Her whereabouts could be spread around easily if Mlle Bustier was being loose-lipped. Although he doubted that Lila would come after Marinette since she’s not trying to out her anymore, Adrien wouldn’t put it past the girl entirely, especially since she was still spreading rumors about Marinette on a regular basis..

Granted, this only mattered if Mlle Bustier actually told him where Marinette went to school, which she didn’t. So they should be perfectly safe for the time being.

“I’m sure everything will be fine.” He insisted. “I was the only one that asked, anyway, and I made sure we were alone.”

Marinette nodded, but she didn’t look any less unsettled. “You’re sure you were the only one that asked?”

“Positive.”

“.. Okay.” She muttered, fiddling with the tip of her black jacket. Oh, she was getting anxious now! He needed to fix this. Change the subject!

“Anyway, you said your new school was great?” He asked as he stepped forward in line. “That’s good to hear. Have you made any friends there yet?”

Of course, he already knew that she’d made new friends- several, in fact -but hopefully talking about them would help her relax. Plus, it would give him more information on her new environment. So it’s a double bonus.

Marinette took the bait, her hands quickly falling back to her side as she said, “I have. I was fortunate enough to run into a whole group of friends on my first day, and they took me in without hesitation, which was sweet. They even gave me a tour of the school and everything.”

Adrien plastered a tight smile onto his face in an effort to show support. She already had an entire group of new friends? That was gonna be hard to pull her away from.  

“Wow, they sound really nice. You’ll have to introduce me to them sometime.”

“Maybe I can,” Marinette agreed, “but it probably won’t be for a while. We all have schedules and things that we’d need to work out, and I’ve been working on this fashion project lately that I was hoping to get done by the end of next week.”

“No worries. I definitely understand having a busy schedule.” Adrien joked, stepping forward in the line again. “Dupont’s been a little crazy since you left too. We had to pick a new vice president and everything.”

“Yeah, I heard. Lila had to come by and grab the books.” Marinette said bitterly.

Adrien winced. “Really? What did she say?”

“Gosh, I don’t even remember anymore.” Marinette rolled her eyes. “I try not to worry over stupid people. I’m sure she just rubbed her ‘victory’ towards me leaving in my face.”

Adrien chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “I bet.. Lila aside, though, we all miss you. Dupont isn’t the same without you here.”

Marinette raised an eyebrow at him as they took another step forward in line. “You all miss me?”

Adrien frowned, partly because she doubted him, but mostly because he knew her skepticism was justified. They didn’t all miss her. Some- if not everyone besides himself -seemed to be happy that she was gone. It was a true tragedy.

“Well.. I miss you.” He said, his heart dropping further when she gave a satisfied nod. She’s already accepted the tragedy as fact, something unchanging, but he was going to work to make things different. 

“Can I take your order?” The cashier cut in, grabbing the pair’s attention.

Adrien and Marinette gave the cashier their order and walked back to their table to wait for their names being called.

“So..” Adrien trailed off as they took their seats. “Do.. you miss us?”

He knew it was a risky question, especially since she’d firmly told Chat Noir a month prior that she did not, in fact, miss Dupont, but maybe her opinion had changed since then?

Marinette shifted in her seat, clearly uncomfortable. “I.. I’m not sure how to answer that, Adrien. How can I say that I miss the people who treated me like a monster for no other reason than the fact that I decided to stand up against a liar? I get that Lila twisted their views, and that everyone has their own version of a story, but it still hurt for them not to believe me even though most of us have known each other since childhood.”

“Do I miss the fun times and the people they used to be before Lila came along? Sure I do, but they’re not the people they used to be. They’re not the friends I grew up with anymore, and I’m not going to regret leaving a situation that wasn’t good for me.”

Adrien sighed. “Alright.. That’s a fair answer.. But what if they did come back? I mean- like - What if they realized that Lila was lying and came back and apologized and everything went back to normal. Would you come back?”

Marinette frowned. “.. I don’t know. What you’re suggesting is extremely far-fetched, and even if everything did go back to ‘normal’, it still wouldn’t quite be the same. They abandoned me for a foreigner. You can’t really come back from that. Plus, I think Rosemary is a great opportunity for me. It’s a prestigious school with extensive classes on the fashion industry and many other things, and although there can be some snooty, rich students, most of the people I’ve met there are really nice.”

Adrien hummed. Her answer was, once again, disheartening, but he took comfort in the fact that she said ‘I don’t know’ instead of just a straight up ‘no’. That was at least something, right? He could work with an ‘I don’t know’.

“Was this all you wanted to talk with me about?” Marinette asked. “Whether or not I would come back to Dupont?”

Adrien winced. “Well, no-”

Yes.

“-I also just wanted to catch up in general. We haven’t really seen each other in over a month, ya know?”

Although she appeared to be hesitant towards his answer, she gave a small smile anyway. “Yeah, it’s definitely been a while.”

Adrien chuckled. “You know, I actually tried to go visit you at Rosemary one time before this, but when I asked a student where you were, he said that you didn’t even attend the school. Had you two just not met yet?”

“Uh.. Can you describe him? There’s a lot of people at the school.”

“Sure. He was about my height, maybe a bit taller, with pale blonde hair and light eyes- I think. He was kind of  just pale in general.”

Marinette snorted. “Do you know the amount of people at the school that could match that description?”

“Okay, okay, uhm.. I think he was wearing dark colors that day. Like, greys or blacks maybe.”

“Wears dark colors, but has light hair and eyes, and is tall. Got it.” Marinette smiled. “Sorry, Adrien, but I’m just not sure. That could be Devin or Caleb or Eliot or any other number of boys. It could have even been someone who’s not in my classes.”

“Right, that’s fine. I was just curious.” He said casually, though it was really eating him alive. He knew that they knew each other. They had to! No one gets that upset during an akuma attack and calls the person their friend without knowing them. The guy even mentioned that their mutual friends were waiting for them! So who could it be? 

“Order for Adrien and Marinette Dupain-Cheng!”

Adrien stood. “I’ll get it.”

Honestly, he didn’t need to know the guy’s name. It was a bitter inconvenience, to be sure, but in the end, finding out the blond-haired dude’s name isn’t the objective. The objective was to get rid of Lila, then get Marinette to come back to Dupont. She might be hesitant about it now, which was understandable, but once she sees the changes that he’s gonna make at Dupont, she’ll be more than happy to come back. He simply needed to open her up to the idea again.

Lucky for him, he had a whole lunch date to do just that.

~~~~~~

Lila slowed to a stop on the sidewalk, panting and out of breath. She searched the city streets from left to right, but was only met with the scenery of a regular, Paris afternoon. Where were the screaming fans? The paparazzi? The bodyguards holding everyone back? Did they all disperse already? That post was literally made five minutes ago! How did he run away so fast?

She pulled out her phone to unlock it, watching as her social media popped up again. It was a picture of XY standing next to a downtown café, the very café Lila was standing next to right now.

“Chillin’ at the Café Aroma today!” The post read, but there was no XY in sight. There were hardly even any XY fans here looking for him. Was the post just a ruse to get rid of the paparazzi for a while? Don’t tell her she got up and ran all the way down here for nothing!

Lila let out a groan, slumping against the café. If XY or any of his lackeys bothered to answer their dang cell phones, none of this would’ve happened! Why would they even put out public numbers if they weren’t going to tend to them? It was really a jerk-ish thing to do.

Nevertheless, she still needed to find a way to contact him. XY was the only celebrity in Paris that might be willing to show up at Dupont per her request. Jagged Stone was a close second, but if she brought him to school, Lila was certain Adrien would ask about her stupid, kitten-saving story. Then, Jagged would get all confused and say that he never had a kitten, and Lila would have a lot more explaining to do. That was too much of a hassle for her to deal with. She needed someone she hadn’t lied much about, someone who could also quiet her whining, soul-sucking classmates. Ergo, she needed to find XY.

But where is he? Lila thought, scrolling through her phone for more recent posts. XY clearly wasn’t downtown, meaning he could be just about anywhere in Paris. He could even be outside of Paris. How was she supposed to find him when she had no special contacts to do so? It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. 

And yet.. Marinette managed to find and reign in every celebrity she needed while she was class president. On. Her. Own.

Lila scowled and shoved her phone back into her pocket. Curse that goody-little-two-shoes for making her job harder. Curse her for somehow being perfect at everything and forcing Lila to enhance her lies to compete. Curse her for leaving to another school and making Lila suffer the consequences for it. Why couldn't Marinette have been a normal class president, hm? Why did she have to constantly outdo herself with the grandest of gestures and the most important of people? Why did Lila have to be so stupid as to try and fill an impossible roll? She should have convinced Alya to run for president instead. At least then she wouldn’t be blamed for the sudden budget cuts or the mismatched class trips. She would be able to continue lying in peace and not have to worry about delivering on all of her false promises. In fact, if she weren’t so busy trying to keep up with Marinette’s ‘legacy’, along with her own big mouth, she might have been able to take care of Adrien by now.

Lila heaved a heavy sigh and massaged her temples as she stood up from the café wall. XY wasn’t going to be found anytime soon, so she might as well take a break and grab a coffee before moving forward. Perhaps the caffeine will spark her creativity for a few lies that Adrien can’t dig into should her plan to find XY fail.

She walked over to the café door and pushed it open. The bell attached to the door jingled, reminding her of that incorrigible bakery, but she ignored it and continued inside. A little music toy wasn’t going to get in the way of her espresso.

Her eyes grazed over the room, hoping to find an empty table.

What she found instead, however, made her stomach drop.

There, sitting at a table near the middle of the room, was Adrien Agreste himself, and sitting across from him was none other than Marinette Dupain-Cheng. 

Lila yelped and ducked back outside, pressing herself firmly against the wall where they couldn’t see her. What were they doing there? What were they doing together?!

Carefully, she crept past the door and slid over to the large window at the front of the café, where she could watch the two from a safe distance. It probably looked suspicious to anyone passing, but she hardly cared at that point. If Adrien and Marinette were getting together like this, Lila was going to have much bigger things to worry about.

She peered through the glass, noting the near-empty plates on their table. They must be having lunch together. Did they do that often? Since when? What could they possibly be talking about?

A smirk tugged at the corner of Adrien’s lips, and Marinette snorted, putting a hand on her mouth to hide her laughter. Ugh, why did she look so cheery! She was supposed to be miserable!

Lila scoffed, digging her fingernails into the brick at the base of the window. What happened to the endless tears and the defeated, sagging posture? What happened to the shriveled up nothing that Lila watched leave the school? Was she really enjoying herself now that she wasn’t attending Dupont? More importantly, how long have Marinette and Adrien been meeting up like this? Was this the reason Adrien suddenly decided to fight back against her? Because he’d rekindled his friendship with Marinette? No wonder the man was out for blood! Marinette probably set him up to the task herself! She must have planned all of this from the very beginning!

No, Lila thought, digging her phone out of her pocket again. She refused to be made a fool of. If they thought they were going to pull one over on her this easily, they were gonna have another thing coming. 

She snapped a photo of them together, making sure to get a moment where they were laughing hard, and tilted the angle of the camera to make it seem like she’d been passing by. Lila then got up and walked back into the café. A picture of Adrien having a grand time with Marinette should be enough of a set up for her to build him a bad reputation, but she needed to know what they were talking about specifically. The more she knew about this meet-up (and previous ones) the better, and if she were anything close to lucky, they would talk about their plans for her while she was there too. That would give her plenty of time to find a way to prepare. 

Or, perhaps, strike first.

As casually as possible, Lila slipped into an empty seat near the pair, not too close, but not too far away that she couldn’t hear them. She then snatched the menu on her table and propped it up so her face couldn’t be seen while she listened.

“Okay, wait. So you’re telling me that they threw an entire Valentine’s Day party at the Mandarin Oriental by themselves?” She heard Adrien ask. He sounded immensely impressed. Who were they talking about?

“Yeah!” Marinette replied, the smile clear in her voice. “They’re parents paid for it, of course, but they arranged everything themselves, including the caterers and reservations. We actually made some of the decorations by hand too.”

“Wow, that sounds like a blast. I bet they all looked great.”

“They did! Especially when we finished the lights and stuff. Everyone loved it.”

Lila scrunched up her nose, equally confused and annoyed. Someone threw a party at the Mandarin Oriental for Valentine’s day? Who? Why was Marinette invited? And why did she get to personally help with the decorations? This wasn’t another one of her “chummy celebrity friends”, was it? It better not be.

Adrien chuckled. “If all of those rich kids at Rosemary enjoyed it, I’m sure it was something.”

Lila froze. Did he just say “all” of the rich kids? Meaning multiple? Why was Marinette hanging out with multiple rich kids? How was she hanging out with multiple rich kids? Were they inviting her to the parties they were throwing? Why? What did she have that was so freaking special? 

Wait a minute. 

Her raging thought finally caught up with the rest of Adrien’s comment, specifically the one about Rosemary. Wasn’t that the stuck-up school near the middle of Paris that was famously known for hosting either incredibly rich or incredibly gifted students? The one that barely let you breathe in their direction if you weren’t considered “worthy”? How did Marinette end up wandering around there long enough to catch some rich friends? No one’s allowed inside except for students or staff, and their policies are extremely strict. (she should know, considering she’s tried to weasel her way in there several times.) The only way she would be able to get inside was if-

Lila gasped, nearly dropping her menu in the process.

No.. No, no way Marinette got transferred from Dupont to Rosemary. That would just be absurd! She didn’t have any money! And she certainly didn’t have enough talent to be accepted despite that! 

But as Lila listened to the conversation more and more, she had to endure the horrible realization that Marinette had, in fact, been transferred to Rosemary. Not only that, she was thriving there. She was making new friends who gave her rides in limos. She was going to fancy restaurants that cost more than Lila’s house for an afternoon snack. She was having slumber parties in mansions. Mansions! Entire estates that were apparently just as big- if not bigger! -than Adrien Agreste’s!

Lila had finally gotten rid of Marinette and won Dupont, only for Marinette to gain the new life that Lila had always dreamed of having! How was that fair? How was any of this fair!

Lila drew in a long, deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She couldn’t blow her top just yet. Marinette may be winning right now, but once Adrien is out of the way, Lila will make sure that Marinette suffers the way she deserves. Rosemary isn’t going to save her for long.

She pulled out her phone to unlock it and clicked on the messaging app, scrolling down until she found her favorite minion: Alya Cessaire. 

~Hey, you’ll never guess what I just saw!!~ 

Lila smiled as she sent the text. With a message like that, Alya won’t be able to help her curiosity, and when Lila sends the picture of Adrien and Marinette together, the journalist will fall headfirst into a pool of rage. 

In other words, that pampered little rich boy won’t know what hit him.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Hey, everyone! This section isn’t quite part of the story, but it’s going to be part of the updates from now on. Two weeks ago, I visited a Bible camp, and the Lord really spoke to my heart through the messages. So, from now on, I want to make Him the center of my life and glorify Him in everything I do. At first, I thought of not writing anymore fics or chapters, since doing so would really take my focus away from Him, but instead, I decide to start writing little devotions at the end of each chapter I post. That way, you all won’t have to suffer through an incomplete story, and I get to share the wonderful gospel with you all!

The first devotion I want to post is the message of salvation and how you can know that you’re going to Heaven when you die. The Bible (King James Version) says in Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” and the first part of Romans 6:23 says “For the wages of sin is death”. We have all had a moment in our lives where we know we’re not supposed to do something, but we do it anyway. That breaking of rules is called a sin, and because of that sin, God says that we are not fit to be in His presence, for He is a just and holy God. So, due to this, our souls are condemned to the fiery prison known as Hell, where it is pitch black around you, and the only thing you can hear is wailing and weeping and gnashing of teeth. Your soul will be alight with fire, but your body will never actually burn, so you will be faced with that pain for the rest of eternity. Can you imagine that? Being in that kind of torment forever and ever and ever and knowing that it will never end? I can’t wrap my brain around that kind of pain, and I certainly don’t want any of you to have to endure it. So that’s why I’m telling you now that there is a bright side to all of this!

John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” and the other part of Romans 6:23 says “but the gift of God is eternal life”. Do you realize what this means? It means we don’t have to go to Hell! God has provided a way of escape for us!

2,021 years ago, God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, down to earth to die for us. He was a perfect man, with no sin about Him, but he became sin for us and sacrificed himself so that we could be saved. People beat him and mauled him to point beyond recognition, then they nailed him to a cross for him to die. The pain he had to endure was excruciating, but he did it for us, because he loves us.

Then, three days after the Son of God passed away, he arose from the grave with new life! and because of that, we now have a way to join Him in heaven! All we have to do is admit that we are a sinner, repent of our sins, and accept Jesus Christ into our hearts as our Lord and Savior. We must believe on Him, and believe that he died on the cross for us, then we won’t have to go to Hell! It’s that easy! And those who believe on the Lord Jesus not only don’t have to go to Hell, but they also find a new home in Heaven with the very person who created us and loves us so much to the point of sacrificing Himself for our benefit. It’s a win-win scenario!

I know this isn’t a normal thing to do for fics, but this is something extremely important that I need all of you to know. So please, if you read through this, I implore you to get saved and accept Jesus as your savior. What do you have to lose? If you don’t, you’ll be doomed to an eternity of pain and suffering that you can never escape, but if you do, you will be guaranteed a place in paradise, where Jesus will be waiting for you with open arms. Please trust Him with your life and your heart. You know he will keep it safe.

Thank you all for listening to this and I hope you have a wonderful day!)

Tag List:  @sasstrashforlike5fandoms  @artbyknigit @athena452 @nickristus-dreamer @throneoffirebreathingbitchqueen @arsaem @abrx2002 @neakco @pawsitivelymiraculous @too0bsessedformyowngood @nathleigh @lusicing @officiallydarkgeek @all-mights-asscheeks @tbehartoo @woe-is-me0 @raeuberprinzessin @lazuli-11 @miss-chaos27 @trippingovermyfeet @sadpotatoondrugs @ladybug-182 @jaggedheart11 @marinahrasauce @i-need-blog-ideas @thewheezingbubbledragon @crazylittlemunchkin @unabashedbookworm @moonystars14 @sunflowers-and-mooncakes @2confused-2doanything @magnificentcrapposts @moonnette @nickristus-dreamer @vixen-uchiha @casual-darkness @luxmorningstarr @jjmjjktth @kaithehero @itsme1598 @theymakeupfairies @xjaccyx @miraculous-ninja @miraculouspenta @swiftie-miraculer13 @justafanwarrior @all-mights-asscheeks @ira-sairain @lookatthestars1 @dahjokester @blissful-passing @solangelo252 @canivialemonsquints07  @derbygracie  @pleaseignorejustheretoread 

[yesokaythatsfine69]

Heavy Dosage (Levi Ackerman x reader)

Description: after getting hurt during a scouting mission, y/n is given quite a heavy dosage of medication. Will her secret crush on her squad leader remain secret?

Character(s): Y/n, Hangi, Levi, nurse, eren

Pov: 3rd person

Warning(s): pain, broken bones, kissing, no spoilers

A/n: hello! I took a little break earlier and recently I've been watching two new animes, AOT and Kakegurui (both r completely different lmao) so I decided to add more fuel to the fire that is the Levi Ackerman x reader tag. Don't worry there aren't any spoilers I just wrote a cute thing.

*none of the gifts used are mine. Full credit goes to the maker.

"Shit!" That was the last thing y/n had said before she disappeared from the view of her fellow squad members. Levi watched, fear causing him to freeze. One moment she had been calling him a "old slow poke", her smile dazzling and eyes brighter than diamonds- and in an instant she was gone.

--------------------------------------------------

Pain had seared through y/n's skull when she finally landed from being thrown. The titan had grabbed a line of her odm gear and flung her, snapping the line and causing her to fall straight down and into a tree. Her body had tumbled through the branches, each branch snapping with the weight of her body and the force she had been thrown from.

Y/n was usually proud to say that Titan's couldn't touch her- she was fast, faster than almost any person in her squad- and that usually meant that she was untouchable to them. She was the one who helped the other members of her squad survive. Today, however, had been different and not even her speed had saved her.

The pain in her skull forced her eyes open. The area in which she laid was dead silent, but she didn't feel scared or worried. It was peaceful and almost poetic. She focused on her breathing, and tried to register where she had been hurt. Her head hurt, her back hurt, and her legs seethed, but she could at least feel pain.

She tried to move but only whimpered when the pain in her legs intensified. Her eyes watered. She couldn't get up and what she thought had been luck that she experienced from not dying from her tremendous fall- had suddenly become a curse. Now, she would be easily found by a titan and just as easily eaten.

"you've...got to...be fucking kidding...me." she wheezed between hot tears. Suddenly a zipping noise broke the silence around her and a small thumping sound caused her tense up. "Y/L/N!" Her eyes widened at the sound of her squad leader's voice. Then, Two arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her up. Captain Levi was above her, on his knees before her- not in the ways she had always dreamed about either.

"What did you do, Brat?" His silver orbs narrowed as he searched her face. Any other time being this close to Levi would've been similar to Heaven, but now, it carried a strange and dangerous weight. "Captain Levi, I-" His expression cut her off. His face was blank, eyes were narrowed, mouth drawn up in a thin line. He was angry, she could sense his emotions beyond what he showed with his face. That had been the reason they worked so well together- y/n could read him like a book.

He seemed to notice she had been crying, and wiped away a stray tear. "I-I'm sorry, Captain Levi I-" He said nothing and hoisted her up in his arms, pressing her head against his chest. She could feel his heartbeat- constant and comforting in her ear. For several moments they trampled in the woods in silence.

Finally he spoke. "I'll get you to the wagons and you'll be okay, y/n, try to be still." His voice seemed tired and his movements were oddly weary. Y/n frowned as she looked up at him.

Somehow she felt like he had said these words not for her benefit, but for his own. He hardly ever used her first name, preferring "brat" and "y/l/n" to order her around with. Now, as his grip on her tightened, she buried her face against his chest, deciding it was best to leave her thoughts unsaid.

As she snuggled against him, he relaxed, his shoulders releasing the tension they carried since he saw that bitch titan thrown her out of his sight. Levi had been angry- but not angry at Y/n. Angry at himself for not protecting her, angry at those fucking Titan's for taking away the people he loved from him. He felt y/n adjust slightly and that's when he realized she had fallen alseep. Her breathing evened out, and she seemed limp against him.

When he reached the clearing Petra ran up to him. "Y/n! Is she okay?" Levi said nothing, and Petra watched in worry as he pushed past her.

--------------------------------------------------

Sometimes lines get blurry. The separation between two distinct things gets combined and those two things once so distinctly different are now seemingly the same. Y/n stared straight ahead, boards on the walls combining and shape shifting. They had given her medicine for her pain, that fact was that her leg had been broken, along with a fractured skull and a few other twisted and mangled bones, so anything was deemed worthy to give her.

The medicine, whatever it was could definitely be considered "that good stuff". She giggled, watching as the nurse adjusted her covers. "You're trying to tickle me!" "Y/n?" Y/n's head slowly bobbed to the side, where Hanji was standing. Her arms were crossed, but a smile shown on her face.

"You look better than I was expecting." Y/n smiled widely. "It's the drugs!" Hanji mimicked her smile. Y/n, was for the most part a lively a fun person. She wasn't anywhere near as loud of bouncy as Hanji herself was- mainly because y/n had a better sense of timing. Now however, Hanji noted that her personality seemed to come on quite strongly.

"I just came to check on you, considering what I heard had happened you are very lucky." Y/n only giggled. "lucky-smucky. Luck had nothing to do with it. It's a skill to hit every single goddamn tree branch in the world and still be kicking." To empathize her point she kicked out the leg that wasn't broken.

"woah, maybe you shouldn't move too much." Hanji put her hands up. "It's okay I don't feel anything!" Y/n lifted her hand up and smacked herself right upside the head. "No pain!" Hanji smiled, "Right, I'll be sure to tell Levi how well you are doing."

Y/n shot up at her captains name. "You should tell him to come see me! It's been too long since I've seen that hot piece of ass!" Hanji frowned. "I- um... I don't think that's for the best...you seem pretty uh... preoccupied." Y/n opened her mouth to most likely say something else unexpected when the nurse reappeared, nodding to Hanji.

"I better be leaving y/n, I'm glad you are doing well. I'll see you later, yeah?' y/n nodded excitedly and Hanji let herself out.

She laughed, nodding her head. "Hot piece of ass...Levi Ackerman?" She snorted. Then, quite quickly the pieces for together and she stopped. "Oh no. Oh no. I should...wait a second, this could be quite an interesting experiment..." She smiled and turned in the direction of the lunchroom.

-------------------------------------------------

"She is doing very well. So well infact she told me not to send you, she doesn't want you to worry. She'll be out before long." Hanji spoke gently to Levi who stared at his tea, his face expressionless. "What do you mean she doesn't want me to visit her? I'm her squad leader." Hanji shrugged and smiled.

"She's doing very well. You'd be wasting your time. She'll be back before you know it." Levi's eyes flashed to his friend, narrowing. The rage he had experienced when he had found her broken body...the way her teary y/c/e looked up at him... He could've exploded with rage. but he needed to stay with y/n, and that's what he had done, making sure she was safe...And now he was being told to stay away from her? His fists clenched.

Hanji seemed to see the conflict. "Why don't you try and take of yourself now? You've done enough for her." Levi only stood up, the sound of his chair scraping against the floor caused those in the lunchroom to look up at him. Leaving his tea, Levi, in his own Levi way, stormed out of the room. Hanji sat there, stirring her tea.

She raised it to her lips and smiled.

--------------------------------------------------

Levi's feet practically moved on their own to the infirmary, each step more angry than the last. In angry flashbacks he felt her head pressed against his chest, her warm breathe tickling his neck, her warm orbs searching his own icy pair- he felt all of that and more...and yet she didn't want to see him?

Had those affectionate moments just been something he wished had happened instead that had actually happened. No. It couldn't have been. But the why would she try to shut him out?

He pushed open the door to the infirmary. He stood in the shadowy doorway for several seconds doing what he did best- watching.

Y/n had spent four consecutive hours counting each board- one by one. Every time she got to twenty though, she got distracted and had to start over. "Twenty-one!" "Y/l/n?" Slowly y/n's left hand, which she had used to count the board, lowered to her side. "Damnit! Lost count! At least I got to twenty one this time." Her head slowly turned to the side where her sexy captain stood, peering down at her. He looked absolutely peeved and y/n giggled.

"Well hello beautiful? Long time no see!" Levi's eyes widened the tiniest bit- but he quickly played it off. "You didn't want me here? Your own captain? Unless you forgot-" Y/n purred. "Damn you're sexy when you're mad! I don't have a clue what you're talking about but-" she shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first time!" She reached up and tugged him closer.

"I- y/n-" a finger placed itself over his lips. "Shhhhh..." The finger lifted then hit him again. "Shhhhh...shhhh." y/n stared up at him with a dazed, but delighted expression. She gently stroked his face, reaching up and flicking her hair from his eyes. She smiled at his slightly dazed expression.

"how'sithangingbabey?" Levi blinked out of his daze and grabbed her wrist, pulling her hand back from his mouth. "What is wrong with you?" His eyes were fairly wide and his stared at her in both worry and confusion. "I'm in love baby!" She shouted. "In love with youuuuuu!" She sang out flailing her arm and hitting him in the head.

"tch! Ow! Will you-" He paused, his brow furrowed. "You...love me?" She giggled and pressed a finger to her lips. "Shhh. Don't tell Levi." He stared at her. "I am Levi, you brat." Her eyes widened. "Whoops!" She laughed. "My bad!" Levi opened his mouth to speak when the nurse appeared. She gasped upon seeing him. "Captain Levi! I didn't know you were coming!" Y/n lifted her head up to look at the young nurse.

"hey, layoff! This Raven haired beauty's taken!" She yanked him forward. The action caught him off guard and he had to catch himself before he fell. Levi grumbled before detaching himself from her. "I'll speak to you later, y/n."

"You're leaving!?" Gently he ruffled her hair, and in the most soothing voice he could muster, he said, "I'll be back later, don't worry brat." Levi Nodded to the nurse to walk him out. As the nurse turned to follow him she glanced at y/n who mouthed aggressively "he's mine!"

At the door he turned to the nurse, "y/n was in large amounts of pain, so we gave her some medicine to dull it. It seems to have a worked a little..." The two turned back to y/n who had restarted counting the boards again. "Too well."

"tch, right." The end of lips upturned into almost a smile. "Keep me updated." The nurse nodded, "Right, sir."

Casting one last glance he left the infirmary, humming a new tune softly to himself.

--------------------------------------------------

Y/n sighed happily. She had finally been released, given a brace for her leg to help her walk till she was 100% and around fifteen get well cards. Her first move was definitely to go to her room. She missed her room.

She visited with Petra and the other members of her squad, making sure to show off her cool ass brace. She also made sure to say hi to Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Sasha, Connie, and Jean. She hadn't seen Captain Levi yet but she figured she'd find him soon- or he'd find her. The nurse mentioned that he'd visited a few times, none of which she remembered- but the thought that he cared enough to do so warmed her up.

Y/n entered the lunchroom, coming face to face with her captain and his fellow squad leader, Hanji. "Oh hi Hanji! Hello, Captain!" Hanji immediately jumped up and hugged her tightly. "Y/n! Congratulations!" Y/n smiled brightly, and hugged her back. "Thank you! I'm feeling pretty good!" Her eyes turned to Levi, who had been watching her intently. He nodded. "The squad has been waiting for your return, y/l/n." Y/n smiled. "Well, you guys won't have to wait much longer. The nurse said just a little while longer then I'm ready to go."

Levi nodded, his expression remaining stern. "I am pretty excited to finally get some sleep in my own bed though, so I'll see you all later." She turned, but a hand wrapped itself around her wrist. Levi had stood up, and was behind her. "I'll walk you there." Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed, but she nodded. "The more...the, uh, merrier."

With curt goodbyes the two began their walk to y/n's room. Hanji had watched the interaction without surprise, sipping some tea.

She laughed to herself as the two went out of view, pushing up her glasses. "This experiment- a definitive success."

-------------------------------------------------

"How do you feel?" Levi matched his pace with y/n, careful to make sure he wasn't moving too fast so that she wouldn't have to walk faster on her leg. "I feel good, itching to go back out there." The two stopped walking and turned so that they were right in front of each other instead of side by side.

Levi only made a clucking sound at her response. "Be sure not to push it, brat. You may be feeling fine now but-" He stopped talking when she put a hand on his chest. He frowned slightly and looked up at her from where his gaze had been.

"Thank you, for everything. I- I'm sorry I wasn't more careful. Next time I'll-" He placed his hand over her own. "Tch, there better not be a next time you stupid brat. If there is I do not I think I could handle it."

Her cheeks darkened. "Captain-" "Just Levi." She smiled at him. "Okay, just Levi." The slight upturn smile Levi had worn vanished at her bad joke into a frown. Lifting up his index finger he placed it directly over her lips.

"shhh..." She tried to speak. "shhhh." Y/n raised a brow at him. "I have lost enough in this life, y/n." Her eyes widened at the use of her first name, and his finger remained on her lips. "But, I cannot lose you, too...please." Her eyes glistened a, a familiar wetness clouding them. Slowly, Levi lowered his finger, and soon as he do so she pounced, pulling him into the tightest hug she could administer.

"You couldn't get get rid of me even if you wanted to." He hugged her back. "Good, because I do not want to." She pulled back. It was now or never, and this maybe the only chance she has left. Braving up, y/n swallowed thickly. "Hey...erm, uh Levi...I-I love you, okay?"

Levi smirked, his eyes twinkling with something close to mischievousness. "I know...you, kind of...told me already." Y/n pulled back. "No I didn't." "Tch, you did, y/n." She rolled her eyes. "I think I would remember telling someone I love them."

Levi frowned. "Are you calling me a liar?" Y/n laughed sharply. "Well, I'm not calling you a truther." She turned and began to walk away. "Even if I did, you could at least say it back you jerk!"

With reflexes faster than a blink of an eye, Levi had pulled her back and into his arms. She stared at him, wide eyed. They were mere inches apart now. Never had she been this close to him, and she could clearly see every inch of his face. The silver twinkle of his eyes, his long lashes, the pretty pink of his thin lips. He was so beautiful, like a statue of a god. Y/n blinked, realizing she had been staring a bit longer than innocent and met his gaze.

Levi only raised a brow, seemingly unaffected by their closeness. "I love you too, brat." He said finally, and Y/n relaxed into his arms, much like before. "Good, good. It makes doing this a lot easier." She placed her hand to his cheek, closed her eyes and then she closed the gap.

He sighed into her, clutching her tighter to him. It seemed as if he had been waiting almost as long as y/n had because it was if the flood gates had opened. She dipped her head to get to more of him and he grunted softly, easily letting her. She reached up, finding his soft undercut. She ran her finger threw his soft locks (just as soft as she imagined) and gently tugged. Levi opened his mouth a bit more in response, and she quickly took advantage of his action. Her tongue slipped in, and despite himself and who he was- he gasped.

Maybe this was all a bit quick but hell, she'd been around the man for going on a year now with nothing but this to show. It was quite upsetting, especially because it seemed as if Levi had no idea his effect on women, especially y/n. You can bet on your life, however, she was going to take advantage of it now and teach him exactly what he meant.

He grunted again and pulled his arm to her neck, clutching it softly. She hummed into his mouth, biting his lip and pulling. She loved him, everything about him, and almost as much as that- she wanted him. Now, in almost every way she could've imagined, she had him.

She was so wrapped up in him, y/n put her unbraced leg around his waist, trying to get somehow even closer than before but unfortunately she neglected to remember that her braced leg couldn't handle that much pressure yet and it collapsed under their weight. It sent both her and her lover crashing to the ground.

"oof!" "Tch! Hell!" Levi landed on top of her with a thud. The two shared a look. Levi had messy unkept hair, flushed cheeks and red, abused lips- all thanks to y/n. But she doubted she looked much better. "Are you okay, brat?" "Yeah, sorry. Looks like you made my legs weak." She smiled crookedly.

Levi only sighed and lifted her up. "Tch', Keeping you alive will be much harder than I expected." Y/n laughed and wrapped her arms around him, she was beginning to enjoy him carrying her around bridal style. "What can I say? I wasn't built for the weak."

"No," He hoisted her closer to his chest. "No, you are not."

They resumed their journey to her room. "But at least you are mine, brat."

--------------------------------------------------

A/n: whoo! That was a lot more than I expected to do. I hope y'all like it and don't forget that comments and critism are always welcomed. I tried to make this to where it doesn't really involve any timeline and it's just kind of an extra thing. Thanks for reading!

--------------------------------------------------

[pascalpanic]

hi i love ur writing so much!! can i request something with mutual pining, denial of feelings, idiots-to-lovers, hurt/comfort/angst , maybe some jealousy and fluff and smut if you want i just need something really angsty with javier peña, frankie m or din djarin?? tysmm!!!!!

The Bantha (Din Djarin x f!Reader)

Summary: Being an animal lover does not work well with the plans the Tuskens and Mos Pelgo citizens have to kill the krayt dragon. A retelling of S2E1 of the Mandalorian: The Marshal.

W/C: 4.4K

Warnings: talk of animals being harmed/dying, lots of arguing and angst, Vanth kind of is gross bc I hate his character aha, we respect the Tuskens in this house and use proper terminology for them, language, tiniest mentions of alcohol

A/N: Not gonna lie, the idea for this fic came to me pretty quickly but it took me a long time to properly figure it out. Lots of drafting and editing so THANK YOU to my beta readers, you’re all the best ever!! Anon, I’m so sorry this took so long but I hope it’s worth it!

Of all the dilemmas you’d expected to face as you traveled the galaxy with a tiny, Force-sensitive, 50-year-old toddler and a Mandalorian with the emotional capacity of the earlier-mentioned child, the last one you’d ever predicted you’d face had to be the challenge of ridding a tiny desert town of a giant sand beast that eats their banthas.

“You are so fucking dense,” you groan as you and Din settle on a speeder bike, the little green child tucked in a wrap on your chest. “You’re a Mandalorian, a battle-worn bounty hunter with a kill streak probably in the thousands, and some random man asks for your help and not only do you fucking freely give it, you decide to help them kill the sand dragon terrorizing their town.” You groan to him, rubbing your temples.

Din nods and starts up the speeder bike. “You don’t need to summarize what we just lived through,” he grunts and you wrap an arm around him.

“I do, because I need to clarify that your dumb ass would do that. Sometimes I really do think you don’t have a brain under that beskar bucket,” you shake your head, trying to keep the anger that you’re feeling. If you’re not careful, it’ll turn to adoration and love.

You’ve been battling your feelings for Din for a while now, trying to force the giddiness bubbling in your chest deep down inside. The man is everything you look for in a partner: strong, committed, tall, protective. He’s good with the child, adorably cuddly and loving. He’s even funny sometimes, making dry-humored remarks around the ship.

“Excuse me for caring,” the man grumbles through the modulator. He’s strong and warm beneath your arms, the Tatooine heat making the beskar warm like your bunk in the morning when you don’t want to get up. Stop it, stop it you remind yourself. This is not the time to be enraptured by the Mandalorian man’s body.

That’s yet another trait you love about him- how caring he is. He’s a bounty hunter, a warrior by oath who never shows his face and probably knows millions of ways to kill someone with his bare hands. Yet he cares. He raises the child well; he even raised him alone before you came into the picture. He puts himself in harm’s way for innocent people on the daily, all because he simply thinks it’s right.

You take a sip from your water canteen and hand it to the baby on your chest so he can drink too. “No, I will not excuse you for caring when you’re doing stupid shit, Din,” you scowl and cap the canteen as two three-fingered green hands give it back to you. “You came here- we came here, our family did, to find Mandalorians. There are none.”

“This man will give me his beskar if we help,” Din hisses, revving the engine of the speeder, non-verbally telling Vanth to get moving. The man is dawdling along, a few meters away, as he packs his bike up.

“What do you need it for, huh?” You ask him, throwing your arms up in exasperation. “I’m not a Mandalorian. This little shit doesn’t need beskar. You have a full set of armor already.”

“Beskar belongs to me, to my people, by my Creed,” he says, articulating himself with his hands too. It’s a habit he’s picked up from you. “You wouldn’t ask a Tatooinian to deprive themselves of the moisture they farm.”

You put your face in your hands and groan. “No, you’re right, because they fucking need water to live. You do not need beskar to survive, Din!” You shout, getting off the speeder bike. “And please, forget I called us a family. We’re clearly just a bounty hunter and his… assistant, whatever the fuck I am, and some little kid we picked up for the ride.” You stalk off towards the building.

“Where are you going?” He asks as you turn.

Cobb is standing to the side somewhere, and you approach him. “You got another speeder? I don’t want to put up with him for the ride.”

The man chuckles and claps your shoulder. “Sure thing, pretty thing.” He wanders off and returns about a minute later with another speeder. Din watches the two of you in annoyance, visible from his rigid body language. “Hop on. You know how to drive?” You nod once and he heads to his own speeder. “I’ll lead. You two follow.”

-

The ride is uneventful at first. Cobb Vanth tells the two of you the story of how he came to be the town marshal, and Din nods his silent comprehension when the man in beskar looks over at him. Most of the stories are aimed at you, desperate to crack your stony anger. It doesn’t work. You stare straight ahead, daring to break your frown into a neutral expression when the little green baby coos excitedly at the wind in his ears.

There are valleys and caverns to navigate through, nimbly ducking and weaving on your speeder bike. The kid loves it, squealing happily when you fly over a bump or turn a sharp corner. It’s a joyride to him.

When Din and Vanth suddenly stop your ride, you panic, holding the child close against your chest. From your holster, you grab your weapon and stand next to the two men. The growling noises are revealed to be massiffs, huge dog-like lizards. You squeal in delight, immediately dropping to your knees and summoning the beast in Tusken.

“What in the hell is she doin’?” Vanth mutters to Din as the big animal comes bounding toward you.

“She’s always like this with animals. Thinks they’re all big puppies,” Din rolls his eyes but can’t help himself: he smiles beneath his helmet as the beast licks your face and you scratch its sides.

You’re such a wonderful person, Din sighs, even though he’s mad at you. You’ve always been amazing with other species, like massiffs and the little green child strapped to your chest. You’re so intelligent too: speaking seemingly endless languages.

“They are big puppies!” You coo and press a kiss to the forehead of one massiff. Another finds Din, who also bends down to give it scratches and attention. “Green bean, look!” You tell the child and put out his hand for the massiff to lick. “See? They’re our friends,” you tell him, admiring the way the little green child giggles at the scaly skin.

From around a corner, a Tusken appears, then several. You stand and lower your weapon, speaking to them first in their native language. “We mean no harm. You have beautiful massiffs,” you tell them then turn to Din and Vanth. “Drop the weapons.”

“Are you crazy?” Vanth shouts.

“We are here to put an end to the krayt dragon,” you explain to them in their language. “Your assistance and knowledge would certainly help us. You want it gone too, yes?”

They affirm you that it’s a yes, and you nod back at the men. You know Din understands. “They’re willing to help if you’ll stop being a douchebag.” Vanth starts to talk but you hold up a hand and cut him off. “I know, I know. We can strike a deal. Are you willing?”

Din’s heart is nearly exploding. In any other timeline, he’d be the one conducting negotiations, using his threat as a Mandalorian to run the show. But here you are, with your gentle nature, making deals and completing them through cooperation and kindness. It’s hard to speak in a soft tone when speaking Tusken, yet you can do it. All with a baby strapped to your chest. Maker, Din thinks, he might be in love with you.

Vanth sighs a few moments later. “Why the hell not?”

-

Din talks with the Tuskens for a while at the camp, planning and negotiating as night falls and the air starts to get cold. To entertain the child, you spend time with the banthas, brushing their fur and letting the baby get exposed to the animals.

The kid loves them. He coos happily as he strokes their thick fur, giggling as one of them gives him a kiss and covers him in slime. You wash him off and return, quietly talking with the Tuskens caring for the creatures.

You’ve taken a liking to them. They’re gentle and soft, like big lumbering puppies, really. They moo when you brush their fur just right, let their eyes slip shut when you scratch them between the eyes. You’ve always had a soft spot for animals, like Din said earlier.

Cobb likes you. That much is clear from the way he finds you when he’s not working with Din and the Tuskens, bringing you food and water as you and the child mind your business. He’s overly flirtatious, to the point of annoyance. He’s rude and crude about the Tuskens, calling them words you’d never use to describe a human.

Politely excusing yourself, you allow the child to run with some of the other Tuskens’ children and spot a silver-plated man sitting by the fire.

“Vanth is such a goddamn xenophobe,” you grumble as you sit down next to the fire with Din, the child off playing with some Tusken children. He’d ranted about the Tuskens as you rode with them, luckily in Basic so that the people couldn’t understand him.

“Thought you liked him,” Din says and cocks his head. “He certainly likes you.”

You roll your eyes and sip the canteen of water, looking at the crackling fire. “Those things are not mutually exclusive,” you chuckle, looking over at him. “What, are you jealous, tin can?” You tease and knock on his beskar pauldron.

“In your dreams, cyar’ika,” he teases. It’s clear to him that whatever tension had been between the two of you earlier has dissipated, enough for him to steal the water flask from your hand and pass it to the child as he toddles past.

“I was drinking that, you fucking bantha,” you laugh and smack him on an unarmored part of his arm. The Tatooinian desert gets cold at night, you find, and you pull into yourself a little more from the cold.

Din unclips his cape and drapes it over your shoulders, tucking it in beneath where your arms press against your ribs so that it wraps tight to your body. “Hm. You do have a heart under there,” you tease and sigh, naturally leaning against Din and resting your head on his shoulder pauldron.

“So it’s been said,” he nods and even dares to rest his head on top of yours. Through the bare spots in his beskar, he can feel the way your body radiates warmth into the chilly night. You spot a little green head toddling past again, much slower than the other children thanks to his tiny legs, and Din scoops him up.

“I’m sorry,” you murmur quietly, the roar of the Tuskens’ conversations creating a soft hum around you. “For what I said, when I yelled at you. You’re right. You really are just caring for them.”

He nods. “You don’t have to apologize.”

“I’m more sorry for saying we aren’t a family. I mean, we are, right? Not that we’re like, a couple or anything,” you say hurriedly, your voice low as you stumble over your words. “But you and this little womp rat…” you muse as you scratch the baby’s little green head. “You are my family. That much is clear to me.”

Din nods once more. “I agree.”

You smile up at him. “What’s going on under that bucket, huh?”

He turns, looking off. “Just going over the plans for how we’re going to get that krayt dragon.”

“Ooh, share,” you ask, taking one of his hands and lacing through his glove-covered fingers. “I didn’t mean it when we said all of this for some banthas, you know. I’ve really fallen in love with them lately.”

Din is quiet for a moment. He doesn’t answer. “Din?”

He knows you’re going to hate him for this. Your big heart, your animal-loving, sweet talking kindness is not going be okay with this, but he has to tell you the truth. “We’re going to have to sacrifice some of the banthas for this mission to work.”

“What?” You exclaim, dropping his hand. “You can’t possibly do that.”

“We have to. We need to lure the dragon.”

“Do it some other way!” You frown, looking over at the big soft desert cows. “Seriously, please, Din.”

“Doesn’t matter,” he shakes his head. “They’re not sentient.”

“But they can feel!” You exclaim again, standing. “Fuck this. Why don’t you sacrifice yourself to the krayt dragon and see how that feels?” You shout, storming off. You’re aware it’s childish, but you stomp to your tent and lie down. You close your eyes and hope Din doesn’t come to find you.

-

Of course you didn’t mean it. Of course you didn’t want Din to sacrifice himself to the krayt dragon. So why is he doing it? Why are you on your knees, screaming to the sky that he did exactly what you said?

You’d been avoiding him since that night, since you showed vulnerability and subsequently returned to anger towards the man. You’d wanted to apologize, but you couldn’t get over the sacrificing of the animals for the cause. You just couldn’t.

Din had flown straight into the sand dragon’s mouth, just seconds ago, and is now deep inside its bowels, you’re sure. You clutch the baby to your chest and wail, agonized and terrified. Vanth stands at your side, a hand resting on your shoulder as you wheeze and sob.

But this is Din. He must have a plan.  He has to have a plan; he’s a battle-worn warrior and you’ve never seen him lose a fight. You’d stormed off before you could hear the rest of his plans the other night- maybe this was part of it. But the way Vanth stares at the dragon in terror makes you think that maybe it isn’t. Maybe Din just really fucked it up. You set the little green kid in his cradle and stand, sniffling and clinging to the metal sphere as if it’s your last lifeline to Din.

Suddenly, there’s a burst of green goo and out flies a shining silver rocket: it’s Din. “Oh thank the fucking Maker,” you shout as he lands not far from your small group, the wailing and dying sand beast behind him.

He’s covered in slime, but you’ve never been so happy to see the man. You rush to him and throw your arms around him, not giving a single fuck as you jump on him. “Please, never fucking do that again,” you wheeze into his cape, getting yourself covered in slime.

The hug is not comfortable. Din is all beskar where you want to feel his strong body, but it’s all worth it when he wraps his arms around you too. You’re crying, he knows it, and he knows just why. “I didn’t do it because you said it. You know that, right?”

You let go of him, sniffling and wiping your eyes. “Yeah. I was just so scared- oh Maker, Din, I can’t fucking lose you,” you admit, freely crying now. “I love you, I really do, and I can’t-“

“How?”

You look at him in confusion.

“How do you love me?”

This damn man. He’s full of surprises, just getting literally eaten alive by a krayt dragon, and now he’s asking you for a full emotional confession. You’re still reeling from the shock, but the fact that he’s there is enough. You don’t care that Cobb is definitely listening over your shoulder. “Every way. All of them. Romantic, friendship, family. You feel like my home and I want to be with you.” No better time than now, you suppose, to admit this all.

Din walks a step closer. “Romantic. Huh.”

“I hate that fucking helmet,” you admit, trying to deflect the emotion between the two of you. “I can never see your face. Can’t know what you’re thinking, your tone, your-“

Din cuts you off. “We ride back to the village and clean up. Meet me in the home as the suns set.”

What that means, you have no clue, but you nod. “I’m so glad you’re safe,” you murmur, putting a hand on the cut-out cheek of his helmet.

-

The town rejoices when you come back, shouting and celebrating over the dragon’s death and the plentiful meat that came with the creature. You’d joined in the reverie, taking a shot of spotchka and chanting along to a Tatooinian call-and-response they’d started. It was wonderful, really, and you and the little green thing were the stars. They admired the little green thing, cooing over him. You were proud to stand there as his mother.

The party died as the suns set. Din was notably absent from the hubbub, preferring to be alone as usual. You and the kid talked with the villagers, but as the suns started to sink, you excused yourself and found your way to the spare home you and Din each had rooms in.

Vanth and the women had taken the baby when you told them you were going to talk with Din. Not that it was hard: they all loved the little beast, showered him with affection. It was practically a competition over who got to play with him most.

The building has a warm glow as you wander over to it, wrapping your arms around yourself. The night has become cold now that the two harsh suns have sunk below the horizon, and it’s a relief to open the door to the home and feel the warmth radiating from a fireplace inside.

You find Din staring out of a window on the back, watching the endless wind sweep across the sand dunes, a dark sky contrasting the golden ground. Just his silhouette is visible, black against the deep blue. “Hi,” you say quietly as you walk in, the worn floorboards creaking beneath your feet no matter how deliberately you step. “Glad to see you got cleaned up.”

The man tilts his head in an obvious eye roll, even through the helmet. The slime was disgusting, although Din’s adoptive son had seemed to enjoy the gooey texture, as little ones are prone to. “I almost died and you’re already back to the sarcasm.”

“It’s called a coping mechanism,” you laugh gently and place a hand on his shoulder. There’s no beskar there, just soft fabric warmed by his body. It makes you shiver; even in the safety of the Crest, Din never takes off the armor. You wonder why it’s gone. Maybe to clean it?

Din’s quiet for a moment, enjoying the feeling of your fingers splayed over his shoulder in such an affectionate gesture. “You know how much I trust you, don’t you?” He asks and the black visor turns toward you, admiring what’s visible of your face in the moonlight. Your eyes glimmer and he admires them, the color he’s always loved.

You nod and smile just a little, cheeks growing rounder with the movement. “Of course.” He’s trusted you with his son, the most important thing to him in the galaxy. There’s one clear gesture even now: the absence of the beskar from his form. Maker, he’s broad, shoulders just as wide as with the metal.

He nods and shuts the window’s shutters, allowing even less light in before turning to you. There’s just a soft glow in the room, outlining the shape of the helmet and his shoulders. You can’t see any detail, just the shape. He walks over towards the long comfortable seating in the middle of the room and you instinctively follow, standing in front of it and stopping when he stops, facing him. His hands find your shoulders and his fingertips brush down your arms until they find yours. “Take off my helmet.”

“What? No,” you exclaim, frowning even though he can’t see it.

“Can you see anything?” He asks, a hand gesturing, an even darker shadow through the already murky visibility.

“No.”

“My Creed says you cannot see my face. Not that I can’t remove the helmet.”

You gulp hard, your fingers lacing through his. They’re bare. You’ve never felt them before. Often you’ve wondered if they’re calloused and tough from his work, soft from being hidden beneath the soft leather for all those years, or somewhere in between. They do fall into that in between, but they’re warm and strong and large, even without the leather casing them.

“I can’t do that to you,” you shudder, squeezing his fingers. “It’s the very thing about you, that you can’t take it off,” you start to ramble. You want to, desperately, but there’s no turning back now. If you feel his face, if you’re even so lucky as to kiss him, you’ll never be able to get enough of it. You’ll be subjected to an eternity of longing, even more than you’re yearning now.

“I want you to,” he breathes, his beskar-covered forehead falling against yours. “Please, cyare.”

“Why don’t you hate me?” You ask, your voice straining. You need to keep stalling, need to keep pushing it off or you’re actually going to do it. “I’m so mean to you. All the time,” you point out to him. You do it to keep him away, but he’s persistent. He never seems to care. “All we do is argue.”

“I may not be able to use the Force like the kid,” he mumbles, bringing one hand up to cup your face. “But I can sense your feelings. You don’t hide them well.”

“Din,” you plead, biting your lip and closing your eyes to prevent the tears that are threatening to well in them. “You can’t do this.”

“I can, and I want to.”

“Why are you so fucking patient with me when I’m only ever a bitch to you?” You practically wail, half annoyed and half honored. “You’re such a good man, Din. You don’t deserve someone shitty like me. I’ve got no hunting skills, I’m too stubborn, I’m mean and-”

He stops you by lifting your hands, setting them on either side of his helmet. “You can’t see me, so it doesn’t break the Creed. I want you to do this, because I want you.” He’s eternally blunt, but in this moment you can’t tell if it’s breaking your heart or warming it. “I love you too. Please. Take it off.”

“This is your last fucking chance, Djarin,” you tell him with a wavering voice.

“Cyare.”

“Okay,” you nod and take a deep breath. Din unlatches the little bit at the bottom that keeps it sealed against his head, and there’s a soft rush of air. Your hands grip either side and you slowly lift it off. Din takes it once it’s gone and rests it on the plush seat.

Your hands are drawn to his face like you’re being pulled on a string, your skin prickling as you feel the stubble along his chin and jaw. Your fingers trace his face for a few moments, exploring the new terrain. His cheeks feel hot, and his lips make you shiver again with how soft they are. Swallowing hard, you dare to look at his silhouette, noticing his hair is mostly matted down from the helmet. “What color are your eyes, Din?”

“Brown.”

You smile at that, and you rest your head against his shoulder, your hands dropping to your sides. His arms encircle you and it feels perfect, like you were meant to be like this for all of eternity and it took you long enough. “Of course they are.”

He chuckles at that and presses a kiss into your head, his hands finding your waist. “I did take this off for a reason.”

You lift your head, looking at his just-visible shape. “Really? I don’t know what you mean,” you flirt.

He’s silent. You’re sure he’s rolling his eyes, absolutely certain. “May I kiss you?”

The words are ever blunt, just like Din. “Yes, you bantha,” you tease, but the laughter is gone as his hands find your face again.

Just like that, his lips are on yours, radiating heat and love and it immediately tops the feeling of his arms around you. You gasp, not expecting him to do it so quickly, but your lips quickly meld to his and you sigh in content.

You stay like that for a while, hands traveling each other’s heads and necks and shoulders and sides as you kiss. He’s so warm and strong, his muscles just as sculpted as the indestructible metal that covers him. He’s so human.

After a bit, Din breaks away and presses his forehead to yours once more. He doesn’t speak, just rests there, his hands on your waist. His breath mingles with yours. For once, you’re speechless, unsure of what you can say back. The sarcasm has been stripped from your body like the beskar from Din’s.

“I better put the helmet back on,” he murmurs.

“Please don’t,” you whisper, tucking your face into the curve of his neck. You sit on the couch and he follows, desperate not to lose your touch. “Just… we’ll stay like this.”

He nods. He can’t say no when you kiss his neck feather-lightly, when your skin is pressed to his like this. He hasn’t had contact like this in years. He’ll prolong it as long as he can.

You do stay like that, relaxed and curled into each other. His arm wraps around you and you curl into a ball, nestled into his side. It’s been a long day for Din, you know, but the depth of it occurs to you as his breathing slows and his muscles relax.

He’s fallen asleep in your arms. You press a soft kiss to his neck and set a timer on the wrist-comm you’re wearing, so that you’ll both wake while it’s still dark in the room. For now, he deserves his rest. His face nuzzles into your hair, and he gives a soft sigh in his sleep. Yes, this is exactly what the beskar warrior needed: rest and you.

-

taglist:

@remmysbounty @mishasminion360 @blo0dangel @binarydanvvers  @sleep-tight1 @apascalrascal @randomness501 @spideysimpossiblegirl @notabotiswear @pedro-pastel @sanchosammy @lv7867 @greeneyedblondie44 @hunnambabe @astoryisaloveaffair @emesispo @pedritobalmando @magikfanatic @a-court-of-feysand-and-elorcan @princess76179 @starless-eyes-remain @tacticalsparkles

[thefanbasewhore]

The Apology Bath

Summary | after being on the run, Bucky can't help but notice the difference in you. He intends to make it better.

Warning | (18+) suggestive content, DNI minors, implied smut, soft Bucky then a lil dominant Bucky

Paring | Bucky Barnes x female reader

Side note | I've had writer's block for the last three days but was finally able to pump something out so if it's terrible, I apologize 😩

"Honey.” The soft rasp of his voice whispers against the shell of your ear as the hot water stings your skin, wrapping around you like a soft blanket. It soothes your aching muscles, coaxing you into a deep haze of security.

With every passing second the worries start to disappear or the fact that you and Bucky have been on the run for days. Dangling on danger has left Bucky on edge, traveling for weeks at a time to ensure not only your safety but to give Sam some time to locate them and find out their end goal. For some reason they were after you.

You were in no way complaining, he's doing everything he can to keep you safe and alive but being on the run and between the four hotel rooms you would switch too the walls seemed to be inching closer and closer as time passes on. Any moment spent outside of the hotel room was in the car.. Bucky insisted you couldn't leave it, even when he pumped gas, he wouldn't risk it.

Bucky had not only noticed how suffocated you feel but incredibly bad that you were in this position. The only reason they want you is because Bucky provoked them in the first place.

He noticed the subtle changes like your behavior. Snappy and grouchy, more unlike yourself as the day goes on. You're distant, cold with every word you speak to him and he tried not to take it personally.

Bucky had reached out to a few people, finding a safehouse, somewhere to stay for the next couple of weeks. It's something you needed, a space to yourself, to enjoy a little calm in the storm.

He wanted to give you a few hours to yourself in the town just outside the safehouse but he couldn't risk it. Instead made you a home cooked meal and a warm bath filled with salts.

The fruity smell of cranberries and cinnamon from the candle he lit seconds ago while hanging a warm towel on the rack next to you. "Feel good, sweetheart?"

“Mmmm.” You mumble barely audible. The only thing you can seem to concentrate on is the flattening bubbles against your collarbones.

Strong, bare hands press to the base of your shoulder, fingers shaping into the grooved of your scapula as he uses them to press deep, round and circular motions against the nape of your neck.

A small moan of relief leaves your lips, eyes closing at the touch as he presses a peck to your shoulder.

The small kiss has your flashes fluttering open but the gruff, "Keep 'em closed, honey. Want you to relax."

Smooth lips follow the dip of your clavicle as he lifts himself from the floor as his tongue follow the thick coulmn of your neck. A pink tongue passes though his lips to lick a small bead of water from your skin which makes you huff with a smile.

The sounds of his clothing rustling and clicking and whirling of vibranium as he unzips his zipper makes you sigh, heart pounding in your ears as his finger drops into the water and touches the base of your stomach as his lips hang dangerously close to your own, almost touching, "Move up for me, sunshine."

The bath isn’t big but it leaves just enough room for him to slip in behind you, the water sways and falls from the tub at his weight but he doesn’t seem to care as his chest flushes against your back. Of course you had bathed together before but it was never like this, instead always rushed with the purpose of getting clean.

This was soothing, the way his hands rub both of your arms with slowl, delicate motions. His nose nuzzles the back of your neck, pressing a small kiss to it. It's intimate, every part of your body and soul spread open for his hands and lips. With one last kiss to the side of his jaw you lean back until the back of your head falls into his neck as his fingers continue their decent of tasting your skin, running over every bump and recarving every stretch marks he could manage to find.

“Pretty girl.” Even though your eyes are shut, it's hard to miss the smile, actually feel the press of the dimple against your cheek.

“Sit up.” His tone is sugary, smooth as fingers help by pressing against the small of your back. The sound of the shampoo bottle follows his hands in your hair, rubbing soft circles into your scalp.

It's instinctual, instantly stiffening as he presses a soothing kiss to your shoulder, "Relax for me, let me take care of you."

"Buck, you don't have to." A wave of guilt washes over you. For the last few days you have been anything but nice and of course, he returned it with love and sweetness.

“I want to.” Hot breath fans the back of your neck as he leans back into the wall as his fingers never stop their work.

Comfortable silence follows as his fingers gently rub the budding soap in your hair, he switches it up, pressing a little more pressure with his nails. He doesn't stop, as he pulls you closer into his chest.

“Mmmm.” It’s a moan, soft and low but flushes his cheeks, makes his face heat up as he tries to push the sinful thoughts that flood his mind. He tries to hide the way you affect him, fingers twitching to slip between your legs and fill you. The heavy thick line of his arousal twitches against your back as he pushes his lips just to receive the tiniest bit of friction. Soap suds smear across your face as he reaches over your shoulder, hand gently pointing your chin up to angle your head just enough for can press a slow, lingering kiss against your own.

“Do you feel better, sweet girl?"

The sweetness of the man behind you is unmatched, it makes your heart flutter in appreciation, squeezing inside your chest as you turn to the side and cup his cheek.

Dinner and a bath, it's been weeks since you've been able to enjoy either.

“Yes.” He breath catches in his throat as you press open mouth kisses against his neck, the mix of soap and water explodes against your tongue but you can't find yourself to care, only to turn yourself to face him. Thighs saddle his own as your tongue reaches out to taste the skin of his jaw and feel the smooth skin. "Thank you Bucky, for this."

"It's my fault you're in this situation, I'm sorry. You deserve everything in this world and more." He promises as you slip a hand behind his neck to draw him closer to close the space between your lips.

“Let me show you how much I appreciate you.” His breath hitches as a hand drops inbetween you, eyes dropping to watch.

His cock twitches in anticipation, head bobbing just above the surface of the suds, swollen and aching for you. "You don't have to - I want you to relax."

Kisses feather across his skin, until you reach his lips. "I want to, you're so good to me, Bucks."

He gasps against your mouth as your hand wraps around his cock with a slow, sensation stroke, the water acting as a lubricant as you easily glide across the skin. It's quiet, muttered under his breath like he's trying to hide it but you hear it, "That's it, honey."

His head falls back, hips thrusting into your hand as you pump him again, soap suds follow the trail you leave across his chest as you reach up the cup his jaw to pull him close for another kiss.

But now he's all teeth and snarls, bitting your bottom lip in-between the breaks he takes from absolutely melting against your lips. His hand fist your hair, tilting your head back to pull away and meet his daring eyes, clouded with lust.

"That's my good girl." He purrs so beautiful, the compliment making your head go hazy. Daring to look away, to watch his cock appear and disappear from your fist but his own yanks your back up to his dark gaze. "I said eyes on me."

"Yes, sir." The groan that echoed across the bathroom was beautiful and desperate but if you weren't in trouble before, you definitely are now.

[sunsetcurvecuddles]

Alex + Julie "You didn't deserve that... You deserve so much better."

you sent me this prompt a million years ago i'm sorry it took me so long to answer it. warning for friendship breakup angst. there's no carrie redemption arc in this fic but there IS alexjulie friendship.

with love on their throats | g | 1.7k | alex&julie, past julie&carrie

ao3 link in reblogs!

--

Julie doesn’t mean to ignore the boys all afternoon, but Carrie’s birthday was hard last year and so far, this year doesn’t seem to be getting any easier.

She has the foresight to turn her phone off, at least, this year. She can’t handle the social media posts from everyone else at their school. They’re probably in Carrie’s pool, in her kitchen, in her living room. Probably throwing around the throw cushions that Julie’s mom taught her and Carrie to sew covers for when they were ten. Maybe even smashing the glasses Julie used to drink Trevor’s homemade iced tea out of when she would come to visit before Carrie got home from sport in the evenings. The idea of seeing these familiar spaces still just… out there, existing, rather than stuck in the past along with her and Carrie’s friendship, makes Julie nauseous.

Plus, there’s the added bonus of not being able to text Carrie something reckless she might regret.

So her phone’s switched off. Her dad knows not to bother her today anyway, since he had a front-row seat to whole Carrie mess when it happened. He just shot her a sympathetic glance over breakfast and hasn’t spoken to her at all. Carlos is at a friend’s house, and wouldn’t bother her even if he were home.

It’s just the ghosts Julie is avoiding, locked her bedroom door, perched on her window seat with her headphones on, watching YouTube on her laptop.

Which means it scares her half to death when Alex waves a hand in front of her face.

She yanks her headphones off and curses, sharp and a little louder than she means to, and Alex jumps back like he’s been burned. “Julie! Uh, hi, hey. Sorry to scare you.”

“Why didn’t you knock?!” she demands, still breathless. “It’s you, you know better! Boundaries!”

At least Alex has the decency to look shamefaced. “I know, listen, it’s just -- we were worried about you! And we did knock, a lot, actually, but I don’t think you could hear us? So I said we should give you space but Luke and Reg started psyching each other out, and Luke’s never been able to handle space the same way since the Caleb Covington Kidnapping Incident--”

Which, okay, yeah, that’s fair enough. Julie still shudders at the memory of the Caleb Covington Kidnapping Incident.

“-- so then I got nominated because, well, Reg worried you might be getting changed or something, and that makes me the obvious choice, not that I wanted to be the obvious choice, just that -- okay, I’m doing a bad job, what I mean is --”

Finally, she decides to put him out of his misery. “Alex, stop. It’s fine.”

Relieved, he lets out a breath and leans on his knees, looking up at her with pretty, apologetic eyes. “Still. I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to frighten you, we just… got worried. And wanted to see if you were okay. You’ve been in here all day.”

Julie nods and looks back at her laptop, where the YouTube video is still playing, and pauses it.

She hasn't looked back over at Alex when he says, cautious, "Are you okay?"

When she replies, “Yeah,” it isn’t because she wants to lie to him, necessarily. It’s more because she doesn’t know how to untangle her feelings enough to lay them out in front of him. More because it’s hard to explain why she still misses someone who she knows hurt her, who she knows should have known better.

It’s hard to explain why she feels guilt, and grief, over something she chose to let go.

The window seat dips when he sits down next to her, fingers twisted together in his lap, shoulders rolled forward. He’s offering her the tiniest, encouraging smile in the form of a little quirk at the corner of his mouth. Julie loves him so much that it softens the heartache, just for a moment.

But then it returns. Just as strong. Just as unreasonable. Just as painful.

“It’s Carrie’s birthday,” she tells him, without even knowing why she says it.

“Oh,” he replies, which seems fair. She doesn’t know what she’d say in his position. He chews his lip, a crease forming in his brow. “You guys used to be friends, right?”

God, can she talk about this out loud? It’s easier to joke with Flynn, to make fun of the situation, because Flynn saw it all play out, held Julie when she cried, stopped being friends with Carrie in solidarity. Explaining the situation from start to finish, to someone new, just feels impossible.

So instead she says, “Do you ever miss someone you know you can’t have back? Or not that you can’t. But you know you shouldn’t. You know that you can’t get them back, or you’d have to give up too much for it and it wouldn’t be worth it.”

Because sure, if Julie was really committed, she’s sure she could grovel her way back into Carrie’s inner circle. But as much as she misses her, she’s not prepared to do it.

Alex nods, understanding. “Yeah,” he says plainly. “Yeah, I do. Tons of people.”

Julie’s surprised, but she supposes she shouldn’t be. The boys talk about Alex’s family the way Julie’s mom used to talk about ghosts -- never directly, otherwise they’d hear her and be summoned -- and after the whole thing with Trevor, well. It makes sense.

“Can I get it to stop?” Julie asks. “I had to turn off my phone before I did something stupid like text her. What would I even say? Why would I want to say anything?”

“I don’t know,” he murmurs. He leans over so their shoulders bump together, and she leans her head on him. “It’s okay to miss her, you know. You guys had good things in your friendship -- I mean, I guess, right? That’s why you miss it?”

Julie nods, closing her eyes. There are so many good memories she doesn’t even know where to start. Running in the park. Sitting at the piano together. Fashion shows for their dads and Julie’s mom in the living room of the Wilsons’ huge house. Sleepovers with Flynn full of bickering and giggling and pillow fights. Birthday parties, their whole lives.

“But that doesn’t mean you didn’t have a good reason for stepping away,” Alex says.

That’s true, too. Julie’s pretty sure they didn’t have that good stuff for a while before their friendship ended, in reality. Carrie was becoming… snappish. Self-absorbed. All she wanted to do was boss the other girls in dance class around, and she didn’t ask to hear Julie’s songs anymore. Julie knew that being a good friend meant weathering the good with the bad, but she gave Carrie what felt like a million chances, and she wasn’t getting anything back. When she’d tried to bring it up to Carrie, things had… exploded.

She explains as much to Alex, in fits and spurts, and finishes with, “She just… blew up at me, she told me she’d been sick of me for ages and asked why I hadn’t noticed. Like I was just supposed to realise that we weren’t friends anymore without her telling me.” Sucking in a shaky breath, she manages, “And then my mom…”

“Oh, Julie,” Alex murmurs softly into her hair. She’s trying not to cry, she really is, but it feels all bubbly at the surface of her chest, and the way he puts an arm around her and squeezes tight shows that he can tell.

“I know it’s silly,” she chokes, “but it feels like we broke up, or something, even though we were just friends. It hurts so much just thinking about her.”

“It’s not silly,” he assures her, and wraps his other arm around her, too, so he’s hugging her close to him with her head against his chest. “There’s nothing less important about friends, and a friendship ending can really suck. Especially how she did it.” He presses a kiss to her forehead, and doesn’t draw attention to the few tears making their way down her cheeks. They sit like that for a moment, then Alex says quietly, “You’re a wonderful friend. You didn’t deserve that. You deserve so much better.”

Sniffling, Julie rubs her sleeve across her eyes, wiping away the tears. The thought dawns on her like the sunrise after a long, sleepless night. “I have so much better,” she realises out loud. “I have Flynn. And Dad and Carlos. And you and Luke and Reggie.”

“We are pretty fantastic,” Alex agrees, faux-smug, but his eyes are still cautious, and affectionate. “But it’s okay to be upset anyway.”

“I know,” she says. And she does. “But I think I’m almost done being upset. For now, at least. Maybe we could run through a few songs?”

“I’m sure the boys would love that,” Alex tells her, smiling, and he goes to stand up but she holds on tighter, so he won’t leave the hug.

He just feels so steady, and comforting, and she’ll never really get over being able to actually hold them. “Can we just. Stay here for a moment, first?”

Easing himself back down, Alex grins and pulls her closer, tucking her head under his chin. “Of course,” Alex says. “We can take as long as you need. Just us, or the others, too?”

She pauses. “The others, too.”

Alex closes his eyes, and Julie knows he’s reaching out to the others, through their one leftover remnant of their time in the afterlife, tugging at their leads until they come to find him. A moment later, Reggie and Luke both pop into presence in the middle of her room, puppy-eyed with worry and hope.

“Julie?” asks Reggie quietly, fiddling with his fingers.

“You good?” Luke asks, on the balls of his feet.

“Yeah,” she tells them. “Just needed a hug.”

Within moments, they’re all around her and Alex, Reggie’s arm around her waist, Luke’s leg somehow, inexplicably, over her lap. Alex makes an insulted noise, but he’s so relaxed, Julie knows he must not mean it. When she presses her ear to his collarbone, Julie can hear his heartbeat, solid and alive, miraculous. Her friend’s heartbeat. Her friends, all around her.

Things are still bittersweet, and it’s still Carrie’s birthday, but Julie is still surrounded by love, enveloped in it, living in it. She can be sad for what’s gone, and be grateful for what she has, at the same time.