#I’m also overworked but it’s fine cause I get to go home for my birthday. that’s all I’m looking forward to

[letstrywritingmaybe]

I ramble way too much but also not nearly enough to write long fics. The June prompts are almost at 2k now and I really thought I would be done before that? Silly me, I forget I get on tangents and just keep going when I plan out my fics. Why am I like this. But I swear I’m almost done then we can move on. But I made the mistake of going into my fic ideas doc and now I’m like oh I want to know more about this verse, but I have so many things that I should prioritize! I’m also watching another kdrama and wondering how shinshi would fit into this and the answer is they don’t but my brain is trying to make it work and I don’t like it. I don’t need more ideas I won’t write

[rommahh]

Love On Tour…Actually

{Im sorry for how late this was. I went to the show Friday and honestly, it was the best day of my life. I had a little PCD which made me super unmotivated but I’m back. I love you all, R}

You woke up a little grumpy, you won’t lie. You didn’t like waking up alone especially on a show day. It made you uncomfortable to be left to your own devices without any structure or schedule. You understood that Harry was a busy man but it would’ve been nice to receive some text so you could plan your day accordingly.

Sitting on the couch in the lounge of your hotel room, you chowed down on leftover pasta while watching Netflix on your iPad. You had yet to receive a text from Harry even though you had texted him hours ago when you woke up. It was hard to tell if he was ignoring you out of anger or if he was simply just lost in track. Either way you felt dejected.

On the other hand, Harry hadn’t even noticed that he iced you. He was busy running around Nashville trying to get things ready for tonight’s show. He bought you a new dress and shoes, and got the ring fitted. It was hard to figure out your ring size but he end up measuring your finger when you were passed out asleep in bed last night. When you slept, you slept and he knew that would be the perfect time to measure your finger.

Harry was so busy that morning, that by the end of his errands he realized he didn’t even have time to go back to the hotel before rehearsals. He was sporting a small cough and his vocal chords felt overworked but that’s all apart of tour.

Pulling his phone out of his back pocket as he walked into the arena, he dialed your number quickly. He had people trying to talk to him but he paid them no mind.

“Oh? Would you look who’s here?” Harry’s head shot up to the sound of your voice. There you sat on his dressing room couch, arms crossed over one another as you glared at him. Your gaze burned through him and he could just tell he was in trouble.

“Hello lovie.” Harry rasped.

“Harry you sound like shit but here you are up and about running around. You should’ve slept in this morning.” Scolding as you stand up to walk in front of him. Harry could feel the anger radiate off of you but you hid it well. He melted into your hands that cupped his warm cheeks.

“I had a lot of errands to run and I didn’t want to wake you. Also it’s just a sore throat from singing and traveling- comes with being on tour.” He mumbles dropping his head into your neck. You caress the hairs on the back on his neck and massage the tense muscles.

“You’ve got to think about yourself more, Harry. You have a show to put on but you can’t put on your best show if you’re not at your best. I am not happy with you at all.” Even though your words were scolding him, you held him your arms in the most soothing way. That’s what Harry loved about you, you cared for him like no one else could (aside from his mom). You could tell him off with your harshest words but he’d always feel your love from miles away.

“You’re right love, sorry for not keeping in touch today.” You hum in acknowledgement. You both pulled away from each other when his driver walked in with Harry’s abundance of bags. “Thank you, sir.”

“What all did you buy?” You ask walking towards the bags. Harry’s arm shot out in front of you making you stop. You looked up at him in shock. “Fine be secretive.”

You huffed before making your way back to the couch. Harry rolled his eyes at you, making way to his shopping bags. Plucking the bag from Nordstrom he plopped it down on the table in front of you.

“I just didn’t want you snooping at some other stuff. I bought you this, for tonight.” He sat down beside you, thighs touching leaving no room between you two.

“Im not trying to be mean. Just a little peeved that you left this morning without telling me. You also have a cold and I wanna take care of you since you won’t do it.” A hand rubs his forehead luring his eyes shut.

“Sorry baby, I thank you for caring so much.” He whispers sleepily.

“Im always gonna care for my bubs.” Kissing him on the lips, your turn your attention to the bag. The small grey bag had light tissue paper covering the product within the bag. The tissue falls to the floor as you dig into the bag. A silky champagne dress, folded neatly to decrease wrinkles, sits in the bag. The dress was soft and you knew it was loose enough to give you the room to dance. Soft snores escaped the boy beside you- the exhaustion evident on his face.

You pull the dress out of the bag and walk over to where his outfit of the night hung. The dress was hung beside his to be steamed for later. Turning around, you smile at the sight of your curled up boyfriend. Your heart hurt knowing that in a few minutes he would have to go rehearse.

Harry sleepily went through rehearsals sitting in a chair the whole time. He knew his stage cues and performance, he only had one more thing to rehearse but it required for you to not be in the room. He gave one look to Jeff to signal him to get you out. Jeff made up some excuse saying that he needed help with some social media post for the show.

Before the show, there was a catered dinner from some local restaurant. Harry ate a light meal of fresh vegetables and a sweet iced tea which has grown on him having lived in the states for some years. You ate grilled chicken and fries enjoying the free food. The two of you ate alone in his dressing room- wanting a moment of piece before the crazy.

“How are you feeling?” You ask Harry. He shrugs, he was more nervous than anything but you wouldn’t understand why if he had told that to you. He felt floaty. Tonight would be a game changer, a step in a whole new direction. This is something he’s wanted to do for years now but it’s finally happening, and he’s scared.

"Im ok, a little tired but what else is new. I can't wait to sleep all night and cuddle with you." He grabs your hand from across the table. you squeeze it, frowning at his revelation.

"I don't like that you're so tired." You worry, his hand squeezes yours in reassurance.

“Im ok, it’s all apart if the job.” He looks down to your bare ring finger, thumb brushing over the empty spot. Your nails were done in your favorite way, some funky pattern you found from Pinterest all painted on short coffin nails.

“I love you Harry and I’m so proud of you. I know that these years put us both in a bad place mentally but I’m happy of where we are now.” Harry could almost tear up to your words. They settled into his mind, resonating. He was making the perfect decision and you solidified that ideal.

2014

Harry didn’t know how they did it. A show every night, a new state everyday, a new country every few months- he was burnt out. He was tired of shared tour buses and the lack of autonomy. Last nights LA show was amazing, the crowd was amazing, the energy was amazing- so why did he feel so horrid?

He walked around in The Grove, security guards walking in front and behind him. He wanted a peaceful day alone but here they were. Fans watched suspiciously trying to decipher if it was Harry or not. His hat and sunglasses were obviously not the disguise he thought they would be.

As the whispers got louder, his heart started to flurry more. Panic seeped into his veins as he looked for an escape. Bolting in the Barnes and Nobles- security guards close behind- Harry asked for the employees to close shop just for a moment. Harry only needed a moment to get a car near by to escape to. Feeling overwhelmed, Harry hid.

In between the historical fiction and romance aisle is where he sat. Head between his knees, trying to catch his breathe.

“Are you ok?” A voice asked from above him. His head whipped up in shock. Standing there was you, three books clutched between your arms. Adjusting your dress you dropped down to the floor in front of him.

“I-im fine, tired but fine.” He replied. He looked different than he did the night before, you thought. Last night, he was energetic and full of life and now, now you saw a boy whose exhaustion overpowered him.

“You here for any books?” You were just trying to change the subject, something you did with yourself when you had panic attacks.

“Oh no, I don’t-“ he stuttered shaking his head. You smiled at him before pulling a book from your stack. The fault In Our Stars, your new favorite.

“I love this book, one of my favorites. Heard a movie is coming out too so that’s fun.” You joke. Harry’s relaxed slightly, you nestled closer to him. Opening the book, you began reading, your gentle voice calming Harry.

At the start of chapter four, an interruption pulled you both away. Harry’s security guard told Harry that a car was waiting and the perimeter of the store was clear. Harry nodded telling the guard to give him five more minutes.

“I guess this is it.” You mumble closing your book. Harry nods but makes no move to leave. Something clicks in him as he looks at your face again.

“You were at the concert last night, meet and greet?” He muses.

“Yeah, One Direction is my favorite band. My friend bought our vip tickets for my birthday. Best night ever.” You say quietly, scared that he might think that you’re some obsessed fan.

“Oh, well I’m glad you enjoyed the show….so why didn’t you freak out today or- or expose where I was?”

“You’re a human being, just like me. You get nervous, frustrated, and sad just like me. You get panic attacks just like. Who am I to treat you differently?” Your words did so much for Harry. “Now don’t get me wrong, you’re my favorite in the band, but I don’t idolize you nor do I wish to be in your position cause I know it must be hard.”

“It is. Hard, I mean, really really hard. I love my job but I’m tired.” The silence you two shared burned a connection between you two. “This may be weird but could I have your number? I like talking to you and I wanna hear more of this book.”

Placing your hand made bookmark in the book, you closed in and gently placed it on Harry’s lap. “Have it. I have one at home and if you still want to talk about it- I’ll give you my number.”

Harry stills as the book sits in his lap. “I want to talk to you about the book.”

After exchanging numbers, Harry was urged by you to go. Walking side by side to the door, you were separated by his security.

“Harry, don’t let this keep hurting you. Find the joy and grasp on to it.”

You turned out to be his joy. Calls every night after shows and different books being read together, you both gravitated towards each other. Everyday was a new day to grow closer together. He invited you to more concerts, paying for every ticket because he just needed to be with you.

The show was going beautifully. Harry looked amazing in stage in all white and most fans were captivated by your outfit too. It worried you to see Harry so exhausted on stage but you knew he would stick it through like he always does. Proud was an understatement in your eyes. Harry made you more than proud.

You stood in the back of the watermelon pit at the end of the aisle where his stage stopped a few feet away. Jeff stood beside you like he normally did but he was acting suspicious. You two never stood on the side of Harry’s exit but this is where Jeff said you’d get the best view tonight.

Harry sang his final ‘we’ll be alright’ before doing his stage stroll and bows, but instead of finishing in the middle of the stage- he went down stage to the place he normally exits to at the end of the night. You watched in confusion, along with the crowd, as he walked down the steps to you. The crowd erupted in screams as the lights focused on where you were standing.

“What are you doing?” You asked with large eyes of shock. You felt your heart stop in your chest. The crowd getting louder by the moment. Harry walked closer to you, one hand digging into his pocket while his eyes focused on your face. You couldn’t place what was happening but you’re eyes welled with even more tears nonetheless. Jeff was to the side with a huge smile and his phone out to capture the moment.

“Y/N, my love, my light, the best thing that has happened to me,” he didn’t have his mic on so the crowd couldn’t hear him but you could hear him perfectly. As if you two were the only ones in the large arena, you could only see Harry. “From the moment I met you in the bookstore, I knew you were meant to be in my life. Somehow you took me from my darkest place and guided me to my lightest.

I know our lives have been hard but we’ve always found a way to be alright. I want that for the rest of my life. I want you to be by my side for the rest of my life, so will you please, my love, marry me?”

You gave him no time to answer as you yanked him up by his arm. You wept as you exclaimed loud yeses, yeses that could be heard by a few fans who screamed in excitement igniting the rest of the crowd to scream. Harry picked you up in his arms, throwing one arm out to wave at the crowd before bounding backstage.

“Oh my god Harry!” You exclaimed as he set you down. He only had a few minutes to talk so you kept it quick. You pulled his face down to your kissing his lips. This kiss pulled you both deeper into each other.

He pulled away making you whine. “I gotta go back but I promise you’ll get it all tonight. I can’t believe you said yes. I love you so much.”

Harry’s energy multiplied by 100 going back on stage. He even went as far as to explain what watermelon sugar was about. Remembering when the song was made, it made your legs clench together- a pulse overwhelming your lower regions.

Looking down at your hand, you could feel yourself tear up again at the ring he bought you. It fit perfectly in your hand, you remember him measuring your hand that night even though he thought you were asleep. The thought of your future made your heart swell. A future with new music, a wedding, a nice house, and babies made your heart swell. This was something you couldn’t wait for.

Harry found his joy in you but he never knew about the joy he was to your dark life.

[jaeminlore]

Landslide | Mark Lee

summary: time makes you bolder. even children get older, and i’m getting older too.

words: 7.1k+

category: teacher!mark, single parent!reader, fem!presenting!reader, graham is the sweetest kid, mark is that teacher that lets kids pick earthworms during recess, friends to lovers, mark’s apartment is flooded so now he has to live in domestic bliss with his secret crush oh nooooo

warnings: talk of absent fathers

author note: it’s my birthday tomorrow so i wanted to give u all a present for supporting me for so long!! here’s to you <3 (cross-posted on /honklore)

Mark helps one of his kids press their palms onto the wall. When they release their palm, pink paint remains, making a sort of leaf to the tree branches painted onto the wall.

“Now write your name,” Mark advises another kid, whose orange paint had already dried.

“G-R-A-H-A-M,” the boy writes out with a large permanent marker. “Can I take a picture? For my mom?”

All the rest of the children begin to shout their agreements, also wanting to bring home a picture for their parents. Mark grabs his yellow Polaroid camera and takes a picture of each handprint.

He keeps all of the pictures in the chest pocket of his denim jacket. “Okay, guys— to the sink! Whoever has the cleanest hands gets to help me pass out snacks!”

“Why are we having snack time so early?” It’s Graham that asks, the little one always eager to be around Mark.

Mark ignores the boy’s paint covered hands poking at his clean jacket, and answers him as politely as he can. “Mr. Lee forgot his lesson plans today, so we’re going to watch a movie instead.”

“A movie?” Graham’s eyes widen.

“Yep,” Mark giggles. He crouches down to Graham’s level and whispers, “You wanna pick it?”

“Nature Nut!” Graham cheers almost immediately, causing Mark to wince.

Ah, yes, the wonderful little DVDs of a lonesome man teaching the watcher about bugs and weird types of slugs. Mark actually has the entire collection, and Graham happens to adore them just as much as Mark did when he was a kid.

“Alright, go wash your hands and I’ll get it started.”

It’s a little girl named Hana who cleans her hands the best, so she passes out organic fruit gummies to everyone while Mark puts in the DVD.

While they watch the video, Mark checks his text messages.

There’s one from Taeyong: “I’ve already got Haechan on the couch. Sorry, man. You can have the floor, but it’s not gonna be comfy :(“

Right. Mark forgot that Haechan lives in the same complex as him. His apartment is probably just as flooded as Mark’s is. Now if the landlord would just answer his calls and help him... maybe this situation wouldn’t be so stressful.

Mark didn’t forget his lesson plans; they’re just submerged in his bedroom with everything else Mark has left lying on his carpet. And maybe it’s his fault for not buying more storage bins, but a studio apartment can only hold so much stuff.

Serves Mark right for doing his lesson plans at home instead of at the school like most of his fellow kindergarten teachers.

He lets out a quiet sigh, careful not to disturb the children. He only has a short list of friends left to ask, and while he doesn’t think they’ll mind him asking, he really hates to put anyone in that position.

Besides, most of his friends have roommates or significant others and Mark doesn’t want to ruin their routine. He’d hate to intrude. And he could always sleep in his car for a few days, but the amount of stuff he had to pack because of the flooding has barred any chance of a good night’s sleep.

The video ends, and Mark gets the kids seated with coloring pages until their parents arrive.

One by one, he I.Ds the parents and tells the kids goodbye, helping them put on their coats and take home whatever library book they picked out earlier.

Finally, there’s only one kid left, and Mark is a bit embarrassed of his hyper-awareness to Graham. It’s not even his fault, really. Graham just has a beautiful mom, who happens to be Mark’s beautiful friend, and sometimes Mark gets eager to see you during pickup time.

Whatever. It’s no big deal.

The kindergartener already has his coat on. His curly brown hair is almost unruly as he continues to work on his coloring sheet.

Mark pulls at the hem of his sage sweater sleeves and wonders if his hair looks okay. Maybe he should invest in a little desk mirror; or maybe that’s vain.

“Hey, Mark! Sorry I’m late!” You rush in, holding on to your leather messenger bag. You fix your glasses before they fall off the bridge of your nose, and Mark is so focused on the movement that he almost forgets about your child.

Until said child is scolding his mother. “Mom! You have to call him Mr. Lee! It’s rude to call him Mark!”

“Your mom is an adult,” Mark reminds Graham (as soon as he finds his voice.) “Since she isn’t a student, it’s okay for her to call me Mark.”

Graham pinches his lips together, and then shrugs. “Fine. Mom, we watched Nature Nut today.” He runs up to you and wraps his arm around your middle. “Can we go to the park and look for slugs?”

“Sure,” you giggle. “But we need to get home soon, okay, Bud? I have to make dinner and then we have to clean up the mess we made last night.”

Graham turns to Mark and smiles naughtily, like the trickster he often is. “Mom said I could tear up her papers last night. She said it’s There-pee.”

“Ther-a-py,” you emphasize for the five-year-old.

Mark studies your face, and he can tell that you seem a little more stressed than usual. “Therapy, huh?”

You smile sheepishly. “Well, when your son catches you tearing up old love notes, you have to let him in on the fun, right?”

“You are a team,” Mark acknowledges. He wants to ask more; wants to dig into your heart and extract whatever is hurting you, but your son is standing between the two of you, waiting for him to say goodbye. Mark clears his throat and picks at his sweater again. “Anyways, uh, text me tonight? Let me know you two got home safe. And, I’ll see you both tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” you breathe. You smile at him and then take Graham’s hand. “Thanks, Mark. I’ll text you.”

Mark spends the night at a motel down the road. He texts a few of his friends and hopes for good news in the morning, or at least a confirmation from his landlord.

When you text him, a little selfie of you and Graham, holding up what looks like microwaved s’mores, his heart grows fond, and he forgets about his own problems for a moment.

-

Life has never been very easy for you. From the get-go, you have always been destined to fail, growing up with an absent father and an overworked mother. With a dead-end dream like yours (writing, of all things), it’s no wonder you clung to what little breaths of freedom you had.

He was handsome and bold, with a carefree smile and brown eyes that mirrored the sun. The lead singer of a band, with a voice like chimes. And you fell just as hard as one of your many protagonists. Perhaps the mistake always lay in the fact that you put too much fantasy into reality. You have always romanticized the littlest things, and that comes back to bite you more often than not.

You never expected one: to get pregnant your senior year of high school, and two: have to go through it alone.

Of course, most people you come to love leave eventually. It’s something you have always remembered; something that sticks in the back of your brain like gum to the bottom of your child’s Spider-man skechers.

Graham is the only constant in your life. Though you’ve been blessed with a decent job editing for a webazine company, and you can work from home more often than not, Graham is the real thing that keeps you alive.

He’s the most precious boy, with brown curls and big brown eyes. He favors his father, and though that should deter you, it reminds you of innocent days, and it gives a new meaning to brown eyes. Graham is not his father, and he never was.

Graham certainly got his love of learning from you. Though he likes science more than writing, you adore how eager he is to always get to school. It helps that Mark is his teacher.

Mark’s been your friend since freshman year of highschool, when the two of you both took the same creative writing class the local university offered. Though the two of you had differing end goals, you often studied together and encouraged each other. He was there when you found out you were pregnant, and he was there when you found out you’d be raising your child alone.

Now life comes full circle, and you see him twice a day. You could go out on a limb and say he brightens up most mornings, but you would still give that slot to your son.

Mark is standing at the doorway now, greeting all of his students and helping them take off their book bags and coats. He’s wearing monochrome today: red pants, a red sweater, and red shoes.

Graham lights up almost immediately, and you are thankful today that you decided to dress Graham in his red t-shirt. “Mom! We match!”

“I know,” you grin, squeezing his hand.

Mark glances at Graham, and then you. His cheeks showcase that same pink hue they always do, and while it should clash with his red garments, it doesn’t. “Hey, Mark.”

“Hey,” he grins, cheeks full at the sight of you two.

Graham spreads his arms and waits for Mark to help him take off his jacket. “Do you see that we match, Mr. Lee?”

“Yo, that’s awesome, Little Man!” Mark gives Graham a fist bump that seems to appease him, and you wait for Graham to run to his friends before addressing Mark.

“How have you been?”

Mark sighs. He brushes his hair away from his eyes. “Okay. My- uh- my studio apartment flooded so I’m staying at a motel until my landlord can get me estimates on when I can come back home.”

“That sucks,” you frown. “You know, if you need a place to stay, I have a pullout couch in my office. And obviously, Graham wouldn’t mind.”

Mark pales. “Are you serious? I didn’t mean to suggest anything, Like I know you work from home and you need your office.”

“And you’ll be at school until three,” you say. “I’ll work then. C’mon, Mark. I don’t like knowing one of my friends has no place to stay.”

Mark bites his bottom lip and scratches the back of his neck. “Yeah. Okay. I’ll drive over after I check out of the motel.”

“Great!” You smile. “I’ll order pizza.”

-

"Graham, clean your room," you say, struggling to push your desk against your office wall. "We're going to have a guest for a few weeks."

"Mom," Graham whines, "They aren't going to look in my room."

You begin to take the cushions out of the spare couch to start setting up the pull-out bed. "Mr. Lee is coming over, Graham.  Don't you want to show him your collections?"

Graham's brown eyes grow wide. "Mr. Lee? You didn't tell me he was coming!"

"He's going to be staying with us for a little bit, okay? So I need you to be on your best behavior."

“Can I show him my worms?” Graham asks, alluding to the compost bin in the small backyard of your townhouse.

“Yes,” you say, thankful that he isn’t putting up much of a fight toward cleaning. You’re also thankful he isn’t asking any questions, as Graham always seems to have a few at the top of his tongue.

Graham cleans up his room quickly. You know for a fact that he’s just shoved all of his toys under his bed, but it’s enough until the weekend, when you’ll have more time to help him organize.

The little guy hoards rocks like no one’s business. You curse the day Mark decided to teach the kids about geodes.

“Wanna help me make up Mr. Lee’s room?” You half-yell, while grabbing spare bedding out of your linen closet.

Graham’s little footsteps are heard before he answers, and soon he’s at your hip with a quick, “He can have my Frozen pillowcase!”

You hesitate to tell Graham that his Frozen pillowcase is currently on one of your pillows, and you can’t give your guest a dirty pillowcase. “That one is in the wash, Buddy. Why don’t we give him your Spider-Man one?”

“So he matches my pajamas!” Graham is easily pleased, and he even takes one of his stuffed bears to add to Mark’s made-up bed. (“So he doesn’t get scared at night.”)

By the time the pizza arrives, Mark is just behind, so you keep Graham busy with a slice of cheese and a glass of diet pepsi (only half of a can, and only because it’s a special occasion) while the two of you bring in Mark’s stuff.

He surprisingly didn’t bring much, and when you ask about it, he grimaces. “My studio is pretty small so a lot of my stuff was on the ground and got mildewed. Other stuff was in bins so I just left it there. I only need clothes and my lesson plans, anyway.”

“Well, here’s the desk and bed. It’s not much, but there’s a lock on the door in case Graham ever gets too inquisitive — bless him — and curtains so the stupidly bright sun won’t wake you too early.”

“Those both sound like personal experiences, Y/n,” Mark teases. He takes off his jacket and throws it on the bed. “Yo! Spider-Man?”

“Graham picked it out,” you say. “He also relinquished one of his bears to keep you safe in the middle of the night. His words, not mine.”

“He’s so cute,” Mark mentions offhandedly. The fondness in his tone takes you back a bit. Not because the phrase isn’t true, it’s just that most people find your son annoying before they find him endearing. The change of tone is nice.

“He is,” you say. “And he’s dying to show you his room after we eat dinner.”

Mark gives you that same lopsided smile he often had in high school. Part of your brain shifts to his personal life, and you wonder why Mark himself isn’t in a romantic relationship. Not that he has to be, but the both of you are getting older, and Mark has always been one to express a fondness for having his own family one day. Maybe he just hasn’t found the right person.

It isn’t until Graham is peacefully in bed — after a very chaotic reading of Goodnight Moon by yours truly, and an argument that Mr. Lee cannot, in fact, sleep in the same room as him — that you actually have a chance to show Mark around the house.

“Here’s the guest bathroom. Graham almost always uses the bathroom in my room because he likes looking at the big tub. He will beg you to play with him, but if you’re busy don’t feel guilty telling him no. He knows what no means and he’s good about playing by himself.”

Mark giggles. “Okay. I don’t mind playing with him, though.“

You show him around the kitchen, where you left little spaces for him in the pantry. You show him the garbage bags and the T.V. settings and the list of compostable ingredients. “And also, please come and go as you please. Like, I completely understand that you’re here temporarily and you aren’t a babysitter or anything like that. I don’t expect you to be in charge of Graham any time outside of school.”

Mark blinks. “But if you ever need time away, you can ask me. I don’t mind babysitting.”

“I know,” you smile. “But Graham is my kid. I don’t need time away from him.”

You’re lying. Mark knows it. You’ve been in this single parenting thing for five years and you aren’t about to reach out for help now.

“Anyways, if you have any questions just ring me or ask me,” you say. “I’ve got to get to bed. Goodnight.”

“Thanks, Y/n.”

-

Mark thinks it’s sweet the way Graham insists on making his own breakfast.

You’re already up when Mark gets out of his (temporary) bedroom with his clothes tucked under his arm. You’re busy arguing with Graham. “You can’t fry your own omelette for the last time.”

Mark quirks an eyebrow at your exasperated face. You look stressed beyond belief, even though the day has just begun.

Mark tosses his clothes back in his room and walks into the kitchen. “Hey, Graham! Do you want to show me your rock collection?”

Graham spins on his sock-clad heels, eyes bright at the thought of seeing his teacher. “Mr. Lee! Yes! Let’s go!”

He grabs Mark’s hand with ease, leaving you room to finish making breakfast.

Graham’s room is fairly simple. The small wooden bed is covered in a green quilt, and beneath that, frozen-printed sheets that certainly don’t match. He has a tub of stuffed animals shoved against a small dresser.

Mark gets distracted by the framed picture on top of the dresser. It’s a picture of you and Graham’s father, a few months before you got pregnant. He’s smiling, and you’re holding up a peace sign. It makes Mark feel a bit sad, knowing that Graham’s dad never stayed around to see how wonderful he turned out to be. Then again, a lot of people in your life left as soon as they found out. In high school, no one wants to be friends with a teenage mother.

Mark reckons that if he had a family like this, he’d never take them for granted.

Graham pulls out a gemstone. It’s a murky green one that Mark has let him take home from class. “Do you remember this, Mr. Lee?”

Mark grins. “Yeah, bud. Thanks for keeping it so safe for me.”

Graham beams. He grabs Mark’s hand and pulls him towards his dresser. “Can we match? I want to look like you.”

Mark feels his heart swell. He wants to smother the young boy in affection, but he doesn’t want to cross a line. He’s your friend, sure, but he’s also Graham’s teacher. He can’t coddle Graham more than the other children. He already has a godchild to coddle. “I’m wearing yellow today. Do you have any yellow clothes?”

“Let’s look!” Graham yanks open one of the drawers and begins pulling out the articles of clothing one by one. “No, no, no... Here!” He finds a pair of yellow overalls, folded amongst the mess he made. “I’ll wear these!”

“Let’s clean up first, okay?” Mark grabs the overalls. “So it’s clean when you come home from school.”

Graham, looking like the last thing he’d ever want to do is disappoint Mark, begins to pick up each shirt with obvious intent. He tries to fold them, and does a somewhat decent job, so much so that Mark leaves it, thinking you’ll find it endearing rather than annoying.

He really loves that about you. He likes your patience with Graham. You’re so young, and in reality, he squashed so many early dreams of yours. No matter your lot in life, you never blamed your child. Mark thinks that’s why Graham is so open, so adaptable, so endearing.

He helps Graham get dressed and leaves him in his room so that he, himself, can get ready.

When he emerges from his shower, hair wet and clothed in yellow, he smells something amazing.

He doesn’t want to intrude on your morning with Graham. He already feels too indebted to you already.

“Have an omelet,” you say. Wisps of hair cover your face. You place a plate down in front of him.

Graham is already eating his omelet, slowly, while flipping through a picture book. He sounds out words he recognizes, but stays silent the rest of the time.

Mark takes out his phone and scrolls through his instagram feed just as your own phone begins to ring.

“Shit,” you curse, and then immediately apologize to Graham. You press the red button and tap anxiously on the tabletop.

“Everything okay?” Mark asks.

You run your hands over your hair and let them rest on the back of your neck. “Yeah is just—“

The phone rings again, and this time you pick it up. “What do you want? ... Why would you tell me that? ... Why should I care? ... Please stop contacting me, okay? Goodbye.”

You slam the phone down and leave the room. Mark watches you disappear down the hallway, sniffling.

“Mommy is upset,” Graham says. He looks at Mark, lip quivering. “At me?”

“No, Buddy! Of course not!” Mark reaches over the table to ruffle Graham’s curls. “Never at you.”

“When we tore up paper, she was crying.” Graham fiddles with his book page.

Mark wonders why your ex’s actions are being brought up five years later. Last he heard, you had fully healed from the breakup long before Graham’s first birthday. But now he’s about to be six, and you're suddenly upset?

He’ll have to ask you about it soon.

“Are you ready to go to school, Buddy?”

“Yeah!”

-

You cradle your face in your hands and try to ease the tears back in. You’ll never get this article proofread and sent if you can’t see the keys.

The door opens, and Graham runs in just in time for you to finish wiping your eyes. “Hey, kiddo! How was school?”

“Mr. Lee let us finger paint!” Graham holds up his palm, covered in dried paint, and grins brightly. “Can I have gogurt?”

“Yeah bud. Why don’t you put something on the T.V.? You can have your snack in the living room today.”

“Yes!” Graham takes blueberry gogurt out of the fridge and — after getting you to tear it open — runs into the living room. Sneakers and backpack still on.

Mark trails behind, clutching a messenger bag to his chest. “What’s going on?”

You sigh and close the laptop. The manuscript will have to wait. “Ben called. About a week ago. His girlfriend is pregnant. Called me to tell me he wasn’t going to leave her— like that would heal what he did to me. Then he called this morning to tell me they’re engaged.” You burst into tears then, and you feel so pathetic for doing this in front of your old schoolmate, that you hide your face behind your palms and allow your shoulders to shake. “Why weren’t we enough? Why wasn’t I enough?”

Mark scoots one of the chairs in front of you and sits, leaning his elbows on his knees. “Hey. Look at me.” With gentle hands, he grabs your wrists and pulls them away from your face. “It is not your fault he left.”

“But it has to be me in some way,” you retort. “He must not have loved me. Something, because now he’s going to raise her child after he left mine. Graham deserves a dad.”

Mark places his forehead against yours. The two of you used to do it all the time in school, mostly with immature giggles in the spaces between, but now it’s heavy with intention. “Graham has not felt even a little bit unloved in your care. You are all he needs, okay? You’re amazing.”

You nod, head still pressed to Mark’s. “Yeah. Okay. Sorry for getting too emotional, there.”

“Be as emotional as you want,” Mark says. “I’ll be here to balance you out.”

Your heart stutters at the words, like maybe they mean something more than he’s letting on. Of course it’s stupid to think Mark Lee would ever even consider you, but just the knowledge that he cares makes your soul feel a little lighter.

“I’m a mess,” you stutter, bringing your fist up to wipe at your nose.

“Nah,” Mark grins. He runs the pad of his thumb across your cheek and grins. “You’re alright.”

-

“It’s snowing!” Graham wakes Mark up by jumping on his chest.

Mark sucks in a breath, winded at the sudden weight, and grabs the boy, lifting him off of his chest and onto the mattress. “Hey, Buddy. Let’s not jump on sleeping people, okay?”

“Okay,” Graham says. He’s already lost interest in Mark, now crawling off of the bed to open the blinds. “Come look at the snow!”

“I see!” Mark rubs his tired eyes and checks his watch. “We might have a snow day, Graham.”

“Yes!” Graham pumps his fist into the air. “Let’s go tell mom!”

You’re sitting on your bed, chewing on a red licorice rope and flipping through a fashion magazine. You look up when Mark and Graham enter.

Mark likes seeing you like this: the domesticity of you in the morning, lazy and true. His chest sparks when he thinks this may be one of the only moments he can capture you like this, so he intends to commit the sight to memory.

“Did I hear snow day?” You grin at Mark, childlike wit in your own eyes — the same as your son’s.

“Looks like it.” Mark rolls up the sleeves of the sweater he slept in. “You want pancakes? I make some mean chocolate chip pancakes.”

You shift your gaze away from his arms and clear your throat. “Uh, yeah. Just let me get dressed and I’ll help—“

“No need,” Mark insists. “Enjoy your quiet time. Graham and I will make the most delicious pancakes you’ve ever tasted.”

“With lots of chocolate chips!�� Graham shouts.

You give him a pointed look. “But not too many.”

Graham huffs. “But not too many,” he repeats.

-

Momentary splashes sound from your bathroom, followed by Graham screaming “It’s a dragon! Run for cover!”

Mark giggles from his place on the couch. He’s got mushroom-patterned socks on, and he’s tucked up into the cushions, nursing a can of Monster. “How does he still have so much energy?”

You sigh and pull your beanie down over your forehead. “You’d think a snow day would tire him out. Thanks for constantly carrying him up the hill, by the way. I know you’re a teacher, but sometimes I forget how good you are with kids.”

“I do have a godson,” Mark reminds you.

“But Mikey is a baby,” you say. You only know the baby’s name because of Mark’s constant snap stories about him.

“Most babies and kids want the same thing. Affection and attention.” Mark scoots over to the edge of the couch and pats the cushion.

You sit next to him. “I guess that’s true. You’re really good with Graham. He’s not this open to other adults.”

Mark is clearly blushing now; you can see his pink cheeks even in the light of the television. “He’s great in class, always helping the other kids.”

“He wants to impress you,” you say. You pop open a can of orange soda and take a sip. “He thinks you’re just the coolest guy.”

Mark laughs and shakes his head. “Didn’t you hear, Y/n? I’m handsome and cool.”

“Oh, of course,” you nudge his shin with our own sock-clad foot. “How could I forget? Mr. Ladies Man in high school.”

This makes Mark blush even harder, because he most certainly was not a ladies man in high school. In fact, he was a nerd in all senses of the word, part of the debate club with a few other boys. He had a few dates here and there, but nothing ever stuck.

“Shut up,” he mumbles. “My time is gonna come.”

“Hasn’t it already?” you ask before you can really process your own words. But of course he knows that he’s grown into his face, right?

Mark is positively handsome, eyes bright and lashes long. He’s so warm and comforting to you. He must be just as comforting to everyone else.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re handsome, Mark,” you say plainly.

“You mean that?”

“Of course I do,” you say. “Why would I lie?”

Mark opens his mouth, perhaps to call you out. To tell you you’ve been too honest, but he’s interrupted by your son.

“Mom! I’m ready to get out now!”

“I should go,” you say, still looking at his eyes.

“Yeah,” he says. His sweater has small spots on the shoulders where snow has fallen and since melted. He shivers.

“You should take a shower. You’ll catch a cold.”

“Okay,” he whispers. “Yeah, I’ll do that.”

-

Haechan comes over the following Saturday night to hang out with Mark, and you’re surprised at how much he truly hasn’t changed since high school.

He’s still got infamously perfect eyebrows, and his voice is still high despite its blunt sarcasm. “Nice place.” He raises his brows as he looks around.

“Who are you?” Graham is sitting at the kitchen table, watching Minecraft playthroughs (kid-friendly ones you’ve watched through yourself) on your phone to entertain himself while you clean.

“I’m Haechan, Mark’s friend.”

“This is Mr. Lee’s friend from school,” you say, detailing your words so they’re easier for your son to digest.

Graham stares at him for a moment, not quite judging but not quite accepting either. “Okay. Do you want to see my rock collection?”

Haechan looks genuinely excited, and accepts before you can come up with an excuse for him. Graham tells Haechan to stay in the kitchen while he grabs all of his rocks.

“How have you been?” you ask the taller man. “Like, with the flooding and everything?”

“Well, I’m on a couch at Taeyong’s, which is good since he doesn’t charge rent. But that means I’m near Mikey, and that baby has some lungs.”

You laugh. “I remember when Graham was a baby. I was so young, and my mom told me it was my responsibility to wake up and take care of him whenever he cried in the middle of the night. I was so pissed at her for making me do that, but those were some of the best nights to bond with him.” You realize you’re rambling and shake your head. “Whatever. Baby screams are loud as hell.”

“You can say that again. I’ve been talking to my friend Johnny about taking his spare room and paying rent. I dunno how many more sleepless nights I can take.”

“Why would you need to pay rent if you’re just crashing?” You wipe down the kitchen table to keep yourself busy.

“Didn’t Mark tell you? Our landlord is in heaps of trouble because the pipes weren’t up to code and that’s why they busted. The damage is basically too expensive to fix, so we’ve got to find new places.”

You stop cleaning. “Mark didn’t tell me that.”

“Oh.” Haechan scratches his brow. “He probably didn’t want to worry you. He feels really bad that he’s stayed with you this long.”

“It’s only been a month or so,” you counter. “Besides, Mark’s a great housemate. He cleans and keeps Graham occupied. Plus, now I have someone to watch corny game shows with.”

Haechan grins. “Oh. Okay, I get it.”

“Get what?” Mark, finally out of the shower, steps into the kitchen and immediately tackles Haechan in an energized hug.

“Nothing!” Haechan’s voice cracks

You shoot Haechan a weird look, and change the subject. “Where are you guys going?”

“To play video games at Johnny’s.” Mark says, and the thrill in his voice makes you think of high school. Of the debate team bus rounding the corner. Of you standing there, waiting to congratulate him with a big hug and a frosty from Wendy’s.

You miss it. “Have fun, okay? I’m probably going to tuck in as soon as Graham does, so just let yourself in.”

“You’re leaving?” Graham comes in, and his arms are filled with smooth and rough stones and gems he’s both found by himself and bought at random general stores while traveling.

“Not before I see your rocks!” Haechan says with so much enthusiasm, you think he’s telling the truth.

Graham giggles and drops the rocks onto the ground. Of course, he wants your guest to sit on the floor and count rocks. You’re almost embarrassed.

“ ‘ Okay, Y/n?” Mark laughs at your expression. Then he places his arm on your shoulder, thumbs the skin of your upper arm.

And once again, it’s high school. It’s senior year graduation and Mark is the only one who congratulates you. It’s his comforting touch, him coming over in the middle of the night after you texted him a picture of your first sonogram. It’s that same comforting touch. That little “I’m here,” and it melts you on the inside, leaves you in the shell of an eighteen girl again. Scared, and worried, and a little less alone.

“Yeah,” you manage. “I’m okay.”

-

The television plays Cartoon Network reruns on a low hum. Mark is curled up in a blanket, nursing a bottle of water and thinking over Haechan’s words.

You’ve liked her since high school, dude.

Which is a complete lie. Seriously, Mark didn’t have a crush on you in high school. He would know if he had a crush on his best friend. You’ve been his friend since freshman year, and that’s all you’ve ever been.

Now in college, it was different. In college, Mark was alone in a dorm with Taeyong, and you were one of the only people from high school he stayed in contact with. In college, he would bring you your favorite snacks and drinks, and other things you would forget to buy because you were a part-time student and a full-time mom. In college, you would pull all-nighters with him, working on your exams while Graham was asleep, then using energy drinks to get through the next day.

Mark even remembers the time your mom caught the three of you fast asleep on your rug, with unopened monster cans and an empty milk bottle beside you.

Throughout your entire pregnancy he was warned not to stay friends with the pregnant girl — it’d be too much for him, he wouldn’t want to become the new father, and all kinds of other stuff people would mumble to him when you weren’t around.

But you never expected him to be anything other than your friend. You never asked him for the help he gave — though you thanked him always — and you never once assumed he’d take the role of Graham’s dad.

And now… now he finds himself wishing you would.

“Mr. Lee?” Graham creeps up without him even realizing.

Mark jumps, sets his water — and thoughts — aside. “Hey, Bud. It’s really late. What are you doing up?”

Graham sniffs, and Mark realizes that the boy is crying. “I had a nightmare.”

Mark holds out his arms before he can think, and lets the five-year-old crawl into his lap. He wraps them both in his blanket and turns the television up just a little more. “Was it scary?”

“You left.” Graham says, voice less watery, like he doesn’t know the weight of his words. He’s focused on the rerun of Adventure Time that’s playing. He’s not even remotely interested in his nightmare now, with his tears dried up, and his eyes drooping back towards slumber.

“I’m going to leave one day,” Mark says, because he thinks it’s important that Graham knows.

“You should stay with me and Mom,” Graham says. He yawns. “We like you so much!”

Mark’s heart stutters. He tries not to think about it.

-

When Graham’s bed is empty the next morning, you freak out. He’s always in his room in the morning. Even if he wakes up before you, he stays in and plays with his toys.

You’ve already got your phone out, and your mother’s number called, when you walk into the living room.

Relief floods your system. Mark and Graham are asleep on the couch, snuggled up serenely like they didn’t just cause you to have a premature heart attack.

You hang up before the call to your mom can go through and stand there, watching the two boys sleep. Graham has both his arms wrapped around Mark’s forearm. It’s such a sweet picture that you take out your phone and snap one.

The flash is on.

Mark scrunches his nose and winces. “What the–”

“Sorry!” You whisper. “You both looked so cute, I couldn’t help it.”

Mark smiles, still sleepy, and finally opens his eyes. He peers at you, copper brown under fluttering lashes and you’re almost intimidated into looking away. “He had a nightmare.”

“Oh?”

“About me leaving.”

“Oh.” You frown. “I’m really sorry about that. I keep telling him that you’re moving out soon, but I don’t think he fully understands.”

Graham stirs. You reach down and pick him up. Your knuckles brush across Mark’s warm, sweater-clad chest and you suddenly wish you could cuddle with him, too. You shake the thoughts away and focus on your drowsy son. “You’re staying at Grandma's for a few days, remember?”

Graham rubs his eyes and perks up. “And I’ll see her cat?”

“Yes,” you confirm. “But we’ve got to get you dressed because she’s coming in a few minutes.”

-

“Mark Lee!” Your mom’s voice embarrassingly rings through the apartment, and you realize Mark has taken it upon himself to open the door. “Y/n told me she had a temporary roommate but I never thought she would finally ask you!”

“Oh my gosh…” you mumble, buckling Graham’s overalls and hauling him up into your arms. “Mom! His apartment flooded so he’s staying here. Don’t be weird about it.”

“But he’s so handsome,” your mom coos. You’re concerned she might reach forward and pinch Mark’s already ruddy cheeks.

“Thanks,” Mark laughs. “But she’s right, I’m just squatting until I can find a new place.”

Your mom harrumphs. “Well, I don’t see why you can’t stay here forever. Y/n doesn’t even use that office room. And even if she did, the two of you could just share a room.”

“Mom!” You plunk Graham into her hands and grab his overnight bag. “You have to leave.”

“Did I say something wrong?” She sounds worried, but there’s an undisclosed mirth in her eyes that makes you think of your freshman year, when you did have a crush on Mark.

“You said everything wrong,” you say, kindly pushing her out. “Have a good time, Graham. I love you! As always, Mom, call if you need me to come get him.”

“Yeah, right!” She yells over her shoulder. Graham is already giggling, so you close the door with confidence.

You turn back to your roommate. “I’m sorry about that, Mark.”

“It’s fine.” He smiles, but it’s reserved. “But speaking of me finding a place… I know Haechan told you that I can’t go back to my own apartment. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

“It’s okay,” you say. You want to say “You can stay here as long as you want, and long as you’ll let me keep you,” but that would reveal too much, and you don’t want to lose the one good friend you have.

“And I was thinking I should move out soon anyway.” Mark pulls his sweater sleeves until they cover his hands. He’s hiding. He’s shielding himself the same way he did in junior year, when he got turned down by his crush to go to the prom. “I don’t think it’s good for Graham to get this attached to me if I’m just going to leave.”

“Oh,” Your sleeves are too short, but you want to shield yourself too. “Yeah, that’s… that’s probably a good idea.”

Mark stands there for a beat, like he’s waiting for you to say something more. Like he hasn’t just taken your heart and pushed it aside. Like this hurts a lot less than it actually does.

But any word out of your mouth would be tearful. It would be honest. It would ruin everything. “I’m going to go on a run.”

-

There’s a cricket outside that won’t stop chirping against your window. You blame it for your insomnia, choosing to ignore the anxiety of eventually losing Mark. It feels so horribly childish, since you’ll see him when you drop Graham off at school. And you’ll see him whenever the two of you go out for coffee on weekends.

But you won’t see him in the kitchen, reaching for the pancake mix so his shirt rises up and you can see the dimples in his back. You won’t see him humming along to the radio while he works on his lesson plans. You won’t feel his warmth when the two of you stay awake, nursing spiked lemonade and giggling at the commentary videos you find on YouTube.

He’ll just be Mark again. He won’t be home anymore.

Startled by the realization, you get out of your covers and rush to your door.

It opens before you can even reach for the doorknob, and there’s Mark in his pajamas, biting his lip and avoiding your eyes.

“I don’t want you to leave,” you say.

Mark confesses, “I love you.”

You open your arms and he dives in, face pressed into the space where your neck meets your shoulder. Warmth envelopes you and the scent of pine fills your nose.

Mark is timeless. Youthful glory and childish pride. He’s a pinch on the side and a push on the swings. Like a rock that actually skips on the first try. Like shoes that you can slip on when they’re still tied. And he’s here, in your arms, squeezing you like you’re something valuable enough to lose. He’s confessing love like you aren’t the worst possible candidate for his heart.

“I can’t offer you much,” you start, but Mark bumps his forehead against yours, boyish and playful — football fields and bright red lockers and secret notes on bathroom walls.

“I’ve known you for years, Y/n,” Mark’s voice is a low rumble. Copper eyes blinking at you like you’re something to second glance at. “I know what I’m getting into. I want you. I want Graham. I want everything this is, and everything we’ve been for the past month. I don’t want this to end.”

You close your eyes, because his are too honest. He’s open and vulnerable and gentle — a child on the first day of school, ready to make friends. You take a deep breath, try to remember what you were like on your first day. Rosy cheeks and shy glances. Knobby knees and a trusting heart. You reach out for whoever you once were — the Y/n with a heart open and willing to be loved. “I don’t want this to end either. I’m in love with you, Mark.”

His grin lights up your world in its entirety. Gold flecks in onyx black disappear as he smiles, too thrilled to keep his eyes open. And when he kisses you, warm lips against cold ones, you feel like a puzzle has just slotted into place.

It would only make sense that you would grow to love the boy you grew up with.

[hitoshisbabygirl]

Keys hit the table and the usual grunt of cuss words fill the living room of the shared apartment of Bakugou and his roommate [ ]. Hearing the angry blonde enter [ ] felt herself getting up as she entered into the shared living room of them “Bad day?” She asked as vermillion eyes glanced towards her concerned [ ] ones. “ ‘M fine'' The usual grunt filled the room as he pushed back past the worried girl. Frowning and used to this curt greeting of his from the last few days [ ] sighed and went back to their kitchen yelling to the blonde that she started a shower for him, getting no real response from him.

Bakugou and [ ] had an odd relationship. They started to live together because of the boys burning his kitchen on their day off when they all lived together. He told the others ‘She was the only smart one out of his dumbass friends and the only one he could trust to not burn his place down’ and with that the usual group of Sero, Denki and Kirishima moved out of his place and to the place beside him ,the group wanting to still be around the grumpy blonde. [ ] was used to coming over with Mina and the group being around before Bakugou asked her, quite aggressively one day ( Oi you're moving in with me, i'm tired of these dumbasses destroying my place on their days off of patrol) which is how they ended in this arrangement

Even with Bakugou being a handsome and very popular hero with ladies, he never had anyone over, no awkward run-ins with [ ] staying there, nothing at all. He rarely even left the house to visit the others unless he knew he had the time for it. Bakugou was dedicated , being the #2 hero he had little time for much outside of work. He refused to take brakes, no matter how much [ ] and the others tried to get him out hed huff and puff about work until he actually had fun at whatever function it was that he was dragged to so he could get fresh air

He'd been like this since highschool when she met him. Angry , confidence that was more like cockyness, a temper to be messed with, prideful and not afraid to speak his mind, good or bad. [ ] could remember from when she used to get paired with him how smart he actually was, but how he could also belittle you if you didn't realize he gave you backward compliments. She owns him over with taking him head to head on, in practice battles and in the work behind the scenes. Bakugou wouldn't admit it but [ ] kept him together, more than he let show on the outside. From bandaging him up after an intense fight, to letting him vent when he was angry ; [ ] was there for everything, his good , bad and ugly.

Hearing the showeer turn off [ ] continued to find them something to eat as the silence in the room was comforting. As dinner started she took his hero clothes to the washer, starting the load so he'd have a fresh outfit, even with him having multiples of the hero costume, he was quite fawn of the one that he had gotten during highschool, the measurements needing to be increased heavily for his now large size but that was nothing for [ ]. As a gift once he got his own agency she had repaired the old threads, even going far enough to bulking them up so they'd be less prone to ripping or shrinking. That was the one time [ ] had seen emotion flash through the stoic blonde before he thanked her, genuinely with a rare smile that blessed his face.

Soon though, she felt a presence in the room. Turing around she was met with those same vermillion eyes, this time the look in them unreadable as he stared his friend down “Yes Kasuki?” [ ] said as she turned back to the boiling pot of rice on the stove “What Are cooking?” He asked as he stood over the aisle to see what she was stirring. “Rice so far, do you want chicken, fish or beef to go with it?” She asked as she turned to the still staring blonde, his eyes wavering as she stared back at him “Are you okay Suki?” [ ] said again as he pushed himself up , crossing around the aisle before going to her side “You don't have to do this for me” He said as she ignored him “ So Chicken is fine?” “[ ], i'm not a child you don't have to keep treating me like one” Sighing the girl turned to him, seeing that he was hunched over the counter, stretching his back as she could see the pained expression as he pulled out the muscle “Sit down yeah? Consider this an early birthday present to you” [ ] said as he gave her a glare “That doesn't mean you have to constantly cook and do shit like this for me, I have two weeks before it anyway” “Katsuki, sit down and take the kindness i'm giving you and hush” Pointing with her stirring spoon [ ] shooed the now grumbling and fussing blonde away. Just a usual day in the apartment

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hearing a loud cuss from the living room [ ] got up to see her roommate slump against the door, face tensed in apin as he ganced to the concerned girl “Shit, fix your face princess ‘m fine, just a bit of - fuck…- jsut soem pain is all” Reaching for the blonde [ ] helped him in, the larger male trying to hold up his weight as much as he could as she helped him to their bigger bathroom, sitting him on the toilet “Do you have any cuts or anything? Should we go to the doctor?” [ ] asked as a large hand sat over hers that went for his shirt “Im okay [ ], just some bruising and some little cuts here and there okay? Don't worry your pretty head about me” Feeling her face heat up she ignored what he said and started to help him out of his clothes, showing her a dark and slightly bloody mess of his rib cage. Wincing from the sight alone she started to lightly clean around the open wounds and surface scrapes around them. As she did he told her about the recent building that was destroyed from him using his blast too intense in one area like the villains he fought wanted him to. Another bad habit of BAkugous was beating himself up when he felt like he did poorly, which took a lot of trying to get him to let out. He would just overwork himself instead of relaxing and taking time to cool off and realize he wasn't the issue. “Any pain when I push here?” with a slight push bakugou hissed, eyes closing as she pressed deeper on his rib cage “Sorry sorry” Wrapping him up as tight as he could take [ ] stooped to look over his injuries, a frown on her lips “Stop it” Bakugou said, causing the girl to blink at him “ Stop what?” She asked as he met her eyes in the mirror “You're pouting. I'm a big boy thats what me being a hero is for i can take it , don't baby me” Her frown now deeping [ ] pushed his shoulder “Well you need a break , last week you were babying your shoulder now your ribs, im calling you in sick” Growling Bakugou went to sat something until he saw her face ; fear. She was afraid one night he wouldn't come home, that it would be the others telling her he was gone permanently. With a deep sigh he reached for her hand, pulling her back to him as he gave her a hug. Concerned and trying to come to her racing heart she looked up to those deep eyes of his, the same concert starting to fill them “ [ ]...i'll take the week off it makes you happy and rest, I’ll be okay alright? Just...please..I dont want to disappoint the one person who helps me even when im stupid and tells me what i need to hear without just agreeing with me” Shocked at his words all [ ] could do was rub his arm and bury her face in his warm chest, inhaling the smell of smoke and burnt caramel from his skin “Oi princess..” He rasped out as she just hummed , not moving from her spot. With ease the still injured blonde picked her up effortlessly and placed her on the sink, causing her to cry out. Slowly he let his hands trace her face, their eyes studying the other as he pressed his forehead to hers “Thank you..for dealing with me” He whispered against her lips as they slowly closed the gap between them, lips sealing in a soft peck. As soon as it happened it was over, Bakugou pulled away before he got too invested. Biting his bottom lip he gave her a lopsided smile, heading to his bedroom

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

4/20, The day of the birthday boy Katsuki rolled in a lot faster than he thought it would. Sitting up slowly he looked around his dark room, the bright light of 2:00 am mocking him as he got up to go to his kitchen. Seeing [ ] humped over at the computer sparked the explosion heros curiosity. Finishing his glass of water she came over to her, seeing that she had one last piece of paper in her hands that strangely looked like….

“Are those my reports?” a deep voice rumbled out. Letting out a screech [ ] jumped, turning in the swiveling chair to an almost adorable sight. A shirtless and sleepy Bakugou was rubbing his eyes as he let himself focus on her “Uhm...well yeah they are. They're all done now!” [ ] said as she gave him a wide smile whined the blondes' frowns deeped “You did all of my paperwork?” He said in disbelief as she looked at her hands , picking at her hand “Well yeah...I wanted you to have a non stressful birthday” She admitted as he scoffed , getting closer to her as he wrapped his arms around her neck and the top of the chair “You're so sweet...too good for me….” He grumbled as he hid his face in the nervous girl's neck. Gasping as she felt his hot lips kiss the junction of her neck she couldn't help but lean over more . letting him absentmindedly kiss her all over her shoulder and neck, little ‘Thank yous’ spilling from the tired man's lips. Still following his same path he worked his way up to her cheek, basking in the little laugh she let out as he nuzzled under her chin. Slowly what happened a few days ago repeated itself, they were face to face as his still sleep swarming eyes stared back at her curious ones. Tapping her bare leg from her seat she moved as he took her by the arm to his room. Hearing her heart in her ears [ ] sucked in a breath as he flopped on his luxury bed, making grabby hands at the standing girl. Giggling [ ] crawled in the bed with him as he pulled her on top of him “[ ]....” He groaned as she looked at him. Licking his lips as whispering Bakugou spoke “ I really like you...You and shitty hair dont have to do much for me all i want is you…” He said as she gave him a wide eyed look, not sure she heard him right “Yeah im finally admitting it...ive had a crush on you for a while...i never noticed it until Shitty hair called me out for having a worse mood when that good for nothing vibrating little shit tried to steal you from me at the banquet” As the comfortable silence filled the room he spoke up again “ And i really...wanna kiss you….but im scared you wouldn't like me back...after all these years of dealing with my shit and how i can be...your like a godsend to me..” As he opened his eyes to her he was surprised to feel her lips press against his , full and warm. Slowly he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her in his lap as they kissed more and more, the kiss becoming deeper as she pulled away, whispering a soft ‘ I love you’ as he kissed her again until they drifted to sleep in eachothers arms.

[sickficsies-and-whumpsies]

OOOOH GOD I JUST HAD A NEW IDEA.

If you can do both, I will be very happy.

So...

Nanami has a fever, he overworked himself during the last fight, and he is bound in his bed, trying to recover. He keeps dreaming of Gojo while he shifts from sleep to reality and feels like he is there with him but doesn't know if it's true. He has lots of delusions and hallucinations regarding Gojo breaking his heart and feels like he is slowly burning alive.

Also, I have to add this, if you are able to describe him as tiddies out, you would save my life. I thirst for Dilfs in pain.

“I THIRST FOR DILFs IN PAIN” HAD ME WHEEZING, HELP- oh man, I hope I put Nanamin through enough pain with this one, I did my best to depict his disorientation :D Have fun, I hope this is enough f*cked up!! All I want to say is... Sorry.

(TW in the tags)

///

The blurred digits danced across the tiny screen, forcing Nanami to squeeze his chestnut-brown eyes painfully. It read 40,1°C, or so he supposed. His fever-addled brain, while aware that he was, in fact, feverish, wasn’t quite in control of the body, eyes failing him.

The blond sighed, resigned, and moved to sit up on the bed with a pitiful groan. As soon as his torso was perpendicular to the mattress, a wave of dizziness made him flop back onto the firm yet comfortable surface, head spinning in a violent, overwhelming manner.

Nanami wanted nothing more than to reach for his phone, located on the neatly-arranged night stand, next to a book and a half empty glass of water. Just an arm-length away, maybe less, and yet, the man hadn’t enough strength in him to move that much. His limbs felt heavy, bones lined with lead, head filled with grey fog, eyesight faltering.  

“I jus’ need… to call in…” he murmured, not quite sure if he’d said that out-loud, either. The effort of turning his head to look at the phone left him breathless, disoriented; shaky fingers reached for it, barely a couple of centimeters above the mattress. Beads of sweat dripped down Nanami’s pasty face and he grit his teeth, summoning every last ounce of power left in him. 

If I could just warn someone, I would be fine. I just need to sweat this off. But I have to let Satoru know, or he’ll come bursting in here soon, and get himself sick. I don’t want that to happen, taking care of him is annoying. He is annoying when he’s sick. He is always annoying. I just need to let him know I’m fine. I just need to tell him not to come. I just一

He blinked his eyes open, startled. When had he closed them? 

Nanami allowed his vision to focus, albeit slowly and not entirely efficiently either, and noticed how his arm was stretched out toward the night stand, not quite touching it due to his slightly bent elbow. It just laid there, motionless, fingers barely twitching, not obeying his command.

The sorcerer inhaled a shallow, rasped breath, trying to coax his body into cooperating to reach that damned phone. 

He didn’t need Gojou to come, he needed him not to. He wouldn’t have come anyway, Nanami thought. He never did.

The sky-eyed man wasn’t a bad person. He wasn’t a bad boyfriend, Nanami knew it, he’d repeated that to himself so many times, too many times, trying to carve it into his brain, to learn it by heart. Gojou wasn’t a bad boyfriend.

He was simply… a not conventional one. 

More than once, Nanami had to remind him about their dates. More than once, he had to hint that his birthday was coming up, or that he’d asked him for a favour of any sorts一 not that he’d do that, Nanami was capable of doing everything on his own.

Maybe that’s why Gojou had never bothered to offer his help. Maybe it was out of admiration and reverence in regard of Nanami’s skills一 as a sorcerer and as a civilian, too一 that he’d never offered his help, nor helped unless strictly necessary. 

Nanami forced himself to shake his head, aware that he was dozing off again, thoughts swirling in his pounding, boiling brain. No, he needed to get the phone first, he needed to inform that he wouldn’t come, and that he… maybe, he could use some help. 

Gojou’s.

But he won’t come! he thought, bitter. He won’t come on his own. It’s not like him, he won’t come here, he won’t notice. I’m glad. He doesn’t need to worry, I’m fine. I’m happy that he’s not going to come, he doesn’t need to. I can handle a little cold. I don’t need to worry him. Not that he would. But it’s a good thing, because he一

A faint knock echoed through the neat apartment. Nanami opened his eyes一he’d closed them again, hadn’t he?一 and tried to pinpoint the source of the noise, curious. Certainly, something must have fallen from the table, maybe a spoon he’d left out of place.

“Spoons don’t sound like knocking when they fall, Nanamin~” someone purred from outside the door. Someone that Nanami knew, certainly. Someone that wasn’t supposed to be there, or rather, someone that he didn’t think was ever going to come.

“S-Satoru?” he croaked, weak. He wished that his technique allowed him to move objects with his mind, willing to unlock the door without, however, having the necessary strength to get up and walk the way to it. That would have meant crossing the bedroom, reaching the tiny corridor, walking through it and up to the genkan. He would have had to sit on the step at the entrance, slip his shoes on to walk the tiny distance between the wooden floor and the door, not wanting to soil his slippers.

Speaking of slippers, he didn’t know where he’d left them. He’d come home around midnight, after an extenuating fight. Nanami had wrapped everything up rather slowly, and once it was over, he barely waited for the EMTs to check him over before he gave up and walked the way home, in the freezing weather. 

The walk home, and the time from when he reached the doorstep to when he flopped on the bed, were a blur of flashes and thumping noises, voices and phones ringing, people yelling一 he’d left the TV on, he didn’t know how he allowed himself to make that mistake.

He, who would always reprimand Gojou for forgetting to turn the lights off, for not cleaning the bathroom mirror after he’d brushed his teeth, for leaving the spoon in the plate when he reheated food in the microwave. Nanami would always tell him off, tired of how careless Gojou acted, tired of how the other man seemed to have mistaken him for his personal butler, tired of一

“Nanamin, my poor Nanamin.” Gojou said, running a hand through the blond’s sweaty hair, letting his fingers cradle the mane and massage the scalp delicately, “All sick and lonely, my little Nanamin~” 

“You shouldn’t一” Nanami was caught off guard, wheezing as a painful dry coughed escaped his mouth and scraped his throat. Teary eyes glanced at the bottle on the dresser just a few meters away.

The mattress lifted and then dipped again. 

Nanami grabbed the glass of water that Gojou had filled for him, and drank greedily, letting the cold liquid soothe the agony, feeling the fog thin out in the slightest. 

“You shouldn't have come.” he finished, “You’re going to get sick too. You aren’t even wearing a mask, everyone knows that it’s necessary to protect yourself when you visit someone sick, Satoru.” he scolded, thin eyebrows furrowed on his damp forehead.

“You’re always so cold with me, Nanamin! Your lovely boyfriend came all the way here to watch you suffer, and you treat him like that? Cruel.” the white-haired man hummed, laying next to Nanami, not quite touching him. Truth is, he didn’t even seem to be willing to reach for the man.

Ah, Nanami reasoned, Infinity. Nothing gets through.

“I could deactivate it, Nanamin. The Infinity, you know, I could deactivate it and touch you. You want that, don’t you?” he teased, blinking at the ill man.

“Y-you don’t have to.”

Gojou laughed in that way that made his enemies’ skin crawl, so hollow yet light. Carefree, intimidating for just how genuinely amused he sounded.

“Oh, I wouldn't think about it, Nanamin.” he said, “It’s bad enough that you’re out of commission, we can’t have both of us out of the games.”

Nanami swallowed the dryness in his throat to no avail, averting his gaze just in the slightest, just enough to have that annoying, mocking grin out of his sight. “Good.”

“But you want me to touch you, right? You want me to care for you, you want to feel my breath on your skin, to bite into it with my teeth and let them sink in your neck, don’t you, Nanamin?” he whispered. Had he not activated the Infinity, Nanami would have been able to feel the ticklish warmth of Gojou’s breath on his ear, surely.

“It wouldn't be wise, since I’m sick.” he hummed, still not looking at Gojou. He couldn’t bear it.

Nanami couldn’t stand that cocky, teasing bastard, he couldn’t stand his malicious threats and offerings that he was then going to deny, he couldn’t stand the way Gojou referred to him and to himself, as if they were on widely different levels, as if Nanami was supposed, no, bound to do something to earn his boyfriend’s kindness.

“Go home, I’ll be fine.” he rasped out.

Leave. Please, leave. 

Was he going to cry? The fever was playing atrocious tricks on his mind and body, so Nanamin paid no mind to the sudden stinging sensation in his eyes, he didn’t care about his twitching chin and shaking hands.

“I know you will. I don’t need you to tell me you’ll be fine.” Gojou hummed, matter-of-factly, sounding almost offended at Nanami’s implication. Nanami himself really didn’t know what it was, though.

Was Gojou annoyed because Nanami had implied that someone like him could get worried? Or, was he mad because Nanami had implied that he was enough to make Gojou, of all people, worry? 

Both, probably.

“Then leave.” he hissed, heart hammering in his chest, head throbbing in the heat.

“I will.” 

“Good.” 

Gojou sat up, before a sweaty hand grabbed at his wrist, causing the man to cock a white eyebrow in what Nanami hoped wasn’t annoyance nor anger. Yet, he could tell it was.

“Do you even care?” he breathed out, eyes watery only because of the fever. “About me. Do- do you care? Did you ever...?”

The taller sorcerer grinned, features softening. “Of course I do, Nanamin. You’re one of the strongest sorcerers out there, how could I not care?” he purred, grabbing Nanami’s trembling jaw with his strong fingers, gaze penetrating.

Not reassuring in the slightest, either.

Nanami felt his face heat up, façade crumbling as hot tears welled at the corner of his blurry eyes. “Not- not as a sorcerer, Satoru!! Do you... care about me?”

The grip tightened, Gojou’s short nails leaving faint indents in his boyfriend’s cheeks, “Care how, Nanamin? What do you mean by care, what does care mean to you?” he grinned, shortening the distance between their faces, noses almost brushing against each other’s. 

“Y-you’re hurting me,” Nanami breathed out, faint, “Let go of m一”

“Say, Nanamin,” Gojou’s fingers dug deeper, grin growing wider, colder, “is it love you’re looking for? Is it what you’re asking me?”

The blond brought a shaky hand up, trying to pry Gojou’s hand away to no avail, too weakened by the debilitating fever, too shocked to act efficiently.

“Is it, Nanamin?”

“Y-yes.” he hiccupped, dry, voice barely above a whisper, his words whimpered and fragmented, “Do you love me? H-have you ever loved me?”

Gojou chuckled, licking his lips, “Of course I did, Nanamin. Of course. You’re so pretty, so strong… I would have been a fool not to love you, don’t you think?”

He did not let go.

“Do I not show you enough love, Nanamin? Do you not think I love you? Do you believe that I’m a bad boyfriend, Nanamin?” he asked.

Something in his tone wasn’t quite right. It sounded unfamiliar, having lost its arrogant edges, replaced with something that the blond couldn’t identify yet. And it creeped him out.

“N-no.” the ill one gulped, “It’s… S-sometimes, you don’t- I don’t think th-that you care. I, I feel like you don’t.” Nanami confessed, trembling.

“So you think I’m lying?” Gojou inquired.

“No!! I’m not- it’s not that.” 

“I think it is.”

Nanami shook his head vehemently, squeezing his eyes shut. He forced himself into a sitting position, willing the dizzy spell away, swallowing the bile that scratched the back of his tongue, ignoring how his shirt and bedsheets were soaked, ignoring the stale air in his room.

“P-please, Satoru, don’t一!!”

“It’s getting late, Nanamin.” Gojou sighed, clapping his hands once as he got up and stretched his legs, ignoring his boyfriend’s pleading look, ignoring his watery gaze and wet cheeks, ignoring the hand that feebly attempted to reach for his, uselessly.

“A-are you leaving me?” he sobbed, not caring about the snot that dripped down his fine nose, not caring about how pathetic and helpless he sounded. It was the fever.

“Is it not what you wanted me to do, Nanamin?” Gojou asked, hands deep in his pockets.

His eyes, clearer than the sky, bore a sour shade of regret, a glint of annoyance that Nanami prayed wasn’t addressed to him. Those eyes that looked down at him, on him, pissed.

“Y-yes, no, I don’t- I didn’t mean it l-like that, I meant一 please, wait, I’m not一”

“Goodbye, Nanamin.” Gojou muttered, headed for the door. He knocked Nanami’s glasses off the low dresser they were on, unconcerned, not bothering to pick them up.

The ill man faintly heard the door click in the distance again. Unfocused, bleary eyes scanned the room, because he couldn’t be gone, he couldn’t have left him like that, Nanami couldn’t believe that he did.

His gaze dropped to the floor, neat, untouched, glasses still placed on the dresser, the bottle still full of crystal-clear water.

Nanami could only breathe out a desperate whimper, a prayer for Gojou to come, for him to stop being so distant in every sense of the term. He wished and prayed, and fell into a restless slumber, plagued with other nightmares and suspected premonitions.

3/20/2021

[pinklacedarling]

🍙 MEMORIES OF YOU 🍙

🍙 Pairing: Osamu x F!Reader 🍙 Summary: Osamu fondly looks back on your years together. 🍙 Contents: Fluff, Post-Timeskip || 🍙 Word Count: 1.8k 🍙 Masterlist: Link

Osamu liked to look back to when the two of you were still in high school. He remembers how you two met, being partnered together for a project in your first year, and quickly took notice of everything. Everything that is you, to be precise.

Everything from your cute, little mannerisms to how your soft hair framed your face, and especially how your eyes seemed to sparkle whenever he got you your favorite drink from the vending machines. He couldn’t pinpoint why you had fascinated him so much, but Osamu made it a point to learn as much as he could about you. 

He remembers the first time you hung out together, just the two of you. He had taken you to a food fair, finding your company pleasant as conversation flowed between the two of you with ease. He remembers how you laughed at him when he put too much spice on one of his snacks - you teasing him while he proceeded to chug down two bottles of water - before snatching it away to happily finish the rest. Osamu learned the ungodly amount of spice you could handle that day.

Osamu managed to convince you to attend one of his volleyball matches one day. When you admitted to him, over video chat that night after the match, that you knew nothing about volleyball he spent the entire night teaching you about the sport. He was afraid that talking to you about something you had no interest in would push you away, but he was pleasantly surprised when you started asking him about stuff you didn’t understand. It was such a small thing, but seeing you take an interest in one of the few things he liked did weird things to his heart.

It didn’t take long before you were regularly attending his matches - you even took a selfie every time, your face on one side of the frame while the court was seen from the background, and sent it to him as proof that you were there to cheer him and his team on. He could still remember how much Suna had teased him when the middle blocker found out that Osamu had saved all your selfies in a folder on his phone.

The day you got your heart broken was a day Osamu would never forget. He remembers skipping practice, much to his twin’s annoyance, and walking you home. You were quiet during the walk, opting to keep your head low as your cheeks still sported some redness from your crying earlier. He was quiet too, silently cursing the guy that rejected you and wondering why. 

It wasn’t until the two of you were at your front gate did Osamu break the silence. 

“Go out with me instead,” he said, “I can treat ya way better than that scrub.” 

He took you on a date the following weekend, and he could still remember the mixture of emotions that filled his heart when you told him at the end of your date that you were glad you got rejected. 

“S’fine that he rejected me. It’s good, actually, cause we might’ve never gone on this date otherwise...” You had said in a soft tone, eyes refusing to meet his as a blush settled on your cheeks. He remembers how cute you were at that moment, shuffling nervously as you both stood outside your house. He also remembers how you suddenly pulled him down and gave him a peck on the cheek before shouting and promptly slamming your front door in his face. 

“I really like you, and I’m real lucky that you like me too, Mu-mu!” 

Osamu really likes that nickname.

He remembers how you came rushing into the gym one day after he had another fight with Atsumu. He told you that he was fine, but you kept worrying over him and even got him some snacks to make him feel better. He remembers his twin’s voice ringing out, accusing you of playing favorites even though you also got the blonde setter some snacks of his own.

“You’re not my boyfriend, Miya. Mu-mu is!” You had replied, putting emphasis on their surname before sticking out your tongue at him in a childish manner. Osamu would never forget the look of shock and disgust on his brother’s face, nor the fact that you just called him your boyfriend for the very first time. 

He also remembers your first kiss. He had jokingly asked for a good luck kiss before one of his games and was surprised when you agreed. Osamu still felt some embarrassment over it, remembering how, in his nervous state, knocked your foreheads together so hard that it took you both a minute to compose yourselves. You both laughed about it afterwards and got it right on the next try. 

Ever since then, Osamu always asked for a kiss before a game, and you happily obliged. 

The first time you told him you loved him was also an important memory for Osamu. He remembers how distant you’ve been the week prior and it worried him to no end, thinking he might’ve done something to upset you or worse, that you were getting tired of being with him. He managed to corner you after a match, catching you before you managed to get lost in the crowd and leading you two somewhere more quiet. In hindsight, he should’ve asked you calmly instead of demanding what was wrong. 

He remembers panicking when he saw tears in your eyes, shooting out apologies for shouting at you so suddenly. Turns out it was all just a misunderstanding. You explained to him, through your tears, that you were having a hard time with your homework the past week, and with a match coming up you didn’t want to bother him about it. Osamu instantly felt guilty for your tears, but also felt relief wash over him. 

“I thought ya might’ve been gettin’ bored of me.” He admitted as he held you close, wiping away the last of your tears. 

You pouted, confusion written all over your face. “Osamu, you idiot, I’d never get bored of you! I love you, after all!”

Osamu froze at that, his brain trying to process what you had just said, so casually too. He didn’t respond for a while as he stared down at you, watching as you tilted your head at his silence. 

He managed to stutter out an ‘I love ya too’ after a while, the tips of his ears growing red, and you wouldn’t stop teasing him for a month about how he stuttered so cutely - one that he vehemently denies every time you bring it up.

There were so many memories of you that Osamu would always let his mind freely wander through them, daydreaming about anything and everything that is you, no matter where he was. Perhaps that’s why you were currently snapping your fingers in front of his face, a worried expression on your features as he focused back on the present.

“Mu-mu, is everything alright?” You asked, brows furrowed as you sat at the bar of an empty Onigiri Miya. There was an empty plate sitting in front of you, telling him that you had finished the extra spicy onigiri he always made for you. “You were spacing out. You’re not overworking yourself again, are you?”

“M’not.” He says, all too quickly for your liking, before taking the plate and cleaning up. 

“Liar!” You accused, and he could clearly see the cute pout on your face despite having his back to you. “Y’know I don’t mind helping you clean up at closing time, right?”

“S’fine, I can handle it.” Osamu made sure everything was in order before circling the counter, wrapping his arms around your waist as you stood from your seat. “Besides, yer tired too, aren’tcha?” You guiltily avoided his eyes, making him chuckle. “You comin’ to pick me up every night is more than enough.” 

He leans down to give you a peck, but immediately recoils once he tastes the spice that still lingered on your lips. “I thought you’re fine with spicy stuff now?” You giggled, watching as he tried to shake it off. 

“I can handle it, but yer on a whole different level when it comes to spice.” He grumbles, ruffling your hair and placing a kiss on your temple before letting you go, opting to hold your hand instead. His eyes flickered down for a second, catching the glint of the golden band that circled one of your fingers.

He smiles. 

You giggle, pulling him outside and humming to yourself as he begins to lock up. “Oh, by the way, ‘Tsumu called me earlier.” He hears you say, “He said that you weren’t answering his messages. Something about attending his next game so he could have free onigiris right after his match. Seriously, your brother’s such a handful!” 

“In a few months he’s gonna be yer brother too, y’know.” Osamu retorts, amused as a look of horror crosses your face.

“Ah, you’re right!” You wailed, dramatically putting a finger under your chin in thought. “Maybe I could still get out of this…” 

Osamu laughs at that, trapping you in his arms. “No way. You already said ‘yes’ so there’s no backin’ out now.” 

He hears you whine, but you snuggle closer to him. “Mmm, you’re right. I’ll tolerate him for you, Mu-mu.” You laugh, “Plus I love you too much to ever leave.”

His heart swells at this. 

“You love me too, don’tcha?” You ask, looking up at him with a cheeky smile, and he takes a moment to appreciate how, even after all your years together, you were still able to mesmerize him with your entire being. 

“Yeah,” he smiles, watching as your cheeks turn pink. “I love ya.”

“Lots and lots?” 

“Lots an’ lots.”

Osamu takes your hand in his again, giving yours a light squeeze before leading you both back home. His mind begins to wander again, to everything the two of you had been through together, and he glances at you beside him. This too, would make a good memory, he thinks. Nevermind how seemingly boring or mundane it was. Any memory with you in it was worth remembering, down to the very last detail.

His mind wanders, and this time he finds himself thinking of the future. Osamu smiles to himself as he thinks about your upcoming birthday, that trip you two had planned together, and even your wedding day. Heck, he even thought about when you might have a child together.

There were so many memories waiting to be made with you, and he’d be lying to himself if he said he wasn’t excited about every single one of them. But there was no need to lie to himself, was there? After all, Osamu loved you, and he’ll continue to love you for years to come.

A/N: My first post! Admittedly I was only going for a drabble, but before I knew it I had typed down so much so I hope whoever reads this likes it!

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Happy Birthday, Lucifer~!

(( This is a little one shot to celebrate Lucifer’s birthday, that is based on today’s event, but with some...More personalising to it!

Also, Lucifer’s smile, like Satan’s, looks like a kittens, and it kills my heart <3 ))

Diavolo gathered us in the big hall, the same place as when I was brought to the Devildom to this exchange student program, which is when the Devil Prince, holding the same type of mischievous glint in his eyes as usual, grinned widely at us, telling us that the reason for gathering here was Lucifer’s birthday the next day, and his wish to throw him a party.

Unfortunately, it seemed like some of his brothers completely forgot about his birthday...

But it was much worse that Lucifer was so busy that he may or may not forget his own birthday.

“Hey, Diavolo, why don’t we throw him a surprise party? Nothing necessarily big, just...Something with us, the people closest to him. I think he would appreciate it.” I suggest, making the man gleam with happiness. “I like that. It’ll make his heart jump out of his chest.” Diavolo grinned at me. “That settles it. We will throw Lucifer a surprise birthday party.” Barbatos chimed in simply.

Hearing about the surprise party, everyone was on board, wanting to have fun, so we decided to make it happen in the House of Lamentation and divide all our tasks.

Beel and Asmo were in charge of decorations, Barbatos, Satan and Belphie were I charge of the food, Diavolo would oversee everyone’s preparations, I was supposed to distract Lucifer for the whole day, as Asmo was to help me with a plan, and uhm...

Mammon and Levi were...Uhm...

Reporting back to the party back at home...Or something?

I don’t know, but I guess stalking would be the right job for two lazy guys.

And so, I go around the place looking for the man in cause, and I finally manage to find him at his own room, hunched over the desk, looking absolutely exhausted.

“Lucifer...Are you alright...?” I sighed, putting my arms around his neck from behind. “Nothing new, just a tremendous amount of work during this time of the year.” he replied, almost robotically. “I see...Well...Would you want to go out with me tomorrow? Maybe it will help you relax a bit. I’m exhausted only looking at you, to be fair.” I suggest in a softer tone. “Tomorrow...? I’ve finished up my work for the student council, so I can afford to take a break, but...Why so sudden?...Don’t tell me...You’re up to something again.” he turned to look at me with a suspicious frown. “No...Nothing of the sort. Looking at you like that makes me believe that a change of pace would help you relax a bit. You’re overworking yourself without realising...Even Diavolo is concerned. And besides, what’s the harm in going out, right?” I smiled at him, taking his hand in mine, squeezing it gently. “It seems you knew that I’ve been quite busy lately. Well? Do you have a specific destination in mind? Wait, no, don’t tell me, I shall know when we go. It is best to save the excitement for later.” Lucifer chuckled lightly. “I hope you’ll enjoy what I have in mind. I-I mean, it’s nothing too big, just something nice and casual, with the purpose of charging up your batteries.” I grin at him, and he offers me a smile...A smile that looks like that of a kitten’s. “Heh. You seem rather confident in your choices. Thank you for thinking about my well being. Now then, I’ll see you tomorrow.” he nodded at me. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Lucifer...Please take care of yourself.” I waved at him, leaving for my room.

On my way to the room, I met up with the stalker duo...And it was, uh...As interesting as always.

“Y/N, you alright?!” Mammon cried out loudly. “Well, duh. Lucifer would never hurt Y/N.” Levi spoke as a matter of fact. “Yes, exactly. Except for the 2 or 3 times when he almost killed me.” I chuckled lightly, shuddering internally at the experiences. “But maybe he already found out about what’s goin’ on! Y/N might’ve blurted out somethin’ about the surprise tomorrow.” Mammon tried to play off his concerns. “Y/N isn’t an airhead like you, Mammon. So, how did it go, Y/N? Mission accomplished?” Levi quickly dismissed his brother. “Well, of course I succeeded. And he was pretty happy about it.” I smiled softly, hoping I wasn’t blushing. “THAT Lucifer?! He didn’t even doubt ya, but was happy?! He’ll only act like that when it comes to you, Y/N...” they continued to talk, but I went to my room to sleep and think over everything that was supposed to happen tomorrow.

The next day I take a quick bath, and curl my long hair in some nice, graceful curls, nothing too fancy, but not too casual either, and with some nice day-make up, and a nice outfit, I go to knock on Lucifer’s room, knocking, and asking if he’s ready.

“Are you ready, Lucifer?” I asked, smiling sweetly at him. “I am, although, I believe this dynamic we are having should be the other way around.” he hummed, as we walked out of the place. “How about you take me on a date next time you feel burnt out from overworking yourself, which won’t be too long, if you ask me. Maybe it would help you relax a bit?” I walk closer to him, as the lights from the busy street shops were illuminating cheerfully. “I can’t say I disagree...Oh, I see. A movie theater. What movie are we going to see?” he asked, smirking as he realised we were approaching said place. “There’s this movie that had a pretty neat name...The Fiery Depths of Hell. I think it’s a horror movie? But I’m not sure what HORROR would be for demons.” I laughed at my words, and it seemed to amuse him as well. “Hopefully scarier than what you humans create. I see it has a pretty fine cast. It has been a long time since I last saw a movie. Two tickets, please.”  he walked ahead of me to the ticket booth, making my eyes go wide with surprise. “W-Wait, hold up....!” I hurried to his side, as he only put his arm around me, guiding me inside with a knowing smirk. “What is it? I already paid for the tickets, let’s go. Is it your first time in this place?” he asked, as we got in front of the snacks booth. “Yep. Asmo and Satan told me they go pretty often here and that this place is really pretty, so I thought it’d be a nice to bring you here...Although I’m pretty sure this experience won’t be as...Special, since it’s not the first time you’re here.” I scratched the back of my neck sheepishly, looking away with a small smile. “Nonsense. The person with whom I am with is what makes this special. Are you ready here? Let’s find our seats.” he spoke, making my cheeks get a tint pinker. “Haha...I never realised how much of a smooth charmer you can be.”  I cover my mouth for a few seconds in embarrassment, as he only hummed in amusement, sitting in his seat, and we waited for the movie to start. “There’s nothing better than watching a movie with flame-scorched popcorn and sparkling fresh bloody soda.” he leaned back in his seat, a look of relaxation washing over his face. “Flame-scorched...Let me guess, is that spicy popcorn? I’ve never heard of that in my world. And bloody soda...Is that like wine?” I asked, turning to him, leaning on the arm rest. “Why don’t you have a taste?” he smirked mischievously, putting his hand on my cheek, making me open my mouth, as he put a bit of popcorn on my tongue. “What do you think?” he chuckled lowly, seeing my red cheeks. “It’s not bad...I was expecting it to be much hotte...OH MY GOODNESS, THIS IS HORRIBLE, I NEED SOME WATER ASAP!” in the next second, I could feel myself being set on fire, that’s how horribly spicy the popcorn was. “That was entertaining.” he laughed mirthfully, handing me a bottle of fresh, ice-cold water. “You’re enjoying it, aren’t you?” I spoke weakly, a pout on my face after finishing the water bottle in one go. “You got this water knowing this would happen, didn’t you?” “I was merely curious to see how bad it affected a human, and needless to say, I am rather pleased with the results. Your assumption is correct as well...I can’t say that I’m not enticed by the cute face you are making right now, especially with the tears glistering in your eyes.” he teased, taking the handkerchief from his pocket and wiping them away, as he caressed my face gently. “I hope you’re bloody extasic, you truly gave me a HELLISH experience.” I chuckled, amused by this as well. “That was a pretty witty prank, I have to admit. I’d have died of laughter, if anyone else was the victim.” “I shall take that as a compliment. If you’ve managed to calm down, let’s see what you’re having. Hell Black Honey Popcorn. Looks rather sweet, let me have a taste.” he extended his hand towards my popcorn bag, only to have me slap it away, giggling playfully. “Let me return the favour. At least I’m sure there’s no harm going your way.” I said, feeding him, which made him blush slightly as well from the intimacy. “Hmm...It’s so sweet that I’m getting a sugar overload. Even so, it’s quite addicting. You made a sound choice, it suits you.” he chuckled, a smirk on his face, as the light went out and the movie began.

During the movie, there were a few commotions, and I could only guess it was the idiotic duo...But this mess continued even when we left the theater and we were walking slowly, almost aimlessly. I could only flinch slightly from time to time and peer behind my shoulder, hoping that Lucifer wouldn’t catch on.

But I was wrong, he’s the most perceptive demon I know, next to Diavolo, Goddamn those two idiots.

“Why do you continue to peer over the shoulder?” he asked in confusion. “Oh, s-sorry, I hope it didn’t annoy you. I, uh...Kinda got the chills. No big deal, really.” I played it off quickly. “Do you have a cold? You should take better care of yourself.” he spoke with a slight frown on his face. “...Should you really be the one to tell me that?” I chuckled, looking up at him with a coy smile. “Touche, Y/N. Regardless, it’s been a long time since I last saw a movie. Did you enjoy it?” he asked with a bright smile on his face, as he took off the coat from his shoulders and put it over mine. “L-Lucifer, you don’t have to-” I protested, only for him to put his arm around me, putting me to his side, to silence me, under the pretext that the streets are overcrowded and he doesn’t want us to get separated. “W-Well, it was a really nice movie. Usually, I watch horror movies to get some laughs, but this actually had a pretty interesting plot.” I offered him my insight, as he only nodded. “Indeed. The background info you offered me was useful. You’ll have to tell me more about it.” he spoke, obviously trying to make conversation. “Sure, I’d love that. The symbolism from this movie was really something else, and -” I began to explain some of the film ideas, only to get interrupted by a pitched voice. “Wh-Wh-Wh-What are you two doing here?! A-And you’re...You’re so close! L-Like you’re c-c-cuddling!” Luke’s shocked voice echoed through the street. “We’re on a date. Is there a problem?” Lucifer’s voice was low, velvety, showing off the smugness. “Huh?! A d-date?!” the kid gaped at us, his pale face getting pinker than roses. “I-I guess that’s how it is.” I hummed, feeling my heart beat a bit faster hearing him say that. “Is that really how it is?!” Luke stared, still unbelieving. “Enough with the questions, Chihuahua.” Lucifer sighed, bored and irked at the interruption. “How many times do I have to tell you?! I’m NOT a Chihuahua!” he yelled at the demon who towered over him. “Sure. You only act like one.” I shared a playful look to Lucifer, giggling in amusement. “Oh, I thought I heard a commotion over here. Hey, Lucifer, Y/N!” Simeon’s graceful smile came in the picture. “Oh good, the Chihuahua’s owner is here.” Lucifer’s taunting words rung again, making me try to stifle my laughter. “I told you I’m not a Chihuahua!” Luke shrieked even louder. “What a coincidence, meeting you two here! Oh, that’s right, today is Lucifer’s-” Simeon began, which made me widen my eyes and try to talk over him. “Day off. Yes, today is Lucifer’s day off. I told Simeon that I’m taking you out for today, and if he needed to talk to you, to just call me or come by the next day.” I tried to explain, so the angels would get what I’m trying to do. “How thoughtful of you, Y/N, but you needn’t worry yourself over me that much.” he shook his head in disdain. “Luke, I just remembered we have something very urgent to attend to, so we must be on our way. It was nice seeing you, Lucifer, Y/N!” Simeon tried to walk away, only to have Luke look at him with confusion. “We had something urgent to do today?” he asked, tilting his head to the side, truly like a puppy. “Yes, Luke, we have something very, VERY urgent to do, remember?” the man urged on, a bit stronger. “O-Oh, yeah! Uhh, we’re very busy! See you later, Y/N, Lucifer!” Luke started running away. “Uhm...Do they always behave so...Uhmm...Weird?” I asked, biting my lip, fearing for the plan’s success. “What on earth is wrong with those two?” he shook his head in disbelief, then looked at me with a raised eyebrow. “You’ve been checking the time rather frequently. Something is going on, isn’t there? You have been acting strange since yesterday. When do you plan on telling me the reason?” he started his suspicious interrogation, and I started worrying. “What do you mean, Lucifer? You know I always have my phone in my hand, don’t you? It’s a pretty bad habit of mine, but that’s just how it is. And besides, is wanting to spend time alone with you that strange?” I looked at him with mock hurt. “Do you still insist on playing games? You’ve got a lot of nerve. I never knew you were so stubborn...I didn’t want to ruin today’s plans, so I pretended not to notice until now...Come out, you two!” Lucifer, after glaring at me, used his magic to pull the 1-Braincell Duo to us, and they were sent flying and screaming  our way. “Ouch! What was that for, Lucifer?! Using your magic to drag us out is unfair, doncha think?” Mammon complained, only to have his elder brother yell at him, and him to squeak in fear like a little mouse. “Th-This ain’t what it looks like! Calm down, Lucifer!” he tried to reason. “Lucifer’s rage has taken shape! What will become of Mammon?” Levi blushed as he was...Vlogging...? “Dammit, Levi! Enough with the commentary!” Mammon started fighting with him. “I can’t deprive my subscribes from such a juicy scene.” Levi chuckled carelessly. “You want to interrupt us that badly, huh? Mammon, Levi.” Lucifer glared at them as if staring into their souls. “Eeek! O-Of course not! This is all for your birthday...ARGHH!” Mammon gasped as Levi’s tailed came flying and slammed him on the pavement. “You stupid big mouth!” he glared at the white haired man, as I could only stare in disbelief. “So that’s what you were planning, isn’t it? Some kind of birthday prank? You knew I was prone to forgetting about it, because of my overworked schedule, and you took advantage of it. All three of you.” Lucifer started growling in anger. “God DAMN it, you, stupid MAMMON! This is why EVERYONE tell you you’re a complete MORON! I’m DONE with taking your side, you’re just a big, obsolete, incurable, hopeless, scummy fucking I D I O T ! Once! Just freaking ONCE! Did I EVER ask you to just keep your STUPID mouth SHUT, and what do you do? Get yourself in THESE kinds of situations and you manage to spill EVERYTHING!” I screamed at the idiot who was in pain on the ground, which made the eldest brother widen his eyes in realisation. “Great job, Mammon, you made the calmest person alive angry. That’s something only you would be capable of doing.” Levi glared, sighing in equal anger. “...Why is Y/N scarier than Lucifer when angry?” Mammon squealed in fear. “So this wasn’t supposed to be some kind of elaborate prank on me?” Lucifer asked in a softer voice. “No, goddamn it! I was trying to make you a birthday surprise, but it’s all ruined, thanks to this dumbass. Gahh, whatever, it doesn’t matter anymore. Whatever, what’s done is done, I’m leaving. Good luck with the rest of the plan. Bye.” I gave Lucifer back his coat, rushing away from that place, trying to calm down and find a nice place to be alone.

Eventually, I found a nice, very big fountain, and surprisingly, the water falling down was the more calming thing in the world and exactly what I needed.  Not to mention the beautiful lights and colours of the water, the statues, the garden and everything around.

All that was missing was some music and a person to stay with.

Sighing, I climb up on top of the block around the fountain, laying down and staring up at the starry sky.

I put the ringing D.D.D. on silent, then took out my own phone and put on my earphones, listening to some blues music, and stared at the twinkling stars.

I didn’t realise for how long was I there, until someone took off one of the earbuds, making me squeak in fright and jump in a sitting position, my phone flying down, from my torso.

“My, my, who knew you’d get scared so easily.” he hummed in amusement, but then his face went more serious, seeing me sighing. “Levi told me everything.” “Why are you here...? You should be home, the others are waiting for you. They worked very hard for the party to be done, and Asmo especially was the most excited about it. Not to mention, Diavolo will be there...Can’t make him wait, can we.” I shifted my gaze towards the falling water once again. “Can’t have a party without you. I told you today, it’s about the company, not the place or occasion.” he leaned on the block that I was sitting on. “I just...Wanted you to be happy, at least on your birthday. You always stress yourself so much for every little detail, and you carry everyone’s burden’s...I thought you could use a distraction from your daily routine.” I hugged my legs to my chest, resting my chin on my knees. “And I am thankful for that. I am aware that everything we’ve done today was genuine. I appreciate all the effort you went through to make this day great for me.” he reassured me gently. “You’re just being nice...Honestly, I just...I can’t believe I got so angry...I didn’t mean to be so harsh on Mammon, but...But I can’t stand when people ruin my plans, especially those that I am incredibly invested in.” I raked my fingers through my hair, making him chuckle. “I tend to say that rather often.” he smiled in amusement. “How come you went here?” “...I had no place in mind. My feet took me here...I’m surprised, but happy. This place is very...Relaxing.” I lay back down on the block, looking at the stars, then rolling to face Lucifer. “Do you ever...Allow yourself some time for yourself? Just to watch the sky and admire the stars and moon? To listen to the sound of the running water...And just...Vibe?” I asked him, extending my hands towards him. “I suppose I don’t. Perhaps I should start taking your advice.” with a playful smile, he hopped on the block and laid down next to me, holding my hand while at it, as a comfortable silence took over us. “...How are you feeling?” I asked, barely above a whisper. “I can understand why you would recommend doing this. It is truly relaxing.” turning my head to the side slightly, I could see a soft smile on his face, which made my heart pound faster. “You know...Some time ago, I and my best friend would go to the fountain in our University dorms’ campus. It was kinda like this, but without the fancy lights and colours. But...There were some speakers that would play romantic songs. During summer, when we were in our exam session, we would go out past midnight, when nobody would bother or see us...And...We’d take our shoes off and start fooling around in the water. It was ice cold, but outside was hot, and it was refreshing. We would dance together, jump around, splash water on each other...Sometimes I really miss that.” I grinned in amusement at the nostalgic memory. “Would you want to recreate that?” he asked, making me get in a sitting position and look at him with shock, before taking out my phone and putting a playlist of the most romantic human songs. “What are we waiting for, then?” with a huge smile on my face, I quickly take off my shoes, put the socks in them, and jump in the fountain, squealing a bit at how cold it was. “Careful, it’s very cold.” “I see you are enjoying yourself. Don’t mind if I join in.” he chuckled in amusement, taking off his shoes as well, ready to hop off the block, only to have me stop him. “Silly, lift your trousers. It would get pretty uncomfortable to have the bottom part of your legs wet, huh?” I chuckle, rolling the hems of the legs of the pants enough so they won’t get wet, then grabbed his wrist, dragging him into the fountain pond. “How do you feel doing something improper?” I laughed with glee, as he shivered at the cold water. “It’s...Definitely not something I am used to.” he chuckled softly, as he pulled me to his chest.

There were no more words being spoken, and there was nobody else to watch or judge us, except for the Silver Moon lending us her light as we swayed and danced around in the cold water, as if nether of us ever had any problem or worry in the world.

It seemed like the whole world disappeared, only the two of us, pressed together, as our emotions were overflowing, and the next thing I know, we both leaned in to share a soft kiss, filled with so much love and tenderness, almost afraid as if this was a mere fairy tale and this scene was going to disappear, like a dream.

“Are you happy, Lucifer?” I asked in a voice barely above a whisper, resting my chin on his chest, looking up at him with a starstruck expression on my face. “Yes, I am. Thanks to you, Y/N. I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me.” Lucifer’s face was relaxed, calm, soft, like nobody has ever seen him before. “...Did I ever tell you that you’re the most gorgeous being in the world?” my smile grew wider as he widened his eyes and his cheeks started reddening in embarrassment. “You’re a human, that’s not many beings you’ve seen in your short lifespan.” he teased, evading the subject, which only made me chuckle. “Shut up and take a compliment, silly.” I slapped his shoulder, looking away to laugh.

Our lovely moment was interrupted by his D.D.D. ringing, and it was a cue that we should return home for his party, despite the surprise being ruined.

We sat on the fountain’s pond rim to get out shoes back on, but Lucifer decided to be Prince Charming and kneeled in front of me, putting on my shoes as if I was Cinderella, which only made me look down, bashful, earning a low chuckle from him.

As soon as we got in front of the House of Lamentation, Lucifer opened the door, and as soon as he stepped in, confetti and party trumpets were all over the place, which in all actuality seemed to shock him., while everyone was shouting their happy birthday wishes to him.

“I was so focused on what happened today that I completely forgot about this. Thank you, everyone.” Lucifer made that kitten smile again, which only made me fawn over him. “First, he forgets his birthday, and now, judging by his face, he forgot even about this not-so-surprising party. It’s just like you predicted, My Lord.” Barbatos smiled calmly at Diavolo. “It’s been 500 years since I’ve seen Lucifer look so surprised.” the Prince grinned warmly. “Of course I’m surprised. The entrance hall is...Full of flowers and decorations. It doesn’t even look like the House of Lamentation.” Lucifer chuckled, looking around the place. “Yeeeeees! I came up with the idea and Beel helped me put up the decorations!” Asmo chirped brightly. “I...can’t wait...Any longer...” Beel groaned, starving. “Hey, Beel! Stop drooling on my head!” Levi whined in annoyance “Guys...Where is Mammon? I have to apologise for lashing out at him.” I scratch the back of my neck sheepishly. “Mammon is hiding inside that giant decoration over there.” Satan betrayed his location with no second to spare. “Gahh! Satan, you traitor...!” Mammon slowly left his hiding spot, as I and Lucifer shared an amused look. “Mammon.....!.....One second thought, today’s a special occasion so I’ll forgive you for running your mouth like that. Also, Y/N is sorry for being too harsh on you.” he chuckled, looking softly at his younger brother. “Big broooooo! Y/NNNNNN!” Mammon gleamed with absolute happiness hearing that.

We took the party to the dining place, where we toasted in Lucifer’s honour, and we found out about the funny situation between Beel and the poor trio assigned to the food.

“So, if Asmo and Beel were in charged of the decorations...And Satan, Belphie and Barbatos were in charge of the food...Were Mammon and Levi designated to get in my way?” Lucifer raised his eyebrow in curiosity. “The Single-Braincell Stalker Duo was supposed to be on Watch Duty...Or something like that.” I shrugged, chuckling at how silly that sounded. “They were rather noticeable.” the man sighed, shaking his head. “I was there to make sure Mammon didn’t screw up.” Levi defended himself. “See how well that worked out.” I sighed in mock-annoyance. “You were desperate to tag along so you could do live coverage of your stupid mission!” Mammon revealed Levi’s true intentions. “It’s a personal rule of mine to not live in the past.” Levi chuckled, brushing that aside.

After that, Diavolo made everyone give Lucifer their gift and a heartfelt birthday wish, and as expected, everything was very silly, awkward and funny, which only made it better.

Grinning, I take out a little dark blue gift box patterned with silvery stars and that has a silver bow, and handed it to the birthday boy, urging him to open it.

“Happy Birthday, Lucifer. I thought it would be cute...When I saw this Cerberus necklace, I just had to get it for you. Well...For the both of us.” my cheeks were sent ablaze as I took out the necklace from under my top, as soon as he opened the gift box. “Well, isn’t that adorable. Thank you, Y/N. Now I’ll think of you whenever I see it...And you shall do the same with me.” Lucifer leaned down to plant a lingering kiss on my forehead, expressing his gratitude, while everyone gasped at the action. “I’m glad I can finally see your smiling face.” Diavolo spoke in a softer, yet definitely gleeful voice. “I am very happy.” Lucifer’s kitten smile appeared on his face again. “I’m so glad that we met.” I muttered, gazing at him with infinite love. “As am I, Y/N. I will forever be grateful to Fate for making me choose you as the exchange student. Also, I appreciate the effort you all have to put this together. This will be remembered as my greatest birthday. You all have my gratitude...Cheers!” 

And with that, Lucifer raised his champagne glass to toast once again, and we all joined in, having a great time for the rest of the night.

[songtoyou]

Chapter 12: Switch - Part One

Tolerate It

Paring: Modern!Tommy Shelby x Original Female Character

Story Rating: R (No minors should read this fic).

Word Count: 3,791

Warnings: Swearing

Story Description: Tommy Shelby is the owner and CEO of Shelby Company Limited. Starting out as a Bookmaker, Tommy had big ideas to expand his riches. In the past ten years, the company has grown rapidly to expand its business ventures from bars to producing alcohol, manufacturing motor vehicle parts, and exporting. One of the richest men in Great Britain, Tommy Shelby, has it all. Unfortunately, the death of his wife, Grace, left the multi-millionaire mogul alone and depressed. He needed someone to fulfill his needs and deepest darkest desires.

Chapter Summary: Easter has arrived. Tommy is spending it with his family, while Rose is forced to spend time with her ex. We learn that Tommy does not always want to be in control. 

A/N: This chapter will have two parts.

I do not permit my work to be posted on any other site without my permission.

Tag list: @owenniasstars​

There was a part of Tommy that wished he did not have to be in control all of the time. It was understandable that he be the one in charge of his business as he had no other person to rely on to step up to the plate. Michael was still too young. Also, Tommy had been developing doubts and distrust towards his cousin. It didn’t help that Michael would schedule secret meetings with potential business partners and act as if he was doing it to help Tommy and the company. Tommy used to rely on and confide in his Aunt Polly. Yet, she began to distance herself more and more from the company, especially since getting remarried to Aberama Gold, a fellow business associate to Tommy. John and Arthur had their business deals to worry about, and Ada spent most of her time in the States.

He wished Grace was still alive. She was Tommy’s number one supporter. He shared almost everything with Grace (the legal side) and truly valued her advice and opinions. When Tommy was with Grace, he was able just to be himself. He was allowed to be calm and not have to overwork his mind. He didn’t have to be in control.

It was only with Grace that Tommy allowed another person to have total control over him in the bedroom. Both he and Grace shared characteristics of a dominant and submissive. They often switched roles, with Tommy as the dominant and Grace as the submissive, and vice versa. He loved it when Grace used to dominate him. No one would have suspected the sweet-natured blonde woman had an alpha personality behind closed doors, who was and controlling and overtly sexual.

With Grace gone, Tommy never allowed himself to be vulnerable in front of anyone. Lizzie tried to get Tommy to open that side of him up, but he denied her. He couldn’t do it. A part of Tommy felt as if it would be a betrayal to Grace. Both Ada and Polly constantly told Tommy that it was okay for him to move on from Grace.

“She gave you, on her deathbed, the permission to move on, Thomas. Respect your deceased wife’s wishes,” Aunt Polly would tell him. 

“Find someone to have a family with, Tommy. Charlie deserves to have a mother figure in his life and possible siblings if it were to happen. Let yourself be happy,” were Ada’s words of encouragement. 

No doubt Tommy would hear those exact words at his sister’s house this Sunday afternoon to celebrate Easter with the entire Shelby clan. Boy, it was going to be a long day. Charlie ended up spending the night at Ada’s with his cousins. Tommy was glad for that as indeed his sister would provide his son with an Easter basket. Tommy was not one for decorative or holiday pleasantries. That was all Grace. When Grace passed, Ada, Polly, or Esme would be the ones to step in and make sure Charlie celebrated his birthday with a party or invite him over for holiday festivities. Guilt would riddle Tommy at that notion that he could not provide his only child with a happy environment. Yes, Tommy loved Charlie dearly. However, Tommy could not deny that he lacked in other emotional departments. He was not one for sentiments or terms of endearment.

Another subject Tommy was not keen to have brought up was his “relationship” with Rose Turner. Unfortunately, he knew better than to expect his family members to rile him up about her and ask questions. None of them knew how Tommy met Rose. It was the same with Lizzie. While both Arthur and John were not faithful to their wives, neither were allowed to be members of Excelsior Club. He had mentioned Arthur and John to Tatiana to inquire if they could become members. Tatiana stated that they were both a liability. “Your brothers are too reckless and don’t fit the standards of our usual clientele. They are, how do I put this nicely? They are too ‘rough around the edges,’ so to speak,” Tatiana said dismissively when Tommy first started going to the Club.

It didn’t matter to Tommy either way; his brothers still managed to do fine all on their own. Besides, Arthur and John were not the faces of Shelby Company Limited; Tommy was and had an image to protect. If Tommy went down in disgrace, it would be for his business dealings, not that he kept himself in the company of whores.

However, Tommy could not help his growing feelings for Rose. There was an energy about her that was attractive to him that he could not quite understand why. Tommy was not sure if it was because Rose was able to adhere to his wicked desires. It amazed Tommy how she was keen on submitting and doing almost anything to please him. During scenes, Rose responded to Tommy as if he was the only man she needed, the only man she desired. And it felt genuine, not put on. There would be moments during aftercare where Rose would look at Tommy with such admiration and respect, that at first, it made him feel uneasy. But after a while, he came come to desire that look. That Tommy would do whatever it took to make sure Rose always looked at him in such away. Tommy found that he craved Rose’s respect, which caught him off guard. 

Tommy soon realized that he also respected Rose and how she would do anything for her son. He admired that notion about her. She willingly entered into a line of work that could be demanding, demeaning, and possibly dangerous to provide for her child was not something that Tommy took lightly or was flippant about it. He would never refer to Rose as a “hooker with a heart of gold.” No, she was much more than a trope. Tommy knew Rose did not need a knight and shining armor to save her. 

Lizzie wanted Tommy to save her. At the time, Tommy was in no position to be someone’s hero. He was too bruised, too shattered, too broken. 

Now, here Tommy was at his sister’s home celebrating Easter. He sat back and watched everyone. The laughter, the smiles, Tommy felt like he didn’t belong. Tommy felt like he couldn’t breathe, so he stepped out back to smoke a cigarette since Ada did not allow smoking in her home.

The inhale of nicotine helped soothe Tommy’s anxiety and calm his nerves. Often, he wished he was back on opium. It was his way of coping after coming home from Afghanistan. He was only able to get clean because of Grace and her support. He never touched the stuff after getting clean, but there were still cravings. The feelings that came with the high brought such bliss. The satisfaction that nothing could harm you. Those weren’t going to go away magically overnight. 

Tommy’s solitude was interrupted when his son, nephews, and nieces ran outside with their baskets to search for eggs. He looked at his watch and sighed. He was not sure how much longer he could stand this. 

As the children flittered around the yard, Tommy took out his phone. He opened the message from one of the Blinders he had assigned to watch over Rose that day. The text message Tommy received earlier unsettled him. It was a picture of Rose exiting her house with Louis and a man. The three got in a car and drove off. At first sight of the image, Tommy felt enraged. He immediately wanted to know who this man was and why he was with Rose. Tommy was livid. Fortunately, he calmed himself down when Rose sent him a text an hour later.

Rose: I know you have your guys watching over Louis and me. While I do appreciate that, it is a little much. The man I am with is Louis’s father, Nick. We are going out for an Easter brunch. Nothing for you to worry about, and Happy Easter. 

Tommy didn’t respond, but he was grateful that Rose cleared things up. He knew his reaction to the picture was ridiculous. The slight pang of jealously surprised Tommy. He didn’t quite know where it came from; it was the same feeling when Rose told him that Changretta contacted her. He was still unsure about what to do with Changretta. First, it was only business that Changretta was causing Tommy grief; now, the man was gearing up to steal his girl. Tommy realized that he must have been too lenient when dealing with the Changrettas now overstepping their boundaries. Tommy and the Peaky Blinders would have to put them in their place for good. 

Tommy would make sure that Rose was not a casualty if a war broke out. He was not going to lose her or the war.

“Mum! Come on!” Louis yelled. He was dressed and ready to go, but his mum was taking forever. “What is taking so long?”

“In a minute!” Rose shouted back. She was ready but was busy doing making an Easter basket for Louis. Rose placed the items strategically in the basket. She grabbed the basket and walked down the stairs. “Happy Easter, my little man.”

Rose handed the basket to Louis, who had a look of confusion and annoyance on his face. “What the Hell, Mum? Is this what you have been doing for the last thirty minutes?”

“Yes,” Rose said. “Don’t you like it?”

Louis sighed and placed the basket on the table. “I’m too old for an Easter basket,” he moaned but still looked through the basket to see what he got. “Holy shit! A new iPhone! AirPods!”

“Still want the basket?” Rose questioned sarcastically. “I mean, I’ll take it back if you don’t want it.”

“No, I want it. Mum, thank you,” Louis beamed with happiness and hugged Rose. 

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. You’re a good kid. I love you.”

“I love you too, Mum.”

Their tender moment was cut short when the doorbell rang. “Who the bloody Hell could that be?” Rose asked, confused.

“It is probably Dad. I told him it would be easier to pick us up,” Louis explained and went to open the door. “Dad! So good to see you.” 

Rose stood back, arms crossed, as Louis hugged his father. It was a sight that had Rose feel a pang in her chest. It reminded her that the three of them could have been a family, a typical family. That is what Louis deserved. Nick looked over at Rose and smiled at her. It was a warm and genuine smile. Rose felt like she was sixteen all over again.

“Rosie, you look…beautiful as always,” Nick complimented and went in for a hug but stopped himself. “We can hug, right?’

Rose scoffed, “Of course we can hug, weirdo.” The former lovers embraced, and Rose felt a familiarity, the feeling of being safe and uncertain. She pulled away. “Well, we better get going. Louis, where did you decide we go to eat?”

“Bella Roma. Can we stop by an Apple store after we’re done eating? I want to be able to switch over from my old iPhone to the new one. Mum, got me a new iPhone.” Louis held up his phone to his dad.

“Nice,” Nick admired. 

“We’ll see. Come, let’s get going,” Rose ordered and ushered everyone out of the house. Locking up, Rose turned around to see Louis and Nick walked towards a car. “Wow. Is this your car, Nick?”

“Don’t act so shocked. It is a used car, but yes, it is mine,” he told Rose. “It is a 2017 Hyundai Elantra. Got a pretty good price for it too.”

“Very nice,” Rose approved as she got inside, with Louis settling himself comfortably in the back seat. 

“Dad has a full-time job now. Isn’t that right, Dad,” Louis spoke up eagerly.

Nick started the car and drove away from the house. It would not be too long before they arrived at the restaurant. “Where do you work?” Rose asked, trying to hide the tone of suspicion in her voice. 

“My father took pity on me. I work at his insurance company. It took a while for him to trust me again. But Mum told Dad to give me a chance, especially when I got out of….”

“Prison,” Rose interrupted, and she noticed Nick straighten up in his seat. “That is good to hear. I’m glad your relationship with your parents is better. Better than mine, that is for sure,” she added under her breath. 

It was not long until Nick parked near Bella Roma. Once they entered the restaurant, the three were seated quickly. Rose sat on one side, while Nick and Louis sat together on the other side. Rose sat back and watched the interaction between father and son. It was sweet to watch Louis interact with his father. As Rose looked between the two, she was reminded how much they both looked so very much alike. It was eerie. Dark brown hair and brown eyes were two of the features they shared, along with a dimple on their chin. 

Soon, their waitress stopped by to get drink orders. “I’ll just have water, thank you,” said Rose. Truthfully, she would have liked a glass of wine to help take the edge off. However, Rose didn’t want anything to hinder her guard up around Nick.

They ended up ordering pizza to share and a plate of arancini as a starter. Louis was the one to dominate the conversation. He was desperately trying to get his parents to interact more. Louis kept praising his dad’s accomplishments to get his mum’s attention. “Mum, did you know dad volunteers to help underprivileged kids. It’s like, what did you refer to it as, a nice version of scared straight?”

Nick chuckled, “Something like that. I figured I could do something good and help guide kids to not make the same mistakes as me.”

Rose bit her tongue. For Louis’s sake, she would be nice. However, she wanted to bite back and ask Nick what he considers mistakes he has made throughout his life. Rose hoped he didn’t view Louis as some mistake. That would set her off. Rose picked at her pizza; she found herself not hungry all of a sudden. Nick and Louis continued to talk amongst themselves about mundane topics such as school, sports, music, etc.

At that moment, Rose’s thoughts drifted to Tommy. She wondered what he was doing, and kind of wished he was with her. That thought caught Rose off guard. She pulled out her phone and sent him a quick text. She wanted to let him know that she was out with Louis and Nick, along with wishing him a happy Easter. There were times where Rose wished she didn’t have to leave Tommy after their rendezvous in the hotel that Friday. She always felt safe with Tommy. There was a sense of security and a feeling of being protected. 

Rose found herself that the more she hung around Tommy, the more she began to trust him, and the more Rose began to like Tommy, which scared her. She was not supposed to develop feelings for him. He was a client, after all. He paid for her services. She willingly allowed him to do unspeakable sexual acts to her. Rose was willing to let Tommy do things she would never allow any other man to do to her. She wondered what made Tommy different compared to someone like Luca or Alfie. Probably because, in a weird sense, Tommy treated Rose like a human being and not some toy. Yes, she knew Tommy tended to be possessive, but he still respected Rose’s boundaries. Rose trusted Tommy not ever to cross them. 

“Rosie, are you still here?” Nick asked. He waved his hand in front of Rose’s face to get her attention.

“What?” Rose shook her head to clear her mind. “Sorry, what’s going on?”

“Dad asked you about the guy you are currently seeing,” Louis answered. He was frustrated that his dad brought up Tommy. 

“Oh yeah, what about Tommy?” 

“Just wondered how long you have been seeing this guy? How did you two meeting by the way?” Nick questioned. “I’ll be frank; I was stunned to find out that the mother of my child is dating the one and only Tommy Shelby. Isn’t he an OBE?”

Rose shrugged her shoulders at the question, “I guess he is an OBE. I don’t know; he has yet to show me his medal or whatever it is they get. You know, Tommy is just a guy I met, and we hit it off. Nothing too outrageous.”

“Is it serious?” Again, another question from Nick.

Louis sighed in annoyance, and Rose quickly picked up on her son’s discomfort on the subject of Tommy. “Let’s see if they have dessert,” Rose changed the subject and tried to wave over their waitress.

“Have you met him, Louis?” asked Nick turning towards his son.

Rolling her eyes, Rose interceded, “No, he has not met Tommy.”

“And I don’t want to,” Louis mumbled under his breath.

“Hey, here is an idea, how we don’t talk about Tommy, okay,” ordered Rose, and both guys agreed.

After sharing a tiramisu, Rose had enough and was ready to get back home. Nick offered to pay, and Rose didn’t fight him on it. She figured it was his way of showing he had his own money and could provide a meal for them. With their leftovers boxed up, Rose led the way back to Nick’s car. 

“Louis, did you still want to go to the Apple store?” Rose asked him. 

“Can we? I thought you wanted to get back home.”

“I do, but we can get the leftovers in the fridge, and I can take you,” replied Rose. Truthfully, she did not want to go. She had enough excitement for one day.

Suddenly, Nick piped in, “I can take him if you feel like staying home.”

Rose turned around to look at Louis, “Is that okay with you?”

“That’s fine,” answered Louis, happily. He was excited to get to spend some alone time with his dad.

Nick parked in front of the house. Rose and Louis and got out of the car. He handed the pizza boxes to Rose and got in the front seat. “I’ll see you late, sweetie. By Nick. Take care.”

“Bye, Rosie. Talk to you later.”

Rose waved them off and walked towards the house. She breathed a sigh of relief upon entry. She went upstairs to undress and put on a pair of comfortable sweats and sweater. All Rose wanted to do was relax. 

Looking at the clock, it was only 3:30 PM. Lunch with Nick felt like it went on longer. As Rose was about to settle herself on the couch to watch television, the doorbell rang. “Now, who the Hell is that?” 

“Fucking ‘ell, people. It’s Easter Sunday, for God’s sake.” She walked to the front door and opened it to find none other than Tommy Shelby. 

“Tommy, what are you doing here?” inquired Rose, totally not expecting it to be him. 

Clearing his throat, Tommy shuffled on his feet. He looked down, then up at Rose. “I…I needed to get out and away. It was all too much.” 

Rose was confused by what Tommy was telling her. She motioned for Tommy to come inside, and he obliged. “What do you mean it was all too much? Are you okay?”

Guiding Tommy to the couch, Rose sat down next to him. She was concerned since she had never seen Tommy like this before. It was as if he was lost.

Tommy sighed, “I was at my sister’s house. Everyone was there, my brothers, their wives and kids, Aunt Polly and her husband, his kids. Everyone had someone but me. I was alone. Charlie was there, of course, but it if feels like the bond we once had is dwindling. He doesn’t need me. I watched him play with his cousins and interact with his aunts and uncles and realized that my son is better off without me.”

Rose was shocked at Tommy’s words. She scooted closer to him and placed a supported hand on his knee. “Tommy, no. That is not true. Of course, your son needs you. You are his father. You’re his family.”

“He has other family members who can give him the love and attention he deserves. Maybe I should have listened to Grace’s parents and had Charlie live with them.”

“No. Tommy, listen to me,” Rose began and made Tommy look at her. “Charlie is your son. You love him. You told me that you love him. He is a part of you and Grace. If you give Charlie up, you will regret it. Then you truly will lose him.”

“It would be better for him….”

“No, it would not. It would only scar that child for the rest of his life. He will feel that you abandoned him,” Rose stated firmly. “You’re not thinking clearly. It’s a holiday. We all get weird when we are forced to hang around family members. Just stay here for a while and relax.”

Rose found that her hand moved from Tommy’s knee to his hand sitting back on the couch. He was holding on tight as if he was afraid Rose would disappear. She used her other hand to cover his. Rose wanted Tommy to know that she was not going anywhere. Taking in Tommy’s appearance, he was dressed in blue jeans, a black sweater, and black boots. It was the most casual look Rose had ever seen Tommy. She was always used to seeing him in suits. It was a nice change. However, the look on his face was one of sadness and defeat. 

“Tell me what you need, Tommy?” Rose asked. She pulled Tommy closer to her and wrapped an arm around him. “Tell me how I can make it better,” she crooned in his ear and ran her fingers through his hair. 

What did Tommy want? He was unsure. A part of Tommy didn’t want to feel always in control. That he could let go and be in the moment. That’s what he wanted; he wanted to be in the moment with Rose. Just the two of them, sitting together. “I just want to sit here, with you, Rose. That’s all I want right now. I don’t want to think about anything.”

Kissing the top of Tommy’s head, Rose leaned her head on his. “Okay, we can do that, Tommy. I’m here. Whatever you need, I’m here for you.”

[batfam-rewrites]

Batfam During Quarantine: Avatar

Dick: Okay, lets try to keep the craziness to a minimum. Harper and Cullen are quarantining for two weeks so lets not do anything to make them jealous.

Duke: *Duke and Tim walk into the room* Omg, We just finished watching Avatar The Last Airbender for like the fifth time right now! I LOVE THIS SHOW SO MUCH!!! WHY DID THEY EVER TAKE IT OFF OF NETFLIX!!!

Dick: Guys, come on. I literally just said to keep the craziness to a minimum.

Tim: They have Netflix set up on their tv. They should be fine.

Damian: What is Avatar The Last Airbender

Everyone: *gasp*

Selina: Some....

Jason: Sh ta ta ta ta. *presses his finger to Selina’s lips* Don’t speak, I know just what you’re sayin’, so please stop explainin’.

Selina: Really Jason? How long have you been waiting to use that one?

Jason: *breaks into a dance* All night long, all night.

Stephanie: What is going on with you Jason? 

Tim: I know right? You don’t ever listen to Lionel Richie, let alone pop music.

Jason: It’s his fault! *points at Dick* Him and his stupid playlist!

Dick: “Don’t Speak” isn’t on my playlist though.

Jason: I ummmm...... radio.

Dick: *gasp* You listen to No Doubt!

Jason: No! Maybe!

Dick: O-M-G!

Jason: They’re a guilty pleasure! Now don’t mention it again.

Cassandra: Guys!!! What is The Last Airbender?

Duke: *starts to explain but Dick holds him back*

Jason: *to Damian and Cassandra* You poor depraved children.

Damian: I’m not a child.

Jason: Hahaha, your cute. Avatar The Last Airbender is the beautiful brain child of Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. It is a fantastic series that can not be summarized by anyone or even a movie. Anyone who tries instantly robs the person of the magic of the original series and ruins the exper.....

Damian: You know what, screw it. This isn’t worth it.

Dick: NOOOO! Come on Dami, we can watch it all together, just the nine of us.

Duke: Yeah, come on Damian.

Stephanie: It’s a really great series Dami.

Cassandra: I mean I’m interested.

Tim: *turns his head towards Cassandra* We already knew you were on board. *turns his head back to Damian*

Damian: Fine, I’ll give your stupid show a chance.

Everyone: Yaaayyyyy!!!! *they all start to head down stairs when Dick gets an alert on his phone*

Dick: Actually, this is going to need to wait. Cass and Tim, come with me. I’ll alert Babs and Kate.

Jason: Why, what’s up?

Dick: There’s been a murder at Blackgate.

Batman, Batwoman, Batgirl, Red Robin, Orphan, and Commissioner Gordon

Jim: Batman and, wow there are a lot of you!

Batman: We want to try and get this over with as soon as possible.  

Jim: Very well. Victim is Julian Gregory Day, better known as Calendar Man. The body was found at 10:15. He left his cell at 10 to meet with the D.A. to talk about getting a reduced sentence. Both of the prison guards who were escorting Julian Day were knocked out during the attack. All of the camera’s were out, too.

Batwoman: The marks on his neck suggest that he was strangled and can’t quite tell but there’s something under his fingernails. He couldn’t have saw this coming but he definitely tried to put up a fight.

Batman: Okay, Batgirl and Orphan, lets have you head to the morgue with the diener and see if they could find out what’s under his finger nails. Batwoman, question Hugo Strange. Go through the audio files and see what you can find. Red Robin, you and I will see what any of the inmates in the cell block know. Jim, order your men to check the other camera monitors for anything suspicious.

Jim: I’m not one of your......

Batman: *glares at Jim Gordon*

Jim: I could figure out your identity any time I want. 

Batman: *smirks* Is that a promise?

Jim: It’s a door I’m willing to keep closed unless you cross the line.

Batwoman

Something she didn’t mention at the crime scene was that there was traces of reddish brown hair, so that points fingers at James Gordon Jr, Clock King, Edward Nigma, and Roxanne Sutton. Kate has her suspicions, but as of right now everyone is a suspect.

Hugo Strange: Hello Batwoman. How may I assist you?

Batwoman: I need to know about a few of your patients.

Hugo Strange: You know I can not tell you much I am.....

Batwoman: I am familiar with the confidentiality agreement. I need to know about Julian Day.

Hugo Strange: Poor guy. It’s a shame what happened to him. His most recent audio files are all yours. You’ll find the information you need in there.

Batwoman walked out of the room and began listening to the files in the secret Batcave in Blackgate.

Batgirl and Orphan

Batgirl: *walks into the door* Ugh, what is that smell?

Orphan: Rotting goat sex.

Batgirl: *burst out laughing* What?

Orphan: Rotting goat sex. 

Batgirl: What made you say that?

Orphan: Red Hood told me that’s the name of the yellow squares you put on sandwiches. The ones that go bad over time and smell like this room.

Batgirl: Okay, don’t listen to Red Hood anymore. It’s called cheese Orphan.

Orphan: Cheese. Okay. Got it.

Batgirl: So, how are you enjoying quarantine in the mansion.

Orphan: It’s not bad. Been sparring a lot. 

Batgirl: Who exactly? You’re not hurting my boyfriend right?

Orphan: Nope, but I kicked Helena’s butt a few times.

Batgirl: WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY!!!

Coroner: *walks out* Hey, so the.... Sorry, am I interrupting something.

Batgirl: No. Tell us about the body.

Coroner: Okay so prior to his death it seems the victim was drugged with a depressant. Obviously slowing his reactions. Underneath his fingernails are threads from the string that was used strangle him and some dead skin cells.

Batgirl: There’s not a lot of options for strings except for shoelaces, and unless someone has a very old shoelace, that means the string had to have come from outside the prison.

Coroner: Correct, the threads are definitely not made from the same material as the shoelaces.

Orphan: Anything else.

Coroner: Yes, there was some short white hairs found on his body which is odd, but probably from facial hair or eyebrows.

Batgirl: Thanks! Let us know when you have an idea who those skin cells belong to. *both Barbara and Cassandra start walking away* Tell Red Robin what we found out.

Orphan: But we’re supposed to report to Batman.

Batgirl: Fuck Batman.

Selina, Bruce, Lucius, and Alfred

At Wayne Tower

Bruce: *starring at his computer screen* If I buy this company, then I can buy a donut, and the cosmic donut will make me live forever, plus more profits, because three coffees plus one donut equals one Tim. *Lucius Fox knocks on the door* Do you want to build a snowman?!

Lucius: Mister Wayne, we need to talk.

Bruce: What is it Lucius?

Alfred: You’re overworking yourself.

Bruce: *looks up from his computer* Dad, I mean Alfred, Selina, what are you doing here?

Selina: No simple way to say it but this is an intervention.

Bruce: I don’t need an intervention.

Selina: Bruce, it’s been a bit over two months since quarantine began. You’re company is doing just fine. Don’t you think you deserve a break?

Bruce: With a little less help from Red Tim, I need to work as much as possible to get the cosmic coffee back on track. The hacker a few weeks back did a bit of damage.

Alfred: Master Bruce, even the Batman needs a break from time to time. Isn’t that the real reason you have Master Dick running around in the Batsuit instead of you?

Bruce: No! *Bruce takes a moment to think it all over* Partially.

Lucius: You are putting to much pressure on yourself. You keep on talking nonsense and are obviously sleep deprived.

Bruce: No! I’ve haven’t put enough pressure on myself since I became Batman. Once Batman came into the picture I didn’t focus on the company any longer. And I’m not sleep deprived, I’ve slept 4 hours last night! I’m getting more than enough sleep.

Lucius: You had more of an impact on the company then you think. If it weren’t for you acting as a real CEO, we wouldn’t be doing a going green initiative, there wouldn’t be a yearly fund going out to local orphanages, you created a functioning way for employees to work from home while increasing productivity. I can go on for hours about the positive things you have done as Bruce Wayne.

Selina: You have done so much. Come home, sleep. Enjoy time with you’re family.

Bruce: I can’t do that, I can do more. I can help other companies, too.

Alfred: I remember one time, it was when you turned 5, your father was supposed to be at the hospital. However, the day before he had worked all day to make his patients feel better, so he could spend the next day with you. He wouldn’t have missed your birthday even if it would cause the end of the world. Master Thomas knew the importance of taking time off to spend time with his family. It is time that you do the same.

Bruce begins to tear up. He reflects on how often his father worked day and night, but regardless how often he worked, he always had time for him and his mother. He knew his father loved him with all his heart. Then he thought of Alfred. He wasn’t really his father but Bruce always saw him as one after his parents died. Alfred loves him as much as he loves his own family. 

Bruce: *rolls his chair back and walks over to hug Alfred* Thank you Alfred.

Alfred: Anytime sir.

Batman, Batwoman, Batgirl, Red Robin, and Orphan

*In the Blackgate Batcave*

Batman: What did we find?

Orphan: The threads under Julian’s finger nails came from a string outside of the prison meaning that it could be one of the employees who’ve killed him. Skin cells under his nails are being scanned now, and white hairs were found on his body. Also cheese is not called goat sex.

Red Robin: WHAT! *Dick and Tim start laughing hysterically* 

Batman: Why would you think that!

Batgirl: Jason told her. That’s beside the point though.

Red Robin: *whispers to Dick* What did you do?

Batman: *whispers to Tim* I don’t know.

Batgirl: Stop whispering, we can all see you!

Batman: Got it. Kate what did you find?

Batwoman: Day was in an extreme state of paranoia before he died. Talks about how he was going to tell the D.A. about corruption in Blackgate.

Batman: Interesting, did he say anyone’s name?

Batwoman: It’s not clear, but I would assume so.

Batman: That makes sense. When Red Robin and I interviewed his cellmate, Drury Walker, he said he was starting to suspect something was going to happen. He had suspicions that James Jr. was going to kill him.

Batwoman: If I had to assume, I would say the same. I noticed a large sum of reddish brown hair at the scene where the body was found.

Batgirl: There was white hair found on the body though. With Day being strangled the killer would be close enough to possibly have a few hairs fall onto his body.

Batman: Do you have a sample?

Batgirl: Obviously.

Batman: Okay, I’ll program the computer to scan it. I know it’s not ideal but we’ll find out in twelve hours. Tim, Cass, and Kate, go update Commissioner Gordon. Babs, do you mind if we talk for a moment.

Batgirl: Sure, if you feel like doing so now.

Batman: *takes off the cowl and mask* What’s wrong? 

Batgirl: How could you not tell me Helena was staying at the mansion!

Batman: I didn’t want you to overreact.

Batgirl: How could I not! One of your ex girlfriends is sleeping under the same roof you are!

Batman: Look, this conversation is a bit more complicated than I anticipated so we’ll talk more about it later.

Batgirl: You know what, do yourself one better and just don’t talk to me at all. *Barbara places her mask back on as she storms out*

Red Robin: *sneaks out from behind a door* I swear I totally wasn’t eavesdropping, but that sounded like it could have gone better.

Batman: Yeah, it could have. *Dick than walks out pulling the cowl over his head and placing his mask back on*

Batman and Batwoman

Batman: *knocks on the door*

Hugo Strange: Hello Batman, Batwoman! How may I assist you?

Batman: We have some more questions to ask you.

Hugo Strange: Please, come inside!

Batman: How has James Jr. been doing in his sessions?

Hugo Strange: He has been doing very well! Obviously he had to spend a small period in solitary for killing his cellmates but he is getting better. If he is a prime suspect you may look into his files.

Batwoman: When did you two last meet?

Hugo Strange: Yesterday.

Batman: When did you two conspire the death of Julian Day?

Hugo Strange: I’m sorry, what are you talking about?

Batwoman: *grabs Hugo Strange by the shirt and lifts him* DON’T PLAY GAMES WITH US STRANGE! ANSWER THE QUESTION!

Hugo Strange: I swear I don’t know what you’re talking about!

Batman: We saw that you transferred Day to Gordon’s cell! He has killed every cellmate he’s had! You were sentencing him to death!

Batwoman starts to shake Hugo Strange violently until a gun shot is heard from across the room. 

Batgirl, Red Robin, and Orphan

James Jr.: Hey Batgirl! I see you’re walking again, isn’t that such a neat surprise.

Red Robin: Shut up, James!

Batgirl: James, we want to know what happened?

James Jr.: ..........

Batgirl: Answer my question asshat!

James Jr.: Whoa little sis... I want to stay I was told to shut up!

Batgirl: Do you realize what’s happening?

James Jr.: I’m being interrogated.

Batgirl: You’re going to be transferred to Arkham. If you confess your time there could be reduced! 

James Jr.: Fine... I confess...... I cut open your teddy bear and filled it with razor blades when we were kids.

Batgirl flips the table and pins James to the wall, punching him in the head multiple times. Orphan then runs in, trying to help Red Robin to get Batgirl to stop punching James Jr.

Batgirl: Rot in fucking Arkham for all I care! You should have been sent there to begin with!

Batgirl, Red Robin, and Orphan begin to walk out the door before James Jr. lying on the floor yells.

James Jr.: WAIT! It wasn’t me, I promise!

Batgirl: Doubtful.

James Jr.: Red Robin, come on. I know you’re going to give me a chance. Hear me out.

Red Robin: Batgirl, let’s give him.....

Batgirl: NO! HE HAD HIS CHANCE! HE DECIDED TO WASTE IT!

Orphan: Batgirl. Please.

Batgirl: *stops in the hallway* Fine.

A few minutes later Red Robin is in the interrogation room with James Jr. with Orphan.

Red Robin: James Jr. Did you kill Julian Day?

James Jr.: No.

Off in the distance they all hear the gunshot from Hugo Strange’s office.

James Jr.: And there’s my proof.

Batman, Batwoman, Batgirl, Red Robin, and Orphan

Red lines flow down Hugo Strange’s face as blood pours from the hole in his forehead. Batman and Batwoman turn around to see who fired the shot, and are shocked to see Eduardo Flamingo. Batwoman drops the dead body of Hugo Strange as Flamingo fires three shots at both Batman and Batwoman. Both are unfazed by this and punch him in the face, causing him to fall back on the floor.

Batman: *picks up Flamingo* Who hired you?

Eduardo Flamingo: *cough* You just watched him die.

The GCPD arrives to the room and arrest Flamingo.

Commissioner Gordon: Freeze! You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you.

He had confessed to everything. The murders, the contract Hugo Strange offered him to kill Day. No details was left out. By the time they all left the prison it was 12:30 in the morning.

Batman: Batgirl, let’s talk. 

Batgirl: I don’t want to talk.

Batman: Babs, if you won’t talk, then listen, please? *tears start to fill his eyes and make their way down his mask*

Batgirl: If anything, you listen to me *tears streak down her mask as well* I don’t know where I stand in this situation, and right now I really don’t care! For the time being don’t talk to me. *she takes out her grappling hook and leaves the four other members just standing there*

Batwoman: I’m not going to get too involved in this, but you know if you need to talk Dick, let me know.

Batman: Thank you.

The two hug and then go their separate ways.

Dick and Barbara

When they got home, Dick reached for his phone and started to text Barbara. He tried to explain how he never knew Helena was going to show up. How she showed up out of nowhere. How she is his everything, his world, and he doesn’t blame her for being skeptical but he still loves her. 

Barbara doesn’t want to read a word of Dick’s excuses. This has happened before when Dick was dating Koriand’r and Zatanna. Even before they were in a relationship, she knew he at one point was seeing multiple girls at a time. She doesn’t know if he is really sleeping with Helena behind her back, but she knows that she can’t trust Dick for the time being.

After his shower he walked to his room where he saw Helena laying on his bed in her costume. She then tosses his Nightwing costume at him.

Helena: Hey Dick, how about you throw that on and we do a bit of role play.

Dick: Cool, I’m into that. I’ll be Nightwing, the guy who loves Batgirl so much, and you’ll be Huntress, who sleeps on the first floor. You’re going to leave my room and I’ll lock my door for the rest of the night.

Helena: Rough night, lover?

Dick: I told you to stop calling me that.

Helena: I know, but I love it.

Dick: Helena, please just leave.

Dick just lied on his bed staring at his phone, wishing that Barbara would text him back. Fifteen minutes later he hears a knock at his door.

Bruce: Hey Dick! Are you okay?

Dick: What is this? Am I dreaming?

Bruce: No. I heard what happened. Just know if you ever want to talk about it, you can come to me. 

Dick: Thanks Bruce!

Bruce: Want to watch Avatar as a family? Damian told me how you talked him into watching it. I think it’s a fun idea!

Dick: *smirks* Sure!

They both walk downstairs to the media room as they see everyone down there already. He noticed Helena was sitting at the far end of the room so Dick considered sitting by Tim and Stephanie who seemed to have been chatting it up, but decided against it and sat near Damian. 

Dick: *leans over towards Damian*

Damian: Don’t you even think about it Grayson!

Dick: *wraps his arms around Damian* Come on, you know you love my hugs!

Damian: I will cut off your arms in your sleep,

Dick: You’re so adorable when you think you’re threatening.

The episode begins to play and everyone fell silent. As the second one ended everyone looked at Cassandra and Damian to get their reaction.

Cassandra: That was awesome!!! Let’s watch one more!

Damian: It is surprisingly entertaining. A little silly but intriguing.

Jason: WE KNEW YOU WOULD LIKE IT SUCKER!

Tim: One of the greatest shows ever!

[yiling]

pass the time (Xue Yang & A-Qing kink meme fill)

squeaking this one in under the wire for the @mdzsnet Xue Yang birthday event. also kind of double-dipping because this is also a fill for an anon who wanted xy+aq friendship. 

read on the ao3 here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25458970

-

A-Qing hates when Xiao-daozhang and the stranger go out on night hunts. They always come back covered in blood and slime and who knows what else, the stranger is always smug and annoying, and daozhang is always very tired. Sometimes, like today, he’s so tired that he sleeps all the way through the next morning, and that’s worst of all.

Xiao Xingchen had explained to her once that a cultivator’s golden core is like a muscle, and that if you use it too much it can get overworked. Then the cultivator needs to rest for a long time to build their strength back, so their qi doesn’t get all tangled. A-Qing understands this, she does, and she thinks the daozhang should get as much sleep as she needs, but she can’t help but hate it when he gets like this.

If daozhang is asleep, that means she has to be alone with the stranger.

They’re sitting together in the dusty dimness of the coffin home, waiting on Xiao-daozhang to wake up. The stranger is sitting at the table, cleaning his nails with one of his many knives, and A-Qing is sitting on top of a coffin near the one the daozhang sleeps in. She is mostly occupied with watching the two cultivators, while making sure the awake one doesn’t know she’s watching at all: when he looks at daozhang, she keeps her eyes on him, and when he looks away, she watches Xiao Xingchen’s gently rising and falling chest. While engaged in this, she keeps up a steady commentary with her bamboo stick – tap, tap-tap-tap. She thinks of it as a warning to the stranger, like the scolding of a blackbird – I’m still here! Don’t try anything!

The stranger complains about anything and everything she does, so she’s mildly surprised at how long she’s able to keep this up before he groans. “Fucking cut that out. It’s obnoxious, and you’re going to wake the daozhang up.”

“If I wake him up, it’s your fault for wearing him out fighting fierce corpses and whatever,” A-Qing retorts. “He never sleeps this late except after night hunts, it’s mid-morning already!”

“How do you know what time it is, Little Blind? You can’t see the sun,” the stranger says, laughing.

“Because I wake up the same time every day!” she replies indignantly. (This is a bald-faced lie, she can and will sleep til noon if she’s able, and she relishes it.) “Keep your creepy giggling down, you’re so noisy.”

“Ah, the shoe is on the other foot now,” he cackles. “You can complain about my laughing, but I can’t complain about you bobbing around your stupid little stick like a crazy old granny? That’s not very fair, what would daozhang say?”

“He should tell you to go throw yourself in the river,” A-Qing growls, clutching her staff protectively to her chest, “but he’s too nice, so I have to do it.”

“Pick better threats, if you’re gonna threaten,” the stranger says dismissively, flipping his knife over in his hand.  “And keep your damn voice down.”

“Why do you care if he sleeps, anyway?” A-Qing snaps. “You’re a bastard and you don’t care about anyone but yourself.”

“Because he’s supposed to do the laundry today and if he wakes up now he’ll be too tired later,” the stranger says glibly. “And I’m certainly not gonna do it for him, since I’m a bastard and all.”

“Well, I just think he should get to rest, is all,” A-Qing sniffs.

The stranger rolls his eyes, which is kind of funny since he thinks she can’t even see it. “It’s almost like we want the exact same thing.”

“Maybe,” A-Qing huffs.

There’s a moment of quiet.

“We could just go outside,” she suggests.

“Yeah, whatever.”

The stranger picks himself up, and A-Qing slides down off the coffin. He offers his arm to her with exaggerated graciousness, but she ignores him and picks her way outside on her own. She doesn’t step on his foot, since from the way he’s standing it would be too hard to make it look accidental, but she thinks about it very hard.

There’s a little open place with a fire pit out in front of their coffin home, where they sit in the evening and cook and tell stories. Neither daozhang nor the stranger are any good at stories, which puts a damper on things, but A-Qing considers it an acceptable price for a hot meal and some company. She’s paid worse.

The stranger hops up on one of the coffins they’ve dragged in to protect the fire pit from the wind, stretching out on his back like a sunning cat. She wishes she was strong enough to knock it and him over. Instead, she sits down with her back up against the coffin’s side, kicking her legs out.

The sunlight always seems weak and misty, here in Yi City, but a beam struggles through the fog to warm her face, and A-Qing is content enough with that. She reaches into a pocket she’s made with her sash, where she keeps important things like money and shiny rocks. Right now, there’s a hard candy in there, in its little twist of brown paper. Daozhang likes to give them candy in the morning, but he’d pressed this one into her hand last night, since he knew he’d sleep late. He’d smiled all soft like he was embarrassed, and she’d thrown her arms around his neck like that smile was something she could hold onto forever.

Now, she fishes out the candy and pops it into her mouth to savor. Sweet things taste better in the sunshine. The stranger must hear her sucking on it, because he bangs his foot on the top of the coffin like he’s annoyed; she doesn’t give him the satisfaction of jumping at it.

“Hey, you have candy down there, and you’re not even gonna share? Heartless little bitch.”

A-Qing would bet daozhang’s whole coin purse that he’s got candy too, and sure enough, when she listens she can hear him crunching on it. She raps her cane against the coffin in retaliation.

“I can hear you chewing on yours, asshole! You think I’m stupid or something?”

“I have a name now, you know,” the stranger says, voice all affected hurt. “You don’t have to call me by epithets.”

She knows he wants her to ask what an epithet is, so she doesn’t. Instead she sniffs. “Chengmei, you said. That’s too nice for someone like you, ‘asshole’ makes more sense.”

A couple nights ago, the stranger had apparently gotten tired of the daozhang calling him variants on “our guest”, and A-Qing calling him variants on “hey you”, and volunteered a name for himself.

(“Is it your actual name?” A-Qing had demanded.

The stranger had only smirked. “I dunno, Little Blind, what do you think?”)

A-Qing immediately disliked it. Daozhang didn’t seem to think it suited either, but in a way that made him laugh. Then he hadn’t been able to explain why because he was giggling so much – something about a proverb. Chengmei sounds flowery to A-Qing, two whole characters like the courtesy names rich people have. Xiao-daozhang’s first name is like that, but she likes it for him. Xingchen is pretty and noble-sounding, and while the daozhang is certainly not rich (his pocket was almost empty when she picked it) he’s good and kind like a hero in a story. He deserves a nice name. Chengmei-the-stranger is not good or kind or noble. He’s like A-Qing, and people like them don’t get courtesy names.

She glances cautiously up at him, careful to not meet his eyes. Apparently unimpressed by her insults, he’s loudly ignoring her and rebraiding a section of his hair. A-Qing is pretty sure the stranger is poor, or at least he had been. When they found him in a ditch, he was wearing fine, many-layered cultivator’s robes, and he had a big silver guan he’s since refused to sell. But he doesn’t act like the wealthy, thoughtless people that A-Qing has fleeced on city streets, and he doesn’t act like the daozhang either. He knows how to swear and he knows how to steal.

A-Qing keeps a wary eye on him. “Why Chengmei, anyway?”

He glances at her sidelong; she turns her head a little so it doesn’t look like she was looking at him. “Why Qing?”

“That’s just what I’ve been called, as long as I remember.” She gestures with her staff. “Maybe because of this.” It’s a qing that means bamboo, or so she was told once. A-Qing can’t read.

“An old friend of mine picked Chengmei out for me,” the stranger says. A-Qing’s brain trips a little over the idea of him having friends, but he continues. “So that I could sound respectable, you know.”

“I knew it!” A-Qing yells, jumping to her feet. “I knew it was too fancy to be your real name!”

The stranger actually laughs at that. “Yeah, I don’t really like it either. I don’t like flowery cultivator names much. The big sects get all jumped up on politeness and formality, like they think they’re so much better just cause they happen to have golden cores and money. Don’t even get me started on titles.” He turns his head and spits in the dirt.

A-Qing folds her arms and looks at him, bamboo tucked in the crook of her elbow. The daozhang hasn’t been especially positive about the sects either, when she’s asked him for stories, but the stranger – Chengmei – almost sounds insulted by them. Like it makes him angry that they have so much he doesn’t. A-Qing has felt that. She felt it on the day she met Xiao-daozhang, sneaking around people in fine clothes with fat purses.

She re-crosses her arms, irritated at this similarity. “What’s this about titles?”

Chengmei has folded his hands behind his head and shut his eyes, but he slits one back open to look at her. “Cultivators like to call each other stupid things so they can sound more impressive, like Red Blade Master or what the fuck ever. Didn’t you know? They used to call our daozhang ‘the bright moon and gentle breeze.’” He snorts. “Gentle, sure, like the idiot he is, but anyone who calls him ‘bright’ has never seen him try to haggle.”

A-Qing taps her stick anxiously on the ground. She really wants to disagree with him and defend the daozhang, but the problem is that Chengmei is not…wrong. Xiao-daozhang sometimes doesn’t seem to know how the world works. He gave her his purse when she stole from him, reasoning that she needed it more than he did. He’s unfailingly polite and kind, and when people take advantage of him for it, he doesn’t seem stop doing it. Sometimes he makes no sense to her; sometimes he makes her angry. How is it fair, that he can do these things without being afraid of the consequences? How is it fair, that he can be ignorant enough to be good?

“Well, neither of us call him that, so it doesn’t matter,” she decides, and walks around the other side of the coffin, hitching herself up on it to sit. “How come you don’t have a fancy title, then? You’re a cultivator too.”

“None of them like me,” Chengmei says, and sounds delighted by it. He stretches out his wiry limbs, nudging her with his shin. “They don’t like my attitude, they don’t like that I can outsmart them, and they especially don’t like that I got so far without a clan name or a famous teacher like our daozhang.”

He suddenly sits up to look at her, eyes dark and keen. “People don’t like it when you come up from the bottom, Qingqing. When you’ve had nothing all your life and then get strong enough to take what you want? People hate that.”

The seriousness in his voice makes A-Qing shiver. It’s not a threat, it’s almost earnest. For once he’s not trying to scare her. But she’s scared anyway, because she understands.  

She’s known for a long time that she and the stranger are the same kind of person. He never talks about his past with any clarity, aside from the story of the boy who wanted sweets. But since then, he’s spoken offhand about beatings and hunger and cold and wandering, all things A-Qing knows in her bones. Daozhang always seems sad about it, like he would fix it all himself if he could, but A-Qing just feels angry. Sometimes no one is there to help. Sometimes the only way to get what you want is to fight for it.

She ignores the itch under her skin, the part that sees herself in him. Instead, she drums her heels on the coffin and stretches. “To take what you want? What’s that even mean? All you care about is candy.”

Chengmei has gone back to sprawling  lazily on the coffin lid. He laughs. “I care about plenty of things, I just care about candy the most. And daozhang brings me sweets whenever I want now, so I don’t worry about taking them.”

“You’re spoiled!” A-Qing says. “You just want to mooch off daozhang and eat candy and be annoying, like a spoiled little sister. We should call you Meimei instead of Chengmei!”

A-Qing regrets it as soon as it leaves her mouth. She immediately starts wondering which knife the stranger is going to kill her with and how long it’ll take daozhang to find the body, so when Chengmei laughs, she startles so badly she almost slides off the coffin.

“Gotta admit, spoiled is a new one. Whatever, you’re even younger and more annoying, so you should be Meimei.”

A-Qing stares at him with open shock, entirely forgetting her rule of not looking at him directly. He blinks back.

“What’s your problem?”

“I thought you’d get mad at me for calling you a girl,” A-Qing mumbles, dropping her eyes.

“Why would I do that?” He seems genuinely confused.

“Men get mad about it sometimes, I don’t know!” She gestures vaguely with her stick, frustrated. “People always act like a girl is a bad thing to be, like you’re stupider or weaker. They treat you worse.”

“Well whenever people say that shit it’s cause they’re morons,” Chengmei says. “Women are just as vicious as men when it comes down to it.”

A-Qing tilts her head at him. This is a novel perspective. “Really?”

“Hell yeah. Listen, if some pig ever treats you bad for being a girl, chop his cock off and stuff it down his throat. Let’s hear him make fun of you then.”

A-Qing would like to believe she’s worldly enough that nothing shocks her, but her reply still comes out in an incredulous squeak. “I can’t do that!”

“Nah, I guess you can’t. You’re too soft, daozhang’s been a bad influence on you” He looks at her thoughtfully. “Tell you what. If you’re good and don’t annoy me too much, I’ll tell you stories about female cultivators I knew. Some of those bitches could fight.”

A-Qing finds herself smiling at him, which is incredibly strange. Fortunately, before things can get any weirder, a warm, familiar voice cuts through the mist.

“A-Qing! Chengmei!”

“DAOZHANG!” A-Qing launches herself off the coffin, whips around, and runs out to launch herself into Xiao Xingchen’s arms. “You slept forever.”

Xiao-daozhang lets out an “oof” like she staggered him, but he’s as steady as ever. “Sorry, A-Qing, I know I left you two alone.” He scruffs a gentle hand over her hair “Were you and Chengmei getting along?”

A-Qing turns around to keep his sleeve from getting in her face and sticks her tongue out in Chengmei’s general direction. He snickers. “Something like that.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” the daozhang answers in the sweet, sincere way he has. He reaches out to put a hand on Chengmei’s shoulder, and for once A-Qing tolerates the sight of it. Surely, daozhang has so much kindness he can afford to spend it on them both.

A-Qing grins, hiding it in Xiao Xingchen’s chest. This, the three of them, is what she wants. She’s going to hold onto this forever.

[strangebeautiful]

Need a Baker

Rating: Explicit

@genmaweek prompt: Birthday Party

Pairing: Genma/Sakura

Summary: Genma comes home early to help Sakura prepare for his birthday party and catches her doing something completely unexpected.

Also on ao3! 

Genma barely had time to react as two hands grasped him by the shoulders and pushed him out of the door of his own shop. He turned around to face his best friend (now assistant manager) with puppy dog eyes.

“Go. We’re not going to let you close on the night of your birthday party,” Raidou said firmly, leaving no room for debate. Genma’s skateboard was unceremoniously thrust into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him as he sulked away. Even three years after opening his skate shop, it was still his baby, and delegating was always a struggle for him. With a sigh, he hopped onto his board and took off down the block.

If he was being honest, though, Genma was grateful that Raidou had forced him out of the door. Sakura had taken the day off, a huge undertaking for the busy neurosurgeon, and was preparing to host his birthday party at her apartment. Leaving work a few hours early meant that he could help her out, and it would make him feel less guilty about his already overworked girlfriend going out of her way to have a party on his behalf.

When he rolled up to Sakura’s tall swanky complex about ten minutes later, Genma pulled out the key that she had sweetly provided him six months into dating and let himself into her apartment. He called out a greeting to her as he kicked his shoes off at the door, but heard no reply.

“Maybe she’s in her room?” he murmured to himself before walking toward the stairs. However, he caught a flash of pink in the kitchen and turned toward her in surprise.

Sakura had her back to him, tapping a cup of flour into a bowl with her earbuds in. She was wearing a small pair of black running shorts and a red tank top, lightly humming to herself as she cracked an egg against the counter. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and she looked casually stunning, as per usual. He took one step in her direction but was interrupted by Sakura’s voice. “Bitch I’m a problem nobody solvin’, you can keep hatin’, I’m poppin’ regardless,” she rapped to herself, and Genma’s jaw dropped.

Sweet innocent Sakura listened to rap? Until now, Genma was utterly convinced that she only listened to those boring medical podcasts that had him drifting off on long car trips. The brunette grinned mischievously and figured there was no shame in hanging back to see what his little cherry blossom was up to.

The rosette continued to toss ingredients into the mixing bowl, rolling her hips to the music playing in her ears and piping in with sporadic lines of the song. He heard the bass pick up from across the room, and suddenly, she shook her ass in a way that belonged on a club dance floor.

“Dance on the dick, now, you been served, I like a dick with a little bit of curve, hit this pussy with an uppercut,” Genma’s jaw dropped as she playfully accompanied the line by punching the air before continuing, “Call that, ah, Captain Hook!” She cracked a smile and laughed softly to herself as she started the hand mixer.

Genma and Sakura had been dating for nearly a year now, and he had never heard her swear. Hell, getting her to say anything other than his name and “oh god” in bed was a struggle. Even at her most frustrated, his girlfriend was always composed - he supposed it was a side effect of having a profession that required unrivaled professionalism.

But Sakura’s secret was out now.

“I need a Mr. Clean, make that pussy beam, okay, I just might need a baker, make that pussy cream,” she sang as she swirled the spatula and her hips in time. She lowered into a squat to pull a pan from the lower cabinet, bouncing her ass like she was riding a dick and causing her running shorts to ride up indecently. Genma was unashamedly hard at the sight.

She spooned the batter into the baking pan, grinding her hips against the counter to match the music. When the bowl was emptied, Sakura took the spatula and suggestively licked the batter from it. “I’m too sexy to be fuckin’ under covers,” she exclaimed, turning to throw the utensil into the sink and finally catching sight of Genma in the doorway.

Sakura screamed.

And in her shock, she pegged him in the forehead with the spatula.

“Oh my god, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Sakura gasped in concern as he folded over in equal parts laughter and pain. “You scared me!”

Genma felt her delicate hand on the small of his back, and when he finally composed himself, he stood up. He smirked at her, teasing, “I didn’t know you listened to rap.” She immediately blushed in response.

“H-How long were you there for?” Sakura asked with a tinge of panic.

“Long enough,” he said, placing a kiss on the corner of her lips as she flushed even darker in embarrassment.

Sakura turned back to the pan filled with batter, sliding it into the pre-heated oven and setting a timer. She chewed her bottom lip nervously as she turned back around, leaning against the counter and looking up with her bright green eyes. “You weren’t supposed to see that.”

Genma chuckled in response. “What, I shouldn’t know that my girlfriend uses bad words sometimes? Or that she can twerk?”

“I was not twerking,” she huffed. “I was dancing. That thing you do when you like the music you’re listening to.”

“That kind of dancing belongs in the bedroom, sweetheart,” he teased, walking over so he could place his hands on her hips. “Or the kitchen is fine if you’re feeling kinky.”

“Genma,” Sakura whined. “You’re never going to let me live this down, are you?”

His lips curved into a predatory grin. “I think you can persuade me. Maybe if I hear more of those dirty words again, I can be convinced to conveniently forget to tell our friends about this incident.”

“Ugh, you’re so embarrassing,” Sakura groaned as she half-heartedly pushed his hands off her hips.

“Maybe I can just request a repeat performance at my party tonight. You know, you can’t deny the birthday boy a gift,” Genma purred with a wag of his eyebrows, drawing her back in.

“You’re exhausting,” she sighed, feigning exasperation. “Fine. What do you want?”

Genma pressed one hand against Sakura’s lower back and the other on the back of her thighs, lifting her onto the counter. She squeaked as the cold tile touched her ass. “I want to make that pussy cream.”

Sakura looked like she was ready to die of mortification. “Oh. My. God. Stop.”

As Genma peeled her shorts and panties down her smooth shapely legs, he couldn’t help but admire the way her cheeks reddened. “This is improper,” she protested, but it didn’t stop him from reaching up to graze her breasts under her loose tank top. He was pleasantly surprised to find that she wasn’t wearing a bra.

“And I just heard you say plenty of improper words,” Genma said playfully, lifting her shirt to brush his lips over the soft skin of her belly. “I’m not going to give it to you until you ask for it, so hop to it.”

Sakura bit her bottom lip hard as Genma toyed with her nipples, teasing the crook of her hip with open-mouthed kisses. “Isn’t this supposed to be your birthday present?”

“Mi pleasure es su pleasure, baby,” he said smoothly as he dug his teeth into her thigh. She let out a small unintended moan in reply.

“What was that? I couldn’t hear you over the collective groan of the Spanish-speaking population of the world.”

Genma chose to ignore the jab, spreading her legs open with his warm palms and admiring the glistening honey already visible between her thighs. He wet his lips in anticipation. “So saucy today, sweetheart. But you’re already turned on and you can’t hide from me, so why don’t you just ask for it?”

Sakura rolled her eyes, but when he ran his tongue over her outer folds, her hips jerked hard. She mumbled something under her breath, and he grinned.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Genma asked as he repeated the action with a little more pressure, drawing a gasp this time. “All I heard was something about eating. I’ll enjoy eating that cake tonight while I tell stories about how innocent little Dr. Haruno is actually a twerking deviant.”

She nearly screamed in frustration. Defeated, she begged, “Please eat my pussy, Genma!”

“Gladly,” Genma said before parting her folds with his tongue. The shuddering little moan she let out made his pants uncomfortably tight, and he flicked the top button open to relieve some of the pressure. When he slid two fingers inside her slick entrance and suckled on her clit, her hips nearly came off the counter.

“S-So good!” Sakura keened, grinding against his face. “F-Fuck.” The guttural way the word caught in her throat made arousal coil dangerously within him.

If there was anything Genma took pride in, it was his ability to make a woman come with his tongue. He was notorious for having a lifelong oral fixation, keeping something in his mouth most of the time - toothpick, gum, etc. But there was nothing more satisfying than feeling a gush of wetness on his lips and a pair of gorgeous thighs squeezing his face.

He redoubled his efforts, flattening his tongue against Sakura’s clit and drinking in the sight of her head thrown back, her knuckles white as she gripped the counter. The sounds that spilled from her lips were rising in pitch and frequency, and he crooked his fingers upward to match the increased pace of his tongue. Genma had a sneaking suspicion that she was already aroused from her earlier dancing because she was rarely worked up this quickly.

“I love your mouth on my clit,” Sakura moaned, and he was so fucking hard hearing her talk like that. Her fingers laced through his shoulder-length hair, tugging him closer to her. “Fuck, Genma, you’re gonna make me come.”

He groaned against her sopping pussy, the wet sounds of his fingers and tongue filling the kitchen. Genma knew she was ready to come when he felt the telltale release of tension before she clamped down hard on his fingers. She toppled over the edge with his name on her lips, trembling as she rode out the waves of pleasure. He kept stroking her with his tongue and fingers until she was so overstimulated that she pushed him away.

At that exact moment, the timer for the cake went off.

“Ah, fuck,” Sakura said as she nudged Genma back far enough to hop off the counter. She grabbed a pair of oven mitts, bending over to pull the cake from the oven. He admired the curve of her naked ass, and if she hadn’t been holding something hot, he would have certainly groped it.

Sakura preened with satisfaction over the cake. “I just need to let it cool before I add icing.”

“I can add some icing,” Genma winked.

The rosette rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe you.”

“I can’t believe you,” the brunette retorted. “You were a wildcat this whole time and you didn’t even tell me.”

“I didn’t want you to think I was some sort of slut,” Sakura said with a pout. “And sometimes it’s hard to break out of professional mode, you know?”

Genma slid his hand to cup her ass, drawing her close to kiss her breathless. When he pulled away, he said, “You’re not just any slut. You’re my slut.”

“You are the literal worst,” Sakura lamented, but her lips curved up in a grin as she slid her hand down the front of Genma’s pants to stroke his length, green eyes sparkling with mischief. “Do you think we have time for me to dance on your dick?”

Genma’s eyes lit up as he tugged her by the arm toward her bedroom. “Absolutely.”

[midnighthyuck]

Beautiful | jungwoo!au

summary: you were working on a photoshoot with your university team, in the meanwhile, jungwoo has to dress up as a girl to help his sister. 

words: 2.600 (sorry bout that)

pairing: you & jungwoo

a/n: pretty sweet. also, sorry about any mistakes, english is not my native language. it’s not that good idk? but it would be a shame deleting it all without giving a try. promise next time will be better.

requests are open!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Two hours. That was the amount of time you had already spent trying to convince your senior that purple lights wouldn’t look as good as blue ones. The scenario was all set up but the lights still annoyed you. He had been working with photoshoots before you, period. He had plenty of works highly well recognized by all teachers in photography faculty, period. Yet, purple didn’t feel right.  

Tired of hearing your annoying complains he decided to give it a try. It ended up with you being congratulated by your ‘unceasing persistence’ and happy with the finally blue studio. He was good, but you also were. Being on top of the class was the main reason you were the only sophomore in the wise room.  

Once done with the lighting discussion you decided to take a look on the models. It was not your first time on a shooting like that so you had plenty knowledge of how the girls get stressed and sensitive right before the show. Most of them you’d never seen before and was pretty much sure you wouldn’t be seeing again anytime soon, still you made sure to bring them some fruits and cool water. 

‘’You all look stunning! Definitely the prettiest girls I’ve ever seen’’ you genuinely smiled at them. That was your job, making them feel at ease, instead of freaking them out like Doyoung would be doing in a few minutes. 

He wasn’t a bad guy, but the amount of overwork he had been dealing with in the past few months may have helped him to become this ‘fast mood shifting’ weapon. Or you might just think it because you are two opposites. Doyoung doesn’t know how to behave when it comes about girls. Also don’t you when it comes about boys. 

“There’s one missing’’ Ten made himself noticeable, handing you the paperwork. 

“It’s fine, we still got a few minutes.’’ you tried to stay calm, although you knew Doyoung would be shouting at you once the shoot started and one of his ‘girls’ was missing. ‘’I’ll go grab some coffee for us. Make sure Doyoung doesn’t freak out.’’  

“I will try.’’ It’s all you get back when you’re already reaching the elevator.  

In the meanwhile, Jungwoo was in denial.  

“No.” was all he said. 

“No, you don’t get me.” Junghah, the older sister, insisted. “I need you to be there for me. The director will fucking kill me. Also, what if I never get a job like this again?” 

“You should be there, not me!” his voice still sounded awfully adorable, despite the loudness. 

“I know! Do you think I’m like this cause I want to? Huh?” Junghah’s voice made itself louder than expected thanks to the eco. She had been in the bathroom for the whole day long. It had been four hours already. “Even if I manage to get out of here, I don’t think I can stay away for too long, you understand?” 

Jungwoo was too good, even he suspected of it, but everything must have a limit. He thought about the uncountable number of times he’d helped his older sister until the very moment. Combing her hair when she broke her arm. Dumping her ex-boyfriend for her cause she wouldn’t be able to handle his crying face. Not to mention all the times he had lied to their mom in order to help her sneak out of the house to go out.  

He knew that dressing up as a girl and showing up in a photoshoot wasn’t the best decision at all.  “Pretty please.’’ and that was it. 

With that simple sentence she had him all over her shoes.  

Jungwoo was way too good. 

[…] 

“Hold on, please!” you let the air in your lungs come out as a demand, running to the metal door a few steps away from you while managing to keep both ice americanos in your hands inside its cups, instead of dripping all over the elevator’s floor. “Thank you.” you mumble once in, trying to fix the harsh first impression you’d just caused. 

A smile was the answer. An awkwardly cute smile coming from an around 5 feet tall girl. She was huge, that was no secret, even compared to the ones waiting for you at the studio, yet something about her felt just to adorable, despite her size. Her long hair fell just right over her shoulder’s, contouring her back with a few other strands over her cheekbones. She was definitely adorable and you couldn’t help but smile. 

“Excuse me, are you here for the shooting?”  

“Uh, yes!” not only the face was lovely, but also the voice.  

You tried to keep your reactions to yourself, but seeing her ears getting red just made you internally jump in joy. “I see. I’m also on it, I mean, not modeling as you can see. I’m in charge of light and photography.’’ you smiled once again when she opened her mouth impressed, getting even more red than before. “Is this your first time?” 

“...Is it that obvious?” and once again you found yourself whipped by that extremally cute face.  

“Nah, it’s just cause you have very sincere expressions. It’s not bad though.” The conversation could keep on some other time, because in the very next second you’d arrived in the 8th floor. 

You, politely, guide the girl to the makeup room and let her there so they could work out on how to make her look like the astonishing (you would call kinda fake looking) woman we see on magazines. 

[…] 

As you thought Doyoung couldn’t keep his frustrations to himself, but since you were there the models had someone to rely on. Specially the cute one. It was her first time so it took ages for her to feel comfortable enough to pose properly.  

You managed to make some good pics before noon arrived, so you’d just sit around and wait until your colleagues were also done. Going out for a few drinks was always one of the best parts of working on projects with them.  

While setting up a few things in your head and organizing some paper and equipment, you heard two of your senior laughing. ‘If they can chill, they can also help me get everything done’ your thought while frowning. Finally reaching both guys you could barely remember the names, you were able to hear was seemed to be so funny. 

“I don’t know how Doyoung let that thing be on the project. That’s definitely not a girl, dude.”  

“I mean, maybe if I was drunk, or blind” both them laugh annoyingly.  

“Well, if it is so cool making fun out of people, I guess you guys will die in laughter once you check up on yourselves in the mirror.” you claim entering the place. “Or it might be funnier if your just shut the fuck up and take care of the work you’re here to do.’’ 

“Yeah, but nobody told me this was a gay parade.” one insisted. 

You smile back. “I bet they told you it was a circus. That’s why you keep acting like a fucking clown.” 

Before it could get any worse (or better), all the models, now done with their hard work, entered the room laughing in delight once it was over. Except from the tall one, who came in leaving the bathroom right behind you. You frowned in pain. You just wished she didn’t hear all the bullshit those two said. 

“Thank you for that.” she told you once you both were the only ones left in the huge studio, since taking the elevator was a kind of process when there were around 14 people in there. And taking the stairs on 8th floor was not an option.  

The touch of your hand on hers makes she feels vulnerable, and once again she blushes. “Never mind those assholes. Men are fucking stupid. Are you coming with us for a drink?” 

“Uh, not really. I gotta go back to check on my sister.” 

“Oh, I see.” and when the elevator finally arrives to get you, you hear her sighing in relief. 

“You did well today. I bet we are gonna see each other again anytime. What’s your name anyways?” 

“Kim Jungwoo.” she answers back with a wide smile.  

“You’re name is as adorable as your face, you know it?” you can’t help but make your thoughts real by telling the truth. 

“Oh... Thank you. I don’t get this a lot.” 

“But you should. Honestly, you’re the cutest model I’ve ever bumped into. Feel lucky, cause I see plenty of gorgeous girls every once in a while. You’re extremally beautiful.” 

“Thank you.” you are amused by the laugh that comes from her. It was just too much of a cute sound. But before you could embarrass yourself in front of her again the door opens, revealing a groups of people waiting for you to follow them to the nearest bar.  

You just wave goodbye and wish Jungwoo luck.

[…] 

Later that night Jungwoo searched for you online. He wasn’t brave enough to send a request, though. He felt cheesy for being like that, just appreciating your face once again by a picture someone else took. But it was not all about looks. It was about you all. Something just felt warm inside him while watching a stupid video Jaehyun posted on your birthday.  

Was it the smile? Was it the cozy voice? He didn’t know for sure, but it made him feel even worse for not being fearless.  

He was a coward afterwards.  

[…] 

You couldn’t bare the pain in your neck anymore, even after trying to stretch or taking pain-killers. You decided to go home for the day, you wouldn’t be much productive editing the pictures with that annoying pinch keeping all your attention for itself.  

“Excuse me!” the sweet voice reached your ears when you were just about to leave the building.  

“Yes?” you frowned. That face was somehow familiar. 

“Uh- well... I was here last weekend on the photoshoot...’’ You still couldn’t link it. 

“Sorry, I don’t recall. Are you a staff member?”  

“Not exactly. Well, I was... one of the models.” Oh. It wasn’t hard to say why you weren’t able to recognize her (him? they?). 

They still were tall as hell, the baby face had pretty much the same features and naive expressions, but it all just felt so different. The person right in front of you now seemed like someone else. 

“I think I remember now.” you said trying to conceal your surprise. “How can I help?” 

There it was again. Ears turning red, just as the tip of the nose, confused face and shrunken shoulders. Just as adorable as you could remember. 

“I actually... Hm...” 

“The pictures aren’t ready yet, if that’s what you’re here for. It takes some time.” 

“No!” they answered louder than you expected, getting you surprised. “I... actually came to.. Uh, talk to you.” 

“Me?” you didn’t mean to sound as surprised as you actually did.  

“I’m so sorry! I swear I’m not a weirdo. I just didn’t have the chance to talk to you that much that day, and I was wondering if... Well, if y-you...” 

No. The answer was already set on your mind before you could even think about the painful pinch on your neck. But that was when you realized it wasn’t there anymore. You frown in confusion and run your fingers through the back of your head. Everything is just fine. 

“Ok.” you said before thinking well, interrupting the other while getting lost on their own words. “What about grabbing some coffee?” 

They were not a dog, but for a second you could swear you saw a wagging tail when they opened that bright smile right in front of your eyes. 

[…] 

So Kim Jungwoo was indeed a guy.  

The whole ‘’dressing’’ as girl thing had a story behind it, before you could get angry at him. No that you had a real reason for that, but as Ten would say “getting mad at boys is you favorite sports”. But even though, he was way different from all the other boys you had ever met. ��

Adorable wasn’t the only word to describe him. He was... sweet (?) Like genuinely.  Not the kind of “am I cute?” sweet, the real sweetness. The one kids lose once they grow up. The one that makes us love animals because they’re just too pure for this world.  And you hated yourself for feeling so much at ease with a guy as you did with Jungwoo. 

You knew his intentions. Growing up with two older brothers and being friends with Johnny made you a kind of expert when it comes to know that guys are into you. Yet, you couldn’t help but smile at each sweet expression he’d let off whenever you said something that caught him out of guard.  

[…] 

Keeping in touch with Jungwoo was just natural.  

People tend to say they never really realize they fell in love, but you’d never forget that friday night, when he texted you a “I wanna see you soon.”.  

What is this? You thought to yourself, holding onto your phone tightly, staring at the ceiling wondering since when were you anticipating seeing Jungwoo that much. What exactly was that cozy warmness inside your chest. 

[…] 

“I like you.” Jungwoo closed his eyes when the words came out, becoming real. 

It had been a month since the first time you thought he was adorable. And now, right in front of that playground somewhere nearby your house, on that cold november noon, he was being adorable once again. 

He didn’t dare to take your hands. He knew you well to know how suspicious you were with skinship, what got you smiling. You moved one step forward, getting closer to the taller cute boy, taking one of his hands on yours. 

“I know.” 

“Since when?” he sighs deeply. You wish you were brave enough to check up his expression. I bet his ears are red, you thought.  

“Since day one.” you laugh when his lamentation moan reaches your ears, at the same time he decides to lay his head on your shoulder.  

“That’s so unfair.” he sighs once again, that’s when you feel the urge to pet his head. At the first touch he gets surprised, since touching wasn’t really something between the two of you. “I’m sorry.” 

“There’s nothing to be sorry for.” you smile, although you knew he couldn’t see it.  

Gathering all his strength, he takes a step back to face you. “And... What’s your answer?” 

You laugh. “You know I have a soft spot for you and there’s no way I’d say no when you’re looking at me like that.”. 

And when he pouts at you with that ridiculously adorable face you can’t help but hugging him. “You were special since the first second. Thank you for that.” 

He hugs you back and now you’re able to feel his heartbeat, which gets you a bit worried since it was way faster than people consider healthy. 

“I never cared when people gave me compliments. But that day, when you said I was beautiful, I felt you were looking through me. It was not about being a guy, being a girl, not even about being attractive. It was about... me. I’m the one to thank you.” 

You smile while petting his back. “You’re beautiful, Jungwoo.” 

And he was. 

Kim Jungwoo was the prettiest thing that had ever crossed your path. 

[kthstrawberryshortcake]

BTS Reaction: Their S/O comforts them when they cry

Request by anon: “ can u do something where a bts member is stressed out and they cry so their s/o comforts them “

Here’s what I came up with! I hope you like it. 

These are set up as member x reader.

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

Namjoon:  Namjoon had been really busy in his studio lately. His habit of overworking himself was nothing new, but you still tried to do what you could to take care of him a little when he was preoccupied with work. One night you brought takeout to the studio, knowing he wouldn’t have bothered to eat most of the day. You knew he had been writing a lot today, though you had hardly seen him, since he hand’t even come home to sleep. When you entered, you saw him hunched over his desk, looking down at a piece of paper. Then you noticed his shoulders shaking slightly. “Joonie?” You called to him softly, walking up to him and gently placing a hand on his shoulder. It was then that you saw he was crying. “What’s wrong, love?” You asked, concerned. “Writing a sad song…” He replied, and you leaned over him to see what was written on the page. He had very little written thus far and none of it was very sad. You looked at him in confusion. “How long have you been awake?” You asked, and he looked at the time on his phone. “Almost 51 hours,” he answered, causing you to gasp. “Oh, sweetie, you can’t do this to yourself. We’re getting you to bed right this minute.” You said to him authoritatively. To your surprise, he agreed. The two of you went home and got in bed, and you played with his hair until he finally fell asleep.

Jin:  You had been conspiring with the boys about something special to do for Jin’s birthday. You all decided on the idea of making a short film about Jin and what he meant to each of you, with Jungkook’s Golden Closet expertise coming in handy. When filming your part, you got a little emotional, having to wipe tears from your eyes once or twice during your portion of the video. “He makes me smile. He makes me feel safe. He is always caring and kind to those around him. He’s so talented. He’s a good friend. He’s a great cook. His dad jokes make my day. He’s the love of my life.” You hoped he would be able to feel how much he meant to you from the video. When his birthday finally rolled around, you all sat together in front of the TV to watch the short film, anxiously watching Jin’s face for his reactions. The boys’ sweet messages made him teary-eyed, but when he watched your portion, that was when he started full-on crying. He was kind of laughing at himself at the same time, but he was definitely crying. You pulled him into a tight hug, thrilled that you’d all done well with the surprise. “I love you so much,” he laughed, holding you a little bit tighter.

Yoongi:  Yoongi had been in one of his moods lately. It was that workaholic, hyper-intense mood where he neglected all things but music and never left his studio. Food? Sleep? Interaction with others? Never heard of them. It had been an especially long bout of this behavior this time, now having been over two weeks. Namjoon pulled him aside one day on a rare venture outside his studio. “We’ve talked about this, you can’t keep this up. It’s not sustainable. Have you seen yourself lately? You look like a zombie, and an excessively skinny one at that. The weight loss, the dark circles, the sickly color of your skin… They’re bad signs. Really bad.” He said, trying to make his friend see sense. Yoongi, of course, resisted. “I’m fine. It’s not that big of a deal.” Namjoon sighed and ran a hand through his hair, stressed out by the situation. “Except that it is. We don’t need you collapsing from not taking care of yourself. And if your own sake isn’t enough, think of Y/N. Ever since you started looking this severely unwell she’s been having panic attacks because she’s so scared for you and your health.” That got Yoongi’s attention. You struggled enough with anxiety and he was just making it worse by failing to look after himself. After speaking to Namjoon, Yoongi went to find you. Tears were running down his cheeks as he silently pulled you into a hug, sniffling a little as he tried to keep the crying under control. “I’m so sorry I scared you. I’ll do better, I promise.” He whispered, thinking to himself how lucky he was to have someone who loved him that much.

Hoseok:  You were on tour with the boys when one day, your boyfriend got a phone call from his mom. His family was very close, so that in and of itself was not unusual. It was the shocked expression that appeared on his face as he listened to his mom speak, followed by him hanging up and totally breaking down. You had never seen him cry like this before. “Babe?” You called to him, but he didn’t respond, he just kept sobbing. You stood in front of where he sat on the edge of the bed, holding his face gently in your hands. “Hobi, tell me what’s wrong.” You asked quietly. It took him a few minutes to calm down enough to be able to talk. “__________ died this morning.” he choked out, causing you to gasp. They were a relatively young and healthy family member of his. “How?” You asked, shocked. “Heart attack, out of nowhere.” He replied in a quiet, strained voice. You sighed, hurting at the sight of his pain. “I’m so sorry. That’s terrible. I wish there was something I could do, but I think all I can do is be here for you.” You kissed the tip of his nose gently. “And that, jagi, makes all the difference in the world.” he whispered in reply.

Jimin:  It was no secret that Jimin could be incredibly hard on himself. He had openly spoken about his struggles with self esteem and body image. When it came to the quality of his performance onstage, he was just as self-critical. It was during tour and he had come down with a bit of a cold, which had caused some coughing and a sore throat. He wasn’t feeling great, of course, but pushed through it like any other concert. During one song, however, Jimin’s voice cracked during a high note and he immediately coughed pretty hard. He kept going after that, finishing the show like the true professional he was, but he exited the stage feeling awful about how he had done.  You were watching the whole time, of course, and had witnessed the little unavoidable imperfection in his performance, and because you knew him so well, you anticipated how he was going to react. So when he immediately ran off to somewhere more secluded in an attempt to be alone, you followed him. It wasn’t you he was trying to get away from, anyway. You found him sitting in a dark corner crying, his head in his hands. You sat next to him and wrapped your arms around him, pulling him close, and he rested his head on your shoulder. You murmured words of encouragement and assured him that no one would blame him for the cough, rubbing his upper arm soothingly. Tears continued to slip from his eyes, but he wasn’t sobbing anymore. “What would I do without you, jagi?” he whispered, which brought a small smile to your face.

Taehyung:  Your phone rang one afternoon and you smiled to yourself when you saw that it was your boyfriend calling. “Hi Tae,” you answered, only to hear uncontrollable sobbing on the other end of the call. “It’s Tan, he’s really sick. He’s at the emergency vet, they’re going to take him in for surgery now.” He explained as well as he could in his extremely emotional state. “Okay, okay, take a deep breath, I’m on my way. Text me the address and I’ll get there as soon as I can.” You replied before hanging up the phone and hurrying to your car. Ten minutes later you were sprinting into the emergency vet. You saw Taehyung sitting in the waiting room, still crying but no longer sobbing like he had been. You sat next to him and silently wrapped your arms around him and kissed his cheek. “What’s the news?” You asked softly, a little scared to hear his response. He took a deep breath. “They think he’s going to be fine, but there are always risks with surgery so we won’t know for a little while yet.” You nodded. “He’s going to be okay, love. Tan will be fine.” You whispered, taking hold of one of his hands and intertwining your fingers. He still looked worried, of course, but your presence and assurances were calming him. All he could think was that he was grateful that he wasn’t going through this alone. You had a way of making things better.

Jungkook: If there was one word to describe the way your boyfriend saw himself, it would be invincible. He was the golden maknae, after all. He could do anything, and he would be good at it too. Until one day in dance practice, a freak accident caused him to injure his ankle pretty badly. It was bad enough that he would have to keep off of it for at least two weeks. You had been there when he hurt himself, so as the doctor examined his ankle you held his hand. After hearing the prognosis, you realized he had begun to cry. You wiped his tears away, your heart aching to see him in pain. “Does it hurt that bad, baby?” You asked, worried. He shook his head. “I’m going to let everyone down this way. It’s my fault, I can’t believe I could be so stupid as to get myself hurt this way.” He said, and you shook your head vigorously. “No, this is absolutely not your fault. I watched it happen, it was just one of those freak things. You couldn’t have prevented it. And I know you’re pretty amazing, and all that, but you forget that you’re human. What’s more, you forget that being human isn’t letting the people around you down.” You kissed his forehead, him feeling much less guilty after talking to you.

_________________________________________________________________

There you go children! Hope you all liked this one. PS: don’t worry, in my mind with the Tae one here, Tannie ends up fine :)

Please send in requests to ask or message!

ALSO I LOVE FEEDBACK <3

[twstedgrils]

Oc Master Post

Alright! I finally have all my ocs designed and written down! This is the official debut post for this oc blog! It’s really long (gotta go through 10 ocs lmao) so I’ll put a read more so it’s easier to scroll past. If your interested, please read and even ask me questions! I really want to interact with this fandom since everyone seems so nice and funny!

And yes, I did put grils instead of girls on purpose...I’m funny I swear

So I first want to say that my ocs are in an au, one which has NRC have female students (but still in low numbers) and an 8th dorm based on Captain Hook (making Ramshackle the 9th). Also Crowley is a tiny bit nicer to our mc in this au, mostly cause he’s basically her weird dad lol

There’s another addition to this au, but that’ll be addressed in my MC insert’s bio.

I’ll also list additional info that the text in the refs don’t address, including body types because I wanted my ocs to be diverse in that aspect.

Another thing, shipping. Oh great seven, shipping will be a free for all for me. I really like shipping. So any ship and every ship will be possible (as long as it’s not with Cheka or Ortho, cause no. Human Grim is fine, but he has to be in human form). With that in mind this blog will be very self-indulgent when it comes to shipping and such. 

I’ll come back to this to edit when I develop these girls more.

So first off we’ll start with my MC!self-insert!

I didn’t know what outfit to put her in, since Ramshackle doesn’t have a dorm uniform, so I just put her in her pjs (which were provided by Crowley).

Birthday: Feb 4 (my b-day lolol)

Best Subject: Math

Worst Subject: PE (for valid medical reasons)

Hobby: Drawing

Homeland: Not of TW

Body Type: Average

Charlotte (or Charlie as people call her) is usually quiet, especially when she first arrives in TW. But the more she’s comfortable around the people, the more she reveals her inner sass. She doesn’t want to admit it, but she’s as much as a dumbass as the ADeuce duo.

She’s also has albinism, but she used to constantly dye her hair into a more strawberry blonde so she wouldn’t get picked on by other kids. This condition also leads to her having to take many breaks during PE so she won’t burn.

She may like cats, but Grim really tests her fondness for them. But once it’s found out he can take a human form (and becomes more chill due to the amount of energy it takes to maintain said form) the two actually become the best of friends, which shocks the first year gang. 

Design Inspiration: White Rabbit and March Hare

Birthday: Feb 29

Best Subject: History

Unique Magic: Golden Doorknob (Summons a golden doorknob on any surface, making it a door to anywhere the user thinks of. Example, placing the knob on Ramshackle's walls and walks into NRC's Cafeteria via the door)

Worst Subject: Chemistry

Hobby: Track

Homeland: Afterglow

Body Type: Pear shape

Whitney is what you expect from a rabbit, timid, nervous, shy, anxiety filled, and easily intimidated. At first. If you manage it anger her, suddenly you’ll be hit by both a Scottish war cry and a rabbit kick. When she’s angry, she’s a rage filled bunny who throws the most foul of curses. Her switches are rivaled to Deuce’s bad boy switch. And just like the boy, when she calms down she get’s very flustered. 

She doesn’t talk to many people, as she hates attention. But after some she does become acquainted with the boys, almost on the line of friendship with each. 

Design Inspiration: Shere Kahn and Tigger

Birthday: Set 28

Unique Magic: Fun! Fun! Fun! (turns any part of their body into a bouncy spring. Often the tail is used)

Best Subject: PE

Worst Subject: Chemistry

Hobby: Basket Weaving and making jewelry

Homeland: Land of Pyroxene

Body Type: Apple shape (broad shoulders)

Kaya is seen as a tough no bs girl, many females admire how she can go woman-to-man with the Savanaclaw males. But actually she’s nothing but a goofball that loves to tend to baby animals and make cute things. She has a talent for making beautiful woven baskets and earrings. She helps Ruggie a lot whenever she sees him overun by errands. 

She does have a tendency to nap anywhere and everywhere like Leona and Silver, but she apologizes sheepishly when woken up. Because of her napping habit, she tends to stay up late into the night.

Design Inspiration: None

Birthday: May 24

Unique Magic: Second Chance (let’s the user go back to a certain point to try again. Only activated when close to death)

Best Subject: Chemistry

Worst Subject: History

Hobby: Singing and baking

Homeland: Coral Sea

Body Type: Petite

Wendy is a very small moon jellyfish mermaid. She was home-schooled by her mother under the sea, while her father ran a business on land. She visited land often to see her father, fascinated by all neon lights shining in the city.

She’s very quiet, like she’s actually a selective mute. She doesn’t tend to hangout with people because she fears most don’t like her because of her selective muteness. Oddly enough though, she’s always seen with Floyd, to the bafflement of everyone. She finds the eels mannerisms amusing.

She loves to sing, but doesn’t want anyone but her secret singing buddy (Daria) to listen to her. Her voice is very high pitched, but soft that it’s almost hard to hear. She also loves baking, often seen helping Jade and Floyd with preparing the sugary foods and drinks Monstro Lounge offers.

Design Inspiration: Iago and Jasmine’s red outfit

Birthday: Aug 5

Unique Magic: Dancer’s Delight (charms anyone who sees her dancing, perfect for distraction)

Best Subject: None

Worst Subject: None

Hobby: Dancing

Homeland: Land of Hot Sands

Body Type: Hourglass

Layla is like that one person who teases everyone and sees most as her friend. She uses both her height and pretty features to get a rise and fluster anyone. Her main victim is Jamil, much to his displeasure. She gets along great with Kalim, fueling his antics of carpet riding and shenanigans. But she does help Jamil in taking care of Kalim, often seeing the snake whisperer overworked.

She’s usually seen hanging out with Kaya and Whitney (with the rabbit being flustered by both of the taller females). She’s drawn to most in the Savanaclaw dorm, as she has the urge to pet their ears. She and Kaya are in the same class, so the two always buddy together, helping each other if needed.

Back home she comes from a line of exotic dancers, always entertaining other for money. With this in mind, she practices her dancing everyday. She hopes she can live up to the expectations her family has put on her. She’s not wealthy, but she’s not poor, so she doesn’t get too surpised over Kalim’s wealth. But she still does, especially when Kalim once offered to get her a tiger cub (she refused though).

Design Inspiration: Myself and Medusa (Hercules tv show)

Birthday: Mar 27

Unique Magic: Snake Eyes (paralyzes anyone with her stare if activated, even herself if she looks in the mirror)

Best Subject: History

Worst Subject: Math

Hobby: Painting and singing

Homeland: Isle of Lamentation

Body Type: Chubby

Daria is another quiet and reserved girl, she’s not shy per say but she prefers people to approach her than the other way. She doesn’t particularly like that she was sorted into Pomefiore, cause all she wants to do is paint and sing. This leads her to grow close to Epel and anger Vil. She purposefully doesn’t do anything to her appearance, only brushing her hair as she hates tangles. 

She tends to stay in a secret area with Wendy, singing with the fellow quiet girl. If not that then she’s doing artwork in her dorm room, ignoring anyone who dares to pull her away from her work. Often times this leads to both her and Vil having a glaring contest cause she didn’t sleep (”Too busy painting” she says.) or forgot to do her morning skincare routine.

Design Inspiration: Phosphora (Kid Icarus) and Electra (backstory)

Birthday: Jul 16

Unique Magic: Sparks Fly (allows the user to transfer any electricity from any device around her into her prosthetics)

Best Subject: Math

Worst Subject: None

Hobby: Modifying her prosthetic limbs

Homeland: Rose Kingdom

Body Type: Top heavy

Elina is the mom friend, always giving others affection and helping them when she can. Because of her affectionate self, she treats Ortho like her little brother. You’ll often see her playing with the boy, or in her room working on her prosthetics (with Idia helping). She loves making her limbs look non-human, but she has more human structure legs for school (as to not weird out her classmates too much). She’s made them since young, always improving and modernizing her limbs.

Because of a tragic accident, she has prosthetics for both legs and her left arm. And has trauma over car races or cars going over the speed limit. She never mentions her family around others, but it shows how much she cares for them. The same could be said for her friends.

Design Inspiration: Chernabog

Birthday: Jun 6

Unique Magic: ???

Best Subject: History

Worst Subject: Chem

Hobby: Making Clothes

Homeland: Valley of Thorns

Body Type: Shortstack

Maria is basically the opposite of Lilia, while he looks young but acts maturely she looks mature but acts like a complete child. Most believe she’s staff before she has to explain that she’s a student. She’s not a brat (thank sevens) but she is very naive and innocent. This causes for her dorm mates to become somewhat protective if someone makes a pass on her (she never notices cause she thinks they’re just being nice). 

She has a talent with designing clothes, no one can explain why. Many have approached her to pay for her designs, but she refuses. She says she much prefers to just make and gift her designs to anyone. When she’s working, it’s the most mature you’ll see her. Everyone she’s interacted with has at least one thing she’s made, whether they wanted it or not.

Design Inspiration: Hook and Scarlet (the female animatronic from the pirate ride)

Birthday: Dec 25

Unique Magic: The Sea’s Rage (a passive ability that allows the user to access inhuman strength, allowing her to lift even Jack or Malleus)

Best Subject: None

Worst Subject: All

Hobby: Pick-pocketing

Homeland: The Savage Seas

Body Type: Flat (Looks average thanks to her corset)

Jessie is the dorm leader of Bonäuber, a dorm based upon The Captain of the Seas, who is held almost as high regards as the Great Seven. She’s a very childish and extremely cocky girl. She always praises herself for being the best out of everyone, when in actuality she’s not the brightest. The only thing she is good at she is shooting a gun, loving a good hunt. She also has a child fascination for board games, so she often plays (and loses) with Azul and Idia. 

Most don’t like her because she has a bad habit of stealing from anyone and everyone. This is because of her hard childhood, having to steal to survive with no family. The Savage Seas, and the isles among it, were tough on those with no wealth. It wasn’t until a kind pirate gifted saved her from a beating and gifted her a gold coin, her first coin. She now wears the coin on her neck and vows to become a pirate as great as The Captain, using her loot to make others who were in her shoes to have a good life. Because of her ambitions, she always goes for the rich when looting, Kalim being her main target. But because of how nice and generous he is, she gets flustered and runs away without a single coin. (It’s really cute ngl)

As a dorm leader she’s overly not strict, the most she can be is over how clean the dormitory is. Uniform isn’t strict as well, only forcing those in the dorm to wear the striped shirt, vest, belt, bandanna, and boots. Bottoms can be anything, and the corsets were optional. Most dorm members were interestingly mostly females, which confused many. 

Their dorm building is a functioning pirate ship, usually docked on a deserted island. Occasionally the dorm will go on an adventure, since most are those who love the sea and can’t stay in one place. 

Design Inspiration: Smee and Tick Tock Croc (and maybe Louis from the princess and the frog)

Birthday: Oct 3

Unique Magic: When I’m Human (let’s the user take a human form with little drawback, like Kalim’s Oasis Maker. This slowly wears off if the user is over emotional, most commonly anger.)

Best Subjects: All

Worst Subjects: None

Hobby: Making tea and treats for Jessie

Homeland: The Savage Seas

Body Type: Hourglass (looks more exaggerated thanks to her corset)

Sammy (what Jessie calls her) is the vice dorm leader of Bonauber, she’s very mysterious and weird to most in the school. She’s always by the shorter girl’s side, and always takes care of her. She is a big enabler, sharing her ambitions with the leader. She’s very humble about her intelligence and abilities, often only giving praise to Jessie. She’s almost like a mother for the leader.

She’s secretly a crocodile that saved (and traumatized) Jessie when they were younger. As she saw the little girl run from an adult, causing the reptile to attack the adult. She didn’t know why, but at the time a sudden feeling of protecting for the girl took over. Ever since then the reptile was drawn towards the girl, almost obsessive. It wasn’t until she developed her unique magic that she stuck with the girl from childhood. Jessie never realized, as Sam is very keen on keeping the object of her affections(?) in the dark. If anyone threatens the two, Sam will open her eyes and glare with her slit pupils as scales appear faintly.

And that’s all of them! After posting this I’ll start working on two things.

1: cards, I want to draw cards for them as if they are canon characters. I’ll work on the school uniform cards first!

2: Grim’s human design, this one will be easier as he’ll just be a sketch. 

Again, feel free to ask any questions! I’ll answer with in character sketches! (with more elaborating in artist’s text) I’ll try my best to answer as many of them as I can! You can also dm me if you wish to just talk about twst with me!

[lawandorderforevercsi]

Love Desires Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI: Miami, Anthony Zuiker, and CBS do.

Author's Note: A Horatio and Natalia love story that came out of reading all the Horatio and Natalia already on this site! Just to this out there, I love both the Horatio/Natalia pairing and Horatio/Marisol pairing. It is just too bad that Horatio didn't get more time with Marisol.

Beta'd by: calleighstorres

-February 2012-

Natalia groaned out loud. She was so tired and ready to head home to eat, get a soak in, and get some shut-eye. It was also the one day Natalia would rather forget, Valentine's Day. As a child, she loved the holiday when she would get candy and cards from classmates. As she got older, she began to despise it. During the time she worked at the FBI the day where no one paid any heed to it, which was fine by her. At the crime lab, there were boxes of chocolates, but that was it. Then she also thought about how there was one other person who didn't like this holiday, Horatio.

Speaking of Horatio, she hadn't been able to thank the many times he helped after that case or came to her rescue many times. She despised, ending up like the damsel in distress, but stuff happens. Once they finished their double shift, she went and looked Horatio but couldn't locate him. This was especially true after her ex-husband died in which she and Valera had been suspected of committing. Had it not been for Horatio and the team believing in her and Valera, she didn't think she could make it.

On her way out, she saw Eric in the evidence locker getting dressed up. Natalia walked in and couldn't help but joke, "Oh, Delko, do you have a hot date tonight?"

Eric smiled and replied, "Wouldn't you like to know Natalia."

Natalia smiled and bowed her head. Eric saw a hint of sadness. When he had heard about how Natalia was FBI mole, it hurt when the betrayal was revealed, but at the time, he and Horatio were on a path to getting revenge for Marisol's murder, so he was the first giving her the benefit of the doubt. But Eric also sensed something was up. Nodding his head and saying, "Talia, something tells me that you didn't find me for small talk."

Natalia looked up and sheepishly she nodded her head. She said, "Um, I was wondering if you have seen H anywhere."

To which Eric asked, "What for?"

Natalia answered, "Well, to thank him for helping me quite a bit lately."

Eric said, "Come on, he knows your thankful."

Natalia replied, "Seems like I should take him to dinner or something."

Eric smiled. Natalia's loyalty shined through. Eric said, "Um, after our case wrapped, H went to visit Marisol."

Natalia knew that H was at Marisol's grave. Something he did after they solved a tragic case. Or in the case to celebrate Valentine's in his way. She remembered how she had to convince Eric to go to be the witness at Horatio and Marisol's City Hall wedding. She had heard about her death and was inwardly she was also crushed like they were, but at the time, she couldn't do anything as she was still undercover as the mole.

She understood that private time at a loved one's grave was that, private. She said, "Okay, I will catch up with Horatio during our next shift and talk to him."

Eric nodded, and they went their separate ways. The next day she runs into Horatio on the breakroom to get their assignments. While waiting for the others to arrive, Natalia went up to Horatio. She said, "Um H, I wondered if I could take you to dinner after work."

Horatio tilted his head a little and said, "What for Ms. Boa Vista?"

Just the way he said her last name made her shiver. Natalia took a deep breath and said, "Thank you for all the time that you had saved me. The past few years, from starting with when I was held at gunpoint, you rescued me even when that gunshot badly injured you, and I insist."

Whoa, there Talia coming on a little eager, are you?

With a subtle smile on his face, he replied, "There is no need. But if you insist."

Right then, the rest of the team had arrived, and they got started with the day's case assignments. He was glad that she asked first he didn't think he could. As he was in his office, later on, Horatio was doing some deep thinking. Horatio had liked Natalia as more than a friend for some time like him in a different way was dealing with personal issues.

-x-

While they had agreed to dinner together, they were never able to go as they became swamped. The cases kept coming in, keeping them busy. Then there was a tragic case where Ryan was accused of killing ASA Josh Avery when the perpetrator was Samantha Owens.

With the case done and Samantha in jail, they were at a restaurant for after-work drinks. At the same time, he and Natalia were getting the drinks for the crew; that was when Horatio saw his chance to make his feelings clear and to let her know. Without any other warning, Horatio leaned in and kissed her tentatively. Natalia was surprised at first. Instead of pushing him away, she kissed him back.

As that went on, Eric wondered why they were taking so long, and he went to check it out. There saw them kissing, and Eric smiled. He was happy for his two co-workers. He cleared his throat, but instead of seeing them smile, he saw looks of horror on both of their faces. Natalia apologizes, and just like that, she leaves instead of going back to the group.

The interruption inevitably caused tension. Over the next several days, Horatio and Natalia tried to stay away from each other unless needed. Eric noticed the chilliness and decided to do something about it. After another one of their cases, Eric approached Natalia at the elevator. Eric asked, "Talia got a minute?"

Natalia turned around, said, "Yeah, what is up, Eric?"

Eric asked, "What is going with you and H?"

Natalia silent. It's not unlike for Eric to cut straight to the chase. Eric continued, "Look, I know what is causing the silent treatment. I am sorry if I spooked you two. I know that you have feelings for H. Everyone on the team can tell the chemistry you have together. It is especially thick when you two are in the same room."

Natalia breathed in and out to calm her heart rate, "Is that obvious? I just wanted to show that I care. While Nick's death was far more different from Marisol's, I am not trying to compare it; I know the feeling.\But with the cases where I got injured or needed help, it was hard."

Eric held up his hands, "Whoa there, Natalia, I'm not accusing you of anything. I have noticed how H has been since you became a member of our team. Although I know he is keeping to himself, he does seem a little relaxed when you are around."

Natalia felt like a weight was lifted off "I do have feelings for him and a while, but I stay especially after the case of Heather Chapman. Plus, I didn't want to seem like I am moving in on him and replacing your sister."

Eric said calmly, "I understand you feel like that. Marisol would have helped him loosen up if she had the chance. You know you and my sister are both determined and have a fighting spirit. You two would have been best friends."

Natalia felt the weight off her shoulder, "I am glad to hear that. I just thought when you saw us, you might…"

Eric finished, "Get angry that he moved on? I would have if it were not long after Marisol's death, but I knew you had Nick to deal with you so that wouldn't have happened."

Natalia nodded. Although she got Eric's side of the story and his reassurances, she wasn't too sure about it.

Hope he had it straightened out for Natalia, he had one person to talk to. Heading back towards the lab, he saw that Horatio was still in his office. It figures that he would work more now without anyone to go home to. But even if Eric could help prevent his boss from overworking to the point of exhaustion.

Eric knocked on the door, and when he got the okay, he went in and asked, "Yeah, H. Got a few minutes?"

Horatio responded, "What can I do for you, Eric?"

Eric said, "I just want to tell you that on behalf of my family, we are all appreciative that you take the time to visit Mari on her birthday."

Horatio asked tersely, "Is that it?"

Eric continued, "We have seen how you and Natalia are at the lab lately. Now I am sorry if I spooked you guys at the bar. I am saying that I want you to be happy, but my family would be glad to see you smiling again. I think that Natalia could do that for you. I know that Mari would want you to move on."

Horatio nodded. At least now, he knew he had Eric's and his family's approval but was still a little unsure.

What neither Horatio nor Natalia knew was they were about to get the push they needed.

-x-

That night after she got home, she just wanted to relax. After the cases they had recently back to back, she was bone tired. But she knew she also needed food. So, following a much-needed shower and fresh clothes, she set about to make something to eat. As she made the simple dinner and she thought about what Eric's assurances. She wanted to be with Horatio, but she still wasn't sure.

However, as she did so, it felt like the lights went out, but a different light came on. It was bright but calming in a way like an aura light. Once she finally adjusted to the sudden brightness, she couldn't believe she was seeing an angel. Now she hadn't been to church since she moved to Miami, but there was no disputing. Long and wavy dark brown hair, brown eyes, and a bright smile. She knew only another person had that same smile, Eric.

Natalia was finally able to speak, "You're Eric's sister, Marisol."

Marisol, with a radiant smile, said, "I am. I am sorry I didn't mean to startle you. I want you to know that I want you to be the one to show Horatio that life is worth continuing even while I am no longer physically with him. I am grateful to Horatio for showing life was worth living and not just fighting for. I am just sorry that I couldn't return the favor. You can and will do that, right?"

In total shock, Natalia sputtered, "I am…a…I guess so, but why me? I don't want to replace you and…"

Marisol smiled and said, "You won't. I promise."

Natalia nodded. She wanted to say something else but before she could the light disappeared and the lights turned on. That was a surreal experience. She now knew what to do. Food forgotten, she went to get ready. What she didn't know was she was going to get a surprise.

Angel Marisol had one more place to go. It was one place she went to many times when she was alive.

Following his talk, Eric, Horatio, remained in his office to finish his paperwork. He sighed. He wanted to go home but not to an empty house. However, he couldn't focus on the words on the page. The last few weeks had been a tough one, not case wise. It was his feelings toward Natalia. Ever since she had abruptly left that night at the restaurant, it seemed they were distant. What made it harder was they worked together at the lab. He understood that she was hesitant. Not that he blamed her, he was reminded of the fact that he was with Marisol. Now he felt terrible.

Suddenly everything at the lab came to a halt, and he saw a light shine through. He wondered what was going on, but when he saw the wavy brown hair and chocolate eyes plus the familiar walk, he knew who it was. Horatio instantly got up and went to greet Marisol. Horatio hugged her and said, "I miss you, Mari."

Relishing his hug, Marisol replied, "I miss you too, Horatio."

Parting Horatio sighed and said, "I screwed up."

Marisol asked, "With Natalia?"

Horatio placed a hand on her cheek, "Yes. I feel I moved in on her too fast, and like I am replacing you."

Caressing his cheek, Marisol replied lovingly, "You aren't replacing me. I promise."

Stopped to placed her hand on his heart, she continues, "I only wished that I could have given you the promise of the life the way you did with me."

Marisol continued, "I have seen Natalia from above. Her struggles and bad timing with men. She is strong, but she needs someone to show her love, and you are the one who can show love as you did for me."

A light bulb moment went off, Horatio said, "That is why you wanted me to go back."

Marisol nodded, "Yes."

A brief pause and Marisol added, "I know you can do it. I love you."

With that, she kissed Horatio and left.

Now both Horatio and Natalia knew what they needed to do. For Horatio, he filed away the paperwork knowing that can wait. His love for Natalia couldn't. After that, he quickly left to take care of the business of the heart.

Over at Natalia's, she had gotten the dishes in the dishwasher and went up to get ready. She changed into her special occasion, only lingerie, which included a strapless bra that made her bust look even fuller. She found her special tank, and with her skirt, Natalia was just about ready when she heard a knock on her door. She wondered who could that be?

She checked her appearance and went to the door. Looking in the peephole and saw who it was, she had to take deep breathes. She opened the door and met gazes with Horatio, and for a minute, they locked eyes.

Without wasting another second, she took his hand and pulled him in. Closing the door, she placed her hands on his face, drew him in, and planted a big wet kiss on him to which he reciprocated. They broke when they needed air in their lungs. Natalia led him to the couch. Once there, Natalia gave him a gentle push, and she sat down in his lap and landed another kiss on him, this time more searing than the first one. This one was more desire filled. They kissed and let their hands run through the other's hair. Horatio loved how Natalia's caramel locks felt silky through his fingers. Natalia loved how his hair felt in her fingers. They parted lips once more, they gazed into each other's eyes, and he said, "I'm sorry Natalia I didn't come after you. I wasn't sure you…"

Natalia placed a finger on H's mouth lips and said, "I am the one who should be sorry. I shut you out and gave you the silent treatment when we weren't working. I'm sorry."

Horatio brought his girl in for another kiss. After that, he said, "Why don't we let bygones are bygones, and we look forward instead?"

Natalia smiled, "I would love too handsome. I love you. Now, why don't we go somewhere that is more comfortable and explore our life together?"

With that, Natalia got up and pulled her boyfriend up. Tonight, she was going to make Horatio hers and led him to her room where they stayed for the rest of the night.

Meanwhile, up in Heaven, Marisol smiled. Her work was complete. Now she would be the family's guardian angels.

A/N 2: Thanks for reading the first chapter of "Love Desires". As always, reviews are appreciated!

[seduceme-lovestruck-thearcana]

Can I request a valentine's day fic for Diego (like a rose petal trail) thank you!!!

Of course you can request😘❤️. Thanks for coming to my ask box boo and I hope I see you again soon😘❤️🥺.

Also does Diego even drive a car. It’s mentioned but idk if he does or not.

It was a normal day in Havenfall. Well, as normal as your life can be. You went into work, saw Razi and JD, worked for awhile, and then Diego walked in for his usual drink.

He walked in and his eyes immediately went searching for you. When he found you, his eyes lit up, but he tried hiding it by looking away as soon as you looked. He loved you a lot, but was still terrible at showing it in public

But not behind closed doors....

He walked over to the bar where Razi greeted him and they both began talking as he fixed his usual. You couldn’t help but stare for a minute. Just looking at Diego. You still didn’t understand why he loved you exactly. You were a human. Someone who had so many problems, but he still loved you. He gave you all of his love and you gave yours in return. You’d only been dating for a few months, but loved each other so much.

You didn’t realize JD snuck up behind you until they whispered in your ear, “ya know what today is?” You jumped and turned around to see JD smiling their shit eating grin and eyes basically glowing. You tried to remember what day it was but couldn’t. It wasn’t anyone’s birthday or anniversary. “Today is Valentines Day!” “And?” I replied to them, trying my best to look annoyed. They tilted their head toward Diego to the point where it looked like their head hurt.

Oh. Right. Today was Valentines Day. You wondered if Diego even remembered it. You didn’t have anything really planned, it was going to be a normal day! You then began to panic a bit. ‘Would he expect something from me?’ you thought. “MC?” Diego asked, looking at you curiously. You shook your head and snapped out of your little anxiety spiral and walked over to them. You sat at the bar and leaned your head against Diego’s shoulder. “I’m fine. Sorry I’m just really tired lately,” you said to him trying to legitimately hold back a big yawn.

Razi and Diego noticed this and they both already looked a little worried. Razi never tried to overwork you, but you always did. He one time even got mad and refused for you to come to work that day and told you to sleep in.

Diego hummed and kissed your head and laid his head on yours. “Well,” he started, “maybe you should go to sleep at reasonable hours.” This started to sound like an ‘I told you so’ moment, but you didn’t say anything. Just rolled your eyes a tiny bit. “You get off early anyways,” Razi said, using his firm, boss voice. The voice he used when he wanted you to just go home and not worry about anything. “So go home and sleep for the love of God,” he said with a laugh at the end. You and Diego couldn’t help but laugh as well.

Diego let out a little sigh and lifted his head off of yours. “I’m sorry, but I have to go to another appointment,” he said with a sad look on his face. You understood that he had an important job, but couldn’t help the little pang of loneliness when he always had to leave. But you shook it off, not trying to seem rude, and smiled and kissed his cheek as he left. As soon as he left, your smile dropped and couldn’t help the sad look that appeared on your face. “He’ll be back soon,” Razi said with a grin, as if he was hiding something. However, you were actually too tired to ask at that point.

It had become 7:00 PM as you finally left the bowling alley and told Razi and JD goodnight. You got into the truck and drove to Diego’s house. You were a little sad because you knew Diego probably wasn’t home yet but you knew he’d be back soon. You drove up to the driveway and, surprisingly, saw Diego’s car. You were surprised but just thought he got off early or the appointment was very short. You got out and went to the door and unlocked it.

You remembered when he gave you a key to his house. It’s very special to you and it always makes a little blush run across your face when you unlock his door. You walked in to see a trail of rose petals in front of you. You were stuck and almost didn’t move. But you eventually followed the trail as it lead to Diego’s bedroom. You walked in and saw an adorable sight.

It was Diego. But he was holding flowers and a small box of chocolates. You gasped and he looked at you with a small smile and a HUGE blush on his face. It even was on his ears and neck. “Diego?” He coughed and walked towards you. “I’ve seen that you have been working a lot harder recently, going to sleep at horrible times and just looking really tired.”

You smiled and let out a small laugh. He wasn’t wrong. You had been a terrible sleeper almost all your life and now it was worse. He lifted his hand and cupped your cheek, you couldn’t help but lean into his soft touch. “And I know Valentine’s Day is for lovers and I wanted you to just remember and know that I love you so much, MC,” he said, his voice trailing off and cracking near the end of it. He sounded happy but also shy at the same time. It was adorable to you. You smiled at him and kissed his palm. Then you wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug.

His arms felt safe and his cologne smelled great to you. He kissed your neck and pulled away and leaned his forehead against yours. “Oh wait,” you suddenly said. “I didn’t get you anything.” Diego laughed and kissed your forehead. “It’s okay. You’ve been stressed enough. Let me take care of you,” he said as he handed you the flowers and chocolate. You smelt the roses and they smelt wonderful. You looked at the chocolates and notice they were your favorite.

‘Dang get yourself a man that knows everything’ you thought. You looked up at him and couldn’t help the way your heart beat fast and just swelled at the affection on his face and everything about him. “Let’s put these up so you can ‘take care of me’,” you said with a smirk on your voice. Diego let out a small ‘oh’ and blushed even harder. You left to go to the kitchen and found a vase and put the flowers in it. You laid the chocolates right next to them and went straight back to Diego. You walked into the bedroom and actually saw him sitting on the bed, waiting for you.

You sighed and began getting undressed for bed and joined him on the bed. You layed on your side and Diego got undressed as well. His arms wrapped around your stomach, his chest against your back, and his head on top of yours. He breathed you in and you couldn’t help but laugh at the sensation. “That tickles,” you said. It just caused Diego to actually do it again. He then kissed your neck and just layed there peacefully with you. It was all you could honestly ask for.

You didn’t need fancy things, fancy dates, money, nice presents. All you really needed, was Diego. Just Diego being himself and surprising you almost everyday and loving you. It was all you needed and you had it everyday. Not just on Valentine’s Day. You closed your eyes and smiled as Diego kissed the top of your head. “I love you, MC. Goodnight.” “I love you, too, Diego.” Your breath evened out and you fell asleep peacefully in the arms of your very own lovely vampire lover.

I hope this was good sorry if not