#SHES NOT THE NORMAL ONE SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP

[operahousebookworm]

I was endeavoring to explain elsewhere why "13yo girls devouring the works of Stephen King" was such a common millennial experience, and I think a big part of it is his novels are ALL interiority. Yeah there's supernatural forces and creepy setpieces and all, but especially in his novels, it's all internal monologue and deep memory and so so much voice. And this is all fascinating as hell when you're just starting to realize there's an adult world out there and trying to sort out how people move through it. (Especially when packaged with the aforementioned horror elements.)

You really see it in the Kubrick film of The Shining vs. the book. The film is about an evil hotel. There's not really a rhyme or reason to why these specific creepy things are happening, they're just creepy and look cool. Its primary vibe is discomfort and there also just happen to be these people here who low-key hate each other. Stans try to talk about how it's all about the psychological effects of isolation but the characters are broken and shut-off from each other from the beginning.

(These people are all ready to draw blood right this second and you cannot convince me otherwise.)

The book, meanwhile, is an absolute masterpiece of interiority, consisting (mostly) of three interweaving internal monologues of very distinct people who desperately want to connect with each other and cannot manage it. Jack loves his wife and adores his kid so goddamn much but he cannot control his rage and addiction, which leaves him constantly trying to make up for things he barely remembers doing. Wendy sees that her son has a special bond with his father that she cannot replicate or share, even though she's been the dependable one taking care of him. She sees herself repeating a pattern from her own upbringing and she hates it so much but she cannot will the jealousy away. Danny sees his parents breaking and wants to fix things, thinks he could fix things if he were either more gifted or more normal. They are all struggling against the forces that shaped them, swimming upstream with everything they have even as they're inexorably pushed toward the sea.

The hotel is merely feeding on them. Not on their anger or paranoia, but on their frustrated and helpless love. The fact that they keep trying to connect and keep getting it exactly wrong is what creates the opportunities for the evil to slip in and amplify those things they all hate about themselves, widening the gaps between them. They refuse to give up on each other, their chapters all show how badly they want to make things work, and that makes the tragedy inevitable.

And I should probably shut up now BUT this is why so many people remember the topiary scene as the most terrifying part of the novel, and why it's not in the movie. Because in the novel it is a sloooooow build of dread as Jack faces their impending isolation and tries to fulfill his duties as caretaker. The wrongness is just lurking at the edges until it starts rapidly closing in, and the increased intensity is Jack working himself into an absolute panic at the thought that if he could just push his limits just a little further and see them all at once, he could render this whole threat harmless. Sure, a thing that only moves when you're not looking at it is scary, but it's terrifying to Jack because the sense of being millimeters shy of your own salvation and still falling short is his whole damage.

And on film it would die completely. Increasingly close-up shots of shrubbery, intercut with a dude losing his entire mind about it, is pure B-movie camp. Small wonder it didn't make it in.

A lot of fiction these days reads as if—as I saw Peter Raleigh put it the other day, and as I’ve discussed it before—the author is trying to describe a video playing in their mind. Often there is little or no interiority. Scenes play out in “real time” without summary. First-person POV stories describe things the character can’t see, but a distant camera could. There’s an overemphasis on characters’ outfits and facial expressions, including my personal pet peeve: the “reaction shot round-up” in which we get a description of every character’s reaction to something as if a camera was cutting between sitcom actors.

When I talk with other creative writing professors, we all seem to agree that interiority is disappearing. Even in first-person POV stories, younger writers often skip describing their character’s hopes, dreams, fears, thoughts, memories, or reactions. This trend is hardly limited to young writers though. I was speaking to an editor yesterday who agreed interiority has largely vanished from commercial fiction, and I think you increasingly notice its absence even in works shelved as “literary fiction.” When interiority does appear on the page, it is often brief and redundant with the dialogue and action. All of this is a great shame. Interiority is perhaps the prime example of an advantage prose as a medium holds over other artforms.

fascinated by this article, "Turning Off the TV in Your Mind," about the influences of visual narratives on writing prose narratives. i def notice the two things i excerpted above in fanfic, which i guess makes even more sense as most of the fic i read is for tv and film. i will also be thinking about its discussion of time in prose - i think that's something i often struggle with and i will try to be more conscious of the differences between screen and page next time i'm writing.

[itendtothinkalot]

the checklist

summary: beomgyu swore he'd never get into a relationship. it’s cringe, it’s stupid. but when he starts getting nervous and flustered around you, his best friend huening kai creates a checklist to figure out if he’s into you.

genre: fluff

characters: beomgyu x f!reader

words: 5.1k

warnings:

a/n: im glad txt's hvg rest but oh i do miss them <3<33

Beomgyu was baffled. Relationships? Love? Please. He’d never been in one, much less fallen for anyone before. The whole concept of being in love sounded like a scam to him—a nightmare wrapped in pink ribbons. The idea of dating someone was even worse. What, he’s supposed to shower them with constant attention? What is this? A puppy adoption program? A full-time babysitting gig? No, thanks.

Every time his friends gushed about their latest romantic escapades—"Oh, we’re going to this cute little café together!" or "We stayed up all night just talking!"—Beomgyu would roll his eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn’t get stuck in the back of his head. He didn’t get it. Why would anyone willingly sign up for this chaos?

But then, you happened. And suddenly, Beomgyu found himself staring at his reflection, wondering when the hell he became one of those people.

“Kai.” Beomgyu tapped his friend's shoulder insistently, desperate for some sort of wisdom. “Kai!” He repeated, louder this time, when his friend blatantly ignored him.

Kai sighed dramatically, pulling off his headphones with the kind of irritation reserved for someone whose game was going so well. “Beomgyu, I’m literally in the middle of a match. Can this wait?”

“Sure,” Beomgyu replied with an unusually calm nod, flopping onto Kai’s bed and staring at the ceiling like he’d just been hit by an existential crisis.

That’s when Kai froze. Something wasn’t right. Beomgyu wasn’t whining, nagging, or hovering over his screen like a bratty sibling waiting for their turn to play. This was weird. Alarm bells went off in Kai’s head.

“Wait…” Kai spun around, yanking his headphones off completely. “You’re not being annoying? You’re not rushing me? What the hell happened?” He plopped down next to Beomgyu, who looked suspiciously… deflated. “Okay, who hurt you?”

“No one.” Beomgyu sighed dramatically, staring at the ceiling as if it held all the answers. “I was just… thinking.”

Kai raised an eyebrow, already suspicious. “You think?”

Beomgyu rolled his eyes and flicked Kai’s forehead without hesitation. “Occasionally. Yes. Shocking, I know.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Kai said, rubbing his forehead with a smirk. “Continue.”

Beomgyu hesitated, then sat up slightly, his voice quieter now. “It’s just… you see… there’s this girl.”

Kai’s eyes lit up, his tone immediately shifting from curious to obnoxiously teasing. “Ooooh, a girl, huh?”

“Shut up.” Beomgyu groaned, shoving him lightly. “It’s not even like that. I don’t like her like that. Or vice versa. Or—whatever. It’s complicated.” He sighed again, the weight of his confusion palpable.

Kai leaned back, crossing his arms with an amused grin. “You sound real upset for someone who doesn’t care.”

“Can you just listen to me for once? Please!” Beomgyu groaned, throwing his hands up in frustration.

“Okay, fine! I’m sorry!” Kai held his hands up defensively. “I’m listening now. Go ahead, Romeo.”

“Thank you.” Beomgyu sighed, running a hand through his hair. “So… there’s this girl.”

Kai smirked. “Yeah, I got that part.”

Beomgyu shot him a warning glare before continuing. “She’s new at the café. Yeonjun told me to, y’know, mentor her on the drinks. So, I’ve been doing that. It’s been a couple of weeks, and, well… she’s just this normal girl. She’s studying at the same school as us, but I think she’s in a different building.”

Kai tilted his head, squinting. “Right. A totally normal girl who you’ve been thinking about so much, she’s made you think.”

Beomgyu let out a long, exaggerated sigh. “And lately… I don’t know. Yeonjun’s been putting our schedules together, and I… I don’t know how to feel about it. Like, all I know is I like working with her. I enjoy being around her. But I hate what this feeling is doing to me. It’s like—what’s the word—annoying.”

Kai raised an eyebrow, leaning back smugly. “Not gonna lie, Beomgyu, it sounds a lot like you kinda… like her.”

“That’s impossible.” Beomgyu threw his hands up in exasperation. “I don’t like anyone. I don’t want to be in a relationship. You know me! I couldn't care less about dating, romance, or whatever nonsense everyone seems obsessed with.”

——

One Month Ago

“And of course, this is Beomgyu,” Yeonjun said with a teasing smirk as he gestured to the tall, ridiculously attractive guy standing in front of you. “Do not be charmed by his good looks—he’s not interested in anyone. Except himself, of course.”

You blinked, gulping down the sudden lump in your throat. Okay, Yeonjun wasn’t lying—this guy was good-looking. Too good-looking. Like, unfairly good-looking. But "off-limits"? Perfect. You weren’t exactly in the market for romance anyway, not with your recent breakup looming over your head like a bad rom-com cliché.

This job was supposed to be your escape—a way to distract yourself from your ex and maybe stop scraping together couch change for instant ramen. A few shifts, some good times, and some side cash—easy, right? Except now, you were standing face-to-face with someone who looked like he belonged on a billboard instead of behind a café counter.

It would be fine. Totally fine. You weren’t interested in him. And according to Yeonjun, he wasn’t interested in anyone. Which meant you had nothing to worry about. Right?

“Hey!” you said with a small smile, offering it to the brooding guy standing before you. But instead of the moody half-nod you were expecting, he returned your smile—a sweet, disarming one that completely threw you off.

Well. Scratch “emo” off your presumptuous first impressions.

“Y’know,” you said, tilting your head curiously, “you look super familiar. Are you from the university across the street?”

Beomgyu’s eyes widened slightly, caught off guard by your question. He nodded quickly. “Uh, yeah! Have you seen me around?”

“No,” you said, grinning as you delivered the punchline, “but I’ve seen the posters…”

Ah, the posters. A wave of embarrassment immediately washed over Beomgyu. Back in his first year, he’d been strong-armed recruited by the university’s marketing team to pose for promotional posters plastered around campus. At the time, the promise of a couple hundred bucks had been too tempting for a broke freshman to pass up. But now? Those same posters felt like his own personal humiliation tour.

“Oh. Those posters,” he mumbled, cheeks reddening as he scratched the back of his neck. “Right. Darn things…”

You laughed—a sweet, melodic sound that tugged at something unfamiliar in his chest. “It’s okay! They turned out great.”

And just like that, you walked away, following Yeonjun into the staff pantry, completely unaware of the tiny earthquake you’d just triggered in Beomgyu’s world.

He stood frozen in place, replaying the interaction in his head. The way your eyes lit up when you spoke to him, like you’d known each other forever. The way your laugh lingered in his ears, soft and warm. The way your hair bounced as you walked, catching the light in a way that felt almost cinematic.

Beautiful. That was the only word his brain could come up with. You were beautiful—too much for him to process, let alone admit. And it wasn’t just how you looked. It was the ease, the effortless charm you carried, like you’d just walked into his life to flip it upside down.

It hit him like a punch to the gut: if he did have a type, you would be it. Except…

He didn’t have a type. He didn’t want a type. He didn’t want to date anyone. Absolutely not.

So why was his heart doing cartwheels in his chest?

——

Present

“You literally like her,” Huening Kai groaned, rolling his eyes so hard it looked like they might stay that way. “Dude, you’re just in denial at this point.”

“I don’t like her!” Beomgyu shot back, glaring daggers at his best friend, hands clenched, this close to shoving Kai off the bed.

“Okay,” Kai said, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Then let’s do a quick little checklist, shall we?”

Beomgyu narrowed his eyes but said nothing.

“How do you feel when she’s this—” Kai leaned in obnoxiously close, practically nose-to-nose with Beomgyu, “—close to you?”

“Uh…” Beomgyu faltered, his face heating up faster than he could come up with a retort.

——

2 Weeks Ago

“Beom, can you pass me the sugar, please?” you asked, glancing up at him.

Standing almost two heads taller than you, Beomgyu had become your unofficial ladder. Need something on a high shelf? Just call Beomgyu. And honestly? He didn’t seem to mind.

Working with him was surprisingly easy. Too easy, actually. Everyone said earning money was tough, but when Beomgyu was around, the shifts flew by, lighthearted banter here and there, and the occasional spilled drink, it was just like kindergarten. 

“Beom?” Beomgyu blinked at the nickname, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. You’d only started calling him that a few days ago, but hearing it felt… weirdly nice.

“Here,” he said, reaching for the sugar. “Just don’t drop it like last time.”

“Hey!” You protested, pouting. “That’s unfair. If I recall correctly, you made me laugh, and that’s why I dropped it. So technically, it was your fault.”

“Oh, so now being charming and funny is my fault?” Beomgyu quipped, a teasing smirk dancing on his face.

“Yes,” you said with a playful nod. “But also, thank you for taking the blame for me.”

“It’s nothing,” he said, handing the sugar container to you. “It's not like Yeonjun can fire me. He needs me more than he thinks.”

Just as you reached for the sugar, your hand brushed against his. It was brief—barely a second—but it sent a jolt through Beomgyu like he’d grabbed a live wire. His grip faltered, and the container slipped from his hands.

“Beomgyu!” you laughed, not realizing that the simple touch had completely short-circuited him.

He mumbled an apology, crouching to pick up the container, but his mind was still reeling. Why was his heart suddenly pounding? Why couldn’t he stop staring at the way your smile lit up the entire room?

You. Your hands brushing against his. Your laugh ringing in his ears. Your eyes meeting his and holding his gaze just a second longer than necessary.

Perfection.

And he hated it. Absolutely hated it. Because it made him feel things he swore he’d never feel. But no matter how much he tried to ignore it, the truth was painfully obvious.

He was in trouble.

——

Present

“It feels… funny,” Beomgyu muttered, struggling to find the right word. But even as he said it, he knew "funny" didn’t even come close to describing what you did to him.

“Funny?” Huening Kai snorted with laughter. “That’s the best you can do? Alright, let’s get into the details. Do you ever... get nervous around her?”

“Does the feeling of needing to take a shit every time she’s near me count?” Beomgyu asked, his brain still scrambling for the right words.

Kai slapped his forehead, groaning. “You’re hopeless.”

——

1.5 Weeks Ago

For the past week, Beomgyu had been stuck opening the café. Normally, Yeonjun handled mornings, but some emergency had left Beomgyu in charge. He hated the added responsibility. But if he was being honest—though he’d never admit it—it also gave him an excuse to tweak the schedule so that your shifts overlapped with his. Taehyun would be okay with working late shifts for 2 weeks, right?

This morning, he found himself nervously fidgeting in front of the shiny coffee machine, using its reflection as a makeshift mirror. Was his hair okay? Maybe the little bit of gel he’d added was too much. Should he spritz on more cologne? No, too obvious.

The café was quiet, only a handful of early-morning customers scattered across tables. The clock ticked toward 9 a.m., and Beomgyu felt his heart rate pick up. Any second now.

And then the door chimed.

“Morning, Beomie!” you called cheerfully, your voice like sunshine cutting through the morning haze.

Beomgyu froze, his breath hitching as he turned to see you. You were radiant. Effortlessly glowing, even in your simple two-piece outfit that hugged you just right. Your smile was enough to knock the wind out of him.

“M-Morning!” he stammered, barely able to string two words together.

You cocked your head at him, a giggle escaping your lips. “You alright there?”

Walking over to the counter, you placed your bag down and grabbed the apron you’d left the night before. Without hesitation, you slipped it on and turned toward him, pulling the strings into your hands.

“Can you help me tie this?”

Beomgyu nodded stiffly, stepping closer. His fingers fumbled with the strings, brushing against the soft skin of your lower back. His heart skipped a beat. Why did she have to wear a crop top today? he thought miserably, trying not to combust on the spot. The warmth of your skin sent shivers racing up his spine.

“Thanks!” you chirped, spinning around to face him. But your brows furrowed as you studied him more closely.

“Gosh, Beomie, are you sure you’re okay?” you asked, leaning in and placing your hands gently on his forehead as if checking for a fever.

The sudden closeness made Beomgyu’s brain short-circuit. His knees felt weak, and his entire body betrayed him, a blush creeping up his neck.

“I—uh—I gotta use the washroom,” he blurted, stepping back awkwardly. “Be right back.”

And before you could respond, he was gone, leaving you to shake your head with an amused smile. Meanwhile, in the restroom, Beomgyu leaned against the sink, staring at his reflection.

“What the hell is happening to me?” he whispered to himself, running a hand through his hair. But deep down, he already knew the answer.

——

Present

“I hate to break it to you,” Huening Kai said, deadpan, “but that literally sounds like you’re in love with her.”

“No! It can’t be that. I’m probably just… sick,” Beomgyu stammered, shaking his head as if that would banish the thought.

Kai raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Oh, so you’re only ‘sick’ when she’s around? Sure, Beomgyu. Totally normal. You’re absolutely fine.” He rolled his eyes so hard it was a wonder they didn’t get stuck.

“I shouldn’t have asked you,” Beomgyu muttered. “Should’ve gone to Soobin. He’s less… devilish.”

Kai smirked, leaning back against the wall. “Oh yeah, Soobin. Because he’d totally never make fun of you. Not at all.”

“You’re right. I need to make new friends.” Beomgyu stood up abruptly, pretending to walk away.

Kai grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “Aww, come on! Don’t be like that. I’m serious. I’m here to help. I can do this, I swear.”

“Kai,” Beomgyu groaned, “I think we should just call it a day.”

“No!” Kai exclaimed, holding up a finger like he’d just cracked the Da Vinci Code. “We’re this close. Once you admit whatever it is you’re avoiding, life will be so much easier. Trust me. I can see the future.”

Beomgyu rolled his eyes. “Don’t be an idiot.”

“Okay, okay, fine. Just answer me one last final question.”

“What?”

“Does your heart… race? When you’re with her?”

——

2 Days Ago

“Choi Yeonjun, you stupid little shit,” Beomgyu muttered under his breath, blowing into his hands to keep warm. Sending him and you to run errands in the middle of winter felt like some kind of cruel prank.

Next to him, you were bundled up in a cozy puffer jacket, scarf, and beanie, your nose red from the cold. Beomgyu had to bite back a grin. You looked like the cutest Pop Mart figurine he’d ever seen.

You pouted, your breath visible in the freezing air. “Why couldn’t Yeonjun be more accurate with the timing? I’m freezing my ass off.”

Beomgyu crossed his arms, scowling. “I’m killing him later.”

You shook your head, a mischievous glint in your eyes. “Or… we could always take revenge.”

Beomgyu’s brows lifted. “Oh, my sweet genius. How?”

You grinned, leaning in conspiratorially. “We can replace all the coffee beans in the grinder with decaf tomorrow morning. Let’s see how Yeonjun functions without caffeine.”

Beomgyu blinked, then burst out laughing. “You’re dangerous. I didn’t realize you were as devious as you are adorable.”

The words slipped out before he could stop them, but you didn’t seem to notice. You just smiled, giggling. “I got it from my mom.”

He laughed along with you, his heart feeling lighter despite the cold.

“Gosh, is it coming yet?” you sighed, your voice trembling. The icy air seemed to suck all the energy from your words.

“Yeonjun said it’ll be here around 3:15,” Beomgyu replied, glancing at his watch. “So… about ten more minutes.”

You groaned, shivering as you wrapped your arms around yourself. “O-okay.”

“Hold on.”

You blinked, watching as Beomgyu walked away without explanation. Confused but not wanting to leave in case the truck arrived, you stayed put, hopping in place to keep warm.

A few minutes later, Beomgyu returned, holding two steaming, foil-wrapped sweet potatoes.

“Here,” he said, handing one to you.

Your face lit up, your smile bright despite the cold. You pressed the warm sweet potato to your face, sighing in relief. “I can’t feel my face.”

Beomgyu chuckled, stepping closer. “Here.” He pressed his own sweet potatoes against your cheeks, squishing them gently. “Better?”

You blinked up at him, your cheeks squished in his hands, making you look even more adorable.

For a brief moment, time seemed to stop. Beomgyu’s heart pounded in his chest as the warmth of your skin and the softness of your smile hit him like a freight train.

Then you reached up, stopping him from pulling his hands away. “Aw, no, come on. Keep them there. I’m freezing.”

Beomgyu’s cheeks burned, and for once, he was grateful for the cold air, it gave him an excuse. But even as he tried to steady his breathing, he could feel it. His heart was racing faster than ever.

——

Present

“I have feelings for her, don’t I?”

Huening popped a chip into his mouth, “I hate to say it but I told you so.”

“Well, what do I do now?”

“You’ve gotta tell her. And after you do, let Soobin know that I’ve officially won the title of Beomgyu’s top best friend this month.”

“And how am I supposed to ask her?”

“Well, just a suggestion, but you could text her?”

“That’s not romantic!” Beomgyu deadpanned.

“Oh, sorry for trying to help. You’re the same guy who once swore he’d never, in a million years, tell a girl she looks pretty because apparently, that’s basically signing up to be chained to a cage like a love-struck animal.”

“That was the old me.”

Huening smirked, popping another chip into his mouth. “Sure, that’s the ‘old you,’ but the new you is in love with her.”

Beomgyu ran a hand through his hair, pacing around the room. “I don’t even know how to start.”

Huening leaned back, watching his best friend spiral. “Well, look at it this way: if you’re already thinking of telling her, you're in the right direction.”

“I want something memorable, you know?” Beomgyu muttered. “Something more… romantic. Something she won’t forget.”

Huening raised an eyebrow. “And you think a dramatic speech in the middle of the cafe is the answer?”

Beomgyu froze. “That... actually might work.”

“Wow, you really are whipped,” Huening said, sarcastically.

“I’m serious! I’ll walk in, tell her how I feel, and let her know how much she means to me. I’m going all in, no holding back,” Beomgyu said, determination lighting up his face.

Huening sighed, shaking his head dramatically. “Alright, but just so you know, you asked me for help. And when she swoons, don’t forget to tell Soobin I won the ‘Best Friend of the Month’ award.”

Beomgyu shot him a deadpan look. “I’ll make it happen. Thanks, Best Friend.”

“Could I get that in writing? You know, so Soobin doesn’t think I’m just making stuff up.”

Beomgyu’s heart pounded in his chest as he thought about it. Texting was out of the question. He’d have to make his feelings known the right way—face-to-face, just like in the movies. He was ready for this.

——

"Okay. You’ve got this, Beomgyu," he muttered to himself, giving himself a thumbs-up. "Just say something smooth... something charming. You’re Beomgyu, the irresistible coffee god. You can do this."

He looked around, making sure no one was watching, then smiled at his reflection in the window.

“Hey, I think you’re really cool, and I like you. Wait—no, that’s too casual. Let me try again.”

He put a hand to his chin dramatically, thinking for a moment.

"How about… ‘I think you're the most beautiful person I’ve ever met and I can’t stop thinking about you.’" He immediately cringed. "Nope, nope. That sounds fucking disgusting."

Just as he was about to try again, a voice from behind him interrupted.

“Dude, just go in,” Yeonjun said, raising an eyebrow as he walked up. He'd been watching from across the street for the past ten minutes, taking in Beomgyu's solo performance with mild amusement (and taking a couple of short videos to fill his stories with).

“Yeonjun! What the hell? You scared me!” Beomgyu jumped, heart leaping into his throat.

“Stop talking to yourself like a loser and just go in already. You’re getting weird looks from the store across us," Yeonjun scoffed. “Also, I’m pretty sure the entire neighborhood has seen your failed rehearsals by now.”

Beomgyu grimaced. “I just don’t want to mess it up, okay? I need to make it perfect.”

Yeonjun rolled his eyes. “You’ve been here for 20 minutes and the only thing you’ve perfected is looking like a robber who's about to rob MY café. Get it together. It’s just a confession. You’re fine, she’s into you. Go!”

Beomgyu shot him a glare. “I’m not a robber, Yeonjun. I’m a man with feelings... and a very fragile ego.”

“Oh, please,” Yeonjun chuckled, pushing him toward the door. “If I had a dollar for every time someone said they were ‘fragile’ before a confession, I could buy this entire block. Just go in there and stop making it a bigger deal than it is.

Beomgyu hesitated for a moment, then turned to face the door of Junnie’s, which was now just a few steps away. He took a deep breath and shot Yeonjun a look that screamed ‘I’m regretting this already.’

“You’re really doing this,” Yeonjun said, an exaggerated smirk on his face. “Alright, Beomie, go make history.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Beomgyu sighed, taking a step toward the door. “I’m going... but if I faint in there, you’re taking the blame.”

With a last nervous glance at Yeonjun, Beomgyu shoved the door open. The bell above it jingled as he walked in, looking like a deer caught in the headlights, and that's when he found you behind the counter, waiting.

“Welcome to Junnie’s! How may I help you—Beomgyu? What are you doing here today?” you laughed, wiping your hands on your apron as you looked up from behind the counter.

Beomgyu leaned against the counter with a grin that could melt the coldest of hearts. “I came here to see you.”

You blinked, trying to process his words. “Me?”

“Yeah, you,” he said, suddenly looking everywhere except at you. His hands were twitching like he was about to do a dance routine.

“Should I be on my break for this?” you asked, genuinely puzzled.

Beomgyu shook his head quickly, as if trying to shake off his nerves. “No, no. It’ll be quick. I think. Probably.”

You chuckled, unable to hide your confusion. “Okay, you’re acting like you’re about to tell me you robbed a bank or something. Is everything alright?”

Beomgyu froze for a second, his eyes wide. “I'm getting rid of this stupid black beanie tomorrow,” he muttered to himself, sighing.

Getting called a robber for the second time today wasn’t exactly on his to-do list.

“Then why are you sweating?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m not sweating!” he replied, wiping his hands on his pants—clearly in denial. “Okay, maybe I'm a little nervous.”

“Why are you nervous?” You genuinely didn’t understand, your head tilting to the side in bewilderment. “You’ve literally seen me like... a hundred times.”

“I just—” Beomgyu paused, and the silence between you two felt like forever. “Okay, maybe more than a hundred... but—”

“So, you’ve been nervous about seeing me a hundred times?” you asked, trying to piece it together.

“Definitely not,” Beomgyu said quickly, then muttered, “Well, kind of...”

“Okay, I’m lost,” you said, eyes wide, still trying to figure out why he was so flustered.

Beomgyu nodded, “Well…this is gonna be awkward, and I’m not really sure how to do this or what I’m supposed to say because I don’t want to ruin things between us—but, well, here it is.”

You immediately put your hands up, practically begging for mercy. “Oh, no, please don’t say it. Don’t say you’re not interested in me or anything like that, please.”

Beomgyu froze, looking absolutely panicked. “Huh?”

“Listen,” you said, starting to pace behind the counter like you were preparing for some dramatic monologue. “If you’re going to let me down easy, you don’t have to say anything. I know you’re not really into relationships, and I totally get it, okay? You’re the independent type. I respect that. Honestly, I wasn’t planning on doing anything crazy with my feelings. It’s all good, you don’t have to worry about me.”

Beomgyu’s face went from confused to deeply distressed. His eyes were wide, and his shoulders slumped as if someone had just stolen his favorite hoodie. “Wait, what? No! No, that’s not what I came here to say! I—”

You sighed dramatically, crossing your arms. “I mean, it’s okay. Yeonjun told me you weren’t interested in relationships. And hey, it’s fine. I’ll just stay in my lane and respect that you want to focus on… I don’t know… life, or being a free spirit or whatever. Like, I get it. I’m totally cool.”

Beomgyu blinked, frozen in place for a second, like you’d just dropped a bombshell on him. He quickly stepped forward, eyes wide with determination. “Hold on! That’s not— I’m not saying what you think!”

You narrowed your eyes, trying to suppress a smile. “Really? Because I’m getting the vibe you’re not, you know, in the relationship market. Like, at all.”

He inhaled deeply, as if trying to muster all his courage to say the right thing. “I swear, I came all the way down here to tell you something completely different. Look, if I’m being honest, I… I really like you. Like, really, really like you.”

Your jaw dropped. You were completely taken aback. “You… You like me?” you stammered, suddenly feeling all kinds of flustered.

Beomgyu nodded, looking at you like you were the most beautiful person in the entire world. “Yeah. I do. A lot. Like, so much that it’s kinda scary sometimes, but also really exciting. I’m not great with words and I’ve never been good at this, but… I want to try. I know I said that I’m not interested in relationships but I don’t know…with you it just seems easy. I like you. And I want to figure out whatever this is with you, if you’ll let me.”

There was a moment of silence, your heart racing from the sheer intensity of his words. And then, like a switch flipped, you couldn’t help but laugh, shaking your head in disbelief. “Wow, so all this time I was thinking I had to keep my feelings to myself..”

Beomgyu flushed red, looking both nervous and utterly adorable. “Well…you’re different.”

You leaned across the counter, smiling, as you finally met his eyes. “So, wait… does this mean you’re actually asking me out? Like, for real?”

Beomgyu’s face lit up, nodding expectantly, “ Yes. I want to take you out. If you’ll let me.”

You grinned, your heart doing little flips. “Well, that’s a relief, because you’ve been driving me crazy. And I was starting to think I was gonna have to ask you out first. But of course, I wouldn’t, y’know, the whole off-the-market thing did catch me off guard at first.”

Beomgyu raised an eyebrow, smirking. “Oh? And why’s that?”

“Well, a cute guy like you—who’s charming and funny—charms my ass off and apparently is off the market. Huge bummer, no?” You leaned forward slightly, making your playful tone even more obvious, but a hint of real affection crept through.

Beomgyu chuckled, his smile wide and warm. “Well, you’re in luck, because I’m officially back on the market.”

Your smile widened even more. “Hopefully not for long,” you teased, winking at him. “I’m a go-getter.”

“Oh really?” Beomgyu’s grin was teasing as he leaned just a little bit closer, eyes locked with yours. “Weren’t you the one who just said you’d respect it if I wanted to be independent?”

Your chest tightened, the playful back-and-forth somehow turning into something more serious. “Do you?”

He took another step forward, practically in your personal space now. His voice softened, but the warmth in his eyes was undeniable. “Not if it means I can’t go out with you.” 

You felt the space between you both shrink with every second. He was so close now that you could feel the heat radiating off him, his breath just barely brushing your skin. The intensity of the moment wrapped around you both as your eyes flickered between his lips and his eyes, unsure whether it was the right moment to do what he wanted to.

Then, just as Beomgyu’s hand was hovering almost instinctively near your arm, his head slightly tilting to get a better angle, the door to the café swung open with a sharp "ding!" and Yeonjun walked in, looking around casually until his eyes landed on the scene unfolding in front of him.

“Oh no, no, no,” Yeonjun groaned loudly, immediately striding over. “Beomgyu, you’re not even supposed to be here. It’s not your shift. You’re killing the vibe. Like, really killing it.” He grabbed Beomgyu by the shoulder and pulled him away, literally lifting him off the ground as if he were a rag doll. “C’mon, man. Move it. You’re ruining the whole romantic café ambiance with all this sexual tension. Get outta here.”

Beomgyu sputtered, his face going bright red. “I wasn’t— I mean, we were—”

“Yeah, I know exactly what you were doing,” Yeonjun interrupted, giving him a smirk. “And I’m putting an end to it before things get too heated in here. Don’t think I didn’t see those looks. You two are about two seconds away from having an impromptu makeout session right in front of all the customers.” He turned to you with a grin. “No offense, but you’re about to turn this café into something disgusting, and I can’t handle that right now.”

“There’s only one customer!” 

“And he has two eyes!” 

You tried to hide your grin but failed miserably as you watched Beomgyu attempt to protest while being dragged out. “Fine, fine, I’ll go,” Beomgyu grumbled. “But you’re not getting rid of me for good.” He shot you one last flirty smile before Yeonjun practically shoved him out the door.

You stood there, stunned and flustered, trying to regain your composure as the moment you thought might just happen slipped away. As Beomgyu’s laughter faded down the street, you couldn’t help but feel a flutter in your chest. Yeonjun shot you an apologetic look. “I know, I know, I’m a buzzkill. But don’t worry. Knowing how annoying he is, he’ll probably be back in a couple of minutes.”

You shook your head, grinning despite yourself. “He’s lucky you stopped him, or I’d have kissed him right there.”

Yeonjun’s grin was full of mischief. “Why do you think I stopped the both of you?”

[ssentimentals]

mingyu + confession

mingyu is a good guy (self-proclaimed, but still). he's well-mannered, friendly, kind and attentive. he is nice, okay? he helps elderly people cross roads or carries their heavy stuff for them, holds doors for others and always slows down when he walks behind a woman in a dark alley. he is nice and nice guys don't get jealous, as far as he knows. nice guys are self assured enough to not feel sharp pangs of jealousy in their hearts and if they do, then they are smart enough to not let it show. see, mingyu is a nice guy, but he's failing miserably in the whole 'not getting jealous' part.

'if looks could kill...' seungkwan sing-songs and then chokes on his drink, when mingyu elbows him hard in the stomach. 'ouch, you fucker!'

'hush, you two.' seungcheol hisses at them. 'what's your problem?'

'it's all mingyu, he has a problem, not me!' seungkwan whispers and quickly shuts up, when professor pointedly clears his throat and sends them a glare.

mingyu, for his part, can't even deny it. he does have a problem. his problem is sitting four rows below and is leaning way too close to you for it to be considered normal. his hair hand (god, why is this guy so hairy?) reaches out and caresses your back in a soothing gesture - mingyu almost breaks his pencil in two. why is he touching you like that? what did you say to him? he chews on his bottom lip, not listening to the lecture at all; he's more occupied with your apparently new friend. you never introduced him before, why? who is he?

'dude, i don't know what's your problem, but can you stop bouncing your knee like that?' his groupmate says, frowning. 'it's annoying.'

oh. mingyu blushes and apologizes, looking down. he didn't even notice that he did it. gripping his knee, he looks up to see you giggling quietly with the guy and his other knee bumps on the desk, making everyone startle. shit. 'sorry, sorry.' mingyu mutters, when everyone on his row sends him unimpressed glares.

the thing - mingyu knows what's his problem is. well, if to narrow down his total list of problems to the most pressing ones then he will have two points in the list. one - your new touchy and hairy friend. two - his inability to confess his undying love to you. mingyu chances a look at you again and almost pukes at the sight: 'he is hugging her!' he whispers frantically to seungkwan, clutching his hand.

seungkwan, as a good friend, instantly forgets about his notes and looks up. sighs. turns to mingyu with raised eyebrow: 'he stretched his arm out. that's not hugging. if that is hugging then he is also hugging wonwoo.' seeing how mingyu is about to argue, seungkwan raises his one hand, silencing him: 'you either stop being a coward and confess or shut up and don't whine.'

'boo seungkwan and kim mingyu!' professor roars and that's the end of the conversation, which leaves mingyu with a crushing desire to set something on fire.

=+=

that desire doesn't go away on the next day and stays strong in his chest for following days too. it's a busy season: mindterms make everyone miserable and busy, so mingyu sees you only once in a passing. it's enough to make him feel like he's some plant that needs sunshine without which it's going to die - yeah, mingyu is aware how bad he has it for you.

'just text her, loser.' jeonghan says, exasperated.

'what if she thinks i'm annoying? i already texted her at lunch,' mingyu whines, genuinely wanting to cry from how complicated this whole thing with you is for him. 'we only recently got close, i can't bombard her with texts all the time.'

'mingyu, she knows you're annoying,' wonwoo comments and before mingyu can throw a pillow at him, he adds: 'and she still is your friend, so rest assured she has no problems with your annoying ass.'

'but this is different!' mingyu whines even louder, frustrated that no one seems to get him. how they can be so non-chalant about this?

'it can be different if you finally man up and ask her out.' jeonghan points out kindly. 'until then it's just a dialogue between two friends.'

mingyu has two problems and while he can do nothing about the living and breathing hairy one (aka your new friend), he knows he can solve the second one with just one question. but it's so hard and no one seems to understand it. no one knows how high stakes are, no one knows that if you reject him and cut him off, mingyu will literally feel like he's missing a limb. no one knows what a special place you hold in his heart, how just your mere existence is enough to make him happy. no one knows that he never felt this way about anyone in his life and that's also what makes it all scary.

'you don't know what she means to me,' mingyu whispers.

wonwoo reaches out to pat his shoulder reassuringly. 'and we don't have to, gyu. but you know who does? her.'

jeonghan nods. 'tell her. she deserves to know.'

mingyu thinks that you deserve the world, not his silly confession, but he keeps his mouth shut.

=+=

turns out your new hairy friend is a foreigner and mingyu knows these guys are hundred times cooler than him, so yeah. he's not in the best mood. 'you're going with him on a date?' he asks, when you both finished your study session for upcoming midterm.

'huh?' you look tired and mingyu barely resists the urge to hug you tight. 'i think we're going to the cafe? then maybe cinema.'

'so. a date.' mingyu doesn't mean to spit it out in such tone but he can't help himself.

you stop, frowning. 'not a date, gyu. i'm just helping him settle down, you know he's not from here.'

he nods. he knows, of course. only he doesn't understand or he doesn't want to; mingyu is kind of sick of being the good guy who is never angry and understands every single thing. 'still sounds like a date,' he presses on. 'if it's just you two.'

'two more girls will come,' you comment, fully turning to him. 'what's gotten into you?'

you, he wants to say. instead his mind catches up with your answer and he breathes out in relief: 'not a date then.'

'my god, yes. not a date.' you then raise your eyebrow: 'and if it were? a date? what of it?'

mingyu is so, so sick of being a good guy. 'i wouldn't have liked it,' he answers in a surprisingly steady voice. 'i think jealousy would've killed me.'

he watches as understanding dawns on you: your eyes widen and mouth opens up in surprise. there's hopeful expression on your face and maybe mingyu misreads it, but he still dives in: 'i like you. and i'm saying 'i like you' because i don't wanna scare you with what actually i feel for you, which is much much closer to falling in love territory. i think-' he takes a deep breath. 'i think you're amazing. brilliant, even. i want you to be mine in all ways that you'll let me have you.'

mingyu thinks you deserve the world and his silly confession. jeonghan was right - it does feel much lighter once heavy words leave the confines of his chest. you look like you're about to cry and he steps closer, cradling your face in his hands. 'i don't deserve your tears,' he mutters. 'please don't-'

'then don't make me cry, idiot.' you slap his chest, laughing. 'it's all your fault.'

mingyu leans in. 'but good tears, right?'

you nod. 'yeah. i like you too, by the way. also in the falling in love territory.'

mingyu smiles. if he felt relieved before then now he feels like he's about to burst from happiness. 'good.' he says. 'i'm gonna kiss you now, alright?'

the smile you gift him makes his knees weak. 'please do.'

you don't have to ask him twice.

a/n: sorry for getting carried away with this request but i do hope you will like it! - nini <3

more seventeen works are HERE

[just-dreaming-marvel]

Love That Burns ~ Ending 2 ~ 57

LOVE THAT BURNS MASTERLIST

< previous chapter

Word Count: 2,835ish

Summary: Wade, Laura, and Logan take care of you despite you feeling like a burden.

Notes: Next update will not be until Jan. 19th at the earliest. Thanks for understanding. Please share reactions! Please remember to review the timeline posted here.

Reminder: I DO NOT do taglists. Please don’t ask. Please follow and interact! I appreciate any reblogs, likes, comments, and asks!

After your brief words to Logan, the pain overtook you again and you fell back unconscious. When it was Laura’s turn to take care of you, Logan made sure that the door was shut behind him. He knew that the two of you needed your privacy. Laura’s tears started as she sat next to your bed and took your hand.

“I can’t lose you, mom,” Laura sobbed. “I’ve lost everyone else… I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”

“Always,” you rasped, still groggy but at least waking up. “You're my daughter… can’t stay mad at you for long…”

“Mom! I’ve been so worried… so scared.”

“I know, kiddo… but I’m here.” You gave her hand the best squeeze you could muster.

“How are you feeling?”

“Like hell,” your laugh fell flat.

Laura didn’t find it funny one bit, her face falling more. “There’s got to be something that we can do… Something that will make this easier.”

“Cassandra told me that Charles’ seizures affected my mutation… she said that there was something that she could do about it but refused to help… She’s dead now and I can’t go back to the mansion to get Charles’ help.”

“I can’t… I can’t lose you… I can’t stand by and watch your mutation kill you like dad’s did.”

“Laura… Listen to me. No matter what happens, you continue down the path that you are on. Do not become what they made you to be… Promise me.”

She nodded. “I promise, mom.”

“Good… Now… I really need some more pain meds.”

~~~

Logan had locked himself in the bathroom after leaving your room. His mind was swirling with memories of his version of you, of the events of the last day or so, and of the information that your Logan’s adamantium bones had poisoned him. 

Would he be dealt the same fate?

Or would he be cursed to watch you deal with a similar fate?

And would he be strong enough to deal with any of what happened? He wasn’t strong enough the first time when things got hard. He only made things harder. Splashing his face with some water, Logan met his own gaze in the mirror. He could do this. Be this person. Be better than he had been for his you. Be better for Laura and Wade. Logan couldn’t let the people who trusted him down again. He sighed before heading out to the living room.

“Still writing?” Logan grumbled as he saw Wade lounging on the couch with his laptop.

“Nope,” Wade responded, “just trying to beat your ass in saving the day.”

“What?”

“I’m going to find someone who can help cure our Little Flame. The normal people are out of the question since she can’t go near the mansion, so I’m searching for someone else.”

Logan’s log strides took him quickly to sit beside Wade and look at his screen. “What have you found?”

“Nothing and no one. I’m thinking we may need to take a travel through the Multiverse to find a way to help her.”

“We can’t just go from universe to universe without knowing what we’re lookin’ for.”

“We’re looking for a telepath,” Laura stated, heading into the kitchen. 

“How do you know?”

“My mom’s awake. She told me.”

Wade and Logan rushed down the hallway and burst into your room. You winced at how loud they were.

“Buttercup!” Wade exclaimed.

“Wade, Logan,” you greeted.

“How are you feeling?” Logan asked, stepping closer.

“Fine… Laura’s getting me meds and I’m afraid I’m going to need more burn cream than I have.”

“Oh! Nose goes!” Wade announced, placing a finger on his nose. “Ha! Looks like Peanut has to go!”

“What the fuck was that?” Logan wondered, completely confused. “You can’t just put your finger on your nose like a child and—“

“Why don’t both of you go?” You interrupted. “Laura can take care of me just fine. Besides, we all need some food.”

“Yeah! Just me and my Peanut, running errands!” Wade exclaimed, clapping excitedly.

You went to laugh, but it quickly turned into a whine at the pain. You noticed the shift in the men immediately, both ready to jump in and help you. 

“I’m fine,” you told them. “Go. Laura’s got this.”

“We’ll be back before you know it,” Wade said before skipping down the hall. Logan lingered in the doorway. “Come on, Peanut!”

“Go, Logan. Your boyfriend’s waiting. I’ll be fine.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Logan grumbled, following after Wade.

Laura came into the room with a water bottle and a variety of meds. She came over and sat on the bed. She carefully helped you sit up against a bunch of pillows. 

“I can do the rest,” you said, shakily reaching for the pills. You took them and threw them down your throat before Laura handed you the water bottle. “I hate this… Laura, I’m going to need your help to get to the bathroom.”

“Okay.” 

Laura took the water bottle, setting it aside before carefully helping you to your feet. You leaned heavily on her as she guided you to the bathroom. She helped you inside and you gripped the counter.

“I can handle it from here,” you told her.

“Are you sure?” She asked. “I don’t mind—“

“I’ll call you if I need anything.”

Laura sighed before leaving the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. You took care of business before using the counter to get you up and wash your hands. You stared at yourself in the mirror. You could see the burns that littered the skin that you could see. Slowly, you pulled your shirt up and quietly gasped. Your torso was burnt badly. There was no stopping the tears. 

You absolutely hated this. You hated how your powers were failing you and you didn’t know how to stop it. You hated how your skin was quickly becoming more scarred than ever before and how weak you were becoming. But what you hated most was that you were becoming a burden to Laura and your friends. You couldn’t hold back the sob that erupted from deep inside you. Your body gave out, proving how weak you still were, and you collapsed to the floor.

“Mom?” Laura sounded very concerned from the other side of the door. “Are you okay? Do you need any help?”

“No,” you quickly said, trying to calm yourself. “I’m fine!”

You knew that Laura didn’t believe you, but you were thankful that she didn’t push anymore. You grabbed a nearby towel and wadded it up before placing it against your mouth to try to drown the sobs.

Laura sat against the wall opposite of the bathroom as she listened to your sobs. Her own tears gathered. Leaning her head back against the wall, Laura closed her eyes and allowed herself to feel all the swirling emotions inside of her. She snapped to attention the moment she smelt smoke. Without a word, Laura barged into the bathroom to find you curled up on the floor, towel against your mouth, and small flames forming around your body.

“Mom! Please, you’ve got to calm down,” Laura begged as she knelt beside you. She pulled the towel from your grip before you could set it on fire before she grabbed your hands, ignoring the burning sensation that ran through her own. “Mom, breathe with me. In… Out…”

“I—I—I need… to… cool… down…” You stammered while trying to catch your breath.

“How do I do that?” Laura asked.

“The… tub…”

Laura moved quickly. She turned the cold water on and plugged the tub before helping you into it. Neither of you care that you were still wearing your clothes. Laura held tightly to your hand as the two of you waited for the cold water to help you. 

“I’m sorry,” you cried quietly. “I’m sorry.”

“No, mom, don’t apologize,” Laura shook her head. 

“You shouldn’t have to take care of me… you shouldn’t have to lose another parent like this…”

“You took care of me and you didn’t even have to. I’m not going anywhere.”

~~~

“So I’m thinking we head to the TVA and see what we can dig up there on a nearby telepath,” Wade planned as he and Logan carried the groceries up the stairs. “I don’t care what universe or time we need to go, we are finding a telepath.”

“Let’s just focus on getting Y/N feelin’ better before we plan another visit to the TVA,” Logan muttered, opening up the door of your apartment. He immediately could sense that something happened. He dropped the grocery bags and raced down the hall, only to find you in the tub with Laura sitting beside it. “What happened?”

“She broke down and over heated,” Laura explained. “She fell asleep and I couldn’t get myself to move her. The water is keeping her cool and helping soothe the burns.”

“I’ll move her to the bed. Grab her a new set of clothes and Wade—“

“I’ve already got the burn cream and bandages!” Wade shouted.

Laura nodded as she gave your hand a squeeze before going to get you a new set of clothes. Logan found a towel and crouched down next to the tub. He laid the towel over his lap then reached down and pulled you out of the tub. A whine slipped through your lips.

Logan quickly shushed you. “I’ve got you, Y/N,” he said softly. “Go back to sleep. We’ll take care of ya.”

He wrapped the towel around you and tried to dry you off the best he could. Laura came back with a new set of clothes for you and Logan gently set you on the ground, leaning against the wall.

“I’ll let you change her,” he said. “Let me know when you’re done and I’ll carry her back to bed.”

~~~

When you woke up to full consciousness, you were back in bed, changed, and bandaged up. Your door was open and no one was in your room, though you could hear them down the hall in the living area. Doing a quick check of your body, you still felt achy but it was better than before. You pushed yourself up and moved your legs over your bed. Unsteadily, you got to your feet and carefully headed out into the hall. Once you were there, you used the walls to help you get out to the living area where you found Blind Al sitting on the couch with Laura, the two quietly discussing something and Wade and Logan bickering in the kitchen. You noticed that your kitchen was a mess as the two of them worked to make something.

“What is going on out here?” You finally spoke up. Everyone’s head snapped in your direction.

“What are you doing out of bed?” Logan asked as he rushed over.

Laura was at your side in an instant, her arm around you to hold you up. “You should be resting,” Laura scolded. 

“I’m feeling a bit better,” you insisted. “And I heard all this commotion out here. What is going on?”

“I’m making dinner and baking a cake!” Wade exclaimed, still working away in the kitchen.

“Sure doesn’t smell editable,” Althea retorted. “Smells like shit.”

You huffed out a laugh before wincing. Laura and Logan were immediately on alert.

“Okay, enough,” Logan said. “You’re going back to bed.”

“No,” you shook your head, “My healing factor is kicking in. I can sit on the couch.”

“Mom,” Laura whispered, giving you a pleading look. “Please go lay back down.”

“She doesn’t have a choice,” Logan stated, sweeping you off of your feet and carrying you down the hall.

“Logan!” You squealed, smiling and laughing. 

It lifted everyone’s spirits to hear that sound. You felt at safe—almost home—in Logan’s arms as he carried you back to bed. You smiled up at Logan as he set you down, a brief moment you forgot about everything, including that the man touching you was not your husband. Suddenly, your face fell and you flinched away as your mind caught up with reality. Logan was not your Logan. He was not your husband. Logan noticed the quick shift.

“What’s wrong?” He asked.

“Nothing,” you shook your head, fighting back the tears. “I’m just tired.”

Logan didn’t believe that you were telling him the whole truth. “Well, Wade and I are almost done with dinner.”

“Okay.” Your eyes were focused on your hands as they messed with the blanket.

He dipped his head to try to catch your eye but you avoided it. “Are you sure there’s nothin’ wrong?”

“Let me know when you’re done with dinner.”

Logan let out a grunt, studying you for a few more seconds before leaving the room. 

~~~

You were back to work a week later, despite Laura and Logan’s wishes. Wade was on your side, telling everyone that his favorite superhero was strong enough to handle anything. You were beginning to feel added pressure of Wade’s belief in you along with everything else you were still feeling. Despite it being summer, you wore long sleeves to constantly cover the scars that now littered your body more than you had ever had before.

Laura, Logan, and Wade could see that things were still weighing heavily on you. Each of them did what they could for you, though you often insisted that you were fine and could handle everything. You were pushing their help away, embarrassed that you need to rely on them so much.

One night, you came home late do to a closing shift. Logan could hear you from where he was waiting up in his apartment. He had made it a habit to listen for you on your late shifts. He quickly went to the door and peeked his head out to see you struggling to open the door due to your hands trembling and new burns on them.

“What happened?” Logan asked, taking quick strides over to you.

“Nothing,” you shook your head, focusing on getting the door open. “I’m fine.”

“Your hands are burnt.”

You pushed the door open, causing it to slam against the wall. You were thankful that Laura was sleeping over at a friends house so that you didn’t have to worry about her see you like this tonight. You marched inside, with Logan close behind. He gently closed the door and took note to take care of the hole that the doorknob had made in the morning.

“Y/N, we need to take care of your hands,” Logan said quietly.

“We don’t need to do anything,” you retorted, focusing on anger out of all your swirling emotions. “I can take care of myself just fine. I’ve been doing it for years.”

“Yes, but you don’t need to. I can—“

“I don’t even know you!” You spun around to face him. Your hands clenched as flames threatened to take over. “You look like my James— my husband, but you’re not him. You have a different life, a different set of memories. You have a different me!” Tears began to sizzling down your heated cheeks. “I don’t even know what fully happened between the two of you but you seem to know my whole life story. I don’t need your pity and I don’t need to be your replacement and you don’t deserve to be mine. We can be friends, that’s fine, but I don’t need you stepping in to take care of me all the time! You’re not my husband!”

“Y/N, I’m—“

“Leave me the fuck alone!”

Logan’s hands came up in surrender as flames engulfed your fists. “Okay, okay, just please take a deep breath. I— I’ll go, just please, stop. Stop the flames. Don’t hurt yourself anymore, please.”

“Then get out!”

Logan hesitated for a moment, but he could see the seriousness and heartbreak in your eyes. You wanted to be alone and him being here right now would only make things worse. With slow steps, he turned and left the apartment, but he couldn’t get himself to move away from the door.

You were right in some of your words. Logan wasn’t your husband, but he wasn’t trying to be. He was just trying to help you like friends do. You also had a point that he definitely knew more of your story than you knew of his. Logan just hated to talk about his past. It brought him to a place he couldn’t handle. But maybe you deserved to know that you weren’t a replacement to him. 

Logan sighed as he heard your sobs through the door. There was no way he was going back to his apartment tonight, even with it just next door. He still didn’t know what happened to you before you got home and you were clearly not in a good place mentally. He leaned against the door and slid down to the ground.  He couldn’t leave you alone. He would wait until either Laura returned or you decided to leave the apartment. 

next chapter >

[shigarakisstalker]

hardcore launches with the boys

in which neither of you take a… soft approach, to announcing your secret relationship

todoroki didn’t expect for it to go the way it did. it was a normal training day when suddenly he turned only to see you straight on your back, air knocked out of you from the move bakugo had just pulled on you. he lost his shit.

suddenly there he was, right next to you as bakugo found himself as a human ice cube. he gently pulled you up and dusted you off.

“you okay, love?” he gently placed his hand on your cheek.

“shoto, while i appreciate the gesture,” you slowly pushed his hand down, “we’re in training and it’s bound to happen. you can’t ice anyone just because they’re doing their assignment.”

“i know, but i dont care. you’re my girlfriend nobody has the right.” he simply shrugged.

a few gasps were heard, they turned their heads to find an unintended audience. the entire class.

“you’re together?!” everyone yelled.

“HALF AND HALF BASTARD!”

◡̈

bakugo wasn’t exactly discrete, especially when it was agreed you guys weren’t going to hide it anymore. it was a nice sunday morning when he came down,

only to see you wearing his favorite shirt and sweatpants that had been missing for days.

there you sat next to mina and tsu, they took took notice of the shirt but decided not to say anything.

that was until mina couldn’t hold it anymore, “aren’t those bakugos clothes?” you looked down, taking notice that you forgot to change before coming down, “uhhh-”

“yeah, aren’t those my fucking clothes?” you heard from behind you. you jumped up and darted for an escape, only to be grabbed by the hips and pinned to his front.

“you know i’ve been looking for my shit for days now, right?” he whispered in your ear.

you wordlessly shook your head, words gone and heart beating a million times a second. he knew exactly how to get a rise out of you.

your cheeks flushed as he turned you around to face him, before he could see your face you quickly shoved your face in his chest.

he chuckled, “you’re so fucking lucky you’re pretty.”

“EEEEKKKK!” they both looked over to see mina and both squads starring at them with wide eyes, “YOU GUYS ARE DATING?!”

◡̈

sero would do it in a funny way, you’d be arguing about some stupid shit in the common room. you, mina, and jirou would be ripping their asses for doing some dumb shit.

the girls were too heated to even realize you were yelling at sero, except for kaminari and kirishima.

they looked at you both strangely, which caught the attention of the girls. and shortly enough it was only you yelling at sero.

“you’re so fucking dumb! i swear you give me a headache every single goddamn day, yet i-” you were soon cut off by lips touching yours gently, all anger seemed to diminish and your brain went fuzzy.

when you both pulled away his hands still remained on your face, “y’know you’re so pretty when you’re angry?

“oh my god?!”

◡̈

denki would find it fun to mess with everyone, he’d go on and on about this mystery girlfriend.

“she’s soooo pretty”

“i want her so bad right now”

“she thinks i’m funny”

“guys where should i take her for dinner?” he whispered, hoping not to attract your attention from the girls.

“SHUT THE FUCK UP DUNCE FACE WE KNOW SHES NOT REAL!” bakugo screamed, getting everyone’s attention.

“YES SHE IS!” denki yelled back.

“THEN WHO WHOM?” he paused, “HM?”

“me.”

everyone snapped their head towards you, full of shock.

you lazily walked over to him and wrapped your arms around his neck from behind, laying a small kiss on his cheek.

“WHAT?!”

◡̈

kirishima would do it completely on accident while admirning you.

everyone was stuck on their own task of the day, beating their opponents ass.

you specifically were never one to back down, something kirishima absolutely adored about you. you were a hardass and stubborn as a mule, sometimes biting him in the ass.

you were now going up against mina, and odds weren’t in her favor, bless her soul. you were a tough girl. and as of right now you had her in a chokehold on the ground.

kirishima stood there in awe.

not because his friend was getting her ass beat, but because his girlfriend was so, manly.

“damn, that’s my girlfriend.”

everyone snapped their heads to him,

“what.”

◡̈

midoryia wasn’t very sneaky about it in the first place.

so when the class woke up one sunday and found you two cuddling on the couch after a failed movie night, it really was no surprise.

instead of being abrupt and waking you guys up (like bakugo offered) they layer a blanket on the top of you two. nicely and gently.

“they’re a cute couple.” tsu commented.

“oh for sure,” sato started, “they’re both hard working and very very sweet.”

“this is unacceptable on school property though-”

a joint “shut up iida” ensued.

[seneon]

i need you to PLEASE write grunge dabi who falls in love with the reader who works at hot topic (who also has scene fashion style.) i would eat that up so fucking bad omggg

★ TURQUOISE STRIPES ( GRUNGE¡DABI )

the moment dabi walked into hot topic a few months ago after changing neighbourhoods, he knew he was done for when his turquoise eyes are set upon a hot topic worker who seemed to be arguing with a child that looks a tad bit out of place in the store.

he saunters over with confidence in his footsteps while listening to the little argument. when he chimes in, he walks with the child, supporting the little boy in the argument. and that made you hate him, even if he is one devastatingly handsome grunge boy who just wants to get a new belt from hot topic.

now, scene emo girls aren't unknown in his old neighbourhood. he's seen a few of them, they're just not as expressive or confident as you are. your presence pops out and shine in this world.

you're out here, cool hair and tight little off-shoulder top, a pair of denim jeans, striped kneehigh socks, converse that seemed to be well taken care of compared to dabi's own converse, and millions of uncountable accessories stick to your hair and clothing.

it's safe to say, dabi is in absolute awe the first time he saw you. falling in love at first sight, they all said. yet he's so shit at expressing it that he unintentionally made you hate his poor soul.

heaven forbid the grunge boy to leave you alone now that he learned you work here part-time every day after school at 4PM. he has all the time in he world, yet he chooses to visit hot topic only during the time you'd work.

every single tantalising days where you'd take a few moments of the hour to gaze into his turquoise eyes that seemed to stand out more than all the dull colours on his face. his scars didn't terrify you apparently. you're curious to how he gets all of them.

when you thought he'd shut you out because you're crossing a line, he sits down at the across you at the reception and tells you a story of how he gets each scars, even surprisingly letting you run your soft, gentle fingers through.

and it slipped out so normally, considering how you hate him and his annoyingly teasing his presence is.

"i like your eyes."

nothing's new with the teasing that comes after it. though, it tugs at his heartstrings when his favourite scene emo girl tells him she likes his eyes. it felt like a dream that is slowly coming through, something like those tarot girls that manifested their desired man to love them back.

in his teasing smirk, there lies an undertone of an appreciative smile, hidden along with a blush under his scars.

"what, you gonna make it the colour of your hair?" dabi asked when it has all gone silent, and you nod, making him shoot his head at you who currently restocks the shelf behind the counter. "wait, seriously??"

"yeah. i like the colour of your turquoise eyes. might as well make it my next hair stripes," you replied, and he swore you're smiling to yourself as you restocked, back turned to him with your cheeks are red and rosy.

dabi couldn't help but feel like a lovesick fool. he can't wait to see your hair dyed in his eye colour.

© SENEON 2025 ♱ do not repost, alter, or translate.

[fancyfeathers]

Yandere Batfam w/ Wife/Mother!Darling & Daughter/Sister!Darling

So even when Daughter!Darling gets older one of the punishments they still use is making her share or sleep in one of her sibling’s rooms so they can have eyes on her at all times. Most of the time it is Tim or Cassandra, they all are fairly gentle with her and do not overreact to situations most of the time in case she needs to get up in the night.

Damian has too hard of a time to be calm or gentle when he gets upset with her.

Dick gets way to clingy in his sleep, like to the point where she can’t move in the night because he practically squeezing her like a teddy bear, but if she gets sent to Blüdhaven when she has really messed up and has to stay with Dick that is just how it is, though it is better when Barbara is over because she is the one with her arms around her boyfriend’s sister and Dick’s arms are over them both with Daughter!Darling in between them.

Jason gets too many nightmares, dying and being brought back is a traumatic experience he has not fully recovered from and he does not want her to see that side of him.

Stephanie rolls around too much in the night, plus she is almost as clingy as Dick.

Then Duke is a heavy sleeper, having patrol during the day and a thousand other things, he goes to bed before everyone even leaves for their nightly patrol, they have been times where Damian or Bruce has found Daughter!Darling out of the manor because she managed to sneak pass Duke.

But sleeping with Mother!Darling and Bruce is not that bad, Bruce does not get home till late since he is the one normally patrolling the longest every night and his daughter has school in the morning so that’s normally why it is one of her siblings. But when she does end up sleeping by them it is actually nice. Bruce holds his little girl close whenever he has the chance and he holds her like glass because she is nothing like her siblings and he is scared that he’ll break her. But sometimes Bruce has a nightmare in the middle of night, or whenever he sleeps, of something happening to her and just immediately holds her so close to remind himself that she is safe and nothing bad will happen to her.

The thing is this goes on till she’s seventeen or eighteen, it is such a humiliating thing that she has to deal with just because she broke one a rule that wouldn’t even exist for normal people her age and then eventually she runs away because she cannot take it anymore, becoming a vigilante just to prove a point that she is not weak like the painted her out to be.

But then there comes a time where she is wearing that hero’s mask and she gets hurt and does not wake up this time. It was Bruce who found her body first, those nightmares he had when she was younger coming true.

Dick just shatters when he sees Bruce carrying her corpse out of the Batmobile and he can’t even cry because of the overwhelming shock he feels.

Jason, can’t even think, her body sending him back to when he died, she was scared and alone just like him when he was murdered. Tim has to be held back, he wants to hold her, he doesn’t want to accept the fact that she is actually gone, he wouldn’t accept that fact.

Damian is fuming with rage, people have to keep an eye on him to make sure he does not go out there and kill the person who did this to her, and by kill I mean rip limb from limb, leaving them alive while he does so they can know the pain they have caused.

Stephanie just shuts down, falls into a deep depression, unable to eat, sleep, or shower without someone pushing her to do so.

Duke cannot fully process the fact that she is gone and is not coming back, once they learned that she was a vigilante he used to check up on news stories to keep track of how she was doing but he still does when she is gone, only finding stories that are weeks old.

Cassandra and Barbara the ones who keeps everything together, they are grieving, but they know if they just stop everything the bad people and criminals in Gotham who do this sort of thing are just going to get away with it and they may have not been able to save her from what happened but they will be damned if they cannot stop it again.

[dyingswanpavlova]

"Your girl" - Part 2 | The Salesman x Reader

Summary: After he spontaneously abducted you, you try to figure out what his plans are for you. Is it to break your will? Your body? Or something else entirely?

Warnings: dead dove do not eat, kidnapping, violence, abuse, something I'd call mild torture, hinting at traumatic experiences, claustrophobic spaces, chains, degradation

The hunger wasn't the worst part.

No, you had learned to live with the hunger. You were your mother's daughter after all. You had a certain tolerance when it came to unpleasant living conditions.

No, what was far worse than the hunger was the darkness. You had no idea what time it was. Was it still night or had the sun risen already? Were the birds still asleep or were they happily chirping and announcing a new, beautiful day?

Surely it was beautiful to someone. It was someone's birthday. Someone's wedding day. Someone simply got to have a lazy morning and have brunch and coffee at noon.

Not you, though. You were still chained up, still hidden away in a dark closet. And you couldn't even tell if it was night or day.

Yesterday had been far worse though. The memory of it still made you flinch.

Instead of a dark closet, you had spent your day chained to the bed. So far, so good. Up until the point when he made you drink a whole water bottle, right before he chained you up. And then he left. Then he fucking left. You had heard the door shut behind him.

You really weren't a proud person and you had quickly come to realize that your situation required a certain...delicacy. So, you didn't mind when you had to beg. You didn't mind crying or yelling at all. That you just did, it came as naturally as the sun rises early and sets late. You had even agreed to say those damned, magical words.

"I'm your girl, please, I'm your girl!"

But no, silly. It was too late.

"I don't want that fucking, pitiful bullshit." He had spat out as he had tightened the chains around your wrists. "You will say it and you will mean it. Until then, we'll make do with what we have."

Which was exactly what had happened. He had forced the water down your throat and eventually you found yourself in, what he called, your bed. It hadn't been all too bad at first. Except for the obvious discomfort and the constant fear that nagged at you. But it got worse, the moment you felt the pressure in your bladder.

You normally had to use the bathroom about every two hours at the latest. Your urethra was quite tight - You knew that, because your mother had dragged you to a gynecologist as a teen. She had been furious, because you had to use the bathroom so often as a child. She had often snapped at you. Sometimes she even made you wait and told you, you had to wait a certain amount of time, before you could use it. It always ended the same way. You on your knees, begging and pleading with her to let you pee. You could have just let go and peed yourself. As already mentioned, you weren't too proud. But that was a sore spot. More than twenty-three years later and it still was a sore spot.

Your mother sat beside you in the doctor's office, affectionately stroking your hair.

After the doctor finished his speech about the tight urethra, he began a new speech about the way one of your kidneys seemed to be a little slow. It worked, yes. But you had to spend your life going careful around salt and peeing.

My poor darling, she had murmured. I knew there was a reason you had to go so often. My poor, darling girl.

It wasn't normally a problem. Until yesterday, when the sadistic bastard had tied you up and left you like that for nine...fucking...hours.

Your body still hurt terribly, just thinking about it.

You had been tempted to let go and make a mess of yourself. Who cared after all? It was his fucking bed, his fucking clothes, his-

But you couldn't. You just couldn't.

So you had laid on that bed, cried and writhed for hours on end. By the time he came back, he wore the most surprised expression, because he had obviously expected you to let go and pee yourself.

He found you with your eyes swollen and your face puffy, but the bed was dry.

"Such a good girl." He had murmured and tenderly caressed your cheek. "My good girl."

By the time he uncuffed you, you nearly broke both legs jumping up and rushing towards the door. But his low voice brought you back to reality.

"Stop."

You stood frozen, facing away from him.

And then the softest "Please" passed past your lips.

He had been tempted to refuse you, you could tell. He was cruel, sadistic and simply fucking crazy. But for some reason, he had sighed, the sound almost making you sob.

"Go."

And that you did. It had been so painful and so terribly degrading, but you had managed. You had truly managed.

By the time you came back to your bedroom, he still sat on the edge of the bed. Just like the night before - you had expected him to get physical. But instead he simply beckoned you to come closer and instructed you to sit down on the floor before him.

So far he hadn't gotten physical. At least one good thing, you thought. He hadn't ravished you. Yet. Hadn't even tried to kiss you. Nothing.

Hesitantly, you had approached him and sat down on the floor, your arms wrapped tightly around your legs. God, you finally felt like a human again.

"Who are you?" He had asked in that gentle, silken voice.

"Your girl." The words were an obvious mantra, easily repeated all day if so he demanded. But to your horror, he tsked again and shook his head.

He had leaned closer until your faces almost touched and whispered: "You still don't mean it."

Your heart clenched tightly and you whispered: "Please, I-"

But he interrupted you by simply holding up his hand. His fingertips ran down your cheek in a gentle manner and you almost found yourself leaning closer.

Almost.

What two days of hunger and one day of bladder pain could do to you.

"Get in the closet." He instructed firmly.

You swallowed thickly.

"Please." You whispered again. Your desperate tone wasn't for show, the crack in your voice wasn't to manipulate him. You were truly exhausted. But he simply shook his head.

"Don't make me say it again."

You closed your eyes in defeat and buried your face in your hands for a moment. Then you nodded and carefully got up. Everything was a little giddy and dizzy, since the pancakes had been the last thing you ate. But you didn't complain. You weren't that stupid.

You had just been stupid enough to take his hand.

And get in his car.

And his fucking apartment.

If you had struggled, sure, he might have gone crazy and shot you. But was that really that much worse than the prospect of spending the rest of your life like this?

You moved into the closet, a tiny room with hardly enough space for you to stretch out your legs. He made you sit down and then he cuffed you up again. Sitting down, not laying down.

All the while he was in there with you, making sure the cuffs stayed in place, you had stared up at his face with the most desperate expression in your eyes.

Once he finished with the cuffs, all he did was glance down at you, almost gently and smile.

"Be a good girl and let me sleep tonight. Don't scream and shout like you did all morning."

You swallowed again and you couldn't hide the soft tremble of your lips.

"I'm afraid of the dark." You whispered.

He tilted his head to the side, almost thoughtfully. Then he hummed. You had grown to hate that sound.

"I wasn't going to turn off the lights, but well. You may thank yourself. Good night, sweet girl."

"No! Please!"

And with that the lights went out and the door closed.

Click.

You couldn't tell if he slept in your room, to make sure you stayed where you were or if he went to the other side of the hallway and slept in his own room. Whatever it was, you couldn't tell because you didn't hear a thing. All you heard was the sound of your own heavy breathing and the way it got interrupted by a sob every now and then.

It had been a few hours. You really couldn't tell how many. And every time you were about to fall asleep, you flinched and your head shot back up, suddenly all too aware of where you were and what was going on.

Until eventually your exhaustion got the better of you and you fell asleep, your face buried against your knees.

It was a restless sleep, haunted by the memory of the man on the train lines.

But at least you hadn't dreamt of your mother ever since.

Some time later, you were woken up when you felt his hand press down on your shoulder. You flinched so hard, you immediately got a headache. He chuckled at the sight.

"Good morning, sweet girl. Did you sleep well?" He purred.

You were so exhausted and straight-up annoyed that you were tempted to ignore him or give a snarky remark. But you decided against it. Also, you felt lightheaded by how hungry you were, so you simply looked up at him with a soft, timid look.

"Awww." He smirked as he slowly uncuffed you. "I slept just wonderful. You did a good job, keeping your pretty little mouth shut."

He yanked you to your feet, causing you to stumble against him. He instantly wrapped his arms around you and ran his hands over your back. It would have come off as soothing and affectionate, if he wasn't such a twisted bastard. But again, you endured the touch.

It wasn't like you were touch-starved. Not at all. You had never been with a man before, not in that way. But you missed kindness. You missed someone smiling at you in the morning. And if it was only your boss, wishing you a productive day. You missed people.

"Are you ready for your water bottle?"

When he saw the horrified look on your face, he laughed heartily.

"I'm just playing, sweet girl. It's not funny twice."

He carefully led you out of the closet and through the apartment.

"Are you hungry?" He murmured as he gently pressed a hand against the small of your back.

You felt yourself nod. It was obviously some kind of trick, because you were certain by now that you would soon die of starvation and that that had been his plan all along. But you still nodded.

Eventually you reached the kitchen, where the smell of food immediately filled your nostrils. The table was filled with food - rice, vegetables, some meat and fruit. You nearly blacked out at the sight.

"Come. Sit."

He sat you down a few feet away from the table. Of course. A trick. He'd probably make you watch while he ate or something like that.

He sat down opposite you and looked at you for a long moment.

"I'll ask you a question. And you'll answer. Truthfully. No second chances. If you answer to my liking, you get to eat. If you mess it up, you get punished."

You simply stared at him. It wasn't a question, so you didn't answer. Also, after three days of not eating anything - were it truly three days? How long had you been in that godforsaken closet? - you didn't really care about anything else.

"Good." He said calmly. "Are you a virgin?"

That seemed to pique his interest the most, because he stared at you intently, not even smirking for once.

Immediately you felt your face flush in embarassment, but you felt yourself nod.

"Yes." You whispered.

He leaned back in his chair and hummed softly. "You're not lying to me, are you?"

You quickly shook your head.

"How old are you again?"

"Twenty-four." You whispered in the same, weak voice.

"Delicious." He purred. Then he reached over and grabbed a spoonful of rice. When he held it out to you, you choked it down like a rabid animal.

"Careful. You'll get sick." He said in a tone that resembled gentleness. By now you knew there was nothing gentle about him. Nothing good.

But you pushed the thought back, when he fed you another spoon of rice. Two questions, two bites.

"What is the reason you live and work in a country where you don't even speak the language or know the way back to your apartment?"

You swallowed. "I got a good job offer."

"Bullshit." He narrowed his eyes. "The real reason."

You considered lying. But you were sure, for some reason, he would find out.

"To get away from my family." You then whispered.

He sighed in an exaggerated manner and set the spoon aside.

"Too bad, sweet girl. You deceived me the first time. You know the rules. I need to punish you."

You closed your eyes, albeit briefly. It was like they had a mind of their own and you were so exhausted that you could hardly take any more of this.

"You're lucky though. You get to pick your punishment."

Your brows furrowed suspiciously and he smiled.

"No deceit, sweet girl. You get to pick between two options. I'll give you ten seconds each time. If you don't choose on time, I choose for you."

You buried your face in your hands, but eventually you nodded.

His words felt like a gunshot.

"I slap your face or I cut off your hair. Choose."

You froze.

Fuck.

Of course you knew which one you'd pick. You couldn't cut off your hair. For various reasons. First off, it was deeply rooted into your mind that you needed to keep your hair long and lush.

Or else who would ever marry you, honey? No, no. You don't get to cut it off. Not ever. You wouldn't want to disappoint mama, hm?

And then again...Your hair was one of the few things you truly liked about your appearance. You liked the color, the texture...You just enjoyed looking at it whenever you felt bad about yourself. You played with it whenever you were nervous. It was your hair.

When he shot you an impatient look, you suddenly remembered the rules.

Three...two...

"Slap." You gasped out.

He leaned back and his smile widened.

"Are you sure?"

You nodded quickly.

"Smart girl." He purred, almost seductively. "Brave girl."

He didn't give you any time or sign to brace yourself. Instead he simply reached out and slapped your face, with an intensity that made your breath hitch. Your head snapped to the side and you let out a pained moan.

The pain of the slap stung. But not half as much as it would have if you had to cut off your hair.

He hummed. Bastard.

"Very well. Next question."

He sized you up calmly.

"Why did you want to get away from your family?"

You closed your eyes. "Well, they...Well, they..."

"That doesn't count. Disqualified."

Uh-oh.

"You never explicitly specified I had to answer straight-up." You said quietly.

Very slowly he inched forward until his forehead nearly touched yours.

"Are you talking back to me?"

"No." You breathed out.

"Good." He smirked. "I punch your gut or I cut off your hair. Choose."

You had a very bad feeling, like you knew what this game was leading to. The nausea that took hold of you felt suffocating.

"Punch." You croaked out.

No one had ever punched you before. And you had a feeling today would bring many more firsts.

"Hold up your hands."

Reluctantly you obeyed. He looked into your eyes, looking for any sign of disobedience. But all he found was fear.

He tsked disapprovingly.

"Anyone with brains would have chosen the hair." He said lowly. "But you're a pretty girl. I like your long hair." He slowly treaded his fingertips through the length of your hair. "So, you better do us both a favor and answer in time from now on."

With that you felt a sharp blow of pain when his fist shot forward and punched you right in the stomach. He wasn't gentle about it.

You doubled over and nearly fell off the chair. At the same time you let out a desperate sob and gasped for air.

The only thing you could suddenly think about was your slow kidney. Oh God, what if he damaged the good one?

You tried to push these thoughts away as good as you could. It wasn't easy.

You looked up at him with tears in your eyes. And he stared right back with something that looked almost like...pride.

"Why did you want to get away from your family?"

"Because my mother abused me." You gritted out.

Surprise flashed over his features. "How?"

"She starved me, didn't let me pee, hit me everywhere no one could see the scars, locked me in my room for days, yelled at me and many more things, many many more. Dark and twisted things, things you're never supposed to do to someone you supposedly care about. I bet you and her would have gotten along splendid." You couldn't tell who was more surprised about your sudden, angry outburst - you or him. He just stared at you and you half expected him to knock your teeth out.

Instead he slowly reached for the spoon and fed you two spoons rice with vegetables.

"Good girl." He said with no hint of teasing.

You savored the food in your mouth and swallowed slowly, ignoring his words. Mostly. But a part of you was almost relieved that he took so well to your anger.

"Have you ever had a boyfriend?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I'm scared of intimacy."

"Do you regret it?"

"Yes."

"Good girl."

Three spoonfuls, as promised.

"When was the last time you touched yourself?"

Your face flushed instantly, but you forced yourself to answer.

"The day before we met."

One spoon.

"What were you thinking about?"

You felt yourself go pale.

"What?"

He sighed disapprovingly.

"When you touched yourself. What did you think about?" He asked impatiently.

And you were silent. For three seconds. Five. And finally ten.

He stared at you with an intensity that was terrifying.

"Play the rest of the game on your knees or I cut off your hair."

Your cheeks grew warm in shame. But immediately, you slid down to your knees infront of him. The floor was cold, but that was the smallest one of your concerns. You couldn't meet his gaze as you knelt there.

Slowly and almost tenderly he reached down and tilted your chin up. The intensity in his eyes was overwhelming. You couldn't quite detect or name the look in his eyes. All you knew was that it was intense and that it made your cheeks grow even warmer.

"Good girl." He whispered. "I'll ask you again."

At least he warned you.

"What were you thinking about while you touched yourself?"

"I fantasized."

"Specify."

You tried to avert your gaze but his grip on your chin was too tight. The expression in your eyes was pleading. But he didn't care. He didn't care one bit.

Suddenly you realized something. He didn't seem to care about the rules or the game any longer. He just wanted to know.

"I had..." Your eyes fluttered shut and your voice slipped into a barely audible whisper. "I had rough fantasies."

"Specify."

"Of being used." You finally choked out. The words felt like acid in your mouth. Never before had you told anyone about this, except for the one time when you spoke to your psychiatrist.

You had sobbed and nearly choked on your tears, claiming that you were twisted, odd, fucked in the head.

But all he had said in response was; many women have those fantasies. You're not twisted. You simply have desires which go ahead of the ordinary.

By the time you blinked your eyes open, you realized that he wasn't recoiling in disgust. He wasn't laughing at you. He didn't even flinch. He simply seemed curious.

"What else?"

"What...what else?"

"What else do you fantasize about that you consider shameful? Are your fantasies rough? Are they painful? Are they degrading? Are they-" He cut himself off and finally leaned back.

"You did good. Really good." He reached out and played with a strand of your hair. "You got lucky." He murmured. After a long sigh, he got up and said: "Eat up. But slowly. I can't have you puking all over yourself. I have plans for you."

You didn't need to be told twice. In a ridiculous speed you were back at the table and savored the food in your mouth, appreciating every bite.

He turned to leave the room, but stopped in the doorway and looked at you with a small frown.

"You got really lucky." He murmured to himself as he glanced at your form again.

"As did I."

[sanjisleggy]

the siren and the sun (ace x reader) [pt4]

a/n: it be hard to write two characters’ thoughts and feelings concurrently but i tried my best :3c

contents: angst, fluff, hurt/comfort, both reader and Ace are big insecure

wc. 2.1k

wanna be on my taglist?

part 3

i. 

tears streamed down your face uncontrollably as you watched your parents haul the last of their supplies onto their small pirate ship. as the remaining few wooden crates and barrels on land dwindled, you found yourself reaching out your arms every time they walked by in order to pick up more supplies, only to brush past you again on the way to their ship.

when your mother stepped off the ship for the final time to pick up the last crate, you grabbed onto her coat and begged, “please, take me with you, mama!” your words were barely coherent from all the choking and sobbing but it was obvious to anyone watching what you were trying to say.

she crouched in front of you and patted your head, the warmth of her hand soothing your aching heart ever so slightly. you instinctively reached out your arms to wrap around her neck, the same way you always did whenever she was about to carry you home. instead of picking you up, though, your mother pried your hands away.

“you’re a good girl, aren’t you, (Y/N)?” she cooed gently, a stark contrast to how firmly she gripped your two wrists in order to keep them a distance from her body.

you nodded, fresh hot tears still pouring down your cheeks.

“well, good girls aren’t selfish.” your mother smiled though it didn’t reach her eyes. “don’t you want mama and papa to be happy? hmm?”

you nodded again. you did want them to be happy but why couldn’t they be happy with you? you opened your mouth to ask but something deep in your heart stopped the words from coming out.

“good girl,” she said as she patted your head one last time. “mama and papa will be so happy once we’re out on the sea as long as you keep being good. if you’re really good, we might even come back to take you with us.”

“promise?” you whispered, holding out your pinky finger. your mother smiled and hooked it with her own.

“promise.”

for weeks you stayed right where they left you on the docks, your eyes glued to where the sky met the sea–the exact spot their ship disappeared from view.

ii.

Ace begs you to talk to him as he relentlessly trails behind you, leaving the bar and all thoughts of it behind him. his heart ramming against his ribcage as his thoughts on why you’re suddenly so cold run wild.

“say something, (Y/N)!” his voice cracks ever so slightly. “i just don’t understand–” he tries once more to grab ahold of your arm but you shrug him away the moment you feel his fingertips brush against your skin. “did i do something wrong? did i say something?”

the more he asks, the more you refuse to turn around to look at him. your heart aches from how distraught he sounds and the hurt does nothing but make fresh, hot tears well up in your eyes. you don’t understand why he’s so determined to follow you all this way and yet you can’t bring yourself to ask him why.

arriving at your private cabin aboard the Moby Dick, you try your best to enter whilst keeping Ace outside but he’s faster and stronger and manages to squeeze his way in. he shuts your door behind him and leans against it with his arms crossed. 

“are you gonna keep me prisoner, or?” you ask, trying your best to sound as unbothered as possible in hopes that you can conceal the tears on your face. alas, the cloudless night sky allows for the moon to cast its light through your window, illuminating your room enough for both of you to see each other clearly. 

Ace stands there silently with his big wet brown eyes staring straight into yours. what’s normally a sight you welcome with open arms is now your greatest source of misery as it dawns on you that he probably will just keep staring at you until you give in.

for a few minutes, your room is completely silent except for the occasional splashing of waves. looking at him, you think about how the girls at the bar are probably still waiting for him and yet here you are, keeping him away from having fun. he should be celebrating with the others and meeting new people, instead he’s here with you.

how selfish. 

Ace catches the way your shoulders tense up and how your eyebrows furrow even deeper than before. he can tell you’re thinking of something and he can’t help but wonder why you’re keeping it from him. you’ve never kept secrets from each other before, even as kids.

do you hate me? 

he swallows thickly as his own eyes prickle with tears.

did you finally realise i’m just not worth your time? that i’m just the bastard son of the world’s worst criminal with nothing to offer you? it took you long enough, huh?

“did i do something wrong? please, you have to tell me so i know how to fix it,” Ace pleads, against his better judgement. “ i can’t… you can’t hate me, too. please, (Y/N).” the words spill out faster than he can even think to stop them.

never in his life as Ace begged so openly to be loved–and he never thought he’d want to ever do so, either–but he can’t bear the thought of you despising him like the rest of the world does. it might actually kill him. 

“why do you care so much about what i think?” you snap back, tone coming across much harsher than you’d like. “why did you even come after me? you should be back in the bar! don’t you know there are people waiting for you? just go already!” you close the distance between you and him and grab his shoulders in an attempt to pry him away from the door so that he can finally get out and let you sulk alone in peace.

as expected, though, he doesn’t budge.

“do you not… want me anymore?” Ace asks in a voice so small you nearly miss it. the tears that have been holding on so diligently finally break free and streak down his freckled face as his expression contorts into the saddest one you’ve ever seen on his face.

now i’ve made you cry. i’m such a terrible person, aren’t i?

your heart twists painfully in your chest as you choke back your own tears. you so badly want to answer him truthfully, to let him know he’s all you’ve ever wanted but you can’t bring yourself to hold him back. what can you possibly offer that he can’t find from someone else who can offer him even more?

“i…” you have to force the words out, your throat far too constricted from all your crying. “i’ll always want you, Ace,” you finally admit selfishly, unable to stop once you’ve started. “i treasure every moment we spend together.” you give him a wobbly, sad smile. “but i think i’m getting too used to it and i don’t know how i’ll cope when you eventually find someone better.”

Ace stares at you silently as what feels like hours pass by.

it takes a while for the realisation that he hadn’t done anything to drive you away to dawn on him; that you actually want him as much as he wants you. never before has he related so strongly to words said by another and yet here you stand in front of him, having just said exactly how he feels about you. he feels his pounding heart race even faster than before, beating so quickly it almost hurts–except he welcomes it with open arms this time.

unbeknownst to him, you mistake his silence. 

this is it, isn’t it? i’ve said it out loud so you realise it, too, now.

but before you can try to convince him to leave your room again, Ace drops to his knees right in front of you, his eyes staring right into yours the entire time. he reaches out to take your hands in his, cupping your smaller hands in between his warm palms as he brings them to his lips. his hands begin to sweat and shake, and his kiss lingers longer than it should have, but he needs to buy a bit more time to prepare what he so desperately has to say to you.

“i know should’ve asked you this the moment we reunited but i didn’t so i’m asking you now.” Ace takes a deep breath. “marr- date me. i-i mean, be my girlfriend, please? be mine.” he pulls your hands apart to gently bring them to his face so that your palms cup his cheeks. his skin feels extra warm but you can’t tell if it’s from his Devil Fruit or from how hard he’s blushing right now.

the heaviness in your chest disappears in the blink of an eye as you recall a memory from your childhood you thought you’d long forgotten.

“we can date first. then i’ll ask you to marry me. deal?”

“deal… but what if…”

“if?” Ace tilted his head a little.

“what if you find someone else you want to marry?” you played with the hem of your pajamas, making sure not to make eye contact.

“don’t be stupid. i…” Ace coughed, unintentionally bringing your attention back to his face. his cheeks and ears were nearly as red as the shirt he wore. “... i’ll always want you.”

you begin to sob again, even harder this time, and Ace nearly has a conniption until he notices the wide smile spreading across your face. he feels his own lips tug into a grin as he swallows nervously. still cupping his face in between your hands, you run your thumbs across his cheeks, wiping away the dried salty tears from before.

is it really okay for me to be selfish?

you can’t help but wonder for a split second; however, your worries are washed away when you see how lovingly Ace gazes up at you as he remains kneeling on the floor of your room. if you didn’t know any better, you might think he’s looking at the most valuable treasure the sea has to offer.

“okay,” you say with a nod, your smile growing impossibly wider when his eyes practically shine in response, “i’d love to be yours.”

with a swiftness only a man like him can possess, Ace gets off the floor and scoops you into his arms, eliciting a surprised yelp from your lips. you wrap your own arms around his neck instinctively, not wanting to fall–as if he’d ever let that happen–but as soon as you’re lifted off the ground, you find yourself being tossed onto your bed with Ace following shortly after.

you giggle as he crawls over you, trapping your head between his toned forearms as he props himself up by his elbows. the sweet sound stirs something in his poor, overworked heart and it compels him to lean closer. the tip of his nose brushes lightly against yours but Ace doesn’t move any further, waiting for you to close the gap.

rewrapping your arms around his neck, you pull him closer until your lips slot against his, and a warmth you’ve never felt before blooms from your mouth and spreads throughout your entire body. your first kiss is clumsy and a little bit awkward but he tastes and smells so sweet you never want this moment to end. evidently feeling the same way, Ace licks at your lips greedily, coaxing your mouth open as he deepens the kiss, and moaning softly when your tongue clashes with his. 

more. more. more.

Ace wants everything you’re willing to offer him and in return he will give you all of him and then some. you could ask him for the sun itself and he’ll find a way to give it to you or die trying.

when you eventually part ways for air, he’s quick to make himself comfortable on top of you. his chest rests against yours as he nuzzles his face into the crook of your neck, brushing his bruised lips against the scar on your collarbone. his hands wander the expanse of your arms and torso before making their way under your shirt and staying there; his warm palms resting against your bare skin. in return, you hug him close to you and bury your face in his messy, wavy hair. you smile and press a kiss to the crown of his head when you realise he smells like your shampoo.

no more words are exchanged throughout the night as you lay in peaceful silence entangled with one another. before you know it, you’re lulled to sleep by the sound of Ace’s soft snoring.

gen taglist: @irethepotato @i-reblog-fics-i-like @grierpilots @appalost @hyper-fic-ation @dressycobra7 @38lyra38 @chaseyui @paraparakiss @krooschl @teewon @olliesoxenfree @misstraffy @riftmage27

series taglist: @captainportgasdace @mitskisaveme @graveyardsweethearts @vaniiiavengeance @stuckinmymind22

[trenchcoathunnybee08]

Head canon: Logan actually knows how to dance and he’s really good. He knows a bunch of different types too. He doesn’t tell anyone, not because he’s embarrassed, (he’d happily show Scott up if given the chance) it’s just he’s never wanted to dance at the same time as being around the others.

Most of the time when there a party with music worth dancing to it’s some special occasion. The music is normally slow like waltz or something and it’s just not his style.

Once he’s comfortable wherever he’s at, that be Worst Wolverine once he’s in Wades timeline, Origins Logan with Kayla, or original trilogy Logan once he’s happy being at the mansion, he go out.

On those nights where he stays out late he isn’t always spending them drinking. He finds himself a good bar with good music and a pretty lady (or guy if he’s feeling up for it) and takes to the dance floor.

None of the X-Men find out till they’re throwing Storm a birthday party and she asks him for a dance herself. He happily accepts and everyone is absolutely flabbergasted when they see him actually doing well.

I think with Worst Logan Laura knew because she found out from someone else that her Logan used to dance a lot before the accident and he went into hiding. During one of Wades parties she gets ahold of the ox cord and starts playing bachata or something like that. (She learned with the other kids after they got out from Transagin) Somehow she convinces Logan to dance with her and Wade accidentally flips his shit when he notices. It’s so extreme that he won’t shut up about it and drags Logan to a bar down the street that he clames all his Mexican friends say is great. (His only Mexican friend is Laura and a couple of the kids on the block she’s made friends with.)

Origins Logan I almost think met Kayla at some bar. It’s like one of those movie moments where he sees her dancing and he just can’t look away. One thing leads to another and what started as them dancing together on the weekends turned to him head over heels for her.

Another idea (I don’t actually know much about this one) but Patch/ Logan in Madrapor would totally dance Salsa or super dramatic Ball room. Something attention grabbing. Nobody assumes The Wolverine, Weapon X would be able let alone willing to dance. Ever. When the others find out about that part of his cover he says it’s just to make it harder for people to spot him. In reality Madrapor has insanely good live music and it would be a crime to not dance to it.

Anyway that’s the end of my rant. I’d actually love to see someone write a fic for this.

[hihomeghere]

Watch | Arthur Morgan x f!reader x Charles Smith

Summary : You are curious on how two men can have sex, Arthur and Charles are happy to show you. Follows along with the series Baptized by Fire but can be read as a one shot.

Word count : 3.3k, this got away from me a little bit lol

Warnings/tags : M/W/M, threesome activities, oral m and f receiving, unprotected anal, reader has doubts about how she fits in the relationship, Charthur x reader, follows Baptized by fire storyline, Arthur Morgan x reader, Charles smith x reader, Arthur Morgan x Charles Smith, cursing, minors do not interact

Divider by @saradika

You should have kept your mouth shut. Shouldn’t have spoken what had been nagging at you from the back of your mind since you had heard the two of them together nearly three weeks ago. 

But you were curious, a bad trait in the grand scheme of things. The three of you had settled into a new normal as you joined the dynamic between the two of them. 

“So how does it work?” You asked looking up from your needlepoint. Charles raised his eyebrows, looking at you from over his book.

“How does what work, sweetheart?” Arthur asked, not looking up from his journal. He had grown used to your endless questions. Unfortunately, you had grown up very sheltered, the little things you thought you did know were often wrong. Which led to Arthur and Charles constantly correcting you. At first you had felt so damn stupid, had left you keeping your mouth shut every time you had a question. Of course, they saw through your sudden silence, working to get to the meat of the problem. You’d never had anyone care so much about you, maybe your mama, but you hardly remembered her. 

“Well…” You started, pursing your lips as heat flooded your cheeks. “Two… two men. How does that work in bed?” You asked, biting your lip. 

Arthur cleared his throat, his cheeks turning that delicious shade of scarlet that highlighted his freckles. Charles only chuckled, looking over at him. 

“Well darlin’-“ Arthur started, clearing his throat once more, “there’s, there’s a few ways.” He said, setting his paper and pencil down. “You can uh- take him in your mouth as anyone would do.” He ran his hand through his honey brown locks, pushing them away from his face. “Or-“

“Or you can take him up the ass.” Charles finished, shrugging as he looked over at Arthur.

“Charles!” Arthur huffed, the tips of his ears turning pink.

“Oh for chrissake, she asked!” Charles said, chuckling softly. Your eyes widened as you looked between the two of them. Oh.

“Wouldn’t that hurt?” The words fell from your lips before you could stop them. Furrowing your brows as you looked between them. 

“It can,” Charles nodded, “if you go too hard or too fast. But it can also feel real good.” He hummed, glancing over at Arthur who was still a blushing mess. 

“How would it even fit?” You asked leaning forward, your curiosity overpowering the embarrassment you knew you should feel. 

“Salve,” Charles shrugged, “or oil. But I prefer salve, the tin beside our bed.”

“Charles.” Arthur was completely flushed, nearly hiding his face behind his hand as he rubbed his eyebrows. 

So that’s what that tin was for, you were now very thankful you had never used it to moisten your lips. 

“I’m still curious,” You said, shaking your head, “I understand the salve, but the two of you aren’t… small.” You chuckled, biting your lip. You could visibly see the two of them puff up at your praise. Arthur finally came out from behind his hand to look up at the two of you.

“Do you…” Arthur sighed, shaking his head as he chewed on his lip. “Do you wanna watch?”

The idea shouldn’t have sent such a thrill through you, but it did. Heat instantly rushed down through your belly to your core. 

“Can I?” You asked hesitantly, wondering if this was crossing a line. But Arthur had offered, hadn't he? If there was some invisible boundary between you and them, he would have offered it. 

This was the least favorite part of your arrangement. The guessing, the constant guessing if you had pushed too far or crossed a line. You wished that just once they would have to deal with the uncertainty you faced. Although you knew it wasn’t fair to think that way, they were the ones who had first faced uncertainty. They were the ones who had bared their souls to you first, shared the most intimate parts of their life.

“If you want to.” Charles nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips as he looked from you, over to Arthur. He gulped his Adam's apple bobbing.

“I wouldn’t be opposed to it.” His accent thick as he cleared his throat.

“What about tonight?” You asked, biting your lip. Butterflies erupted in your stomach as you surprised even yourself with your boldness. You were almost never the one to initiate physical intimacy with them. Again, tip-toeing around this invisible boundary that might have only existed in your mind. You didn’t want to push, didn’t want to do anything that might make them change their mind about you. About welcoming you into their life, their relationship.

“Tonight?” Charles’s small grin had now turned into a full blown smirk, “Eager are we?” He chuckled, heat flooding your cheeks as you looked down. “I don’t see why not, what do you think Arthur?” He hummed, leaning back in his chair as he spread his legs. Moving his hips in a not-so-subtle thrust. 

“Why not?” He shrugged, feigning indifference as he adjusted himself through his pants before he went back to his journal.

The day moved by at a snail's pace. No matter how many mindless tasks you completed, you could not will the sun to go down any faster than it normally would. You didn’t know why you seemed to be bewitched by the thought of the men indulging in each other. You would not be joining them, there would be no way for you to. You did not possess a cock, although you did not wish to possess one anyway. You would just be an observer tonight. Perhaps in some twisted way you had been waiting for this ever since you had heard them all those weeks ago.

You were nearly vibrating by the time you all sat down for dinner. Not even taking the time to savor the stew Charles and you had worked on earlier. You quickly washed up your bowl, along with the men. You could feel their eyes on your back, as you scrubbed the bowls in the soapy water. 

“Think we’ve teased the poor girl enough, Arthur?” Charles' deep voice called from behind you. 

“I reckon.” Arthur chuckled. Your mouth ran dry as you grabbed the towel, drying the remaining water off of your hands. You turned, your eyes landing on them. Their wolfish grins, their blown pupils, were settled on your body. Staring at you like they hadn’t just eaten their fair share. Heat began to pool in your core, your bloomers suddenly very damp between your thighs 

“Now?” You asked, wetting your lips. Both the men nodded, not taking their eyes off of you. Charles got up first, stalking towards you like you were the one who would be absolutely wrecked by the end of the evening. Arthur headed towards the bedroom, no doubt to prepare everything. 

Charles’ arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you flush to him as he pressed his lips to yours. Effectively stealing the breath from your lungs as he held you against the hard line of his body. His hardening excitement did little to dampen the fire steadily growing in your belly. 

He pulled back, resting his forehead against yours. Your breaths mingled as the two of you panted. The air had turned charged, like when a lightning storm was on the horizon, ready to touch down. 

“Ain’t that a pretty sight.” Arthur whistled from the doorway to your room, already stripped down to his union suit. His cock strained against the maroon fabric. 

“C’mon sweetheart.” Charles chuckled softly, taking your hand as the two of you walked into the bedroom. Arthur was all over Charles the second he stepped through the threshold. His hands were flying to his belt as he pulled it out of the loops. 

“Help me get him undressed, won’t you sweetheart?” Arthur asked, raising his gaze to find your eyes. You hadn’t realized you were frozen until he snapped you out of your trance. You moved beside him, your fingers working on unbuttoning his shirt.

You could feel his heart pounding against your fingertips as you pulled his shirt off of him. Baring his chest to you and Arthur. The oil lamp in the corner of the room made his skin nearly glow, highlighting the perfect imperfections of the scars along his skin. 

“See something you like, sweetheart?” Charles asked, his near obsidian eyes finding yours. Heat bloomed in your cheeks as you looked up at him, pulling your bottom lip between your teeth as you nodded. You heard the bed creak under Arthur’s weight, drawing your attention back to the other man. He was a vision in the low light, his hand wrapped around his stiff cock. His piercing gaze shot through you, turning your legs to jelly. You felt viewed, instead of the other way around.

The fabric of your dress fell at your feet, leaving you in your chemise. You furrowed your brows, looking up at Charles. 

“What?” You asked, as his fingers untied the string above your breasts. 

“Do you want to stop?” He asked, pausing his motions. You shook your head, swallowing thickly. You felt your nipples harden as he bared your skin to the chill air. Arthur grabbed your wrist, tugging you back to him. His mouth covered your breast, running his tongue over your nipple. 

A small moan left your lips, your fingers threading through honey brown hair. Which had grown in the past few weeks, forgoing a haircut. You curled the strands around your fingers, pulling him closer. A whine raised up through his throat, the sound vibrating through your chest. He raised his other hand to grope at your breast that was being neglected by his mouth. You sighed softly, closing your eyes.

A choked gasp around your nipple snapped your eyes open. Charles has his hand around Arthur, smearing the salve around his head before spreading it down his shaft. His hot breath wafted against you as he leaned his forehead against your chest. Goosebumps erupted on your skin, down your arms. 

“Impatient.” Arthur said with a choked breath, glancing up at Charles. Charles chuckled, turning Arthur’s jaw towards him. He captured his lips against his, your heart pounding as you watched them. 

“Get on the bed.” Arthur growled, his pupils dilating as his hand came down on Charles backside with a loud smack. Charles grinned, crawling onto the flannel sheets. He laid on his back, his raven hair spread out like a halo.

“You too.” Arthur’s hand came down on your ass cheek, a small gasp leaving your lips. 

“But I’m-“

“You want the best seat in the house don’tcha?” Arthur asked, rubbing your reddened skin. You nodded, climbing onto the bed next to Charles. Arthur grabbed the salve, spreading it on Charles' puckered hole. Charles sucked in a breath as Arthur slowly pressed a finger inside. You moved to sit on your knees, watching as Arthur moved one of Charles legs up onto his hip. Charles let out a low moan as Arthur added a second finger. You felt like you were in a trance, unable to pull your eyes away from the scene in front of you. Not that you wanted to. Arthur twisted his hand, smirking as Charles’ hips jolted in response. His thick cock standing at attention on his stomach. 

“You wanna help our boy, sweetheart?” Arthur cooed, raising his eyes. You wrapped your hand around Charles’ weeping head, spreading the precum down his shaft. 

“Fuck-“ Charles groaned, fisting the sheets under him. Your mouth was watering at the sight, a light sheen of sweat covering Charles' skin. You couldn’t help yourself, lowering your head to take Charles in your mouth.

“Atta girl.” You could hear the smirk in Arthur’s tone. You swirled your tongue around his mushroom head, dipping your tongue into his slit. 

“Shit- Arthur.” Charles groaned.

“I ain’t the one with my pretty mouth wrapped around your cock.” Arthur hummed, “Tell her how good she’s doin’.”

“So good- ngh- so good sweetheart.” His hand rested against your head, petting your hair. You pushed yourself down, taking more of him in your mouth. Tasting the subtle musk that was so incredibly Charles. 

Arthur gently pulled you off of him, capturing your lips with his own. Pushing his tongue into your mouth, no doubt tasting Charles on your tongue. 

Arthur lined himself up with Charles, pressing his head into him slowly.

“Damnit-“ Charles hissed, his cock twitching on his belly. His brows drew together, white knuckling the sheets. Arthur pushed into him fully, his pelvis against his ass. His hands ran up and down Charles’ thick thighs.

“Feel so good darlin’.” Arthur hummed, closing his eyes. You swallowed thickly, your mouth going dry at the sight in front of you. 

“So pretty.” You said softly, the words leaving your lips before you could think twice about them. They had this sort of effect on you, like they stopped your inhibitions. Drawing out your deepest thoughts and desires, with no effort at all. 

“Him or me, sweetheart?” Arthur sighed contently, drawing his hips back slowly before easing back inside him.

“Both.” You replied, your attention drawn to Charles as he whined. 

“More.” Charles pleaded, his blown wide eyes looking up at Arthur. 

“Anything you want darlin’.” Arthur snapped his hips forward, rewarded with a deep moan from Charles. You bit your lip, slipping your hands down your body. Dragging your fingers across your nipples before you moved between your legs. Gathering your slick on your fingers before finding your nub of pleasure. You hummed, looking back at Arthur and Charles. 

Arthur had Charles‘ thigh up on his hip, his lip between his teeth as he thrust into him. You picked up speed, a small moan leaving your lips. 

“C’mere.” Charles panted, grabbing your wrist. You sighed as he pulled your hand away from your legs.

“Where?”

“Sit on me.” He almost begged. 

“I- I don’t…” you bit your lip, looking from Charles to Arthur. Arthur slowed his movements, stilling inside of Charles. You swallowed thickly, feeling heat crawl up your neck and into your cheeks. 

“Don’t what sweetheart?” Arthur asked, his chest rising and falling harshly. 

“Well it’s- this is between you two…” You mumbled.

“Do you not want to join us?” Charles asked, wetting his lips.

“No that’s not it.” You said shaking your head, your tongue felt heavy and too big for your mouth. 

“Then what’s the problem?” Arthur asked, his brows furrowing. You sat there, completely exposed. Physically and emotionally, how were you supposed to tell them how you felt? How were you supposed to speak when you could hardly form a thought from the jumbled words and feelings in your brain? 

“This isn’t between Arthur and I.” Charles said, his gaze soft, “This is between us. All of us.” He said, squeezing your hand. 

“I just-“ You bit your lip, tears pricking your eyes. 

“Oh sweetheart.” Arthur said softly, pulling out of Charles. 

“I don’t-“ You huffed, rubbing your eyes. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“Nothing.” Charles said, sitting up. “Nothing is wrong with you.”

“Talk to us.” Arthur said, rubbing your back. You took a few shaky breaths, trying to assemble the mix of emotions into a sentence.

“I-“ You sighed, letting Charles pull your hand away from your face. “I don’t know what’s allowed.” You mumbled 

“Allowed?” Arthur repeated, furrowing his brows. 

“I just-“ You groaned, shaking your head, “I don’t want to mess up, or- or intrude-“

“Intrude?” Arthur shook his head.

“There ain’t a way for you to intrude sweetheart.” Charles cooed. “Belong here, with us.” He said, looking from you up to Arthur.

His words struck your heart like an arrow. You sniffled, unable to hold back the tears. You didn’t know that’s what you needed to hear, to be reassured that this was your home. That they wanted you as much as you wanted them. 

“I love you, both of you.” You sniffled, looking up at them. No longer afraid of the consequences of speaking what you had known for weeks now. 

“I love you too.” Arthur smiled, pulling you into his embrace.

“I love you too sweetheart.” Charles said, kissing the crown of your head. “Now,” He started, wiping your tears away from your cheeks. “Don’t make me beg.” He smirked, laying back down. 

“You sure I won’t crush you?” You asked 

“I can promise you, you won’t.” He hummed, reaching for you. You moved from Arthur's arms, climbing up his body. You straddled his chest, his hands grabbed your ass pulling you further up on the bed. You hovered over his face, wetting your lips as you let out a shaky breath. 

“Ready Charles?” Arthur asked from behind you.

“Ready.” He replied before pulling you down onto his face. His tongue dove into you, fucking your hole with reckless abandon. 

“Oh Charles!” You squealed, grasping the headboard for support as he devoured you like a man starved. Charles' moan was muffled against your core as Arthur filled him.

“So damn tight.” Arthur said through gritted teeth behind you. Each thrust moved Charles against you, his nose bumping up against your clit. Sending sparks of pleasure through your body and down to your toes. Charles' arms were wrapped around your thighs, holding you down on him as you started to shake. 

They had tasted you a few times, but never like this. Every moan vibrated through your core. You wonder if he was moaning at your taste or at Arthur’s thick cock splitting him open, probably both. You had never heard of a man that enjoyed eating pussy like Charles. It was almost like an art to him, the way he licked through your folds, sucking on your clit until you were crying out.

“Oh god- Charles- Arthur-“ Their names fell like a mantra from your lips as you got closer and closer to falling over the edge. The coil tightening in your belly, your toes curling. 

“Cum for him, sweetheart, soak his pretty face.” Charles moaned at Arthur’s words which sent you over the edge. Cuming with a wail as you grabbed at the raven locks at the crown of Charles head. Instead of letting up, he sucked harder at your clit, your legs trembling on either side of his head. Arthur sped up his thrusts, the sound of skin slapping against skin filling the small room. 

You were floating, hardly able to hold yourself up as you collapsed over to one side of Charles. 

“Fill him up.” You panted, breathless as you looked up at Arthur. 

“Yeah?” Arthur asked, his hair sticking to his forehead. “Want me to fill up our man?” You nodded, trailing your fingers down Charles' chest. Wrapping your hand around his cock, you started to stroke him in time with every one of Arthur’s thrusts.

“Fuck-“ Charles keened, his chest jerking off of the bed. His balls pulled tight up against his body. “I’m gonna-“

“Cum.” Arthur growled, baring his teeth like a wild animal. Charles gasped, ropes of cum painting his belly and chest as you worked him through his orgasm. Arthur slammed his hips against his ass, chasing after his own high. Cuming with a whine as he collapsed in on himself.

For a few moments, the only sound in the room was your breaths. Arthur pulled out of Charles, flopping down on the other side of him. His arm above his head as he caught his breath. 

“Everything you hoped for?” He asked, clearing his throat as he looked over at you. You chuckled breathlessly, throwing your arms over Charles' chest as you rolled onto your side. 

“And more.” You hummed, snuggling into Charles' side. Charles chuckled, kissing your forehead. Arthur sighed contently, before getting up. He grabbed a damp cloth, must have placed it in here beforehand, and returned to the bed. He gently began wiping the cum off Charles' stomach and thighs.

“You still curious, sweetheart?” Charles asked with a hum, his jaw glistening with your slick.

“Well…” You started, a wicked grin spreading across your face as you spoke with renewed confidence. “I haven’t seen Arthur take you.”

Tag list : @photo1030 , @emerald-ranch @highlandhour , @buffkirby2020 , @esquilone , @cyb3rsx , @whalecage , @idekraeven , @calcarius445 , @heloixe

[bellysoupset]

i would adore something along the lines of this

leo thinking jonah's giving him the silent treatment, but quickly finds out Jonah's just not feeling good when Jonah throws up on him

-🎠

(this is my first ask with a sign off- so if this sign off is already taken just let me know)

Hi there! I think this was sent all the way back to the start of december, so I'm sorry about the wait! I hope you enjoy!

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

Leo was proud of himself by how he had handled a nurse flirting with his fiancé. It was a well known thing, by Jonah and everyone else, that Leo was the crazy jealous sort, so the blonde was feeling extremely smug he hadn't given into the urge to bite the nurse's head off and had simply told Jonah to get in the car, throwing the nurse a dirty look so cold it might as well have given her frostbite.

Now, the issue was that Jonah looked upset. Which normally would've made Leo eyeroll, but given the circumstances, it made him feel incredible self conscious of his actions and a little hurt, "don't tell me you were enjoying it," the words were out of his mouth before he could say anything, "I mean, you must have, since you didn't shut that down immediately."

There it was, the crazy showing its ugly head. Leo stole a glance at Jon in the passenger seat and expected to meet a frown, but no, his boyfriend was still firmly looking out of the window.

He chewed on his next words, biting the inside of his cheek and trying to figure out if he should just let Jonah cool off or if Jon was even allowed to be pissed, because seriously? He was the one who let the nurse get all flirty in the first place!

"I wasn't even that mean," Leo opted for saying instead, squeezing the steering wheel and bouncing his leg nervously as they stopped at a red light, five minutes away from their building, "I could've told her she had no chances with that fuckass bob, for example."

He waited for Jon's amused snort, but it didn't come.

Leo pouted, now fully aware his fiancé was angry. That was just great. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, "I don't know why you're angry," Leo grumbled, then the light switched to green. Instead of answering him, Jonah only shuffled on his seat so he was fully facing away from Leo, turning his back at him.

"Wow," the blonde scoffed, just as they turned the corner of their street and he leaned out of his window to type the garage passcode, "silent treatment? Now, I'm getting offended. Because I told off some woman who was getting handsy with you? That's great."

He was itching for a fight, the silent treatment was one of the cruelest things Jonah could do, knowing Leo's mind was easy to spiral into self depreciation. His eyes stung and Leo inhaled sharply as he maneuvered his car into the parking spot right next to Jon's red BMW, "alright. Don't talk with me," he said loudly, opening the door as soon as he turned off the car, body filled with nervous energy, "fuck you too."

The blonde slammed his door shut and all but stomped towards the garage elevators. He expected Jonah to follow, pissed or not, simply because they were headed in the same direction. He expected a reaction as well, Jonah wasn't capable to keep silent treatment going for too long, he was too opinionated and arrogant for that.

Instead, as the elevator arrived with a ding! after Leo pressed the button four times too many, he looked over his shoulder and realized Jon was still inside the car. The elevator's doors opened and Leo hesitated, pacing like a caged animal.

He was furious and hurt by Jonah's behavior, but wasn't he coming up...? Was Jon just planning to sit in the car ignoring him until when...?

"Aren't you coming?" Leo asked loudly, taking two steps towards the car, a tone that he rarely used. He wasn't the type to yell, he was soft spoken and quiet, "Jonah?"

Something settled deep in his stomach, more powerful than the anger and the hurt, concern. Leo let out a long suffering sigh, mentally berating himself for his worry, and walked back to the car, circling it to be on the passenger's side. Jonah was hunched on himself, curled up, and that made Leo's worry spike up a notch.

There was being furious and there was whatever this was. He threw the passenger door open, "Jonah?" Leo squinted at him, trying to understand if his boyfriend was pissed, crying or something worse, like a vertigo episode, "enough is enough, talk to me."

A small noise answered him, like a choked up sob, but before Leo could ask the "are you okay?" already in his mouth, Jon pitched to the side, just in time to vomit out of the car... And spray it all over Leo's lap.

"WHAT THE- Jesus Christ, Jon, you couldn't have said-" Leo interrupted his involuntary response, grabbing his boyfriend by the shoulder as Jonah let out a groan and leaned further out, almost falling off, "oh angel, you're not well..." he let out a sigh, gagging as he felt the vomit wetness sink through his pants.

Jon probably felt Leo jerking with an empty heave, because he let out a pitiful sound, voice all drowsy, "sorry..."

"It's okay," Leo's voice was thick with nausea. He didn't get sympathy sick, but normally his lap didn't get covered in puke either, "it's alright, baby. Can you step out? Is this a vertigo episode?"

"Nuh-" Jonah gagged again, but now Leo was out of the line of fire. He cupped a hand over his boyfriend's forehead to support his head, fully expecting to identify a fever, but Jon was cold and clammy, "head..."

"Your head?" Leo frowned, rubbing his back with his free hand and trying not to think of how wet his lap felt, "do you have a migraine?" he thought of Luke, this looked similar enough, right?

"No-" Jonah pitched forward with a burp, bringing up another splash of vomit, then panted, micro tears running down the corners of his eyes, "fell."

"You fell?" Leo echoed, dumbfounded, "and you didn't say anything?!" his voice went up a notch, only for Jon to let out a pitiful whine and Leo to silently curse at himself, "we shouldn't have left the hospital if you're concussed, baby," he whispered.

"Mi-uuUrp-" He groaned, pressing his forehead to Leo's hand, "mild."

"Great," Leo pouted, feeling a stab of guilt. He had just been berating his mildly concussed boyfriend for the past 20 minutes. Shit, "are you done?"

"Yeah..." He sounded unsure, but Leo assumed this was the best he would get and wrapped an arm around Jonah's back, carefully tilting his hip away, since the last thing he wanted was to trigger his fiancés nausea with his own vomit. There was, probably, a particular circle of hell just for him.

Jonah stumbled as soon as he was upright, pressing a hand to his face and making a disgusted face, "I'm sorry-"

"I yelled at you while you were sick," Leo sighed, moving them slowly away from the disgusting puddle, "I guess I deserved that."

To his surprise his fiancé let out a little chuckle, then nodded, stumbling and almost bringing the two of them down, "maybe just a little."

[heartsforjh]

Reader is at a beach party for her 21st birthday (at night), and her childhood bestie will Smith, the sj hockey player, not the actor. Will organizes her birthday party, inviting her friends and some hockey players.....one of them being THE connor bedard, sometime during the night Reader and connor chat, and she brings up how she still hasn't had a first kiss, so Connor, who is alrdy starting to rlly like her, gives her her first magical kiss....that's all thankyouuuuu

of course! 🫶 sorry for it taking forever!

“where are we, Will?” you ask, a mix of curiosity and nervousness in your voice. you sit in his car, eyes closed, trying to piece together where he’s taking you as you feel him park.

“y/n, calm down! i’m not going to kill you!” he says with a chuckle.

“maybe not purposely!” you shoot back crossing your arms. you hear his seat belt unbuckle and the car door open, then shut. even though this whole surprise thing has you uneasy, you trust him enough to keep your eyes closed. he’s been excited about this for weeks, so you play along, although you’re pretty sure it’s a surprise party.

a moment later, your door opens, and he takes your hand to help you out of the car. “come on.” he says, leading you forward.

“Will, if you let me fall, you’re not making it to this surprise alive.” you warn as you carefully follow him, feeling the ground under you shift.

“relax y/n.” he laughs, his grip steady on your hand. “i’ve got you.”

the ground turns soft beneath your feet, the air smells of salt water, and you can hear waves. a small smile creeps onto your face. “ohhh, we’re at the beach!”

“y/n! stop guessing!” Will protests, voice full of amusement. “you’re going to ruin it for yourself.”

you hear the crashing of waves and feel the warm air as he leads you closer. finally, he stops walking, and you hear him laugh softly.

“alright, y/n, open your eyes!”

you hesitate for a moment, feeling the anticipation build, before you finally open them.

“surprise!”

the word echoes around you, and you blink as your eyes adjust. a group of people stand in front of you, all smiling. there’s so many faces staring back at you— some you know, some you don’t. the sight of it all makes your eyes widen.

“happy birthday!” Will says proudly, pulling you into a hug. you laugh, wrapping your arms around him.

“do you like it? i planned you a party!” he says, pulling back to look at you, his face beaming with excitement.

you smile, still a little stunned. “i see that. i do like it, thank you!”

the beach is popping with activity— a large fire pit in the center of everyone, letting off a warm glow compared to the dark night sky. people mingle around the coolers and folding chairs set out. the laughter is a perfect mix with the beautiful beach scene.

after thanking Will again, you watch as he heads off to chat with macklin, one of your mutual friends. you take a moment to soak everything in before deciding to walk around and greet everyone.

that’s when you see him.

next to one of the coolers, there a blonde boy pouring himself a drink. he’s a good height, dressed nice, and there’s something about him that draws you in immediately. you're not 100% on what it is. however, you don’t think it’s just that you’ve never seen him before. you surprise yourself by wasting no time walking toward him. normally, you’d hesitate, but tonight, something about him makes you want to take the chance.

“hi!” you say with a smile.

he turns, and when his eyes meet yours, his smile grows. he sticks out his hand, a little awkwardly, but it’s endearing. “hi. nice to meet you. i’m connor.”

you shake his hand and return his smile. “nice to meet you too, connor. i’m y/n. thanks for coming.”

“oh, yeah. it’s no problem. my team’s playing the sharks soon so i’m in town right now ” he explains. then, as if remembering something, he adds, “happy birthday, by the way.”

“thank you,” you say, feeling your nerves ease as you both fall into a natural feeling conversation.

the minutes blur together as you talk, the energy of the party fading into the background. It’s just you and connor, your words flowing freely, until eventually, the alcohol in your systems begins to take hold, making you both a little bolder, a little closer.

“so ummm… do you—do you have a boyfriend?” he asks, his previous confidence faltering as the nerves start to creep back in.

“no! i haven’t ever even kissed a guy before!” you say, clearly not thinking about how embarrassed that would make you if it weren’t for the drinks in your system.

connor’s jaw drops instantly, eyes big and full of emotion. “you haven’t? how have you never kissed a guy before?”

you shake your head, shrugging like it’s not big deal. “i just haven’t.”

For a second, he stares at you, processing your answer. Then, before he can stop himself, he blurts out, “I can be your first kiss.”

truthfully, he knows he’ll probably look back on his boldness and cringe. regardless, he can’t help but label it as tomorrows problem and move on.

“really?!” you ask, your heart skipping a beat.

“uhhh yeah. i mean, i really like you so far. you’re great. it can be one of my birthday gifts to you.” he says, a bit more confidence in his tone now that he’s seen your giddiness about the idea.

your smile softens, whatever had you being crazy outgoing, immediately leaving as you turn shy. “okay. sure. i’d like that.”

connor smiles at your response, his eyes scanning your face for any sign of discomfort. “are you sure y/n?”

you nod almost immediately, your heart pounding in your chest. this could actually be the moment—your first kiss. “i’m sure connor.”

he nods, stepping closer, the space between you disappearing. he reaches up, brushing a piece of hair from your face, before letting his hand rest on your cheek, gently stroking it. the small gesture combined with the closeness sends shivers down your spine.

“alright.” he says softly, his voice steady but warm as his eyes lock with yours. “just tell me if you want me to stop.”

you can only bring yourself to nod again, your gaze fixed on his, lips slightly parted in anticipation. slowly, he leans in, giving you every opportunity to pull away—but of course you don’t.

the very second your lips connect, you suddenly understand all the cheesy descriptions about first kisses that take people’s breath away. everything around you completely fades. the kiss is soft and careful, giving you butterflies at how gentle he’s being with you. it’s obvious he’s savoring the moment—as are you. the faint taste of his drink lingers, only adding to the rush of it all.

when he pulls back, his face hovers close to yours, his breath warm against your skin. he looks at you like he’s trying to analyze every bit of your expression. “wow… you’re really good at that for someone whose never done it before.”

your cheeks flush, and you laugh softly, looking down for a moment. “thank you.”

connor grins, his earlier nerves replaced by something more natural and comforting. “also, just so you know, i didn’t just say that because i didn’t get you a real present. i got you a gift card!”

you let out a small laugh at him trying to unnecessarily clarify the situation like a dork. “you didn’t have to get me anything but thank you, connor. if you don’t mind, though… can we try that first gift out one more time?”

for a moment he looks genuinely confused. “what—you wanna go use the starbucks gift card right now?”

your smile falters slightly, as your advance goes right over his head.

“i’m joking.” he says, with an amused look in his eyes and a teasing grin. “we can try that out as many times as you want birthday girl.”

before you can even respond he’s pulling you back in for another incredible kiss.

i hope you like it! i got a little carried away with this one and it’s kinda of sort of really really really long! 😭 thank you for the request! i love writing for the boys who don’t usually get a lot of attention here on tumblr! <3

[ar0rin]

any lore about your agents to share?

Probably only minor facts and stuff like that, since I'm not really good at writing a lot!! I've done some concept art recently, so I'll include that alongside a WIP or two.

The theme of Veronika's story/character development is belonging. Being an inkling raised by salmonids, it's difficult to feel that you belong anywhere. Since i can relate to this theme to an extent, I want to write them a happy ending as a sort of motivation for myself.

If my agents' lore was one progressing story, I would pick Veronika to be the protagonist. Since they're young and have a lot to learn compared to my other characters who are all adults with experience, their story ends up being a lot more interesting.

Ikizu, my agent 8, parallels octavio's late niece Miharu, another oc of mine. Miharu's death represents the beginning of the octarians being trapped underground, while Ikizu escaping the metro represents the octarians being free to live on the surface again. Actually, can you really call that a parallel? Am I using these words right?

Ikizu and Octavio grieve in the same way by shutting down at first, but "pulling themselves together" by suppressing any reminder of their loss. Eventually they'll face their grief, but I haven't actually figured that part out yet.

Kanava, agent 4, has recently gotten a lot of sun motifs. Ikizu on the other hand has the moon. This can't be seen in my old art because I didn't do much for them in terms of motifs other than Kanava's starry eyes. Speaking of stars, Shiokara (captain 3) and Veronika both get star motifs because they share a number. There's no deep meaning behind these symbols. I'll let you know if I actually come up with something.

Ikizu's main ink color used to be pinkish reds and warm colors, but I think I'll switch it to cool colors to emphasize the "moon" symbolism. Her eyes used to be brown (A common color to represent the fact that she was a normal girl before the events of OE), but I changed it to a sunset gradient just to make the moon theme fit better.

Veronika's golden eyes hold some kind of significance that I haven't fleshed out yet. Most likely a salmonid prophecy of a golden eyed savior or something.

I imagine "Lil Buddy" to be a nickname, while his real name is Kojake followed by a traditional salmonid title.

Gejang, Bao Yu, Hachi, Nakji, and Kuri are all octoling ocs of mine and were in the same platoon in the Domes alongside Ikizu. Ikizu and Kuri are twin sisters. Too lazy to find pictures of everybody. Sorry.

[indigopearl96]

Have some Donna HCs because I can

• Angie is everything Donna represses about herself, consciously or not. So Angie is the embodiment of Donna true feelings and aspects of her personality that are buried under years of untreated trauma and social anxiety. This results in a mischievous doll with sass and is painfully crass. Alcina is the only one who’s figured this out and used it to her advantage so Donna favors her (ie. Alcina always seems to know when Donna’s upset, meanwhile Angie is kicking things and just throwing knives at people without a prank).

• Because of Angie’s shenanigans, Donna is a heavy sleeper. Angie and the other dolls don’t need sleep, they’re all still dolls after all. So it’s not uncommon to see Donna’s dolls being led by Angie to shenanigan around the house. As a result, Donna’s just learned how to sleep through anything. She once fell asleep at a meeting and they only realized when her head fell forward because Angie was tired of holding her head up. During said meeting Alcina and Karl almost brawled right there and Donna just slept.

• Ironically, she is the most sympathetic to Moreau, albeit more like he’s a pathetic stray cat she can’t take in because he destroyed her furniture trying to get out and pissed in everything. Angie shows her disgust and discomfort being around him while she herself shows sympathy as his deformities from the Cadou are more…pronounced to put it nicely.

• Alcina is the closest to her only because Angie has the energy of a working dog and Alcina’s daughters are the sheep. It’s not uncommon to see Angie chasing a mass of flies while holding a knife and cackling while Donna sips tea and disassociates while Alcina rants to her.

• Karl and Donna have a “big brother and little sibling that envies his skills” relationship. Donna can act polite but she envies his charm(?), sociability, and how he’s the most human in appearance without a deformity or scar. The others can’t really leave the village, why would they? But Karl? If he could leave, he’d blend into society the most if he hid his abilities. She can barely stand being around people without her social anxiety shutting her up, let alone go a day without her veil where people can see her, go a day charming people to do what she wants, go a day just…being a person who isn’t shut down by their own anxiety.

• Donna treats the lycan like they’re smart stray dogs, ESPECIALLY the varcolac. The moment she saw it, she thought “I finally got my puppy, MOTHER”. The varcolac hasn’t been seen since the escape because it eats trespassers as a treat and likes being pet. A doll-maker knows how to use her hands for fragile things, so she knows how to pet it the best.

• Donna has only sassed Karl and no one ever believes him because she purposefully does it when no one will see. It’s her pettiness shining through by making people think he’s crazy. Alcina only ironically believes it because she finds the thought that Karl keeps being beat by the mute doll-maker hilarious but doesn’t believe Donna’s capable of being so petty. More because Alcina views them all as beneath her and Donna is just there for her to rant to.

• When Angie is asleep, Donna lacks a filter. The few times the others have heard her talk was because the trio of flies tired out the doll. Two were about Moreau being pathetic and once was about Alcina needing a therapist. All heard by Karl and again, no one believes him. Another was heard by a villager on the way home and they were so baffled, Donna realized and panicked, waking Angie up and pushing the doll to threaten said villager into silence. This is due to her thoughts having to be filtered for Angie as the doll would otherwise say the first thing in Donna’s head in response to conversations. A few still slip through when Angie is just talking in general (“Move out of the way ugly” “FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT” for examples).

• Donna has a sweet tooth and takes full advantage of the fact that her body won’t deteriorate normally. It’s not uncommon to see her snacking on a cookie while she works sometimes.

Anyone have HCs about her? I have some silly ones caused by the Cadou and how her trauma buried her actual personality.

Please nothing about her being innocent and UwU. She is NOT innocent in the slightest.

LOOK AT THAT THING! That’s NOT from someone innocent, that’s from someone who has a morbid interest in anatomy and horror because of their profession (in this case, dolls).

Share them! I wanna blab about this dollmaker.

[insomniadreamzz]

Game on

Jinx x Fem!Reader Squid Game AU (may contain season 2 spoilers of Squid Game)

Mentions of blood, violence, little smut

Also sorry for the short smut but I want to focus a bit more on story in this and not write a whole 🌽. 🤣

(Pic edited by me)

„Dear players, the light will shut down in 30 minutes. Please make your ways to your beds“

You hear the voice like every night. So many people have died around you. All the blood you saw, the screams of them, the way they just got shot without any mercy. When you first came here you thought this would be a normal game between you and other people, the winner getting a lot of money but you didn’t expect people actually dying in this. Hundrets of people died.

When the light shut down, you sat in your bed, restless and not wanting to close your eyes yet. People were already arguing, the hate between them getting more present especially after noticing the price will get more after every person that died and with that being ‚disqualified‘.

And then your whole body starts shaking once you heard the female voice again.

„The extra game will start within seconds.“

And then it happened. The lights were flickering, screams echoing through the huge room as everyone attacked, using forks and all they could find to kill each other, blood splattered on the floor, the walls and the beds. It was terrible. You hid under your bed, praying it will stop soon and you don’t have to kill anyone or be killed.

When you opened your eyes you could see someone standing in front of you. You saw a red suit, making your heartbeat going faster, you saw your life already ending but the guard grabbed your wrist and pulled you out of under your bed, you wanted to scream but got shut up by their hand on your mouth. You got dragged along with them through the chaos, everyone else being too distracted into the fight and the flickering light made it hard to see anything clear. The guard kept on dragging you along out of the bedroom and alongthe halls. You didn’t know where they will take you but you followed, not wanting to get back there anyways. You came to a orange hall with many doors and numbers on them, it must be the guards rooms. You got pushed into one, making you stumble backwards and fall on your butt. „Ouch! What the-…“ You started but then the guard slowly took off their hood, seeing the blue hair made your heart skip a beat and once they removed the mask, you lost your breath for a moment. „J-Jinx…?“

„What the hell are you doing here?!“ She shouted at you but you also got angry at her, getting up on your feet again. „Me?! What the hell are you doing here?! I thought you were dead! I-I thought I have lost you and now I meet you here???“ You couldn’t believe it. Many years ago you and Jinx were girlfriends and one day she just disappeared, making you think she died in a fight and now seeing her in front of you was so unreal. You couldn’t hold back your tears as you looked at her, she really was in front of you, alive. „Why did you leave me?! Why did you make me go through all of this??! Have you even thought about how you made me feel??“ You continued, making her frown as she listened to you, hearing your voice crack as you cried in front of her. „I am…sorry. I got into some deep shit and didn’t want you to get into this…“

Her explanation didn’t calm you down at all. You just wanted to punch her for making you think she was dead. Jinx stepped closer to you, pulling you into her arms and all you could do was letting it all out as you kept on crying, hugging her back so tight you were scared she would slip away again. „I wish I could turn back time…but I can’t. I am so sorry I made you feel like this…why do you think I brought you here to my room? I don’t want you to die.“ She mumbled as she cuddled into your hair, keeping you close to her. „I love you too much to let that happen.“ She continued, making your heart skip a beat, looking up at her with teary eyes but you calmed down a little bit at least. You both stare at each other for a moment before you kissed deeply and passionately. You missed the feeling of her lips on yours so much.

She guided you to the little bed she had in her room, never breaking the kiss as she got on top of you, her hands taking off your green jacket before making you lay down. „Fuck I missed you so much.“ She mumbled against your lips, wanting to feel you better so she took off her black gloves and removed her suit, tossing them to the side. Your eyes widen as you saw her only wearing her underwear, missing that view. „What? It can get very hot under that suit.“ She explained herself but you didn’t care, you pulled her down to you, kissing her again, this time you moved your tongue inside of her mouth, wanting to be as close as possible as your hands roam along her beautiful body, her cold hands slipping under your shirt in return, sending shivers down your spine.

You let her undress you, you both being now exposed to each other, admiring your bodies before her lips found their way down along your neck and chest, making you hum so softly. „Fuck…I missed you.“ You whine out, feeling her teeth nibbling on your sensitive skin. You both ended up in a moaning mess, making love to each other as if it was the last time. Her wet cunt sliding against yours, sending shiver through your body every time her hard clit rubbed against yours, her thrusts becoming faster when she felt close and soon you felt her pulse against you as you both reached your orgasm, moaning out each others names, making her collapse on you as she wrapped her arms around you, holding you so tight. „Damn…I love you so much…“ You heard her whisper, her voice sounding like she was crying and you weren’t wrong with that thought.

„Why are you crying?“ You dared to ask, making her hug you tighter if it was even possible. „Because I am scared…if I let you go you might die at the next game…if I keep you with me and they find out…either I have to kill you or we both get killed.“ She sniffed, cuddling into the crook of your neck. Your hand came up to caress her back gently, trying to calm her down but she was right. There won’t be any guarantees for you to win all the games and get shot. You just found each other again after so long and now it should end? No way.

„You know…I made friends out there. It sounds crazy but not all of them are bad.“ You mentioned, remembering the others you got to meet in here, wondering if they still alive.

// Flashback //

The first game had started. A lot of the people who were around you made fun of it, the game was simple. Green light red light. A game many knew from their childhood. Little did you know this had a terrible twist.

One moved when you had to stay still and a loud bang made chaos erupt as the person got shot. Many lost their mind, screaming and wanting to run for their life but everyone got shot that didn’t stand still. Your own knees getting weak but you tried your best not to move even though the only emotion you could feel in this moment was fear.

The creepy looking puppet turned its head around again and you could run again but you tripped over your own feet just when it was to turn to you again but someone grabbed your jacket and held you just in place.

„Don’t fucking move…“ A deep female voice told you, your forehead was all sweaty as you tried not to make a move, you didn’t even dare to breathe and then finally you could move again. Two more rounds you managed to keep yourself still, hearing more shots and people screaming. You fell on your knees once you reached over the line, you realised you survived. Your heart felt like it’s going to jump out of your chest when you looked back, so many dead bodies, so much blood. It felt like being in a horror movie but it was real.

Back in the room where all people had their beds, you sat on yours with your knees to your chest, slowly realising that you can die when you will fail a game. You were scared but you were here now, knowing there is no going back. „You okay?“ A strong looking female with short hair went over to you, you looked at her with teary eyes. „You saved my life…“ You just mumbled and she sat down beside you. „This is a fucked up place isn’t it?“ She said, a little sigh escaping her lips. „What does a woman like you do in here?“ She kept in asking to change the subject but the question made you more sad. „I…wanted to get more money to hire people to find my girlfriend…she disappeared and they couldn’t find her yet…maybe she is dead but I don’t want to believe that.“ You felt a tear run down your cheek, quickly wiping it away. „Why are you here?“ You asked in return. „Gambling.“ Her answer was short but it made sense to you. You can either win or lose your money with gambling but in here you lose your life.

„I see…“ You just nod and she offered you her hand. „I am Sevika.“ You looked at her before shaking her hand, telling her your name in return.

„Hey you two! Can we sit with you?“ A male voice asked, you looked up to see a man walking up to you with messy long hair and a beard, a thin man with also a bit of longer hair followed him. „I am Jayce! And that’s Victor! We figured it would be good to make friends here to habe a better chance of winning.“ He continued and all you could do was nod in response. „Sure. Maybe having friends in here could help…plus it can make it easier to go through this hell together right?…“

And with that you got some people around you to talk to you and make it a little easier to go through all of this but the fear of losing them if you get too close was also hurting. Whatever you need to survive, get out of here and find Jinx.

// End of flashback //

You told Jinx about how you met Sevika, Victor and Jayce. Little did you know Jinx already knew. „You know…we have cameras everywhere and I saw you hanging out with them. Of course I always watched you when I had to…shoot those people. I hoped I didn’t have to shoot you or see you being shot…“ Jinx‘s voice cracked at the end of her sentence, you could feel she hated what she had to do but you knew she was forced to.

„Yeah…hopefully they didn’t die when the fight in the bedroom escalated. I bet if you didn’t take me with you, I wouldn’t have make it. I just…I can’t kill people even if they attack me you know…it’s just not me.“ You explained, feeling her hand caressing your hair, making you close your eyes at her gentle touch. „Sometimes you have to kill to survive.“ She told you. Jinx wasn’t wrong with that but you rather run like a scared bunny would run from their predator. „I know…“

Suddenly both of you got interrupted by a knock on the door, Jinx getting up quickly before putting her suit back on, throwing your clothes towards you and you did the same, quickly dressing yourself.

„Soldier 013 open the door.“ A voice said and Jinx refused for a moment. „Who’s there? What do you want?“ She asked but there was no reply. With a loud bang the door got open and another soldier in a pink suit but a square on his mask entered, knocking both of you out before anyone of you two could even do something.

When you woke up, you found yourself tied on a chair and Jinx was the same in front of you, groaning as she opened her eyes. „Where are we…?“ You mumbled, still feeling the headache. Jinx‘s eyes widen when she realised where you were. „In the main room…from here they control everything.“ She said, eyes searching for someone but it didn’t take long until someone with a black suit and black mask walked out if the shadows.

„Just look who’s there. I knew I couldn’t trust you since I knew your girlfriend was here. You can’t follow my orders can you? I told you you should do what I say or this will end bad for you.“ The masked man said, holding up a gun. „But I know you like playing games…so why not include a fun game? Maybe your last or your girlfriend’s last game…“

„Dont! I beg you leave her out of this!“ Jinx shouted at him, you had the feeling she knew him. „Why would I? You broke the rules which leads to a punishment.“ He sighed, placing the gun now into your hand. „Let’s play russian roulette. There is only one bullet in this gun. You either lose or win. Only one of you. Have fun.“ He ordered, your whole body shaking and tears running down your cheeks. „F-Fuck…I am so sorry I didn’t want this to happen.“ Jinx said but you shook your head in response. „It’s not your fault…“ You said with a shaky voice, holding the gun against your head, eyes squeezed shut as you pulled the trigger but you only heard a click.

Now it was Jinx turn. You handed her the gun with shaky hands and she did the same as you did before, squeezing her eyes shut before pulling the trigger but thankfully there was also only a clicking sound. You sighed, feeling relieved but seeing Jinx cry in front of you just like you did broke you.

„I-…I did this to find you and now…I found you and I will lose you again. That’s not fair!“ You shouted, feeling like your heart will break into a thousand pieces.

The man who brought you two into this situation suddeny looked at the monitors, he panicked a little seeing players attacking the soldiers with their own guns. „Dammit! All soldiers go down! We need to stop them!“ He ordered and pushed a red button, making a siren appear through the whole building. Your eyes widen when you tried to look at the screen, you knew them.

„You two! Don’t fucking try anything! I want to see when one of you dies.“ He turned towards you, Jinx grunting in return. „As if we gonna continue this shit.“

Gunshots could be heard everywhere and they got louder by time. The man in the black suit struggling to keep his man alive, no matter how many soldiers he sent out, you saw more and more of them die on the screen and then, they reached the control room, shooting a few guards who were in here with you before aiming at the man who forced you to play russian roulette.

„Sevika! Jayce! Victor! I knew it!“ You cheered happily, not knowing they planned to get out of here but the more happy you got realising they won’t let you down.

„Told ya we are friends didn’t I?“ Sevika said, smirking as she aimed at the man with the black mask while Jayce and Victor removed the ties from you and Jinx so you could move freely again. Jinx grabbed a gun from a dead guard and stood before you in a protective way.

„Now…remove your damn mask I wanna see who you are. You fucking sick asshole.“ Sevika grumbled and the man gave in, removing his mask to reveal his face. It was a man with a huge scar on the other half of his face. Only Jinx didn’t look surprised, she knew him just as you thought. „Jinx…you know him right?“ You said as you stepped closer to her from behind. „Sadly…this asshole is my stepfather Silco who can’t get enough money…“ She grumbled and your eyes widen in shock. „Your what?!…is that why you left so sudden?“ You kept on asking but she only nodded in response.

Before anything you heard a loud bang like a explosion and the whole place started shaking like an earthquake. Making you all feel caught off guard for a moment. „They are here…“ Silco said as he looked up at the ceiling. „What now? You wanna kill me??!“ The man snarled, making Sevika scoff in return.

„No. If anyone is going to shoot him it’s me.“ Jinx stepped forward with a serious expression, her eyes watery. She was hurt but she couldn’t go on like this. „You gave me a home but you used me as one of your weapons to kill people in this stupid fucking game and make money of their organs. I left the love of my life because of you and all you did with me was using me. Why else would you want me to die playing a stupid gane with my girlfriend?“ She said with a surprisingly calm voice as she pointed the gun towards him. „You stupid girl! I calculated it so she would get the bullet and not you!“ Silco shouted at her, making her feel even more angry. „You think I would stay after seeing my girlfriend die before my eyes?! You’re so sick. I feel sick being your stepdaughter.“ Just the second Jinx shot him, some people reached the control room. One of them was a man Silco‘s age with a beard and the other two following him were two women. One with pink hair, the other dark blue hair. They were clearly from the police.

„Jinx?…“ The pink haired woman knew her. „Vi?…“ Jinx turned to look at her. You heard that name once, remembering Jinx sister was named Violet and goes with the name Vi. She seemed to know the man too, tears running down the blue haired girls cheeks as she let the gun fall and ran into their arms. „I thought I won’t ever see you again!“ She cried into their arms. You and the others watched the scene in awe. These two, they were Jinx family. But why did she leave them. „S-Silco…he told me you are dead! I thought I have no one left anymore!“ She kept on crying, seeing your girlfriend break down in tears hurt you but you also felt happy they reunited. „That’s my sister Vi and my father Vander.“ Jinx explained as she looked at you, making you smile a little, feeling happy for her.

Vander just moved out of the hug as he saw Silco on the ground, a puddle of blood under his thin figure. „I knew my brother was sick but that’s just…too much.“ Vander said, lifting up the lifeless body of his brother. „I am sorry he made such a terrible thing.“ Even though Silco did a terrible thing Vander couldn’t just leave his body here, wanting to burry him.

„In the room above us we captured some rich idiots who had fun watching this all. They won’t be able to harm anyone in here anymore. Let’s get out of here and the police will do the rest. We called more of our troops to get to this location. Everyone else in this building alive or not will be taken out of here.“ Vi explained and soon all of you made their way out of this hell, leaving the rest to the specialists.

You were finally home again, alive and with Jinx by your side. „It still feels like a nightmare…“ You mumbled as you and Jinx were all cuddled up in bed. „I didn’t know you sister and father worked for the police.“

„Neither did I…“ Jinx mentioned. She thought they were dead but thankfully they weren’t. You looked up at her with so much love as you caressed her cheek. „I am sorry glad we made it out of there and having you with me again.“ You said softly, making her smile back at you. „I am also happy to be back with you again. I love you.“ She kissed you gently, making you melt into her touch. „I love you too.“ You whispered softly against her lips.