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oliverwxod · 6 years ago

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Rush (Steve Rogers)

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Warnings: angst, Smuttttt, I mean it’s not much of an endgame spoiler bc I wrote most of it before the film came out, there’s only a really small bit that was from the film.

Summary: Reader attends the same therapy group as Steve, she’s very bitter and he finds her very irritating. (Like imagine sitting across from him and Steve giving you this look) !!

Steve couldn’t stand her for some reason. Every little thing about her made him tick, at the very sight of her he could feel his jaw clench unconsciously and his eyebrows pulled downwards into a frown directed her way.

She could tell from where she sat every other week that the once so called Captain hated her guts. She could see it in the way he looked at her with dark hooded eyes, spelling out how much he disliked her whole being even though she had never done a single thing wrong to him.

Y/n liked to tease. She had always used other peoples hatred towards her to get back at them. So she would meet Steve’s glare with a barely there smirk but she knew he could see it, it showed in the same continuous twitch of his jaw, set in a hard line as he bit back a look of distaste.

She always found herself raising an eyebrow up at him in question, well that’s what Steve assumed it was, but to Y/n it was a look of challenge. She wanted to play the game he was playing with her.

There was only one problem though, Y/n had no idea what this game was and why she was so intrigued into why he hated her.

Sure she could be quite loud, that was just her way of coping with everything, a way to keep herself grounded in this depressing world. They always say humour is the way of hiding and distancing yourself from the real problems around.

Steve hated that she was loud. Yet for someone who had so much to say, she never spoke about herself and why she was at these group sessions. He knew she listened to what everyone else said, so he had to assume that she was benefitting from other peoples experiences and taking their advice and struggles on board.

He was curious about her, he had to admit. But he would never go and ask her what her story was. Because everyone already knew Steve’s story. It was hard not too, it was plastered in every newspaper and magazine around the world, the pressure on him continuous, never laying off for one second to allow him to breathe.

Therapy was the one place he never felt judged.

Until Y/n joined.

“That’s a wrap guys, coffee is to the corner like always” Mike the main counsellor spoke, everyone standing from their seats and making their way over to the coffee pots.

Y/n stayed sat in her seat still staring at the Captain from across the room. Steve was doing the same, making no move to get up and leave. She didn’t want to give in to whatever this situation they created was, but she needed to know why he hated her so much.

She stood up not breaking eye contact, watching as his face twisted into a dark look, his jaw clenching even tighter the closer she got to him before he looked down briefly.

He stayed silent as she sat in the seat next to him, watching the crowd of people slowly disperse out of the room, a couple lingering behind chatting idly to Mike.

“Soooo Captain” she dragged out.

“Steve” he grunted immediately.

“Fine. Steve then” She said glaring at him briefly. “You don’t like me and I want to know why”

He scoffed.

“so?” she prompted but he was giving her nothing. “You know… I always thought Captain America would be a nice person, My parents used to buy me captain America posters and action figures, I dreamed of meeting him as a kid you know, but that would be impossible right? Because he was mean’t to be dead. It was a miracle when they found you, I remember the day so clearly, I was in college and my brother phoned me to tell me to turn the news on and I was so excited.”

Steve listened, still not replying or giving her any acknowledgement, but this was the first time he had the chance to have some insight into his life.

“But I must have been a naive kid right? Believing the papers that he was a ‘kind gentleman’” she spoke giving a small laugh. “A kid can dream though right? It’s just shit growing up and finding out the cold hearted truth.”

He still hadn’t replied the only acknowledgement being the slight barely there relaxing of his clenched jaw.

“See you in two weeks” she spoke, standing up without even looking back at him. His eyes followed her until she was out of sight.

——————————————————————————-

“So, I went on a date this weekend” a man named David was talking about his weekly achievement. Y/n listening intently while Steve watched her.

“It was.. alright; he cried. But so did I and now we’re going on another date next week” David said.

“That’s great” Mike spoke, smiling gently at the man. “Why did you cry?”

“well… we were talking, we got to the conversation of who we lost when everyone disappeared and that’s when we both couldn’t hold back”.

“That’s good. You’ve opened up to each other already.” Mike offered, before he started a conversation about coping methods.

“Anybody else want to add in to the conversation?” Mike asked, his kind voice echoing in the room.

“Steve?” he asked, looking expectantly at the Captain who had spent the whole session staring at Y/n. He shook his head without letting his eyes leave her.

She glared at him, before speaking up for the first time.

“Can I?” Y/n asked.

“Of course” Mike spoke, kind and caring like always. “What do you want to talk about?” he asked, seeing she needed encouragement.

“Oh- well- I didn’t think that far” she said, her eyes briefly flicking to meet Steve’s before looking away, her normally confident persona cracking under Steve’s watchful eyes.

“How about you tell us what you’ve done this week?” Mike prompted.

“right.” she spoke nodding slightly. “well…”

It was silent for a while as she tried to think of something, anything to say.

“Okay. So- so this week I went to work… I’ve been working double shifts ever since-” she paused, taking a deep breath. “ever since everyone disappeared. See, the manager, the woman who owns the shop, it was a family run business, she lost her two daughters so I’ve been helping her, taking shifts and covering until she can hire new staff.”

“That’s very kind of you y/n” Mike said, giving her another encouraging smile

“Well, it’s not easy. But it fills my time up- most days you know, it’s - it’s something” she shrugged. “It’s not like I have…”

Y/n paused again, looking up for the first time to meet Steve’s eyes. He was still watching her closely, intently. It was un-nerving.

“Anyone else left” she finished, it was a whisper, said so fast under her breath but they all heard.

“I’m sorry” Mike spoke, his voice sympathetic, Y/n shrugged.

“I’m not the only one who lost someone and I’m sure I’m not the only one who lost every single person.” she said.

“Thank you Y/n” Mike spoke. “Thank you for sharing” she nodded, giving him a tight lipped smile. She wished she had never said anything, sitting for the rest of the session in complete silence, not looking up once to meet Steve’s lingering stare.

———————————————————————————-

“Let me buy you a drink”

A voice startled Y/n as she was picking her bag up to leave. Everyone else had started to make their way over to the coffee pot and snacks, but y/n legged it home every time, the weight of Steve’s presence in the room always confusing her.

She turned around, her backpack clutched tightly in her hands as she stared wide eyed at him.

“I need to get home” she spoke, a pathetic excuse to leave to the comfort of her own bed.

Steve gave her a pointed look, knowing from the last session that she didn’t. She didn’t have anyone she needed to attend to. She huffed aloud knowing it hadn’t worked.

“Fine, but only one” she said, watching as Steve waved goodbye to a couple people before leaving the room. She followed after him, her legs working quickly to catch up to his long super soldier strides.

“Slow down” she huffed. “we’re not all Captain America”

Steve glared at her. “don’t call me that”

“But you are aren’t you?” she said quietly.

“no. I’m Steve. Calling me Captain makes it seem like there’s still some hope out there, I don’t want to be giving anyone false hope”. he said sternly.

“So you don’t- you don’t have any hope?” she asked, her posture slumping slightly at the prospect that not even Captain America was feeling hopeful.

“Do you?” he asked, receiving nothing but silence.

“I may not- but you- you’re Captain America- you can’t give up on the world when we need you most” she stated.

“I said don’t call me that” he glared, stopping in his tracks to look straight at her.

She smirked at him, finally getting him back for making her feel so nervous the previous two sessions.

“Hit a nerve did I?” she asked. Steve almost let out growl as he pushed her up against the wall of a shop, his hand slamming into the brick beside her head. She stared back him, not flinching the whole time.

“You’re so infuriating you know?” his face was close to hers as she met his eyes once again. In fact he was just close to her in every way. Y/n had forgotten how it felt to be so close to someone, the fact hitting her hard, her breath catching in her throat as she felt the need to cry.

But she held it together knowing this was the worst place to let her emotions get the better of her.

Steve was still staring at her, his eyes intruding through hers, like he was searching, there was no way that he couldn’t tell exactly how’s she was feeling in that moment.

“Don’t” she spoke weakly, one hand resting on his chest as she turned her face, Steve had leaned down, his face tilting towards hers as he was about to kiss her.

He stopped when she pushed him way slightly, meeting her eyes yet again in confusion. He had thought that was what she wanted. She broke eye contact with him, staring at the ground now, waiting for him to move his arms so he wasn’t caging her against the wall.

He dropped both arms to rest at his sides, watching her in confusion as she gave him a small smile.

“I’ll see you around Steve” she spoke, calling him by his name for the first time.

——————————————————————-

She wasn’t at the next session. Steve stared at her empty seat all throughout.

Had he really scared her off that much? Did he go too far by trying to kiss her? Was she scared he would do something like that again?

He tried to get involved with the discussion, telling everyone what he had done that week, telling them all to try moving on. But it felt fake to himself. How could he tell people to move on from the snap when he hadn’t even tried to.

Steve skipped the coffee and snacks after, opting to go straight home to shower. He left the centre, taking a right turn that would eventually lead him home.

“Steve” the familiar voice of y/n called out to him.

He turned around, coming face to face with her. He thought she would stop, but instead she carried on walking, right up until she was stood a foot away from him.

“Hi” she spoke.

“Hey” he said softly. “Look y/n- I’m really sorry about last-”

She cut him off, pressing her lips against his in a haste.

Steve was taken aback, his eyes wide and his hands by his sids, not knowing what to do. Not until she kissed him less hesitantly. His hand moved to rest on her waist, pulling her against him as he finally returned the kiss.

“Come back to mine” she said, pulling away and stepping a few feet from him.

Steve frowned, he was never one for a casual hookup. But the sexual tension between the two of them had always been there.

He nodded, taking her outstretched hand and following her. It was silent as they made their way to her apartment block.

————————————————————————–

“We don’t have to -” Steve started to speak as she kissed him softly.

“I want to Steve- I want you” she spoke between kisses. She grabbed at the bottom of his shirt pulling it up and over his head with a little help from him.

Y/n was momentarily speechless, taking in his perfection, staring at him until he chuckled to himself, pulling at the bottom of her own t-shirt and lifting it over her head, staring at her hungrily.

“You’re so beautiful” Steve spoke, as he couldn’t help but reach out to touch her bare skin. It had been so long since he let himself indulge in such beauty.

“So are you” She gestured to her bed, watching as he followed her. Steve sat against the headboard watching as she rid herself of her skirt. Climbing onto the bed and moving until she was sat on his lap, straddling him.

Y/n leaned down to kiss him softly before her hands hurried to undo the buckle of his belt, pushing his trousers down as he helped by kicking them off until they hit the ground. She moved her hips forward, rutting against him as his hands rested on the skin of her waist bringing her down closer to him and letting out a pure moan of ecstasy.

She repeated the action wanting to hear the sound fall from his lips again.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Steve asked as she pulled her underwear down her legs, tossing them away in a hurry. She repeated the action with his boxers, carelessly discarding them on the floor.

“Yes” she spoke, her hands wrapping around him as he gasped, his head thrown back in pleasure as she finally touched him where needed.

“Wait” he spoke, catching her hand gently.

“What?” she asked confused, her heart beating fast as she waited for him to reject her at the last minute. Was this part of his game?

“I can’t promise you anything” he spoke. A sentence that actually made sense to her.

“I don’t want anything from you” she said, slightly defensively.

“I’m not in the position to offer you anything- a relationship” he spoke softly, worried she might get the wrong intentions, needing her to know before they went any further.

“I don’t do relationships” she spoke bluntly. “ You don’t need to worry”

Steve nodded, he had a hunch she wasn’t the type to be serious with anybody. He was glad they understood what this was.

She looked away from him, lifting herself slightly in his lap, one hand around his neck to support herself, the other wrapped around him, lining him up with her entrance. His hands resting on her hips ready to guide her onto him. She sunk down onto his length, crying out as she threw her head back.

Steve was quick to pull her down onto him, a firm grip on her hips. His lips connecting to the skin of her neck, making his mark, not that anyone would see it. She lifted herself slightly again, using one of Steve’s shoulders to grip onto tightly. Steve didn’t think he had ever experienced such pleasure. He couldn’t help the loud moan that fell past his lips as he watched y/n use him for her own pleasure. It was thrilling, an unknown feeling to Steve.

His hands were gripping tighter with every movement from her. Until Steve decided she had taken control long enough. Tightly gripping her thighs with both hands and fucking up into her with harsh thrusts, his pace reckless and aggressive now. Y/n moaned loudly, her head falling with exhaustion, resting in the crook of Steves neck as he thrust his hips up into her faster.

She hadn’t felt like this in a long time. In the years since the snap she never let herself get close to anyone, not even for a one night stand; too scared she would get attached and that she would eventually lose them, just like she had lost everyone else.

“Hey” Steve said. “Look at me” he spoke, his voice soft. She didn’t look up at him, her head still resting in his neck, looking at him would make it too intimate and she wasn’t ready for that feeling.

“Hey” he spoke his thumb stroking the inside of her thigh. “Look at me” he spoke again, gently and lovingly. He wanted to see her face, wanted to remember how she looked and commit it to his memory.

Y/n knew she shouldn’t but she lifted her head to meet his eyes, resting her forehead against his. The intensity becoming too much for her. No one had ever looked at her this way before. It was overwhelming and the only words passing through her mind were to not get attached, do not get attached.

Steve moved his hips slowly with purpose watching as her eyes closed in pleasure. Steve knew he wasn’t going to be able to last long, not even with being a super soldier. It was effect she was having on him, the effect of not having been with someone for a while.

“Oh fuck” he cried as she clenched around him tightly, crying out as she came, wriggling in his lap. He pulled her hips down so she could no longer move, stilling inside her as he reached his own high.

“wow’ He spoke, his head falling to rest on her shoulder now.

“Yeah. Wow:” she said, having nothing else to say.

She stood up, leaving the warmth of Steve’s body, picking up her clothes and putting them on. Steve hadn’t made to move, just watching her watch him from the other side of the room now.

Y/n wanted him to leave, but she didn’t want to be the one to tell him to go. She assumed he would be gone by now. He got what he wanted, she got what she wanted. There was nothing left to say now.

“You should probably go” she mumbled.

“Oh- right yeah” Steve stumbled over his words. “If that’s what you want” he spoke, his words catching her off guard.

Did she want him to?

She wasn’t sure. Did she want the company or did she want him?

All those questions she was unsure of. She hadn’t felt anything like this for such a long time. Was this a part of his game?

“What do you want?” she asked without being able to stop herself.

“Why are you asking me that?” he asked, frowning slightly in confusion.

“I- don’t know - you were the one who said it first” she said.

“I should go” he suddenly said, standing from her bed to start picking up his clothes. Y/n watched as he redressed, pulling his trousers up his legs and buckling the belt. She stared at the muscles on his back quickly before shaking her self out of it.

“Yeah you should- “ she spoke quietly.

“See you around” Steve said, giving her a small half smile before basically bolting out of the door, leaving Y/n feeling worse than before.

#Steve Rogers imagine #Steve Rogers smut #Steve Rogers au #Steve Rogers x reader #avengers imagine #captain America imagine #Steve Rogers angst #captain america x reader #Captain America smut #avengers endgame #avengers au

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seductresses-temple · 5 years ago

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Fuck

So, this is actually a little something I cooked up for my best friend @50shades-of-truth it’s my first time writing ANY content for this paring and it’s un-betaed and probably sucks SO bad but I love him so much and my bb deserves nice (adjacent) things! Soooo without further adieu

Lessons From Mother

Pairing: Blaise Zabini and Neville Longbottom

Rating: Teen

Warnings: None

__________________

Growing up, his mother Selina was all Blaise had ever had. His father -whom his mother never spoke about- had died when he was young. Blaise remembered very little about him. He remembered the smell of sandalwood, a rich, deep laugh that filled up a room, and being held, but as time went on - as it is wont to do- those memories faded into a vague, fuzzy thing. The one thing Blaise did know about his father, with an absolute certainty, was that his death absolutely gutted his mother.

Boyfriends came and went.

Husbands came and went.

Every single man paled in comparison to the bittersweet memories of a long gone ghost.

Blaise adored his mother, he admired her strength and tenacity, sought to emulate her grace and beauty, and he lived his life by the lessons she’d instilled in him. She’d taught him manners, maths, how to dress with style, banking, she had a rule for everything, especially love, especially how to avoid love and Blaise had been doing a damn good job of it for seventeen years...until Neville.

Rule Number One: Don’t let them talk you into anything

It had all started with fucking Slughorn.

Classes at Hogwarts had resumed session over a year after the war and Blaise’s mother had - in no uncertain terms - made it quite clear that he was to continue his education if given the opportunity.

Of course McGonagall just had to give him an opportunity.

Two weeks before term was to begin, his letter came during Sunday breakfast and his mother had fixed him with a happy, expectant stare. They’d gone shopping in Diagon Alley the same day.

Summer passed by all too quickly after that and before Blaise knew it, he was sitting in Slughorn’s potion’s class, getting paired with Neville fucking Longbottom on a three month long potions assignment. All in the name of Interhouse Unity or whatever nonsensical prattle the faculty seemed content to spew about.

As if being back at Hogwarts wasn’t enough of a chore, being paired with the absolute worst potion’s partner on the face of the planet was just salt in the wound, wasn’t it? The only silver lining Blaise could find in the situation was that Draco had gotten paired with Potter and had turned nearly as read as Weasley’s hair.

“You will need to meet with your partner at least twice a week outside of class to conduct research, all of which will be recorded in these journals,” Slughorn waved a small, black, leather bound journal in the air before flicking his wand and sending a pile of them floating through the room.

“You will each share a journal to make the process as collaborative as possible and they will be collected the same day as your potion. Now, everyone switch seats so that you are sitting with your partner, you’ll have the rest of class to have a friendly debate over which potion you’ll be crafting for this assignment.” Slughorn clapped his hands and shuffled behind his desk, seeming all too pleased with himself.

Blaise refused to move from his seat. It wasn’t like he wanted to be there in the first place. To his credit, Blaise’s stubbornness seemed to have no effect on Longbottom whatsoever.

“I had an idea already,” Longbottom plopped down in the seat beside him, journal clutched in his fist.

“You let me do all the work and we actually pass?” Blaise raised an eyebrow at him. It was the only idea that had any merit, after all, Longbottom was rubbish at potions and Blaise Zabini had never failed a class in his life. He certainly didn’t plan on starting just because he’d been paired with an accident waiting to happen.

“Ha,” Longbottom rolled his eyes before leaning in conspiratorially, a wide, mischievous grin splitting his face and making his eyes absolutely sparkle.

“I’ve got something big I’m working on. It’s a risk, but that’s what you lot are all about, yeah? Ambition, cunning, pride. Think you’re in for the ride, Zabini?”

If Blaise had been a smart man, he would have known it was the beginning of the end in that moment. He would have ran away and never looked back. Better to run away than be a fool in love. But having never fallen before Blaise was too blind to know…

Rule Number Two: Don’t fall for their doe-eyed stares

Neville Longbottom, against all odds, was actually quite brilliant. His grand master plan -if they could pull it off- would be even more powerful than dittany. It would effectively have the power to heal wounds left behind by Dark Magic and Magical Creatures alike. Even old scars.

“I’m making it for Bill,” Longbottom told him one day while they were working out on the front lawn, the journal sitting between them as they got settled on top of a large blanket in tacky Gryffindor colors.

“And Bill is?” Blaise asked, twirling a bit of dittany between his fingers, having no issues whatsoever showcasing his boredom.

It seemed to have no ill effect on Longbottom, however, who propelled himself into explaining far more of the Weasley family tree than Blaise could ever bring himself to care about. He didn’t care, not in the slightest, but something about the way Longbottom looked as he spoke made Blaise pause. Made him listen. Made him stare deeply into Longbottom’s eyes, which were impossibly brown with small flecks of hazel and hang onto his every word. There was a fire in his eyes as he talked about healing, his eyes warm and bright, his voice strong and sure, and his face just a little bit flushed, lips moving a mile a minute.

Blaise certainly didn’t think about what those lips would feel like against his own.

That would be preposterous.

Rule Number Three: Don’t become smitten with their little habits.

Neville Longbottom was something of an artist and apparently brilliant at charms.

It was a small fact Blaise had learned by happenstance. The first time the two of them had sat down in the library to research the potion they were creating, Blaise had been reading aloud from some of their research material while Longbottom scribbled notes in the journal. It wasn’t until later that night, when Blaise was leafing through the journal before bed -out of sheer boredom, mind- that he spotted the most gorgeous picture of an English Rose in the margins. It was charmed to bloom, over and over, and looked so fantastically detailed, Blaise would have sworn he could nearly smell it.

They passed the journal off periodically and every time Blaise received it back there was always some new little drawing that caught his eye. Without thought, Blaise took to scribbling the name under each new addition. It got to the point where Longbottom would start drawing less common plants, testing Blaise’s knowledge, and it had turned into a game of sorts.

Their little plant trivia was how Blaise found out that Neville fucking Longbottom was a bit of a bastard underneath that shy, unassuming disposition. Blaise also found out he didn’t care to lose their little game. Every time Blaise couldn’t identify a picture before their next hand off, Longbottom was nothing but smug grins and little jabs.

“I thought part of being cunning was being resourceful, Zabini?” Or something like, “well, I see why you weren’t sorted into Ravenclaw.” Or a little shove and a “you’re allowed to use a book, you know?” All of which just made Blaise scowl and grumble and try all the harder to the point that Longbottom started leaving little words of encouragement under each drawing.

Blaise found a “you’ve got this” under a doodle of a ‘shy plant’ and there was a rush of vindication when he was able to scribble mimosa pudica underneath. He got a very enthusiastic “show me what you’ve got!” under an incredibly graphic drawing of Hydnellum peckii and he wrote a disgruntled “you’re gross” underneath his answer.

What really put the final nail in Blaise’s coffin was reading the words “I believe in you,” under a drawing of a tulip, its petals charmed to turn yellow ever so slowly.

Blaise didn’t write an answer.

Rule Number Four: Don’t give them the power to make you jealous

Jealousy was an ugly, foul little thing. After the incident with the tulips, Blaise couldn’t bring himself to speak to Longbottom afterward. Every time he tried those damnable yellow twinged tulips flashed in his mind and he heard his mother’s voice in the back of his head. “Be careful with your heart, my darling boy.”

So Blaise was careful, which meant working on their potion -two nights a week- in a terse silence while silently counting down the minutes until he didn’t have to be in such close proximity to Longbottom because it was all becoming too maddening. What was a boy to do when the object of his affection was so close? Their breath mingling together, faces mere inches apart as both of them hovered intently over their potion. They watched the surface suspiciously, anticipation coiled tightly in their chest, and Blaise did everything in his power not to lean over and steal a kiss.

So lost in his own little word of trying to fight his stupid, selfish impulses, Blaise almost didn’t hear Longbottom who was mumbling something at his side. Alright, so he didn’t hear him at all.

“Hm?” Blaise hoped he sounded distracted instead of incredibly flustered. The heat of the potion and the fire in his belly didn’t seem to be agreeing with one another and it was all a bit too much.

“I was wondering if you could watch the potion this evening, just this once. I sort of, well I,” Longbottom cleared his throat, a hand coming up to rub the back of his neck as he sat back in his chair, away from Blaise.

“I sort of have a date, I suppose,” he said at last and something vicious ripped through Blaise.

“A date,” Blaise had to pull the word from his throat. His voice must have sounded odd or strained or too much of something because it made Longbottom wince just to look at him.

“You’re right,” Longbottom gulped.

“I shouldn’t go, we’re supposed to be, well, partners. I can’t just l-leave you to go it alone,” with a nod, Longbottom pulled their journal into his lap and scribbled something down, staring at the table, the potion, anywhere but at Blaise really.

Fuck.

Blaise understood now, why they called Jealousy a ‘little green monster’ because his was currently stomping around his heart, throwing things, and having the world’s most Apocalyptic meltdown.

“Go on your date, Longbottom, for pity’s sake. Have fun,” Blaise waved a dismissive hand, building a wall around his heart brick-by-brick because it was the only thing saving the useless thing from crumbling to pieces.

Rule Number Five: Love with your whole heart or don’t love at all

It was, Blaise liked to think, quite hard to get under his skin. That’s what he thought, anyway, until the day Neville walked into the library, eyes puffy and raw, the tip of his little nose just a little bit red, and the tracks of his tears down his cheeks as visible as the sun in a clear blue sky. Blaise felt instantaneously livid, his emotions flaring hot and intense like a bonfire.

“What’s wrong?” he snapped his book shut and put all of his attention on the boy in front of him, silently wondering how long of a prison sentence he’d get for killing whoever dared to make Neville cry. He was sure to get some leniency, if any member of the Wizengamot took one look at Neville, spoke with him just once, and saw how good and pure and sweet he was.

“It’s nothing,” Neville pulled out their journal, his trembling hands causing it to drop onto the table which caused two things to happen.

The first was that the page just so happen to open on the page where Neville’s tulip was slowly filling with yellow. The second was that a spare bit of parchment came tumbling out of it, falling -ironically- into Blaise’s lap. Without meaning to, Blaise couldn’t help but catch it and he couldn’t help it if a few of the words seemed to jump off the page. The words someone else and break up may as well have been written in red ink.

“He’s an idiot,” Blaise muttered, handing Neville the parchment back, trying to pretend as though he didn’t feel his magic jump beneath his skin as their fingers brushed together.

“He isn’t the only one,” Neville fixed him with a pointed stare and Blaise could only sit and stare back at him.

The boy has a point, some logical part of him whispered but he didn’t have time to dwell on it. Their potion was so close to being done and Neville seemed content to through his heartbreak on the backburner in favor of getting down to work.

It was astounding to see him in his element. Blaise couldn’t help but steal glances out the corner of his eye, watching Neville hunched over the potion with a book in his lap, brow furrowed in concentration, and his bottom lip held loosely between his teeth. A strand of his hair fell over his eyes and Blaise’s heart fluttered so hard he thought the damned thing would fly away.

Tucking away every lesson his mother had ever taught him, Blaise reached over for the journal, scribbling down what he should have written over a month ago.

Yellow tulip- Hopeless love- Neville, will you go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?

The smile that spread across Neville’s face as Blaise caught him reading the note over his shoulder nearly stopped his heart.

Fuck.

There was no denying it.

Love seemed to give no fucks about the rules.

#blaise zabini #neville longbottom #hp fandom #wip game

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zizeschmizes · 5 years ago

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that familiar feeling. | solo

WHO: lauren zizes (& the zizes bro squad)

WHAT: a post-thanksgiving dinner hangout, with bonus chaotic sibling energy.

WHEN: 11/28; evening

WHERE: zizes home; new orleans, la.

The last guest was long gone, and the cleanup had been, as always, a family effort. Everyone doing their part to return the house back to some kind of order. Everyone had a job, and Lauren, stickler for organization that she was, had been tasked with putting away the leftovers in a reasonable and tidy manner.

It was a wonder there was any food left; her mother, as per usual had gone overboard. But it was for good reason. As tradition, their dinner usually included some of her brothers' teammates, the guys unable to travel home for the holiday, for whatever reason. There were five of them this year, nice guys who complimented the cooking and talked football with her father and charmed her mother and younger brothers. At least they'd been expected, their places planned for at the dinner table.

If anything she was the anomaly. The interloper, the surprise guest showing up unexpectedly. After landing at the airport, she'd taken a Lyft home, laughing at the look of surprise on her father's face when he opened the front door. She hadn't discussed her plans with anyone; staying at Ginsburg had been the idea...until the drama, most of it not hers, but the small part that was, it was enough to convince her that a break was necessary. Feeling tired, overworked, and wanting to be in a setting that felt familiar seemed too good to pass up.

The food was packed up, the kitchen was clean, the guests were gone, her parents had retired to bed, and Lauren could finally change into comfy clothes and settle in a favorite spot. In the den, on the massive sectional, sandwiched between two of her favorite people. Her younger brothers had been especially excited to see her, nearly tackling her in a combo hug, towering over her in a way that made her chest ache because she missed them so much. They stuck close to her, surprising considering the last thing most 15 year old boys wanted was to be babied by their big sister, but here they were. João, taller than she'd remembered, sprawled on the sofa, body taking up a good amount of room while his head rested on Lauren's lap.

He kept dozing off, unfocused on the show they were supposed to be watching, his content state heightened by Lauren's fingers combing through his dark brown curls. Matheus, however, was the total opposite of his twin, squished beside Lauren and talking animatedly about the show, which had been his pick and Lauren had to admit she was more focused on his commentary than the actual plot. Matty had a way of making everything feel more elaborate, injecting a streak of dramatic flair typical in the Zizes household. Lauren missed it. The noise and nonsense she'd grown so familiar with, different from the college atmosphere that had been her reality for the past few months.

Their chatter was interrupted by Gabe, yanking the remote from Matty's grasp and tumbling over the back of the couch, nearly landing on top of the younger boy who luckily had the good sense to roll out of the way, landing on the floor between the coffee table and the couch.

"Seriously?" Lauren glanced over at Gabe, who managed to balance a large bowl in the middle of his chaotic entrance, never spilling a chip as he stuck his landing.

"What? He moved. That Zizes instinct comin' through." Matty seemed no worse for wear, making a comfortable spot on the floor and accepting the bowl of Doritos when Gabe passed it down, his gaze never leaving the television screen.

Lauren rolled her eyes. "Y'all are ridiculous. You could’ve broken his damn neck.” Her grumble was cut short when, out of nowhere, a hand came whizzing by. João, reaching overhead, past Lauren to grab a handful of chips, shoveling them in his mouth with a loud crunching noise. “Dammit, Jojo! You almost hit me.”

His ‘sorry’ was muffled by chewing and Lauren scowled waiting a beat before bopping him on the forehead.

“Next time just ask for the bowl, dummy. How are y’all still eatin’ after all that food?”

Gabe shrugged and sank lower in his seat, enough to prop his sock covered feet on the coffee table. “I’m a growing boy. I ain’t wanna dig around in all those bowls. You got the fridge locked up. Chips was easier.” He offered her the bowl as a peace offering and despite her glare, it didn’t stop her from swiping a few. Dark eyes, much like her own glanced at the screen and he frowned. “What the hell are y’all watching?”

“Matty picked. I think it’s some Star Wars thing?”

There came a huff from the floor, and Matheus lifted his head from her knee. “It’s ‘The Mandalorian’, Lo. I said that twenty minutes ago.”

“Okay, so I was right. It was a Star Wars thing.”

Gabe snorted beside her. “Turn it off, I haven’t watched the first ep yet, I don’t wanna be spoiled.”

Lauren reached for a few more chips, grabbing a handful and pointing with her pinky at Gabe’s lap. “You have the remote, genius. Just switch it to something everybody wants to watch. Don’t put on those NatGeo docs, bout to put everybody to sleep.”

Matty laughed. “Jojo’s already asleep.”

“No I’m not!” came the sleep-filled reply from her sweatpants-covered lap and Lauren looked down at her little brother, who was busy wiping crumbs from his face. “Lo, you’re getting Dorito dust on me.”

“Yeah well that’s what you get for almost smackin’ me, we’re even.” She rubbed her fingers together, laughing at his grumbling because despite it, she knew he wasn’t moving. “Where’s Nono?” she asked Gabe, who was still busy browsing through Netflix and vetoing Matty’s suggestions.

“Think he’s still talking to Zara on the phone. Makin’ plans to link up after practice.” Gabe tossed the remote to Matty, and turned his full attention on Lauren. “You stayin’ for the game on Saturday? Watch us bust some Aggie ass?”

Lauren nibbled at her bottom lip. She'd forgotten about the possibility of a football game. Already figuring it would be a reality for winter break, in her haste to get away from Ginsburg for the holiday, it had slipped her mind.

"My flight back to school is Saturday," she replied, unsure if she was relieved or annoyed. At herself. More than likely at the situation. Dinner had been spent literally surrounded by football, her brother teammates piled into the large dining room they only ever used for holidays and big parties. And at first, Lauren had completely disappeared amongst the talk of plays and stats and names, occasionally cracking a smile at a stray joke, her grin growing when her eyes happened to catch her father's. Her parents seemed happy to see her. Her father clutched her tightly and kissed her forehead, the warmth behind it making her feel most at home.

And she supposed her mother, with her busy to-do list that involved ordering the rest of them around with chopping and shopping and cleaning and organizing didn't have much time for her usual spiel. Again, the surprise drop in was good for something. She'd managed a quick kiss to her daughter's cheek and promptly sent her on an errand. Lauren figured come Christmastime, she wouldn't be so lucky.

For his part, Gabe took the news of her departure easily. Then again, that was his way. Of all her brothers, the two were more alike, in looks and temperament. Where Antonio was the quiet, responsible type, Gabe was loud, the center of attention and quick with a joke. The two of them bumped heads, but never really outright clashed, trading snarky comments back and forth until a peace offering (usually food) was suggested.

“There’s always games,” he replied easily. “You’ll catch another one.” They turned their attention back to the television, where Matty had found something else to watch (Black Panther) and managed to snatch the bowl of chips from his older brother, setting it beside him so he could share with his twin.

“Thanks, for not giving me shit about it.”

Gabe shook his head. “It’s just football, Lozinha. I realize sayin’ that’s a cardinal sin ‘round here. But you haven’t been into this shit since we were in high school. It’s cool. Although…” he turned to his sister, big grin on his handsome face and Lauren knew it was bound to be something that would no doubt annoy her. “If you did show up, I know of at least three dudes who’d be pretty hype about that.”

She made a face. “Please don’t push me off on your football pals, it’s so weird. Not to mention unnecessary.”

“You say ‘unnecessary’, I say Cameron was staring hard and it wasn’t the turkey he was eyeballin’.”

Lauren rolled her eyes, her annoyance only rising at Gabe’s loud laughter, but smiled when the twins both shushed him. She had noticed Cameron, catching her eyes whenever she looked up and making sure they were seated beside each other at dinner.

He was sweet enough, a junior linebacker studying sports medicine with dreams of being a physical therapist, and he listened attentively while she talked about Ginsburg and her major. Their conversation had been pleasant, but it was a typical dinner talk: polite and surface-level and though she enjoyed it, hadn’t thought much more about it, especially when she had other matters to attend to, mainly cleaning. A total gentleman, he bid her goodnight and leaned in for a hug, a one-armed gesture that ended with a gentle squeeze of her hip, which...okay that might’ve been forward...but she didn’t dwell on it, simply brushing it off as friendly.

“Yeah, that’s not happening. He’s nice but he lives here. I’m at Ginsburg. Plus I’m not really looking for that right now.”

“Uh-huh…” Gabe trailed off, studying his sister’s profile. “Soooo, is that ‘cause you already have something? And when are you gonna let me talk to your crew? Do they know you’ve got a hot single brother? Like come on, what good is having a sister if I can’t hit on your fine ass friends?”

“That is a lot of stupid happening in one sentence,” she replied, laughing. “I’m not letting my friends anywhere near you. Besides, you already got a school-full of folks you can charm, get outta my friends list.”

“Jeez, be selfish. But you could be keeping me from the love of my life. I hope you’re happy.”

“My one mission’s to make your ass miserable so yep, I’m pretty content right now.”

Gabe snorted. “It’s possible you came back a bigger pain in the ass.”

“It’s a required Gins elective. Bad Bitch 101.” Lauren flipped her hair, laughing when João grumbled about being jostled. She ruffled his hair, letting her fingers linger to card gently through his curls.

“Are you two done?” Matheus grumbled from below. “We’re tryin’ to watch something here.”

“Yeah whatever,” Gabe said, leaning forward to bop his younger brother on the shoulder. “You’ve seen this like a million times. Gimme the chips and put on something we all wanna watch.”

“I don’t mind watching it,” came a voice from behind and Lauren looked up to see Antonio entering the den, tumbling over the back of the sectional much like Gabe did, settling beside his brother, and throwing an arm over the back of the couch.

“Are y’all incapable of sitting on the couch like regular folk? I mean, damn.” Her question was met by a chorus of boos and Gabe, having recovered the chip bowl threw a Dorito at her, which she promptly caught in her mouth.

“Nice. Learned that from one of those Ginsburg’s electives?”

Lauren shook her head. “Nah, just that Zizes instinct comin’ through.” Grinning, she leaned her head on Gabe’s shoulder, finally focusing on the Wakandian action on-screen as her brothers passed the bowl between them, feeling completely at ease in the familiarity of it all. She really missed this.

#para.all #para.solo #para002

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areiton · 6 years ago

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Recent Fic Recs

Everything of mine by rei_c (Steter, Teen Wolf)

"I've been sleeping a lot," Stiles says. "I'm not eating. I don't have any energy. My mind isn't working as fast as it used to. I feel run down. Breathing hurts, sometimes. My hair's started to fall out. My muscles spasm. And before you ask: yes, they've run tests. I went to the hospital over in the Valley and they checked everything -- ruled out everything. The most they can come up with is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome but I don't fit all of those symptoms and --."

He stops there, looks down, away from Peter's eyes. "What?" Peter asks, gently.

It takes a moment for Stiles to steel himself, to meet Peter's gaze, to say, "I know what it is. Why I'm sick, I mean."

"Please, Stiles," Peter says. "Tell me."

When the nogitsune and Stiles split, their bodies got mixed up and torn apart, leaving Stiles to inhabit a completely magical construct. He needs an anchor to the physical world in order to survive and when he can't wait any longer, he goes to Peter Hale.

This was so lovely. I really loved the change in dynamics, that Stiles was the one with all the power. Plus, post-nogitsune fall out? So much win.

***

i have always been the storm by stilinskisparkles (Sterek, Teen Wolf)

"You’re all headed out to Oklahoma in a week.”

Derek snaps his head up, stares at him in horror, “No, boss.”

“Yes,” Finstock insists in a steely voice. “The NSSL have been on at us for a year about some decent exposure, and I think you’re just the team to do it.”

“I haven’t done weather since college,” Derek protests.

Boyd snorts again, presumably because he’s thinking back to the time when Derek and the weather last collided and he…. well, didthe guy into the weather for a brief, wonderful, terribly foolishtime. But, Boyd needs to shut up before Derek punches him on the nose.

I just really loved how fluffy and sweet this was. Very lowkey angst and fantastic friendships all around.

***

chestnut kisses by unloyal_olio (Sterek, Teen Wolf)

A kissing game goes horribly wrong.

(Or a high school AU, in which Stiles's love saves Derek from the clutches of Kate Argent.)

Note: Chapter one is the experimentally formatted original. Chapter two is the edited version with conventional formatting.

High school fluff and angst and Derek being adorable and Stiles pining and it was perfection.

*** anchor by thegeminisage (Dargent, Teen Wolf)

Derek insists on coming along with Chris Argent and the Calaveras on the hunt for Kate, so he can see her dead for good. While following her trail back to Beacon Hills, they come to understand some hard truths about both each other and themselves, and struggle to find the reason why, after losing nearly everyone they've ever loved, they're still here.

I loved loved loved this. The slow build, the way Derek dealt with his sexuality and need to be close to Chris. Chris dealing with his trauma. The delicious slow fall for each other--it was gorgeous.

***

steady hands by thegeminisafe (Dargent, Teen Wolf)

Twenty-four hours after the death of his sister, Chris Argent wakes in Derek Hale's loft with his hands trembling too badly to load and fire a gun, and no matter what he does, he can't make them stop. He made a promise to protect Beacon Hills in Allison's stead, but now he has to decide how he carries on her legacy when he doesn't know if he can fight, if he can ever lay his guilt to rest, and if he's truly capable of doing good when he has already done so much harm.

This fic. It was so good?? I love when falling in love with someone doesn't fix everything. Because sure, they're together--this is a direct followup to Anchors--but Chris is still so fucking damaged and it's so damn GOOD. Read it, friends.

***

breathing you in by lavenderlotion (Steter, Teen Wolf)

“Good morning, kiddo,” his dad said, and the words hurt.

All Stiles wanted to do was step forward and let his dad hug him, allow his father to give him comfort. His father's hugs had always been all-encompassing, the way he would fold himself around Stiles and hold him as tightly as he could.

Stiles stepped around him, careful not to let foreign skin touch anything that was special to him.

Anything he loved.

I really really loved this. The way Stiles struggles with being in his post-nogitsune body, and the way Peter and his dad take care of him? It's perfect. I want more. SOOOO MUCH MORE.

***

i could by julibean19 (Steter, Teen Wolf)

Stiles froze. He knew that voice. The way it said his name. He was immediately brought back to a dark parking garage, sharp claws biting into his neck, red eyes flashing, and a jaw practically unhinging to swallow him whole. A shiver ran down his spine as he finally placed it.

The man in the shower was Peter Hale.

What business did Peter Hale have with Stiles? Why was he laying out Stiles’ clothes and making him healthy lunches? Why did Stiles wake up wrapped in his 20,000 thread count sheets with a wedding ring on his finger? What was happening?

This was lovely and angsty. I'm a huge sucker for amenisa fics, and this one was done incredibly well.

***

once upon a dream by gryvon (Sterek, Teen Wolf)

Stiles has been dreaming of the Hale family burning alive since he was a child. After being locked in Eichen for a year, Stiles learns to keep his visions to himself. That doesn't stop him from keeping an eye on Derek Hale while he waits for Kate Argent to make her move. Only watching Derek becomes loving Derek and stopping Derek and Kate from getting together turns into Stiles dating Derek Hale. He's in love with Derek but his visions haven't stopped, only now he has to watch Derek die with the rest of his family. He'll do anything to keep that dream from becoming reality.

This was lovely. Just so lovely.

***

mangata by aretemis69 (Sterek, Teen Wolf)

The place chosen for the speed dating is nice, close enough to the shore that the sun warms the shallow waters and washes everything in blinding white light. Long, thin shadows crawl all over the hills, dancing over pinkish sand and pale rocks, following the swirls of the surface.

When he looks around, Stiles can see various spots marked out with colorful stones, all organized in a loose circle and numbered with small shells. In the center of it all is a massive signboard in human plastic, glinting under the sun.

It is, objectively, the nicest place Stiles has ever been this miserable in.

Or the Sterek mermen speed dating AU where Stiles is unlucky in love (until he isn't).

This is such a lovely little fic. The worldbuilding is beautifully done and the sweet pining is perfection.

***

the darkness inside by isthatbloodonhisshirt (Sterek, Teen Wolf)

The sheriff watched him for a moment, then he sighed and turned slightly. He reached out to open a cabinet door beside him, and pulled out a shelf. It was on a track, so it rolled out of the cabinet fairly easily, and held a small CCTV. Derek frowned and inched his chair to the side a little bit so he could get a better angle.

He was looking at a teenager, or someone at least young enough to be the same age as Scott. He was sitting on a bed in what looked to be a larger room, the area he was in surrounded by four glass walls, with his legs crossed and head tilted.

He was also staring directly into the camera, as if he knew someone was watching. A creepy smile slowly slid onto the teen’s face, and he held up one hand, wiggling his fingers in a slow, eery wave.

Derek felt his mouth run dry. He didn’t know who this kid was, but he didn’t like him.

“Who is that?” he asked quietly.

“That,” said the sheriff, “is my son.”

This? This is the perfect nogitsune possession fic EVER. It's gorgeously done and the way Derek can tell the difference between Stiles and Nogitsune is heart-wrenchingly perfect.

***

could frame thy mortal by orphan_account (Steter, Teen Wolf)

It’s normal. Spending every waking second watching Hale is normal. In many ways, Hale is his whole universe: tracking his movements, waiting for what he does next, wondering what he’s thinking. The only outside stimulation he gets otherwise is the shower visits, and even then it’s only when Chris is the one taking him that he gets any engagement.

Stiles knows Hale like he knows the water pipe. The sixty two bars that line the side of their cage. Like the minute of cold water that hits Stiles’ skin before the heat finally comes in the shower block. "

Held in an Argent facility, never knowing who he can trust, Stiles pays for his survival with the only currency he has.

I loved what Stiles is, and how far he'll go to survive and Peter in general is perfection. It's gorgeous.

#fic recs #sterek fic #steter fic #dargent fic #arei reads too much

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guksthighs · 7 years ago

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Drink Up

TRICK

Pairing: J-HOPE X READER

Summary: When Hoseok refuses to feed, you get desperate.

Genre: angst, fluff, vampire au

Length: 1.5k

A/N: soooo there will be hobi fluff duing my halloween daily post but i had to give the boy some angst

"Please Hobi," your voice broke as the phone fell from your hand as you watched him shake his head on FaceTime; he looked drained, dark bags collected under his eyes and his face seemed to have lost all of its colour.

The reason why he was so tired was that out of nowhere he had refused to drink, you had been over at the dorm for one of your four weekly feedings, and had ended up watching movies and playing games with him the entire time.

This evening, just as you had curled up in bed your phone had vibrated and you had checked it in alarm to see it was Namjoon calling you, quickly explaining the situation which had led you to FaceTiming him to see if it was correct and now you were pulling on shoes and grabbing your keys and sprinting out to the dorm that was a quick walk away.

It wasn't the first time Hoseok had refused to drink, but last time he would still accept the blood they stored in bags which meant that although it wasn't as good for him as fresh blood, his body was still able to function. Now he was refusing all blood and the boys didn't know how to fix the problem.

The journey to the dorm was full of you alternating between jogging and sprinting, and when you finally reached their door and you were panting so hard you struggled to knock on the door. Your hands were trembling as you moved from one foot to the other until the door was thrown open and Jimin was wrapping you in a hug the second he noticed how nervous you looked.

"It's okay if it doesn't work out there are things we can do to make him drink," Jimin rubbed your back with a hand before pulling you into the dorm and shutting the door with his foot as he walked you into the living room.

The boys all looked up when you walked in, there was a movie playing in the background but they seemed too worried to concentrate. Namjoon instantly stood up and walking over he placed a hand on your shoulder, his frown seemed ingrained on his face as he studied your features before releasing a heavy sigh, "We don't know how this works, all our findings are through trial and error but Y/N, we know how much our kind need to drink and Hoseok's running on empty." You frowned, unsure how you were meant to with this information that just reminded you how necessary it was for you to get him to feed.

"He's in his room," Namjoon finished, patting your shoulder as you glanced around the room before grabbing a bag of popcorn of the table, before leaving you turned and smiled at the boys,

"No pressure then."

The dorm was silent as you made your way towards Hoseok's room, and you let yourself bask in the quiet that was usually impossible to find on a normal basis, a floorboard creaked under your feet outside his door and with a sudden burst of courage, you bit your bottom lip and pushed the door open.

"You better be decent," the door slowly creaked open to reveal Hoseok's figure, nothing could have prepared you for how utterly wrecked he looked. He was curled up on his bed, hair sticking up at odd angles, as he ran his hand through it obviously yanking at the strands to ease the hunger.

As you locked eyes with him, you noticed his eyes, pupils were blown out so much the nearly covered the wine red they had turned with hunger, you tried to hide your surprise because this was far worse than you had expected.

Hoseok's only acknowledgement of you was to let out a small moan, as he turned his body so it was no longer facing you, it didn't take an idiot to know that he was in pain and it broke your heart. Slowly, so not to startle him you made your way towards the bed, clenching your hands tightly to make you kept your nerve and didn't run away in fear.

The second you sat down on the bed, Hoseok let out a long groan, turning his head to make eye contact with you before his eyes darted away again, his voice was husky, "you can just go. I'm not going to change my mind because I'm not touching you," his hand clutched the sheets in front of him as he seemed to fight his instinct to feed and you couldn't help but feel upset, "seriously I'm sick of being a monster."

Your eyes widened, and you pulled your legs onto the bed pulling your knees to your chest, glancing over at Hoseok as you began to wait for him to break and explain himself; it took a full minute before he sat up and faced you, hand reaching to pull your face back before he flinched away.

"I didn't ask for this, I never wanted to have to rely on other's to sustain my life," his fangs rested on his bottom lip, but you stayed quiet watching him fiddle with the hem of his shirt, "I feel like this heartless monster when I feed on you, I'm too embarrassed to tell you that I-" he paused and finally he reached out, his hand skimming your arm, "I like you. you're so much more to me than a living blood bag and I can't keep hurting you. You're too beautiful to get swept up with all of this nonsense."

You opened your mouth to speak, to defend the boy you had come to love over the months you had provided him with advice, humour and blood. But he had pulled away again as if your skin was on fire, and you could see him withdrawing again, the blood loss leaving him lethargic as his body began to shut down.

"Don't beat yourself up, please. I may have signed a contract but nothing is stopping me from walking out of the door, but I stayed. I stayed for you. Hoseok, please look at me," you wanted him to see your eyes, now swimming with tears as you accepted the reality that he would die if he refused to feed because there was no cure for vampirism.

And Hoseok did look up, his mouth now open as he panted quietly, and your body felt possessed as you leant in and pressed your lips to his. The kiss started slowly until his hands found your hair and without a thought to spare he tugged you away from his lips, in a move that had you baring your neck to him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered before his mouth landed on your neck, placing small kisses on the skin and you wondered how he was managing to hold back from tearing it open and sucking all of the blood from your body. Then his fangs sunk into your neck, the sharp pain made you gasp but your hands reached up and found his hair, stroking it as you let yourself relax into his hold.

"Never apologise, I don't want to see you in that much pain again," Hoseok hummed against your skin, and the silence soon settled over you again, but you had more to get off your chest, "I should be apologising, I've fallen for you."

Hoseok pulled away, gasping for air as his tongue flicked out of his mouth to lick at the droplet of blood that had been resting on his bottom lip, "Do you mean that?" You kept your head down, worried the hunger had driven him mad and he had said whatever he needed to so you would let him drink from you.

"How about we discuss this when you're not hungry anymore," you tilted your head to the side to reveal the leaking bites, "drink up." Hoseok dipped his head back to your neck, his tongue soothing over the bites, sealing them in the routine you were so used to but you still flinched away from the contact; you were confused, you could tell he was still hungry.

"If I drink any more from you, I could lose you," he pressed a kiss to your forehead before leaping to his feet and pulling you up with him "I have loads of blood bags left, stop worrying," he placed a finger on your frown and pulled up with a grin that seemed so surprising to see after the fuss he had made about not drinking.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" you stroked his hair, a small smile spreading over your face as you let yourself bask in his attention and usually sunny disposition.

"How could I be a monster if you love me?"

If you enjoyed this, please do not hesitate to like, reblog and comment~

And tell me your thoughts in the comments/ask box <3

FOR MY SPOOKY MASTERLIST AS I’M POSTING DAILY FOR OCTOBER: CLICK HERE

For my drabbles: click here

For my fics: click here

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knifeshoeoreofight · 7 years ago

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So can I request a story? I’m in desperate need of injured Geno and hovering, awkward, worried Sid.

I’m not technically taking prompts atm? But I have some time today, so here you are:

Zhenya is high. Soooo high.

They put him on the good stuff, and right now he doesn’t mind, well, anything. Not that he’s badly hurt and is bound to be out for a while, not that he’s in a hospital, which he hates. Not that he’s all alone at the moment, which he hates even more.

He took a hit during the game, or something, he can’t quite remember.

The next time his eyes blink open, Sid is there. Sid! He loves Sid. Sid is just...the best.

Sid doesn’t look so happy though. He’s leaning over Zhenya, asking him something about his meds, maybe? English is hard. And he looks unhappy. That’s bad. Sid should never look unhappy. Zhenya reaches up and prods at the worried line between Sid’s eyebrows. Sid’s hair is wet, is it raining outside? Oh, right, the game.

“Did you come straight from the arena just to see me, baby?” Zhenya slurs. “Aww. Got a smile for me? You always look so sweet when you smile.”

“Can’t understand you, G,” Sid says, and smiles tightly. “Still don’t speak Russian.”

Right, Russian. Sid doesn’t speak Russian. Too bad. Zhenya digs around in the molasses swamp that is his doped-up brain for some English.

“Pretty,” is what he finally comes up with. Sid blinks at him.

“What the hell do they have you on, G?”

And that’s wrong, Zhenya always thinks Sid is pretty, it isn’t just the fucking drugs, okay? He needs to communicate this somehow.

“Beautiful.” Zhenya smiles, proud of himself for remembering the word. “Good to see beautiful face.” Bonus points for Zhenya.

“Wha—-what the hell, G?” Sid stammers, blushing. So. Cute. Zhenya tries to stroke Sid’s face but his coordination is off and he ends up mostly just patting at it.

“Love you so much, baby,” he says. And at that, Sid’s face goes white. Huh, Sid knows the Russian for “I love you”? Who the fuck has been telling Sid they love him in Russian? Zhenya needs to have a word with them. Sid already has a Russian to tell him they love him: Zhenya. If Sid had wanted a Russian harem Zhenya would know about it already. Wait. Does Sidney want a Russian harem? This is important.

“Sid?” Zhenya says.

“Yeah, G,” Sid replies, voice soft and nervous. Zhenya gets a little lost watching Sid worry his plush lower lip between his teeth, before he remembers his question.

“How many Russian?”

“How many—G. You’re rambling. Try and get some sleep, ok? I’ll be here. I’ll be right here.”

Oh, that’s good. Zhenya feels warm and happy knowing Sid is going to stay with him.

“I love you,” he tells Sid again. Who the fuck knows which language it is this time. Sid reaches out, and takes Zhenya’s hand in his.

“Tell me again when the meds wear off, ok?” Sid say, and his eyes look red. “If you even mean any of it or know who you’re talking to.”

“Talking to you, Sid,” Zhenya says indignantly. But even now he can feel his thoughts slowing and his eyes are growing heavy. He clutches at Sid’s hand as his eyes fall closed and the sounds of the room blur.

As soon as he’s awake, he’ll tell him.

#newsflash: he does and he has a good recovery and they live happily ever after #sidgeno #sidney crosby/evgeni malkin #hockey rpf #dana writes a thing #Anonymous

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fairy-queen-kimiko · 7 years ago

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Perfect

Alright soooo I have a bit of a story to tell before I get into this fanfiction and you are free to skip it but it’s what inspired me to come back to writing fanfiction again > . <

Sanrio Danshi

Pairing: Seiichiro Minami x Ryo Nishimiya

(Cinnamoroll x Kiki and Lala)

(So I’ve been in a little bit of a slump the past couple of years with life in general and I was beating myself pretty badly cuz I’m the type of person that internalizes a lot and kinda in the middle of getting into my own head and feeling like a failure I got into a relationship with a guy who didn’t really treat me very well. I’ve always been the type of person to put everyone else first before myself, I always think there’s something wrong with me and blame myself first because that’s just how I am I guess, bad self-esteem and all. Well the guy I was with was always putting me down, calling me names, throwing stuff at or around me, and kinda just always talked down to me in general. I would ask him not to call me names and to not talk down to me and he’d tell me that he’d stop calling me names when I stopped acting that way and that that’s just the way he is and if I didn’t like it then I could fuck off and leave. And probably because I always think that I don’t deserve to be happy, that I don’t deserve better, I just let it happen. I let someone else have so much power over me, I let someone else treat me with that much disrespect and I was miserable. But part of me felt like I deserved it. I deserved it because I’m worthless and useless and no one would ever actually love me just for being me. And then I met some new people and talked to some old friends, they made me feel like I was worth more than that, that I deserved more than that. They loved me for me and they just wanted me to be happy. It was the first time I had friends that were angry for me or scared for me. One of them I ended up falling for because he never treated me like I was dumb for liking something, or got mad and started yelling at me over something small like a video game, or got upset when I didn’t invite him to something I knew he wouldn’t want to go to. We were friends first, and when I was sad we would talk and eventually little by little I realized that this is what a healthy relationship is. And I was so much happier talking to my friends than my current boyfriend, and the friend that I was slowly falling for. As soon as I realized it I talked to my boyfriend at the time and I broke up with him. I learned my own worth, I learned how strong I actually was, and I learned that I didn’t need someone like that in my life. And I am proud of myself for it, and as for the friend that helped me the most, we’re together now and I am happy. This story is a result of my new found happiness that I want to share it with all of you. So without further ado, please enjoy!)

Perfect

Sanrio Danshi

Pairing: Seiichiro Minamoto -Cinnamoroll- x Ryo Nishimiya -Kiki and Lala-

(Character appearances after episode 5, Possible Spoilers Ahead)

After the whole incident with the Student Body President fainting from exhaustion and having to go to the school nurse’s office, Nishimiya had been really nervous about meeting with him again. It was his fault the president was even there to begin with and the guilt was still gnawing at him. It had been a couple of days and the older boy had gotten better almost immediately afterwards, going back to taking care of his everyday routine. Nishimiya had been secretly sneaking around checking on the president to make sure that he really was doing better but could never find the courage to just approach him. If he was being perfectly honest, he really loved watching the older boy from afar, the way he smiled, the way he was always so kind, and the way despite how tall he was and how large his hands were he looked so serene when he was doing archery. Maybe if the smaller blonde was more honest with himself he would admit that he probably had been in love with the older boy for a while. It had probably started before when he’d watch him during his club hours or maybe it was when he’d place his large hand on the younger boy’s head and pet him so gently as if to reassure him that everything was going to be okay. Maybe if Ryo wasn’t so awful and hadn’t pushed the president away, maybe they’d still at least be happy and friendly together again.

Nishimiya gazed at the President longingly from his hiding spot behind the nearest school building. Everything was so hopeless now, he had messed it all up. If only he could be honest, if only he could take back the awful things he had said, if only he had the courage to try to make amends. His violet eyes started tearing up and he wiped at them furiously. He was violently rubbing at his eyes when he felt a large familiar hand on his shoulder.

“Nishimiya?”

The smaller boy froze, he would recognize that warm voice anywhere. He kept his face hidden behind his cardigan sleeves.

“Are you okay?”

The president gently pet Nishimiya’s head as kind and as warm as the blonde remembered. Always worrying about others, it was so him. The younger boy didn’t know what came over him but the tears started welling up even more. He had missed this more than he thought. He could feel the lump in his throat, he had so much he wanted to say but no idea how to say it and now he was crying in public. It was pathetic, he was pathetic. The older boy seemed to realize what Nishimiya needed because he always did. The dark haired boy hid the smaller boy in his arms while he walked them inside the empty club room, closing and locking the door so the two of them could talk freely.

As soon as the door was closed the smaller boy couldn’t help himself. He wrapped his lithe arms around the taller boy and hid his face against his chest.

“I-I’m s-so sorry! I-I know you f-forgave me but I c-can’t-”

Nishimiya couldn’t continue, he was a mixture of emotions; self-loathing, fearful, anxious, but also happy and relieved. He was so relieved that after everything, the older boy was still kind enough to care about him, to worry about him. It was more than his pathetic self could ever hope for and more.

The older boy went stiff for a moment in surprise before smiling kindly and continuing to stroke the fluffy blonde curls.

“It’s okay. You didn’t do anything wrong, I forgave you already and now you need to forgive yourself. I was worried I did something to upset you and that’s why you were avoiding me. I didn’t realize how upset you were about all of this, I’m sorry Nishimiya.”

The younger boy looked up then, his cheeks were slightly pink and his eyes were still wet from crying.

“Y-You... why are you apologizing when I-I’m the one that’s been a-avoiding you? I was so s-scared y-you hated me that I c-couldn’t even approach you to a-apologize...”

The older boy felt a fluttery warm feeling in his stomach as he heard the younger boy being so honest and open with him, gazing at him like he was scared to lose him. It made him want to hold the smaller boy forever like this, just hold him and make him happy. He really wished the younger boy would smile at him again like he would before, he missed being with him like this, he really missed him.

“But you’re here now and I’m here. It’s okay now, I understand and I’m just happy that you’re here and we can go back to how we were before. I actually am quite fond of you Nishimiya. I would hate to lose what we had.”

The younger boy’s violet eyes widened slightly in surprise and then he looked down. He was happy, so happy that the president wanted to go back to being friends, to go back to being around each other so comfortably but at the same time...

“I... I can’t... go back to how we were before I-I mean... I can’t.”

He slowly unwound his arms from around the older boy’s torso, moving his slender hands to hold one of Seiichiro’s.

“I-I want to try to be honest with you f-from now on so... I um...”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath exhaling a shaky breath.

“I-I can’t go back to before b-because I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you and I-I know you don’t think of me that way... I-I mean I’m so pathetic...so I-”

The younger boy didn’t get to finish his sentence before he was squeezed tightly in the taller boy’s embrace. The older boy’s voice came so softly as if he was afraid Nishimiya would run away again, would say that it was all a mistake, to say that he didn’t really mean it.

“Don’t think that. Don’t think like that, you are not pathetic, you’re so much more than anything I can even describe. You’re perfect and I am in love with you too.”

Nishimiya couldn’t speak, he couldn’t believe it. How could someone as wonderful and perfect as the president love someone like him? How was it even possible? His eyes started tearing up again, there was no way this was real, it had to be a dream. And if it’s a dream he didn’t want to wake up ever. He slowly wound his arms back around the taller boy, squeezing tightly. He never wanted to let go.

“I love you Nishimiya...”

The dark haired boy spoke softly, tilting the younger boy’s chin up so he could see him while he said it. So that the younger boy knew that to him he wasn’t pathetic at all, that in his eyes, he was perfect. He leaned forward and pressed a soft, sweet kiss to the younger boy’s lips. A promise that he’d make sure that the younger boy knew just how much he was loved and cherished.

As the older boy pulled away slowly Nishimiya clutched his back tightly, gazing at the taller boy like he was everything he ever wanted.

“I-I love you too.”

Seiichiro smiled then, the warm smile that Nishimiya loved so much, before he leaned down again to press a few more chaste kisses to the smaller boy’s lips. The two of them holding each other, so happy with how perfect everything ended up at the end.

THE END

#sanrio danshi #seiichroxryo #cinamorollxkikiandlala #fanfiction

9 notes · View notes

all-the-cliches-lwa · 7 years ago

Text

So, I played @musician15painter‘s game to take those 9 Dianakko doodles, order them, and then try to tell the story behind them... and I decided that if I was going to play the game and think up the story I may as well try to write the story... and then it got out of hand and hit almost 9000 words... -cough-

They suggested I make it public, and with the game over (and wow was I off LOL) I decided now was the time to do so.

The numbers are in the sections that have the corresponding piece of fanart. It was honestly a whole lot of fun writing this (considering the whole puzzle game aspect, even given how different it is) and I hope you enjoy reading this.

Should totally check the actual answer here btw ahhhhhhhhh.

I’m not sure about summaries, but if I had to come up with something, it starts with one overnight cram session that would inevitably lead to so much more.

Edit: Fanfic.net link here (note, tweaks have been made to both ff.net and here, nothing major though. just correcting a few typos i noticed upon switching) I made it part of distractions cause oh boy did this distract me LOL: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12593389/7/Distractions

"I… I think that's enough studying," Hannah said as she stretched high up into the air, "We should be ready for midterms tomorrow right Barbara?"

"Yeah, probably," Barbara agreed, "We've been in the library for quite some time. I think we'll do just fine."

"And you two are sure you are prepared enough for tomorrow's exam?" Diana asked from across the table. "I would hope that my teammates are in top form."

"We'll be totally fine Diana!" Hannah answered.

"Yeah!" Barbara continued. "After all, who wouldn't be ready after all of the help you were giving us."

Diana smiled seeing Hannah nod in agreement.

"Very well then, I suppose we may retire for the day," Diana said.

With a wave of her wand, Diana quickly returned all of the books the three of them had been using whilst in the library, save for one, which Diana had been reading for leisure towards the end of their study session and was planning to continue reading before bed. Hannah and Barbara had already begun packing up their own belongings, piles of papers shrinking and disappearing into a small pouch.

"Thanks so much for helping us again, Diana!" Barbara said, having already gotten off of her chair and offering a hand to Hannah.

"Yeah! Like, it was such a huge help." Hannah echoed.

The couple walked around to Diana and offered a hand to the heiress, and Diana happily took it.

She then led them out of the library, but not before spotting a familiar brunette topknot drooping sideways, its owner seemingly asleep. Diana also noticed quite a few books had been scattered along the floor around the girl.

It appeared Akko had had a similar idea as they did… though her execution was clearly lacking.

And as they continued to walk towards the exit, Diana's head slowly turned so that her eyes could remain fixated on Akko. Diana even got a glimpse of Akko's adorable face, those round cheeks pressed ever so slightly against the wooden table... the smallest trail of drool dripping from the corner of the girl's mouth leading to a tiny puddle.

Diana couldn't help the way her eyes had focused on the sleeping girl. After all, she had known for years that she was quite infatuated with Akko.

Diana began to feel the faintest blush on her cheeks as she continued to watch the girl sleep. She clutched onto the book she had borrowed ever more tightly against her chest, her heart beginning to tick just a little bit faster.

"Tsk, what does she think she's doing?" Hannah said, her tone clearly unimpressed. "She's never going to pass tomorrow if she just, like, falls asleep."

"… That is certainly true." Diana muttered to herself.

It was around eleven.

Diana could hear the soft snores from her roommates, signaling that they were asleep.

However, just to be sure, Diana slowly inched her head past the corner of her bookshelf. When she saw Hannah and Barbara tucked into their beds, Diana let out a sigh of relief.

Quietly, Diana tiptoed her way across the room and then, very carefully, opened her door. She then closed it with similar caution and cast a spell to lock it.

Diana knew she was breaking curfew doing this. She could, potentially, get into a lot of trouble should she be caught, though she knew she was more likely to be let off with a simple warning, given it would be her first offense.

Still, a blemish on a flawless record.

That being said, there was a much more pressing matter to attend to, that being… Akko.

If Akko was sleeping deeply enough to have drooled so much onto the table… there was a chance that she might still be asleep there now.

And knowing Akko's own tendencies to be caught in compromising circumstances, it was likely more a certainty than a simple chance.

Having memorized the patrol schedule, Diana easily avoided all night patrol members on her way. The moment Diana entered the dark room, she sighed.

Akko was still sleeping, not having moved an inch since she and her team had left hours ago. The witch’s mouth opened and closed as she snored, and the earlier puddle of drool had begun to drip off from the edge of the table.

Diana almost laughed, shaking her head in amusement as she continued to watch drips of drool fall off the table.

… The fact that Diana found that trail of drool more endearing than disgusting worried her.

Diana quickly shook that thought away, the very idea causing heat to rise up her face in embarrassment.

Her helpless crush aside, Diana knew that Akko really shouldn't continue to sleep here. So, she walked up to Akko and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Akko, wake up," Diana called out as she gently shook the girl.

"Five more minuuutes," Akko groaned sleepily.

Diana continued, undeterred, especially when Akko had begun giving her an annoyed pout.

Diana knew if she stopped now, that pout would never let her try again.

Fortunately, Diana's efforts seemed to work. Although it actually took five minutes, Akko seemed to be waking up.

Diana noticed that, as she continued to shake the witch, Akko began to shift on her own, her sleepy groans growing louder and louder until finally.

"Fine! Fine! I'm up. I'm up!" Akko exclaimed as she blinked her eyes open. "Wh-where am I? … And what's…EW! Gross!"

Diana watched in amusement as Akko desperately wiped off the puddle of her drool from the table and off of her face. When Akko fell off of her chair to see her drool had gotten on some of the books, Diana couldn't stop the giggles from escaping her lips.

"Di-Diana?!" Akko yelped, a red tinge invading her face. "What, What are you doing here?!"

"I am simply making sure that you have woken up," Diana answered through her giggles. "After all, curfew had ended a while ago."

"O-oh," Akko muttered, eyes turning down towards the books on the floor, "I guess that's tr- wait." Akko froze and her eyes began to widen. She looked up towards Diana, and Diana could swear there seemed to be something akin to… fear?

"Akko… is something concerning you?" Diana asked tentatively.

"Y-you said it was past curfew right?"

"That is corre-"

"NO! No no no! It can't be!" Akko yelled, grasping at her head, flailing towards the books on the ground. "No no, I'm soooo in trouble oh no."

Diana's eyes widened as she watched Akko scramble around.

"Akko? What's wro-"

"Oh no, what am I gonna do. There's no time. This makes no sense. How do I do this?!"

Diana tried to get Akko's attention politely. She tried calling her attention nicely.

She tried reaching out, only to be pushed aside by the flailing of Akko's arms desperately turning the pages of four books at once.

However, when she saw the tiniest tear drop from Akko's eyes, Diana knew she had had enough of her gentle approach.

"Akko!" Diana yelled, putting as much authority into her voice as possible.

"E-eh?" Akko flinched, instantly turning towards Diana.

"Would you please just… calm down?" Diana said, placing her hand on Akko's shoulder. When Akko nodded, Diana smiled and sat down beside her. "Now tell me... what is it that is bothering you?"

"I'm not ready!" Akko yelped, her eyes shifting between the books and Diana.

Diana looked towards the table to see the textbooks for… all of their classes. She then looked back towards Akko and saw the downtrodden look on her face. Her lower lip was jutted out, and a small whimper escaped her throat.

"You know…" Diana said with a sigh, "I could help you."

Instantly Akko's eyes brightened, only to darken once again.

Seeing the light leave those red eyes almost physically hurt.

"B-but it's late Diana…" Akko whimpered. "I w-wouldn't want to keep y-"

"Nonsense," Diana interrupted, raising Akko's face so that they were looking eye to eye. "I would not have made the offer had I not wished to help you, and I will always wish to help you Akko."

"B-but."

"No buts Akko," Diana said. "Unless that 'but' is either sitting on this chair and studying or is followed by a declination of my offer."

Diana watched as Akko bit her lip.

Diana sucked in a breath, almost fearing the idea that Akko would leave her offer unaccepted.

Thankfully, the fear was unjustified.

"So… where should we begin?" Akko asked, a soft smile of gratitude on her face.

Diana released her breath and returned the smile. "Perhaps we should begin with Magical Linguistics. Professor Finnelan does appear to be the class you struggle most in."

"Oh thank god!" Akko sighed in relief, "I was scared we'd leave that for last."

Diana reached out for the linguistics book just across the table, ready to help Akko as much as was possible.

"So wait, Diana?"

"Yes Akko?"

"What does this rune mean?" Akko asked, stretching out to reach for the corner of a page. "The one with a dragon."

Diana looked towards Akko's finger and sighed.

"… That is not a dragon Akko. That is a-"

"Are you sure? Cause that looks a lot like a dragon. See! It even has fire coming out of its mouth"

"Akko… that is no-"

"Oh look! It even has wings!"

"AKKO!"

Six hours later, and Diana and Akko had somehow managed to find themselves seated on the lone lounge chair in the library.

Diana had made some excuse about not wasting the energy it took to light up her wand, what with the chair being right next to an already lit candle, but really she just wanted to sit on something more comfortable than the wooden library chairs. Akko quickly followed and sat right beside Diana.

Thanks in equal parts to her determination to aid Akko and to her sleep addled mind failing to register... anything, Diana had managed to stray away from the flustered mess she usually would be in this situation. Being flustered would have meant having to separate, and it really was for the best they be so close together.

After all, this way, if one of them had begun to fall asleep, the other could immediately notice it and wake the other up.

The plan seemed flawless… until they both fell asleep at the same time, their fatigue finally catching up to them.

Luckily, the both of them had managed to study through all of the relevant material, the only thing left being to take practice tests that Diana had been planning to administer.

But alas, sleep had overtaken the both of them.

Akko slumped onto Diana, and in the fog of her weary mind, reached out to hug the softest thing within reach.

Diana, feeling something warm wrap around her waist, raised her left arm to rest it atop whatever was holding onto her and exerted the slightest bit of pressure to hold the warmth closer to her.

When the sun rose up a few short hours later, a singular ray of light shined onto Diana's face.

Diana's face scrunched up, her eyes shut tight, in the futile effort to block out the offending ray of light. When she tried to turn, however, she found herself held firmly in place by something around her waist.

Slowly, Diana blinked awake, and the sight she was met with made her heart race.

It appeared Akko had been hugging her waist… if she were to be so bold, Diana might have also described the gesture as protective.

Diana was frozen, unable to move as she listened to the sounds of Akko's deep breaths. She was entranced by the relaxed smile on Akko's face… and she was nearly overwhelmed by the soft warmth given off from Akko's hold. Everything Akko did was making her face fill with warmth and her heart race so quickly, Diana was afraid it could give out at any moment.

The spell was quickly broken, however, by the indistinct sounds of chattering from outside the library, and now, Diana's heart began to race for an entirely different reason. She quickly turned to the wall on the clock, and her fears were slowly turning into a reality.

They had just twenty minutes to get to class.

"Akko! Akko wake up!" Diana said, shaking Akko awake. In response, Akko shook her head and held tighter onto Diana's waist, as if it was the most precious object in the entire world.

Given other circumstances… Diana would likely allow her to continue. She couldn't deny that she adored Akko's tight embrace, and in any other circumstance, she would have gladly returned the embrace.

Unfortunately, they had midterms in the next twenty minutes, and Diana was not going to allow her grades to falter, simply because the girl she'd been pining after for years had desired to keep her locked in place with a tight, warm, soft embr-

Okay, she wasn't going to allow Akko's grades to falter even more because the girl insisted on staying like this.

Reluctantly, Diana continued to shake Akko until the girl finally began to wake up.

Just as Diana had, Akko had blinked herself awake, slowly growing aware of her surroundings. And when she realized the soft object she had been holding onto for dear life just so happened to be Diana…

Color invaded Akko’s face, rivaling the red of her sash.

Akko instantly backed away, sputtering dozens of rapid apologies, but Diana stopped her, citing their desperate lack of time.

Akko turned towards the clock, and her eyes widened in fear.

Instantly, Akko jumped off of the chair, grabbed Diana's hand, and, immediately, the both of them were sprinting off towards Professor's Finnelan's class.

One day and four tests later, Akko jumped for joy. The tests were done, and she was pretty sure she had done far better than she had ever done before.

When the results were revealed a week later, Akko's cheer doubled, learning that she had somehow managed to break into the top ten. She was so overjoyed when she learned the results, she had jumped out of her seat in class and tackled Diana in a tight embrace, bumbling her thanks. Diana simply smiled and raised a hand up to brush Akko's hair.

Unfortunately, the moment couldn't last.

There were a few witches who were displeased. One witch, in particular, was absolutely livid, seeing as Akko had knocked her out of her own slot in the top ten. She was in the minority, yes, but it was a fairly powerful one: An heiress of another noble family, a lesser one than the Cavendish, but a noble family all the same, and her cronies.

Throughout the next day, when they were sure Diana was not around, they made life far more difficult for Akko.

During potions, they had snuck in a few extra ingredients into Akko's teams’ mixture, causing an explosion to burst from the cauldron. During flight class, they hexed Akko's broom, causing it to spiral out of control whenever Akko had gotten on top of it.

And while the professors didn't get mad at her, they did have this resigned smile on their face whenever Akko tried to explain that it wasn't her fault. How she didn't even do anything. It was as if they didn't believe her, that it was just something that they accepted would always happen, and that resignation hurt many times more than what their anger would have.

But it didn't stop there.

During lunch, seeing as Diana wouldn’t be around, they had made sure of that, they charmed Akko's tray, causing all the food to splat on her face.

After everything that happened to her throughout the day, Akko just stared dimly at the table, a stinging in her eyes.

She balled her fists atop her lap and clenched her jaw, trying to hold back her tears.

Amanda had immediately stood up and yelled, threatening to go after whoever was doing this. Everyone else took the more subtle approach, making sure Akko was okay.

But Akko had had enough.

She was one moment away from breaking down. And she knew it.

She really didn't want to fall apart in front of the others. Her friends had seen her sad and crying before… but never in the same way she felt now. Well most of them, anyway.

Not knowing where else to turn to, Akko walked towards the one person who had already previously seen her at her lowest point.

Diana leaned back on her chair, tired.

Diana was used to being needed. People always came to ask for her help for many things, both simple and complicated.

Of course, Diana would always do her best to help.

But today? Today she was absolutely swamped with requests. It was as if, at every turn, there was some sort of request to be fulfilled or some crisis that she needed to solve.

Now in her room, Diana was relieved, finally having time to relax to herself.

But that was when she heard a soft knock against her door.

Diana sighed and slowly began to lift off of her chair, wondering just who could it be this ti-

"D-Diana? Are you there?"

When Diana heard the voice call her, she instantly jumped off of her seat and rushed to the door. She knew that was Akko's voice… but it sounded so… so sad.

In an instant, she opened her door, and her heart broke.

Akko stood there, her eyes red and her cheeks damp. The bright light in those eyes were nowhere to be seen, dulled as they stared at the ground.

"A-Akko?" Diana whispered, her arm instantly reaching out towards Akko. "Akko? What happened?"

When Akko didn't answer, Diana felt her stomach coil. It was sickening to see Akko so sad. So nearly broken.

Diana moved forward and reached out to the brunette by her doorstep. She wrapped Akko in a tight embrace and felt relieved when Akko had brought her arms up as well.

So many questions ran through Diana's mind.

What happened?

Who did this to Akko?

Why would someone do this?

How was she going to get back at whoever dared do this to Akko?

The idea that someone might have done this to Akko made Diana feel rage, but that rage quickly dissipated when she felt Akko tremble. Diana began to feel a damp spot on her shoulder, and all of that rage and confusion quickly gave way to Diana's overwhelming desire to comfort Akko and make sure she would be okay.

"Shhh, It's okay," Diana cooed as she rubbed soothing circles on Akko's back, "let it all out."

She held Akko more tightly the more the witch trembled in her arms, and Akko held onto Diana more tightly, as if holding onto her one and only lifeline.

Through the manic sobs, Akko had managed out a single phrase.

"Today was a bad day."

Eventually, Diana had brought Akko to the couch. From there Akko tried to tell Diana everything that happened today, though a lot of it was incomprehensible through her sobs.

Diana didn’t care though, she had heard enough to discern what happened. All she wished to do now was give comfort.

Diana leaned back on the armrest, and she invited Akko to do the same onto her. Akko slowly did so, trying her very best to keep it together. Akko's cheeks were still stained red, and there were still tears forming from the corners of her eyes.

Diana held onto Akko's hand, providing as much support as she could give, to be a sort of anchor for Akko. She also stroked Akko's hair continuously, the act seemingly enough to soothe Akko, successfully lulling her to sleep.

Diana felt an overwhelming pain in her chest.

How could she have let this happen? How could she have been caught so unaware of Akko's plight, for what was probably the entire day?

Looking at Akko, the girl she loved, who had just fallen asleep in tears, Diana knew one thing for certain.

She would never allow such a thing to happen. Ever again.

When Akko woke up, she was feeling a million times better. She smiled at Diana and thanked her so much for being a shoulder to cry on.

Diana told her to think nothing of it, that Akko should always feel free to come to her (or anyone of their friends) for help. When she saw the almost nervous look on Akko's face, Diana reached out, saying no one would think lesser of her for doing so.

If anything, Diana saw strength in Akko's decision to come to her for support. It took strength to acknowledge that something was just too much for oneself to handle… it was a lesson Diana had learned from Akko, after all.

Akko smiled and hugged Diana once again, sharing many thanks. Diana returned the hug and promised that she would make sure that this would never happen again.

And so Diana devised a plan with the rest of the group.

She would spend time in hiding, watching in secret for any sign of curses, hexes, or general wrongdoing done against Akko… and it wasn't long until she found the culprits and discerned their motives.

It had taken only a moment to corner the three. The moment Diana had them alone, the group began to shrink smaller and smaller under Diana’s intimidating presence.

"I swear," Diana growled at the cowering trio, "if you dare to even think about doing anything to Akko, I will ensure that you will wish I had reported you to the Headmistress."

"B-But Diana!"

"No buts." Diana spat. "Your purpose for doing this to Akko is pathetic. It brings shame to both the noble family you belong to and to the prestigious name of Luna Nova itself... And let me tell you one more thing," Diana said, moving closer, her blue eyes cold as a frigid blizzard, "Akko is a greater witch than you will ever be, and she will become a greater witch than I could ever hope to be. So I suggest you take your petty jealousy and envy and direct it towards bettering yourselves, or I will ensure you are never allowed to practice magic ever again."

Diana felt satisfied as she watched the three scamper off.

For good measure, Diana had continued to stay hidden, to make sure that nothing out of the ordinary happened to Akko.

To her surprise, the three witches walked up to Akko and apologized… and while Akko was irate and frustrated at first, she quickly forgave them when they said they would never do it ever again.

Diana smiled, watching Akko once again prove why she would grow up to be far greater than anyone could ever hope to become… watching Akko, once again, prove how she had managed to steal her heart.

Ever since that incident, Akko had grown even closer to Diana. She was constantly giving her hugs, stopping by Diana's room to talk about her day and to listen to Diana talk about hers, and even dropped by just to hang around while Diana was doing something else, like homework or reading. She even took time to introduce Diana to the rest of her Shiny Chariot Card game collection and challenge her, in which Diana showed that she had been a master at the card game as a child.

Given all of this, it was only natural that, when Akko agreed to role play a part Lotte and Barbara wanted to see re-enacted from a Nightfall side-story about a mage that Edgar, Arthur, and Belle met in their adventures, she eagerly sought out Diana to play the role of her partner: the tall, imposing, yet kind-hearted mage.

It was a perfect fit!

Akko ran across campus looking for any sign of Diana.

Unsurprisingly, she finally found her sitting in the library, reading some book.

Akko really loved the way Diana looked, focused entirely on what was on the page. She loved the way Diana's face changed ever so slightly while she read: from a tiny raise of her eyebrows to show something surprising happened, to a tiny clench of her jaw to show that something tense was happening. It was adorable to watch.

However, admiration could wait. She needed a partner to help Lotte out after all!

"Dianaaaaa!" Akko called out, running towards her friend.

Diana's head whipped towards Akko, and her eyes widened.

"Akko!" Diana hushed, raising a finger up to her lips. "You are in a library!"

"O-oh right" Akko muttered, slowing down as she approached Diana. "Sorry about that."

Diana sighed, though a smile was on her face.

"So?" Diana asked.

"So?" Akko echoed.

Diana chuckled, placing a bookmark on her page and closing the book she had been reading. "So, why did you come yelling through the library for me?" Diana asked, causing heat to rise up into Akko's face. "I assume you had a reason?"

"O-oh right! … Do you, uh, wanna help me out with something Lotte wanted me to help her out with?" Akko asked, scratching the back of her head.

"Help you out with something?" Diana asked, intrigued.

"Yeah, uhm… Lotte wants me to help re-enact something from Nightfall."

"I see…" Diana said, placing a her hand on her chin in thought. "And how would you wish for me to help?"

"O-oh right! I need a partner for the scene! Uhm…" Akko twiddled with her fingers. Her heart was beating quickly and her face continued to burn bright red. "Would... would you like to be my partner?"

Akko shut her eyes and held her breath, waiting for Diana's answer. A wait that had only lasted a few minutes but felt like an eternity.

Thankfully, just as Akko's lungs felt like they were about to burn, Diana agreed to help, and Akko instantly let out her breath and hugged Diana tight enough to leave the blonde winded.

"So… you wish for me to put on this costume and act?" Diana questioned, staring blankly at the black robe, black suit and pants, bolo tie, and fake horns.

"It's called cosplay Diana," Barbara answered, "and yup! Ahhh, I'm so excited to see this!"

"How would one keep this horn attached to their head?" Diana wondered, struggling to find any sort of way keep it together. Had she been allowed to, she simply would have used magic… but Akko, Lotte, and Barbara all insisted doing so would ruin half the fun of the project.

"Like, don't worry Diana! I can do it." Barbara offered, taking the horn from Diana's hand and fiddling with some wires. "Just read the script. I promise you'll, like, totally enjoy the part~"

Diana sighed and picked up the script and a cup of tea. She decided to first go through the character list. It appeared she'd be playing someone named Elias.

Akko would be playing someone named Chise who was… a slave? And it appeared Sucy would be playing the role of the slave-trader.

Diana then moved on to the actual script, parsing through the dialogue to get a good idea of the story line. It appeared Akko would be sold off at an auction house, and Diana would be paying an exorbitant amount of money to purchase her.

Already Diana felt fairly uncomfortable. Sure it wasn't her and it wasn't Akko… but the idea of Akko being sold away was rather unsavory. Though the more she read, the more she appreciated Elias's character, providing a home for her to stay in, promising to nurture a talent the girl wasn't even aware she possessed.

Elias even promised to make Chise a mage and his bri-

Diana spit out her tea, nearly choking on the warm beverage.

Barbara quickly rushed to make sure Diana was okay, but when she saw what had caused the reaction, she gave Diana an impish grin.

"So, Diana, what do you think?"

Diana could do nothing but blush, her heart still racing from having read the line she had already agreed to say.

Considering how simple her costume was ― Lotte had quite literally draped an oversized white robe over her uniform ― , Akko had spent quite a while waiting for Diana and Barbara to finish their preparations.

However, when Diana and Barbara finally arrived, the reason they took so long was clear to see.

Diana looked absolutely gorgeous.

Akko's jaw nearly dropped. Her heart started racing as she watched Diana calmly walk up to her in that dark suit. The way the suit jacket hugged Diana curves made Akko's throat feel dry. And the way those pants hugged Diana's waist had to be illegal in some countries. It just had to be.

Akko even found that Diana even managed to make the ridiculously large black robe look cool.

And Akko did not hesitate to let it be known just how cool Diana looked, blurting it out immediately when Diana was standing right next to her, much to both hers and Diana’s chagrin.

The re-enactment had gone pretty much without a hitch. With a few tasteful uses of magic, Lotte and Barbara were able to get a very faithful adaptation to what was probably one of the most famous side stories from the Nightfall series, and the rest of their friends were able to get a fairly entertaining watch.

There was only one scene left: the one where Elias declares that Chise was to be his future bride.

Before Akko and Diana got to that part, however, Barbara paused the entire performance.

Despite how well the entire script had gone, Barbara, having been roommates with Diana for three years now, could see the nervousness in her leader building up. It was subtle, a slight twitch of her eyes, a light tapping of her fingers against her sides, but it was enough for her to notice.

With the next scene truly being the climax of their script, Barbara wanted to make sure that it would be perfect… but even more importantly, Barbara was truly hoping Diana could finally convey her feelings for Akko through this stage show.

And so, Barbara isolated Diana and gave her one final direction:

For this last scene, pretend it was just her and Akko alone. It was just an intimate moment between the both of them. From there, just allow her feelings do the rest.

Diana bit her lip, but agreed to try.

Nervous as she was, once she and Akko got deep into the final scene, with Elias having just protected Chise from the Ariel Fae, Diana found that getting lost in Akko was far easier than she had ever imagined.

With Akko clutching onto her robes, as per directed in the scene, Diana couldn't help but wish Akko had been holding onto her as Akko instead of as Chise.

"Even though you can see them, you're not cautious around them at all… You should be very careful from now on Chise," Diana said, lacing an arm around Akko's back and around the back of Akko's knees.

"G-Gya! What are you doing?!" Akko yelled as Diana picked her up a bridal carry.

"It's easy to get lost on the mountain at night so let's go like this," Diana whispered into Akko's ear, with as much honesty and sincerity as possible. "To our home."

It was surprising to both Diana and Akko how right those words felt. "Our home".

Akko couldn't help the faint blush that slowly began to build on her face.

Diana was looking at her with such affection… those blue eyes were so soft and the smile on Diana's face was so gentle, that Akko's heart began to melt. She wrapped an arm around Diana's neck and leaned closer to hide her face against Diana's shoulder.

"Yes," Akko whispered softly, her heart racing a mile a minute.

She had been very disappointed when Diana put her back down, signaling their return to their "home".

"Hm… we have got to cover up that arm," Diana said, reaching out and softly holding Akko's arm towards her, turning it around and inspecting it. She was fully lost in this performance, taking Barbara's advice and letting her emotions take her where she needed to go. "It would not be good if my future wife were to get a scar."

"I-I see," Akko muttered, before widening her eyes in shock. "Wife? Who… whose wife?!"

"Oh, did I forget to tell you?" Diana muttered as she turned her head. "The obvious reason I bought you was to make you my apprentice… but…"

It was an impulsive decision.

Perhaps all that time spent with Akko recently had influenced her judgment... or perhaps this was a result of fully embracing her feelings.

"Akko."

"Eh?" Akko's eyes widened in shock.

H-Had Diana made a mistake? A slip up?

Akko was too confused to realize Diana had pulled her even closer, now against Diana’s chest. She was too focused on staring up at Diana's face, trying to figure out what just happened. Why Diana had said her name.

If it was a mistake, Diana clearly didn't show it… Diana was looking at her with pure confidence… and those eyes were still looking at her as if she was the most important thing in the world

The only thing in the world.

"Akko," Diana said once again, almost emphasizing that none of this was a mistake on her part. With a smile, Diana finished as softly… as lovingly as possible, never once looking away from Akko's eyes. “but I also hope to make you my bride.”

In one moment, everyone froze.

And in the next…

"EHHHHHHHHH?!" Akko yelled, her face erupting, burning bright hot. Her heart was beating so quickly, it could likely outpace the speed of a giant missle.

In an instant, Akko caved in on herself, suddenly very thankful this white robe around her was so large. Akko crouched onto the ground and hid her face in the collar of the giant robe.

While Akko was dealing with the aftermath of the confession, Diana felt… almost liberated.

While the words were… different, the emotions she relayed were the same. They were the same feelings she had been harboring for years now… and finally being able to express them felt like having the world lifted off of her shoulders… Especially after seeing Akko's reaction.

After all, Diana had already seen what Akko looked like after a confession that she flat out rejected, if that party from years ago was anything to go by.

Had Akko found the idea truly repulsive, she would look faint… her face would be pale and she would have instantly pushed away.

But instead, Akko's face erupted in color, and rather than disgusted, Akko appeared merely overwhelmed.

Diana crouched beside Akko and smiled.

It was actually really adorable.

"Are you okay?" Diana asked sweetly.

"… Just give me a minute," Akko answered, having only barely heard the question over the intense drumming of her heart.

After having let out a few high pitched squeals of joy, Barbara and Lotte immediately turned everyone away and left to give Akko and Diana some time to themselves.

And so Akko and Diana talked with one another about what just happened, how serious Diana was… and what this meant for them.

It wasn't long before the both of them started to date.

Diana, having already come to terms with her feelings for Akko, was definitely the less nervous one in their relationship. Diana was always the one initiating intimate contact with the other.

A gentle brush on the shoulder while they were studying. A finger on Akko's lip to quiet the girl for a kiss. Leaning down to look Akko in the eyes lovingly as Akko rested on her lap.

There were even times Diana would trap Akko between a wall in the corner of the hallway.

And every single thing Diana did made Akko's face blush.

She was embarrassed. This wasn't something she was used to feeling… the flutter in her stomach every time Diana was near her. The way her mind seemed to stop working whenever Diana touched her or hugged her or looked at her. And whenever Diana kissed her, Akko couldn't even move for a few seconds…

But she loved every second of it.

As they got even more comfortable with one another, Akko found herself almost craving Diana's kisses… every bit of Diana's affection becoming a daily part of her life… a part so integral, that it had become almost as important as eating breakfast or practicing magic.

"Akko," Diana said, her voice hoarse, "Like I've said before, until I feel better… there will be no more kissing."

So when Diana got sick and placed a moratorium on all kisses until she felt better, needless to say Akko was less than pleased.

"But Diaaaanaaaaaa" Akko whined against Diana's bed.

"No buts Akko," Diana scolded. "It is bad enough that I am sick… I would not be able to live with myself if I knew I was the cause of you becoming sick as well…"

Akko grumbled for the rest of the day… the lack of Diana being obvious to all people but especially to her. After each class, Akko always held her hand out… only to remember Diana wasn't there to take it. And every moment, Akko felt like she was waiting for a kiss she knew would never come.

By the time she was at lunch with her friends, Akko was feeling very antsy.

"'Not until I feel better', she says." Akko mumbled during lunch as she swirled potatoes around with her spoon.

And that's when an idea struck her.

She pushed back on her chair suddenly, causing it to scrape against the ground.

"I GOT IT!" Akko declared, much to the surprise of most everyone in her table.

"Akko, that's nice." Sucy immediately retorted, having gotten used to the antics ages ago. "Now sit your butt back down. You're causing a scene."

"O-oh woops." Akko mumbled, scratching the back of her head. "Sorry everyone!" Akko quickly apologized before sitting back down on her chair to plan.

Akko was just going to have to make Diana feel better.

After classes, Akko met up with Hannah and Barbara and asked them for the key to their dorm.

Key in hand, Akko ran straight into the kitchen and right up to a kitchen goblin. She begged them to let her get some chicken broth for Diana to drink. She also asked if she could have some honey and lemon wedges, and much to her relief the kitchen goblin let her take some.

They poured the soup in a thermos, wrapped a spoon in paper towels, and handed Akko a bottle of honey and a plastic bag full of lemon wedges.

Food in hand, Akko beelined for Diana's room. Once she got there though, Akko stopped to slowly… carefully open the door.

Yes, she wanted to make Diana feel better, but if she was asleep, Akko didn't want to disturb her.

"Hannah? Barbara?"

Though the voice calling out relieved Akko of such worries, it did give her something else to worry about… namely how hoarse Diana's voice sounded.

"Nope, it's Akko!" Akko said as she walked across the room.

"Akko?"

When Diana saw Akko enter her side of the room, she struggled to sit up. She pushed up on her bed and attempted to rest her back on the headrest of her bed.

"Wait Diana, before you sit… lemme just" Akko mumbled as she put the food from the kitchen atop Diana's desk. She then dashed out into the other side of the room and collected all of the pillows from the blue dorm.

Hannah and Barbara wouldn't mind right?

She then rushed to Diana's side and stacked a mound of pillows behind the heiress, providing the perfect backrest for her.

"There! How does that feel?"

Diana smiled, pushing back against the soft cushion of half a dozen pillows.

"It feels wonderful, thank you."

Akko chuckled bashfully, a slight blush on her face.

"Oh right! Diana, have you had anything to eat yet today?"

"Not yet… though I must admit my appetite has been rather lacking."

"That's not good! Here, have some of this!" Akko said as she twisted the cap off of the thermos and poured some of the soup into the cap. She then dipped a spoon into the cap and offered it to Diana. "C'mon Diana! Say ahhhn"

Diana blushed and turned away.

"Akko… must we do this?" Diana muttered, "I am not feeling particularly hungry at the moment."

"Diana, you need to eat something!" Akko protested. "So just let me…

Try as she might, Diana kept on turning away from the offered spoon.

"H-hey no, Diana stop! Don't turn awa- Mooooou" Akko pouted, before finally having had enough. Diana was too far away for Akko to get a good shot at feeding her.

If Diana was going to keep being stubborn and not eat, then Akko decided she would need to be just as stubborn.

"Akko, I truly appreciate what you are trying to do bu-" Diana froze, her already warm face exploding into a blazing inferno, "A-Akko! What are you doing?!"

Akko continued her actions, undeterred by her girlfriend's surprise. She had put down the cap back onto the table and began to climb onto Diana's bed. Akko then straddled Diana's legs, her knees on either side of the heiress's. All of this while she sported a pout directed at Diana.

While Diana was still frozen, clearly trying to wrap her head around everything that was happening, Akko took this as a opportunity to see just how sick Diana actually was. She leaned forward, resting her hands on Diana's shoulder, and pressed their foreheads together.

It felt like Diana's fever was slowly starting to go away. She didn't feel nearly as warm as she was before.

Akko smiled and sighed in relief. Seemed like Diana would be better in no time!

Her concerns mostly gone, Akko seemed to realize just how close she actually was to Diana's face. Akko stared right into Diana's, still unbelievably wide, blue eyes. She could feel how quickly Diana's pulse was racing.

And… Diana let her get this close. Akko's been looking forward to just one kiss for days now. Maybe if Akko just leaned in, Diana would let her-

"Akko!" Diana scolded, pressing her hand on Akko's lip and lightly pushing her backwards. She then grabbed Akko's hands and interlaced their fingers. She kept their hands between the both of them, acting as some sort of wall or boundary.

Akko's eyes were still closed, her lips pursed. She let out a soft whine, having been soooo close to what would have been paradise.

Diana let out a shaky sigh, in an attempt to still her own racing heart.

"Akko… how many times have I told you no kissing until I feel better?" Diana chided lightly. She couldn't really be all that mad at Akko though. After all… "it's hard for me too, you know?"

"But Dianaaaa!" Akko whined, "you won't let me nurse you until you’re better! And I've been waiting forever for a kiss!"

"As have I Akko, but I do not wish to risk you getting sick on my account."

"At least let me feed you some food," Akko said, sending Diana a pout. "It'll help you!"

Diana closed her eyes and let out a deep breath.

"Very well," Diana relented.

"Ehehe yay!" Akko cheered as she quickly reached out for the earlier abandoned cap and spoon. "Now say aahhhh~"

Diana, ignoring the ever rising heat in her face and up her ears, closed her eyes and listened to Akko's request.

"A-Ahhh"

Thankfully for the both of them, Diana's fever had subsided the next day, and fortunately Akko had not contracted the same sickness.

Unfortunately for them, their time at Luna Nova was quickly drawing to a close. It was their final year after all.

As a result, Akko and Diana spent almost every waking moment together. Naturally, of course, they were with their other friends, and sometimes they did go out with those friends instead of with each other, but for the most part Akko and Diana were inseparable.

Still, they couldn't shake off the worry of their impending separation… with their curriculum at Luna Nova ending, there was nothing concrete tying Akko to England anymore.

And then, it happened, on a certain night, while Diana and Akko were reviewing for their respective elective classes, Diana with Advanced Biology and Magic and Akko with Magic and Early Development.

"I'm really gonna miss this," Akko said as she flipped to the next page of her notes. "Just us being together like this."

"I will too," Diana admitted as she casually bent the corner of page she was currently on. "I… rather enjoy spending all of my time with you."

"Right?!" Akko exclaimed, leaning back against Diana's legs. "It's going to feel really weird having to go back home to Japan. Don't get me wrong, I miss my family, but I think I'll miss you more."

Diana hummed in thought as she leaned back against her chair.

And that's when she said it, a simple passing thought. Perhaps one she never even intended to speak out loud.

"Then perhaps you would not mind staying here in England and living with me after Luna Nova?"

Whatever Akko was doing in that moment was dropped.

Nothing she was reading made any more sense, her mind having suffered some sort of fatal error.

"Wh-What did you just say?"

"Pardon?" Diana asked, her voice raised in confusion.

"Diana, I'm serious. Did you… did you really mean that?"

"Akko," Diana sighed, her eyes still trailing the lines of her book, "you are going to need to be more specific."

Akko groaned when she looked up see Diana still reading her book.

With a flick of her wrist, Akko cast a wind spell to blow the lights out.

"Akko, what are you doing?" Diana asked, concerned.

"Diana I'm serious," Akko said. She climbed atop her girlfriend and placed a hand on her book, pushing it down towards Diana's lap. "Did you really mean it when you said I could stay here in England with you?"

Diana stared up at Akko, looking straight into Akko's moonlit red eyes.

Had she really said that out loud? If she had, she surely never meant to voice such an intimate desire.

However, looking up at Akko, staring at her with such intensity, such hope, such love, Diana couldn't help but feel like, even if she hadn’t meant to say it... it was truly all that she had wanted.

"Yes" Diana said breathlessly, still entranced by the look in Akko's eyes, as they both leaned in for a kiss in the soft light of the full moon.

A few short days after their talk, everything was going perfectly.

Akko had called her parents, and they both happily gave their permission for Akko to stay in England to follow her dreams and stay with Diana, whom they both had the pleasure of meeting beforehand.

They also began to look for a place.

They could have stayed at the Cavendish manor, but until the next Venusian eclipse, Diana wished to be alone with Akko, taking care of Cavendish business from afar. In about a week's time, they found what seemed to be the perfect little house. It had one bedroom, which was perfectly fine for their purposes. There was also a rather spacious living room, with a large sliding window.

It was also very close to the licensing department for magic, where Diana would be going to quite often to work on her magic medical license.

And the more Diana and Akko looked around, the more apparent it became.

This place was perfect.

In their last weeks, all the time they spent together was spent on the moving preparations. Several boxes full of books and precious mementos from their years at Luna Nova were carried away with them.

Since they both knew that they would be living with each other after they graduated, Diana and Akko tended to spend more time with the rest of their friends, knowing that the time they had with them was, at least for a while, limited. Still, every Sunday, the both of them would spend time together, working on moving boxes upon boxes of their own possessions.

And then graduation came.

Diana was, of course, the Valedictorian. No one else could have matched the consistent perfection of Diana's grades, personal achievements, and contributions to Luna Nova.

It was a bittersweet ceremony, the occasion itself joyous, full of laughter, joy, and, naturally, a ton of chaos.

Sucy gave Akko one last potion, which filled her with so much energy that it was as if she had drunk fifteen shots of espresso at once. Combined with Amanda's need to cause chaos for fun, and Diana had a lot of work cut out in keeping their graduation party from tearing the school apart. Thankfully Lotte, Hannah, and Barbara worked with her to keep the peace.

After a long celebration, and several heartfelt, tear jerking good-byes and farewells between the red, blue, and green teams, filled with promises to keep in touch with each other using Witchbook and WitchApp (something Diana and Akko both agreed Akko would have full reins of from their end, given Diana's relative removal from modern technology growing up, save for her brief stint in Japan), the witches went their separate ways.

Akko and Diana flew off to their new home.

The both of them smiled at one another, holding each other's hand, as they both reached out to turn the doorknob together.

They opened it up together and were met with stacks of unpacked boxes. Akko and Diana both chuckled nervously looking at the daunting task they would have to deal with.

But that could wait until tomorrow. Today had been really tiring, and both girls knew exactly what they wanted to do first in their house.

In their home.

Wordlessly, though they both did giggle with excitement, Akko and Diana ran to the bedroom, got changed out of their graduation gowns, and put on their sleeping clothes. Then they immediately hopped into bed, holding each other close.

It was so nice. So warm. It was perfect.

Akko rested one arm on Diana's side, her other arm trapped snugly underneath Diana.

Diana held tightly onto Akko, holding the both of them closer together.

It was everything Akko had ever dreamt it would be… for how long, she didn't know.

Which got her thinking… and with the reflective mood a huge event like graduation had managed to put her in, Akko just had to know.

"Hey Diana," Akko whispered.

"Yes Akko?" Diana mumbled.

"Did you… ever imagine something like this would happen?"

Diana tightened her hold onto Akko, on the one person in her life who meant more to her than anyone else.

"… At some point, I started hoping it would…" Diana answered softly.

And Akko smiled, moving her arm to hug Diana's side.

"Yeah, me too."

Diana woke up to see Akko still sleeping beside her. There was a trail of drool dripping onto their pillow. It had been several months since they had first moved in together, but this was still a sight she absolutely adored waking up to.

Diana slowly moved forward and pressed a gentle kiss on Akko's nose.

"Hmmm, Diana?" Akko muttered sleepily, voice still gravelly. "What's up?"

"Just wanted to inform you I would be getting up now to watch that show you introduced me to last week…" Diana said, "do you wish to join me?"

Akko hummed sleepily, perhaps debating the options in her head.

"How much longer until then?"

"You have about ten more minutes until the show begins."

"Okaaaay," Akko yawned, "I'll be out in five minutes."

Diana smiled, pressed a soft kiss on Akko's lips, and rolled off of bed.

She walked into the living room and saw the clouds were gray and that there was a light pouring of rain from outside their window.

She sighed. Had Akko not introduced her to that ridiculously addicting cartoon last week, today would have been a perfect day to sleep in.

Oh well.

Diana walked into the kitchen and poured herself a bowl of cereal. She then lazily walked up to the couch in the middle of their living room, grabbed the television remote, and turned on the television. Thankfully, the channel was already set correctly.

Diana smiled when she heard a soft yawn from behind her.

"Good morning Akko," Diana greeted the moment she saw Akko approach their couch. When Akko pointed at her lap, Diana raised her bowl up in the air, giving Akko enough space to collapse, belly face down, onto it.

Akko stretched out and yawned, slowly waking herself up.

"How much longer Diana?"

"Only a few more minutes."

Akko hummed, before rolling over so that she was face up towards Diana.

"Do we have anything else to do today?" Akko asked.

"Well…" Diana slowly said, turning towards the window, "if the rain clears up, we could maybe visit Hannah and Barbara. They just moved in yesterday."

"Ooh! We should do that!" Akko agreed, "Maybe give them a house-warming gift."

"That would be lovely." Diana said. “I am sure they would appreciate it.”

When the familiar theme song started blaring from the television screen, Akko turned around so that she could face the screen.

Diana put down the remote and rested her hand on the side of Akko's head, using her thumb to rub light circles on Akko's round cheek.

Akko smiled and hummed in contentment, snuggling backwards, closer to Diana's stomach.

"This is nice." Akko said with a grin. "You know, being here with you."

Diana smiled, Akko's simple words making her heart melt.

Diana leaned down to press a kiss on Akko's cheek.

"I could not agree more."

#Dianakko #Diakko #Me Writing #Little Witch Academia #LWA #Diana Cavendish #Akko Kagari

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pinkykitten · 4 years ago

Text

traitor - part 4

2845: EXILE

synopsis: It’s the year 2845. A year where Earth is in shambles and space is the new frontier. You are sent along with other cadets to a distress call about some type of unknown creature. You are new as an engineer on the ship Shiganshina and you have to work for your boss and leader of your group Levi Ackerman. But remember, in space no one can hear you scream.

pairing: levi ackerman x female! reader words: 3,849 dannnnnnggggggg yall gonna be reading a lot imsorry genre: space au, series fic, au fic, gore, thriller, horror, violence, alien au warning: death, gore, blood

a/n: i just remebered that i forgot to put 2845: exile on the title in the previous chapter soooo oops. this took so long to write guys and im sorry i havent been updating in a while my bad im sorry i hope i did good on this. im sorry if things are off or misspelled. thank you for reading this series it means so much to me.

“What the cuss? Levi!” Your heart was racing and palms were sweaty. Panic was setting in. You felt you had let Levi down and you didn’t even know that he was alive or dead.

You called to Levi so loud you felt the counter along with the items, shake. Your neck vein protruding as you searched vigorously the control room. What if there were more aliens? What if it took Levi and Reiner?

Into your search you gazed up to see the vent nearby. It came down as if a vacuum cleaner. Maybe they were taken through there?

A flashlight was there and you shone the light up through the vent. It was stretched and looked as if a fight had gone through there. “I think they went through here.”

You rolled the chair to the opening of the vent, stood on the chair and used all your force to pull yourself up into the vent, climbing into it.

You crawled through the tiny piece of vent. “I’m coming Levi, just please don’t be dead.” All the horror thoughts passed through your mind. What if Levi was dead? What if he was being tortured by the alien? The speeding of your heart was becoming overwhelming that you had to pause and take a breather. You pressed your neck against the cool vent to snap you out and awaken you. Sweat dripped down your neck.

As you crawled through the tiny space you wondered as to where you would go to find Levi. Marley was such a big ship it would take you weeks to look through out this whole place to find Levi. Where was he? You were so lost until a low voice was hear through your ear piece.

“So I see you’re trying to find us?” Reiner spoke up, chuckling on the other end.

“What the cuss, Reiner? What did you do with Levi?”

“Listen, Y/N. I’m over here taking good care of him. Don’t worry about him, he’s in good hands.”

Sighing you rubbed your temples, “I’m not playing this game. Just tell me where you put Levi!” You banged the wall of the vent.

You could almost hear Reiner smirk on the other end, “Here, I’ll give you this. I’m going to give you an hour to get to the boiler room. Hopefully you make it in time cause if not,” Reiner chuckled, “you know what’s going to happen.” Reiner hanged up the phone and you hopped out the nearest exit of the vent to check the map.

“Okay the boiler room, the boiler room.” You said repeatedly. Your eyes searched on the screen and you found the boiler room at the bottom of the ship. It was under everything. You had to get into a vent underneath and go down the stairs. “Bingo.”

You looked behind you and you realized you were in the middle of Marley. All rooms, all hallways lead here so this was the hub of the ship. Before this it was probably flooded with people left and right. Most of the gates nearby were closed off. You flung the flamethrower across your shoulder when a bullet whizzed by you, grazing your arm.

You fell back, wincing, holding the cut. You hid behind a pillar, looking back to see who it was. The person kept peaking out and shooting your way.

You pulled your gun out and shot a couple times back at the person. He used up all his bullets and so did you so you had to reload. As you lifted the gun back up to shoot, more people came out. They kept, repeatedly shooting at you. You hid and couldn’t get out or else you would of been shot. The gun was held tightly to your chest as you looked up at the gray, steel, ceiling. Whether you got out of this alive or not, you were going to fight till the end.

As the guy popped out again the look on his face was recognizable. He was one of the men on the mission on Marley. He was friends with Reiner, and Annie. It was a man named Bertholdt. Why were these people trying to kill you? Why was Bertholdt trying to kill you?

You looked at the crowd and saw around 10 people that were trying to kill you. As you reloaded your gun you heard a creak in the upstairs flooring. Was it another alien?

“Guys, there is a dangerous creature on this ship. We need to be quiet, please,” you begged. Maybe hoping that seeing their life was in jeopardy that they would stop.

“Shut up,” Bertholdt snarled at you.

“Why do you have beef with me, man? What have I ever done to you?” You shouted back, still keeping cover from the bullets. “I don’t even know you.”

“Oh don’t worry Y/N, you’ll know me.”

“Don’t get too lucky,” you smirked. You rolled out and shot as many times as you could, getting 2 guys. You then hid behind a wooden box. It was getting shot and not being able to hold up. As you were about to give up hope, Petra and Hange sprinted to the scene and hid behind with you.

“Oh my God, what are you guys doing here?” You hugged Hange and Petra.

“We saw our girl need help,” Petra patted your shoulder.

Hange put her thumbs up, “we have you.”

You grinned as you nodded and you three in unison got up and shot the group. Hange got closer to them and shot with a furry within her.

Most of the group was wearing masks to cover their identity and you didn’t know why. You shot one guy and was trying to shoot another but it was empty.

“Crap,” your teeth clenched. The opposite guy tried to shoot you back but his gun was jammed. You punched him good in the face and he stumbled back but did not fall. He ducked your other blow and punched your stomach. The breath was taken out of you as the pain flowed through your body. You walked backwards and gained distance to kick high in the air to his face. The man fell on his butt and back. You walked up to him and put your foot down hard on his throat. He was struggling to breathe, whilst you reloaded your gun. You clicked it and pointed it straight to his head, “who are you?” He didn’t answer and you pushed harder on his throat, making him cry. “Answer me.”

He pushed his mask down and you made out that it was Eld Jinn.

“What?” You were so confused and felt he was a traitor. How could he do this to you? “Why are you doing this to me? I thought we were friends?” You had tears gloss over your eyes. He was quiet until he got shot right in the middle of the forehead. You screamed as you looked back to see Hange had shot him.

“Why did you do that?” You cried as the blood was splattered on your face and clothes. The smell of iron wafting through your nose.

Hange wiped her gun with a handkerchief, “as Levi would say, super filthy.”

You felt so lost and you felt like crying and so exhausted. Looking at the group you saw they were no longer alive except Bertholdt. You look into his eyes and he shoots forward to Petra’s chest.

You gasped as Petra’s shirt got more damp with blood as the red circle got bigger and bigger. She fell back as you screamed and ran to her, shooting Bertholdt in the chest as well. “Petra! Please no, Petra!” You put pressure on the wound to try to stop the bleeding but you and her knew there was no saving Petra. She was going to die. “You’re okay, you’re okay. Stay with me, just stay with me.” You held her head up as she bled from her mouth. She coughed up blood and looked within your eyes.

Hange helped with the blood and tried to stop it but Petra held her bloody soaked hands. Enough was enough.

“I’m going to be okay,” she smiled brightly up at you and Hange. “It’s going to be okay.” She caressed your face.

“B-but we can help you,” you stuttered, tears dripping and mixing with her blood.

“Listen to me Y/N, I don’t have much time. Don’t trust no one Y/N-” She was about to say more when the life was sucked away from her. She was gone. You cried in her shoulder as you touched her red hair.

“No!”

You looked up at the balcony on the other floor to see Oluo, clutching his head in his hands. The color was drained from his face and the look of horror would be something that would traumatize you forever.

You felt so sorry knowing that he and Petra had history. You didn’t know how it felt to see the love of your life laying there in their pool of blood.

Tears fell down your face and you had a moment of going through the same hurt with Oluo. Both your eyes met and it was in that moment he knew how sorry you were and that you tried everything to save and protect his love.

Oluo proceeded to sob but left, you assumed as not to deal with the shock and pain.

You stomped your foot on the man’s neck, that shot Petra, to make him start choking. He only had a few minutes left before he would loose too much blood and die so you needed to ask fast. “Now I’m going to ask again, who are you?”

“Go to Hell!” He spat blood in your face.

Your foot was pressed down harder and the man winced. “Tell me.”

“Okay, I’m Bertholdt Hoover. I was sent on the mission with Annie and Reiner.”

That’s where you recognized him from but nothing made sense. If he was on this mission, why did he want to kill you?

You cocked the gun to his forehead, “why did you try to kill me then? I came to rescue you with my crew from ship Shingashina. Zeke sent us. We found Annie and Reiner-”

“Annie?” He sounded surprised but happy. “Good, I’m glad she is alive.”

“Why did you try to kill us Bertholdt?”

He looked up to the ceiling and smirked. You couldn’t tell if he was going to say more or not but his weak body was picked up like a rag doll. You remembered that purring, growling noise and your eyes met with what you thought was dead. The tall alien picked up Bertholdt’s body, high in the air.

You backed away, keeping an arm out to place Hange behind you.

“I thought they were dead.” You mouth quivered.

In one swift movement the alien opened his mouth wide and wrapped it’s full, long, sharp teeth around Bertholdt’s head. It pushed it’s head back and ripped the skull from the neck like a lollipop from it’s stick. Bertholdt’s blood spilled from his decapitated body and from the alien’s mouth.

You wanted to move but what you just saw made you so sick you vomited all over the floor. Shoes stuck to the ground like there was glue. You were frozen.

Hange grabbed your hand and sprinted away with you to try to get to safety. You and her end up in a small computer room. You mesh the wires together found on the broken lock of the door and make it that the door locks. You also go to the computers and close the vents there.

“I think we are safe now.” Hange seemed so stoic, so normal as if this didn’t mess with her at all. It almost insulted you.

“How are you okay? We just saw this guy get his head eaten off.”

Hange sat on the floor near the door, “he tried to kill you and he killed Petra, maybe he deserved it.”

You were silent as that was true. Petra was on that floor, dead, because of him. “I can’t believe she is gone.” You played with your fingers as the reality of things started to sink in.

“I know. She was a good fighter and friend.”

Anger boiled inside and you picked the computer up and threw it to the wall, smashing it. “I don’t understand!”

“What? A computer, I thought you were an engineer Y/N.”

“No, not that Hange. I mean I don't understand why Bertholdt tried to kill us? I thought we were on the same side! Didn’t Zeke notify Bertholdt and his crew that we were coming.”

“Maybe Bertholdt never got the signal, the word. I mean the place is a mess and out of control. Myabe they thought he was dead and didn’t tell him.” Hange tapped her lip in thought.

Feeling exhausted, you sat next to Hange as you slid down the wall, plopping right beside her. “I don’t know if I can do this anymore. It’s taking a huge toll on me.” You reached for your guns and made a pile of all your weapons to bring relief to your back. “I’m tired, hungry and I don’t even know if Levi or Annie are alive. I don’t even know where Shigashina is at! Or if Erwin is dead! I lost almost all the crew and that cussing thing is still here. I thought I killed it but to my luck there are more.”

“Are you done then?”

It took you a moment to comprehend the words that Hange said, “what?”

“Are you done then? Finished with the mission? Do you want to go back home?”

You laughed, “I don’t have a home Hange. I never really belonged anywhere.”

“Yes, you do. You belong here. There is a reason you were chosen for this mission. Not anyone can do what you are doing. You’re an engineer. You are smart and brave. Now someone needs you. Levi is depending on you and I know that if the tables were turned, Levi would come save you.” She pulled out her card that is used on the ships. Even though she entered into the space program so long ago, Hange didn’t age or look any different. She admired the glossy card that had her information on it and her face and chuckled. “There was a time when I first had met Levi that I was explaining that there cannot be life on any other planet, that it is impossible according to data. But he looked me square in the face and proved me wrong with a simple sentence. How do you know your data is right? It got me thinking that he may have a point.” Hange turned her way to look at you. “Levi has been a quiet, son of a cuss sometimes, he hates filth and annoying people. He is tough, strong, knows what he’s doing type of guy. But he’s also loving, even though he doesn’t show it sometimes. He hungers for truth and why something is the way it is. He protects people he loves the most. Levi deserves you trying your hardest and he needs you Y/N right now. If you give up on yourself, you give up on him.”

Hange was right. You didn’t want to get close to someone or care about someone in case they got hurt or worse. You didn’t want to have to live with that. You always pushed people away, not wanting to get hurt or get them hurt. Hange saw right through you, she kicked down your walls. She brought out someone new. The new you loved and cared about others. You had to put your big girl panties on and go be there for Levi. You needed to save him.

You collected all your weapons.

Hange’s curious eyes traveled up your towering form, “What are you doing?”

“Going to save my second in command.”

Hange smiled as you swung your hand out for her to take to aid her in helping her up. “What made you change your mind?”

You smirked, “shut up. Hey, I never asked, where did you grow up? What made you want to become part of the space program?”

Hange was about to answer when the speakers blared loudly throughout the ship. You recognized the voice as Reiner’s.

“Good to see you Y/N and Hange are still alive. I’m not surprised, Y/N’s good.”

Turning your head around in order to find a camera, you do and place yourself right in front. “What the cuss is wrong with you Reiner? Where are you?”

Reiner chuckled, “calm down Y/N. I knew you would be questioning my presence. Levi is fine, I think. Not real sure at the moment though.”

You banged the wall beside the camera, anger evident on your face. “I swear if you touch Levi-”

“I won’t, yet. You only have 10 minutes left to find him. Better make it quick, and I promise, I’m not going to make it easy for you.” His voice stopped and it was up to you to decide what to do.

Right, of course he wasn’t. You had to go to the boiler room, that was where it would all go down.

Just around the corner was the boiler room.

“Do you need a weapon, Hange? This might get messy.” You cocked your gun.

“I’m fine,” Hange put bullets in her gun.

You gave way to a big breath. As you turned the corner you were met with eggs upon eggs of what seemed to be from the alien.

“Oh my God, Hange.” You were shocked. Mouth opened wide. “I can’t believe this,” you talked low, so as not to wake anything. You felt almost faint. How were you going to get through this?

“These are it’s eggs. It seems to be its nesting place.” Hange looked around. The eggs spilled goo and were still shut, but some were spilled open.

“And I thought there was only one alien.”

Hange looked as if to say something but kept her mouth shut. She seemed nervous and terrified.

“Stay behind me. Let’s move forward. If you see or hear anything tap on me.” You pulled your flamethrower instead and pointed it to whatever predator that awaited you. You two walked straight. Every bump, noise, shook you two to the core. The saliva from the alien dropped down from the vents and ceiling.

“Y/N!” Hange smacked your arm. You heard the squeal of another alien and it was the ones the crawled on the floor. It was coming towards you.

You used the flamethrower on it and burned it to a crisp, killing it. Seeing your surroundings, corpses laid against the walls. Those that crawled on the floor were on the faces of the corpses. They seemed to hug the faces. They were very dangerous and killed just as bad as the alien.

More groups of the face huggers stormed after you. You blasted the fire right on them, feeling the heat on your skin as your sweat dripped. There were puddles of unknown liquid that rose up high to your knees. The anticipation was high. You were worried about Levi and wanted him to be alright but you were scared to see the reality of things.

In the distance, Levi was lying on the floor, unconscious.

“Levi!” You ran to his weak body, kneeling down to him. His skin was cold as you touched his cheek. “Please Levi, please be awake.” Tears were filling up your eyes.

“Annie!” Hange shouted.

You looked behind you to see Annie was hung up by vines and goo onto the wall behind her. She too was unconscious. You didn’t understand why she was up there. Did the alien put her there?

Levi started coughing and caught your hand. “Hey Y/N,” his voice was raspy and weak.

“Levi!” You hugged him tight. “I thought I lost you.”

“I can’t believe you came back for me.”

You looked in his dark eyes and brushed his hair, “I’m sorry you ever doubted me.”

Hange helped Levi up while you went to Annie. Her skin was pale with no rose color to her cheeks. Her eyes had bags under them and they were dark.

“Poor Annie. I’m sorry you had to go through this,” you tried cutting the vines off. It took a lot of sawing until it worked and she fell down in your arms. You were about to bring them both up when you heard footsteps behind you.

“So you made it. Good for you. I almost didn’t believe in you.”

“Reiner,” you gritted your teeth. “Better step out of the way, we’re leaving.”

“Not on my watch,” Reiner shoots at you and Hange. You push Annie and Levi behind a corner since they are too weak to fight.

You shoot repeatedly at Reiner from behind a wooden box. Hange is behind that as well, shooting. Reiner takes cover from around a corner, popping his head out every once in a while to take some risky shots.

“This doesn’t seem to work. I’m going to go up to him. You stay here,” you were willing to risk your life. You showed yourself and shot at Reiner. Reiner came out as well and you two were going head to toe.

Hange was distracted and didn’t notice the growling in the back of her. From the corner of your eye you saw a black figure, looming above her. It was the alien!

“Hange look out!”

Hange turned around with her hands covering her face and the alien tore Hange’s arm off. What surprised you was there was no blood, bones, or muscle. Your heart almost stopped. All along Hange was an android.

“What the?” You were so confused. You felt lied to, betrayed and that you had so many questions. What was real and what was a façade? You were too busy worrying about Hange you didn’t see Reiner about to shoot you in the heart.

Levi slides your way and from under you stabs Reiner on the thigh. Reiner roars in pain and pushes you and Levi out the gate of the ship Shigashina.

It all happened so fast. Your body fell on top of Levi’s as Shigashina used hyperspace to disappear. In a flash they were gone.

“No!” You cried, sinking to your knees in such disappointment.

Levi tapped your shoulder, “Y/N I think you need to see this.”

You turn around and realize you and Levi were on a planet where there were many eggs littered on it. “What the cuss is this place?”

As you looked around the eggs were the same ones in the ship a few minutes ago, “It seems this is where that creature is from.”

All the talking you and Levi did you both didn’t realize that you guys didn’t have any space suit. Struggling to breathe you looked to Levi and in that moment it looked as if for once in his life he had no plan to get out of this one.

a/n: oooh i wonder whats gonna happen next.....i hope i did a good plot twist tho lol i feel like im good at these things and then when they happen and i actually write them down i then think noooobad idea! abort!

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askdawnandvern · 7 years ago

Text

A Lamb Among Wolves Ch:27

So we've got a long one this week, and this is only really part one of three when it comes to a portion of the story I'm dubbing as "Girls Night". Part two is equally as long, if not longer. And there's a palette cleanse between part 2 and three where we will be dropping in on the boys. There would probably be more portions of boys night, and maybe there still will, but honestly I just want to get through act two of the story and move on already. Even though I know a number of you would like this story, and especially bits like this to go one forever.

My apologies for posting relatively late today, its kind of looking like a hectic week what with Thanksgiving approaching. I spent most of today running all over doing prep for it only to come home and have a bad health issue crop up pretty hard. I don't want to go into details but it's making things a bit harder when I have to force myself to rest because of it. I have things to draw, passages to write, and I can't let it get in the way of that but it does sometimes. I really hope you like this chapter. It was fun to write, and I hope it proves as fun to read. But, lets dive in, this bad boy is long enough as it is without me rambling...

Chapter Twenty Seven: Girls Night: Rule Breakers

"But enough stallin' sis." Ada grinned widely at the ewe. "You gonna spill it or what?"

"She doesn't have to if she doesn't want to!" Vanna said with a huff, her muzzle still flushed with red. "Lay off Ada!"

Dawn hadn't even registered Ada's provoking statement, she had been far too lost in thought over the confirmation that Vanna had indeed broken the Hunter house rule. Vanna, who on all accounts seemed to be the most responsible and rule abiding out of all the Hunter girls, had willingly defied Audrey's wishes. It was simply impossible for the ewe's mind to parse. Dawn was stuck staring at Vanna in shock as the feline's eyes met hers again. Vanna's ears flattened against her head as she shrunk deeper into her shoulders.

"I mean...I um..." Vanna sputtered as the ewe's senses returned, making Dawn aware of the gawking stare she had levied at the tigress. The ewe quickly turned her gaze away, trying to play it off with an awkward cough. "Things happen sometimes, right? We don't need to say anything more!"

"Youse are just tryin to save yer own hide kit kat!" Ada cackled. " If old fluff ball doesn't have to tell, den needa do youse right?"

"No!" Vanna snapped back, drawing a paw over her scalp frantically before slipping back into a more confident posture. The large tigress folded her arms, glowering at the still smugly grinning hyena. "I mean, it's wrong to try to pressure someone into talking about something they aren't comfortable sharing!"

"Vanna's right." That had come from Qali. The petite fox was now curled up at the foot of her bed, clutching a pillow tightly as she eyed the rest of the group. The fox frowned for just a moment as she spoke, letting out a disappointed sigh before her smile suddenly returned.

"That's why we should tell her about when we broke the rule first!" She happily chirped, giving her pillow a tighter squeeze. "That way it will make her way more comfortable about sharing her own story!"

"Now wait a min-"

"That ain't a bad idea Snowball!" Ada cut Vanna off. The hyeness flashed the big cat another smug grin before shifting her attention back to the arctic fox.

"Why don'cha start us off, and we'll go around da room?" Ada added.

Qali's response was an eager one, the diminutive arctic fox stowing her pillow behind her before giving the mattress a few more playful bounces as she clapped her paws together.

"Oh, okay!" The fox chirped happily as she settled back onto her mattress. Resting one paw against her cheek, the vixen placed a finger to her lower lip, tapping it lightly. She seemed to be thinking over just how to begin, rolling her eyes back slightly as she softly 'hmm'd' to herself. While this was going on, Vanna had simply placed her head in her paw, her shoulders slumped in seeming defeat. Dawn wasn't keen on the prospect of retelling the exact details of her own lurid exercise with Vernon in the field, but she would be lying if she said she was uninterested in hearing the other girls own stories, especially Vanna's.

With a sudden snap of a finger, Dawns attention was drawn back to Qali. The vixen was now leaned up to the edge of the bed, both her arms now prone against the mattress as she flashed a wide grin.

"Alright, so this was the last time we were out, back when Trenny first graduated." Qali said. "You remember Dawn, I mentioned it in the truck."

Dawn nodded softly, moving closer to the foot of her bed as she prepared to give the vixen her full attention. Easing around Vanna, the ewe slid up to the edge, sitting herself in much the same way Qali had.

"You mean the first time you met Audrey and Dorian?" Dawn asked in shock.

Qali gave a brisk and energetic nod.

Dawn placed a hoof to her lips to hide her surprised expression. The stories had just gotten started and already it had turned out that the ewe had not been alone when it came to tainting her first official family meeting. Although considering Qali's general personality, the ewe felt that perhaps she shouldn't have been so shocked.

"We had been out here for...hmm..." Qali murmured as she once again brought a claw to her chin, tapping it questioningly. "It had to be two days at most." Qali affirmed with a soft nod.

"Ol' Auddey wanted me and Trenny to help clean out the closet in the boys room." She placed a paw against her cheek. "Move some of the more important stuff out to the barn and yadda, yadda, something." Qali waved her other paw dismissively.

"You mean the room downstairs right?" Dawn asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "The closet that looks like a bomb went off inside of it?"

Qali nodded without missing a beat. "Hee hee, I guess it went back to being a dump pretty quick huh?" Qali chuckled. "But I assure you Trenny had straightened it up."

"Anyway..." The fox continued. "We had just moved a few things out to the barn and Trenny was already in the closet by the time I got back inside." Qali raised a paw. "So I slipped in to the closet after him and closed the door behind me. No big deal, we had been doin' that all day right?" Qali asked.

Dawn nodded slightly despite the fact the question was clearly rhetorical.

"So we get a bunch more boxes together, and we go to carry 'em out." Qali continued.

"So like two for you den squirt?" Ada chuckled.

Qali glared back at the large hyeness briefly. "Yeah, so?" Qali snorted. "They were big boxes!" Qali crossed her arms.

"I'm sure dey were." Ada mocked, rolling her eyes as she teased the vixen.

"Let's see you come down to my families farm and lug around a fifty pound tree before makin' judgements!" Qali snapped. "And those boxes were holding your mates weight lifting set by the way!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure, sure." Ada said, a clear tone of disinterest lacing her reply as she waved a paw. "Just go on wit da story already."

Qali furrowed her brow before turning her attention back to the group at large. The fox let out an annoyed huff.

"So, anyway..." Qali muttered flashing the large canid one more nasty glare before continuing. "Trenny goes to open the door, and what do you know, it's stuck."

"So you were locked in?" Dawn asked.

"The door doesn't have a lock." Qali corrected. "But the wood frame tends to warp in the summer..." The fox trailed off, tapping a claw to her chin. "At least that's what Auddey told me later."

"So what did you do?" Dawn questioned.

"I tink she made it pretty clear in da beginning what she did. Weren't youse payin' attention?" Ada chuckled.

Dawn shook her head dismissively. " I mean, what did you do to try to get out?"

Qali shrugged. "Everything really." The arctic fox sighed. "Trenny and me tried calling for help, prying it open, everything short of breaking the door down. Mostly because Trenny wasn't keen on the idea of having to pay to replace the door himself." Qali rolled her eyes. "Of course ol' Auddey was out picking up groceries at the time, so we were just going to have to wait it out."

"Lamb sakes..." Dawn murmured quietly.

"And the worst part was that the closet wasn't connected to the house's air vents." Qali groaned. "It was stifling in there, all the built up Summer humidity was locked inside that tiny room."

Dawn grimaced sharply at the thought. Just a few weeks prior to their visit to the Hunter Ranch, the central air conditioning unit in her and Vernon's shared apartment had broken down, and the couple was forced to endure a week at the mercy of the stifling humidity that built up in their rainforest adjacent home. It was torture, although the ewe was grateful that they at least didn't live in Sahara Square. But for an arctic fox, who's fur was thick and built to combat the cold, Dawn could only imagine being subjected to overbearing humidity was that much worse.

"So naturally we ended up stripping down to little more then underwear and over-shirts." Qali giggled. "Well at least I did, Trenton was holding out."

"Probably because he was trying to avoid puttin' himself in a situation that might lead to rutting." Vanna finally spoke, although her response was low and quiet.

"Didn't woik." Ada chuckled.

"So there we were, killing time by playing board games and junk while we prayed for Mama Hunter to get home." Qali continued. " And it was soooo boring..."

"Not a fan of board games I take it?" Dawn asked.

"Not this girl." Qali chirped, pointing a thumb to her pelt. "I like active stuff, like taking walks, swimming, and snow sports especially. I'm an excellent snow boarder!" The fox said proudly. "But musty old board games where you have to sit and take turns and wait a whole bunch practically puts me to sleep."

Ada laughed. " I hear dat."

"So when we started playing cards....well..." Qali grinned widely. "I decided to try to make it interesting." The diminutive foxed waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"O-oh?" Dawn asked, her curiosity peaked despite knowing where the vixen's story was inevitable leading. "How so?"

"Strip poker." Qali giggled.

"Nice." Ada replied with an impish grin.

"And I lost..." Qali added with a mischievous grin of her own.

Dawn placed her hooves over her mouth. "O-ho my." Dawn said, doing her best to suppress her own smile.

"On purpose." Vanna added.

"Of course on purpose!" Qali giggled. "Why else would I want to play?"

Vanna simply rolled her eyes.

"Now I thought you said ya'll were already stripped down to yer undergarments." Malcolm chuckled.

Qali smirked. "It was a short game." The diminutive fox giggled. "He was skeptical of course, but with a worried frown and a playful bat of my eyes I was able to convince him it was just to make him more comfortable. To get him out of that stifling clothing and relax a bit." Qali feigned an innocent expression, flicking a paw lazily. "He thought I just wanted to help, but instead I was out to hustle him." Qali brought her paw to her lips as a blush began to form on her muzzle.

"Ya'll tricked him?" Malcolm said with a quiet laugh. "And how'd ya manage that? I thought ya'll said you didn't care fer parlor games and the like?" The russet wolf raised an eyebrow.

"Just because I don't like them doesn't mean I don't know how to play them!" Qali laughed. "My Dad was a card shark, and he passed that on to me and my sisters." Qali grinned evilly. "I just hadn't told Trenny at the time."

"Ohhh!" Ada cooed knowingly. "Bad foxy."

Qali giggled in response.

"So what happened?" Malcolm pressed, the wolf hiding his grin behind clenched paws.

"Well I was out of clothes, so I had to bet something." Qali cooed. "So I told Trenny if he beat me with his next hand, well..." Qali's smile grew practically cheshiren in size, practically stretching from ear to ear. "Let's just say I told him I'd wrap my muzzle around mount Trenny for a while."

Dawn raised an eyebrow in confusion breifly. "Mount Tre-?" As realization hit the ewe, a deep crimson blush rapidly followed. Qali offered a simply nod in response, as if to further affirm the ewe's conclusion as to just what part of Trenton's body the diminutive fox was hinting at.

"Again, he was totally against it at first." Qali smirked. "But a bit of my best fast talking, some fluttering of the eyelids, and the distracting view that I was going out of my way to show off he caved pretty quickly." The fox snickered. "By the time I was cramming cards into his paws he wasn't putting up much of a fight."

"You naughty goil!" Ada laughed.

"B-but didn't you...?" Dawn cleared her throat awkwardly as her bashfulness strangled her words. "You said you tricked him...y-you hustled him?" Dawn asked.

Qali chuckled. "Well you see..." Qali could barely keep her giggling under control as her own blush deepened. "If I won, Trenny was gonna have to...well do it to me instead."

Dawn let out an 'oohhh' as she placed her hooves over her muzzle.

"Datta goil!" Ada clapped, letting out a barking laugh.

"So he lost the bet then?" Malcolm chuckled.

Qali gave a brisk nod. "And let me tell you, Trenny knows how to work that tongue!" The vixen smacked her lips. "He had me up against the closet door, screaming his name at the top of my lungs while I rode his muzzle!" Qali giggled. "My legs were so tightly wrapped around his head, I'm surprised he didn't pass out!" The fox rolled backwards on her mattress as a giggling fit ensued. Qali kicked her tiny legs as she continued to laugh, taking deep breaths as she tried to compose herself.

Finally seeming to catch her breath, the vixen sat back up. Qali let out a few more weak chuckles as she wiped a tear from her eye.

"It was amazing." Qali cooed. "Until the door opened and the two of us spilled out right in front of Mama Hunter."

Dawn felt herself reflexively cringe at the mere prospect of being in Qali's position. Despite breaking the house rule, at the very least the couple hadn't been found mid-mating by Audrey. She had barely been able to look the she-wolf in the eyes just from her easily deducing what the couple had been up too outside. If Audrey had found them while Vernon's snout was buried in the ewe, Dawn was certain she would never be able to make eye contact with her again.

Ada was the first to bust out laughing, her hyena like cackle loud and uproarious as she rolled on her own mattress. Qali was quick to join the large canid, followed by Malcolm shortly there-after.

"Phew..." Qali said, composing herself once more as the others laughter died away. "Talk about getting caught with you pants down."

Ada let out another sharp laugh. "Good one Snowball!"

Dawn leaned forward, her attention remaining fixed on Qali.

"So what did you do?" Dawn asked nervously.

Qali lolled her shoulders before letting out a tired sigh. " Honestly, I was pretty ashamed." Qali shook her head dismissively. "I was luckly ol' Auddey let me off lightly."

"She told you to go 'think about what ya'll done', right?" Malcom asked.

Qali gave a meek nod. "Yep, and I did. I felt super terrible afterwards, especially because it was mostly my fault."

"It takes two to tango..." Dawn mumbled softly as she chewed at her hooves.

"That's exactly what she said to me!" Qali chirped, pointing a claw Dawn's way as she rolled slightly in her seat, rocking back and forth. "She even called me Ms. Pelagere for a while, like I had lost status with her..."

"Trust..." Dawn added, causing the fox to nod her head in agreement.

"I had like, tarnished her trust in me." Qali sighed. "And it certainly didn't come off as respectful."

"Dat's puttin' it lightly." Ada added with a chuckle.

"It was another two days before we were back to first names." Qali lamented. "And boy did that suck."

"W-what about Trent?" Dawn asked.

Qali chuckled. "Not only did he have to finish cleaning the closet, but he spent the rest of the day organizin' the attic by his lonesome." The vixen shook her head. "No AC up there either, poor Trenny."

"Lamb sakes..." Dawn uttered. Qali more or less had been through the same, if not a worse situation than she had. The fox even had to endure two days more of the She-wolf's cold shoulder. Then again, despite what the diminutive fox expressed, Dawn had a hard time picturing the cheery, excitable fox being significantly down about the affair, at least not for very long. She just seemed far too happy a mammal to let such a thing weigh on her as much as Dawn had. Then again, the ewe had a lot of other guilty feelings weighing on her already before Audrey had come to scold her.

"Yeah, yeah." Ada scoffed. "I'm shure da mook was feelin' real lousy and down when he was wearin' you as a muzzle."

Qali let out a soft giggle which faded away into more of a sorrowful sigh. "I still felt bad though, for Trenny, and for how I made Auddey feel." The fox offered a weak grin. "Auddey's such a sweety, and I hated that I put her in such a position."

"I hear that." Malcolm sighed. "I know I felt the same way when me and Xavey got caught."

"Speakin' of..." Ada grinned. "I'd say you're up 'Buddabuns', unless Kit Kat wants ta go foist?" Ada grinned evilly, her glance shifting back to the massive tigress. Vanna grimaced sharply, turning her head away from Ada as she let out a scoff.

"Aw c'mon Vanna, we're all sisters here." Malcolm paused for a moment, glancing down at himself briefly before offering an awkward smile to the group. "Well, mostly."

Ada and Qali giggled at the pudgy wolf's words.

With a tired groan, Malcolm shifted his body toward the rest of the group, laying on his side. The red wolf leaned his head on paw, while allowing the other to drape over his gut. His paw idly scratching at the baby blue fabric as he let out a comfortable sigh.

"Xavey and I had been an item fer about a year at that point if I remember correctly." Malcolm tapped a claw to his chin as he rolled his eyes. The wolf seemingly trying to recall a more concrete memory. "Yessir', it was just shy of a year!" The wolf declared, returning his paw to it's resting place on his stomach. "By then we had visited a few times, so I knew Momma Hunter purty well by then. But this was the first time we were gonna be spendin' the whole week at the ranch. It was Courtship Day break, so we finally had that kind of time free from work to take a real vacation. And I was really lookin' forward to the holiday festivities."

"Courtship Day ain't supposed ta be for couples like youse!" Ada snarked. "It's supposed to be about gettin' new couples togeddah! Not celebratin' bein' a long term ting." The hyenas shook her head.

"Yeah, Ostara is the holiday for celebrating long term relationships." Qali added, raising an eyebrow curiously. "Right?"

Vanna and Dawn nodded in confirmation.

Malcolm chuckled. "I know that!" The wolf replied. "But I was more so lookin' forward to the town festival, more so the cook-off and bake-off aspects of it!" Malcolm ran a paw though his russet hair. "I was kinda eager to throw down with some of the local chefs, and see what they were made of." The wolf declared proudly. "And gettin to taste a bunch of specialty foods and deserts you can't get most other places was a purty enticin' prospect too." Malcolm ran his tongue across his maw, patting his belly affectionately.

Dawn raised an eyebrow curiously. "I thought you said you two were coming to the ranch for a 'vacation'." The ewe adjusted her glasses slightly. "Participating in a series of cook-offs sounds like a lot of work."

Malcolm laughed. "When yer line of work is also yer favorite hobby, the line between the two gets real blurry." The wolf sighed. " 'Sides, cookin fer contests is a lot less pressure than running a diner. More fun and free wheelin', and ya'll don't have a buncha customers breathin' down yer neck."

Dawn understood where the wolf is coming from, or at least could somewhat understand. While she had yet to publish her first book, writing had always been a fun hobby for her. It was something she freely pursued in her downtime for her own enjoyment from her adolescence onward, and even if she never shared any of those works with those around her, the time spent writing them had never seemed like a waste. Now that she was staring down the barrel of releasing a book for public consumption, she found herself wondering just how she would be able to properly delineate 'work writing' from 'play writing', or if there could be any clear distinction at all from that point on. One thing the ewe was certain of was that even if her writing career ultimately flopped, she would still find herself writing for fun regardless.

"Anyhow..." Malcolm sighed, scratching his belly again. "Once Xavey and I first came out to the Ranch, we had a few days of preppin' before the 'Courtship Festival' opened up officially. So Momma Hunter and I went out and entered in to all the contests we were plannin' on participatin' in, and then we basically spent the whole day in the Kitchen cookin' up a storm." Malcolm chuckled. "We were practicin', honin' our skills and tradin' recipes and tips while Xavey just stood there and watched."

"Why?" Dawn asked. "Xavier didn't want to help?"

Malcolm let out a hard laugh. "Didn't want to? Darlin' he wasn't allowed to!" The russet wolf let out another jovial laugh. "I love my 'Fluffybuns' to death, but that boy can't cook worth a damn." Malcolm shook his head. "If I even let him hold a wisk it'd probly' catch fire, that's how bad he is. When it comes to baking, well that boy is practically the Anti-Crust."

Ada let out a cackle of her own. "Nice pun on dat one 'Buddabuns!'"

Malcolm bowed his head as if bowing for applause in response to Ada before letting out a contented sigh.

"But he didn't want to be alone all day, at least until Pa got back from the precinct. So he stayed and cheered us on." Malcolm smiled warmly.

"So what happened?" Ada smirked. "C'mon, get to da good stuff!" The hyeness said with a sharp snort as she slapped her knee.

"I'm gettin' to it, hold yer horses there city girl!" Malcolm chuckled, pushing his hair away from his eyes.

"Yeah, c'mon!" Qali added. "I haven't heard this one yet!"

Vanna was quick to shush the pair, her eyes were stern and serious as she glared at the hyena and fox until they went silent. Despite Vanna's previous stance on spilling their collective guts when it came to their most intimate moments, the glint behind the tigress' eyes shone with interest as she returned her attention to Malcolm.

Malcolm sighed. "Alright, so we had been baking fer hours at this point. Pies, cakes, pred cuisine, all sorts of goodies."

"The Kitchen must have smelled amazing..." Qali said dreamily as she leaned her head in her paws. The diminutive fox kicked her legs idly as her attention remained on the chubby wolf.

"Yeah, to be a fly on the wall on dat day..." Ada smirked. "For da smells and da show!" Ada chuckled.

Malcolm shook his head, a grin crawling across his muzzle. "Anyway, I remember I wanted to show Momma Hunter how to cook up some 'de-licious' raspberry tortes. They're kind of a staple food fer Courtship Day. But by then, we had pretty much used up all the supplies we'd need to keep cookin'."

Malcolm extended his paw, holding it up as he eyed the group. "So naturally, someone had to pick up more flour, sugar and so on to keep us bakin'" The wolf waved his paw. "And since Ma Hunter doesn't like to let anyone else drive her truck aside from Papa Hunter, she was the one who decided to go get the ingredients we needed."

Malcolm raised an eyebrow, a sly smirk crossing his muzzle. "That left me and Xavey alone to monitor the food that was still cookin'."

"So is that when you two-?"

Malcolm held up a paw, effectively silencing Qali's burgeoning curiosity.

"Now don't get ahead of me Darlin'." Malcolm chuckled. "I'm gettin' there. I promise."

Malcolm let out another groan as he sat up, placing his paws on his knees as he crossed his legs into a seated pose.

"Now, I wanna start off by sayin' the last thing I had on my mind was breakin' the house rule. I wasn't even thinking about sex. I was more concerned about the pies in the oven than anythin' else."

"Sure you was." Ada rolled her eyes.

"I wasn't!" Malcolm affirmed. "Although I can't say fer certain if Xavey didn't either, it certainly didn't seem like he was thinkin' it at the time anyway." Malcolm sighed, drawing his paw through his hair again. "We spent most of the time just talkin' while I kept busy workin' on the food we still had supplies fer."

A mischievous smile crawled across Malcolm's muzzle. "Then, I accidently dropped a spoon I was using." The wolf brought a paw to his chin. "It was covered in batter, and on it's way to the floor it smudged on Xavey's pants before landin' right between his paws."

Qali was already rolling in her seat eagerly as she eyed Malcolm with an intense focus. The arctic fox seemingly giddy with anticipation as she rocked in place.

"I take it prissy pants was none to pleased about the stain?" Ada quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh Xavey was none too pleased. He hates gettin' food on his clothes, even the less than fancy stuff." Malcolm chuckled. "So while he's flippin' his lid, I'm reachin' fer the spoon and cursin' the fact I wasted a good bit a batter that was glopped onto the thing." Malcolm shook his head dismissively. "I finally get a grip on it, and as I'm going to stand up, my muzzle bumps right under Xavey's crotch."

Dawn blushed slightly as she brought her hooves to her muzzle. Despite the fact that she had known where the story had been heading from the get go still did little to prepare her for when the pudgy wolf got to the 'meat' of his story.

"Oh my..." She said quietly. The ewe could pretty much assume where things were going from here.

Malcolm chuckled. "I got the batter from his pants on my snout, but more importantly I got a deep whiff of my 'Fluffybuns' delicious scent." Malcolm's eyelids drooped slightly as he stared off dreamily. "That virile, dusky earthen' scent that sent shivers down my spine."

Dawn gulped slightly as the wolf's description tickled at her memories of her mates own scent. In that moment she couldn't help but picture herself in the same situation, just inches away from Vernon's own wolfhood and drinking deeply of his musk. Dawn shuddered briefly, thanking the gods that although the thought was a stimulating one, at the very least her estrus was dulled enough for the sudden fantasy not to stir up too much agony in her loins.

"At that point Xavey had stopped fussin'." Malcolm continued. "We had both sorta locked eyes, and I could see we were more or less thinkin' the same thing." Malcolm grinned slyly. "Of course I couldn't resist a bit of teasin' first."

"What did you do?" Dawn asked, leaning forward slightly as she bit at her hoof.

Malcom chuckled. "Well, I batted my eyes at my lil' Xavey, and I said 'Aw, I'm sorry about the mess Darlin', how bout I clean ya'll up?'"

"And what did he do?" Qali was quick to ask, the fox now leaning well over the edge of her mattress as she watched the pudgy wolf.

Malcolm rolled his eyes. "My little wordsmith, master of the Animanglish Language, didn't say nothin'." Malcolm shook his head. "He stuttered and stammered a bit before finally givin' me a slow, shaky little pleadin' nod."

Malcolm licked his maw as his grin widened mischievously. "So I lapped that little bit of batter up....and then..." The wolf shook his head. "And then I opened up his pants, and started lappin' at my favorite dessert."

"Right in Audrey's Kitchen?" Dawn asked in shock.

Malcolm simply nodded, the smirk never leaving his muzzle.

"Right in front of the counter. I was down on my knees teasin' that poor boy seven ways to Sunday." Malcolm chuckled. "Xavey was making the cutest noises, he always does when I got him at my mercy like that." The chubby wolf said dreamily. "Like lil' half begs. Dyin' fer me to end his sufferin', but at the same time lovin' the teasin'."

Dawn's blush deepened as the wolf's tawdry tale went on. Even her romp in the corn field hadn't been as risky as what Malcolm and Xavier had done. Short of mating in Audrey's bedroom, the ewe couldn't imagine a more dangerous place to try to sneak in a rut than her Kitchen. At least, up until Vernon had howled the pair had the privacy of the night to more or less shield their deeds. It was unlikely that Audrey would have come looking for them unless they had been out for hours. But her Kitchen was surely asking to be caught.

"Unfortunately..." Malcolm's smile waivered as his ears began to sag. "From where I was...er...handlin' things, I couldn't exactly see the entrance of the Kitchen." Malcolm's voice grew quieter as a blush began to form on his muzzle. "O'course Xavey was in the perfect position' to meet Momma Hunter's eyes when she came back from the store."

Ada hissed as she sucked in a sharp breath. "Ohh..." The hyeness shook her head. "So you didn't know huh?"

Malcolm chuckled weakly. "I felt Xavey suddenly tense up, but I couldn't figure out why..." The pudgy wolf's blush deepened. "And I couldn't exactly ask him with my mouth fulla'...well...y'know..." The wolf trailed of, tapping his fingers together idly.

Malcolm placed his head in his paw. "He had to pull me off and turn my head around before I knew what was happinin'."

"Look's like youse two got caught wit Xavey's pants down!" Ada said, letting out a hyena-like cackle.

Malcolm kept his head down, clearly deeply ashamed of Audrey catching the couple like that. "I was purty much on a full name basis fer the rest of the holiday." Malcolm sighed. "And as fer Xavey, well he was on dish duty fer the rest of the trip. Which considerin' how much we were bakin', well...it was a tall order."

As Malcolm's story sunk in, Dawn was having a hard time deciding which story had been the worse of the two. Each one prominently featured being caught mid-act by Audrey, a fate the ewe mentally held up in her mind as worse than death. More or less the couples had been caught committing the same crime against the house rule, but was catching your son with his girlfriend riding his face better or worse than catching your son on the receiving end of oral? Either way, if there was one thing Dawn could glean from the stories for certain, it was the fact that even if Vernon had successfully limited their escapade in the field to taking care of Dawn's problem, the trouble they faced would have been more or less the same. Despite that Xavier could, from a legal standpoint argue that the house rule only technically mentions rutting, clearly it wouldn't fly in Mother Hunter's courtroom. And that fact was readily apparent in Malcolm's story.

"I just felt so ashamed when Momma Hunter' eyes fell on me. She looked so hurt..." Malcolm sighed. "And when she called me 'Mr. Hackett', it cut me deep."

"I know how that feels..." Dawn murmured, reflecting on how painful it had felt when Audrey had simply referred to her as Ms. Bellwether. Even thinking about it now, despite the fact that she had more or less made amends with the she-wolf, it made her feel just as hollow and sick as when she had first heard it.

"I'll betcha do." Ada said with a smirk. "O'course I don't, cause I'm da only one wit da curtsy and dezenzy to control myself."

Once again Ada reaffirmed that she remained the only Hunter girl not to break the house rule. But it was an idea that Dawn couldn't wrap her head around. While she had no real reason to doubt the hyeness statements, her attitude and the way she carried herself made Ada seem the least likely to care about things like Audrey's house rule, or even what Audrey might think of her. She didn't want to pass judgment, but at the same time she couldn't help feeling like there was no way she was telling the truth.

"I find that kind of hard to believe." Dawn said without thinking, only to quickly bring her hooves to her muzzle. She hadn't meant to let it slip out, but now that she had said it, it hung in the open air awaiting an answer.

Ada cackled. "Well it's tru dere fuzzy butt!" The hyeness flipped her black and white hair out of her eyes. "Whaddya tink I'm some kinda impulsive animal who can't control herself?" Ada raised herself off the mattress slightly as she threw Dawn a sharp glare. "Dat because I look like sum sorta trouble maker I can't follow da rules?"

Ada's tone was sharp and stern, and Dawn was quick to jump to her feet at the sudden accusation. The ewe held her hooves out defensively.

"No! No!" Dawn stammered, terrified that she so easily offended her new sister, especially after what she had done for her earlier in the day. Dawn clasped her hooves together pleadingly as she tried to think of a way to explain herself.

"I mean, I...I didn't-"

Ada let out a hyena-like cackle as she rolled backwards on her bed, kicking her feet slightly as she held her stomach. Dawn simply stood staring in shock and confusion, unsure of what to make of Ada's sudden change in tone as the hyeness managed to right herself. Ada wiped a stray tear from her eye as she tried to stifle her laughter.

"Oh Mam'!" Ada giggled. "I had you goin huh!? Da look on your face was priceless!" The hyeness wiped another stray tear from her eye as she tried to compose herself.

"Ada, that isn't funny." Vanna said tersely, throwing a glare of her own at the hyena.

Ada scoffed. "Ah, you have no sensa humor Kit Kat!" The canid replied, waiving the massive cat off dismissively with a paw. "'Sides I have to razz da newest Hunta goil, it's part of da hazin'!"

Dawn eased back down into her seat, still somewhat confused as she found herself looking back and for the between the tigress and the hyena. Ada was still laughing, but Vanna's cold stare remained rigid and unrelenting, and slowly the smile dissipated from Ada's muzzle. With a harsh and irritated sigh, Ada turned her attention back to the ewe.

"Ugh. Fine." Ada grumbled. " I was just funnin' whicha Fluff Butt, I know I don't really seem da type give a pile of dung about wedder or not I care what mammals tink of me, but I do." Ada rolled her eyes slightly, but her tone remained firms and earnest. "'Specially da Huntas." Ada smiled, but there was a strange sadness behind her eyes. Almost as if admitting that had hurt her to some degree. The ewe felt the desire to press her new sister on what had caused that somber change in her tone, but decided better of it as the hyeness was quick to continue.

"So when I tells ya I swear on my own eyes I never broke da rule, I mean it." Ada grinned confidently.

"It's true." Vanna said with a tired sigh as she turned her attention back to the ewe. "As unlikely as it would seem, Ada is the only one of us here who hasn't..."Vanna closed her eyes briefly, gritting her teeth for a moment before continuing. "Made a bad decision."

"Speakin' of dat..." Ada's grin grew to almost Cheshire like proportions. "I'd say it's your turn Kit Kat."

Vanna quickly turned back to the hyeness, crossing her arms in defiance.

"I'd rather not." Vanna stated simply. "In fact I never agreed to."

"Aw c'mon sis!" Qali chirped. "I'm dying to know!"

Vanna shook her head briskly, opting to remain silent.

Malcolm raised an eyebrow. "C'mon now Sis, it's only fair ain't it?"

Vanna grimaced. "Fair?" The tigress spat. "Nobody forced the two of you to tell those stories. So why should I have to embarrass myself just because the two of you decided to do the same?"

Dawn could see the tigress was growing increasingly irritated. By now Vanna had risen to her feet, walking away from Dawn's bed as she glared at the other members of the group. Her ears flattened tightly against her head as she sneered.

"What a kitten!" Ada snickered.

"I am not!" Vanna spat back, reaching a paw for the pillow on what was presumably her mattress. The large feline lifted it off the bed, clutching it with her paws as she eyed the hyena across from her.

"And whaddya gonna do now?" Ada chuckled. "Gonna belt me wit a pillow?"

Vanna hissed as she glared at the hyeness. "If you don't shut your yap I might ju-"

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Dawn was quick to interject, hoping that she would diffuse the situation. As much as she was intrigued to hear what had happened between Vanna and Zach, the ewe was more keen on avoiding a bedroom brawl breaking out between the two females.

"I-I can understand if I-it's too embarrassing." The ewe frowned, looking at her feet as she stood up on her mattress. "I won't hold it against you." Dawn sighed. "I certainly know the feeling."

The tension seemed to ease as the two sisters turned their attention Dawn's way, Vanna going so far as to let the pillow hang loosely from one paw as she frowned back toward the ewe. But what was even more surprising was that Ada was sporting a frown of her own. The hyeness placed a paw behind her head, scratching awkwardly as she grit her teeth.

"Ah geeze..." Ada whined. "If youse are both gonna be dat way about it, den I don't wanna hold your paws to da fire." Ada crossed her arms. "I was only playin'."

"It's alright." Dawn replied, adjusting her glasses. "Besides, I've decide I..." The ewe trailed off as she struggled to find her words. "Well, I've decided I'm willing to talk about what happened with Vernon and me outside, despite how embarrassed I am in retrospect."

Dawn had surprised herself with her sudden decision. Perhaps it was the fact that Malcolm and Qali had been so willing to open up about their own misdeeds, or Vanna's need to rise to Dawn's defense regardless of what stake she had in it. Or perhaps it was even the fact that when it came down to it, Ada had been more than willing to let her off the hook when it came to telling her tale. But regardless, Dawn felt much more comfortable knowing she was more or less among friends who had been through the same thing, and could even find humor in it. It made the ewe feel confident enough to press forward with her own embarrassing and shameful ordeal.

But Dawn found she wasn't the only one surprised by her statement. Ada was looking back at her in bemused shock, while Qali seemed to be brimming with overwhelming joy. Malcolm too, wore a bemused and playful grin. But the most startled was Vanna, the large and unusually unexpressive tigress' jaw now hanging open in shock as she stared back at Dawn in an almost terrified surprise.

"YES!" Qali chirped, bouncing on her mattress a few times as she held on to the headboard.

"Well look at dat." Ada smirked, crossing her arms again. " Lil' lamb is steppin' up to da plate!"

Ada laid back down onto her mattress, resting her head on a paw as she grinned back expectantly at Dawn.

"Youse got more spunk den I had ya pegged for wools." Ada snickered. With that, the hyeness flicked her free paw in the ewe's direction. "Youse can start when your ready, take ya time sis."

Dawn sat back down on the bed, taking a long sigh as she tried to steel herself for opening up about the debacle in the field. It certainly was not her proudest moment, but she knew confronting it like this was a good way to cope with it. She had learned as much in therapy when it came to recounting and reliving her criminal past. The only way to work through it was to acknowledge and reflect on it, and sometimes sharing it with those you love and trust was the best way to move past it. The ewe took another deep breath as she tried to figure out just where to start her story. Finally settling on what seemed like the most appropriate point, Dawn took a final deep breath.

"Well, as you all are prob-"

"Wait!"

Dawn blinked rapidly in surprise. That had come from Vanna, the large tigress now holding a paw out toward the ewe to signal her to stop.

Vanna sighed harshly, running her free paw down her face as she cursed quietly to herself.

"If you are going to tell your story..." Vanna muttered. "T-then I guess I should at least share mine." Vanna grimaced sharply.

Dawn stared at the tigress in silent confusion for a few moments before managing to find her words again. "V-Vanna, you don't have-"

"No, I do." Vanna sighed. "It would be wrong for everyone else to open up about this stuff, and I'm the only one who stays out of it." Vanna shook her head. "I-I just, I don't like to think about what I did. I'm very...I'm ashamed."

"Hey Sis, relax." Ada said coolly. The hyeness' tone was surprisingly sincere as she eyed the large feline in concern. "If its got ya dat twisted den-"

"No." Vanna sighed, shaking her head dismissively. "I can do it. I can."

With that, the tigress plopped down harshly on to her mattress, causing it to groan under the sudden harsh strain. Vanna placed a paw over her face, looking down at the floor as she began her story.

"Zach and I had been working together for a year before we officially became a couple." Vanna said calmly, her eyes remaining locked to the floor. "But working in the Police Department, and being his partner, well...I saw a lot of the ranch on my off hours."

Vanna slowly eased her way back onto the bed, until she laid flat against it. The big cat was now staring at the ceiling as she rested her head on the pink plaid printed pillow at the head of her bed.

"I was more or less a part of the family by Ma and Pa Hunter's standards. So when Zach and I announced we had become mates, well..." Vanna smirked. "They were overjoyed."

"Aww..." Qali cooed, her grin widening as she rested her head on her paws. The diminutive fox was now hanging off the edge of her bed in the direction of the tigress', watching her intently despite being partially upside-down.

"But that's really only important to note so you have some idea of how long we had been together before..." Vanna shook her head slowly as she let out a terse sigh. "Before the whole incident happened."

Dawn had now creeped up to the foot of her bed, lying prone much like Ada was. The ewe rested a hoof against her cheek as she listened intently. The tone of Vanna's voice clearly told Dawn just how hard the story was for her to share, the wavering and sighing indicative of her mortifying embarrassment. But this only did more to capture Dawn's interest. If the normally stoic and reserved Vanna was so overwhelming ashamed of when she had broken the house rule, especially after Malcolm and Qali had told their own rather lurid and shocking stories, then how much worse could her own tale stand to be? How could anything be worse that getting caught in the act by Mother Hunter?

"This was about a year after we had officially become mates." Vanna continued. "So about two years of knowing Ma and Pa pretty well by the time this happened."

Vanna squeezed the bridge of her muzzle with her fingers. "Long enough for them both to grow to trust me." Vanna allowed her arms to flop lifelessly to her sides. "And I went and soiled that trust."

Vanna's tone was heavy and somber, leaving her statement to bask in deathly silence as soon as it had left her muzzle. The quiet lingered for what seemed like minutes before the tigress suddenly shot up from her bed.

"It was my fault!" Vanna lamented. " It was all on me! I took Auddey's trust and faith in me, and I threw it away in favor of my gnawing, primal urges!" Vanna groaned.

"Hey, dial it back a notch sis'." Ada said with concern. "Look at everyone else here, dey all fell into da same ting. It's like Auddey says, 'takes two to tango.'"

"Yeah, don't be so hard on yerself there Vanna." Malcolm added.

Vanna simply fell back into the mattress again, placing a paw over her face.

"No, it really was my fault." Vanna sighed quietly. "There was no excuse for my behavior. I could have avoided it all so simply, but I chose to do something stupid."

Dawn had heard enough. Based on her experiences with Dr. Gnu, she could easily recognize the obvious signs of a mammal in need of someone to reassure her. This particular incident seemed to weigh heavy on the normally stoic cat's chest, and the ewe knew through experience that having someone close by to help coax her through retelling the story and easing her fears as she worked through each leg of it. Vanna needed someone to lean on now more than ever.

The ewe slid off her bed carefully before scurrying her way over to Vanna's bedside. With only some slight difficulty, Dawn managed to clamber her way up onto the side of the larger mattress frame. As Dawn settled her self in by the large felines side, only then did Vanna seem to notice her presence, raising an eyebrow curiously at the ewe now seated by her side. Dawn did her best to mimic the pose she often saw her therapist sit in, to convey an air of professionalism and concern through sheer body language before speaking.

"It's alright Vanna." Dawn said softly. "I'm sure it wasn't your fault, and even if it was..." Dawn glanced briefly around at the other girls and Malcolm before gesturing a hoof toward them "We're all sisters here. No one is judging you."

That seemed to have been enough to ease the troubled feline somewhat as she slowly laid her head against the pillow once more. With a deep and shuddering sigh, the tigress continued.

"It was around the time of the Harvest Festival." Vanna placed a paw over her face. "Ma Hunter had asked for Zach and my help to clear space in the barn for the corn cobs we'd be picking later that day."

Dawn nodded reassuringly, gesturing for the feline to continue her difficult tale.

"I-It..." Vanna stuttered slightly, taking a moment to clear her throat before continuing. "It had been unseasonably warm that year. A Saharan Summer, at least that was what most mammals call it."

Vanna slowly drew her paw down her face, placing it at her side as she let out another long and tired sigh.

"And well...that sort of....well..." Dawn could hear the tigress audibly gulp. "Kind of trigged an early heat for me..."

Dawn placed a hoof to her muzzle to hide her shock. Of all the motives she had assumed could be the root cause of Vanna and Zach's indiscretion, the last thing she had considered was that the tigress may have been at the mercy of the same forces of nature that she had been enduring just hours before. Vanna seemed far too strong, too composed to imagine her faltering under even the worst a remnant estrus had to offer. And yet here she was, more or less confirming that she has succumbed to the same vice as Dawn.

"Ma Hunter was out, she was picking up supplies." Vanna sighed. "And Pa was at the station." Vanna mumbled, wiping her paw across her eyes. "We were all alone."

Ada was now leaning in almost as far as Qali was, the large hyeness now practically hanging off her mattress.

"Yeah?" Ada's eyes were wide. "And den what?"

"I had been dealing with my estrus all day...and between the late summer heat, and the ache, and the gnawing desire...I just...." Vanna brought a paw up to her mouth, biting down softly on a finger as she struggled to get the words out. Dawn reached a hoof out, placing it on Vanna's shoulder comfortingly. The ewe offered a meek smile.

"You couldn't help yourself?" Dawn asked.

Vanna nodded. "I had an idea...a fool proof plan..."

Dawn had to stifle a giggle from slipping out. In that moment, Vanna had reminded her of Vernon, and his own 'fool proof plan' that had gone so awry. It appeared that the large and seemingly unflappable tigress' had more in common with her brother in-law than she knew.

"What was the plan?" Qali asked, eagerness lacing her tone.

Vanna let out a sorrowful grown, laying the back of her paw across her face.

"I-I was gonna take him in the barn..." Vanna grumbled. "Hold him down and have my way with him right there on the floor."

"Mhh..." Malcolm cooed. "Vanna, you wildcat you."

The tigress let out another groan, and Dawn could see a blush forming on her muzzle. The ewe continued to gingerly pat her shoulder.

"There, there Vanna." Dawn smiled softly. "It's okay."

"I even went so far to plan how to stifle that dumb mutt's howl, even though Ma and Pa were too far away to hear it." Vanna continued.

"How!? How!?" Qali chirped. By now the fox had completely left her mattress, and was now clambering her way on the other side of Vanna's bed. The petite fox now leaned over Vanna, her smile ear to ear as she excitedly awaited an answer.

Vanna let out another groan, covering her face with both paws.

"I...stuffed...mrmr...mrr..." Vanna's words trailed of inaudibly.

"I'm sorry, didn't catch dat." Ada grinned, placing her paw to her ear in the direction of the shrinking tigress.

Vanna replied again, even more quietly, but now there was an edge on her mumbling. As if she was trying to force the words out through pain.

"I'm sorry what?" Ada repeated.

"MY PANTIES!" The tigress snarled, causing the girls to jump in their respective pelts. "I STUFFED MY PANTIES IN HIS MOUTH TO SHUT HIM UP!"

With the tigress' loud and sudden admission, came shock, then horror as Vanna realized just how loud she had revealed her method of muzzling Zach. The tigress quickly covered her face with her paws again, her blush practically glowing despite her attempts at covering it up.

The room remained quiet for what seemed like an eternity, the awkward void created by Vanna's outburst leaving everyone in the room struck dumb. Even Ada, despite her wide smirk, seemed to be biting her tongue if she had any witty remarks bubbling below the surface.

Dawn had covered her face with her hooves. Though the ewe was blushing fiercely, she was more concerned about covering up the slight, shaky smile that was now creeping across her muzzle. Despite how woeful and agonizing the tigress' admission had sounded, the mental image of Zach being choked into silence by the big cat's unmentionables was patently hilarious. Dawn cleared her throat sharply in an effort to shake away the urge to giggle. It took a few hard coughs, but eventually the ewe was able to regain her composure.

"And I take it...?" The ewe trailed off, unable to bring herself to finish her question.

"He didn't even see it coming." Vanna mumbled. "He put down one of the corn buckets, turned around, and I just...I lunged at him."

"Did he fight?" Malcolm asked with a laugh.

Vanna let out a sigh. "Not for very long..." Vanna placed her paw over her face. "Especially when he figured out what was going on."

Qali broke into a giggle fit, giving the somber tigress a playful nudge as she rocked back and forth on the balls of her knees. The diminutive fox was clearly eating up the scandalous nature of Vanna's tawdry tryst. Vanna only mustered another lamenting groan at the arctic fox's gesture.

"Okay, okay..." Qali wheezed, trying to catch her breath as her giggling subsided. "I only have one question for you Kit Kat." The fox said with a wide smile.

Vanna grumbled a soft, inaudible series of words before finally ending in a long, and agonizingly drawn out "Whaaaaat? "

"Did it work?" Qali quirked an eyebrow curiously. "The panty thing?"

Vanna removed her paw, turning to face the eager fox. The tigress stared back at Qali in quiet disbelief, her mouth opening briefly only to close without uttering so much as a single word. Her response however, seemed to had failed to register with Qali, as the vixen was still staring back at Vanna expectantly.

"Well?" Qali added.

Vanna closed her eyes sharply, letting out an irritated huff as she turned back toward Dawn. The tigress' blush had only managed to grow a deeper crimson in response to the curious fox's question. Dawn watched as her grimace deepened, Vanna seemingly straining herself to force an answer out.

"Yes." Vanna said softly.

"Awesome!" Qali responded, rubbing her paws together excitedly. " I wonder if I can make that work with Trenny?" The vixen wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Please, your panties are so tiny he'd probably breade 'em in by accident." Ada said with a chuckle.

The fox seemed to deflate slightly, her ears sagging as a frown crawled across her muzzle. "Aw mam', you're probably right." Qali sighed, flopping down against the bed sheet with a dull 'thwump'. She remained face down, her muzzle buried into the mattress for a moment before slowly raising it back up and leaning it on her paws.

"Maybe I can use my shirt..." The fox quietly mused to herself as her tail lazily flipped from one side to the other.

"Just buy a gag, it's da easiest solution." Ada added with a smirk.

"I'm not walking into one of 'those' stores." Qali whined, raising her eyebrows slightly as she emphasized the word. "Especially back in Fox's Glen! Everyone would know about it!"

"Y'know there is such a thing as shoppin' online Darlin'" Malcolm added with a chuckle.

"I know bu-"

"So I take it Mother Hunter caught you around then?" Dawn cut the vixen off. The ewe knew this story was hard enough for Vanna to get through without it being drawn out by idle chat amongst the Hunter girls. She had made it this far, and Dawn was keen on hearing exactly what ultimately exposed Vanna's misdeed to Audrey. " She walked into the barn and found you like Malcolm and Qali?"

Vanna winced slightly at Dawn's words. The ewe tried to meet her gaze, but the tigress' eyes kept shifting away.

"Nooo...." Vanna mumbled softly.

Dawn quirked an eyebrow in confusion. If Audrey hadn't caught them in the act, and if the crude gag Vanna had come up with had kept Zach's howl from carrying across the farmlands, then how had the She-wolf caught them?

"Was it the smell?" Dawn asked, trying to put together the means which had proven to be the couples undoing. "You didn't shower afterwards and Audrey could smell the pheromones?"

The tigress continued to avert Dawn's gaze as the ewe tried to figure out the mystery. Vanna let out a quiet groan as she shifted away from Dawn. Now laying on her back, the tigress stared up at the ceiling.

"Nooo...." Vanna repeated, even more quietly than before.

Dawn scratched her chin, puzzled. She was out of guesses, and summarily perplexed. If she couldn't guess it, then it might take hours to finally extract the information from the tigress. And unlike Dr.Gnu, Dawn couldn't exactly schedule to pick up the session the following week.

"Oh dis is gonna be juicy." Ada cut the silence with her snarking tone. The hyeness was now leaning on a paw, grinning in the direction of the group now amassed on Vanna's bed. Ada wiggled her eyebrow playfully. "C'mon kitty, it'll make ya feel betta. Just let it out already!"

Vanna let out another groan, placing her paws over her face and letting out a mournful snarl before allowing them to fall to her sides. The large feline took a long, deep breath before letting out a long sigh.

"I...." Vanna said quietly. "I told her."

Dawn blinked in surprise, tilting her head slightly as she tried to parse what the tigress had told her.

"W-what?' Dawn uttered.

"I told Audrey." Vanna whined.

"You told her?" Qali asked.

Vanna suddenly sat up, her sudden movement nearly knocking Dawn and Qali off the bed in the process. The large feline let out a sharp hiss as she placed her paws on top of her head. "YES, I TOLD HER!" Vanna snarled. "I TOLD HER AS SOON AS SHE GOT HOME! I COULDN'T HELP MYSELF!"

The tigress turned to Dawn, nearly scaring the ewe out of her wool at the sudden rapid movement. Vanna looked at her with mournful and pleading eyes, her lip quivering slightly as if she were about to start sobbing.

"I went in with my best poker face, doing my best to look as innocent as possible while I helped her unpack groceries." Vanna mumbled. "I was so sure Mother Hunter would see right through me, right through my attempts at deception. But instead, she seemed completely oblivious."

"So whats da problem?" Ada asked. "It was woikin' wasn't it?"

Vanna let out a sorrowful sigh. "She was her usual happy self, and that's what made it worse." Vanna visibly cringed as she continued her tale. "Every smile, every time she called me 'Darlin', it felt like my insides were being torn to shreds with guilt."

"It just got worse and worse until I couldn't take it anymore, I just completely fell apart." Vanna whimpered. "I couldn't bear to look Auddey in the eyes knowing that I was lying to her!" The tigress put her head in her paw. "And when she noticed and asked me what was wrong I just...I just..."

"You couldn't lie." Dawn asked.

"I broke down, falling to my knees and telling her everything!" Vanna slapped a paw over her face, only to slowly drag it down her face as she let out an agonizing groan. "I wrapped my arms around her waist and begged forgiveness!" Vanna began to raise her voice, the tigress becoming increasingly upset. "I was so ashamed of myself!"

Dawn was flabbergasted, only able to watch the tigress in deafened shock as she continued.

"She said 'it takes two to tango' but I know the truth! It was my fault!" Vanna lamented.

"Aw, lighten up pussy cat. Zach coulda-"

"The trailer was only three miles away! We could have easily went home!" Vanna groaned. "But no! I had to have him right there!" The tigress dragged her paw down her face, turning her head to the ceiling as she let out a shuddering sigh.

"I'm a trained officer, and I let my baser urges get the better of me. I caved to my own lurid desires and broken the trust Ma Hunter had put in me." Vanna shook her head. "I never felt so weak and foolish." Vanna's looked down at her paws, her head slumping in defeat.

"Tch, dial it back Kit Kat, don't be so ova dramatic." Ada shook her head. "It's just a rut."

The tigress let out a weary sigh, placing a paw over her eyes once more.

"At the very least Audrey was willing to forgive me for being honest." Vanna sighed. "She still called me Vanna despite how I had clearly broken her trust."

"Aw, no fair!" Qali whined, a pout forming on her muzzle. "What do we have to do to get that kind of treatment?"

"Zach was less fortunate..." Vanna continued, ignoring Qali's objection. "He was forced to finish the barn work on his own."

Vanna let out a weak and shuddering sigh. "But despite what Audrey said, I still felt so badly." Vanna muttered. "That regardless of what she said to try to ease my fears, I still feel like I had damaged the trust between us."

Dawn was shocked to say the least. Through the retelling of her story, Vanna had been the most emotive the ewe had ever seen her. It was amazing how much guilt the felines affair had left weighing on her heart. But considering how kind and accepting Audrey was, it wasn't hard to see why the tigress felt so bad. Dawn had only really known the she-wolf for two whole days, and she had felt sick with guilt over breaking the house rule. But Vanna had gone at least two years of unspoken trust before breaking down and defying Mother Hunter's wishes. Two years of growing close and getting to know each other, getting used to seeing Audrey as her Mother. Despite how preposterous it may have sounded to the other girls, Dawn could see herself just as easily following Vanna's footsteps had she been in her sole-pads.

"I let the heat get the better of me." Vanna sighed. "I should have been stronger."

Dawn placed a hoof on the large felines knee, causing Vanna to look up at the ewe. Dawn offered a warm smile in response.

"You aren't alone Vanna." The lamb sighed. "I let the heat get the better of me too."

"I knew I smelled sumtin' funny on da ride out to da fair!" Ada chimed in, flashing Dawn a smug grin.

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Well I think your mate made it more than obvious at breakfast this morning, didn't he?"

Ada grimaced slightly, running a paw through her mane of hair. "Y-yeah, sorry about dat Fluff." Ada muttered. "He really shouldn'ta putcha on blast like dat."

Dawn shook her head dismissively. "It's fine, it's all over with anyhow." With that, the ewe turned her attention back to the sullen tigress.

"I should have been stronger too. I should have resisted the urge to rut." Dawn said sadly. "But it was so agonizing, and then...well...Vernon just wanted to help."

"Wait! Wait!" Qali piped up. "Start from the beginning! How'd you get from the picnic to the rutting!?" The fox had now crawled over Vanna's leg, leaning her chest on it as she eyed Dawn expectantly.

Dawn rolled her eyes at the chipper fox, the ewe let out a bemused sigh as she placed her hooves in her lap.

"Well..." Dawn muttered, shaking off the last of her nervous jitters as best as she could before continuing. "First off, I had been dealing with my remnant-estrus all day."

Dawn began to wring her hooves as she recounted the lurid anguish she had spent the day enduring. "Between the hot flashes, the chills...." Dawn bit her lip. "And the burning, unrelenting, gnawing..." Dawn shook her head sharply to keep focused. "sufficed to say on top of everything else that had been going on today I felt absolutely miserable."

"I can imagine." Ada muttered. "One time I had a twelve hower shift at da hospital durin' my heat last year." The hyeness ran a paw through her hair. "I swear I felt so bad I wanted to crawl into one a dem morgue shelves with da rest of da dead guys." Ada said with a chuckle.

"So naturally, on the picnic I was still more or less suffering." Dawn sighed. " I was sweating bullets under my wool, squirming in my seat as I tried to keep from focusing too much on Vernon's....well...body..."

Dawn shook her head softly. "But Vernon already knew what I was going through, and he was worried about me." Dawn rolled her eyes. "And so, he suggested trying something out..."

"Heh Heh." Ada chuckled. "Just like Kit Kat huh?"

Vanna let out another lamenting grumble.

"Well if that was the case we wouldn't have heard Vernon's howl now would we?" Malcolm added.

"The whole point of Vernon's plan was that he'd never...I mean..." Dawn held her hooves out. "He was going to help me out. Just me."

"Ahh..." Malcolm, Ada and Qali said in unison.

"Of course I know now that even if that plan had worked out, it still would have qualified as breaking the house rule if your stories are anything to go by." Dawn gestured to Malcolm and Qali, both of whom nodded in response.

"But Vernon was so worried, he just wanted me to be able to enjoy the rest of the trip." Dawn sighed. "And I wasn't in a strong position to say no to the idea. My estrus was eating away at my brain." Dawn raised a hoof simply to let it flop at her side. " I couldn't think straight, I just wanted an out!"

With that, Dawn looked back up at Vanna, flashing her a sympathetic glance.

"And when it came down to it, I pushed Vernon to....well...finish the job." Dawn said sadly. "Just like you did with Zach."

"I take it he got ya too close, but couldn't work ya over without gettin' in dere huh?" Ada grinned knowingly.

Dawn blushed, covering her muzzle with her hooves. But despite the embarrassment, she found herself smirking slightly. Slowly the ewe managed to nod her head affirming.

"I...I was supposed to hold his muzzle shut..." Dawn mumbled. "But as you can probably tell..."

"That didn't work out so well." Qali said with a giggle.

Dawn sighed. "I just felt so awful afterwards." Dawn shook her head. "I mean everyone heard us. Audrey had heard us. And it was my fault Vernon had howled." Dawn placed her hooves back in her lap.

"When Audrey called me Miss Bellwether, that hurt the most." The ewe lamented. "It felt like a knife had cut me. The feeling that I had ruined the trust I had worked so hard to build over such a foolish thing."

Dawn looked up to Vanna, her eyes shimmering slightly as tears started to well behind her lenses.

"Audrey thought I was stronger than that. And I felt like I should have been." Dawn smiled softly. "Just like you did."

For the first time since Vanna had poured her soul out to the ewe about her time in the barn, a smile began to form on the large cats face. It was a small, furtive smile, but it was clear the ewe had managed to help ease some of her pain.

"And then of course there's Vernon, who's been doing nothing but trying to make sure I have a good time." Dawn sighed, turning her attention back to the group at large. "My faltering just made more trouble for him." The ewe shook her head. "The gods knows he's got enough of that already with Dorian..." Dawn paused, her memories drifting back to thoughts of the study, the stench of brandy and the cruelty of the wolf's words. Dawn shuddered briefly, trying to shoo the painful memory back into hiding.

"And Yuri." Qali added.

"Hey, he ain't dat bad." Ada interjected. That managed to earned a dull stare from the other girls, all aside from Dawn who simply gave the hyeness a curious glare. After a moment, Ada let out a derisive snort.

"Well, not all da time!" She huffed, crossing her arms defensively.

"Still, I don't want to put anything else on Vernon." Dawn continued, bringing the groups attention back to her. "My Puppy Love had more than enough already."

Qali let out a soft, amorous sigh as she smiled widely at Dawn. "You two are so cute together." Qali cooed. "'Puppy Love', 'Honey Lamb'" The fox playfully exaggerated the pet names.

"Yeah, ya'll two see almost as tight as me and Xavey." Malcolm said with a chuckle.

Dawn smiled warmly as she thought of Vernon. Her poor little Puppy Love who was doing everything in his power to try to give her the ultimate North Meadowlands experience. Fighting a battle against his Father that the wolf couldn't know was bound to lose no matter what he did. All for her sake, all to make her feel like a part of the family. To show her that she belonged, that they fit together.

"He's my soulmate." Dawn sighed warmly. "I love him."

Qali let out another adoring sigh.

"When did you know?" She asked.

"Hmm?" Dawn replied.

"When did you know you loved him?" The diminutive fox added. "That he was the one?"

Dawn smiled warmly at the unusually focused fox. Qali was now leaning on her paws as she stared back at the ewe in childlike wonder. Unlike getting the story of what had happened in the cornfield of her chest, this was one story Dawn knew how to tell.

#Zootopia #dawn bellwether #Assistant Mayor Bellwether #fanfiction #furry #fan character #wasted time

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genkigratification · 8 years ago

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Out of all the people in their niche little group, Inari was the easiest to get annoyed at. He was so stupid! He didn’t get things, or he made such-- such aggravating remarks! Futaba seriously didn’t get how Akira could just sit there and talk to the stupid fox-face, have an actual conversation with him and enjoy it.

“It’s easy,” he’d said when she asked in so many words, the clacking of dishes their only company. “Yusuke’s not so bad, Futaba, just strange sometimes.” He grins a little, using the back of his hand to brush his bangs that really need a good cutting out of his eyes as he looks over at her. “Some people could say the same about you.”

“Yeah, well, he’s way more weird than I am. Who goes out in heavy rain just for art? He’s lucky he’s so stupid.”

Akira’s laugh is sputtering and he dries his hands, leaning on the counter in front of her. “Not stupid enough. Do you want to come with me over to the dorms? I’m bringing some of Boss’s curry.”

Futaba’s about to make some remark about why would she want to go see Inari, but she snaps her mouth shut and grins, nodding. He’d be a totally pitiful sight! She could definitely get one over on him!

She’s in charge of holding the precious cargo on their way to Kosei’s dorms, Akira standing in front of her seat to keep her from harm, and she keeps an eye on the people around them, eavesdropping in. There’s talks here and there about the Phantom Thieves, but it’s not anything interesting; a sale on clothes, a group of kids chattering about some King guy she thinks might be the same one their leader learned some moves to stop that cheater guy with, what movies were playing... Atlantic Cusp sounded interesting, anyway, but who wouldn’t be excited by robots versus aliens?!

When they arrive, when they find out his room number and are given access to it as friends, Futaba notes a few things: all artists are strange. She’s pretty sure not all of them are actually artists, because one of the girls Akira’d mentioned before is a shogi player, but she doesn’t care enough to look into it. Another thing is that Inari’s room is a mess with different supplies cast about in some artistic rage, maybe, but she steps through them as easily as she had her own room before it’d gotten cleaned up by the spirits or whatever. The final thing is that somehow, Inari is even paler than usual, and she pokes his cheek experimentally until his hand weakly slaps hers away and one eye slides open, looking surprised to see her until Akira comes into view too.

“Ah, so that’s how you came.”

“I can go places on my own too!” Wait. “And I didn’t ask to come along, Akira invited me. I wanted to see how sick you were.”

She’s sure it’s clear from her tone that there’s no worry involved, that she’d come to have teasing material and stuff, but Inari’s response is simply a word of gratitude for thinking about him, as unusual as that was for her, and Futaba crouches at the end of his bed, irritated.

He and Akira talk about this and that. Inari gets scolded for not taking care of himself, but in the next moment the question of inspiration comes up and along with it the answer of a telling hum. All for nothing, huh. Sickness suited him. The curry’s received well (Inari always liked free food, and Sojiro’s was the best around) and Akira glances at her for a moment before excusing himself to the bathroom, his apology either ignored in favor of food or accepted in spite of Inari’s chowing down.

“And then there were two,” she mutters under her breath, turning her position to face Inari and hug her legs. Being without Akira was... still kind of frightening, honestly, it tenses her muscles despite her heart wanting to be brave, but it’s more fine with the rest of the team than with a buncha strangers.

Still hard to make conversation though.

... Something tells her that Akira’s gonna take the scenic route, too, and Futaba scrolls through her phone, thumb lightning fast as she types replies on forums and checks in with the group chat. Nothing. Boooring.

“Outstanding as always,” Inari’s voice breaks the silence and he sets the container of curry aside, now empty of its contents. There looks to be some more color to his cheeks now, even if his eyes have the tell-tale signs of being out of it, and Futaba’s heart swells with pride at Sojiro’s cooking.

“Of course! There’s nothing that curry can’t fix. Thooough one bowl probably isn’t gonna do it, so you’d better be prepared for Akira to mother hen you all better.”

Inari’s eyes close and he hums happily, hands clasping habitually as they rest on his lap. “I don’t believe I would mind that. Sen... Madarame,” he corrects his stumble, “left that sort of behavior in the past. I’m rather used to taking care of myself.”

“Wow, that’s a surprise, Mr. Sick.”

“I was just unlucky today.”

“Guess the gods aren’t always on your side, Inari, too bad.”

Though apparently Inari brought rain wherever he went anyway, like a true fox spirit. Silence settles on them and the gentle patter of rain begins on the window, only proving the previous sentiment right.

“You didn’t bring umbrellas with you, did you?” He asks, already knowing the answer from the lack of any around. “It’d be bad if you two got sick,” Akira moreso, probably, “so please, stay until the rain’s finished.”

“Not my call! But sure, I don’t really feel like getting drenched on the way back anyway.”

And before the quiet gets too settled this time, Futaba spots a magazine on a miraculously free part of his table and crosses the room to snatch it, picking through it and catching sight of a familiar name.

“You’re in here!”

“Yes, for my piece that won an exhibit recently.” Inari’s too pleased, but Futaba nods and studies the piece that sat near the article with it. The dark reds and blacks reminded her a lot of Mementos, but the white that stretched like octopus tentacles from the center out...

She won’t ever claim to understand art or even try, it’s totally beyond her, but Inari’s piece rings with something in her and she clutches the magazine in one hand as she travels to crouch at his side instead. He moves a bit to accompany her and takes the magazine when she offers it.

“What’s with the big splotch in the middle?”

“That is the other part of humanity’s desires -- while the background shows the twisted desires mankind has in their hearts, the white shows the bright part of it. The shining light that casts away doubt and draws people to it.” There’s a pause, Inari’s eyes flicking to the door and then back to the page. “Our leader resembles it, wouldn’t you agree?”

Akira, a shining light that casts away doubt and draws people to a bright future. That looks into the depths of mankind’s desires and dares to reach into the distortions to find something worth saving. Futaba chews on her nail out of habit (and one that Inari clearly doesn’t approve of, from the look on his face) and she can see it, yeah. Even if that guy’s name didn’t mean what it did... Akira’s just that kind of person.

“Soooo you used him for inspiration? And the background’s Mementos.”

“Right on both accounts.” Inari smiles lightly. “It would seem you’re not as uncultured as I thought.”

She growls softly in her throat and snatches a piece of his stupid hair to tug sharply. “Shut your yipping down, Inari!”

Neither of them notice the door opening, neither of them hear Akira slip in, and they’re debating culture in terms of artistic and internet value (Futaba’s definitely got a leg up in this, since memes are an artform and Inari can’t dispute this after she shows him some on her phone) when he finally speaks up, smile wide. “Easy, isn’t it?”

“What’s easy?” Inari asks, but Futaba knows what he means and gives a shrug, climbing off the bed and holding onto the magazine tightly.

“He’s feeling better, the rain’s let up, so let’s go home, Akira! And stop by Akibahara on the way, there’s a new game I reaaally want to buy that’ll recover my HP by like, a whole bar.”

“Sure.” Akira pats her head idly and she jerks away, heart thumping loudly as it had the first time she’d asked him, before he goes back to Inari’s side and presses the back of his hand to his forehead thoughtfully. “... I’ll be by tomorrow to see how you are too. Do you need anything?”

“You needn’t bother, Akira, I will be fine on my own from here on.” Futaba almost calls him out on his words before, how he wouldn’t have minded being mother henned, but something keeps her quiet. “If I worsen any, I will let you and the others know, but I believe that I’m well on my way to recovery.”

“If you’re sure.” Chances are, Akira’ll come anyway, just saying he was in the neighborhood or something. Futaba thinks she might tag along again. “Take it easy. We’re not going into Mementos until you’re better, but don’t rush your recovery.”

“Understood. Please be safe on the way home, you two.” Inari pauses, then glances at Futaba. She stares back, trying to decide if she should straighten or hunch more at the intensity despite his illness. “Futaba, I’d like it if you could see the piece itself. A photograph doesn’t capture the true meaning behind it.”

“I’ll consider your offer, Inari, but only if you bring something tasty as tribute.”

Akira covers his laugh with a cough, gesturing to the door. “We should be going. Take care, Yusuke.”

“Bye-bye, foxy!”

He nods to them both and lays back down, face cast towards the window. Futaba steps backwards and turns on her heel, following Akira out into the hallway.

... Go see his piece for real, huh. Couldn’t be that different than a picture.

#persona 5 #akira kurusu #futaba sakura #yusuke kitagawa #yuufu #fuyuu #kitashu #shukita #shufu #fushu

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ylla · 8 years ago

Text

This Must Be The Place

Series: JJBA Characters: Nijimura Okuyasu, Higashikata Josuke Pairing: Higashikata Josuke/Nijimura Okuyasu Tags: Modern AU, mental health issues, implied/referenced domestic violence, underage smoking/drinking Rating: M AO3 link

i got the jjba fever, and these boys have killed me. i used my own experiences as someone with PTSD/DV survivor, so hopefully this comes across as coherent and a decent charaterization. there’s a specific au that this fic comes from, but it’s a roleplay thing with my two BFFs, and would take too long to explain what we did soooo, i kept those references to a minimum. i will eventually write for this pairing again, PLEASE ENJOY THIS TRIP TO HELL (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

If anything could be said about Okuyasu Nijimura, aside from his unwavering dedication to being a punk (smoking, loud swearing in public, spitting on the sidewalk, driving his motorcycle at unheard of speeds in residential areas, cutting class, the list goes on), it would be that underneath that scowling veneer, there was an entirely too soft heart residing in the core of him. He cared too much about: animals, sometimes sad looking objects that looked like no one cared about when he was feeling real emotional, and people. Especially one person in particular. Who was named Josuke ‘Gets Owned at Smash Brothers Constantly like a Fuckin’ Nerd’ Higashikata.

Yeah, Okuyasu loved a lot of other people. His dad, his brother, Ms. Higashikata who treated him like he was her own, Koichi, Tonio, a bunch of others who had shown him compassion and love at some point since he came to Morioh, and even Stray Cat (how much someone can love a sentient cat plant is debatable, but Oku wasn’t one to think too hard about that kind of thing). But, it was clear that his feelings for Josuke were, well…something a little more. Which of course, Okuyasu was aware that he had caught the dreaded Feelings; he oscillated between flat denials to everyone who raised eyebrows at his gushing over Josuke to actively sweating over how to confess that he was truly, madly, deeply in love with his best friend.

The first time Josuke and Okuyasu met wasn’t exactly romantic. Rather, it was lucky that both of them came out the situation alive, let alone Best Fuckin’ Bros. When he was laying there, staring up at the sky as Josuke healed him, anger disappearing alongside his wounds, he was struck by just how pretty Josuke was. Not only did he owe him one, but Okuyasu found it hard to punch a guy who did made his stomach do weird things when he looked him directly in the face. His handsome face. With pouty lips and the prettiest blue eyes he’d ever seen, and—holy shit, Josuke had an ass on him. A booty that could kill a man, given what it was doing to Okuyasu.

Besides the fattest ass he had ever seen and lips that would look good wrapped around anything, Okuyasu was amazed by how good-hearted Josuke was. Risking himself for Koichi, trying to help the elder Nijimura, saving Okuyasu’s life despite having been punched in the face repeatedly and almost killed by him. Comforting him after his brother was murdered. Accepting him as a friend the very next day. It was kindness without condition. It was more than Okuyasu had ever experienced, and he felt that he didn’t deserve it.

If you asked Okuyasu later, after everything had settled, when he knew that he was enamored with Josuke ‘Saves a Man’s Life Minutes after Hitting Him in the Goods with a Flower Pot’ Higashikata, his response would have been a simple statement:

“There’s no reason he has to die.”

Ain’t that a kick in the dick?

Masculinity is a funny thing, really. Men do a lot of odd shit in order to preserve their ‘manhood’, a vague concept in the best of times. In their quest in being ‘the manliest man’, dudes repress emotions, burying them and deflecting them with humor or just surly nature. Okuyasu wasn’t like a lot of dudes. He knew this. Keicho had made it a point to drive home this fact every chance he got. Okuyasu wore his heart on his sleeve. He cried frequently. He was unflinchingly honest with how he felt and saw himself in the grand scheme of things or compared to his friends. It was refreshing in the best of times, heartbreaking at the worst.

Okuyasu was convinced he wasn’t worth a damn thing; dumb, worthless, incompetent, waste of space. It was like a mantra that had been pounded into his head since he could remember. Stupid stupid stupid. He was pretty secure in his convictions. Not worthy of anyone’s time or effort. Nothing redeeming about him. This was a something he had long since accepted.

But, meeting Josuke changed everything. Finally, there was a person in his life who built him up, rather than do their damnedest hurt him.

“You’re great, Okuyasu!”

“Dude, that’s fucking GENIUS.”

“You’re the funniest person I’ve ever met, no joke.”

His heart swelled so much when he heard Josuke pay him compliments, he was pretty sure it was gonna burst out of his chest. Okuyasu was fairly certain that Josuke didn’t really pay his own remarks any mind, but they meant so much to him. Deep down in his heart of hearts, Okuyasu Nijimura wanted nothing more than to be what Josuke saw.

If he was asked what the nicest thing anyone had ever said to him, Okuyasu would know that it would be a sleepy whisper he heard while sharing a bed with his best bro:

“I’m really glad I met you.”

Though feelings weren’t hard for Okuyasu to talk about, getting into a conversation about how he really felt about his Best Fuckin’ Bro or his psychological and physical scars wasn’t something he wanted to do, ever. He got the feeling that Josuke felt the same about his own shit, so they never really talked about their deep seated issues at length. Anything else was fair game; both boys enjoyed their late night deep conversations about anything, everything, and nothing all at once. It just never strayed into murky territory.

Then Kira blew that all to hell.

In all honesty, Okuyasu doesn’t remember much of that fight. There’s a big black space, punctuated with a sad dream about Keicho and decision-making, between meeting Kira in the street and finding Josuke collapsed in a puddle of his own blood, with wooden spikes pointing out of his body, making him look like the world’s saddest marionette. The rest is a blur, but he remembers clutching Josuke, trying to get his writhing, pompadoured friend to stay still until paramedics could get to him.

“You’re alive” Josuke croaked.

“Yeah buddy, I’m good, I’m golden.” Okuyasu was sitting on his knees with his arms around Josuke’s chest, holding him tightly without trying to hurt him further, “You need to stop moving, you’ve lost a lot of blood.”

Josuke was trying to turn around, “I’m aces, let me touch you. You’re alive. You’re alive, thank god. Thank god” he kept whispering, shaking so hard his teeth was chattering. Okuyasu wasn’t sure why Josuke was shaking like that, or why he was so clammy, so he just kept ahold of him, brushing his thumbs against the uninjured parts of his friend’s face, a desperate attempt at comfort.

Later, after Josuke had been loaded into the ambulance and Jotaro ushered him into a car to follow, that he learned Josuke was going into shock. Okuyasu knew that that much blood loss and shock had a very good chance of being fatal. A numb feeling crept into him, the gravity of the situation not truly hitting him until he sat in the ICU lounge at the hospital. He felt like he should cry; instead he just trembled.

It wasn’t until Tomoko arrived, bearing fresh clothes not only for her son, but for Okuyasu as well, did the dam finally break. Horrible, ugly sobs broke out of him; Tomoko shushed him while wiping away his tears, “The nurses are okay with letting you use a shower. Go get cleaned up and changed. I’ll send someone to get you if you’re not back before he’s able to have visitors.” With a nod, he managed to swallow back his tears. Tomoko sighed, her brows knitted together. Clearly, she was concerned with the wellbeing of both her son and the boy in front of her. It shouldn’t have surprised him when he was pulled into her patent Mom-is-Here-to-Make-It-Better Hug, but the kindness made Okuyasu’s sobs break out with renewed vigor. She just held him; rubbing his back and whispering reassuring things. Besides looks, it was easy to see that Josuke inherited a lot more from his mother.

Okuyasu managed to get himself back under control before letting go, hightailing it to the bathroom before he could make a fool of himself any further. Panic attacks where something he was already used to experiencing, but it never made it any easier. “Everything will be okay,” he mumbled over and over to himself, rocking back and forth under the blistering hot water.

Even after his near-hour long shower, he emerged fairly calmer. Actually he wasn’t, but he was able to fool himself into thinking he was. Josuke was in recovery, no one was allowed to see him aside from Tomoko, per Jotaro. All he could say was okay before aimlessly pacing around the room. The lounge was empty, save for Okuyasu and Jotaro keeping watch. “Okuyasu,” Jotaro finally said after what felt like century of silence, “Sit down.” The teenager had been staring into the corridor leading down to the surgery wing; he looked over at Jotaro, who hadn’t even bothered to stop reading his book.

Okuyasu nodded, “Yeah, okay.” He forced himself to sit on a couch, leaning back to get somewhat comfortable. He was asleep within a matter of minutes.

A gentle hand shook him awake, “Oku, honey.” Terrified, he gasped sharply, The Hand materializing beside him to fuck up— it was Tomoko. “Didn’t mean to startle you. Josuke’s awake and begging for you.” He spared a glance over her shoulder at Jotaro, who was hovering in the background, wearing a look on his face that Okuyasu didn’t like. A look that asked the question, “What the fuck?” He wasn’t in the mood to answer.

Getting his bearings, he dismissed The Hand, “S’fine. I’m up.”

It was a small miracle that Josuke got himself a private room. As they walked, Tomoko warned Okuyasu, “His injuries weren’t as bad as they feared, so he’ll get to go home in a few days, baring no infection. He’s loopy from the medication, and thinks—“ she bit her lip and Okuyasu instinctively knew how she was about to finish that statement, “He thinks you were injured? Something about a hole in your chest? He’s…he’s very upset. I just wanted you to be prepared.”

She looked so worried and afraid. He’d never seen her that vulnerable looking; it broke Okuyasu’s fragile heart into a million little pieces. “I figured. I think what happened made me hit my head, go unconscious. He was pretty fu—I mean messed up when I came to. Kept muttering about how I was alive.” Jotaro had told Okuyasu on the way there that they were to refer to this incident as a gas leak, and nothing more. He resented the fact that Jotaro felt the need to tell him because no shit sherlock, but then he remembered he was a fucking idiot with a big mouth anyways, so it was probably for the best. They made it to the door of Josuke’s room. Oku felt compelled to comfort her. “Don’t worry ‘bout him Ms. H, he’s gonna be okay. He’s tough as sh—an old boot?”

Tomoko gave him a teary smile and patted his face affectionately. Okuyasu wanted to do nothing more than to time travel and punch Joseph Joestar right in the fucking face for hurting such a sweet woman. We can’t win them all.

The lights in Josuke’s room were dimmed, in the hopes it would get him to sleep. It didn’t work, because Josuke was sitting straight up, eyes wide and completely zoned out. His only movements were him chewing on his bottom lip. His hair was a complete, utter disaster. The entire scene was unsettling. For a split second, Tomoko looked like how Okuyasu felt, until Mom Mode kicked in. “Honey, I’m back,” she placed a hand on Josuke’s shoulder, “I brought Okuyasu with me.” Josuke flinched, brought back to reality. He focused on Tomoko for a few seconds before his eyes slid over to Okuyasu. They stared at each other for a few seconds, before Josuke started struggling to get out of bed.

“Don’t—Damnit Josuke, don’t get up,” Okuyasu strode over to him, “you’ll bust your stitches.” Carefully stepping over all the bullshit wires attached to Josuke, Oku sat on the edge of his hospital bed. The roles were reversed for once; Josuke clung to him, sobbing wildly, while a slightly uncomfortable Okuyasu rubbed his back and did his best to comfort him.

“I thought you were dead.” He was slightly slurring.

“I’m fine Josuke, don’t cry. It’s okay. I’m okay. Everyone is okay.”

Reassurances meant jack shit when Josuke was clearly convinced that he had died, but it was all Oku had.

After a few more minutes of trying to calm Josuke down, the doctor walked in, his timing terrible. Tomoko got up and ushered him out of the room, knowing how her son felt about people seeing him cry. It was just the two bros left alone. At that point, Josuke managed to get his crying under control. He leaned back, putting his hand on the right side of Okuyasu’s chest, looking directly into his eyes, “You had a hole. Right here. From Kira’s explosion. I fixed it, but—“ his voice broke, “You were deadweight. You weren’t breathing. You had to be dead. There’s nothing else you could’ve been. I pretended it wasn’t true, but it was.”

The look on his best friend’s face was the most heartbreaking thing he had ever seen. Tentatively, Okuyasu wiped away Josuke’s tears, “You saved me, dude. Fixed me up, and I’m as good as new…so don’t cry okay? I’m okay.” Josuke closed his eyes and pressed his face into Oku’s touch. Thank god Tomoko was out of the room, or she would have seen Okuyasu blush so hard, he looked like he was seconds away from having a stroke.

Tell him! His inner voice screeched. Tell him you’re in love with him!!! Tell him now!!! Stop being a baby-backed bitch!!!

No, don’t! Another part of his conscience warned, Josuke’s emotionally vulnerable right now. He would feel obligated to return your feelings. Don’t put him through that. He’s suffered enough.

“Come on, lay back down. You’re gonna regret moving around this much when the morphine wears off.”

“Only if you promise you’re gonna stay right here with me.”

“M’not going anywhere, I promise.” Okuyasu had no idea if he was allowed to stay or not, but he would do his damnedest to keep his word.

Mercifully, Josuke calmed down enough to let his head hit the pillow with a groan. Then he remembered his hair existed. His hands flew up to the greasy, rat’s nest that his pomp had become. “Oh godDAMNIT” Josuke looked like he was about to cry again.

Panicking a little bit, Okuyasu stroked his face, “Hey, hey, it’s okay. Do you want me to French braid it?”

Josuke was distracted from his despair, “You know how to French braid?”

The next few hours were dedicated to fixing Josuke’s fucked up hair. The actual braiding normally doesn’t take that long, but Okuyasu was continuously interrupted from his task by what felt like literally the entire hospital. It was his own damn fault, insisting that it would be easier to do two braids since Josuke had so much hair, not admitting that it would take longer and therefore, give him more time to play with his bro’s hair. Had to find a comb and hair ties (thank God Tomoko had the sense to pack both in an overnight bag), then spent a while gently brushing out all of the product Josuke liked to use. Doctors and nurses were in and out. Koichi, accompanied by a scowling Rohan, stopped in briefly to check on the hero of the day; they left shortly afterwards, with Koichi giving Okuyasu a promise that he would check on his dad for him. Josuke had to eat and use the bathroom. Jotaro also popped in, but he mostly stayed outside in the hallway, reading. A nurse tried to get him to go back to the lounge, but Jotaro’s menacing aura and cold-as-death stare deterred the young man from continuing his train of thought. The marine biologist wasn’t bothered after that.

It was clear to Okuyasu that Tomoko knew Josuke better than anyone, seemingly able to anticipate his needs before anyone else, including Josuke himself. In all honesty, didn’t take a genius to see that her son was mostly calm only when Oku was in touching distance. So when the evening was winding down, and visiting hours were over, Tomoko shouted down the nurses who tried to get Okuyasu to leave. It was unknown to the teenager if she got her way using ironclad determination or if Jotaro’s menacing over her shoulder helped. Probably a little from column A and column B.

Okuyasu had started four hours ago, and was just now beginning on Josuke’s second braid. Tomoko had left the room to make some phone calls; presumably to work, Koichi’s mother, other relatives that Okuyasu had never met, and very possibly the Speedwagon Foundation (Jotaro had given her the number, simply stating “They’ll take care of everything” before throwing a hand up in goodbye and leaving). Josuke had managed, with a medium amount of effort, to sit with his back facing the edge of his bed. Okuyasu stood behind him, taking his time weaving Josuke’s hair. A comfortable silence had fallen on them until Josuke broke it, “Can I ask you something?”

This was typically how their deep conversations started. Okuyasu was already uneasy, “Go ahead.”

“When did you learn how to French braid?” At least Josuke was no longer slurring.

It was expected that the question would come up. Didn’t make him feel any better about the direction this conversation was heading. Okuyasu answered, “Keicho taught me.”

Josuke made the same noise in his throat that he always did when Keicho was brought up. Okuyasu grimaced. He was very aware of Josuke’s feelings regarding his big brother. A minute or two passed before Josuke spoke again, “Why did he teach you? Like, how the hell did he know?”

He was already in this deep, might as well share the story. “When mom was in the hospital, she taught ‘em how to do it. Keicho told me that she said it made her feel like an actual person again.” He paused for a minute, taking a slow, measured breath. “Big bro grew his hair out after she died. Taught me how to braid like that. I mostly did it when we were kids, but he’d ask me once in a blue moon when we got older.” Okuyasu paused again because his hands started shaking. He waited until it passed before he continued with his work.

Silence fell on them again for a bit. “When was the last time you did it?” Josuke asked.

Oku shifted from foot to foot, “…Dunno, maybe like, eight months ago? Nine months? Before we moved to Morioh. We had our stands for at least a year before…” At this point, Okuyasu was just talking, “Keicho had been out all day and it was late that night when he got back.”

“What was he doing?”

“Stand user hunting I guess? He’d get really pissed off if I ever questioned it.” Okuyasu shrugged. “A lot of times he’d just come home in some shitty mood and yell me or dad for whatever reason, but that night he was just. Tired. He showered, then kinda hovered in the doorway to my room until he asked me to braid his hair like I used to. So I did.” Okuyasu sighed, feeling weary down to the bone himself, “We didn’t talk when I did it, but after I finished, he said that he was going to bed and that he loved me…Probably last time I ever heard ‘em say that…”

Josuke wasn’t saying anything. The silence stretched on for minutes, and Oku started babbling, “I—I know he did a lot of awful shit, and I ain’t defending it—“ Before he could say anything else, the braid was finally finished; Okuyasu tied it off, grateful that he could move on from the subject. “I—I finally finished your hair. Now let’s get you laid back down, I’ve kept ya sitting up long enough.” He put a hand on Josuke’s back and the other on his shoulder to help him turn—

“Oku.”

“Y-yeah?”

Josuke was still facing forward, his voice soft, “You can braid my hair anytime you want to,” taking his non-IV’d hand and squeezed one resting on his shoulder.

Even as he flew high on morphine, riddled with holes and broken ribs, Josuke Higashikata was comforting his best bro. Tears stung the backs of Okuyas’s eyes. Goddamnit, why was he so good to him when he never fucking deserved it in the first place. He was the one in the fucking hospital, but the only thing on Josuke’s mind was his feelings. “Thanks bro. I’ll hold you to that” he said thickly.

Josuke patted his hand before allowing Okuyasu to help him lay down, “You’re gonna stay right?”

“Yeah. I think your mom scared the shit out of the doctors, so they’re, uh, gonna make an exception for me.”

“Good…good…”

Josuke was finally settled down in bed, looking pitiful. “Did mom bring a mirror? I wanna check out your handiwork.”

There was in fact a handheld mirror in the overnight bag Tomoko brought. She really did know her son. Okuyasu, suddenly feeling very self-conscious, held up the mirror for him, “If you don’t like it, I can take your hair down—“

A critical eye appraised the twin braids on his head. Agonizing seconds pass before Josuke spoke again, “Dude, it looks really good…”Josuke ran a hand over them, making an appreciative noise. He looked back up at his friend, “I can say that I now officially trust you with my hair. Promise you’ll do it again?” A smile, albeit a weary, tired one, was on his face.

If the Earth had opened up and swallowed Okuyasu whole, he would have just accepted it, knowing that he just got paid the highest compliment Josuke ‘I’ll Whoop Your Fuckin’ Ass if You Insult or Touch My Hair’ Higashikata could ever give another person. And if his face got any redder, he would probably pass out. I’m in love with you, you heartbreakingly beautiful bastard is what he wanted to say. Instead, he turned around, busying himself by pulling an extra armchair Jotaro may or may not have jacked from another room as close as he could to Josuke’s bed, desperately trying not look like a fucking fool. “That’s some high fuckin’ praise coming from you…I promise dude, you’re in good hands” he said, amazed at how even he had managed to make his voice sound.

Okuyasu managed to kick his shoes off and sit down, wrapping himself in a blanket that Jotaro also may have stolen. Immediately, he felt sleep almost overwhelm him. Before he would let it, Okuyasu glanced over at Josuke, who was intently staring at him. To his credit, Oku didn’t flinch, “You good, man? Morphine still killing the pain?” Josuke kept staring at him, and instead of actually answering, he spoke in a voice that was too small to come from him, “Will you hold my hand?”

Tears threatened again, but he nodded, “Yeah, man. I got you.” It wasn’t as awkward Okuyasu thought it would be, angling arms enough to where they would both be comfortable. Josuke’s hand was icy in his, and Oku rubbed his thumb in gentle circles over the back of his hand, trying to warm it up.

Josuke was asleep and Okuyasu was on the verge when he heard Tomoko quietly slip back in. The still lucid part of his brain was hollering about how she could clearly see him holding hands with her son, but the tired part was stronger and kept pulling him closer to sleep. She said nothing, merely walking over to Okuyasu and adjusting his blanket to cover him better, before planting a motherly kiss on the side of Oku’s head. He wanted to just weep forever. Tomoko gave Josuke the same treatment before settling down herself.

If you asked Okuyasu when he knew that his relationship with Josuke ‘Hold My Hand and Don’t Leave My Side, Bro’ Higashikata changed, his answer would be not when he was asked to hold his hand, or when Josuke was concerned about dumb shit with Keicho while recovering from horrible injuries, but when he was handed the key’s to his bro’s bread and butter: his precious hair. Most people would say that’s fucking stupid, but those people also got a kiss from Okuyasu’s fist, so who’s the real idiot here?

“Dude, it couldn’t have been that bad.”

“It was a complete waste of my damn time is what it was.”

Roughly six weeks had passed since Josuke had been released from the hospital. His physical injuries were mostly healed thanks to a (reluctant) visit to Tonio’s, but it was becoming increasingly apparent that the whole fight with Kira had taken a great toll on Josuke’s mental wellbeing. So apparent, that Tomoko had finally convinced her son to see a psychiatrist.

Okuyasu frowned at the top of Josuke’s head; he was once again French braiding his undone hair. Josuke had pulled out his pompadour in frustration earlier. “What was so bad about it? If you don’t mind me asking or—“

Josuke sighed irritably, and Oku flinched. He tried to remind himself that Josuke wasn’t mad at him, but at everything that was going on with him. “It’s just—“ Josuke began, “Being told you’re fucked up isn’t something you wanna hear.” Papers were being shuffled; Josuke was riffling through a plain manila folder again. Over his shoulder, Oku could see the title of a packet in big bold letters: PTSD: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment. “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, commonly known as PTSD, blah blah blah,” he read aloud, “Symptoms include—I’m just gonna read the ones that doctor highlighted—Insomnia, irritability, social isolation—sorry Koichi, nightmares, avoidance, lack of self-care, severe anxiety—look at that, that one’s underlined—“

Pretending that a lot of that didn’t apply to himself, Okuyasu interjected, “So, he pegged what’s wrong with you—“

“Clearly.” The last words came out harshly, and Oku flinched. He just kept braiding, unsure what to say back. The doctor had hit the nail on the head. Josuke didn’t sleep much anymore. He went days without showering or changing his clothes (he had in fact showered and done his hair today, but it had been the first one in 6 days. Okuyasu mentally kept count). Refused to see anyone save for his mother, Koichi on rare occasions, and Okuyasu. Actually, Josuke panicked when Okuyasu was outside of his line of sight. So, he stayed with Josuke as much as he could, but his other responsibilities called him. Okuyasu felt such immense guilt when he had to leave. He wanted to do more for Josuke, but he didn’t even know where to begin.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Josuke cleared his throat, “Hey, uhm…” Josuke shifted uncomfortably, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. It’s not your fault, and I’m not mad at you.” He sounded so tired. It hurt Okuyasu’s heart.

“S’fine dude, don’t worry—“

“No it’s not! It’s not fine! None of this is fine!” Josuke flailed upwards, out of Oku’s grip. He started pacing, “What the fuck is wrong with me?? Kira’s fucking dead, and you’re—“ He stopped short, opting to rub his face hard instead, “Why am I like this?? Why am I so scared and sick all the time?? I’m a goddamn monster, look at how I’ve been treating people!” Josuke gestured to the empty room, to Oku. “I get so pissed off, for no damn reason, and I take it out on you or mom, and neither of you deserve that. You don’t deserve my stupid bullshit.”

If Okuyasu’s heart could break anymore, it would. Not knowing what else to do, he got up and pulled his bro into the tightest bear hug he could manage, “Dude—“

Josuke didn’t break down into gut-wreching sobs as he had been prone to do lately, instead just laid his head on his bro’s shoulder, speaking in a broken, small voice, “Just wanna be okay again, Oku.”

“I know,” Okuyasu whispered, “I know. You will be, it’s just gonna take a while to get there.”

Josuke heaved a watery sigh, “Not trying to be ‘that’ guy, but you don’t know that.”

It was Oku’s turn to snap, “Dude, yes I do!” He pulled away from Josuke, and grabbed him by the shoulders, the most stupid, serious look on his face. “I didn’t have the exact same thing happen to me, but I get it. All these symptoms?” Okuyasu bent over and picked up the folder, shaking it for emphasis, “I feel these every fucking day of my life, dude. Literally every day.”

“Oku—“

His voice fraught with emotion, Oku continued, “Yeah, you don’t really ever get 100% better. You’ll have a good day, but then you have a truly awful fucked up day the next, for no reason other than you just woke up. But, you can learn how to cope. And function. It’s really hard, but it’s possible.”

He was so heated. He had no reason to be, it’s not like he ever told Josuke all this. He’d never told anyone this. Okuyasu never considered him a victim, but goddamn did he know the structure of his own psychology. Filled with a sudden sense of shame over being upset, he turned around, unable to look at his friend, “You’re not a monster. You’re just a guy who went through some awful shit, and now needs help to get through it. And that’s okay.”

Okuyasu rubbed his face, what a mess. The room was deafeningly silent. Josuke hugged him from behind, wet face pressed into the shorter kid’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I should’ve—“

“No, don’t. Don’t be sorry. S’not like I advertise it.” Okuyasu squeezed his bro’s arm, “My point is, I’m like. Here for you, dude. To listen, or hangout, or whatever you need. You’re not alone.” Josuke said nothing, only nodding into his shoulder. “Also, I’m not done with your hair yet, sit back down so I can finish.” Okuyasu tugged on him; Josuke let go and sat back on the floor.

Sitting in silence while Oku worked gave him an opportunity to gather his thoughts. He was gonna help, even if it killed him.

Josuke brought him out of his thoughts again, “So. What do I need to do? To stop feeling like this.” ��

The rest of the afternoon was dedicated to just figuring out where to start.

“How do you like, deal with the bad shit in a not terrible way?” Josuke queried, pen in his mouth.

Oku tied off the first braid and moved on to the second, “It’s different for every person. I think Keicho dealt with shit by—“

“Yeah, don’t give a shit what he did. What do you do?”

“Depends. If I’m not thinking straight, I write shit out. If I have a nightmare, I go take a walk around the neighborhood to burn off steam. If I’m feeling itchy or panicking, I take a hot shower.”

Josuke nodded, writing down ideas on the back of the PTSD packet he was given. He seemed genuinely receptive to what Okuyasu was saying. When he finished Josuke’s hair, they both ended up laying in his bed, still spit balling.

“It’s also important to learn what might like, trigger all the bad feelings and shit.”

Josuke scratched his cheek “Feels like everything does.”

“Is there anything that makes you feel super bad? Or dredges up nasty thoughts?”

He took him a moment to answer, “…Remember how we watched Transformers the other day? All those explosions made me feel nauseous.”

Oku snapped his fingers, “There’s a start. So we start by limiting how much you see of that for awhile.”

“I think I’m good with like, cartoony explosions? Where it doesn’t involve shit that looks real?” Josuke’s brows furrowed, “That make sense?”

“Yeah, yeah I get you. So like, Looney Tunes shit or when Captain Falcon does The Knee of Justice in Smash—“

“Don’t worry, you can still use your main. I think I’ll be okay. If I’m not, I promise I’ll tell you.”

“Anything else you can name off of the top of your head?”

With a sigh, Josuke rolled onto his back to stare at the ceiling. He was quiet for a long time, before speaking in a low voice, “If I don’t see you with my own two eyes, I get really anxious. Like, bad anxious. Gonna puke anxious. Can’t exactly see you at every given moment in the day, can I?”

Okuyasu chewed on his lip, trying to come up with an answer when the alarm on his phone rang. It was 4 o’clock in the afternoon; time to feed his dad again. The cogs in his brain started turning, “I got an idea. Gimme your phone.” Josuke acquiesced, unlocking it before handing it over. The wallpaper made Oku snort. It was a selfie of him, Josuke, and Koichi making drunken stupid faces. It had be the one time Koichi had ever gotten shitfaced with them. Oku pulled up his clock app and set a timer for 60 minutes.

“Okay, I’m gonna go over to my house for an hour. You can’t come with me, so what you’re gonna do is try some of these out.” He gestured at the back of the paper, “Maybe you’ll even come up with something we didn’t think of.”

Josuke shifted uncomfortably, already anxious-looking, “I dunno if I like this idea.”

“It’ll be good practice,” Oku said, while getting up, “Plus, if you need me, you can just text me.”

Josuke frowned at the ceiling, “I always need you.”

Both boys froze upon realizing what Josuke had just said.

Okuyasu stuttered, “I—I’m gonna go c-check on dad. Be b-back in bit.” He stumbled out of the room in a slight panic and was halfway down the stairs when he remembered to holler, “START THAT COUNTDOWN.”

“OKAY!” came the affirmative.

You could have fried an egg on Okuyasu’s face. He pounded down the street to his house, trying to run away from his feelings but, goddamnit, they were still there, following him. Since that first night in the hospital, his relationship with Josuke had become charged with an undercurrent that he couldn’t quite figure out. It was very obvious something had changed between them. They lingered when giving each other hugs, sometimes held hands whenever Josuke needed it, and basically cuddled when they slept in the same bed. It would need to be addressed at some point, but not when things were too shaky. Confessions can come later.

Oku got home and immediately set to work; feeding his dad and Stray Cat, packing some clothes so he’d have something to change into in the morning. He was about 15 minutes into his chores when his text alert chirped:

J☮♡: I’m struggling

J☮♡: I can’t empty my stupid head long enough to thing about literally anything else

You: youre doing good though

You: do something thats mindless, like a game. U got 40 mins left, u got this

J☮♡: I’ll try.

He did his best to be encouraging, and hoped that it would be enough for now. Finished with slinging clean clothes into a duffel bag, Oku dug through a shopping bag that had been laying by his shitty desk. Writing really did help him sort his brain out, so he was a frequent purchaser of notebook packs. There was one that Josuke would love: purple with gold polka dots, his aesthetic. But when that bad lad was cracked open, Okuyasu saw that the first page was adorned with hearts containing his and Josuke’s initials. He let out a ‘REEEEEEEEE’ before throwing it away from him as hard as he could.

Perhaps Josuke would prefer the cerulean with mint colored triangles on the front instead.

He went fishing in the bag again, this time finding a cute star keychain. Before Kira sent everything to hell, Okuyasu had every intention to give Josuke his other set of house keys, in case anything were to ever happen to him. Oku stared at the little star. He bought it because Josuke was his star and—oh god maybe now is not the time to think about how gay you are for your best friend—before clipping it onto the spare set he had laying on his desk. Better late than never.

With a few minutes to spare, he returned to Josuke’s house. “I’m baaack, Josuke!” A walrus groan from the family room answered him. He found a white-knuckled, pale Josuke sitting on the floor playing Animal Crossing: City Folk. Back when Josuke first bought it, Okuyasu teased him mercilessly before getting sucked into how damn chill it was. “Did you make a new town?”

Josuke visible relaxed when Okuyasu plopped down beside him, “Nah, don’t worry about your little dude. Deleted my villager and made a new one.”

Okuyasu stretched out on his stomach, propped his head up with a pilfered pillow from the couch. “Was it helping?” he yawned.

It took Josuke a few seconds to answer; a fish was refusing to be caught and it was taking his concentration, “Hm? Oh, uh, yeah actually. It was working before ya ugly mug showed back up.”

“Shut up, we both know I’m the sexy one in this friendship. I got bitches swarming my dick. Gotta beat ‘em off.” A bold faced lie if there ever was one.

Josuke snorted, “Phrasing.” He playfully knocked into Oku’s shoulder, “You are pretty sexy, dude.” Okuyasu pretended his face wasn’t the same red as the roof of Josuke’s Animal Crossing house.

They bantered back and forth for a while; Josuke offered up control of the Wiimote, but Oku enjoyed watching him play. “Oh yeah, before I forget,” Okuyasu dug into his duffel bag, pulling out the notebook and keys, “Here.” Josuke took them, an eyebrow arched. Oku felt self-conscious, but he soldiered on, “When I got something pretty to write in, it makes it easier for me to do it. That’s stupid, I know.”

“It’s not stupid.” Josuke flipped the notebook front and back, “This is cute, I’ll definitely have to use it. You got good taste.”

“Hell yeah I do.” You don’t even know the half of it. He cleared his throat, time for the embarrassing part, “And those keys are my spare set. You know I could sleep through a hurricane, so if ya ever have a nightmare, you can come wake my dumb ass up and we’ll go take a walk, or something. No matter how late. I was gonna give ‘em to ya before…W-well now seems like a good time anyways.” He wanted his dumb mouth fuck off for good.

Josuke traced a finger over the star keychain before choking out, “Thanks dude. I appreciate it.”

Okuyasu gripped him in a strong one-armed hug, “S’no problem. What I’m here for. Now that’s outta the way, lemme beat your ass in Smash before dinner.”

They played a couple rounds of Smash. Josuke did okay, which he seemed relieved about. He was also boastful, because he managed to beat Oku a few times. Okuyasu was just glad they were playing. After dinner, they ended up watching some dumbass movies before stumping back up to Josuke’s room to pass out. Josuke was already settled into bed, half-asleep when Oku came back from the shower. Unsure if Josuke wanted him in the bed with him, Okuyasu tried to quietly move around the room to pick up his faithful childhood friend, a stuffed cat named Mr. Whiskers (Josuke never teased him for it, which he thanked God for every day). While he was facing the wall, Josuke reached behind him and patted the bed. It was a gesture to let Okuyasu know he was welcome. Oku turned off the lamp beside the bed, and crawled under the covers. Josuke’s full-sized bed groaned underneath him as he settled down. “G’night bro.” He got a grunt in response.

Maybe thirty minutes passed, “Hey Oku.” Josuke whispered, voice drowsy.

“Hm?”

“Thanks for everything. You’re a lot smarter than you give yourself credit. I’m lucky to have you.”

Okuyasu had never been so thankful for darkness in all his life. It did a good job of hiding the tears streaming down his face. Josuke really did do his damnedest to shine a light on his dark feelings. He managed to reply, a lump in his throat, “Don’t mention it. Now get some sleep. You’ll wake me up if you have a nightmare, right?”

“Mm.”

“Promise?”

“Mm.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Mm.”

“Night, bro.”

He didn’t even get a response to the last one. Sleep took him a few minutes later too.

Josuke did end up having a nightmare that night, but kept his word and woke up Oku. They ended up sneaking out and walking around the neighborhood at 2 o’clock in the morning, chainsmoking. Okuyasu had an arrangement with the night clerk at the gas station, he got cigarettes and cheap beer if he slid some extra cash across the counter.

They ended up on the roof of Josuke’s house, sharing a six-pack, and stayed up there until dawn. It would have been the most romantic thing that had ever happened to Oku, if the circumstances were different.

If you asked Okuyasu, if he had to pick between sunrises and sunsets which he would choose, he would remember that morning, as he held Josuke’s hand while watching the sun peak up over the horizon.

Josuke had that intractable Joestar will. He never backed down once he had his mind set on something, no matter how big or small. Sometimes to his detriment, but mostly it worked out for him. It used to blow Okuyasu’s mind how dedicated and goddamn stubborn his friend could be.

He needed that attitude.

Progress was very slow. In the beginning, Josuke had more bad days than good. After a couple of weeks, with the start of school looming over them, he was impatient.

“I thought this was supposed to fix it??” Josuke stubbed out the remnants of his cigarette and paced around on Okuyasu’s back porch. It faced away from Josuke’s house and had trees blocking the view in the back, so they hung out back there when they were smoking and drinking like the rebellious teens they were.

Okuyasu tutted at him from in behind his cigarette; he took a drag, held it for a few seconds then blew it out, “I told you, it wouldn’t be overnight. It takes a lot of time and patience. You just have to keep at it and give it time.” He flicked the ash off the end, then frowned as he brushed more ash off of his shorts.

Josuke groaned, “I know, it just sucks.” He plucked another cigarette out of the box, and held it out for Oku to light it. He wasn’t fond of fire near his face anymore. Okuyasu obliged, and Josuke held up his cigarette in thanks before taking a puff. “By the way, I texted Koichi this morning and asked if he wanted to hang, which he does. So we’re doing that today, if you’re down.”

“Fuck yeah I am, but you gonna be good for it?”

“I’m gonna try.”

That’s all anyone could ask for. Hanging out with Koichi went well. The little man seemed immensely relieved that he got to see his best buds, “I’ve been swamped with summer classes, but I’ve missed you guys! We should hangout more before school starts back up for real.”

Okuyasu gave Koichi a noogie while Josuke snorted, “Missed you too dude. Come on, let’s get ice cream.”

They did get some hangout time in before classes started up again. Okuyasu had been nervous for Josuke, hoping that he was ready for the routine of school. But, things were only moderately rocky. He didn’t have much to fear, but god, did he still worry like a mother hen.

With a lot of work, Josuke got used to being separated from Oku. It started at an hour, but slowly built up over time. Two hours every day for a week, three the next, four, five, on and on until they hit about 12 hours. Now Okuyasu could sleep in his house again, though he still spent the night four days out of the week at Josuke’s.

Over time, they figured out more things that would trigger Josuke. The sight of blood made him ill. He couldn’t watch fireworks unless he was far enough away that he didn’t hear the noise. Thunderstorms too, which was figured out the hard way.

During the first thunderstorm since the Kira shit, Okuyasu was sleeping in his room and woke up in the middle of the night to find a sopping wet Josuke standing over him, face pale and eyes wide. It scared the shit out of him; Oku fell out of bed with a shriek, naked as the day he was born, “DUDE, WHAT THE FUCK!” Josuke opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Oku scrambled for his sweatpants, rolling around trying to get them on. The Hand hovered beside him. He wanted to throw up, if he hadn’t been too surprised to properly react, Josuke would be dead.

He took a few deep breaths while lying on the ground, focusing on how cold the wood felt on his back, and willed The Hand away. When he got his bearings, Okuyasu stood up and clicked on the lamp on his nightstand, still shaky.

Josuke looked at him with tears in his eyes, “S-sorry.”

“It’s fine, you just—I just freak a little when I get surprised awake sometimes,” he was willing to talk about that, just not at the moment, “Come on, let’s get you changed.” Josuke stripped down to his boxer briefs; Okuyasu handed him a pair of basketball shorts and tank top that Josuke had left there before, staring at a particularly interesting stain on his hardwood floor.

Josuke sat on the edge of the bed while Oku kneeled in behind him, quickly braiding his hair before tapping him on the shoulder to get him to lay down. Josuke did as he was directed, Oku leaned over to turn off the light before plopping beside Josuke. Every time it thundered and lighting streaked across the sky, he flinched and made a horrible choking sound; Oku rubbed his back and wiped his tears away. They laid there quietly for hours, until the rumblings of thunder were far away. “Sorry,” Josuke croaked.

“S’fine. Did you tell your mom you’re here?”

“…Shit” he sniffed.

Oku groped for his phone, then shot off a text to Tomoko:

You: lettin u kno that josuke is at my house

You: please dont get mad

He placed his phone back on the nightstand. Josuke had his face pressed into Oku’s bare shoulder, eyes closed. The teen was unsure if he was out, so he just adjusted the covers over them and let himself sleep.

Josuke said he felt like an utter dick when they woke up the next morning. Oku waved him down, it was fine. No need to be upset. They laid in the bed, sunlight streaming through the blinds.

Josuke was chewing on his bottom lip, “Hey, can I ask you something?”

Immediately, Okuyasu started getting that sick, creeping feeling, “Shoot.”

“Last night, you—you summoned The Hand when I woke you up. Why?”

Oh god, this conversation. Okuyasu steeled himself, “It was unconscious. I…okay sometimes when I get scared awake, I’m ready to start kicking ass.”

Josuke raised an eyebrow; Oku went red in the face, embarrassed, “I mean, like. Defend myself? That’s probably a better way to put it.”

“I’ve never seen you do that.”

“Because I make it a point to wake up before you do,” Okuyasu pointed out, “When have you ever had to wake me up?”

Josuke considered this carefully before responding, “That’s true. I don’t think I ever have…So why do you feel like that? Like you gotta defend yourself from someone shaking you awake?”

This was happening. Okuyasu rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling, “Dad used to wake us up in the middle of the night to smack us around.” Okuyasu shrugged, “It’s been about 10 years, but I still feel like I’m gonna wake up to a fist.”

He glanced over at Josuke, nervous. His friend looked sick, and pulled Oku into his arms, “You didn’t deserve that, and I’m so fucking sorry.” Yep, there came the tears. It was so tender, it made Oku’s stomach roil. He would allow himself to be comforted this one time.

After that, the conversations stopped being just about Josuke, but also about Okuyasu.

Inventory of his scars was taken:

The ones on his back? Some were from the time he fell ass-backwards onto some broken glass after he and Keicho broke into some store. It had been Keicho’s idea, he made sure to stress. Others were from the time he fell off a cliff and into a briar patch while riding a bike at the age of 8. Keicho was picking out thorns for hours afterwards.

Scar on the left side of his rib cage? He got shanked during a fight when he was 14.

The scars on his hands and legs? Also from fights, and being a damn fool as a child.

The weird collection of bumps on his right pec? A mixture of chicken pox scars and that one time he cooked bacon while shirtless. The scars from grease were only a year old.

The puncture looking one on his left foot? Stepped on a nail in their old house before moving to Morioh.

The ones on his face? Bad Company. Two paratroopers had cut his face while repelling out of a helicopter. Keicho did it so Okuyasu would summon The Hand in order to defend himself. The blood loss freaked Keicho out enough to drag him to their neighbor’s house, who had been a mob doctor. He stitched Okuyasu up as best as he could; Keicho never used his stand on him again until the arrival of Josuke.

Okuyasu talked about how he missed who Keicho used to be, before he became obsessed with the arrow and so angry; when he would read Oku stories and help him with homework. About how he had forgiven his father and was able to take care of him, despite everything that fucking bastard put him through. How he missed his mother, a woman he vaguely remembered only when looking at pictures.

He talked about how he felt safe.

Days stretched into weeks. Weeks became months. Holidays and birthdays came and went; both boys were now 17. Before they realized it, a year had passed and summer came again. At the end of the summer break, they would be quickly approaching their final year of high school.

Josuke had more good days than bad now. He was back to hanging out with Koichi, doing his pomp, staying on top of his homework. He still saw the psychiatrist, it actually did help a little bit. “Living is still a work in process, but hey, I’m functioning today. That’s a win right?” he’d say with confidence. Okuyasu was elated to the point of weeping (which he did, when he wasn’t in Josuke’s presence).

Storms still were Josuke’s wild card trigger, since you could never really prevent that. One night, there was a particularly nasty thunderstorm. Josuke was staying over; Tomoko had a hot date that night (“GET IT, MS. H!” Okuyasu had hollered when she waved goodbye. Josuke looked like he wanted to die). They had managed to move from sitting on Oku’s bed to sitting on the back porch, watching the rain pour. The power had been knocked out, but they had their traditional six-pack and box of cigarettes between them, so things were mostly gravy.

To his credit, Josuke merely flinched and scrabbled for Oku’s hand when lightning shot across the sky followed by a rumble of thunder.

“If you need a break, we can go inside.”

“Nah, I’m okay…just hold my hand.”

They drank and laughed, curled up in blankets. Pleasantly warm from each other’s company and the shitty beer Okuyasu managed to get his hands on.

Around 1 in the morning, the rain petered out, the clouds moving on to piss all over somewhere else.

“How you doing?” Okuyasu asked.

“I’m golden, my dude.” Josuke squeezed his hand, ”Hey, look, you can see all the stars.”

It was true, all the lights being kaput cleared up the night sky. Okuyasu could see the Milky Way.

“S’beautiful.”

“Yeah…” Josuke seemed to be deep in thought.

“Got something on your mind dude?” Oku asked after awhile, taking a sip from his beer.

Josuke seemed to be choosing his words carefully, “Can I be honest about something?”

“Go for it.”

His friend was squirming uncomfortably. Oh no. “So like,” Josuke began “There’s still something I haven’t told you.”

Oh no. “What is it?” Oku was starting to get heart palpitations.

“I’m in love with someone.”

To his surprise, Oku managed to choke out, “Oh, who is it?” He felt like he was on the verge of tears, but kept it together. He knew in his heart of hearts it wasn’t him.

It took Josuke a few minutes to answer, “You know him—“

“Oh goddamnit, tell me it’s not Koichi—“

“No! What??”

“Mikitaka??”

“No!! Let me fin—“

“OR ROHAN, THAT WOULD BE THE LITERAL WORST THING EVER—“

“For god’s sake!!! No!! I’d rather die!!! Just. Let me finish.” Josuke sounded peeved. Okuyasu forced himself to go quiet. With a sigh, and a soft clink, he sat his beer can down, “You know him, but maybe not as well as you think you do.”

“Josuke,” Okuyasu’s voice was strained, “You just gotta come out and say it. I’m too stupid for this. You gotta tell me.” He was heartbroken, but he did his best to keep it out of his voice. He failed. “You just gotta get it over with.”

Josuke said nothing for a moment. Instead, he got up on his knees, leaned over to Okuyasu, and kissed him square on the lips. It was soft and tender, and—oh god, there’s the tears.

Feeling his wet tears, Josuke started panicking, pulling away, “Oh shit dude, are you okay? Did I upset you??” Hesitantly, he wiped Oku’s tears away.

Okuyasu shook his head, “No, I’m okay….can you kiss me again? Please?” Josuke nodded, giving him sweet, chaste kisses on lips, cheeks, forehead, and chin.

It took some effort, but Oku calmed down enough to ask, “Why me?”

“Whaddya mean ‘why me’? How could it not be you?” Josuke sounded genuinely confused.

“You’re literally the hottest guy in Morioh! You could have literally anyone else, so why choose the stupid looking fucko who’s dumb as a bag of hammers?”

Josuke held Oku’s face in his hands, “Because you are none of those. You’ve been here with me for the roughest fucking parts of my life. You are so much smarter than you give yourself credit for. Not to mention, you’re the funniest person I’ve ever met. Every time you hug me, or hold my hand, I just wanna kiss you all over. Dude,” Josuke squeezed his cheeks gently for emphasis, “Your smile is like the sun, and all I wanna do is bask in it like a dumb ass sunflower.”

The tears started up again, but Okuyasu got himself under control enough to kiss Josuke on the mouth, “I love you too. I’ve been after you like some lovestarved idiot forever.”

“Why not tell me??”

“Same reasons you never told me, I guess.”

Josuke brushed the tears off Oku’s face, “So, you wanna be my boyfriend.” For his trouble, he got tackled to the ground, and sloppy, inexperienced kisses all over his face. “Agh! I guess that’s yes?”

Oku buried his bright red face into Josuke’s neck, “You fuckin’ know it is.”

They cuddled for real that night, getting used to kissing each other. The next day was rather comical, as no one was surprised at this development.

“What do you MEAN you’re not surprised by us??” Josuke howled, shaking his and Okuyasu’s clasped hands for emphasis. They were sitting in front of the ice cream parlor; Koichi was counting a fat stack of yen from the apparent bets that everyone from school made on their relationship.

“Josuke,” Koichi said seriously, “Literally everyone knew. You were only oblivious to each other.” He patted Josuke’s shoulder, “I am happy for you guys though, you finally figured it out. Ice cream’s on me.”

Everyone else’s reaction was more or less the same. Yuuya was the only one remotely shocked, “Thought you guys had been together from the get-go.”

Tomoko was happy, kissing both boys on the cheek, “Finally, one of you had the sense to say something. It was driving me up the wall.”

“Thanks mom.” Josuke grumbled.

That evening, they were back on Josuke’s roof, watching the sunset.

“Hey,” Okuyasu said, pulling Josuke’s face close, “I love you jerkass.”

Josuke gave him a smooch, “Love you too dickhead.”

“Asshole”

“Shitweasel”

If you asked Okuyasu when he knew he’d want to spend the rest of his life with Josuke ‘Sexy Ass Looking Rat Bastard’ Higashikata, his answer would be when they sat on his roof, trading insults in between kisses until Tomoko hollered at them to get down, please.

If Okuyasu was the Sun, then Josuke was the Moon, the Stars and everything in between. Finally, Okuyasu felt like he truly mattered to someone. All it took was meeting the love of his life by punching him in the face.

But that’s how it goes sometimes.

#jjba #josuyasu #josuke higashikata #okuyasu nijimura #josuke x okuyasu

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