#The Chance Meeting at the Black Cat Cafe

[subskz]

…i lost the tag limit war

the reader changing the subject the instant she feels seen by minho is such a subtle but valuable hint that i think says a lot abt the type of person she is, that moment really stood out to me! i know i literally just said this but right down to every minute detail, you've characterized both lino and the reader so masterfully it has to be the most enjoyable aspect of this story for me...and on top of that i just love how you write their conversations so much, they’re both such lil nerds…my intellectually stimulating smarties debating w each other even now 🥰 it all feels so comfortable and natural and draws me into their relationship w such ease!

their discussion abt colors is hands down one of my favorite scenes in all of invisible thread!! it's such an oddly heartwarming conversation and that perfect, out-of-the-box way of thinking that’s just so undeniably minho...it almost reminds me of synesthesia how he describes feelings through color! "the very essence of our humanity" "the orange that paints the sky when the sun is about to dip into the ocean" the way you embodied each colors through emotions/experiences was so wonderfully done, i understood each one instantly like it was a picture being visualized before my eyes. it makes it even more touching that minho and the reader come to understand each other on a whole new level through that way of communicating their moods <3 and for some reason when he gives the example "i feel like that moss green that no one seems to pay attention to" that really tugged at my heartstrings ㅠ it almost feels like he isnt just giving a hypothetical there, like he's giving a small glimpse into his true feelings without saying it outright. maybe he feels invisible deep down, too

them falling asleep together on facetime was so soft and tender ㅠㅠ leave it to lino to ramble abt sous-vide as a bedtime story and complain abt getting SCAMMED lmao the way that is actually smth he would say 😭 "he closes his eyes, thinking that maybe he just found the silence you talked about earlier on" this line got me so good ): it seems at first that he's bringing the reader peace but she's bringing him peace in her own way as well...her feelings abt his eyes changing from fear to longing is such a lovely detail and HER COMPLIMENTING THEM!!! HIS STUNNED REACTION </3 "this is the first genuine compliment he's ever received" oh my god does my moss green theory actually have any merit.....does he really feel invisible to the world too...do not do this to me sahar ㅠㅠ but the way he thinks such lovely, adoring things abt the reader in that moment but instead of voicing them he whines abt being hungry....so endearing and so HIM i cant get enough of how youve written minho here ur singlehandedly reminding me why he is allegedly the love of my life

the kintsugi mention made my heart leap in my chest!!! "when you look at that vase, you know it was once broken, but it doesn't take away from its beauty" please...that sentence in itself is so moving when you apply it to the context of what the reader has been through her whole life, not just a single crack but repeated breakages. and for it to come from someone like minho; it feels like exactly what the reader needs to hear to truly begin to heal herself...he doesn't coddle her but is still so gentle, putting things into perspective like nobody else can w his unique worldview and mental strength ㅠㅠ and i think i just lost my mind realizing that this scene loops right back to the clay comparison you drew at the beginning of the story oh my GOD....the reader is like a clay pot molded by her mother, broken in places and repaired over and over to create smth still damaged but just as valuable...and lino is the gold filling in the cracks....sahar you are INSANE for this one im kissing ur brain and tucking it gently into bed

the scene w minho in the rain 😞 i was not prepared to see my meow meow upset...but i love the way you wrote it so much. how oddly quiet he is, even to the point where he's not commenting in class or teasing her, and that's the key detail that lets the reader know smth's off w him...i also love that nothing in particular caused his low mood. it's such a human quality, and he allows himself to be human and feel his feelings until they pass. "he knew his emotions would regulate themselves" i cant explain why this line stood out to me so much i really love it, i think it's just such a shining example of minho's mindset...not necessarily optimistic, but practical enough to not be completely swamped by the darkness either. it creates such an interesting contrast to the reader's personality to see how they both handle their emotions, w her pushing hers away and him letting them run their course. but the fact that he typically tries to retreat into himself until he feels better, yet strangely enough, he doesn't mind it as much as he'd expect when the reader catches him in a vulnerable state...my babies ㅠ i also really loved the part where he uses her shower and thinks abt the scent of her soap as he washes up, it's so so sweet n intimate i'm such a sucker for things like that ): there are so many small things minho notices abt her like it's the most natural thing in the world, they're both so attentive of one another

"you were both just trying to make it through the day" and "he knew he wasn't invisible. at least not to you" were critical hits to my heart...it feels like a breakthrough in their relationship—the first time the reader truly truly sees minho, all sides of him, and she accepts them all without question <3

the gradual progression of their friendship is so gratifying to read bc of how organically you made it all flow together!! i adore the entire sequence that shows us how they start to care for each other more and more…the casual intimacy of the reader applying her lip tint to his lips (and him not studying for his quiz on purpose 😭💗 come ON) lino worrying abt her eating enough, the reader tying his bangs out of his eyes, complimenting him so matter-of-factly, and him BLUSHING ALL OVER THE PLACE it’s so over for me x2 they are so tender in their actions even when they tease each other nonstop. it all leads up so perfectly to the point in the story where minho finds himself being drawn to her apartment without even realizing it when he doesn't feel well. the subtle shift from him initially trying to shut her out bc he's so used to managing his bad days on his own, to him eventually leaning in to her kindness and seeking her company instead...and the way she just understands what he needs immediately, allows him to sit in silence and simply exist in peace next to her. describing his mood as "too much of every color" really struck a chord w me as well...i'm just so so in love w the running theme of colors you included throughout this story, it's such a brilliant way to put emotions into words <3

the lil parallels here n there from the beginning of their relationship until now are so cute as well; how lino makes breakfast for her the first time and leaves before she wakes up, but this time, he promises to stay and eat with her...to not be invisible ㅠㅠ i think what's making me craziest of all is how they're both so hyperaware of each other's touch. like when their shoulders brushed while sharing the reader's umbrella, how the reader suddenly finds it difficult to concentrate on her book when lino holds her wrist as she shields him from the sunlight...and little does she know it's the exact same for him too, like when she rested her head on his thigh and all he could focus on was the sensation of her hair tickling him 😭 they are so enamored w each other and have become so tangled up in each other little by little...they don't even fully realize it yet but they've made a permanent place in each other's lives now

"you were already on the other side, you realize. his eyes pulled you in and you were stuck in there, swimming in a pool of honey" oh my GOD!!! ㅠㅠㅠㅠ her feelings abt minho's eyes changing from fear, to longing, to at last the comfort of getting to see the other side of those black holes...this line hit me like a truck it might be my favorite from the entire fic ㅠ i have a feeling i'll be saying that abt many more lines to come when you verbalize things in the most poetic ways imaginable heheh but this one truly got me so good, the delicacy in which you describe minho makes the reader's growing affection for him all the more heart-fluttering~

minho hesitating to wipe her tears )): the way he's so careful abt touching her in any unwarranted way bc he can sense that she shies away from skinship is so devastatingly sweet...and then him pinching her right after to make her stop crying NEVERMIND I CANT STAND HIM ACTUALLY. but the way he consoles her is so endearing and so so minho...very simple and sincere, he knows her well enough to immediately figure out the best way to take her mind off of the issue instead of dwelling on it. "you didn't care what shape he was in, you just needed him to be in it" i've already pointed out so many lines oh my god i'm so sorry but each one is like another arrow through my heart ㅠㅠ i feel like this sentence is such a perfect testament to the reader and lino's relationship; they've both seen each other at their best and worst and it doesn't change anything abt their feelings, they care for each other unconditionally 😞 also the reader being afraid of physical touch bc she craves it is SO heartbreaking but so raw...i think it aligns so well w her past bc she's so used to either being invisible, or only being perceived negatively when she is perceived. it makes perfect sense how terrifying she'd find it to bare herself to minho when her whole life she's been deprived of genuine affection...you've really done such a phenomenal job of characterizing both her and lino i cant say it enough!

now...the entire final scene...where do i even begin...i had a feeling the climax of the story was going to hurt but not like this ㅠㅠ the reader's inner turmoil as she debates reaching out to her mother again, that conflicting mix of hating her yet somehow still missing her...it's such an inexplicable and confusing feeling for ppl who have experienced that kind of neglect but so so real and you captured it so candidly. it really added a whole new layer to the reader's humanity, for her to be unable to completely let go of their relationship no matter how painful it is to hold on to...for her to cling to the hope that maybe she could be worth smth to her mother if she did everything right ): i genuinely had the exact same reaction as her when you revealed that her mother had deleted her phone number...it felt precisely like a bucket of ice cold water to the head. the reader trying to pinpoint the exact moment in time where her mother stopped loving her was what really crushed me most...what a heart-wrenching sentence ㅠㅠ the fact that she's tried to hard to find solace in other places and people and tried to grow into her own person after entering university, but even so, those marks left from her childhood are still there...a vase full of cracks 💔 as much as it hurts to read, i love that you included this bump in the road of her healing journey and made a point to highlight that healing isn't linear

and minho 😭😭😭😭😭 the way he handled the reader's outburst is so touching...the way he's immediately able to recognize that her feelings are misplaced and smth much deeper is going on beyond what he sees on the surface...using that astuteness to put his own feelings to the side in the moment is so minho. this entire scene is just blossoming with powerful lines i can't forget, but i was especially affected by the reader saying "i'd need you and i can't afford to need someone else." it's such a tragic summarization of her in my opinion...how she went her whole life being unable to rely on anyone but herself, so the moment she's faced w minho, all her instincts say to reject it no matter how badly she craves that intimacy ㅠㅠ and lino saying "i'll be by your side for as long as you'll have me" is such a beautiful declaration of love...it's so selfless and unconditional, and it fits so seamlessly w how their relationship progressed throughout the story, how they were by each other's sides at their best and worst moments.

"the world doesn't stop because we need it to" "we'll make it stop" and then describing their kiss as like "seeing color for the first time"...i'm going to melt into an inconsolable puddle over all these callbacks to their first date together don't think i didn't catch the ways you weaved those in throughout this final scene..you made it feel so complete, like things have come full circle. i already mentioned how much i loved their conversation abt describing colors to the blind, so for their first kiss to be written that way, like the reader was blind to the true color of the world until she met minho....i am going to be ill that is so intensely romantic sahar ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

"he was the invisible thread stitching your wounds back together." another heartaching line ): what a way to personify the quiet love minho provides...it may be invisible to everyone else, but not to her

i'm so sorry for my horrifically long comment haha but i'm just thrilled i was finally able to read this beautiful fic 😞 just as i'd predicted, you're a phenomenal writer!! the amount of love and effort you poured into it went above and beyond, i hope you're so proud of yourself for creating such a stunning work!! it's very clear to me how every interaction you wrote between minho and the reader was so carefully thought out and so meaningful to the overarching theme of the story, it's all done with care and purpose and there's smth special to be found in each line of dialogue! it's like you carefully stacked more and more on to the foundation of their bond until before we know it, there's an entire home there that they built steadily together. that kind of subtle progression is my absolute favorite thing. i'm also so blown away by how the reader's mother, though never actually making an appearance until the final scene, has such an heavy impact over the narrative. it's like she's a ghost haunting the reader's every action, every decision, every inner thought...i find it so impressive how you were able to incorporate that effect into the story without us even needing to meet the mother! and i must've mentioned countless lines that stuck w me throughout the fic, but just know that there are countless more i could've pointed out as well...you truly write so so beautifully. so poetic and emotive, but also not so flowery that it becomes hard to follow, i'm truly floored by your ability to achieve that perfect balance! on top of the story being so immersive in itself, your writing style made invisible thread such a genuine delight to read <3

this feels like the kind of story i'll be thinking abt for a long time after finishing it, the kind to revisit over n over bc i'm sure there are so many lil easter eggs you included that i may have missed! i'm positive i'll come back to it many times in the future hehe...but i can't wait to read more of your writing as well! ^_^

Invisible thread- one

pairing : minho x reader

genre : university au, academic rivals to lovers (rivals not enemies because they respect each other), slow burn, fluff, angst.

warnings : reader has a very bad relationship with her mother, insecurities, talk about murder but as a joke, mention of alcohol, reader has she/her pronouns.

summary : Your studies were your lifeline for as long as you can remember. What happens when Minho comes into your life and rips it away from you?

word count : 20k

Author's note : I've been working on this fic on and off for the past two months, so if you do enjoy reading, please let me know. asks, comments, reblogs i read them all and they truly make me the happiest <3 (also i based this off my own college experience, where we study two terms and there is one person on top of the class every semester)

part two

You have always been first in your class.

Not because you particularly enjoyed studying. You simply felt that your worth was solely tied to the marks on your papers.

You never wanted to crumble under the pressure of studies, to hole yourself up in your room for an assignment you won’t remember in a month. But achieving good grades was the only way for you to feel seen; to make someone stop in their tracks and acknowledge you. 

A simple “good job” that you preserved inside your mind, as a reminder that you did exist to other people. Considering that the majority of your life was spent in silence. 

Your mom put a roof above your head and food on your table, but she never asked about your day, nor did she seem to care. You felt as though you were no more important to her than the tapestry hanging on your wall.

At times, you imagined that if you stood close enough to that tapestry, you could merge with it as one. The intricate embroidery would wrap around you and draw you in. And your mother wouldn’t notice. She would regard you with the same indifference she showed towards that textile- a mere decoration, at times a nuisance when she had to dust it.

You always ate your dinner alone. When you scraped your knee, you tended to the wound by yourself. No one attended your childhood musicals, and you patted your back when you cracked an egg without dropping a shell into the bowl. 

You’ve come to learn since your young age that all your milestones, both small and significant, would be celebrated alone. 

On the rare times your mother would acknowledge your presence, she’d unleash a flurry of criticism your way as if she was eagerly awaiting the opportunity to strike you down. She'd toss crude comments over her shoulder as easily as a casual hello, leaving you feeling battered and bruised in her wake. 

You felt as if you were shoreline rocks, and your mother was the ocean. You never knew if she would be like a gentle tide, barely brushing against you, or an enraged storm, mercilessly crashing down on your being. And you weren't sure which one was worse: to be invisible or to be seen and despised.  

That’s why you grew up plagued with self-doubt. You made friends throughout your school years but you never allowed them to get close enough to really see you -you feared that they might glimpse the very thing your mother seemed to despise in you. 

Throughout your childhood, you were like soft clay in your mother's hands- pliable, and easy to mold. And she indented you, everywhere, carved in edges and dips where they should not have been ones. Handled you roughly when you should have been treated with care. And as the years went by, you hardened- much like clay, but her touch remained imprinted upon you. It was difficult at times to discern who you were and who she made you to be.

You tried to start anew when you went away to university; to rewire your brain into believing that you were enough- you exist and you shouldn't prove to anyone that you deserved to be alive. But her words haunted you, they were like skeletons in your closet- but the closet was you. You could never part from them.

So, you fell back into the same pattern of seeking good grades and congratulatory words from your professors. Every A+ you got infused you with a momentary sense of worthiness.

But unlike in high school, you weren't always the best. Your competition came in the form of a single man named Minho, who seemed to excel in every class you shared.

Minho was mostly quiet, but whenever he spoke, you found that his words carried weight. Your professors consistently agreed with his points, and you envied the confidence he exuded. You wondered what it must feel like to be so sure of oneself.

It wasn't until a month into the year that you had your first interaction with Minho. You were in your Constitutional Law class when your professor Kim brought up the notion of ‘Separation of Powers’. You were arguing that judges shouldn’t be included in the writings of law when you heard a scoff from the row behind you. You turned around, raising a brow at the culprit, "Is there something you’d like to say?" you asked.

And in response, Minho smiled lazily, an air of smugness surrounding him, "I just don’t agree." The professor urged him to explain himself, so he leaned back into his chair, eyeing you. "Judges are the ones who practice the law every day, and sometimes they find that none of the written texts fit their case. If they get involved in lawmaking, they can help address those gaps or uncertainties." 

"Who's to say that those judges aren’t biased or politically motivated? They’ll end up writing laws to fit their own preferences," you pointed out, raising an eyebrow at him. "We elect judges to interpret and apply laws, not make them. If they start writing laws too, we'll be violating the separation of powers between the legislative and judicial branches. That's what keeps our entire system from crumbling."

Minho rested his chin on his hand, tapping his cheek thoughtfully with his index finger. "Aren’t legislators prone to biases too? Your point doesn’t stand then," he challenged, tilting his head to the side, "and judges can participate without going overboard. They can provide input on proposed laws without actually drafting them. That way, we ensure that the laws are crafted with a clear understanding of how they'll be put into practice." 

"If your main concern is to ensure that the laws are impartial, we have people who work as consulting experts whose job is exactly that," you flashed him an innocent smile, firing back. "Also, wouldn’t these overstepping branches put the judges in a position to be perceived in a bad light? Is that what you want?"

Before Minho could respond, Mr. Kim intervened, putting an end to your debate, "Let's save this energy for your essays and see who can convince me more."

You gave a quick nod, swiveling in your seat without a backward glance. However, you could sense Minho’s gaze penetrating through your back- as if he was trying to read your most intimate thoughts. 

That was the first thing you noticed about Minho when he walked over to you. His eyes were brown, not a special color by any means. But they held a certain depth to them that seemed to draw you in like a black hole. You weren't sure what you would find on the other side, nor did you have any desire to find out.

He outstretched his hands towards you, stopping you in your tracks. "Minho," he introduced and your hand met his in a firm grip. The second thing you noticed about him was the coldness of his hand, as it wrapped tightly around your palm. 

Suddenly you were taken back to when you built a snowman for the first and last time. You were just seven and the ice was freezing, numbing your fingers as you worked. Your mother never told you that you should’ve worn mittens, or a thick jacket to fight off the cold when she saw you walking out of the house. The memory of your cold hands and the horrible illness that followed still left a bitter taste in your mouth, like an unripe fruit. With a jolt you dropped his hand, forcefully pulling yourself away from that memory. 

"Yn," you said back, and he smiled to himself, repeating your name slowly, each syllable dripping from his tongue.  

"We'll see who'll write the best essay, right?" he asked, clearly challenging you. There was a gleam of excitement in his eyes that reminded you of a child gazing up at cotton candy. 

That was the third thing you noticed about Minho; how expressive his eyes were. They moved with his every word, punctuating them. 

He was infuriating but also amusing. You've never had a clear competitor in your life. Or maybe you had, but you didn't notice them. You were always so reclined on yourself, trying to survive the day, you didn't pay enough attention to your surroundings.

"You want to compete with me?" You asked, and he smirked, leaning against the door, arms crossed in front of his chest. "What? Scared you’d lose?"

"Please." You rolled your eyes at his taunting, "Don’t come crying when I win."

"We’ll see about that!" He shouted after you as you walked ahead, leaving him behind.

This essay was insignificant. A simple way for your professor to assess your knowledge and work approach. And yet, you found yourself staying up all night to complete it. There was no way you were going to let Minho take this one thing from you.

Who were you if not the best in your studies? You were deathly afraid to find out. 

Later on that week, the professor handed you your grade back, 98%. You turned around to show Minho your mark, and so did he. You surpassed him, only by mere percents. "I told you so," you smiled cheekily and he pouted, holding a hand to his heart as if your grade wounded him.

"I'll beat you next time", he mouthed and you chuckled, "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

✹✹✹

The first time you studied with Minho was in a cat café near campus, called Limbo, about two weeks after your initial interaction. You stumbled upon it serendipitously while strolling through your university town. You couldn’t study at home, since you were easily distracted in there, and the eerie silence of libraries often left you unsettled.

Limbo, however, offered the perfect middle-ground: it was calm, not overly crowded, and the buzzing of the coffee machine blended harmoniously with the occasional mewls of cats, which helped you concentrate better. 

You were sitting in a secluded corner table at the café's back, a sleeping black cat comfortably nestled in your lap when you sensed a shadow loom over you. You glanced up quickly to find Minho. He was clad in a grey hoodie sporting a bunny holding up its middle finger. You had to bite your cheek to suppress a grin at his clothing attire.

"What are you doing here?" He asked. 

"You know for someone smart you sure ask stupid questions," you remarked, already looking down at the papers scattered in front of you.

He huffed, taking a seat at the table right next to yours, "I can’t believe that of all places you’ve found this café to study in."

"My apologies, am I disturbing you, your highness?" You asked sarcastically, and in retort, Minho mimicked your words in a high-pitched tone. You threw the pillow right next to you at his head, and Minho swiftly ducked, easily avoiding it. He chuckled loudly while you glared at his laughing figure. That was the end of your conversation that day. 

From that moment forward, it became a routine for the two of you to study at Limbo, every Saturday, without fault. You didn’t explicitly plan on it, but it seemed that both of you found it comforting to work there. And you could also tell that, unlike you, it wasn’t Minho’s first time coming to Limbo. He was friends with the owner, a sweet middle-aged man who offered you pastries whenever you stayed there until closing. The cats seemed to know him too, they mewled at his feet whenever he entered and he always greeted them with a soft smile on his face. 

You didn’t talk much in those unofficial study sessions, the both of you were consumed by your own work. But you’d steal quick glances at him every now and then, the sight of him so concentrated only fueled you to work harder.

Admittedly, your competition left you feeling anxious for days on end at first. Each time Minho came out on top, you’d found yourself losing your grip. Your studies have been the one anchor keeping you afloat your entire life, and now, Minho was ripping it carelessly away from you. So, you resented him- you were human after all.

But then, you realized that Minho’s taunting wasn’t malicious. He wasn’t competing with you to hurt you, he was doing it for amusement only.

You've slowly started to learn that despite his relentless teasing, Minho had a gentle aura surrounding him. Glimpses of which occasionally emerged like rays of sunshine piercing through a thick cloud cover.

True, he chuckled when you accidentally bumped your head on the table while retrieving a fallen pen. Yet, you also noticed how he began to cover the table's corners with his hand whenever you bent down. He swiftly retracted his hand, seemingly believing you didn't notice, but you did.

During class presentations, he deliberately prepared challenging questions for you, urging you to study twice as hard to ensure no stone was left unturned. Yet, whenever the professor praised your performance, Minho offered a subtle thumbs-up as a gesture of support. He winked at you each time he got the right answer and you didn’t. However, when he noticed you struggling with a particular subject, he scooted closer and patiently explained it to you. He got up before you could thank him, swatting his arm in the air as if he didn’t do anything of significance. 

To show your appreciation, you bought him a drink that day he helped you—a simple gesture that sparked an ongoing game of "win a bet, get free food". You bet on who would receive the first mark on an assignment or who would finish an essay first- anything to further deepen the competition between you.

That's how you came to know that he loved puddings, among other things.

Curiously, as the months went by, your mind began to retain these little details about him. How his eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings when he blinked repeatedly during your conversations. How he glanced at the ceiling when lost in deep thought as if he was waiting for the answers to descend from the sky. Or how his lips take on the shape of an "o" while thinking of his response during one of your many debates. But you supposed that it was natural to take notice of such things when you spend countless Saturday afternoons with the same person.

You were still studying for someone else, in the sense that each time you stayed up working, it was solely to prove your worth to Minho. But at least unlike your mother, Minho's words never haunted you at night.

✹✹✹

Just like that, four months have gone by since you joined your university as a law major. It was nearing finals week and you were preparing it at Limbo. Minho was naturally present too, at his usual table right next to yours.

On the last weekend before the beginning of your finals, you were head-deep into your Criminal Law documents when Minho abruptly got up from his seat and settled in the chair in front of you.

"Yn," he whispers and you glance at him, "What?" 

"I have an idea."

"Keep it to yourself," you grin sarcastically, only for him to pick up your spoon and move it around in a threatening manner.

"Are you trying to scare me with a spoon?" you chuckle in disbelief.

 "Anything can be a weapon if you use enough force."

"Okay… that was creepy. What do you want?"

"The end of the first term is coming up. So, to celebrate our little rivalry-"

"It's not a rivalry if I’m always winning," you cut him off.

"Yeah, that’s why I have a fridge full of pudding."

"But-"

"Anyways, how about the top of the class takes the other out for dinner? A fancy one." He suggests, his gaze fixed on you.

"No, thank you. I already see you enough in classes."

"Didn’t think you wouldn’t up for a bet. Guess I was wrong," he remarks, a cheeky smile drawn on his lips. He knows you couldn’t possibly say no now.  

"Fine," you roll your eyes at his proud expression. "Prepare your wallet." 

"Mm, sure," he responds, before rising from his seat once more.

That day, you both lost track of time as you studied in Limbo until it closed down. When you finally stepped outside, stretching your tired limbs, you were met with the sight of falling snowflakes.

"Nooo, go away. I don't want to watch the first snow with you," Minho whines, referring to the superstition that watching the first snowfall with someone could spark love between the two of you. 

"As if I could ever love you," you laugh at the ridiculous idea, "that’d just be signing a death warrant."

You resume walking towards your apartment when suddenly something freezing and hard hits your back with enough force to make you stagger. Turning around slowly, you find Minho erupting in laughter, his body filled with uncontainable joy. He’s jumping and clapping excitedly, and for a fleeting moment, you can’t decide if your shock was from the impact or from how beautiful happiness looks on him. 

Snapping out of your daze, you swiftly retaliate by scooping up a handful of snow and hurling it at him. "Now you are cold too!" you shout, while he’s still laughing uncontrollably. 

Thus begins an impromptu snowball fight between the two of you. Unsurprisingly, you’re being competitive in this too, trying your best to strike each other before the other could recover. But Minho draws nearer to you, and in your desperation to win, you fall to the ground when he throws a snowball at your chest, gasping as if you’re in pain.

"Shit, did I hurt you?" Minho quickly kneels in front of you, concern evident in his voice. It surprises you for a moment- how worried he seems at the prospect of causing you pain.

But you shake that thought off and push him down to the ground, a proud smile on your face. In his fall, Minho instinctively reaches for you to steady himself, which ends up with you landing on top of him. Your faces are mere inches apart, and a soft gasp escapes your mouth at your sudden proximity.

Minho has a mole on his nose. You’ve never noticed that before. 

You quickly push yourself off of him, not enjoying being this close to somebody. "Why did you drag me down with you?" you grumble, shaking off the snow from your hair.

"Play stupid games, win stupid prizes," he cheekily stuck out his tongue, and you respond with the same childlike gesture before the both of you burst into loud laughter. The sound reverberates through your entire being, and it echoes in your mind long after the two of you go your separate ways.  

As you lay in bed that night, ready to drift off to sleep, a quiet realization dawns on you. This was the first time you've touched snow in since your childhood incident.

That unpleasant memory didn't cross your mind once. Instead, all you thought about was Minho’s infectious laughter, and the surprising warmth it stirred within you.

✹✹✹

You came first in your grade this semester.

True to his words, Minho texted you the name of the restaurant where you’d both meet to celebrate your win. As you got ready for your outing, you couldn’t help the nerves creeping up on you. Studying in silence next to Minho was something, going to a friendly dinner with him was another. You feared it would be too awkward and Minho would regret ever proposing such a thing.

So, as you sit in the refined BBQ restaurant waiting for him, you fidget with your hands, counting down to three in your head in an attempt to steady your breathing.

You were clearly not accustomed to existing with Minho outside of the confines of your studies.

"Did you wait long?" Minho asks as he finally pulls the chair in front of you and you shake your head no.

"Are you nervous?" he chuckles at your lack of words, and you frown, suddenly feeling defensive. "Why would I be nervous? This isn't a date."

"Who said anything about a date?" he smirks and you grab your fork threateningly, pointing it at him, "Don't say anything stupid or I will walk out."

"And stand me up on our first date? That's too mean.” He pouts, a hand on his heart and you can’t help but giggle at his antics. You were ridiculous for being nervous. This was Minho, the one person you’ve talked to the most since the start of this year. 

"What will you have?" he asks and you smile mischievously.

 "Most expensive thing on the menu."

"So you are only here for the food." 

"Well, it's certainly not for your company," you wink and he chuckles, his bunny teeth on full display. 

"And here I thought we were going to be civil with each other."

"When are we ever not?" you gasp dramatically and Minho swats your hand with the menu. "Just order whatever," you finally answer," I trust your food judgment."

"I could poison you, you know?" He smiles proudly and you roll your eyes at him, "Can’t you be normal, for once?"

Minho calls over the waiter and places your orders. The food is quick to arrive and Minho starts to grill up the meat, while you cut the Kimchi into smaller pieces. 

"Here," he puts the perfectly cooked rib onto your plate first and you smile at him, "Thank you."

"Eat up, don’t wait for me," he tells you and you nod, tasting the flavorful meat.

"Wow this is really good," you compliment and he smirks proudly at your words, "I know."

Minho places four other ribs for you, without eating one himself. You start to feel bad, so you grab his chopsticks, pick up the meat, and move it toward his mouth, "Open up."

"What?" He asks confused and you wave the food in front of his face, "Come on, you haven’t eaten anything."

Minho parts his lips slowly, and you feed the tender meat to him, before eating one yourself. You notice how his cheeks are slightly tinted pink now, and you account it to the intense heat of the grill.

"Oh, let's not talk about studies, my brain can't take another debate with you," you tell Minho in between bites and he grins at you, a gleam of excitement in his eyes. "If you were to dispose of a body, how would you do it?"

"I think our next celebration will be in an asylum." you smile too sweetly at him and he stares at you pointedly, "Please, I know you've already thought about it."

"Fine. Probably in a deserted land. What about you?"

"I'd cut their bodies and then bury each part in a different forest. In a different city."

His answer came too quickly, and you pause in your tracks, "Should I be worried?"

"You are too cute to kill." His tone is sarcastic and you make a show of gushing at his compliment, clasping both of your hands in front of your heart, "Growing soft on me, Minho?" 

"Yeah, I’m basically sooo in love with you," he replies with a smirk and you roll your eyes at him, an amused smile tugging at the corners of your mouth.

"What's your favorite color?" you finally ask, changing the subject.

"Purple."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"You'll buy me purple flowers?" He coos at you and you shake your head as you grab the utensil from his hand, to grill the meat your turn. 

"No. I'll paint your tombstone purple," you grin and he laughs loudly, eyes squinted close, and you can't find it in you to care that the people next to you are staring. 

"What's yours?" he asks when he calms down and you shrug, "Navy blue, I think."

"You do remind me of navy blue."

"And why is that?"

"When you look at it, at first glance, it looks like black. But the more you stare at it, the more layers you uncover. Just like you. There’s more to you than what meets the eye."

You grab your glass of water, gulping it down to hide the way your eyes just glossed over. You suddenly felt bare in front of Minho. How did he know?

You clear your throat, racking your brain for a way to move on from that question. "If you were to describe colors to a blind person, how would you do it?"

"Mm," he looks up at the ceiling as he mulls over your question, "I’d say that yellow is the feeling of eating ice cream on a sunny day, in an amusement park. Your fingers are sticky but your cheeks ache from how much you smiled that day."

"Yellow is carefree and happy."

"Exact. Now your turn, red."

"I’d say that... Red is the thrill that rushes through your veins when you do something you are passionate about, you know? It’s what makes our blood boil and our heart race. The very essence of our humanity."

Minho smiles softly at your words, seemingly agreeing with your description. "Don’t you think it would be easier if we simply asked, what color are you feeling today, instead of a 'How are you'?" He questions and you tilt your head to the side, "What do you mean?"

"Well, you could say, I feel like that moss green that no one seems to pay attention to. Or, I feel bright yellow as if the world's energy is stored inside me."

"And right now, how do you feel?"

"I feel orange, not the ugly orange." He precises and you chuckle, "the orange that paints the sky when the sun is about to dip into the ocean."

"A bittersweet orange, an ending that instantly strings along a new beginning. And you don't have time to rest."

Minho places his chin on his palm, eyeing you curiously, "Is that what you want? To rest?"

"Yeah." You admit quietly, "Don't you sometimes wish that the world would just stop, for a few seconds? Just like in a song, right before the beat drops. That silence, I wish I could live inside of it."

"I do too."

You both hold each other’s gaze for a while after that. You felt as if he was keeping you captive with his brown eyes, and he was slowly peeling each of your layers, in silence, as you were peeling his. For the first time, you think that you and he are similar, more than on a studies level. There was a part of his soul that understood yours perfectly. And it felt good, to be understood, for once.

"If you lived in this silence, what would you be doing?" he asks, breaking the serene quiet that surrounded you.

"I’d open a café that had books. And there'd be a little space, where people could paint. Or do pottery. And I’d have cats in there too." You reply excitedly, hands moving around in the air, you end up missing the way Minho gazes fondly at you before his smile morphs into a smirk.

"Please tell me you won't be cooking."

"Shut up. What about you?"

"I’d be a dancer."

"You dance?!" you whisper-shout and he frowns at the surprised look on your face. 

"Yeah. Why are you looking at me like this?"

"I just never expected it. Can I-"

"No." he cuts you off immediately and you pout. 

"I didn't even finish."

"I knew what you were going to say."

"Please, I won't make a sound I’d just watch. Pinky promise.” He grabs your now outstretched pinky with the tip of his index and thumb, lowering it down. 

"I’d only grant you this wish when you’re on your deathbed."

"Bold of you to assume you'd still be around."

"Death might be around the corner."

"Stop it."

"Close your door tonight."

"You are deranged."

Minho chuckles at the crestfallen look on your face, "I’ll think about it."

Just like that, three hours of talking have gone by, the conversation flowing easily between the two of you. And when you finally leave the restaurant, Minho grabs you a cab and you wave him off with a smile. You couldn't lie to yourself, you had a really good time with him. You liked to think that Minho was no longer just a rival, but a possible friend.

But now that you were laying in your bed, you couldn’t help but curse Minho in your brain. His repetitive talk about murder made you paranoid, and now every creak in your apartment made you feel as if death was really right around the corner. 

You decide to text him, figuring that if you couldn’t sleep because of him, you could at least disturb him for a bit. 

Yn : I hate you I'm paranoid from your murder talk

Minho : Poor baby

Yn : Is that you at my door?

Suddenly your phone rings, the shrill sound echoing around your apartment. It was a Facetime call from Minho. You panic for a few seconds, before remembering that you just spent your entire night with him. A call can’t be more daunting than a real-life meeting. 

"See, I’m in my home," he tells you as soon as you pick up and you laugh.

"It's pitch black, I can't see."

"Just say you miss my face." You can’t see him but you can clearly hear the proud grin in his voice. 

"What's there to miss?"

"Are you actually scared?" Minho asks gently and you clear your throat, feeling ridiculous all of the sudden. 

"There is a tree right outside my window and it keeps rustling from the wind," you grumble and Minho laughs at you. 

"Trees can't hurt you."

"No shit Sherlock."

"Close your eyes.” He instructs and you frown at his words. 

"Why?"

"I’ll tell you a story."

"Fine.” You close your eyes tentatively. It’s quiet for a few seconds and you feel yourself relax slightly. 

"So, I bought a sous-vide machine and-"

"Is your bedtime story going to be about meat?"

"Yes?” He replies as if it’s an evidence, “Now be quiet." You pretend to zip your mouth and Minho faintly giggles, before resuming his story. "So, I was saying. I bought one and I wanted to experience different kinds of meats. So, I bought a 30-day aged one and a 58-day aged one and I cooked them both."

"What did you use?" you ask quietly. 

"Just garlic, and thyme, I didn't want to overpower the taste of meat. Anyways I cooked them, but I didn't have plastic bags so I had to go out and buy them."

"Mm," you hum in acknowledgment. You could feel your nerves slowly dissipate with Minho's every word. His story might be ridiculous but his honey-coated voice compensated for it, wrapping around you like a protective cocoon. 

"And I found pudding there so I had to buy it."

"Obviously," you whisper. Sleep was knocking on your door, but paradoxically you tried to fight it off. You wanted to hear the rest of Minho’s story. 

"And I went back home and I cooked it, then I plated it nicely with vegetables that I sauteed with butter and garlic. Just mushrooms and potatoes, nothing too fancy. Again, my main focus was the meat. But there wasn't a difference between the two. They tasted the same for me, for some reason. And I didn't like this because the aged one was very expensive. Maybe I was scammed. Honestly, that butcher looked kind of suspicio..."

Your quiet snores make Minho pause in his tracks, and he laughs quietly. You did end up falling asleep. He can't see your face clearly, but he can see its outline and he stares at you for a while. You look peaceful.

He goes to hang up but his finger hovers over the 'end call' button. You aren't talking, but your hums are quiet enough that they fill up the space around him. It calms him down, and he lets his head fall on the pillow, his phone lying beside him.

He closes his eyes, thinking that maybe he just found the silence you talked about earlier on. 

You just made his world stop.

✹✹✹

The second semester had just started and with it the return of frat parties. You were excited at the prospect of going to one with your new friend Mina. You met her in the library when you both went to grab the same book. You quickly apologized but she waved you off, handing you the book with a huge smile on her face. She was bubbly, like a human serotonin boost, and she started gushing about how much she loved the author. You saw her again in the campus cafeteria, and she skipped towards you as if you've both known each other your entire life. That was the start of your friendship.

You walk into the frat house, both your arms encircling each other. The flashing lights of the party blind you for a moment, and it takes you a while to adjust to the loud music bouncing off of the walls. But you like it, it was like a shield from the outside world and its problems. 

You feel yourself letting loose in the crowd, swaying your hips to the music. Mina spins you around and you laugh, dancing with no care in the world. It was just the both of you in that instant. 

Mina spots Jeongin in the crowd, a friend of hers that she had an immense crush on. You couldn’t blame her- he was very attractive; his easy smirk and his blonde tousled hair earned him lots of appreciative looks from the people around him. But when his eyes locked with Mina’s, you found that his face morphed into a beautiful smile, that made his dimples look on full display, as if it was only reserved for her.

“Go get your man!” You shout in her ears, so she’d be able to hear you. 

“What are you talking about?” She yells back, but you could see the nervous smile on her face.

“He likes you! Go talk to him!”

“I don’t want to leave you alone. We came together!” She clasps your hand in hers and you smile touched by her kind spirit.

“I’ll be fine. I’ll go to the kitchen to get some drinks. Go have fun!”

“You are sure?” She asks, her eyes darting between you and Jeongin, who was still looking at her, and her only. 

“Yes! Go!” You say, gently pushing her away. Mina jogs up to Jeongin who greets her with a side hug. He quickly glances at you and you shoot him a thumbs-up, to which he grins. You loved playing Cupid.

With that, you decide to head to the kitchen to grab a drink. You pick a beer from the fridge, double-checking if the can is closed before opening it. 

You lean on the countertop, sipping on your drink while you watch the crowd, humming along each time a song you knew played. You enjoyed watching people dance freely from afar, with no apparent care in the world.

You feel someone stand next to you and you brace yourself, getting ready to tell the person off if they decide to bother you. You didn’t have the energy for mindless flirting. But then, you smell the cologne that has lingered around you for the past term- Minho. You haven't seen him since your dinner. That was a month ago.

"Fancy seeing you here," he greets as he leans on the counter right next to you, his eyes fixated on the mingling bodies.

You turn around to face him, faking an outraged gasp, "Are you following me?"

"Mmm. You look nice", he compliments and you smile cheekily, "I know."

"Won't tell me I look nice too?" he smirks, leaning closer to your face. "Someone didn’t get enough compliments tonight?" You pout, placing a hand on your heart in mock concern.

"I did, but I want to hear it from you. You’re the only sensible person in this room."

"You look nice. Now leave me alone."

"Come on, I know you can do better than that", he jokes and you roll your eyes, muttering “You’re annoying”, under your breath.

Still, you comply, placing your arms on top of the counter and leaning your head on them to get a better look at him. He does the same, smiling, and you both stare at each other for a while after that.

The strobing lights dance on Minho’s face, casting enticing shadows on him. You've always known he was a beautiful man; you've looked into his eyes far too many times in your heated conversations. But this time was different, there was no cheeky smirk on his face nor a furrow in his eyebrows. He was simply looking at you, and it made a pool of warmth huddle in your belly. You feel yourself relax under his gaze, everything around you seemingly melts away.

You weren’t wrong when you thought that his eyes were like a black hole, pulling you in. But this time, you realize that you didn’t mind knowing what was on the other side. On the contrary, you longed for it. 

"I like your eyes right now. They remind me of the night sky. Black, with tiny little stars littered in them," you finally say.

Minho is taken aback by your words, he wasn't expecting you to compliment him, let alone to tell him something so special. He can feel his cheeks burn red at your words, feel his heart hammering in his chest. He's afraid you can hear it too.

He doesn't know what to say, so instead he clears his throat, plastering a smirk on his face, "I heard better." He hasn't. This is the first genuine compliment he's ever gotten.

"Oh, fuck off," you laugh and he joins you. The music was loud and yet the only sound his ear seemed to pick up was your laugh.

"Are you here alone?" He asks, and you shake your head no, "Came with my friend Mina."

"Did she leave you by yourself?" He frowns and you feel yourself warm up at his worried tone. "I told her to go talk to Jeongin."

"Next time, don’t stay alone."

“Fine, Dad.” You chastise and he stares pointedly at you, "I’m serious, yn."

You take another swing of the beer before turning your body fully towards Minho. After a few beats of silence, you finally ask a question that has been on your mind for a while. "Why do you say my name this way?"

"What way?" He questions and you shrug, "Slowly. People used to always rush it but you don’t."

"Well, it’s a pretty name. It deserves to be pronounced as a whole."

You beam at his words; you smile so brightly it makes his heart skip a beat. This is the first time you’ve grinned this widely at him, no hand in front of your mouth as if to hide it. He did notice how you were a reserved person outside of class, as if you were afraid of taking up too much place. But he could tell you were slowly unraveling, growing bolder with each passing month. He wanted to tell you that if people like you spoke more, the world would be a far better place. 

But he couldn't bring himself to say all of this, so he forced those bubbling words down his throat. "I’m hungry," he whines instead and you laugh at his pout. "I'm kind of craving a greasy pizza."

"Should we go buy it? You can tell Mina to come so we can walk her back."

"I’ll ask her."

You shoot Mina a text, asking her where she was and telling her about your plan. She replies that she’s with Jeongin who just offered to take her home, so you could leave without her.

"We can go." You tell him and he nods. Minho shrugs his leather jacket off, gently placing it on your shoulders. His warmth engulfs you and you sink further into it. His arm hovers around your shoulder not touching you as he leads you out of the party. He has never touched your body, you note, it's like he was everywhere and nowhere at once.

You both walk to an open parlor near the frat house, and you order a Margarita pizza to share. You sit down on a nearby bench to eat it- the night breeze too liberating to pass up on.

As you both finish eating, a cat with white and orange stripes all over her body approaches the both of you cautiously, and you pat her head softly. "Aren't you the cutest thing ever?" you coo and Minho chuckles as he scratches the cat’s chin. She purrs at his touch appreciatively, and you smile at the soft look on his face. 

"Never knew you to be this gentle", you giggle and Minho shushes you, "Let's not do this in front of the cat."

"Why are you acting as if we are a divorced couple and she’s our child."

"Easy, yn. You make it sound as if you want me to marry you."

"Now you're just projecting," you chastise and he laughs, eliciting giggles from you. He had a melodic laugh, you noticed, and you always felt a surge of pride whenever you made him close his eyes and tip his head from laughter. You felt as if it's a sight only you can see.

"I have three cats", he says softly and you gasp, "Really? We spent all of our Sundays in a cat café and this is when you tell me?"

"I only tell my friends."

"So we're friends now?" You gush and he rolls his eyes at you, "I take it back."

"What’s their names?" You ask curiously and his eyes soften at your question- you could easily tell he loved them dearly.

"Soongie, Doongie, and Dori. They are rescues."

"That’s very sweet of you Minho."

"Most of my scars come from them though," he chuckles but you sober up at his words, quietly scratching the cat's ears.

"What’s on your mind?" He asks and you glance at him. It was scary how well he’s starting to know you. But it was also nice; to be known is to exist, after all.

"I just... Sometimes I wish that memories would leave physical scars on you. Because at least then, you could treat them, put a band-aid on, and watch them fade away day by day. Because when the scars are emotional, you can’t treat them, you know? And someday someone brings up a name or a place, or you smell a certain scent, and suddenly they reopen as if no time has gone by at all.”

Minho stays silent for a while, mulling over your words. You don't mind, you weren't expecting him to comfort you. You just needed to free those words from the mental prison you've held them in for so long.

"Do you know Kintsugi?" he finally asks and you shake your head no.

"It's a Japanese art. They put back together broken vases with molten gold. It represents strength despite our flaws."

"That sounds nice," you sigh wistfully and he nods. 

"It is. When you look at that vase, you know that it was once broken, but it doesn't take away from its beauty, on the contrary, it adds to it. Scars, whether they are emotional or physical are there for a reason. They remind us of how we pushed through whatever life threw at us."

"Am I supposed to be grateful I survived this?" You chuckle lowly, as your hand scratches the cat’s ear. Your fingers brush against Minho’s and you hesitate for a few seconds before moving them away.

"I wouldn't say grateful for what you went through," he speaks once again, "but grateful to yourself. At the end of the day, the reason why you're still here is you. You put yourself back together," he then bumps his elbow into your side softly, "and hey, even if your scars reopen there will come a time when they wouldn’t anymore. Sometimes, it takes a while to be okay again."

This was Minho’s way of telling you that someday it wouldn’t hurt anymore. That someday you’d be okay. And you needed to hear that. You needed to hear someone else other than yourself tell you that.

"Thank you, Minho, I needed that", you smile at him and he grins back at you before his smile turns to a smirk. "I charge 15 dollars for the hour by the way."

"Oh, come on! You didn't even say something revolutionary." You are lying. Minho's words will echo in your mind long after this night- a beacon of light to hold onto.

"Oh, so now it’s no longer ‘I needed that’. Tsk," he jokes a smirk still plastered on his face.

"Okay, Mr. Therapist. I’ll pay for your coffee tomorrow, sounds good?"

"I should have you as my client more often," he winks and you laugh, head tipped back. You were grateful more than ever for his teasing, loving how it wasn’t awkward between you after your discussion.

"You are a good listener." You tell him as you stand up, dusting your pants.

"I’m good at everything," he grins cheekily at you and you roll your eyes playfully, "And here I thought we were having a moment."

You both start walking side by side toward your home when Minho speaks again. His tone is quiet as if he wasn’t sure he wanted you to hear him. "About earlier, your compliment, I mean. I suppose I didn't thank you. So, thank you," he scratches the tip of his ears and you shrug nonchalantly. "It's the truth. You might get on my ass but that doesn't change the fact you are a pretty man."

He doesn’t respond and you tug at the sleeve of his shirt playfully, "You won't tell me I’m pretty too?"

"But then I’d be lying."

"Asshole."

"Pretty," he replies without missing a beat.

You laugh loudly, hand tightly clutching your stomach and he joins you. There is a newfound lightness in your steps now. Unbeknownst to him, Minho just managed to lift a small weight off your shoulders, allowing you a brief moment of respite.

"This is me," you say when you arrive in front of your apartment block, "Thank you for walking me home."

"Of course. Don't dream of me."

"Idiot," you laugh waving him off and he does the same. "Oh, and text me when you get home safely!" you shout before heading inside.

For the second time this night, Minho is blushing profusely at your words. He sighs to himself, waiting patiently until a light turns on in your place to leave.

✹✹✹

It’s been two months since the start of the new term. You still went to Limbo, every Saturday with Minho- even when you didn’t need to study. 

Sometimes you’d just grab a book and you’d both read, a cat lazily lounging at your feet. You started sitting at the same table too; you figured it was easier since one of you always pays for the other. When you have a bet, but also randomly, when you notice that the other person is feeling down and you want to cheer them up without saying anything.

That's why you bought three bubble teas for Minho in a row. He was quieter these days, you noticed. He didn’t talk to you nor did he retort back in class. It was the first time you’ve seen him this way. As if he was a simple shell of the person he usually is. 

You were walking out of your Communications Strategies class, which Minho weirdly didn’t come to when you realized that it was pouring rain. You smile lightly to yourself, grateful since you thought about picking up an umbrella this morning. 

As you walk through campus, everyone around you running to take shelter, you spot someone sitting on a bench, completely drenched from the rain. Their head is hung low and you frown to yourself. They would surely get a cold if they stay there.

But then the person raises their head and you quickly realize it's Minho. You jog up to him instinctively, standing in front of him and shielding him from the rain with your umbrella.

He looks up at you and you feel your heart clench. His eyes are void of emotion and he stares blankly at you. "Are you okay?" you ask and he blinks at your words, as if his brain hadn't yet registered that you were there.

"Yeah."

"You don't look like it", you tilt your head to the side and he looks down again. You have to strain to hear his next words, muffled by the rain and his mumbling, "I don't want to talk, yn."

You decide to put away your umbrella and sit down next to him on the bench. The rain falls rapidly on both of you, and you feel yourself grow cold from it. 

"What are you doing?" He questions, turning to the side to look at you.

"Enjoying the rain. It is kind of stupid that we have umbrellas, right?"

"You'll catch a cold."

"I mean we always complain about the drought and then when it rains, we hide from it. But it's really beautiful."          

"Stop, I don't want you to get sick."

"Well, neither do I. Let's go eat some soup. My treat."

"Yn, I don’t-"

"I thought you were smart enough to know I won't take no for an answer."

"But I-" you cut him off again. "Also, I’m doing this for me because when you order for two, they give you a lot of side dishes. Now come on."

You stand up and he looks doubtfully at you, before following suit. You open up the umbrella again and hold it over both of your heads. He has to huddle close to you, and your shoulders brush against each other. Once, twice. Not that you're keeping count. But your body is always hyper-aware of Minho’s proximity. You also notice how he silently moves from your right to your left, this way he's the one walking right next to the speeding cars. Your hold on the umbrella tightens. You were still not used to those small attentions of his. 

You arrive in front of your apartment block and he hesitates. "Come up, I won't murder you I promise." You joke and he smiles lightly back at your words. Progress.

He enters your dorm and you can see him eying his surroundings. You know that if it was another time, he would have teased you about something- anything. But he stays quiet, and you find yourself missing the sound of his voice.

"Would you like to shower?" You offer and he nods, "Please."

You lead him to your bathroom and show him where the washing machine is. "Put your clothes in there for a quick wash and dry. You can shower meanwhile."

He nods again as you hand him a towel. "I'll be outside."

You quickly leave the bathroom to place the soup orders, and Minho discards his wet clothes, walking into your shower. The water is piping hot, and he leans his forehead on the cold tiles. He doesn’t move for the first ten minutes, too tired at the prospect of lifting his limbs.

Nothing particular happened. But he’d go through days when he’d quiet down because everything around him was too much. The feel of his clothes against his skin, and the sun streaming through his curtains. But it always passes. Minho was a realistic man and he knew that his emotions would regulate themselves. That’s why he didn’t like appearing vulnerable in front of other people.

But for some reason, he didn’t mind lowering his guard with you. He knew you wouldn’t judge.

He sighs, grabbing your cherry-scented shampoo and pouring it into his hands. He can clearly smell you now. The scent of your hair that always tickles his nose, whenever you are sitting close to him. Your body wash is next and he wonders if this is how your skin smells, like vanilla and jasmine, and something entirely you. 

Forty minutes later, Minho finally steps out of the shower. His clothes are clean and he quickly puts them on. He dries his hair with the towel as he walks out of your bathroom towards the living room. 

He finds you sitting on the ground, in front of a heater that looks close to giving up. He makes a mental note of giving you the one he has since he doesn't really use it. You changed out of your clothes too, and you are now wearing a pair of pajamas with little bunnies sewn into it. The sight almost manages to make him smile. 

"Still cold?" you question when you notice him standing behind you, unmoving, and he shakes his head no.

"Good, the soup is here." You say cheerfully, pointing at the steaming bowls sitting on your table. Minho hums in reply and you stand up, grabbing the towel from his hands to place it on the drying rack.

You come back, a soft green blanket in your hands. You sit on the couch and pat the spot beside you. Minho sits next to you, and you lay the blanket on both of your laps, before handing him his soup.

You start the show you’ve been last watching, as you both eat in silence, your legs crisscrossed. You make some comments throughout the episodes. You figured that it was a safe territory, to talk about something as mundane as this. He didn't reply but you didn't mind. You weren't here to have a conversation with him. You just wanted to distract him.

You realize at that moment that Minho always looked so put together to you. But he had problems of his own too. That much was obvious. It made you feel closer to him, in a sense. You were both just trying to make it through the day.

Two hours later, you get up to grab a book, handing Minho the remote to put on a show of his own. You curl in a ball in the corner, reading where you left off last night.

"Can you... Can you read out loud?" Minho speaks for the first time in a while and you look at him. His eyes are closed, his head resting against your couch.

"Sure."

You start to read, and Minho further sinks into the couch. He feels at home here. Because the blanket is soft and the light is dim enough to not hurt his eyes. Or it could be that he smells like you, a scent so comforting he wants to bury himself in it. Or maybe it's your voice that floats through the air, slowly clouding Minho’s every sense. He feels as if he could see the words you were pronouncing dancing in front of his eyes. You enunciated each syllable clearly, making sure that no sound was forgotten.

As Minho gently drifted to sleep, he felt as if he was part of the words you read out loud. He felt as if you were treating him with the same care, making sure that he knew he wasn't invisible. At least not to you.

When you wake up the next morning, Minho is gone. And his place beside you on the couch is empty. He made you breakfast, scrambled eggs, and freshly pressed orange juice. And right next to it you find a note, "Thank you for reading to me."

✹✹✹

Minho didn't believe in having a lot of friends. He was content with the two people he had, Chan and Changbin. The latter was his high school friend, he skipped a year and ended up being in the same class as Minho. They didn't talk at first until the day Changbin dropped a book on Minho's foot. The brooding man started apologizing profusely, and that was the start of their friendship. They've kept in touch since.

Chan was his roommate at university. It's not that he particularly wanted to befriend him, but Chan was a social butterfly and he quickly managed to pull Minho into his friendly trap. He annoys Minho the most, but in an endearing way. And although Chan is older, Minho still strangely developed a soft spot for him. 

And he supposes he has you too now. At first, you weren’t friends, rivals at most. He enjoyed reeling you up and having you frown at his words in your heated debates. He also liked talking to you, because your ideas were interesting and you always gave him a new fresh perceptive to see things.

That’s how he strictly saw you as, an intelligent human who he liked to debate with.

But then he started to look forward to meeting up with you at Limbo. He no longer minded the fact that you took his self-assigned table, from his high school days. And he laughed more freely with you, enjoying how you always had a witty retort sitting at the tip of your tongue. 

That’s how he started to notice things that friends most definitely notice. How you have a charm bracelet you always fidget with whenever you are nervous. How you stray away from physical touch. How you scratch your eyebrow when you are deep in thought.

But also, how you seem to have an obsession with cherries. Your cherry pendant, your cherry-scented shampoo, and your cherry-tainted lips. A friend would most certainly think that your lips are like red wine-stained glass.

He remembers one of the many times when you were at Limbo, and he saw you reapply your lip tint, or so you called it. You caught him looking and he swiftly averted his gaze, but it wasn't quick enough. Suddenly you were in front of him, a tiny red bottle in hand.

"Let me apply it to you," you smiled and he pushed your head away with his pointer finger. "No."

"Please," you pouted and he couldn't help but find you adorable. You sometimes reminded him of a small kitten. But he didn’t dare to call you by that nickname. 

"Never."

"If I score more than you in our environmental assignment then I will do it."

"Fine." he huffed so that you'd leave him alone.

Minho didn't study for that assignment. He blamed it on a headache, not that it's ever stopped him before. And two weeks later you were in front of him, eyebrows scrunched in concentration. You applied the lip tint gently on his plump lips, carefully tracing over his cupid bow. 

Your face was mere inches away from his and he noticed how you were wearing a gloss today, for change. It was shimmering under the lights and he usually didn't like glittery things, but he couldn't take his eyes off your lips. 

"All done!" you clapped excitedly, snapping him out of his haze. You then shove your phone camera into his face so he'd look at the results.

"You should be a model. Your face is perfectly sculpted," you comment nonchalantly, before sitting back in your seat. 

“I know.” He replies confidently, but his hand kept fiddling with the tip of his now pink ears. He couldn't concentrate for the rest of the night.

You were his friend because he always worried if you were eating enough. That’s why he urged you to grab a bite in the convenience store near Limbo, whenever you finished up your studying late.

This was one of the many times you sat on the minuscule table outside, hot ramen bowls in front of the both of you. Minho huffed in annoyance between each bite, his bangs were getting longer, disturbing him when he leaned down to slurp his noodles. 

“Here,” you stand up from your place, a hair tie in your hands. 

“What are you doing?” He questions as you stand behind him. You don’t reply, silently grabbing his hair and putting it up in a tiny ponytail, this way it wouldn’t get in his eyes anymore.

“Voila,” you sit back down, resuming your eating. Minho was grateful for the dimly lit street because his entire face was burning up. Your fingers in his hair were gentle and he wondered how it would feel if you ran your fingers through it. 

This was something friends think about, right? 

"I’ll cut my hair tomorrow," he clears his throat. He didn't know why he told you. You certainly weren't interested in his hair endeavors.

"What?!" you yell, "Don't. Your hair is beautiful why would you cut it?"

"Because it's getting longer."

"But it suits you."

Minho also noticed how you always threw compliments his way. Not in a flirtatious way, but in a genuine one. He couldn't help but wonder what made you this way. Did you so freely give love to others because you knew how it felt to not receive it?

"I’ll still cut it."

Minho returned home; his hair still clipped back in a ponytail. Chan eyed him weirdly but he shut him off with a glare. The elastic remained at his bedside since.

He didn't cut his hair.

The moment Minho started to consider you a close friend, was when you invited him over to watch your show. You didn’t force him to open up that night, and he appreciated it, more than he let on.

That's how a week later, he finds himself walking towards your dorm again. The thoughts in his head got too much, and Chan was immersed in his makeshift studio, which meant he won't be free for the next four hours, minimum.

He didn't plan on going to you. It was late at night and you were probably asleep, but his feet naturally led him to the direction of your place.

He knocks softly on your door. He wasn't even sure if he wanted you to open. What would you think of him showing up at eleven pm? He should have thought this thro-

"Minho?" you call out, and he startles a bit, his feet already inching away from the door.

"This was a bad idea, I'm sorry," he starts to retract back but you grab the hem of his jacket to stop him. "Do you... Do you want to watch my show with me?" you ask, a soft smile on your face and he nods tentatively.

"Okay, come in," you open the door wider and Minho follows you inside. The look in his eyes reminds you of the day you found him sitting under the rain. You didn't like it, you wanted him to find his spark back, his usual demeanor. He wasn't deserving of anything but happiness.

"I’ve started a new show, this one's a bit more romantic, so don't go around imagining me as the main character," you tease and he scoffs at your words, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

He doesn't reply, but you don't mind. There was this secret agreement between the two of you, you would talk and he would listen. He needed the distraction, and you needed the company. Sometimes the line between alone and lonely blurs, and on days like these, Minho’s presence fills the void inside.

You comment on the scenes and Minho hums in reply, you watch three episodes in a row, and your eyes are getting drowsy, so you close them.

"Minho," you call out gently and he turns his head towards you.

"Yeah?"

"What color are you feeling tonight?" You ask, referencing to what he told you on your dinner celebration. That felt like an eternity ago.

"Black." You stay silent and Minho fidgets with his hands before speaking once again. "I feel a lot at the same time, too much of every color. That's why- that's why I said black."

"How can I help you feel yellow?"

"You already do." His admission came softly and it made your breath hitch in your throat. You wanted to open your eyes and look at him, but you figured it will only make him close off even more.

“Okay. Will you stay for breakfast?”, you whisper. You were very sleepy, the soft chatter of the TV and your hushed conversation were like a lullaby to you. 

"You want me to?" he asks, and he sounds so vulnerable you can't find it in you to say anything but the truth.

"I do," you admit, and that's the last thing you remember before sleeping.

Your head falls near Minho’s lap on the couch, your hair tickling his exposed thigh. Minho shouldn’t feel this way, he thinks. He’s sitting on the leather couch and his feet are touching the cold floor and yet all he can feel is three strands of your hair tickling him.

He glances at you, at your now parted lips and your relaxed eyebrows. His hand hovers over your hair, but then he curls it into a tight fist. What is he doing? He thinks to himself as he drags an angry hand through his face. He sighs, before standing up and grabbing the blanket you had on the opposing chair. He gently lays it on your body before sitting next to you once again. 

You told him to stay for breakfast. He’ll stay.

✹✹✹

2 months later

"Yn!" Minho shouts in your ear as he plops down next to you. You startle, dropping the book you were reading. 

"I hate you," you grumble, picking up your book and he smiles cheekily at you, "No you don't."

You were laying on the grass of your campus garden, in between two classes, trying to kill the time. It was April so the weather was perfect for lying under the warm sunrays. You loved spring, it always held within it the promise of a better time. 

"What are you doing?"

"I was reading before you got here and started to annoy me." 

"Don't mind me. Do your thing." 

"And what are you doing?"

"Enjoying the sun."

"You couldn't find any other place to do so?"

"Nope."

"You're annoying" You try to sound mad but the smile on your face betrays you. You started looking forward to any moment Minho randomly shows up throughout your day. Sometimes it's late at night when he's suddenly craving sushi and he drags you with him because if he's not studying then you shouldn't be too. 

Sometimes it's during the day, when he takes you to a new garden where he found the quote "cutest cats in existence". Not as cute as his cats, of course. 

Sometimes it's late afternoon when he just knocks on your door, and he's there with Chan-his roommate who sometimes joins your study sessions- snacks in their hands. You've learned that what Minho doesn't say in words, he compensates by spending time with you. And you didn't tell him but waiting for these moments has been the joy of your life for the past few weeks.

It made you feel excited- like a child waiting up for Christmas morning to discover what gifts they are receiving. 

So, you resume reading, as Minho is lying next to you. You could smell his pinewood cologne and you wished you could pour his essence into a bottle and carry it with you everywhere. 

You notice how the sun is hitting Minho’s eyes directly, and how his eyebrows are scrunched up at the aggression. So, you grab your book with your left hand, and hover your right one over his eyes, shielding him from the sun. Minho's breath tickles your hand and you can feel goosebumps rising through your skin. 

It's as if every physical proximity with Minho made you feel hyperaware of every part of your body, and how he can lighten it with a simple breath from his part. It made you wonder what it would feel to have his hands on your skin.

As if Minho heard your thoughts, he gently wraps his thumb and index finger around your wrist, steadying your hand in place so it wouldn't strain your arm. You suddenly don't know what page you are in, too overwhelmed by the feeling of his hands on you. 

His touch is very featherlight and you are afraid to move, to break the bubble you are suddenly pulled into. 

"Read to me," he tells you and you gulp. You never understood why Minho enjoyed it when you read to him. 

"Like my voice that much?" you tease, in an attempt to hide how affected you are. You were so close to him; it would be easy to slide down and lay your head on his chest. You wondered how his heartbeat would sound. Was it steady, or racing just like your own? 

"Yeah, it's calming," he replies sincerely, catching you off guard. You didn't expect him to compliment you, and now you are racking your brain for a retort, anything to make you breathe again. 

"Growing soft on me Minho?" you say, the same question you asked on your first dinner out. The first time you truly saw him, the first time you felt as if you were two pieces of the same puzzle, just waiting for someone to connect the both of you. 

He doesn't reply. And you sit there, patiently waiting. His first answer came so easily, so naturally, because he was being sarcastic, "I’m basically in love with you", he told you back then. So why can't he say it again?

"Yes, I am." He finally replies and you feel your breath catch in your throat. You try to account it for your brain misguiding you. It wasn't Minho speaking, it was the rustling of the leaves and the singing of the birds that you just heard. But it was him, and now his eyes are open and he's looking at you. Your hand is still shielding his eyes and his fingers are still wrapped around your wrist. And you are suddenly feeling. You are feeling too much. You don't know what to do with those feelings cursing through your veins and you can't face them. Because they are scaring you.

"I'll just... Yeah, I’ll just read," you say quietly, too flustered by his intense gaze. You were already on the other side, you realize. His eyes pulled you in and you were stuck in there, swimming in a pool of honey. 

"Out loud," he says and you chuckle, "Fine, Min." The nickname slips out of your tongue naturally and you quickly snap your head towards Minho to see if he noticed. 

His eyes are closed, and there is a slight smile on his face, and you can swear that he just repeated the nickname to himself softly. 

✹✹✹

You've been so sick these past days, you barely managed to go to class. Your head throbbed with pain and your entire body felt as if someone thoroughly boxed it. 

You were grateful that Minho reeled down his teasing because you had no energy to retort back. He may have noticed how sick you felt and truthfully it would be hard not to. You stayed silent throughout the day, and you looked so pale, you avoided looking at the mirror altogether.

Though Minho didn't talk to you, he still silently placed water bottles and some of your favorite snacks on your desk. You'd down the water, grateful for the relief it brought your sore throat. And when you didn't touch the food, he'd immediately text you 'Eat up', followed by a simple 'Please'. Having someone else care for your well-being felt weird, but it warmed your heart beyond what words could describe. 

You only came today to pass your Criminal Law mid-term, but your head hurt so badly that you weren't even sure what you wrote on your paper. The words blurred in front of your eyes and you almost slept in the middle of your exam, exhaustion threatening to take over your body. 

You fucked up, badly. You haven't screwed up this much in years.

You thought that you were slowly getting better since Minho surpassing you no longer sparked an unworthy feeling within you. But apparently, you were wrong to believe so. Self-doubt crept up within you once again, and the ugly feelings it stirred slowly clawed at your throat, making it hard for you to breathe.

It was one test, and yet it reeled you back ages ago. 

Tears threaten to spill out of your eyes as you hurriedly walk out of your class. You make a beeline for the library, figuring that it will be mostly empty by now. 

You pull out a chair and sit on it, lowering your head down so no one will see you. Your tears are falling rapidly and you hit your thigh repeatedly.  You hated how weak you felt in that instant. 

"Yn?", someone calls out and you curse internally. You don't have to look up to see who it is, Minho's voice has become a part of you- you could easily recognize it between a thousand mingling sounds. 

You don't want him to see you, especially not like this, weak and vulnerable and on the verge of breaking down. So you quickly slip a pair of sunglasses on your eyes, before raising your head to look at him. "Hm?"

"Are you okay?" he asks, his tone so soft it makes you want to cry ten times fold. You hated it, hated how attentive he was to you. You didn't deserve it. 

"Yeah, yeah. I'm just here to pick a book," you lie, abruptly standing up and heading toward the rows behind you. You desperately needed to get away from him. 

You pause in front of a random shelf and then you feel Minho standing behind you. You grab a random book and he peeks above your shoulder to see it, "Economics? You hate this subject."

"Why are you following me?" you turn around attempting your best to sound mad. When in reality, your heart was brimming with hurt. You wished you could get away from your body and seep into someone's soul to feel what it's like to love yourself.

"You aren't okay," he asserts and you hate it. You hate that he sounds so sure of himself. Was it that noticeable? Were you not fooling anyone?

"I am," your voice is shaking but you are adamant about contradicting him. You couldn't let him see you. What if he runs?

"Then..." he steps forward and you take a step back until your back is against the shelf. His left arm cages your body, but his right one stays by his side. He is leaving you an opening, you realize, an outing in case you feel uncomfortable. Against all odds, you don't.

 "Why are you hiding from me?" he asks, gently taking your sunglasses off your face, and placing them on the top of your head.

You don't look up at him, and he hooks his finger underneath your chin, gently raising your head. When your tear-stained eyes meet his, he frowns deeply, "Why are you crying?"

"it's nothing."

"Yn..."

"I fucked up, okay?! That was the worst test I’ve ever given in years." The tears start to flow at your words and you wipe them away aggressively. You despised crying in front of people. 

Minho raises his hand to wipe the tears away for you but he quickly retracts it- you probably wouldn't want him to touch your face. It was enough that he had grabbed your wrist a couple of weeks before this. He quickly racks his brain for something to do, because the sight of your tears is making his heart ache in a way he hasn't felt before. It's as if he's feeling your emotions deep within him.

In desperation, Minho pinches your arm and you yelp, startled. "What was that for?" you whisper-shout and he raises his hands in defense, "I didn't know what else to do."

"So, you thought about pinching me?" you chuckle in bewilderment and he scratches the top of his hair sheepishly. 

"I mean, it worked. Look, you stopped crying," he points out raising his brows at you proudly and you shake your head at him.

"Remind me to never cry in front of you again." 

Minho grins at you before his face turns serious once again. "Look, you are the smartest person I know," he pauses, adding with a cheeky smirk, "After me of course." Which makes you giggle against your will. 

"Shut up", you lightly punch his chest and he smiles. "One test doesn't define you. You always work very hard. I wouldn't lie to you."

"Mm," you hum and he frowns at your lack of enthusiasm, but still, he doesn't comment. 

"No more crying," he wiggles his finger in front of your face and you roll your eyes, wiping the rest of your tears away. "Fine. Pretend as if this never happened."

"What are you talking about?" he asks as if confused, and you can't help the smile tugging at the corner of your mouth. It's as if Minho knows exactly what to say to cheer you up. 

"Come with me," he tells you, gently pulling you by the sleeve of your hoodie. 

"Where to?"

"I’m craving ice cream."

"And why do you need me?"

"You're craving ice cream too," he says in a matter-of-a-fact tone. 

"Only if you're paying," you add with a giggle and he whines loudly, "I feel so so used around you." 

True to his words, Minho takes you to the nearest ice cream parlor. It's a 20 minutes walk away and you are grateful for the distance because it helps you clear your head a bit.

Minho lets you pick whatever flavors you want, and when you hesitate between two of them, he tells the cashier to put them both into your cup. This is how you end up with a container of 5 scoops of ice cream. You insisted you'd share, and Minho begrudgingly agreed when you threatened to walk out and leave him.

You then walk to a deserted alley and sit on the sidewalk. You didn't want to be around people right now, and thankfully, Minho understood without you having to say a word.  

You munch silently on your ice cream and Minho does the same, the both of you lost in your thoughts. You naturally take turns holding the freezing container, so it wouldn't numb the fingers of one of you.

When you're done, Minho stands up to throw it away in a nearby trashcan before sitting back again next to you. 

Suddenly you feel him gently tapping your hand. You look down to find that you've curled your fingers into a tight fist, so much that there are crescent indents visible on your palm now. 

"Let's play thumb war," he tells you and you giggle at his words. You never knew what to expect from him. 

Still, as your fingers hold each other, and your thumb circles one another, you feel yourself calm down slightly. You play a couple of rounds, and you know he's going easy on you, allowing you to quickly trap his thumb down. 

No one has gone to such lengths to cheer you up, and you suddenly feel so grateful for Minho’s presence in your life. You didn't care in what shape he was in, you just needed him to be in it. Which in turn makes you think how bad it'd hurt if he ever leaves. 

You don't want Minho to leave. You've gotten so attached to him that the thought of not talking to him again makes your heart race in panic. 

Minho notices the change in your expression, suddenly melancholic once again. Your hand has gone limp in his, the thumb war long forgotten by you. 

He curses under his breath, before looking at you. "If I dance for you, will you quit being so sad?"

"Dance for me?" you repeat incredulously and he nods, "Yes. I’ll show you an upcoming choreography just... Please smile?" 

"Okay," you giggle, plastering a wide grin on your face. 

"Not like that you look scary."

"Get to dancing!" you clap excitedly and he rolls his eyes, standing up and looking through his phone for a particular music. 

"Oh and no comment!" he looks pointedly at you, and you nod, pretending to zip your mouth and throwing away the key. 

'Finesse' by Bruno Mars starts playing and you are left mesmerized by the way Minho dances. It's short but it leaves you yearning to see more. His body moves smoothly, hitting each beat effortlessly. He made it look as if dancing was second nature to him, that it came as easily to him as breathing. 

You were speechless, rightfully so. You wished you could build a world where all Minho did was dance. 

"That was-" you start when he stops the music but he cuts you off instantly, "I said no comment."

"But--" Minho places his finger on your mouth to silence you, seemingly not thinking too much of it. But the feel of his finger on your lips makes you dizzy. Minho quickly takes off his hand, a blush evidently creeping up his neck. 

"Let's just go home," he sighs in defeat and you laugh despite the intense feelings cursing through you.

You don't know if you are imagining it but you swear that your pinkies brush against each other on your walk back. As if there was this magnetic force pulling them together. You wondered what would happen if you just linked your pinky with his. Would he grab you by the hand or will he let go of you entirely?

You were too much of a coward to find out. You were scared of messing up anything with him. So, you'd settle for this. Stolen glances and random outings. You just need him in your life. 

"Thank you for today," you tell Minho once you arrive and he shrugs, as what he did wasn't a big deal.

"No, I mean it. Thank you," you repeat, trying your best to convey how sincere you were being. You take in a deep breath, before grabbing his hand and squeezing it, for a fleeting second, before dropping it again. 

Minho is sure that your hand will now be imprinted into his, that the lines tracing over your palm will merge with his as one. Your touch was barely there but it had electrocuted him. He wondered to himself if his body would be able to handle more from you. But he'd gladly burn in your fires for the sake of holding you. And he'd wait, unwaveringly, as time stretches alongside the two of you. He'd wait as long as it takes for you. 

"Yn, I..." he stammers, taking a step closer to you. His scent engulfs you and you shamefully close your eyes, inhaling it. When you open them again, you find Minho glancing down at your lips. You gulp, dazzled by his proximity. 

"You have a mole on your nose," you suddenly speak up and his eyes snap back to yours, an adorable confusion drawn on his features. 

"I like that mole," you continue and you wish you could dig yourself a hole and bury yourself in it. 

"Thank you," he chuckles and you nod vigorously, "You're welcome." 

"Can I ask you something?" he says and your breath hitches in your throat. "Sure."

"You don't like it when people touch you, right?" 

"Yeah."

"Can I ask why?" 

You want to confide in him, to tell him that it’s because you long for it, you crave it so badly. That this need has woven itself into the very fabric of your being. An ache so raw that it scares you at times. You’ve never known what it feels like to be held- it was uncharted territory to you. 

"Isn't everyone scared of the unknown?" you settle on saying, and he nods in understanding. Of course, he understood. No one knows you as well as him. 

"It's okay. I just wanted to know if I ever overstepped my boundaries."

"You didn't," you reply instantly. 

"Good. You'll tell me if I ever do, right?"

"I will." 

"Okay." 

"Um. I'll get going," you point behind you and Minho smiles at you, waving you off.

You walk for a few steps before coming back again quickly. You then grab Minho’s hand, gently squeezing it like before, "You are an amazing dancer." 

And then you drop it, running back towards your apartment block without waiting for a reply. 

Minho stays frozen in his place. You think he's an amazing dancer. And you held his hand for five seconds. 

That's four seconds more than the first time. 

Progress.        

✹✹✹

You haven't gotten out of your house for the past three days. 

Everything crashed around you rapidly, it made you realize that the ground you once stood on was only an illusion, elusive and fleeting. 

You were doing well; you were getting better. But then Monday came and you went out for a walk in the park near you. As you sat there, you saw a little girl playing on the swings, delightful joy dancing across her features. But then she fell to the ground and you instinctively stood up to help her, only to notice her mother running to her. 

The world stilled around you as you clearly saw it- how the little girl clung to her mother's embrace, her embodiment of hope and love. You never had that. You don’t even know what perfume your mother used because she never allowed you to get that close to her. 

You stood up abruptly, quickly heading back to your apartment block. As you ran up the stairs, you ended up bumping into one of your neighbors. You were quick to apologize but they ignored you, and the feeling of being invisible came back to haunt you ten times fold. 

You knew you shouldn’t have done it, you knew you should have deleted your mother’s number when she sent you away to university without a backward glance, relieved at the thought of you getting a full-ride scholarship and not needing her anymore. But you didn’t, you kept her number in the hopes that she’d call. On your birthday, on holidays, on a random Thursday to tell you that she did remember who you are. 

With trembling hands, tears welling in your eyes, you dialed your mother’s number for the first time in a year. You didn’t know what you were expecting. Maybe she regrets it. Maybe she misses you. Maybe she didn’t find the courage to mend her wrongdoings and that's why she never called. 

"Hello?" her voice rang through your apartment. Goosebumps erupted on your arms and your hold on the phone tightened. Her voice took you back to memories you thought you had buried. How you spent countless nights yearning to hear the sound of her voice, how you regretted it once she spoke to attack you.

You hate her. You miss her. You want to hang up. You need to ask if she's doing okay. 

“Who is this?” Her voice was devoid of recognition, freezing you in your tracks. You felt as if a bucket of ice was thrown over your head, dousing the flame of hope that flickered in your heart. 

She deleted your number.

You quickly hung up, placing your phone down on the table. The tears refused to fall. It was as if your body had long anticipated this outcome, leaving only your wounded soul to bear the pain. 

Healing isn't linear, you've read about it in books and heard it in shows and movies. One step back doesn't mean that your entire progress is gone. You know this, you've memorized those sentences. So why do you not believe them? Why does it feel as if you can never be free from the past? Why does it feel as if you’ll always seek something out of her? 

Those questions roamed your mind for the past three days, making you too tired at the prospect of lifting your limbs, let alone leaving your apartment. You sent your two friends a text, telling them that you're sick so they wouldn't worry. Not that you believed they would. Nothing made sense to you anymore.

You laid on your bed in utter silence- a tense quiet that was disrupted on the third day by someone knocking on your door. You didn't know who was there; you just hoped that they'd leave you alone.

To your surprise, you open the door to find Minho, some notes in his right hand and a coffee in his left. He sends an easy smile your way. You don't smile back.

"What do you want?" your voice is cold, but Minho doesn't bristle. A cheeky smile settles on his lips as he leans on your doorway.

"You didn't come to class for the past three days, so I brought you the notes. So, you wouldn't think our competition is unfair."

"Competition," you chuckle coldly, heading inside your apartment, and he follows suit. You start to pace around furiously, and Minho looks at you worriedly. "Competition?" you repeat, the word dripping off your tongue like venom. You turn around, marching towards Minho and standing a few inches from him. "You know what? Fuck you and your competition!"

"Yn-"

"Did it ever occur to you that I never wanted a part in this competition? That all I wanted was to be left alone?" you say, growing louder as you jab your finger into his chest repeatedly. "I never wanted any of this! Do you understand? I never wanted to be this way," you shout angrily in his face.

The worried look in Minho’s eyes snaps you out of your haze. You realize that you are being utterly ridiculous lashing out at Minho, when the one person you are mad at is yourself. 

Your anger quickly deflates, leaving in its trail an agonizing sadness. It's so sudden that it knocks the breath out of you, and you clutch your chest as if it could soothe the burn in your heart. Suddenly you are twelve years old again, crying in your room because you feel like no one has ever loved you.

But this time you aren't alone. Minho is in front of you, and his eyebrows are so furrowed you want to lean forward to ease the tension between them. His eyebrows, you liked his eyebrows, they were arched, and they framed his eyes nicely, and his eyes are brown and so big, and they always look at you softly and why is it getting so hard to breathe-

"Did I do something to you? Whatever it is I’m sorry," Minho panics, cutting off your frantic train of thought. But now, the weight of guilt adds to your overwhelming emotions. You shouldn't have lashed out at him, he brought you coffee and you yelled at him. Maybe your mom was right after all.

You shake your head left and right furiously, your words coming out in hiccups. Since when did you start crying? "It isn't- it isn't you."

"Then let me help you-", he steps forward, hand outstretched, but you take three hurried steps back and wrap your hands around yourself protectively. "Don’t. Please, don't."

"Why are you pushing me away?" his tone isn't accusatory. You've learned time and time again that Minho wouldn't do anything that made you feel uncomfortable.

"You won't understand."

"Then make me."

"Because I’m afraid!" the words slip out of your mouth before you can stop them. "I’m afraid if you ever hug me, I wouldn't be able to go back to hugging myself. I'd need you and I can't afford to need someone else."

You regret the words as soon as they fleet away from your mouth. He would look at you differently, he would find you pathetic and then he’d leave. And you wanted him to leave. But you also wanted him to stay. It was all so confusing. 

You felt as if your being was torn between two great forces, each one of them trying to win the war raging inside you. You wished someone else would make the decisions in your place, for once.

Minho places the coffee and notes on the ground before approaching you, his palms facing up in a gesture of surrender. "I won't leave you," he says softly. "I’ll be by your side for as long as you'll have me."

"Minho..." your voice catches in your throat as you utter his name- like a broken prayer. He stands before you, his eyes shimmering like the reflection of a river on a sunny day.

"Please, let me make it better." 

You nod tentatively and Minho comes even closer to you. He was treating you like one would with a wounded animal, giving you a chance to ultimately back out. But for once, you listen to what your heart has been yearning for. Your bones are aching to be held, to feel the warmth of a body against your own, to feel safe and secure. 

Minho embraces you, wrapping his arms around your shoulders and bringing you to him. You slowly bring your arms up and lace them around his waist. You are afraid, deathly afraid. His grip is loose, and you almost can't feel him around you, but when you lay your head on his chest, he tightens his hold on you and you instinctively let out a sob. 

He's hugging adult you, the woman whose heart was once again broken by her mom. But he's also hugging little you, the girl who was craving affection from everyone around her. In that instant, Minho is hugging every single version of you that ever needed a hug. 

You were right to be scared because you don't want to let go, you want to stay in his arms because they feel safe, like a shield protecting you. You can't go back to not hugging Minho. 

The sensation is overwhelming and your knees buckle underneath you. But instead of holding you up, Minho falls to the ground with you, as if you are two inseparable pieces of one puzzle. He isn’t here to fix you, he’s here to break down with you and help you pick up the scattered pieces.

You think back to that night in the park when Minho told you about Japanese vases. At this moment, it dawns on you that Minho has found a way to become a part of you. He was the molten gold binding your broken parts together. He was the invisible thread stitching your wounds back together.

Who were you fooling? It was him; it was him all along. 

Minho rocks you gently as you cry and cry and cry. His hand finds your hair and he plays with it as you sob. He tells you you'll be okay, you'll feel better and you try to believe him, his words wrap around your bruises like a healing balm. 

"There, there, love. You are okay", he murmurs, tenderly patting your head. A fresh set of tears wells up in your eyes. Love.

"I’m sorry. I'm so sorry," you apologize as you pull away from his embrace. 

"Why are you apologizing? Is it because you wet my shirt? I don't mind," he reassures you with a smile and you shake your head. 

 "I was mean to you and you didn’t deserve it," you explain through hiccups.

"It's okay, you weren't mad at me, were you?" he asks, wiping your tears away so gently with his thumbs, careful not to irritate the sensitive skin.

"No. Still, it isn't okay and I’m sorry. I'm so sorry." 

"Shh, don't apologize. It's okay." you look at him doubtfully and he rolls his eyes playfully, "Here I’ll even do your silly pinky promise, okay?" he laces his pinky with yours, but then he suddenly leans forward and places a chaste kiss on your thumb pad. "There, sealed forever."

You giggle faintly as a blush dusts your cheeks, "That's not how it works."

"I know."

Your giggle was far different from the ones Minho was accustomed to. It was small, and it didn't brighten up your face like usual. But he was grateful for it nonetheless. He realized how much he missed your laugh, and how all the other sounds in the world pale in comparison to it.

In that moment Minho thinks to himself that he'd do anything to make you smile again. He'd make a fool out of himself if it meant making you happy. He'd settle for a simple tug at the corners of your mouth, anything but the sadness that seemed etched in your face, as if it was blended into the colors that drew you.

You tentatively move around, before laying your head on his lap. Minho's hand instinctively finds your hair and he starts to gently play with it. It feels as if you've done this a million times before, when in fact it was the first. 

There was something wildly intimate about laying on the floor with the man who just comforted you. It made you want to spill all your secrets to him, one by one, and have him hug you through them.

"Did you mean it? When you said you'll stay?" you felt so vulnerable in his hold, as if he could twist you whoever he liked. But you trusted him. You trusted yourself with Minho.

"I did. Your walls are always up. It's hard to peek behind them. But I don't want to tear them down. I want you to slowly unbuild them. I want you to do it for yourself."

To do it for yourself, it's hard to even know who you are anymore. 

"I want to tell you."

"You don't need to."

"I know, but I want to."

"Okay. Take your time, kitten." he pats your head gently, and you try to sync your breathing to the rhythm of his touch. You were grateful that you were lying on his lap since you couldn't see his face. It made talking feel a little less daunting.

"On my 9th birthday... I was very excited. I'd been on my best behavior that month, trying to please my mom in the hope that, for once, we'd celebrate my birthday. Like a normal little family," you smile sadly, you were so hopeful back then.

"My birthday came, I woke up, excited. My mom was still asleep, nothing out of the ordinary. So, I made my breakfast and walked to my school. I wore my prettiest dress and put on pigtails with hair clips. It was my birthday after all," Minho smiles softly at your words, his hand now resting on your own.

"I got back home and waited for my mom to come back. She remembered my birthday, I thought. And then, she came but she didn't talk to me. So, I thought, oh a surprise party!" you chuckle, but this time the smile on Minho’s face is gone.

"It was then 11 pm, and the hope had slowly died in me. So, in my stupid innocent self, I went to my mom, and asked her "Did you forget my birthday?". And I remember... I remember the way she laughed. Cruelly. Like I had told her the funniest joke in the world. And then. Then she looked me dead in the eye and said 'I hate the fact that you are born. Why would I celebrate that?'"

Minho sucks in a deep breath at your words, and you exhale one right out. It felt comforting, to have someone else stomach the hurt for you. To take the weight off your shoulders, allowing you a few moments to breathe.

"I confronted her about it one day, but she said she doesn't remember saying that. It's funny how it was a random Thursday for her, but for me, it shaped my life." you smile bitterly, "I remember how jealous I was of the way the other kids talked about their mothers. They said the word so lightly. It must have reminded them of sunshine and ice cream and rainbows. But for me, it held an uncharacteristic heaviness to it. I grew to hate the word."

"I drove myself crazy, Min", you whisper and he brings you closer to his body, "was it me or was it her? When did it start? Was it because I was too loud as a child or maybe too quiet? Did I not cater to her fantasies of a kid? I wanted to remember every single thing that happened throughout my childhood, thread through every single memory. I tried to pinpoint the exact moment my mom stopped loving me."

Minho squeezes your hand tightly in his, and you feel as if he was pulling you away from the memory that had long trapped you. You were now watching it unfold from outside of the window, your hand in his, safe from the hurt it had inflicted on you.

"It's not you. It could never be you. Some people are simply not fit to be parents. It's never their kid's fault."

Minho tries his best to keep his touch soothing, to make his voice sound as soft as possible. But he was angry, he was so angry at the world for not taking care of you when you were younger. His heart broke, thinking of 9-year-old you being told such cruel words.

He wanted to turn back time and tell you that you were enough. He wanted to make the pain that seemed so anchored in you float back to the surface, and dissipate like sea foam meeting the shore.

But he couldn't do that. All he could do is comfort present you.

Minho gently pulls you up from his lap, making you sit upright. He crisscrosses his legs and you do the same. Your knees brush against each other and you feel a shiver run down your spine. You didn't know that even knees could emanate such warmth.

"Yn, look at me. The world wouldn't be the same without you in it," he cradles your face between his hands, "You hear me yn? I’m so thankful you exist."

His doe brown eyes are sincere, and it made you want to believe him badly. That's a good start, right?

"I’ll be back," he tells you, letting go of your face and standing up.

You hear Minho rummaging through the kitchen and you take the time to calm yourself down. Sharing those parts of you with Minho felt therapeutic. As if you were healing parts of your inner child. You have never talked about this with anyone before, maybe this is why it still hurt as badly.

Minho comes back five minutes later, his hands behind his back. You raise a brow at him inquisitively and he just smiles secretly at you. "Close your eyes," he tells you and you giggle, doing as he says. He crouches in front of you, and you hear him shuffle in his place for a bit.

Then, "Open your eyes yn," and you find him, in front of you, a cupcake you had stored in your fridge in his hands, and a makeshift candle lit up. "Happy 9th birthday, love. You did well."

You stare at him in utter bewilderment. You couldn't believe your eyes. How could this man be so thoughtful? He was wishing you a belated birthday, to compensate for the 9th birthday you didn't celebrate.

You panic, at the look in his eyes. You've never seen it, never dared to dream of it, of someone caring for you unconditionally. So, you try to scare him, to push him away. You didn't want him to regret knowing you.

"There are things I need you to know um", you chuckle nervously, "When I... When I throw up, I hold my hair, and when I’m sick I nurse myself back to health, and when I have a nightmare I- I hold my hand in the dark. It will be hard for me to hold yours instead."

"We'll start a finger at a time, yeah?"

"It will take time."

"I have time," he speaks easily, as if loving you was effortless and not a strenuous task. You couldn't fathom it.

"You are too busy-", he cuts you off instantly, "Not for you." 

"The world doesn't stop because we need it to." Your voice is quiet; this is your very last try. You are tired of fighting. You are putting down your armor and waving a white flag.

"We'll make it stop. Here, the two of us. On this floor. We'll take as long as we need to."

"I never deemed you as an optimist", you smile a little, a hint of teasing in your tone.

"I’m not," he pauses, gazing down at the cupcake between his hands and then at you. "But I feel that we deserve a bit of happiness together, don't we?"

"We do."

"Then make a wish."

You close your eyes for a few seconds, before blowing on the candle.

"What did you wish for?" he asks a fond smile on his face.

The answer came naturally to you, you didn't even need to think about it. "I wished for you."

Minho's lips come crashing down on yours, and you imagine that this is what it feels like to see colors for the first time. To discover a new world beyond the one you've always known.

The kiss isn't urgent nor feverish, it is one of comfort. Your lips spilling the words you have not yet said to each other. "I love you," he kisses you, "I love you too," you kiss him back. "I need you to stay," you swipe your tongue across his bottom lip, "I’m never leaving you," he opens his mouth allowing you entrance.

As you kiss him, you remember a fact you once learned in high school. The human body possesses seven trillion nerves. And for the first time in your life, you feel as if each of these nerves is alive. You feel that even the smallest atom is electrocuted with Minho’s love and it’s all you know within you.  

You feel as if the pain, the hurt, and the ache you've been through are slowly unraveled, and in their place, a timid happiness is starting to bloom. You imagine that when Minho’s lips met your own, the seven trillion nerves inside you exhaled in relief 'We've made it', they said, 'we'll finally be okay.'

Epilogue

You've always thought that epilogues were useless. How can you resume the rest of your life in one sentence, boil down the rest of your existence in mere pages? Because life doesn't stop at the epilogue, and a new book can start once again, right where you left it off.  

But with Minho, you didn't mind an epilogue. On the contrary, you longed for a soft one. You wanted to rest on this last page, you wanted to lay your worries on the words and tuck them into the syllables. And you wanted to wake up anew.

And this wasn't the end of your story with Minho. A lot happened after it. But it didn't worry you, because epilogues are about the one thing that doesn't change throughout the long march of time. And luckily for you, that constant was Minho’s love for you. From that day he held you, he has never let go.

It took time, for his warmth to seep through your bones. It took time, for your heart to forget the cold. But you wanted to do it. With him. You wanted to love and be loved.

The sound of cats mewling fills your apartment, pudding can always be found in your fridge and you haven't felt invisible in years.

[chateaaa]

☆ What dating the blue lock characters feels like (pt 2)

Dating Sae Itoshi includes matching earrings, having your initial dangling in his dominant leg (so every time he scores he dedicates the goals to you), having you in the back of his phone, being mean to everyone but you, buying you everything you want, giving you his password to all his socials, buying you flowers every week, slow dancing in the rain, watching hello kitty with you, kissing you on the back of your hand <3

Dating Shidou Ryusui includes bear hugs!!, slapping your ass every time he gets a chance, biting you randomly, love hate relationship, "shut up" x "make me", would try to be romantic (it does not work), would always expect you watching his games, looking at you in the crowd if he scores a goal, making boys near you cry because he dosnt want them to steal you away from him

Dating Otoya Eita includes kissing you on the neck, painting each other's nails in the color of black, wearing a pink scrunchie you gave him as a joke he now won't remove it from his arm, giving you his hoodie, acts of service, only wearing this specific perfume when you guys meet, pocky game (he would purposely lose)

Dating Tabito Karasu includes flirting with you in front of your friends, matching lego heart keychain, giving you cute random things and saying "my chick number 7 gave this to me, i don't need it so you can have it" that's a lie, he spended 3 days deciding what to give you, carrying you like a sack around, matching sneakers

Dating Alexis Ness includes worshipping you like a goddess, loving every single part of you, carrying an extra ponytail for you, buying you snacks, being very possessive, always wanting to wear matching clothes, words of affirmation and physical touch!!, telling his teamates about how good and kind you are, literally making you experience any kind of dates ex: beach dates, museum dates, stargazing dates, always wanting to touch any part of your body; arms, cheeks, hands

Dating Hiori Yo includes arcade dates!!, winning you stuff toys in claw machines, gaming dates, photobooth dates, physical touch and quality time!!, cuddling while raining, playing games even if your horrible, the beds in minecraft being side by side, carrying you in literally any game, sending you spotify lyrics that he thinks relates to your relationship with him, watching netflix together during summer vacation

Dating Noel Noa includes waking up during weekends with him serving you breakfast in bed, carrying you around like a teddy, all love language, gifting you extravagant gifts everyday, leaving you colorful sticky notes in the counter everyday with daily reminders such as "don't forget to drink water" or "i'm going home late, you should sleep early today"

Dating Ikki Nikko includes only letting you touch his hair, cafe dates, letting you have his drink if you like it more, gifting you a giant teddy on your birthday, would always update you through chat, sending you spotify playlists, handwritten letters, sending memes to eachother, dreaming about being married and adopting 5 cats

Dating Yukimiya Kenyu includes neck kisses!, ranting about all his problems to you at 3 am while cuddling, taking pictures of you every time you go out, his wallpaper being you (he changes his wallpaper every week), just because flowers, photographer x model, always having your favorite food in his bag

Dating Charles Chevalier includes painting each other's nails with the eye color of each other, him only listening to you, sunshine x grumpy, always asking for headpats, booping your nose, watching disney every night before going to bed, expecting you to feed him every time you go out

idk guys kasasu and otoya feels ooc, I THINK IT'S VERY HARD TO WRITE ABOUT THEM SINCE I FEEL LIKE THEY'RE RED FLAGS AND I REALLY DON'T KNOW ABOUT THEIR PERSONALITY THAT MUCH..... (sorry karasu and otoya fans 😔😔) but anw hope you all still like it ☝🏻🤓

btw PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE SUGGEST ANYTHING TO WRITE IM HAVING WRITERS BLOCK LOL

[darkmajesty-xo]

the spark between us pt.1

18+ MDNI| himbo!kaminari , cherrychaser!shinsou, nerdy!reader

this was an absolute disaster.

out of all the students in your soc theory class, the professor had paired you with none other than denki fucking kaminari.

why is this such a big deal ?

for starters, he’s an idiot. there isn’t an intelligent thought going on in that pretty blonde head. the only reason he was even enrolled at Yuuei University was athletics. he was set to go pro but the league required at least three years of college before an athlete could be drafted. school was literally a placeholder for him until he was able to do what he really wanted.

secondly, it would be extremely difficult to be partnered with this beautiful idiot because you had the hugest crush on him.

what’s not to like about kaminari ? he’s handsome, funny and charismatic—undeniably one of the most popular guys in school. a super bubbly, “life of the party, attitude that was the complete opposite of your shy, reserved nature.

he was also taken, so that ruined your chances of anything happening if you were even his type to begin with. as far as you knew, he’d never spared you a second glance. so, why was he walking over to your lunch table with his boyfriend in tow.

you knew shinsou a little better than kaminari—he was the son of your favorite professor and you had a couple classes together. on a few occasions he’d lean over to ask for the date or a spare pencil. and it definitely made your heart race when he’d whisper “thanks, kitty” , referring to your favorite headband, and wink before turning around.

okay, so maybe you had a crush on both of them but that made things even more difficult!

“hey, yn!” kaminari shouted as he approached.

god, he was so loud. half the cafe turned to look in your direction. you sunk in your seat silently praying that the ground would swallow you hole.

“helloooo— earth to yn. anybody home?”

he was getting closer and there was absolutely no way out of this, so you gave a small wave as he slid into the booth across from you. shinsou opted to sit next to you, throwing his long arm behind your head.

“hey, kitty. funny meeting you here” he smirked lazily, reaching into your lunch tray to pop one of the fries in his mouth.

“h-hi shinsou. hi k-kaminari” you replied, looking down at your fingernails. eye contact wasn’t your strong suit and it was especially intimidating with the two of them.

kaminari didn’t seem to notice. “no need to be so formal—all my friends call me kami or denki!”

“we’re not friends…” you mutter, sparing a glance at the blonde while chewing at your fingertips. seeing his pout made you immediately regret your words.

“ouch, sparky. sucks to be you” shinsou teases, taking another fry to throw at his boyfriend.

“dick” kaminari scoffs, before glancing back at you. there was the briefest moment that his honey brown eyes met your own before snapping back down. interesting, he thought to himself. “well, we may not be friends yet but i promise to win you over if you give me a chance ! whaddya say partner?”

he extends his hand for you to shake. they’re pale and pretty. with long veins popping out of the flesh and black painted fingernails. your mind flashes to thoughts of them caressing your body—would they be soft and smooth or rough and calloused ?

you knawed at your lip in contemplation. it wouldn’t hurt to try and be friends— you did have to work together anyway. and it would be nice to have someone to talk to outside of schoolwork. if you could manage to string together more than two sentences.

you dare glance up at his honey brown orbs for the briefest of moments before settling on his pouty lips.

“ohkay, k-kami” his lips curl into a smile as you extend your hand to meet his. static electricity courses through your fingertips causing you to yelp and pull back.

“looks like you two have chemistry” shinsou purrs, lazily fingering the tip of your cat eared headband.

kaminari looks at his boyfriend incredulously.

“no bro, i told you we have sociology!”

you and shinsou groan in unison. “whaaaat?” kaminari whines making you giggle. shinsou squeezes your shoulder and smirks down at you and heat immediately floods your face.

this is going to be a long semester.

[cheshirecatuniverse]

Todoroki Falling for You

featuring: Daruma Ikka! Reader (She/Her)

notes: my works can be gorey, violent, and other mature themes!

For you and Todoroki to meet it would have to be purely by chance.

One of the first times Hyuga had decided to align with Sword was at the fight between Kohaku & the Mighty Warriors. You were buzzing with eagerness the whole ride there.

So much so that Ukyo and Sakyo kicked you to the back of the car. Sitting on the trunk of the car wasn't as bad as it sounds. You had a solid grip, so you wouldn't fall off.

Sakyo even lit you a hand sparkler for compensation. Yay! But honestly, you don't know how Hyuga falls asleep on the hood of the car.

You had a lot of energy for the fight. You pushed around to make sure you were at the front of the action. At one point, you literally dove down on a group of guys and smiled at the sound of broken bones. Everything went by too fast for you, the need of adrenaline driving you to fight with Sarah. It seemed like you were the only person around to keep up with her.

When the word spread that Kohaku lost you groaned. No! What the fuck? You had to sadly wave Sarah goodbye, you really thought you could win. Bring back some pride for Daruma Ikka.

Sulking dramatically, you found something on the ground. Eh, who brings glasses to a fight?

"Hyuga look," You waved the pair of black glasses around, "Nobody stepped on these."

"What does that have to do with me?" Hyuga dismissed it with an eye roll, "Get in the car."

Laying on the trunk of one of Hyuga's cars, you wiped the lenses with your red sleeve. You didn't wear them but looked through them for a couple of seconds before rubbing your eyes. Man, someone had to be blind to use these.

"I think you have something that belongs to me."

You sat up, processing the Oya High uniform faster than the guy's actually face. You grinned, fiddling with them before throwing them into his hands.

You watched how quickly he glared at you, "So you're the weirdo who brought glasses. Have you ever thought about contacts?"

He inspected his glasses carefully. Then putting them on when he realized they were okay, "Not going to take advice from a Daruma girl."

"This Daruma girl saved you a lotta money," You remarked, hopping off the car, "Are you challenging me? Do you wanna fight? Cause I still wanna fight-"

Hyuga shut that shit down with a yell. You were back to sulking, but not before you told Todoroki, "Bye, school boy."

The next times you'd meet it would be the times Sword would get together. Which typically would be in a urgent or bad situation so you wouldn't get much time to talk to Todoroki.

You would, however, tease him as many chances you got. Even if it was just flicking his forehead as you were walking with your group or jump scaring him mid-fight.

Then there was another time at a Sword fight that he had forgotten his glasses. But the Oya High trucks had left already.

So when there was another time that you were bored at the Daruma Temple (which was the next day) you walked over to Oya Territory.

You snuck in the High School, even with your bright red jacket.

When you found Todoroki, you popped out of nowhere.

You made Tsuji and Shibaman scream.

Todoroki could tell before you pulled your hood down it was you.

"I'm telling you," You huff putting his glasses down on a desk, "Invest in contacts."

He actually smiled at you with his hands in his pockets, "I'm fine with these."

Todoroki would never tell you he left his glasses behind on purpose.

Because you are younger compared to a lot of the guys from Daruma you tend to get bored a lot.

Since meeting Todoroki, you go to the Oya district a lot. You get to do a lot of things you don't normally do, like CAT CAFES.

As soon as you saw the cats from the window, you gasped. The look on your face had Todoroki opening the door, waiting for you to go in first. You look at him with a "Really?" and he just nodded.

Before you know it you're going out with Todoroki almost daily.

He likes having you around, but it would take him a considerable amount of time to truly get close to you.

You text Todoroki a lot. Starting with a 🥹 emoji.

It gets to the point Hyuga asks if you're dating him, you scratch your head and say no of course.

But you do notice how you like to grab onto his arms more than anyone else. When he laughs at a joke, you squeeze his bicep in happiness.

You notice how often your stomach seems to flutter whenever you're around him. Still, you don't connect the dots.

Todoroki walks on the roadside of the sidewalk when you're together. He's slick with it to, you don't even notice.

If you're ever surrounded, guys trying to take you down, on instinct, you shield Todoroki. Which his heart gets all mushy for, until you punch someone's teeth out, then he's reminded to fight.

Todoroki knows he treats you differently from the rest of his friends, but it takes a long time to realize. He likes you.

At the realization, there are some days where he skips on hanging out with you. But then he misses you and immediately starts talking to you again.

You know how girls like to give guys their scrunchies? You gave Todoroki one of your red and white bandannas. He has it neatly folded in his pocket forever and ever.

Any event, occasion, achievement, you bring the fireworks. Murayama leaving Oya? You made sure you got at least a dozen huge fireworks. Todoroki won a fight? 20 huge fireworks, and 10 small ones tonight and some poppers to top it off. Hand Sparklers, just for when you want to feel happy.

When you go shopping anywhere you're always looking for science books or journals. Anything that looks like a world wonder or cool for Todoroki because you knew he'd like that sort of thing. You really like how happy he gets each one you get him.

Sometimes, you help Hyuga take his cars over to a Daruma-friendly shop and work on them yourself. Once, you told Todoroki, Tsuji, and Shibaman to come over so that you all can have lunch after.

What Todoroki wasn't prepared for was how hot you looked working on a car. Oil stained white tank top with some old grey sweats and your signature silver chain around your neck to top it off.

You've called Todoroki multiple times, he doesn't answer immediately to your surprise.

"Todoroki?"

Tsuji has to elbow him in the ribs to bring him back to life.

"-Hrgnh, um yes?"

Okay, so you don't really have any friends outside of Daruma and Oya, but since meeting Todoroki and the rest, you actually feel more confident. When you mentioned trying to talk to people from your own school, Todoroki is really supportive. Encouraging to not let any anxiety or insecurity to get the best of you.

One time, you two were out at a cafe. You insisted on buying and getting the drinks this time. Which, Todoroki fought for a good minute until you said this was for passing the exam he was working so hard to study for.

While you were waiting for the drinks you ordered, a girl went over to flirt with Todoroki. You didn't even notice until you had both drinks in your hands and you turned around.

The girl could not stop giggling, and you couldn't help but notice how disinterested he was the whole conversation. Todoroki looked almost uncomfortable.

You felt hot, like a weird burning fever in your chest. Not staying still any longer, you walked over, right behind her. Todoroki's eyes immediately brightened up at the sight of you. The poor girl thought her endeavors were working and tried reaching for his hand-

"Wow! I totally don't remember inviting you with us," You smiled stiffly and eyes on fire.

She turned around, silently scoffing as she got up. You immediately sat down, sliding Todoroki his coffee. Her eyes focused on your bright red Daruma Ikka jacket, silver chain, and the bandanna hanging out of your pocket.

"Thug," She spat out and flipped her hair before walking away.

Oh. That may have hurt a little more than it should have.

"Then I guess I'm a thug too," Todoroki tried to cheer you up.

You forced out a laugh, hating the way your eyes stung. Todoroki wasn't having it, he grabbed the bottom of your chair and dragged you closer to him. He moved his arm around your shoulders. That strange flutter in your stomach came back.

[featheredenby]

Heroes Of The GHFA

“Oh… that’s a relief,” she exclaims,”well I’m The Huntress and I just joined yesterday.”

Written by: FeatheredEnby

Word Count: 824

Part One of: Show Your Fangs

A Superhero AU of Empires SMP/Hermitcraft/The Life Series

“Welcome to the first meeting of the heroes of the Government Funded Heroes Project, you are all here to become heroes. Would you like to share how you made this decision? Wolf Spirit perhaps please go first.” Says the director of the project.

“Uhm… it’s really not that interesting of a story.” She replies.

It had been on a Friday a few months before as Shrub was walking to the bus stop from her job working in the wolf enclosure at the zoo. She was just walking when she saw an older woman walking her dog, and out of an alleyway came a man holding a knife. Before she knew what was happening the man was threatening the woman and Shrub’s instincts took over. Before the man knew what was happening anger had caused Shrub’s hybrid traits to appear as she grew a tail and pair of ears. She had run forward sweeping his leg and punching him in the face, breaking his nose. Then the GFHA had arrived similarly to the men in black and offered her a chance to make way more money and to help others so she had joined. It was awesome she could fight for what she believed in without fear of being arrested and had a way to be in public without hiding an essential aspect of herself.

“And that was pretty much it.” Finishes The Wolf Spirit.

“WOW,” replies the man known as Hotguy,”That was a lot more anticlimactic than I expected it to be.”

“At least I did something of value,” she challenges,”all you did was show some videos of what you were capable of doing before you got sick and started needing the wheel chair!”

Oof that stung… It’s not like she was wrong, but to him it felt like a punch to the face. He had just been sitting at home watching the news with his roommate Grian when the GFHA had put out a call for anyone who wanted to become a superhero, this was the chance that Scar had been waiting for. However it’s hard to become a superhero while being disabled luckily they had offered solutions for it. So the next day he had sent out an email giving a description of who he was, his skills, and some videos of what he used to be able to do. And to his surprise within a week he was called to set up an interview and soon Hotguy was born. It was amazing too, he was given robotic legs to allow him to stand and walk and run along with a high tech bow. Now he could not worry about money or medical bills along with being able to help out his friends. There was just one problem which is that when you randomly get called out your roommate gets suspicious… so being a freelance landscaper came in handy as he didn’t have specific hours of work and could do anything he pleased.

“I guess you’re right.” He admits.

As they continue talking a pale woman with black hair, wearing partial plate and scalemail over a black sports dress bursts through the door.

“Ack,” she cries as she trips over her foot,” So sorry that I’m late I got caught with my job as a seamstress!”

“No worries!” Replies The Wolf Spirit.

“Yeah, we have all been late to a meeting at some point.” Hotguy adds.

“Oh… that’s a relief,” she exclaims,”well I’m The Huntress and I just joined yesterday.”

Yesterday had sure been interesting, between sewing band outfits for Gem, Impulse, and Scott to creepers getting loose in Empires city and her having to take care of them since she was the only person around. Let’s see she had been sitting at a table outside of Cleo’s cat cafe when there was an explosion in a nearby laboratory, it turned out that a glade of creepers had escaped and were reeking havoc around the city. So she had paid and ran over to her apartment where she grabbed her hand axes and went out to get to work. It had been a long and tedious process but it was worth it. She ended up killing most of them before she had to stop because of her injuries and went home but apparently what she did got on the news as she received a call from the GFHA offering her a spot on the team and just like that her rusty old axes were replaced with shiney new ones and she was give new armor. Now Katherine Elizabeth was a hero and a fashionable one at that.

“But I guess that’s my story,” she finishes,”I have to admit though I’m slightly disappointed that neither of you showed up to help.”

“While this is all lovely,” interjects the director,”but do you have anything else to say or can we end this meeting.”

“Nope.”

“Very well then meeting adjourned”

[favfics13]

Seventeen Recommendations Part 3 - 05/24 - ...

Dream Ride by @bambikisss

Summary: You haven't been able to sleep much lately, so you've been driving around at night to help ease your mind. However, you keep passing by the same jet black colored motorcycle every night, which then keeps showing up in your dreams. So when you stop one night to get gas and see the same motorcycle stopped nearby, you decide to meet the man under the helmet.

Have My Baby by @seokgyuu

Summary: When fertility clinics fail to give you what you want, you decide it’s time to take the matter into your own hands. And who’d be better for the job than Choi Seungcheol?

Always Only You by @honeyhotteoks

summary: the date was terrible, awful even, but you just can't call your brother to pick you up. you have to call his best friend instead.

Ode To You by @lovelyhan

Summary: if there's one thing you've learned from all the lives you've spent together, it's that jeonghan isn't always someone you'll end up wanting. he can be crass. he can be secretive. he can be nothing short of vexing. but in the end, he's everything you need him to be. or: 25 lives in which you find and don't find jeonghan.

I Think We Married In Vegas by @ressonancee

Summary: You and Jeonghan have always been friends, and friends go on a trip together, right? And somehow friends always end up marrying in Las Vegas right? And somehow friends become roommates as well right? That all seems very normal when Yoon Jeonghan has a weird addiction to doing the dumbest things ever just for shock value.

Lens Of Ice by @wongyuuu

summary: jeonghan has only one chance left to make it to the olympics. as he embarks on this decisive journey, you, a documentarist, are set to follow him as he seeks the ultimate glory.

Birds of a Feather by @onlymingyus

summary; You and Shua work together on a petition to get rid of the bird kid and then you fall in love.

505 by @lovelyhan

Summary: i'd probably still adore you with your hands around my neck; or i did, last time i checked.

Burnt Coffee by @highvern

Summary: Running a cafe hadn’t been as glamorous as you initially believed. You loved your job; the cozy aroma of the different roasts, the hum of the espresso machine, the foam art you tediously practiced until a cute bear face stared back from the surface of a cappuccino. But any new shop comes with quirks, like the fire alarm that goes off almost every morning. Luckily, the fire station is just across the street and you unknowingly have one of the fireman wrapped around your finger.

Homewrecked by @ncteez

Summary: Wonwoo doesn’t seem to realize that you’re giving him the best option out of a relationship that doesn’t even involve you. With a cheating best friend on one side, and a loyal Wonwoo loving her from two hours away on another, you decide that home wrecking isn’t always a bad idea.  or the one where wonwoo fights internal demons over wanting you bc he’s in a relationship that he doesn’t even realize is falling apart.

Play Again by @shuarush

Synopsis:  after ten years of not seeing your high school crush you find yourself partnered with him at the company you work for. Since you've been rejected before, you try your best to not let any feelings flourish, but Jeon Wonwoo's charms make that attempt especially hard for you.

Fuck The Neighbors by @sluttywonwoo

summary: curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back- at least, that's what they say.

Guinea Pig by @imloyaltoscoups

Work Me Out by @highvern

Hits Different (...'cause it's you) by @gyuswhore

SYNOPSIS: Kim Mingyu was the first friend your brother had brought home for dinner. Fast forward a couple years, his toothy smile and pierced ears would wedge their way into a permanent place in your heart. Nail to a coffin, never to escape. or; in which you get rejected by the only boy you've ever loved; a rejection you can't quite shake off.

7 Days by @hannieoftheyear

Summary: During a seven-day vacation with your friends, you try to get over your feelings for one of them. Feeling alone, surrounded by people who seem closer to each other than you, you find comfort in the one person that you didn’t know before.

Office Hours by @seungkw1

Hit: Vernon by @smileysuh

Synopsis. You might not be great at taking the large bong your frat friends pass around at parties, but Vernon has at least one pipe you can handle ;)

Drive by @miraclewoozi

Summary: DRIVE -- or, the night you realise it's actually very hard to stay mad at the guy who shows up at your house, throwing stones at your window on a Thursday night, to try and fix something that was your mistake in the first place.

More Than One Member

Forbidden Fruit by @hoshiputa

Summary: “Who do you want to eat your pussy, princess?” “Why do I have to choose? Just let everyone eat.” You felt hands slipping inside your panties, and you just knew they weren't Jihoon's.

Game Over by @lovelyhan

Like We Just Met by @onlymingyus

More Than I Can Resist by @multi-kpop-fanfics

Summary: you love starting your day with your boyfriend and a freshly brewed cup of coffee. but your other boyfriend has a different idea of a perfect morning.

More Than I Can Handle by @multi-kpop-fanfics

Summary: the abundance of snow outside won't stop you and wonwoo from restocking your fridge. and it certainly won't stop seungcheol from getting what he wants from his girlfriend and boyfriend - their undivided attention.

[lu-dao-writes]

𝙸𝚗𝚌𝚞𝚋𝚞𝚜!𝙽𝚊𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚒 𝙺𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚡 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛

𖥔 ݁ ˖ 𝒮𝓎𝓃𝑜𝓅𝓈𝒾𝓈 ♡ ˊˎ- Nanami as an incubus and his relationship with you! With Gojo on the side. (Idek what this summary is😭)

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ 𝒲𝒶𝓇𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔(𝓈) / 𝒯𝒶𝑔𝓈 ♡ ˊˎ-  Incubus Nanami & Gojo, Gojo being Nanami’s wingman fr, gender neutral reader, black coded reader, Nanami being stubborn, themes of sex, mentions of Nanami touching himself, & switches of povs.

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ 𝒜/𝒩 ♡ ˊˎ- I’m a slut for this man, what can I say y’all✋🏼😔? But spooky season is upon us and I’m thinking about supernatural shit and dark themes✨ But idk what happened to the form of this? Listen, I’m at the airport waiting for my flight and I’m bored and want this out lmao🤪. I’m hoping to do a part 2 where it’s more smutty based, but smut is hard y’all😩. I appreciate all the likes on my last post btw!🙏🏼🥺💕. Minors/ ageless blogs DNI please and lemme know any mistakes or missed tags.

He’s not fond of his nature, but he has learned to live with it. I mean he has to lmao.

He’s stubborn with his feeding schedule, and his a little picky. As usual Kento is more worried about getting that bread.

Gojo gets on his head about not taking care of himself (of course in a more playful/blasé manner, but he cares his Nanamin).

Gojo also knows when he hasn’t fed because it shows in Nanami’s appearance first before it show in his attitude.

His eyes gets a bit sunken in, the dark circles get darker, his hair looks dull, then he gets more uncanny from there if prolonged (which hasn’t happened, Nanami’s not that careless)

Then comes the attitude! Nanami’s patience grows very thin and he’s a mixture of tired, weak, & hungry. His already sharp and witty quips at Gojo become more sharper and a bit meaner, but nothing that goes over the line.

He’s not down for Gojo’s games essentially. Even more so now😗.

When he meets you, you were his server at this cute little cat cafe that Gojo dragged him to (he didn’t give the man a chance to say no).

Nanami doesn’t mind cats, he’s just not looking forward to getting their fur out from his clothes.

But you were a sight for sore eyes. Every inch of you being taken in by Nanami’s shade covered eyes and that familiar hunger in his belly rose its ugly head slightly.

He had to swallow hard and remind himself to actually answer you and remember his order.

He ignores Gojo’s knowing smirk and childish little prods at his ankles, instead focusing on his beverage of choice and listening to your voice as you take Gojo’s order. Once you’re gone is when he gripes at him.

Your voice, no matter how it sounds, is soothing and appealing to his ears, and your scent…

It’s what keeps him coming back.

All the cat hair on his clothes is worth it if he gets to keep seeing you.

You can say he’s a bit addicted to ya.

Eventually he manages to get your number and he noticed how every time he came, you were always his server, not that he’s complainin.

Dates with him are fun and romantic, first going to a restaurant, then stroll in the park and getting showered in sakura blossoms, going shopping (him buying whatever you want), more meal related dates, etc. He adores seeing you happy and pampered.

But you truly haunt his nearly sleepless nights and he can’t help but touch himself to the very thought of you. But it’s never truly enough.

Then…

Nanami starts to spiral. You are a human and he is a creature of lust.

His safety and or your safety could be compromised and with that in mind, he begins to back off.

And just as things were going so well too…

Nanami didn’t ghost you, thankfully, but he disclosed that things weren’t working out and that he’s sorry for wasting your time. But he did it on text. He just didn’t want to face you, unfortunately and he regrets it to this day

But on your side, to forget your anger and sorrows, you go to a nightclub to party and slightly drink the pain away.

But unfortunately you also saw Nanami and his friend from before there as well🤪😜.

It was tough but you ignore him just like he ignored your multitude of text messages.

…

Okay maybe you didn’t completely ignore him-.

You can’t help but look at him every so often and from the few glances you got to do, he looked kinda miserable, definitely agitated, and a bit ill looking..

Nanami was very much disinterested in anyone flocking his way and he immediately would send them to Gojo’s way instead, thankfully they took the bite, finding Gojo even more attractive.

But his mood sours even more when he catches wind of you.

You look gorgeous as always, especially in your fit (it’s something he bought you) and he wanted nothing more than to go over to you and sweep you up off your feet (and other things~).

But he doesn’t. All he does is keep his watchful gaze on you, making sure you’re okay and because well… He wants you!

Anyone that comes near you with obvious intentions to woo you his jaw and fists would clench slightly. But again, he doesn’t get up from his seat.

Nanami was… Content to stay in his place. But that was until Gojo thought it’d be a funny idea to make his way to you, pushing pass his little harem.

Although you have your heart set on Nanami, you can’t deny that his friend isn’t gorgeous.

You bet those eyes of his gets him all that he wants with some trouble on the side.

You didn’t move away when his arm came around you, and you let him guide you to a more less crowded area, soon swaying with you as 2 On by Tinashe and SchoolBoy Q booms in the background.

If you hadn’t been pursued by Nanami you definitely would’ve let yourself be caught up with Mr. Troublemaker.

“Heyy~! So, I know you were caught up with Nanamin and all that, but if you’re free…” He puts his lips near your ear, hands sliding towards your hips and gripping them slightly. “I’d love to get to know you better~.”

Your throat bob and just as you’re about to sink into temptation-.

“That’s quite enough, Satoru.”

“Kento…,” you breathed out.

- Gojo didn’t even put up a fight, just took his hands off you with a knowing smile and let Nanami take you away from him.

- Nanami was pissed. Fuming.

- He didn’t appreciate Gojo approaching you like that. The nerve of him!

- His grip is a little tight on you, but you’re okay with it. Until you remember that you’re supposed to be mad at him.

“Now, hold on a second! Who the hell do you think you are?? I was about to get some good dick and you ruined it!” you spat.

Nanami scoffs lightly, letting your hand go. “Oh, please, you can do so much better,” he replies, defeat coating his words.

“Oh god, are you gonna be corny and say that you’re better? ‘Cause clearly you weren’t.”

Despite the hurt, he knew you had a point. He failed as a partner.

“As much as I want to, I know that I failed in that regard. I’m sorry, (y/n).”

You hate how much of a kicked puppy he looks. You sigh. “Ken… What even happened? I think I deserve to know the truth.”

Nanami swallows and as much as he wants to tell you the truth, he can’t. Too much is at risk.

“It’s because he’s an incubus, Sweetheart~.”

“Huh!?” “Satoru!?”

Both of you were flabbergasted and Nanami was three seconds away from throttling Gojo.

“Nanami, I’m tired of watching you brood and nearly kill yourself because of your fears,” Gojo explains, his playfulness gone with the wind.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve just possibly done??”

Gojo goes back to looking carefree. “Call it a gut feeling~! Now why don’t you two get outta here? Oh! And use protection~!”

Nanami fumbles through his thoughts on what to say, feeling as though he’s going to either short circuit or burst from rage. But in the end he sighs a contained breath, pinching the bridge of his nose, slightly cursing Gojo under his breath, but also feeling a tickle of guilt. He was being selfish with not taking care of himself..

He comes back to his senses when he feels you touch his arm.

“Alright… Is this true or are we really actin like clowns at the circus? If so I’ll need some more alcohol.”

“It’s true, as cliche as that sounds. I didn’t want to tell you in fear that you could maybe get in danger or I could be.”

“… Holy shit. Well I’m glad it’s nothing ridiculous or painful! But hey! I can live one of my child/teenhood fantasies by being in a relationship with a supernatural person!”

Nanami blinks at you for a good second, face perplexed before it eventually softens and he starts laughing lightly with disbelief, taking your hand into his.

When you squeeze his back eagerly he knows he has to thank Gojo for his part in all this.

[jazzthatonewriterchick]

HERE, KITTY, KITTY (18+ Fic)

Pairing: Aizawa x Black!Catgirl!Reader

Synopsis: In which you find yourself in the weirdest predicament after you’re scooped up and taken to a cat cafe after you decide to take the streets to fight some crime, and you’re adopted by your very anti-social and hot coworker Aizawa aka Eraserhead.

Story Warnings: Smutty Smut, 18+ (MINORS GET AWAY), Swearing, Adult!Reader, Ear and Tail Stroking, Light Degradation, Spanking, Exhibitionism, Multiple Positions, Creampie, Unprotected PIV Sex, Facial, Scent Play, Collaring, Deepthroat, Cunnlingus, Begging, Edgeplay, Power Play, Rope Play/Shibari, Master Kink, Some Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Some Action

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters mentioned in this fic. However, as this is my writing, I do not give permission for my work to be reposted on any other sites that are not from my own accounts. Thank you!

Writer’s Note: Had some time on my hands & decided to give y'all an update. Enjoy the chapter & thank you for the love! And be safe!-Jazz

Read on AO3 here!

Other Chapters: One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen. Eighteen. Nineteen. Twenty. Twenty-One. Twenty-Two. Twenty-Three. Twenty-Four. Twenty-Five.

*********

THREE.

The Saturday after your run-in with Aizawa and your museum arrest, you’re feeling damn good about yourself. 

You know that it has nothing to do with arresting those four fools with their fancy quirks and ski masks at the International Pro Museum or even the hostages and, surprisingly, the cops for crediting you for your skills when they got a look at you on the security cameras beating the shit out of the robbers. 

You know that the bubbly feeling in your chest and the confidence you feel for the entire weekend is attributed to your surprise meeting with Aizawa in his hero’s gear, goggles, and all. God, did he look sexy. Even better than he does at school.

You were glad to actually talk to him, knowing you wouldn’t have been able to without your hero’s gear. Being in those clothes and behind that mask allows you to slip into another skin and be someone else for a chance. Someone sexier, fiercer, and much more mysterious than you. 

You were even happier to have saved Aizawa from certain death. It feels good to save anyone’s life, but to save the life of a seasoned pro? That was even better.

Though he didn’t credit you for helping him during the robbery when he was interviewed by the local news, just knowing you were there in that moment and lent a helping hand filled you with glee as you sat on your couch on Saturday morning with a bowl of cereal, watching it all on TV. 

You had come home at the ass crack of dawn that morning, tired, achy, and in need of a shower. You slipped into your cat form and jumped up into your bedroom, stretching once your paws hit the floor.

Once you were inside, you got out of your hero’s gear, took a hot shower to wash the night away, and slept all Saturday, never being interrupted by anyone. 

Now, on a free Saturday night, you’re about to do it all over again. Except now, your stroll into the city is less about fighting crime and more about enjoying a simple nightly stroll. You feel like you’re owed that for constantly busting your ass to stop villains from taking over your city every night. 

You don’t even remember when you first created Night Claw, but what had started out as a little fun pastime to spice up your nights and make them more exciting had turned into a full-time position overnight. You go for the crime that occurs on the quiet streets at night: from petty theft from the kid who’s bad news to the expert villain looking to make a name for themselves in the nation. 

So technically, you are too busy with work to date. You’re a school counselor by day, and an ass-kicking hero by night.

You walk the streets looking for trouble, trying to snag any arrest you can to boost your name even more. The only person who knows is Nemuri after she caught you crawling into her apartment by accident in your hero suit, which is how you two became friends. 

And being the good friend she is, she had offered to help you become an official pro hero. “With a body like that, you’d make it,” she giggled, smacking you on the ass. However, there are three things wrong with that, as you told her:

You didn’t graduate from UA; just a normal high school where you were bullied every single day for being a cat hybrid if not harassed by horny teens. 

You know as a cat girl, you’d never be taken seriously, so you resort to kicking ass in secrecy despite the possibility of being arrested because you don’t have a license. 

The Hero’s Commission is a bitch according to Nemuri and Mic’s horror stories and you do not want to deal with them. Plus, pros also have to deal with the public up their asses, constant harassment in the streets, and the possibility of being killed while fighting villains too. 

No, thank you. 

So this is your solution to spicing up your nights and flexing your quirk. You love doing this and you don’t count on stopping anytime soon. 

This is why after making sure the apartment complex is quiet, you slip out of bed, throw on your hero fit, and shift into your cat form.

Immediately, all of your senses shift, increasing times ten: you can see the lint on the floor; hear the vibrations of someone vacuuming the floor in the lobby; feel the fibers of the carpet against your paws which your claws instinctively begin to knead into before you jump up onto the window ledge.

You then jump out onto the long branch of the cherry blossom tree at your window where the bark is chipped off from doing the same thing many, many times over the months. 

The heightened senses, claws, and ability to shift into a cat are just some of the things your quirk allows you.

Your eyes can switch between the pretty browns of a human and the yellow slits of a feline, allowing you to blend into the human population better (besides your obvious tail and ears) and use your cat eyes to your advantage during your crime-fighting sprees.

You’re also given great agility and flexibility even in your human form, allowing you to jump, leap, and run at mindblowing speed. 

But what’s even better is that every time you shift into human form after being in cat form, you stay in the clothes you’re in before shifting (which saves you some very embarrassing moments).

You’re also in complete control of your quirk; however, during dangerous situations when your fight or flight kicks in, you transform into your cat form without warning, which comes in handy too. 

However, there are some cons and drawbacks. For one, you have cat-like tendencies, which means you play with anything shiny or small. You always get bored easily which has led you to carry toys and a bit of catnip in your tote bag when you’re on break. In addition, when you’re angry, you tend to growl or hiss at someone, or when you’re relaxed or content, you purr. 

And for two, which is also something you’re trying to be careful with, your cat form only lasts for so long. You usually use it as an easier way to roam the streets without gaining attention and utilize it during your missions.

But if you happen to stay in it for longer than twenty minutes or so, you start to grow exhausted which stays even after you shift back into your human form. This is why you alternate between shifting while out on the town, only shifting into human form when you’re sure it’s time (which is usually when you’re kicking ass). 

Tonight, you don’t plan on being out or in cat form for too long. You just want a nice, quiet walk in the city. So you jump from your spot in the tree, land on all fours, and immediately begin tottering away from the UA campus. 

The walk into the city is a breeze, except for the occasional squirrel you try to chase or ant you paw at as you cut through Musutafu’s park. Not many people are out tonight–just the dog walkers and runners. It’s a beautiful night for each. There’s not a cloud in the starry sky and the air is cool on your stark black fur. 

When you finally get downtown, the quietness begins to fade. Now it is replaced with the roar of activity on a Saturday night: the young crowd roaming the streets, looking for some fun; the usual crowds banded together outside of bars and nightclubs, whose feet you have to watch as you slip into alleyways; the rush of cars beeping and honking impatiently. You make sure to steer clear of them. You love the constant noise and rush of activity. It always brings some excitement. 

‘What to do,’ you wonder to yourself, eyes fixating on the many buildings that lie in wait for your consumption like a row of cakes. As if answering you, your stomach rumbles and you realize you haven’t eaten dinner. 

You decide to walk through a random alleyway and that is when you catch the whiff of something: BBQ. You look up at the building you stand beside, realizing that it’s a homely-looking Korean BBQ restaurant. The scent of the many spices and herms fills your nose. Your mouth begins to water, especially when you stand in front of the restaurant and see the chicken dumplings and beef skewers in the window.  

‘Hell, yes!’ you think excitedly. Surely, you can sneak in there when someone opens the door, jump into the window, and snatch a bite without anyone noticing. You silently sit in wait, perched at the door, fully prepared to snag yourself some of that bomb-ass food. 

What you don’t prepare for, however, is the sudden drop of water that falls onto your head. You let out a small mew of surprise and confusion. 

‘Da fuck?’ you think as you look up at the sky, only to find the clouds beginning to cover the twinkling stars above. Another droplet falls, this time on your nose. You scrunch it and wipe at the droplet with your paw, shaking out the fur on your head. 

Then another falls. And then another. And then suddenly, it begins drizzling, which means it will be pouring soon. 

‘Shit!’ you think in panic. Immediately, you turn around to hurry back to campus, running as fast as you can. If you’re not fast enough, you’ll be out here all night in the rain. And God, do you hate rain! 

As you run through the city, the drizzle quickly turns to a downpour. Sheets of cold rain fall from the sky, soaking your fur. The cars that rush by only make things worse, their tires sloshing rainwater all over you. But still, you don’t stop though your legs burn. The adrenaline in your feline body pumps blood into your heart and veins, pushing you on through your journey home. 

You turn a right corner at the end of a street and begin to run across the empty, wet street. ‘Gotta get home,’ you think. ‘Gotta–’ 

A sudden pain shoots through your front right paw, crawling up your leg. While you say “ow” in your head, it comes out as a hiss. The pain causes you to fumble and you fall onto your side in the middle of the street. 

‘Shift, you idiot!’ you think. 

You slowly inhale, trying to conjure than familiar warmth that overtakes you before you shift back into your human form…but it doesn’t happen. You’re still a cat. 

‘What the fuck?’ you think, panicking even more. It must be because you’re hurt. Your injury has fucked up your quirk completely! 

‘Get up!’ you think. ‘Get up before you get killed, idiot!’ 

You try to do so, but the pain in your paw doesn’t even allow you to place it on the ground. Every time you try to put weight on your foot, it pulls at the muscle in the tiny bones in your leg, making you mew in agony. You must have been running for too long or pushed yourself too hard. Either way, you’re hurt. Biting your tongue, you try again to gingerly place your paw on the ground, attempting to limp home. 

From the corner of your eye, you see bright lights emerging from the darkness, getting closer and closer. A loud honk cuts through the air and into your eardrums. A car. You freeze, your eyes wide and tail frizzed in fear, knowing that this is your end. 

However, the car suddenly stops right in front of you, nearly brushing your whiskers. You watch, still frazzled, as the cat door suddenly opens and the driver steps out with an umbrella.

Warely, you look up into the soft eyes and wrinkled face of a very old woman wearing a pink trench coat and an umbrella that she holds over her head. Her silvery blonde hair makes her look like an angel, and in your delirious, exhausted state, you think she is one.

“Oh, dear!” she gasps, covering her mouth. “Poor little thing. Are you alright, little one?” 

The old lady crouches down to your height and slowly moves to pick you up. ‘Wait!’ you want to protest, but all that comes out is a pitiful meow.

The lady’s face softens as her eyes drop to your limp paw. “You’re hurt,” she states softly. “Don’t worry; I won’t hurt you.” She goes to pick you up, carefully placing both hands on your sides as she scoops you up, her umbrella held under her armpit. 

“Don’t you worry,” she coos, placing you close to her chest. “You’re safe now, little one.” 

‘Wait, lady!’ you scream internally. ‘You don’t understand! I’m not a cat! Put me down!’ 

But you’re so exhausted and feel so safe under the umbrella’s protection and in the woman’s arms that all you can do is close your eyes as she carries you into her car, your panicked run finally catching up to you. 

You fall asleep in her lap, not feeling the car move as she drives you to her destination. You only awaken when the car suddenly stops, jolting you awake.

“Here we are, little one,” the lady coos, scooping you up and holding you securely against her chest as she gets out of her little car. “Welcome to your new home!” she giggles. “For now, at least.” 

She motions an arm out to the cute little cafe sandwiched between a flower shop and a ramen restaurant. Outside of it are potted flowers, and tables and chairs for sitting outside to eat.

But through the large glass windows of the building, you can see the many scratching posts, cat towers, and toys littering the clean hardwood floors. Above the doors reads “Koa’s Purrr Palace and Cafe” in the most adorable, pink cursive. 

While the cat cafe would’ve been cute to you as a human, it certainly isn’t cute now, especially when the lady unlocks the door and begins to carry you inside. ‘No!’ you want to shout, but it comes out as a meow of protest.

The lady glances at you, chuckling. “Alright, alright, I’ll feed ya, but after we get you cleaned up and warm. Don’t want ya catchin’ cold.” 

All you can do is sit and take it as she carries you into the back of the clean, lavender-scented cat cafe. The lady sits you down on the counter of a sink as she fills it up with warm water and soap with the scent of eucalyptus. Though you squirm slightly and yowl, she keeps a firm hold on you as she places you in the sudsy water and proceeds to bathe you. 

She hums a tune as she expertly scrubs your fur, gently massaging your pleasure points, including the base of your tail and the bridge of your nose.

Combined with that and the scent of the bath, you find yourself slowly relaxing into the horrible situation you’ve found yourself in. After a few agonizing minutes, the lady pronounces you clean, takes you out, and dries you off with a fluffy, pink towel that you find yourself purring from. 

“There we are,” she coos. “Nice and dry, and nice and happy. You must be exhausted though.”

She picks you back up and walks you to the front of the cafe, right over to the glass boxes holding over twelve cats, some in the same cage. The cages are spacious and comfortable, reminding you of condos with their own scratch posts, litter boxes, food, and water stations, and folded quilt blankets for makeshift beds. Only except for people, all you see are cats cuddled up in their beds, fast asleep. 

The lady begins to open an empty cage meant for you, complete with your own space and privacy. ‘No!’ you want to scream. ‘No, don’t!’ 

You’re too exhausted and relaxed to fight though, your body feeling sluggish and heavy. 

However, the lady must feel your heartbeat accelerate because she begins to pet your head. “There, now,” she coos. “It’s alright. I know it’s new, but you’re just here for the night hopefully.” Gently, she places you into the cage on your new bed with its fluffy, soft fibers, right in front of your bowl of water and kibble.

Then she closes the door and smiles at you, peeking at you through the metal bars. “Sleep tight, little one,” she whispers. 

‘Y/N,’ you want to tell her, your face dug into your cotton-scented blanket. ‘My name is Y/N.’ 

But when she leaves to cut out the lights and you’re left in the darkness and silence of the cat cafe, the exhaustion finally sets in again and sleep overtakes you.

[preciadosbass]

10/8/24 [draft from saturday, key & significant photo/s at end]

woke up at 9 and said goodmorning to boris via the camera i have on him when i’m away. unlike me, i actually got dressed quickly [saw shirt, black ripped skinny jeans, the same studded belts as yesterday, knee high converse, and the same band bracelets as yesterday because i forgot to pack more] upon realising i might actually get a chance to look in those charity shops that were closed yesterday. hearing myself after the concert was really weird, my voice was messed upp. after having something to drink i noticed something on my sisters bed and a fucking baby stick insect from home decided to come away with us 😭. we had to put it in a food pot and hope for the best because we obviously weren’t prepared for that.

we got out of the hotel at 10 and went charity shopping [thrifting]. on the way to our last shop we came across a cat cafe so i obviously watched them for a while. there was a guy outside and his mum and she was saying how they go there everyday and know all of the cats names and things. i took a picture of one of them because it was sleeping with its tongue out and i thought it looked silly. afterwards me and the rest of my family went into our last charity shop and i got an american idiot [green day] cd! i’ve actually seen that cd a ton in shops but never got round to getting it for some reason.

i did previously find like 3 cds in a shop that looked really cool, one had deer skulls on the cover but i looked the music up and wasn’t keen on any of them. they all tended to be too relaxed and country-like for me to enjoy them. on the way back to the hotel/carpark we came across this market stand. most of the stuff being sold there was pokémon and anime, so not my kinda thing — but i found a few pins that caught my eye. i looked at the nightmare before christmas/beetlejuice/metal band/shark pins while my sister eyed up some pokémon figures dressed as people from demon slayer. neither of us could decide if we wanted anything so mum and dad got something to eat and we followed so we could procrastinate.

we both ended up wanting to pick something out so we went back to the stall and my sister got a deal of three figures + an extra pin so it worked out perfectly. she let me have the pin and i chose out a shark with legs because it kinda looked like a cat hybrid and i happen to love both animals. we went back to hotel to pick up some food left in a freezer and i took a few leaflets to make a collage when i get home. we set off on our way back at 1:20 and i slept almost the whole drive. i tried my best to stay awake so i could listen to fall out boy’s american beauty/american psycho but i was shattered. we got home at 3 and i fussed boris while watching even more of ‘danger days gerard -- best moments’ in youtube.

while i was outside with boris i noticed that my neighbours were being extra noisy and heard what sounded like people my age so i went for a walk round the back of the woods to decide whether i’d be too scared to see what was going on. afterwards i decided that i want to go so i asked my mum to ask about me joining in although she’d already reassured me my neighbour says i can always join in with whatever’s being hosted there. once my mum had confirmed me going wasnt a problem, i touched up my outfit and straightened my hair [it thankfully worked this time]. i somehow convinced my sister to go after telling her about what i’d seen so i said goodbye to boris and went next doors.

turned out it was some christian camp thing. ive never been religious and if anything, i concider myself a buddhist/pagan/taoist — but i do find other religions interesting and as we all know now, im desperate to meet people my age. we got there while a service was on so i politely mooched around to see what i could do. i got excited when i saw someone my age, or so i thought — she was actually even younger than my sister lmaoo

my sister met someone she used to see regularly at skating lessons, but i didn’t know her as i’ve always used roller blades and none of the tricks there could be done on those types. the atmosphere was kind chaotic, there was a ton of toddlers just wandering around, but it was somewhat exciting to be socialising like this as i haven’t in at least 2 years. there was a bouncy castle, various log cabins, singers, etc. id only ever been in my neighbours garden 3 years ago when he and his family had a bonfire night so i didn’t know my way around. with that, i just sat on the bouncy castle with my sister and waited for somebody to ask where on earth we’d come from.

eventually somebody did and we started talking. he was really fascinated with the way i dress and kept on asking why i wear the clothes i do. a few other kids also asked where i’d gotten my band bracelets from but i think they were just making small talk. the same boy they spoke to me originally just sort of joked about the others around us with me and i had to awkwardly laugh. after being there for over an hour, i decided to go back home and check on boris. my sister went with me and we stayed there for about half an hour. when we got back all of the other kids were playing football and im terrified of being booted with it so i sat on one of the many seats facing the singers.

my neighbour [i think, i honestly don’t remember what he looks like] handed me leaflets to put onto each chair and once my job was done, a service started. like i said earlier, im not anywhere near a christian so i didn’t really know what to do with myself. i just looked around. while doing so i saw a group of adults go round the back where the bouncy castle and things are so i very discreetly followed. i sat around over there for 20-30 minutes until i went back to see boris, this time alone. my sister wanted me to bring snacks back so i packed my pin-covered bag and also took my camera as word had spread that there was going to be a bonfire.

when id gotten back to the kids area i couldn’t find my sister so i searched a few of the log cabins. i ended up finding her in a huge, comfy cabin with a film playing inside. id watched that building be built not long ago, it was weird finding out what was actually inside. the film playing was ‘yes day’ and i really didn’t like it so i just sat on my phone. my mum randomly teleported out of nowhere to give my sister a jumper and then walked off into the abyss. i think she sat with the other parents. i got bored of doing nothing and after some time the film ended so me and my sister went back outside. at this point in time it was almost pitch black so i took my camera out.

that boy noticed and started playing around with it. it was awkward because he kept on grabbing the lens and trying to show me how to use my own camera lmaoo and this was when he made it even more apparent that he had a crush on me. it’s quite hard to explain how you know someone’s into you through writing but it was painfully obvious. and obviously awkward because i had absolutely no idea how old he was and he at least acted very young. i watched the bonfire for a while while he spoke to me and then got told about going into the woods to hear ‘scary stories.’ i thought it’d be like paranormal stories so i obviously came.

all 54+ of us went down into the woods and it was kinda funny because it’s the woods right behind our house and we knew where we were going but everyone kept on getting lost. we couldn’t guide anyone though, because we were decently far back in the queue [i was no30.] we ended up walking to where my mum suspected, the big oak. we all gathered around this large oak tree and then this dude came out of nowhere wearing an old man mask and a fake beard. he started telling this made up story that made absolutely no sense whatsoever. all i remember from it was that he ‘fell in a grave’ and nobody helped him out. at some point ‘i got you [i feel good]’ started playing and then an ad came on and everyone went silent.

after that happened, the ‘old’ guy started speaking about a ‘scary’ scarecrow. then we all waited in painful stillness for something to happen. then this halloween scarecrow was hoisted up from a rope around the tree. and then fell to the ground. it was hilarious because all of this happened in silence and it was obvious that wasn’t supposed to happen. after his story was over, we walked back to the campsite. we arrived back at 11 and i watched the bonfire for a little bit while that boy spoke to me. on the way to the big oak, he was asking about me having snapchat and whatsapp but stopped because my sister was teasing him. so because we were alone, he started asking me again. i didn’t say yes to anything and just said that i might be back tomorrow before everyone leaves.

when we got back home, i noticed archie [our dog] had been dropped back off to our house by my grandad. i tried having a 10 minute nap once getting into my room but i’m pretty sure it didn’t even last 5 minutes before i got called up to ask my parents questions about boris. i cant exactly recall if it was easily or arguable this particular night, but i got downstairs and ready to say goodnight to boris at 2:30. while i was saying goodnight to him, he was sleeping on my collage journal. i love it when he lays on things of mine. i don’t know whether he does it because he knows it’s mine, or because he obviously can’t move it himself, but he dosent like being on things generally so i like to think it’s option one. i went to sleep at 4.

have a good day/night O_o

🗝️ — boris/my cat

[olichat-reads]

Dad in Every Lifetime

dadzawa fluff

we've heard of reincarnated lovers BUT WHAT ABOUT REINCARNATED FOUND FAMILY??

i'm about to make this man the ultimate dad because IMAGINE aizawa collecting his kids in EVERY LIFETIME.

🌟

aizawa doesn't control at which age he finds his kids. he doesn't have a preference- is always just happy to meet them at all.

but he can't deny the way seeing his kids as kids makes something in him melt.

sometimes the encounter would be a brief one. waiting in line for his coffee, when he feels a little tug on his pants. looking down to find big bicolored doe eyes staring up at him and a quiet "dad" being whispered.

"shoto?" the only response he gets in return is a slight smile.

"they're nice this time," is all the kid says before wrapping small arms around his legs in a brief hug and trotting away to a frazzeled looking mother coralling 3 other kids who all but cried in relief, clutching the seemingly emotionless child close before scolding him gently. he watched as a gentle giant of a man scooped shoto- apparently the youngest of the bunch- into his arms, tapped his nose chidingly before leading his pack out the cafe. shoto spared him one last glance with a barely there smile as he shyly waved bye.

aizawa shook his head fondly. some things never change.

it was a sort of blessing, he thinks, being able to see his kids grow up all over again. seeing them have a chance at being children. know they were given the childhood they deserved.

imagine him on a walk when a kid not even up to his waist all but SLAMS into his legs squealing the most precious "daddy!!".

imagine him crouching down to gently pry the excitable tot off of his pants and speaking softly.

"hello, ashido." its strange he thinks, when he can immediately just know which one of his kids it is, even if they looked and sometimes even acted a bit different- he's grateful though, whenever its obvious his kid had a chance to live a happier lifetime.

to anyone looking, he might just look like a nice stranger trying to gently coax a lost child that they got the wrong person without scaring them.

internally, he's blinking back tears of joy from having been found by one of his kids again, holding himself back from snatching them into his arms while he gently checks that they're doing okay in this life.

"daddy! my mommy and daddy are soooo nice this time too! i'm so happy! we have two puppies and- and-"

"thats good to hear, kiddo," he'd say, before the pair of ashido's frantic parents scrambles over, apologizing for their kid.

"see you later, dad!"

"yeah," he'd say, voice unbearably fond.

its always conflicting whenever he asks about their family, watches them with their parents. he is always happy to know they were in good hands but that means they were not HIS to care for. not in that life.

he remembers being flustered by a wailing 4 year old denki who didn't want him to leave, simply for not being ready at being apart from his dad so soon after only just finding him.

he'd found the boy lost at the amusement park he worked at in this life, sniffling and scrubbing his eyes as he stood by a store window alone. though denki instantly brigtened up the moment he recognized aizawa, eyes practically shining in delight even with his still tear stained cheeks.

"dad!" he cried, throwing himself into aizawa's arms almost toppling the man over from where he was crouched down to the kid's level. aizawa's resolve to chastise the kid immediately wavered.

"you shouldn't go around talking to strangers, bub."

"dad's not a stanger though."

aizawa rolled his eyes.

"how did you lose your parents, problem child?"

denki tenses at the question before sheepishly pointing at the window displaying a grumpy black cat plush with red eyes. "kitty.."

"of course," aizawa huffed, already pulling out his wallet. "come on. kitty, then we look for your parents."

and that was how he spent a good 45 minutes letting the kid drag him around while he 'looked' for his parents. very half hearted searching if you asked him- but aizawa wasn't complaining.

besides you couldn't blame him for getting a little 'distracted'.

they mostly stayed on track on their trek towards the inquiry desk but aizawa couldn't help but let himself be pulled along off course every now and then by the bouncy four year old with too much energy showing him everything that caught his eye, blabbering a mile a minute.

it was nice watching the kid vibrating with joy at the littlest of things, his child-like innocence untainted.

he bought the kid the fluffiest cloud of cotton candy and watch denki's face absolutely lit up, almost making him squint on reflex at how bright it suddenly was.

aizawa decided it was almost humorous how easy it was to please a literal child.

he wished he could spend more time with his kid.

by the time the got to the information counter, announcement of a lost child made, aizawa noticed denki had gone quiet, hugging his new kitty close as he stared at the ground. aizawa frowned, crouching down in front of him. he offered a hand and a much smaller one latched onto his as big watery eyes looked up at him.

"whats wrong, problem child?"

and apparently that was all it took for the floodgates to open.

well shit.

aizawa physically fumbled, unsure of what to do at the wailing kid before him, not knowing what happened to cause such a reaction. in his frantic panicking aizawa jerked his hand away, almost dislodging denki's hold, causing the kid to scramble forward to hold onto him in a panic.

"no! don't go!"

oh.

holding onto his kid, aizawa felt his chest ache. he pushed aside his own hurt for now. his kid came first.

they always do.

"denki," he called softly, gentle hands coaxing the trembling child to look up at him.

"hey, its okay." that earned him a sad whimper that broke his heart.

"its okay," aizawa murmurs, keeping his voice low enough for just the trembling child in his arms to hear. he hears foorsteps rushing towards them. he wished he had more time. "its okay, problem child, you'll find me again, right? we'll see each other again, i promise."

"denki!"

he gently unlatches little hands from his sweater as he raises his voice just a little for the flustered parents to hear. "be good for your parents now, okay?"

"k-kayy.."

it hurts him a little to be seperated from his kids, but the promise is something he knows he can keep. that the strings that fate has wound around them was too strong to keep them apart.

"we'll find each other again. in this life, or the next, or the one after. so don't worry, okay?"

he watched as denki snuggled into his other dad's hold, the little family walking away. something in him squeezed painfully at the sight, but ultimately, his heart settled with the knowledge that his kid had a good life this time too.

besides, he'll see them again. he knows it.

🌟

a/n: i'm dipping my toes into posting on ao3 too so don't freak out if you see my work on there- i just can't figure out how to link it from here lmao

[generaltrashshecox]

Anthony’s been talking to a guy on a gay/lgbt dating app for a while, sending pictures and dirty messages. The two of them finally decide to meet up (for a date or for a hookup) and it ends up being Damien. Wether they decide to forget it ever happened or decided to try something is up to you.

Smut warning! This is a work of fiction I don't condone anything yadda yadda 4.7k words. P0rn with feelings, self-esteem issues, first times so nervous boys being awkward but still filthy, and top!Anthony. Hope you enjoy!

Anthony was new to this. This being meeting someone off a dating app. He took a deep breath taking a sip of his coffee. Not only that it was also his first time with a guy... And it wasn't something as innocent as just a date.

Now they were going to hang out for a moment and talk about their days and actually get a feel for each other but this was definitely more of a hookup than anything. He'd barely found out he was bi in his last relationship and when they amicably went their separate ways he felt it was finally his chance. That's why he was on the app in the first place. He was looking for something safe and anonymous being a personality online he could never be too careful especially since he got his company back. They hadn't even publicly announced their breakup but he was pent up so he made an account. No real names no faces just a short description. Sweet and simple. His read like this:

tonynotthetiger: Tony, 35, into music, video editing, and a few videos games.

He had a few pictures of his hands in his profile since a lot of people seemed to like them but his tattoos were photoshopped just a bit differently to keep people from clocking that it was him. Thankfully it was just his tattoo artists style...

He'd talked to a few people he matched with even meeting a couple but nothing really seemed to *click*. He was really about to give up when he messaged him.

I like your hands. I think I'd like them as a necklace ;)

He was a bit taken aback by his forwardness and so he checked his profile.

justahugenerd: Chris 32 cat dad and just a nerd about many things. Also very much neurospicy so please bare with me

Well at least he was honest... He looked at his profile seeing very few pictures but most of them were of what he guessed was him in thigh highs with little bows and garters legs spread prettily in some kind of black skirt or dress. He definitely liked that it wasn't much but it made his heart beat just a bit faster so he replied.

Well that was kinda of forward but I like it

Really 😳 I honestly didn't think it would work 😅 but heyyy

Anthony couldn't help but chuckle. He seemed cute already.

Well it worked on me so heyyy

And it just went from there. They talked about other things of course they actually had a lot in common and he just enjoyed talking to him on hard days. He would try and help best he could, telling him about his own day or what his cats had gotten up to. It easily put a smile on his face. The pictures he sent also helped though. Soft body he wanted to grab milky white thighs... Dripping cock as he fucked himself on a dildo or stretched around a plug... Which led him to where he was today. They'd been talking for weeks before finally gaining the confidence to actually meet in person. "Chris" especially because he said his confidence wasn't the best and he was afraid he'd run away screaming even though he'd seen (most of) his naked body. Anthony reassured him he'd never wanted anything more. Finally they chose to meet up at a small cafe that wasn't far from either of their places apparently. "Chris" said he'd be wearing a Zelda shirt and Anthony said he'd be in a ripped sweatshirt.

Now he was nearly shaking with anticipation. Or maybe it was the coffee he'd already had to pass the time as he worked on his second cup. Yeah that was definitely it. He took another drink when suddenly a familiar face popped into view. Oh god no, he thought, dipping his head trying not to be seen. He'd know the bright purple hair anywhere and he felt like he wanted to die. He didn't want Damien to be here when he met his hook-up but then the man scanned the cafe before spotting him. He smiled walking closer before recognition finally hit. His face flushed and eyes widened before a hand slapped over his mouth and Anthony registered what he was wearing... A Zelda shirt.

No oh god no that can't- and then it all clicked into place. 32 cat dad nerd neurospicy... Damien Christian Haas... Who else could it have been? His mouth went dry as Damien just stared. They seemed frozen in time before a waiter had to ask Damien to move out of the walkway and he moved closer to the table. Anthony sighed breaking out of the stupor first.

"Come sit. We're gonna have to talk about it eventually," he said finally. Damien fidgeted before sitting in the seat in front of him. He couldn't look up couldn't look him in the eyes. His mind was racing because he couldn't believe his boss had seen him naked vulnerable... And still wanted to meet. "So... Chris huh?" he asked first. Damien scoffed.

"They said to use a alias so I used my middle name, Tony," he emphasized in the name Anthony used. It really was him and he put his face in his hands. Once his eyes closed though his brain ran wild showing for a split second what Damien would look like in the place of the man he fantasized about. He shook his head looking at him.

"I also thought you were ace?" he asked questioning. He didn't want to pry but he was curious.

"Aceflux... I lean demi but I have times when I feel allo like I did when we started talking but honestly... I liked you. Like you? This is so confusing," he said putting his face in his hands as he flushed even more. "That's why I came here today."

"I'm sorry I liked or rather like you too but I don't know..." he trailed off. Would it truly be wrong? They were employee and employer but barely... They were really just adults doing their own thing. Damien put his hands on the table trying to breathe and Anthony placed a hand on top of one. He looked at him questioningly. "How about this... We'll go through this date and we'll decide after if we wanna pursue after all or just let it go okay?" he said gently and Damien hesitated but he turned his hand to squeeze Anthony's. He couldn't help but like Tony so he felt he might as well give Anthony a chance.

"Sounds like a plan," he said with a soft smile and Anthony's heart rate quickened.

"So how are your girls?" he asked with a smile and Damien lit up. He was a usual cat person always ready and willing to talk about his cats.

"They're doing great! They've been spoiled butts recently but it's just how it is especially with fall and me going out and doing spooky things that I love!" he started rambling excitedly and Anthony listened a smile on his face. "I'm sorry," he said sheepishly after his rant. "How have you been lately? Exciting I bet but how have you balanced everything really?"

"It's been tough a little bit but having weekends off helps a whole fucking lot," he said grin on his face. "I have so many things from Smosh to my own company but it's also thrilling because I get to do these things. I get to have fun with my friends and I get to interview people who don't usually get a chance ya know? It's pretty great even though I'm exhausted at times. It's all worth it ya know..." he trailed off as Damien was looking at him intently with a smile nodding along. He cleared his throat. "So you wanna order?" It was a date after all.

"Ooh yeah of course!" Damien said grabbing the menu and looking over it's contents. It was a small cafe so it was mostly cold cut sandwiches and pastries so it was slim for choice. The waiter came by once more taking Anthony's empty coffee cup and taking their orders. Anthony got a salad and water to offset all the caffeine he ingested while Damien got a simple ham and cheese sandwich. Once the waiter left they fell back into easy conversation laughing and joking. It was so easy being around each other for some reason like they knew each other which they did but it felt... Different. Once their food came though they fell quieter talking small talk new things to watch and the like. They knew once they were done they would have make a decision which neither really wanted to know the answer to. They ate slowly still chatting and laughing a little. Anthony liked hearing his, it bordered on goofy at times and it made him laugh easily. Soon enough though their food was finished and the tension felt thick in the air between them.

"So what's the verdict?" Anthony asked keeping his tone light and joking. Damien sighed.

"Fuck," he said softly before giggling. "Fuck I like you this is so..." he buried his face in his hands once more. "We wouldn't be risking anything right?"

"I don't think so. We're not a normal company and we're close enough in age to know what we're doing," he said. He reached across the table and took his hand again. "And to know what we want." Damien nodded.

"So... Mine or yours?" he asked flush on his cheeks once more. Anthony bit his tongue to keep from groaning heat already coursing through his body at the simple question.

"Mine if you don't mind. I feel like it'd be the safer option more secluded. I also don't think it would be weird for people to see you enter my home instead of vice versa," he said calculated. He nodded again. He'd thought about this a lot apparently. Anthony stood holding his hand out. "Well... Shall we then?" he asked with a smirk and Damien blushed before taking his hand as he helped him stand. They walked to the parking lot and Anthony walked to his car Damien following. "Did you drive or-"

"Uber," he said a little sheepishly. Anthony nodded unlocking the car. They got in and made their way to Anthony's, car ride a little quiet due to the tension of what was going to happen. He turned on the radio and thankfully they had similar taste in music as they both sang along to rock and elder emo bs. Soon enough they made it to Anthony's house. He got out first coming around to the passengers side where Damien was getting out looking around before grabbing him by the waist much to his surprise pressing him against the car. He was just a bit impatient being so pent up. He leaned in before stopping.

"Is this alright?" he asked lightly voice thick with want. Damien swallowed flushing deeper. This was all new but he nodded breaths coming a little more shallow. Anthony captured his lips gently tasting a salty sweetness there. He held back a groan as he pushed him more against the car making him squeak as he pressed flush, enjoying his warmth against him. Damien didn't move away instead, melting into the kiss as Anthony was a damn good kisser making him feel dizzy already. They stood there for a moment before Damien put his hands on his chest gently pushing him away and he felt like he'd done something wrong. He looked at him worried.

"I uh... Think we should save this for inside," he said a little breathless. Oh right they were still in Anthony's driveway. He took his hand which made him blush at the small gesture and led him to the door unlocking it quickly fumbling just a bit. They closed the door behind them and he resisted the urge to press him against another surface and instead led him to the couch. They sat a bit awkwardly knowing what was to come. Anthony put a hand on his cheek and he couldn't help but lean into it gently closing his eyes. As he did his eyes grazed over his features and damn was he pretty. Pink pouty lips contrasting his five o'clock shadow as well as the flush that spread across his cheeks. He opened his eyes and Anthony was taken aback by how breathtaking they were and the emotion swirling in them. Nervousness in them made him realize how long he'd been staring smiling sheepishly as if he'd been caught. Adoration was also there along with something darker as his pupils dilated. Ah... He swallowed.

"You're so pretty," he said simply and the flush seemed to grow darker. Damien's eyes widened just a bit at the compliment.

"T-thank you. You're uh... Really handsome," he whispered almost under his breath. "Are you going to kiss me yet?" Anthony nodded. He'd been so caught up in staring he'd nearly forgotten but he leaned in again and this time Damien met him. His lips were soft and the kiss was gentle and sweet. His other hand went to his waist pulling him closer deepening the kiss running his tongue over his bottom lip. Damien hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth slightly and his tongue prodded in gently. He whimpered a soft quiet sound but it was music to Anthony's ears. He pulled him ever closer as he swirled his tongue around his. Damien's hands rested on his shoulders gently one moving back fingers finding purchase in the hair at the base of his neck as he kissed back. They pulled away finally for a moment panting a bit looking at each other. Pupils blown lips wet and slightly swollen Damien was a sight to behold and Anthony kissed him harshly making him yelp slightly before kissing back with similar ferocity. Both hands rested on Damien's waist moving back one snaking up his shirt splaying against his back as the other went down to feel up his ass. He jumped a bit pulling away.

"Sorry was that too fast?" Damien shook his head panting.

"No no sorry I'm just- this is all new to me. I mean I've experimented and you've seen the uh," he cleared his throat, "pictures I sent you but I never-" he hesitated. Wait... What? He looked at him curiously.

"Wait Damien I'm not gonna be your first am I?" he asked seriously. Damien chewed on his lip looking down.

"Would it be so bad if you were?" he asked genuinely. Anthony froze mind racing. He gripped him tighter making him look at him.

"Maybe not... But I have to say I'm new to this too," he said looking at him intently. Damien's mouth dropped open before he closed it again.

"I guess we can learn together," he said softly before kissing him. I guess so, Anthony thought before pressing into the kiss once more. The hand still splayed on his back pulled him closer nearly into his lap. His other hand hooked onto his knee pulling so he was actually in his lap and Damien made a surprised noise before pulling away. "Are you sure this is okay?" he asked nervously. Was this okay? He looked pretty as a picture in his lap all flushed red shirt askew from where his hand was. But he looked down at him with worry and a little fear. Oh right... Body dysmorphia was a bitch.

"More than okay, really," he said leaning up to kiss him once more. His hand went up his thigh gripping the supple flesh there before moving back to his ass groping as he whimpered into his mouth. He was so pliant and warm under his hands he couldn't get enough already half hard in his jeans as he pressed him closer grinding their crotches together. They moaned Damien pulling away.

"Fuck-" he said before grinding down feeling Anthony's hardness against his. Fuck- holy fuck he was turned on and by him? He almost couldn't believe it and wouldn't have if he didn't see the hunger in Anthony's eyes. He scooted even closer in his lap grinding his ass against his bulge groaning as he did. "Fuck, Anthony-"

His name fell from Damien's like sin pretty and tempting. He kissed him harshly once more thrusting up against his grind making them both cry out. He gripped him tighter fingers digging into his back and gripped his ass tightly as they moved against each other deliciously. Anthony pulled away kissing down his neck as Damien held him close trying to catch his breath. His brain felt foggy with lust Anthony's lips the only thing anchoring him and he buried his fingers in his hair. He nibbled at the spot behind his ear before pressing more open mouthed kisses down his neck to his collarbone. He sucked gently making Damien moan but made sure not to leave a mark. At least not yet. He pulled away lifting his shirt before stopping and looking at him. Damien gulped but nodded and soon his shirt was pulled over his head and tossed aside. He tried not to feel self conscious as Anthony's eyes raked over his body. Anthony was in awe of all the pallid skin before him. He was gorgeous but he could tell by his body language that he didn't feel like that. He kissed him again gently as he ran his hands all over his body worshipping him with his fingers tips trying to commit every inch of him to memory. Anthony's hands were warm and rough from what he didn't know but they touched him tentatively caringly like he was precious. He pulled away again kissing down his neck holding him close as he did nibbling and sucking as he did.

"You can-" Damien gasped, "you can mark me if you want," he said gently. Anthony didn't need to be told twice as he sucked harsher and bit to make sure it stayed. He pulled away seeing a purple mark already start to form, a stark contrast, before making more down his neck and across his collarbone painting him pretty. He moved down his body to his chest nuzzling there before his hands came up and cupped his pecs massaging and pinching his nipples making him moan. He threw his head back slightly, eyes half lidded as Anthony worked his body. He then turned back and tugged at Anthony's own shirt. "I'm feeling a little underdressed," he said cheekily. Anthony chuckled pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it aside as well.

"Sorry about that," he said smirking but Damien wasn't listening enraptured by his naked torso. The paint strokes on his body were mesmerizing and his fingers traced the lines gently as they swirled and spattered over his pecs and abs. Anthony just watched him as he did light touches sending heat through him as he reached where his pants were. Damien wondered how far they went then flushed remembering the pictures he'd gotten... "Yep they're down there too," Anthony said making Damien jump slightly. Right yeah... He flushed before looking him in the eyes. He opened his mouth to apologize but he stopped him. "Don't worry it was nice. Now come here," he said pulling him down for another kiss. They pressed flush skin to skin and it was nice sharing their warmth and then Anthony thrust up once again. He pulled away needing more. "Bedroom?" Damien nodded and they stood up as he led them to his bedroom.

Once he got there he kissed him pushing him to the edge of the bed before pushing him down with an oomph. Damien stared at him wide eyed for a moment before he hovered above him kissing him once more pressing open mouthed kisses down his body. He reached his pants before looking at him for a response. Damien nodded and Anthony wasted no time as he undid his strange pants pulling them down. They landed where they landed and he was left in his boxer tented and leaking through the fabric. He gripped it running his thumb through the wetness making him keen.

"So wet for me," he couldn't stop himself from saying and Damien whined. So fucking gorgeous, he couldn't help but think. He stroked him a few times before pulling them off as well leaving him bare before him. His cock was red and leaking as it had been in those pictures and videos and his mouth watered a bit. Anthony leaned down and lapped at the tip before wrapping his mouth around the head gently sucking and Damien twitched arching just a bit pressing more into his mouth. He bobbed his head sucking gently as his hand went to cup his balls before moving down his perineum to his puckered entrance. He circled a finger around it prodding and pulling at the edges before pulling away. He pulled off his dick and Damien caught his breath as Anthony coated his fingers in saliva. He pulled them out shiny and wet trailing them down his perineum once more making him shiver. He reached his hole again and pressed in surprised at how easily it slipped in. He looked at Damien questioningly and he flushed covering his face.

"I may have... Prepped myself before I left the house," he said slightly muffled from his hands over his face. Made sense but it made Anthony's dick twitch in his jeans. He pressed the second one in not as easily a little snug but still a bit easier. Damien made a soft pleasured sound as he did eyes closing as he pressed himself onto his fingers. Anthony watched as his fingers disappeared inside him taking them so well into his tight heat. He scissored them stretching him just a bit more before crooking them looking for that spot inside him. Damien was just enjoying it until suddenly a wave of pleasure shot through him making him shake and moan loudly. "Fuck!" he couldn't help but nearly yell as Anthony assaulted that spot over and over with a smile. He could feel himself getting close, familiar coil in his stomach twitching around Anthony's fingers when he stopped. He whimpered, orgasm slipping away as Anthony pulled his fingers out. He clenched around nothing uncomfortably and Anthony couldn't help but chuckle.

"Don't worry you'll be getting something better," he said more confidently than he felt. He walked to his bedside table opening the drawer and pulling out the lube he kept there for "emergencies." He came back palming himself through his pants as Damien stared. He undid his jeans pushing them down along with his boxers, cock springing free as he stepped out of them. He stroked himself and Damien stared before gulping. "Like what you see?"

"Y-yes I just... Fuck I knew you would be big but fuck-" he said chuckling a little nervously. Seeing it in person was definitely different than in a picture. He felt a little intimidated but he tried to relax. He took some deep breaths as he watched Anthony pour some lube on his hand before spreading it all over his cock. He then pressed the extra against his opening and he shivered. He lined up pressing in gently but steadily. The head popped through and he groaned but continued on as Damien gripped the sheets. Anthony was definitely bigger than any of the toys he'd used before but he was determined. Anthony finally bottomed out stopping and groaning breathless at the way he was clenching and fluttering around him. He leaned down pressing a kiss to his lips as a distraction and he wrapped his arms around his neck kissing him like his life depended on it. After a moment Anthony pulled away and gently rocked into him as he got used to him. He moaned as he resisted the urge to slam into his tight heat over and over instead pulling out slightly before gently pressing back in. Damien took deep breaths as he took it now not as unpleasant but not exactly pleasurable. He put a hand on Anthony's shoulder and pulled him down for another kiss enjoying the skinship and his lips against his. Anthony kept his shallow thrusts as he relaxed around him shifting and pressing in a bit harsher making him groan. He pulled away.

"You doing alright?" Anthony asked gently and he nodded. Pleasure was starting to build as he pressed down on his thrusts and Anthony understood. He thrust into him harder and he moaned prettily. He kept that fucking into him steadily loving the pretty sounds that fell from Damien's lips. He looked so beautiful face and chest flushed a splotchy red all over, mouth open, and eyes glossed over when they weren't squeezed shut.

"Anthony please more," he whined and Anthony obliged slamming into him. It felt like it knocked the wind out of him but it felt so good as he filled him full over and over again. He could barely think, mind swimming as he dug his nails into Anthony's back. He didn't mind he actually enjoyed the feeling of his nails in his back hoping the crescent shapes they left would stay. He gripped him harshly as he slammed into him again and again sounds of their bodies filling the room as Damien took it all. Anthony adjusted and pressed his thigh up angling so he could get even deeper and Damien nearly screamed as he did. "Fuck again please," he begged shaking with it. And so he did again and again gripping his thigh till he felt like it would bruise. Damien was no longer there muttering curses and praises in the same breath. He was getting close again, the familiar warmth in his belly building. Anthony could feel it too in the way he pressed against his thrusts and the way his muscle fluttered around him deliciously.

"Fuck you feel so good look so pretty taking my cock so well," he mouth spewed, filthy things filling Damien's ears as he mewled at the dirty praise. It was pushing him closer to the edge and then Anthony wrapped a hand around his cock stroking it before he was cumming with a yell. His thighs threatened to shut but he held them open as he chased his own orgasm groaning at how he clenched around him tightly as his body rode out his. He was so close ramming into him harsher as he groaned. Damien was whimpering in oversensitivity when he got an idea in his flooded brain.

"C'mon please- fill me up I need it," he whimpered nearly crying and Anthony's orgasm hit him like a freight train. Fuck- holy fuck! He couldn't believe how hard he came, vision almost whiting out as he curled nearly into himself as he continued to fuck into him finishing his orgasm before finally stopping nearly collapsing on top of him. They stayed there catching their breath relishing in the afterglow as they came down. Damien kept his arms around Anthony though his nails were no longer digging as he nuzzled into his neck. He smelled of sweat and sex but also something earthy, like home and his heart skipped a beat. Suddenly he felt emotional and he didn't understand why as he pressed into his neck trying to keep the tears at bay. He didn't want to fuck this up as he held him tighter. Anthony felt him press closer and hold him tighter as his breath stuttered. He pulled them both to the side Damien staying at his neck and he ran his fingers through his hair.

"You're okay. You did so well," he said gently and Damien didn't know why it made him feel worse nuzzling further and then Anthony got it. "We'll be okay I promise." And suddenly he pulled away eyes tinged red with unshed tears.

"You promise?" he said looking up at him hopefully. He brought him up for a kiss soft and sweet and gentle. He didn't know if he could promise they'd be okay for sure but he could promise he'd try. But he'd promise for tonight to make him feel safe and secure.

"I promise," he said finally after pulling away. Damien nodded not completely trusting it but cuddled against him exhausted yawning. Anthony held him close pulling the blankets around them before pressing a kiss to his forehead which his preened at before closing his eyes. They'd worry about everything else tomorrow, today would be perfect.

[masterofdemise]

Thank you @lady-lazagna for sending the ask!

Anyway, so I think it is absolutely NO surprise that when I say "mysterious unlikely helpers", if you follow my art enough, you'll know it's none other than Pluto and Johannes. Now, knowing me, this is a long one so sit tight.

"But Alexis? Pluto died, how did he come back?"

I RESURRECTED HIM WITH THE POWER OF COPIU-okay serious answer. I'm still finding the exact answer for it, but in some lucky twist of fate for Pluto, because he was not the Child of the Black Sun and therefore deemed "unworthy", he was in simple terms, "rejected" by Nemesis and after some time of sitting inside of it, he was sent back into the living realm. Yada yada yada, he encounters Dynamis and a whole bunch of drama occurs before eventually everyone knocks some sense into Pluto and Pluto decides he will not go on more troubling tasks to condemn the world. Wanting to right the many wrongs he did, he donates a good portion of his fortune away to aid people in need, and starts working at the WBBA to try and make up for what he did since just sitting in jail won't do much to help anyone.

In the meanwhile, during the six months he was missing, Johannes and the rest of the Nemesis gang were stuck in Metal Bey City and without any direction or idea on what to do with their lives, they wallowed around for a bit until Elysse knocked sense into the four and convinced them to start up a business (aka, Cafe Lynx). After establishing the cat cafe, since it was so close, Felicity decided to pay a visit and that is where she started talking with Johannes. Since the two were such cat fanatics, they became quick friends of sorts and engaged in gossip. Especially with Fifionne and He Li Hua not around as much due to Li Hua being busy and Fifionne doing AWOL, Felicity gets to at least relax at the new cat cafe. Even though she became aware of Johannes's involvement in the world destroying incident, knowing what she did with Fifionne, she let it slide and gave Johannes a chance.

After Pluto comes back, he takes up a position as manager of the cafe, as well as a worker with the WBBA. Since Felicity is such a frequent visitor, Pluto meets her and they become friends.

Here is the real important stuff, and a huge spoiler( but also not really since it's not like I'll have the energy to type this all out into a story). When He Li Hua calls Felicity about Fifionne being missing, Felicity says she has not heard from Fifionne since the Nemesis incident (which was by the time Li Hua called, eight months ago).

This is a lie.

Felicity not only saw her almost right after Nemesis was defeated to analyze Fifionne's new Divine Fox, but she also saw Fifionne one month ago. In truth, Felicity KNEW something was deeply wrong with Fifionne and panicked heavily after Fifionne threatened her to not interfere with her plans. With the way she was behaving, Felicity likened it to another Ryuga-like incident in the way that Fifionne was not only being influenced by a dark-force(Tamamo), but by how much Fifionne seemed to be motivated by revenge. Knowing the authorities probably would not be able to do much against her friend and even if they did it probably would not go well, she decided it would be easier to enlist the help of other people.

As a result, she turns over to both Pluto and Johannes two weeks before He Li Hua makes the call. Knowing the two have expertise in not only tracking people down, but because they have the experiences of being former evil-doers and schemers, she is willing to pay the both of them for the job. Pluto refuses the money since the two do not really need it, and Pluto is trying to do it out of kindness. With that, the two start their investigation without ever informing the WBBA. Pluto does go on to inform the WBBA about this later, but only after Li Hua shows up.

Fast forward to when Li Hua travels to Japan on impulse to look for clues on Fifionne, Felicity panics. Not only does she know that Li Hua will absolutely despise Pluto and Johannes for being a part of their search, but because Fifionne also threatened Felicity to not get Li Hua involved. Not wanting Li Hua to figure out the truth and trying to solve the Fifionne problem as quietly as possible, she keeps quiet and plays up the lie. Li Hua ends to the WBBA for information where they finally learn of her disappearance. With the assumption that Felicity knows as much as Li Hua (when she doesn't), Li Hua leaves for Kyoto for answers while Felicity has more time to try and wrap things up.

Unfortunately, Li Hua does manage to come back with information and continues bugging Felicity about the search. Knowing she won't be able to go on the search for herself, she gives up on keeping Pluto and Johannes's roles a secret and asks Li Hua to go to Cafe Lynx without her. It is there where Li Hua almost blows a fuse at Felicity when she realizes who exactly Felicity enlisted the help of. As mad as Li Hua is, this is all so they can find Fifionne and Li Hua has no choice but to let it slide.

I'll leave it at that since those are the main bits of information that need to be known for the setup. Essentially, Felicity has been working with Pluto and Johannes behind Li Hua's back because Felicity is not only worried about Li Hua and Fifionne encountering one another, but because she believes Pluto and Johannes will be the best for the job. He Li Hua is absolutely infuriated and feels betrayed that Felicity is so willing to work with people she sees as the "lowest scum of the Earth", but she sets her differences aside just for a bit because Li Hua cares more about Fifionne's safety. There is going to be a lot more drama that occurs soon after Li Hua talks more with the two, but that can be discussed another time when I feel like not shutting up.

[scamperoo]

who: scamp & @howromantic where: lucky cat cafe

Scamp wasn't planning on reaching out to any one of his new half-siblings, but after he heard that his mother had extended a greeting, he felt pretty shitty not doing the same. He hadn't been the best brother to the sisters he did have, but he had a chance to start over completely and be there for these triplets. He figured it best to meet with them one by one, starting off with Marie, the only girl of the three. Their schedules just so happened to align to make the blonde up first. Scamp made sure to be early, just to not give a bad first impression off the bat, and sat at one of the tiny tables with his black coffee just arrived when she walked through the door. He stood up instinctively as the blonde walked through the door, hand raised so she'd know it was him. "Marie? I, uh, I'm, it's Sam--Scamp, Tramp," he greeted as she approached him. "Thanks for coming here, I--my coffee just got here, if you want anything, I got it."

[fl5793]

Karini: Whaf if...

Part 4: Stole the show

All out series Part 1 part 2 part 3 part 5

Hawks x Blasian OC

✫彡☆彡✫彡☆彡✫彡☆彡✫彡☆彡✫彡

“Hero by day mysterious woman by night we have gotten a chance to meet the new pro hero Angela,” A woman says on Emily’s screen

Emily walks to a cat cafe cause she needs something cute in life

“Welcome to JP Entertainment I’m Ayaka Wild Where we spread our opinion on the drama while also spreading it ourselves,” Ayaka says as an intro screen plays

Emily was never interested in drama because she knew damn well she was the drama

Wherever Emily goes she has to know every little detail about everything thing interesting or she will explode

A waitress goes to her table where a cat pops up next to her and sits on her lap

“Hello I would like a mango boba tea with a mochi donuts please?” Emily asks and the waitress writes it down

“Okay and would you like to donate a dollar to charity?” The waitress asks

“No- Ouch!” Emily looks down and notes that the cat poked at her hand

“I mean Yes,” Emily says and took out a dollar to give to the waitress

“I’m not a fan of children and I quite frankly don’t care if they die cause they’re poor or cause they’re abused. Shoulda died at the womb makes life easier for them,” Emily says to the cat while holding it up

The cat pokes Emily again making Emily pout.

“Meow if you think I’m being a jerk right now,” Emily commands

“Meow,” Someone else says and the cat Meows right back

Emily looks to her left and sees a gorgeous BLACK guy next to her looking at her in disgust

“ZAAAAMMMMNNN~ Who is that?” Emily asks watching the guy walk by

Emily was intrigued by him but then remembers the show that was playing

“Angela has have this thing for keeping her identity a secret to the whole world,” Ayaka says

“ Probably a p*rn star,” Another guy says

“Jett what tells you she could be a p*orn star? I mean she obviously knows what she knows what she’s doing I mean look at her causing chaos. She obviously knows how to be a terrible hero,” Ayaka says laughing with Jett

“Well obviously, since this girl isn’t even made for the job I mean look at her do she even know her times tables. Not only that have you seen those shaky legs what dirty buissness have she been doing to for her legs to be shaking while standing still,” Jett explains while Ayaka looks at her in shock and Emily looks at them both in disbelief

“Never would I have ever thought I a person would look at me a say p*rn star,” Emily says to herself

“She could probably be the Allison chick you know from that j pop group. I mean didn’t she model for play boy at some point?” Ayaka asked

“Yeah your right besides they both have big personalities so why not it be Allison,” Jett suggested and Ayaka rolled her eyes

“ So you think just anybody with a curvy body could be her? How perverted of you to look at her that way,” Ayaka says crossing her arms

“Yeah Jett that’s very perverted of you,” Emily says and the waitress hands her the food

“Thank you,” Emily says making a mini heart with her fingers

Emily sees the smoke and fans it with her Sensu fan

“Wait a minute I know that fan you was here before wasn’t you?” The waitress asked Emily not noticing her angry reaction

“You left without paying the last time,” The waitress says and Emily turns towards her

Emily touches her arm and looks at her name tag

“Sakura why would I ever steal from a friend. I mean we’ve known each other since high school. Besides your the one that said I can keep the money,” Emily lies as the color violet circles her eyes

“Why would I-“ Emily interrupts Sakura

“Because we are friends now I hope you understand why I didn’t have to pay you then and even now,” Emily says and Sakura blinks multiple amounts of times

“Wait what are you doing?” Emily asks when she just suddenly collapsed on the ground

Emily was still holding her arm and she just let go

Sakura was coughing out blood nonstop

Emily called for 911 while more waiters and waitress went to help

The cat that was with Emily jumped onto Sakura and tried licking her head

“What the hell was going on?” Emily asked

Friday night

“Oh so now you think your the reason she’s possibly dead?” Hawks asked and Emily nodded

Emily (so far) has never killed anyone before because it was a scary thing for her to do

Emily was scared that she committed a murder and Hawks held her hand

“I just don’t want to go to jail right when everything was going good,” Emily admits and looks at him in fear

“Don’t use this quirk on people is you expect an outcome like this,” Hawks told her

“But that’s the whole point I didn’t know all this would happen cause it takes three times for a person to go insane,” Emily explains

“Well maybe she tried fighting back and in return she broke her brain,” Hawks says and Emily looks at him confused

“God no one knows what happened and how it happened it’s just…off?” Emily worriedly says and looks away from him

It was quiet for a few seconds but then…

“Hey have you heard what happened on JP Entertainment?” Hawks asked as the waiter gave them both their plates off food

“Yeah they called me a-“ Emily got distracted by the fact that the waiter had on a blue cat head with matching gloves

Emily and Hawks were speechless because of what they saw

“What? don’t act like you’ve never seen a person with a cat head before,” The waiter said and walked off

Emily recognized that voice as the same guy who worked at the restaurant

Only because she heard that he got fired

“Continue,” Emily said coming back to her senses

”JP Entertainment has just nominated for the hottest person award and us for being the hottest couple,” Hawks says with such confidence Emily rolls her eyes

“Hottest person that’s extreme (ᵉᵛᵉⁿ ᵗʰᵒᵘᵍʰ ⁱᵗ’ˢ ᵗʳᵘᵉ) But still we literally just started dating and we’re considered the hottest couple even if they don’t know?“ Emily was confused but of course Hawks looked like he was loving the situation

“So I see you want to continue these dates~“ Hawks says in a flirtacious way while Emily cringes

“Nope not at all,“ Emily thinks

“ Yo of course and especially after you still consoled me even if I possibly killed someone. So just know I ain’t leavin’ you that easily,“ Emily with fake hearts in her eyes

“Where did you get that accent from?“ Hawks asked

“What accent?“ Emily asked but then Hawks got a call

Meanwhile Emily looked away and saw cat face dude take off his mask while sitting in an empty seat

Emily was mesmerized while looking at him

“Why do these men got me acting like this?“ Emily thinks to herself putting her face in her hand

“Hey Emily I’m sorry but I have to go,“ Hawks says in a disappointed voice

“Wait what? But we just got our food,“ Emily says confused as to why he’s leaving

“I’m sorry but work stuff turns out a criminal was spotted somewhere and I gotta be there,“ Hawks says then leaves her there

“Guess your having a fun time too aren’t you,“ Kenji says just randomly appearing in a seat across from her

“Kenji I actually am really sorry about you losing your job but I just wasn’t gonna pay-“ Kenji interrupted her

“Relax it’s fine. I just needed that job so I’d live a much more normal life. Cause being an assassin is B.S in real life,“ Kenji admitted leaning back against

“ Word cause I knew the stuff going on was like greusome but ’bout to become every horror movie killer combined,“ Emily says oddly enough connecting to him

“ Still after that freak accident didn’t think you would want to come and join us,“ Kenji says and starts eating the remainder of Hawks plate

“Why the hell not when the pay is hella good. Makes me consider actually staying,“ Emily admits which surprises him

“Stayin wit’ us was decision to make before you joined. Now you stuck wit’ us like how you stuck wit’ your little birdie friend,“ Kenji jokes when Emily blurts out something

“ As long as I’m with you I don’t see and problem with staying in the defenders,“ Emily playfully admits and Kenji swallows hardly

“What now?“ Kenji asked blushing a little

“Let me be real with you I liked you ever since I first met you cause you liked to take charge. You being handsome was the extra ten you needed to be a 20 out of 10~“ Emily blindly admits and turns pink entirely

They were actually both quiet when Kenji suddenly started laughing

“I’m so sorry it just what came to mind I-I didn’t mean to say it out loud,“ Emily says embarrassingly

“Don’t worry it’s and to be honest wit you the has been less borin ever since you’ve joined~“ Kenji says with a smirk and Emily blushes even harder

“Wow um so like will you go out with me?“ Emily asked

“Thought it was obvious,“ Kenji said with one eyebrow up

Emily gulped hard and just thought to herself

“Yep I truly know how to get any guy I want,“ Emily thought to herself

Years later

“You’re always getting yourself into weird situations and then your actually proud of having two boyfriends,” Courtney says finishing writing up her questions

“Well back then you know me and Hawks weren’t really a real thing so like why not get a real boyfriend since I decided to change from dating girls to guys,” Emily said lowering her voice on the last part

“How many girls have you dated?” Courtney asked and Emily was quiet

“W-w-well there’s actually t-too much to count,” Emily rubs the back of her neck

“Too much to count? You was 19 how many people did you date?” Courtney asked

“Okay it was one but let’s not go crazy over that-“ Emily was stopped by Courtney

“That’s not important right now what’s important is for me to understand is what happened to the supposedly dead girl?” Courtney asked and Emily’s face turned white

“Well you see that’s a story for another time,” Emily says

“What the hell you mean another time? We have 30 minutes EXPLAIN!” Courtney demanded

“Fine I’ll continue just know it’s not gonna make sense,” Emily gave in and continued her story

[ironmentalitychaos]

Omg yes!

Need the fic where she's now on the hunt for the goblin-esque shirt thief. Searching the city. Meeting random strangers who tell their tales full of irritation and frustration - that was their favorite shirt they stole...if you find them...be sure to let them know and get it back.

Absolutely not. Why the fuck would she do that...

She'll just add more to their collection. But that's not to say she's not keeping very detailed notes to see if there's a preference in color, style, graphics, etc. So far it's been a mixed bag - maybe pun intended.

A bright blue shirt from the cutie at the Cafe who said it was just plain - no graphics.

A black Metallica tee from the guy with full of tats and a nose ring who seemed weirdly sentimental about a t-shirt.

A lime green atrocity that had some shifty bar logo on it. They seemed like they were glad to be rid of it, but they did win it in a competition so it still felt rude.

Someone's bright, bold, blue shirt with a cat in a cowboy hat singing to the galaxy. He seemed extremely upset, also asked for their info when I find them to get it back.

Orange tie-dye from the hippy chick selling crystals and beaded necklaces in the park. She seemed weirdly happy, but that could be a hippy thing.

Puns.

Cute cartoon characters.

Bands she's never heard of.

Frogs.

Dolphins.

Plain what-the-fuck-ever tees...

And the people who were as varied as their stolen garments met them all over this stupid city. No preference in gender or body type. How was she supposed to find them when they're all over this god damn city. She initially met them at a bar. People have met them at the bowling alley, bars, cafes, parks, farmers markets, the fucking Library. And it's been all over the city!!

Deep breath girl. You'll find them.

And when you do - you have a fun little backpack of various other tees that you've managed to swipe from people all over the city. Always on hand, just in case you ran into them.

Her notebook was getting very worn out, the pages crinkled and creased from thumbing through them so often. She turned the map on her phone into a digital board of pins where they've met these idiots all over the city.

She had just stopped in a cafe - not one that they had frequented, but what seemed to be in one of the comfort-zones around the city. They hadn't met anyone at the same location so it felt a safe bet that they tried to avoid that. Didn't want to run into one of the people weirdly hung up on their stupid tees. She needed caffeine and to rest her poor feet. She had just placed her order and turned around when she saw them.

In hand was a cup of steaming coffee, black, as they leaned against one of the tall tables trying to hit up some schmuck with a Tea Rex tee, complete with T-Rex wearing a top hat, drinking tea. Was that how they did it? Found a shirt they liked? Or did they know who they could convince to go home with them.

Her name was called and she grabbed her coffee, palms sweating, as she went to approach them. Now that they were here, she didn't know what to say. But she wasn't going to let go of her chance now.

She approached them, the chick they were chatting up was giggling and smiling and it made her rage inside. Putting her hand on their shoulder to get his attention, she smiled. "Hey -"

But before she could get anything else out, they set their coffee down and bolted out the door!! Not even thinking, she set her own cup down and ran after them.

They were not going to get away this time...

meet a really hot woman at the club

We hit it off, go back to her place

"Let me slip into something more comfortable"

Jackpot

she takes her shirt off and tosses it at me playfully

I put it on over my shirt

I Leave and never come back

Another free shirt, that's hustle culture baby

[jazzthatonewriterchick]

HERE, KITTY, KITTY (18+ Fic)

Pairing: Aizawa x Black!Catgirl!Reader

Synopsis: In which you find yourself in the weirdest predicament after you’re scooped up and taken to a cat cafe after you decide to take the streets to fight some crime, and you’re adopted by your very anti-social and hot coworker Aizawa aka Eraserhead.

Story Warnings: Smutty Smut, 18+ (MINORS GET AWAY), Swearing, Adult!Reader, Ear and Tail Stroking, Light Degradation, Spanking, Exhibitionism, Multiple Positions, Creampie, Unprotected PIV Sex, Facial, Scent Play, Collaring, Deepthroat, Cunnilingus, Begging, Edgeplay, Power Play, Rope Play/Shibari, Master Kink, Some Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Some Action

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters mentioned in this fic. However, as this is my writing, I do not give permission for my work to be reposted on any other sites that are not from my own accounts. Thank you!

Writer’s Note: I decided to drop the last five chapters to this story at once cuz I'll be EXTREMELY busy with my summer job & I'm also working on a new fic. Thank you all so, so, soooo much for the love on this story! I had so much fun writing it. I'll be writing some brand new shit soon! Stay safe! -Jazz

Read on AO3 here!

Other Chapters: One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen. Eighteen. Nineteen. Twenty. Twenty-One. Twenty-Two. Twenty-Three. Twenty-Four. Twenty-Five.

*********

TWENTY-TWO.

As May turns into June, the first week is rainy, cloudy, and depressing–the perfect weather for how you feel on the inside. 

You sit in your office now, dressed in a silk black blouse and slacks that make your ass look like it’s the finest one in the world.

However, you don’t take pleasure in that or the fact that today has been pretty slow. You haven’t had any student traffic or other responsibilities, so you’ve had time to sit around, eat snacks, and nap if you want to. 

But you don’t. Instead, you busy yourself with building your schedule for next week. You sit at your desk with your planner, writing down any errands you have to run or meetings you’ll have to attend. An unopened bottle of iced coffee sits next to you–the one thing that will keep you running until lunch comes in an hour.

Outside your window, the cherry blossom trees tremble slightly as the storm wind rushes through along with the pitter-patter of rain. You hope that it won’t be like this when you leave today. You just hate water. 

A knock on your door stops you short of writing down that you’ll have to make a grocery run next Saturday morning. Nemuri stands there in a slim navy blue dress that fills out her curves and her glasses perched on the bridge of her nose. For the past week, she has been visiting you with snacks, drinks, and encouragement. Though you appreciate it, it hasn’t been working much to turn your frown upside down.

“Hey, you,” she gently coos. “Mic and I are goin’ out tonight to the Hot Spot if you wanted to join us. Rumi and You will be there too.” 

The sound of a night with the pros drinking and dancing doesn’t sound the least bit appealing to you…which definitely means something is wrong. Usually, you’d jump at the chance to spend a Friday night out, but even the idea of putting on your sexiest attire and dancing the night away makes you tired. 

“I’m good, ‘Muri,” you reply, giving her a reassuring smile. “I need to work on my schedule for next week anyway. I’ve got a lot to do.” 

Nemuri nods, but you see the disappointment in her eyes. You advert your eyes from her face, instead looking back down at your calendar where you scribble down “do laundry” for Sunday. You hear her come into the room, her heels clicking as she does. “Mic and I have been missing you,” she softly says. “You’ve been MIA for a minute now.” 

You don’t say anything. You cap your pen and push your calendar away before taking out a manilla folder for student reports. At the end of every month, you’re required to jot down notes on students’ progress for their teachers and parents, just to let them know how they’re doing.

Nemuri leans against your desk, frowning as you uncap your pen to begin writing on Bakugou Katsuki’s report. “You’ve been working hard for the past week, honey. Why don’t you take a break?” 

You sigh tiredly, shaking your head. “These student reports aren’t gonna write themselves, Nemuri. Not to mention I have parent and staff meetings next week and…” You stop talking, something in you telling you to do so. You look up at Nemuri who is wearing a saddened expression on her gorgeous face. “What?” you sigh, already knowing the answer. 

“Have you talked to Aizawa lately?” she timidly asks you. You scoff to yourself. She already knows the answer to that: no. You haven't even seen the man. You’re starting to think he was just a figment of your imagination with how quickly he seemed to disappear from school. You barely see him in the hallways, elevators, or cafeteria. He hasn't called, but neither have you. After how much you’ve hurt him, you doubt he wants to speak to you. 

And you can’t blame him. With how long you've been lying to him and Eri, you know he never wants to see you again. You don’t even want to see yourself. Every day you wake up and look in the mirror to get yourself ready for the day, you desperately want to shield your face from view. It is the face of a liar. The face of someone who is deceiving and selfish. You barely want anyone to see you at school anymore. You just want to crawl into a hole and never come out. 

You reach for your iced coffee and proceed to try and open the bottle, your fingers grappling with the cap that seems to be stuck. “No,” you reply, not meaning to sound so tight, but you can’t help it. “Why are you even askin’ me that? You know Aizawa and I haven’t spoken since that night he found out about the cat thing.”

And God, does it hurt. All you want to do is hear his luscious voice or see his gorgeous face. All you want is him, and Eri. Those two have completely stolen your heart. But you know you fucked that up. 

Nemuri silently watches you struggle to open your coffee. “He misses you, you know,” she softly says. “I’ve seen him lately and he’s not at all the same as before when you were with him.” Your heart leaps at her words, but they only do so much to make you feel less like a fucking loser. You can miss someone and still know how horrible they are. You’re sure that is how Aizawa feels for you. He may miss you, but you know for a fact that he goes out of his way to call or see you. And you deserve that. 

“Is this what you came in here for?” you demand, glaring up at your friend. “To make me feel bad about what happened? Well, I already do. I feel humiliated and stupid for what I’ve done, but this is the price I have to pay for lying to him.” You grunt in frustration, your wrist straining to open the bottle. “Goddammit, this cap won’t loosen!” you hiss. 

After another short turn of your wrist, the cap finally loosens and pops off the bottle before skidding across the floor with a metal clink! Both of you stare in silence at the cap for a moment, breathing heavily at the short but loud sound and the intensity of the situation. Finally, Nemuri breaks. Soft, sputtering breaths exit her mouth as she begins to cry and you stare up at her in shock. “I’m sorry!” she softly sobs. “This is all my fault. I never should’ve said anything! Now you and Shouta are miserable all because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut!” 

She covers her face with her manicured hands, her shoulders shaking. Your heart breaks at the sight of your best friend crying on your behalf. Especially since none of this is her fault. “Nemuri,” you sigh, guilt flaring inside of you. “No, I’m the one who should be sorry. I shouldn’t be taking my anger at myself out on you.” 

You get up from your seat and move to wrap your arms tight around her. She hugs you back, her tears soaking your blouse. “None of this is your fault,” you comfortingly say. “It’s all mine. I should’ve told Shouta the truth right from the jump, but instead, I was selfish.” You pull away slightly to give her a view of your downtrodden eyes. “I haven’t been doing that well this past week either,” you confess, already choking up. 

Nemuri’s brows knit in worry. “Have you been going out at night?” she asks, her voice low as if the walls have ears. You shake your head as the tears you’ve been holding back for so long begin to well in your eyes. “Not at all,” you answer, your voice breaking. “I have no motivation to do that anymore.” 

Even now your Night Claw fit sits under your bed, untouched and unworn for over a week. You moved it from your hiding place behind the dumpster, not seeing the need in keeping it hidden or outside since you haven’t been in the streets lately. You ignore police sirens at night and anything that comes up on your crime app. You have no interest or energy in catering to your city anymore, especially since the main reason one of its prominent pro heroes was down in action is because of you.

And then poor Eri…how is she handling all of this? First her dad is hurt, and now her furry friend disappears for good? 

You crumble right then, tears dripping down your face that destroy your mascara. “I just miss him so much, Nemuri,” you sob. Nemuri nods, encouraging you to continue to spill your guts to her. “But I can’t bring myself to call him or visit or–”  

“Ah, Ms. L/N!” You both jump, whipping around to see Nezu standing in the doorway. The small smile that plays on his face fades when he glances at your faces. “Oh…am I interrupting something?” 

“U-Uh…” Nemuri quickly snatches some tissues from your desk, handing you some. “Of course not, Principal Nezu,” she replies, respectfully bowing to him and using that advantage to dab at her eyes. “I was just asking Ms. L/N about a particular student I had in here today.” You don’t respond, instead silently wiping the tears off your face. You make a mental note to touch up your makeup later. 

“Oh!” Nezu exclaims in realization. “Well, in that case, I apologize for the random visit, Ms. L/N. I just wanted to check up on you and see how you’re enjoying UA so far.” You blink at him, your brain slowly processing his words. “O-Oh!” you stammer, clearing your throat. You plaster on a smile despite still feeling like shit. "Well, please come in.” 

As Nezu thanks you and walks in on his little legs, Nemuri tip-toes to your office door. “I’ll see you at lunch,” she mouths to you before quickly exiting your office, shutting the door on her way out.

You stand there awkwardly, feeling like a hot spotlight has been put on you as you stand with your boss in your office. “Would you like something to drink, sir?” you ask, presenting to him your mini fridge. 

“No, thank you,” he chuckles. “And please, feel free to sit. I just want us to have a chat. You’ve been such a great asset to UA for the time you’ve been here, especially to the students.”

You take a seat behind your desk as he hops up into the chair across from you. “Thank you, sir! It’s been a great and rewarding experience working here with the staff and students. I love what I do.” And you’re not BSing. You truly love your job despite your personal problems right now. 

Nezu seems to know this too. “I can tell,” he hums appreciatively. “Which is why I decided to visit because I can tell you’ve been looking pretty low lately.”

His smile fades and your stomach drops into your ass. “I’ve noticed it as have others. Though you’re still here and consistent with your work, you’ve been acting differently. You’re usually so upbeat and refreshed, but for the past two weeks, you’ve seemed…down. If it’s too personal, please feel free to tell me so.” 

Your shoulders slump and all you feel is shame. So now even your boss notices your change in demeanor. 

“I’m sorry, sir,” you sigh, internally exhausted. “I’ve just been going through some…personal battles. I’m trying hard to fight them though, so please don’t worry about me.” You plaster on a fake smile that Nezu sees right through. 

“Oh, but I do, Y/N,” he says matter-of-factly. “I don’t think you understand just how needed you are here. The students need someone kind and nurturing like you to talk to about their issues with. The teachers need you too. They can only handle so much! Your personality is such a breath of fresh air too. It’s influenced me, the students, and the other staff members…especially Aizawa.” 

“A-Aizawa?” you softly stammer, your heart fluttering. “I don’t–” 

“I’ve never seen him so upbeat,” Nezu continues wistfully. “He’s almost an entirely different person with you here. He’s happier; more…energetic. I’d imagine he is very grateful for what you did for him and Eri.” His black eyes gleam with something unreadable but it makes your stomach flip flop nervously. “I-I’m sorry, sir, but I don't think I understand.” 

He is more than happy to enlighten you. “Word around campus is that you attacked the villain Toyoma when he broke into Aizawa’s dorm. People are saying you were already in the room and quite literally tore Toyoma’s face off. I know because I saw it for myself.” He leans in as if afraid someone might hear. “I also know about your, uh…night job.” 

You swear you could die right now. Of course, your boss knows that you’re Night Claw. And of course, he’s going to fire you now. You’re going to lose everything. You grip the underside of your desk, your claws digging into the wood.

Nezu just smiles. “You don’t have to look so scared, Y/N,” he chuckles. “I’m not upset. Do you know how many of our kids here have done the same thing? Besides, you’ve proven to me that you’re not a threat and still an incredible staff member with how you continue to handle the students’ problems.” 

He leans over the desk to pat your hand, almost as a friend would. “We need more people like you here, Y/N. People whose bright personalities rub off on others. Please don’t ever lose that.” His eyes twinkle with generosity and kindness–two things you feel as if you don’t deserve. “Sir…” You don’t know what to say. You can’t believe this is happening. You’re not going to get fired? 

“I know things may seem hard right now, but if you ever need a hand, we’re all here for you. Just continue to do your best and I’ll take care of the rest, okay?” He winks at you, an encouraging smile on his furry face. “Keep up the good work!” 

You feel as if you just won an award with how bright his smile is. Your claws retract and you release your death grip on your desk. “Thank you, sir,” you softly say, afraid that you may cry in front of your boss. 

“Of course!” he chortles. “Now off to lunch for me! Enjoy the rest of your day!” He hops off of the chair and waves to you as he exits your office. “You as well, sir!” you call, a giggle in your voice when he shuts the door behind him. 

When you sit back in your seat, you feel better than you have for days after getting that praise buff from your boss. It is exactly what you need to put you into a good headspace, just enough to tell Nemuri that you’ll be taking your lunch alone today. You need some time in the fresh air to clear your head and find comfort in yourself while you gather the courage to finally talk to Aizawa. 

So you decide to go for a walk downtown for a bite to eat. You’ve heard of a sandwich shop there that is extremely popular plus one of your favorite cafes being a choice. The air is clean and warm, and the sky is blue when you lace on your sneakers and take your walk.

As you make it downtown, people are out and about enjoying the mid-afternoon weather, jogging, walking their dogs, and sitting at tables under cute little umbrellas as they enjoy their meals outside. When you make it to your favorite cafe, deciding to go for some coffee and pastries as your lunch, the outside eatery is already set up with customers enjoying their coffee in peace under the sun. 

As you make your way to the door, your hand reaches to pull it open, and you hear the sound of pounding footsteps behind you. You turn, jumping back just in time as someone comes zooming down the street, running at full speed.

“Jesus,” you hiss to yourself, glaring at the woman. She is in casual clothes–no activewear at all for the type of activity she’s doing. You pass it off as some kind of running club or her possibly being on some shit. 

But as you go to reach for the door again, another person runs by. Then another. And another. What grabs your attention is their attire: some wearing work clothes; others not even wearing sneakers but still running like their lives depend on it. You and the customers sitting by you stare at them in confusion, baffled by the change in atmosphere. “Da hell?” you mutter, confused. 

You get the answer to your confusion when a man wearing office attire runs by, panic and fear all over his face. “Everyone, run!” he hollers. “There’s a villain five blocks away from here! He’s destroying everything!” As if on cue, the sound of rattling cuts through the air, and a burst of water explodes from a sewer down the street, causing a car alarm to go off. As the water shoots into the air like a bullet, the people that were initially sitting and enjoying themselves beside you leave their posts, following the running people up the street. 

But you don’t. Despite your fur prickling and your ears pointing backward in alarm, you walk straight toward the danger zone. Even when you see more people running your way until you’re nearly trapped in a sea of escaping civilians. You press yourself against nearby buildings and inch deeper and deeper into the city. As you do, the destruction surrounding you gets worse–all you see are cars flipped over, cracked pavement, and water gushing from sewers and broken pipes. Your sneakers become soaked, ruining your stockings. 

The water problem only gets worse when you finally come to the city square and see the bullshit awaiting you. A sea of people and police cars surround a giant, quirk-made whirlpool that protrudes from a sewer in the middle of the street and towers over everyone and everything. From where you stand you can see that someone is, in fact, holding the whirlpool together themselves. A man floats in the middle of the whirlpool like a centerpiece, his limbs and locs streams of water that suck up water from the street, making his creation bigger and stronger. 

In front of you, the police have their guns drawn, some trying to keep the civilians at bay while the rest attempt to get a good angle of the whirlpool. The one closest to you urgently screams into his walkie-talkie, distress in his eyes. “I need backup!” he hollers. “I repeat: I need backup! We’re running out of officers and there’s only so many pros who can handle this asshole!” 

‘Pros?’ you think. So far, you haven’t seen any single pro here. But as someone from behind you pushes you deeper into the crowd, you get closer to the whirlpool.

There, in the watery depths of the whirlpool, are eight officers and several pros you know and recognize: Houndog; Vlad; Mirko; Mt. Lady (out of her giant form); Midnight; and Present Mic.

With that many pros in his trap, you know this villain isn’t someone to fuck around with too lightly. You barely have time to process where this dude even came from when someone is landing in front of you and the other civilians, startling you when his boots hit the pavement. 

You know who it is even before you see his long, black hair and hear the excited screams of the crowd. He turns, giving you a view of him looking oh-so-yummy in his hero gear, goggles, and scarves as the afternoon sun turns his black strands of hair into spun gold. You can’t help it. You immediately begin to push through the crowd until you finally slip through, ignoring the officers who yell at you to stop.

“Miss, you can’t go through there!” one of them yells, but you ignore them, too focused on getting the pro in front of you to pay attention to you. 

“Shouta!” you shout, cringing at the squelching sound of your wet sneakers in the street. It is completely flooded, ruining your shoes and sloshing against the hem of your skirt. Aizawa immediately turns around, his eyes widening behind his goggles at the sight of you.

“Y/N?” he asks, baffled. “What the fuck are you doing here?” You winch slightly at the harshness of his tone, but you won’t let it slow you down. You probably would’ve reacted the same way.

“I was out for lunch and saw all these people running,” you reply before nodding at the whirlpool and the man at the heart of it. “What is he?” you breathlessly ask, still taken aback by how large and powerful the whirlpool is. 

Aizawa glares at the villain. “Says his name is Aqua Master or somethin' like that. He’s been wreaking havoc with his water quirk all afternoon now. So far, he has over eight officers and several of our pros in there.”

He pauses to take off his goggles and pinch his sinuses, his eyebrows creased. The stress of the situation is written all across his handsome face. And with no other pros here yet, he’s the only one here to stop this Aqua Master bitch. 

“Let me help,” you interject. He stares at you like you just told him you’re pregnant with his baby. “You just told me you’re losing people and I’m sure it’ll take a while before you get backup. I can help the civilians evacuate or–“ 

“Absolutely not,” he firmly replies, his expression a hard glare that makes you flush. “This is way too dangerous for you and you don’t have enough training.”

You go to argue against this, but you’re interrupted by the sudden water-formed hand that juts out of the whirlpool and scoops up a nearby truck to toss at an oncoming cop car miles down the street. The cop car immediately swerves out of the way only to crash into a street pole and totally ruin the front of it.

Aizawa raises his eyebrows at you as if to say, ‘see what I mean?’ 

But you’re not backing down. You don’t care how dangerous this mission is. Toyoma’s mission was dangerous too and you ended up saving Aizawa’s life. ”You let me come with you to get Toyoma,” you sharply argue.

Aizawa rolls his eyes at your attempt at arguing with him. “Yeah, and you almost ended up off a damn building splattered on the pavement.” Your ears droop in hurt at his jab. Though he is right, he doesn’t even know the kind of trauma you faced from that. The nightmares you still have dangling off of that building and the nothingness in Toyota’s eyes.

He must see that he went too far because his expression softens. He sighs, running a tired hand over his face. “Listen,” he says, his voice hushed, “I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you.” He steps away from you and puts his goggles back on, preparing for action. “Just stay in your line, alright? I’ve got this.” 

As he wraps his scarves around a nearby traffic light, he is nearly taken out by a blur of red that zooms between you and him. “Jesus, Hawks, watch it!” he angrily shouts, gripping his scarves.

You look up, finding Hawks perched on the same traffic light Aizawa has his scarves wrapped around. He raises his goggles over his unruly, blonde hair, his red wings looking fluffy and soft to the touch. “Sorry, Eraser!” he huffs, looking irritated by the villain and his BS. “I’m dodging this shit as best as I can, but this bitch won’t quit throwing these cars at me!” 

The hairs on your body suddenly rise at the sense of something coming. Your eyes flit to the whirlpool where you find a giant, watery hand reaching for Aizawa.

“Eraser, watch out!” you yell, but your voice is carried away by the sound of police sirens and rushing water. Hawks manages to escape by flapping away, but Aizawa isn’t as lucky. You have no choice but to watch as Aizawa’s scarves are yanked off of the traffic light by the hand and he is pulled into the rough currents of the whirlpool. 

“Oh, shit!” Hawks gasps, staring in awe as his coworker is pulled into the whirlpool just like that. “I’ve gotcha, Eraser! Just try and hold your breath!”

He flaps away into the blue sky above, flying above the whirlpool’s opening. There is no way he could get in there without getting stuck too, you realize. The cops won’t be able to get to the villain either without shooting someone. It’s way too risky to fire a bullet into that whirlpool. 

This fight needs someone else…something else. Something tinier. And you know just the thing that can work.

Without another thought, you push your way through the crowd again and you’re spit back out into the clean, cut grass of the city square’s park. It isn’t that far from the villain, but enough to hide away from him and his quirk behind the bushes and trees situated here.

You look up and find Hawks perched in a tree, squatting on the thickest branch there. He stares at the villain in determination, obviously trying to come up with a plan until the other pros get here. 

You decide to help him out. Hoisting your foot up on the tree trunk, you grasp the lowest branch and pull yourself up until you have enough leverage to hoist yourself up on the branch. You do the same to the others above you until you are finally on a branch at the same level as Hawks, kneeling behind him.

“Hawks!” you hiss, startling him so much that his wings ruffle. He turns around, squinting confusedly at you. “Who the hell are you?” he questions. 

You begin to introduce yourself, but you’re cut off by the sudden heat that nearly singes your eyelashes off coming from behind you. You turn, finding yourself facing the Endeavor, decked out in his hero gear and sporting his aflame moon boots. Your stomach flips in panic at the sight of him. He truly is an intimidating person.

“Endeavor!” Hawks shouts as if he’s seeing an old friend. "You showed up! Is anybody else showin’ up soon? Please tell me Gang Orca is comin’.” 

Endeavor ignores him, his green eyes cutting across to you. “Who the hell is this?” he grumbles, scowling at you. You swallow hard, almost afraid to speak, but you won’t let this man catch you slipping. He’s just a human. A person.

“Night Claw,” you reply, giving him a friendly smile despite his hardened stare. “Listen, I don’t mean to interrupt your fight, but you’re never gonna get to that guy if it’s just the two of you. He’s too powerful and he already has one too many pros held up in his trap.” 

Endeavor’s stare only gets more intimidating. “So what do you suggest we do?” he cooly asks. “All of sudden, you’re gonna tell us how to do our job?” 

“Hold up, Enji,” Hawks says, Endeavor’s jaw setting at the mention of his birth name. “Let’s hear her out.” 

You raise your chin and square your shoulders, refusing to be spoken to by the pro. “To jog your memory, I’m the same vigilante who stopped that bank robbery and did your fuckin’ job before any of you could get there. I had them all tied up and ready to be arrested except for one.”

Endeavor’s eyes widen an inch at the harshness of your tone––and the balls you’ve got to talk to him in such a way. Hawks snaps his fingers in recognition. “Yeah, now I remember you!” he happily chirps. “That was you? Damn, girl, you must got some serious skills.” 

“Yes, and I know how to use them on this one.” You nod at the whirlpool that seems to have gotten bigger. It’s now towering over the tree you’re perched in.

“If we can get close enough, we’d need something sharp to destroy that whirlpool, and I’ve got just the thing.” You flash your claws at them, earning a chuckle from the winged hero. “Hawks, I’ll need you to fly me up over the whirlpool so I can jump inside. Endeavor, you’d distract him with your quirk. Maybe turn the water up too hot for him so he doesn’t notice me.” 

Your plan dawns across Hawks’ face. “Ohhh, I see. It could work and at this point, we’re out of options since some of our best are MIA.” He turns to the Endeavor, stroking the stubble on his chin. “What do ya think, Endeavor?” 

Endeavor’s forest-green eyes continue to stare you down, making you increasingly uncomfortable. “You’re a vigilante?” he acerbically asks you. Though your stomach flips in panic at being found out, you nod. “So you’re saying you’re not a trained, professional pro hero? You don’t have a license?”

Again, you nod, your heart pounding against your ribcage. “I have every right to turn you in to the police,” Endeavor growls, his eyes hot with disgust. “And if you continue to stand in the way of my job, I will. Stay in your lane, little girl.” With those words hanging in the air, he floats off toward the whirlpool, leaving a trail of fire in his wake. 

Hawks sighs heavily, looking at you apologetically. “Sorry about him. He’s a hothead, as I’m sure you’ve got already.”

But you’re not upset by Endeavor’s words. If anything, they only make you want to snag this villain even more. “I don’t give a fuck about what he says or if I’m arrested,” you determinedly growl as you begin to climb down the tree. “I’m helping my friends whether with help or not.” 

Hawks watches you go, his expression unreadable. “You’re friends with Eraserhead?” he curiously asks. You nod, grunting as you lower yourself down each tree branch. “And Midnight and Present Mic. We work together at UA.” Hawks quirks an eyebrow at this newfound information. “You a teacher?” 

“Counselor,” you correct him before getting back on the subject. “Those three are very special to me and I didn’t fully appreciate how much they had my back until now. I’ve been terrible to all of them, so now I have to make up for my stupid decisions.” When you’re finally at the last branch, you let your legs dangle for a moment before jumping down, hitting a squat once on the grass. 

When you look up, you squeak in surprise at Hawks now towering over you instead of sitting in the tree. He reaches a gloved hand down for yours, his golden eyes friendly.

“Then I’ll help you out,” he says with a quirk at the corner of his mouth. “That’s the best declaration of friendship if I’ve ever heard one before.” Your heart leaps for joy, relieved that you have help. With a grateful smile, you take Hawks’ hand and allow him to help you rise to your feet. 

After a moment of getting situated and Hawks advising you to “take a breath ‘cause it’s a bumpy ride”, you find yourself flying in the air with Hawks’ arms securely wrapped around your midsection as he zooms towards the whirlpool. Your heart hammers wildly in your chest and your eyes water as the wind hits them, causing you to blink rapidly.

The crowd of people you once stood in looks like ants now. The cop cars, trees, and buildings surrounding the area appear to be no more than miniature toys with how high up you are. But no matter how afraid you are, you don't dare move or change your mind. Not when your friends need you. 

“Higher, Hawks!” you shout among the wind in your ears. “I need to be directly above it! Damn, can’t your wings go any faster?” Hawks grunts above you, his wings straining against your body weight. “I’mma try but shit, you ain’t exactly light as feather, furry.” 

You don’t need to hear anything else. With one slow inhale, you shift into your feline form in Hawks’ arms. When he realizes that he is now holding a tiny, black cat instead of a whole person, he loses his shit. “Holy shit!” he laughs. “Talk about a quirk!”

Now having an easier time flying, he flaps his wings up to the very top of the whirlpool until he is hovering above it. Down below is the hole traveling down into the depths of Aqua Master’s creation, along with your friends and the other innocents trapped in the watery grave. 

“I’m as high as I can go,” Hawks grunts above you. “It’s all on you now, furry.”

Without a warning, he releases you and drops you down into the whirlpool, but you’re ready. Inhaling deeply, you shift back into your human as soon as you sink into the water. It is not as dark as you envisioned, but clear enough that you can see the dozens of bodies the villain collected––including Aizawa. He is farther at the bottom, his scarves and hair floating around him like seaweed. 

Anger floods within you as you swim towards Aqua Master who is still front and center in his whirlpool. When he senses you, he turns towards you, his locs floating around his head in streams of water. He scowls at you, probably wondering how you got in here.

“Who the fuck are you?” he asks, his voice rough and clear as day. You don’t give him a proper introduction. Instead, you charge at him and wrap your limbs around him, pushing him against the wall of the whirlpool. 

With one hand outstretched, you extract your claws and slash at the whirlpool’s wall. The little tears are enough to send the entire whirlpool to hell. Water begins to pool out of the tears until the liquid monstrosity is no more. Instead, it begins to pool into the streets, flooding them even more. The crowd below you moves back as bodies, including yourself and the villain, tumble down out of the whirlpool.

You feel like a fish out of water as you tumble onto the street with Aqua Master below you, your limbs still wrapped around him. You gulp down air and cough violently at the water in your lungs, soaked to the bone. Now you hate water even more now. You doubt you’ll be able to properly shower after this without having this come back to you.

You’re so involved with trying to breathe normally that you barely see Aqua Master’s next attack until he’s throwing you off of him. With a grunt, you hit the ground on your back, but you don’t have enough time to react. 

The villain is now standing above you, his limbs and hair now in physical form. He presses his foot into your chest, causing your windpipe to close up and your body to fight to breathe. You gasp and choke around his foot which continues to push into your chest, making it much harder to breathe.

“Now you’ve gone and done it, bitch,” he snarls. "You really thought you was doin’ somethin’ tryin’ to fight me. Now you’ll die just like the rest of these stupid ass people.” He then kneels above you, trapping you beneath his body, and loops his hands around your neck. 

“No!” you choke only to be silenced by a sudden wall of water encasing your head. You try to scream, but only air bubbles escape your mouth. “Have fun swimmin’ with the fishes, bitch,” the villain growls, his stare cold and deadly. 

This is the second time you’ve faced death by a villain, you realize. You can’t help but wonder how is it for actual pros to face something like this? To constantly be on the brink of death and not wondering if there’s an alternative career path they could take?

Your head suddenly becomes light and your eyes flutter, all thoughts and questions jumbled. Your lungs begin to burn and you know that it is only a matter of time until death takes you… 

Only it never does. The water surrounding your head disperses and you gasp in air, desperate for it. Aqua Master is now lying on his side, completely knocked out with Nemuri standing over him. She, too, is soaking wet, her mascara running and curls ruined, but she is still a knockout. You breathe a sigh of relief, mostly at her being okay rather than being saved by her quirk.

“Y/N!” she gasps, stepping over the villain’s body to kneel before you. “What are you doing here? Are you hurt? You could’ve gotten yourself killed!” 

Mic also comes to your aid, his sunglasses off and looking like a wet cat. He offers his hands for both you and Nemuri, pulling you to your feet. “You shouldn’t have gotten involved,” he says in a stern tone that you’ve never heard from him before. “Y/N, that was very dangerous what you just did.” Nemuri nods, glaring daggers at your stupid decision. 

But you just can't feel embarrassed. Seeing them standing there, still caring for you despite your bullshit, is all the confirmation you need to know that you did the right thing. You throw yourself at them and wrap your arms tight around them, squeezing their bodies to yours.

“I’m sorry,” you softly say, on the brink of tears. “I’m so sorry for everything. I’m just so happy you’re safe.” After a moment of silence, the two hug you back and Mic comfortingly strokes your hair. “Thanks to you and your crazy self,” Nemuri sighs, pressing a kiss to her cheek. 

As laugh and pull away, giddy with joy and the feeling of accomplishing something impossible. But all of that giddiness fades when you see Aizawa lying face up yards away from you, his eyes closed and chest not moving. “Shouta!” you shout, immediately racing for him. Fear floods inside of you.

‘No…please, no. Don’t take him from Eri.’ 

You kneel beside Aizawa, scooping the back of his head into your hand. “Shouta, can you hear me?” you softly ask, your eyes flicking wildly across his face for any kind of sign of life. As if God hears you, Aizawa’s eyelids twitch once and a tiny groan leaves his lips. “Oh, thank God,” you sob, your thumb stroking his wet cheek. 

His eyes then slowly open, revealing two charcoal irises that stare in a daze into yours. “Y-Y/N?” he croaks out. “Why did you…did you…”

He searches your face for an answer, even being soaking wet and nearly facing death. You shake your head, still gently stroking his cheek. “I know you told me to leave, but I couldn’t,” you sob. "I’m sorry I’m so stubborn. I just couldn't face the thought of you being in danger.” 

Slowly, Aizawa sits up, grunting as he does. You move away from him to allow him space to breathe and move, but all he does is stare at you in awe, his plump lips parted. “Y/N, I–“ 

“Get your hands off of him!” The roar of Endeavor’s voice causes you to scramble away from Aizawa, your ears back and tail poofy with fear. You turn, finding Endeavor standing there with several police officers, a glare on his face.

“I specifically told you to stay out of the way and you didn’t listen to me,” he chastises you as if you’re his daughter. “Chief, that’s her. That Night Claw girl who has been prancing around without a license or a degree as a pro for months now!” 

The middle-aged, bald man standing beside him in a police chief uniform looks from the pro to you, his expression unreadable but still scaring the absolute shit out of you.

This is it––you’re going to get arrested. You’re going to lose your job. No one can help you now; not Aizawa, Nezu, or Mic and Nemuri who come to your aid. Not even Hawks who swoops down to land between you and Endeavor. “Enji, what are you doing?” he demands. “This girl just saved half of your coworkers’ lives!” 

“And yet she doesn’t have a license to practice saving lives, does she?” Endeavor snaps. Aizawa suddenly steps in front of you, blocking you from Endeavor’s angry eyes glaring into your soul.

“She works at UA, Enji,” he growls, his rage barely being contained. “She’s a counselor. The kids there have enough problems already that some of us professors can’t handle. She’s needed there, and I’m not gonna let you take that away from them or her.” 

Endeavor's eyes turn into sharp slits that target Aizawa, making your stomach flip in panic as if they’re about to fight. “And I’m not going to have anyone make a mockery out of being a pro hero,” he snarls. “People go through so much stress training and studying to get a license and degree to be a hero. People risk their lives every day to protect this damn city.” 

“And so did she!” Nemuri argues, her face red with rage. “If you got your head out of your ass, you would’ve seen what we did for all of us!”

Endeavor opens his mouth to rage on, but a sharp whistle sound cuts through the air, silencing all of you. The police chief drops a whistle from his mouth and stares you down, intimidating but not as fearful as Endeavor’s stare is. He eyes you up and down, sizing you up. 

“So it’s you?” he asks, not at all sounding angry. “You’re the reason street crime has been going down?” 

All eyes flick to yours, waiting to see if you’ll deny it or stand in your truth. Because you don’t want to lie anymore, because you want to be the best person you can be, you step from behind Aizawa’s big, tall body, presenting yourself to the chief. “I’d like to hope so, sir,” you softly reply. 

The chief suddenly looks apologetic and you know what’s coming next. “I’m sorry,” he sighs. “You have my full respect for your work and what you’ve done today, but…”

He digs into his pocket, revealing a ring of silver cuffs that have your gut twisting with fear. “Under the law, I can’t–“ 

He is interrupted by a sudden flash of a camera. Dozens of news cameras and microphones begin to surround you, pushing through to get to the pros. A newswoman dressed in her finest dress waves from behind two police officers, a microphone in her hand.

“Endeavor!” she shouts. “Eraserhead! Over here!” She shoves through the cops along with her own cameraman. Your heart leaps at the idea of being on TV, your face on every screen across Japan and possibly even further than that. 

Once the woman is through, she practically shoves the microphone into Aizawa’s face while the camera on the cameraman’s shoulder targets him with the aftermath of Aqua Master’s attack in the background. “Can you tell us anything about the villain you stopped today?” the newswoman asks feverishly. "Who was he? How did you stop him?” 

Despite his soaked and tired state, Aizawa doesn’t refuse to answer––or to give you your props. “It wasn’t either of us,” he replies. “While we put in work, it was really her.”

He nods at you standing like a deer frozen in headlights beside him. Your eyes trail over the cameras suddenly in your face and all of the eyes of the crowd on you making you feel like a hot spotlight is on you. You don’t know what to do. Your mind is completely blank. 

“Hey, miss!” the newswoman says, her microphone now directed at you. “What is your name? Are you a new professional hero?”

You’re silent, your mouth dry and nervous sweat collecting under your pits. Your eyes shift to the chief, wondering if he’ll slap the cuffs on you if you say anything at all. But to your shock, the chief has slipped the cuffs back into his pocket. All he does is give you a nod. One nod that says everything to you. 

You smile, your body flooded with joy, relief, and pride. So you turn to the newswoman and the other microphones that have begun to sneak toward your face. You lean down, speaking into the one nearest to your mouth.

“My name is Y/N L/N,” you proudly say. “I’m the vigilante known as Night Claw. Now I have to get back to work.” 

With a smile at the cameras and at a very angry Endeavor, you walk away from the news crews, cameras, police, and crowd of civilians that cheer you on as you strut past in your soaked sneakers. As you do, a Mercedes Benz stops beside you and out hops Gang Orca looking haggard in his tie and dress slacks. 

“Alright, I’m here,” he sighs. “I’m so sorry about my lateness. Traffic was horrible and…”

He stops, his eyes trailing over the chaotic sight in front of him. “Uh…am I late?” he asks, looking hesitant to know the answer.

You put a hand on the whale’s back, patting it. “Nothing you need to worry about, Mr. Orca, sir,” you reply with a smile. He gapes at you before you walk past him, heading back toward UA.

“Was that Y/N?” you hear Orca ask, baffled. “Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?” 

You don't turn around, not even to check on Aizawa. Your first job is done. Now you have another to take care of. 

**********

When you walk into Koa’s Purrr Palace that day, it is right after work ends and into the evening after you’ve run your errands. 

The little cat cafe is clean and tidy when you walk in, causing the bell overhead to jingle at your arrival. The floors are polished, the tables are cleaned, and the entire room smells like lavender which can only mean that closing time is soon. There is also the lingering scent of coffee and sugar in the air. 

An old woman–the same old woman who saved your life that fateful night–is just walking from behind the counter with a bottle of pine saw and a rag when she sees you.

“Oh, good evening!” she brightly greets you, a smile on her face that creates crinkles by her eyes.

You return the smile, standing awkwardly near the door. It’s so strange to be back here after so long. “Hi,” you timidly say. "I’m sorry it’s so late.” 

Koa, the old woman and the owner of this cute little establishment waves a passive hand, scoffing. “Nonsense! It isn't too late to visit unless the closed sign goes up.”

She puts the pine saw and rag down on a nearby table where a bouquet of cut yellow roses sits. “So how can I help you, dear?” she asks, her kindness making you feel like a little girl.

You clutch your purse in front of you. “I’d like to adopt a cat, please,” you reply. “Not for me, but for someone else as a gift. They love cats.”

Your stomach flips for some reason as you say this, probably because you’re actually going through with this random ass idea that you came up with right as you arrived at UA. You don’t know if Aizawa will even want another pet after what you put him through, but you have to at least try. 

Koa puts a hand on her heart, practically swooning at your request. “Well, how sweet of you!” she coos. “Any particular breed they like?” She begins to walk you over to the front counter where a few cages of kittens and cats sit, most of them asleep. 

“No, they’re pretty open to whatever,” you answer, knowing damn well you’re just spitting BS because you have no idea what kind of cat breed Aizawa likes. “Just a cat that is very friendly, affectionate, and isn’t too keen on the outside.” 

“Well, I’m sure we can find you the perfect one that checks all of those boxes.” Koa motions to the cages presented in the front for the picking. “Let me just check the back to see if we have any cats left. We’ve had so many adoptions ever since Eraserhead visited here. Such a doll, he is, but quite stoic.”

Your heart leaps and your cheeks flush at the mention of Aizawa, especially the way Koa describes him. ‘He is definitely a doll,’ you think, smiling to yourself. 

Koa leaves you to your own devices as she goes into the back, humming as she does. Your eyes begin to roam over the many felines in their cage condos, most of them asleep. You feel an overload of cuteness from the different cat breeds you see snuggled up in their cat beds or with each other: tabbies; Persians; ragdolls; calicos…

Your eyes stop when you land on one calico in particular.

It is small, still a kitten, and the only one not sleeping. Instead, it is playing with a little ball that hangs from a string in its cage, its tiny paws flashing with claws that it knows how to use.

You are not just enchanted by its cuteness but its pattern. It is an unusual but beautiful swirl of browns, whites, and tans that almost appears a shade of pink. Its nose is tiny and pink, its eyes two big jades that seem so full of innocence.

What stands out to you about this kitten, other than its pattern and cuteness, is the tiny scar that lies under its left eye. It is small and white as if something knicked its fur at some point. Reminds you of someone you know well.

You move closer to the cage, careful not to startle the tiny thing. “Sps-sps,” you whisper. The kitten’s head whips towards you, its ears perked up.

“Hello,” you coo. “What’s your name?”

The kitten softly mews at you, answering you back. You push your finger through one of the cage holes, allowing the kitten to sniff you. Deciding it likes you, it presses its head against your finger and begins to purr. 

“Oh, so you met our new addition!” Koa smiles at you, returning to her post. “We brought her in about a week ago. She’s still a kitten, but was probably the runt of her siblings due to her small size and pattern so her mother possibly abandoned her. When one of my employees found her, she was lying under some bushes near her apartment complex, eating some food someone left her.” 

Your heart breaks at the poor little kitten's story as she continues to run her nose against your finger. “She’s extremely friendly and playful,” Koa giggles. “She's awfully tiny though. I was afraid to pick her up when I first saw her. It’s clear she’s been through some rough patches however long she was alone, but she’s still so kind. Such a sweetheart.” She presses her hand against the cage, earning the kitten’s affection and purrs. 

Your heart breaks even more for the poor animal. She’s so touch-starved and in need of love from a good owner. You’ve never been more certain that Aizawa and Eri would be great owners for her.

“You said she could’ve possibly been abandoned for her pattern?” you ask Koa, earning a solemn nod. “How is that even possible? She looks like one of those Neapolitan ice cream swirls.” 

And then, like a lightbulb flickering on in your brain, a name comes to you: “Nea,” you coo. “Little Nea.”

As if liking that choice, the kitten slowly blinks at you, a tiny mew leaving her mouth. You turn to Koa, already taking your credit card out of your purse. “I’ll take her.” 

That late night, after returning home with little Nea and leaving her to lay in your bed, you enter your clean, neat bedroom and bend down to look under your bed.

There, a chest sits, untouched for weeks now. You pull it out and open it, revealing your Night Claw outfit, still sleek and clean. You’re so glad you decided to place it in the chest instead of keeping it in the duffle bag you’ve often stored it in. Thank God you’re thinking differently now. 

You pull your mask out of the chest, smiling fondly at it. “Hi again, baby,” you whisper. “I’m sorry I’ve been neglecting you. Let’s make up right here, right now.” 

Without another word, you place your mask on your face and suit up. Your suit, still fierce and sexy, still fits like a glove no matter how much time has gone by.

And as you stand in the mirror with the window wide open for your exit, feeling like a brand new woman, you know that you’ve been forgiven.