#They got some REALLY obvious indicators on what happened

[yellow-leaf-clover]

don't you kinda find it odd how boss monster souls have somewhat similar traits to human souls? being able to persist for at least for a little bit after death? i am guessing if you already know the big shot by now, you are most likely returning to stay with martlet or something? how does flowey feel about that?

(As a note, the Big Shot ask isn't canon since as far as they know they haven't fought any of the final bosses yet. Minus that though this ask is all canon)

[elysianightsss]

Mouth watering sundress

Summary: John gives you a ride home from work, and his phone number…

It was the car ride from hell.

John drove with one hand on the steering wheel and one on the clutch, his truck smelled just like him. Oak wood, cigars and spiced oranges. It had a musky undertone that made you shift in your seat, thighs clenching uncomfortably. The Chevy he drove somehow didn’t surprise you and the country music quietly playing from the radio didn’t surprise you either. 

His plaid button up shirt and loose blue jeans had you staring. You could see where the muscles were too big for his shirt when he changed gears it looked like it was going to rip. You wondered what it would feel like to have those muscular arms wrapped around your body.

You played with the hem of your floral sundress, tracing the little flowers while you scolded yourself for thinking such things about your gorgeous neighbour. 

“How was work?” John asked with gentle curiosity, his big hand moving the clutch to change gear.

“It was okay.” You shrugged glancing out of the window only to look back at him and see a frown on his face.

“Just okay?” His eyebrows rose as he watched little old Doris pull out in front of him in her mini with no indication whatsoever.

“Yeah. I mean my job consists of listening to people complain on the phone and trying to fix their issues. It was pretty boring, only gets good when you get the screamers.” You laugh, watching the forest trees pass by as he drives.

“Screamers?” He asks, a small laugh coming out himself, though you picked up the concern dithering there. Tricks of the trade.

“People who start shouting or screaming down the phone as soon as you answer. Mostly cause they haven’t got they wanted from the company yet.” You explain, saying it so casually.

“That doesn’t sound too fun.”

“Maybe not fun but definitely an interesting change. Gives me something to think about on the weekends too. Maybe if I should have responded differently. How can I better my answers for next time it happens.” Your brows furrow slightly realising how pathetic you just sounded.

“No friends to make your weekends interesting?”he cleared his throat hoping he wasn’t too obvious here, “or boyfriend.” He glanced quickly at you out of the corner of his eyes to catch you cracking a small smile making one grow on his face too. So infectious.

“Some friends but they work on the weekends. And I don’t have a boyfriend.” That had John shifting into the wrong gear the car making a loud scraping noise, he scrambled to quickly rectify the situation before the car stalled.

“Fiance? Husband?” He grimaced saying it, if felt like a dirty word on his tongue, leaving a bitter after taste that quickly disappeared when he spotted no ring on your finger.

“Nope. Completely and pathetically single.” You sighed, not dramatic, but simply a deep breath that showed how tired you were from everything. And boy you were tired. Exhausted from the emotional stress of life.

“Oh?” His interest clear, just as much as his curiosity was.

“Every time I like a guy or even think about entering into a relationship, it always fucks up in a monumental way and I always end up hurt. Every single time.” You let out another tired sigh. It was hard to be single when both your friends had partners, always the third wheel. It made you really hate life at the moment. Though you suppose you’d been in worse positions than in a Chevy with your large, handsome neighbour.

You pulled up to a traffic light, John pulling up the hand break before turning to look at you with a deep seriousness gleaming not only in his eyes but on his face, his body language, his entire demeanour had become the embodiment of seriousness.

“I would never hurt you. Ever.” He was so earnest. It made your heart ache, yearn for the kind of man you’d always wanted but never had. Always boys, never men.

The light turned green just as you let out a shaky breath, fingers lacing together in your lap picking at your nails in nervousness. Heat rising on your cheeks when his hand reached over to lay itself on top of yours for a few moments before pulling your hands apart, “Don’t do that. You’ll ruin those pretty hands.” He lets go just as he looks deep into your eyes, “and we can’t have that can we.”

You didn’t know what to say, the glint in his eyes, the way he tipped his head to the side a bit. Fuck, he looked wonderful. You steeled yourself and consumed every bit of self confidence you had, “You think my hands are pretty?” You stared at him, blinking a few times, definitely not fluttering your lashes. Your eyes flickered to where his jaw seemed to clench tightly for a few moments.

The intensity was building as he leaned in closer to you, it had a burning feeling building in your stomach, a fluttering you’d never experienced before the longer he stared into your eyes

Before he could even open his mouth in reply the beeping of horns from the cars behind started going off. You cleared your throat turning to face the front of the car, “The lights green John.”

“Mhm.” It’s short. Sweet. And so fucking sexy. His voice gravely and low, rumbling in his chest as he hums. Prolonging his gaze upon you just a few more moments before he turns back to the steering wheel and begins driving off.

You quietly let out a breath you hadn’t realised had built up, it did nothing however to ease the fluttering in your stomach. Only seemed to make the nausea worsen. You made a point of not picking at your nails, instead you lay your hands over your thighs, the feeling of your skin and the material of your sundress distracting you enough to not see smirk that graced John’s lips.

John lips, those luscious kissable lips that seemed almost hidden away by the full beard that had grown around his mouth. Like some forbidden fruit hidden just enough in the garden of Eden. He seemed like some forbidden fruit.

He stopped the car just outside your house, getting out to open the car door for you to get out. “Thank you for the ride home.”

“Anytime sweetheart.” He gazed down at you, his height even more daunting now that he was standing. His whole being was just large. That was the best way to describe him.

-

Honestly, you thought about him for the rest of the evening and all night. You thought about his muscles, the way they stretched the fabric of his shirt over the skin. The way his hands seemed to dwarf everything, you wondered how big they would look holding yours. You thought about the way he smirked after calling your hands pretty. You thought about the way his blue eyes glistened when he gave you his phone number.

It was all you thought about. All that was on your mind with no way to get rid of it, no sign that the brazen thoughts would ever leave you. It was like your own personal brand of torture.

Even when you finally managed to drift off, you dreamed of him. Dreamed that he would touch you the way you wanted him to. That he would kiss you desperately, achingly. You were hungry to be touched by him, so hungry that even the very thought of tasting him made you feel nauseous. It had been so long since anything had touched you, that your body had grown accustom to the emptiness that gnawed at you day in, day out.

But maybe it was just what you needed, to push past the sickness. To hold on tight to the warmth that wanted to cover you, that wanted to wrap itself around you. But you couldn’t help but push it away, say no in cruel anticipation of the inevitable. Love is a tender kiss for most people. For you she saves her sharpest axe.

Waking up was humbling, how groggy and unhinged you felt after a night of thinking and dreaming of John. Rolling over in bed you unplugged your phone and began to scroll through your notifications. Your heart jumping in your chest at the sight of a new text; from John.

John: Hey pretty girl. 7:36am. read.

Holy shit, he’d text you this morning. Was it when he first woke up? He was he thinking about you all night too? This man is something else.

John: No reply already? I thought I would’ve had to say something stupid first before you ignored me sweetheart. ;) 9:41am. read.

You: Sorry, got distracted. How’d you sleep? 9:42am. read.

John: Like a log. You? 9:42am. read.

You: Could use a couple more hours honestly. 9:43am. read.

John: What do you have planned today sweetheart? 9:45am. read.

What did you have planned today? Rolling around in bed thinking about a well built beast with thick mutton chops. So enthralled with the simple idea of John.

Fuck you’d never met a man so….well manly. His big muscles and his thick musky scent that screamed masculine in the most primal way possible. In every circumstance, in every part of the world and every century, he would be the ideal mate. To protect and provide-

The ringing makes you jump, the phone vibrating in your hand as you see the unfamiliar number only just added to your phone. You breathe in sharply for a moment, blowing out shakily, hands beginning to sweat. And it’s not even him in person, it’s just a phone call.

“It’s just a phone call. You can press the end button at any time.” You tell yourself, reassuring yourself before sliding your thumb along the screen, the answer swipe turning green. You put the cold screen to your ear. “John?”

“I got impatient.” His voice sounded so low and deep, must be that its first thing in the morning.

“Sorry. Got lost in my thoughts.” You mumble picking at the sheets surrounding you.

“Anything you wanna share? Or is it too soon to be prying into that pretty head of yours.”

“God you’re forward.” You breathe out a little laugh, a hot feeling fluttering in your stomach.

He laughed, heartily. “I’m just wired that way love.”

“I’m not sure if I like it.”

“Oh?” John voice was light and soft, if you were really leaning into it you’d notice the tinge of disappointment in the sound.

“It’s catching me off guard. I like to keep my cards close to my chest.” You swirled your finger along the pattern of the crocheted pillow in front of you.

“I’d happily let you play me.”

“John.” You breathe out another laugh, your heart skipping a beat.

“Like that,” he huffed low and wild, “like when you say my name. Sounds so nice coming from you.”

“It does?”

“Well with a pretty voice like that, I’m sure you can make anything sound nice.” He chuckled. And fuck you had to mute with how you giggled, kicking your feet with giddiness.

“So you want to go for lunch?” The rumbly bearish throaty sexy voice melted your knees until they felt like jelly.

“Again with the forwardness.” Your flushed cheeks hurt, couldn’t wipe the grin off your face, and he could hear it.

“I’m a man who knows what he wants and goes for it.” John answered without so much as a thought, the answer coming so naturally.

“I’ll consider it.” You pressed the red button and jumped in the shower, cold and brisk. It was the only way to bring your burning body temperature down.

John was unlike anybody you’d ever met, definitely better than an of your exs and you hadn’t even gotten to the deep stuff yet.

You wrapped a towel around your body and began to dry your hair with your other towel when you noticed your phone light up, a nervous grin tugging at your lips as you picked up the device and read the text.

John: Considered it yet? 10:02. read.

You shook your head, teeth biting into your smile. He was so unashamed and so bold. It made you question yourself, made you want more than you had once had. Made you want him.

You: I’d love to have lunch with you. 10:04am. read.

John: I’ll pick you up in an hour, wear that mouth watering sundress again ;) 10:04am. delivered.

Mouth watering sundress? Fuck, no one had ever said that to you before. Hell no one had ever offered so many compliments in one conversation before. He was truly a man of different breed. You giggled again falling into your bed and kicking your feet in the air, he was such a flirt. You loved it.

[keferon]

Part 2 because why not? And I can't stop thinking about it

_______________________

Every mech present at the med bay was looking at the small form in the table.

The organic form found inside Jazz had been recharging for some time already, having fainted during the (very clumsy and inexperienced) treatment that it received by the medics and was now laying in some soft fabrics they managed to aquire.

The only indicative that it was alive was the movement of its chest and the twitchs it made form time to time.

"So you found that inside Jazz?"

Optimus was there, having run to the med bay the moment he heard about what had happened.

"Yeah..."

Prowl was sitting close to the table, staring at the organic, still shaken by everything.

His friend just died, then a small organic came out of him, then it spoke with his friends voice.

He was so confused and overwhelmed, and it was obvious to every mech present at the med bay.

Optimus hummed in acknowledgement before asking to some other mech.

"And Jazz's body?"

"Already recovered and it's being repaired, but..."

Optimus frowned at that.

"But?"

The mech hesitated for a moment.

"It's nothing like us" The mech said "His body is not cybertronian"

"It's an empty shell" Another added.

Optimus didn't say anything to that, not because he knew about that or anything like that.

But because of the small grunt that he heard.

All optics turned to the organic in the table, now off of its armor.

It didn't move much, just opened its optics and stammered so quietly that only Prowl could hear.

"I feel like a shark's chew toy"

Jazz was feeling horrible, his body was sore and his vision was cloudy.

He tried to sit up, but immediately cringed, his expression showing the pain he was feeling.

"You should stay put"

A familiar voice came to his years, loud and clear, well, louder then normal and not so clear for his current weak state.

But he smiled, because, regardless of everything, Prowl was there, so, with a little effort, he tried ti focus vis vision.

"I stay put when I'm dead, and I'll only die in the cockpit of my mecha, I'm a pilot, not a coward, that and death wont dare to take me before I go back home"

He really wanted to put a strong image, he really did, but he froze when his vision finally returned to more normal state.

He was in the repair room that these guys called Med Bay, in a very big table and staring back at many other mechas, who gave him strage looks.

Prowl included.

Even Optimus was there.

That was... enerving.

"Umm... Hello sir?" He said with a forced smile.

There was an awkward silence in the room, the stares became more overwhelming.

Prowl was the one to make the first move.

He got up and looked at the others.

"May I speak with him alone?"

The others seemed to want to say no, but, with Optimus permission, they all left the room.

He waited for the return of the silence to sit back again and stare at the organic, who stared back at him with a confusion he was not used to associate to Jazz, nor the awkward smile that to it.

"Hey Prowler, what's up? Did I stay out for that long?"

"You've been out for a whole Solar Cycle"

The organic frowned, a strange sight for Prowl, as he never seen a species so similar to Cybertronians.

"Just day? Damn, with how groggy I was I thought I had been out for longer, anyway, how's my mecha? I really hope there was no blood spilled, it'll take forever to clean the cockpit and I don't even want to think about the damage"

Prowl didn't say anything at that, taking the information carefully.

It seemed relaxed, like Jazz always did after a day in the battlefield, not caring for its wounds even though he could see the pain on its eyes, trying to hid it with a smile.

It was more worried about the body it was inhabiting.

As much as he didn't want to start the interrogation, he, too, didn't want to be in the dark of this situation.

"Jazz"

The organic stoped talking, tilting its head Jazz did when he was confused.

"Yes Prowler?"

He pursed his derma, an ugly frown forming.

It responde to the name like Jazz would and called him by the way he would.

He hesitated, but the question came anyway.

"What are you?"

OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD YES YES THIS IS SO GOOD YOU ARE COOKING ANON

Link to the part one

[dfortrafalgar]

God, Finally

You're both tired of playing chicken each time you try to have sex.

Law x Fem Reader

Warnings: MATURE 18+, MINORS AND AGELESS BLOGS INTERACTING WITH THIS POST WILL BE BLOCKED, fluff, fluff and smut, first time, soft law, mutual performance anxiety

Author's note This was born because I wanted to write a more realistic smut about the awkwardness that can sometimes come with sex for the first time, especially with someone as intricate and complex as Law.

Also posted on AO3

You wanted it.

Law wanted it.

Both of you made it very obvious that you wanted it.  Your flirtatious glances toward your stone-cold boyfriend tossed innocuously over the galley dining table, or the way Law formed the addicting habit of running his lanky, inked fingers across your waist when passing you through the tight corridors of the Polar Tang, unnoticed by anyone else on the crew, but scorching through your jumpsuit like a hot ember.  The intense love you had for each other was clearly reciprocated.  You often dreamt of moments spent with the raven-haired man under the thin sheets of his bed in his quarters, running your own hands along his defined shoulders or ghosting along his heavenly abdomen.  Likewise, Law would often use his time alone in the shower to release his feelings for you, utterly infatuated with every aspect of your body and soul.  The kindness of your heart was just as alluring as the way your favorite dress hugged your body like it was sculpted just for you, and Law couldn’t get enough.

And yet, despite all of the deep, intense feelings shared between the two of you, everything would dissipate the second things got moved to the bedroom.

The first time you and Law tried anything, you were straddled across his lap on his bed, his thin sheets and one lonely pillow tossed to the side as your lips ghosted over his collarbones in tandem with his hands working to remove the tanktop you wore under your boiler suit.  You had gotten as far as both of you being shirtless when things suddenly got awkward, as if a circuit breaker popped.  No spark between either of you.

You sat atop Law’s hips, no indication of arousal anywhere to be found below his waist.  You, similarly, felt nothing.  As your eyes locked with his confused, almost frightened, golden ones, all the sexual tension that had built up within the small metal confines of his private room was gone as if it was never there in the first place.

“You… uhm…” Law tripped over his words, and flushed a deep crimson after damaging his own ego with his obvious nervousness.  “You look nice.”

You blinked.  “Thanks…?”

Neither of you really knew what happened, but after you pulled your shirt back over your head and carefully hopped off of his mattress, the two of you didn’t speak for the rest of the day after that.  Things were pretty much back to normal after a few days of taking some time for each of you, and the next time you tried was about 10 days after your first failed encounter.

You were once again back in Law’s quarters, this time kneeling on the cold metallic floor as you gazed up at him with hungry, ravenous eyes.  Some dirty talk was successfully bounced between the two of you, and quite frankly, you were pretty desperate to suck his dick despite not yet having seen it for yourself.  Law was already enjoying the feeling of grabbing your hair in his fingers, loving the way your eyes fluttered shut with the sensation of his firm yet tender grip on your head to guide his lips to yours as he hunched over you.  You kissed your way through undoing the belt of his speckled jeans, pulling the faux leather through his belt loops and discarding the accessory to the side on the floor.  You made quick work of his button, then his fly, his hips lifting to allow you to shimmy his pants to his knees.  He was hard, painfully so, and his dick truly looked as pretty as you imagined it would.  

But when your lips finally separated from the steamy kiss and your focus was directed solely on his erection, all the confidence you had built up packed up its bags and said it was going out for cigarettes.  Your hands rested limp on Law’s thighs, his hands resting on the edge of the mattress.  He stared blankly at you staring at his dick.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.  He could already feel his own arousal leaving, blood once again flowing back to his brain.  With the extra oxygen, he started to worry if he was the problem.

“No, nothing’s wrong, I just…” you faltered, “I’ve never done this before.”

“Oh.”

Just like your first encounter, your second attempt ended in utter failure.  You awkwardly stood up, brushing invisible dust off of your knees before uttering a quick apology with your head dipped.  You quickly made your way out of his quarters, leaving Law sat befuddled, dick having gone completely flaccid in record time.

Two more additional, and equally as mentally painful, encounters happened since, and in the weeks that passed, the two of you started to develop your own individual anxieties.

Law was petrified that he was the problem.  He was worried that he was moving too quickly for you, being too forceful and making you afraid to speak up.  The last thing he wanted was to lose you over something so trivial, but he’d be lying to himself if he said he didn’t desperately want to finally lay with you.  He had kept it to himself that he has never had sex, though to most in his life that was obvious as he often drowned himself in his work and duties as a pirate captain without leaving much room for random hook-ups.  Until now, where he desperately wanted it.

You on the other hand, were anxiety ridden over the thought that Law would, in fact, leave you over something so trivial.  You kicked yourself each time you chickened out of an act, leaving your flustered boyfriend alone and frustrated.  The only thing holding you back was your lack of real experience beyond removing the clothes, and the uncertainty and unknown territory that came with made you jitter with nerves.  You would try to hype yourself up in the mirror in the crew washroom, lightly slapping your cheeks and pouting your lips and mouthing encouraging nonsense to yourself, only to see Law and end up only sleeping with him, and not actually sleeping with him.

You were getting tired of your own impatience, and Law was getting tired of being anxious.

---

You woke up in the late morning to a beam of sunlight from the porthole in the crew bunkhouse tinting the inside of your eyelids dark red.  With a grumble, still fairly tired from your night watch shift, you sat up and rubbed the sleep out of your eyes.  On a typical day, the cloudless blue sky and warm weather of a spring island supply docking would be the perfect thing to lift your mood, but in the midst of your sexual frustrations, there was nothing to be content about.  You proceeded through your day as usual, assisting with upkeep of the submarine and helping the engineers with a few maintenance jobs that had been discovered after your latest underwater excursion.  It was this time spent alone with Ikkaku, both of you dirtied with sour oil as you dismantled one of the primary engines, that you couldn’t hold it in anymore.  You needed advice, desperately.

“Ikkaku, mind if I ask you something?” you began, casually, biting down your nerves.

“Of course, what’s goin’ on?” she replied.  

The two of you had formed a very close sisterly bond since you joined the crew, Ikkaku delighting in no longer being the only woman aboard a submarine crawling with men.  You were able to talk about anything with each other without shame or embarrassment.  And yet, the flustered feeling that tingled in your cheeks as you processed how to ask your question alerted your curly-haired crew mate to your desperation almost immediately.

Ikkaku leaned over in her dirty boiler suit, bumping her shoulder with yours.  “Relationship trouble?”

“Yeah,” you grumbled, hand gripping a torque wrench and slowly tightening a lug nut on the engine in front of you.  “It’s really embarrassing to ask, but…” your voice trailed off, tongue tying as you fought tooth and nail with your own vocabulary for how to voice your concern.  “How do you know when you want to have sex?”

The look Ikkaku gave you didn’t help your feelings of inadequacy, but she was clearly trying to maintain a neutral expression.  “Can I ask what you mean by that?  Did something happen?”

“Any time Law and I try to… you know…” your wrench slipped out of its hold on the nut, and you grumbled.  What an ironically fitting allegory.  “We just end up chickening out at the last minute.  I feel like there’s something wrong with me and I’m scared that he’s going to get fed up.”

Ikkaku nodded, focused on your words as well as her own work.  “So you’re a virgin?”

You huffed.  “Yes.  Unfortunately.”

Ikkaku chuckled, but tossed you a sympathetic glance.  “Hey, it’s nothing to be ashamed about, seriously.  We’re all busy pirates, we’ve all come from crazy lives, no one is expected to have sex at a certain time.  There’s no sense in rushing something like that.”

You smiled at her words of reassurance, but that nagging anxiety still clawed to the forefront of your brain.  “But even when we do have time, why do I always end up chickening out?  And why does he?  I feel like he’s disgusted with me.”

“That can’t be it.  He looks at you like you’re the most perfect thing to walk on this planet, and everyone can see it.”

Blood rushed to your face at the revelation of Law’s longing glances apparently being public knowledge amongst the Heart Pirates.

“Clearly you really want to take that next step with him, but I think the anticipation of it being some grand life-changing event might be scaring you off from the moment.”  Ikkaku spoke freely, and her words did make sense.  She continued.  “I know there’s a big expectation of having sex as soon as possible, but that’s just not the reality most of the time.  If sex is something that you feel that you need, and that feeling is mutual, then the moment will come naturally with time.  And if it turns out that you realize it’s an attraction that you don’t feel, then that’s fine too!”  The brunette adjusted her seat on the floor, crossing her legs and grabbing a dirty rag off to the side to wipe her muddied hands on.  “The anxiety of the expectation is scaring you, basically.”

Your eyes were clearly widened at the revelation, as a hearty laugh left Ikkaku’s lungs at, what you assumed was, the dumbfounded expression on your face.  Your shoulders hunched and you stared forward, all of your emotions suddenly making a lot more sense.  All you could successfully mutter in response was a quiet, “Huh.”

“Did I get it right?” she inquired, leaning over to you and laying her head on your shoulder, a bright smile on her lips.  

You laughed at her gesture, leaning back into her.  “I think you did, actually… Do you think it’s the same thing for him?”

Ikkaku nodded affirmatively without hesitation.  “Oh, absolutely.  This crew is full of horny dudes stuck on a submarine together, you hear the way some of them talk.  Between you and me, I know Law’s never had sex either, and the things he hears from his own crew about ‘men needing to have sex as soon as possible’ and the like,” she gestured her statement with air quotes, “It messes with his head and makes him all anxious.  He clearly wants to do anything to make you happy, and I bet his own anxiety is inhibiting him from taking the next step.”

Something clicked in your mind once more at that moment.  You knew Law had performance anxiety in battle, you had not only seen it once or twice, but had heard plenty of stories from his crew about his inability to maintain self control when around certain people.  The thought of him having performance anxiety in the bedroom, with you, made your heart ache.  You zoned back in, locking your eyes with Ikkaku who was gazing at your face to examine your expression.

She tapped her oily finger on the forehead, leaving a slight smudge.  “I’m probably right!”

You laughed, taking the clean heel of your palm and pressing it to her forehead to wipe the smudge off of her skin.  She yelped in response, laughing along with you.  “Thank you Ikkaku, really.”

“Of course, that’s what I’m here for!”

The two of you continued your work with light conversation bouncing back and forth, and as you packed up your tools to head to the galley for dinner, Ikkaku tapped your thigh when you stood.

She gazed up at you, brown eyes twinkling mischievously.  “Get that dick, sister.”

“Shut up!” you bantered back, hiding your flustered face from view as your friend boldly laughed.

You began the fairly long trek from the engine room to the galley, which was two floors above you and on the complete other end of the submarine.  You stashed your tool box in a nearby maintenance closet before continuing your walk, rubbing your oil-stained hands on your jumpsuit.  It was almost laundry day, anyway.  As you rounded the corner into the confined space where one of the many ladders was kept, you bumped into the very man who set your heart racing.

Law was clearly caught off guard by your sudden appearance as well, having just climbed down the ladder and was turning around as you appeared.  Red instantly tinted his cheeks, but he paired it with a very faint smile at your presence.  “I was just about to get you for dinner, I didn’t want you to get too lost in your work.”

“Get me?” you asked, smiling.  “How thoughtful!  I just finished up, actually.”

“That’s good,” he responded, voice quiet.  You stepped further into the ladder well, making an attempt to reach your hand out toward a metal rung before Law’s wrist stopped you.  You gazed at him.

“Can we talk after dinner?  In my quarters?”  Before you had a chance to grow anxious over the ambiguousness of his words, the raven-haired man leaned down to press a warm kiss to your jaw.  “I’m not breaking up with you, I promise.”

You laughed, worry immediately seeping out of you.  “Thank goodness,” you sighed in relief.  “Of course.”

It was only then that Law gestured for you to climb the ladder, following close behind you.  You yelped when he poked a lanky finger into the plush of your ass cheek through your boiler suit, and you playfully batted his hand away.  Despite the (assumed) shared anxiety of your escapades behind closed doors, you were relieved and thankful that your relationship hadn’t soured in any way.  Law was truly too good for you.

The walk to the galley and dinner with a few of the crew members was filled with idle chit chat about your days, but you couldn’t miss the way Law’s knee was constantly bouncing with urgency.  He finished his meal first, making his way toward his quarters.  You waited a few moments to follow him, not wanting to draw suspicion from your crewmates.  Everyone knew you were in a dedicated relationship with their captain, but you liked to avoid any awkward comments when you could.  You made your way to Law’s room quicker than you thought you would, floating on your feet with nervous anticipation.

Law, meanwhile, was so anxious his hands were shaking in his bespeckled pockets.  He was unsure whether or not to tell you that he had a very emasculating conversation with Shachi and Penguin earlier in the day about what they referred to as his, “Intense performance anxiety.”  He didn’t appreciate that his feelings had a dedicated term, but he also couldn’t deny that their entire conversation made a whole lot of sense.  Despite his two best friends’ track record of being fairly immature about contact with women, they were surprisingly helpful in getting him to unpack why he would shut down any time he gazed at you without your clothes on.  While it made him feel like a pervert, Penguin was quick to shut down this feeling and chalked it up to, once again, Law’s built-in self-deprecation.

“It’s not your fault that you have performance anxiety, you just gotta talk it out!” Penguin had said, surprisingly emotionally intelligent.

Law made a mental note to sincerely thank the two of them at some later date.

You were quick to catch up to the taller man, rounding the corner just as he opened the door to his quarters.  He grinned nervously as he held the door open for you, watching as you scampered inside.  He closed the door behind him, subtly locking it.  You kicked off your work boots and shrugged off your dirty boiler suit, tucking it safely away in the corner of his room so none of his belongings would get soiled by the oil that still remained on your clothes, before approaching his bed and sitting on the edge of the mattress.  Law sat next to you, gazing at his hands, tattooed thumbs anxiously fidgeting.

“Take your time,” you said quietly, leaning over to nudge him.

“Thanks,” he replied in a hushed tone, the ghost of a smile fleeting over his face.

You patiently sat next to him, gazing at your own hands before he finally spoke up.

“So, I learned something today,” he began.

You picked your head up.  “Go on…”

“Penguin said I have ‘performance anxiety.’”  He used two fingers to gesture air quotes.

You tried to calm your nerves.  Ikkaku’s voice in the back of your head was right on the money.  He was just as nervous about the potential of disappointment as you were.

“I learned something today, too,” you added.

Law turned his head to face you.

“Ikkaku told me that I’m ‘scared of disappointing you.’”  You gestured your own air quotes, a melancholic smile on your face.

Your eye contact with Law lasted for a few brief moments before you burst into a nervous fit of giggles.  Law couldn’t help but follow suit, his own silent chuckle making his shoulders bounce as he hid his small grin behind his fist.

“Guess we’re both all messed up,” he sighed, studying your expression.

You hummed.  “I really did realize that today, though.  I never wanted to keep chickening out of being closer to you…” you took a deep breath before continuing.  “I’ve just never had sex before, and I think I really was inherently scared that I would disappoint you, or not be good enough.”

Law nodded, bowing his head and lowering his hand to dance his fingers over your own.  “Yeah… me too.”

A silence that was slightly less awkward now permeated the space, and you shuffled closer to your boyfriend.  He embraced the warmth that radiated from your body, finding solace in the way you sent electric chills up his spine.

“I’m glad it’s mutual.  I know that sounds bad, but it makes me feel less… inadequate?” you added.

“You’ve never been inadequate,” Law replied.  He was about to add that he was the inadequate one, but Shachi’s stern voice bounced around Law’s skull that said ‘BE CONFIDENT IN YOURSELF.’  Law knew you loved him for everything he was, so who was he to tear himself down like that when you only saw his flaws as the things that made him so beautiful?  He wanted to finally make you understand that as well.

“Thank you, Law.”  You dipped your head into his shoulder, nuzzling into his neck.  “You’ve been so patient with me.”

“Likewise,” he whispered, hand above yours moving to lace your fingers together.  His heart was beating madly in his ribcage.  If one were to tell him earlier that day that he’d be metaphorically pouring his heart out for you later that evening, he would’ve scoffed in response, and yet here he was.  As foreign as the feeling of being vulnerable still was for him, he was finding it easier and easier to open himself for you, expose everything inside him for you to consume.  A year ago, or even some months ago, he would shut down that notion with a firm scowl and reinforce the concrete walls around his soul, but you would only break through them with something stronger.  And he loved that about you.  He loved you so deeply, more intimately than any other love he had ever felt.

He stiffened slightly when you moved your head out of the crook of his shoulder, your hairs dancing along the sensitive skin of his neck.  You picked your head up, and planted a deep kiss on his lips.  He watched through half-lidded eyes as your own fluttered closed, releasing your hand from his grasp in order to lace your arms around his neck.  You were pushing into him so deeply that he felt as though you were trying to fuse yourself to him.  Who was he to say no to such a request?

His hands found purchase on your waist, squeezing the flesh of your belly through your shirt.  A sound, something between a giggle and a moan, left your mouth, and you pulled away from the kiss with an embarrassed smile.

“That tickled,” was all you said.

With your arms still draped around his shoulders and neck, you let gravity pull you down onto his bed, Law following you willingly, supporting himself above you with his forearms next to your head as he captured your lips in a kiss that took your breath away.  The feeling of his lips, slightly chapped yet scorching like a flame, and the faint taste of coffee that always lingered on his tongue was already addicting, but even more so when he parted his teeth and captured your bottom lip in a gentle, teasing graze before diving in for more.

Law’s heartbeat tripled when he felt you smile against his mouth, a grin so delightfully beautiful that he wished he could kiss you for the rest of his life.

(Who was stopping him from fulfilling that wish?)

Running out of oxygen, which he knew he desperately needed in his current state of pre-arousal, Law pulled away from your lips and chuckled warmly at the whine you released from your lungs.  His golden eyes analyzed every detail of your face, your eyes half open, gazing up at him as if he was the only thing in the world that mattered to you.  The way your cheeks were warm with your flush, radiating to his own skin, and the way your lips were kiss-swollen and pouting for more.

“God…” Law groaned.  “I need you so bad.”  In any normal circumstance, he would be humiliated at himself over his brazen statement and attitude.  This was not a normal circumstance, and he was finally ready to relinquish that notion.

“Then take me, Law,” you responded, voice so light and airy that it was almost a whisper.  “Finally take me, please.”

Once again, however, Law felt himself falter.  “Really?”

Instead of growing frustrated, which his pent up anxiety told him you would, you huffed out a bright laugh.  “Yes, Law, yes!  You just kissed my brains out, we can’t play chicken again.”  You finished your statement by lifting one of your legs, slotting it in between Law’s thighs and brushing over the swollen spot at the front of his jeans.  The man above you sucked in a breath.

“Okay… okay we’re doing this.”

“We are.”

“And you’re really okay with it.”

With a light-hearted groan, you pulled the man back down into another fiery kiss, using the distraction to trail your hands from his waist to his chest, pulling his shirt up with you.  He adjusted himself so he could support his weight on his knees as he caressed your own skin through your shirt, his calloused hands forgoing their inked marks as they ran soothing touches across your abdomen, following your lead by pulling your shirt up and over your head.  You took advantage of sitting up yourself to loop your hands behind your back and unclasp your bra, lazily throwing it off the bed to join your two discarded shirts on the floor.  Your bold hands resumed their touches, leaving goosebumps over Law’s sun-kissed skin in their wake.  He kissed you with the rhythm of your fingers tracing the tattoo on his chest, gentle, tender caresses that had his heart, and the fluttering in his stomach, on overdrive.  If he was more coherent, he would be worried about his heart giving out.  In that same instant he shoved the feeling out of his head.  There was no need to be rational anymore, not when you lay before him with your upper half completely exposed to the cold air of his bedroom.

Law didn’t even realize that he was in the process of removing your shorts until you lifted your hips and allowed him to pull them down to your knees, and then fully off of your legs.  You gently pushed on his pecs to make him lean back and allow you to sit up, hands undoing the metal clasp of his belt and pulling it through the loops of his jeans.  It clattered to the floor, but you paid no mind as you were eagerly undoing his button and zipper.

Suddenly, your hands stopped yet again.  You nervously gazed up at him.

He gazed back down at you.

You shook your head, as if trying to rid yourself of anxious thoughts that floated around you like angry insects.  “Sorry, I’m still kind of nervous,” you muttered.

“It’s okay, I am too.”  Law’s hands ran down your arms before floating to your waist, squeezing your now-bare flesh once again.  “You’re perfect.  I love you.”

“Even if I haven’t shaved my legs in a week?” you asked.  Your tone was light, but Law could still pick up on the notes of insecurity that echoed through the air around you.

“You think I care about that?” he asked, voice tender.  He planted a chaste kiss to your lips once more, before pulling his body downward, leaving sugar-sweet kisses across your neck, breasts, stomach, and the waistband of your panties.  His hands caressed your thighs as he sat up once more, trying to ignore the red-hot pressure in his groin, not helped by his open button and fly.  “You’re so fucking beautiful.  Look me in the eye and tell me that you think I care about your body hair.  No one could’ve guessed that we’d be doing this right now, it’s not like you could’ve anticipated it.”  He squeezed the plump flesh on your thighs playfully to punctuate his words.

You laughed once again, your voice sweeter than the freshest honey, carrying colors Law had never seen before.  “You’re right, I know…”  You averted your eyes, smiling so brightly that your lower lids were creasing.  “Thank you, Law…”

A short-lived silence floated between your two bodies, before you pushed yourself up by your elbows yet again and continued with your initial quest of undoing his tight jeans and getting them off his body as quickly as humanly possible.  He eagerly helped you, shimmying back and forth while you pulled his pants down before they were finally off and thrown to the side on the floor.  Your angle, leaning back on your elbows and gazing at Law’s form above you, was more heavenly than the finest artwork.  You could tell the man started to grow anxious as your eyes unpacked his body from head to toe, but how couldn’t you?  

“You’re beautiful too, Law, so fucking gorgeous.”  You used one hand to pull his shoulder down, planting light kisses on the corners of his mouth.  “The most handsome man I have ever seen in my life.”

“Oh please,” he huffed, kissing you back where he could.  One of his hands supported him on the mattress, while the other supported him by your waist.

“I mean it, you’re ethereal,” you moaned.  As much as you wanted to make him sit and listen to you ramble about how much you adored his defined muscles and lean physique, you didn’t want to make him more uncomfortable than you knew he was already dealing with.  You had come this far, you didn’t want to ruin it.

More intense, sloppy kisses ensued, hands trailing up and down bodies, before Law accidentally lowered himself on you.  He jolted at the feeling of his erection brushing against your pelvic area, suddenly reminding him of what exactly the goal here was.  He pulled away from you, holding eye contact.

“Are you really sure you want this?” he asked, voice low and cautious, as if he was trying not to startle an animal.

“More than anything, Law.  Do you?”

He paused for longer than he cared to admit, his mind running wild.  He loved you so intensely, so deeply, that he wished he could become one with you on an atomic level.  He wanted to spend every moment with you for the rest of his life, regardless of how long it was.  He wanted to accompany you through all of your achievements and dreams, just like he hoped you would do for him.  He wanted a permanent home in your brain, in your heart, in your soul, where you wouldn’t let him leave, where you would hold him so tightly in your warm embrace for the rest of time.

He snapped out of his zone when your hand caressed his scruffy cheek.  “Law?”

“Yes,” he responded quickly.  “Yes, god, yes, I want this.  I want you.”

Another kiss followed, before breaking apart once more.

“Don’t laugh at me,” you started.  “How exactly do we begin?”

Despite your wishes, Law couldn’t help the chuckle that bubbled from his lungs.  “Shit, we’re hopeless.”  You laughed along with him, making more anxiety dissipate from his chest like a steam rising from a lagoon on a warm summer morning..

It wasn’t like either of you were strangers to how human sex worked, just like how neither of you were strangers to the orgasm, it was more so the act of actually beginning it, and doing it together.  It wasn’t as simple as slipping it in, thrusting a few times, and cumming.  There was much, much more to it.  You two just needed to figure out how to get there.

You shivered under the sensation of Law’s fingertips teasing the waistband of your panties before pulling them down slightly, waiting for your indication that you were ready to be completely and totally bare in front of him.  He bit down his elation as you lifted your hips, allowing the thin fabric to lower from your ass and down your thighs as Law removed them from your body, so gentle with the fabric, treating it as if it was sacred.  The notion left you feeling scorched, heart beating with untapped urgency.  The feeling of the cold air of the bedroom hitting your wet folds left you rubbing your thighs together, lip quivering.  You reached a hand forward yourself, tugging at Law’s own waistband and gazing at him through your eyelids, a silent plea to reveal himself to you as well.

After a deep, shuddering breath, the man slipped his boxers down his legs, throwing them onto the pile of your discarded clothing.  When he looked back at you, he was taken aback by the sight of your wide eyes, pupils dilated as you examined his cock.  He couldn’t help but smirk.  He didn’t think he was anything to write home about, seeing himself as average all around, but he just barely caught the way you sucked your lower lip in with your teeth, and it filled him with a sense of excitement, pride, and longing that he thought he’d never experience, let alone enjoy.

“Hey, eyes up here, darling,” he urged with a lighthearted chuckle.  

Flustered, your eyes darted up to his face, and you grinned sheepishly.  “Sorry.”

He pressed a small kiss to the apex of your nose.  “Don’t worry about it.”

Unlike your previous pauses, each kiss and caress from Law and the way his sultry words kept you anticipating made the mood stay relatively consistent throughout.  You felt confident, cherished, and adored by the man above you, and you just hoped he knew how much you wanted to worship him for the rest of your days.

Running a tattooed hand along your outer thigh before gracing over the junction of your hip and dipping his fingers in between your plush limbs easing them open for him, he eyed your expression and stated, “Tell me where you like to be touched.”

You held yourself up on one elbow, splitting your legs more for Law to get comfortable in between them as you allowed your free hand to roam to your pussy, using two fingers to part your lips.  Law watched analytically as your pointer and middle fingers rubbed the hood of your clit at the very top, and he listened intently to the way your breath hitched ever so slightly at the cotton-soft pleasure that emanated from your own fingertips.

“Right here,” you breathed.

Law’s own fingers were quick to replace your own.  He caressed the tiny spot, analyzing every twitch of your muscles or change in your breathing pattern.  His fingers dipped lower, watching your expression for any sign of discomfort as he ran his fingers along your opening, stifling a grin at how wet you had gotten from long minutes of intense making out and awkward repeated confirmations of consent.  He wouldn’t have it any other way.

The way your natural lubrication coated his fingers was alluring, and he used the fluid to rub and press against your clit once more, reveling in the way you bit down moans each time he changed up his pattern of movement.  He watched, intoxicated on the moment, as your hands grabbed at your own breasts, head tilted back and eyes squeezed shut.  While continuing his motions on your clit, he leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss right above your left breast.  When your hand moved, he gently bit down on your soft skin, basking in the whine that left your tense throat.  He licked the faint red mark his teeth left behind, knowing it wouldn’t even bruise.  Maybe some other day he could really sink his teeth into you, but for now he wanted to hold back and enjoy your first time.

Your breathing was growing more labored as his fingers danced expertly over your soaked clit, when you shot your hand forward and gripped his wrist in a silent plea to stop.

“Are you alright?” he asked, eyebrows immediately wrinkling in concern.

“I’m fine, I just…” your trembling hand rubbed his forearm.  “I want you inside me.  Like… right now.  Please.”

Law hummed.  He pulled his hand away from your cunt, leaving your now saturated folds exposed to a new level of chill.  You watched through half-lidded eyes as your boyfriend grabbed his one pillow from beside the metal bed frame.  He gently tapped your hip, wordlessly encouraging you to lift yourself enough for him to slide the pillow under you.

“This will support your back, hopefully,” he mentioned quietly.  “And hopefully reduce some initial discomfort.”

You smirked.  “Did you do some research?”

Law scoffed, flustered, averting his intense golden eyes.  “No, I just… assumed.”

You laughed, shimmying against the pillow and getting yourself comfortable.  “Trafalgar Law, if you don’t stop acting so cute we’re not going to get anywhere.”

The man’s grip on your hips tightened slightly, and he couldn’t fight the grin that spread across his lips at your statement.  “You really okay with this?”

You nodded affirmatively.  “Yes.”

Law inhaled a deep breath, reaching down to take a gentle hold of his own cock that, remarkably, stayed completely hard and eager this entire time.  (He was relieved there was nothing wrong with him.)  He gave himself a few strokes with his fist, forcing down a groan at the sensation as you watched him with ravenous eyes that devoured his every movement.  You shivered as his fingers ran up and down your cunt yet again, before rubbing your slick on his cock with a tiny, breathy moan.  Lord, you needed him badly.

The raven-haired man adjusted his position between your legs and tested the waters by running the head of his dick through your wet folds.  The feeling was already something you were addicted to.

“I’m going to ask one last time,” he said, voice low and apprehensive.  “Are you okay with this?”

For the final time, your eyes fluttered open, caressing a hand over his cheek.  “Yes.”  Finally.

Law used two fingers to pull apart your folds, exposing the entrance to your vagina that seemed to wait so patiently just for him.  He pressed the head of his cock into you, inhaling a shaky breath at the way your anatomy seemed to suck him in.  He stopped when he heard you groan slightly under him.

“You alright?”

“Yeah, it just hurts a little bit.”

He pressed a tender kiss to your cheek, then to the corner of your mouth.  “That’s normal, you’ve never done this before.”

You nodded, finding endless comfort in his words and touches.

Little by little, Law eased himself into you, having you adjust your hips every now and then to get used to not only the feeling of having something inside of you so tightly, but also to find the most comfortable position for you.  You did find great relief in the way the pillow below your hips allowed subtle leverage, making his entrance much easier on the both of you.  Law twirled his fingers with your own, capturing your lips in an addictive, sultry kiss as he pushed the rest of his way into you.  He groaned into your mouth, the feeling of his cock leaving your walls molding around him a sensation so foreign yet so delicious.  Similarly, your legs quivered at the red hot feeling of Law’s cock fully enveloped within your warmth, each way you moved reminding you that he was in you, connected to you in the deepest, most intimate way possible.  The feeling of being stretched and intruded upon slowly went away, helped in part by Law’s constant kisses and caresses across your body, keeping you both plenty aroused and waiting.

You wiggled your hips against his delighting in the groan that left his clenched jaw.  

“That feels too good,” he sighed into your neck.

“You can move,” you urged, finally getting used to the fulfilling sensation.

Law’s hand squeezed your’s, and you squeezed back.  Supporting himself with his other hand on your hip, he rocked his hips slightly, testing the waters of your body’s reactions to each movement.  His entire body felt on fire.  He was sure that water would evaporate off of his skin at the slightest contact.  He clenched his jaw, uttering a wavering groan at the warm wetness that surrounded his cock with each movement, the sounds emanating from your joined bodies equal parts alluring and humbling.

He quickly found a rhythm that seemed to work for the two of you, angling his hips upward as best he could to attempt to focus his thrusts on the spot at the roof of your vagina right below your pelvic bone.  (Okay, maybe he had done more than a little research.)  Your eyes were clenched shut, mouth slightly open as you exhaled shallowly.

“How are you doing?” he asked.

“Good… great,” you uttered back, breathless.  “You feel really good… you feel amazing, Law.”

Law’s heart once again skipped a few beats at the praise.  To know he was bringing you pleasure, making sure you were getting as much out of this as he was, was exactly what he needed to hear.

He disconnected your hands, leaving both of your palms face up and empty next to your head.  His free hand now traveled back down in between your legs, rubbing three fingers against your neglected clit.  The sensation was unlike anything you had ever experienced before, back arching off the bed.  It was a pressure deep within your abdomen that flared like a hot coal, partnered with zaps and zings of electric shocks as sweet as sugar, the two sensitive areas of your anatomy fusing together with Law’s touch and movements to form a combination that had you moaning without restraint.  You couldn’t help yourself.

“Oh fuck, Law, shit,” you groaned, neck craning back.  

Law took advantage of your exposed skin by peppering sweet kisses along your jugular and Adam’s apple, before sitting his lips in the soft flesh right above your collarbone and biting down with more force than before.  You whined at the feeling, shivering as his tongue once again licked the deeper marks, leaving your skin wet and cold, and at the same time blazing hot.  The groans he was releasing so close to your ear only spurred your passion more, your own hands traveling to his shoulders and holding him close, fingers gripping his skin as best you could as his thrusts deepened in tandem with the pace of his fingers on your clit.

Law’s entire lower body felt on fire, electric, a magenta pressure building deep within his abdomen and radiating outward.  He felt his dick twitch inside you and he bit down a moan, instead relishing in the way you let go one of your own at the feeling of his dick rubbing against your G-spot with every other snap of his hips.  You lifted your knees up, feeling him even deeper than before, and you gasped his name.

“Shit, Law,” your legs quivered next to his body.  “Fuck, I’m gonna cum.”

Your body involuntarily met him thrust for thrust, the pressure from your movements added to Law’s ministrations over your clit leaving you panting and writhing beneath him.  You were a sight to behold for Law’s sore eyes.  He could drink you for the rest of eternity and never grow tired of your taste.

“Fuck,” he groaned, the pace of his hips increasing as he felt the familiar, yet foreign, sensation of his impending orgasm.  This was nothing like using his hand, it was so much better, worlds better.  He didn’t think he’d ever be able to masterbate on his own again, knowing nothing could surpass the way your pussy clenched around his dick like you were sculpted for each other and only each other.

“Ah… ah, fuck, Law,” you moaned, voice cracking as your back arched. The white hot pleasure from your pussy reverberated throughout your entire body, leaving your skin both icy and on fire as colors flashed behind your eyelids.  Your fingers gripped Law’s shoulders harder, surely leaving marks in his skin.

Your orgasm caught you completely off guard, body snapping as waves of pink and purple flashed behind your closed eyelids as your pelvis shook and trembled against Law’s wavering thrusts.  Your moans were unrestrained now, freely calling into the stifling air around your bodies, embracing each millisecond of the addictive, powerful sensation that danced across your waist, your womb, your legs.  Your orgasm was the final push Law needed before he frantically pulled out of your sopping pussy and released onto your lower stomach, his hips gyrating as he fisted his cock with shuddering breaths and deep groans.  His abs flexed continuously as his muscles contracted from the sheer force of his own release.

The two of you remained in the same positions you finished in for what felt like hours, desperately catching your breath.  Your legs continued to shake as you relaxed your muscles and let your weary limbs finally fall back onto the mattress.  You opened your eyes, taking in the ethereal view of Law’s trembling body over your own, his head tilted back, black hair tousled out of place.  His fist remained around his cock, unmoving, still too shocked to move.  Your own shaky hand reached for him, ghosting your fingers along his abdominal muscles and breaking him out of his orgasmic trance to look at you with glazed, golden eyes.

His expression, fucked out and boundlessly flustered, made you laugh.  You started laughing uncontrollably, shoulders shaking as you tried to restrain yourself, choosing instead to pull him down with you, burying your gleeful smile and airy laughs into his neck instead.  Law cringed slightly at the feeling of his own release rubbing between your two stomachs, but the way you embraced him in your exposed glory, completely vulnerable to him, made him instantly forget about the temporary discomfort.  He used his less dirty hand to cup your cheek, tilting your head to press a smattering of kisses along your face before resting on your smiling lips, loving the feeling of joyful laughs still leaving your spent body.

“I’m sorry I’m laughing again,” you said quietly.  “That was incredible.”

Law couldn’t blame you for your reaction in the slightest.  After weeks of pent up anxiety, miscommunication and worry, the two of you had finally experienced what you had been longing for so deeply, so carnally.  Law wanted to make sure you could feel the same joy, the same euphoria, each time you were with him in every moment you spent together.  Your laugh was freeing.  Your unrestrained giggles the reminder that he so desperately needed.

There was nothing wrong with him.  There was nothing wrong with you.

The moment comes naturally.  And Law promised himself right then and there, as you clutched onto his body above you like you would disappear without him, that he would do anything to keep that smile on your face, the anxiety out of your mind, and his heart in your hands.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

BONUS

You would describe Law like a scallop.  A hard outer shell that refuses to open up, bumbling blindly through the water away from anything he deems as a threat.  His grace and elegance as a pirate captain came with countless years of adjusting to normal human interaction, which left him in an odd stance between an awkward, struggling kid, and a maladaptive, anxious adult.  But when the ridged shell was finally cracked open, exposing the soft, fragile insides, was when the facets of his personality would radiate forth.  He was dynamic, emotional, impulsive, selfish, fearful, confident, boundlessly strong and yet weaker than a detached leaf all at the same time.

And you loved that about him.  Your love for the stone-cold pirate captain ran deeper than the trenches of the ocean you sailed above, was warmer than the sun that beat down on the outer deck when you surfaced, and was more tender than the finest cuisine.

Your new favorite thing about Law, to add to the ever growing list that you kept within the recesses of your mind, was the fact that he was still just as apprehensive around you as he had been when you first started dating.  A few nights ago, he came all over your stomach as you lay beneath him a shivering, trembling mess, but when you gently knocked on his office door to wish him a good morning, he looked at you with eyes as wide as saucers, mouth curled in a nervous, boyish grin, kissing you like it was his first ever.  Like a scallop, he would open and close sporadically, spoiling you with his delectable emotions behind the safety of closed doors, and impressing you with his harsh command of his crew on the outside.

He laughed at you when you told him your analogy.

“A scallop?  I’m a scallop to you?” he asked, chuckling as he scribbled down notes in a wrinkled, coffee-stained notebook.  His entire back and neck were hunched over the metal counter in his medical ward, taking inventory of the medicines he kept stocked behind the locked cabinets.

You were bustling around the room behind him, diligently cleaning dust, sand, and salt residue out of sterile corners and shelves.  “Yes!  You’re hard on the outside and soft on the inside, what’s not to get?”

“Scallops move like bumbling idiots.  I would appreciate something more like a crab.  Or maybe even a lobster.”  When you turned your head to face him, he was already gazing at you, his left hand making a pincer motion similar to a crab’s claw.  

You snorted.  “Just for that, you’re going to be a slug now.  No more shells for you.”

“You’re just gonna leave me out in the open like that?  Not even a skeleton?”

“Fine, you can be a squid.”  You wrung your damp washcloth into the metal bucket situated on the floor by your feet, draping it over the side to free your hands and wipe them dry on your boiler suit.

The laugh that bubbled out of Law made your heart flutter in your chest.  You never would have guessed that your casual, stupid banter while doing mindless chores would be something you’d enjoy so much, but you had come to realize that you enjoyed every aspect of life a whole lot more when it was spent with Law.  In the days that followed your successful first shared sexual encounter, especially.  Since then, you have started to feel so much more confident in yourself, in your looks, your abilities, and your feelings.  You felt like you understood your boyfriend on an even deeper level now, cherishing the way he seemed to unfold himself in front of you, knowing that there was almost nothing left to hide from you anymore.  You had seen each other at your most vulnerable, and the outcome was more beautiful than the most glorious sunset.

Law’s voice snapped you back to reality.  “I think you’d be a Mola Mola.”

You threw your wrung-out towel across the room, giggling as it smacked his hunched back in between his shoulder blades.  It made a squelching sound as it plopped to the floor behind him.  He whipped around to face you, a mischievous grin on his face.

“Is the sunfish mad at me?”

“To think you view me so low!  I’m heartbroken!”  You feigned great offense, placing the back of your hand over your forehead and swaying back and forth.  “My life is ruined now, my beloved thinks I’m a sunfish!”

Law bent down to grab the towel you had thrown at him before balling it in his fist and lobbing it back at you, smirking as it landed on your chest and stayed there.  Before you had the chance to chuck it back at him, the door to the medical bay creaked as it was pulled open.  You felt your heart pang as Law’s expression immediately switched from bright and gleeful to his usual stoic, grouchy demeanor.  He still hid from even his crew, only showing his true colors very, very sparingly.  You both looked towards the door as Uni popped his head in.  

“Sorry to interrupt, just wanted to let you know dinner’s ready.  Jean Bart cooked tonight.”  The masked man quickly stepped back out into the hallway, letting the heavy steel door close on its own.

Your eyes glanced back toward Law as his expression softened only slightly.  You bent down to place the washcloth over the rim of your cleaning bucket before finally walking over to your boyfriend and nudging his arm.

“Sorry,” you simply murmured.

“Why are you apologizing?”

“Your face changed so quickly, like you didn’t want him to see you smiling.”

Law hummed, a sound that stayed low in his throat.  He turned back toward the counter, picking up his pen once more and writing a few extra bullets in his notebook.  You stood patiently, lips sealed as you waited for his next movement or word.

“Don’t ever apologize for making me smile,” he said, tone deep and volume minimal.

Your stomach did backflips in your abdomen.

Law’s pen made a clicking sound as he placed it on the counter, lifting his notebook to shut the cover and store it in a specific labeled drawer.  He finally turned back to gaze at you, face slowly softening more and more.  He approached you, running an inked hand across your cheek and down to your neck before placing a sweet kiss on the corner of your lips.

“I still don’t know how to share with my crew what I share with you.”

You knew what he meant.  His emotions, his insecurities, all the vulnerabilities that he revealed to you behind closed doors in the form of nervous kisses and wavering whispers were sides of himself that he would never be caught showing his crew.  He needed to keep the facade of the strong captain they needed him to be, unmoving when the waves violently rocked his ship and unwavering when his skin would be sliced by an enemy’s sword.  Law’s biggest issue remained that he couldn’t even say the word ‘emotion’ without feeling like less of a man.  You just hoped that, one day, he’d be able to say it.

You smiled.  “I know, it’s hard for you.  But that’s alright.”

Law would wonder until his final breath how he was lucky enough to find himself with a person as understanding and sympathetic as you were.  It wasn’t fair to you that he kept himself closed off until he was forced to open, how you poured your heart out to him at every waking moment while he struggled to share his feelings with you.  You told him ‘I love you’ many times even before your first time sleeping together, and he was yet to say it back.  The words felt like molten iron on his tongue.

But you stayed by his side regardless.  Your love never wavered.  You didn’t care how long it would take him to say those three words to you as long as you were able to keep him with you, as long as you were able to kiss him and thread his fingers through yours and feel his body pressed against yours under the warm sheets in his bed.  You didn’t care as long as he was there.

Law sucked in a deep inhale through his nostrils as his golden eyes examined your expression.  You simply gazed back at him, waiting for any response.

“You’re wonderful,” he whispered.

“I love you, too.”  You grabbed his hand in yours pulling him towards the door.  “Let’s go get food before your crew devours it all!”

He followed you with no protest, gripping your hand in his.  When he squeezed, you squeezed back.  Before you rounded the final corner to enter the galley, Law pressed a kiss to your cheek.

[heartfullofleeches]

Hm... Cat hybrid would totally ask to do catnip off Reader's tits.

They definitely would- Reader's tits are the only support they need in life. Dragging my model cat boy, Saber, out of the closet - just imagining him crawling into his makeup room and onto his bodyguard's lap after a hectic photoshoot - pleading for the comfort only their fat tits and a little catnip can provide. Werewolf Bodyguard has already been established to do nearly anything as long as they're paid well enough so they're willing to let him have his fun. They'll be occupied with their phone and counting the weeks pay while catboy has his face buried in their chest - high off his ass.

-

"Ugh.....what a day...If only I had something to take my mind off it all."

Waiting eyes stalk your position - soft fur tickling the inner flesh of your thighs as your boss fishes for your attention in the most obvious fashion imaginable. He taps the top buttons of your shirt with a claw, teasing his fingers through the gap. His lips pucker in a sad little pout as his tail continues to brush up and down your legs. You knew how much he hated to ask for things, but sometimes you'd wished he'd be more upfront with what he wanted - got you paid a whole lot faster and him whatever he desired within range.

"Get on with it."

"I knew you'd understand~"

Saber purrs - throwing kisses at your neck and collar as he reaches for the little baggie hidden beneath the couch cushions. He makes quick work of unbuttoning your shirt - tearing a few of them off in the process. You've got spares, but it's getting pretty hard to explain to others why you're wearing a different shirt after being alone with your employer for a couple hours. Saber sprinkles some of the grass on your chest, squishing your tits together with his hands as he pants his face between them, eagerly lapping at your skin with his tongue. His wrist fall into to your hands - a silent indicator to hold onto him as the catnip takes effect. Wouldn't want you to get scratched again. He swears he's sorry for the last time it happened, but you both know he relishes having that small claim on you.

Saber's purrs rumble against your skin as he bites, licks, and drools all over you. What was even the point of the catnip when he barely had a taste of it? He seemed more invested in everywhere but- testing the waters to see how long you'd humor him before he had to pull away. The couch was moderately comfortable and you didn't mind staying put for what's basically free money so there's really no harm in letting your boss unwind in the best way possible for as long as he wanted until you were off the clock.

[tvhsleb3ww]

RAINY DAYS! - AKAASHI KEIJI

summary, akaashi helps you on a rainy day.

— mutual pining, minor swearing, fluff, akaashi being a geek in love

they say that rainy days are the best way to see someone's love for them. at that moment, their love would be displayed to the public and everyone can see how much they love one another.

even if they shared an umbrella, there would be a certain angle where someone would be more exposed to the droplets instead of the other one.

and it was obvious that akaashi keiji displayed love for you.

you looked at the grey clouds that are coming your way, your hands on your hips as you examine them. multiple coulds are nearing and indicates that they bring a huge storm.

a sigh escapes your lips as you crossed your arms, thinking wether to wait for the rain to stop or just run to the nearest store that are a couple blocks away. you should've watched the weather forecast this morning before going to work.

and then it hits you. you left your clothes to dry out on the balcony of your apartment. crap— and it seems like you can't be going home right now.

"something on your mind, (y/n)?" a familliar voice asked you to which you turned around.

a small smile forms on your lips to show that you're alright, although it's quite evident that it's faux.

"i forgot my umbrella and it looks like heavy rain is coming" you muttered to which he just nodded and walked towards you.

"you can borrow my umbrella, if you'd like" he says, voice coated with worry. you shook your head and flailed your hand.

"no, it's fine! how are you gonna go home if i take your umbrella, akaashi?" he pushes the bridge of his glasses and crosses his arms.

"we could go together, if that's fine with you?"

he really wanted to blurt that sentence out but the words got stuck in his throat. he wants to have a chance at helping and getting closer to you!

ever since you both started working here together, he's had a teensy little crush on you which eventually grew and drove him crazy. he's never felt like this before and he's so nervous right now.

he opened his mouth to talk but he gets nervous. what if she thinks i'm weird? what if she already has someone else? what if—

"but if you don't mind, maybe we could go together? you can just drop me off at the nearest store! i wouldn't want to bother you" you said sheepishly and he thanks the heavens that you were the one who said that instead.

"of course it isn't bothering me, i'd love to" he says with a small smile.

crap.

how the hell did his umbrella got stolen? he could've sworn he put it in the basket with the other umbrellas but right now— he's looking at an empty basket.

he examined further, maybe it was buried deep inside the basket? nope it wasn't. he sighed and watched you looking at the rainy clouds. suddenly, an idea popped up.

"(y/n), i have another idea but it might be a little crazy"

which led to this.

"just a little more (y/n)! i can see 7E from here!" he whisper yelled as he ran with you to the 7E with him holding his jacket on your figure.

"ugh, you try to run in heels!" you pouted but ran anyways. he almost lets out a laugh when you whined in complaint.

maybe to some people the action of running together in the rain is stupid. maybe it was sweet.

but to akaashi keiji, he thinks it was the best rainy day that ever happened to him. he doesn't mind being drenched in the pouring rain if it means he gets to be your knight in shining armour.

he doesn't mind letting you use his jacket (which he offered in the first place) as an umbrella. he doesn't mind running together with you in the rain.

both of you walked into the convenience store, drenched. you laughed and before he realised it, he's smiling too at your laughter.

"thank you, akaashi" you mumbled and he just gives you a small smile in return. "keiji" he mumbles to which you raised a brow.

"call me keiji" he says, again with a small smile and red cheeks.

the whole running in the rain act was worth it, even if it meant he had to take a sick leave the next day and rot in bed.

especially when you came for a visit and gave him your handcooked chicken soup that's perfect for headaches.

[hyewka]

Like, u got Soobin to use those vibrators on his pants before and during his performance, you're backstage while watching him live, turning on the vibrator at different levels in different times, maybe low level when he's talking with his fans, medium when he starts dancing and the highest level whenever it's his time to sing while he tries his best to concentrate and sing stable while trying not to get a boner or cum during the performance, while noticing the little details of how startled he gets whenever the vibrations starts again and waiting for his performance to end just to drag him to an empty room and finally fuck good

cw. sub leaning switch!soobin, creampie, premature orgasm, f!reader

note. happy valentines everyone ^^

“Don’t cum.” is the last thing you whisper to his ear before you push him out to his fans with a smile, the roaring cheers really showing how big the turn out was tonight. You can tell with the way he turns back to you he’s asking for mercy, begging for it. You just opt to give him a thumbs up before shooing him away, at least to ease those nerves up. You wouldn’t want him to cum simply from thinking about the toy around his cock.

Long story short—you don’t give him mercy. What fun is that?

You watch the way he gets visibly comfortable the more the show progresses and its definitely because he noticed you’ve been keeping the setting on low. It has you snort. He’s such an open book, it’s the cutest thing about him. But it’s also his most vulnerable point.

Experimentally, you turn it up two, curious of how he’d react.

There’s other staff monitoring with you, so you put in the effort to pretend you have nothing to do with the small hiccup that occurs, scrolling through your phone as if you were busy.

Soobin’s voice cracks.

It’s not a big deal, just something that happens that you don’t think even the fans paid much attention to. You notice a lot more than that though when you look up from your screen.

For one, the tips of his ears are red. Really red. You know better, it’s not only because he’s embarrassed. If the fact that you can tell he’s letting his eyes glaze over a little with his mouth hung open when he’s no longer in the center was any indication.

You play with him like that a little more before you decide you might just be the greediest girlfriend ever. You turn it up to its highest setting, just to relish a little more in his little gasps heard in the mic— and god, the immediate reaction you get out of him is the most satisfying thing you’ve seen all week.

Soobin’s eyes shoot wide open almost like hes shell shocked, his breathing’s even heavier, his cheeks are so brightly colored that it could no longer be excused as the bit of blush applied to his face half an hour ago…and he definitely looks like hes checked out. Thats when the comments from the people around you started to pick up.

“What’s wrong with Soobin today?”

“Is he sick?”

“Should we cut the ments short?”

“He looks like he’s about to piss his pants…” — That one had you giggle.

While some were picking at their cubicles, wondering if this might’ve not been the smooth sail they were predicting this gig to be, you let that little small smile break seeing the very obvious boner outlined in his leather pants, leaving the crowd no room for imagination. Oops.

You can only shrug when you’re asked if you know what was up with your boyfriend. “Who knows, maybe its a bad day?”

##########

He’s everywhere—his lips kiss along your jaw then to your neck, sucking and kneading your bare tits at the same time. He’s absolutely delirious tonight.

“You’re so sweaty, gross” you giggle, jokingly pushing him away but hes not having it, caging you until your bodies were flush agsainst each other to the point your breathing cut off momentarily, your head getting light headed.

“Someone’s excited.” you say breathily, attempting to be cheeky but it doesn’t work as your resolve breaks almost immedietley when he sucks particularily rough on your flesh. You’ll have to spend some time covering it up when he’s done with you.

“It hurts,” he whines in your ear, feverishly grinding his hard on like an absolute freak, still leaving wet spit on your vacant flesh. “You were so mean to me, y’know?”

“Was I? Thought I went a little easy on you out there.” you take it upon yourself to put your hand between your bodies and palm him over his pants, releasing a little bit of tension from his poor body. “Maybe you’re just weak. Can’t stay focused on your job because all you’re thinking about is having your dick in my cunt instead, bad boy.”

He nods pitifully—clearly absentminded, eyes teary and clouded as you thumb his tip over his pants, so shamelessly a wet spot spreads and grows under it.

“Please. Let me fuck—y-you.” his breathing staggers, trembles, you feel it against your face with how close he is…and it’s the hottest thing ever. For someone so usually composed, the leader of a band he’s a part of, well spoken and articulate, building tougher skin as time goes by—seeing him being weak in the knees so often, like this, dirty and desperate, never fails to have you drench your panties. He always manages to do it for you every time.

“But baby…there’s staff right outside this room.” you tease with a whine of your own, looking up at him with big eyes, toying with his shirt— you know how the innocent look gets him.

“I don’t care.”

That’s the snap, his voice uncharacteristically low and hoarse. You can’t even get a word in before he has your teeth clash with how fast he props you up around his waist, your back slamming against the door, breathing heavily with his lips on yours, sloppy, fast, quick as he pulls out his cock. It’s still intimidating how big it is, but you don’t even get to think for any longer before he has your panties bunched to the side and the tip of his dick’s protruding your hole.

He doesn’t wait like he usually does, he doesn’t even wait to catch his own breath, biting down on your bottom, languidly bottoming out in one go. You squirm at how full you feel despite how easy it went in, oxygen feeling like a second priority now. “God, fuck, you’re made for me.” he breathes out in awe staring at where you connect, “You take me so well now, look at your pussy baby” he babbles against your lips.

You can’t. You can’t. Your eyes burn with tears, you have no clue whats gotten into you, you could only think of the pleasure and pain of the stretch as he finally moves, thrusting up, his speed getting erratically faster by the second, until you have him buried in your tits, licking and kissing all over them like a dumb dog. Then you hear his muffled groan, and know.

“Binnie…?” you chuckle hoarsely.

“Sorry…” he whines, hiding in your boobs. “You teased me too much up there.” Jesus christ why do you still find him so adorable despite him cumming embarrassingly fast today. Its okay, you’ll have your way with him when you actually get back home later.

[inbarfink]

Interesting to note that Fionnaworld losing it's magic is not the only thing that changed about it when Ice King was turned back into Simon Petrikov. The 'side-effects' of it being in Simon's head seem to have... inverted.

Because the whole thing about Fionnaworld being in Ice King's head is that this is how he 'got the idea' for his 'Fionna and Cake' stories. Even though Ice King was supposed to just be 'a big nutty hard-drive', it seems like IK's subconsciousness had some sort of a connection to Fionnaworld and absorbed information from it - that Ice King's conscious self then put into his stories.

This... doesn't seem to be the case with Simon. You know, it's not like he goes 'oh, I get ideas for Fionna and Cake stories sometimes I just don't want to write them because I associate them too much with the Trauma of being Ice King' or even "I can't relate to Fionna and Cake anymore! But I do have some ideas for a pre-war era story about the quarter-life crisis of a blonde girl also coincidentally named Fionna!".

There's no indication that he gets any sort of 'ideas' from the Fionnaworld in his head anymore, a fact that he attribute to, just, a lack of interest in the characters.

Maybe one could speculate that Ice King's magic-infused mind gave it more of an ability to connect to the AU God Shoved in His Head. But.... Simon Petrikov's subconscious is still connected to it on some level. As we can see by the fact Simon's thoughts and immediate surrounding keep effecting the events going on in Fionnaworld.

Did this ever happen with Ice King? It's really hard to say, since we've seen so little of the 'real' Magical Fionnaworld. It was almost always filtered via the lens of Ice King's 'fanfiction'. Like, most obvious examples of 'Fionna and Cake' stuff being influenced by IK's psyche are probably just supposed to be him rewriting the stories in an inaccurate way.

But still, since Prismo was also actively 'writing stories' for Fionnaworld, and he considered it his own personal creative outlet, and since he found Ice King to be a satisfactory 'hard drive' for it all... Like, I'm going to assume that if IK's subconscious had a noticeble effect of the events of the Magical Fionnawrold - Prism wouldn't have been happy with it.

What I think is going on is related less to the matter of the magical-ness of Simon's brain and more to the other factor that Prismo mentioned in regards for picking Ice King's brain

It's emptiness.

Under the effect of the Magic Crown's Curse, Simon has lost most of his long-term (and sometimes even short-term) memories and, like, a lot of knowledge and intellectual skills he used to have. And that meant... a lot of space to store a whole-ass universe in his head, with probably also room to spare.

And maybe even the emptiness of IK's 'cursed dome' acted a bit like a vacuum - causing some information from Fionnaworld to leak into his mind.

But once Simon became himself again, all of this information and knowledge was restored inside his head. And maybe most of the experience of being Ice King is just 'dream-like impressions' like he said back in 'Betty' - but he still seems to retain some memories of these 1000 years as well. Back in 'Betty' he seems to have immediately remembered Finn and Jake, and after being permanently cured, well... he does seem to at least remember the events of "I Remember You' vividly enough to try and recreate them.

So now Fionnaworld is in a head full to the brim with stuff and... well, now it's, like, smooshed up with all of these elements of Simon's mind and psyche. Metaphorically, I'm visualizing it as, like, a bunch of items shoved inside an overstuffed cupboard and Fionnaworld is getting squashed and bent according to the shape of Simon's thoughts and memories that are shoved up close beside it. Less 'breathing room' for the world, and so Simon's thoughts can subconsciously affect the world more. But Fionnaworld information isn't leaking out anymore cause, like, there's enough out-there already.

That might also explain why Fionnaworld seems to be so damn small. Not even a full city as much as a few blocks.

It should be about as large as the actual Land of Ooo, but it might've shrank to be 'compact' enough to still fit into Simon's no-longer-empty mind.

(But now that they're free from his head and also canonized that's no longer a concern. It's alright now.)

[weena-mercator]

Inbetween reblogging all the fun “unnecessary feelings day” stuff, I’d like to touch on the bigger part of what’s happening here.

I think that for the most part all the giddiness about it which produces all the fanart and other “gay gay homosexual gay” posts probably originates from the same way I see it… which is that it’s fun and silly to point at Miles “Gay Disaster” Edgeworth but also understanding that this line is really more like 70% about questioning his morals and place in the legal system and 30% about Phoenix (along with some deeply buried feelings he’s not ready to admit at all yet)

(admittedly I only got in Ace Attorney in 2019 and then didn’t get really into it until this year, so… apologies if this is all very obvious. But I guess new people are joining the fandom every day, so if you’ve been around a long time this is nothing new to you I’m sure - for others maybe they’re just now exploring this stuff)

Edgeworth is struggling with the fact that he’s now questioning everything he’s been taught to believe when it comes to the law and prosecuting. And why? Because of Phoenix.

Phoenix has opened his eyes to the fact that not all those who are deemed guilty by the police are actually guilty, that not everyone lies because they’re guilty and committed the crime, but perhaps they didn’t commit the crime and they lie for some other reason (they’re not guilty but worried the truth about something will make it look like they are, they want to protect someone, etc.).

“Unease… and uncertainty.”

Edgeworth is uncomfortable with acknowledging that his whole belief system is fracturing after Phoenix comes back into his life. He is absolutely not okay with feeling anything but certain. And sure, a lot of that belief system was probably born out of a) survival under MvK’s roof and b) some self-inflicted punishment because even though supposedly Yanni Yogi murdered his father - they still managed to be found not guilty, so he can’t help but wonder if that verdict was right, maybe Yogi really is not guilty because he himself might be the guilty one… He can’t know for sure, but the last thing he remembers is throwing the gun, the gunshot, a scream - it haunts him nightly. But the nightmares are reminder enough of his possible guilt, so he tries not to dwell on it during his conscious hours if possible, he’s got a job to do: get guilty verdicts for others. But he’s not going to say either of these reasons out loud for sure (at least not for a bit), so it’s easier to try to convince himself and others that he is following in MvK’s footsteps under the guise of the man who murdered my father was declared not guilty because of a flaw in the legal system so I will do whatever is in my power to ensure all those charged with a crime do not escape the punish of the law.

And as a cherry on top, who is the one bringing all of these feelings of unease and uncertainty to the surface? Phoenix Wright. A childhood friend he hasn’t seen since he lost his father. Someone he must have really cared about as a child, surely - there’s too much indication that they were very close for a while before Miles disappeared because MVK took him away, making their reunion all the more complicated for Edgeworth. Phoenix still sees him the way he did as children, and Edgeworth knows he’s anything but the same as the boy he was back then (or really, parts of him are still buried deep down but it will take a while before he’s ready to examine things further).

Whether you want to believe Phoenix and Miles had inklings of feelings stronger than friendship as children is up to your personal headcanon (I lean on the side of yes, because I’m a sucker for kid fluff and the story just gives this whole vibe of childhood best friends who got very close very fast and felt really strongly about each other, even if they were too young to understand/seek out romantic love - but they knew they really cared about each other a lot).

Phoenix seems as idealistic as ever to Edgeworth, and it’s too much to handle that Phoenix could still be trying to see Edgeworth as someone he doesn’t believe he is capable of being anymore - someone he hasn’t been for quite a long time.

I think Miles probably tried to hang on tightly to his memories of Phoenix (and to an extent, Larry) after his father died, because Phoenix was still out there somewhere. But eventually he had to push them down… bury his feelings because he couldn’t survive that way in the von Karma household. Feelings and relationships were only distractions.

Well… now Phoenix is back and largely responsible for this crisis of conscience that Edgeworth finds himself in. That’s the largest meaning behind the line.

But I don’t think it’s a stretch to still say, yes, the gay reading of it is not inaccurate either - just a smaller piece. Those feelings of nostalgia and caring about Phoenix are being stirred back up - he thought he had been able to successfully bury them, apparently not.

On top of everything else, his thoughts are going to be that he cannot handle dealing with feelings for Phoenix. He has not allowed himself to develop relationships with others beyond what is necessary for his job, and even his relationships with MVK and Franziska are not healthy by any standards. So yeah, some of that unease and uncertainty is about Phoenix specifically, not just what Phoenix has showed him, but also what Phoenix represents to him - a past that’s not only painful to remember, but also a time where he cared about and was close to Phoenix. But he’s not at all in the right headspace to try to deal with that, so he’s going to continue to try to pretend he’s not having these feelings.

I like to think the moment when Edgeworth really goes “oh shit I have feelings for him” comes later, at a point during Turnabout Goodbyes (I have my specific moment in mind - I actually did not even ship them hard by the “unnecessary feelings” line, it was more like haha silly gay lawyers that’s fun and later it became I depend emotionally on this homosexual ship)

Um anyways is that how most people also view this? Lol

Okay back to the fun reblogging for the celebrations.

[tamsinbeybey-she-no-porcupine]

Okay so I just noticed something and I'm going feral, feral I tell you.

This is going to be a really, really long one with a lot of picures and I'm honestly not sure if I saw something completely obvious that everybody immediately got whilst watching^^° or if I found something here.

Nonetheless strap in in this essay I will...

So in Cap's flashback he enters the room and looks around clearly looking for someone and when he spots Havers he gets this relieved, smitten "omg I found you/you're here and alive" expression in His face

And Havers who spots him out of the corner of his eyes gets all wide eyed

and turns himself towards Cap with this tiny little smile and he looks so fond at him and also as if he's internally screaming (also in an "omg you made it I'm seeing you again" way)

And then Cap walks in his direction but then bumps into Cartwright and they start talking and Cap who seems to be on good terms with him smiles back at Cartwright and seems super happy and giddy (because Havers is alive and in the same room and they will reconnect in a few moments)

And then Havers watches them like this

and starts to turn back towards his colleagues with this almost jealous/shooting daggers look.

and then he makes the face on the left and looks so spaced out, a bit resigned, disappointed and hurt. And then he does his thing again like in Redding Weddy where he presses his lips together and forces a smile (this time tiny smile) with a tense jaw to regain control over his emotions, to put on a stiff upper lip. But look at his eyes the man is clearly hurt (heartbroken) about something

and at first I did not really get what was going on but then it clicked.

You ever had that moment when someone is waving to you that you don't know and you're like do they mean me? and you wave back but then realise they were waving at the person behind you? It's like that just with "in front" instead of "behind"

Because when Cap's eyes fall on Havers look who's standing in front of him in the Captain's line of sight

Yep it's fucking Cartwright. And when Havers has his little "I turn to you moment" Cartwright is also walking towards Cap in the frame

So from the camera angle and they way it's shot we see them bump into each other but do not see if Havers actually saw it ; what he definetely sees is them turning towards each other, though.

and in the next frame Cartwright takes a step to his right and we see them standing like this

So it's a line and Havers is basically looking at Cartwright's back so when Cap lifts his finger to indicate that he wants to go over to Havers, it's probably not visible to Havers because

first of all we can't see Havers anymore in the background when the camera focuses on Cartwrights face. And secondly from the shot of Cap pointing it becomes apparent that Cartwright's body is blocking Havers's view of that.

So but what am I actually getting at?

Well...

OMG I think Havers thought for a bit that Cap didn't want to reconnect with him (or wasn't there because of him) but with (because of) Cartwright!!

Because what he's seeing is Cap entering the room looking for someone, their eyes meet Cap takes a few steps staring happily in his direction. But then some guy walks to Cap in front of Havers who he realises is in Cap's direct line of sight. Then the two of them start talking and Cap looks so happy whilst talking to this other guy! And then we see Havers's heart break! And how he struggles to collect himself and hide that!

He probably thought Captain moved on, that he no longer has the same feelings for Havers, that maybe he has affections for Cartwright. Or at least that Cap prefers o talk to Cartwright instead of him.

So and then when Havers runs to his aid he turns to the next person, who happens to be Cartwright and yells "Well fetch a medic!", he sounds soooo angry. I can think of a few explanations here tbh from "why aren't you helping him?" to "what have you done to him?!" to "oh it's you I can't stand you since 5 minutes ago get out off my sight!" maybe it's neither, maybe its all of them or a mixture. Who knows.

However we're not finished here because guess what

When Cap says "I'm sorry I had to find you" this is Havers reaction.

He looks legitimately surprised in an "who, me?" kind of way (and /or his "omg is this happening now" kind of way just like back in RW) but also worried about Cap and his Adam's apple does the bobbing thing it does when he's nervous or emotional.

But then Cap's words seem to sink in and he's now clearly emotional. Not just worried but also look how softly he gazes as Cap and tries o smile at him whilst clearly being distraught.

And then the realisation hits him about what exactly is happening right now. That Cap indeed was there because of him and that he is now dying in front of him and that there's probably not much time left. And that's even before Cap tries to confess his feelings and Havers confirms that he knows about them.

And it's all just so absolutely fucking heartbreaking.

PS:

Just realised that this would also explain why Havers didn't walk over to Cap and just interrupted the conversation with Cartwright or joined in. Because he thought that Cap was there because of/ wanted to talk to Cartwright and Anthony was heartbroken about that ;_;

Btw also a little thing that's interesting to note in this regard: before the older soldier walks over to C&C we can see Havers in the background just constantly looking at them from the distance. Maybe it's jealousy, maybe it's yearning, maybe it's both.

Yeah so that's that. Safe to say I as always have a lot of opinions and emotions about these two. Curious to know what you guys thought was going on there with Havers .

[celestialprincesse]

Hi! I was wondering if you could write a fluffy fic for price and a reader with endometriosis? Like if they were in the middle of being all dirty and then reader started crying because it started to really hurt her and then price is just takin care of her after?

it’s all good if you don’t want to! Have a beautiful day/evening!🫶🥰

Hi lovely! I don't have endometriosis , but I do suffer with chronic pain, so this might be a little vague just so as to not get anything wrong 🤭 hope that's okay! 🎀

nsfw 🦋 mdni

You're halfway through bouncing on John's dick like the energiser bunny when you feel something wrong, a horrible, searing pain right in your lower belly. Seeing as he's just got back from a month long deployment, though, you're pretty eager to push through and keep going. Or at least, you thing you are, until the stabbing pain comes back with full force, and John immediately holds your hips still upon catching the pained hiss elicited from between your teeth. "Hey. Hey, hey, hey. What happened? You alright?" The concern is so painfully obvious in his tone, and you internally kick yourself for having popped the bubble of hazy, wonderful intimacy you'd been sharing.

"Nothing." You once, although the strain in your voice clearly says otherwise. "S' not nothing." He grumbles, somehow manoeuvring you off of him, until your back is propped up against the plushy pillows leaned against the headboard.

Meanwhile, John rifles through his bedside drawer, already withdrawing a box of paracetamol, passing you your water bottle as a clear indication that you should take the pills. "How bad, one to ten." "John." You wine, attempting to level him with a glare for being treated like a child, only to wince instead. "One to ten." He coaxes. "Do you want me to get the TENS?" "Like, maybe a five and a half?" You shrug with a shake of your head, not even bothering to protest as John gets up from your rumpled sheets to throw on some sweats, which hang tantalisingly low on his waist.

Within a few minutes, he's back in your bedroom, snacks shoved under one arm, a hot water bottle in the other, and your favourite hoodie of his in hand. You murmur out your thanks as he grabs up his laptop, switching on an episode of your latest show, meanwhile you busy yourself getting comfortable with your head resting on his chest, where you inevitably fall asleep.

[familyvideostevie]

remus with reader who’s not overly affectionate. like she doesn’t engage in much pda but she’ll nudge her head against his when they’re sitting next to each other or hold pinkies when they’re walking side by side! just small gestures that aren’t obvious but sweet nevertheless

i love this request!! she's so me, lol. i've taken this and expanded a bit, so in this someone calls you out for this behavior and remus reassures you that he loves you just as is! hope you enjoy <3 | fluff, established relationship, a bit suggestive, 1k

Truthfully, you have never given it much thought. The way you and Remus function as a couple feels right, the most natural relationship you've ever been in, so why would you think anything about it was out of the ordinary? He's absolutely besotted, he tells you so very often, and you feel much the same.

He adores everything about you. He lets you take the lead on so many things because he knows you so well. You've got a reputation as a very "chill couple," whatever that means. Whenever you're at a party or a bar you often socialize apart until you catch each other's eyes over the crowd and he'll be at your side in a second. The familiar, solid heat of him as close as you want and no more.

Remus has never complained that you're not glued to his side. He seems perfectly content to have your hand in the crook of his elbow or your fingers on his knee under the table. You've just never needed that kind of grounding, never felt like you wanted to show that to other people. They don't need to be privy to your relationship.

"All it takes is one look to know how you're feeling, darling," he's said to you. "Those eyes give it all away."

"And here I thought I was mysterious!"

So, your tendency not to be overly affectionate has bothered neither of you. Until someone asks you about it directly at some party.

"Did you get together recently?" a girl you don't know asks. "Or are you just a flirty thing?"

You blink. "Sorry, what?"

"You and the tall one with the, uh, scars? I'm sorry, I don't know his name."

"Remus," you tell her. "I -- no, we're together. We've been together."

She laughs a bit nervously. "Oh," she says. "I just thought, well, he keeps looking at you but you guys aren't very touchy? Like, I only kind of know Lily and James but they are always all over each other, just so obviously in love and --"

"Alright, darling?" She's cut off by Remus's warm tone. You turn and find him at your side, a crease between his brows like he sensed your distress and came over to check on you. Knowing him, that''s exactly what happened.

"Yes, I -- can we get some air?" He nods and you hook a finger through his belt loop as he leads you away from the girl.

It's not her fault, not really. She certainly doesn't mean to make you feel bad about it, but you don't know her. And why are you feeling bad about it, anyway? It's never bothered you before. It's never bothered anyone else before.

And Remus has never said anything about it.

You spill onto the deck of the house and the cool air is a bit of a shock after the crowd. Remus immedietly shucks off his sweater and tugs it over your head.

"Hello," he says, once you pop your face through the neck hole. He fixes your hair.

"Hi," you say softly.

"What was all that?" He jerks his chin back at the house and you sigh.

"Not sure, actually." You link your pinky through his and tug his arm. He knows what you want, as always, and drapes it over your shoulder. "Well, that's not true. I know exactly what happened. She said something innocent that...got in my head."

"Really?" The crease is back between his brows. You want to smooth it away but you don't.

"Does it bother you that we don't do this a lot?" You roll your shoulders to indicate his arm. He looks even more confused.

"I'm afraid I'm still not up to speed," he says slowly. "Do what a lot?"

"Touch," you mutter. "Or like, be affectionate in public. I'm hardly ever touching you. I mean, she asked me if we were even together for fuck's sake."

"Woah, woah, alright," Remus says. He steps in front of you, hands resting loosely on your jaw. It's not an unfamiliar touch, though a bit of an intense one for you -- Remus has seen all of you many, many times behind closed doors. But it's more than you're prone to in public. "What can I do to make this better?"

"Tell me if it bothers you," you say petulantly.

"No," he replies. "Not at all. You're plenty affectionate with me, darling. You touch me whenever you want which is more than I ever dreamed of back when I was drooling over you and you didn't even know my name."

You wrap your hands around his wrists and lean into his palm. "We don't kiss, really." You don't know why you're arguing with him about this. Remus has proven time and time again that he's in this for the long haul.

"Is that so? What would you call what we were doing this afternoon? That was quite a lot of kissing, if I recall, and not all of it mouth to mouth --"

"Remus," you chide. He smirks.

"My point is whatever we do and how we do it is no one's business. I love how we are. I love how you are."

You close your eyes for a moment and feel the warmth of his palms, his sweater, his presence. It's not worth getting worked up over, he's right. Regardless of what people think, what it might look like, you and Remus are going home together at the end of every day. He loves you and he tells you as often as he can.

"I love how you are, too," you say softly and open your eyes. Remus is grinning at you.

"Home?" he asks. You nod.

"Home."

thank you for reading <3 reblog, send feedback, general masterlist here!

[guccixstyless]

Idk if you are taking requests right now but if you do or if you have time could you do a freshly in love Shi Oh, like he has developed feelings for the Reader since X situation after starting to work for him or something like that.

But he is barely aware of it because he has never felt this way before, but it feels nice. At the same time he is so so obvious that has everyone trying to figure out what is going on with their boss (Reader included).

Unfamiliar Feelings

Pairing: Ryu Shio x Reader

Word Count: 1481 words.

AN: Sorry for the long wait, I hope you enjoy this one shot! xx

***********************************************************************

Ryu Shio was a man of few words, and those he spoke were usually laced with venom. His reputation preceded him; his anger was infamous, and his grumpiness a byword amongst his employees. His office was a fortress of solitude, where even the bravest of souls trembled at the mere thought of crossing its threshold.

Yet, amidst the chaos and fear, there was an unsuspecting intern who dared to tread where others feared to go. Y/N had just started her internship at Dogoo two weeks ago, with a heart full of dreams and a determination to prove herself. She navigated the corridors with caution, avoiding the gaze of her intimidating boss whenever possible.

Ryu Shio could care less about the interns. He was a busy man, the only thing he knows is to gain as much power as possible, because this was what he taught from his childhood.

That however changed once Y/N caught his attention. There was something about her that intrigued him, something that stirred emotions he had long buried beneath layers of cold indifference. She was unlike anyone he had ever encountered—bright-eyed, optimistic, and utterly oblivious to the dangers lurking in the shadows.

He observed her, smiling among her colleagues and how charmingly she greets everyone.

At first, Shio dismissed his newfound fascination as a passing fancy, a mere distraction from the monotony of his daily routine. But he couldn't shake the image of her from his mind. Her laughter echoed in his thoughts, her smile haunting his dreams.

Once his manager Kim caught Shio smiling to himself before Shio quickly composed himself.

"What's up with boss?" One of his bodyguards asked manager Kim.

"Maybe he got lead to any new deal?" he replied.

Shio left his office and was going to the research department, his eyes were searching for her but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Is it lunch break?" he asked the employees.

"Hello sir, well yes, everyone should be back in twenty minutes." one of the frightened employee replied, he was shocked to see his boss in their area, he was usually in his office and never bothered to enter this section of the office.

"Okay," he mumbled in a sour tone and left.

The employees in the department looked at each other and wondered what happened.

Once everyone was back from lunch, the sudden visit of boss became a hot topic as they all discussed about it.

"Maybe he's planning to lay off some of us," one wondered.

"Oh God, I hope not." another shivered at the thought.

As they were discussing various theories, manager Kim came and said, "Y/N boss wants to see you," in a monotone voice.

Now Y/N was scared, "why suddenly?"

"Please follow me," he ignored her question.

She entered the office and took in the surroundings, she never been to his office, she's heard no one is really allowed here except his selective few people.

She noticed Shio's chair turned back from her and around towards the window.

"Boss, she's here," manager Kim informed.

Shio spinned his chair and looked at her.

"Good afternoon, sir," Y/N greeted her boss.

"Y/N, right? Come take a seat," Shio said, briefly looking at his manager and silently indicating to leave.

His manager took the hint and bowed at him before leaving. She nervously took a seat across him.

"So, how are you adjusting to Dogoo?" he asked.

"It's going really well, thank you for this opportunity," she smiled at him.

Ah that damn smile, his heart fluttered.

"Of course, you deserve this, you're very talented, I'm happy to have you in my team." Shio said sincerely.

"Really? I mean thank you, I'll try my best," she replied.

"Listen, I want you to work from my office from now on, I have this new research thing that I want you to s=oversee," Shio smiled at her.

Wow he got really nice smile, Y/N thought to herself.

"Okay sir," she replied, she was still a bit surprised on this role though. Shouldn't senior researcher work directly under him? But she dismissed her thought and was thankful for this opportunity that will help her career.

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

It's been a month that she was working directly under Shio, she realized how much charming he was under this grumpy personality of his. He always bought her coffee and always helped her out with everything.

She would work in the morning with her team then shift to Shio's office after lunch till evening and work on his research.

Y/N found herself caught in a whirlwind of confusion. The enigmatic mafia boss who had always seemed so distant and unapproachable was suddenly paying her more attention than she knew what to do with. His glances lingered a fraction longer than necessary, his tone softer than she ever thought possible.

Her colleagues whispered behind her back, speculating about the nature of their relationship. Some envied her newfound favor, while others warned her to tread carefully, lest she find herself on the wrong side of Shio's temper.

There was another intern with Y/N named Mingyu. She quickly became best friend with him. He always cared about Y/N and they always helped each other out. One particular day they were just hanging around in the coffee machine area and were joking around. Shio was entering his office when his eyes quickly wandered over there. He scoffed and without a second thought, he marched over, his expression darkening with every step.

"What's going on here?" he demanded, his voice like thunder in the otherwise silent office.

Mingyu stiffened, caught off guard by Shio's sudden appearance. "N-nothing, sir," he stammered, taking a step back.

Shio's gaze flickered to Y/N, who was watching the exchange with a mixture of confusion and concern. "Is that so?" he said, his tone dripping with skepticism.

Y/N bit her lip, torn between loyalty to her colleague and fear of her boss's wrath. "We were just... talking," she offered weakly.

Shio's jaw clenched, his fists tightening at his sides. "I see," he said through gritted teeth. "Well, I suggest you find someone else to talk to from now on."

With that, he turned on his heel and stormed off, leaving Y/N and Mingyu in confusion.

"Was he jealous?" Mingyu wondered.

"Oh please, Mingyu, he was probably thinking why we were wasting our time," Y/N chuckled.

But for Shio, the encounter only served to confirm what he had been trying to deny all along. He was falling for Y/N, and there was no turning back.

As the days turned into weeks, Shio found himself drawn to her like a moth to a flame. He sought out her company whenever he could, relishing in the warmth of her smile and the lightness of her laughter. And with each passing day, the walls around his heart crumbled a little more, until he found himself standing on the precipice of a feeling he had long thought himself incapable of—love.

It was a feeling both terrifying and exhilarating, and he struggled to come to terms with it. He was a man of power and influence, used to getting what he wanted with a snap of his fingers. But love was a force beyond his control, a wild and untamed beast that threatened to consume him whole.

Finally, unable to bear the weight of his emotions any longer, Shio sought out Y/N in the quiet solitude of his office. She looked up from her work, surprise written across her features as he entered, his expression uncharacteristically vulnerable.

"Y/N," he began, his voice barely above a whisper. "I... I need to tell you something."

Y/N regarded him with a mixture of curiosity and concern. "What is it, Mr. Ryu?"

Shio took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come. "I... I think I'm in love with you," he confessed, his heart pounding in his chest.

For a moment, Y/N was speechless, her eyes widening in disbelief. But then, a smile spread across her face, radiant and full of hope.

"Really?" she whispered, her voice barely audible above the pounding of Shio's heart.

Shio nodded, his gaze never leaving hers. "Yes, really."

And with those simple words, the floodgates burst open, washing away the doubts and fears that had plagued him for so long. In that moment, Ryu Shio, the notorious mafia boss, was just a man in love, standing before the woman who had stolen his heart.

As for Y/N, she reached out and took his hand, her fingers intertwining with his in a silent promise of forever. And as they stood there, bathed in the soft glow of the city lights, they knew that their love was a force to be reckoned with, strong enough to conquer even the darkest of shadows.

[merp-blerp]

TW: Discussion of sexual assault and suicidal ideation

I've been seeing some debate about Calypso and whether or not she sexually assaulted Odysseus and I want to throw in my two cents.

I'll say straight out of the gate that I don't currently like her much. I feel pretty icky about her personally.

Comparing Ody's behavior in Epic prior to "Love in Paradise" vs during the song feels so... clearly different. He seems very traumatized by whatever has been happening on that isle. It almost feels out of character for him to consider dying instead of fighting to get home alive like he had been, but putting myself in his shoes I can see how he came to that through what's textually known. He has been trapped on that isle for 7 years—that's nearly a decade, with no way to get out, everyone he knows and loves dead or far away with no way to know where he is or if he's alive. While I obviously would never think that's a good decision, I can see how he got to the point of wanting to end it. And if he's been sexually assaulted like he was in The Odyssey, I understand it more due to how that can warp a person's mental health.

I've seen some say, "Calypso is just a sweetie who doesn't know how to love properly" (paraphrasing of an actual comment I've seen). Even if she really just doesn't know how to care for a mortal, as many of the gods seemingly don't, I think she understands her power over mortals with her "Bow down now to the immortal Calypso" comment. She also understands that Odysseus doesn't want her, with the first part of her response to Ody's threats being "Oh handsome, you may try". She knows that he may try to escape by killing her (even though she can't die). Honestly, why would she feel the need to trap him if she didn't know good and well that he would want to escape her? She knew what she was doing was something that would make him want to run. Calypso being a goddess automatically gives their dynamic a power imbalance of course. Even though the assault is only implied, the fact that she's trapping Ody against his will, super infatuated by him, and still says "Soon, into bed we'll climb and spend our time", makes me feel like the indication is clear. What's stopping her from trying to have "sex" with him (sex isn't sex without consent)? She's already ignored all his declines. She seems to think that forcing her "love" onto him will make him love her. Yes, she uses lovey-dovey language so I doubt it would've appeared violent, but sexual assault doesn't have to look violent and the perpetrator doesn't have to appear aggressive. It's telling that I've seen some say, "Save that energy for Antinous" because Antinous is much more obviously bad, but this kind of thing isn't always obvious. That kind of assault is still extremely traumatizing whether it's sugarcoated as if it's love or not. It's dismaying that some reactions to Calypso bypass her potential assaulting or "She's weird, but she seems to care for him!" And since the sexual part of the assault is technically subtext (for now, who knows about later), I'll say that even if Calypso didn't sexually harm him, she still forces physical and verbal intimacy onto him and traps him so he can't leave. We see that. That's still assault. The only reason why I don't feel similarly about Epic's version of Circe is that her intent wasn't to have sex with Ody but to distract and throw him off with talk of sex so she could stab him as he's vulnerable; Circe never wanted to have sex with Ody in actuality. Calypso's intent was romantic intimacy and she didn't care if Odysseus said no, she completely bypassed it. Calypso saying "You're mine, all mine" feels as threatening as Circe's "I've got you" was meant to be.

Anything can change between now and the next two sagas. It could either be fully confirmed or denied that sexual assault took place. I actually don't expect either, as I don't think Jay would go too deep into such a traumatic concept in Epic, but then again I also didn't expect suicidal ideation to be brought up at all and it absolutely shocked me when it was, so I could be wrong. But whether it's confirmed or not, I don't blame any Epic fans who don't like Calypso or even hate her over what she did and what it's implied she did. It's icky watching some fans tell others they shouldn't hate Calypso because of this or that as if this isn't a sensitive and complex topic. It's creepy. I don't think we should tell people not to hate a character associated with sexual assault. The sexual assault might be subtext, but subtext is important and sometimes is implemented intentionally. Not every part of a story is going to be given to you at face value. Just because "Epic didn't say that" doesn't mean that the implication doesn't matter. People interact with stories in different ways, so you can disagree with others—no one can take that from you, but you don't get to tell someone they can't feel a certain way about a character. I don't like saying this because I really shouldn't have to put it in this perspective for it to be understood, but I can't help but feel like if Calypso and Ody's genders were swapped some people would treat this implication differently. Sexually or not she hurts him.

Normally I don't like taking lore from The Odyssey and automatically applying it to Epic, as Epic has changed a lot of rules from The Odyssey because Jay wants to tell this story his own story. For example, I personally choose not to assume Eury and Ody are brothers-in-law in Epic like they are in The Odyssey because that hasn't been stated in Epic so far. But to me, the implications of Ody's sexual assault are there enough for me personally to think that it might take place in both stories. Jay seems to want Epic to be accessible to many people, so it doesn't surprise me that this element of The Odyssey was brought up in a more subtextual/"hinted at" way.

Calypso is a very interesting character, maybe the most out of all the Epic antagonists so far for me, but we don't have to think of her as not doing anything wrong in order to enjoy that character, her songs, her cute physical character design, or Barbara Wangui's beautiful voice.

[The remainder of this post contains potential spoilers for the unreleased (to date) Vengeance Saga under the cut]

[Edit: Now complete with some post-Vengeance Saga release points]

Another defense of Calypso I've seen is that in the snippets for "I'm Not Sorry for Loving You", Ody says he loves Calypso, but not in the way she wants him to. This could mean they're friends and therefore doubt about the sexual assault could be cast.

It's hard to assess this because the saga's not out yet, but it's worth remembering that abuse can come out of care, in a complicated way. You can care for someone so much you end up hurting them, usually out of wanting to control them. Calypso seems to fit that concept. And most Epic snippets don't give full context, naturally, so who knows why Ody says this at the moment. Maybe he means it, or maybe he's bluffing to guarantee he'll get what he wants (which is to be set free in this instance), like when meeting Athena, or to appease a god, like when "apologizing" to Poseidon in "Ruthlessness". And of course, victims don't have to hate their perpetrators if they choose not to. Odysseus can care about Calypso and she can still have hurt him really badly. Both of these things can be true.

The way I read it, Calypso doesn't love Odysseus like she thinks she does. She's infatuated by him and cares for him enough to not be obviously cold like all the other obstacles Ody faced initially are. She declares that she loves him as soon as he wakes up on her isle without knowing him at all. She didn't even know his name. The washed-up person on her isle could've been anyone and she likely would've "loved" them. Calypso only loves Ody because he stops her loneliness, not for who he is. When she begins to state that she loves him she doesn't even know him. Over the 7 years, she seems to have potentially gotten to know him a bit, saying "I know your life's been hard", but Odysseus himself asserts that she doesn't really know what he's been through. You can call someone (against their will, let me remind you) "my dear, my love for life" all you want, but that doesn't mean you love them. Ody's her first companion in years if not ever, of course she cares for him on a basic level. She won't kill him or let him jump off a cliff. But she doesn't love him or treat him like a human and obey his boundaries and wants. She treats him like an object or pet she owns and has to guard.

In "I'm Not Sorry For Loving You" Calypso says that Ody is all she's ever known because she was abandoned. It's understandable that she would latch onto a living creature after being alone for so long. But that's not necessarily love, at least not to me. If I love someone I wouldn't bypass their refusal to do something. And I wouldn't trap them with me and not let them go, even when they're about to jump off a cliff because they see no way out. I'm not sure if Calypso means to bring malice, she at least says she "bring(s) no pain", but she does regardless or if she intends to. Calypso hasn't had anyone in her company, let alone someone to love, for so long, maybe in her whole life. That's why she doesn't know what love is, so of course when she catches fickle feelings for Odysseus she assumes that's love and has no clue what to do with her "love", as she admits in "I'm Not Sorry For Loving You". Calypso's actions are understandable, but that doesn't mean they're excusable or not abusive. What she does to him is understandable, but selfish and only serves herself, which isn't what you do to someone you love. Note that the way I use understandable here does not equate to forgivable, it just means conceivable. And her apology to him really waters down the magnitude of her actions, saying she "pushed" him, "came on too strong", and that her love might've been "too much" for Ody.

I apologize for this being such a long rant, but I wanted to cover all the excuses for Calypso I'd seen and speak my mind on why I think they're misguided at best.

Post-Vengeance Saga Edits:

Now that The Vengeance Saga has been released, I can comfortably say that I still don't like Calypso, and I think this saga just encourages me to do that. I wasn't anticipating the entirety of "I'm Not Sorry for Loving You" to basically have been featured in the snippets. I was expecting the official song to give more context, maybe showcasing Ody and Calypso having a dialogue, but no! That was really it. And I'm honestly happy for it. It seems like the show recognizes that Calypso is in the wrong, with the way we aren't meant to really ruminate on Ody leaving her. The excuse I talked about above using the theory that Calypso and Odysseus would turn out to have been friends because he said he loved her? I just don't think that held much water by release. I particularly want to point out the way @gigizetz drew Ody's face as he leaves in the commissioned animatic from Jay's stream:

While I can't say for certain that he doesn't mean the "I love you" in some way... he doesn't look like he means it to me. There's no lovey-softness in his eyes, like you might have when you look at your friends when saying I love you. He looks beaten down. Tired. Above, I proposed that Ody might just be blowing smoke to further get what he wants from her. I don't think there's quite enough insight for me to say I was necessarily right on that, but Ody doesn't actually appear that attached to her, certainly not enough so for me to confidently say that I think his "I love you" is genuine. He doesn't even look like he'll miss her, he looks beyond ready to go as she shouts, not pained by her tears. Honestly, Ody might've just said that so she'd stop talking so he could leave. Now there is one more saga left, so maybe he'll wistfully mention or remember her, but I'm not really expecting it based on the official visuals that Jay okay'd. Humbly, I'll say that I don't think Odysseus feels much for Calypso. We don't get happy moments of them together and not even a proper goodbye filled with mutual pain. We just get her backwards apology that basically says, "Sorry I hurt you, but not fully. Shut up and let me talk about me and justify why I trapped you. Wish you'd stop rejecting me despite the fact that I've hurt you. Let me shout that I hate that I fell for you—only because this hurt me unlike I wanted when I kidnapped you—who cares if it hurt you." This moment is not at all a redemption for Calypso. It's her downfall. Her negative character arc. She didn't want to be alone so bad she trapped a person against his will and now she is alone forever (in this show). She can't even have Ody as a friend (and she won't accept purely his friendship anyway based on how the song ends). Who knows how different things would've been if she had just been more... normal when he washed up on her isle? The situation was tragic for them both in different ways, but I'm not sorry for Calypso. Calypso is so interesting as a character. Side-lining her actions just bards us from being able to assess her.

[mvrkieboo]

Old Bloodhounds

P3 | catch me outside, how bout that!?

Your eyes met Mark's for a split second before he broke eye contact. Mark and you go way back, but shit happened and…and you remember him telling you that you were dead to him. As the queue shortened, one of Mark's friends practically bounced up and down when she got to the counter. Mark lingered behind his friend group, doing his obvious best to ignore your presence and make it seem like you were never really there in front of him.

“Oh my god, AERI! I've always wanted to meet you! I'm Ningning, and I'm from the MPA Faculty.”

“I'm honored! God, you're really pretty—and you're talented too. Wanna take a pic of just the both of us? The rest of you guys can have y/n take your orders first.” Aeri was practically gushing. She always had a soft spot for attractive people.

You watched as she and the girl go over to the back for a quick photo session.

You waved at the rest of the group, albeit a little awkwardly since Mark was a part of them. You picked up a cup and a sharpie, indicating you were ready to take their orders. The pretty girl with short brown hair ordered first.

“I'll have a hot latte with oat milk.”

“Iced americano with less sugar, please. Thank you. ”

“I’ll have a hot mocha with regular milk. You're really cute. Can you also throw in your number?” The guy got two blows at the back of his head while Mark sighed deeply at his annoying ass friend. You grinned awkwardly, trying to act like his friend didn't just hit on you.

Then your eyes met Mark's again.

“Uh, can I get…” When it was Mark's turn to order, his head kinda blanked, and all of his friend group—and you—were looking at him right now. Putting him on the spot.

Shit.

“We actually have tea here. Do you still take it the way you did back in high school?” You asked carefully, knowing that speaking to him so casually would tick him off but he was holding up the line, and his friend that took a picture with Aeri had already returned.

“...yeah. I'll just have that then.”

Mark could see Haechan's eyebrows shot up, while Winter and Chenle just side-eyed him. Mark usually thanks his servers—always. They waited for the thanks to come out, but it never did—and he's even looking to the ground instead of facing you, jaw taut and fists closed. He looked genuinely pissed, for some inconceivable reason. All of his friends looked between you and him, bewildered.

What was his beef with you?

“Okayyyy, whatever that was…Um, can I have a hot latte with regular milk? And if Aeri can also make the latte art for it…” Ningning giggled, glancing at Aeri shyly from under her lashes.

“Sure thing! But no promises though, I kinda suck at it.” Aeri grinned and wrote down Ningning’s name on the cup.

That kinda brought down the tension between you and Mark, thankfully. You let out a deep sigh as you worked on their orders, going to the station and working beside Yangyang. He eyed you up and down before stealing a glance at Mark. You felt his lips near your ears as he whispered.

“Was the breakup that messy? Did you cheat on him with his worst enemy or something?”

You rolled your eyes to the side at his question.

“He’s not my ex, you nosy shit. Get back to work.”

Considering all of you were getting the hang of it, it didn't take up to 10 minutes to finish their orders. You gave them their drinks one by one as Yangs cleaned the station. You were about to hand off Mark's iced sweet tea when Yangyang stumbled and hit you from behind, causing the drink to splash against Mark's jacket. You gasped at the accident.

“Oh, no.” Yangyang muttered from behind you—but suspiciously, he didn't sound too remorseful.

Chenle was glaring daggers at the captain of NCU’s soccer team. Mark was brushing away the cold tea off of his jacket with a frustrated sigh.

“Damn it, this jacket can only be dry-cleaned.” Mark hissed, regretting buying a high maintenance jacket as a broke student.

“Oh my god, we're so sorry. We'll refund you and take it to the dry cleaners ourselves. We'll pay for it too.” Aeri bowed apprehensively.

Mark looked like he was about to reject the offer, but Chenle gripped his shoulder and started to take the jacket off of him.

“Just go with it, Mark. It's the least they can do for you.” Chenle huffed out, glaring at Yangyang who continued to clean their work station with a small smirk on his face.

You seriously wanted to recreate The Simpsons scene of Homer choking Bart right fucking now. You're Homer Simpson and Yangyang is Bart.

Chenle shoved the jacket into your hands and the rest of his group left, with Ningning looking a little upset that her moment with Aeri now ruined. You tilted your face up to the sky and sighed deeply, thanking god that the coffee was about to sell out anyway, even if you did plan to bring the leftovers home. Then you dropped your head to look at the tea scented jacket you were holding.

Fucking Yangyang.

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A/N : why is this story kinda gaining traction *twirls hair*...omg do you guys like me or something ahhhhhh that's so embarrassing hihihihihih

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@spiderm444rk @morkiee @xiuriii @solvrse @mystverse @bee-the-loser

[avocado-writing]

Hi bestie. I would love some angst with Astarion and Tav(reader) where a shape changer turns into one of them to hurt the other and the aftermath of the hurt and the victim convinced it was real until they talk it through and make up? Sorry if that didnt really make sense

notes: none! just some angst set start of act 3. rating: T

pairing: Astarion x reader

You have a horrid feeling in the pit of your stomach as Astarion appears before you. Withers senses something in the air, something loaded, and decides to turn and count his coin; he doesn’t want to interrupt what’s about to come. 

Or more likely he doesn’t want to get caught in the crossfire. 

The way Astarion is staring at you… gods. You feel a tight grip in your chest as a thousand emotions flit over his face. Hurt. Betrayal. Anger. Confusion. Before you can open your mouth he shoves past you, making a beeline for his tent. 

“Astarion, wait - !”

He doesn’t, so you have to jog a little to keep up. Go to put a hand on his arm, think better of it. Don’t want to upset him any further with unwanted physical touch. 

“Please - ”

“Oh, now you want to talk? Suddenly changed your mind after treating me like a bloody pincushion? I thought you were…” he trails off for a second, before finishing with, “I’ve got nothing to say to you,” he sneers, eyes solidly focussed in front of him, acting as if you weren’t even there. 

That stings. But of course he’s angry, he doesn’t know the whole story. You battle through the hurt and manage to stand in front of him, blocking his path and finally getting him to meet your gaze. 

“It wasn’t me! It was a gods-damned Doppelganger!”

He stops. Good. That got his attention.  

Your mind flits back to the other night, the horrid scene as your adventuring party for the day made it back to camp, when you figured all your companions were asleep - a horrid, faux-copy of you with a deadly blade sunk deep into your vampire’s neck. Given the secluded nature of the spot, the “two of you” may have been in the middle of a private moment. He was ripped open from several stab wounds, pale body bathed in garnet blood, and after a loud fight woke the rest of the camp… 

Well. After that everyone worked on bringing him back as quickly as possible, even though you were shaking from shock and sobs. 

Astarion searches your face. He’s looking for a tell. He’s looking for the slightest indication that you actually were the one tearing him to pieces. You want to tell him how stupid that is. Of course you’d never hurt him, change your mind and try to dispose of him in the worst way you could (and if you did, why bring him back?) You’d hoped he’d trusted you more than that. But, being in Baldur’s Gate, with Cazador so close… well, it’s no wonder that nerves are frayed. Logic has gone out the window until he can be forced to hear it.

“It must have been Orin. You know how she’s been hounding us. She probably saw how close we were, and decided to… well, try to hit us where it would hurt. And I hate it. I hate that she used my body to trick you like that.”

Ah. That he understands. You can see Astarion turn this over in his mind, and with a small exhale he releases all the tension in his body. The obvious relief is quickly plastered over with a light laugh and the affectation of his usual laissez-faire attitude. 

“Oh. Well. Don’t I look like quite the fool, hmm? You know what they say about assumptions. They make an ass of you and… well, I’d say me, but usually that’s usually a rather difficult accomplishment.”

He’s trying to hide how genuinely hurt he was. The idea that you could turn on him broke him a little, you think. That you’d use him and discard him so casually… it breaks your heart. Carefully you reach out to take his hand. You feel him flinch just a tiny bit but he accepts the gesture. 

“I’m so sorry she got to you. I won’t let it happen again. I’d never, ever hurt you, Astarion. You know that I…”

The end of that sentence hangs between you, heavy, pregnant. But thankfully, rather than chasing the end of it, Astarion pulls you to him. His arms wrap around you and you feel the softness in his embrace. 

“I know. I know you do.”

And you hold him. Knowing you’d move the cosmos to keep him safe.