#about that birthday package I sent

[ionlycareaboutyou]

i wish food didn’t control me as much as it did :(

[nerdie-faerie]

I swear to god can they stop changing up the reception times

[pseudowho]

The Wristwatch

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You had not known you were Nanami Kento's girl, until the Wristwatch Incident.

In truth, your affection had been brewing so slowly, you had not known if you were imagining it.

You had not realised you were in love with Kento, until he leaned in close, and you smelled the smoky, wood-rich warmth of him. Until you found yourself nursing stomach-dropping disappointment, if your phone pinged and it wasn't him. Until you woke up in cold sweats, the memory of the dream of his skin on yours so vivid that your heartbeat throbbed between your legs.

You couldn't accept it. It couldn't be love, when he did not love you back. And yet...that intoxicating dance continued, while your head dipped in denial...blinkered.

The extra coffee that would be slid over the desk to you, by a strong, gentle hand. The late night phonecalls, decompressing from the stress of your missions. The occasional dinner in each others' company, because, well...we both need to eat? Why not eat together?

You were afraid to label it; afraid to lose the soft skirting intimacy that you had. Nanami Kento was a hard man to gauge; alternately sincere and distant, warm and cool, closely familiar and objectively analytical. He kept you at arms' length; close enough to brush fingertips, but far enough that you could run...if you wanted. And you never did.

You had gone shopping, together, one balmy spring afternoon. You both needed new clothes...so why not together? It makes sense, really. Nothing else in it, I'm sure. Just friends. He doesn't feel that way about me, anyway.

He had insisted upon Ginza Shopping Mall. You balked at the exquisitely-expensive-upmarketness of it, but you could never deny him, for fear of losing this time together. You had perused for new earrings, your belly clenching at the many zeroes on every pricetag. He had ambled over to another counter, just browsing, and there for quite some time.

"See anything you like?" That deep-roast voice broke you out of your reverie. You looked up, into twinkling hazel eyes, and blushed. Yes, you. One of you, Kento, please and thank you.

"No," you scoffed, turning your back on the jewellery, and walking towards the shop door, "too cheap for me. I couldn't possibly be seen wearing them."

Kento laughed, slipping a box into his pocket, and walking just close enough to send your brain into a spiral. You barely functioned through lunch. Kento remained, as ever, a gentleman.

As he drove you to your door, and you bid him a flustered goodnight, you felt that same big, warm hand on your arm, holding you back to him.

"Wait," Kento insisted, "I have...something. For you. Open it when you're home." He pressed a smooth, embossed box into your hands. You could not see what it was, under the glossy paper sleeve. You opened your mouth to chastise Kento, and he interrupted smoothly.

"It's your birthday soon. Consider it an early gift. You couldn't possibly refuse...?" One raised, fine eyebrow. That cool, impassive gaze. You pouted. Sneaky old goat.

"Alright. You win this time, Kento...but I'll get you back," you had promised. He had simply smiled indulgently, stepped out to open your door, and watched you until you were inside.

With trembling hands, you slid the smooth paper cover off the box, and your stomach somersaulted.

Tag Heuer.

"No...Kento-- you didn't," you hushed to yourself, rushing to open the box.

You fumbled an exquisite silver, blue-faced women's watch out of the box. It seemed, somehow, familiar. You couldn't possibly. You knew the pricetag on these. Even the packaging was too expensive for you.

With one hand over your mouth and a pounding little heart, you sent Kento a text with shaky hands;

Nanami Kento. Absolutely not. Take it back.

A few anxious minutes, pacing, looking at the watch resting on the table and gasping each time. Three small dot dot dots...dot dot dots...and a response.

Sorry. Lost the receipt. It will look good on you.

Squeaking and grinning to yourself, you tried the watch on. You took it off. You paced. You tried it on again. You fell back onto your bed, legs kicking, and hands over your face.

Every further refusal you send to Kento, was flatly ignored. He left you on read all night.

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The next day, at work, you couldn't help but notice the looks you were receiving. They weren't bad looks, certainly, more...surprise? Happy acceptance? Knowing smiles? Each person the same; glancing to your watch, eyebrows raising, and searching your face with a grin. You didn't understand it.

Over lunch, Shoko reached over to you, a coffee in her other hand, and tapped the new watch on your wrist.

"Couples' watches now, hmm?" She smirked. You frowned, questioning. Shoko scoffed at you, as if you were playing coy, when you didn't even know the rules of the game. Shoko's smile didn't falter once.

You confronted Kento later that afternoon, dragging him into a dusty narrow corridor, and holding the watch up to him with fighting eyes.

Kento's heart burst with pride, biting his lip with a sly smile, and taking your wristwatched hand in his own. He tipped your arm back and forth, admiring the watch on your wrist from all angles, with a lovesick sigh. You suddenly recalled, with flushed cheeks, where you had seen such a similar wristwatch before.

Kento watched your mental gymnastics with a slowly growing smile. You almost caught on fire as he raised your hand to his lips, pressing an adoring kiss to the back of your knuckles.

"Wondered how long you'd take to notice," Kento rumbled, eyed closed and nuzzling his nose against your fingers, "that you're my girl. And always have been."

[hoshifighting]

𖧷 crybaby

— synopsis: seungcheol can’t help but be a crybaby every time you break his heart, yet he always comes running back to you, desperate for your attention. even when you leave him cold for days or push him away, he can’t seem to stay away. his friends and family don’t get it—they hate how you treat him.

— WC: 4.6k — WARNINGS: agnst, smut, emotionallly detached!reader, emotionally attached!seungcheol, crying, he kind of pisses his friends and family out because of his whiny ass, explicit language, blowjob, cock riding, clit stimulation, face slapping, choking. — inspired by: cry baby by megan thee stallion — ''his friends and his dad hate me, I broke his lil' heart, he's a crybaby"

seungcheol was such a fucking crybaby. like, how does a man that big, that beefy, built like he could crush a watermelon between his thighs, have the emotional resilience of a damp tissue? 5′10 of pure gym dedication and somehow, here he was, sulking like a kicked puppy in the corner of his own damn birthday party. honestly, you broke his heart so many times you’d lost count, but the man was like a boomerang—always came back. didn’t matter how hard you threw him.

his friends absolutely hated you. well, maybe hate was strong—more like they hated how he acted because of you. jeonghan said you lived rent-free in his head, which you knew was true. but the real kicker was his family. they couldn’t stand hearing your name. apparently, he cried into his whiskey glass over you at his last family dinner. like, straight-up sniffles and shaky voice in front of his dad. the boys’ nights weren’t any better; they’d barely crack open a soju bottle before seungcheol was teary-eyed, rambling about you like you were the love of his life and not the emotional hurricane you were.

but that’s the thing, though. seungcheol was built for family. the whole package—white picket fence, Sunday brunches, PTA meetings. meanwhile, you were emotionally unavailable as fuck. couldn’t even commit to a favorite boba flavor, let alone a relationship. and now, you’d ghosted him for a week. a whole-ass week. no texts, no calls, not even the stupid memes you usually sent him at 3 a.m.

today was his birthday. his fucking birthday.

the party at his place was in full swing—laughter, good food, good drinks, jeonghan and mingyu lowkey roasting him about his “girlfriend” (air quotes and all). his parents were there too, of course. his brother had even flown in. but cheol barely moved from the couch all night. just sat there, one arm slung over the backrest, looking at his phone like a guy waiting for a miracle.

because in his head, if you were his girlfriend—like, properly his—you’d be here. with him. celebrating, holding his hand, maybe sitting in his lap. but instead, he got radio silence.

“bro, seriously, what the fuck is your problem?” jeonghan hissed, leaning over the couch to snatch the beer from cheol’s hand. “your mom’s asking why you look like you’re about to cry into the birthday cake.”

“i’m fine,” cheol muttered, but even he didn’t sound convinced.

“no, you’re not. you’ve checked your phone like a hundred times, and it’s giving ‘sad loser.’ cut it out before mingyu makes a meme out of you.”

but cheol didn’t cut it out. he just stared at the screen, lips pulled into a pout so tragic it could’ve been a fucking Greek play. the hours dragged. one by one, people started leaving, and eventually, it wasn’t even his birthday anymore.

august 9th. 9:54 p.m.

cheol sighed, running a hand through his hair, looking like he was about to combust.

and then, his phone buzzed.

one message.

from: future girlfriend ❤️ - “come over.”

that’s it. two words, no explanation. cheol shot up from the couch so fast he nearly knocked over the coffee table.

jeonghan raised an eyebrow. “where the hell are you going?”

cheol didn’t answer. he was already grabbing his keys, muttering something about how he’d “she texted me.”

he hard his friend groan out in defeat, disappointment, some even surprised that seungcheol would leave his own party like that.

while you were still just chilling at your place, sitting there like nothing had happened, waiting to see if this man who you’d left on read for a week would actually show up.

spoiler alert—he would.

the door wasn’t even locked—like you’d left it wide open for him, knowing he’d come running the second you told him to. seungcheol stepped inside your apartment, and it was so you in a way that made his chest tighten. that familiar scent? god, it was everywhere. in the air, clinging to the couch, the walls, probably gonna soak into his clothes and stay there for days, torturing him. like you’d marked your territory without even trying.

he moved on autopilot, his feet carrying him down the hallway to your bedroom like he didn’t even need directions. the door was cracked open, and he froze for a second when he saw you.

you were standing there, slipping a sheer robe over your shoulders—transparent. and it wasn’t doing a damn thing to hide you. the way the fabric barely skimmed over your hips, nipples peeking through, leading his eyes all the way down to the hem that just teased your thighs… it was insane.

you turned your head slightly, catching him in the doorway like some kind of lost puppy. your expression was unreadable, but he looked at you like you were magic or something—eyes wide, lips slightly parted. pathetic.

you stepped toward him, and before he could even process it, his hands moved to your waist like they belonged there. your arms looped lazily around his neck, and the warmth of your skin had his breath hitching. you glanced over his shoulder at the clock on the wall—10:01 p.m.—then met his gaze, your lips curling.

“happy birthday… birthday boy,” you said, your voice smooth as velvet.

he exhaled shakily, his eyes fluttering shut like the sound of your voice was too much. his brows knit together in that pitiful little frown you’d missed more than you cared to admit.

“why’d you leave me like that?” he muttered, voice cracking slightly. “did… did i do something? i’m sorry, i—”

you didn’t answer, didn’t even flinch, because honestly? you didn’t have a reason. there was no deep, dark explanation, no hidden agenda. you just did.

instead, you pushed him backward toward the bed, your hands firm on his chest. he stumbled slightly but kept talking, his voice climbing higher in pitch.

“please, just—just tell me. what did i do? i can fix it, i swear, just—”

you pushed him harder this time, and he landed on the bed with a bounce. he stared up at you, eyes glassy, lips trembling. “answer me,” he whined, his voice soft and desperate.

“shhh,” you hushed, pressing a finger to his lips.

he whimpered at the touch, his eyes shining with unshed tears. “why—why won’t you just—”

your hand came down on his cheek in a sharp slap. not too hard, but enough to make him moan, his mouth falling open in a perfect little “o.”

“quiet,” you said firmly, watching as his expression shifted. the sting seemed to zap the fight out of him, his mouth closing into a pout as his tears spilled over.

“aww,” you cooed, leaning down to brush your thumb under his eye. “don’t cry, birthday boy. let me give you a gift.”

his gaze flickered immesiately. a gift? he nodded eagerly.

“you gonna be good for me?” you asked, tilting your head.

“y-yeah,” he stammered, his voice so small it made you smile.

your hands moving to his belt. the way he watched you, like you were about to destroy his dignity, was almost comical.

you tugged his pants and underwear down in with a graceful sweep, leaving him bare and exposed. his cock was already rock hard, flushed red and leaking precum that smeared against his stomach.

“look at you,” you teased, wrapping a hand around the base. his breath hitched at the contact, his hips jerking slightly. “crying all over yourself, huh?”

he let out a choked whimper, his hands fisting the sheets beside him. “i—i can’t help it,” he whispered.

“poor baby,” you mocked, your thumb swiping over the tip to collect the sticky wetness. his whole body twitched at the motion, his eyes squeezing shut as more tears slipped down his cheeks.

you leaned down, letting your lips hover just above him. “you’ve been waiting for this, haven’t you? never let you have it before, but tonight… you’re special.”

he nodded frantically, his breath coming in short, shallow gasps. “please,” he begged, his voice breaking.

you smiled, finally taking him into your mouth. the heat and wetness made him sob outright, his hands flying to your hair but stopping short—like he was scared to touch you without permission.

“oh—fuck, fuck, fuck,” he babbled, his thighs trembling as you worked him over. your tongue dragged along the veins as your hand played with his balls, and he keened, his head falling back against the pillows.

“so good,” he choked out, tears streaming down his face. “m-missed you.”

you hummed around him, and the vibrations nearly sent him over the edge. his whole body tensed, his hips bucking slightly as he moaned your name.

“gonna be good for me?” you asked, pulling back just enough to meet his gaze.

“y-yes,” he stammered, his eyes glassy and desperate. “so good, i’ll be so good, please—”

“then take it,” you said, and he did.

your tongue swirled around the swollen tip of his cock, drawing a shuddering breath out of him that turned into a whimper when you pulled back slightly, letting a string of spit connect your lips to his flushed skin. his chest heaved, his abs clenching under the weight of your stare.

you fold your tongue up and slid along the underside of his length, like you had all the time in the world. his thighs trembled as you worked your way down, your nails scratching lightly along the sides of his hips, keeping him still. by the time you reached his base, his whole body was taut, his hands fisted so tightly into the sheets you thought he might rip them.

“you’re so sensitive,” you murmured, letting your breath ghost over his skin.

“i can’t—” he choked, cutting himself off with a high-pitched moan when your tongue flicked over the soft skin of his balls.

you smiled against him, pressing a kiss to one of the heavy globes before taking it into your mouth, sucking gently. his hips jerked off the bed, but your hand pressed firmly against his stomach, pinning him down.

“stay still,” you ordered.

“i’m trying—fuck, i’m trying,” he babbled, his voice cracking. his head lolled to the side, his lips parted in a silent cry as you continued to suck and lick at him, your tongue tracing slow, wet circles.

your free hand moved back to his cock, wrapping around the shaft and stroking it slowly, your thumb smearing the precum that was steadily leaking from the tip.

“look at me,” you said, your voice softer this time.

his eyes fluttered open, glassy and red-rimmed, his gaze locking onto yours. the sight of you, lips wrapped around him, your hand working him in tandem, had him letting out a desperate, broken sound that went straight to your core.

“you like this?” you asked, pulling back slightly, your hand still stroking him as you kissed along his inner thigh.

“yes,” he gasped, his voice barely above a whisper. “fuck, yes. feels so good.”

“yeah?” you teased, your lips quirking into a smirk as you nipped at his skin. “you’ve been waiting for this? waiting for me to touch you like this?”

he nodded frantically, “always,” he admitted. “always wanted you like this. please don’t stop.”

you purred, letting your tongue glide back up to his base before taking him into your mouth again, this time deeper, letting him feel the heat of your throat. “fuck—oh my god,” he sobbed, his hands twitching at his sides, like he wanted to touch you but didn’t dare.

“go on,” you encouraged, pulling off just enough to speak. “touch me. you’re being good, aren’t you?”

his hands immediately flew to your hair, his fingers tangling in the strands as he let out another choked moan. “yes,” he breathed, “yes, so good, i’ll be so good for you.”

you hollowed your cheeks, bobbing your head slowly, your hand working in time with your movements. his thighs shook beneath you, his breath hitching every time your tongue pressed against the sensitive vein running along the underside of his cock.

“you’re so fucking pretty like this,” you said, pulling back just enough to let your spit-coated hand continue stroking him. “all flushed and crying for me. does it feel that good?”

“so good!” he gasped, tears spilling over again as he bucked his hips involuntarily.

you hummed in approval, your tongue flicking over the tip before dipping lower again, taking one of his balls into your mouth once more. the way his entire body shook beneath you, his voice breaking into desperate little cries—it was everything.

“you’re mine,” you murmured, your voice muffled against his skin. “aren’t you?”

“yours!” he sobbed, his voice cracking. “all yours...”

you pulled back, your lips slick with spit and precum, watching as seungcheol’s chest heaved like he’d just run a marathon. his head was tilted back against the pillows, mouth slightly open, a trail of drool glistening at the corner of his lips. his cock twitched in your hand, still throbbing and leaking like it couldn’t survive a second without you.

“cheol,” you said, your voice sharp enough to cut through the haze.

he didn’t answer. his eyes were half-lidded, rolling back as another pathetic whimper slipped past his lips.

“yah,” you hissed, your free hand moving down to cup his balls, squeezing them just enough to snap him out of it.

he jerked, his hips twitching as a choked cry tore from his throat. his wide, glassy eyes met yours, full of confusion, like he wasn’t sure whether to apologize or beg for more.

“you listening now?” you asked, your tone playful but firm.

“y-yeah,” he stammered.

you smirked, leaning forward just enough to let your breath fan over his cock. “good. now, tell me—do you want me to make you cum like this?” your hand gave his length a slow, deliberate stroke, watching as his eyes fluttered shut again. “or do you want me to ride you?”

his eyes snapped open at the second option, but he still didn’t answer. his mouth opened and closed like he was trying to speak but couldn’t get the words out, and you swore he looked like a little kid trying to pick between candy flavors.

“cheol,” you said again, your grip on his balls tightening just enough to make him yelp. “i’m not giving you both, so choose. now.”

he whimpered, his lower lip trembling as he looked at you like you were some kind of goddess and he didn’t want to disappoint.

“i—i want…” he trailed off, his voice cracking as his cock twitched in your hand again.

“come on,” you urged. “use your words, birthday boy.”

his cheeks flushed deeper, and he swallowed hard before finally stammering out, “i want you to ride me.”

“do you?” you asked, raising an eyebrow as your hand gave him one last teasing stroke.

“mhmm,” he breathed, his voice shaky but certain. “please. want to feel you. need to—need to be close to you.”

you smiled, your chest swelling. “good boy,” you murmured, releasing him completely and watching as he whimpered at the cut-off.

you climbed onto the bed, straddling his hips as his hands immediately flew to your thighs, gripping them like he was scared you’d disappear—again. the way his eyes roamed over your body, taking in every inch of exposed skin through the transparency of the robe, and the big slit that have been created as the robe opened up, made you feel like you were the only thing that mattered in the world.

you reached between your legs, guiding his cock to your entrance, letting the tip tease your folds just enough to have him squirming beneath you.

“mm..fuck” he groaned, his head falling back against the pillows. “you’re so wet. is that—fuck, is that for me?”

“all for you,” you lied, he knew you were mocking him as you slowly sank down onto him.

the stretch was so good, never fails to make you arch your back, his cock filled you so perfectly had your breath hitching. but the sound he made was way down pathetic. it was half moan, half sob, like he couldn’t believe this was real.

“oh my god,” he choked, his hands flying to your waist as his hips jerked involuntarily. “you’re so—so tight. best birthday gift ever.”

you rolled your hips slowly, letting him feel every inch of your gummy walls, and his grip tightened, you can feel his strong fingers marking your meat.

“you like being used like this?”

“yes!” he gasped, his voice high and broken. “love it. love you.”

you froze for half a second, the words catching you off guard, but you quickly recovered, your lips curling into a smirk. “that so?”

“yeah,” he breathed, his eyes squeezing shut as you started to move again. “fuck, i love you. love everything about you.”

every roll of your hips, pulled more sounds from him than you thought possible—moans, gasps, sobs, all spilling from his lips like a declaration.

your hips moved in a steady rhythm, dragging his cock in and out of you in a way that made your thighs burn, but the way seungcheol looked at you—like you were the fucking universe—made it impossible to stop. you clenched around him, squeezing tightly, and his mouth fell open, a strained whimper spilling out as his fingers dug into your hips as you rocked your pussy back and forth.

you pushed his shirt up higher, your eyes falling on his chest, where his nipples were flushed a deep red against his tan skin. his brows furrowed in confusion when he noticed your gaze.

“what?” he asked, his voice hoarse and breathless.

“you don’t even know, do you?” you teased, your nails trailing up his chest. “how red they get when you’re about to cum?”

“what?” he repeated, his tone higher this time, all embarassed.

“oh, baby,” you cooed, leaning down to brush your lips against his. “you’re so fucking cute.”

his face flushed even deeper, and you felt his cock twitch inside you as your hands wrapped around his neck. his eyes widened immediately, his breath hitching as he stared up at you, his lips parted in surprise.

“you like this?” you asked, your grip tightening just enough to make his pulse race beneath your fingers.

he let out a strangled moan, his hands flying up to your thighs like he didn’t know whether to stop you or hold on tighter. “y-yeah,” he stammered, his voice cracking. “fuck, yeah.”

“then be good for me, cum for me, cheol. now.”

his entire body tensed, his hips jerking up. you clenched around him again, your grip on his neck firm as you ground down harder as the first waves of your orgasm hit you.

you raised your hips just in time, letting his cock slip out of you as he spilled all over his stomach, ropes of cum painting his skin. his head fell back against the pillows, his chest heaving as he let out a broken sob, his hands trembling against your thighs.

you collapsed onto his chest, your hand moving between your legs to circle your clit frantically, your moans muffled against his ear as you chased the last remnants of your own orgasm.

“oh my fucking god...” you panted, your fingers working faster as your hips ground against his thigh.

he turned his head slightly, his eyes hazy as he watched you, his lips parted in awe. “you’re…so beautiful...”

you moaned loudly as your orgasm hit you, your body shaking against his as you buried your face in his neck, your hand slowing to a stop.

as the high ebbed away, your body melted into his, your limbs heavy and your breath evening out. you let your full weight settle on him, and he groaned softly, the sound less of discomfort and more of deep, satisfied contentment. his arms came around you instinctively, holding you close, his hands splayed wide against your back like he never wanted to let go.

you lay there, your cheek pressed to his chest, listening to the steady thrum of his heartbeat beneath your ear. you tried to ignore how your own heart raced, guilt creeping in as you replayed the last week in your head.

sometimes, you really felt like shit about the way you treated him. seungcheol was too good for you, with that big heart of his—always giving, always forgiving. the problem wasn’t him. it was you.

you hoped he couldn’t feel the way your heart thudded against his chest, the weight of your remorse making it beat faster.

you lifted your head slightly, pressing soft kisses to his cheek, your fingers tangling in his hair as you gently scratched at his scalp. he sighed, leaning into your touch like it was the only thing keeping him tethered.

“cheol,” you murmured, your voice softer than you planned. “can i give you one more gift tonight?”

he didn’t answer right away. his eyes drifted to the ceiling, a small, thoughtful smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

“only one?” he asked after a moment.

you hummed, matching his teasing tone. “yeah. just one. better make it count, birthday boy.”

he chuckled softly, but it didn’t reach his eyes. instead, his gaze stayed fixed on the ceiling, his fingers tracing absent patterns on your back.

“i don’t think you can give me what i really want...” he said finally.

you tilted your head, your brows furrowing. “what do you mean?”

he hesitated before he turned his head to look at you, his eyes searching yours.

“i want to be here with you... but knowing that you… that you actually like me back.”

he held your gaze, his eyes raw and vulnerable, waiting for a response that you didn’t know how to give.

“cheol, you know that right now i—” you started, your voice cracking.

but he shook his head, his lips curving into a small, sad smile. “it’s okay,” he said quickly, though the way his arms tightened around you betrayed his words. “i didn’t mean to ruin the moment. i just… i had to say it.”

you didn’t know what to say. guilt churned in your stomach, your heart pounding against his chest as his words echoed in your head.

he deserved so much more than you could give, and yet here he was, holding you like you were his whole world.

seungcheol let out a shaky breath, his thumb brushing absentmindedly against the curve of your spine. “but since that won’t happen…” he trailed off, his voice wistful.

your chest tightened, the words striking a nerve you weren’t ready to deal with. you stayed silent, pressing your cheek against his shoulder, hoping he couldn’t see the way your brows knitted together.

“can you…” he hesitated, his fingers twitching against your skin. “can you come to my birthday party tonight? i know it’s late, but it’s probably still going. i’d love to see you there.”

you froze. you knew what he was asking—he wanted you to show up for him, to step into his world, even if it made you uncomfortable.

“cheol,” you said slowly, lifting your head to look at him. his expression was expectant.

“please,” he added, whispering in an almost pityful way. “just for a little while. it’s my birthday.”

you bit your lip, glancing away. the idea of walking into a room full of people who probably hated you wasn’t exactly appealing, but the way he looked at you, made it hard to say no.

“fine,” you muttered, avoiding his gaze.

“really?” he asked, his face lighting up instantly.

“yeah, really,” you said, rolling your eyes.

he sat up, pulling you with him.

you groaned, pushing against his chest. “ugh, fine. let me get ready, then.”

he followed you into the bathroom like a puppy, leaning against the doorway as you washed your face and fixed your hair. his gaze was soft, trailing over you like he was memorizing every detail.

“stop staring,” you said, your tone sharp but lacking any real bite.

“can’t help it,” he replied, his voice warm. “you’re gorgeous.”

you rolled your eyes again, but your cheeks flushed anyway, and you hated how easily he got to you.

“you should get ready too,” you said, pointing at him with a toothbrush in hand.

“i’m fine like this,” he said with a shrug, gesturing to his wrinkled shirt and jeans.

“you’re not showing up to your own party looking like you just got laid,” you shot back, smirking when his ears turned red.

“fine,” he grumbled, shuffling off.

by the time you were both dressed and ready, the nerves in your stomach were in full swing. seungcheol, however, looked ridiculously pleased with himself, his hand finding yours as he led you toward the door.

seungcheol practically vibrated with happiness as he led you up to the front door of his house. he tried so damn hard to play it cool, to keep his steps measured and his grin from stretching too wide. but his chest felt like it might burst at any moment, the thought of walking in with you by his side enough to make him wanna jump like some kind of elf in a fairytale.

this was it. you were here. about to meet his family, his friends. his whole world.

he took a deep breath and opened the door, immediately met with a chorus of voices.

“finally!” jeonghan shouted, throwing his arms up like he’d been waiting for years.

“where the hell have you been?” his brother added exasperatedly.

seungcheol pressed his lips together, holding back a smile as he glanced over his shoulder at you. “i, uh…” he rubbed the back of his neck, glancing down for a second before looking back up, his voice soft but proud. “i needed to bring someone special before the ‘happy birthday.’”

the room fell silent as you stepped out from behind him, your hands clutching the straps of your bag like a lifeline. your small, tentative smile was enough to stop everyone in their tracks.

you shifted awkwardly under the weight of their stares, the sound of the music thumping softly in the background the only thing filling the silence.

and that’s when it hit them.

oh.

this was the reason seungcheol had been acting so out of character, the reason he’d been spiraling for months. you weren’t just some girl he was into. no, you were a fucking vision. gorgeous in a way that made the room seem brighter. mesmerizing without even trying.

now they understood. now it all made sense.

of course he was crazy over you. of course he’d been spiraling. who wouldn’t be?

but the realization also came with a quieter, more awkward truth: this was the girl they’d all cursed out in private. the girl they’d ranted about after every drunken night where seungcheol had cried into his beer or disappeared to avoid them.

they exchanged quick glances. yeah, they got it now, but it didn’t erase the fact that they’d judged you before even meeting you.

a nagging question none of them dared to voice but couldn’t shake.

were you really worth it?

jeonghan, the one who never held his tongue, raised a brow and smirked. “well, shit. now i get it.”

seungcheol’s face flushed a deep red, his hand instinctively finding the small of your back as if to shield you from the inevitable onslaught of teasing.

but instead of cracking a joke, jeonghan just smiled and nodded, his eyes softening. “welcome,” he said, his voice genuine.

the others slowly followed suit, their smiles tentative but warm as they tried to mask their lingering curiosity.

and as seungcheol led you further into the house, his hand never leaving your back, he felt like he’d just won the lottery. because for the first time in a long time, he wasn’t walking into this house feeling defeated or embarrassed.

this time, he was walking in with you.

© 2024 Hoshi Fighting | All Rights Reserved

[kisses4themissus]

3's Obsessive || Hwang In-ho X Reader

wc: 2.9k

a/n: it's my birthday!!

!! warnings : mentions/flashback of assult, unaware of drugging !!

previous | masterlist

You sat quietly watching as your group talked back and fourth, mostly it was thanos and nam-gyu who filled the silence.

“Look at that asshole!” Thanos scoffed at another player, who peacefully ate with his group. You rolled your eyes at them, crumpling up the packaging from your food. “I’m looking right at him.” You smirked at your own joke. Se-mi let out a chuckle, min-su hid his smile while nam-gyu and thanos looked at you with upset expressions. 

“That dickhead right there made me lose thousands to his scam.” Thanos pointed to player 333. You all followed thanos’ direction and watched the player absentmindedly talk and go about his day with his group members. “My therapist was scamming me..” You announced, making the others turn to face you.

“He tried to brainwash all his female clients into sleeping with him; said it was the only way their trauma would be gone…” You finished, swishing around the empty milk container.

Se-mi cursed under her breath as she looked away from you, “she has a shrink?” nam-gyu questioned before getting smacked by thanos.

“I had one, court ordered.” You nodded in confirmation, the others exchanged glances before scooting further from you.

- - - - - - - -

In-ho watched from the other side of the dorm as you talked with your team; he had hoped splitting you away from gi-hun would sent you into your creepy love spiral for him but was proven wrong as you stuck by the rapper’s side.

“Young-il, is everything alright?” Jun-hee asked, noticing his gaze stuck on the other side of the dorm. “I’m alright, is everything ok with you and the baby?” He smiled, the young girl nodded before moving her gaze towards you.

In-ho glanced over and watched as your team began to fix their bed together, sending you away to leave them alone for the night. 

“Dae-ho said she’s sick?” Jun-hee questioned, her voiced lowering as you passed by, not looking over as you walked to your bunk in the middle of players. “Mentally sick.” In-ho clarified, jun-hee nodded before biting her lip. “How can you tell?” She asked, sitting on the steps beside him. 

“The way she interacts with other players, you saw how quick gi-hun pissed her off, the night before she was his new limb.” He explained, watching as you got into your bunk and laid down, waiting for lights out.

“Now it’s just matter of time before she finds a new limb.” In-ho smirked as you pulled his note out of your pocket and read it over.

“Jun-hee, young-il, we need help putting the mats on the floor.” Jung-bae chimed in as he and dae-ho panted from moving the mats off one of the beds.

- - - - - - - -

The classic music filled the dorm as players began to wake up. You sighed, sitting up in your bunk. As you rubbed the sleep away you stopped as a voice came from beside your bed.

“Sleep well?” In-ho smiled at you, quickly you sat up and faced him.

“Another morning, stuck in these dorms and not with my love…” You scoffed, getting out of your bed and past in-ho who followed.

“He’s happy with how you're progressing in the games.” In-ho told you as you walked towards thanos and the others who were lined up by the side door. You stopped for a second before continuing to walk. 

“That old man yapping again?” Thanos questioned as you joined the in line, pushing a player out of line to behind your group. “Talking about things he doesn’t know of.” You scoffed, before facing forward as you all began to be led up the stairs.

As you climbed the stairs, nam-gyu tapped your shoulder, making you whip around to glare. He held out a murky water bottle to you. “Take it, it’ll help during the game.” He motioned it to you, with a sigh you quickly drank the rest of the murky water and continued walking up the stairs.

- - - - - - - -

As you entered the colorful room, you shielded your eyes, your head had been dizzy. You had barely managed to get on the platform without falling, luckily another player had helped you step on.

“Did you drug me?” You questioned nam-gyu as he and thanos bounced around together, “why do you hear the voices louder?” Thanos snickered, making you scoff before holding your head as the platform began to spin and the lights flashed.

“I’m going to vomit!” You muttered, falling down as the platform stopped. 

“Ten!” 

As the words played in your head, you were quickly swept up by thanos and se-mi as you all ran with another group of five to a room. Once inside the timer ran out causing the door to lock. You all panted, the other players watched you with caution.

“Is she alright?” One of them asked, you placed your forehead on the colorful wall. “She has her period.” Thanos lied.

Thankful you were all let out soon after the round ended, you all walked to the platform once more. You held onto se-mi for support as the platform spun around once more. You groggily looked over and rolled your eyes as am-gyu and thanos danced as the children’s song played over the speaker before stopping.

“Four!” You all stared at each other, thanos quickly looked between you and min-su. You quirked a brow, thanos sighed, “I’ll split.” You told them before being grabbed by two players. “We need one more!” 

As the timer went low, you began to panic. In-ho quickly rushed over. “Blue door, 24!” He called out as you all ran and made it in time. You panted and rested your forehead against the colorful wall. In-ho watched as you shakily raised your hand to feel your temperature. 

“Are you alright miss?” A player asked, noticing your sleepiness, in-ho knew something was wrong, you had slept soundly through the night, He knelt down beside you and took your head in his hands and examined over you.

“You took meds?” He questioned, noticing your pupils. You shook your head and scoffed softly. “Nam-gyu gave me a roofied drink…” You realized, laying your head back on the wall. In-ho glanced up at the camera and gave a signal to keep watch on you.

Once the doors unlocked, you managed to walk to your group, se-mi catching you as you both bumped each other. “Are you ok?” She questioned, looking over you.

Without responding you tried to shake off the sleep and tried focusing on the game ahead. The players had loaded on and the platform spun once more. “Three!” the cheery voiced announced.

You all stared at each other, nam-gyu and thanos panicked, commanding you and the others to fight for a spot. You watched as min-su betrayed se-mi and took off with thanos and nam-gyu. 

“I’ll be with you!” You suggested, making her nod. As you both watched players run past you groaned, the dizziness getting worse. Se-mi looked at you with sympathy; As you both went to stick together, a pair grabbed se-mi leaving you dazed and alone on the floor.

You sighed, maybe this was your fate, to die. Maybe frontman would keep your corpse. As you stood alone on the floor two hands wrapped around your arms and dragged you to a room.

You glanced up once in a room and sighed. Gi-hun and in-ho had saved you. You sighed and laid peacefully on the ground. “Is she ok?” Gi-hun asked, kneeling down next you. In-ho sighed and nodded. “Her teammates roofied her just before the game, probably to get rid of her.” He explained, taking off his jacket and propped up your head. 

“Think the workers would help her?” Gi-hun asked, looking over to the peek in the door. “I don’t see why not.” In-ho shrugged, you quickly shook your head and sat up. 

“I want to finished the game, then tell those pink workers I got fucked over!” You sighed, keeping your eyes closed before opening them to stare at the two men. They both sighed, helping you up as the doors unlocked. Stepping out you looked around and walked away from in-ho and gi-hun; you watched over the crowds of player and stopped as se-mi walked up to you.

“How are you feeling now?” She questioned, wrapping your arm around her neck to help hold your weight. “Like i took all the pills in the world!” You sighed, you both walked back to the platform. “Once the game is over we’ll get help, go it? I don’t need a player who’s dead weight.” She scolded, making you nod. 

In-ho watched as your teammate kept you up right as the platform went around. You both stumbled a bit and ran to a room as the number was announced. “Six!”

You looked to your left and stopped as thanos and the others rushed over with an extra player. Se-mi tugged your hand to get your attention. You looked over to see gi-hun and his team rushing over to the same room. “Ladies first.” Thanos grinned and held out his hand. 

You quickly noticed the small distance from gi-hun’s team to where you stood. You looked at thanos and scoffed. “Drugging me to sleep with you is lame!” You sneered before kicking thanos in his thigh, making him fall back into nam-gyu.

With quick movements you grabbed in-ho’s jacket as he entered the room and pulled yourself and se-mi into the room, quickly holding the door shut as the timer went down. With a sigh you let go of the door as the lock clicked in place. 

“My lungs are burning!” You chuckled to se-mi, throwing your head back. 

Se-mi turned to the others and bowed her head, “thank you for joining us in time.” she thanked, making you scoff lightly. “Oh please, number one has been practical up my ass the whole game!” You muttered, earning a sharp look from in-ho. 

“She’s drugged up, she doesn’t mean it…” She tried to excuse you but gi-hun raised his hand and shook his head. “It’s alright, just glad you both made it through.” He sighed, making his way over to peek through the small crack and watched as players dropped.

Jung-bae and se-mi joined him, the three taking turns to look.

You stared down in-ho as the others paid no mind to you both. You noticed the glint of glee in his eyes, while in-ho pushed down his contentment as you slowly pieced everything together. As you both analyzed one another, se-mi quickly walked over with jung-bae the pair helped you up.

“I think i’m fine to walk on my own now..” You tore your eyes away from in-ho and walked behind gi-hun. He stopped in front of the platform and began looking around for his other teammates. 

Once they all gathered with another group, you all loaded onto the platform. You all waited as the platform began to move, jung-bae leaned over to gi-hun asking what he thought the next number would be since it was the last round, in-ho had answered blankly.

“Two.”

“Why do you say that?” Jung-bae asked, a worried look on his face. You sighed and pointed to the sign above the entry where you all had entered, “There’s only fifty doors, and 126 players left, it’s gonna be a bloodbath.” You pointed out, everyone shared worried looks. Before anything could be said the platform stopped. “Two!” 

You turned to find se-mi but was pulled away, by in-ho who dragged you to a room, leaving the others to fend for themselves. As you both approached the room you were pulled back by a player, in-ho quickly turned back when he felt your hand slip from his.

As you pulled away, in-ho had landed a punch on the man’s jaw, sending man to the ground in pain. You quickly grabbed in-ho’s hand and ran to the nearest door. As you went to open it, a smaller man tried to pulled the door shut, you quickly rammed yourself and in-ho in the room, letting the door shut behind you.

“Out!” You snapped at the man, who shook his head at you and in-ho.

“We were here first!” He tried to protest, your eyes glanced up at the timer, you circled the man, a terrifying look in your eyes.

In-ho watched, interested as you quickly got behind the man and wrapped your arm around his neck tightly, ignoring as he tried to scratch your arm with his jagged nails. The door opened slightly, in-ho quickly threw his weight against the door and watched as you pulled the man to the floor.

The man hit the walls and floor in a panic as his vision got dark. You leaned over in his ear “Shhh, night night.” You whispered to the man, who looked at you with panic as you smirked at him before twisting his neck hard.

A loud crack filled the room as the timer went off and gunshots went off outside.

In-ho watched with awe as you stared at him with a murderous glint. 

You quickly got up from the floor, releasing the man’s body. A sigh left your lips as you sat on the wall opposite of in-ho and looked down at your blood splattered shoes.

“How do you know of my letters to him?” You questioned, making in-ho quirk a brow at you. “Who?” He played innocent, making you chuckle. “Frontman.” You motioned to the small camera in the corner of the room. He nodded and sighed, fixing his jacket.

“It’s not everyday you receive letters from a mental ward patient.” He chuckled, pacing the wall.

“He saved you many years ago, from college kids taking advantage of you.” He sighed, you looked at him with an unreadable expression. “You begged those kids not to beat you to a pulp, you were so lost, shaking on the ground as those gunshots killed those students.” 

You poked your cheek with your tongue as the memories had rushed back, your freshmen year of Uni.

You had cruelly been invited to a bar to hangout with your classmates, you went excited to be included in their group, the all had lead you behind the dingy bar for a smoke break.

It all happened so fast, one moment you had been flirting with one of the older boys the next you were crying with a bloody lip as he laughed above you. “Stop it! I’ll give you all my money! I’ll drop out! Anything!” You begged as one of the boys took out his cigarette and knelt down beside your head. 

As he brought the cigar closer to burn it out on your face a gruff voice made them all jump. “What are you all doing?” A man dressed in a black coat and a mask over his face spoke up. “Nothing sir, nothing at all! Just joking around with our friend!” One of the “golden” boys tried to reassure the older man and stepped closer trying to appear innocent.

Without hesitant the masked man slammed the boy into the bar’s dingy brick wall. You had laid on the ground sobbing, not caring as your classmates were picked off, gunshots made you raised your hands to cover your ears. As you cried, a hand on your shoulder made you flinch.

“No, please no!” You sobbed, the man sighed and jerked you to face him. His gloved hands peeled your shaky ones away from your face, you nervously looked at the masked man.

“Don’t hurt me..” You begged.

He didn’t respond, you watched tearfully as he ran a finger on your busted lip and tsked. “You need to see a doctor before it’s infected.” He spoke softly to you.

As you took his words in, you looked around the alleyway and felt your chest tighten up as the bodies on your classmates were scattered around you both. “I’m sorry.” He whispered in your ear. Before you could question what happened your vision darkened.

The next day you had woken up in your apartment, your lip bandaged up appropriately. You quickly looked over your apartment for signs of the masked man, only finding a memorial site card. You had gone to the police and tried explaining everything but the only claim you as crazy. 

At school you had grown weary; once your school had found out the students were claimed missing you were pinned the suspect; your parents hired the best lawyer they could with their wages.

The stupid lawyer deemed it fit to convince your family, you had been assaulted and went insane, making you plead insanity; the judge had ordered you to be in a mental ward for a minimum of four years and once released you were to see a therapist for years to come. 

Luckily while away you had figured out more about the man, the memorial card must’ve fallen out of his pocket. After months of searching each site you had found one, the lady’s flowers wilted, a cut picture of her and her husband, you had recognized the coat. While in the ward you had researched for a coat like it and found nothing, meaning it was a one of a kind; like the owner.

His face had been torn out, since that day you’d leave his wife flowers on her birthday, her death date. Thankfully it lead to finding the space he had rented above a shop. You could never visit due to the grouchy landlord. You always stood outside of his office, hoping to catch a glimpse but never did. You knew he had been there all the letters you had sent were never in the mailbox. Everyone thought you had gone insane; imaging a hero who saved you when you had “killed” your innocent classmates.

“You’re him.” You realized as you stared up at in-ho, who stopped pacing, his back to you.

“I’d never hurt you.” He confessed; sending flutters to your heart at his words.

obsessive taglist: @eminems4ev3rgirl @lanyia @lucinda-reads @skull-centric @watasinekoru @kyxmlii @carolinevoight @enhasrii @axionn @colorwastaken @syraxnyra @starkeyszn @strawberrychita @illuzold @itosh1teru @l4venderia @leechaniie @tashiagalinda @wisedinosaurwasteland @kiwiikato @aphoenixnamed-angel @captaincarmel416 @lover-girl009 @player279achlys @fallout-girl219 @thesehandsarerated-e @bluechaoslizzy

general in-ho taglist: @menabuser16 @snowtargaryen @azusdump @jspidey5 @annasnape7 @macnbriee @ookybatt @sasha-swftie @moonxnite @ninglovr

[ariichive]

trial period

various haikyuu

in which he finds an opportunity in your boyfriend's errors. suna, osamu, iwaizumi, and akaashi fem reader | cursing | grumpy volleyball players | jealousy | they see their chance and take it | toxic relationships | akaashi's is a bit angsty but its still sweet, promise | i used kenji as a name for readers bf

suna

suna felt like shit; everything was pissing him off today. his coach was harder on him, he forgot his water bottle, and the heat was terrible. he was convinced nothing could make his day worse.

well that's what he thought until his phone went off.

'(name): is this a good gift set for guys?'

image sent.

'(name): or should I get him a new video game??? thx for ur help rinnie :)'

yeah, his day could definitely get worse.

he stared at your text messages, not even wanting to respond. there was nothing more humiliating than his crush of almost a year texting him about another guy. in all honest, he didn't give a fuck about that sorry excuse of a man that you called your boyfriend.

maybe he was biased, but he honestly didn't care. how could perfect, beautiful you settle for a man who forgot your birthday 3 months ago?

shit just didn’t make sense; now here you are, gift shopping for his birthday. if it were up to suna, he’d make sure you didn’t spend a penny on the man’s birthday. but if things were so easy, he’d gave you in his arms after a long day.

shaking his head, suna typed up a quick, dry response. it wasn’t his intention to come off as an asshole, but at the same time, it kinda was. maybe you’d finally get the hint.

suna ignored the buzzing of his phone as he walked into his local grocery store, he'll answer after buying a few snacks for his apartment. he didn't like ignoring your messages, but he also didn't like your boyfriend.

he saw a familiar, hated haircut as he walked mindlessly through the aisles. squinting his eyes, he made sure his eyes weren't deceiving him; but why was he in the women's care section?

sure, there was a small possibility of him buying you something. however, from what he's heard, your boyfriend has never given you flowers. he walked a little closer, not worried about being recognized because the two had only ever briefly met.

suna decided to pull out his phone; he felt something in his gut screaming at him.

suna quickly skimmed over your texts of you asking which video game to buy him. he facetimed you, making sure his headphones were connected.

"you asshole, you're lucky i'm still at the store," your voice spoke beautifully into his ears (he was ignoring your rude remarks). "yeah yeah, lemme see the video game options."

suna heard you sigh before you flipped the facetime camera, showing the huge display of video games.

he didn't look back at his phone, instead looking at your boyfriend- well it wasn't just your boyfriend anymore, he had a girl looking at him with a big smile on her face.

looking a bit closer, he saw the cause of her happiness. in her hands, she was holding two packages of pregnancy tests, different brands.

now, suna didn't want to assume anything; that could be a sister or a cousin. but his suspicions were only confirmed when she gave a big kiss on his lips.

"you're not even looking- are you at the store?" you said after seeing the background of his facetime screen. you watched as he looked lost in thought, standing in front of a shelf of pads. "why are you in the women's section? actually, while you're there can you grab me more..." when you noticed he wasn't listening, you got a bit worried. "rin?"

"sorry, i'm here. hey, i actually have something to show you, don't get mad.. at least not at me, alright?" you stared confused as he flipped the camera to his back one. now everything he was seeing, you were too.

"oh is that kenji? he said he would be at the.." you lost your train of thought as you witnessed kenji wrap an arm around a girl he was with, placing a small kiss on her head.

you could only stay silent as you watched the two happily walk away.

suna felt like an asshole that he was the one to reveal this to you, but it would've been worse if he hadn't.

"o-oh," you were the first to break the silence. "want me to go say something to him? you know i will." suna's own heart broke a little as he heard the cracking of your voice. "no, it's fine. uhh," you took a quick pause in your sentence, contemplating your words carefully, "do you think, you could come over for a little?"

suna glanced down at his screen, seeing you were already out of the video game shack and into the freshness of the outside air.

"yeah, i'll be there soon. be careful going home okay?"

"okay, bye suna."

no nickname or first name, you were definitely upset.

suna sighed as he continued his grocery shopping; making sure not to get anything refrigerated as he didn't know how long he was going to be at your place.

(he grabbed a few of your favorite snacks and a weird-looking stuffed animal he had a feeling you'd like)

after paying and making a mental note to come back later for milk, he went on his way to your place.

he wasn't quite sure what he was expecting when he got to your apartment, but nothing prepared him for seeing you open your door with sad eyes and a twitching lip; sad but not wanting to show.

"hey," you greeted him with a nod which he reciprocated, holding up his grocery bags. "we can watch that stupid reality show you like," suna stretched as he got comfortable in your living room.

"it's not stupid you just don't understand it."

and when the show was just white noise in the background as he listened to you complain about your now ex-boyfriend was turned into you falling asleep, using the cheap plush he bought you as a pillow; he felt like he belonged there with you.

even as your phone blew up with messages from your ex, suna stayed focused on you.

(he blocked the number).

osamu

you stared at the delivered message you sent to your boyfriend 6 hours ago, only growing more irritated as time went by. the two of you had a date planned for later tonight at a fancy restaurant; one he insisted on going to and you agreed eagerly.

you had already gotten all dolled up, and even though you didn't want to go on the date originally, you did do your best to get ready, and it was a bit disappointing to not go out now.

time was only getting closer, and there was still no response from your boyfriend. over the past week, you felt distant from him, hence your quick agreement to this date.

now, he wasn't even answering his phone. even after ringing kenji multiple times and going straight to voicemail, you still had hope. there was still an hour left until the agreed meet-up time, still some time for him to answer.

you did a few small room chores to kill the time, only for your phone to not go off even once. there were still 20 minutes until 6pm, and you decided that this date wasn't going to happen.

now, you were sad and hungry. getting up, you looked through your fridge and cabinets only to find nothing.

about to give up all hope, your phone dinged from the counter. shooting up immediately, you grabbed your eagerly; only to feel slight disappointment when it was your friend sending you a recently opened food place, 'Onigiri Miya'.

something was pulling you towards the place (maybe your stomach); sending your friend a quick text back, you decided to stop by for dinner. putting on more comfortable clothes and deciding to head out, still no text from your boyfriend.

the place was located in a good area and it wasn't a far walk from your own home. you could see yourself coming here more often. the smell of freshly cooked meals could be smelled from outside the restaurant doors. the place was rather empty, considering it was a bit later in the evening.

you sat down at the counter, glancing over the menu. there was an older lady next to you, who had a big smile on her face as she enjoyed her food. the scene caused a small smile to grace your face. you looked around a little more, noticing everyone had a smile on their face as they enjoyed their food.

this place felt like home.

"welcome to onigiri miya. do ya need more time lookin' at the menu?"

a mans voice broke you out of your trance. looking up, you seen a broad male with dark hair in the, what you assumed, was the official uniform of the restaurant.

"hello," you give him a polite smile, "could i get a minced tuna and spring onion rice ball?" you watched the man’s eyes widen, before a small smile adorned his pretty face.

“gotcha, that’s what my brother orders,” he held a bit of fondness in his voice as he recalled his brother. you giggle slightly, “your brother must have good taste.”

“s’alright. my taste has always been better,” he said as he gave you a quick look over, making you sit up a bit straighter. “really? then what do you recommend?” you decided to play along a little, almost forgetting about the events from earlier.

"stop by tomorrow, we could talk about it more."

and when a number was jotted down on the receipt, you felt a new chapter unfolding in your life.

iwaizumi

iwaizumi stared at his client, whose phone was currently going off non-stop. usually, iwaizumi hated it when his clients were on their phones during his training sessions; but this was annoying at this point.

"can you answer that," iwaizumi didn't try to hide the irritation in his voice. his client, kenji, perked up from his sit-ups. "sorry about that, man." iwaizumi just nodded his head, waiting to get back to his training.

"it's my clingy ass girlfriend, she's scared i'm out cheating."

frankly, iwaizumi didn't care; he had another client coming in soon and he needed to get this guy out. "okay.. are you ready to continue?" with a rather embarrassed nod from kenji, they finally continued their workout; which consisted of a few more sets and then iwaizumi creating a dietary plan for kenji to follow.

once kenji was gone, iwaizumi finished up a few more clients for the day before he moved onto his own workout for the night. it was normal for him to stay late and the gym owner trusted him enough to close.

he was in the middle of his workout when he heard the front door open. sighing, he wiped his sweat off with a nearby towel and walked to the front. walking up, he saw a pretty girl who looked lost just as much pissed.

noticing the man coming out of the backroom with a confused look on his face, you decided to speak first.

"hey, sorry to interrupt but have you seen a male with brown hair, brown eyes, and about this tall?" iwaizumi watched as you held your hand a few inches above your own head. "oh and his name is kenji, if that helps?"

iwaizumi's eyes widened in realization; you must be the clingy girlfriend.

"we close in about half an hour, nobody's here but me." he answered truthfully as he watched your face fall. "oh, thank you for letting me know." iwaizumi watched as you were about to turn and leave, but oddly enough he wanted the conversation to continue.

"why does he have you out so late lookin' for him?" iwaizumi wasn't one to shy away from being protective; especially when it came to women and his loved ones.

you watched as he leaned over the reception desk, his biceps flexing as he did so. noticing you were staring, you snapped out of it. "we haven't spoken all day, and then i called him and he told me he was at the gym... thought i'd wait for him so we could go do something after."

haven't spoken all day? that was weird considering how much Kenji's phone was blowing up earlier from text messages from his "clingy girlfriend"/

"he's been gone for hours. i'm his personal trainer, iwaizumi." iwaizumi stuck his hand out which you shook immediately, "(name), nice to meet the man who's kept my boyfriend so busy these past few weeks."

"few weeks? today was his third day here." iwaizumi watched as the words registered into your mind. there was a twitch of your eyebrow, nails picking at the skin of your hands, and a quick bite of your lip.

it was a shitty situation; he felt bad that a pretty girl like you was getting played by a man that couldn't even bench press 22kg.

"if it makes you feel any better, he dropped a 3kg weight on his foot." iwaizumi tried his best to cheer you up, and it seemed to be working when a laugh fell from your lips.

"thank you for talking to me, sorry for taking up your time, iwaizumi. I should start to walk back before it gets too dark," you said noticing how late it was getting.

"let me close up and i'll walk you home, if that's okay with you?"

you looked shocked before a small smile took graced your face, "sure that'll be fine."

and as you waited for iwaizumi to close up the gym, you sent one last text to kenji; a breakup text.

it was against your moral conscience to do it over text, but he tested your limits. you weren't even sure if he'd see the text tonight, since he's out doing whatever, but your feelings still stood.

when you and iwaizumi started the walk back to your complex, it was full of natural conversations and laughter. the two of you hitting it off immediately and ended the night exchanging numbers.

when the next day arrived, kenji walked into the gym, iwaizumi made training incredibly challenging. he still did his job with integrity, but he added a few new workouts to kenji's routine, some of which even made the athletic trainer pause when he did them himself.

akaashi

you flopped around on your best friend's bed, burying your face in his pillows and letting out muffled complaints.

"he's so stupid, keiji! can you believe he ditched our date to go get drunk with his friends?!"

akaashi can actually believe it, but he doesn't think you'd want to hear that right now. "it is shocking, yes." the lie comes out smoothly, he knows how this'll go. you'll complain and shit talk your boyfriend, get immensely sad for a few minutes, and then fall asleep on his bed.

this always happens when another male does your heart incredibly wrong, and akaashi is always there to pick up the shattered pieces.

"it's not the first time this has happened either... we'll be going good, and then out of nowhere he just..."

akaashi heard the familiar cracking of your voice, which he hated to hear, and when he noticed you went completely quiet; he knew you were crying into his pillow.

he gently got up from his seat on his desk, taking a seat on the bed next to you. "(name), it has nothing to do with you, he's just a bottom-of-the-barrel kind of guy. you know this," akaashi picked your head up from his pillow and placed it into his lap.

"you need to stop letting below-average men sweep you off your feet," akaashi sighed. these men were lucky enough to have a chance with you. whereas he, who's known you for a long time, hasn't gotten the chance. akaashi is too careful, and he never wants to overstep any of his boundaries and make you uncomfortable.

you sniffle as akaashi wipes your tears and runs a soothing hand through your hair, which only makes you more sensitive. akaashi noticed as your frown deepened, causing his hand to stop his movements, an apology already on the tip of his tongue.

"sorry, (name) i-...."

"i go for these types of men because i don't know if i deserve better," you spoke truthfully, grabbing akaashi's hand and putting it back on your head.

"(name), you deserve the world. it's not good for you to self-sabotage like this." his hand continued its movements in your hair. this time, it's your turn to sigh.

"keiji, you're too nice to me... i don't deserve someone like you." akaashi is stunned into silence, his hand movements halting. this was new.

you use his silence to continue, "you're so nice to me. i can't find better because better doesn't exist when you're near me. i don't know what i did to deserve your kindness."

akaashi breaks out of the trance he's in a furrow in his brow at your belittling words. "(name), you have made me discover parts of myself i didn't even know existed. (name) you make me happy."

he sees as your eyes start to water once again, "but i don't deserve you. every time i start to date someone new, my brain always compares him to you." akaashi's heart starts to speed up. "i'm the one that doesn't deserve you," he starts, "you stay by my side when i'm stressed from deadlines, you know how to tell when i need to get out of my room. (name), you know me better than almost anyone."

it was a sweet moment shared between you and him; two people who have been silently pinning for each other for so long.

he sees an opportunity right now and he'd be a fool not to take it.

"(name), you don't need these terrible men when you have me," his words become more confident as he speaks, "i promise i can be enough for you, my feelings towards you are genuine. never would i even think about treating you as poorly as these other men."

your eyes widened as you looked up at his face, a pretty red hue blossoming over his face. "you.. do you actually like like me?"

akaashi chuckled at your words, "yes, (name) i like like you," he repeated your words back at you.

"good, because i like like you too."

both you and akaashi let a comfortable silence take over the two of you. a mutual feeling of love waiting to be explored lingers in the air.

this was fun to write! if you enjoyed it pls consider reblogging or following :)

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Cater Diamond - Room Relaxation Voice Lines

#MyLoungewear #BirthdayEve #CheckOutMyHairband ...Posted!

Summon: 'Kay then, tomorrow's ol' Cay-kun's birthday... I gotta get hyped to receive all those well wishes!

Groovification: The birthday video came out great... No doubt about it, this'll definitely go viral ♪

Home: This is Cay-kun's favorite ♪

Swap Looks: Yaaaaawn... Guess I'll go wash my face.

Home Transition 1: I'm usually just on my phone whenever I'm in my room～ ...Huh, studying? Don't pick on me by asking that～

Home Transition 2: Azul-kun treated me to a real fancy-looking drink ♪ He said my promoting it on Magicam would be payment enough.

Home Transition 3: A limited cosmetics set, huh～ Even the package itself is super duper cute! Maybe I'll buy it as a birthday gift to myself.

Home Transition - Login: The number of likes and comments I get on my Magicam posts on my birthday is through the roof! It makes me happy, sure, but it's a little difficult to reply to them all～

Home Transition - Groovy: Never thought I'd ever have Leona-kun wishing me a happy birthday... Wish I woulda snagged a video of it happening.

Home Tap 1: Don'tcha think this loungewear is soft and adorable? Both the top and bottoms are part of the same outfit series.

Home Tap 2: All I did was change up my eyeliner a little bit, but Rook-kun picked up on it right away... He's kinda scarily observant.

Home Tap 3: My hair's looks all silky smooth? Right? Isn't it? I tried out this hair milk that I came across on Magicam.

Home Tap 4: I'm totally used to Lilia-chan's surprises... Is what I'd like to say, but he definitely got me again this year.

Home Tap 5: It's rare to see ya boy Cay-kun without a suit drawn on, isn't it? Wanna take a pic together to remember this moment by?

Home Tap - Groovy: My loungewear? Well, yeah, I have a ton of other sets. Maybe I should wear a more cool-looking outfit tomorrow ♪

Duo: [CATER]: Leona-kun, gimmie your most heartfelt well wishes～ [LEONA]: I'll just do it normally, Cater.

Birthday Login Message: Thanks for the birthday wishes! I got a thing with the Pop Music Club after this, but you wanna come with me, [Yuu]? I mean, it's not really like we're going to be doing anything special. We'll probably just be snacking and chatting, like usual. Ah, I just had a good idea. One sec, let me reach out to Lilia-chan and Kalim-kun. ...Niice～ Looks like they're both on board. "'Kay, then we'll go with the plan I just sent you guys" ...And send. So basically, we're gonna throw an impromptu Cay-kun Birthday Performance. Come and enjoy the celebration!

Requested by @farfalla049.

[etherealyoungk]

hihi skye 💗 was thinking about shy bestfriend jihoon who always declines any offers to hang out bcs hes busy. on ur bday he gifts you an album of all the songs hes been busy writing for you 😭😭 do u think u could write a drabble on that? feel free to ignore!! love u sm 💗

tiya hii! this was such a sweet idea, i hope you like it!

it was a quiet birthday, the kind that didn't feel like much was happening. the day had been nice, there was cake with your family, and a few gifts from your friends, but there was a part of you that wished for a little more - and that little more was jihoon.

jihoon was your best friend, but he'd always been a little reserved, shy and kept to himself. growing up, you'd invite him to hangout all the time or he'd come more often than not, but lately, now that he was busy with work, he'd always come up with an excuse, saying he was busy with work or had things to do, saying he'd come hang out next time - but that next time never came.

but you knew it wasn’t that he didn’t want to spend time with you, it was just that jihoon was never good with people, never good with being in the spotlight, especially when it came to showing affection. he preferred staying in his own quiet space, hiding behind his music, which you understood, you didn't want to push him.

you sighed, scrolling through your phone, and then a notification popps up. jihoon sent you a message. your heart skipped a beat as you clicked on the notification and opened it.

happy birthday.

you smiled down at the screen, your fingers hovering over the screen. somehow, those two words meant more than anything else anyone else could have said but before you could respond, another message pops up.

i have something for you.

your furrow your brows as you stare at his text, your curiosity piqued and you quickly type back.

what is it?

can i come over for a minute?

you blink down at the message because that was… unexpected. he never ever came over unannounced, but you quickly type out a response.

a few minutes pass before you hear the familiar sound of a knock on your door. your heart flutters with excitement and you walk towards the door, opening it.

jihoon stands there, looking as nervous as ever. his hands are clutching something that's wrapped in plain brown paper. he's wearing his usual attire - an oversized hoodie and his hair falls messily over his eyes. he doesn't meet your gaze right away, but when he does, there's a sort of nervous glint in his eyes.

"hey, happy birthday yn", he says softly as he steps in. you can’t help but smile hearing his voice, warmth blooming in your chest. “thank you, jihoon", you say as you both walk to the couch and sit down.

he sits down and he hesitates for a moment, looking down at the brown paper package. he then holds it out to you. "i uh...wanted to give you something", he says, the tips of his ears slowly turning red.

you gently take the package from him, feeling the weight of it in your hands. "what is it?", you ask, curious but he only shrugs softly.

"it's just, something i've been working on, for you", he says. you look at him and look down at it, smiling softly.

you unwrap the brown paper, revealing a dark brown album, it was't anything fancy but there was something that told you this meant more. you see the note on top, scribbled in his handwritting.

you blink and open it and in the slot was a cd. it was plain but the the title that was scribbled on the cd catches you eye.

"all the songs i wrote for you"

you blink again, unable to believe what you are reading. "i know i'm not that good at expressing my feelings, but i wanted you to know i care about you, alot, in my own way, so i wrote all these songs for you. this was what i was doing when i said i was busy to hangout or come over sometimes. i just hope you like them", he explains softly.

all these songs were a way for jihoon to put his feelings into something tangible, a way to express his love and gratitude for the friendship he had for you - things that sometimes he couldn't say in words - so he wrote these songs instead, all for you.

you can't speak right away, the weight of his gesture still sinking it.

“these are… you wrote all of these for me?” you ask, your voice soft.h

he nods, a small, shy smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "i know i'm not good at saying things sometimes, but i wanted to give you something, i don’t know… it’s the only way i know how to show i care", he says.

you lean forward and pull him in for a hug. he doesn't say anything right away. there was no need for words, he just held you a little tighter, and you could feel the way his heart beat a little faster against your chest. the moment was simple and soft, but it was perfect in a way nothing else could be.

[kumkaniudaku]

TBT

Summary: A young Terry and Patrice spend a Christmas morning together.

Pairing: Terry Richmond x Black!OC

Word Count: 4.4k

Warnings: None. Just some holiday fluff.

Previous: Merry Christmas, Baby

A/N: I love this one so much. I hope you enjoy too.

The coldest Christmas in recent history was no match for the overwhelming heat Terrence felt beneath his thick winter sweater as nervousness crept into his chest. The low purr of his uncle’s Honda slowly disappeared into the bitter afternoon chill, leaving him no other option but to press the doorbell to the Ellis home and pray for entry. 

Weeks of planning, sneaking, and tutorial-watching had gone into this mission. Heavy convincing and a shoddy handshake agreement to throw a couple of dollars his uncle’s way for gas had him snatching a poorly wrapped package from beneath the tree and hopping into Uncle Myron’s front seat before his parents could ask any further questions. 

His hands felt wet and slippery under the warm pecan pie he’d begged his mother to make for reasons he wouldn’t share the night before. His heart raced as he carefully adjusted the pretty orange bow on top of a covered box, suddenly nervous about how it looked. She deserved nothing less than perfection and he’d labored over careful folds and clean lines to deliver her his best. 

Rustling and a voice growing louder as it approached made him stop short before he could press the doorbell again. He quickly pulled at his coat and stood a little taller as her father appeared behind a glass storm door.

“Oh! It’s just you Terry. Thought you might’ve been my sister. Merry Christmas, son. You gettin’ big, boy. You benching ‘bout 250 now huh?” 

Terry smiled bashfully. “Yeah, I am. Tryin’ to bulk up a little before Spring.”

“You doin’ it. Next time I see you, you gon' be bigger than me. What you got there?” 

Terry blinked twice, trying to think through a response as Mr. Ellis stared back at him before finally sputtering out a response. “A-a pie! Sorry. It’s a pie from my mama. She sent me over here to drop it off and say Merry Christmas.”

“And that,” Mr. Ellis asked pointing at the gift adorned in the pretty orange bow.

“A gift for Patrice. Is she home? I know she said she would probably be at the store with her mom, but I can wait. Or I-I cou-”

“Calm down,” Mr. Ellis laughed as he stepped aside with the door pushed open wider than before. “She’s in here helping her mama set the table. Come on. She’ll be happy to see you.”

A deep breath that created a white cloud in front of his face calmed Terry’s nerves as he moved past Patrice’s father into the house. He didn’t need directions past the wall of family photos, down the hallway, and into the living area. In four years, he’d spent entire days lazing around that house. He’d shared Sunday dinners at her kitchen table, taken naps on her bedroom floor, and played video games with her younger brother on the living room couch. This was as much his hang-out spot as his own house in his mind. 

Christmas music crackled and popped from the worn record player on a bookshelf full of Black literature, the object flanked by his two favorite photos of Patrice. He gave the framed memory of her fifth birthday party a glance and a soft smile like he usually did before making his way into the kitchen. 

“Baby Girl and Ros, the Richmond boy brought us a pie this morning,” Leon announced on his way through the living room and out of the back door to return to his turkey frying duties.

“A pie! How sweet!” Terry’s introduction made Patrice whip her head around to get a look at her surprise visitor. He offered her a small wave and smile that she returned as Rosalyn approached to give him a warm hug. “Look at you! Have you gotten taller since the school year started?” 

Rosalyn had watched Terry grow from a boy into a young man. Once lanky, slender arms now carried budding muscles and extra weight. The first fuzz of facial hair carefully shaved per his father’s instructions left light shadows. His voice was deeper and smoother than the once cracking alto of his youth. Changing mannerisms had him looking more sure of himself. His development alongside Patrice’s presented further reminders that the only thing certain in this life was the passage of time. She’d never be prepared but embraced it all the same. 

“A little bit. Think I’m at 6’3” now,” Terry boasted, smiling at the newest adjustments in his measurements.

“Six-three! I know your mama can’t keep a lick of food in the house,” she laughed. “You made your decision on college yet?” 

“Not yet. Still considering trying to walk on at A&T. I feel like I’ll like it there.”

Rosalyn smiled, knowing the reason for his switch from UNC Chapel Hill. “Well, that’s good. You and Patrice work well together. You can keep each other on track.” 

“I keep myself on track, mama. Terry too when his head gets all up in the clouds.” 

“She helped me study one time and now she think she my teacher.” 

“You a one-time lie and you know it.” 

Terry’s infectious toothy grin spread to Patrice from across the room, creating a spark almost tangible enough for Rosalyn to reach out and grab. She noticed the emergence of shy glances and extra physical contact where senseless bickering once lived. Knees that occasionally touched while they watched movies on the couch were now shoulders pressed tightly together in the backseat after school without shame. When they weren’t in the same room, cell phones remained pressed to listening ears as they ran down chats about everything and nothing at the same time. Their trajectory was clear. 

More conversations about hormones, love, and the perils of unprotected sex than Rosalyn could count had been passed down individually and as a pair with no care for their obvious discomfort. Both sets of parents could only pray that their children retained at least some information to use when the inevitable took place.

“So, the pie,” Rosalyn pointed out, cutting through the open display of affection. “What kind is it? Smells good!” 

Terry blinked twice to pull his eyes away from Patrice to look at her mother. “Uh, pecan. My mama’s special recipe.”

“Really! That’s Patrice’s favorite. What a coincidence.” 

Terry’s ears slowly turned red as he tried to laugh off Rosalyn’s observation. She winked at him and pulled the dessert from his hands, careful to return the gift on top before making her way to the food table.

Patrice nervously shifted her weight as she leaned against the counter for her first break of the morning, now hyperaware of how her body looked with a set of blue-green eyes following her every move. 

They’d matched unintentionally. Terry’s red sweater complimented Patrice’s white one with both teenagers sporting black bottoms to top off festive looks. Searching for something, anything to say, Patrice pointed at his head. 

“You decided to stop growing your hair out?” 

Terry ran a hand down the back of his fresh fade. “Yeah. My dad was on me about it. Said I looked like a hoodlum. I don’t even know what that means but I guess I don’t really need the extra cushion for the helmet now anyway.”

“Well, my opinion probably doesn’t matter, but I think it looks nice. I’ll miss the widow's peak, though. It was cute.” 

A twinkle of happiness flashed across Terry’s eyes, making his cheeks rise into a proud smile. The haircut was staying. No doubt about it.

“Thank you,” he spoke quietly, still processing the tingles rolling across his body. “You, um…you want some help? My mama showed me how to set a table. Fork on the left, right?” 

Rosalyn watched the pair watch each other with a knowing smile on her face as Terry took slow steps across the kitchen toward Patrice. He didn’t come there to set the table for a family he didn’t belong to. He came to spend a few minutes of stolen time with the only person worth existing in his small world. 

She stopped him before he could get too far. “That’s sweet of you, baby, but I don’t need too many people in my kitchen. P, you can take him to your room. You know to leave that door open. Don’t have me come back there and I can’t see what y’all are doing.”

Neither Terry nor Patrice needed the reminder but ensured they showed their understanding with head nods and verbal agreement. They’d been down this road plenty of times. Leave the door half open, answer when called, and keep your hands to yourself. The first two were easy. Resisting the desire to touch became more difficult as the days flew by. 

Patrice led the way down the hallway toward her room, making small talk before holding the door open for him to enter. The sunny orange and yellow motif hadn’t changed much since they hung out for the first time. Posters and photos of her favorite artists still lined the wall beside her bed. The sunflower plushie she called Sunny rested in its usual spot at the top of her dresser. His favorite spot in the house, a soft yellow beanbag, was empty and awaiting his arrival. He took a deep breath to inhale the birthday cake candle she kept burning on her nightstand before sliding his shoes and coat off to place them in their designated spot. 

She kissed her teeth as she flopped on the bed. “You gon’ stop havin’ your toes out in here.” 

“I should start charging you. People would pay good money to see these. Even in socks!”

“Oh yeah right. People like who? That Cierra girl in 11th grade?” 

“Here you go,” Terry groaned from his spot on the bean bag. He flipped through a random magazine beside him to avoid eye contact. “I don’t like that girl. We just hang out because Xavier talks to her friend and he be needin’ back up sometimes.”

“No way. She was wearing your jacket.”

“She took my jacket out of Zay’s car to be funny and I got it back as soon as I could find her.”

“Say swear.”  

The ultimate test. Saying swear was their way of ensuring the other was telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth. 

Terry looked up from the pages of Seventeen Magazine to look Patrice in the eye and confirm his statement. “Swear. She kinda annoying, honestly. Nice girl, but all she ever wants to talk about is reality TV and school drama.” 

“Ooooh. Terry likes a little substance in his conversations, huh,” Patrice laughed, exaggerating her words to mimic their creative writing teacher. “Let me find out you’re out here discussing Of Mice and Men without me. I’m gonna have to put my hands on you.” 

Terry scoffed at her threat. “Yeah, right. Plus, you talk about stuff without me all the time. I heard about you and Robert Mitchell kickin’ it after winter formal.” 

“That’s not what happened!” 

“Let me know what happened then.”

It was Patrice’s turn to explain herself. What started as a night between mixed friend groups turned into Terry sneaking looks at his best friend while she engaged with a guy that he frankly didn’t think was smart enough for her. He’d never share how it made him feel outside of light jabs to be annoying. 

He waited for her to stop chewing her bottom lip and respond. 

“Rob doesn’t like me. He just wanted to see if he could convince me to sneak off with him to the parking lot which I didn’t do. So he left me alone and I rode back with Vicky to spend the night. Nothing to see there, as always.” 

Terry took in her truth with equal parts sadness at the circumstance and anger at the young man bold enough to cause her pain.

“Dang, Treece, I’m sorry. I didn’t know it went like that. Want me to talk to him?” 

Patrice adjusted to sit in front of Terry at the edge of the bed. She kicked her feet as she played with her painted thumbnails. “No. I wasn’t even supposed to tell anybody. Plus, we both know that you don’t talk. Don’t need you getting in trouble because of me. Thanks, though.” 

“You don’t gotta thank me.” He was still gonna have words with Robert when he got the chance, but that was for him to know and Patrice to never find out. Trying to shift the energy, he pretended to use her fuzzy sock-covered feet as a speed bag to get a rise out of her. She rolled her eyes but allowed him to continue. “Wanna see your gift now or should I put it under the tree?”

“I’ll open mine but you gotta open your’s first? Deal?” 

“Deal.”

Terry chuckled as he watched her prance to her closet and back with an excited smile dimpling her cheeks. In her hand, she carried two gifts of differing sizes. They were expertly wrapped in shiny festive paper and a Carolina blue bow so that there was no mistaking who was the lucky recipient. 

She reclaimed her spot on the bed, setting the smaller of the two packages beside her before handing the other to Terry to grasp with two hands. “Okay, do this one first! Hurry!” 

“Alright, alright! Calm down.” Terry made a show of slowly peeling tape and wrapping paper from the large, flat object for no other reason than to watch Patrice squirm impatiently. She tried to rush him along but he wouldn’t give in. 

Their smiles grew in tandem once Terry ended his torture and revealed a framed pristine Francis Edward High School football jersey. 

He used his index finger to trace out the letters stitched to form his last name behind the glass. “How’d you get this?” 

“Coach Robinson let me have it for tutoring his daughter in Spanish. Then my auntie did the letters for free. Look at the pictures!”

Shock at seeing his name printed on a jersey for the first time distracted him from the small collage of photos neatly placed beside it. A picture from his senior night sat next to a photo from his record-setting game as a junior. Another capturing a game-winning touchdown had him reliving the memory in full color. But his favorite, a snapshot of them being crowned homecoming king and queen at midfield, made him smile. 

“Do you like it,” Patrice asked, her eyes wide and expectant as she waited for some indication of his feelings. “You can take all the stuff out if you want. This just seemed better to put on your wall at home.”

“I like it a lot, Treece. Never thought I’d have my own jersey. Especially now that the scholarships aren’t coming.” Terry looked over the gift for a few seconds more before giving her smiling face his full attention. “Thank you. Mean it.” 

She pushed her hair behind her ear and shrugged. “You’re welcome. Mean it.” They sat there, grinning and staring back at one another in silence until Rosalyn called their names for one of her periodic checks. They responded promptly before Patrice attempted to get them back on track. “C’mon. Open the last one!” 

“If I would’ve known we were going all out, I would’ve done more,” Terry spoke, preemptively apologizing for coming up short as he peeled away the crinkling paper. Patrice waved him away. They weren’t in competition. If anything, she’d gone too far in her pursuit of his happiness. 

A final rip of wrapping paper unveiled a small gift box with his name scribbled across it. He carefully lifted the lid and then closed it once he caught a glimpse of its contents. His face began to flush with incoming emotions. 

Nestled inside a plastic key chain was a photo of Terry and his maternal grandmother. His summer had been filled with dread that she may not make it through her sickness to end the year, a fear that was realized before the school year began. He’d all but camped out on her bedroom floor in complete silence, desperately searching for some reprieve from funeral arrangements and repast activities at home. 

For Patrice, it was a no-brainer to use some of her babysitting money to take a photo she’d nabbed from his MySpace profile and turn it into a keepsake. 

Terry stilled himself with a deep breath. “You’re nice when you wanna be.” 

“Yeah, well, you’re my friend and you were sad. It’s the least I could do.”

“Thanks. For real,” he whispered, holding eye contact a little longer before pointing at her gift. “Your turn. It’s only one box but there’s a lot in it. And don’t judge my wrapping skills.” 

“Too late! This bow is super cute though. I’m gonna stick it to Sunny.”

Patrice ripped through messy silver paper, discarding scraps at her feet her that Terry gathered into a small pile to throw away later. She popped the top on a white garment box and then squealed as she pulled a folded sweater from inside. 

Future Aggie. He thought the grey, blue, and yellow sweatshirt would be a fitting gift for someone finally realizing their dream of attending college. Patrice rushed to press the garment against her chest as she looked at herself in the mirror hanging on her closet door. 

She twisted and turned to see all her angles. “I’m wearing this to school on the first day back. Thank you, TJ!” 

Her announcement created a rush of emotions bursting in all directions. Something he’d purchased adorning her body? What a sight. What a feeling. 

The surprises and elated responses continued. A new journal and pens for her to use at her leisure earned him a high five. A bottle of Hollister body mist that she fawned over on one of their many trips to the mall received a wide smile and a few sprays on her new sweater. But her favorite was the gift that cost him nothing but time. 

A CD with “For Patrice” written in thick marker and Terry’s slanted handwriting caught her attention. Try as she might, Patrice couldn’t get him to spill the beans about the disc’s contents, instead pushing her to pop it into her dusty boombox and press play. 

“Uh, this is kinda weird. Recording my own voice for a CD. Feel like I should start rappin’ or something.” Patrice smiled as Terry’s voice flowed through the speaker like a late-night radio host. He listened with his eyes closed, too embarrassed to watch her reaction in real-time. “This is for you, though, Treece. Just in case we never see each other again after high school, I hope these songs are enough to remember me by. If not then all this shit was for no reason and just pretend it never happened. I’m gonna stop talkin’ now. Hope you like it.”

His introduction flowed into a collection of songs that they considered their shared favorites. 

Terry spoke up over J. Cole’s ‘Dollar and a Dream II’. “It’s for when you’re in the car and stuff since you said you hate listening to the radio. I figured you could listen to a little mix of stuff you like instead.” 

“You know I’m gonna bring this everywhere with me now, right? My mama’s car, your car, everywhere! It’s great.”

“That’s like three compliments in a row. You getting soft on me,” he laughed. “I’m wearing you down.” 

“Why can’t you ever just let the nice things happen without saying something? I’m startin’ to think you like makin’ me mad. You sick in the head, TJ.”

Justin Timberlake, T.I., and everything in between told the story of moments spent together, inside jokes, and unspoken feelings that flowed through romantic lyrics. While they listened to track after track as background music to their winding conversation, minutes turned into hours. 

Terry had seen all of Patrice’s other gifts, taken pictures on her brand-new digital camera, taste-tested a few pieces of her aunt’s pound cake, and found time to play a few rounds of the newest Dragon Ball Z game with Junior without the passage of time ever registering in his brain. 

In Junior’s dark, dingy cave he called a bedroom, Patrice and Terry sat next to each other on the floor half paying attention to the television while her brother played video games and half fiddling with the directions and pieces from his newest Lego set. 

Leon knocked twice and poked his head into the room with the family phone in his hand. “Son, your mama’s on the phone. She said she’s been calling your cell phone looking for you.” 

Terry’s eyes widened at the realization that he’d left the small device in his coat pocket across the hall. He scrambled to his feet, limbs flailing and socks twisting as he rushed to grab the phone from Mr. Ellis before the older man stepped away to tend to other business. 

“Ma, I’m sorry!” 

“Terrence James, if you weren’t somewhere that I know for a fact is safe, I would kill you! What goes on between those ears of yours?”

Patrice winced at the non-stop yelling coming from the other end while Terry tried to listen with a poker face. She couldn’t make out all the details of his incoming punishment, but she could tell by the way the call ended that he wouldn’t be enjoying time away from home any time soon. 

Terry hung up and bit his bottom lip as he turned to Patrice. 

“How bad?” 

He shrugged. “Not that bad. She was just worried. I do have to go soon though. My uncle will be here in like 10 minutes.” 

“I mean I didn’t wanna have to be the one to kick you out, but…”

Their loud laughter at Patrice’s joke was enough to get them unceremoniously ousted from Junior’s bedroom with the door shut tight behind them before they could fully re-enter the hallway. Patrice followed Terry back into her room and watched him gather his belongings.

“My cousin Imani is coming later today. I wish y’all could’ve met each other. She’s silly like you.” 

“Yeah,” Terry questioned as he tied his sneakers. “Maybe I could try and come over tomorrow?” 

“That’s okay. You’re already in trouble. I don’t wanna make it worse. Maybe we can all hang out for Spring Break or something.” Terry looked up from his task to smile at Patrice until she mirrored his expression while rolling her eyes. “What are you smiling at?” 

“You.” 

“Why? What did I do?” 

“Just be you.”

Terry wished there was a mistletoe somewhere in the room to aid his cause. If only there were a reason to press his lips to hers as the cherry on top of the scariest confession he’d ever made. Or near confession. He couldn’t tell if his words had made the desired impact until Patrice slowly shook her head. 

She began laughing as she handed over his coat. “You sure you don’t wanna switch your major from math to English since you always talkin’ in riddles?” 

“I know what I be sayin’, you just don’t know,” he laughed to play off his blunder. 

“That completely defeats the purpose of a conversation.”

Patrice waited until he was finished securing the zippers and buttons on his coat before throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him close. Terry stood stunned for a beat, too caught off guard to reciprocate her affection until a switch flipped in his brain to snap him back into reality. 

He jammed his one hand into his pocket while his free arm snaked around her waist to avoid breaching an unspoken boundary. 

“Thanks for coming here this morning. Gift or not, it was fun to have you around,” she spoke over his shoulder. 

He smiled though she couldn’t see. “I know how much you love Christmas so, of course. It was fun being around. I like being with you.” 

Terry held his breath as Patrice slowly pulled away for a look at his face. Her eyes scanned for some indication that he was telling a joke or simply being annoying but found nothing but sincerity in those intense blue-green eyes she’d learned to read. 

A glimpse at his lips made her subconsciously run her tongue over the bottom of her set. Her heart raced. His hand slowly exited his pocket to find a home on her hip. They leaned forward in sync, both of them closing their eyes for whatever came next. 

“Terrence! Your uncle is outside! Get your stuff, baby!” 

Though she couldn’t possibly know the magic unfolding in her daughter’s bedroom, Rosalyn had successfully thwarted an attempt to further break the third rule. 

The pair repelled like opposite ends of a magnet until they were back at their respective ends of the room. Patrice pretended to take an interest in the purses hanging on the back of her door while Terry quickly gathered his gifts. 

He fumbled with the packages on his way out of the door, timidly inching past Patrice in hopes that she would speak to him one more time. 

“See you later.”

“I guess I should go.” 

Words overlapped in a harsh head-on collision, making them both shrink away in embarrassment. Terry chucked and took the lead. “Ladies first.” 

Patrice adjusted the hood on his coat and smiled. “I was just gonna say Merry Christmas, TJ. I hope you got everything you wanted.” 

“Merry Christmas, Treece. This is probably the best one I’ve ever had. Even if my mama is gonna rip my head off when I get home.”

“She definitely will. I’m sorry.”

“It’s cool.”

Patrice didn’t respond with words. She offered him a sweet smile as her thumb brushed stray cake crumbs from the corner of his mouth. Another holler of his name from the kitchen forced him out of her orbit and back into the cold with Patrice hot on his heels. 

She bid him farewell from the front door, watching until the champagne-colored Honda was out of sight and Terry was just the faint smell of cologne far too adult for him on her sweater and the memory causing goosebumps on her arms. 

When Patrice turned to finally retreat back into her room, Rosalyn stood at the threshold smiling at her daughter.

“You two have fun?”

Patrice put her head down to hide the wide smile spreading across her face as she sped past her mother. “It was okay. Did Auntie Mae make the mac and cheese yet? I’m gonna get some.”

“Make sure you wash those hands, young lady,” she called after Patrice. 

The spice of expensive cologne left a trail of secrets in her wake. Rosalyn inhaled deeply and shook her head. 

They’d need a refresher on the rules before New Year’s Eve.

-----

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[zephyr-ro-emenki]

Random Batfam Headcanon's #15:

(continuation of Headcanon #12)

One of Steph's personal favorite posts was a video she posted titled "Ranking my Father(in-law)'s former lovers" and she has an entire Tier maker list created, that doesn't use any real pictures of the Lovers, just out of context photos that only people in the know would know.

Selina's picture is just a random picture of her actual Cats ("She's Chatty, she's able to help me whenever I forget my Keys, She's able to Acquire the best Christmas presents! A Tier.")

Thalia's is a picture of the stereotypical Witches Cauldron filled with a green liquid ("She's Rich, she has an army of Assassins at her beck and call, Dad was apparently Happy when he was with her??? Unfortunately, she's in a very patriarchal dominant home life with her birth family, her father forcibly broke off the relationship, and she STILL hasn't sent me a Birthday Gift!!! C Tier. Buuuutttt she mothered the current Robin, so, for him, I'll bump her up to a B.")

Harvey's picture was just a ¢50 piece she found while walking around that had a lot of grime on one half of the coin ("I'm not fully sure about this one, I never met them when they were sane, but apparently they were really good friends. It's not going so well now, so I'll put it at a C Tier.")

Harley's Photo was literally just a Selfie of Steph with Harley's Jacket draped over her head ("This one is being put into an immediate D Tier, not because they weren't Wholesome (I've heard stories), but Because she is finally happy and in a stable relationship with her own Girlfriend, and honestly me and my own relationship partner view them as Goals for our own relationship. She's also currently his therapist, so D Tier.")

Steph was completely silent as she moved The random Image of a Joker Card to a Tier Below F titled "The most Toxic relationship you will ever see"

The internet exploded when people noticed the 2 images at S Tier, one of them being Wonder Woman's Logo, and the other being Superman's iconic S emblem, but a pair of wedding bands were laid atop the S. ("Look, Princess {referring to the WW Logo} is both his second eldest's favorite person in the world, but she is also the biggest female goal any of us can have. They are adorable, they are funny, this man had to serenade a group of people just so he can save her ass. If that's not love, what is? S Tier. Now, as for the Couple {referring to the Superman Logo}, Dad has somehow been shepherded into an existing relationship, and I think the wife in that relationship just assumed that they also got our dad as a package deal with her own legal husband. Yes, they had THAT bad of a pining for each other. I, sadly, was not around to see the forming of the relationship, but it was reportedly the most awkward 3 years of Coworkers pining after each other anybody has ever seen, and if it wasn't for the Couples Youngest inheriting the "special trait" of the husband of that relationship, we'd be sat here questioning who the father was. It's also, like, the biggest bragging right, so S Tier.")

And then finally there was just a picture of a Bat. ("This man has an almost unhealthy relationship with the Bats in his mancave. He's named all of them. Well, his eldest named all of the original ones, he's just... Continued to name all the new one's that migrate into the cave?? He gets them vaccinated and takes them to the Vet??? B Tier, I'm putting them above Robin's Mom.")

[kykyonthemoon]

Where The Osmanthus Whispers

In another universe where you and Zayne grew up together without ever being apart, you have the chance to celebrate his birthday with him.

Happy birthday to our dear Zayne!

── .✦ Zayne x F.Reader (MC)

── .✦ Tags: AU, fluff, sweet, trope: childhood friends to lovers, really soft fluff, i was literally melting while writing this piece, birthday fic

── .✦ Word count: 2k2

── .✦ Ky Ky's notes: This fic was inspired by Zayne's birthday card "Eternal Attachment", especially the part where he and MC imagined what would happen if they grew up together.

For all the Zayne's girlies out there, I wish you have a blast on his birthday and all the days to come.

── .✦ Masterlist ♡ Request a fic - closed for the time being.

Where The Osmanthus Whispers

"Thank you for taking care of our boy, as well as celebrating his birthday with him on our behalf."

You responded to the two individuals on the laptop screen, saying: 

"It's nothing to worry about at all."

"Every year, we are fortunate to have you there. Otherwise, we can't bring ourselves to relax. Even though Zayne is a grown-up, taking care of his health and spending time dating are still things that concern the two of us the most."

When you were unsure of how you should respond, Zayne's mother piped up: 

"Oh my! Why did you mention that? Look how she's blushing! Surely they're really happy together, right, dear?" 

Auntie immediately turned around and asked, startling you. You attempted to clarify: 

"Ah, the truth is we aren't..."

"I know you'll take excellent care of Zayne. But hey, if he does anything to upset you, make sure to call and let me know! I will always stand by your side!”

"Auntie, we are not—"

"That is all!" We have to go now. We entrust Zayne's birthday celebration to you again this year!"

"—dating…"

Beep. Beep. Beep.

You grumbled and glanced at the screen where the call had just ended. Zayne's parents traveled away from home for business, but every year they sent him presents from the places they visited. This year, as previous ones, the present package was delivered to your address. Surely Zayne's parents knew he was too busy at the hospital all day and night to return home, so they sent it to you instead.

Every year, it was just you and Zayne celebrating his birthday together. When you were children and his family was still around, you went to his house to celebrate. Now that he had grown up, Zayne no longer wanted to throw large parties. Sometimes he even forgot his own birthday. If it were not for the wishes and presents from his parents, or the cake you brought to his place, he would probably let the anniversary slip away into oblivion.

Come to think of it, Zayne's present was sent to you, his birthday party was organized by you, his parents somehow always assumed you two were dating... If only it were like that!

You reclined back on the sofa and turned on your phone. The first name that appeared on its contact list was invariably Zayne. You tapped the call button.

After a ring, Dr. Zayne's face emerged. He was not in the office, and the scene behind him made it clear he was in the hospital cafeteria.

“I'm here.”

You smiled as a greeting. “Is Doctor Zayne on his lunch break?”

“Several colleagues invited me to lunch. What about you? Not skipping lunch, are you?”

“Nope.” You replied. “Your parents have just called. Your present has also arrived at my door."

The corner of Zayne's mouth, which was always straight, curled up a bit before swiftly returning to its natural shape. But you managed to capture that moment. 

“I will fetch it after work.”

“Hello, Doctor Zayne! Can I ask you something about this morning's meeting?” A female voice sounded very close. That was not Yvonne's. Zayne nodded back to the person whose face you could not see, then he said to you:

“Is there anything else you want to share with me?”

"No." You answered a bit bluntly. Something ugly and unpleasant began to awaken in your mind. 

“I'll see you later then.” 

Zayne spoke. Then the screen switched off. You laid down on the sofa and glanced up at the ceiling, mind buzzing with the conversation at Akso Hospital a few days before.

Long story short, you were telling Nurse Yvonne about your plans for a celebration on Zayne's birthday. Greyson overheard it and volunteered to help. During the discussion, he mentioned:

“Recently there have been a lot of female interns coming to the hospital. They all appear to be big fans of Doctor Zayne. Aren’t you jealous?"

"Erm…" You were confused for a second. 

Greyson shook his head, as if he had no choice but to deal with the situation. "You're too subjective. Although Dr. Zayne is incredibly devoted and trustworthy, a little jealousy like this may spice things up and bring the two of you even closer to each other."

“I… Wait, what are you talking about?…”

After then, you were forced to spend half an hour listening to Greyson as the "guru" of your relationship with Zayne. Apparently, he, like everyone else, believed you and Doctor Zayne were romantically involved. You attempted to find a way to clarify it, but Greyson did not give you a chance. So you wondered how a person who claimed to know so much about love like himself could still be single.

In your room, you rolled back and forth on the sofa. At last, you decided to stop being concerned about it and focus on arranging Zayne's birthday party, which was just around the corner.

Everything went according to plan. Even Zayne, who was undoubtedly aware of the surprise party planned for him, followed your requests in a more obedient way. Thanks to the help of Doctors Riley, Greyson and Yvonne, the birthday party at the villa in the woodland happened especially warm and pleasant. Zayne was also genuinely delighted.

But it was not the only present you had prepared for him. As a child, Zayne's parents once told him, "The blessing given to you by the first stranger you meet on your birthday will supposedly come true". That was why you made the effort to ensure that the first person he saw on his birthday morning every year was you. This year was no different.

Zayne arrived at the destination on time. The modest food truck you rented in the forest was stocked with sweets and pastries. Zayne sampled all of the treats, but his absolute favorite was the frosted sugar cookies that you made by yourself. Following that, he proposed that you two go for a stroll around.

The osmanthus woodland was dyed yellow. The mellow fall sunlight, along with the crisp air, was quite pleasant. The dry leaves rustled under your feet as you ventured alongside Zayne. After a time, you decided to break the stillness:

“Last night, I dreamed of something very strange.”

Zayne slowed down and looked at you, wondering: "Is there any dream of yours that isn't strange?"

You threw him a glance, then laughed:

“It really was! Well, I dreamed of us in another world. There, Zayne moved far away from me when he was a child. We didn't keep in touch anymore. When we grew up, you became Doctor Zayne, and I was your patient.”

Zayne remained silent so you could finish your narrative, but he gazed at you as if he were anxious that your dream would come true and the two of you would be separated for a prolonged amount of time.

"In my dream, I always regretted not being with Zayne on your birthdays... But, if we really lost contact with each other many years ago, do you think we would see each other again?”

"Of course." Zayne responded without thinking too much. "Because of your negligence and lack of knowledge about health care, you would most likely need to visit the hospital on a regular basis. Then we would meet again."

You frowned. "Look who's talking! Last year, you tried to work on your birthday. It wasn't until late at night that you returned home to celebrate with me. If you didn't get a break this year, you'd definitely spend the entire day at the hospital, right?"

Zayne's footsteps came to an absolute halt. You had both just arrived at the lakeshore. Sunlight and osmanthus flowers appeared to pour gold into the lake. Shimmering. He turned to you and replied:

"Since someone took the trouble to organize a big birthday celebration for me, I must participate wholeheartedly. Otherwise, she would be extremely sad."

You smiled.

“I know that Doctor Zayne constantly prioritizes the health of others. But to me, your health is equally important. Come to think of it... The me in that dream didn't get to celebrate birthday with Zayne every year... She had many regrets. If we hadn't grown up together, things would be very different now, right?"

“That's right,” Zayne replied, “The me in your dreams would not have someone to celebrate his birthday with every year. The box containing his presents from someone important would be empty. No one would ask him to help with homework but ended up falling asleep instead. He would not know who to comfort with ice cream. His sleeves would not get wet because someone's hand was holding too tightly when they went to the beach for fireworks together. His shadow beneath the moon would be very lonely on the long road..."

Zayne hesitated. He reached out to pick up the yellow blossom that had just fallen onto your hair. 

“But even so, he would try hard to see his childhood friend again. They would be together again, making up for all the regrets during the time they were apart. They would always have each other in the later years. Just as we are now.”

For a moment there, you were unsure of what to say. Emotions surged in your heart, driving you to cry. You suppressed it, turned to face the lake and said:

“I really admire the me in that dream. Because she was free to express her feelings to Zayne… Because she wasn't…”

"Wasn't?" Zayne inquired out of curiosity.

"Nothing. I'm just wondering, if we weren't friends who grew up together, would things be clearer? For instance,... your parents, colleagues, classmates, patients, and others would not misunderstand the relationship between us..."

"Misunderstand?"

Confusion appeared on Zayne's face. You observed a golden flower descending onto his hair. Standing on tiptoe, you assisted him in taking it down. All of a sudden, Zayne grabbed your wrist. His eyes locked with you.

“Are you saying others are misunderstanding us?”

"Yes." You responded quietly. “They think we're… well… dating.”

“Are we not?”

"Huh?!"

The wind whistled. Flowers and leaves rustled together. Above your head, below your feet. But the sound of your heart beating was louder and clearer than anything. Zayne's hand traveled gently around your wrist, eventually grasping the osmanthus flower you were holding. He separated your fingers so that they would interlace with his.

"In the past, when I was about to leave home to attend a far-away school, there was a girl who gathered all of her courage to tell me this, 'Zayne, don't date anyone! I'll grow up soon! Wait for me!’ I kept my word to her. But it appears she has already forgotten what she told me."

The skin on your face was heated. You made an effort to turn away to hide your shyness, but Zayne frantically ran his hand through your hair, keeping your face toward him. You muttered:

"I was still a kid at that time... You skipped many grades and transferred to Linkon… I was so afraid we wouldn't be able to see each other anymore…”

You had said those words, that you wanted Zayne to wait until you grew up. You did not dare to consider the possibility that he would grow up before you did and eventually date someone else. You would no longer be able to be with him. Those childish words of yours were still kept in his heart until this moment.

“That's why I tried to study hard and looked forward to visiting you every weekend. I waited until you graduated, until you started your career. I counted every day off to be by your side. I don't expect you to recall what you said to me in our childhood. But, given how you are always at my side, taking care of me, and sharing your life with me, I assumed everything was obvious by now. That we belong together.”

“Well…” You tried to reorganize the words in your tangled emotions. Zayne and you had always been together like this. You had long been more than just friends. But you were always terrified of crossing that boundary just to discover he would not have the same feelings for you. The bridge of your nose burned slightly as you pressed your face against Zayne's massive palm, which had always protected you.

"I regret not expressing my feelings properly to you sooner." Zayne spoke gently. He took a step forward and hugged you. “Honestly, I am not good with words. I believed that simply being close to you was enough to convey my feelings. But it concerned you even more, which was not my intention."

You smiled softly, arms wrapping around Zayne's back.

"I wasn't certain I was that special in Zayne's heart. So I kept hesitating, doubting you, doubting myself... Now I understand. I know that I am able to freely express my feelings to you, just like the girl in my dream. Thank you, Zayne.”

Zayne's breath merged with yours, carrying the aroma of osmanthus and pastries. He whispered:

“Then I should learn to express my emotions even more. Starting now.”

Zayne's golden gaze focused on the corner of your lips. His fingers caressed your face in such a delicate manner. You smiled, eyelids half-closed. He leaned down to offer you the most tender kiss of all. Osmanthus blossoms fluttered in the breeze, delivering to you and Zayne the blessings of autumn.

[luvyeni]

( SPOOKTOBER ) magic doll ! 🎞️ 一 이소희 ՞

𝓟 airings. doll!sohee x fem!reader wc. 3.5k

🕸️◞ WARNINGS. sub!sohee, oral ( reader. receiving ), unprotected sex, riding, handjobs

「 ♱ authors note 」 happy day 6 !! probably like the third weirdest thing i've written , but i like it , hope you do too <3

“happy birthday!” your friend cheered over the phone. “it's 9 pm aren't you a bit late?” she scoffed. “hey i was busy!” she said. “now what do you say?” you sighed. “thank you.” she hummed, “that's rights , now tell me what you did for your birthday?”

“i went to work and came home.” you said , staring at the tv channel surfing. “are you serious yn?” she said. “you're so boring.” she whined. “where was i gonna go?” you asked. “out yn , out.” she said. “all you do is work and go home to your lonely house.” you scoffed. “maybe i like it like that.” you said. “well maybe you could every once and while bring a guy home to that big house of yours.”

“why would i bring a stranger to my house?” you said. “to cook them dinner.” she said sarcastically. “what else yn? to fuck them yn , to fuck them.” she said so crudely. “you need to get some dick.” you cringed. “bad dick isn't what i need.” you argued , she was about to say something when your doorbell rang. “hold on, someone is ringing my bell.”

“it's 9 pm who the hell could that be?” she said. “a guy?” you could hear her smirk. “i damn sure wouldn't be talking to you if it was a guy.” you looked through your security camera. “who is it?”

“package!” you don't remember ordering anything. “what did you order now you addict?” she said. “nothing i remember.” you pressed the button. “what's the name on the address?” he read your address and your name. “um leave it on the door i guess.” you were not about to open the door late at night for a strange man claiming to be a delivery person. “it's in my truck , it's kinda big.” he said. “how big?” your friend asked.

it was huge. “what is it?” your friend said , you had sent her a picture of the tall box. “i don't know.” you said. “where did it say it was from?” you searched for the sticker , reading the sticker. “the fuck?” you said , making sure to read it over again. “what? what? who is it from?” she said. “my aunt.” you said. “Oh!” your friend said. “it's probably a birthday gift , it is your birthday today.” she said in a duh tone. “she probably hadn't sent so it would be here by your birthday, you did say y'all were close right?”

she was correct; you and your aunt had been very close, but there was a problem with this gift. “she's dead?” your friend said. “yeah , she died a year ago , it was cancer.” you remember the horrible passing of your aunt , you cried for days , you both had always been close to her , she had no children so she always doted on you , it crushed you when she passed. “so how the hell is she sending you presents?”

“how the hell am i supposed to know?” you said. “not like i have speed doll number to god so i can ask her.” you examined the box. “you think your mother might know?” she said. “maybe it was a gift that was supposed to be given to you now.” she said. “hold on, give me a moment.” you said. “i'll call you back.” you hung up , dialing your mother's numbers. “hello my daughter , who's also a year older today.”

“hello mother.” you smiled. “can you not call me? are you always so busy?” you rolled your eyes. “sorry mom , but i actually have a question.” you said. “what is it my beautiful babygirl?” she said. “i got a package today , from auntie.” you said. “how?” she responded confused. “i was hoping you could tell me , maybe it was something from her estate?”

“everything that she was giving out was given to everyone im sure.” she said. “oh wait not everything.” she said. “what was it? and it it freakishly large?” you asked. “well you knew your auntie was a collector of things.” she started. “another word for horder , but yes.” you loved the lady but you never went to hers for visits , she always came to you. “well she was also a collector- a horder- yn.” you smiled , “sorry.”

“she was a collector of dolls.” she said. “dolls?” you asked. “this can't be a doll.” you said. “the box is taller than me.” you said , looking at the box. “your aunt had many dolls , especially towards the end of her life , she had many dolls that she treated like her children , doctors told us not to worry it was just her way of coping with her death and never having children.” she said. “there's only one way to know.”

“open it up."

“a doll?” your friend said, you had opened up the box , and there in all it's creepy fuckin glory , a doll. “it's a doll.” she said. “a boy doll.” you said , he stood up in the box; so life like , but his glazed over eyes showed no life inside them. “he doesn't appear to be old , he looks pretty new.” you opened the box. “there's a note , attached to him.” you said. “read it.” you cringed. “i’m almost scared to touch him.” you quickly grabbed the note. “what does it say?”

'to. yn , this may come as a surprise , it was a surprise to us when we saw the doll when we moved in a month ago , the lady of the house kept this doll in one of the rooms , and she left this with a note , instructing to send this specifically on a certain day , so it will get there by today — im guessing it's your birthday , i hope it gets there safely x.'

“so she gave you a doll for your 22 birthday?” your friend said. “a life size boy doll.” she trailed off. “even at the end of her life she knew you'd be alone.” you scoffed. “what a generous women , even to the end.” rolling your eyes as she laughed. “you're a bitch you know that?”

“what? i mean come on.” she said. “im hanging up now .” she continued to laugh. “yeah , go enjoy the night with your new doll , love you.” hanging up , you laughed at your current reality. “what am i gonna do?” you looked at the doll. “where am i gonna put you?”

“what the hell?” you tried to lift the doll from it's box; keyword being tried , the doll was heavy. “must be one of those dolls filled with sand.” you grunted , dragging the doll to your livingroom couch , sitting it up on the furniture. “what made her think i would want this?” you looked up at the ceiling. “did you really think i would be alone this long?” you inspected the doll , he was wearing clothes that were a new— did the new house owners change him? “what the hell?” he was so life like , but his face was cold , and his eyes doll like. “i'm getting creeped out.” you shivered. “maybe i should go to bed.” you stared at it. “i don't think i would be a to sleep tonight with you here.”

you were sleeping peacefully when there was a loud crash , you gasped awake , shooting up. “huh?” you groggily rubbed your eyes. you threw your feet over the bed , yawning as you put your feet in your slippers , making your way to the bathroom; after doing your business you made your way downstairs for something to drink; the broken plate being the first thing you saw. “penelope , i told you to not climb on the counters look what you did.” the cat meowed , not paying you any mind. “now i have to clean it up.”

after cleaning the glass , and drinking your water , you made your way to the steps.

“oh shit!” you jumped seeing the figure sitting on the couch. “hell you scared me.” you grabbed your chest. “why do i keep talking to you like you're alive?” you walked over to the doll who was still sitting there. “maybe im going crazy.” you said , the doll just sat there, as a doll should. “you are a cute doll.” you said , running your fingers down it's face , threading your fingers through his hair. “i wouldn't reckon you wouldn't want to lay down?” you laughed , your cat meowing. “he would wouldn't he penelope?”

you chuckled as you laid the doll down on the couch. “i wonder how many she has like this?” your eyes widened. “oh my god am i gonna get a new one every year like you?” you said. “this is like living with a human , i can't live with more than one of , as cute as you are , you're terrifying.” you stood up. “well it's time to go to bed , come on penelope , time for bed.”

making your way back upstairs; laying back down finally for the night , penelope purring beside you.

…

“no anton you're supposed to do it.” you spoke on the phone , throwing your shoes off to the side as you entered your house. “no i can't get an extension , it needs to be sent in tonight by midnight.” you unbuttoned your shirt , opening up the fridge for a drink that you so desperately needed. “i do know what time it is , that's why i can't understand why you're still on the phone with me?”

“goodnight anton.” you sighed , taking a sip of your wine. “i need a bath.” you finished the glass, grabbing the bottle , heading up to your room , something catching your eye. “huh?” you spin around, the doll still there— now sitting up.

you certainly don't remember doing that; maybe you did this morning and don't remember , you were yelling at anton over the phone , you could've just done it subconsciously. “penelope im gonna take a bath , you watch him for me yeah?” the cat meowed , you smiled , before walking up the steps , noticing your door was wide open , walking in some things were rummaged through. “jesus anton must've pissed me off this morning.” you said , going into your bathroom , turning on the hot water.

after adding some bubbles and lighting some candles , and dimming the lights , you stripped yourself of your clothes , stepping into the warm water; you moaned in satisfaction as your sore muscles began to unloosen , the stress of the day running off of you as you close your eyes , smiling to yourself as you took a sip of wine — so unaware of of the lurking eyes , peaking through the crack.

you lathered your loofah in soap; moving it throughout your body, washing your body with your calming soap; you began to feel sleepy , the soap working in effect; turning the water off , washing the soap off before standing up, stepping out of the tub , wrapping a towel around your body , penelope meowing over and over.

“pen?” she didn't stop when you called her name , you heard her knock something over. “pen , baby what are you doing?” you sighed , you just wanted to go to bed , reaching for the door knob , pulled the door open. “what is going on with you?” your cat perched up on the window. “why are you so upset?”

you began to walk over to the side where the cat was , when you noticed something. a pair of feet, then legs— and then you were backing up. “penelope , baby come here.” you weakly called for her. “come here baby.” of all times she didn't listen to you , now wouldn't be the time.

you didn't have time to call her again , because the damn legs began to move , you screamed and the person shot up— well that's what it looks like. “don't run.” your eyes were deceiving you , there's no way this was happening , that doll that was supposed to be sitting on your damn couch was now getting up off the floor , with your panties on his head. “don't scream.”

“you-you're alive.” you stuttered. “well yeah you could say that.” he said. “oh my god , you're talking.” you breathed. “dolls don't talk.” paralyzed with fear. “well they do if they're magic.” you were dreaming , that was the obvious choice , pinching your arm; you'll wake up back in the tub. “hey you'll hurt yourself if you do that.” he was fully standing now. “why am i not waking up?” you questioned. “well that's because you aren't sleep.”

you weren't dreaming; this was really happening. “your aunt told me you were a nice girl.” your aunt. “she's been dead for years.” you said. “yeah i know.” he said. “but before she died , she took care of me.” he said. “took care of you?” you said. “you’re a doll.” you said. “well yeah , but i’m a magic doll.” he said. “ma-magic.”

“before your aunt died , she got into magic.” he said. “she found a spell and brought me to life to keep her company , well sorta , im still a doll , she wasn't that good of a witch , she messed up a few words.” he laughed. “oh i must be high , that soap must have something in it.” you said. “why do you seem so surprised, she told me she told you about the magic and what she did.”

“she said a lot of things , my aunt was on meds before she died , i thought she was high!” you shouted. “how many dolls did she do this to?” how many more live dolls were coming to your door? “only me , i swear , she only wanted it to keep her company.” he said. “she didn't want to change me back , so she said she'd send me to you.” he smiled. “why?”

“because she said she only trusted you , and that i could keep you company.” he looked around. “and it seems like you need it , you know you talk to your cat a lot.” you scoffed. “i won't be lectured by pinocchio.” you said stoically. “not pinocchio!” he jumped up. “sorry chucky.” you scoffed. “you're mean.”

“there's an almost 6 foot living doll standing in my room , with my panties on his head , i think i have the right to be a little mean.” you said. “wait , why are my panties on your head?” you asked. “um.” he coughed. “you did this , you were rummaging through my things.” you said. “i got bored , your aunt never left the house so she was with me 24 hours , you left me here for hours with that thing.’’ he pointed to penelope , “who scratches by the way.”

“put those down.” you snatched your panties from his hand , looking for a shirt. “you have a name?” you asked , turning around “close your eyes perv.” you said. “i saw you in the in the tub already.” you scoffed. “sohee , she named me sohee.” he said. “are you gonna send me away?” he asked. “where?” you asked , now in clothed , well barely , sitting down at your desk. “there's no where to send you.” you said. “i can be of help.”

“can you pay rent?” he chuckled. “well no i can't do that , but i can clean , and cook.” he said. “oh! and look over that thing while you're at work.” he pointing to your cat , your phone ping on your desk you got up , sighing. “can you write a report?” he shook his head no. “what is that?” he said , you laughed. “nothing.”

“anton i sent it to you , you just have to finish it , it's only 2 pages — i don't care how you do it , it's 10:30 pm i am off the clock , don't call me until tomorrow.” you hung up slamming your phone on the table. “who's anton?” you jumped , forgetting the doll sitting on your bed. “jesus! why haven't you moved?”

“he your boyfriend?” you shook your head. “no my assistant that i haven't fired yet because as mad and lazy as he is , he's the best assistant i’ve had so far.” you rubbed your temples. “you seemed stressed.” he said. “i can help with stressed.”

“you give massages?” you rubbed your shoulders in pain. “yes , i do.” he said. “but i didn't mean that.” before you could question him , he was already on his knees. “whoa! what are you doing?” you asked. “well your aunt prepared me for this , she said girls your age like this.” he grabbed your knees , you clenched them shut. “um , i-its okay.” you gulped , him being down there was enough to make you heavily consider it , it had been a long time since you had gotten anything.

“i don't mind it.” he said , pushing your legs open , you weren't wearing pants , only underwear. “i'm here for you , the keep you company.” he kissed your through your underwear , you gasped , grabbing his hair. “this is weird.” you moaned. “you're a doll.” he pulled away. “not fully.” he pulled your panties to the side. “it's much prettier in person than on videos.” he breathed in your scent. “you smell good.” you felt the warmth of his tongue on your cunt. “taste good too , i don't eat food , but if it's all this good i might consider.”

grabbing his , pushing the dolls face further in between your legs. “fu-fuck , please stop talking.” you moaned , his tongue flattenjng as he licked up and down your folds , you moaned. “fuck , why are you so good at this.” this gave the doll the encouragement to keep going. “sh-shit , use your tongue.” you felt his tongue prodding your hole. “good boy.” you moaned , thrusting your hips up , meeting his tongue. “fu-fuck sohee.”

the boy-doll pulled away from your cunt , bringing one of his life like fingers to your clit , rubbing , pushing a finger inside , curling them inside you. “you're twitching so much.” he said. “you're gonna cum aren't you?” his eyes wide. “i always wondered if it's like the movies i saw.” you gasped out. “so-sohee.” you moaned. “you can cum , please i want to see it.

he was holding your legs open , watching with wonder as you twitched in the chair above him , cumming all over his fingers with loud moan. “fuck!” he pulled his fingers out , you sat in the chair confused. “do you want more?” he asked , standing up. “i can give you more.” he said.

you were soon staring at his clearly hard cock after he took his clothes off , laying down on the bed. “you can use me.” he said. “you know to relieve stress.” you had come this far with the doll , and you were so horny , you only took a second to rethink everything up until now , before you were climbing into his lap holding his shoulders, sinking down on his lap. “fu-fuck.” you moaned. “do-does that feel good?” sohee said , he never felt this before, he only ever watched the videos , he never took care of the the problem. “so-so good.”

you grinded your hips back and forth. “i-i like this.” he stuttered. “yeah?” you moaned. “y-yeah , it feels nice.” he moaned. “wh-why does it feel so good.” he shakenly held your hips. “i'm -fuck- i'm gonna go faster okay?” he nodded. “please , can you please go faster.” his glazed over doll like eyes were now more human like , and filled with lust. “ok-okay.”

you speed your movements ups , he moaned louder. “ca-can you pull my hair like before?” you nodded , pulling the strands , he groaned. “you like it?” you bounced on his lap. “ye-yes , pl-please keep doing that , pl-please.” he begged. “i like it so much.”

you could feel yourself about to cum , you took the dolls hand , bringing it to your boob. “squeeze.” you gasped , he obeyed , squeezing your boob. “a-are you gonna cum?” he said. “y-yeah.” You moaned. “pl-please cum , i wanna see it.” you bounced a few more time , sitting down on him fully as you came ; climbing off of him grabbing the base of his cock , stroking it until he came over your hand.

sohee gasped as the white substance shot from his cock ; a feeling he'd never felt before , but he'd sure want to do it again , only with you though , only you could make him feel like this in his mind. “you okay?” you asked , he smiled nodded. “i liked it , so much , i never felt like that before.” the doll said , still full of energy. “you watched videos you said , you never you know.”

he looked at you confused. “touched yourself?” he shook himself. “oh no , i didn't , does it feel like what you just did?” you shrugged. “well in my case no , i don't have a cock so i wouldn't know , but i assume it's the same.” you said. “well if it down feel like how you do it , then i don't want to it.” he said , you laughed. “sohee i can't do that every day , it hurts my legs.”

“well then i can watch more videos and learn how to do it in a different way just for you.” he said. “can i stay up here with you , it's cold down there and that thing keeps scratching me.” you laughed.

“sure , it's been a long time since i sleep with a doll in my bed.”

©LUVYENI

[saltynatto]

“i bought one for you too!” — gojo satoru.

contents. shy satoru (ooc satoru); all fluff, no smut; this is intended to be adorable.

natsu : i literally wrote this drabble when i was supposed to be studying for my final exams! ⊙﹏⊙ one minute i was revising the heck outta myself, and another minute i was typing this on my phone! anyway, this was just something i whipped up after not writing anything for so long. it might be a little rusty, and i might edit here and there whenever i reread it again. hope you enjoy!

“... i bought one for you too! here's haribo— the sour one you love. here's your strawberry pocky. here's your twix. and here's your sprite— i wish you would choose 7up more though, they're better. and here is... your cadbury!” he claps his hands in excitement after showing you a haul of what he got from the convenience store.

gojo satoru, the adorable nerd you recently got to befriend with because of an assignment then takes a seat beside you, pushing aside the snacks to make room for his laptop and books he fished out from his backpack. you eye everything he brought to your study session with a growing adoration in your heart, especially after such an adorable haul, and now you have to hold your urge to kiss his cheeks as your offer of gratitude.

“thank you, toru”, you give him a small, appreciative smile as you reach for the sprite, which is the only thing you asked from him, clicking it open with your fingers. “but honestly, you don't have to bring this much for me. i'll pay you back later, okay?”

he stills from ripping the packaging of the strawberry pocky, turning to face you slowly with a jut out bottom lip. “wha—why? don't you like them? :(”

in response, you quickly swats your hand dismissively. “no, no, that's not what i meant” you gulp slightly, no wanting to make him beat himself, especially after such a kind gesture. “i mean, these sure are a lot. is it okay for you?”

his pout immediately falters, which is quickly being replaced with a determined expression as he responds with a vigorous nod of his head. “sure! i mean, i have to buy you some too if im gonna buy them for myself”

he then pulls a stick of pocky and munches on it. “i just thought that would be the least i could do for you. after all, you gave me a complete set of kimi ni todoke mangas for my birthday the other day”

you gape slightly. so he figures it was you that sent the manga set to his house. a smile blooms wider on your lips. he's endearing, and you can't help but to stare as he munches happily on his snacks, all the while having his free hand flipping through the book.

so he likes my gift, you whisper, and a sense of happiness washes all over you.

he whips his head when he notices your stare. his blue eyes peeking behind silver, thin-rimmed glasses that's sliding down the bridge of his perfectly curated nose. he tilts his head, his eyes belying the confusion he feels when he meets your gaze, wondering what makes you staring that intently at him.

he wants to say something, or at least try to tease you for being awed by his face, but the more he gets stared at by that mesmerizing eyes of yours, he gets nervous under your gaze.

baby boy is quick to fiddle with the paws of his sweater, averting his eyes elsewhere, just so he could avoid squirming under your gaze. “wh-what? is- is there something on my face?”

cuteness, baby, you want to coo, but instead, you let out soft giggles at the effect that you have on him, easily making him nervous with a bit of a staring.

“adorableness”, you mutter, in which he quickly looks at you. “m- me?” he would ask to confirm, his cheeks grow even warmer, as he pushes his glasses up from sliding down his nose.

you hum with a simple nod of your head. “yes, baby” the words slipped out of your mouth before you could stop them.

baby; he likes it coming from you.

he's about to plan a wedding in his mind.

you take a pocky that is opened on the table, before propping it in between your lips, your eyes not leaving him. he gulps when his eyes trace how your lips would purse around the stick, wondering their softness.

“d-do you like me adorable?”, he suddenly asks and as he does so, his eyes flicker towards your face to gauge on your reactions.

you chuckle. “i like you adorable, smart, stupid, nerd and all, if you haven't notice yet”, you smoothly slide in. “i gave away my sacred complete collection of kimi ni todoke mangas, for starter” winking at him, you chew on the snack tauntingly.

a sudden confession from you makes him grows redder, and he suddenly forgets how to act in front of you. an animated kettle reaches its boiling point on top of his head, prompting him to hide his face behind his arms, shying from your gaze.

“oh no—” he lets out, which you respond in a fit of soft laughter.

“hey, what? that was your only response? are you rejecting me?” you tease, trying to pry him away from where he hides his face on the table.

“n-no! please!” he exclaims, stilling like a statue even as you pull on the sleeves of his sweater to make him look at you, and you laugh aloud.

“aww, where's a good boy?” tilting your head to get a peak of his face, you manage to get a look on his red face as a proof of his malfunction state, but he's quick to shield himself from you. “aww, what? can't i have a look now?”

your teasing gets to him one by one. he shakes his head without looking at you, prompting you to giggle in satisfaction as you stare at the back of his head in adoration.

he's too adorable for his own good, you might cry to yourself when you got home later.

[tip-top-cloud-surfer]

I'll Be Home for Christmas - Bob

Pairing: Bob / Female!Reader

Word Count: 1.4k

This work, all my works, and my entire blog are 18+ Only

Warnings: Some Crying and Slight Angst; No Physical Descriptions of Reader; Reader is a Teacher; Use of "You" but No Y/N

Summary: Bob promised you that he would be home for Christmas.

Master List

Dating a naval aviator wasn’t easy. Bob's schedule was erratic and never usually worked in their favor. He could be in one place one day and a completely different continent the next or out in the middle of the ocean. And it wasn’t easy to communicate with him when he was deployed. Emails and letters were about all you could usually manage. 

For Bob, you would do it all over again to keep him in your life. But that didn’t make the holiday season any easier. 

Bob, along with the other Daggers, had been deployed for the last six months. Somewhere in the Pacific, that was all that you knew. He told you that they would be docking today and so you waited outside the school where you worked, anxiously waiting for his call. The call about whether or not he would be home in time for Christmas or not. 

Fiddling with the necklace that he bought you for your one year anniversary nearly three years ago now, you sucked in a breath when your phone started to ring. The photo of you and Bob on the hike you took on his birthday last year.

“Bobby?” you called softly, answering the call. 

“Hi, honey,” he returned, his voice sounding clearer than it usually did on these types of calls. “How are you?”

“Better now that I’m talking to you,” you replied, smiling bashfully. “What about you?”

“Exhausted.”

“What time is it over there?”

“Pretty late.”

“Well, thanks for staying up to talk to me,” you stated, a bit concerned about Bob. He was uncharacteristically short with his sentences. “How’s Phoenix and the boys?” 

“We’re all good.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Did you get the care package that I sent you?” you asked softly, fiddling with your necklace.

“Oh, yeah, I did, Honey. Thank you for sending it.” 

“Did you send a video over to Leslie? She was putting a movie together for the kids.” 

“Yeah, I did, Honey. She’s got it.” 

“Thank you for doing that. The kids will really appreciate it.” After a moment of silence on the other end of the line, you asked, “Are you okay, Bobby?”

“I’m fine,” Bob replied, his voice cracking a bit. 

“Bobby.”

“Honey, I’m . . . I’m so sorry.”

“Sorry for what?”

“I'm not sure that I’ll make it home in time for Christmas,” Bob revealed, causing your heart to shatter in your chest. 

“It’s okay, Bobby. It’s not your fault. There’s always other holidays.”

“I’m so sorry, Honey. I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”

“Don’t worry about me. Just focus on coming home safely. Whenever that is.”

“I will. I love you so much.”

“I love you too. And I really miss you,” you replied, your voice breaking at the end. 

“I really miss you too. And I’m so sorry, Honey.”

“Stop apologizing, Bobby. Just come home safe and that’s good enough for me. I love you.”

“I love you too. Bye, Honey.”

“Bye, Bobby.”

Hanging up the phone, you sniffled and wiped your tears away. You let out a steadying breath, trying to calm yourself down, before grabbing your bags and heading inside the elementary school where you worked. 

It was the last day of school before Christmas Break and so, it was your class’s Christmas party. You got to school early to set up, but now you might need to use the time to gather yourself. Opening the cabinet, you smiled sadly at the photos of Bobby that you put up. Hanging up your coat, you wiped your tears away and quickly moved to start setting up. 

~~~~~

Meanwhile, just a few miles away from your school, Bob was holding his head in his hands, looking like he was going to be sick. The other Daggers were gathered around him, all having returned home just a short while earlier. 

“He’s this beat up about it?” Hangman sighed, leaning on the car. “All he did was a little lie.”

“It’s a wonder that you’re still single,” Phoenix replied dryly, shooting him a look. 

“I made her cry,” Bob whispered out quietly as Fanboy patted his back. 

“She’ll get through it, Bob. And you only had to lie to her for a couple hours,” Fanboy reasoned, motioning for the other Daggers to speak up. 

“She’ll forget all about it once she sees you,” Phoenix replied, looping her arm under Bob’s and pulling him to his feet. “Now,  come on, we’ve got some shit to do before the big reveal.”

~~~~~

“One, two, three, eyes on me!” you called, clapping on the numbers and then pointing at yourself. When you saw that all of the kids were looking at you, you added, “Alright, do you guys remember when we made those care boxes? For the service men and women?” 

Various kids shouted out that they did remember, causing you to nod and smile. Since you worked in a Navy town, many of the kids in your class had parents or other family members in the Navy. The care packages had been a personal project that you decided to bring to your class, since you knew that a lot of the kids would be in a similar position as you—wishing that someone that they loved so much came home for Christmas. 

“Alright, well, Ms. Sullivan put together a video of them opening the boxes that we put together. So, if everyone could sit in their seats quietly, we’ll start the movie.”

You dimmed the lights before the video started up and slowly sat in your seat, waiting for Bob’s video to pop up. Kids in your class would yell out when they saw their family member, which made your heart both swell and break at the same time. The video continued on until Bob’s familiar face appeared on the screen. 

“Hi, everyone,” he called, waving to your class. 

“It’s Mr. Bob!” one of your kiddos yelled out. 

“Yeah, it’s Mr. Bob,” you mumbled sadly before you paused, frowning slightly as you examined the video more closely. “Is that the cafeteria?”

“What?” Ms. Sullivan asked, trying to hide her smile. 

“That’s the cafeteria,” you stated, getting to your feet. 

Walking up to the screen, you scrutinized the image of your boyfriend as he pulled out the items from the box, including ones that you definitely didn’t put there. Confused, you turned to Ms. Sullivan when the door opened and the lights turned back on. 

Looking at the door, you spotted Bob standing there in his flight suit, beaming at you with such a loving smile that your knees wobbled. Choking out a sob, you sprinted over to your boyfriend, causing your kiddos to scream and cheer. You wrapped your arms around him, sobbing tears of joy as he pulled you to his chest. 

“It’s Mr. Bob!”

“He came from the video!”

��What are you doing here?” you cried, fisting the back of his flight suit. “I thought that you couldn’t come home.”

“I’m sorry, Honey, but I lied. Can you forgive me?” Bob asked, rocking you back and forth. 

“Of course, I forgive you,” you choked out as Bob wiped your tears away. You snuck a chaste kiss before straightening up. “I love you so much, Bobby.”

“I love you too, Honey. And I’m really relieved that you forgave me because otherwise this would be really awkward.”

“What are you . . .”

You held a hand to your mouth as Bob slowly got down onto one knee, pulling a small velvet box from his pocket, causing your kiddos screams to reach new heights. Bob opened the box and you swore you almost fell to your knees. He looked at you with those big blueberry blue eyes, which were filled with so much love and devotion.

“Will you marry me, Honey?”

“Say ‘yes’!”

“You have to say ‘yes’!”

“Of course, I’ll marry you, Bobby,” you replied softly.

He stood up and you pulled him in for another chaste kiss that promised more when there weren’t thirty-five six-year-olds staring at you. He slid the ring onto your finger, where it would stay forever. Turning to your kiddos, you laughed and tried to wipe your tears away as they raced towards you guys. Bob squatted down again, accepting high fives and a few hugs, which only made you fall more in love with him. 

As if that was even possible. 

School was released shortly afterwards and after cleaning up the Christmas decorations and Bob hauling stuff out, the two of you walked out to your car. The Daggers told you that everyone would celebrate your engagement tomorrow, but tonight, it was just you and Bobby. 

“I told you that I’d be home for Christmas,” Bob replied, opening your door for you. 

“You did,” you agreed, pressing a less appropriate kiss to his lips. “And I think that the only time you’ve ever successfully lied to me.”

“And the last,” Bob promised, pressing another kiss to your lips. “Merry Christmas, Honey.”

“Merry Christmas, Bobby.”

[kirain]

Emmrich forgetting Rook's birthday and feels guilty so he makes it up to her?

Emmrich doesn't strike me as the type of partner who would forget important dates like that, but what if he simply didn't know? Hopefully this is still a fun read:

A soft breeze swept through the Necropolis, interrupted only by the crisp snipping of shears. Emmrich, working in peaceful silence, pruned the vibrant flowers that twisted around the graves, their blooms not wild or unruly, but rather tributes that seemed to spring forth in honour of the dead.

Across the way, Vae moved with an elegance he couldn't help but admire. She wasn't simply tending to flowers; she handled each headstone with care, brushing away the dirt and arranging the petals to frame every name.

"You're putting a lot of thought into this," Emmrich said, her quiet reverence bringing a smile to his face.

Vae glanced up at him, a strand of hair falling loose from her tie. "Like you always say, the dead deserve dignity," she said, her voice warm. "It feels right to take my time."

Before he could reply, the sharp echo of boots broke the tranquility. Both turned to see a young courier enter the Necropolis, his gaze uneasy as he scanned the shadowy cemetery; clearly not a local, and clearly unsettled by the view.

"Over here!” Vae called amicably, hoping to sooth his nerves. Quickly, she set her shears aside and wiped her hands on her pants.

"Are you Vae?" The man approached, clutching his satchel tightly. "The, uh... death folk told me you'd be here."

"That's me."

Relieved, the courier handed her a small parcel wrapped in unassuming brown parchment. "This is for you. Straight from Antiva."

"Antiva?" Vae raised an eyebrow as she accepted the delivery, her expression curious.

She couldn't guess what it was or who had sent it, but she had no intention of bombarding the poor man with inane questions he probably couldn't answer. With a grateful nod, she reached into her pocket and handed him a generous tip.

"Th-thank you!" he stammered, tipping his hat. Then he mumbled a quick, "Pleasure," before scurrying off, eager to leave the solemn atmosphere.

"Now, what could that be?" Emmrich asked, tilted his head.

"I'm not sure." Carefully, Vae peeled back the paper to reveal a folded letter and a box of chocolates, the label embossed in gold. "Oh, how nice! It's from a friend of mine in the capital. She sends me these every—" She flinched, her lips curling. "Every so often." Yet she set the package aside without inspecting it further, then turned back to her work. "I'll tear into it later, when we're back at the Lighthouse."

"A friend?" Emmrich pressed, genuinely interested in learning more about the woman he loved. "She must be a remarkable friend indeed, sending you chocolates all the way from Antiva. And by personal courier, no less. That's a costly service. What's the occasion?"

"It's just a sweet gesture," Vae replied with a dismissive wave. "She's thoughtful like that."

Something in her tone gave the fervid necromancer pause. They'd been together for months—he knew her well enough to recognise when she was being evasive, dodging questions. As his eyes drifted to the unopened letter and neatly tied box of expensive treats, a thought struck him.

"Vae... today isn't your birthday, is it?"

She froze, then turned to him with a sheepish smile. "...Maybe?"

"What?" he gasped, his muscles tensing. "Why didn't you mention it?"

"I forgot," she shrugged. "We've been so busy, it didn't even cross my mind."

"Forgot? Vae, I would have—"

"Emmrich, it's fine. I promise," she chuckled, refocusing on the headstone in front of her. "It's just a day, anyway. No big deal."

Emmrich stood in stunned silence, his gaze flicking from the graves to Vae's overworked figure. Then, his jaw tightened.

"No big deal?" he huffed.

With a dramatic flourish, he raised his hand and wove it through the air, as if conducting an orchestra—and perhaps he was. Bones rattled in the nearby pavilion as the skeletons stationed there sprang to life, their fingers deftly strumming the instruments they carried even in death. Soon, a soft, lilting melody hummed through the Necropolis, haunting yet strangely beautiful.

"Emmrich," Vae squeaked, turning to face him, "what are you doing?"

He grinned, the expression handsome, dignified; then approached her with a polished bow. "May I have this dance?"

Vae quivered, pulling away. "But... I'm filthy," she stammered.

"Never, darling. You're radiant as always."

Her cheeks flushed. "And the graves—"

"Aren't going anywhere," he quipped, extending his hand.

Vae stared at the undead ensemble, swithering between disbelief and amusement. But when she looked back at Emmrich—and their eyes met—she sighed, a small smile tugging at her lips. "You're impossible."

"Is that a yes?" he asked, his fingers beckoning.

"Fine." Defeated, she slipped her hand into his. "But just one."

"We'll see," he teased, gently drawing her into a casual waltz.

With his guidance, they moved in slow, fluid strides, the music wrapping around them like a spell. When he spun her, Vae laughed, the moment surreal, yet undeniably perfect. Though she lacked experience in dancing, Emmrich ensured she never felt out of place, his flow seamless and accommodating.

"Where did they even get the instruments?" Vae asked playfully, gesturing to the breathless band.

"They were donated along with the bodies," Emmrich answered excitedly. "Specifically so they could continue playing after death. It's a Nevarran tradition."

"Of course it is," Vae tittered, relaxing in his arms.

The world around them seemed to fade as he led her through the motions, his hand resting lightly on her waist, their fingers clasped together as they swayed in harmonious circles. The music played on, enchanting and serene—though, after a while, all Vae could hear was the quiet rhythm of their steps, and the steady, calming cadence of Emmrich's breath. His eyes never left hers, his gaze adoring in a way that made her heart skip a beat.

"Manfred?" he called after a while, addressing the curious spirit who lingered nearby. "Can you take a message to the kitchen for me, please? Tell them I'd like some strawberry cheesecake to go along with our tea time. It's Vae's favourite."

The bubbly skeleton nodded and clattered off, his bones clicking as he ran.

"What?" Vae stopped, her brow arching. "Emmrich, you don't have to do that. I know how much it bothers you when I—"

"You've been eating what I eat since our relationship began," he contested.

"You didn't ask me to."

"I know, but you have, even though I can tell it's been difficult for you." He shook his head. "Today is your day, and I want it to be as special as you are."

She opened her mouth to argue, but he silenced her with a kiss—deep, tender, his arms wrapping around her as if to anchor her in place. When he finally pulled away, she looked up at him, her cheeks glowing, pure ecstasy etched across her face.

"Thank you," she whispered, brushing her thumb along his chin.

He smiled. "Happy birthday, Vae."

[allfortheslay25]

i’m reading tsc for the first time (kept putting it off 😬😅) and i just was thinking about the deal neil made with ichiro and was curious how milo would be involved or uninvolved in that deal. cause like i imagine riko and possibly kengo would just want to make life hell for the sweet baby and make perfect court #2, try to take him as their “property” too, and/or something else stupid along those lines. but i don’t think ichiro would care as much, but idk i’m curious how it goes in the miloverse

Spoilers for We’ll Both Be Fine

When Riko comes across Milo, he’s nothing but a tool to manipulate Neil. But that is until Milo makes the mistake of insulting the Raven’s play, proving his high intelligence and his knack for exy. Riko now wants Milo just as much as he wants Kevin and Neil back and he believes he’s entitled to it too.

Kengo is unaware of Milo since Riko is stingy enough to keep it to himself. He likes being the only one knowing the secret, not even Tetsuji knew until Neil left the nest after winter break.

Word only spreads around when Riko makes the mistake of pulling strings to get Nathan out of prison and making a single comment that ‘you can do anything to Nathaniel but keep the little one alive’ leading Nathan to believe Mary had a second child. Ichirou is smarter than that and pieces it all together by the time Neil makes a deal with him.

The conversation goes a lot like this;

Ichirou: Aren’t you forgetting someone?

Neil, a liar: No

Ichirou: So the boy is just free do to as he pleases?

Neil: He has nothing to do with this. I can’t make an heir for either branch so he’s nothing to you or your family.

Ichirou: You’re right🤷‍♀️ Idgaf anyway

However Ichirou won’t hesitate to mess with Milo as a reminder to Neil. He does occasionally throughout Milo’s childhood but it’s just on the edge of being not a big deal because Neil would tear down the Moriyamas if they so much as put a scratch on his son. (Ex, Ichirou once sent Milo a couple birthday gifts, one of which was an array of expensive cooking tools, a package that came with a knife set. A butcher knife set.)

You’ll actually get to see a what if situation just like that in the Collections fic once WBBF is over :)

But overall there is no deal for Milo because making a deal for Milo means he’s in it now and he’s apart of that world. Neil didn’t want him tied to anything so he pushed Ichirou as far as he could and Ichirou let him since torturing children is Riko’s thing not his.