#all of the brain went into paying for the fancy apartment

[hermette-historian]

This week in "Wynn got a fancy studio apartment, this is the first time she's lived on her own, and also she's a little bit stupid" we have:

1) spent six days, three trips to the leasing office, one embarrassing call to security, and several emails to IT attempting to figure out why the key fob worked on every single door except the parking garage. Mother solved the problem within twenty seconds of looking at the door by just. Moving the key further up on the reader. 2) Spent the first five days after getting the keys on the air mattress (planned) shivering (not planned) at war with the thermostat which was set to well above 70 and had No Right To Be This Cold, only to find out (again, immediately after the parents arrived) that the thermostat was working but the wall unit was…unplugged. 3) Set up the kitchen, got unreasonably excited about making rice for the first time in eighteen months, and immediately realized that someone had packed the full set of pots and zero (0) pot lids. The source and the solution to this conundrum both remain a mystery. 4) Forgot to turn off the oven. Twice. 5) Forgot to add soap to the dishwasher. Once. 6) Set up several christmas decorations and still can't find a phone charger. Priorities.

I am a fully functioning adult and I am perfectly capable of living on my own. thank you very much. I've been here for two (2) weeks.

[capricornlevi]

inevitability- nanami x f!reader

tags: friends to lovers, salaryman!nanami, breeding, unprotected sex, fingering, missionary, mating press, creampie, mild cumplay

cw: alcohol (all sex sober & consensual!), pregnancy mentions, rough but v v consensual sex, reader and nanami are both in their late 20s/early 30s

word count: 5.3k

a/n: in which your decide with your good friend of many years that it's time to get you pregnant <3 this has been festering in my brain and i know it's pretty different than what i usually write but ! here it is! ahh! sounds of me screaming!

//

"this is weird, y'know?" you blurt out, watching as nanami hangs up his jacket by your front door before settling down beside you on the couch. he keeps a respectful distance, resting his hands on his broad thighs and smoothing down the fabric of his slacks, clearly nervous. "this is very, very weird. like, weird at levels i don't think people have achieved before."

"i know," nanami replies diplomatically, as if he could be anything but excruciatingly aware of how unconventional this is. "are you having second thoughts? because i completely understand --"

you shake your head abruptly. "no, no, just ... thinking aloud, i guess. just getting used to this, because it's really ... um ..."

"weird?" nanami offers helpfully, and you turn to nod.

"weird."

because what else do you call agreeing to have a baby with your platonic friend of 10 years?

you first met nanami on the second day of college and knew right away he'd be a good dad, even back when having kids wasn't even a consideration for you. it was obvious; he was already a good dad back then, with how he looked out for his underclassmen even as he progressed through his degree. how he stayed sober when he knew people would be going overboard, not sleeping until you texted him to confirm you'd gotten home safe after a party.

he helped you study at the weekends and, in return, you provided him with a discount at the local cafe where you worked. through this time spent knocking back americanos and proofing each other's work, you grew close.

even with all his responsibility and good sense contrasting your exuberance and recklessness, you found yourself enjoying being with him. and he could be funny, too, delivering sharp and witty quips when you least expected it.

you became inseparable. insufferable, some would call it; the matching-halloween-costume type of insufferable, a borderline codependent but obliviously happy friendship that can only be fostered on a college campus.

then right after college, when you had dived straight into your quarter-life crisis and dyed your hair every colour under the sun, got piercings in too many places, slept with questionable people and dated some even worse, nanami had gotten himself a decent, impressive, well-paying job. it was a job that had him wearing tailored suits at 23, paired with fancy glasses that cost more than your rent, and you'd laughed at him, at how serious he looked. but you also worried at how the bags under his eyes grew deeper and darker, how the amused lilt to his voice started to dissipate as time went on.

his 9 to 5 turned to an 8 to 6, and then he was working weekends and skipping movie nights, missing out on meeting new boyfriends of yours, fading into the periphery of your life with you unable to do anything about it.

as with all relationships in your twenties, it was hard to stay in touch. the higher he climbed up the career ladder, the further you grew apart.

soon, it was only on holidays or birthdays when you both would reach out, cordial and civil but achingly unfamiliar.

then, on your twenty-ninth birthday, drunk at a bar and having taken a couple minutes away from your raucous friend group, you had stepped outside to grab some fresh air only to walk head-on into nanami's firm chest.

you had spluttered apologies, lifting your head to see who you had headbutted, only to find your old friend looking down at you with an amused look on his face.

and just like that, things picked up where they left off. you spent the night talking, catching up over drinks and laughter.

with a tone that was only half-teasing, you had asked him what brought him out tonight -- it was hard enough to get him to come out for drinks when you were both in college, much less now with his big fancy job.

but he had laughed in that gentle, airy way you'd heard a thousand times, explaining that he had been out socialising with clients who had just left minutes before. he was just on his way out before running into you.

perfect timing. painfully perfect.

you stayed talking until last call, making exhilarated promises to get in touch the next day.

and to your surprise, you both actually stuck to that.

in the ten months since then, you've met up every sunday for breakfast at your favourite cafe. over lattes and freshly baked croissants, you fill each other in on the details of the half-decade spent apart. he had a serious girlfriend, serious to the point of moving in together, but she'd gotten spooked and left him last summer to go travelling. he was hurt, obviously, but understood her perspective in that annoyingly calm, measured way that is just part of his nature.

and on your end -- despite the drunken circumstances in which you'd been reacquainted, which is all part of moderation, after all -- you've actually calmed down considerably since your early twenties.

you have your own apartment. you have a rescue cat you care for immensely, even when he tries wriggling out of your arms to go stare out the window at passing cyclists. you have a retirement fund, started yoga, learned to bake your own bread.

you're not boring, you still have fun and let off steam whenever you can, but you're having the sort of revelations about life that nanami seems to have had years ago.

fun is good. fun is important. but it can't be everything, because then it starts to come at a cost.

truthfully, the birth of your nephew is what prompted you to make some changes. you didn't want to show up to babysit hungover. you wanted to have funds to hand in order to treat him to little toys and sweets when your sister allowed it, and soon found yourself amazed at how his little face lit up every time he saw you.

it made you grow up, and fast.

in the course of your cafe hangouts, you had mentioned your nephew to nanami. showed pictures of the boy's pudgy little hands reaching for the camera, told stories of how he could tell the difference between new episodes of Bluey versus reruns, and how he's changed your entire life without even realising.

soon, talk about your nephew turned to general musings about your own future.

then one night, when you decided to switch your meetup location from the cafe to a cocktail bar, you shared something that you had barely admitted to yourself.

you wanted to have a kid.

this realisation wasn't borne from some crisis about entering a new decade, it wasn't something forced on you by others or general societal pressure. it was something that grew organically, inspired by the honour of watching your little nephew grow up.

to your surprise, nanami didn't scoff or dismiss you. you figured he'd have rolled his eyes, laughing off your confession since you weren't in a committed relationship.

instead, he expressed similar sentiments, but for slightly different reasons.

"i'm sick of work being my whole life," he had mused quickly, sipping an old fashioned with a funny look in his eye. "it was only when we started hanging out again that i realised how much of my life I've wasted at a place that wouldn't care if i lived or died."

"do i need to be worried about you having the type of rebellious streak the rest of us went through ten years ago?" you asked, smiling and fidgeting with one of your rings without thinking.

he waved off your suggestion with a fond roll of his eyes. "i'm not impulsively quitting or anything, don't worry. just want to take a step back, i suppose, or find something with shorter hours. i just think there's more to life than endless hours slaving behind a desk."

you toasted to that sentiment, knocking back the last of your cosmo.

nanami continued, watching you set your empty glass back down with a soft grin on his lips. "the whole family, kids thing ... i get it, you know? it makes sense."

"yeah?" you pried carefully, interested to see where this is going.

"i'd be lying if i said i didn't think about it, too. i have a nest egg saved up which means i'd be able to take time off to help with a kid, to actually be there to see them grow up. and it's not that i want to have one just because i think i need to -- i think i'd be decent at it, y'know? the whole parenting thing."

you obviously agreed. you'd thought the same for a while now, and getting reacquainted with the man has only spurred on those thoughts.

he really would be perfect.

the issue wasn't discussed further that night, but it was brought up again at coffee the following sunday, then at the bakery the week after that, and before long, it was your birthday again.

after a massive party with all your friends and family -- and a little too much wine -- nanami had stayed behind to help you clean up, because of course he would, and you got to talking again, got to revisiting that topic that had been at the back of both of your minds.

you can't remember the exact wording of the discussion or how many bottles of prosecco fuelled the conversation, but what you do know is that when you sobered up, you didn't regret agreeing to it.

you were gonna have a kid together.

you and nanami.

coparenting.

as outlandish an idea as it might seme on the surface, when looking at it a little deeper, it made sense to you. this wasn't decided on a whim. this was something that had momentum building behind it for months and months, perhaps even years, without you even realising.

when meeting up for coffee the following week, you both gave each other an out. said there'd be no big deal if things were called off. but neither one of you took it, despite laughing for what felt like hours about how bizarre it all felt.

still, no sign of backing out.

which brings you to tonight, the agreed-upon date of when you'd start trying.

nanami had suggested using artificial fertility methods if that made you more comfortable, but you politely turned him down, thinking it unnecessary. he wasn't a stranger -- plus, you'd be lying if you said he wasn't objectively attractive -- so if he had no objections to trying things the old-fashioned way, then you didn't either.

and he obviously didn't mind too much since he's now here on your couch, folding his arms and then unfolding them as he waited for you to make the first move.

he looks good, despite all the nerves. he's filled out over the years, though he was always strong, with every muscle in his body well-defined and perfectly proportional. his hair is still blond but with the faintest specks of grey, his skin brighter and more well-rested than that night you got reacquainted.

his deep brown eyes stay fixed on you and your skin heats as his gaze traces over you.

"do you want me to kiss you?" you break the silence, the words tumble messily from your mouth.

he looks taken aback, as if this was something he'd vaguely considered but never thought would actually happen.

"do ... do you want to?"

his earnestness has you smiling, cutting through the tension, and you meet his eyes properly for the first time since he arrived tonight. he always has this way of making you feel comfortable, his presence alone is like an embrace that calms the racing thoughts that constantly occupy your mind.

it's only now that you're close, so close, you realise that maybe you really do want to --

"i wouldn't suggest it otherwise," you murmur softly as if your heart isn't hammering against your ribcage, shifting nearer to him on the couch but keeping that last bridge of distance for him to close.

his tongue swipes over his lower lip, almost subconsciously demonstrating his wishes as his line of sight drifts down to your mouth. he nods then, dipping his head, only a couple inches of space between you now.

"yeah -- yeah, okay."

you can see how his pupils dilate as you reach out to slip his glasses off, setting them down on the coffee table, cupping his face in your hands.

he returns your smile at that gesture, just the slightest hint of nerves in his eyes that disappear when he finally decides to press your lips to yours.

his lips are softer than you imagined ... though until this very moment, you hadn't even realised that this was something you had imagined.

he lets you set the rhythm but doesn't shy away; he meets your movements, your energy at every kiss, letting you stop for a moment to adjust yourself as things progress.

this should feel weird, right? you should have some lingering feeling of awkwardness at making out with your best friend, at taking his hand in yours and setting it down on your thigh to show you want him to touch you?

this was supposed to be a relatively unromantic event, after all. it wasn't meant to be the start of anything. though it was never clinical or unemotional -- you're technically starting a family together, after all, if an entirely unconventional one -- you never foresaw it going down like this.

this feels like something that was meant to happen.

he pulls back ever-so-slightly, lips still grazing against yours as he asks softly, "this okay?"

you nod by way of answer, not wanting to waste another second not kissing him. nanami captures your lips with his again, and with renewed enthusiasm, slips his tongue into your mouth, probing gently and barely hiding the low rumble of a groan deep in his throat.

all thoughts of propriety start to fade into the ether. his hand on your thigh burns hot, shifting up and down the exposed skin. you'd worn a nice dress for the evening, unsure of the dress code for an event as strange as this, but you find yourself grateful for choosing something that fell so far above the knee.

his hands are rougher than his lips but not in an unpleasant way. you figure it's from his only out-of-work hobby that doesn't consist of hanging out with you; his renovation group. nanami is part of a volunteer organisation that helps build and renovate houses for those in need -- as if he couldn't get any more painfully perfect, obviously.

you stay like that for a few more minutes, exploring these new sensations and becoming increasingly more aware of the ball of anticipation burning in your lower stomach. everywhere he touches you feels warm, every soft nip against your lips feels electric.

then, against every instinct in your body, you force yourself to pause to take a few steadying breaths. nanami responds in the same way, pulling his hands back to his own thighs, adjusting his stance on the couch.

he's hard, you can see as much from the awkward way he shuffles in his seat. not to mention the bulge very obviously visible in the front of his slacks -- just seeing it fills you with want, with the need to touch and be touched.

this is moving more fluidly than you had expected, arriving at each decision without a second thought. in that vein, you decide to ask:

"want to head to the bedroom?", hoping you don't sound as desperate as you're feeling. "if you're ready -"

"yes," he responds before you've even finished your sentence. you feel grateful that the eagerness is not one-sided as you get to your feet, taking nanami by the hand to pull him up with you.

when you've reached your room and the door is shut behind you, revealing the modest set up of your freshly-made bed and a single scented candle -- any more than that felt a little too forced, too awkward -- you marvel at the feeling of nanami's hands on your hips, somehow gentle and firm at the same time, manoeuvring you onto the bed with a pre-rehearsed confidence that never verges on forceful.

your head hasn't even hit the pillow before he's kissing you again like he's starving for it. it's messy this time, the gentle exploration from before giving way to something more primal and urgent.

you have to remind yourself that this is your nanami you're kissing. the nanami who was there for you through the most painful college breakups. the nanami who knows your coffee order, who helped zip up the back of your graduation dress.

but now, with his tongue against yours and the stiffness pressing against your stomach, all you can think is why you didn't do this sooner?

just as you're about to combust underneath him, he pulls back, balancing himself on an elbow as his eyes flick down to see how your dress is bunched at the top of your thighs. he closes his eyes, his breaths ragged and unsteady.

"i don't know how--" he whispers, tongue gliding over his kiss-slick lips, "how ... technical you might want to go about this."

you let out a little laugh, craning your neck to kiss his jawline so he knows it's not at his expense.

"i never really thought about the technicalities, but it doesn't have to be too clinical, or anything. i know you, you know me. we can just ... have sex."

"have sex," he repeats slowly, eyes open again, the hint of a grin on his face.

"yeah, have sex!" you answer with a chuckle. "or is there another way you'd like me to phrase it?"

he laughs then too, looking at you again as he shakes his head softly.

"what?" you press him with a mock indignance. "it's rude to laugh at my suggestion, actually. i felt it was pretty accurate."

"i'm not laughing at you," he says gently, lips still curved upwards. "just ... i must have pictured you saying those words a thousand times, and i never thought it -- it's just funny to hear out loud, is all."

it takes you a second to fully comprehend the words as they wash over you.

you'd be ignorant to say that the realisation never dawned on you, but it was something you thought was a relic of your college years. he had blushed a few times too many whenever the topic of sex came up at parties, had a hint of jealousy in his voice when giving advice about one particular ex-boyfriend. at your apartment complex's winter party in senior year, you can tell he was thinking about kissing you.

but that was when you were young and naive, inexperienced with life, and the thought of this nanami desiring you, of picturing you in his life, of imagining what you'd look like spread out underneath him like this --

you lift your head and grab his shirt collar, yanking him in for another kiss. when he's settled back against you, your hands weave down to unbutton his shirt. you feel him smile against your lips as he starts to unzip your dress in return.

you're a mess of limbs as items of clothing get strewn across your bedroom carpet. before long, it's all skin-on-skin, the heat of his body pressed against yours before he grabs your waist and flips you over until you're straddling him.

you feel the length of him pressed against your stomach, hot and painfully hard, but from the way he cups his hand against your neck and starts to kiss your throat, you know he's not going to rush this.

just as you gasp out his name as his teeth nip against your pulse point, he brings his other hand to the apex of your thighs, fingertips resting just over your pubic bone, barely brushing against the sensitive skin.

"want me to touch you?" he mumbles quietly against your throat, the way his breath fans over you making you shiver.

you nod pitifully, hips canting towards him, but he doesn't budge.

"need you to say it," he says low, quiet, thumb shifting down by the millimetre, "need to know how much you want it."

"i want it," you gasp, the arch of your back deepening the closer he gets to your aching core, all concerns about appearing desperate evaporating with every press of his lips to your skin. "i want it, kento, p- please touch me."

nanami obliges, fingertips trailing down until his thumb is brushing over your clit. he slides his hand lower, fingers slipping through your damp lips, and then uses your own wetness to start rubbing you in earnest.

any form of articulate thought slips from your mind, replaced with only those that can get you more of this -- nanami's fingers playing with your clit, the other hand possessively resting at your nape, his cock pressed between you with precum beading at the tip.

you want it in your mouth. you want it inside you, and as you go to shift your hips, nanami shifts his back.

"want to see what you look like when you come first," he says, slipping his middle and ring finger inside you as if to prove he's going about it the right way.

and he really is, because after only a few strokes of his fingers, your vision is getting hazy. you've never been this turned on so quickly before, never felt this desperate, all-consuming urge -- but then again, you've never had a man look at you like this before now either.

you try to focus on the sensation of his fingers stretching you open, his thumb still stroking your clit in the perfect rhythm, but your mind wanders to the thick cock pressed up against you. you want to rub against him, let him fill you up, make him feel good too --

but looking at his face now, pupils blown and lower lip raw from biting down on it, you can tell this is as much for him as it is for you.

less than a minute later it hits you, the explosion of warmth radiates out to every cell in your body, rendering you a boneless mess in nanami's arms.

he holds you as the aftershock subsides, strong arms keeping you steady even when your legs feel as though they've turned to jelly. when you feel capable of supporting yourself, you slide ungracefully from where you were perched on his thighs and fall back against your pillows, head spinning blissfully.

nanami leans down next to you and kisses your forehead, whispering words of praise that fill you with a strange sensation you can't quite place.

"want to take a break?" he ask after a few moments have passed, "or if you're tired, we can try again later --"

"no," you cut him off, turning your head to look at him directly, face splitting into a smile through the post-orgasm haze. "i just need a second is all, i still -- if you want to --"

"i do."

and so to ease yourself back into it, you kiss him slowly, intimately, bodies gently intertwining as he shifts closer to you on the bed. you guide his hands to your chest, gasping as his thumb circles a nipple.

"you're just ... beautiful in a way i don't really have words for," he mumbles, watching you squirm pleasurably under him.

"nanami kento lost for words? a first time for everything," you manage to quip through it all, earning a pinch of the other nipple that turns your laugh into a moan.

"we've plenty more firsts to get through tonight."

at that, nanami shifts halfway down the mattress and gets to his knees, hands gripping your thighs as he spreads them open. he takes his cock in his hand and slowly drags the head through your folds, up and down but not yet penetrating you, appreciating how you're almost sucking him in, the eager way you pull back your legs to accommodate him.

he stays like that for a minute. every time you think he's about to sink in, he holds himself back as if transfixed by the obscene sounds that come from playing with your pussy, of using you to stroke himself off.

he looks to be on the verge of a choice, like his brain is fighting between two options: taking you slow and gentle like you deserve, or sinking in and fucked into you desperately, filling you up until he knows he's bred you, that you're his and only his.

you soon glean that he wants you to actually say it out loud, wants to hear those words he's fantasised about for so long.

"fuck me, kento."

now utterly unable to hold off any longer, he heeds your request, lining up and thrusting inside you in one fluid motion.

it's a pleasant stretch; he's still careful to let you adjust to his size but you're soon relishing the feeling of being so full, and the fucked-out grin on your face spurs him on.

his hips shift back inch by inch until he's almost fully pulled out, letting out a low groan as he sinks back in again, and at that, he knows he's a goner, completely lost to the feeling of his entire length buried inside you.

this is nanami at his most possessive, fucking into you as you're caged in by his strong arms, your knees now pulled back as far as they'll go. the skin on the back of your thighs is raw from your nails digging into them but you don't care, single-minded in your aim to keep the head of his cock brushing against that perfect spot inside you.

your shoulder blades press into your soft pillows as you try to keep from writhing too much, wanting with all of your might to avoid upsetting this perfect rhythm.

above you, nanami's perfect cheekbones are flushed, his brows knit tightly together, your silky walls wrapping tight around his cock in a way that's driving him to the brink sooner than he'd like. against all better judgment, he slows down just slightly, allowing himself to indulge in the sensation.

"you take my cock so well, y'know that?" he mumbles in between quiet grunts, "with that pretty look on your face when i fill you up... you're trying to kill me, i swear to god."

you both laugh breathlessly before yours breaks off in a moan, slurring his name as he speeds up subconsciously. he presses his lips to every inch of your neck, jaw, collarbone, thrusts unrelenting but never too much.

if you weren't already aware of how soaked you are, the slick sounds of his cock sliding in and out of you provide more than enough proof, melding with the soft squeak of your bedsprings to just about cut through the muffled sound of your moans.

your body now guided more by instinct than intention, you slip your hand down to where your hips are pressed together, two fingers circling the swollen bud of your clit. the angle of his ruts means his cock grazes your fingertips as he pulls out, the desperate rubbing of your hand between your legs spurring him on.

"still want me to come inside you?" he says then, strands of hair coming loose, sticking to his forehead, "want me to fill you up?"

you nod feebly -- the answer clearly not sufficient in itself, since he leans in, pressing his forehead to yours as he meets you for a wet, messy kiss. continuing his question with his lips still touching yours, he asks;

"want me to take care of you? want to be my pretty wife, hm, wanna -- fuck -- wanna be mine, yeah?"

you slur something unintelligible, focusing on the second orgasm gathering quick and hot in your core. you lose your grip on your thighs and fumble to pull your legs back up.

nanami helps to hike your legs back up -- but not in their original position. instead, he guides them until your ankles rest on his shoulders, and after taking just a second to press a kiss to your calf, he sinks back to the hilt. feeling him bottom out, your vision nearly goes white; this new angle allows him to slide in so deep it's practically splitting you open, so deep you can tell he's serious about breeding you.

somehow, the sensation remains just shy of too much -- it's not too much of a stretch or causing too much sensitivity -- it's more than you've ever taken but you honestly feel you could stay like this forever, taking nanami's cock like you were made for it, with him looking down at you with a mixture of reverence and pure lust.

you want him like this for the rest of your life.

"i'm gonna need you to answer, cos I'm pretty close," he half-pleads as if reading your mind, his voice deep and strained, firm chest heaving as the thrusts get messier and less coordinated.

though your mind is near-blank and your lungs feel they can't get enough air, you manage to mumble a "fuck, yes. want -- want you to come inside, kento ... please."

that last word tips him over with you following almost immediately after, clenching around his cock as you feel him pulsing inside you, feeling more full than you've ever felt in your life. his head tips back as he cums, moaning beautiful praise you can just about make out, strands of sentences about you being the only one he wants taking his come, about how he's going to keep fucking you full for as long as it takes.

sparks of electricity reverberate through your body, hips pushing against his as you ride out your orgasm, pretty little whimpers harmonising with nanami's continued praise.

you stay like that for what seems like forever, basking in the wave of pleasure that's just swept you away effortlessly.

everything is just ... warm. purely and blissfully warm. the warmth of his hands still gripping your legs, the warmth of your own breath fanning over your sweaty chest, the warmth between your legs that starts to dribble down the backs of your thighs when nanami pulls out.

for good measure, nanami uses two fingers to push some of his come back inside, grinning as aftershocks pulse around the digits.

you lower your tired legs to rest on the mattress, thighs aching from being bent practically in half, but it's easy to disregard any physical exhaustion when you feel this level of contentment.

nanami's arms are soon wrapped around you, pulling you to rest on top of his chest where you spend some moments of perfect silence.

you can hear his heart beating in his chest, skipping a beat when you angle your head up to meet his gaze again.

"well?" you ask, a smile imbued in your words. "still lost for words?"

"just thinking about how every second of this was worth waiting for," he replies without missing a beat, eyes crinkling at the corners as he watches how his answer flusters you.

with one hand behind his head as he rests of the pillow and the other wrapped around your shoulders, nanami looks more relaxed than you've maybe ever seen him.

this is a man who looked on the verge of a nervous breakdown when you reconnected less than a year ago; he's almost unrecognisable now, the dark circles under his eyes have faded, his face filling out a bit more, the smile on his face entirely genuine.

and in this moment you feel a burst of clarity, a sudden realisation that's eluded you since that first night you met in college.

maybe -- just maybe -- you're as good an influence on him as he is on you.

[satorella]

Note: It’s implied that Reo & Y/n are 21+

“𝐀𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥, 𝐰𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞.”

𝐑𝐞𝐨 𝐌𝐢𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐞.

Professional Athlete by day, and Co-CEO of the Mikage Corporation by night.

Or in other words, your boss.

Reo had it all. From looks, to brains… fame, fortune, stability, a career…

There was maybe one thing he was missing, not a big deal or anything, but he was sorely lacking in the romance department.

One would think he’d have all the women flocking to him, and he did! But none of them were genuine. Never really wanting him, for him.

There was only ever one other woman (aside from his mother) that actually, truly, cared about him. And that was you. His wonderful, capable, and beautiful personal assistant who’s been by his side since day one, since the day he became his father’s right-hand businessman.

He was a good boss, a good guy in general. He took care of your sick pet’s Vet bills, came to your aid when you got in a major car accident (he got you the best lawyer ofc), the list can go on and on. So of course, you paid him back in kind with what you do best: handling ALL of his affairs, and with no complaints. Not even in your head.

Sure, it was your job. But you went above and beyond for him, just as he did for you. There were times where you’d pick him up late at night from the bar or a club, driving him home and getting him all cleaned up and into bed. Even in a drunken state of mind, he was a gentleman; never once trying to pull a move on you. Instead, he had a bouquet of flowers sent to your apartment the next day as a thank you, along with pastries from your favorite bakery.

Yes, he indeed knew what you liked. He’s a man who pays great attention to details, which is one of the things that made him a pleasant man to work for.

Your mother would even tease you sometimes, referring to him as your “ceo boyfriend.”

“Your ceo boyfriend has good taste in flowers.”

“Again… he’s my boss, not my boyfriend, mother!!”

No doubt, Reo would be an amazing boyfriend to some lucky lady out there one day…

“Good morning, Miss L/n. What time will the boss be in today?” Was a common question around the office. Reo juggled soccer and business every day; leaving you in charge for a couple of hours in the mornings, until he came in around noon whenever practice was over.

“You’re too good to me, y’know that?” Reo says as he now settles in his fancy office chair that you’ve been sitting in all morning. “Just doing my job, sir.” You nodded, tidying up the last bit of folders on his desk. He gently grabs your hand in an attempt to stop you, “You’ve done enough. Go home, Y/n. Thank you.” “B-But…” You tried to protest, but he shakes his head. “I’ll call you if I need anything.”

You were halfway finished packing up your briefcase, when he spoke up again. “Oh by the way, I met your mother after practice.” “Y-You what?” “Yeah! You mentioned she was a seamstress right? She dropped off our new uniforms today. I knew she looked familiar.” He had your full attention now, your hand on your hip. “Did… did she talk to you?” “Sorta. She was kind of in a rush, so I didn’t wanna keep her. But she knew who I was! Agh, what was it that she said…”

Please don’t let it be what you think it is…

“She called me your ceo boyfriend! Heh! She’s funny. I see where you get it from.” He smiles to himself, looking down at his desk.

Asdfghjkl ohmyfuckinggod your mom is soooo DEEEAAADDDD!

You blinked at him. Mortified. Back of your neck feeling hot. Palms sweating. Throat was dry. You feel like you could almost pass out from the embarrassment.

“Mr. Mikage, I can explain-” …Hold up, did he basically just say you were funny?

“No worries, Y/n. The thought has crossed my mind before.” He shrugs, chuckling. “W-What thought?” You cleared your throat. “What you’d be like as a girlfriend. I mean, you take good care of me now just as your boss, what more if you were actually someone’s partner?” He explains. “They’d be a lucky son of a bitch, that’s for sure.”

There was a moment of silence as you guys just blinked at each other. Eyes locked and unwavering. “Listen, Y/n…” “Yes?” You had a slightly hopeful expression on your face. “Would you want to have lunch with-”

“Knock knock!~” Reo was interrupted by Chris Prince, one of his soccer colleagues, entering his office. “What’s the point of announcing ‘knock knock’ if you decide to just waltz in anyways?” Reo sighs in slight irritation. “No time to waste in waiting for a response when I know you’re here, mate.” Chris smirks, then sets his sights on you. “Oh? What do we have ‘ere then? Ah! You must be the lovely assistant Reo’s always raving about, yeah? Chris Prince. A pleasure.” He takes your hand and kisses the back of it. You smiled politely, before turning back to Reo. “I’ll head on out now. Nice to meet you, Mr. Prince.”

The two men watched you exit Reo’s office. “You think she’d be interested in Prince water?” Chris breaks the silence. “Shut up…” Reo sighs.

…

“Oh honey, how’s your assistant doing? We haven’t seen her in a while. Why didn’t you bring her along with you? I’ve been dying to ask her for the recipe for that one dessert she brought on Thanksgiving…” Reo’s mother says as she looks through her menu.

(He was actually trying to invite you yesterday, but that Brit interrupted him from shooting his shot😑)

“I’m surprised. She’s usually always by your side.” His father chimes in. “Hard at work as always, I assume?”

“Ah,” Reo clears his throat, setting his menu down. “Y-Yes. She was actually the one who booked this restaurant for us… she’s great at finding nice places like this.”

“She has good taste.” His father comments as his mother nods along in agreement. “I’ll let her know you guys think so.” Reo sips on his glass of champagne; trying to hide the small, fond smile forming on his lips. His parents liked you, which said a lot… seeing as they were kinda like those judgy type of rich people you see in movies. But thankfully, you have a good relationship with them.

“Y/n, I need you for a moment.” Reo calls from the intercom, a couple days later. After a few moments, you appeared in the doorway of his open office. “Yes?” “Can you book me a massage? Practice has been intense lately, and my back is killing me.” You came in closer, noticing his discomfort as he rubbed the back of his shoulder. “Of course. But for the time being, would you like me to help you with that, sir?” He looked up at you with a raised brow, “Oh? Are you good with your hands like that?”

(Hehe🤭)

“I know a thing or two. Come.” You beckoned for him to sit over on his black leather sofa. You stood behind him and placed your hands on his shoulders, gently working to loosen his knots. “Oh wow, you’ve got a big one.” You focused on the spot in between his neck and shoulder. “Oh?” He swallowed hard at that. He wondered if you even realized what you had just said sounded… well… y’know.

You didn’t LOL, too focused on your task of trying to relieve him.

“Ahh- Right there.” He hisses when you rub over another spot on his back. “Here?” You go over it again, and he lets out a low groan. “Mmph… yeah. Can you press harder?” “I don’t wanna hurt you…” “It’s fine, Y/n. I’m a strong man.” He reassures you. “Alrighty then.” You do as he says, massaging him a bit rougher. “Does this feel okay?” You check in. He lets out another groan… or was it a moan? Whatever, you took that as a ‘yes’ to your original question. “Feels so good… don’t stop…” He sighs.

Now it was your turn to wonder if he realized what he was saying.

You figured thirty minutes was good enough. You managed to work out most of Reo’s knots and kinks in his back within that time.

“Okay Mr. Mikage, I think this quick little session should’ve done the trick, for now anyway.” As you moved to take a step back, you were suddenly being hauled over the sofa and into Reo’s lap. “Eeek! What’re you doing!?” You squealed when you saw the position you were in. “Thank you so much.” He held your body tight, face pressed into the crook of your neck.

You knew Reo was dramatic, but not to this extent.

“Uh,” You blinked, “G-Glad I could help, sir.” You cleared your throat, awkwardly patting his back. “Not just for the massage, but in general. You deserve a raise.” He mumbles against your skin.

Yeah, everyone can agree with that. But you were fine either way.

“Mr. Mikage?” “Hm?” “May I ask why you’re-” You were about to ask why he was holding you in such an intimate way, until he looked up at you. The softness in his eyes made you lose your train of thought.

Has he ever looked at you this way?

He looked into your eyes expectantly, waiting for you to continue. You shook your head of those thoughts and composed yourself, “Uh… do you still want me to book you that massage?” He thought for a moment before answering, “…No.” You nodded, tilting your head back a little to look through the open door of his office; making sure no one was snooping around in the hallway, before hesitantly wrapping your arms around him… cradling his head. “Okay.”

You guys stayed like that for what felt like forever, to the point where he had fallen asleep right there in the crook of your neck; still holding you.

This was… nice.

Awkward at first because you didn’t know what the hell was going on, but now that it’s been a while, you were starting to appreciate the warmth of his body against yours…

You and Reo had to have known about the connection between you. I mean, how can you not see it?

It shows in the way he listens to you intently, never breaking eye contact; his gaze occasionally dropping down to your lips as you go over some important documents. “Did you get all of that, sir?” “Mhm.” Sometimes, he wonders if they feel as soft as they look.

The way you automatically think “Oh! Mr. Mikage would like that.” When you see something he indeed would like.

Or when Reo goes “Y/n would kill me if she found out I ate all that sugar!” “Who?” “Oh, sorry. I was talking about my assistant.”

You’re definitely the first person (the only one really, since Nagi never answers lol) that he texts/calls when he hears/witnesses some tea…

“Y/N! I know it’s Saturday, but you’ll never guess who I just saw kissing someone… who isn’t her husband💀 Call me back asap!”

Then there was the way he always smiles to himself whenever you were the topic of any conversation, even just slightly mentioning you.

Oh, and when it comes to his soccer games? “Hey! You watching the game?” He texts you during halftime, only for you to quickly reply with a photo of you and the whole office wearing his jersey, “LET’S GOOO!”

You guys were just constantly thinking about each other, without even realizing it. But you know who did?

Both of your parents.

Although you guys try to shrug it off, there was no fooling them. They would argue that you two were just too stubborn to realize what was right in front of you.

Too young and dumb.

“They’ll get it eventually.” Your mother and Mrs. Mikage chuckle over the phone.

…Wait, since when did they ever exchange contacts?!

© 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒-𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓. 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝.

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(𝑷𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝑳𝒐𝒄𝒌 discord server👯‍♀️)

[lucilleslore]

lovesick snow really really really scratches a part of my brain that i cannot have the words that explain it and have to go the library of babel to find it. he'd be more easy to manipulate in that state, especially how vulnerable he is to you and how willing he'd do anything for you. like you said in one of your first posts, i'm in love with the idea of it of how powerful the reader is if you want to add more backstory to them.

ok so i went with your idea and gave manipulative!reader and snow the backstory they deserve for the little au we have going here!! i hope you love it <3

➸ so as a kid i see manipulative!reader as a bit of a daydreamer and what do lots of little girls dream about?? their wedding. for you though it wasn’t necessarily about the day, not even the fancy dress or the colour scheme but the person. let’s just say you’re already from quite an influential family but it’s not enough - you want more.

➸ you wanted a husband that’s powerful, motivated. he had to be important and charismatic - someone who could really get you what you wanted from life. you weren’t completely unbothered by the idea of romance though and hoped that’d you’d manage to get them utterly devoted to you, willing to do anything to protect you and make you happy. it’s not a hard thing to ask for, right?

➸ you’d always been aware of coriolanus snow but there always seemed to be better candidates for your attention. then he comes back to the capitol and you can sense the change in him - the unhinged, power hungry aura that seemed to surround him and as he quickly started making a new name for himself, you thought he could be the one.

➸ coryo would never be an easy person to get close to however. so you had to subtly start placing yourself in his life. it was a slow process but you were diligent. ‘bumping’ into him just outside his apartment, having the same social calendar as him, even showing an interest in the games so someone would set up an appointment between the two of you to discuss.

➸ then there was one moment. one that not even you - seemingly the mastermind of your own life - had planned out. it was raining that day, pouring and you were alone rushing back to your apartment. you weren’t paying attention to where you were going and when you stepped out onto the road you weren’t prepared for the onslaught of screeching tires or horns. or for the strong grip that wrapped around your wrist and pulled you back.

➸ coryo was there just as drenched as you were but with a kind of frenzied, panicked look in his eyes. ‘you should watch where you’re going,’ he’d urged. it was the way he said it, the way his hand squeezed at your wrist that had you thinking maybe he’d been noticing your efforts after all. he’d tugged you closer to him as if you’d be safer there and it was probably the most genuine moment you’d had in years, as you blinked up at the blonde man who’d just saved your life.

➸ honestly after that you decide to back off, feeling a little guilty about your scheming but seemingly the universe wanted the two of you on the same path. or maybe coriolanus did. suddenly he was there at family functions, taking meetings with your father, charming your mother at all costs. he’d come to dinners hosted at your families estate and his eyes would never leave you from across the table even when he was in a conversation.

➸ so when your family told you about the marriage proposal you weren’t that surprised, just giddy. everything was finally falling into place. you knew you’d have to be careful. to you snow was charming, doting in a sense but you’d heard the rumours. he could be dangerous and you’d have to make sure you were never in his firing line.

➸ in the beginning of your marriage you try and play coy, let coryo take the lead in things. you like to let him know how you rely on him, always holding onto his arm in public and letting him speak first. basically just playing up to his male ego but something about seeing you feeling so safe with him and letting your guard down has him letting some walls down too. which is exactly what you want.

➸ he’d start to confide in you after a while because you’re just such a good little wife! bringing him drinks in the evening in your pretty dresses, loosening his shirts and playing with his hair. it isn’t his fault he ends up telling you things about his past, things he plans to do in the future - a lot of things that he probably shouldn’t tell you especially since you’ll remember each and every one.

➸ kinda dark but i love the idea of you being able to read people really well and always hyper aware of who coryo surrounds himself with, always sussing out their intentions before he does. you give it a little while but if he’s still not catching onto them you’ll simply make something up. maybe they’re giving you dirty looks or maybe their gazes are just lingering a little too long for your liking, in places they certainly shouldn’t be looking. maybe they’ve flirted with you, maybe they’re making nasty digs but you have coryo eating out the palm of your hand by this point and he’s possessive, protective in a mad, feral way. you’re flat out lying but he eats it up and whoever you want gone doesn’t last much longer after that.

➸ maybe that’s how you get your power. by simply having his ear. people know that they can get what they want through you and by the time coryo is president you have people visiting you nearly everyday. hoping you’ll let them into your inner circle, offering you things in exchange for a word whispered in his ear.

➸ and maybe coryo comes to rely on you this way. you’re a capitol darling, their perfect first lady but behind closed doors you’re separating the good from the bad. the people who can help your husband and the people who’re out to damage what he’s built. people begin to see you as a powerhouse in your own right, someone with a good side they need to be on. or else.

[gamerwoo]

Hyunjin: Age-Restricted (Part Seventeen)

Characters: Hyunjin x female reader (ft other skz members)

Genre/warnings: nanny!reader, ex-porn star/neighbor!hyunjin, generally inexperienced and painfully shy virgin!reader, angst, humor, fluff toward the end (ur welcome), sorta hurt/comfort i think???, mentions of porn and sex work (minors dni!!!)

Word count: 3,937

Summary: You think it’s luck when the new family you nanny for is so stupid rich that they rent you a fancy new apartment just so you can live closer to them. You think it’s luck when the guy across the hall is the most beautiful person you’ve ever seen in your entire life and makes an effort to talk to you. But that’s just about where your luck runs out, because Hyunjin is more out of your league than you could ever imagine, and you’re just some hopeless virgin who never had good luck in the first place.

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Changbin walked into the house with the brownies in one hand. He found Hyunjin leaning against the counter by the stove while his girlfriend cooked dinner for the three of them. He couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Of course she would decide to cook despite working that day. She’d rather cook and be sore than let Hyunjin anywhere near the stove.

“You could’ve ordered something,” Changbin spoke up, letting his presence be known to the pair. Hyunjin looked up from his phone but Kit didn’t even turn to look at him. “Or you could’ve asked me to grab something.”

“It’s fine,” she hummed, not sounding bothered in the slightest.

“It’s not fine, she complained as soon as she got home that everything hurts,” Hyunjin stated, throwing her under the bus.

She turned her head to glare up at him, “You try being folded into a pretzel all day.”

Hyunjin just gave her a blank look before she just sighed and mumbled, “Yeah, I know.”

“So you weren’t the one doing the folding today?” Changbin chuckled. “Sorry to hear that.”

“Being the pretzel is far worse,” she huffed. 

“Then why are you standing and cooking? Go lay down.”

“Oh, and let Hyunjin cook?” she finally turned around to face her boyfriend. “Why don’t we just give him some gasoline and matches while we’re at it.”

“Order something, Kittery,” Changbin chuckled.

“I don’t wanna,” she whined. “I want home cooked.”

“Lucky for you, these are,” he smiled, holding out the container of brownies.

The pair’s eyes went wide, having forgotten about Changbin’s promise to bring home brownies that day. Kit eagerly took them from him and immediately popped open the lid. As Hyunjin got as close to her side as possible to grab one, Changbin walked over to him and nudged him before he could get one, taking the yellow paper from his pocket.

“This is for you,” he said, giving him the folded square.

Hyunjin’s eyes furrowed, but he turned to take the note and unfolded it. Almost immediately, his face fell.

Kit had turned around and was on her tiptoes by Hyunjin’s shoulder, trying to read, “What is it?”

Changbin shrugged, “It’s from _____.”

Kit looked at her boyfriend with wide eyes, but Hyunjin’s were still scanning down the page as he read.

‘We both know how we feel about each other, and I’m not your charity case. I’m not yours to worry about. You’ve reminded me plenty of times. Stop paying for my apartment. I’m moving out either way. 

Fuck you.

_____’

Kit gasped loudly before exclaiming, “YOU’RE PAYING FOR HER APARTMENT?!”

Hyunjin held his ear closest to Kit, flinching away from her. But he didn’t even bother replying to her or scolding her because his brain was elsewhere. Instead, he glared at Changbin.

“How the hell did she find out?!” he demanded.

Changbin shrugged again, “I don’t know, she just ran into me when I went to get the brownies. She was at the front desk and gave me the note. I’m just the messenger, okay? I didn’t even know you were paying her rent.”

“Why are you paying for her entire fucking rent?!” Kit continued. “Hello?”

Hyunjin looked obviously stressed as he ran his fingers through his hair, finally looking at Kit, “I don’t know, okay?! It felt like the right thing to do!”

“You don’t even like her, that doesn’t make sense, Hyunjin!” she pointed out.

“Just because I’m mad at her doesn’t mean I want her to be homeless!”

“So you still care about her?” she pressed.

“I don’t know!” he whined. “I guess!”

Her eyes widened as everything clicked, and she got a wide smile on her face, pointing accusingly at him. “You love her! Hwang Hyunjin, you’re in love! You can’t tell me you’re not, I know you are! You wouldn’t pay thousands of dollars a month for just anyone!”

He let out an annoyed sigh and threw out his hands, “Okay, so what if I am?! Who cares?! Not her! Because she fucking hates me!” he let out a sigh, trying to calm himself down, but he looked and sounded defeated when he spoke again. “It’s too late now. I mean, I ended things, and then she said she only wanted me so she could lose her virginity.”

“If you know she doesn’t actually care about you, why would you pay for her stuff?” Changbin wondered.

Hyunjin just shrugged, “I don’t know. Because…I do love her even if I don’t want to… Even if she hurt me…”

Changbin let out a small sigh and looked up at his friend seriously, “Hyun, is there any way that maybe this is all just some big miscommunication?”

“I heard what I heard,” he stated surely. But he rolled his eyes like he just wanted to forget about the whole thing before he grabbed his keys off the counter and headed for the door.

“Where are you going?” Kit asked him, following behind him.

He turned and waved the note, “I have to take care of this.”

“What’re you gonna do?” Changbin questioned. “Tell her it’s not you?”

“Yup.”

And then the door slammed behind him, leaving the couple stunned in their house.

Kit suddenly whipped around to Changbin and gave him an accusing look, “You lied to him. You absolutely knew what that note was.”

Changbin just smirked, “Yup.”

“But now he’s gonna go lie and make it worse,” she pointed out.

“I have a feeling the truth will come out this time. He’s worked up and so is she. It has to come out.”

“Doesn’t that just mean they’ll blow up at each other?”

Changbin sighed, “Lovebug, I’ve known Hyunjin for years. I know how he works better than he does.”

“But you don’t know _____ that well. What if things get worse?”

“I had a chat with her about her side of things. If they want things fixed, I’m willing to help. But they need a chance to do it themselves.”

Kit’s eyes brightened as she looked at her boyfriend, “Tell. Me. Everything.”

-

“He what?!”

Suddenly, there were double the people on the screen, all trying to cram in to look at you. Chan and Jisung were overpowered by Minho and Seungmin, but all four of them looked absolutely flabbergasted at what you’d told them.

“Your rent is being paid with that porn star money!” Minho gasped.

“How did he even switch the payment over?” Chan wondered.

“I kinda forgot to ask at first, so I had to go back downstairs and ask Jihoon,” you admitted, running your free hand that wasn’t holding your phone through your hair. “He said the parents came back and paid to end the lease early, which meant the apartment went back up for grabs basically immediately. So that means Hyunjin had to buy the apartment after that. So he already paid for the first three months of rent because that’s the policy for renting here.”

“Holy shit,” Minho breathed. “Are we sure we don’t want to try again with him?”

“No, we hate him,” Jisung stated, giving him a disgusted look.

“But I sent Changbin with a note to give him basically telling him to fuck off and stop paying for it, and if he doesn’t listen, I guess I’ll have to figure that out,” you continued. “I guess I could just…move out anyway. It’s not my problem if he’s wasting money on an empty apartment.”

“No, keep the free boujee apartment!” Minho insisted. “Ooh! Or let me secretly move in! You can just take my room.”

“Why would he even do that, though?” Seungmin questioned. “Is this really the same dude who was using you? Why would he drop that much money to keep you from getting kicked out?”

“You think I know?” you huffed. “I’m just some silly little jobless i–”

“And bitchless,” Minho chimed in.

“Jobless and bitchless–”

There was a knock at the door and you immediately looked straight at the door. Part of you wondered if it was Jihoon with your eviction notice. You wondered if he just did the work for you and removed Hyunjin from the billing information because he knew you were pissed off about it.

“What?” Jisung asked.

“Shh!” Seungmin hissed.

“It might be Jihoon,” you told them, but you kept your voice down just in case it was someone else. “I’ll call you guys later.”

“But we’ll be quiet,” Minho whined.

“Just let her go,” Chan sighed. “Jesus.”

Then he ended the call before any of them could protest.

You got up from the couch, leaving your phone there as you went to the door, going carefully and quietly. You looked through the peephole and your heart jumped into your throat.

Hyunjin.

He stood in the hallway, still looking perfect as always. His hair that you had once bleached blonde for him and the roots had grown out, was now completely dark brown, almost black. It was in the typical half-up, half-down, and he was wearing a white Adidas tank top that was tucked into black Adidas joggers.

You hated that you still found him to be the most ethereal looking person you’d ever seen, even in such a basic outfit that he had probably just been lounging around in.

Either way, you decided to carefully step away from the door, turning back around to go hide away in your room for a while.

“_____, I know you’re in there,” you heard him call like he knew you had just turned around.

You stood there for a moment, frozen and silent, considering ignoring him again.

“Hanni already told me you’re up here,” he stated when you didn’t reply.

She’s really on a roll today, you thought to yourself.

Finally, you let out a sigh and turned back to the door, “So?”

“So open the door,” he demanded, not raising his voice but definitely sounding angry and frustrated.

Well, you didn’t really have many other options. If you continued to ignore him, he’d probably just keep yelling through the door. Hell, he’d probably go downstairs and get a spare key since he was the one paying for the apartment. He was the owner of it now so what kept him from being locked out?

Reluctantly, you pulled open the door.

Immediately, Hyunjin stepped forward, so you stepped back, and he held up the note you’d given to Changbin, “What the fuck is this?!”

The only other time you’d seen him mad was when he’d shown up at Chan’s apartment, and it kind of scared you because you hadn’t seen him mad before. This time was no different, but you refused to back down. Your anger you felt toward him wouldn’t let you cower and stand there without speaking.

“What do you mean?” you asked, your voice quieter than his but it was unwavering. “Didn’t you read it?”

“Yes, that’s why I’m asking,” he stated in an exasperated tone.

You shrugged, though the building anxiety from the confrontation was making your hands start to shake already, “It’s pretty self-explanatory then.”

“Why would you think I’m paying for your apartment?” he demanded, his voice getting louder.

“Drop the act, Hanni already slipped up and told me.”

Like a switch was flipped, Hyunjin’s hand dropped to his side and he let out a deep sigh, rolling his eyes before he started grumbling about how he made all the front desk workers promise to keep it a secret, and then something about money.

You quirked a brow, “Didn’t Changbin tell you? He was there.”

He groaned and dropped his head back as everything started clicking.

“Of course he didn’t tell me!” he said with an annoyed smile. “Why would Changbin tell me when he obviously wanted me to come talk to you. That would be stupid of him.”

You chose to ignore his annoyance because honestly, that wasn’t your problem.

“So why are you paying for my shit, exactly?” you asked, changing the subject back to the original issue. “Where did you find the audacity to think it was fine for you to do that? Actually, what made you think I would want you to do that? What made you think I wanted anything to do with you, actually?”

“I’m the reason you got fired, so I’m responsible,” he told you like it was obvious. “Hence, I should make sure you don’t end up homeless.”

You let out a sigh of your own eyes rolling out of how tired you were of having to tell him this.

“You don’t have to be responsible for me!” you burst. “You said it yourself: we’re not dating. I’m not yours to worry about. I already told you I quit because of my morals, not because of anything to do with you!”

You could feel hot tears wanting to burn your eyes. You felt so many emotions while you argued with Hyunjin about the same shit again, and saying the things he said to you just made them sting all over again. And all you could think about was the one thing he said to you that you couldn’t get out of your head.

“I’m just some stupid loser virgin or whatever, right?” you mumbled, looking away from him and crossing your arms over your chest, trying so hard not to cry in front of him. That was the absolute last thing you wanted.

Hyunjin’s stance relaxed slightly when he saw your eyes get glossy. He let out a sigh and his anger seemed to fade, at least mostly.

“I didn’t mean it when I said that,” he admitted, his voice softer now. “Honestly, once I cooled off a little, I really regretted even saying it. I know how much it bothers you, and in the moment, I just wanted to hurt you like you hurt me.”

“That’s not fair,” you grumbled, still not meeting his eyes. You sniffled to try to keep the tears back. “I never said a-anything mean about you.”

Your voice broke, and the tears started coming. But you quickly started wiping them away, refusing to break down just yet. Not while Hyunjin was still standing only a few feet away from you and basically in the doorway to your apartment. 

“You and I both know I heard what you said when you were at your old apartment,” he reminded you.

“Okay, but you didn’t hear all of it!” you burst, your lower lip quivering. You wiped stray tears away and took a deep breath before continuing. You were honestly trying to not have an entire panicked breakdown having to confront Hyunjin like this. “We were trying to just make light of the situation because I was so tired of just crying all week, and I thought joking about it would just make it less…sad? Embarrassing? Whatever. I just wanted to joke about it because it felt so shitty and embarrassing, but I never once used you for anything. I mean, you’ve literally seen me panic over a fucking kiss, and you think I could even try to use you? The amount of times you had to calm me down to do anything– How would that even make sense? I didn’t even know about the porn thing until the day you fucking ended everything!”

While you talked, you could see the gears turning in Hyunjin’s head. You could see the way your words were starting to add up with the things he’d heard, and everything was starting to make sense.

You took another deep breath to calm yourself because you were getting too worked up again. Then you continued, “The guys joked about how I fumbled you, and I went along with the bit. I was using humor to cope because you used me and I felt embarrassed because I fell for it, and I felt gross because I was just some corruption kink to you. I was just some stupid fucking loser who still had her virginity, and that’s all I was. I liked you a lot, and you never felt anything. It’s fucking embarrassing, Hyunjin. But…yeah. That’s it.”

You weren’t looking at him, so you didn’t see the way his heart absolutely shattered hearing you talk. Not only about how you thought he hurt you, but the way you talked about yourself. It hurt him to hear that, and it showed on his face.

“_____, I was never using you,” he told you softly, taking a step forward and reaching his hand out like he wanted to cup your face. But he thought against it, dropping his arm and letting the note you’d written him fall to the floor. “_____, I ended things because I found out you worked with kids and I knew what would happen. Someone like me shouldn’t be involved with someone in that field because of the possible repercussions. I just wanted to protect you. And then the mom found out and threatened to tell you, and I thought you didn’t know at the time so I– I panicked. I was scared you’d think I was disgusting or that you were disgusting for doing anything with me and I–” he sighed, shaking his head helplessly. “I just wanted to protect you the whole time. I wanted you to keep your job because I knew how much you loved it.”

“Yeah, well, we ended up here anyway,” you stated, lamely throwing your arms out to the side and letting them fall back down to your thighs.

Hyunjin let out a chuckle. You looked at him, surprised that he was capable of laughing right now, but he was actually laughing quietly as he nodded.

“Yeah, I guess it was kind of all for nothing,” he shrugged.

Then it fell silent. Neither of you made any move, just standing a few feet away from each other. Everything was out on the table now.

It made you feel better knowing Hyunjin never used you, but you were still mad at him. You couldn’t place why, you just were. It was like when you had a dream and got mad at someone in your dream, but then you woke up and still felt mad at them. It was a residual mad.

But you also felt sad. You were sad that Hyunjin worried about telling you about his past in fear that you’d feel gross being with him. You didn’t like that that was something he even had to worry about. You wished you’d made him feel more comfortable so maybe he would’ve told you.

Then all of this would’ve been avoided.

“_____,” he took another step toward you, completely in your apartment now. Cautiously, he raised his hand to see if you would swat it away or move away from him, but when you didn’t, he put a bent finger under your chin and made you look at him. “I fucked up. None of this would’ve happened if I was just honest from the beginning, or at least came clean when it started to catch up and just let you decide what to do. And I’m so sorry for everything.”

“I wouldn’t have hated you…” you mumbled, casting your eyes down again.

“I panicked. I should’ve done the smart thing but I chose the coward’s way out instead, and it only made you hate yourself, and probably hate me even more than the former would’ve. Honestly, I wanted to ask you out the day I brought you lunch, but then I saw the kid and found out you were a nanny and I just spiraled.”

You knew the part you fixated on – the part that made your eyes go wide and meet his brown ones again – wasn’t the main point to what Hyunjin said. But that was the part you held onto anyway.

“You were gonna ask me out?” you asked.

He chuckled seeing the way you looked at him, moving his hand to cup your cheek and rub the skin with the pad of his thumb, “Well, duh. I mean, I– …Okay, if we’re gonna do this whole honesty thing, I’m just gonna– Okay. I was gonna ask you out because I realized I loved you. I mean, I do love you. I love you. That’s what I’m trying to say. I love you currently. Still. Hence the apartment thing.”

“But you thought I was using you.”

“I know, and I was mad at you,” he nodded, “but it didn’t make me stop loving you right away. That would’ve definitely taken some time. A lot more than the time we’ve been apart. Think of it like a couple who lives together, and they get into a big fight but they both still pay rent because they love each other. They’re mad but love trumps mad, right?”

You went quiet, trying to consider everything. There was a lot of information to take in and a lot was happening all at once – on top of Hyunjin dropping the “L” word a lot. You went from believing Hyunjin used you and was actually a disgusting man that you unfortunately still had feelings for, to realizing he was just trying to protect you and was afraid of letting you know who he really was in case you didn’t accept him for it, and you should still have feelings for him because he was just a sweetheart who couldn’t communicate due to fear.

But you still felt the residual anger.

“I don’t know what to do…” you told him just above a whisper, eyes casting downward again even though Hyunjin still held your face.

“What do you mean?” he murmured, tilting his head to one side and trying to move his head to get you to look at him. He moved his other hand to cup your other cheek to help with trying to get your gaze to meet his.

“I’m still mad at you…” you admitted in a mumble, finally meeting his eyes.

To your surprise, he smiled softly and shrugged, “That’s okay.”

Your eyebrows furrowed, confused by his reply, “Then what do we do?”

“You can still be my girlfriend and be mad at me. I was mad at you but still in love, so,” he shrugged again.

Finally, a small smile broke onto your face, and it only made Hyunjin’s smile widen. He hadn’t seen your smile in so long. He missed it.

“That sounds good,” you decided.

Hyunjin’s face went closer to yours, but you pulled back, away from his hands that cupped your face, and his lips looking to meet yours.

He looked absolutely appalled and moved back to study you.

“I said I’m still mad. No kisses until I’m not mad.”

“Good thing I’m good with loopholes,” he smirked before he cupped your face once again and attacked your face with kisses and dramatic ‘mwah!’ sounds.

Another thing Hyunjin missed, maybe more than your smile, was the sound of your loud laughter – especially when thrown in the middle, you’d giggle, “Hyunjin!”

He definitely missed hearing you say his name.

“Hang on,” he suddenly pulled back.

Your eyes widened slightly as you looked back at him, “What?”

“I told you I love you,” he stated. “Where do you…stand? So I know where we’re both at. We need to get good at this communication thing.”

“...Honestly, it sounds really dumb and cheesy but, I’ve, uh–”

“You’ve never been in love before?” he guessed with a small smirk.

You shrugged, “Yeah. So I could’ve been feeling love or infatuation. I’m not too sure what love feels like, y’know?”

He smiled at you softly, “That’s okay. I’ll wait for you to figure it out.”

————✧♡✧————-

tag list (italics are unable to tag): @hyuneyeon @ack-aashi @rindomo @ihopeitrainstonight @castledy @broken-glowsticks @smollquokka @yeetfellx @fwess @zoe8stay @fleeingreality @might-be-a-rat @sluttysohn @eliserbt2001 @catskpop @diamondsvts @minaamhh @jaspriv @sankyg @straydhampir @hyunsungbased @7miroh @animefreak2112 @junsjuly @drrramaaaqweeen @accalus @bakedlilgoonie @So_Pe07 @drugerlime @shmooooo @hwangshoneycake @notmebutyouu @vampjin0 @stay-berry @kiribirien @beombeomlovesme @lockeansonder @jisungsbff01 @ppiri-bahng @hyunniethepooh @peachessandhoney @kpopssuregi @moondustmemories @artistic-rendition @lolli4me @s-u-n-z-e @levislifeline @certifiedmarkleetrash @simpxxstan @second0325 @linosjureumi [be added to the taglist by filling out this form!]

[vibratingskull]

Sugar daddy Thrawn

ThrawnxF!reader

Is not interested by your age, could totally go for a baby older than him (even if that defeat the purpose)

You're here to keep him company, but you have to be pro-active and actually be curious about his interests. If you're here only for the money he will lose interest instantly.

Didn't use a website to meet his baby, he actually met you at an art galery : you asked him a question about one piece and you actually listen to him rent for a solid hour and a half about it, even took some notes and references. You took a coffee together to prolong this agreeable conversation and he learns you got some money problems recently

Have so much money that he just... gave you the amount you needed? Why? Because you listened and you were really polite and indulged him in his fancy

You, on the other hand, were dead ass serious about paying him back so you exchanged numbers and it trinckles down from here.

It starts pretty little at first and grows from here : he saw a book you might like and buys it, then its a nice dress, then its a jewelry, then it's a collar with actual diamonds, ect...

Of course he will pay for your studies, education is so important after all, what man he would be if he deprived you of that? Don't have the money for an apartment and aren't keen on the colocations at uni? Don't worry, he will find you a very nice place to live in, he will rent it obviously.

What does he ask in exchange? Not so much, just you accompanying him at exhibitions, he just wants to talk to an other art afficionado

One day he calls you because a super select party for the upper hand of Coruscant demands he comes accompanied. Would you be a doll and appear at his arm? He will pay you a nice dress for the occasion.

He ends up paying you several dresses, as much shoes, perfume and a complete sets of jewelry with big shiny diamonds Was it too much? Probaly. Did you refuse? No.

You walked in the grand room holding on to his arm, all doll up and pretty. He presented you his "friends" and extended your network. You walk out with stars in the eyes.

Is it because he felt exceptionnally lonely that night? This is the night he kissed you for the first time and took you to bed.

It was mind blowing, pretty much ruined you for any other man.

It then became a habit, he treats you to a nice dinner with a nice gift, then he fucks you whole night.

You very much don't complain. You got a friend, expensive gifts and a good lay in one go!

But's it's not always rose and shiny...

You're here to listen to him vents about his colleagues and subordinates, about what went wrong in his campaing, about his fears for the future, ect... You have to tell him everything will be okay with your head on his chest, slowly caressing him with the tip of your fingers, hum him a tune, say to him you will remain with him whatever happens, that you'll be waiting for his return whenever it is... He sleeps with you pressed tighly against him, embracing you.

He cheats on his solitude with you, he got so little time to spend with you he has to make the most of it.

Actually met your parents, they now know him as the really nice gentleman that helped you for your studies, nothing suspicious here.

Really likes to fuck you in all your jewelry, it's so beautiful so see your tits bounce in so much shiny pearls and diamonds.

Calls you "pearl", "doll", "treasure" and, yes, "baby" or any equivalent in Cheuhn.

Personally decorated your flat with only the finest of arts.

You always go to your apartment or a hotel, you never got to see his place.

Doesn't really realize he's a sugar daddy? To him you're a valuable friend he likes to fuck and buy stuff for and you don't have the heart to tell him.

You would remain with him even without all that, that is just a nice plus.

Is not ashamed to hold your hand, even in public. Is proud to have you at his side.

@al-astakbar this is your fault I have those ideas rotting my brain!

@bluechiss @thrawnalani @justanothersadperson93 @al-astakbar @thrawnspetgoose @readinglistfics @elise2174 @debonaire-princess @twilekchiss @pencil-urchin @ineedazeezee @mssbridgerton @dance-like-russia-isnt-watching @Cortisolcosplay

[landsharkbite]

In the lobby of one apartment building in Archimedes and sometime in the last hour or so, a pattern has emerged around the incoming foot traffic. A resident would enter through the double doors, stroll to the closest elevator, punch the button and wait for it to open only to very quickly back away from what waited inside. They’d change course all but immediately, rushing to try their luck at the only other lift available which would invariably respond at one tenth of a snail's pace. Not many residents would be willing to challenge the marathon of a stairwell, not in this tall an edifice.

Were the very bored-looking concierge paying more attention (god forbid they look up from their monthly edition of Radiale’s Digest), they might do their due diligence and at least try to tell off the party responsible— namely you.

Ever since the cabbie picked you up at the edge of that unnerving crater in the center of town (it had to be artificial, you know from experience that no natural excavation is that uniform) you’ve been in what you can only describe as a fugue state, swimming through fog enough in your head to fill a valley. The man dropped you off in the pristine parking lot out front, told you to pick up your key at the desk, and after you stepped out into the sun he drove away, seeming somehow bored of the entire affair. Such a bizarre, trivial thing, but your brain can’t help but latch onto it. Why didn’t he seem surprised to see you?

Your confusion mainly stems from having seen that the vast majority of pedestrians you passed by on the ride here were human, or they seemed human. There are those like you who pass among them (you count a few among your acquaintances) but you didn’t see any telltale cautious head-swiveling in the crowds to fit the bill. You don’t remember being exactly welcomed among humans before, nor do you recall ever clamoring to be. Did you crack your head falling off the wagon somehow and lose time to the ether? When did that change?

The concierge handed you an impressive, ornate key, told you in a sleepy voice to take it to the top floor and went back to their reading material. It sounded like a prank. You’ve never been summoned to the top floor of fancy building like this save for when you were to be reprimanded by a superior.

The glass exterior of the elevator would soon show you a sprawling landscape of the ward, dotted with sparkling buildings of whites and off-whites in stark contrast to what you assume are three other wards of different cultural and architectural climates. You're struck by the sight... until your gaze drifts to focus on the lines of your reflection in the glass, made faint with blazing sunlight.

It takes a moment. Something is wrong. You freeze, then all at once you can't shed your jacket fast enough to confirm your suspicion. It's your arm.

Where the hell is your arm.

Panic cut through the cloud in your skull like a hot knife through butter and dropped you like a ton of bricks— you've been glued to the carpet since, pale with a pounding heart and a stomach twisted into knots. No matter how many times gravity shifts with the elevator's demands or the door slides open to welcome ultimately no one, you're too weighed down in your stupor to move. No wonder frustration is mounting on the ground floor. But you can't bring yourself to care, not when you've been beaten over the brow with a unknowable jigsaw puzzle and only a scant handful of pieces with which to put it together.

What are you forgetting? How long have you been here? What about your work? Just how much time are you missing? Are there any other body parts of yours scattered over this city that you don't know about?

You wither and shake your head, staring at your unnatural set digits as if they would up and spill their secrets all at once if you glared at them hard enough.

“What the fuck is going on?!”

Your head spinning, you finally drag yourself up and out of the lift once and for all— but not before quickly smashing your palms over each and every button on the directory panel in a petty fit of pique.

[habizuh-studios]

ehhhh so this concept was rotting in my brain so i might as well let it out into the world.

okay basically there's this girl and she's like a SUPER amazing artist. people pay millions to see her work, theorize about some of their meanings, commission her, etc, etc. she took a break for a short while, but afterwards, she opens a modeling thing so she can paint portraits and get more inspiration and stuff.

cue girl #2. she's out here looking for a job, her goal is to become a photographer (or novel writer idk) but she doesn't really have that much money and she's barely living day to day in her cheapass apartment.... BEFORE she went broke though, her older brother supported her financially and she was able to buy shit so she could keep going to college, and along the way she saw girl #1's paintings and they were so amazing to her and she bought some. all fine and dandy (until her older brother went missing) and she also found herself and idol and inspiration at the time (which was girl #1)

cue #2 looking at the modelling job opening. she can't fucking believe her luck!!! apparently it's been open for a while, and #1 has been letting quite a few people in, though a LOTTTT less than those who applied for the job. #2 decides to apply, not thinking much of it, showing some pictures of herself and then sleeping.

two days later, she forgets about it entirely until she got acceppted??? for the job?????? which is wild. anyway she ends up in this super fancy but kinda bleak and lifeless house which is where #1 lives. #1 is nothing but welcoming although a little distant and snappy. she never really smiles but that's okay. #2 goes on with the modeling job, occasionally chatting with #1.

this process rinses and repeats for a week, although they do get closer as time goes on. suddenly #2 knows #1's favorite foods, dreams, how she started out, etc. she has stopped seeing #1 as this untouchable idol; rather, a friend! and she can't really believe it! the paycheck is REALLY HIGH too, so she gets to chill and even buys one of #1's paintings :>

In between that week when #1 was out doing whatever, #2 explores the house. it's NOT creepy, okay?! It's just so lifeless- feels like a model home rather than an actual place people would live in. And everything is so uncomfortable.

She ends up finding a few knick knacks and a key, but doesn't think much of it. where does the key head to, again...? well, there WAS a lock on the basement door, but #1 didn't make a big deal out of it, so there's probably nothing special in there. the lock came with the door and #1 had never used it- or so she says. Day 7, last day of the week, #2 continues talking with #1, mentioning her missing brother and not thinking much of it. #1 comforts her and stuff, though something comes up, and #2 has to leave early.

Day 8 of the job is when things start going a little more... interesting. Suddenly, #1 is jumpy and anxious around #2, though she doesn't know why. Maybe something happened over the weekend...? Well, it doesn't matter. but #2 can't help but feel like something is off... so when #1 leaves for whatever reason, she decides to unlock the basement door. It smells kinda weird, like... vaguely rotting? or like dried blood. The place is so eerie, #2 is half wondering if this is even the same house.

She reaches the bottom of the stairs- there's NO light in here, none whatsoever?? so she pulls out a flashlight (that she got from an earlier day) and looks around. There's a cute little rat in the corner and some reddish brown stains on the walls, but-

It's not until #2 sees the picture on one of the desks does she realize.

That's her fucking older brother.

The one that's been MISSING for over a month now.

And there's... hah.... blood on the polaroid.

There's a creak behind her and #2 almost SCREAMS, until her world goes dark. The last thing she remembers seeing is #1's face, uncharacteristically furious. ----- She wakes up. Eventually. Wrists and ankles suddenly aching from being tied up to a chair. There's a gag in her mouth. She feels like shit.

#1 kinda just stands in front of her. #2 has no fucking clue what's going on, so when #1 notices that she's awake, she tries asking what's going on- but all that comes out is an "mmphh," and yeah, that's about how it should have gone.

#1 takes the gag out and questions come pouring in like a waterfall. #2 has some tears in her eyes, sore all over and just plain confused.

so, uh, the important parts of their conversation goes something like this:

2: "why did you tie me up?"

1: "well, i wasn't originally PLANNING to, but then you went in the basement... and anyway, i had been thinking about it, because i really need you, haha."

2: "why would you need me?"

1: "You're... different. ... eh, throughout my life, i've never been able to imagine things."

2: "you're... an artist?"

1: "yeah. that sounds like a problem, doesn't it? it's been driving me fucking crazy. everyone says i'm talented, i'm this, i'm whatever, when they are able to picture things of infinite beauty in their heads. it takes TIME to put thought onto paper, but i have none. they call me creative, but i'm a fraud. i didn't want to be an artist anyway... it was just some stupid legacy thing. i hated every second of it. that's why i took a break. but when- well, i opened the modelling thing, once i saw some rumours going around about- stuff. research. to find someone that would be different. who would INSPIRE me, like they said. the human brain is beautiful and i wanted to experience what... it would be like. to imagine something otherworldly. there's a beauty in that, i think."

2: "that's why people have been fired so quickly?!"

1: "hah.... yeah. but you- you- you made me THINK. all this time, words were floating around in my brain, never colorful or artistic or meaningful. but you... opened my minds eye. gave me a vision, allowed me to IMAGINE. and i was thinking of having you,,, of keeping you here. so i could- we could stay together, and i could imagine with you, only you. and we could..."

2: the more she talks the more messed up i feel holy shit

2: "then what about my brother?! what did he do?!"

1: "god, he certainly was. i couldn't take him anymore. he was..... better than me and shit. it sounds stupid. i wouldn't want to tell anyone."

2: "you MURDERED him because he was BETTER than you!?!?! you were JEALOUS??? of what, the fact that he could picture things? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU??"

and suddenly tears and streaming down her cheeks as the false hope she had about her brother being alive out there, coming back,,,

1: "i wish i knew. maybe then, i could... whatever. i'm going to get [something]. i'll be right back~"

ermm and depending on what stuff she has #2 could escape and report to police, escape and nawt report to police, stay with #1, get murdered, get murdered, or stay with #1. doubles of that are variants, lmao. i'm kinda tired i don't feel like continuing this but i'll tag it w something because i kinda want to keep this alive. flesh it out a bit, yk?

also toxic doomed yuri potential

AND I'M A BIT TIRED I GOT A BIT TIRED AT THE END SO.. IGNORE CRINGE DIALOUGE..

UHHH NOTE I AM *NOT* TRYING TO LIKE. DEMONIZE? PEOPLE WITH APHANTASIA. IT'S A REAL THING BUT IT LITERALLY HAS NO EFFECT ON UR MORAL COMPASS OR WHATEVER.... #1 is just built different

[luckyduck0]

🜸ultra comet fire🜸

“So, you mean to tell me that in the span of one hour,” A voice says, holding up their pointer finger. “You served a guy named Nyxx, coffee, and then got saved by him from a giant mutant lizard-scorpion-whatever, and then he took you to the hospital?”

Nodding, Xen stared sheepishly at the person in front of her. “Yup, that about sums it up.”

The person in question was Xen’s friend, Sandy, who was treating her to a fast-food dinner after hearing about her hospital visit.

“Jeez, how’s that work? Did he just leave ya there?” Sandy asks, stuffing a fry into her mouth.

“No, no!” Xen denies, shaking her head. “He stayed until the doctor said I was good to go. Then he actually…drove me home?”

“What?!” Sandy exclaimed, slapping her hands on the table. “You let some random guy drive you to your house?!”

“He’s not random! And he was just doing it cause he was nice!”

Sitting back down barely containing herself, Sandy breathed deeply. Now, Xen was going to get an earful, as well as a long parental lecture about boys.

“Alright, alright. So, he saved you?”

Arching a brow, Xen answers hesitantly. “Yes?”

“And you sensed no ulterior motives?” Sandy questioned, looking Xen in the eyes.

“Of course not.” Xen replied, stern.

She may have only know him for a short while, but Xen could tell Nyxx was different. A good different. He saved her, went of his to get her help and make sure she got home. He was mysterious and a little standoffish, but he still did so much for her.

“Then…I guess there’s really nothing to worry about.” Sandy said, slumping back against the booth seat. “Just, call me next time you get into danger, alright? This city’s got a shit ton of problems, I don’t need you getting kidnapped by a league of evil-doers as one of them, got it?”

Sighing with relief, Xen nodded happily. “Will do, San! Anyway, wanna go see a movie? There’s this new one that just came out, it’s about like, aliens or something!”

“Yeah, sure.” Sandy agreed, pushing up from the table with Xen.

—

(Fifteen minutes earlier)

Smoke fills the air as a fire raged inside a burning building. Police and firefighters had rushed to the scene, conveniently not noticing a tall figure jump out of a third-story window.

“Didn’t I tell you not to make a mess this time”

Ada’s voice pierced through the comm, making Nyxx wince from the sound.

“It was tougher than expected.” He replied, landing on the sidewalk and easing through the crowds.

“Clearly! You knocked down a building, Nyxx!” Ada yelled.

“I didn’t knock it down,” Nyxx stated, turning into an alley. “That stupid Flame Ghoul was stronger than I realized. A lot stronger than Intel told us. Not my fault he’s a lousy informant.”

With ease, he climbed up an apartment buildings’ fire escape and landed on a roof.

Ada groaned and Nyxx could practically hear the pinching of her nose. “Listen, we just got another report that says those damn Imps are out and about again, so get to these coordinates and I’ll meet you there. We’ll talk about your…screw-up with the Sergeant later.”

“Whatever.” Nyxx replied, cutting the comm off.

He glanced at his wrist, where a fancy, high-tech looking watch set. A hologram appeared as he jumped from roof to roof, coordinates showing what looked to be a location not far from where he was.

Great, he thought, now I’ll get a lecture in person too.

Ada was sort of his superior, in a way. She was a third year at EDEN and had lots of experience under her belt. She was the one recruited him in the first place, actually.

However, that didn’t make her mom-ing any less annoying.

—

Xen hadn’t thought about that night very much. In fact, she’d barely thought about it at all! She had much more important things to worry about…

…is what she would have said, if her near-death experience plus also getting save by a really hot guy hadn’t totally turned her brain into mush.

When he brought her to hospital, he insisted he could pay for any expenses. She wanted to object, but she was also a poor, fresh-out-of-college graduate and had eight dollars to her name. Then after that, he insisted to take her home himself, as she could still possibly be in danger.

“I’ll get ya home, least I can do after all this. Oh, and…hold on..” He mumbled, pulling out a piece of paper and writing on it. “Here ya go, it’s my number. In case anything happens, call me. I’m not sure how that monster behaves yet, so it’s possible it might come after ya, so keep it handy.”

Did she keep the note and memorize it and reread it a million times? Maybe.

But she also didn’t have a phone, as she lost it on the train. She was mainly hoping nothing bad would happen, cause she definitely did not have a device to call him on. At the same time, though, she really wanted to see him again.

And who could blame her?

Nyxx was kind and strong, and very, very attracted. And you don’t get saved by those kinds of people everyday.

“Uh, hello, Earth to Xeeeennn?” Sandy said, snapping her fingers in the other’s face.

Flinching, Xen flashed back to the present and turned to Sandy, who looked a bit put-off.

“Oh, sorry, what were you saying? Is the movie starting?”

“Uh, no, it just ended.” Sandy furrowed her eyebrows. “Jeez, you can be such an airhead sometimes. Were you sleeping with your eyes open or somethin’?”

Noticing everyone else is in the theatre leaving, Xen felt a little embarrassed. Could she really be that distracted by Nyxx?

“Ugh, whatever. Let’s just go, I already see the cleaners rollin’ in. Come on.” Sandy took Xen’s hand, leading her to the doors.

They threw away the trash and walked into the lobby. Sandy waved to one of her friends working at the counter, then stretched and yawned.

“That movie was pretty good, all things considered. Hey, wanna come over tonight? We could paint our nails and talk about our crushes!” Sandy said, posing dramatically.

Xen laughed, covering her mouth. “I’d love to, but I’ve got the opening shift tomorrow. Maybe next time.”

“Ughhhhh, why do you work so much? Try living a little, Xen. Maybe going to a few parties might loosen you up.” Sandy poked at her, smirking.

“I’m perfectly fine the way I am. Besides, the whole life of the party slash laidback misfit is way more your style.” Xen stated, nudging the taller girl.

Sandy chuckled, stuffing her hands into her pockets. “Yeah, guess you’re right. No one can compare to my utter brilliance.”

Xen just laughed, pushing past the front doors and into the parking lot.

Approaching Sandy’s beat up, Scooby-Doo-style van, the girl’s are stopped by a scream.

“Look at that! In the sky!”

“What the hell?”

“Run!”

“Holy shit!”

Both Xen and Sandy turned to the commotion, noticing a large green object heading straight toward them.

Launching many expletives out of her mouth, Sandy ran to the van, hopping in and starting the engine.

“Oh crap, we gotta go! Gotta go gotta go gotta— Xen? Xen?! What the hell are you doing?! Hurry up!” Sandy commanded, shouting from her place in the driver’s seat.

But Xen was frozen, staring up at, whatever it was. She couldn’t move. This wasn’t like the fear she got from the lizard-mutant, no, this was way different. Not even her fight or flight response was kicking in. She was utterly helpless, and there was a sick feeling that she wouldn’t be saved this time.

Xen probably wouldn’t have even had enough time to call Nyxx, let alone find some way to communicate with him.

Another shout from Sandy came from the van, but Xen didn’t hear it. A weird static was filling her head, like the buzzing when a TV stops working right. It was all she could do to keep staring, to keep calm, to accept it.

Before she can think, however, Xen is yanked away before the green thing hits the ground.

—

(All the way on the other side of the city)

Nyxx strolled alongside as Ada led him through a warehouse. He, unfortunately, had to listen to another one of his upperclassmen’s tirades.

“Oh, and don’t even get me started on your lack of discipline! You think because your so strong that you can just run around all half-cocked and then get sympathy when you fail! Like, obviously! Did you not see him prioritize getting soda over killing the damn Leech Ghouls?!” Ada complained, stomping down the poorly-lit hallway. “What’s even worse, literally nobody calls you out on it! Not even Red or Stein! And Stein is the nit-pick of the century!”

Nyxx just rolled his eyes, leaning his head back to look at the ceiling. The only reason they were in this place was because they got a report of the Imp Ghouls running around terrorizing the place. Pain and Panic, loyal servants to that damned Devil.

“Ya know, I think you’re over-thinking this. I’m pretty sure the reason nobody gets on my ass about stuff is cause I make the right calls. Ya told me to save people, Ada.” Nyxx said, pointedly looking at the woman.

“Ugh, I know what I said, but that doesn’t mean you can just abandon missions. That Scorpious mutant is still out there, probably running around in the sewers. And I’m the one that gets blamed for it, remember? Cause everyone thinks you’re my protege. Bullshit..”

Nyxx only shrugged, all he had to do was bring down Ghouls and bring their souls to be exorcised or judged. It wasn’t his place to decide their fate, all he had to do was capture them.

Sure, maybe he wasn’t doing too good a job of that recently, but people still understood why.

He just wished Ada could as well.

For all her hot-headedness, Ada was very smart and talented. She was one of the top students at EDEN, and her combat skills were incredible. She claimed she could do anything, and so far, she made good on that claim. Out of most people at the academy, Ada was definitely one of his favorites.

Except for her nagging. That was one quality he could live without.

“Ada! Ada, do you read me?” A voice from her watch questioned, urgently.

“Intel? Yes, what’s up?” Ada stopped, putting a hand on her hip.

“Listen, I need both you and Nyxx to go to downtown, quick. Something big just exploded in a theatre parking lot and we’re not entirely sure what it is. We need you to get a read on the situation, hurry.”

“Shit, okay, I got it. We’re on our way.” Ada closed the call and swiftly turned around. “Nyxx, let’s go.”

Nyxx only nodded, breaking out into a run to follow her.

—

When Xen came to, her ears were ringing. Everything around her was a dizzying haze. All she could see what a greenish smoke, and what looked to be rubble on the ground. Something warm drips down her face and before Xen can register it, she’s being dragged across the ground.

“Dammit, Xen! Wake up! We need to go!” A distant voice yells, one she slowly recognizes as Sandy.

“S-Sandy?” She coughed, pain wracking throughout her body.

What happened? The last thing she remembered was leaving the theatre.

“Oh my god, holy shit, are you okay?” Sandy stopped, kneeling down to hold Xen steady.

“I—” Another cough, this one feeling worse than the last. “I don’t know.”

Sandy was in utter distress at this point, looking around wildly, shouting for help. But Xen couldn’t concentrate, there was this buzzing under her skin. Her head felt like it was on fire and being beaten like a drum at the same time.

Suddenly, flashes of memories fly into her mind. They aren’t her memories, though, she’s awake enough to know that. There was a picture of a desert, then a stark-white room with medical supplies everywhere, and then fire. Green fire, all around, everywhere. It consumed everything it touched, including people who looked like doctors or scientists. A sharp pain enters her head, along with what sounded like high-pitched screaming.

“Gah!” Xen shrieked, squeezing her hands over her ears.

“What? What’s wrong?” Sandy panicked.

Xen couldn’t answer. The burning feeling was worse, it felt like it was through her entire body now. The screaming only became louder as her muscles seemed to ignite more and more. Almost to the point of an exploding sensation.

She doesn’t know when it happened, but quickly, her entire body became enveloped in flames. Green fire, just like the memories. Just like the thing in the sky.

Her screams were agonizing now, and they mixed well with the ones in her mind.

Xen knew Sandy was freaking out, but she couldn’t stop it. Her entire being was in complete pain overdrive.

She can’t tell when it stops, when the screams go silent and the fire goes out. What she can tell is, is a cold darkness covering her. Whispers of something she can’t quite grasp, until she’s completely enthralled in darkness.

—

On the outside, there was Nyxx and Ada. Nyxx was cocooning Xen inside of shadows, seemingly stopping the flames. Hopefully.

“Is she alright?” Ada asked, standing above the scene with a grimace.

“I don’t know, it looked really bad.” Nyxx replied, his tone uncertain.

He hadn’t expected to see Xen again, especially not under such horrible circumstances. It had only been a week since her last brush of death, and he was certain she was out of residual danger.

Nyxx would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about her. His mind had wandered to the girl a few times, wondering if she was alright. He’d ordered one of the EDEN cadets to keep an eye on her, in case that mutant came looking for her before he could find it. The whole reason he even gave her his number was so he could help her out if need be, so why hadn’t she called?

Was he too late?

Had he failed to save someone again? Someone counting on him?

Nyxx hated that feeling, it scared him.

“Is she gonna be okay?” A girl asked, rubbing her nose as tears ran down her face.

She must be a friend of hers, Nyxx noted in his head.

“I’ll do everything I can to help her, I swear.” Nyxx assured.

He wanted to say everything would be alright, but he couldn’t say that. Empty promises were much worse than harsh truths. All he could do now was try his best to save Xen.

Nyxx didn’t get very far, though, because something exploded out of the crater in the middle of the parking lot.

Both he and Ada quickly turned, standing to attention at…whatever the hell was crawling out of that thing. They looked like a bunch oozy slime balls, but he could see their exoskeletons, which were clearly made of metal.

“Now what in the hell…” Ada faltered, gagging at the way they moved. “They look like worms, but worse!”

Nyxx glared at the scene. The weird neon-colored worms kept coming out of the iron rock thing that blasted into the concrete. And they were also, forming? Into each other. Honestly, Nyxx just wanted to wipe them from the Earth immediately.

Summoning shadows, he turned them into spikes and shot them like arrows at the slime worms. They just consumed them, though.

“Well, fuck.” He swore, running out of ideas.

“Great, now I can put, defeating a giant slime monster on my list of accomplishments to hold over your head.” Ada cackled, unlocking her bo-staff and running at the things with swiftness.

Her efforts are in futile though, every hit just slides through the worms. Nyxx, whose great at multitasking, tries to figure out both what it is and how it can die.

“Okay, seriously, can we please get out of here?!” The other girl pleaded, yanking her hair in frustration.

“I need to help Ada, but how. I can’t just leave Xen…” Nyxx mutters to himself.

Ada continues her struggle with the slime monster, occasionally throwing rocks and car pieces at it.

“God! Why isn’t anything working?!” She shouts, grinding her teeth.

Nyxx doesn’t get a chance to do anything though, because the slime monster finishes forming. A loud roar emanates from its mouth, and now it looks more like a four-legged snake with multiple heads.

“Fucking fantastic.” Nyxx rolls his eyes.

“Shit, what should we do?!” The girl asks, causing Nyxx to turn back to her.

“You shouldn’t do anything, just get out of here. I’ll take care of Xen.”

“What?! No! I’m not— wait, how’d you know her name was Xen…?” The girl asked, looking at him with suspicion. “Wait a second. Tall, white hair, white coat, and an attitude…holy shit! You’re him!”

Nyxx stares, puzzled. What……?

His confusion is short lived, as a loud blast comes from the other direction. Ada, having jumped out of the way, barely missed being crushed by a slimey hand. It retracted back into the mass of ooze, which totally wasn’t gonna haunt Nyxx’s dreams or anything, and slowly came toward them.

Ada sprints back to him, barely needing to catch her breath. “Okay, okay, Nyxx, call backup. I have no idea how to kill this thing and it doesn’t seem like a typical Ghoul.”

Screeching from the monster interrupted him, though, as his attention is drawn yet again to the monster. Knives stick out of its green slime skin, but they don’t fall away, and seem to be extracting some kind of poison into it.

But just from the make of the knives, Nyxx knew exactly who it was.

Turning around, he was greeted by the sight of Red. In full EDEN uniform attire, he stood on the top of car, holding a spectacularly sharp knife.

“Red?!” Ada exclaimed.

“Intel told me you two might need some help, so here I am.” He spoke, his voice flat and monotone as usual.

“Hey, Red.” Nyxx nodded at him. “I assume you’ve got a plan?”

“The makings of one, why?” Red questioned, walking toward the group.

“Cause I need to get her to Tsubaki and the other girls at the school so they can heal her.” Nyxx stated, looking from Red to Xen, who was still wrapped in shadows.

“Right. Well, hurry it up. Ada and I can handle things here.” Red dismisses, walking past and gesturing Ada to follow. “Do be quick about it though, I can almost smell all the blood she’s lost.”

Nyxx winced, but hurried to pick Xen up and find the quickest way out.

“We’re taking her to a hospital, right?” Xen’s friend implored.

“Something like that, but we need a ride.”

“Ah. I have a van.” She states, pointing to a an almost replica of that one van from the ghost cartoon.

“Great, let’s go.” He rushes over, using a shadow to tank the back doors open.

The other girl jumps into the front seat, starting the van and pulling speeding out quickly.

Nyxx looks down, unveiling some of his shadows to see the girl. She was trembling, and her face was scrunched up in discomfort. Vein-like lines trailed from her eyes to her neck, like an infection. Nyxx didn’t know much about human diseases, but green stuff on the face really shouldn’t be there.

His arms instinctually tighten around the girl, a feeling of both anger and worry settling over him.

“Don’t worry, Xen. You’ll be alright, I’ll make sure of it.”

—

ANOTHA ONE FOR MY GIRL @3xen ENJOY LOVELY

[beetlejuicyy]

Eraser | Ryomen Sukuna x reader

4. Vengeance

Summary: you give Sukuna a taste of his own medicine with Toji's help. is it the right move, though?

Word count: 4k

Masterlist | AO3

Notes: i have to admit i never expected this story to get here when i wrote the first part. so thank you everyone who enjoys this i'm having so much fun!!

You’re the only one I want by my side.

For fifteen minutes you have been looking blankly at the pretty box on your bed. A deliveryman showed up in front of your door to deliver it, although you didn’t remember placing any order. The prettiest dress you’ve ever seen, even more beautiful in reality than the pictures you saw on the internet, was carefully folded with a handwritten note on top.

Wear this for me, if you come. I hope you will.

Your heart was beating, a mix of excitement and indignation fighting inside your soul. Does he think a dress and a handwritten note is enough? But your legs were already weak, your anger melting with every minute your eyes looked back and forth from the dress to the note. It was a dress you showed him multiple times. There was no occasion in the near future to wear it, sparkly and revealing just enough, elegant and precious, it was too much even for a fancy dinner or the occasional parties he took you to. Not to mention the exorbitant price.

The standard invitation sent to everyone was hiding at the bottom of the box, under the dress. It was a formal party, celebrating the launch of his new business, at a fancy casino. The dress was perfect for the event. For three days you had been debating whether to go or not, the only thing keeping you from running back into Sukuna’s arms being your wish for something to change. You weren't quite sure what exactly yet.

Looking out the window of your kitchen, you saw the same car parked in front of the building, as always. The tough guy following your every move since your breakup was undoubtedly paid by Sukuna to keep an eye on you. He never blended in with any of the places you went, too tall and hunky, not even pretending to have any other reason for being in the same places as you. You weren’t scared of him, mostly because you knew he was Sukuna’s man.

You’re the only one I want by my side.

You could almost hear Sukuna say these words, although they were only written on a thick perfumed paper. As you still contemplated, you noticed the man with raven hair got out of the car. He was wearing a navy shirt that hugged his muscles in all the right places, the fabric stretching as his arms moved. He was having a smoke, with his back leaning against the car, looking up to the window illuminated by light where you were standing.

An idea sparked inside your mind, like a lightning bolt.

You couldn’t forgive Sukuna so easily. But if you could teach him a lesson that would bring you to an even ground that would make things easier. Fair.

When you got out of the apartment building, Toji was already inside the car. He watched you closely as you approached, your breasts jiggling softly with every step you took in your high heels. He licked his lips instinctively, as Sukuna’s warning echoed inside his brain.

I don’t pay you to fantasize about fucking my woman.

How could he not, though? That bastard knew your measurements so well since the dress was fitting your body perfectly, it was probably custom made. It was reflecting all the light coming from the streetlamps on your way to the car. Toji rolled down the window before you could reach him, placing his forearm on the sill.

“You’re Sukuna’s lapdog, right?” You asked, and he looked up at you. Such a pretty face for a pretty body. Feisty as well.

“I’m only doing what I’m paid for, doll.” He shrugged, waiting for your next move.

“Take me to him.”

You didn’t expect him to open the door for you or anything, but the ride was engulfed by an awkward silence. Toji was quite handsome, you admitted to yourself as you stole looks now and then. It made your plan easier to follow, since your eyes flew to his large hand on the steering wheel or to the scar across the corner of his lips.

“You’re Megumi’s dad, right?” You asked, wishing to spark some conversation. He looked at you quickly from the corner of his eye, although he failed to meet your gaze and landed on your cleavage instead. “The resemblance is striking.” You continued when his eyes went back to the road. You wondered if Sukuna knew him because Yuuji was friends with Megumi or the other way around.

“He takes more after his mom.” Toji replied on a neutral tone, and you understood that the subject you chose was not the best. He was probably a teen dad, since he didn’t look that old, but more mature than you in any case.

You took out a small mirror from your purse to check on your make-up. As the car stopped at a red light, the man took a moment to look at how short your dress was when you were sitting down, exposing a generous amount of your thigh. You could see him in the mirror, and he seemed to be aware of it, but he didn’t look away until the light turned to green.

“You shouldn’t push him away too much, y’know?” Toji finally said, breaking the silence. “A man has his ego too.” For a moment, the hidden meaning of his words was clear as day. He had guessed what you were about to do.

“I’m not taking advice from a man who barely paid child support.”

“Fair enough.” He replied with a smug smile.

When the car finally pulled over in the parking lot, a drop of your determination disappeared as you noticed all the expensive cars and people attending Sukuna’s party. You were about to ruin his night, and, for a moment, you wondered if all of this was worth it. Couldn’t you simply get over it, believe the man you loved and end this? Your hand slipped away from the door as Toji opened it for you and you looked at him surprised. He was offering you a hand.

The images of Sukuna making out with that girl flashed in your mind, giving you the confidence boost you needed. You took Toji’s hand and got out of the car, pulling the hem of your dress lower. You were about to give your boyfriend some taste of his own medicine.

“I should get going, my job is done here.” Toji said with a very unconvincing voice, as if he didn’t believe the words either. He was giving you a last chance to change your mind.

“Nonsense.” You said, grabbing his muscular arm. “I’ll buy you a drink as a thank you for the ride.”

You arrived late, as you intended. You hardly recognized any of the people crowding the enormous room lit by crystal chandeliers. It was hard to find Sukuna in this mass of fancy dresses and rich men but you didn’t rush anyway. Toji guided you towards the bar, and you took a seat while he chose not to, standing next to you. The look in his eyes, practically undressing you, was enough to tell that he didn't mind your little game at all. After you got your drink you quickly turned in your seat to face him, while your eyes constantly searched the crowd for a ruffled pink hair in the sea of people. As you were talking, you crossed one leg over the other, growing impatient by the minute.

***

Dissimulation was one of Sukuna's many skills. He had no difficulty in smiling charmingly and exchanging meaningless words just for the sake of building his reputation. There were only two types of people in that room. The ones who had no idea who he was and the ones who knew it too well. Naturally, with the first category he could start on a clean slate. With the latter, it was even more entertaining to see how they followed the social script so diligently while their pupils contracted in fear, a drop of sweat was dripping down their foreheads and their hands were shaking as they greeted him. Sukuna had everyone wrapped around his finger, be it throught admiration or fear.

"O-of course, it would be an honour to collaborate." The old man's voice trembled while he only looked down at Sukuna's expensive dress shoes as he was speaking. The last time Sukuna saw this pathetic scum his men had his son kidnapped because of unpaid debt. He was big in the transportation industry, of course he found double the money to pay.

A man from security carefuly approached Sukuna as he was enjoying his little intimidation games, whispering in his ear that someone saw you enter through the front door. His relaxed posture suddenly changed, his back straight and tense, his hands clenched in tight fists in his black dress pants' pockets as he heard Toji's name following yours.

He had to find you. He had to talk to you. If you were here, he surely meant something to you.

The hall was enormous and filled with people. He had to find you quickly and easily. His heart was beating fast, anticipating the moment he could see your face, hear your voice, feel your touch. He missed you excruciatingly much. So much that he was about to do the most cliché and cheesy gesture that otherwise would have made him cringe just by thinking about it.

The band stopped playing and everyone turned around to see the singer announce that the host of the party was about to hold a speech. People clapped in encouragement as Sukuna stepped up on the stage, on the opposite end of the room from the bar, where you and Toji were casually continuing your conversation. It was so easy for him to spot you. While everyone was facing him, you weren't. Your dress, the one he bought you, was the brightest and most beautiful. Next to you, that bastard had his hand on your waist while you leaned in to kiss him, one small hand of yours on his chest.

It was barely a couple of moments that other guests didn't even notice. But to Sukuna it felt like an endless torment in hell, seeing how you tilted your head so you could make out with the other man, your hand gripping in his shirt, your eyes open looking directly at him while your body was touched by someone else, your tongue was in someone else's mouth, your hands were pulling someone else close. Sukuna's hand grabbed the micropone tightly, his knuckles white, almost breaking.

He could already see himself jump off the stage, terrified people making way as he would roll his sleeves up to his elbows, ready to beat the shit out of Toji, the bastard he was paying to keep an eye on you. He would punch him right in the face, break that annoying smirk off his lips, then drag him out and beat him to death.

"Huh, this thing doesn't seem to like me." Sukuna joked with a relaxed tone as he pretended not to know how the microphone worked. If his mind was filled with homicidal thoughts nobody in the room could see that. Instead, they saw a handsome and powerful man thanking everyone for attending his event.

You pulled away from Toji as soon as Sukuna's voice echoed in the room. Nobody could see past his facade better than you. And this time, it was more unsettling than ever.

"I would like to thank everyone for honouring me with your support for this new chapter of my life." You had planned to leave as soon as your revenge was through, mostly because you didn't know how to confront Sukuna so soon. But he had you mesmerized, in his black Armani shirt as he rolled up his sleeves comfortably and talked to the audience as if he didn't just see his woman makeout with another man a second before. You watched in awe how his supressed anger flickered every time his eyes would find yours again, while he joked about his appearance, reassuring his guests that his tattoos didn't prevent him from being an upright businessman. It was scary to see how much self control he had, but even scarier to think what would happen when it was gone. You wanted to break him, to see him suffer as you did, but he kept talking as if nothing happened.

"I would also like to raise a toast for the woman who had always been by my side, the one I love most." He raised his glass while looking directly at you, and you suddenly forgot how to breathe. "Unfortunately she couldn't be with us tonight."

You heard Toji sneer next to you, taking the approaching end of Sukuna's speech as a signal to leave. He leaned to your ear to whisper that he will be waiting in the car, but you could barely pay attention to his words. Before he could move, you left your seat as the room echoed with the sound of people clapping.

***

The night air was not as refreshing as you had hoped. The terrace was empty. You placed your hands on the marble railing, the cold surface making you shiver. Toji was right, it was best to leave now. But you couldn't. You simply couldn't. Your stupid revenge plan brought no comfort. If you ever felt a drop of satisfaction while your lips were locked with Toji's and your eyes locked with Sukuna's, it was too feeble to be remembered.

"No, thank you." You said as you heard someone come closer, placing a glass of alcohol on the railing next to your hand.

"You might need it." You choked on empty air as Sukuna's low voice rang in your ears. Your heartbeat echoed in your throat and you felt tears blurring your vision. Your grip on the marble tightened as if you found it hard to stand on your feet. "I hope you're happy now." Sukuna had three buttons of his shirt undone as he leaned with his back against the cold marble. He took a sip from the same glass he offered you before putting it back like a boundary between your bodies.

You didn't say anything. You only pressed your lips together, in an attempt to avoid crying. The band had started playing again inside and the muffled sound of music was the only thing you could hear besides your heartbeat ringing in your ears.

"Why do you always do this?" You asked as you turned to him after a long moment of silence. His eyebrows rose in dissimulated confusion as he didn't even look at you, his eyes fixed on the glass doors revealing a glimpse of the party. "Give me what I want after I fuck everything up."

He crossed his arms, the expensive perfume you gifted him for Christmas creeping deep into your brain.

"Why do you think I invited you here? Had all these losers dressed up? Rent this expensive shithole for the night? Hired a well know band?"

"Don't blame me, I never asked for any of it." You took a sip from the same glass, wishing you could kiss him instead. The memory of Toji's taste on your lips made you take yet another sip to wash it away.

"I'm not blaming you. I'm just saying I'm not good with words. So I make up for it through gestures."

He had an innate talent of always turning every situation in his favor. You were the bad guy now. You kissed someone else while he prepared an event just for you. You ruined everything with your arrogance. You could never win.

It was almost infuriating how calm he was, although you could tell from his reluctance to look at you that he was still concealing his true feelings for the sake of appearance. He had a venue full of important people watching him. He couldn't cause a scene. Yet.

"Did you enjoy it?" He asked after a few long minutes of silence. His voice was lower, closer to a growl. His mind was replaying that moment in his head over and over again.

"Did you enjoy kissing that bitch?" You answered with another question. He grinned as he played with the almost empty glass, the small amount of liquid left sparkling in the light as it moved.

"So it's payback. You think that's fair?" He asked again, his eyes lost watching the whiskey splashing against the edges of the glass according to his hand's movements.

"It's not even half of what you've done to me." You muttered through gritted teeth. You were about to grab his face, force him to look at you, break away from the stupid game he was playing when he smashed the glass against the marble floor, making you gasp and step back in fear. The music was too loud for the people inside to notice. He ran a hand through his hair, inhaling deeply. The glass shattered on the floor, the small amount of alcohol spilling on the white marble.

"It's not even half." He repeated after you and took a few steps to close the distance between the two of you. You felt the cold marble against your back as he cornered you, both his hands placed at your sides, his arms imprisoning you. "What would be half? What would make it even?" He asked, dangerous crimson eyes fixed on you as his head hanged low to look down at you. Your feet were already hurting because of the heels. "You want me to watch my employee fuck you, hm?" You looked up at him through your lashes, feeling the soft fabric of his pants touch your bare legs. "Would that be half?" His head sank even lower, his mouth close to your ear to growl lowly. "Two men? Three? How many would you have fucking you until you call it even?"

"You're disgusting." You said as you gripped on the marble railing, his body leaning over yours making it hard for you to stand.

He leaned back to look at you again, his eyes following the curves of your body, appreciating how well the dress was fitting you. You felt the tip of his fingers brush against your waist and up your chest, shivering when his cold hand wrapped around your warm neck. He didn't choke you, didn't put any pressure on your soft skin. His hand only ghosed around it, feeling your pulse in the empty space between your skin and his hand and the warmth radiating from your body.

You weren't afraid of him, just as you weren't afraid of Toji when he suddenly started following you around. Because you knew Sukuna would never hurt you. Even now, when his mouth was spitting the vilest things, you could see the sadness in his eyes, the regret that was lingering in his intimidating stare. One of your hands wrapped around his tattooed wrist, pushing his hand further into your neck, daring him to go further.

"Come on, take it out on me." You said when his hand refused to move, not choking you completely but not freeing you either. He was keeping you there, still pondering on what he was supposed to do. "Do whatever you want."

"No." He said, pulling away, allowing you space to breathe.

You didn't think much about the aftermath of your plan, mainly because you proudly pretended you knew him better than he knew himself. You knew he was sorry for everything he had done. You knew he loved you. You knew he would never hurt you. But you also wanted to hear it from his own mouth. In your arrogance, you didn't bother to worry about overstepping a line, breaking a boundary, making irreparable damage. After all, you only returned the same pain he made you go through.

Then why didn't you feel like it was enough?

He was standing a few steps away from you until he adjusted his dress pants as he crouched down on the floor. Now he looked more like the man you were familiar with, the gang leader of the streets, full of tattoos, hair a mess, ready to fight if anyone dared to cross him.

"Uraume is waiting for you in parking lot to take you home." He said as he took out a cigarette. He tried to light it a few times but the lighter seemed broken. He threw it on the floor with a loud sigh, the sound of metal hitting marble hurting your ears. It must have been very uncomfortable to sit like that in those fancy pants.

"I can go by myself." He smiled, expecting you to refuse. He was still playing with the cigarette between his fingers but the lighter was too far.

"I'm not saying it twice." Sukuna sat up and walked over to pick up the lighter. The violent gesture seemed to have fixed it since now it flickered right away, and he sucked in so desperately like the nicotine could take away the pain in his heart.

Looking at him, you wondered if you had always been this vile. You would have never guessed how hungry for revenge you would be, how much you would wish to hurt him as much as you loved him. Even now, as you could clearly see the contradictions in his mind, the hurt and the anger and the love fighting to reach a conclusion, it still wasn't enough for you. You wanted more. You wanted to see Sukuna crawl, groaning in agony because of you. You loved him and you wanted to own him equally. But the quiet good girl minding her business could never own a man like him.

"If you think about leaving with Toji he's either beaten up or already left after beating up my men."

You walked up to him, his eyes never leaving you as you approached him. It was a new and unfamliar dynamic between the two of you. Maybe defying Sukuna by kissing Toji made you realize you had more power than you thought. Or his bad influence over time was finally taking its toll on you. When you closed in the space between the two of you, you lightly placed one hand on his cheek. He turned his face to the side, blowing away a thin cloud of smoke. His handsome side profile was even more captivating from up close, every curve and edge of his features creating a masculine and intimidating view. When he turned his face back to you, you pulled him in for a kiss and he quickly responded. It was the first kiss after so much time, yet it was slow and soft, almost like you were getting to know each other's lips for the first time. He let the cigarette fall from between his fingers, his hands placed on your hips pulling you closer. You could taste on his lips just how much he missed you and you made sure to let him know too. When you pulled away his lips were swollen and stained with your lipstick. You wiped it away softly with your thumb.

"Go." He said, although his hands were still placed on your hips keeping you close.

"The woman who had always been by your side is gone already." You said, alluding to his earlier speech. He frowned slightly, not understading your odd smile or your puzzling eyes. "Take care, 'kuna." You said, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. When you pulled away, he caught you by the hand, keeping you next to him for a few more moments.

"This dress looks amazing on you." He said.

"Thank you." You whispered, squeezing his hand.

tags: @sukunasleftkneecap @nicxl333 @st4r-s4r4 @vinnieswife @rosaryia @iluvoaldmen @rowrowrowyourboat13 @sterzin @siriuslyblackonback @00frenchfries00 @selina18

[asothecrow]

i had a nightmare while i was napping

well, first it was a dream about me kissing and holding a man i didnt recognise. only for him to disappear while im doing something else. my mom and i are house-sitting for someone and it is a very fancy apartment with my cat.

and then, i think i went looking for this guy and i left the apartment

while I was out and about, It was night-time, and I started seeing people run into the trees and out of sight. I heard planes fly over me and a message appeared in the sky written in plane smoke.

"You are all dead" / "you are going to die" or something like that, it wasn't fully legible.

and for some reason, i knew that there was something horrible about to happen, so i ran too. the end of the world kind of scenario. i definitely heard bombs go off in the distance. i was terrified and ended up running and i ran into a park, where there were people just walking. i though these people didn't know what was going on, but i managed to sneak into a tram. i did that because i saw a panda across a field run into the forest

so im on the tram and it does a bunch of weird shit (including come off the tracks and go onto snow) until we end up at this place where there are military personnel. one of them asks us if we are Mammoths. The girl next to me says "no im from Harvard" and some other girls agree or disagree. the military guy says something like "it doesn't really matter, your families are paying us well to shoot you"

obviously, this is a mistake because i think in this dream i know those are family names or places where really rich people go, so me and some other people flee. only one girl stays. i think the reason why the families were paying for the girls to be shot was to avoid causing them any further suffering in what was about to happen to all of us. the commander tries to get us back but i manage to hide and get away. i do this because for some reason, even though it should be physically impossible, i can hear what he is saying to the soldiers and i know to take a different door to escape.

im back in the field and i decide to make my way back to the apartment to find my mom. (the vibes of this world was a weird mixture of old tech, new tech, and baroque/rococo architecture). i manage to get to the same neighbourhood and im wandering a very rich part of it. i text my mom and ask her if she is okay. i dont get a response as i wake up at that point

its one of those dreams that i think i know why i had it - thinking about world ending scenarios after listening to horror youtubers talk about them. but also, im sure it definitely has to do with current day events and my anxieties about all of us being able to save our planet

overall, 8/10, it was a wild dream and proper scary. i think it was the fear that i knew something was about to happen, the world as we knew it was ending, and people were doing insane shit like having their children killed to "protect" them. i didn't know what was happening, and even in the dream i was too focused on running to ask anybody what was going on. i think until i heard the bombs go off, i didn't fully believe it. but in downtown, people were completely fine and nobody seemed to care or notice. maybe this is my brain metaphorically telling me that "irl the world is going down the drain and so many people dont seem to care or notice"

i doubt our world will end suddenly. if it does, it is going to be slow

[ofgrenvde]

"A good-looking fool, right?" Ezra asked, flashing her a wink. Her calling him a fool while smiling made his brain short circuit for a second—because who needed fancy words when the truth hit this hard? The woman he'd been going crazy over actually felt the same way. She hadn't run screaming, hadn't laughed in his face, hadn't told him this was all a mistake. No, she'd stayed and opened up her heart right back. "If it makes you feel better, I'm the same way. I could get hurt and not think anything of it, but god forbid something happens to you. Someone's going to pay." Life had taught him not to trust good things, but this felt real in a way he couldn't ignore. The fact that she worried about losing him too? That knowledge settled deep in his chest, making him realize just how far gone he already was. Sure, their lives were complicated, a mess of loyalties and obligations that should have kept them apart. But sitting here with her, none of that seemed to matter anymore. Her confession about not having a plan knocked him sideways—because same, honestly. He spent his entire life planning every detail down to the minute, from his morning coffee to his bedtime routine.

These days? He couldn't think past wanting to see her smile again. She always seemed to have everything figured out, so hearing her admit she had no clue either? That made two of them stumbling around in the dark, and somehow that felt better than any master plan. "Maybe? That's not the answer I'm looking for, Princess." He teased, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. He couldn't stop staring at her, the way her dark eyes caught the light made his brain go blank for a second. She looked like she walked straight out of those Chinese dramas—all elegant features and perfect skin that made him forget how to form basic sentences. Who gave her the right to look this good while admitting she had feelings for him? It wasn't fair how she could wreck him with just one look. "You should be saying, 'yes, Ezra. I'm yours. Let's go off into the sunset and fuck the world.' Maybe is so disappointing…"

But God, she could have said anything, and he'd still be floating right now, because she was here, choosing this, choosing him despite everything. The rest? They'd figure it out as they went. Cupping her cheeks, he dropped the teasing act and let his guard down completely. "I never have a clear plan when it comes to you, either. And that's okay. For once in my life, I don't need one." He was shit with words—always had been—so he kissed her instead, putting everything he couldn't say into that single moment. She made him want impossible things, made him dream of futures he had no business hoping for, and somehow none of that scared him anymore. The world outside could burn for all he cared. Right now, his entire universe centered on the woman who saw him for he was and chose to stay, anyway.

Rolling her eyes, they both knew she would do the exact opposite. It was evident that they cared about each other greatly and it was a relief knowing that fate had kept them safe and out of harm’s way. This had to be some kind of fucked up sign that Cyn was desperately holding due to the nature of the work they do, but luck was suddenly on their side and she was taking a chance on them rather than putting her objectives first. Normally she would be getting to the bottom of what happened, but here she was in the arms of a man that she had a complicated relationship with. To think she would make decisions with her heart instead of her own logical mind, but there’s always a first for everything. 

Ezra’s honest confession had caught Cynthia off guard for once in her life. Normally she had line of sight on every person’s next move, but this time ithe outcome was completely different. Pulling away slightly, she glanced up at him to see the truth written all over this man’s face. He dropped his guard for once and indeed, the timing was absolute shit that she felt an ache in her chest as she became conflicted at that very moment. “You’re a fool…” she blurted out in a bare whisper. However, a faint smile crept onto her lips as she could feel her walls drop completely. She knew the ball was in her court as her feelings needed to be taken into account now that Ezra had been transparent about everything. Now it was a matter if she was willing to be honest with not only him, but herself. She tried to push away all the feelings she felt for him, but everyday it grew more difficult as her heart grew heavy with the idea of being with him. 

“A fool that I’m falling for too…” Cynthia finally admitted as her gaze softened. Despite her tired eyes, it still held nothing less of affection as she wanted to reciprocate how she felt too about him. “Fear doesn't come easily to me, but the thought of losing you...God I'd raise hell that I don't even want to think about it, you mean a lot to me and..." Normally she had a way with word, but being this tongue tied meant that she was struggling internally with her own truth. She was part of the Onyx Circuit and he was a man involved with the families she sought out for vengeance. "You and I both know, this is a risk. I know we've been dancing around the idea of what we do and who we're affiliated with, but..." As her voice trailed off, she felt completely defeated, torn between her worlds and her own feelings. Her hand gently cupped his face as she maintained her gaze on him, "Maybe I should be selfish for once...You're worth it to me and fuck the logistics at this point...I just don't want to risk losing you or what we have. I know I always have a plan, but this time I actually don't know what to do..."

[athena-writes-i-guess]

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Reader

Prompt: “It may not be much but…”

A/N: Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope you’re having a great day and maybe this little fic will put a smile on your face ❤️ I love you! Will you be my Valentine? (Please ignore my first ever attempt at a collage I made in 5 min)

“Sorry buddy, we’re all out. It’s 5pm on Valentine’s Day after all.” The florist said through the receiver.

Eddie felt his heart drop, “Okay, yeah, thank you so much for checking.” He responded before hanging up the phone. He rubbed his face and eyes anxiously as he groaned loudly, trying to wrack his brain for anything that he could do to save the night.

Tonight was Valentine’s Day, your first one as a couple after almost a year of being together and Eddie had planned so much for you; he got you your favorite candy from Indianapolis, driving there and back while you were out with your friends one night. He got you flowers from the local florist, pretty red roses, and a giant stuffed bear that took up the entire bench seat in the back of his van, all of which he was going to give you on your way to Enzo’s for a nice dinner. He had saved up his money for weeks, making as many extra sales as he could so he could make this a special night for you. But everything that could go wrong did.

He had gone to the grocery store to get a few last minute things for the two of you for later tonight and had decided that since he would only be in there for a few minutes, it would be no issue to park in a no parking zone as it was close to the door. He would be quick! He just hadn’t anticipated there would be so many people there today also getting last minute items for the night and by the time he finally got out of the store he froze just outside of the door as he watched his van, with every gift he had gotten for you in it, be towed away.

He quickly ran to the nearest pay phone and called the trailer in hopes that Wayne would be there. Lucky enough, he was, answering just before the last ring with a little, “Hello, Munson residence.” Eddie had explained everything to him, ending with Wayne agreeing to come pick him up and get him to the tow company to get his van back. But that’s where the luck ran out as Eddie could not remember which company it was, and by the time they made it to the right one and could see his baby trapped behind the gate, the shop was closed for the rest of the night. Now Eddie had no ride, no gifts, and no idea how he would explain everything to you.

“Fuck!” Eddie groaned loudly, looking at the clock and seeing that now on top of everything he was going to be late for your dinner too.

“Hey, boy, calm down now.” Wayne soothed, placing a comforting hand on Eddie’s shoulder. “It’s gonna be alright, you know Y/N wont care if you show up with nothin’ but a smile.”

“But I wanted it to be special.” Eddie sighed, his brown eyes sad as he looked to his uncle.

“And it will be, because you two are together.” Wayne said, a small smile pulling at the corner of his lips. “You could always do what I did when I couldn’t afford flowers.” Eddie’s head tilted curiously. “Well, I couldn’t afford all those fancy real flowers and they died anyway, what’s the point? So I just went to the general store and got some of those fake silk flowers. They look nice and they never die.”

Eddie thought on that for a moment, before a small smile broke on his face, “Can I borrow your car?”

“Go on boy.” Wayne said, patting Eddie encouragingly.

“Thanks Uncle Wayne.” Eddie sighed in relief.

~

You adjusted your sweater as you checked your outfit in the mirror for the 3rd time that night, nervous excitement coursing through you as you waited for your boyfriend to arrive. You beamed as you heard a knock on the door to your apartment and scurried to the living room to yank open the door. Eddie stood there with his arm tucked behind his back looking a little disheveled, as a large, adoring, smile brightened his face. “Hey sweetheart, you look so beautiful.”

“Thank you, handsome.” You flushed, welcoming him in. He walked in after you, his arm still behind him as he kept whatever he was hiding out of your sight.

“I wanted to start by saying that I had so much planned for tonight but the universe decided to fuck me over today.” He chuckled with a disbelieving shake of his head at everything that went wrong. “I‘ll explain more later, but even though I don’t have everything that I wanted to give you today, I do have these.” He said, pulling out a bouquet of multicolored silk roses in your favorite colors. “It may not be much right now, sweetheart, but I wanted you to know that I will love you until these die.” He smiled, a small blush coloring his cheeks as he watched a love-sick smile pull at your lips.

“I love them so much Eddie!” You gasped out as you took the bouquet, “Thank you so much pretty boy!” You exclaimed as you threw your arms around his neck and pulled him into you. “You know you didn’t have to get me anything Eds!”

“I know, I wanted to baby. Happy Valentine’s Day sweetness.” Eddie beamed, nudging your nose playfully with his.

“Happy Valentine’s Day Eddie.” You giggled back just as Eddie quickly captured your lips in a searing kiss.

Taglist: @srapalestina @yvonneeeee @aroseinvelaris @anaisweird @mrslovesmayahawke @harrys-tittie @becca-alexa @catacina

[astroprompts]

✧ —𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐓𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒 [𝐀𝐂𝐓 𝟏]

𝐀𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐍 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐑, 𝐒𝐈𝐑

“Pardon me, are you [name]?”

“I'm at your service.”

“I have been looking for you.”

“I'm getting nervous.”

“I may have punched him. It's a blur.”

“I wanted to do what you did.”

“He looked at me like I was stupid. I'm not stupid.”

“Can I buy you a drink?”

“While we're talking, let me offer you some free advice.”

“Talk less, smile more.”

“Don't let them know what you're against or what you're for.”

“You can't be serious.”

“Fools who run their mouths off wind up dead.”

“If you stand for nothing, what'll you fall for?”

𝐌𝐘 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓

“I am not throwing away my shot.”

“I'm young, scrappy, and hungry.”

“I probably shouldn't brag, but dang, I amaze and astonish.”

“The problem is I got a lot of brains, but no polish.”

“I gotta holler just to be heard.”

“Only nineteen, but my mind is older.”

“Don't be shocked when your history book mentions me.”

“I will lay down my life if it sets us free.”

“I'm with you, but the situation is fraught.”

“If you talk, you're gonna get shot.”

“I think your pants look hot.”

“Let's hatch a plot blacker than the kettle callin' the pot.”

“Oh, am I talking too loud?”

“Sometimes I get over excited, shoot off at the mouth”

“I never had a group of friends before.”

“When you're living on your knees, you rise up.”

“I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory.”

“I never thought I'd live past twenty.”

“We need to handle our financial situation.”

“For the first time, I'm thinking past tomorrow.”

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

“I may not live to see our glory.”

“I've seen wonders great and small.”

“Raise a glass to freedom.”

“Let's have another round tonight.”

“I didn't think that you would make it.”

“I came to say congratulations.”

“Now, be sensible.”

“From what I hear, you've made yourself indispensable.”

“Well, I heard you've got a special someone on the side.”

“What are you tryin' to hide?”

“I'll see you on the other side of the war.”

“I will never understand you.”

“If you love this woman/man/person, go get her/him/them.”

“What are you waiting for?”

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐔𝐘𝐋𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒

“There's nothing rich folks love more than going downtown and slumming it with the poor.”

“Daddy said to be home by sundown.” / “Daddy doesn't need to know.”

“Remind me what we're looking for.”

“I'm looking for a mind at work.”

“There's nothing like summer in the city.”

“Your perfume smells like your daddy's got money.”

“Why you slummin' in the city in your fancy heels?”

“Some men say that I'm intense or I'm insane.”

“Look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now.”

𝐅𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐔𝐓𝐄𝐃

“They have not your interests at heart.”

“Oh my God, tear this dude apart.”

“Chaos and bloodshed are not a solution.”

“Don't let them lead you astray.”

“They're playing a dangerous game.”

“It's hard to listen to you with a straight face.”

“Chaos and bloodshed already haunt us.”

“Honestly, you shouldn't even talk.”

“My dog speaks more eloquently than thee.”

“If you repeat yourself again I'm gonna scream.”

“I'd rather be divisive than indecisive.”

“Drop the niceties.”

𝐘𝐎𝐔'𝐋𝐋 𝐁𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊

“You say the price of my love's not a price that you're willing to pay.”

“Why so sad?”

“Remember, we made an arrangement.”

“Now you're making me mad.”

“Remember, despite our estrangement, I'm your man.”

“You'll be back, soon you'll see.”

“You'll remember you belong to me.”

“You'll remember that I served you well.”

“You'll be the one complaining when I am gone.”

“Don't change the subject!”

“I will fight the fight and win the war.”

“I'll love you 'til my dying days.”

“When you're gone, I'll go mad.”

“Don't throw away this thing we had.”

“I will kill your friends and family to remind you of my love.”

𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒

“You got me helpless.”

“I have never been the type to try and grab the spotlight.”

“You walked in, and my heart went boom.”

“This one's mine.”

“Where are you taking me?”

“I'm about to change your life.”

“By all means, lead the way.”

“Thank you for all your service.”

“If it takes fighting a war for us to meet, it will have been worth it.”

“My life gets better every letter that you write me.”

“I'm just sayin', if you really loved me, you would share him/her/them.”

“There's nothing that your mind can't do.”

“I don't have a dollar to my name.”

“Your family brings out a different side of me.”

“My love for you was never in doubt.”

“I've been living without a family since I was a child.”

“I look into your eyes, and the sky's the limit.”

𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐅𝐈𝐄𝐃

“I just might regret that night for the rest of my days.”

“I'll never forget the first time I saw your face.”

“This is not a game.”

“You strike me as a woman/man/person who has never been satisfied.”

“I'm sure I don't know what you mean.”

“You're like me, I'm never satisfied.”

“I have never been satisfied.”

“Where's your family from?”

“There's a million things I haven't done.”

“So this is what it feels like to match wits with someone at your level!”

“I'm a girl in a world in which my only job is to marry rich.”

“I'd have to be naïve to set that aside.”

“I know my sister like I know my own mind.”

“You will never find anyone as trusting or as kind.”

“May you always be satisfied.”

“I will never be satisfied.”

𝐖𝐀𝐈𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐈𝐓

“Love doesn't discriminate between the sinners and the saints.”

“There are things that the homilies and hymns won't teach ya.”

“My mother was a genius, my father commanded respect.”

“When they died they left no instructions, just a legacy to protect.”

“Death doesn't discriminate between the sinners and the saints.”

“If there's a reason I'm still alive when everyone who loves me has died, I'm willing to wait for it.”

“I'm not standing still, I am lying in wait.”

“Life doesn't discriminate between the sinners and the saints.”

“If there's a reason I'm still alive when so many have died, then I'm willing to wait for it.”

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐘 𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄

“There’s only one way for us to win this.”

“Hit ‘em quick, get out fast.”

“Stay alive ‘til this horror show is past.”

“We’re gonna fly a lot of flags half-mast.”

“Yeah, he’s not the choice I would have gone with.”

“What are you doing, [name]? Get back on your feet!.”

“History will prove them wrong.”

“We have a war to fight, let’s move along.”

“I can’t disobey direct orders.”

“You're the closest friend I've got.”

“Don't throw away your shot.”

𝐓𝐄𝐍 𝐃𝐔𝐄𝐋 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒

“If they apologize, no need for further action.”

“Time to get some pistols and a doctor on site.”

“Duel before the sun is in the sky.”

“Pick a place to die where it’s high and dry.”

“Pray that hell or heaven lets you in.”

“Can we agree that duels are dumb and immature?”

“Your man has to answer for his words.”

“Okay, so we’re doing this.”

“Look ‘em in the eye, aim no higher.”

“Summon all the courage you require.”

𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐌𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄

“Do you yield?”

“You shot him in the side.”

“Yo, we gotta clear the field.”

“This should be fun.”

“What is the meaning of this?”

“Meet me inside.”

“Don't call me son.”

“We called his bluff!”

“Watch your tone.”

“I am not a maiden in need of defending.”

“They take your name and they rake it through the mud!”

“My name's been through a lot, I can take it.”

“We need you alive!”

“I am more than willing to die.”

“I need you alive!”

𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐁𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇

“How long have you known?”

“You should have told me.”

“I'm not sorry.”

“You deserve a chance to meet your son/daughter/child.”

“Will you relish being a poor man's wife, unable to provide for your life?”

“I relish being your wife.”

“The fact that you're alive is a miracle.”

“Just stay alive, that would be enough.”

“I don't pretend to know the challenges you're facing.”

“I'm not afraid.”

“I know who I married.”

“So long as you come home at the end of the day, that would be enough.”

“We don't need a legacy.”

“We don't need money.”

“Let me be a part of the narrative.”

𝐆𝐔𝐍𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏𝐒

“Yo, turns out we have a secret weapon.”

“I'm taking this horse by the reigns.”

“And so the balance shifts.”

“For this to succeed, there is someone else we need.”

“No one has more resilience, or matches my practical tactical brilliance.”

“You wanna fight for your land back?”

“I need my right-hand man back!”

“If you join us right now, together we can turn the tide.”

“The world will never be the same.”

𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐇𝐀𝐒 𝐈𝐓'𝐒 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔

“I was younger than you are now when I was given my first command.”

“I led my men straight into a massacre.”

“I witnessed their deaths firsthand.”

“I made every mistake and felt the shame rise in me.”

“History has its eyes on me.”

“Let me tell you what I wish I'd known when I was young and dreamed of glory.”

“You have no control who lives, who dies, who tells your story.”

“I know that we can win.”

“I know that greatness lies in you.”

“Remember from here on in, history has its eyes on you.”

𝐘𝐎𝐑𝐊𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐍 (𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐔𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍)

“Immigrants, we get the job done.”

“'If this is the end of me, at least I have a friend with me.”

“We gotta go, gotta get the job done.”

“We move undercover and we move as one.”

“We have one shot to live another day.”

“We will fight up close, seize the moment and stay in it.”

“We had a spy on the inside, that's right.”

“We're in the shit now, somebody's gotta shovel it!”

“When you knock me down, I get the fuck back up again!”

“And just like that, it's over.”

“The world turned upside down.”

𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎𝐃𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐀

“I'm dedicating every day to you.”

“Domestic life was never quite my style.”

“When you smile, you knock me out.”

“We'll bleed and fight for you.”

“When you smile, I am undone.”

“Pride is not the word I'm looking for. There is so much more inside me now.”

“You outshine the morning sun.”

“When you smile, I fall apart.”

“My father wasn't around.”

“I swear that I'll be around for you.”

“I'll do whatever it takes.”

“I'll make the world safe and sound for you.”

“You'll blow us all away.”

𝐍𝐎𝐍-𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏

“Are you aware that we're making history?”

“Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room?”

“Soon that attitude may be your doom!”

“Why do you write like you're running out of time?”

“I've seen injustice in the world, and I've corrected it.”

“Now, what I'm going to say may sound indelicate.”

“Why do you always say what you believe?”

“Every day, you fight like it's going out of style.”

“Can we confer?”

“What do you need?”

“I know I talk too much, I'm abrasive.”

“You're succinct, persuasive.”

“Hear me out!”

“We have to start somewhere.”

“You're making a mistake.”

“What are you waiting for? What do you stall for?”

“What if you're backing the wrong horse?”

“For once in your life, take a stand with pride!”

“I don't understand how you stand to the side.”

“I'll keep all my plans close to my chest.”

“I'll wait here and see which way the wind will blow.”

“There's no one who can match you for turn of phrase.”

“Don't forget to write.”

“If I could grant you peace of mind, would that be enough?”

“They're asking me to lead.”

“I'm doing the best I can.”

“I'm asking you to be my right-hand man.”

“I know it's a lot to ask, to leave behind the world you know.”

“Look around! Isn't this enough?”

[wafflesinthe504]

If Love Had Come To Me I Wouldn't Recognize It (Now Every Time You Smile Its a Little Priceless)

@flufftober

Rating: High T/ Low M: Fade to Black scene

Fandom: The Rookie

Prompt Fill: 🌹 and "You are my person."

Title from One Life by Dermot Kennedy

____________________________________________________________

For the first time in years Tim was excited for Valentine’s Day. He had been planning and preparing for his first Valentine’s Day with Lucy since the last week in January. He hoped that tonight all of his preparations for tonight would finally pay off.

Tim was finishing the final touches of the main course when Kojo got up from his bed and started barking at the door wagging his tail and turning around in circles. A moment later his suspicion was confirmed when the door opened to reveal Lucy in the green dress from Angela’s wedding. He’s glad that he went with a dark green shirt and black suit jacket for the evening.

Tim is too stunned by Lucy to form any words let alone focus on anything other than her. He takes her in as she sets her things down on the couch before focusing her attention Kojo who had been prancing around her feet from the moment she stepped into the house.

“Hey, sorry I’m late. Traffic was crazy. I left my house twenty minutes early and LA traffic still managed to be worse than I could have imagined.” Lucy says as she continues to pet Kojo.

Tim means to respond. Really, he does but his brain can’t seem to get over how easily Lucy makes herself at home in his space. He can’t wait until the day they move in together officially.

Tim is snapped out of his thoughts when he hears Lucy ask him something.

“I’m sorry. What did you say?”

“I asked if you were okay. You looked pretty lost in thought there for a moment.” Lucy says, her brows pinched together, as she walks over to Tim placing a hand on his arm.

Tim smiles. He loves how she always checks up on him. He’s so used to taking care of people it’s nice to be taken care of. “I’m good. I just forgot how breathtaking you are.” Tim kisses away the worry lines on Lucy’s forehead and places his hands on her hips.

He watches as Lucy blushes at his words, a smile breaking out over her face.

“Thanks, you’re not too bad yourself.” Lucy teases.

“Not too bad?”

“Alright, you are very handsome. Better?”

“Much.”

Tim leans down and kisses Lucy gently before placing a kiss on her nose and head. He and Lucy rest their foreheads against each other closing their eyes and simply enjoying each other’s presence. Well, that is until Lucy’s stomach growls.

They both laugh as they pull away from each other.

“Lucy?

She hums in response.

“Did you forget to eat lunch today?”

“No, it was just cut short when me and Aaron got a urgent call that needed an immediate response. So, I’m sort of running on a taco and a half right now. By the way everything smells amazing. What did you cook for tonight?”

“That is a surprise. Do you mind taking Kojo out to the backyard? I haven’t been able to give him a proper walk this evening and I’m sure he needs to run off some energy. Everything should be set up once you get back.”

“Ok, is there anything I need to grab for him before I take him out?”

“No, his outdoor water bowl should be full and I fed him a few minutes before you got here so he shouldn’t be hungry.”

“Alright. I’ll be right back.” Lucy says right before she Kojo over to follow her outside.

Tim watches as she grabs one of Kojo favorite chew toys and brings out with her. He has to stop himself from staring again so that he can get the table ready. Tim sets out a fancy tableware set that Angela had brought him a while ago. Next, he gets the nice bottle of red wine out of the fridge and sets it in the middle of the table along with two wine glasses. Finally, he plates up the main dish of the night and sets the side dishes on either side of the wine bottle.

Tim dims the lights and lights a few candles that he had seen at Lucy’s apartment and bought a few days ago.

Tim stands next to the table as he waits for Lucy to come back in. Lucy’s laughter fills the house as she comes back in. He hears her say goodbye to Kojo as she closes the door behind her.

“You were right Kojo definitely needed to run off some energy. I feel a little ba-.” Lucy pauses as she reaches the dining room.  “Oh, wow! This is amazing. How did you manage to set all of this up? I was only gone a few minutes.”

“A lot of preparation beforehand.” Tim pulls out her chair and gestures for her to take a seat. He relishes in the short but sweet kiss that Lucy places on his cheek. Tim returns the gesture before taking a seat in the chair across from her. 

Lucy stares at all the food laid out on the table.

“Tim everything looks and smells delicious. You know you didn’t have to do all of this.”

“I know, but I wanted to. This is our first Valentine’s Day together and I wanted to make sure it was special.”

“Thank you. Seriously, this has already blown all of my previous Valentine’s Day out of the water.” Lucy takes another look at the food in front of her smiles. “Wait is this the vegetable lasagna-.”

“That you told me about a few days ago. Yes, it is. You seemed so excited about it so I thought that I would surprise you with it for tonight. Hopefully, I did it justice.”

“If it tastes as good as it smells I’m sure that it is going to be amazing.”

“And as the sides I made some garlic bread and I tried my hand at making those seafood dumplings that you made a few weeks ago.”

Lucy adoringly stares at Tim. She starts and stops to say something multiple times before shaking her head and leaning over the table to kiss Tim.

“Wow, I didn’t think I’d ever manage to render Lucy Chen speechless.” Tim teases against her lips.

Lucy chuckles and rolls her eyes as she leans back in her chair.

“Well, consider the impossible done. I am without words for everything that I’m feeling right now.”

“All good I hope.”

Lucy smiles and nods. “All good.”

As Tim and Lucy eat they converse lightly about their day, family, and friends. Their conversation is lively and full of laughter. Over the course of the dinner Tim feels the stress of the past few days melt away. He knows that him and Lucy are still in the early stages of their relationships but he already knows that he wants this for the rest of his life. Coming home to Lucy or Lucy coming home to him and relaxing in each other’s presence. He knows that everyday won’t be perfect and they’ll still have their arguments but he’s ready for that too because Lucy, their relationship and their future family will always be worth fighting for.

Its almost funny that today’s the day that he has the gut punch realization of what he’s feeling. There’s 365 days in the year and of course he figures out that he loves Lucy Chen on Valentine’s Day. Its probably the most cliché thing that has ever happened to him in his life and he really can’t find it in himself to care. Tim quietly chuckles to himself and shakes his head at himself.

He's not surprised that Lucy notices and it just makes him smile harder.

“What?” Lucy asks, a light smile crosses her face as her brows draw together.

Tim swears that his heart grows bigger and he thinks it might explode from all the love he has for Lucy.

“I’ll, uh, I’ll tell you after we clean up. I want to tell you right and I think I need a few minutes to figure out to do that okay.” He says meeting Lucy’s gaze.

“Okay. I’ll get the dishes and you get Kojo. I’m sure he wants some one on one time with his dad.”

“Luce I was going to get the dishes.”

“I know, but you did all of this for me today. Let me at least help with cleaning up.”

Tim reaches across the space between him and Lucy and lays his hand, palm side up, on the table. His hand is quickly enveloped in hers.

“I did this for us, Luce.”

“I know Tim. I know.”

Tim watches as Lucy stands and walks around the table. She sits in Tim’s lap, looping her arms around his neck. Tim wraps his arms around her waist holding her close him. He can’t help but to rest his head in the crook of her neck. He loves how Lucy’s hands feel as she gently runs her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. Tim places a gentle kiss to her shoulder before lifting his head to look at her.  

“Let me get the dishes Tim. I appreciate everything you did for us today, so just let me do this. Trust me putting some dishes in the dish washer isn’t going to ruin Valentine’s Day for me.”

“Okay, I’ll get our dog ready for bed while you get the dishes.”

Tim kisses Lucy one last time reluctantly breaking their embrace to go get Kojo. He changes out of his dress clothes and into a pair of sweats and t-shirt before going to Kojo. When he steps outside he sees Kojo laying in his dog house lazily biting one of his chew toys. For a moment he considers just bringing Kojo inside but he knows from previous experience that if Kojo doesn’t have a proper night time run the dog will be up all hours of the night wanting play.

Tim calls Kojo over to him who runs over happily barking and wagging his tail.

“Hey, who’s a good boy.” Tim says as he kneels down to Kojo to give him some rubs and cuddles. “You ready for your walk buddy? Yeah? Alright, come on lets go.” He says as he hooks Kojo’s leash into his collar.

Tim takes Kojo for a run around the block two times. By the time he and Kojo arrive back at his house nearly half an hour has passed. When they enter the house Kojo goes to his bed. Tim locks up the house and sets the alarm. He calls out Lucy’s name when he doesn’t see her in the kitchen.     

“In here.” Lucy calls out from Tim’s room.

The sight that greets Tim when steps into his room stops him in his tracks. Lucy’s night clothes are laid out on his bed. She’s already started to change. Her shoes from earlier are off and her dress is partially undone.

“See something you like?” Lucy teases as she turns to face Tim.

“Yeah, I do.” Tim says taking a step toward Lucy. “May I?” He asks gesturing towards Lucy’s dress.

Lucy nods, turning back around to let Tim access the zipper. “You sort of have great timing because the zipper got stuck and I’m not really in the position to unstick it.”

Tim chuckles as he gently tugs the zipper to unstick it. Eventually the zipper comes free and he’s able to unzip the dress. One side of the dress slips down Lucy’s shoulder. Tim presses a kiss into the shoulder that’s now exposed. He feels her shudder against him.

“Is this, okay?”

Lucy nods imperceptibly. “Yeah, better than okay.” She leans into Tim’s embrace.

Tim carefully helps Lucy out of the rest of the dress, kissing every inch of skin that he can along the way. It isn’t until he pulls back from Lucy that he notices the matching set of underwear that she’s wearing. Once again, he’s rendered speechless. When Lucy turns in his arms to face him, he gladly accepts her kiss his hands landing on her hips, his thumbs rubbing small circles into her side. He feels her hands land on his shoulder before they run down chest and continue their way down to the hem of his shirt only to push the shirt up as far as she can.

Tim breaks the kiss to take his shirt off the rest of the way and throws it off to the wayside.

“Lucy, you are the most amazing and beautiful person I know and I am so lucky to have you in my life.” Tim says in-between peppering kisses along her neck and shoulder.

He leans into Lucy’s touch when she caresses his face and lets her guide his head so that he meets her gaze and when he look into her eyes he sees a multitude of intense emotions swirling around.

“Tim, everyday that I’m with you is one of the best days of my life. You are so strong and kind. I am so happy to be the one you chose to be vulnerable with. Thank you for letting me in.”     

He wants to tell her right now exactly how he feels about. How much he loves her and can’t wait spend the rest of his life with her. How she was the one to help him re-learn how to be open and vulnerable to those he cares about. He wants to explain to her that over the last few years and especially these last few months home stopped being a place and started being anywhere she is and that he’s most at home when he’s in her arms.

Its all bubbling right at the surface, but he doesn’t think now is the right time. He doesn’t want her to think that he’s saying it because they’re about to have sex and its his lust filled brain taking over. Tim wants her to know just how much he means every word he wants to say. So, he waits.

Instead, he kisses her trying to convey every emotion he’s filling into the action. On some level she must understand because she kisses him back with the same intensity and Tim is sure he’s never been happier about the fact that they don’t need words to communicate.

Tim picks Lucy up and brings her over to the bed laying her down. He hears her confused whine when he pulls away from her. Tim notes the way the whine turns into a giggle once she realizes what he’s doing.

“Alright, good call. I would have hated for my clothes to get ruined.” She says as she watches him put away her dress and the clothes that she had laid out earlier into her bag that was now sitting next to the bed.   

After he’s done Tim makes his way back over to Lucy and covers her body with his own. Over the next few hours Tim makes it clear with his actions how much he loves and adores Lucy. Tim is more surprised than he should be when Lucy returns his affection and so much more.

__________________________

Its not until late the next morning that the conversation that he wanted to have last night is brought up again. They’re sitting on the couch eating breakfast that they decided to DoorDash since neither one had the energy to cook with both of them still being tired from last night’s activities. A rom-com that Lucy had chosen plays out in front of them with Tim only half paying attention As the credit begin to roll Lucy mutes the tv and turns to him.

“I know that there was something that you wanted to talk about last night after dinner, but then we got… distracted. Do you still want to talk about it?”

This is his chance to finally tell Lucy that he loves her. After months maybe even years he finally gets to tell her, but when it comes to saying those three words out loud he freezes. He knows that rationally there’s nothing to fear because he’s pretty sure that Lucy feels the same way. And for a moment he considers changing the subject or making something up, but then he remembers how Lucy had told with such reverence that he is strong and brave last night and he musters up the courage to tell her.

Tim pulls Lucy into his lap, guiding her so that she straddles his waist and looks into her eyes.

“Lucy, you are my person. The one I want to be with on my best days and worst nights. The one I trust more than anyone in the world to have my back or call me on my BS. I know that we’ve only been dating a few months, but I am in love with you and I hope I get to share the rest of my life with you.”

A moment passes as Tim waits for Lucy’s response. His heart is beating so hard he swears its going to beat out of his chest and he knows that Lucy can feel his heart beat from where her hand is resting on his chest. He’s nearly taken off guard by the way Lucy surges forward and kisses him.

“Tim, you are my person too. You are my home and my safe place. I love you so much and I can’t wait to build a family with you one day.” Lucy says against his lips. She kisses him one more time before settling her head in-between the crook of his shoulder and neck. Her hand rests over his heart.

Tim kisses her head and wraps an arm around her waist while his other hand reaches up to hold her hand. He doesn’t know how long they stay like this and can’t really find it in him to care because as long as he’s with Lucy he’s home. He can’t wait for their next Valentine’s Day together and all the other moments in-between.

[unhealthyfanobsession]

Can I ask for drunk Nesta flirting with Cassian in front of the ic and him getting all flustered but being secretly pleased about it???

Hell yeah you can! I love this idea! It wasn’t specified so I’m going modern here just because I’m not really sure where this could’ve happened in the canon timeline without a bunch of other factors impeding. Also I’m throwing in a dash of my fav jealous Cassian 😏

It wasn’t that Cassian didn’t want to be there. Well, no, actually that was exactly what it was. Cassian didn’t want to be there. He was exhausted and he hadn’t gotten to the gym that morning and he had a massive deadline that Rhys kept insisting they could push back but Cassian didn’t want to. He just wanted to go home and finish his report and maybe have a glass of whiskey to close off a truly awful week.

But Feyre’s art exhibit opened earlier that week and he hadn’t even gotten to see it yet and so it wasn’t like he could blow off her big party when he already felt like the world’s worst friend.

And he was completely lying to himself and everyone else. He didn’t want to be there because he didn’t want to watch Eris Vanserra’s slimy ass mill about the elegantly decorated, high ceilinged, natural light dripping, beautiful space, with his eyes glued to Nesta’s ass as if it was the art they were meant to be appreciating.

Did Cassian also appreciate every inch of her body like it had been sculpted by Michelangelo? Yeah but that was besides the point. And he had the respect to do it subtly.

“Remind me why he’s invited,” Cassian grumbled into his overpriced merlot. Because apparently only wine was classy enough for these fancy, classy, art events.

“He’s Lucien’s brother.” Azriel also didn’t look impressed by Eris’ uninvited hand on the small of Nesta’s back. Or the way he kept refilling her glass before she asked or was even done. “And he’s richer than Midas and spends a lot of that money on art.”

Cassian rolled his eyes. “We have as much money as he does.”

“Yes but you know Feyre’s rule. No family purchases. She doesn’t want to be a success just because Rhys could buy and sell this entire gallery.” Azriel was stoic as usual. Betraying no opinion on the matter.

It was several hours of carefully constructed comments where Cassian pretended he knew anything about art and pretended his neck wasn’t getting increasingly hot under his collar as Eris kept glued to Nesta’s side.

Cassian had no right to be jealous. He knew that. He and Nesta weren’t anything. Casual flirting. Witty banter. Eternal, pining, unrequited love on his end that she didn’t even seem to notice or care about. So fine. Maybe Eris was her type. It wasn’t his place to interfere.

Except that she really needed a glass of water right now and-

Cassian’s hand darted out on instinct as Nesta walked past him, wobbling a little on her completely impractical shoes.

“Careful sweetheart.”

He braced for the hissed don’t call me that, but When he looked up Nesta was blinking slowly through a hazy wall of the wrong wine.

The wrong wine because Eris had been giving her a Nappa Cab Sauv all night when she preferred old world Syrah. Which was probably why she kept drinking it so quickly, looking for her opportunity to get what she really wanted.

“Cass,” she smiled. It was a little lopsided and definitely off kilter, but even through her wine brain he could see that she was playing at something. Nesta had never called him Cass in his life. “It’s so good to see you!” Her voice went up a full octave and she pressed her entire body against his as she hugged him.

The display turned a few heads in their direction. It was mostly just family at this point, and Eris who couldn’t learn how to take a fucking hint. Technically, he supposed, Eris was family. Nesta’s fucking brother in law. Was that how it worked? Was the brother of the person your sister married also your brother in law? Brother in law once removed?

Not important, moron. Drunk Nesta. Body. Wrapped in a tight sheath dress and clinging to him. Cassian closed his hands around her back and got lost for a minute.

Holding her against him like she was made to fit in his arms. Breathing in her scent like he could capture it in a bottle and spray it on his pillow every night before he went to bed.

Someone cleared their throat. Feminine. High pitched. Mor.

Nesta had already let go and was smirking at him a little. He dropped his hands immediately. “Um, yeah, always a pleasure.”

“Interesting choice of words,” Nesta’s grin was feline. She was definitely up to something. And normally he would make a stupid remark, probably something about how much more pleasurable the evening would be back at his apartment, except that she was drunk and his entire family was staring and Eris was still standing there.

“Can I get you a glass of water?” It seemed like the right thing to say. To offer. Feyre smiled a little, a silent thank you. Azriel was covering a laugh, Mor was watching them both with narrowed eyes like a hawk, and Rhys honestly couldn’t have cared less. Nesta’s eyes narrowed. “Or maybe throw you into a pool,” Cassian joked stupidly.

“You should probably buy me dinner before offering to get me wet.” Someone dropped a glass. Cassian honestly thought it might have been him and he wouldn’t have noticed. Not in that moment. Not with Nesta looking at him through hooded eyes and talking about…

He could do this. His pants were not getting tight. Not at all. Because he wasn’t a damn teenager.

“I- um- do you-”

Nesta burst out laughing. It was a sound he’d never heard from her. She was usually all sultry under her breath snorts or ironic guffaws. Full, deep, angels singing, laughter was not usual for Nesta.

As evidenced by the fact the no one was even pretending not to be watching them anymore.

“I’ve got her.” Eris pushed himself back to Nesta’s side.

“Does he?” Nesta looked straight at Cassian, one eyebrow raised. “Because I’m willing to bet he wouldn’t have made it past glass two if your family wasn’t here.”

Azriel coughed. Amren cackled.

“You… do you want him to have you?” It came out wrong. The words. He meant did she want Eris to take her to get some water. Like he offered. He didn’t mean, he couldn’t, he wouldn’t…

“I want you to have me.” She was drunk. She was so drunk and it shouldn’t have been hot but fuck him it was. It wasn’t some sloppy college night out messed up drunk. It was a woman whose inhibitions had been soaked in wine just enough that every word out of her mouth was low and hot and honest.

“Find somewhere else to be, Vanserra.”

“Hey man what the fuck? We were talking-“

Cassian scoffed, snapping out of whatever flustered mess Nesta had put him in. “Anyone who gave her that much Cab Sauv doesn’t deserve to talk to her. Get lost.”

“I saw you eyeing the bottle,” Nesta laughed a little, swaying on her toes. Cassian moved his hands from a support on her bicep to a full arm around the waist support. Even if she did try to fall he could lift her with one arm easy. “Thought you might say something after…”

After the night they spent in her apartment with a bottle of her favourite Syrah only a week ago. It hadn’t been on purpose. Feyre and Elain and Azriel and Lucien were all supposed to be there. And they all conveniently cancelled only after he’d already showed up.

Which, judging by the barely contained grins on their faces, was even less of a coincidence than he thought. Busybodies.

“I’d offer you a glass of Syrah now, but I think what you need is a coffee.”

“Oh but then I’ll never sleep. And I do think I’m ready for bed.”

Sensing that he’d lost, Eris swore under his breath and stomped off.

“Let me take you home, Nes.” Cassian whispered into her hair.

“Hmm, your place or mine.”

“Yours,” he kissed her temple, pulling her legs out from under her and not even paying his family a backwards glance. “For a nightcap of 2 big glasses of water and a bottle of aspirin that I’m going to leave on your nightstand for the morning.”

“You don’t want to be there in the morning?”

Cassian groaned. “You said it yourself, Sweetheart. Dinner first.”

“You’re never going to let me live this down.” Nesta sighed, head lulling onto his shoulder.

“Actually go for dinner with me next week and I promise to never bring this night up again. And bribe our friends to do the same.”

“Deal,” Nesta said immediately.

An hour later after Cassian had supervised Nesta drinking her water he was about to leave her apartment when she yawned.

“Hey Cass,” she mumbled, half asleep.

“Yes sweetheart?”

“You made a bad bargain. I would’ve gone out with you either way.”

Cassian chuckled, a low rumble. “I’m satisfied with the bargain I made.”

“Cheesy as hell.”

“You love it.”

Nesta laughed, “I am prepared to tolerate it at best.”

“Good enough for me.”