#almost one shotting everything if set up correctly

[milktian]

i would like to thank rememberence trailblazer for finally making my dream misha team,,,, my boy hits HARD now + the extra damage from sunday

[rafedarling]

your last one shot about them being actors was so fun!! do you know how vogue or gq does those how well do you know your partner video? maybe they could do it? or the reader does a vogue beauty secrets video and rafe intervenes accidentally

oooooh that’s a great ideas anon, thank you for send in!!

𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐦

pairing: rafe cameron x actress!reader summary: vogue invites you to participate in their popular “secret beauty” series, where you’ll share your personal beauty routine on camera. filming alone in the comfort of your home, you’re deep into your routine when your husband, rafe, accidentally interrupts the shoot. what follows is a light-hearted and playful exchange between the two of you, filled with the kind of easy affection and banter that defines your relationship. rafe’s unexpected appearance adds a layer of fun and warmth to the video, showcasing not only your beauty secrets but also the loving dynamic between you and rafe. warning: english is not my native language. fluff au: like, reblog and comment are much appreciated. discussion can be send through my ask box, please feel free to send in anything. a sequel to “love, fame and the future” but can be read as a stand alone one-shot. taglist

Afternoon sun streamed through the windows of your living room, casting a warm glow over the sleek, modern décor that you and Rafe had carefully chosen together. The space was quiet, save for the soft hum of the air conditioning and the occasional distant chirp of birds outside. You were alone-well, almost alone-getting ready to film a special “Secret Beauty” video for Vogue.

You’d been thrilled when the invitation came through. As an actor, you were used to being in front of the camera, but this was different. This was personal, an opportunity to share a side of yourself that fans rarely got to see. And doing it in the comfort of the home you shared with Rafe made it even more special.

The crew had sent over the necessary equipment the day before, but you’d opted to set everything up yourself. It felt more intimate that way, just you and the camera. You’d arranged a small vanity area in the corner of the living room, where the light was best. Your collection of beauty products, everything from skincare to makeup was neatly laid out in front of you.

You did a quick check to make sure the camera was positioned correctly, framing the scene just as you wanted. Satisfied, you hit record, flashing a bright smile at the lens.

“Hi, everyone! I’m Y/n Cameron, and welcome to my Vogue Secret Beauty video. Today, I’m going to be sharing my everyday beauty routine with you all. This is what I do to keep my skin looking fresh and my makeup natural, especially when I’m off set or just hanging out at home.”

You reached for the first product on your vanity, a gentle cleanser. “So, I always start with a good cleanse. It’s really important to make sure your skin is clean before you do anything else. I’ve been using this cleanser for a while now, it’s super gentle and doesn’t dry out my skin.”

As you explained, you began applying the cleanser, massaging it into your skin with gentle, circular motions. “I usually spend about a minute doing this, making sure I get every part of my face.”

Once you were satisfied, you reached for a soft towel, patting your face dry. “Next up is toner. This one’s great because it helps balance my skin’s pH and preps it for the rest of my routine. I just put a few drops on a cotton pad and gently sweep it across my face.”

You demonstrated, moving the cotton pad across your skin with care. “It’s really refreshing and makes my skin feel super smooth.”

You paused, letting the toner absorb, and then reached for your favorite serum. “Okay, so this is one of my must-haves. It’s a vitamin C serum that brightens my skin and helps with any dark spots. I just take a few drops and press it into my skin, focusing on areas that need a little extra love.”

As you applied the serum, you glanced at the camera, flashing a playful smile. “Rafe actually loves this stuff too, even though he won’t admit it.”

You laughed softly at the thought, your mind wandering to your husband. He was out at the moment, running some errands, but you knew he’d be back soon. Knowing Rafe, there was a good chance he’d come back while you were still filming, which could make for an interesting and probably hilarious outtake.

“Alright, now that the serum is on, I’m going to follow up with my moisturizer,” you continued, reaching for the jar. “This is super important, especially after applying a serum. It locks in all that goodness and keeps your skin hydrated.”

You scooped out a small amount of the moisturizer and began applying it in gentle upward strokes. “I like to use something lightweight during the day, so it doesn’t feel too heavy under makeup.”

You were just finishing up with the moisturizer when you heard the faint sound of the front door opening and closing. Your heart skipped a beat as you realized Rafe must be back. You kept filming, wondering if he’d notice you were in the middle of something.

Just as you were about to reach for your eye cream, you heard his voice from the hallway. “Babe? I’m back! You won’t believe the traffic out there—”

He appeared in the doorway, stopping short when he saw the camera. His eyes widened slightly in surprise, and then a slow grin spread across his face.

“Am I interrupting something?” Rafe asked, clearly amused.

You couldn’t help but laugh, turning to face him. “Just a little. I’m filming my Vogue beauty routine.”

Rafe’s grin widened as he walked over, leaning against the doorframe. “Oh, so this is the famous ‘Secret Beauty’ routine? I’ve been dying to know what goes into it.”

“Really?” you teased, raising an eyebrow. “You already know most of it. You’ve borrowed half these products at some point.”

He chuckled, moving closer to inspect the array of products on the vanity. “I might have. You’ve got good taste, what can I say?”

You shook your head, still smiling. “Well, since you’re here, do you want to help me with the rest of it? The viewers might enjoy a little guest appearance.”

Rafe looked at the camera, then back at you, feigning a thoughtful expression. “Hmm, I don’t know. Do I have to do anything?”

“Not really,” you said, reaching for your eye cream. “Just look pretty and maybe pass me a couple of things.”

He laughed at that, pulling up a chair next to you. “Alright, I think I can manage that.”

You grinned at the camera, happy to have Rafe by your side. “So, where were we? Oh, right-eye cream. This is essential, especially on days when I haven’t had enough sleep. Just a tiny bit under each eye to help with puffiness and dark circles.”

You dabbed the cream under your eyes as you explained. Rafe watched with interest, occasionally glancing at the camera as if to check if he was doing it right.

“And now,” you said, setting the eye cream down, “we’re moving on to the makeup. I like to keep it light and natural, especially when I’m just hanging out at home.”

Rafe reached for the foundation, holding it up like a game show host presenting a prize. “This is the one, right?”

You laughed, taking it from him. “Yep, that’s the one. It’s really lightweight and gives just enough coverage without feeling heavy.”

As you applied the foundation, Rafe watched, leaning in occasionally to make funny faces at the camera behind your back, which you noticed only through the camera’s reflection. You rolled your eyes, but couldn’t help laughing.

“Okay, now for some concealer,” you said, reaching for the small tube. “This just goes on any spots that need a little extra coverage.”

Rafe nodded sagely, as if he were learning some deep, important secret. “You know, I’ve got a spot right here,” he said, pointing to a non-existent blemish on his cheek.

You playfully pushed him away. “Very funny.”

“Hey, I’m just trying to learn,” he protested with a grin.

“Sure you are,” you said, blending in the concealer. “Alright, now for a bit of bronzer to warm up the face.”

Rafe picked up the bronzer and handed it to you with a flourish. “Your bronzer, madam.”

You accepted it with a mock curtsey. “Thank you, kind sir.”

As you dusted the bronzer along your cheekbones and forehead, Rafe looked on, clearly entertained. You could tell he was enjoying himself, which made you even more relaxed and playful.

“Next, some blush for a bit of color,” you said, swirling the brush in the blush compact. “Just a little on the apples of the cheeks.”

Rafe tilted his head, studying your technique. “Looks good. You missed a spot, though.”

You paused, mid-swipe, giving him a look. “Really?”

He leaned in, brushing his thumb lightly across your cheek. “Right… here.”

His touch was soft, and you felt your breath hitch slightly, caught off guard by the sudden tenderness. He pulled back with a satisfied smile, leaving you a little flustered, but in a good way.

“Thanks,” you managed, giving him a playful shove. “Now, let’s finish up with some mascara and a bit of lip balm.”

Rafe picked up the mascara, twirling it between his fingers before handing it to you. “Be careful with this one. It’s dangerous.”

You laughed, carefully applying the mascara to your lashes. “I’ll try not to poke my eye out.”

Once your makeup was finished, you reached for your lip balm, applying a quick swipe across your lips. “And that’s it! My secret beauty routine are simple, natural, and easy enough that even Rafe could do it.”

Rafe, who had been leaning back in his chair with a smug grin, feigned mock offense. “Hey, I might just take that as a challenge. Next time, I’ll show you how it’s really done.”

You raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Oh, really? I’d love to see that.”

He smirked, leaning closer to the camera as if sharing a secret. “Maybe we should film a ‘Rafe Cameron Beauty Routine’ next. Show everyone how I maintain this rugged charm.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at the idea, shaking your head. “I’m sure your fans would love that. You know, maybe we should actually do it. Could be fun.”

Rafe’s eyes lit up at the thought, clearly entertained by the idea. “You’re on. But you have to be my assistant. I can’t possibly do it alone.”

You grinned, nudging him playfully. “Deal. But only if you promise not to turn it into a comedy routine.”

He chuckled, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and pulling you closer. “No promises, but I’ll try to keep it professional.”

The two of you shared a quiet moment, your laughter fading into comfortable silence as you sat together, Rafe’s arm warm around you. The camera was still recording, capturing the easy affection between you, something that came naturally, whether the cameras were on or not.

Finally, you turned back to the camera, giving the viewers a warm smile. “Well, I think that’s a wrap for today. Thanks so much for joining me on this little behind-the-scenes look at my beauty routine. I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.”

Rafe chimed in, his tone playful. “And remember, if you want a real beauty routine, stay tuned for the Rafe Cameron edition.”

You laughed, playfully shoving him again before waving at the camera. “Thanks for watching, everyone! See you next time!”

With that, you reached over and hit the stop button, ending the recording. The red light on the camera blinked off, signaling the end of the shoot. You leaned back in your chair, feeling a sense of accomplishment and a bit of relief that it had all gone smoothly, well, almost.

Rafe stood up, stretching his arms over his head with a satisfied grin. “Not bad, Mrs. Cameron. You’re a natural in front of the camera.”

You smiled up at him, feeling a warm flush at the way he called you by your married name. “Well, I’ve had a bit of practice. But I think you might have stolen the show.”

He chuckled, reaching down to pull you up from your chair. “Hey, I’m just here to support my wife. And maybe sneak in a little screen time.”

You rolled your eyes affectionately, letting him pull you into a hug. “You know, you actually made it a lot more fun. I’m glad you interrupted.”

Rafe’s smile softened as he looked down at you, his hands resting comfortably on your waist. “Yeah? I’m glad too. It’s nice to be part of these little moments with you.”

You rested your head against his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat beneath your ear. “Me too. I wouldn’t want to do this with anyone else.”

For a few moments, the two of you just stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms, the world outside your home feeling miles away. It was in these quiet moments that you were reminded of just how lucky you were to have found someone who understood you so completely, who made every moment, whether big or small does feel special.

Rafe finally broke the silence, his voice soft and teasing. “So, how about we celebrate our first Vogue feature with some takeout and a movie? Maybe we can critique my on-camera skills.”

You laughed, pulling back to look up at him. “That sounds perfect. But I think you might just be a natural.”

He grinned, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to your forehead. “Only because I have the best partner.”

With that, the two of you started to clean up the vanity, chatting and joking as you put away the beauty products. The light in the room was starting to fade as the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a golden glow over everything.

As you worked together, you couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of contentment. This was your life now, a life full of love, laughter, and the kind of everyday moments that made everything else worthwhile. And as long as you had Rafe by your side, you knew that every day would be an adventure, filled with more joy than you ever thought possible.

[hannahbarberra162]

Sir Crocodile and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

18+ MDNI

As picked by readers! Ace nonnies, I see you. I'll write the childhood friend reader x Ace story too.

On Ao3 in French

One shot, Reader x Sir Crocodile, fluffy

Word count: ~6k

Synopsis: Crocodile dreads the one day a year you take off of work, your birthday. As his incredible personal assistant, he depends on you for almost everything. Like every year, a day without you is a complete disaster. But maybe there is something he can salvage from the wreckage. Something - or someone - he's wanted for a very long time.

Sir Crocodile tapped the flat of his hook against the date circled on his desk calendar. Tomorrow was his absolute least favorite day of the entire year. You took off only one day annually, your birthday. Sure, you nominally had weekends off as well. But something always came up and you spent at least half a day dealing with his business or personal matters every weekend.

He didn’t begrudge you having your birthday to yourself - you were incredibly diligent and deserved it. But without you around, everything seemed to fall to shambles within minutes. You were by far the best personal assistant he’d ever had. Maybe even the best employee he’d ever had, even among his cohort of Devil Fruit powered henchmen who killed for him indiscriminately. Of course, he knew that if he called you on your baby den den mushi, you’d answer and do whatever he needed. But he would feel guilty for disturbing you . And guilt was an emotion Crocodile had only felt once and never wanted to again. No, he’d make due without you tomorrow and let you enjoy your day off. 

Though he was not kind to - or even close to - his Baroque Works crew, Crocodile was considered a top tier employer in Rainbase Lake. Once he found someone who was good at their profession, he tried his best to keep them in his employ. He treated his personal staff with respect, paid very well, and had set guidelines for employees to follow. Henchmen could be replaced, bloodthirsty pirates were a dime a dozen. Reliable and high quality housekeepers, chefs, and assistants? Priceless. 

And you were the most reliable, most organized, most level headed, most meticulous, and most industrious employee he’d ever had. At first, he suspected you of being a devil fruit user. That would explain how you managed to get everything done correctly, on time, and make it seem easy. However, he quickly realized that you were just that good . But you weren’t single mindedly following his orders all the time, like some of his stooges. You didn’t wait for him to tell you things he needed or tasks he wanted done, you thought for yourself and anticipated his needs. You weren’t a yes man, you would voice your opinion if he asked for it. He valued your insight and operations driven mind. In fact, during the years you’d been working for Crocodile, you’d only ever argued once. And it wasn’t even an argument, really. Crocodile had started growing a mustache, he thought it added some regality to his face. You hated it and told him that it didn’t suit his features. You were right, of course. He’d allowed you to shave it off yourself, much to your delight.

Even without it being your day off, Crocodile always remembered your birthday. Yours was the only one, besides his own, that he had ever bothered to recall. He had many lovers who assumed the thoughtful and romantic gifts they received on their birthdays, anniversaries, and “just because” came from him. But the truth was that all his lovers were in a relationship with you. You remembered all the small details and arranged everything to his lover’s tastes. Crocodile didn’t even try to remember their names, calling them all “Doll” to save himself the hassle. He even thought of them that way - interchangeable, easily replaced, silly but ultimately worthless playthings. But you could tell him their favorite flowers, preferred gemstones, clothing style, shoe size, and any other tidbit of information he’d ever want. You had sent hundreds of gifts on his behalf and had never gotten anything wrong. As a result, Crocodile had a reputation for being a true romantic, someone who listened when his paramours told him personal details. He couldn’t care less. 

He stopped over at your desk as you finished out your day, bringing a small gift bag with him hanging off his hook. 

“Happy birthday,” he said in his low tone, handing you the present.

“What a pleasant surprise, Sir,” you said, removing it and opening it immediately. It was a potted white rhino agave succulent that he had bought without your assistance. It was expensive and rare, but you were worth every penny he ever spent on you.

“Oh, how thoughtful! Thank you so much, Sir!” You beamed at him. To some, it would have looked like a poor gift, but Crocodile knew you well. You didn’t care for cut flowers or most trinkets. You were passionate about cacti and succulents, spending some of your time away from him caring for the plants. You had an impressive collection, one that Crocodile added to as the occasion arose. You got up from behind your desk, walked around to him, and stood on your tiptoes. Crocodile brought himself down to your height and you kissed his cheek in gratitude. 

“What a wonderful send off, Sir. I will see you the day after tomorrow. Please, if there is an emergency, do not hesitate to call.” Crocodile smiled at you and leaned against your desk. Crocodile knew you meant nothing untoward by the kiss, it was platonic affection. But he enjoyed the feeling nonetheless. He looked forward to it annually.

“Enjoy your day off.” He wouldn’t, but he wasn’t going to tell you that.

“Thank you, Sir.” With that, you carefully carried your plant and left the office. Crocodile watched you leave then scowled once you’d left. It would be a long 24 hours without you.

~~~

The next morning began poorly right from the start. Crocodile awoke late, his alarm clock hadn’t gone off. He blasted it with sand, destroying it completely. He was annoyed already. Normally you woke him gently before his alarm clock did, but you weren’t here today. He found waking to your soft voice and calm face a soothing way to start his day. Crocodile rose from his bed and went to his clothes valet, only to find it empty. He wanted to destroy that as well, but he decided he shouldn’t demolish everything that irritated him today. He’d have nothing left and besides, it would be more work for you to replace everything. You usually hung his clothes for him after pressing them yourself, and he rarely saw the need to adjust your choices. You knew what he liked and how he liked to present himself down to the cufflinks on his shirt sleeves. Crocodile stalked to his large walk in closet and looked through the well organized racks of clothing. It had been one year since he’d had to do this himself and he hadn’t missed the chore. 

He selected an outfit and looked at himself in the mirror. The outfit lacked a certain elegance that you were able to assemble effortlessly. He adjusted his hook - it looked dull. You always polished it for him until it gleamed.  It would have to do, he was already late for a meeting he had called. He left his bedroom for the dining room, looking for his cafe corto. There was a carafe of drip coffee waiting on the table, but no espresso. There was also an impressive tray of sweet pastries. You knew Crocodile wanted a cafe corto first, then drip coffee, cigar, no food. Was it so hard to replicate everything you did for just one day? Could no amount of staff compete with one small woman? Crocodile rang for a servant and asked for the espresso. He was brought an Americano. He sighed and rubbed his temples with his hand. 

The day went downhill from there. You had prepared for your absence during the day, leaving notes and organizing what you could anticipate. Crocodile had another staff member on the den den, fielding calls you’d normally take. But even with your absent help, it was a complete disaster. Crocodile was used to you taking notes for him during meetings, he had forgotten to bring a pen and paper to the board room. By the end of the meeting, he’d forgotten half of the numbers from the quarterly presentation. Everything seemed to need your touch, your help, your forethought to run smoothly. 

Things went from bad to worse. Meetings went off topic, reports had incorrect data, enemies were left untortured, and he’d forgotten to feed the bananawanis on time. Word spread quickly that Crocodile was in a bad mood. Everyone knew the reason why, but no one dared to breathe a word about it. Despite his earlier wishful thinking, the boardroom table now had several hook sized holes in it and his office was covered in sand. He leaned back in his chair and took a deep pull on his cigar. You would have already had everything arranged to soothe his anger.

It wasn’t even all the small matters during the business day that you arranged. You were adept at anticipating his needs before he even realized he wanted something, and arranging his life to one befitting someone of his station. You understood him better than perhaps anyone else. Yes, Miss All Sunday managed Rain Dinners, but you managed Crocodile. 

He sat and recalled one of the times when he’d called you in the middle of the night. He did try not to disturb your rest, but sometimes it needed to be done. One such occasion was when he’d invited Dracule Mihawk to his residence. They had been talking - and drinking - late into the night. In the early hours of the morning he rang you to ask for some food to accompany their wine. 

“Hello Sir, how may I assist you?” your voice had been sleepy, he saw his snail answering bleary eyed but still with a smile.

“I apologize for the late night call. I’d like some refreshments.”

“Of course sir,” the snail looked over at something. “It is now 2:50 AM. I had your favored refreshments scheduled to be delivered at 3:00 AM. Would you prefer to wait ten minutes or would you rather I bring you something immediately?” You weren’t being facetious, Crocodile knew if he asked, you’d have food for him by 2:59 come hell or highwater. 

“3:00 is fine, thank you.”

“I hope you can forgive my impertinence, Sir - I also included some refreshments that may be more to your guest’s liking.” Mihawk raised a single eyebrow. 

“Very thoughtful. Good night.”

“Good night, Sir.”

And sure enough, at 3:00 AM on the dot, a tray of Crocodile’s favorite foods to pair with heavy drinking were delivered by a tired looking waiter. Crocodile served himself some fresh dumplings and offered the tray to Mihawk. Mihawk declined, as he was sampling the gambas al ajillo and jamon.

“Quite the assistant you have,” Mihawk said, a glimmer of intrigue ghosting over his face. “The dishes are excellent, send her my thanks.” Mihawk inclined his head to Crocodile. Crocodile smirked, you had made him proud. 

Breaking his walk down memory lane, he heard the den den mushi ring for what felt like the millionth time that day. Miss Merry Christmas picked up the receiver. He could hear half of the conversation.

“Hello? No, she’s not in today, it’s her birthday. I don’t think you’ll want to - are you sure - let me see,” Miss Merry Christmas looked at Crocodile in his office and yelled through the open door “it’s Doflamingo, do you want to take it?”

Crocodile wanted to kill her on the spot. His sand was already swirling behind him. She had told Doflamingo of all people that it was your birthday. After Crocodile had started taking you to Warlord meetings, the flashy fool had been trying to get you to move to Dressrosa and work for him. Crocodile wasn’t worried about you leaving him for another employer. The thought just sat heavily in his mind and caused him immense anger when he imagined you spending time with Doflamingo. But that wasn’t the same as jealousy. Crocodile would never be jealous over an employee. Even one as smart and lucious as yourself.

Furthermore, Miss About To Be Impaled had asked if he wanted to take the call. Now Doffy knew he was there and had to take the call or else risk a tantrum from the spoiled King. He stalked over to the snail, who was looking quite smug.

“What.”

“So it’s her birthday today, mmh? I’ll have to send something nice, maybe some lingerie…would you like some as well? Fufufufufufufu.” Crocodile hoped Vegapunk would soon invent a way to kill someone through a den den mushi. He’d deal with Doflamingo later, he was in no mood for the Dressrosa King’s idiotic love quests. He hung up softly, gently patting the snail on the back with his flesh hand. The snail survived because he’d killed one once in anger after such a call and it had upset you. Crocodile didn’t like when you were upset. You’d even cried over the snail and Crocodile had felt guilty. He had liked that even less. 

He needed a drink.

~~~

Crocodile left his office for the restaurant portion of Rain Dinners. He had a splitting headache and nearly called out your name to ask for your assistance. Every year your birthday made him realize how heavily he depended on you, so every year he increased your salary the following day. He made a mental note to do the same again tomorrow. 

Crocodile sat in his favorite booth, smoked his cigar, and drank his whiskey neat. The bartenders here were competent and didn’t need to be told what he wanted to drink. He was thinking over some of the reports brought to him by his minions when he spotted you, alone, drinking a glass of wine at the bar. Crocodile was surprised - drinking alone, on your big day? Crocodile knew you had a romantic relationship that predated your employment to him. Crocodile had never liked your partner, but you seemed happy enough. He didn’t understand why someone of your caliber, of your intelligence and beauty was with such a loser, but for your sake he hadn’t killed him. 

Crocodile gathered himself and headed straight to you at the bar. The crowd parted for him easily, with many trying to capture his attention. Some of his Dolls tried to touch his arm or talk to him but he didn’t even spare them a glance. Coming up to your side, you looked up at him and smiled weakly. 

“Good evening, Sir.” You looked absolutely ravishing, just as gorgeous as the day he met you. Normally you wore simple but well tailored clothing to work. It hadn’t stopped his imagination from running wild when you wore your pencil skirts or your slightly lower cut tops. He couldn’t count the number of times he’d wanted to free your hair from its style and run his fingers through it. Or the times he’d wanted to rip through your skirt and pound into you when you leaned over his desk. He’d entertained the thought of seducing you many times, but ultimately he respected you too much to do so. He didn’t want to interfere if you were already in a relationship, as pathetic as your choice was. Besides, he didn’t know what he would do without you if his interest was unreciprocated and you left. He didn’t even want to think about the possibility.

Today you were more dressed up fancier than usual, your striking figure in an elegant black dress that bared your back provocatively. He stifled his impulse to run his hook down your spine to see if it made you shiver. Pulling his thoughts back to you, he noticed your eyes were slightly red and puffy. He put his large hand on your shoulder.

“What happened to that… person …you usually spend time with?” He couldn’t call that boy a man, let alone a boyfriend. He was lucky Crocodile remembered his existence. And continued to allow it.

“We aren’t together anymore, Sir.” Your eyes watered. Crocodile sat in the seat next to yours.

“Did you break up tonight?” Crocodile spoke softly, not wanting to embarrass you or upset you further.

“Yes, Sir.” You looked down at your glass of wine, swirling the drink gently.

“Would you like him killed?” Crocodile could have sworn his hook was twitching. He could think of no better ending to the evening. Maybe that would save this terrible day.

“No thank you, Sir.” You didn’t have the same penchant for violence and bloodlust that he did. Crocodile didn’t mind. He didn’t care for succulents all that much. You could have different hobbies and still work well with one another. “You don’t have to waste your time consoling me, Sir. I would like you to enjoy your evening. A few of your lovers are here, if you’d like me to remind you of their names.”

Crocodile scoffed. “As you know, I am always doing what I want to be doing.” You nodded. As if he would forgo time with you for some nameless woman.

“Where did he work again?” Crocodile was going to have him tracked down, just for….fun. 

“He’s the general manager of ‘Fantasia,” you replied, your mouth dipping into a frown. It was a rival casino, though not even in the top three in Rainbase Lake. “He said I am too involved with my career, that I didn’t spend enough time away from work. That my life revolves around yours.” You looked up, repentant already. “I apologize, Sir. You didn’t ask for details.” Crocodile waved your concerns away. He enjoyed it when you shared your feelings and opinions. Crocodile took the flat of his hook and put it under your chin, raising your face to look at his own. A tear tracked down your face.

“Some people do not understand dedication. Loyalty. Duty. Passion.” 

“Passion, Sir?” Your face slightly flushed from the wine - or perhaps the intimate contact. Crocodile belatedly realized his misstep. He hadn’t meant to reveal his desire, especially when you were already upset. He reluctantly removed his hook from beneath your pretty face. 

“Would you like me to escort you home?” Crocodile changed the conversation in case you’d been uncomfortable. 

“Yes, thank you Sir” you looked surprised at his offer and that you yourself had taken him up on it. Naturally he wanted to ensure his favorite employee was home safely. He had never done this for anyone else but that didn’t mean anything. It certainly had nothing to do with your sadness and vulnerability.  He offered you his hand and you gingerly stepped down from your bar stool. Crocodile guided you to the door with his hook on your bare back. He looked closely and found himself right, you had gotten goosebumps.

The two of you walked through the darkened town in silence, enjoying the pleasant weather. That was something else Crocodile appreciated about you - you didn’t feel the need to fill a stillness with meaningless chatter. The longer the walk took, the less pleased Crocodile became. He paid you very well, why weren’t you living in the luxurious part of the town? You turned street corners until you ended at a shabby looking apartment building and stood in the doorway. Crocodile would rather have burned it to the ground before he set foot in it. 

“This is where I live Sir, thank you for accompanying me.” Crocodile looked at the crumbling brick building once again. 

“Why?” Crocodile bit out. He had nearly chomped his cigar in half.

“I beg your pardon, Sir?” you looked confused at his question.

“Why do you live here? I pay you well, I know you can afford better living conditions.” Your face flushed. 

“You need not concern yourself, Sir. The situation has resolved itself.” Crocodile narrowed his eyes. So it was related to the boy. Had you been paying off some of his gambling debt? He had that look about him. Crocodile knew it well, he owned a casino and had seen that type of fool thousands of times. That wouldn’t do and neither would your current living situation. 

“Indeed. You’ll be moving into my mansion.” Crocodile was pleased with this outcome. He hadn’t liked you living so far from him. He always had a security detail following you when you weren’t with him, but it never felt like enough. With the level of intimate knowledge you had about Crocodile and his businesses, he was always concerned that you’d be kidnapped or tortured. Truthfully, if he admitted it to himself, he worried. Another feeling he didn’t like. No, this would work out perfectly. He wouldn’t have to be distracted by thoughts of your well being and you’d be closer to him at all times. 

“Sir, that is…not appropriate,” you demurred. He hadn’t thought of the implication of moving you in, but in this case he wasn’t thinking with his lower head.

“Nonsense. You’ll have the entire East Wing to yourself. Decorate it as you see fit, I’ll provide you a housing stipend. I will wait here for five minutes. Gather what you will need for the night. Daz will collect the rest of your belongings tomorrow.”

“Sir, is this really -” you had crossed your arms across your lovely chest.

“The countdown has begun.” His will was set in stone, not even your annoyance could sway him. You sighed, rolled your eyes, and walked into the building briskly. Perhaps one good thing had come from this terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

~~~

Crocodile was immensely happy with the outcome of his decision. He felt at rest knowing he could protect you and keep you safe from those who would seek to gain power over him. Or worse yet, other magnates trying to scout your services for their own. He’d caught Mihawk speaking to you quietly after the last Warlord meeting, and you laughed at something he’d said. He wouldn’t stop you from having conversation with the Swordsman, but he didn’t like it. He knew even Sengoku had tried his hand at recruiting you for the Marines. You turned down every offer and stayed with Crocodile. He wasn’t worried about your loyalty, but Crocodile didn’t like the attention you received from others. You were his personal assistant and Crocodile had never shared well. 

He did try to give you your space and allow you your own personal life within the mansion. He didn’t want to control you, he knew you were your own woman. But since you now shared the same (gigantic) mansion, he did occasionally see you outside of your working hours. He saw you strolling in the gardens, tending to your plants, watching the stars from the balcony. When you weren’t working, you dressed more casually, allowing Crocodile to see more of your body. It did not help that you only referred to him as “Sir,” even outside of work. He had long fantasized about your sultry voice saying “yes, sir” and “no, sir,” in a more intimate setting. He’d tried it with many of his Dolls, but none of them could get it right. Only your “yes, sir,” got his blood pumping. 

~~~

The longer you lived in his mansion, the more suspicious Crocodile became of the nature of your feelings towards him. Crocodile wasn’t one to directly ask, but you seemed to have some feelings that crept out every now and again. Once, he’d asked you to help a Doll leave the morning after a stay in his bedroom and you outright refused. It was the first time that you’d ever refused a task he’d asked of you. And you hadn’t backed down. You said it was outside the scope of your duties, but that you’d send a housekeeper. If Crocodile had to put an emotion to your tone, it would have been jealousy. Other times, he had caught you staring at him, and blushing and averting your gaze when caught. You’d worked together for years, but with the closer proximity and your newly single status, perhaps your feelings were changing. Crocodile wanted to test his theory. One day, when your pencil skirt was particularly tight, he called you into his home office. He was leaning back in his chair, smoking a cigar as usual, papers on his desk. 

“Yes, sir?” you stood at the entrance to the office.

“Come in, I don’t bite.” You immediately moved closer to his desk, slight confusion on your face. Normally he tried to speak to you as professionally as possible, and you immediately noted the change in his language. “Take a look at the latest figures from Rain Dinners. I know the calculations are correct, but something is missing.” You came over to his side of the desk and bent over to read, like you’d done so many times before. But this time, he rested his hand on the small of your back. You didn’t say anything, but he heard you suck in a breath. Interesting. You spent a moment flipping back and forth between the pages.

“I see the issue, Sir,” you said, still bent over. Crocodile stood up and bent over next to you, caging you in with one arm. “I apologize. You are missing a page of the report,” you were blushing furiously but continued “I will g-get you a better copy.” You were flustered.  

“Thank you, that’s all,” Crocodile breathed into the shell of your ear. You shuddered from the close contact. Crocodile sat back in his chair, releasing you. You practically ran from the room, face as red as if you’d spent it in the Alabastan desert. Very interesting.

~~~

Crocodile wanted to set clear boundaries and to have affirmative consent from you before he did anything. He respected you as a person and if you were to turn him down, he would still want to keep you as an employee. He called for you one late evening. You arrived promptly, though in more casual clothing since it was outside of your business hours. You were wearing a mid length sundress with a blue flower pattern. It accentuated everything Crocodile liked about your figure. Perfection.

“How may I help you, Sir?” Polite as always. 

“Come here,” Crocodile beckoned you with one extended finger. You stood in front of him expectantly. He carefully wound his hook around your waist and pulled you closer, directly in front of his seated form. “Better.” He removed his hook. 

“Do you enjoy working for me?” Your eyebrows raised in surprise.

“Of course, Sir. This is the best job I’ve ever had.”

“Do you remember the day that I hired you?” Crocodile was dragging on his cigar, allowing the smoke to billow out of his mouth. Simultaneously, he was polishing his hook with a cloth. He knew he struck an imposing figure.

“Yes, Sir.” You were transfixed by the sight of the golden hook, gleaming in the dimming light. 

“Do you remember our conversation about the bananawanis?” You tore your eyes away from his hook.

“Yes, Sir. One of the conditions of employment was being comfortable with bananawanis. You asked if I had any concerns in caring for them.” You were getting nervous, unsure of what the purpose of the conversation was.

“Do you remember what you told me?” Crocodile grinned his unnerving smile.

“Yes, Sir. That they are apex predators, they need to be treated with care and respect. If you accept your place beneath them, they can be affectionate and sweet. And that,” you looked him in the eyes, “I doubted they were the most dangerous creatures on the premises.”

“Do you still believe that to be true?” Crocodile rose to his full height, towering over you. You looked up at him. You looked on edge but not scared.

“Yes, Sir.” 

“And what might you say about a more dangerous creature?” He spoke low, looking down at your reddening face. He wound his hook slowly around the back of your neck, giving you time to move away. You didn’t move except to shiver.

“Ah, likely the same Sir. That if I were to accept my position as subservient, I think most strong, ahm, creatures would be receptive.” Crocodile pulled on his hook gently, baring your neck to him. He bent down to your height, ghosting his lips on the exposed column of your neck.

“Speak now with your objections.” He was being truthful, any hesitation on your part and he would stop immediately. He was interested in willing submission, nothing else.

“Sir, I…admit I am so inclined but I worry about mixing business and passion .” Crocodile grinned at your statement, echoing his words from your birthday. So you’d been affected as well.

“If anything unpleasant happens between us, now or after, I assure you we will go back to our previous arrangement. You will not be fired nor face retribution. Do you find that acceptable?” He would rather lose his other hand than you. You nodded. 

“Yes, Sir.” You were looking at him with stars in your eyes.

“If I do something and you wish to end the experience, say ‘no.’ If you say ‘stop,’ I won’t. If you say ‘please,’ it will not move me, nor will any tears. If you say ‘no,’ I will immediately cease my actions. Do you understand?” You gulped.

“Yes, Sir.”

“What word will end anything that you do not wish to happen?” 

“If I say ‘no’ to you, Sir.”

“Very good. Take off your dress.” You looked nervous but your lips quirked up at the corners with his slight praise. He knew that you did your best when given approval. He sat back down in his chair and admired your elegance. You slowly brought down the straps to your dress, then removed your arms from within them. You weren’t wearing a bra, you’d deemed the dress sufficient. He had seen many strip teases from his Dolls, all perfectly crafted and practiced to make a man inflamed with want. Yours had no artifice, no guile, nothing calculated. And yet he found your performance much more sensual and alluring. He felt his cock stiffening more with each passing second. When your arms were free, you let your dress pool at your feet and stepped out of it. You stood still, awaiting his judgment.

“Absolutely stunning.” He stood up again, circling you slowly, letting the metal of his hook glide across your bared skin. He trailed it over your back, across the backs of your arms, across your collar bones as he went around you. Anywhere he dragged it raised goosebumps on your flesh. “You look even better than I have ever imagined.” You preened at his words. He continued to tease you with his hook. “Does it make you nervous when I stare at your beauty?”

“No, Sir.”

He finished drinking you in and sat down once again, only to spread his legs. “Come sit,” he said, voice smooth as silk. You unhesitatingly went over to him, breasts bouncing gently as you walked. You perched yourself sideways gracefully on his powerful thigh, waiting for his next command. You always did so well following his orders, after all. He put down his cigar and put it on your side, bringing you closer to him.

“Exquisite beyond compare.” Bringing his face down to yours, he twined his hand into the hair at the back of your head. He pulled, slanting your face upwards. You were panting softly. He searched your face for any hint of lingering doubt, but he only saw raw desire. He brought his lips to yours ever so slowly, creeping inch by inch, not yet kissing but oh so close. You tried to reach up for him with your mouth but his hand kept you from doing so. “No need to rush, I’m not going anywhere,” he said and bit the lobe of your ear gently. Crocodile didn’t have it in him to wait any longer to kiss you. He brought his lips to yours, opening his mouth. You gave him entry as his tongue explored your own. He kissed you at his leisurely pace, showing you who was in control. He was demanding and dominating and you were loving every moment. 

“Tell me, if I felt between your legs right now, would you be wet for me?” he asked as he kissed down your jaw. You flushed crimson but his hand in your hair prevented you from avoiding his gaze.

“Yes, Sir.” 

“Show me.” 

“Yes, Sir.” You spread your shaking thighs for him, revealing your soaked panties. He untangled his hand from your hair and walked a finger down your arm, down your stomach, down to your thighs. He reached around you and shredded the sides, destroying them and revealing your gleaming pussy. You gasped but didn’t move. He trailed a finger down your slit, not parting your lower lips but fingers still coming back glistening. 

“Does it feel good when I touch you like this?”

“Y-yes, Sir,” you said, biting back a moan. 

“Would you like more?”

“Yes, Sir. Please.” Oh, you’d never added that little plea before. Crocodile felt himself getting even harder than he was before. Maybe one day he’d make you beg. But not today. 

“Ride my thigh, that’s how you’re getting off tonight.” He wanted to watch your face and enjoy the mess you made on his slacks. There’d be plenty of time for other fun. He shifted you so you were straddling his thigh.

“Yes, Sir,” he was pleased that you didn’t hesitate, that you were as interested in following as he was in ordering. You started gyrating on his huge thigh, making small whimpers, your hands on his shoulder for stability. He took the opportunity to cup your breast, kneading the mound between his fingers. Occasionally, he missed having two hands. This was one of those times, he wished he could feel both of your breasts at the same time. Instead, he raised his thigh so you were closer to him and dipped his head to lick and tease at your nipples. Your whimpers only increased. He kissed you all over your chest and neck, making sure to leave a few marks. Your head was thrown back, your eyes glazed as you sought your pleasure. Your whines were increasing in tempo and pitch, you were close. 

“Ask me for permission to come,” Crocodile drawled.

“Please, Sir, may I come?” you answered quickly, not stopping your movements. He wanted to reward you tonight. 

“Yes, you may.” You keened and bucked faster against his thigh, rocking your hips in small circles. He could tell the moment you came undone, he could feel your pussy spasm through his pants. He watched you ride out the high, face contorted in pleasure. He was close himself, but tonight was not for him. After finishing you needed a moment’s rest. You leaned your forehead against his chest, breathing heavily. A moment later, he picked you up and situated you on his other thigh.

“Good girl, how well you’ve done. Look at the mess you’ve made on me,” he said, motioning to the wet spot on his slacks. You reddened but still smiled at him as he enveloped you in his arms. He wrapped you in a nearby blanket off his couch, allowing you to collapse against his broad chest. He relit his cigar and sat peacefully smoking. His rock hard cock would wait for later.

“Thank you, Sir. May I ask you one question?”

“Of course.”

“Can we…do this again sometime?” You seemed unsure of yourself, but Crocodile smiled kindly at you.

“My dear, clear your schedule for the night. And the next. And for the foreseeable future. After all, I am nothing if not an affectionate and sweet creature.” 

[01zfan]

anything 4 u pt. 2

boyfriend!sungchan x reader | 5k words

omg this counts as an ooc fic almost i think…sungchan please get mad at meeeee…no smut (leaving that for the next part if you guys want it hehe) BUT it is a little suggestive

contains: drinking, parties, slight toxic behavior?

anything for you: one | two

sungchan feels his phone vibrate next to his head. part of his mind is still asleep, he’s convinced what he’s hearing is a dream. but when the ringing and vibration persists, sungchan turns completely to his side of the bed to haphazardly reach towards the source of the sound. when sungchan lifts his head he sees 3:42 staring back at him in red digital numbers and has to squint to make sure it’s real. 

when he grabs your phone he has to squeeze his eyes shut a few times to make sure he’s seeing everything correctly. your caller ID and contact pic he has set up for you take up his whole phone is very real. sungchan quickly turns to your side of the bed, running his hand over your spot in the dark to only find you missing, a small crater in the mattress left behind. instantly sungchan sits up in the bed, feet pressing into the ground as he accepts your call.

“hello? hello?” the speaker on sungchan’s phone is almost blown out as you yell into his ear. he pulls the phone away for a second before bringing it back. “—i told you he’d answer” you yelled on the other side of the line.

sungchan looked to the time again, sighing heavily and pinching the bridge of his nose. he suppressed all of his anger, speaking through clenched teeth when you finished talking. 

“where are you?” he asked.

your laugh crackling through the speakers told sungchan all he needed to know. he remembered the conversation you two had only a few hours ago about that party. sungchan remembers telling you he couldn’t go because he had work in the morning, and he remembers telling you that you shouldn’t go either. sungchan also remembers you agreeing, and you talking about how tired you were before falling asleep first. so when sungchan heard you laugh and he heard the loud music behind you he had to close his eyes as he tried to remain calm. the fingers that pinched the bridge of his nose went to his temples, trying to massage out his incoming stress migraine. 

“at the party.” you said simply.

you could barely hear sungchan’s quiet voice over the party that raged around you. trying to find a secluded quiet place for a phone call was impossible, the closest you could get to having a private conversation was going to a dark corner and plugging your other ear with your finger.

“the one i told you not to go to?” sungchan asked.

even if he attempted to keep his voice even, you could hear the annoyance lined in his words. the alcohol in your system that made you want to call your boyfriend only made you mad now, anger shot through your body as you dissected sungchan’s every word. your hand plugging your ear dropped to your hip and you narrowed your eyes, as if sungchan was right there in front of you. you even tilted your head in faux confusion as you held the receiver closer to your face.

“you don’t get to tell me what to do.” you said.

hearing sungchan’s irritated sigh on the other end of the line only made you more upset. maybe you imagined it in your drunken state, how upset he sounded on the other end of the line. but being treated with the brief silences from sungchan made you feel irate. the alcohol in your system made your hairs stand on end.

sungchan was still silent on the other side, trying to figure out how to approach the situation.

“okay.” you can practically hear sungchan rubbing his temple as he lets out another sigh. “just send me your location.” he says.

he wanted to come and take you away from the fun. he wanted to take you away from the loud music and the puking teenagers and whatever that was in the corner next to your feet. after you were so nice to call him in the middle of the night to tell him about the great time you were having. what a fucking buzzkill.

“no.” you say, crossing your arms. 

sungchan is quiet on the other end of the line. you imagine him sitting in the dark, phone pulled away from his ear as he tries to collect himself. if he wasn’t so high-strung and let loose after work like you did he wouldn’t be so irritable all the damn time. before you can tell him this, your thoughts are cut short when you hear him vexed on the other side of the line.

“i’m not in the fucking mood for this.” 

you can’t stop your eyes from widening. if you weren’t so drunk, you would’ve played off of his annoyance by throwing a joke at him, or you would’ve submitted and sent your location while still being on the phone. but you were three shots past your limit and you saw your friends coming up to you with more, and the loud energetic music around you made your adrenaline rush. the shock from sungchan's words turned into fire, and the short fuse you had was lit. the alcohol was running through you. as you tried to mirror sungchan by using the silence as a buffer to control your anger you were getting closer and closer to anger.

when you tried to summon what little self control you had left, sungchan cursing at you rings in your ears. the anger bounces off the walls of the party, louder than the music everyone dances to. so your self control is wasted as you draw your lips to your teeth to make sure all of your words are punctuated for your boyfriend.

“fuck you sungchan.” you seethe.

sungchan hears you curse at him and he can’t get a word out before the call drops. he hears the two defiant beeps of you hanging up, and sungchan keeps his phone to his face from the pure shock. the massaging did nothing as he feels the pulsing behind his eyes, brought on from working constantly and the headache he calls his girlfriend. he stays like that for a minute, mouth agape as he tries to figure out what just happened. the irrational anger makes sungchan almost shake, he lets out a laugh to himself in his dark room as everything sinks in.

sungchan still laughs to himself as he pulls his phone away to see the time. the phone brightness blinds sungchan, and your smile on his lockscreen illuminates his face. he lets out a sigh when he sees the time, how late he’s up because of you. he just got cursed out by the smiling cute girl on his phone. you are a pain in his ass, the reason for the blossoming migraine behind his eyes, and the love of his life—it’s hard to put it into words. if sungchan had to choose between all the riches in the world or having you listen to him, you’d be beside him in bed right now. 

his anger and annoyance almost makes him roll over and go back to sleep. sungchan wishes he had the ability to be mean to you, to make you figure out your way back home. you’re more than capable, and you arguably deserve it. he did try it, laying his head back on his pillow and bringing his covers up to his chin in a huff. 

“if she found a way to get there, she can find her way back.” sungchan whispered to himself.

it almost worked. sungchan swore his words almost worked before he turned back to check the time on his digital clock. he couldn’t stop himself from imagining you walking around lost and worried, with a dead phone and a boyfriend that wasn’t there for you. 

if she found a way to get there, she can find her way back.

sungchan turned on his back to face the ceiling, squeezing his eyes shut one more time to try and go to sleep. he turned to your side of the bed, eyes still shut. when he made the mistake of opening them to see your jostled pillow and you missing he pushed the covers down the bed quickly, letting out a sound of annoyance. 

if she found a way to get there, she can find her way back.

next, sungchan let out a loud groan, all of his frustrations from work and you bubbling to the surface. the whole day was heavy on his shoulders, and now this was too. sungchan knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep, he wasn’t even tired as he threw his legs over the edge of the bed again to stand up. 

“four in the fucking morning.” sungchan says under his breath while running his fingers through his hair.

sungchan is quick navigating his phone, his previously groggy mind is on alert as he looks through your messages. he finds the flier for the party you were at in the attachments. sungchan’s quick fingers press into the glass of his phone as he inputs the location on his navigation app. thirty minutes to get to you in the middle of nowhere. 

sungchan’s anger heats his whole body as he gets dressed. in his haste he only throws a jacket over his shirt and puts on sweatpants over his boxers. he runs his hands through his hair one more time before throwing on a baseball cap backwards, pushing back his bangs so it’s a snug fit. sungchan gets dressed in the dark, trying to not waste anytime to turn on the light. he doesn’t care if his clothes are on backwards or if he looks crazy. he plans to be in and out quickly, not being seen by anyone else but you and your annoying enabling friends. maybe if he’s mad enough maybe he’ll lecture them too. 

as sungchan leaves the bedroom he turns on the living room light. he flinches from the light and instinctually yawns as he shuffles through his apartment. even the anxiety sungchan feels for you being so clearly drunk turns into anger. the argument of you not taking your low tolerance into consideration has been a topic of debate (arguing) between the two of you for as long as he can remember. “i don’t drink to get tipsy. i drink to get drunk.” sungchan felt himself getting even more upset as he recalled your absurd philosophy when it came to drinking. 

his anger made him move fast, so fast that sungchan almost left without his phone. he had to circle back to his bedroom to slip it into the pocket of his sweats. as he was leaving the room he saw your jacket resting on the desk. sungchan swore he felt his eye twitch at the thought of you in the cold without your jacket. he snatches it from the desk and scoffs at your keyring that rests underneath it.

“act first, think later.” sungchan says as he grabs your keys.

he carelessly slams his door as he makes his way down the stairs of the apartment complex. his slides grind on the cement with each long stride, and sungchan clears two steps at a time. he makes his way to his car in the parking lot quickly, and he sees your car sitting pretty in the spot next to his. sungchan imagines you ordered an uber with your friends, none of you were responsible enough to have a designated driver.

sungchan pulls at his door twice but it doesn’t automatically lock.

“nobody is fucking listening to me tonight.” he says while grabbing his keys from his pockets. 

when sungchan can finally get into his car he slams the door, so hard that it causes his vehicle to shake. sungchan is sure he wouldn’t have cared if the window broke from the force, he thinks his anger could make him split the car in half. the only reprieve he gets is the white-knuckle grip he has on the steering wheel as he looks towards the map on his phone. occasionally he tells the robot on his phone to call you—each time you let it ring to your voicemail. sungchan has to bite his tongue to stop himself from saying things he’ll regret. he only jabs the end call button before repeating the process over and over again. 

when his navigation app leads him closer to you, he finds himself at the end of a road that abruptly cuts off. he’s surrounded by parked cars, and sungchan can see people on foot heading down the hill and some people coming back. he’s absolutely sure he’s in the right place, his headlights show people in revealing clothes excited as they talk about the party. they pass by his car without a care in the world, and sungchan has to peer over his dashboard to make sure he doesn’t hit anything.

when he finally parks his car and takes the key from the ignition he calls you one last time. sungchan knows there’s no way you’ve come to your senses, or that you’re ready to apologize but he lets his phone ring in the palm of his hand one last time.

“you have reached the voicemail box of—“

before the automated voice can finish, sungchan hangs up. he looks outside one last time, thinking he still had the chance to leave and wait for you at home. maybe you had already left with your friends to go to a different party. sungchan lets all the options float through his head, and he regrets when he was blissfully unaware of the world around him when he was sleeping. he presses his forehead to the steering wheel, mentally preparing for the loud noises of the underground party and ironing his resolve. sungchan breathes deep before letting it out. remain calm he repeats it to himself over and over again. he looks out the passenger side window to follow the crowd that disappears past the hill. 

sungchan undoes his seatbelt and unlocks his door, heading down the hill to follow the music.

“you got this sungchan.”

he repeated that phrase to himself all the way to the party. it was uncomfortable, being outside in the cold with music he didn’t have a taste for playing so loud that he couldn’t hear his own thoughts. all sungchan could think about was how this wasn’t your crowd at all, and this wasn’t the type of music you even liked to listen to. the more he thought about it the angrier he got—he didn’t understand why you were so adamant on going to a party that wasn’t your style at all.

when sungchan looked through the crowd of people he saw you in a huddle with your friends. the same people you see nearly everyday stood off to the side, not even dancing or acknowledging the party that raged on around them. sungchan even saw one of your friends grimace at someone who bumped into her while they were dancing. sungchan felt his face heat up and his hands clenched at his sides. there was no reason for you to be here, no reason for any of your friends to be here either. he recognized all the girls faces, and he knew their attitudes well. when sungchan thought about the fact that you and your friends were here solely because someone told them not to be he found himself pushing through the crowd of people, making a line straight to you. 

you didn’t notice sungchan coming through the crowd. you blamed it on the alcohol, and the riveting conversation you were having with a complete stranger. all you knew was that one second you were ignoring your boyfriends nth call of the night and the next he stood in front of you, interrupting your new friend mid-sentence.

“put that on.” sungchan tossed your jacket to you, and you almost missed it with the drink in your hand. “we’re leaving.”

you look at sungchan standing tall above your friends, the alcohol in your bloodstream makes him appear like a dream in front of you. you can see the boxers he wore to bed peaking over his pair of sweats and his loose hoodie makes his white undershirt visible. he sticks out like a sore thumb, the casual outfit so different from the revealing clothes everyone else wears. he couldn’t be bothered, and you could tell. he didn’t care to keep up the appearance of the sweet doting boyfriend in front of your friends, he didn’t even spare them a second glance as he kept his eyes trained on you. 

the shock of seeing sungchan only lasts a second before you find yourself falling into your role. your friends were confused but you instantly could read sungchan, his hands that were balled up into fists and his tense shoulders. you still stood there relaxed, not moving an inch as your friends started looking between the two of you. you only are only focused on keeping eye contact—burning and intense as you two engaged in the silent battle of who can be more annoyed. you had to resist the urge to lick your lips or look sungchan up and down underneath his stare. you looked past sungchan for a moment to see all the people having fun behind him—that could be you you thought. 

you can feel your friends eyes flicker and wander from the palpable tension. even if your girls were drunk they could feel the thick atmosphere between you both. you feel a moment of sobriety as you think about the hell sungchan probably went through to come and get you. so you break first, smiling and uncrossing your arms as a sign of peace.

“i have an early morning tomorrow anyways.” you still have to maintain some sort of upperhand in the situation. sungchan would just have to understand that you have a reputation to upkeep. you push yourself off the wall and take time hugging each one of your friends. “i’ll catch you guys later.” you smile.

sungchan is still stoic when you turn back around to face him. you let your smile drop when only he can see it, and he makes sure you can see him roll his eyes as he turns around. sungchan doesn’t waste the time to tell your friends goodbye before he’s guiding you the way you came with a hand on your back. 

usually in crowded spaces sungchan would be gentle with his hand, like a suggestion on where you should go. but is hand now was pushy, almost making you collide with a few people. you lightly hit his arm each time, but he still pushed through. he didn’t bother to look down at you, his eyes fixed on the exit. you wish you could be angry, you were well within your rights to be upset at a man essentially pushing you through a crowd of people. but feeling of sungchan’s hand pressing into your back makes you reminiscence, and the strength behind his hand makes you feel light. you find yourself purposefully falling behind just so he can press the pads of his fingers into your back a little harder to move you forward.

once you made it out of the party sungchan lets go of your back. instead of grabbing your hand, or offering to carry you to the car he started walking ahead. your uneasy feet in the heels didn’t stand a chance, and it wasn't long before you fell behind. while trying to catch up you remembered the other person you called about the fun and how he would be helping you right now.

sungchan walks so far in front that you have to yell after him. he wishes the music was loud enough to drown out your voice when you called out to him. 

“taro—”

“you can talk to your brother later.” sungchan interrupts.

sungchan doesn’t turn around as he continues to walk. the last person he wants to be thinking about is shotaro. he just needs silence. he needs silence in this shitty parking lot and he needs silence in the car on the way home. he may even need silence for the rest of the week while he calms himself down.

“you’re not listening—“ you start.

before sungchan knows it, he turns around and closes the distance between your two bodies. he’s so close to you that you can feel the anger coming off of him in waves, and you can hear his heavy breaths. the gentle calming aura of your boyfriend is the complete opposite as he puts up a finger of caution. your wide eyes flicker from sungchan’s finger to his face. in the split second of silence sungchan uses the patience he has left.

“you woke me up in the middle of the night after you told me you weren’t going out. i have to be up for work in four hours and i’m playing your babysitter.” his words are quiet, coming through clenched teeth almost sounding like a hiss.

the moment of satisfaction sungchan feels by bringing you to silence only lasts for a moment. the second you take in his words your eyes widen. you look to his finger again and your own teeth become clenched.

“you think you can just talk to me anyway you want?” you bring your own finger up to him. “get your hand out of my face.” you say.

sungchan suddenly finds out he has no words left for you. the same feeling of amazement comes over him from when you hung up the phone. he lets out a single dry laugh before turning and walking towards the car. you stand there for a moment before he hears you start to walk quickly trying to catch up with him.

“don’t ignore me!” you complain.

sungchan stuffs his hands into his hoodie as he continues to walk.

“jung sungchan, i know you hear me!” you yell after him.

sungchan smiles when he hears the anger in your voice. the silent treatment is actually kind of fun when he’s not on the receiving end. he even laughs to himself when you call him an asshole. when you finally realize it’s no use you’re silent. sungchan twiddles his thumbs in his pockets, enjoying the silent night.

sungchan looks over his shoulder once when he hears you slow down. you no longer look at him, instead your eyes are on your heels as you fumble with the straps.

“my shoes.” you grumble.

sungchan turns fully around to see you trailing dangerously far behind, you are barely stable on your feet in your heels, the uneven terrain and your intoxication only makes everything worse. sungchan stands in place, watching you walk like a newborn deer in the darkness. even your hands are panicked in front of your body to try and give you balance. the thought of making you rough it in your heels flashes through sungchan’s mind, and sungchan feels somewhat at peace at the thought of temporarily putting you through hell. so he closes the distance between the two of you before you can take another step.

when you look up to sungchan he can see the outline of your face and the whites of your eyes. you almost look apologetic from up here, sungchan swears he can see a sorry on your bottom lip before you bite it. sungchan rolls his eyes at your attitude and he hopes you see it. 

when you don’t move, he puts his hand on your bicep. he can see your fingers move by reflex, the jewels embedded into your acrylic nails catch the moonlight. sungchan thinks about how expensive the intricate set was as he lightly pulls at your arm, forcing you to walk a few steps. sungchan can’t stop the satisfied smile as he sees you try to push against his pull to only stumble and almost fall to the ground—the only thing that keeps you upright is the grip he has on your arm. he even hears the surprised sound you make when you realize a beat too late you’re falling.

he knows he’s being evil. sungchan knows it’s not right to mess with you while you’re drunk and stumbling in your heels. but you have messed with sungchan for as long as he could remember. you have also arguably done worse to him—like waking him up in the middle of the night when you know he has work in the morning. even now, when you know you’re wrong you still look at him like he did something awful to you. if you only let a drunk little sorry fall from your lips, one that you could even take back in the morning when you’re sober sungchan would stop being so mean. but you don’t, so sungchan turns on his heel and begins pulling you behind him as he purposely lengthens his strides.

he can hear your feet kicking up rocks as you to stumble to make up for his large steps. he smiles straight forward as he has to pull you to keep up. sungchan doesn’t change his speed, he doesn’t stop walking until you slip your arm from his grasp. 

“you’re going too fast.” you yell.

sungchan turns back to face you. when he takes in your expression and the irritation in your voice he understands why you push his buttons so much. you make it too easy, the alcohol is making you feel everything tenfold. he can see the inability to walk the way you want and your boyfriend being mean nearly frustrate you to tears. 

sungchan knows he must be sick at how the sight before him makes him feel. he feels the satisfaction and something more churn in his stomach as your eyebrows furrow before they soften. when you pull in a deep breath to try and calm yourself, sungchan does the same mockingly. when he tilts his head and taps a finger underneath your chin, you move away from his touch. he can’t hide the smile in his voice when he talks down to you.

“want me to carry you?” he asks.

when you only nod your head sungchan comes close to you. he puts his finger underneath your chin again and this time you let him, forcing eye contact. he can see your pupils shake, how bleary they are from the drinking and how tired you must be. sungchan sees your pout, for the first time in his life he’s mostly unaffected by it.

“just say you’re sorry and i’ll carry you.” sungchan says it simply.

your stubbornness keeps you from apologizing. all you do is shake your head lightly, chin still being held up by sungchan’s fingers.

you don’t know why he’s being so mean to you and you don’t know why you like it so much. the smile sungchan has on his face is mocking, and he looks down at you like you’re stupid. the fake sympathy makes you want to yell at him and it makes you want to fist his sweatshirt and bring him down to you. you look at sungchcan’s lips, his smile turned into a pout that mirrors yours. you have to atleast try to maintain some of your pride. 

“i didn’t do anything wrong.” you mumble.

sungchan sees the way your eyes bounce from his lips to his eyes. he can see the switch that flipped inside of you, how you’re batting your long eyelashes at him. he doesn’t even know if you mean to, but he tsks at you regardless. sungchan doesn’t even think he’s mad anymore, he’s just wants to see how far he can wind you up. he comes closer to your face, so close that his lips ghost over yours. your hands go to his shoulders on instinct, and sungchan sees your face flash in pain as you go to your tippy-toes.

“you sure about that?” sungchan whispers.

he smiles again when you part your lips, and laughs at your closed eyes while you wait for him to kiss you. he can smell the liquor on your breath when you let out a tiny sigh, and he can feel your tightening grip on his shoulders. sungchan looks to your closed eyes then down to your parted lips again. he does the same thing as you and lets out a small whine before laughing. he undoes the grip you have on his shirt and he pulls away from you completely. he sees you open your eyes, and he can see the tears threaten to break past your water line. your eyelashes are already clumping together, and your pout deepens.

“why won’t you kiss me?” you say quietly.

sungchan takes his hand away from your chin but you keep your head tilted towards him. he can see your eyes, red and wet from all your conflicting emotions. sungchan almost feels sorry for you, but then he remembers how peacefully he was sleeping in his bed before you called him. he taps your chin affectionately before he turns around and bends his knees, lowering his body for you.

“because you’re drunk and i’m mad at you.” sungchan says over his shoulder.

you don’t say anything else, but sungchan feels you press your hands to his back as you wrap one of your legs around his waist. sungchan puts his arm around your thigh, and then the other when you regain your balance. when he feels your chest pressed against his back he stands up.

“i’m sorry.” you slur into his ear. 

it’s barely above a whisper, and he’s almost sure you’ll deny the apology when you’re sober. but sungchan takes it, a small smile creeps across his face as he looks for his car. readjusts you on his back, trying to get the best grip he can on your legs. 

“whatever.” sungchan says.

“i’ll make it up to you later.” you say it with a smirk, and sungchan has to stop himself from laughing. when you start licking the shell of sungchan’s ear he has to bend his neck to hide his ear in his shoulder. you only go to his other ear, your breath fanning his skin as you laugh at him.

"i think i like it when you're mean to me." you giggle into his ear.

"you're a freak." sungchan says over his shoulder.

sungchan pulls his keys from his pocket and presses the unlock button. he can already feel you slouching against his body, your head pressed into his shoulder blades as your breath begins to steady. he sighs again when he realizes you’ve fallen asleep, and he grabs your purse before it hits the ground from your weakening grip. sungchan readjusts your sleeping body on his back again as he starts heading towards his car. 

before he can start walking towards his vehicle, he hears someone’s shoes kicking up rocks as they head towards him. it happens too quick, sungchan barely recognizes someone is heading straight for him until the footsteps abruptly stop. sungchan is too busy listening to the cicadas and your light snores to notice the person that’s behind him.

“sungchan?” he freezes in his place, not taking another step towards his car. “what are you doing here?”

“and why is my sister on your back?”

[hyunfilms]

this time around (lee felix) | one shot.

—summary: life decides it's finally the right time.

—pairing: lee felix x f. reader

—genre: (18+) exes to lovers | fluff, smut

—word count: 3.9k

—content/warnings: blue haired felix 😮‍💨, cussing/mature language, alcohol consumption, unprotected sex - but not super descriptive!!, lots of kisses and intimate/sweet moments, use of pet names: baby/angel/love, oc’s friend also uses ‘baby’ in a platonic way, quickly edited so pls excuse any mistakes!!

—INSPIRED BY: LOVE ME AGAIN - V

It’s funny how life works.

Especially when you’re sitting at this wedding, sipping on another glass of rosé— staring at the one man who, at one point, meant the entire universe to you. 

Then, it’s also funny how life works; when life decides that this is your person, just not the right time.

“Girl, can you go and do something? He keeps looking at you. And don’t tell me he isn’t because I can see that blue head from miles away.” One of your bestfriends since college said. He nudges your arm, making you almost choke on the sip you just took.

“No, Reggie!” You almost whine, turning towards him. “It’s been so long, I don’t even know what I’d say to him.”

“Okay, but baby, he looks like he’s dying to talk to you. Poor Felix. Y/N always playing her goddamn games.”

“Quit it.” You nudge him back and he snorts.

“I’m kidding. But seriously, he looks like he wants to talk to you. Who cares if it’s been so long? I’m sure the conversation will flow perfectly. Give it a chance.” He takes a sip of his own cocktail. “Besides, if I remember correctly, you were head over heels for that man just as he was for you.” You sigh, setting your glass down— quickly reminiscing about the past.

You might have been young, and you may not have experienced everything life had to offer yet; but to say Felix was the love of your life would be an understatement.

He was everything to you.

Love, adoration, fun. 

Sweetness.

He was also sadness, anger, hurt. 

Pain.

Everything that entails love; being so, so in love.

And it’s just unfortunate that it wasn’t the right time because Felix was someone you pictured your life with. Everything about the relationship was right, and equally balanced. He showed you just how much he loved you and how much he adored you. You had more good times than bad with him. He taught you how to communicate better, to express your needs and wants, to enjoy life and live in the present moment.

He taught you so much that he really is part of the reason why you’re the person you are today.

After the three years of dating, Felix was graduating college and you were going into your senior year. Understandably, you felt like you needed to experience your last year by yourself, and you felt like Felix needed to figure out his plans moving forward. As much as you loved the way he factored you into every decision, you felt like it was wrong for him to do so— for him to feel like his life revolved solely around you. And of course, you loved him. This would’ve worked. But, it wouldn’t have felt right.

You needed to find yourself without Felix, and vice versa. 

Breaking up with Felix was probably the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do, but he understood. And because he loved you, he let you go. There was no bad blood, no hint of hate or anger; Felix had only left with more love and hope, praying that you’ll be okay.

Maybe one day, you’ll find your way back to each other.

It’s funny how life works.

“I’m not going to force it. I’ll let it happen if it happens.” You look at Reggie, taking another big sip of your rosé; eyes quickly glancing over to Felix from over the glass. He’s still conversing with a few mutual friends, eyes meeting yours from a distance. His eyes are soft, facial expression slightly unreadable. 

Pressed, crisp black button down with the sleeves rolled halfway up his arms. Silver watch adorning the left wrist, slacks sitting nicely on his frame.

You’re sure of the butterflies you feel. It’s crazy how Felix still has this effect on you. 

You clear your throat and revert your attention back to Reggie with a: “Can we go dance?”

“Now you’re talking.” Reggie laughs, grabbing your hand and leading you to the dance floor for a dance with other friends. The majority of the time you’re on the dance floor, you’ve temporarily pushed your thoughts and feelings away to enjoy being around friends you haven’t been able to hang out with or see in quite some time. You’re enjoying yourself, singing and dancing along to the music blasting in the venue. At one point, you don’t realize that Felix and his friends have joined in, creating one huge crowd in the middle of the dance floor that’s become the life of the party. 

“Hey, I’m gonna go to the bathroom and get some air. I’ll be back in a few.” You say in Reggie’s ear. He nods, throwing up the ‘okay’ sign to acknowledge that he understood you through the loud music.

“You need me to come babysit your ass?” He leans near your ear to quickly ask.

“I’ll be fine!” You laugh, rushing off to the bathroom to relieve yourself from all that rosé. You take a couple of moments to freshen up and pat away at your makeup, hoping to keep it together for the remainder of the night. You fluff your hair a bit before giving yourself one last look before walking out and heading towards the back end of the hotel.

It’s a beautiful night tonight— one where the stars are twinkling brightly above, dotted throughout the night sky and circling around the full moon. There’s a faint breeze that feels awfully good on your skin right now, the waves crashing against the surface just right below the hill where the hotel sits. 

“Hey.” A familiar, deep voice comes from behind you. You fiddle with your fingers a bit, bottom lip tucked underneath your teeth as you turn and come face to face with Felix— eyes completely fixed on the one man whom you’ve always loved; the one man who, at one point, meant the entire universe to you. “I’m sorry, I just came outside to make sure you were okay. But, I guess I should’ve figured it was since Reggie was still—” Felix shakes his head and lets out an embarrassed chuckle. “Nevermind. Sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. Thank you for checking. I—” You lazily point at the sky. “I just needed some air. Was getting really hot in there.”

“Yeah it was.” He laughs a bit. “You sure you’re doing okay? Do you need me to get you water or anything?” Typical Felix, you think. He’s still the same. Everything about him has remained unchanged.

“I’m okay, Felix. Thank you.” You respond softly. “It’s nice to see you.” He digs his hands into his pockets, head tilting to the side.

“It’s nice to see you, too. It’s been so long.” He smiles. He’s the first to step forward and envelope you in a hug, taking in his scent as you hug him back. Oddly enough, everything feels the same. Felix’s hugs have always been the best, and part of you hates having to part once the moment is over. “You look amazing, Y/N.”

“You do, too.” You point at his hair. “Though, I have to say the blue hair was a surprise?” He laughs and nods.

“Uh yeah, was kinda a bet with some of my friends.”

“It looks good though, you pull it off well.” 

“Thank you.” He licks his lips before nodding towards the bench further down the path. “Do you wanna catch up?” He pauses. “I-I mean it’s fine if you wanna get back to the party, totally understand. I just thought we could kill two birds with one stone and–”

“I’d love to.” You cut him off with a sweet smile, letting Felix lead the way to the bench. 

And so here you are, sitting side by side with Felix— enjoying the night while the music continues to play in the background. You start by telling Felix what you’ve been up to all these years, how your parents have been, living life in the city. Felix says he’s been in and out of the city, traveling back and forth between Australia to hang out with family in between work. You share lots of laughs when you update each other about family and their whereabouts, reminiscing about the times when your families would have lots of fun together. The both of you also talk about how it’s been awhile since everyone’s been under the same roof, but it’s a nice occasion to be together. Then, somehow, the conversation shifts to love and dating. You awkwardly tell Felix that you haven’t really been in a serious relationship since graduation. You’ve dated around, but nothing felt right.

Nothing felt equally balanced, or like it was meant to be.

But, it’s okay. You reassure him you’ve been okay focusing on you and doing your own thing. In time, you’ll welcome whatever is meant to be in your life. And Felix tells you he’s glad to hear that— that he’s also dated around but things just didn’t feel right, either.

“Y/N.” He calls for you as he looks out, then shifts his attention back to you. “Are you happy?” He looks at you, really looks at you, and he doesn’t take his eyes off of you. Almost like he’s doing his best to read you, to find the answer deep within your orbs, your body language.

“I guess so, yeah.” You softly smile at him before looking at the view. “Are you?” He shrugs a bit.

“Yeah. Think so.” He licks his lips and lets out a small breath. “As long as you’re happy, then that’s all that matters to me.”

“Thanks, Lix.” There’s a comfortable silence that falls between you two after that conversation. But, something shifts in the air; shifts enough to the point where you feel Felix’s eyes rest back on you from your peripherals. The sudden tension could be felt from miles away, but you’re not sure how to act on it. The simplest thing you could do is—

“I’m sorry, is there something on my face?” You break the silence and ask, a bit confused as to why Felix just keeps looking at you, staring; fixed. He lets out a small laugh before shaking his head.

“No, there isn’t. I just—” He pauses. “You’re so beautiful, Y/N. Always been. I can’t help it.” He says, eyes softening again as he settles on your features. He gently brushes the hair away from your face, thumb trailing down to your cheek to caress the surface. You lean into his touch a little more, having to pull away when you realize the reality of this all.

It’s funny how life works.

“You know.. I think I’m gonna call it a night.” You shyly chuckle and look down at your lap, hands awkwardly rubbing away at the fabric of your dress as you let the excuse linger in the air for a second. “I didn’t realize how exhausted I was after all that dancing and singing.” Felix chuckles. He feels a little embarrassed, but he also dug himself into this one. He shouldn’t have reached out so quickly. He couldn’t help it.

“Do you need me to drive you anywhere?”

“No, I rented out a room for the night solely for this reason.” You stand with Felix following suit.

“Let me walk you to your room then?”

“Oh, you really don’t have to Lix. I’ll be okay.” He smiles hearing the nickname roll off your tongue.

“I want to.” You look at him with a small smile and nod.

“Okay. I just need to grab my things.” He follows behind, keeping a safe distance just to keep you comfortable– not knowing that you’d rather have him close than far away.

Inside, everyone is still keeping up the energy except for a few that have either left, or decided to sit down for the remainder of the night. Reggie is drinking water at your table, and he can’t help but throw a certain look your way when he sees you walking in with Felix following right behind you. You catch on though, and you simply shrug while Felix returns to his friends to let them know he’s heading out.

“Okay so.. what exactly is happening here? Miss ‘It’s been so long, I don’t even know what I’d say to him.’” You roll your eyes and grab your things.

“I’m heading up to my room. Felix is just walking me there.”

“Walking you all the way up to the second floor? Goodness me.” You laugh and shake your head. 

“You should get to yours soon, too.”

“Mhm, I want a progress report tomorrow morning.” He puckers his lips before eyeing you up and down. 

“Stop it.” You glare at him. “I love you, goodnight.” You simply tell him before turning on your heel to bid your other friends goodbye, along with the bride and groom.

“Get it girl, I love you too!” You hear him respond just as you continue your goodbye’s until you’re near the entrance, with Felix waiting right outside the doors in the hallway. 

“Hope you’re ready for a good long trip up to the second floor.” Felix laughs.

“Yeah, sounds pretty exhausting, honestly. It’s been a night.”

“It has, but I had lots of fun.”

“I did too.” He steps inside the elevator after you, leaning back against the railing. He eyes your figure, the way the dress hugs your curves nicely, heels strapped around your ankles. You’ve always been so beautiful; everything about you, inside and out. You can see the way Felix is focused on you through his reflection on the elevator doors in front of you, and it makes your heart do flips.

Because he does that thing he always does— when he tilts his head at a certain angle just to see you, read you, perfectly. Knowing you’ll meet his eyes at some point just for him to pull you in closer.

To plant a kiss on your lips,

Down to your jaw,

Collarbone—

“Y/N, is this not your floor?” Felix asks, breaking you out of your thoughts when you realize he’s holding the elevator doors open.

“Oh, right. Yeah, sorry. Just zoned out for a bit.” He lets out a tiny laugh as he watches you walk down the hallway, turning right at the end to get to the second door. You tap your hotel key against the reader, hand twisting the handle to unlock the door. Before you can open it fully, you turn back to Felix— seeing him quietly standing there with his hands dug into his pockets. “This is me. Thanks for walking me to my room, Lix.”

“Course. I guess I’ll let you be.” He smiles toothlessly at you. Your inner dialogue is conflicted right now, wondering if you should just let him be and let this end right where it is—

While the other half is yearning to keep him around, to have his company, to just be with him even after all these years.

“Have a good night, pretty girl.” He continues, hoping that he really doesn’t have to part with you right now. He’s not gonna force it though, and he’s not gonna say anything else— even though he feels like he has a lot more to say to you tonight. Maybe this is how it was meant to be after all, which Felix will have to learn to put to rest if it truly ends this way.

But, before he can turn on his heel to walk away, you follow up with:

“Actually, do you wanna just stay and hang out a bit more?”

“If it’s not a bother.”

“Never. Sorry, I should’ve asked earlier. I just didn’t want to make it awkward or whatever.”

“Could never be that way with you, Y/N.” You chuckle, stepping in and letting Felix follow you in. You set your clutchbag onto the side table at the corner of the room, undoing your heels and setting them aside. 

“God, that feels amazing.” Felix laughs as he sits on the edge of your bed, watching as you get comfortable. “I can’t wait to get comfortable. You have a room here, right?”

“Mhm.”

“Do you wanna change and just come back here? I feel bad that I’ll be the only one getting comfortable.” He laughs a bit and shakes his head.

“I’m good for now. I promise.” He watches as you undo your necklace. “Need help with your dress?” You look at him through the mirror as you set your necklace down onto the drawer and silently nod. “I got you.” He says, getting behind you to help you unzip your dress. It’s something small, but so intimate and sweet.

And with Felix, it feels perfectly right. Even if years have passed. You never feel out of place with him, and he only feels like home to you.

He slowly unzips your dress, eyes trailing down as his hand falls down to the small of your back. You feel his breath tickle the back of your neck, body only inches away from yours as he keeps his position there.

“Felix.” You softly call his name, and he can tell. He just knows. He looks at you through the mirror, hand slowly wrapping around your waist.

“Is it weird to say that I’ve really missed you?” He says lowly as his eyes trail down your neck this time, fixed on the weak spot that he remembers so, so well.

“No. I’ve missed you, too.”

“I mean it.” His fingers are fiddling with the strap of your dress. “When I saw you tonight, you were all I could think about. Not that anything’s changed, but—“ He lazily slips the strap down, letting it fall to the side as his finger traces a line up your arm; to the curve of your shoulder. “I just couldn’t believe that I was finally seeing you again.”

“Lix.” The way you breathily release his name from your lips tells him everything he needs to know. You’ve missed him too, you’ve really, really missed him, too. And of course he feels the same way you do— absolutely. If it wasn’t for shit falling into place at the wrong time, Felix was sure that he’d still be loving you the way he was before.

No question.

Nothing has changed. The love he’s had for you will always mean more to him than anything in this world.

Felix still feels like love, adoration, fun.

Sweetness.

And if you let him, he would also feel like sadness, anger, hurt.

Pain.

Because Felix is love, and everything that love entails. 

“Missed everything about you.” He says, planting a feathery kiss on your shoulders. “Missed the way you laugh.” Another kiss on your shoulder. “The way you smile.” Another near the base of your neck. “Just you.” He says near your ear, reading your expression. You bite onto your bottom lip and finally turn to face him, his hand coming back up to rest on your cheek. “Always been you, love.” His thumb is caressing the surface, giving you leverage to plant a kiss on the palm of his hand.

“Always been.” You mutter back, allowing Felix to fully take you—all of you— in this moment. 

Sooner or later, your dress is on the floor while you continue to keep your lips pressed against Felix’s in the heat of the moment; afraid to break the kiss and create distance. You don’t ever want Felix away from you again, no. You want him close— with you, for you, by you. 

Just you.

He takes his time with you, letting his hands roam across every inch of your body while he takes you in and settles in between your thighs; pressing his pink, plump lips across your body like he’s soothing you, making up for the years that you’ve lost. 

You’re tangled up in him, but you find that there’s no other place that you’d rather be than here; giving Felix the freedom to love you, love on you, however he chooses to tonight. You trust him to take care of you because he always has, and he always will.

It’s not long before your hands are gripping the sheets, repeatedly calling Felix’s name like a mantra. He praises you as he picks up the pace, pounding relentlessly to show his need for you. His lips graze the surface of your neck, collarbone, chest, whispering sweet nothings into your skin:

Missed everything about you.

So perfect for me, love.

So beautiful, so pretty.

Always been you.

All about you.

He continues, and continues— holding you close to his body while he tries to go slower, deeper; hitting all the right places that you like so much just to hear you, see you, writhe underneath him. 

You.

Let me be yours.

“Fuck, Lix. I’m close—“ Is the only thing that you’re able to say as you feel the coil within you threatening to unravel. And he must feel it too with the way that his hips begin to stutter, teeth digging into his bottom lip as he tries to hold on. He feels your walls completely tighten around him, pulsating as your face contorts in pleasure and a silent moan leaves your lips. 

“Baby, where do you want me— fuck— I’m—“ Felix barely lets out. You reassure him that he’s okay to let go inside of you, and not a second passes before he’s painting your walls. His forehead falls onto yours just as the both of you come back down from your highs, focusing on regulating your breathing after the intense pleasure that washed over you. “Are you okay, angel? You’re not hurt, are you?” He asks, close to a whisper. He kisses you lightly on the tip of your nose, before he seals one off on your lips. He holds it there for awhile before pulling back, realizing you still have yet to respond to him.

“I’m okay. Not hurt.” He nods.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, yeah?” Felix takes his time cleaning you up and soothing you, helping you get washed up and ready for bed just before he leaves to do the same.

For a moment, you feel like everything is over. That maybe, that was the closure you needed to finally close off that chapter in your book. That maybe, that was it to Felix and you’d return to being [somewhat] strangers again. It makes you a little scared, a little anxious.

But, it all blows away when Felix comes back, dressed for bed just as he had said. He shuts off your lights and slips into the bed next to you, pulling the sheets up so that you’re comfortable.

“For a second, I didn’t think you were actually going to come back.” He lets out a small, breathy laugh as he wraps his arm around you and pulls you flush to his body.

“What, why not? I’m here to stay, love. Not going anywhere.”

“Even when tomorrow comes?”

“Even when tomorrow comes.” He kisses the back of your head. “Unless, you have other plans already?”

“No. Just you.” He chuckles.

“Sounds like a plan to me.” You snuggle closer to him, allowing his warmth to completely envelope your body. Before you know it, you’ve fallen into a deep sleep in Felix’s arms, and he does too. Even when the morning comes, you still find yourself wrapped around Felix and snuggled against his body, light kisses being pressed against your head when you wiggle in his arms.

It’s funny how life works.

Because this time around, Felix is here, lying beside you; making things feel right, connected. Balanced. You shift in your position to look at him because this time around, you’re staring at the one man who, up until now, still means the entire universe to you. 

Then, it’s also funny how life works; when life decides that this is your person, and this is finally the right time.

This time around. 

—perm taglist: @ppiri-bahng @jihanlovic @meloncremesoda @sweetlikecherry @asjkdk @hanji-cafe

[kwamiwayzz]

Class of '09 - Jeckole Starter Fic Recs

I saw a post on Twitter earlier asking for fic recommendations for Class of '09 and thought this would be an easy place to start. Disclaimer, most of the ones here are Jeckole since it's pretty much all I read.

Notes are my own thoughts and feelings and don't completely give a full overview of the plot, if at all. You'll just have to check them out yourself ;)

drinking lightning by strictlypudding - If you were a newcomer in the Co09 fandom and wanted to search for the most Kudos'ed fic out of all of them, this would be the first to pop up and I can see why. It's a pretty good starter fic for anyone getting into Jeckole's dynamic and the author's prose when I first read it was top notch.

We're too hot to be best friends without sexual tension by Memeframe - This is a series of Jeckole fics compiled of 8 one/two-shots that follow Nicole and Jecka from high school up to adulthood. When I first read this, I had a fun time and thought the author captured that Co09 flavor when writing Jecka and Nicole's dynamic together.

(more below)

Fuck Life, Fuck the Universe, and Fuck Everything by Progman - I might be biased when giving my thoughts on this because I read it during a time when this VN threw me back to a time I do not like to revisit, but this fic slow-roasted me while I was marinating in my depression and I love the banter and dialogue wrote not just with Nicole and Jecka, but also among the other characters as well. This fic explores more of the growing codependent nature between Nicole and Jecka as well as do a deep dive on Nicole's depression. I also really liked the slow burn of how her being on meds made her slightly less fucked up, but still emphasized that it didn't completely fix her.

Inscriptions by Kayleen756894 - Similar to the one above by Progman, Inscriptions by Kayleen absolutely fucking decimated me then put me back together. As others have mentioned in her comments of this fic, it feels like a crescendo that just keeps getting better and better. For those people who really love the take on Nicole's character not actually being a sociopath and more of someone who's suffers from extreme depression, this is definitely the fic for you.

Jeckole by Anonymous - This is a series of one-shots (some related, some not) that are about Jecka and Nicole in various settings. Currently, there are about 6 works in it, and I unfortunately don't know who the author is since they left themselves as anonymous, but I love the way each one is written. For someone who's looking for more light-hearted, easy-going Jeckole one-shots, this could be a good place to start too.

Youth Without Youth by WorthlessPlant - Another Jeckole series, but by AO3 user, WorthlessPlant. I had fun reading these when I needed something light-hearted. There's only 2 works in it, but it follows a scenario where Nicole and Jecka adopt a kitten and raise it together.

Astraphobia by Doodlenova - Oh, if I remember correctly, this was probably the very first Jeckole fic I read when first getting into Co09. I really love this fic and it's take on how the gunshot from the mall cop in Re-Up affected both of them (through a simple thunderstorm). There aren't too many fics out there that take into account how Nicole would be functioning after getting shot in the leg, so this was a nice treat along with Jecka coping with the aftermath of watching her friend nearly die.

Shared Values by Progman - This was written after Flip Side, so you might get an idea of what's going on and how the direction will be steered the farther you read. It starts off slow, almost angsty, but once it gets to a certain part, the vibes and energy just amps up and goes back to that usual Co09 snappy dialogue and humor that I, personally, thought could've fit in the actual game.

Nothing But Poison by VeezChaos - If you love angst and no happy endings for Jeckole, this is the fic for you. I had to emphasize that in the beginning for anyone looking for more fluffy, leaning more on the happy-ending side of things. But I personally thought this fic was written well when exploring the descent of Jecka's mental state after Nicole takes her own life.

So Long, Goodbye by SCP_Stella_Eva - I really liked the scenario for this one, especially since there aren't many fics out there that really go over Nicole's feelings and relationship with her dad before he killed himself. Despite taking place while both Jecka and Nicole are both adults, the dialogue between them still maintains some of that flavor of their younger selves.

And that's it so far. I've read way more than this, but the list would've been way too long, and I did specify this was more of a starter fic-rec list. I haven't read some well-known ones yet like MentalCrit09's Nicole-Divergent series since I'm still catching up on Progman's series. I have read Nothing's New by eklpx but since it was Explicit, I was planning on making a separate fic rec list that only has NSFW works (whenever I'm not lazy lol).

Anyway, hope this helps for those just getting into the fandom :0

[crookedkryptonitebeliever]

just got my wisdom teeth out and owwww ow ow

pls give yves and montgomery helping reader after the surgury….. would love to see monty lovign on boss ass bitch reader who normally is so put togethre but now needs him to get them fresh ice eveu 15 minutes and listen to them whine about their whole mouth hirting

okay i was imagining them separate but now i am thinkign it wiuld also b funny if they were taking care of rwader together <3 but mostly i wann see put together reader forced to enjoy monry’s company but also be like well this is great that i don’t have to do shit myself lolz AHH just got blood on my pillow fuck

okay bye i go slep <3 i spit out part of a totth i’m not sure if that’s supposed to happen

thaaaaaaaank you an no oressure

"I know, honey." Montgomery petted your head as you whined about your gums throbbing in excruciating pain, his other hand helped you put the ice pack wrapped in a cloth up to your cheek. You kept moaning in pain, letting beads of tears roll down your cheeks.

"I'm sorry darlin'... I wish I could take your place for ya'." You writhe in his lap, but his hold on the ice pack never left. Montgomery planted numerous kisses onto various parts of your head, hoping to distract you from the swelling.

You felt him jolt when he heard the front door opening. You weakly tilted your head to see what was happening.

"What the fuck- I just changed the damn locks!" Montgomery, surprised, was scowling at Yves who entered your house as if he's coming home.

You let out a weak greeting, feeling relieved that he's here because he makes everything right. You expected him to fix this, to take away the agony that Montgomery is desperately trying to free you from but failing.

"Hello, dear." Yves smiled at you and disregarded Montgomery's presence entirely. His voice was kept at a minimum, as to not aggravate you more.

You close your eyes and bury your head in Montgomery's chest, knowing that it will take some time for Yves to wash and disinfect his hands before performing his usual magic. And Montgomery being the man you loved, smugly took this as a sign that you chose him over his rival.

You heard some shuffling. He has returned from performing his hygiene rituals. Yves must be preparing all the items he needed to perform a miracle on the coffee table.

"(name)." He stole your attention, making you lift your head up.

"Leave 'em alone, they're in pain and you're makin' it worse." Montgomery scooted away from the other male, who merely crossed his legs and watched.

"Open your mouth." Of course, he ignores the lower lifeform in the room.

You heeded his instructions and allowed access. Yves hovered his hand close to your face, only to be slapped away by Montgomery.

"What the fuck are you doing!?" He hissed. Yves glared at him and disinfected his hands again with some sanitizer.

"I am changing their gauze, it is completely saturated with their blood." His next attempt to extract the soaked gauze was successful.

"You were supposed to change it every 30 minutes, you fool." Yves spat at Montgomery but with his voice lowered to a hush, so you wouldn't need to be acutely aware that he's berating your partner.

Montgomery shot him a dirty look, but couldn't utter a word because the guilt started setting in. He realized that he should have known better, but he wouldn't admit to Yves that he's incapable of taking care of you.

"My love, when was your last dose of painkillers?" His tone softened considerably, almost like he was never hostile to anyone in the room.

You couldn't answer him. And he correctly took that as a confirmation that Montgomery never gave you any.

He brought his piercing gaze back up to the man holding you. He was merciful enough to let Montgomery explain himself, before tearing another one into him.

"I-I don't want my precious to be eatin' all kinds of strange--"

"Yeller, the painkillers are meant to relieve them of their pain. Hence the name; pain, killers. I do not expect very much from you, but I do expect simple comprehension of English. At least." Yves wasn't even looking at Montgomery as he removed a pill from a blister pack.

"I don't trust no pill, those damn side effects are gonna kill them!"

"It will not." Glowered Yves.

"Oh yeah? How the hell would you-"

"It will not, Yeller." Montgomery was about to argue again, but was immediately silenced when Yves presented Montgomery's hospital wristband from months earlier. Your husband was brought back to the time where he thought Yves was an oracle, with all the impossible knowledge he had on the two of you.

"...Whatever, you fuckin' prick." He looked away and let Yves handle your situation.

He fed you the pill and tipped the mouth of his water bottle to wash it down your throat. You didn't realize how thirsty you were, as Montgomery was too caught up in cuddling and cooing to keep you sufficiently hydrated. This didn't go unnoticed by Yves, he made a mental note to scold him on that later.

When that's all done, he instructed you to open your mouth again so he could put a new, clean gauze over the extraction site.

"Bite down." You did as you were told, and allowed yourself to rest on Montgomery's broad chest once again.

Your husband picked up the ice pack and began icing your cheek. "Everythin' is goin' to be okay, sugar. Everythin's gonna be okay..." He murmured, delicately cradling you in his strong arms.

Yves held onto your hand and tenderly caressed it. Neither man said a word and waited until you slipped into slumber.

Only when you're in deep sleep, did Yves let go of your hand and start to speak.

"I need to talk to you in private, Yeller." Yves is also scowling, crossing his arms.

"Can it wait? You know where I work and my schedule, and you have the fucking key to our home."

"Outside. Now." Yves pointed at the front door, his arm was rigid and voice stern. It almost made Montgomery flinch with how uncannily similar he is to the disciplinarians he used to fear greatly as a child. Perhaps he still does, even to this day as an adult.

"Yeah, yeah. Give me a moment and I'll let you call me stupid as much as you want..." Grumbled Montgomery as he worked carefully to lay you on the sofa.

Yves got up and marched outside to the porch, where the most explosive of arguments can take place without disturbing your sleep.

Montgomery followed soon after, trudging and deeply dreading whatever Yves might say. But he didn't leave without giving you another kiss on the forehead for good luck.

"I'll be back, sweetheart. Gonna get a little scolding from your... goddamned smother" He whispered.

While making his way out, he was mumbling under his breath about how nosy and stuck up Yves is.

While you remain blissfully unaware of the fight or your toothache.

[angeliqueiguess]

“Focus!” (j.jh)

018. whirlwind warnings: swearing, angsty

Y/n, determined to take the first step, headed back toward the office she had just left moments ago. From the hallway, she caught sight of Jaehyun still inside, sitting with his back to the door, motionless. She inhaled deeply, trying not to overthink it, and pushed the door open without looking directly at him.

Jaehyun spun around in his chair, startled, as if he hadn’t expected her to return. Until now, he’d been sure it would end the same way it always did: him trying to talk to her, something getting in the way, and then another missed opportunity—an endless, frustrating cycle. But this time felt different, and that tiny shift gave him a flicker of hope.

“Are you okay?” he asked, though he knew right away that it wasn’t the right question. The look on her face told him she wasn’t here to drag this out any longer than necessary. He adjusted himself in the chair, realizing he needed to cut to the point.

“Look... I get it if you don’t want to talk right now, but I need you to know I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I just... need you to hear me out, even if it’s just for a moment, because—”

The door swung open, cutting him off mid-sentence.

“Jae, I came as soon as I—” Johnny’s voice trailed off when he saw her. “Y/n...”

He stood there, breathless from rushing over. The sudden appearance of her brother made everything unravel in Y/n’s mind. Whatever courage had carried her back into that room dissolved in an instant. She stood abruptly, her body tense, as if trying to calculate the quickest way out.

She glanced between Johnny and Jaehyun, the weight of everything she’d been holding in pressing down on her chest. It was too much—too fast, too soon. She wasn’t ready to face them both. Not like this.

“I’ll talk to you later,” she muttered, her voice rushed and clipped.

Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heels and strode out of the room, leaving the door ajar behind her. Johnny and Jaehyun called her name in unison, but she ignored them, her mind set on one thing: she needed to leave. Now.

Her steps were quick, almost frantic, as she made her way toward the building’s exit. Her thoughts swirled in chaotic loops, and the only thing she was sure of was that she needed to find some clarity. She needed Ten.

He would know exactly what to say, just like he always did. He’d remind her to ground herself, to breathe, to let everything go for a moment. She needed that—needed to feel the cool grass under her fingers, disconnect from the whirlwind in her mind, and hear the steady, grounding advice from the one person who always seemed to understand how to help her find her way back to herself.

Meanwhile, back in the office, the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Jaehyun paced restlessly from one side of the room to the other, dragging his hands through his hair as if that would somehow bring clarity to the chaos in his mind.

"I don’t know what else to do," he muttered, stopping briefly to glance at Johnny, who sat in the same chair Jaehyun had occupied earlier. Frustration dripped from every word. "I fucked it all up again. What if she never speaks to me after this?" His voice cracked slightly before bitterness took over. "Why did you have to show up?"

Johnny frowned, folding his arms. "Oh, so this is my fault now?" he snapped. "Sorry, Jaehyun, but if I remember correctly, you were the one who texted me."

"Yeah, but I didn’t expect you to show up," Jaehyun shot back almost yelling "God, I’m such an idiot…" He slumped into the chair, burying his face in his hands. "It’s been years, and I still can’t have a normal conversation with her because she never lets me." His sigh was long and heavy, as if hoping to exhale the frustration that had been weighing on him for too long—but it didn’t help.

Johnny studied him quietly for a moment, then said, "What I don’t get is… why don’t you just tell her how you feel already?"

Jaehyun lifted his head, staring at Johnny like he’d just suggested something ridiculous. A scoff left his nose as he shook his head.

"Right, because that’s so easy for you," he replied sarcastically. "Sure, just open my mouth, say what’s on my mind, and magically everything falls into place. If only it worked like that." He paused, pressing his lips together. "It’s not that simple for me, Johnny. I... I still... love her, fuck... saying it out loud feels impossible."

He shot to his feet and paced towards the glass door, as if movement could somehow keep the overwhelming emotions at bay.

"Jaehyun," Johnny called, making him stop and turn. "You can’t keep running from this—neither of you can. But you need to know... someone else is getting ahead of you. Fast."

Jaehyun clenched his jaw at those words, his worst fear, Taeyong keeping her from him, inching closer to reality.

"I know," he murmured, the sadness in his voice unmistakable. "And that’s what I'm gonna change."

Without waiting for a response, Jaehyun pushed the door open and walked out, leaving it to swing gently behind him.

---

prev//next masterlist

Angie's note: i’m so so so sorry i said i was going to post this after the last one (i was studying lol) i hope u liked itt and don’t forget to drink water and to stay healthy 🩷🩷🩷

Taglist: @apolloxxivmin @aerivrs @chan-yeoldelling @livingdoll-hara @cryingforjae @heavenjae @milanco @sibwol @neocupidd @minkyuncutie @miniature-tragedy @kukkurookkoo @kodasity @injunnie-lemon @thegracerammy @hahaechans

[lightdancingwords]

Crossroads of the Heart - Part Fifteen of ?

Pairings: CJ Braxton x Y/N Female reader

Series Summary: Y/N is a psychology major assigned to shadow CJ at The Stand, unaware he's the one who basically saved her life four years before. CJ is unaware that she's the one who left a notable impact on him over the phone four years ago. As they navigate the work at The Stand, they develop a spark that demands revelation and connection.

Word Count: 5,949

Tags/Warnings: Some fluff, angst (I guess?)

A/N: Comments, Likes, Reblogs, Kind feedback are always highly appreciated. Please let me know if you want to be added to the tag list! Evidently my muse won't shut up, so here we go! A new story in a new setting! I hope you all enjoy!

Dividers: credit to @saradika-graphics

Chapter Fifteen: Power

The Stand was still in shambles, but progress was finally being made.

The construction crew had managed to rewire the power correctly—without cutting another crucial cable—and most of the computers were back up and running. The volunteers were handling the transition as best they could, with some still working remotely while others adjusted to the lingering noise of drills and hammers echoing from the hallways.

And Miles, miraculously, had not actually combusted.

Mostly thanks to Gabby.

CJ watched from across the office as Gabby, ever the agent of chaos, continued to hover around Miles, insisting on keeping his stress levels in check—whether he liked it or not.

“You know,” Gabby mused, leaning against his desk, “you should really try deep breathing. Or yoga.”

Miles shot her a flat look, adjusting his glasses. “I will literally code you out of the system if you don’t leave me alone.”

Gabby gasped, pressing a hand to her chest. “How dare you! After everything I’ve done for you?”

“You mean ruin my life?”

“Miles!” Gabby swatted his arm, and CJ actually had to bite back a laugh at the sheer suffering on Miles’ face.

“This is my nightmare,” Miles muttered under his breath.

CJ shook his head before turning his attention back to his actual job.

He stood by the main workstation, overseeing the remaining equipment shifts, while Priya checked off tasks from the operations list.

“All right,” she said, tapping her pen against the clipboard. “We’re finally down to just a few more adjustments. The doors are fully rewired, the badge system is almost ready to go live, and IT is still working on making sure the software is functioning correctly.”

“Meaning?” CJ asked.

“Meaning,” Priya said with a smirk, “you can maybe stop looking like you want to strangle the entire construction team.”

CJ exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through his hair. “No promises.”

Y/N approached then, stepping beside him, her presence immediately grounding him. “How are we looking?” she asked.

“Better than this morning,” CJ admitted. “Which, to be fair, is a low bar.”

Y/N chuckled, giving him a teasing nudge. “You love this place, admit it.”

CJ shot her a look. “I love you. This place? Questionable.”

Y/N grinned. “I’ll take it.”

Priya, watching their exchange with mild amusement, shook her head. “You two are disgustingly adorable.”

“Jealous?” Y/N teased.

“Not even a little,” Priya said dryly. “But it’s good to know that when the world inevitably collapses, CJ will still be flirting with you in the rubble.”

CJ smirked. “Damn right, I will.”

Before Y/N could respond, a loud beeping sound filled the office.

“What now?” Miles groaned, turning toward the sudden alarm coming from one of the security panels.

One of the contractors rushed over, looking mildly concerned. “Uh, okay, so… the new system is a little more sensitive than we thought.”

“Define ‘a little,’” CJ said, already dreading the answer.

“Well…” the guy hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. “It may have just triggered a lockdown sequence.”

CJ stared. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Nothing major!” the contractor quickly added. “Just a test protocol. Doors will remain locked until IT clears the alert.”

Miles muttered something that sounded suspiciously like “kill me now.”

“How long will that take?” Priya asked, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Uh…” The contractor checked his tablet. “About three hours?”

CJ groaned. “Of course it will.”

Gabby, ever the optimist, clapped her hands together. “Ooo, so we’re trapped! How fun!”

Miles turned to her, exasperated. “How are you like this?”

Gabby grinned. “Natural talent.”

CJ sighed, rubbing his temples. “This day will never end, will it?”

Y/N patted his arm. “But look on the bright side, babe. At least the power’s working now.”

CJ exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “I hate how low our standards have gotten.”

Y/N laughed, leaning into him slightly. “But you love me anyway.”

CJ smirked, wrapping an arm around her waist. “Damn right, I do.”

Priya sighed, flipping the last page of the schedule. “All right. Until the power company gets us out of here, we might as well get some actual work done.”

“Or,” Gabby said brightly, “we could play a game!”

Miles looked horrified. “Please no.”

As the Stand remained locked down with no escape, CJ closed his eyes and accepted his fate.

This was his life.

And, honestly?

He wouldn’t change it for anything.

By the time evening rolled around, the worst of the chaos had finally settled.

The security system was fully installed, the power was officially stable, and IT had lifted the temporary lockdown. The last of the construction crew had packed up their tools and left, and for the first time in days, The Stand actually felt like itself again—no loud drilling, no power surges, no construction workers accidentally cutting crucial wires.

CJ stood near the front, hands on his hips, scanning the office like a man assessing battle damage.

"Well," Priya said, stepping beside him, "miraculously, no one died."

"Yet," Miles muttered, still typing furiously at his station. "I'm still debating if I need to commit a murder."

Gabby patted his arm cheerfully. "Aw, babe, you love it here."

Miles didn't even look up. "I actively hate it here."

Gabby beamed. "Right, but in a loving way."

CJ shook his head, amused. "Honestly? This could have been worse."

Priya shot him a dry look. "CJ, we had a power outage, an accidental lockdown, and Miles nearly went into cardiac arrest."

"And yet," CJ countered, smirking, "this still isn't the worst day we've had."

Priya sighed, rubbing her temple. "You make a concerningly good point."

Y/N appeared at CJ’s side then, slipping her arm through his and leaning into him. "So, do I get to officially say ‘I told you so’?"

CJ glanced down at her, raising an eyebrow. "About what?"

Y/N grinned. "That things would work out."

CJ exhaled, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer. "Fine. You get to say it."

Y/N beamed. "Told you so."

CJ smirked, pressing a quick kiss to her temple. "Yeah, yeah."

Across the room, Gabby clapped her hands together. "Okay, so now that this day is officially over, I vote that we celebrate."

"Celebrate?" Miles asked, finally looking up from his computer. "We barely survived."

"Exactly," Gabby said brightly. "Survival deserves celebration!"

Priya rolled her eyes but smirked. "What do you have in mind?"

"Food, obviously," Gabby said, already pulling out her phone. "And drinks. And a toast to not having to deal with construction ever again."

CJ hummed. "That last part feels optimistic."

Y/N grinned, nudging him. "Don’t jinx it."

As their shift wrapped up, the evening crew arrived, seamlessly taking over as the daytime team gathered their things. The Stand never really closed—there was always someone here, always calls coming in, always someone on the other end of the line who needed to hear that they weren’t alone.

CJ exhaled, relaxing for the first time in what felt like forever, before letting Y/N tug him toward the door.

Finally, things were looking up.

The night air was crisp as CJ and Y/N climbed the stairs to their apartment, the quiet hum of the city settling into a peaceful lull around them. The celebration had been exactly what they all needed—laughter, good food, and the kind of camaraderie that made even the worst days feel bearable.

CJ had spent most of the evening watching Y/N—how she lit up while teasing Gabby, how she made sure Miles didn’t actually combust, how she touched his knee under the table, grounding him without even realizing it.

And now, as they reached their door and stepped inside, something in him paused.

Before Y/N could move further into the room, CJ reached out and pulled her into him.

Y/N let out a soft sound of surprise as he wrapped his arms around her, burying his face into the curve of her neck, breathing her in. His grip was firm, steady—like he needed to feel her in his arms, like he needed the reassurance that she was here.

Y/N blinked, resting her hands against his back before tilting her head slightly. “CJ?” she murmured, her fingers sliding up into his hair.

He didn’t answer right away. He just held her, his heart beating steady and strong against hers.

Y/N smiled softly against his shoulder. “What’s gotten into you?”

CJ exhaled, pulling back just enough to look at her. His hands slid up to frame her face, his thumbs brushing along her cheekbones, his gaze intense and unwavering.

“Nothing,” he said, voice low, quiet. “Just… grateful.”

Y/N’s breath caught, her lips parting slightly. “For what?”

CJ’s eyes softened as he searched hers. “You.”

Y/N blinked, her chest tightening. "CJ…"

“I mean it,” he murmured, his hands trailing down to her waist. “I don’t say it enough. You make everything better. Even the worst days. Especially the worst days.”

Y/N swallowed, overwhelmed by the weight of his words. "You do that for me too."

CJ smiled faintly, dipping his head to press his lips so gently against hers—slow and unhurried, as if trying to memorize her.

When he pulled away, he rested his forehead against hers. “Just wanted to remind you.”

Y/N let out a soft laugh, her fingers curling around the front of his shirt. “I really like when you get sentimental.”

CJ smirked, brushing his nose against hers. “Don’t get used to it.”

Y/N grinned, looping her arms around his neck. “Too late.”

CJ chuckled, shaking his head before kissing her again, longer this time—deep and slow, the kind of kiss that anchored them, that reminded them both exactly how much they had found in each other.

And in that moment, nothing else mattered.

Just them.

Together.

The morning was calm, but CJ knew better than to trust the quiet.

He was at his desk, half-focused on emails and half-sipping the coffee Y/N had made before leaving for her shift, when a firm knock sounded on his office door.

“Come in,” he called, already sensing something was off.

Priya stepped inside, closing the door behind her with more care than usual. Her expression was composed, but there was a weight in her eyes that immediately set CJ on edge.

He set his coffee down. “What’s wrong?”

Priya exhaled, setting her tablet on his desk. “I’ve been tracking the storm system off the coast.”

CJ frowned, already feeling where this was headed. “The one they were saying might hit?”

She nodded, swiping on the screen to show the latest updates. The map displayed swirling bands of red and orange, the storm’s projected path shifting slightly inland.

“They just upgraded it to a hurricane,” she said soberly. “And if it doesn’t weaken before landfall, it’s going to hit hard.”

CJ dragged a hand down his face. Of course.

Priya crossed her arms. “I wanted to talk to you about what that means for us. The Stand can’t exactly shut down, but I need to make sure our volunteers and staff are safe. If conditions get bad, we need a plan.”

CJ nodded, already shifting into problem-solving mode. “How long do we have?”

“Maybe a couple of days before it makes landfall,” Priya said. “But we’ll probably start seeing the outer bands sooner. High winds, flooding in low areas—enough to be a problem.”

CJ exhaled, glancing at the map again. “Alright. First things first—we make sure people don’t travel in dangerous conditions. Anyone scheduled to work in person should have the option to go remote before the storm actually hits.”

Priya nodded. “Agreed. But there’s another issue—what about people already here when it starts?”

CJ leaned back in his chair, considering. “We’ll need supplies on hand. If travel gets too dangerous, we can’t have staff or volunteers stuck here with nothing. Food, water, flashlights—whatever we’d need in case of power loss.”

Priya’s gaze softened slightly. “Already ahead of you. I started making a list before I came in here.”

CJ smirked. “Of course you did.”

Priya arched a brow. “One of us has to be organized.”

CJ chuckled, shaking his head before turning serious again. “How bad are we talking? Worst case?”

Priya exhaled slowly. “Worst case? Sustained winds over 90 mph. Power outages for days. Major flooding in low-lying areas. If it strengthens anymore before landfall…” She trailed off, shaking her head.

CJ let out a sharp breath. Damn it.

“I’ll get in touch with Y/N,” he said. “We should coordinate a plan for helping people outside of The Stand, too. If this hits like you think it will, people are gonna need resources. Not just for us, but for the community.”

Priya gave him a look—one that was part respect, part exasperation. “You always have to take on extra, don’t you?”

CJ smirked, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “If we can do something to help, we should.”

Priya sighed, but there was warmth in it. “All right. I’ll start reaching out to our contacts for emergency support.”

CJ nodded, already mentally preparing for the long days ahead. “Good. And Priya?”

She looked back at him.

He held her gaze. “Thanks for staying on top of this.”

Priya’s lips twitched into a small, knowing smile. “Someone has to.”

With that, she turned and walked out, leaving CJ staring at the storm map, already planning for the worst.

The storm had arrived.

For most of the morning, it had been manageable—heavy rain, strong winds, but nothing that felt like a crisis. CJ, Y/N, Priya, Gabby, Miles, and a handful of other volunteers had made it into The Stand, prepared for a long shift of handling storm-related crisis calls. They had stocked up on supplies, rerouted calls for remote access where possible, and done everything right.

And yet—

CJ should’ve known something would go wrong.

The building shuddered as the power shut down completely. The overhead lights flickered, then died. The hum of computers ceased. And most importantly—the newly installed electronic security system?

Gone.

A beat of silence followed before—

“Oh, for the love of—”

CJ turned just in time to see Miles throw his hands in the air. "I knew this would happen! This is exactly why I said putting the entire security system on a single electrical grid was stupid!"

Gabby, who had been rifling through a supply box, abandoned it immediately and strode toward him, grinning like she was delighted by his meltdown. "Aw, come on, Miles, it’s kinda fun! We’re having a workplace adventure!"

Miles turned to her, scandalized. "Gabriella, we are trapped in a building during a hurricane with no backup power. Does that sound like fun to you?"

Gabby tapped her chin. "A little."

"Of course it does," Miles muttered, rubbing his temples. "This is my nightmare."

Priya exhaled, already reaching for her phone to check for updates. "The system should have had a backup," she said, frowning. "Which means—"

"—the backup also failed," CJ finished grimly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Fantastic."

"What now?" one of the volunteers asked, looking a little too nervous for CJ’s liking.

"Now," Priya said smoothly, "we stay calm and wait for the power to reboot."

"And if they can’t?"

Priya exhaled, tucking her phone into her pocket. "Then we make the best of it."

CJ looked over at Y/N, who was watching the storm outside through the large windows. The wind had picked up, hard, the trees bending, rain streaking against the glass.

She turned, catching his gaze. "Guess we’re stuck here, huh?"

CJ smirked. "Looks like it."

Y/N hummed, stepping closer, nudging his shoulder. "Think you can handle being locked in with all of us?"

CJ glanced over at Miles, still aggressively muttering to himself, and Gabby, who was now attempting to calm him down by offering to braid his hair.

He exhaled. "Debatable."

Y/N laughed softly, looping her arm through his. "Well, we might as well make the best of it."

CJ shook his head, amused, before leaning down and pressing a quick kiss to her temple. "Yeah, yeah."

Gabby turned at that exact moment, eyes lighting up. "Oooooh, look at you two sneaking cute moments in the apocalypse!"

CJ groaned. "Gabby."

She beamed. "What? I love this for you!"

Miles groaned even louder. "I swear to God, if we’re stuck here overnight, I’m quitting."

CJ chuckled, shaking his head. "Relax, Miles. What’s the worst that could happen?"

Just then, a loud crash sounded from somewhere in the building.

A very familiar power tool-related crash.

CJ closed his eyes. "I take it back."

Priya sighed. "Of course you do."

And just like that, the night really began.

The Stand was officially on lockdown.

The rain lashed against the windows, the wind howled through the cracks in the building, and the backup generator that was supposed to keep the power on? Completely fried.

The worst part? IT couldn’t do anything about it.

The utility company had to restore power first, which meant they were at the mercy of the storm. Until then, the office was pitch dark, except for the dim glow of emergency exit lights and the occasional flash of lightning outside.

And because the brilliantly designed security system ran on electric locks, the doors were stuck.

Trapped.

CJ sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. "Of course this is how today ends."

Across the room, Miles was pacing, his grumbling increasing in volume with every step. "This is a perfect example of why everything should have a manual override. Who the hell—"

"Miles," Gabby interrupted sweetly, stepping in front of him, "breathe."

Miles scowled, adjusting his glasses. "I am breathing. I’m also raging."

"Multitasking, I love that for you," Gabby teased.

Miles muttered something unintelligible that definitely wasn’t appropriate for work.

Priya leaned against the desk, arms crossed, her expression cool and composed. "IT says we’re stuck until the utility company gets power back. No power, no system reset."

CJ exhaled, already bracing himself. "How long?"

Priya shrugged. "Could be a couple of hours. Could be all night."

Miles stopped pacing. "All night?"

"Relax," Y/N said, stepping beside CJ, slipping her hand into his. "It’s not the worst thing in the world."

CJ smirked, squeezing her hand. "Could be worse."

"Could it?" Miles snapped. "Because I’m struggling to see how."

"We could be stuck outside," Y/N pointed out. "Or on the road. Or in an elevator."

CJ snorted. "That last one might’ve broken you, Miles."

"I would not have survived," Miles admitted grimly.

"Exactly," Y/N said, squeezing CJ’s arm. "See? Perspective."

Miles groaned, throwing himself into a chair. "I hate all of you."

Gabby beamed, plopping onto the desk next to him. "Aww, you love us, tech boy."

"I actively do not," Miles muttered.

Gabby patted his shoulder. "Denial is the first step, babe."

Priya sighed, pulling out her phone—not that it was of much use with the Wi-Fi down. "We might as well make the best of it."

"I swear to God," Miles muttered.

"Ooooh," Gabby interrupted, her eyes lighting up. "Let’s play a game!"

Miles’ head snapped up. "Absolutely not."

"Gabby," Priya said tiredly. "No."

"Come on! We need to pass the time!" Gabby grinned, eyes flicking to CJ and Y/N. "I know you two will back me up!"

Y/N laughed, glancing at CJ. "I mean… she’s not wrong."

CJ smirked. "Not committing until I know what the game is."

Gabby beamed. "Truth or dare."

Miles threw his head back. "I hate this place."

"You love it here," Gabby chirped.

CJ shook his head, leaning against the desk as Y/N pressed into his side.

They were trapped in the dark, the storm still raged outside, and the power company had no ETA.

But Y/N was right.

They’d survived worse.

And for now?

They’d make the best of it.

The office was dim, the only light coming from the emergency exit signs and the occasional flash of lightning illuminating the room through the windows. Rain hammered against the glass, the wind howling as the storm raged on.

And in the middle of the chaos, they were playing Truth or Dare.

CJ wasn't sure how this had happened.

Well. He did.

It was Gabby’s fault.

She had somehow convinced the group—through sheer force of will—to go along with it, and now they were fully committed.

Miles, however, was suffering.

"I want it on record," he muttered, arms crossed, "that I was forced into this."

"Duly noted," Priya said dryly, taking a seat on one of the desks.

"Oh, hush," Gabby said, leaning against Miles’ chair. "This is fun."

"This is not fun," Miles shot back.

"It is fun," Y/N chimed in, grinning as she curled up next to CJ on the couch. "You just don’t like admitting when you’re enjoying yourself."

CJ smirked, resting his arm along the back of the couch, his fingers idly playing with a strand of Y/N’s hair. "She’s not wrong."

Miles scowled. "You’re supposed to be on my side, Braxton."

"Nope," CJ said easily. "You’re on your own, buddy."

Miles groaned. "I hate all of you."

"Right, right," Gabby said, delighted at his misery. "Now shut up, because it’s your turn, tech boy. Truth or dare?"

Miles sighed deeply, clearly rethinking every life choice that had led him to this moment. "Truth."

Gabby’s grin widened. "Ooooh, excellent choice. Let’s see…" She tapped her chin dramatically before her face lit up. "What was your actual first impression of me?"

Miles stared at her. "Are you serious?"

"Dead serious."

Miles muttered something under his breath before sighing. "Fine. First impression? You were loud."

Gabby gasped, mock-offended. "Loud?!"

"And chaotic," Miles continued. "And a menace to my personal space."

Gabby grinned. "So basically, you fell in love at first sight?"

Miles groaned, scrubbing a hand down his face. "This is my nightmare."

CJ actually laughed, shaking his head. "Alright, next." His gaze flicked to Y/N, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Your turn, sweetheart. Truth or dare?"

Y/N smirked, tilting her head. "Dare."

Gabby let out an excited gasp. "Oooooh, okay, okay! I dare you to…" She paused dramatically, her grin turning mischievous. "Sit in CJ’s lap for the rest of the game."

Y/N arched a brow. "That’s not even a real dare."

"Oh, it is," Gabby assured her. "I just wanted an excuse to make him blush."

CJ rolled his eyes but did not protest when Y/N immediately climbed into his lap, getting comfortable like it was second nature.

Because, well. It was.

"Happy now?" CJ said dryly, resting his hands on Y/N’s waist.

Gabby beamed. "Extremely."

"Whose turn is it?" Priya asked, shaking her head.

"CJ’s," Y/N said, smirking at him. "Truth or dare?"

CJ smirked, leaning back slightly. "Truth."

Y/N tapped her fingers against his chest. "If you had to get a tattoo right now, what would it be?"

CJ hummed, pretending to think. "Easy. A snowflake."

Y/N’s breath hitched slightly, her fingers curling against his shirt.

Gabby gasped dramatically. "Oh, my God, are you two in a romance novel?"

"Apparently," Priya muttered.

Y/N swallowed, smiling softly. "Good answer."

CJ smirked, tugging her a little closer. "I know."

Gabby sighed happily. "Ugh, I love this for you two."

Miles muttered, "I do not."

CJ shook his head, watching the group with amusement as the game continued.

They were trapped, in the dark, in the middle of a hurricane with no ETA on when the power would return.

But somehow, with Y/N in his lap, Gabby annoying Miles, and Priya quietly observing, CJ thought—

This might actually be one of the best nights they’ve had in a while.

The storm raged on outside, but inside The Stand, the game was in full swing. The group had fully embraced the ridiculousness of their situation, and CJ was actually enjoying himself—mostly because Y/N was still curled up in his lap, laughing against his shoulder at the latest truth Gabby had managed to drag out of Priya.

But the real highlight of the night was about to happen.

Y/N sat up slightly, turning her attention to Miles, who had been painfully avoiding eye contact with Gabby for the last few rounds. She smirked, her fingers lightly tapping against CJ’s chest as she tilted her head.

"Miles," she said, eyes glinting mischievously, "truth or dare?"

CJ immediately knew something was up.

Miles sighed, clearly wary. "Dare."

Gabby gasped dramatically, clapping her hands. "Oh, he’s feeling brave tonight!"

Y/N’s grin widened before she leaned forward slightly. "I dare you… to kiss Gabby."

CJ choked on air.

Gabby froze, eyes going wide. "Ohhh, I love this game."

Miles, on the other hand, looked like he was about to die. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Y/N said sweetly, biting back a grin. "You can’t back out, Miles. Rules are rules."

CJ grinned, highly entertained. "She’s right, man. You accepted the dare."

Miles looked murderous. "I hate all of you."

Gabby, however, was beaming. "Oh, come on, tech boy," she teased. "Just a little kiss? What’s the worst that could happen?"

"A lot," Miles muttered, but the redness creeping up his entire neck gave him away.

"Tick-tock," Priya said smoothly, crossing her arms. "We’re waiting."

Miles groaned loudly, looking everywhere except at Gabby. "Fine."

Gabby perked up, her grin turning absolutely smug. "Ooooh, is this happening?"

"Shut up," Miles muttered before turning toward her, adjusting his glasses like he was mentally preparing himself for battle.

Gabby bounced slightly in place, looking highly amused. "Come on, tech boy, lay it on me—"

Before she could finish the sentence, Miles grabbed her by the face and kissed her.

CJ wasn’t sure what he expected—but it definitely wasn’t that.

Gabby made a startled sound before melting into it, her hands gripping his shirt as if she had been waiting for this moment her entire life.

The group erupted.

"Oh my God," Y/N gasped. "He actually—"

"I did not see that coming," Priya admitted.

CJ grinned, shaking his head. "Well, damn."

After a few very long seconds, Miles finally pulled away, his face redder than ever. "There. Happy now?"

Gabby blinked, stunned, before she smirked. "Oh, babe. You are never living this down."

Miles groaned, covering his face. "Kill me now."

"Nope," CJ said, highly entertained. "You brought this on yourself."

Y/N, absolutely delighted, clapped her hands. "Best dare of the night."

Gabby, still grinning, leaned toward Miles. "Wanna do that again just to make sure it counts?"

Miles visibly short-circuited. "Absolutely not."

"Your loss," Gabby teased, winking.

CJ exhaled, leaning back against the couch. "This was an excellent idea."

Y/N grinned, snuggling back into his lap. "I know."

The game continued, but there was no topping that dare.

And as CJ watched Miles try desperately to recover while Gabby whispered things in his ear just to watch him blush, he decided—

Storm or not, this was officially the best night they’d had in a long time.

The Stand was still wrapped in darkness, the storm continuing to rage outside, but inside, the energy of the group was lighter than it had been in days.

Miles was still recovering from his very public kiss with Gabby, sitting stiffly in his chair like he wasn’t sure what to do with himself, while Gabby was thrilled with her victory. Y/N was nestled comfortably in CJ’s lap, looking way too pleased with herself after her successful dare, and Priya was watching the chaos unfold with her usual amused but composed expression.

And then—

"Alright, CJ," Gabby declared, turning her attention to him. "Truth or dare?"

CJ smirked, adjusting his arms around Y/N. "Truth."

Gabby’s grin widened, mischief lighting up her eyes. "Oooooh, excellent choice, Mr. Braxton."

CJ arched a brow. "Why do I suddenly regret this?"

"Because you should." Gabby tapped her chin dramatically before looking directly at Y/N, then back at CJ. "Okay. Real talk, CJ. Are you ever going to propose to Y/N?"

The room went silent.

CJ froze.

Y/N stiffened in his lap, tilting her head up to look at him, her eyes wide with shock.

CJ tried to answer smoothly, tried to play it off, but his brain stuttered, and instead of something cool and collected, what came out was—

"Uh—yes?"

Gabby gasped, delighted. "Oh my God!"

Y/N blinked. "Wait, what?"

CJ felt his face heat, suddenly very aware that all eyes were on him. "I—" He exhaled, dragging a hand through his hair before looking down at Y/N, whose expression was an even mix of shock and curiosity. "I mean… yeah."

Y/N stared at him. "You were— You were thinking about that?"

CJ swallowed, realizing there was zero way out of this, so he just sighed and went with the truth. "I wasn’t planning to do it right now, but… yeah. I’ve been thinking about it."

Y/N’s lips parted slightly, her breath hitching, like she was fully processing his words. "CJ…"

Gabby clapped her hands together, practically vibrating. "This is the best game I’ve ever played."

Miles, who had finally recovered from his own public emotional turmoil, smirked. "Damn. Didn’t think I’d see Braxton actually stammer over something."

Priya, watching CJ struggle, simply sipped her tea, eyes twinkling with amusement. "This is so much better than the construction disaster."

CJ sighed, looking back at Y/N, suddenly needing to explain himself. "I wasn’t gonna say anything yet," he murmured, his voice softer now, just for her. "Because I wasn’t ready yet. Not because I don’t want to. But because when I do it? I want it to be right."

Y/N exhaled, and something shifted in her eyes—something softer, something warmer. "You really mean that?"

CJ tilted her chin up, brushing his thumb against her jaw. "Yeah. I do."

Y/N’s lips curved slightly, her eyes shining in the dim light. "Well. That’s… unexpected."

"Yeah?" CJ murmured, his heart pounding.

Y/N grinned. "But not unwanted."

CJ felt his chest tighten—not with anxiety, not with pressure, but with something so much better.

Y/N wanted forever with him.

And damn if that didn’t make everything else disappear.

Gabby sighed dramatically, clasping her hands together. "God, I love love."

Miles groaned. "I don’t."

Priya chuckled, setting her mug down. "Alright, let’s give our future married couple a break and keep this game going."

Y/N laughed, shaking her head, but when she turned back to CJ, there was something different in her gaze.

Something knowing.

Something that said this conversation wasn’t over.

CJ smirked, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead before murmuring just for her—

"Come to my office. Let’s talk."

Y/N’s grin widened, something curious flickering in her expression. "Okay."

And just like that, the game kept going, but CJ knew—

Something had definitely changed.

The door to CJ’s office clicked shut behind them, muffling the sounds of laughter and conversation from the break room. The dim glow from the emergency lights cast long shadows across the space, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.

Y/N stood near the desk, her arms crossed loosely, her expression thoughtful—still trying to process what had just happened.

CJ leaned against the edge of his desk, watching her carefully. He wasn’t nervous, exactly, but there was a weight in his chest that hadn’t been there before Gabby had opened her mouth.

And now, there was no going back.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn’t mean for you to find out like that."

Y/N let out a breathy laugh, shaking her head. "Yeah, I figured."

CJ exhaled, looking down for a moment before meeting her eyes again. "But I meant what I said."

Y/N’s lips parted slightly, her gaze searching his. "You’ve really been thinking about it? Marriage?”

CJ nodded, his voice steady. "Yeah. Not because of pressure, or because it’s ‘the next step,’ but because…" He exhaled. "Because I love you. Because you’re it for me, Y/N. And I don’t want anyone else. I don’t even want to think about a life that doesn’t have you in it."

Y/N swallowed hard, her fingers tightening around the fabric of her sweater. "CJ…"

"I know it’s soon," he added quickly, sensing the hesitation in her voice. "I know we just moved in together. I know you have school, your practicum, all of that. I’m not asking for an answer right now. I just… I needed you to know how I feel. Because it’s been in my head for a while now, and after everything that’s happened—the storms, the chaos, even just us—I can’t pretend I don’t think about it."

Y/N let out a slow breath, rubbing her arms like she was trying to gather her thoughts. "I—" She hesitated, biting her lip. "I love you, CJ. You know that. But I’m just…taken aback by all of this. I wasn’t expecting to talk about marriage this soon. I just moved in with you. I still have school, my practicum, my entire career to think about—"

"I know," CJ interrupted softly. "And I don’t want to take any of that from you. I want you to finish school. I want you to do your practicum, to build the future you’ve worked so hard for. I just…" He paused, searching her expression. "Where do you see that future, Y/N?"

Y/N blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

"Where do you see yourself, years from now?" CJ asked, his voice careful, not pushing, just curious. "Because if I’m being honest… I used to have a plan. My whole life was The Stand. I thought that was all it was ever going to be. And then…" He exhaled, his lips twitching into something soft. "And then you walked in and everything changed."

Y/N’s breath hitched slightly, her fingers twitching at her sides. "CJ…"

"So I’m asking you," he continued, voice steady. "Where do you see yourself in the future?"

Y/N opened her mouth, then closed it.

And for the first time, she didn’t have an answer.

Because everything had changed since she walked through the doors of The Stand.

She had thought she knew what her future looked like—finishing school, finishing her practicum, taking a job somewhere as a psychologist or crisis counselor.

But then there was CJ.

Then there was this place, these people, this life she hadn’t expected but couldn’t imagine giving up.

Y/N exhaled sharply, closing her eyes for a second before meeting his gaze again. "I don’t know," she admitted, voice quiet but sure. "I don’t know where I see myself in five years, or ten years, or what my career will look like exactly. But…" She swallowed, taking a step closer to him. "I know one thing."

CJ tilted his head slightly, waiting. "What’s that?"

Y/N inhaled deeply, holding his gaze. "I don’t see a future without you in it."

CJ’s chest tightened, warmth spreading through him at her words.

He reached for her then, his hands finding her waist, pulling her closer until they were just a breath apart. "Then that’s enough for me," he murmured.

Y/N exhaled, resting her hands on his chest. "It is?"

"Yeah," CJ whispered, pressing his forehead against hers. "We’ve got time. I’m not in a rush. As long as I have you, the rest can come when it’s meant to."

Y/N let out a shaky laugh, closing her eyes briefly before looking up at him again. "I really, really love you, CJ Braxton."

CJ smirked, brushing his lips against hers. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

And when she kissed him, slow and deep, CJ knew—

It didn’t matter when.

She was his future.

And that was all he needed to know.

Tag List: @kmc1989, @ozwriterchick

Want to be a part of this tag list or others? Message me here! And check out the other story I’m writing!

[eastbubble]

captain soap is so rude because he will always judge you and make comments on everything you do wrong. he always has a problem with the way you hold your rifle and even though he is supposed to be your mentor, he won’t tell you the right way to do anything :( he’s so mean with you. but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have fantasies about you when he’s just alone in his office.

he was supposed to be making a plan on how to save price from that damn prison he was stuck in, and he had his journal right in front of him, just set on the desk. he even had his pencil in his hands but he couldn’t concentrate on drawing any kind of route to save his own comrade, the only thing he could do was think about you. and the way you looked up at him when you asked him how to hold the sniper rifle correctly then if he was so smart. and he didn’t answer.

he was soon quickly sketching on one of the yellowed papers of his journal, his pencil drawing your pretty figure right next to the sloppy image of a fortress he had tried to draw just a few minutes ago but it looked unrealistic and ugly — that sketch wouldn’t help anyone who was involved with saving price. so he was just drawing over it in a different color, pressing his dark red marker strongly on the paper, making the color bleed onto the other side too.

and the way he drew you was so pretty. he then finished the one halfbody shot of you in your tactical gear, so it was his time to move on into some different kind of drawing — he drew you in a pretty polka dot bikini, not forgetting your pretty curves. that one time he accidentally saw you drying yourself in the shared showers.. you didn’t know that he saw you but he was never going to forget it.

and once he was finally finished with all of his drawings of you he was finally able to get a fresh breath, unzipping his pants and quickly undoing his belt in hopes of finally being able to rub one out. because you know it’s frustrating for a man like him to even have something to jerk off to — far away from everything, in the middle of nowhere and always on suicide missions. nothing to be happy about in his life, or so he thought.

he was biting his tongue to keep his little grunts and groans inside, his cold fingers wrapping around his hard length and running his thumb along his angry, redish tip. he was leaking pre-cum the whole time he was drawing your body. and he only took small little glimpses of the drawing he made of you, in different settings and next to different rifles that were almost as tall as you. and you weren’t holding them correctly, not even on the drawings.

[bridgyrose]

This time I'll ask for a one-shot prompt with a somewhat mundane premise:

Ruby's first time trying on a corset.

(Not as mundane as you think. This is actually something I've thought about doing before.)

Ruby watched her reflection as she moved around, keeping her eyes on the skirt and blouse she wore. Everything seemed to keep in place as she moved, but the longer she looked over her outfit, the more it felt like it was missing something. Maybe it was the importance Yang put on making a combat outfit unique or how she wanted to honor her mother in a way she’d be proud of, but it didnt feel completely like her. 

She made her way back to the closet and started to look through the rest of her clothes. Most of them had been from before she started to transition, but she was sure she could use something. Maybe some chains or belts to wrap around herself like some of the bands she listened to would or pouches she could wear around her hips to hold the ammo she’d use for Crescent Rose. 

“Everything alright, Rubes?” Yang asked as she walked into the bedroom. “Sounds like you’re fighting grimm up here.” 

Ruby nearly fell backwards as she pulled out a belt and a small pouch she had used for a halloween costume. “I’m fine.” 

“Putting together another cosplay?” 

“Trying to put together something to wear for combat.” Ruby grabbed her scissors and sewing kit, going to work on removing the straps to the pouch in order to adjust them for the belt. “Something that will set me apart from everyone else.” 

“Right.” Yang sighed and sat down on Ruby’s bed. “Its not something you should have to worry about yet. Its only your first year at Signal and any combat they run you through will be controlled with their own gear.” 

“I know but I want to get something together now. Especially since Qrow’s been talking about taking me on a short hunt to help me train with my scythe.” 

“Would you like any help?” 

Ruby let out a sigh as she finished adjusting the straps on the pouch and pulled the belt through to sew everything in place. “Maybe a second pair of eyes would help.” 

“Show me what you have.” 

Ruby nodded and finished getting the pouch in place. She put the belt around her waist, clipped her cloak in place, and straightened out her skirt. “So, what do you think?” 

Yang sat up a bit. “You look a lot like mom.” 

“I took some inspiration from the picture dad has of her from their Beacon days.”

“I think I have something that might work with this,” Yang said as she got up and rushed out the room. “I’ll be right back!” 

Ruby nodded and went to sit down on her bed as she waited for Yang, almost tapping her fingers on the bed. It wasnt that she didnt trust Yang and her fashion choices, but after getting enough hand-me-downs from her, she figured she could cut, tear, and sew anything she gave her into something that worked much better for her.

And yet, as she watched Yang come back in, she hadnt expected to see a black corset in her hands. “What’s that?” 

“A training corset that I bought a couple years ago.” Yang handed it over to Ruby. “I kept telling myself I’d use it but then I… never did. But something like this might work for you.” 

Ruby took the corset and looked it over. “Can you help me put it on?” 

“Sure.” 

Ruby took her cloak off and started to put the corset on, clipping everything into place. Once she double checked to make sure everything was set correctly, she let Yang lace it up. At first, it felt tight as it squeezed around her, but as she took a few breaths, it all seemed to set in place just right. And once it was all laced up, she stared at her reflection in the mirror and ran her hands down the corset, feeling the ribs through the fabric. 

She pulled her hands away from the corset and started to really look at her reflection. Not only did the corset seem to pull her outfit together, but it made her figure look more feminine than what she’d been used to and gave a bit more support to her chest, almost helping her look bigger than what she was. She wiped away a small tear as she took a deep breath. 

Yang put a hand on her shoulder. “Its not too tight is it? I can loosen it up-” 

“N-no, its… its fine,” Ruby interrupted, her voice almost shaking as she turned to face Yang. She couldnt help but pull her into a tight hug. “Its great, thank you.” 

Yang gently rubbed Ruby’s back. “I’m glad I could help, sis. I know a few shops we can look at for some other corsets. Maybe something less constricting but still able to keep everything in place.” 

Ruby pulled away and nodded. “Maybe in a bit. I’d like a few minutes to clean up.” 

“Just get me when you’re ready.” 

Ruby turned to face the mirror again and looked over her reflection, the smile on her face growing. She finally felt like herself.

[tmf-confessions]

Back with more Liam ranting because I’m going insane.

I find many things about his character interesting, but one of the most interesting things about him to me is definitely how his character relates to romance.

Like, think about it. Jake has a crush on Daisy(+Hailey?), Hailey is pretty obviously being set up to end up with Jake, Sean has a crush on Daisy (most likely), Daisy possibly reciprocates those feelings, Zander and Luke are dating, Milly has a crush on Elliot, Drew and Zoey used to be dating, Lia has her long-term crush on Jake, even Henry has a long-term, very obvious crush on Lia.

My point is, there are very few characters in this series who don’t have some sort of romantic ties to another character. In fact, the only characters other than Liam who don’t have some sort of love interest are probably Sadie and Maria, which makes sense since they don’t get much screen time (Maria more so than Sadie).

And to me that makes the romance aspect of his character a lot more interesting, especially since his attraction to women is an almost comedically large part of his character.

You’d think someone who’s main gimmick is romance-related would have more of a role in the shipping stuff, whether it be showing romantic interest in any character or being a matchmaker or something, but no. Liam shows no interest in any girl at their school other than maybe one time where it’s mentioned he tried to ask an offscreen unnamed character out, and he actually seems pretty clueless when it comes to things like why Jake is even going through everything he does for Daisy, the show itself even pointing out how he doesn’t understand traditional romanticism. He’s not even the one who realizes Jake might have a thing for Hailey, either. If I remember correctly, it’s Drew who realizes first while Liam just sorta stands and listens.

And honestly, when almost every character has a long-term crush or love drama, having a character who just doesn’t get any of that and thinks they should just cut to the chase and confess or whatever is really funny. It does, however, make Liam a bit of an outlier and makes talk of his sexuality pretty interesting to me, especially since the lack of canon content leaves more room for interpretation.

Like I said earlier, Liam’s romantic interest in women is such a large part of his character that it almost feels performative. And I’ve seen that lead to a lot of people headcanoning him as gay or aromantic. And I think that’s cool!

As an aromantic person myself, I’m probably a little biased as to which one I think about more (even if I do love some of the Liam ships). But him mostly focusing on people he has no realistic shot at being in a relationship with (Stacy’s Mom, that girl he sent the donation message to) does remind me of aromantic experiences.

And I don’t know, I imagine that he’s the kind of person to get a new ‘crush’ every week, ask them out, and when if they say no, he’s a little sad for less than 24 hours then moves on, almost like he never felt anything at all. Which is why he’s so confused over why Jake would go through all this trouble for Daisy when he could just ask her out right then and there.

I guess I think it’d be something like him wanting the emotional closeness of being in a relationship with someone, who he assumes should be a girl, and so he pursues that without realizing what romantic feelings he’s ‘supposed’ to feel in relation to that. He doesn’t understand why people act the way they do when they have a crush because he just doesn’t feel that way when he thinks he likes someone (If we go with the aromantic reading).

As for the him liking guys headcanon, I’m probably not as confident as to what that would look like. But I presume it’d be something like him trying to do what he thinks he’s supposed to do as well, and never realizing that when people say they like a girl it’s different from how he feels, which is just “they seem pretty and nice and relatively pleasant to be around” while feeling no actual attraction. (Maybe idk I’ve never had that experience)

To get back on topic, I guess I just like how out of the ordinary he feels compared to everyone else. In a universe where every other character seems to show their romantic feelings in a similar way, (has long-term crush and feelings for a long time before they finally dramatically confess), Liam does not do that, and that’s pretty cool.

(I have no idea if this makes any sense sorry if it’s just incoherent rambling lol).

confession #830

[semantics-error]

I hope that this doesn't sound weird now but I wanted to thank you for last year. Your writing is everything. I struggled a lot in the past year. Your writing always made me happy though like damn "for having loved a little while" is a masterpiece. Even though I am certain you hate me, bc you aren't not giving me and the boys happiness.. and I finish "I could never deny you" in one setting. It's my comfort fic. I reread certain chapters every night. Just wanted to say thank you. ❤️

Thank you for spending your precious time reading my stories! I'm sorry you struggled last year, and I'm so glad my stories could help make things a little bit brighter for you :) Your incredibly sweet message doesn't sound weird by the way! I'm generally open to asks but one this kind is definitely okay. It also came at a perfect time, since I've been feeling disheartened about my writing lately. Thank you for this encouragement and the reminder that my words have the power to touch people's hearts <3

I am sorry about For Having Loved a Little While... I definitely did not mean to have a delay right when things finally turn toward angst T.T I had a hectic holiday so I won't post this week, but next week things should be back to normal! As an apology for the delay and a thank you for this kind message, here's a snippet of Chapter 15 of For Having Loved a Little While (subject to change in editing of course):

~~~

Sand was wasted. That much was clear, as he stumbled his way up the steps to his apartment.

He figured it out from the way the world spun as he got on the courier bike home. Or maybe he knew all the way back in the third shitty bar, where he had drunk two more awful shots and a beer. For how seedy the place was, the bill had been astronomical. At least, if he’d read the numbers correctly. Which, now that he tried to remember how math worked, seemed unlikely. 

At least he was almost home. 

Instead of heading inside after he climbed the stairs, Sand leaned against the cool wall of the hallway and texted Nick.

> coe outside

Sand’s phone lit up as Nick called instead of texting back. Sand declined the call with a jab of his finger. 

> where are you 

“Shhh,” Sand chided his phone when it chimed. He took his time, using autocorrect to get all the letters correct. 

> come outside. don’t tell ray

A minute later, he heard a quiet shuffling and then the door opened. 

Sand stepped back, wobbling to keep his balance, but intent on drawing Nick out of the apartment.

“What-”

“Shhh. Don't tell Ray.”

Nick rolled his eyes but gently closed the door behind him and followed Sand around to the stairwell. 

“Why can’t you just come inside?”

Sand thought that was rather obvious. “’M drunk.”

“Yeah, I can see that.” Nick looked him up and down, eyebrows raised incredulously. “What the fuck, Sand? We’ve been so worried.”

Sand leaned his cheek against the cool plaster of the wall. Why was he here? He should have just stayed somewhere else until he sobered up. There was always his mom but-

“Sorry,” he mumbled. 

Nick sighed and opened his phone. 

Sand made a grab for it. “Don't tell him.” 

Nick swung the phone easily out of the way of his clumsy hands. “I’m just letting him know that you're safe and I'm with you. Sand—he's really worried.”

Sand blinked owlishly for a moment, processing Nick’s words. Worried about me? Why? “Don't tell him I’m drunk.”

“You should trust him more.”

“Do trust him.” I'm the problem. “Drank whiskey. Hibiki.”

“Shit,” Nick cursed under his breath. 

Ray’s favorite whiskey. Sand didn't even know why he'd picked it—he hated whiskey. Never drank it willingly, especially not the high-end Japanese stuff. But he couldn't see Ray with the smell of whiskey on his breath. Any alcohol was bad, but whiskey—he could never do that to Ray.

He had known that when he started drinking—he had wanted this conclusion. Wanted to punish himself without the option for Ray to smooth it all away.

But now, maudlin and without the recourse of Ray’s effusive affection, he regretted it deeply. 

“Wanna see Ray.”

Nick rolled his eyes as he propped his shoulder under one of Sand’s arms. “You literally just said you can’t.”

“Oh. S’right. I miss him.”

“Come on,” Nick said with a sigh.

Sand dug his heels in against Nick’s pull and made a questioning noise. Even if he couldn’t go into the apartment like this, he wanted to be here. As close to Ray as he was allowed. 

But Nick kept tugging. “I’m not waiting around in our stairwell for you to sober up. Let’s get coffee or something, that’ll help.”

Sand groaned but Nick made a good argument. And if they were out getting coffee there was less chance he would buckle and just stagger inside, clinging to his poor boyfriend with the smell of poison on his breath.

[fizzingwizard]

I was genuinely looking forward to Lupin vs Holmes in part 6, but what a disappointment it was. Actually, disappointment is too weak a word. In my opinion, it was pretty much a disaster.

There were so many reasons to be hyped for that crossover. You've got Holmes, the greatest detective of his time, and Lupin, the greatest thief of his. They're both canny, eccentric, and always a step ahead of everyone else. They're also both independent and live by their own set of morals. Holmes picks which cases he'll take without concern for money, and lets people go even if they're guilty if his own convictions say they don't deserve punishment. Lupin always does what he wants, doesn't let himself get pushed around, and enjoys wreaking havoc among inhumane criminals just as much as he enjoys flouting the law.

They're even perfectly matched in the ways they're different. I was open to them either liking or disliking each other (though I feel convinced they'd definitely have respect for each other), because I can see either take making sense. Holmes is calculations with a pinch of chaos, Lupin is chaos with a measured dash of calculation. Holmes eschews relationships aside from a very few - Lupin enjoys social interaction (but prioritizes just a few). Holmes is functionally asexual. Lupin is never not horny.

Even the supporting cast was so promising! To tell the truth, from watching previous seasons I didn't really think the rest of the Lupin gang or Watson would have much to do. But I hoped they would because there was so much potential.

I mean Jigen and Watson are both war veterans in their own way. It's not the best comparison (Watson was a doctor, and got shot almost immediately... but he is also a "man of action" and does have a lot of fight and pluck, even if he's not going to be a match for Jigen in terms of marksmanship). And they're the right hand men of two pretty difficult geniuses... couldn't they spend a moment commiserating lmao.

It could have been awesome to see Fujiko interact with Holmes because her usual tricks wouldn't work on him. I admit it isn't unlikely the show would have been like "Ahh, but this time they do work on him, just like Irene Adler!" and totally ignored that book!Irene impressed Holmes with her wiliness and not her sexiness... But I'm talking about my fantasy here. And in my fantasy, Holmes would have had a similar reaction to Fujiko's manipulation and acting skills similar to how he did with Irene. It would have been pretty cool to see Fujiko interact with a man who was NOT into her, but was just as smart and brave and perhaps wiser than Lupin.

Even Goemon would have had something to do. He could have had a super cool kenjutsu vs baritsu ("what even is that?") battle with Holmes. Extra points if Goemon walks away saying "I respect the skill of that fellow warrior, even if he can't spell his own martial art correctly."

And of course Lestrade and Zenigata's shenanigans at Scotland Yard are a nobrainer. But serious bonus points if they both pine away with equal envy and admiration for their respective smart ass thorns in the side hahahahahahaha.

I mean. There was SO MUCH there. How, HOW do you mess that up???

(Answer: By knowing absolutely nothing about Sherlock Holmes to begin with and basing everything on your memories of inaccurate movies from fifty years ago x'D)

So instead we got: perpetually sad, somber Sherlock Holmes, who isn't working the job that he literally loves anymore in favor of looking miserable a lot and raising a child. And the child is Watson's kid, who Watson can't raise because he's fucking DEAD, and mom can't raise because SHE'S dead (just say Holmes is her mom. Come on. We're in the future. Just say it). Also Watson is dead because Lestrade killed him like WHAT. Of all the twists they could have gone one, they definitely surprised me with that one. Was it a fun surprise though? ... No, no it wasn't.

Add to that the extremely dull characterizations of everyone, the heavy reliance on the danger to a little girl who isn't even a canonical character but is very cute, and the slow, slow pace of the episodes... What a mess. It was memorable, sure, but for the wrong reasons.

Like the only thing I can think of that I didn't hate about the whole arc was Lily taking her first steps as Holmes's assistant at the very end. Fine, that's adorable, and makes me feel ever so slightly better about Watson being dead. And I'm desperate for something to like here so let's go with it.

("It's not really Sherlock Holmes anyway because of the generational difference, it's his great grandson who has his exact same name and job! Same with Watson and Lestrade and sexy Mrs Hudson and and and-" I'm gonna stop you right there we all know it's Holmes. Whatever excuses they make, no matter how they have to bend time and physics to make it happen, it is Holmes Prime in every way that matters lol.)

A melancholy sigh for the Coolest Crossover Ever That Wasn't. As a Lupin fan and a Sherlock Holmes fan, I'll regret it till the day I die.

[no-nic]

fascinated by both rin's role in the momo pig au (manipulating her is always funny because she is so easily played if you know what you're doing. but do they? i'd argue that if anyone at least kind of figured some stuff out it'd be them...) and by everything about the rei and tobi au. the way kabuto is being used there + the themes of one person being unable to meaningfully change an entire entrtched system are sooooo compelling. also isobu liking icha icha is SUCH an idea im a big fan. if im interpreting the posts correctly kakashi also shows up at some point as sukea? how is team minato's relationship in that au? how is her unsuccessful suicide attempt being perceived? is she as interested in changing things or is that mostly obito's thing? how IS obito coping? he seems more hinged than in the canon timeline, but i'd imagine theres still a LOT going on in his head. do the akatsuki (og group) play into the au at all? it's all just very interesting to me your aus are always so fun.

oh no i have several pages written. incoherently

imagine me cackling like a witch who is explaining what exactly goes into their weird potions

q: what is rin doing in momo pig au? a1: she is being Observed & Guided. she is reduced to an instrument of murder, even more than in the usual shinobi way a2: her best

q: what is rei and tobi au about? a1: it's a deeply silly exploration of the world and characters. any moon alien plot is cut short (if it even existed and zetsu wasn't literally madara's hatechild) and anything approaching a "fix-it" is incidental a2: people going through horrors but still Having Hope. there being no fixing the whole world but them Trying Anyway. refusal of the shinobi system but not by Tearing Everything Down a3: rin & obito's runaway-to-vigilante pipeline a4: uchiha mikoto's jonin rank a5: neji's new stepfather

q: is sukea there? a: it's kakashi's go-to mask! everyone is wearing a literal mask (except kakashi's face is finally somewhat bare)!

q: how is team minato doing? a: minato is dead. kakashi thinks everyone is dead. rin & obito had a horrible reunion. rin thought she was dead and kamui was a really weird afterlife. obito has one (1) hinge and she almost died in front of him. they are doing better now. there will be a team reunion eventually.

q: what do obito and rin want to do now? a1: live! like people! a2: obito is having flashes of guilt over "abandoning" kakashi, but kakashi at least has the village (or so it seems). obito was weaponized by zetsu/hashirama cells, that whole put-sanbi-into-this-girl thing was some kind of set-up, and now rin is describing how the cursed seal on her heart felt and he is pretty sure madara didn't have his best interests in mind and he is spiralling and nobody is safe except the girl who was to be sacrificed again and again a3: obito wants to become a farmer a4: rin remembers the fear and the compulsion to return to konoha and the desperation to get rid of the parasite on her mind (her heart). she has a tailed beast in her, her chakra control is shot so she can't even do her medic job, and if she returns to konoha (flashbacks at the very thought) and isobu promises not to burst out they might just use her as a guided bomb too. or there might be some political angle to "give" her to kiri. she doesn't know but obito is here and he went through hell and he is still smiling at her. a5: rin isn't opposed to farming

q: what is kakashi's reaction to chidoriing rin? a1: the usual reaction to traumatic-moment-imprinted-into-your-brain-through-a-magical-eye :) a2: he is pretty sure she is dead. when he woke up, there was general carnage (obito mokuton'd all over those guys) but no body. "sometimes i can still hear obito and rin," he admits, "like right now, they are arguing over a vegetable garden. i guess the pure lands have those." cut to kamui dimension: there is in fact a passionate discussion over nutrients in mokuton-grown plants. rin is winning

q: who gave isobu icha icha? a1: rin says it's obito's fault because he bought it a2: obito says he's not the one who used it to teach the turtle to read, so don't you dare blame him. isobu is glad to have friends who don't see him as just "a battle monster"; even if his main part is stuck in a seal at the moment. and now he knows even more about the world and human relationships!

q: are the akatsuki still a thing? a: they are probably the original ame rebel group. they get money from running a publishing company (started as an anti-hanzo samizdat project, grew into a bigger thing). i guess jiraiya-sensei was good for something after all

q: who is kabuto working for? a: yes

[quilandscroll]

Echos of an ancient future

The hastened sound of footsteps racing echo off the building walls as two servants quickly approach the laundry building, only to stop short as the service head steps out in front of them. With arms crossed and a tired look, they gaze down at the two as they catch their breath looking at the lead nervously.

“Late again I see.”

The two flinch slightly at the words before looking at each other then back to the head with nervousness. As one opens their mouth in an attempt to speak, the head raises their hand to stop before a sound is uttered.

“I don’t… want to hear it. There is too much going on right now for me to deal with this.”

They let out a reluctant sigh before rubbing the bridge of their nose in frustration and looking back to the two.

“Just, go find the gardeners at the north gate and do as they ask for the day. We have enough bodies here tending to the laundry, and please try not to break anything.”

The two give quick bows and turn to head toward the north gate as another servant walks out from the laundry building. Her wrinkled hands holding a basket of folded silks as she gives a small laugh watching the two flee.

“Those two will find their place soon enough, I remember when you joined the servant quarter all those years ago.”

Her voice was like spiced honey, sweet to the ear but with a bite of knowing sarcasm in it. The service leader shook their head with a small grin, thinking back on their own arrival and how complicated almost every task seemed back then.

“True, it wasn’t easy Nora, but it was worth it all to finally feel like I belonged somewhere. If I recall correctly, you didn't exactly try to make my welcoming very kind either.”

A sly smile crossed the old woman’s face as she set the basket down and took a fan from her sleeve to catch her breath.

“Not by a long shot, Lun. You were too quiet and scrawny that you needed a swift kick in the pride to get you to stand up for yourself and your work. I do admit though, you’re still one of my favorite brats.”

The two shared a small laugh before looking toward the main palace, Lun’s gaze fixed on the tall walls that covered everything that wasn't the open sky. Nora let out one final sigh of dismissal before returning to the basket of silks and continuing her chores, leaving Lun to their thoughts.

The palace was filled with busy bodies, servants and guards alike running to and fro to complete tasks quickly and efficiently. The inner palace and its courtyard were particularly busy, different servant leaders as well as imperial staff were all overseeing the decorations and meticulous arrangements of everything, from flowers to table runners; it all needed to be perfect.

Hour by hour, time moved swiftly as the sun reached its highest point, tension was felt among the staff as they knew the time of the festivities was drawing closer. It was only a matter of time before the Emperor’s invited guests would arrive and everyone would be on watch.

Out of nowhere, several people left their posts and ran toward the main gate of the inner palace. Murmuring began quickly, voices talking of one of the envoys arriving before the guest to make sure the emperor was prepared and everything was ready for this important person. The large doors opened as servants lined up hastfully to bow with respect, each one knowing better than to look up as they heard two sets of footsteps walk past them all.

“So, this is the great palace our lord was invited to see?”

The voice was low and unimpressed by the scene of the palace courtyard, s click of the tongue slipped him as he looked back towards the lines of servants still bowing behind him.

“What’s wrong with those humans? Is there something they find entertaining about the ground compared to their guests?”

“I can speak with them if you desire Sir Grent, before his highness shows allow be to be of any assistance.”

The small human excused himself after speaking to find a single servant with which to speak of the situation. The discussion was a swift and quiet exchange before he nodded his head in gratitude and returned to his master.

“Great Sir Grent, these humans show you the most respect and honor as an envoy to our king by bowing in your presence. It seems in this palace the bow they do is the same as the kneeling in our homeland to the king.”

The one called Grent smiled with a pride that could blind the sightless as he stood straighter and taller before placing a hand on the head of his servant with a rough pet.

“Good, good. It's nice to know humans understand their place well around here.”

His voice carried an unneeded level of volume as he began laughing to himself at his words, making his small companion flinch at the sudden sound before clearing his throat softly to his master.

“Sir Grent, I apologize for interrupting, but I believe we still need to meet with the coordinator in charge of the meeting to make sure they have properly met the requests of..”

Grent waved his hand dismissively to his servant as he looked around the grounds once again. Like a cat’s eyes fixing onto prey, the envoy’s gaze locked onto a female form dressed in silks near the head table, calmly arranging flowers.

“She must be the woman in charge of all these slaves. She’ll have the report we need.”

The servant shrinks back slightly, struggling to hold back an expression on his face as he follows his master across the courtyard to the person of interest. Quickly the servant walks in front of the envoy and takes a quick knee to stop him.

“Please my master, let me assist in your introduction by getting this maiden’s name for you and present you to her. It's only fitting one as high of honor as you is given a true greeting.”

Grent’s face again beamed with pride as he waved off the servant, taking the opportunity for himself to make sure his attire is fir to be seen.

The small male walked calmly toward the silk draped woman, she was dressed in such a way it looked as if the wind itself was making sure her every movement was like a dance of pure grace. He swallowed nervously as he walked closer and gave a small bow toward her.

“Please excuse my boldness madam, but might I have you for a moment? I am the servant of Sir Grent, of the kingdom of Maritza. If I might ask, are you the one in charge of overseeing the festivities of the day?”

The woman stopped her arrangements and looked to the small human a few feet from her, her eyes were like crystal as she stepped closer and placed two fingers under his chin to make him lift his head. The moment he locked eyes on her face and those eyes reflecting everything about his life back at him, he couldn't help but treble slightly.

“You’re an interesting little one.”

If lilies were silk they still wouldn't carry the gentle, sweet, and calm of her voice in his ear, especially as she giggled light as a summer breeze before standing full again.

“I am lady Syra, the lady of the Aqua Pavillion, and to answer your question you are correct in your assumption. The Emperor wanted me to lead the set up for the meeting with your king.”

“I knew a woman as well put together as you would be the one in charge of all these humans. So tell me, how is everything coming along, or do I need to tell my king you need more time?”

Grent’s voice cut the peace like a fire alarm, startling his servant into jumping near out of his shoes. Before he could recover properly Grent pushed him behind his body to have a clear path to the lady in front of him. Lady Syra looked at the bold newcomer with a questionable glance before a small and empty smile returned to her face.

“Actually, everything should be all set for your king whenever you choose to arrive with him. Our staff has been working diligently to make sure everything is to his requests. The cooks have prepared the dishes with the recipes you have sent as well and will be served at the appropriate time.”

Her voice was just as gentle but those who knew her could hear the sweetness vanish around the bold male that kept stepping closer.

“Perhaps you could join me at my table while we dine, it would make for a more unified meeting.”

“As kind as the offer is, I’m afraid I must decline.”

As Grent’s face dropped slightly in annoyance at her rejection, once again his servant stepped between them and again took a knee before him.

“Sir Grent, forgive me master, but we were told for this meeting that there were customs to sitting that we were not to tamper with, the king himself agreed to the terms sir.”

“Right, I apologize, my lady please forgive my forgetfulness. You must already have a place to sit, and I wouldn't be much of a gentleman if I got a lovely maiden like you in trouble with your emperor.”

As he recovered himself ice could be felt in his eyes toward his servant as he spoke warmly to lady Syra before giving a small gentleman's bow and turning on his heel snapping his fingers to call his servant to follow him back out the main doors.

“We will return this evening with our King to enjoy the festivities.”

With that final declaration, they were out the inner gate doors and gone. The servants all looked between each other before attention moved to Lady Syra in concern. Quickly her handmaidens approached to make sure everything was alright and their lady was not stressed from the stranger.