Tumgik
#also i ah e hiccups. help
lethalbreadkills · 24 days
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smiles. cooking up something evil with some new ocs. have the only coloured and shaded thing from the doodle page :)
they may have their disagreements, but theyre twins at the end of the day...
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sauriansolutions · 9 months
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Tweels Burping Dialog
My blog isn't nearly gross enough... So, hello, The Internet! Have this terrible thing I made!
I haven't posted my real burping headcanons (burpcanons, if you will 🙄) for any Twst characters yet. (Poke me if you wanna see them!) (Don't be shy!) (I don't bite!) (... without explicit consent~ 😏)
Anyway, important context: Jade's dialog changes based on circumstances. Mainly, whether he's alone, in public with Polite Mode turned on, or with somebody who's got An Interest.
Honestly, Floyd's dialog also takes various circumstances into account... it's just that, unlike his brother, Floyd does whatever he wants, and is largely oblivious to other people and their feelings.
Here we go~
Jade
(after letting out a small/muffled burp)
- Oh my. Please excuse me... the food was delicious. 
- Mmh *licks lips* Beg pardon. Ahh, that was truly delightful... is there any more? 
- *pauses to pat his stomach and let out a tiny sigh, with a brief glance and a wry grin at you, before continuing to eat*
Jade
(after letting out a medium-sized burp)
- Oh *goes all wide-eyed* Ah. How unmannerly... please excuse me. 
- *holds up a finger to pause conversation, right before burping* Ahh, there it is. *smiles wide* Sorry for the interruption... please, do continue.
- *after trying to unsuccessfully muffle a burp into his fist* Haah... terribly sorry... I'd been holding that in for far too long.
Jade
(after letting out a gigantic belch) 
- Oh! *covers mouth delicately with fingers, blushing* That took me by surprise as well! Goodness, I sincerely apologize for being so rude. 
- *clapping a hand fully over his mouth, looking away in embarrassment* Oof... um, I am... terribly sorry about that... 
- *completely flushed, hiding his face in his hands and mumbling* Oh dear... ahh... I don't know what's come over me... I usually have much better manners...
- *looks impatient while the burp seems to go on forever. holding another fork full of food at the ready while he waits*
- *licks lips and tilts head, seductive* Mmm... how did you like that? *stroking circles 'round his tummy* Fufu, I'll confess, it was rather nice for me.
- Ohhh... that felt wonderful~ I, however, still have a bit of internal pressure in need of release... if I have your permission? 
- Hmm, not bad. *evil grin* Well, what do you think? Would you like another? *places your hand just below his ribcage* I'll need your help, though...
Jade
(after letting out a sickly/nauseous burp)
- Oh. *goes wide-eyed and pale* That... did not feel very good at all...
- *exhales sharply* Sorry! ...Ah, no, no... my stomach is just a bit upset... I am fine.
- Hrrk! Nnnh... *wipes mouth with back of hand, looking around frantically* Um... ah, one moment... e-excuse me... *speed-walks in the direction of the nearest bathroom*
- *convulsively swallows* Ah, this is bad... *voice drops to a barely-audible whisper* I... I think I might need to be sick...
- *drooling into receptacle* A... apologies for my lack of manners... *burps wetly again and shudders* Ugh, this is disgusting... you, you know, you... *gulp* really don't need to watch...
- *uncharacteristically swearing under his breath* P-please... can you kindly give me just... a moment of privacy... *burps again* Ngh! Ahhh... I- I'll be fine momentarily, I promise...
Floyd
(after letting out a small/muffled burp)
- *lets out a sigh of relief, then continues smiling like nothing happened while his companions (I like Azul and/or Riddle for this) glare at him*
- Hehe! That was my tummy saying, "Thanks for the food!"
- *goes wide-eyed, startled* Hiccup!
- Aww man, that was weak... Betcha I can do better! *thumps chest to work up a bigger burp*
Floyd 
(after letting out a medium-sized burp) 
- Mmph... ahhh! *thumps belly* Nice n' full now~
- What? *grins devilishly* Wasn't me! *points to whoever happens to be sitting next to him*
- Ah... urgh? *presses a fist hard into his belly, forcing out another, louder burp* Phew! There we go~ Anyway, what were you sayin'?
Floyd
(after letting out a gigantic belch)
- Whoa! Ehehe, I didn't even feel that one coming! Ahh, I feel better now though~
- Haah... whew! My tummy really needed that! 
- Whoops! *grins sheepishly* Might'a nommed my food a little too fast just now...
- *singsong* Excuuuuse meeee~!
- Yaaay! Now I got room for more~ *immediately goes for seconds*
Floyd
(after letting out a sickly/nauseous burp)
- Urghhh... *rubs stomach with sour expression* Oww... my tummy's hurtin'...
- Whoa, whaa? Geez... S-somethin' ain't sittin' right...
- F...fuck... Nghh...! *burps* Ughh, sorry...
- *covers mouth and whimpers* Oooh. Shiiit... kinda feel like throwin' up...
- *continues letting out a string of burps, back-to-back, each one causing him to jerk forward until he eventually crashes to his knees*
- Oh man, what the hell, I can't sto-ehhHRRP! ...Grrgh... buUurping? ouuUURRp! Seriously what the...! UUURRRRP! Oh my god this suuuucks....
- *looking shocked* Wah... what was *that?* Oh... *stomach rumbles* Ohhh n- *projectile vomits everywhere*
- Y/N-chan... *sniffles* I threw up... *hugs stomach, proceeds to rock back and forth and sob uncontrollably*
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pearlsephoni · 1 year
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At the End of the Sun, Ch 18: Of Katana and Shuriken
Can also be read on AO3!
Rating: Chapter: M; Whole Work: E
Fandom: Haikyuu!!
Pairing: Kagehina (Kageyama/Hinata); background Arankita (Aran/Kita)
Characters: Shoyo Hinata, Atsumu Miya, Osamu Miya, Aran Ojiro, Kita Shinsuke, Keiji Akaashi
Word Count: Chapter: 4.9k; Whole Work: 160k
Summary: The only thing standing between Shoyo and rescuing the love of his life...is a life-threatening duel.
A/N: Originally published on AO3 on June 20th, and beta'd by @/r0mantic-era. C/W for some blood and violence. Further author's notes can be found on AO3.
For the first time since leaving home, Shoyo had a dreamless night’s rest. And for the first time, he came close to tears from how badly he wished he had dreamed. It was the only thing keeping his aching loneliness from consuming his heart. He didn’t care that it wasn’t real. The warmth of Tobio’s arms felt real enough when he dreamed.
He tried to swallow down the ache in his throat as he got ready to face the day—he didn’t need to be seen almost crying on the morning of a duel. And yet, when he crossed through the main room to leave for breakfast at the izakaya, he was stopped by a soft, “Are you alright?”
He jumped and looked around to see Akaashi watching him from the fire pit, where a kettle was hanging over flickering flames. “Oh, hello, um…Akashi-san?”
“It’s Akaashi,” the owl tengu corrected him, face impassive apart from his observant sea-green eyes. “I don’t believe I learned your name last night. I apologize, that was terribly rude of me.”
“Oh, that’s…it’s okay!” Shoyo stammered. “I’m Hinata!”
“Hinata,” Akaashi echoed, as though he were testing the weight of his name on his tongue. “Did you sleep well, Hinata-san?”
“Ah, just Hinata is okay. And yes, I did. Thank you for having me. And for washing my clothes! You didn’t have to do that.”
For the first time, he saw a smile tug at the corner of Akaashi’s lips. “Perhaps not. But I wanted to. That’s why we’re here, after all.” Akaashi pushed himself to his feet and brushed off invisible dust from his yukata before asking, “Would you like breakfast? Don’t tell Osamu-san I said so, but I believe our breakfast is a bit more filling than what they serve with Ojiro-san’s sake.”
Shoyo felt his own lips curve to match Akaashi’s small smile as gratitude spread warm through his body. “That sounds great. Thank you!”
The awaiting duel loomed over him as he ate, but Akaashi’s quiet company and careful questions kept Shoyo feeling settled. The questions weren’t too nosy, and Shoyo was able to answer without divulging all of the details of the curse and deal and year together. None of that mattered as much as emphasizing how much he loved Tobio and how determined he was to rescue him.
What he couldn't keep secret, much to his own surprise, were his dreams. One question from Akaashi about his soft cries in the middle of the night found Shoyo telling him about his nightly chases after his father, only to find a shadowy creature…a shadowy creature that turned into the wolf when their year together began, and then into a featureless man as they slowly fell in love.
"The dreams stopped for a little while," Shoyo murmured, "but then he was taken, and I started dreaming of him again. I know they're not real, I know he's not really with me, but the dreams keep me from feeling so lonely. Last night I didn’t dream, I didn’t see him, and it scares me, Akaashi-san. I don’t know what it means. I don’t know if something happened to him, and that’s why I didn’t see him, or—”
His words hiccuped on a sob, and he found himself holding tight to the hand covering his. “I think,” Akaashi murmured gently, “that you have been through incredible hardships, especially for a samurai as young as you, and your mind is trying to help you cope. You put so much pressure on yourself to fill the shoes your father left behind, until you met someone that let you put that weight down…only for him to be taken as well.”
"But what if it means something? What if…what if Oikawa-san is controlling my dreams, and making sure I can't even see him then?"
"Don't," Akaashi ordered with a quiet that didn't take away from how firm the word was. "Don't say that. Oikawa is a powerful sorcerer, it's true. And it's true that your dreams come from a place of fear. But they also come from a place of love, and that's something that not even Oikawa-san can control. Don't give him that power, Hinata."
Shoyo sucked in a shaky breath as he nodded, holding Akaashi's gaze until the owl tengu seemed satisfied with what he saw. Once his eyes softened, Shoyo risked asking, "Do you…know Oikawa-san?"
Akaashi froze, and his fingers tightened around Shoyo's before he abruptly let go. "Not…not well," he murmured. "Bokuto-san was always better acquainted with him. But I was…familiar with him and Iwaizumi." A sad smile flickered over his slender lips. "They reminded me of Bokuto-san and I, in some ways. Oikawa-san was always grand, eye-catching, magnetic in his charms. Iwaizumi-san seemed like the only person who wouldn't be pulled in by his charisma…so of course they loved each other more than anyone."
With a soft sigh, Akaashi began to slowly collect the dishes. "Oikawa-san was charismatic, but he also held an ambition that clashed dangerously with his sense of inadequacy. Iwaizumi-san could pull him out of his own head and bring him back down to earth, remind him of the simple facts of their love and Oikawa's skill as a sorcerer.
"When he died, well…we only saw Oikawa-san one more time before he isolated himself on his island. The shadow of his grief swept him under until he was a shell of himself, with only bitter anger left behind where his ambition and passion had been. Losing someone you love so much and who keeps you settled that way…it doesn't excuse Oikawa's curse, but…I can understand him." His eyes were sharp on Shoyo, but not unkind. "I think you can understand him yourself, now."
A life without Tobio…it had only been a year, and Shoyo already couldn't fathom it.
An ill-fitting guilt made his skin feel too tight on his bones, but he didn't get a chance to vocalize it before Akaashi stood with the dishes and a gentle smile. “It’s a shame Bokuto-san isn’t here. Nothing captures his attention quite like a good story, and you’re a very good storyteller.”
Shoyo’s cheeks warmed. “T-thank you! Um…is Bokuto-san your…your…?”
Akaashi’s smile widened, fondness softening the sharp intelligence that lined his pretty features. “My partner, yes. I suppose you could say that he’s the one I would embark on a quest for, and he would do the same for me.” His smile tilted a little amused when Shoyo’s eyes widened. “Don’t worry, he’s not off on a quest. Just a routine trip.”
“Oh! Oh…good.”
“Yes. I hope you can enjoy a similarly comfortable life with your love.”
Shoyo’s cheeks warmed as he fiddled with the hem of his kosode. “Yeah…me, too.”
With another gentle, understanding smile, Akaashi left to take the dishes to the kitchen. In the time that he was gone, Shoyo packed the rest of his things, and by the time Akaashi returned, he was waiting by the entrance, ready to leave after bidding farewell.
“May I offer you a last bit of advice?” the tengu asked as Shoyo straightened from his bow.
“Of course!”
“Try not to be…swept up by Atsumu’s bluster.” Akaashi looked strangely somber, with none of the subdued fondness he’d had when speaking with Osamu the night before. “He is fiercely loyal to those he cares about, but he can be petty, vain, and even…a bit cruel, sometimes, to people he doesn’t know. He has an especially bad habit of seeing humans as playthings. Try not to become one yourself.”
Fear ran cold through his body and hot in his cheeks. “I’ll try,” he murmured with another bow. “Thank you for everything, Akaashi-san.”
“It was my pleasure. Take care on your journey. May it bring you the happy ending you deserve.”
The izakaya made a stark contrast with Akaashi’s quiet inn. When Shoyo stepped over the threshold, it felt like he had walked into a wall of noise, even though the sun was barely rising over the horizon.
“There ya are!”
Atsumu’s call made silence fall like a rock over the patrons as all eyes, human and supernatural, turned towards Shoyo. His stomach turned, but he pressed the feeling down, meeting Atsumu’s eyes with a raised chin. “Good morning, Atsumu-san.”
“Good morning,” Aran answered for Atsumu, flashing a smile that was much warmer than the sneer Atsumu wore. “How’re ya feeling? Wouldja like anything to eat?”
“Ah, no, thank you,” Shoyo answered with a bow. “Akaashi-san gave me some breakfast.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. He never did approve of our breakfast offerings.” Aran’s voice carried a quiet laugh, as though he were sharing an inside joke instead of mild criticism. “Didja sleep well? Looks like yer clothes are clean now.”
Shoyo’s eyes didn’t leave Aran’s, but his hand still fiddled with the edge of his hanten. “Yes, Akaashi-san took good care of me.”
“Good. I’m glad.”
“I hope that means yer ready for this duel,” Atsumu cut in. His smile did nothing to hide the mild annoyance glinting in his eye.
“I am!” Shoyo shot back, not bothering to hide the furrow in his brow. “Where will we be dueling?”
“Oh good. Yer eager, too. Follow me.”
Shoyo’s gaze flickered to Aran, who gave him a small nod. It was enough to bolster him, and he followed Atsumu out the back of the izakaya.
There was a stretch of flat earth separating the izakaya from sprawling paddy fields. If Shoyo squinted, he thought he could see a splash of white moving through the rows of rice, making its way to a squat house at the back of the fields. I wonder if Aran-san lives with Kita-san, Shoyo mused. He looked away from the fields just in time to keep himself from colliding into Atsumu, who had suddenly stopped in the middle of the clear area.
“Distracted already?” Atsumu scoffed. “That’s no good, samurai-kun!”
“M’not distracted,” Shoyo muttered, sounding an awful lot like Tobio. He wasn’t sure what it said about Atsumu, that he was able to bring that side out of him. Nothing good, surely.
“Right, then.” Atsumu turned and gave Shoyo a small shove at his shoulder, just enough to make him move back a few steps. “Have ya dueled before?”
“Of course I have!”
“Now now, don’t get testy. S’not my fault most of you samurai don’t see much action these days.”
Shoyo had heard rumors of other daimyo and their samurai: whispers about the elite soldiers turning into little more than lazy housepets and tax collectors. But not the samurai of the Kageyama clan. They had worked hard to earn their katana, had made sure to stay sharp and keep their training fresh. The feudal wars were still too fresh in the domain's memory to risk anything less.
There was no point in arguing with the kitsune. Shoyo already knew that well after less than 24 hours of knowing him. But the spike of anger stabbing through his chest was too sharp for him to really hold his tongue. "You don't know what you're talking about!"
He winced at how whiny he sounded and at the slow smirk creeping across Atsumu's face. "Well…here's your chance to prove me wrong. Right then, in the deeply unlikely event that you defeat me, what will your reward be?"
"Information," Shoyo answered instantly. "You'll tell me where Oikawa's palace is, and give me a way to get there."
"Transport, too? That's a bit more than just information, samurai-kun."
"Those are my terms." The firm words felt strange on his tongue, but he pushed forward. "And yours?"
"Your bracelet." Atsumu smirked at Shoyo's surprised blink. "I've always wanted to try Oikawa's magic on for size. This is my best chance for that."
The bracelet…Shoyo's instinct was to refuse. Something about having the bracelet made the whole endeavor feel a little less futile. Maybe it would tell him when he was getting close. Maybe it would allow him to pass on Oikawa's land. More than anything, it was a reassurance, a tangible connection of some sort to Tobio. If he didn't have the bracelet, the journey forward would become unimaginably more difficult.
But so would the journey without any extra information. And this was his best chance at learning more about where on earth he was going.
"Alright," he agreed before he could change his mind. "If I lose, you'll get the bracelet."
"Great! Now, how d’ya wanna do this? To the death?”
Ice flooded Shoyo’s veins and bile burned at his throat, but he swallowed it down, fully prepared to agree.
“Nah,” Atsumu snickered before he could speak, waving his hand as though he were dismissing a bad answer in class and not the prospect of death. “You humans can’t kill me, and you’re too interesting fer me ta kill.” The easy charm of his smile sharpened into something cunning, dangerous, something that reminded Shoyo of the cautionary stories he’d heard growing up. “You can try ta land a killing blow, though. I’ve always wanted ta feel one of those.”
“Then how do we end this?” Shoyo bit out, fighting to keep his voice steady. “First blood?”
The kitsune’s brows shot up his forehead, and again his smile morphed, this time filled with childlike delight. “Awfully optimistic of ya,” he laughed, “but sure. First blood.”
"What about seconds?"
"Seconds? Of what? Ya want another duel?"
"He means your right-hand man, dipshit," Osamu sighed from where he stood at the front of the spectators. "I'll be yours."
"And I'll be the other," Aran offered, flashing a reassuring smile at Shoyo. Relief eased the tight grip his anxiety had on his stomach—if he was going to depend on anyone here, he was glad it was Aran.
"Right. Good. Anythin' else ta get in order?"
They'd decided the terms, the rewards, the seconds… "What about weapons?"
"Awww, let's keep some element of surprise," Atsumu simpered with a pout. "What's the fun in knowing all that?"
Fine. If he wanted a surprise, Shoyo would give him a surprise. He could feel the reassuring weight of his dagger hanging just behind his katana. "Okay. Then let's do this."
With a final smirk from Atsumu, the duelists took their places 10 paces from each other, before turning and bowing.
Breathe. Let them make the first move. Don’t reveal your hand.
He’d trained his whole life for fights like this. Never mind the fact that his opponent was a kitsune. He’d faced opponents with…unusual weapons before.
He slid into his starting position and took hold of his hilt. This was good, almost comfortable. He quickly took in everything he could see of the kitsune: his deep red robes, the black swath of his obi across his waist, the sandals that added to his already-impressive height…and the hand tucking itself between the folds of his kimono. There wasn’t a katana to be seen, no bow, nothing. But anything could be tucked inside a kitsune’s robes.
Atsumu made the first move: a simple step to the side, fingering whatever was hidden away. Shoyo mirrored his step, keeping the same distance between them. He didn’t want to step any closer, not when he didn’t know what kind of reach Atsumu had.
He was prepared for anything. So when the first shuriken flew at him, he dodged it easily, careful to keep his katana sheathed. Now he knew Atsumu’s reach, while keeping his own concealed.
“Very good,” the kitsune crooned. “Let’s keep you dancing, hm?”
With that, he threw another shuriken, and another, and another, staying fixed in one spot while forcing Shoyo to move. Shoyo didn’t care—his stamina wouldn’t fail him. All he focused on was watching the shuriken and making sure he moved from side-to-side, keeping himself from drifting closer to Atsumu.
A pause finally came when Atsumu reached into his robes and came up empty-handed. “Ah.”
That was his chance. Shoyo lunged towards Atsumu—
—and dropped to the ground with a shout.
Up fast, up fast! He shot back up to his feet with the smell of burned hair filling his nose, and when he chanced a look over his shoulder, he saw a burnt streak in the earth. “What…?”
“Oh, you are good,” Atsumu laughed with childlike delight. “I underestimated ya, little samurai, I thought that was just a fancy title fer nothing!” A feather of fire danced across the backs of his fingers, juggled as casually as a marble. “Come on, eyes on me. It’s no fun, kickin’ ya while you’re down. Or, well…,” he shot a blithe smile, eyes glowing an unnatural gold, “burnin’ ya.”
Shoyo’s fingers trembled around his hilt as he found his position again. He took deep, shaking breaths, trying to ground himself beneath the amused gaze of the kitsune. His shoulders lowered with his first steady breath. With his second, he was dodging another burst of fire.
This was what he was good at, what he’d become known for within the army: his ability to dodge his opponent, no matter how long the duel lasted, and only draw his katana for the last blow. His months without a real sparring partner hadn’t changed how nimble and quick-footed he was.
His agility made him a formidable opponent against a human. Against a kitsune, though, it kept him alive. Atsumu was quick and effortless, flicking feathers of flame at him with the casual air of someone waving away insects. Shoyo could barely see the ghostly outlines of two fox tails whenever Atsumu shot fire at him, though he was too busy trying to flit around quickly enough to avoid the fire. Despite his best efforts, he could still smell the unmistakable scent of burning threads.
“What’s wrong, little samurai?” Atsumu called. Shoyo didn’t spare a look at his face, and he didn’t need to. His voice conveyed his laughter well enough. “Scared ta make your move? Is that katana just there fer decoration?”
Shoyo’s jaw clenched against the mockery. Let him talk, he told himself, let him be his own distraction.
As he zipped and dodged around the field, he let the fingers at his sword hilt drift back to grasp at his dagger. With every dodge, he was getting closer to Atsumu, which he could tell the kitsune was becoming aware of as well. He watched a small frown of awareness crack at his arrogant features, waiting for the moment when he planned his next move.
“I’m getting bored, little samurai.” The deepening frown on Atsumu’s face belied the playful tone of his voice. “You’re only alive because yer more fun that way.”
His words were punctuated with a blur of bright blue shooting towards Shoyo. His free hand shot up to shield his face as he dodged to the side, and even with his arm in the way, he could feel the terrifying heat of the blue fire. “Holy shit,” he gasped, before he was dodging the next shot.
With the added heat of the blue flames, he had to readjust the rhythm of dodging he’d fallen into. But he kept his fingers firmly around his dagger, and he kept up his slow approach.
Now.
Shoyo dove beneath the next lick of flame whipped at him and flew towards Atsumu, throwing his dagger at the same time. He didn’t stop charging forward, taking hold of his hilt the moment the dagger left his fingers.
“That’s more like it!” Atsumu jeered, easily knocking aside the dagger. “Now what—?”
His words choked off into a surprised silence. No one moved—not Atsumu, not his twin, not any of the other spectators.
The only movement in the field came from Shoyo. He straightened out of his charging lunge, flicking blood from the tip of his katana. The first droplets fell off of the metal just as Atsumu collapsed to the ground, his parted lips stained by the blood splashing from his slit throat.
“TSUMU!” The scream broke the spell over the ring. Shoyo turned towards his fallen opponent just as Osamu dove to his side, knees covered with dirt and blood as he rolled him over and took in the gruesome sight of his slit throat and belly. “You…you bastard,” he growled, eyes flashing silver and the outline of two tails appearing behind him when he glared up at Shoyo.
“He’ll be fine,” Shoyo reassured him in a quiet voice that felt strange on his tongue. “It’s like he said: humans can’t kill kitsune.”
Sure enough, before Osamu could land his own killing blow, Atsumu was jerking upright with a rattling gasp. “Holy— fuck,” he choked, spitting out a clot of blood. The dripping at his neck was already slowing as the gash stitched itself together before Shoyo’s eyes. “Spirits, samurai-kun,” he groaned after a few more ragged coughs, “didn’t think you’d take the ‘killing blow’ thing so seriously.”
It didn’t matter, it shouldn’t have mattered, but Shoyo still felt a jolt of satisfaction at the lack of “little.” “Be careful what you wish for, Atsumu-san.”
That earned him a bark of laughter and the blessed easing of Osamu’s glare. “Right, then.” A look at his brother was all Atsumu needed to ask Osamu to drape his arm over his shoulders and help him to his feet. “I don’t believe I caught yer name.”
“You didn’t ask,” Shoyo answered stiffly.
A now-familiar smirk curved Atsumu’s lips. “Aw, that’s right, I didn’t. Well then, Shoyo-kun”—his smirk broadened at Shoyo’s wide eyes—“who was it you were looking for again? A damsel in distress?”
Oh, Tobio would hate being called that. A slow smile spread across Shoyo’s face. “Sort of.”
"Right," Atsumu declared as they gathered on the raised floor of the izakaya. An onigiri sat forgotten in Shoyo's hand, his attention completely taken by the map spread in the middle of their small, messy circle. Kita had brought it from the house after Aran had delivered the news of the duel to him, and its condition suited the diligence of the older kitsune: despite the yellowed edges of the thin paper, there were no tears nor folds, and the lines of the mountain range stretching to the sea were still crisp and clear.
Atsumu was gesturing over it as he began to speak, but even he was careful to keep his finger hovering over the old paper rather than risk marring its pristine state. "Ya want ta get to Oikawa? That'll be near impossible, I'm not gonna lie. But let's getcha close." His fingertip circled a cluster of squares and dashed lines outside of the shadowy forest. "This is us. And Oikawa's big bad lair is here." He traced a line in the air from the village, past the shoreline, to a crooked oval barely visible at the edge of the large map. "Ya've still a lot of travelin' ahead of ya, Shoyo-kun. If you'd like, Samu can lendja his horse, and—"
"Nah nah nah, you made this deal, you offer your horse."
Atsumu glowered at his twin. "Fine. I can lendja my horse, because I'm selfless and generous, unlike some people." He didn't get a response outside of a sigh and rolled eyes, which he correctly took as his cue to turn his attention back to Shoyo. "She's a little feisty, but surely nothin' a samurai can't handle. She's smart, too—as long as ya give her a reward and tell her she's free to go home, she'll make her back to us, no problem!"
The idea of a creature with a personality that even Atsumu would call "feisty" made Shoyo a little nervous, but the tilt of the kitsune's mouth told him that was exactly what Atsumu wanted to see from him. So he shoved down his nerves, lifted his chin, and declared, "That'd be great, thank you!"
Atsumu's smirk widened into a proper grin as he looked back down at the map. "She's going to take you to the docks right around here. You should get there in three or four days, maybe five or six if you get caught in some bad weather." His finger circled at part of the shoreline that had a small patch of buildings drawn right at the slip of land between the forest and the beach. "There'll be some docks there, and a small boat. That's gonna be your way to the island."
"Atsumu-san," Shoyo began carefully, "I don't want to sound ungrateful, but…will a small boat really get me through a magic storm?"
For the first time, Atsumu looked truly abashed. “It’s…not ideal. But it’s all we’ve got, and it’ll be better than a bigger human-built boat.” He chewed on his lip as he stared at the drawn shoreline, before his eyes suddenly lit up and snapped to his twin. “Samu! The wind!”
Osamu’s brows lowered as soon as Atsumu looked at him, but after a moment, his entire face brightened with realization. “Oh…oh! Huh. Ya really think that’ll work?”
“Worth a try! Or would it be too hard for ya?” Atsumu flashed a teasing grin and earned a glower in response.
“Fuck off, I was already gonna do it, jackass.”
“Do what?”
The twins’ eyes snapped to Shoyo at the same time. “...Right,” Osamu said with a soft laugh. “Sorry. This jerk is always moving too fast.”
“Oi!”
“Atsumu controls fire. I control the wind. And that includes—” He withdrew an empty, deep red silk pouch from his robes and, with a flourish of his hand and gust of wind in the izakaya, the pouch ballooned around seemingly nothing. Osamu tied it shut before more than a puff of air could escape and ruffle his hair. “—bottling it.”
“That’s a bag.”
“And yer on thin ice,” he shot back at Atsumu, before flashing a smile at Shoyo. “This’ll keep ya movin’ in the direction ya want, no matter what other forces might be pushin’ atcha. With any luck, it’ll getcha through any barriers Oikawa’s set up, since it’s magically manipulated, but no promises there.”
He held the bag out to Shoyo, but just as Shoyo’s fingertips brushed the silk, it was being jerked out of his reach. “Be careful,” Osamu warned him, suddenly looking the most serious Shoyo had seen him, including in the bloody aftermath of the duel. “When I say this’ll keep ya movin’, I mean it. Ya hafta keep a firm hold on it, and point it in the right direction before you open it. And don’t waste it. It’ll take ya far, but it’s still finite. Be sure ta close the bag as soon as you don’t need the wind, alright?”
“Alright,” Shoyo agreed. The pouch felt heavier than it looked when Osamu placed it in his hand, like a physical reminder of the burden it could become. But Shoyo only felt gratitude as he bowed deeply to the twins, and then to Aran and Kita. “Thank you all, so much. I don’t know how much further I would’ve been able to go if you hadn’t brought me here.”
“Don’t be so thankful,” Atsumu chuckled, his smile looking unusually soft on his sly features. “We didn’t exactly do it outta the kindness of our hearts.”
“Speak fer yerself,” Aran snorted. He waved off Shoyo’s dogeza and treated him to a kind smile when he lifted his forehead from the floor. “Those two usually bring trouble wherever they go, so you were a pleasant surprise, Hinata-kun. It’s an honor to help ya on this journey.”
“When you’ve returned home, send us a letter,” Kita quietly chimed in. “We’ll want ta hear about yer happy ending.”
He said it so simply, so matter-of-fact, as if it were the obvious outcome for the whole harebrained journey. Shoyo’s heart felt too big for his chest from all the gratitude swelling inside. “Of course,” he said, unashamed of the tremble in his voice. “That would be the least I could do.”
"Aww, Sho-kun, don't get all soft on us!" Atsumu slung an arm around Shoyo's shoulders with a grin. Shoyo wasn't sure what to make of his shortening of his given name. Maybe kitsune were allowed to be more casual with humans. Or maybe Atsumu was just…like that. "Now, where'd ya leave yer things? I'll bring Haru over so you can head out."
When Shoyo stopped by the inn to grab his things, he was greeted by Akaashi, who wore a small, almost melancholy smile. "Did you get the information you needed?"
"Yes, Akaashi-san."
"Good." He handed over Shoyo's pack and weapons, before running fingers through his own wings. "Ah, here we are." He held a creamy white feather between his graceful fingers. "There's not much I can do to assist on your journey, but I do have acquaintances in the area. If you or a loved one are ever in need of a favor, this can help."
Shoyo took the feather in a gentle grasp, tucking it carefully into the pouch hanging off of his obi. "Thank you! For this and for…everything."
"Of course. It was my pleasure." Akaashi looked up at the sound of hoofbeats approaching before giving Shoyo another quiet smile. "Take care of yourself, Hinata. I wish you every happiness that you seek."
Shoyo knew that time was of the essence, especially with a risky sea voyage ahead of him. But as he swung himself into the saddle Atsumu's horse and rode out of the village, he couldn't help pausing to look over his shoulder. The sight of everyone who had helped him lingering on the main road to see him off made gratitude well up in his chest, turned bittersweet with the knowledge that he may never see them again.
Ah, well. He would just have to remember them through stories, and make sure that their help didn't amount to nothing.
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thedevilsdom · 3 years
Note
Do you write for Genshin? HAHSHSHA aghshd zhongli is vvv sensitive and can cum by just playing w his nipples. Overstimming him til he's crying and shaking and u're still not stopping🤤... AAAA just torturing him w toys or whatever,, maybe even eating him out?
N e ways,, i hope this doesn't bother u HAHSHAHS FEEL FREE TO IGNORE THIS!!
<3333
Happy pride month btw!
THIS IS SO LATE IM SORRY
also,,, dragon dick zhongli,,,
--
You never thought that a millenia old god would be so very sensitive.
"You really feel so much, don't you, sweet thing?" You say. He's laid on his back on the nice, soft bed, his coat discarded and shirt unbuttoned so you can have free access to his lovely toned front. You've also decided to give him a little relief and unbuttoned his pants, pulling them and his underwear a little down his thighs.
"Nobody- hah- nobody's ever touched me like this," The back of his hand is pressed to his warm lips, cheeks dusted with red.
"Oh?" Your fingers rub over his nipples and his dick twitches in response. You look down at his length, its fade from a deep orange to a golden yellow, its lovely inhuman-ness. He was so embarrassed about allowing you to see, but you're grateful that he did.
"You deserve to feel good like this, baby," You kiss his shoulder, then his chest, then his nipple, and oh the moan that it draws out from him. Low and shuddery, hand gripping the sheets.
"I think I'm close," He whimpers. Zhongli hardly masturbated, especially not before he met you. He's got such a short fuse, and he's so sensitive that you think if you treat him a little too roughly, he'll shatter.
"Here," You grab onto his pants and underwear, pulling them down and off, tossing them off to the side. Once he's exposed, he can't help but squeeze his legs shut and try to hide, but a hand on each of his knees has him spreading his legs.
"Keep your legs spread for me, okay honey?" You smile, kissing the inside of his knee. He nods, not trusting his mouth to speak. You nestle your head against his neck and start sucking a mark onto his untainted skin. He cries out as your hands return to his nipples, pinching and rubbing them.
"So good, feels good," He mumbles, "My- ngh- I'm so hard, I'm so aroused, everything you do feels good-" Zhongli keeps babbling as you bring pleasure to his body.
You knew that Zhongli talks a lot, he's a very eloquent man, you really should've expected him to keep that up here.
"I'm going to cum," His voice is reedy and airy in a way you rarely hear it. "I-! Ngh!"
Gritting his teeth and growling, Zhongli cums heavy white streaks across his chest, legs struggling to stay open for you as his feet press into the bed and he bucks his hips up, dick untouched as he climaxes.
You don't stop touching him, even after he's cum.
Moving down between his legs, you hold them open as you go down to his hole, kissing just next to it, displaying your intention to him. He gasps as soon as he realizes.
"N- wait! That-!" His head is still spinning from his orgasm, he can hardly string the words together, "It- that's d-dirty!"
"Is it now?" You can't help but giggle, knowing just how much of a clean person Zhongli is. You know he's never had anyone touch him here, and you doubt that he's even thought about it. You don't give him any more time to worry before you dive in.
You press your tongue to his hole and feel him tense up immediately, yelping.
"You can't do tha- ah!" Zhongli gasps as your tongue pushes into him. His hands immediately fly to your head, pushing you more against him. You throw any caution of his fragility to the wind.
You start to tongue fuck him like that, your hot breath ghosting across his skin as his hole quivers around your tongue. He cries out the whole time, pitch only raising as you reach up stroke through the cum on his stomach before you start jerking him off.
The overstimulation makes him feel like he's being electrocuted. He can't stop moaning, he can't stop screaming, all his eloquence gone. You're not sure if he even realizes how loud he's being. Hot tears roll down his cheeks and his hips are constantly squirming under you.
His second orgasm takes him by surprise, cock throbbing and dribbling cum, nowhere near as much as his first. His hole spasms around your tongue and his hips jerk up while you stroke him through it with your hand.
When he's done and you finally pull back, he's left sobbing on the bed, head resting on his pillow.
"Oh, my baby," You swipe up some of his cum on your finger and lick it off. "Was that okay? I didn't go too hard?"
"N-No," He hiccups, wiping away some of his tears, "It was r-really good..."
He hides his face behind his hands, obviously embarrassed.
"Love," You pull his hands back and cup his flushed cheek. "You're so pretty," Your thumb strokes over his cheek, "I love you, I can't wait to do more with you."
The devious glint in your eye is not lost on him. He shivers with the anticipation of what you have in store for him, and he's eager to see it.
--
like my writing? consider buying me a kofi!
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yarnnerdally · 2 years
Note
Hello again, Ally! 🥰 Here to request more Clavis 'Lulu' Lelouch content 🙈 May I pretty please with the sweetest of cherries on top request: 15 + Clavis + sfw? I'm really curious as to how he'd react to finding a lost child. I wonder how good he's with children 🤔 Thank you so much, cutie pie! I'll be back for more great content from you muahahaha 😈
Huehuehue I love this stupid prompt. I also love how this prompt made it into the IkeVamp story event recently for Arthur. It melted my hearttttttt.
BUT. Now on to Clavis.
Now he shall melt your heart. And mine T.T
Title: Tenderhearted
Pairing: Clavis/MC
Rating: SFW, T (for general plotting of shenanigans)
Prompt: Literally finding a child.
Tags: lost child, impromptu child care, crying child, comfort, soft!Clavis is !soft, sweet fluff
     It was a sound he’d heard, of course, though he wasn’t sure the last time he heard it at the palace and in the gardens, no less. He could hear a small child crying. A tug pulled in his chest and against his better judgement, Clavis was walking straight towards the crying. He groaned internally as he simultaneously shoved the small... presents... he had for Sariel into one of the interior pockets of his coat. Pranking would have to wait, as much as it pained him to do so. He came into a small clearing within a cluster of pink rose bushes and saw the little boy there and his internal monologue contradicted his every movement. “Hey, little one. Where did you come from, hm?” He did his best to put on a calming, genuine smile to soothe the toddler, if Clavis was to guess his age. No more than five by the looks of it. The little boy began to cry less and stared up at the third prince, hiccuping slightly.
     “I-I los’ mama!” As soon as the words left his lips, the boy began to cry more earnestly, rubbing at the tears that streamed from his eyes. Gods, he was going to regret this if anyone saw. Clavis hushed him quietly and reached out to hold a little hand.
     “Well. It just so happens that I’m one of the princes here. And did you know that all of the Princes of Rhodolite are very good mama finders?” He asked gently, smiling without realizing it as the boy began to calm down again. “I’ll help you find your mama, little one. What’s your name?” 
     “E-Ezra,” he answered, coughing and sniffling as he wiped his nose on the sleeve of his other arm. “You’re really gonna help me find mama?” Clavis grinned and nodded, standing next to him. He was quite glad Ezra was able to reach his hand as well. No stooping today. His smile faltered as he saw someone who, by the looks of it, had seen far too much of this interaction.
     Emma.
     She looked as shocked as he did, thankfully. Though it wasn’t long before she began to grin and Clavis thought to himself that maybe being... regrettably a little soft wasn’t the worst thing in the world. “Ah! And over here, we have our darling Emma. I’m most certain that if we ask her nicely that she’d be willing to help us.” A small laugh came from Emma as she approached them finally; Clavis could see a million questions swirling behind her eyes. Ezra’s eyes went wide as he saw her and gasped a little, quickly looking to Clavis and tugging on his arm. Clavis made a small noise before looking down to him again.
     “I bet she can! She looks kinda like mama! Her hair is the same!” Ezra half-shouted excitedly, almost all traces of a meltdown gone barring the dried tear tracks on his face. Clavis grinned and looked to Emma who seemingly could see what was about to spring forth from his lips.
     “Ah. More beautiful than any rose in all of Rhodolite, then. Good. We have something to start with,” his grin grew wickedly as Emma began to blush. He offered his elbow to her and she raised a brow. “Come now, Emma. We must find Ezra’s mama. It’s of the utmost importance.” Relenting, Emma nodded. 
     “I was actually out here looking for Ezra,” she said lightly, smiling down at the little boy as they began to walk back to the palace. “I’d heard from the maids that the young Marquise de Paradis’ son had gotten lost on the way to tea.” Ezra looked a little embarrassed but Emma smiled. “But. We’ve found him and his mama, I know, is missing him terribly.” He looked up to her with shining eyes before grinning.
     “Well. That settles it! We simply must press on. My little gift for Sariel can wait until tomorrow!” Emma blinked and looked to Clavis, a slow realization coming to her face. She was about to speak but bit her tongue as she remembered their company.
     “ ‘S that the scary guy with glasses?” Ezra asked, looking confused as Clavis started laughing. Oh this was good. This was almost too good. 
     “It is, it is! Ah, well. I suppose him witnessing this won’t be the worst travesty I’ve ever witnessed.” ‘I may never live it down. But... its worth it,’ he trailed off in thought, keenly aware of the softer look Emma was giving him now. “Anyways. Time to find mama!” Ezra cheered and Emma laughed a little, her grip on his arm barely tightening. Clavis’ heart clamored in his chest (it had a bad habit of doing that whenever Emma was around) as they continued on. 
     ‘I suppose there are worse things. That smile isn’t one of them, thats for sure.’
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ameliora-j · 3 years
Text
what a lie // ts x reader
words: 1.5k
warnings: angst, smut, mcd, blood, mention of injury, nipple play, pull out method (pls don’t use this irl), pregnancy mention
a/n: this is only half proofread but as always, lmk if i missed any warnings pls. italics is a flashback :)
“you’ll be okay, little dove,” thor whispered as he set a comforting hand on your shoulder.
“we’ll all be okay, y/n,” steve added, accompanied by a hiccup and a small sniffle from his spot next to you. you could no longer contain the loud sob that raked your body as you set down the flower reef that held your fiance’s arc reactor in the center and read: proof that tony stark has a heart.
the blonde super soldier pulled you into his chest and allowed you to harshly sob into his suit coat. tony was your forever. and he just got ripped away from you.
⎊⎊⎊⎊⎊⎊⎊⎊
you walked into the grandiose building called “stark industries” one--very sunny--monday morning. you went to the desk and were greeted with a very pretty blonde woman. “can i help you?” she asked you.
“yeah i um... have a meeting with tony stark. he... he told me to come and meet him here,” you stuttered shyly. 
“ah, you must be y/n,” you nodded and she offered you a smile, leading you into tony’s office. that day, he hired you as his personal assistant. however, at the time, you had no idea what was to come of that one fateful day.
in the coming weeks as tony’s assistant, you picked up his coffee, and scheduled his press conferences, and answered e-mails, and scheduled his meetings, and answered the phone. in that time, you had also become closer to the man you called your boss. you might even go as far as to call the two of you friends.
tony was really funny. whether it was intentionally or not. he told a lot of jokes, and he was nothing like the media painted him out to be. he was nice and caring. he was also very attentive. he stopped turning the ac so high when he noticed that you would always bring a jacket into the office, and he kept little candies laying around for your sweet tooth, and he always had your favorite pack of pens delivered weekly because you were always losing your’s and stealing his. he even let you sign all of his important documents with your pretty, purple glittery pens because he knew you liked them the best. 
not to mention, tony bought you a whole set of y/f/c office supplies for your desk after you called his decoration “bland and boring.” everyday working for mr. stark was a brand new adventure and you absolutely couldn’t wait to see what the future held for you at stark industries.
you learned a lot about tony while you were working. you were the first person that he revealed his identity as iron man to. you, of course, freaked out, lecturing him on safety and being careful while fighting literal aliens, all while he chuckles and assured you that he was fine. one night--or early morning is a better term for it--there was a knock on your window. when you checked your bedside clock, the numbers “2:23″ flashed across it in bright red. when you looked over to the window, you noticed tony in the iron man suit, floating outside of your window.
“what the hell stark?! it’s half past two in the morning!” you complained as you opened the window and allowed him in. he grumbled loudly as he took off the suit and stumbled his way into your bathroom. he ignored you as you flung a million and two questions in his direction. untill finally, you noticed the blood running down the left side of his face. “what the hell!” you exclaimed before leading him to sit down on your toilet seat. you took the small first aid kit from underneath your bathroom sink and began to clean him up while simultaneously muttering what an idiot he was and how he could have been killed.
once you were all finished, you looked down at him. you had seen tony monday through friday for ten hours a day and sometimes on weekends if he had a press conference on a saturday or needed you to come in quickly and do something on a sunday, but this was the first time that you had truly noticed him. cuts and scrapes and bruises over his face, his hair sweaty and some falling into his eyes. those eyes... pretty, brown, and tired. the way that his facial hair had begun to grow on his jaw as a result of not shaving that morning. tony stark was gorgeous... ethereal even. you knew your boss was an attractive man, the media said it every day. hell, your boss said it himself every day. but now, actually looking at him, you saw it. you truly saw it, anthony howard stark was quite possibly the prettiest man you had ever laid your eyes upon. 
you and tony sat in silence. it was in that silence that you realized your current position. the only thing donning your body was a very short pair of black sleep shorts that really didn’t cover much and a black tank top with no bra. you were standing above tony, straddling his left thigh and your faces were mere centimeters apart. the silence was long and loud as you stared, unblinking, into each other’s eyes. it was a hairs breath of a second when tony’s eyes flicked from your’s to your lips, and then back up before he was hungrily pressing his lips to your’s.
the kiss was nothing but the clashing of teeth and tongues. it had you moaning into his mouth as he stood and quickly pushed you against your bathroom counter. he wasted no time as he quickly rid the both of you of your clothes. “you have protection?” he asked from his place, sucking dark hickies into every inch of your neck.
“just pull out, please i want it,” you whimpered as you tugged on his chocolate locks. your whimpers and begs were all the encouragement the man needed as he pushed his cock into you, making you release a loud moan.
the way tony fucked you was a stark (no pun intended) contrast to the way he kissed you. his thrusts were slow and deliberate, hitting spots you never even knew existed, while his kisses were rough and hungry. “feel so good wrapped around me, princess. fuck,” tony moaned into your mouth.
“fuck, tony please. more. give me more,” you whined, causing him to chuckle as his lips traveled down, sucking your nipple into his mouth as his hand came up and twisted and tugged the other one. “feels so good. ‘s so big,” you whimpered as he fucked his cock into you even harder. he moaned at your praise as his teeth scraped across your sensitive nipple before he pulled off of it with a small ‘pop’ and began giving the same attention to the other one.
“always knew your little pussy was made for my cock, princess. knew it from the day you stepped into my office. looking all innocent, just begging me to bend you over my desk and make you mine,” you moaned loudly at this, causing him to smirk. “that what you want? come on, use your words, princess.”
“wanna be your’s. make me your’s tony please. want you to corrupt me. ruin me for anyone else’s cock.” you whined out pathetically as the head of his cock abused your gspot.
“who’s pussy is this?” he asked as he began to rub harsh circles onto your swollen clit.
“your’s. your’s ‘s your’s please let me cum,” you whimpered as you arched into him. 
“cum on my cock princess, go ahead,” that’s all it took for you to cum with a loud shriek of his name. he continued his assault on your clit to fuck you through your orgasm as he pulled out and used his free hand to stroke his cock untill he came with a groan of your name, all over your stomach.
that night, after tony took care of you and made sure you peed and were cleaned up, as he pulled you into his chest, you whispered, “can i really be your’s?” 
“you can be mine forever if you want princess.” you fell asleep with a wide smile on your face.
⎊⎊⎊⎊⎊⎊⎊⎊
you stayed at the lake after all the avengers had left. you sat against the tree with your left hand on your stomach, staring down at the large ring that tony presented you with just days before going to fight on titan. the one that was supposed to symbolize forever. the one that made tony stark your official future husband. 
“i’m pregnant tony...” you whispered as the tears collected on your waterline. “you promised forever. you promised that everything was going to be okay five years ago,” you took a deep breath as you rubbed the small, three month bump that was forming. “what a lie that was.”
how the hell were you going to raise a baby by yourself. how were you supposed to go on without your other half? how were you supposed to heal your heart? your baby would never know how amazing their father was. and your husband would never know how amazing his baby was. it still didn’t feel real. it never would feel real.
but you would figure it out. after all... you were a stark now. and stark’s are nothing if not strong-willed.
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titan-fodder · 3 years
Text
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Prima Vista Part III
[ previous ]
Rating: E (explicit; mdni) Pairing: Mike Zacharias x fem!reader
Warnings: a lot of feelings, handcuffs, testosterone, quite a bit of sex, one surprise kiss (cause Erwin is a privileged dick), parents, domesticity A/N: I apparently did not write an author’s note for this originally, but uh, this is one of my favorite sections of the whole fic, so. 
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Mike uses the rest of the break to relax, to get his head on straight so that when he gets back on campus he won’t be overbearing. He knows that’s the last thing you want from him.
 You text back and forth a few times a day, but most of it is dumb shit, and the conversation dies off pretty quickly—either Mike not knowing how to respond or you just growing bored. 
 He busies himself by spending time with his parents and playing with Scout who eats up all the attention. Family comes over for Christmas, and his mom and aunt get into an argument. It’s nothing new.
 He’s happy to get back to the school and back in classes just to stimulate his brain. More than that, he’s happy to see you again. Even if it means the two of you go back to friend-only status. 
 Things are awkward between him and Erwin, though. It isn’t the first time they’ve had a hiccup in their friendship, but this one has really rubbed Mike the wrong way. Erwin tries to apologize a few more times, but every time he does, all Mike can manage is an unconvincing, “It’s fine,” which the other man obviously doesn’t buy. 
 He tries not to be possessive when you start coming to the house again, but it’s fucking hard whenever he has to watch you and Erwin talk and joke around. Mike figured you’d be at least a little annoyed that he’d just walked in on the two of you like that, but you act like it never happened.
 Eventually, Mike has to ask about it, just can’t help himself. “Aren’t you, like, even a little mad that he did that? Don’t you think it was fucked up?”
 You’re sitting on Mike’s bed, a controller in your hand as you play Mario Kart, sound a little distracted when you respond, “I mean, yeah, it was fucked up, but I never really expected anything more from him.”
 “What do you mean?”
 You look at him from the corner of your eyes before staring at the screen again. “Erwin is a cocky motherfucker. I’ve seen the way he gets the girls on campus, probably thinks he can charm all of them which means he probably thinks he’s entitled to all of them. Us.”
 “Are you calling him a predator?”
 You shrug your shoulders. “I don’t think he’d ever, like, rape anyone. He at least has enough class and common sense not to do that. But I think… He doesn’t care who he goes after. Single girls, girls in relationships, happy girls, damaged girls. He just has a one track mind when it comes to sex. That’s what I’ve gathered anyway.”
 Laying back on his bed, Mike laces his fingers behind his head and thinks on what you’ve said. “That just sounds like a drawn out way of saying he’s a flirt.”
 “A massive flirt. Without any real care about whose feelings he hurts in the process.”
 “Sounds about right.”
 “I don’t appreciate it,” you sigh, “But he’s your best friend, so I’m willing to put up with some shit from him.”
 “Even him perving on you?”
 “Not the first time it’s happened to me, probably won’t be the last. He’s curious, I can tell.”
 Mike snorts and rolls his eyes. “Yeah, he is.”
 You stay quiet for several seconds, toggling over to another track on the game, then ask, “That make you uncomfortable?”
 Blinking up at the ceiling, Mike wonders what the right answer to this is. He doesn’t want to scare you away, but he doubts he’ll be able to act as aloof as you do. 
 “A little.”
 You hum, nodding in a thoughtful manner before suggesting, “I think we can keep hooking up through this semester.”
 Mike sits up on his elbow, looks at you with high eyebrows. “Wait, really?” He sounds too excited, he knows.
 “Yeah. I have mostly easy classes, or really, I have interesting ones which makes studying for them easier. Plus, it might teach Erwin a lesson.”
 He falls back flat, scoffing. “I don’t want you to fuck me to prove a point to Erwin. I want you to fuck me because you want to.”
 The game music stops when you pause it, and then you’re straddling Mike, hands on his chest as you smirk at him. 
 “Don’t let this go to your head, Zacharias, but no one has ever fucked me the way you do.”
 Mike tries not to grin, triumph blooming inside of him, and he grips your hips a little too tightly. “Oh, that’s definitely going to my head.” 
 You grind your covered pussy over his denim-clad cock, and Mike feels all his blood flow south.
 Laughing, you lean down to ghost your lips over his and murmur, “Both heads, apparently.”
 That day, the two of you start a routine that leaves Mike falling harder and harder with every passing day.
 *
 “Come on, please just be my date,” Mike begs, thinks about getting to his knees if it’ll help convince you.
 “Why?” You ask, looking up from your textbook.
 You and Mike are sitting in the library—you studying, him bothering you. “I’m honestly so tired of parties at this point.
 “It’s not like the big parties we throw, though,” he tells you. “It’s just the brothers and their girlfriends.”
 “That makes it even worse,” you push one little laugh through your nose. “What makes you think I wanna spend an entire night with a bunch of frat boys and their matching sorority girls?”
 Mike rolls his eyes. “They’re not all sorority girls, just like, eighty-five percent of them.”
 Your head lolls, an expression that reads nothing but apathy aimed at Mike, and he gives you a hopeful smile and adds, “On the bright side, we get to stay together all night…?”
 “Oh god, it's a cuff party, isn't it?" 
 All he can do at this point is beg because the more he explains it, the more he realizes how not appealing this is to you. “Please.”
 Sitting back in your chair, you cross your arms over your chest and puff your cheeks out as you exhale heavily. “What’s in it for me?”
 Fuck yes. Half the battle is won. 
 “Uhh,” obviously sex is the first thing that comes to Mike’s mind, so the first offer he makes is, “I’ll go down on you ‘til you cry.”
 You snort. “Try again.”
 “Fuck you ‘til you pass out?”
 “Jesus—why do you want to hurt me? Try again. Third time’s a charm.”
 Mike brainstorms for a solid thirty seconds, thinks about what you’ve mentioned to him over the past couple of weeks, sex and school and—
 “I’ll help you study for your geochemistry exam.”
 You finally look interested. “I’d actually really appreciate that. You took the course?”
 “Yeah, environmental geochemistry was sort of my jam last year. Final grade was a ninety-seven.”
 “Holy shit.”
 Mike shoots you a satisfied smile, but before you can tell him to wipe it from his face, he asks, “So, you’re in?”
 “I guess.”
 This is how you both end up in the frat house handcuffed together. No one seems to be surprised at the fact that you’ve come with him, all the brothers used to you hanging around the frat house.
 Most couples are walking around holding hands just because it takes some of the pressure off of everyone's wrists, but Mike doesn't dare try it with you. Too cute. Too comfortable. 
 These types of get togethers are Mike's favorite, though, always more relaxed than the open parties. There’s still drinking and music, but the energy is different since it’s a tighter knit group. 
 It takes about an hour for Erwin and his date to approach the two of you, fingers laced together, drinks in their free hands. 
 “Looking good,” Erwin greets with a smile. "Very… trapped." 
 “Yeah, you too,” Mike says, trying to ignore the subtext of Erwin's comment.  
 Blue eyes flick to you, and you’re questioned, “How’d he end up talking you into this?”
 You don’t miss a beat as you reply cooly, “Bribed me with sex and study help.”
 “Ah, of course he did.”
 Mike’s eyes narrow, but he doesn’t say anything, just reaches his pinky out to link with yours, a subtle claim. When you rest your head on his arm, he looks down at you and smirks. 
 “Anyway,” Erwin pushes on. “You remember Maddie, don’t you?”
 Mike lies, “Yeah. How are you?”
 The girl’s voice reminds him of who she is, “Well. How are you, Mike?” It’s a little high pitched and nasally with a northern accent. He especially remembers what she sounded like moaning for Erwin through the wall, obnoxious but Mike can’t really judge since he’s subjected the rest of the house to the same thing once or twice (or a dozen times) before.  
 “Glad to hear it.”
 The group stands together for a few more awkward seconds before Erwin clears his throat and asks his date, “Another drink?” then makes his exit. 
 “You have got to get over this grudge, dude,” you take your head from his shoulder, and Mike immediately misses the warmth. “Like, it’s cute that you’re trying to defend my honor or whatever, but it’s time to move on. You guys are friends. Just talk it out.”
 He sucks his teeth, almost tells you about the way he and Erwin had nearly thrown punches at the ranch house, the way the blond had basically admitted to wanting to try you out, but Mike decides against it, doesn’t want to talk too much shit only to end up making up with him.
 “Guys don’t really talk it out. We usually fight it out.”
 “That’s fucking primitive. You should learn to communicate like mature humans.”
 “Probably,” Mike hums. “But not right now.”
 Being connected to each other means every activity is a partner activity. The most interesting is playing beer pong against Nile and his on-again off-again girlfriend, Marie, house rule for the night being whoever is throwing has to use their cuffed hand. It’s like a twisted three-legged race and requires an amount of teamwork and coordination Mike has never had to deal with before. 
 It’s also the first time he manages to beat Nile. Mike had no doubt that the other man would have crushed you by himself, but it turns out the actual couple does not work together very well. All their shots are clumsy, and Nile gets frustrated right off the bat which only makes things worse. Meanwhile, you and Mike come up with a strategy after the first terrible throw and use it for the rest of the game. 
 You’re both challenged by a few other teams and end up winning every time which has Mike feeling smug about the victories and giddy at how in-tune the two of you are. Gelgar even tells you both, “You guys are good together,” which makes Mike cough as you wave him off.
 You drink a little more, converse a little more, and then—as always—end up in Mike’s bedroom. 
 “You want me to get the key and take these off?” He asks between kisses.
 You smile into him, let out a little laugh and play, “You don’t think it’d be kinda fun to fuck with ‘em on?”
 “It’ll be harder,” Mike snorts. “But, we can. Won’t be able to take shirts off, though.”
 “Good thing we just need to take our pants off.”
 It’s clumsy and silly, and you both tug in opposite directions more than a few times. Mike laces his fingers with yours when he goes down on you, relishing in the way you arch off his bed and squeeze his hand. On the floor, you give him head in the same fashion, and fuck, Mike can hardly focus on you sucking him off while your fingers are woven together, even if it is just for the sake of convenience. 
 He fucks you from behind that night, your face buried in his pillow as he’s buried in you. Both of your arms are stretched behind your back, held at the wrists by Mike’s much, much larger hand. He uses his free one to grip your hip, pushing and pulling you on his cock to his heart’s desire. 
 You’re so pretty, damp with sweat and moaning his name when your head is turned only to shove it back into his pillow when he makes you scream. Your dripping cunt opens up for him perfectly, making Mike feel more inebriated than alcohol ever could, but as his balls tighten and that warmth spreads in his gut, he has a single moment of clarity, assess the position he has you in and pants, “Shit, I can’t pull out.” Not without ripping your god damn arm out of socket or fracturing his dick. 
 “Mmm—fuck, just come inside, come inside me, Mike.”
 That alone makes him lose it, shooting a fucking copious amount of cum into your pussy, so much that it drips from your hole and runs down your thighs. 
 “Fucking C-Christ,” he laughs a little hysterically, gathering thick white and slipping it back inside you. Transfixed by the way his added finger pushes more of his cum out of you, he asks in a daze, “You on birth control?”
 “Yeah,” you answer in a breathy voice.
 Mike hums. “Good. Just gonna sit here for a while then.”
 You let out a whimper that turns to a whine when he rubs his slick finger over your clit. Twitching around him, you tease, “F-finger painting again?”
 He chuckles, “You know it.” 
 Honestly, if he could cover you in cum, he would—admire your body painted in white strings, watch it drip down your ribs and thighs. If Mike hadn’t just gotten off, he would be hard again at the mere thought, but for now his focus is rubbing your little clit. Still face down, you spread your legs more and more, and Mike has to curl over you, breathing heavily on your neck as you wriggle and buck, overstimulating him as he keeps his cock nestled inside of you.
 He groans just as loud as you do as you start pulsing around him, pussy clenching in a way that actually pulls a few more drops of cum from Mike, then you both pant for a little while until Mike straightens up and pulls you with him, your back to his chest as you hang your head. 
 “You good?” He questions, brushing his lips over your neck as lightly as possible.
 “Yeah,” you tell him. “Just… Full.”
 Mike’s body heats all over again as he rests his forehead on your uppermost vertebrae. “Can’t just say stuff like that,” he warns, sinking his teeth into your shoulder.
 “Hmm.” He can see the little smile on your face without even looking up. “You did offer to fuck me until I pass out.”
 “I have a refractory period, you know.”
 You glance over your shoulder, and now Mike gets a good look at your smirk and twinkling eyes. “I can wait.”
 Both of you emerge from the room in the early hours of the morning, still stuck together as you quietly make your way downstairs to find the key to the handcuffs. You’re wearing a pair of Mike’s gym shorts, the mesh falling far past your knees and barely staying up around your waist. He knows you’re still messy and can tell by the way you’re walking that you’re sore, but he has every intention of cleaning you up and taking care of all your aches and pains in the shower. 
 *
It’s party after god damn party with classes and studying and fucking in between. You have never had this much sex in your life, but you’re not complaining. It takes the edge off, and Mike isn’t the worst company. Far from it, actually. The more you get to know him, the more he falls into what you think is his real personality. 
 The brash frat boy is a front, you come to find out, a mask to fit in with everyone else, one he wears very well. 
 But, when it’s just the two of you in his room playing video games or watching TV, he actually relaxes, gets quieter and much more reflective. The pastels and khakis and Hawaiian shirts stay hung up in his closet, both of you lounging in t-shirts and joggers more often than not.
 He more or less tutors you in geochemistry, and between that and all the nerd shit in his room, you realize… Mike is kind of extremely smart. And, it’s kind of extremely hot.
 “I still don’t understand why you hide it,” you tell him one afternoon as you watch him play Ocarina of Time. 
 He shrugs, green eyes wide and focused on the screen, gives you the same answer he did last semester when you’d asked a similar question: “People are more interested in other things.”
 “So you adopted the obnoxious frat boy persona?”
 “I guess. It makes the college experience a lot easier.”
 You cock your head to the side, genuinely curious when you ask, “Doesn’t it wear you out? Seems like you’re just an introvert in hiding.”
 Mike laughs, pauses the game, and looks at you. “It used to. Some days it still does. But, it’s easier than taking shit from the guys.”
 Squinting at him, you mumble, “I will beat up anyone who gives you shit about being a nerd.”
 It makes him laugh. Loudly. And, you see a certain curiosity glimmering in his eyes, unasked questions—probably something along the lines of when you started caring and getting protective over him. 
 You’re not. Not exactly. You just don’t like the idea of anyone giving him a hard time. 
 “No offense, babe, but I don’t know how much damage you could inflict on anyone. You’re, like, two feet tall.”
 You straighten up, chest puffing up as you pull your fists up to your chin and rock back and forth like a Street Fighter character. “You wanna fuckin’ go, Zacharias? I’ll show you how much damage I can inflict.”
 He grins in that boyish way that always makes you look away. It’s too cute and too charming and makes you feel too many things. 
 Mike hangs his long legs over the side of the bed and pulls you on top of him with no problem whatsoever. You’re eye level with him now, heart beating too fast as you hold his shoulders, eyes flicking to his lips. 
 “We can go if you want. We can do whatever you want.”
 He has feelings for you. You know he does, can see it in his eyes, can feel it in the way he fucks you, and you really should cut things off, but… You don’t want to. He’s the most tolerable person you’ve met on campus, much less annoying than Hitch. You have things in common and joke around until you’re both rolling in laughter. And, of course, the sex is incredible. 
 It’s just casual, you keep telling yourself. Mike is smart enough not to push things. He knows better, knows you’ll just turn him down, and though it’s hard to admit, that wouldn’t just hurt him; it’d hurt you too.
 In his lap now, you don’t encourage him to take things further, mostly because you’re still sore from the night before, and he understands that. Instead, you lock your arms around his neck and change the subject to something that’s still bothering you even after several weeks.
 “Have you and Erwin made up yet?”
 Mike makes a face, answers, “Not exactly.”
 “The hell does that mean?”
 “It means we’re talking a little more, but it’s always short conversations and the problem still hasn’t been addressed.”
 You let out a little, “Ugh,” then state, “You guys are impossible.”
 It really doesn’t make sense that he’s so upset about it, especially since you’ve gotten over it. It was a shitty thing for Erwin to do—walking in like that—but you don’t think it’s anything to end a friendship over.
 And, with that thought in mind, you spend the rest of the afternoon devising a plan. It’s not in your nature to meddle, but it seems, in this case, you’re gonna have to.
 *
 Mike is in his fancy ecology class when you walk into the Pike house, nodding at everyone in the den as you step further inside. You learned a few months ago that it’s much safer to keep your shoes on, less jarring to step on a sticky floor the first years didn’t do a good job cleaning. 
 Nile is reclining sideways on the couch with Marie between his legs, an action movie playing on the ridiculously big TV mounted on the wall. 
 “Is Erwin here?” You ask.
 Nile looks at you with a frown, one that’s completely warranted since you’ve literally never asked this before. 
 “Uh, yeah.” He points up at the ceiling. “In his room.”
 “Cool, thanks.”
 “You know which one it is?”
 Squeezing one eye shut, you’re honest when you tell him, “I think so.”
 The way Marie is quick to pipe up, “Second furthest to the left, right next to the bathroom,” is very amusing, especially when Nile clicks his tongue, clearly irritated.
 You make your way upstairs, following Marie’s directions, then take a deep breath before knocking on Erwin’s door, clueless as to what his lock code might be.
 It takes a few seconds, but the door opens, revealing a very tired-looking Erwin. His eyes widen a bit when he sees you, craning his neck back like he’s shocked that you’re standing outside of his room. That’s fair.
 “Uh, hey?”
 “Hey,” you greet shortly. “Can we talk for a sec?”
 Erwin blinks a few times then steps to the side, murmuring, “Yeah, of course.”
 His space is very different from Mike’s, more organized, framed pictures, bed completely made. Even his desk is clean, papers and books all stacked neatly on one side of his open laptop.
 “Studying?” You question.
 “Yeah. Would you like to sit down?” His voice is deep—not as deep as Mike’s—and always so proper, like he spent his childhood in country clubs (he did). 
 “Not really,” you answer without any hesitation.
 Unsurprisingly, Erwin leans against his desk instead of taking a seat himself, arms on either side, fingers hanging off the edge of the polished wood. It makes the muscles in his forearms become more prominent, veins popping against his skin. You have to give it to him, it’s a good move. 
 “So, what’s going on?”
 Running your tongue over your teeth, you recall what you planned to say—cut to the chase, stay firm, don’t get caught up in any of his tricks. 
 “You need to make up with Mike.”
 Erwin immediately snorts. “You don’t think I’ve tried?”
 “Half-assed apologies aren’t gonna work, dude. Actually sit down with him and hash things out.”
 “Yeeeah,” he drawls. “That didn’t work very well the first time.”
 “Maybe try again? You guys are, like, best friends.”
 “Levi is my best friend,” Erwin corrects, “And, I’m pretty sure that you’re Mike’s at this point.”
 “Don’t say that.”
 “It’s true,” he smirks.
 You wave him off, getting back to your original point. “At the very least, you guys should make up just because you have to live in the same house.”
 Erwin crosses his arms over his chest, blue eyes deviating upward as if he’s thinking hard. You doubt he is.
 “So, you’re not mad about what happened?” He asks after a few seconds. 
 You're blunt when you respond, “It was a shitty thing to do. Wouldn’t advise trying it with anyone else, but honestly, I’m not super surprised you’d pull something like that.”
 His facial expression turns to one of true offense, blond eyebrows furrowing enough for a little wrinkle to form between them. “Excuse me?”
 You take a step toward him, almost jab a finger in his chest but resist. “No no no. You don’t get to be pissed. You’re the one who fucked up here. I’m just telling you the truth.”
 Eyes narrowing, he pushes himself off the desk, standing to his full height to loom over you. It’s obviously an intimidation tactic, one he’s probably used before on many people, and it makes your blood boil. 
 In a futile attempt to make yourself look bigger, you straighten your spine and tilt your head to look up at him, lips pursed, eyes narrow. You remember what Mike said about you being too small to hurt anyone, but you can be scrappy. You’re not above slapping a face or kneeing someone in the balls. 
 Erwin peers down at you, jaw setting for a moment as he really studies you, then breaks into an infuriating smile. 
 “You’re cute, you know that?” He moves to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear, but you swat his hand away. 
 “Jesus, what is wrong with you?”
 This close to him, seeing the way he acts behind closed doors, you wonder how Mike ever even got close with him. They’re so incredibly different. For the last semester and a half, you've only known Erwin as Mike's somewhat obnoxious, spoiled friend. Now, it seems he's showing his true colors.
 “Nothing’s wrong. In fact, I’m feeling pretty great right now.”
 Oh, you wanna hit him. You wanna hit him so badly, but honestly, Erwin kind of seems like the type to call the fucking police if you did. 
 “You don’t have any reason whatsoever to be feeling good.”
 He’s still grinning, eyes bright and wide as his pupils dilate. 
 Are you calling him a predator?
 He sure looks like one now, a lion with his sights set on an antelope, and as you stare at him, it dawns on you that this was a bad idea. 
 “You know what? Nevermind,” you shake your head. “You don’t deserve to be Mike’s friend anyway.”
 The laugh that pours from his lips is not at all humorous. His voice drops when he challenges, “You think so?”
 You need to leave, need to get out of here before this argument goes any further, but as you make a move toward the closed door, he slides in front of you. You shouldn’t have walked so far into his room.
 “Erwin,” you grit through your teeth. “Don’t do this.”
 “Just tell me—because I need to know—” he breathes, still staring down at you with that unnerving gaze. “What does Mike have that you like so much?”
 Both your hands flex by your sides. There are so many ways to answer this question, all of which will evoke a different response. 
 But being who you are, you speak before you think, spitting the first thing that comes to mind: "You want me to make you a list, Smith? 'Cause I sure fucking can."
 He makes a little circle with his hand, a 'go on' motion, and prompts, "Please, enlighten me."
 And, so you do. 
 "Warmth, sincerity, class, depth, understanding—"
 "So, it isn't just about the sex," he cuts you off, sounding more sure than curious. 
 You pinch the bridge of your nose, tired of these god damn frat boys and their obsession with getting their dicks wet.  
 "I mean, it started out that way—not that it's any of your business."
 "I can give you more, you know. Satisfy you better—"
 "Please shut the fuck up," you beg, getting madder by the second. The confidence, the entitlement, is making you sick. 
 "You don't believe me?" He steps toward you again, and you back up. 
 "No, I don't." Because how could he? Whether it's stimulating conversation or sex, there's no way Erwin could compare. 
 And now you realize just how much you appreciate Mike. 
 Erwin is closing the distance between you, moving slowly but purposefully. "This is how it started with you and him, right? You made him chase you?" 
 "Get out of my way," you demand, trying to shoulder past him—
 And, you should have seen it coming, should have been prepared for the way he grabs you, strong hand closing around your upper arm to pull you to his body. Thick fingers tangle in your hair to pull your head back, face tilted up, and all you can really do is shove at his chest with your free hand, growling in your throat as Erwin crushes his lips against yours. 
 Adrenaline courses through your body. You try to shake the hand on your head, try to jerk your arm from his grip, but he's too fucking strong, and it terrifies you. 
 Your voice is muffled as you plead, "Er—mmf—shtp—"
 You lift your hand higher and manage to hit him just beside his eye with the side of your palm, and it makes him break the "kiss" (you refuse to actually call it that).
 He breathes a heavy, "Just let me—"
 "No." You push his chest again, and he lets go of your arm. Quickly wiping your mouth with the back of your hand, you tell him, "You're a shitty friend and a little fucked in the head, but you're not low enough to force yourself on someone," you pant, shaking with nerves and rage, "So don't."
 Hopefully, you're not giving him too much credit. Despite the overflowing fury and fear, you still think there's a little hope for him. Not with you, of course, just in general.
 He stares at you, expression changing from confusion to understanding to regret, and before you know it, he's scrubbing his hands down his face and muttering, "Fuck, I'm sorry. You're right I—I got carried away. I've been jealous of Mike and curious and—"
 "Why?" You blurt because you do not get it. "Both of you are, like, top athletes and in a fraternity, could get literally anyone you wanted, so what is it? Is it because I'm a nobody? Because you're bored of the sorority girls? Am I the one chick on your list you haven't screwed?" 
 "I… I don't know. You just—"
 "Is it because Mike has a toy he doesn't wanna share?"
 "Maybe." Erwin is frowning again, like he's stumped. He doesn't even know what he's feeling. It's honestly a little pathetic. 
 "Well, pick someone else. I know you have Maddie wrapped around your finger, so take advantage of that or whatever. Just leave me out of it."
 Ocean eyes are wide and troubled. He really does look remorseful, but that doesn't change what he just fucking did. God, you're disgusted. And a little hurt. 
 "Don't ever try that shit on me again—or anyone else—'cause I swear to God, I will break your fucking nose."
 "Yeah, okay," he nods.
 You go to walk past him again, voice loud and unforgiving when you tell him, "Move," and then you're out of his room, slamming the door, and getting as far from Pike house as possible.
 That did not go the way you had planned it to, but you should have been ready for the worst case scenario. That's on you, you guess. 
 Because Erwin Smith may not be a predator by definition, but he's certainly something—something you want to stay away from. 
*
"Why are you acting weird?" Mike's voice pulls you from your empty head, and you take your eyes off the loose string of your hoodie—his hoodie—and look up at him. 
 "What are you talking about? 'm not acting weird."
 He moves from his place at the edge of his bed and crawls to prop himself up next to you on his pillows. 
 "Uh, yeah you are. Have been for the past week or so."
 He isn't wrong. You've kept to yourself a little more since your "conversation" with Erwin. It had just been so uncomfortable and jarring, and you don't want to tell Mike because you know he'll just get pissed all over again which would be very annoying since he and Erwin finally made up. Just like you wanted them to. 
 Except now you know Erwin a little better, and you're not sure you want him having any more influence over Mike. 
 Rubbing your face, you shrug and easily lie, "I've just been tired."
 And, of course, Mike is too smart for that. 
 "Tired? That's the go-to answer for anyone who actually feels shitty."
 "I mean, yeah, but I'm actually tired in this case." It isn't a complete lie considering how fucking late he kept you up last night. 
 Mike hums. "Wanna take a nap before the party?" 
 The acid in your stomach churns. The party. The one you do not have any desire to go to. The one that will push you over the ledge of annoyance and into the realm of genuine discomfort. You don't want to go. You don't want to hang out. You don't want to see Erwin. 
 Sliding your legs under the covers, you lay down in Mike's bed, turning on your side so that your back is facing him. You've told him on numerous occasions that you don't have any interest in certain events, but he always talks you into going to them anyway. So, what'll be different this time? You're just gonna end up downstairs huddled in a corner refusing to drink as your eyes scan over everyone, ready to make a quick exit if you have to. 
 Mike settles in closer behind you, the heat of his chest pouring across your back, and you can feel the pillow dip when he rests his head on it. He waits for a while before letting his arm fall over your waist. It makes you squeeze your eyes shut, makes something crawl into your throat, trying to scratch its way out. 
 "I really don't wanna go tonight," you murmur.
 You expect some form of protest, a convincing argument in the form of a well thought out fucking speech while he kisses down the back of your neck, but instead, a low rumble of, "Okay," spills from his mouth, and you hate how it makes you feel—how grateful you are for him. 
 He's getting to know you. Has gotten to know you after spending so much time together. He can read your ups and downs now, can tell when you're joking or serious, take the hint when you want him with a single look (that one might be the most irritating), but it just goes to show how perceptive he is, how much of himself he's been hiding while in college. 
 The shallow jock you thought you knew is no comparison for this. 
 "Spring break's coming up," he speaks into your hair, inhaling deeply and whispering to himself, "Citrus kills me," like you can't hear him. 
 You pretend not to because it's soft and personal and would probably make him adorably self-conscious, and you can't deal with Mike blushing. 
  "Yeah, it is. Couple more weeks." 
 "What're your plans?" 
 You shrug against him, trying not to get too wrapped up in the way his body feels over yours, longer legs tangling between yours, his draped hand nearly covering your entire stomach, his stubble scratching your neck and cheek. 
 When did you get this close? When did you decide it was okay to be this intimate? This is what couples do. This is comfort. 
 And, you didn't think you needed it, but fuck—
 "Nothing, really. Go see Mom, I guess."
 "Come stay with me," he says quickly. "Just for a few days."
 You wriggle to turn on your back and frown up at him as a myriad of questions fill your mind. 
 Mike takes a deep breath, somehow reading every one of them. 
 "I know that sounds like a 'come meet my parents' thing, but I promise it's not. I just thought it'd be cool to hang out not at school and not at a party. Plus," he shows a broad grin. "You can meet Scout."
 "Mm, tempting," you laugh. "I do like dogs."
 "And, you'll love her! She's so sweet and so goofy and—"
 "I'll think about it," you stop him. 
 Mike bites his lip, looking hopeful, but tries to play it off with a, "Okay, cool," then leans down to kiss you as if you've already said yes. 
 Honestly, you have, just not out loud. He had you at 'hanging out'. 
 *
Studying sucks. Midterms suck. Avoiding parties, however, does not suck. Mike still goes to most of them, kind of has to considering they're usually thrown at the PKA house, but sometimes he just shows his face then comes to your dorm. You try to convince him to stay, hang out with his friends, but he usually just shrugs and digs through your stash of movies until he finds something he wants to watch. 
 It's fine with you, makes passing geochem a lot fucking easier, but it also means little sleep and a perpetual soreness between your legs. 
 You just… Can't get enough of each other. And, you think that's how it's always been since that first party. Afterward, you had denied him in the courtyard and then broke as soon as he got into your room to get his stupid shirt. Denied him at the bar then broke as soon as he leaned over you at the pool table. Denied him at the after-game party and broke after… Seeing his room? Watching movies? Acting like friends for the first time? Whatever it is, you're always falling into bed together, some kind of unstoppable force against your obviously very movable object. 
 It's something you think about too much now, always somewhere in the back of your head. At this point, you should probably just be with him, don't know who you're kidding with that lie about focusing on school (your grades have never been better actually), but you're scared. That's really what's been hard to admit to yourself, not the fact that you're attracted to him or the fact that your irritation has bloomed into genuine fondness and admiration. It's that's you're fucking terrified. You can feel it in your bones. 
 Don't get too attached because people leave. All the time. People let you down. People disappoint. 
 You don't want Mike to disappoint you, so you won't give him the chance to. 
 Of course, all of that is easier said than done as you look over at him in the Wrangler, one huge hand pn the wheel as his other arm hangs out of the open window, catching the wind that batters against it like he's trying to push back. You hate it when he does that, too many horror stories of car crashes that end in traumatic amputations, but it's one of Mike's strange simple pleasures, makes him grin as if it's his head hanging out instead. At his core, Mike Zacharias is just a huge fucking puppy dog. 
 A dubstep song from too long ago is blasting through his speakers, the vibrations hitting you square in the chest as you bounce your leg and bob your head. It's beautiful outside, winter's bite melting away into sunny springtime days. Some of them still bring a chill to the air, but it doesn't matter since you basically live in one of Mike's hoodies, dark green with the school's lacrosse logo stamped in the middle. It's faded and worn out and far too big on you, but it's quite possibly the most comfortable article of clothing you've acquired. 
 The drive to his parents' house is a good three hours, but between the playlist he's made (stellar, not that you'd admit it), the road games you play, and the road head you give him ("Oh, Jesus Christ, this isn't safe—this isn't safe—fuck—") you make it there in one piece and in good spirits, though you have take a few drinks of the soda you got at the convenience store to wash the residue of cum out of your mouth before meeting his god damn family. 
 He grabs both your bags from the backseat, slinging them over his shoulders, then starts up the path to a… surprisingly small home. It isn't a shack by any means, but after what you saw of Erwin's stupid ranch house and some of the pictures and stories Nile and Gelgar have subjected you to, you just kind of figured all of them had ridiculous amounts of money. 
 Then again, you know Mike got a full ride to college with a sports scholarship, and he rarely talks about his family and their lifestyle aside from Scout and little tales from his childhood—trips to the zoo, the one time he rode a dirt bike and broke his collarbone, he and his dad rescuing an injured bunny from the park. 
 You should've known back then that you'd get in too deep. 
 The small garden that lines the house is well-kempt and full of blooming flowers, and the porch is home to a wire table and matching chairs with an unsavory gnome sitting on top.  
 "What in the world…"
 Mike doesn't even glance to see what you're looking at, just opens the screen door and informs you, "That's Leonidas," so casually that it makes you snort and push him into his own house. 
 It opens up to a living room, long couch, recliner, coffee table and all. A TV sits right in the middle of a beige entertainment center, DVDs stacked on one side, blu-ray discs on the other. It smells clean—like the lemon wipes you use in your dorm—but even stronger than that is the smell of food. 
 "Must already be cooking," Mike muses, then calls out in a different fucking language that has you turning to him in confusion. 
 Before you can ask about it, a plump woman a couple inches taller than you comes rushing out of what you assume to be the kitchen. Her graying hair is tied into a loose bun, cheeks rosy from the heat, and she's still in her apron and a single oven mitt. 
 "Miche, γλυκό μου αγόρι!" 
 She stops in front of him and reaches up to grab his face, peppering it with little kisses and babbling words you do not understand in the slightest. 
 Mike is laughing, speaking to her in the same fashion, possibly answering questions or defending himself judging by the way he holds his hands up. You think you have an inkling about why when his mother turns to you, puts her hands on your shoulders to look at you, then pulls you into a tight hug. 
 You squeeze her right back, rocking to and fro as she does, then look up at Mike from the corner of your eyes in a panic. 
 What do you do, what is happening, what hasn't he told you? 
 It’s about this time that a large dog runs into the room and actually jumps into Mike’s arms. He grunts as he hoists Scout up, nuzzling into her beautiful coat as she tries to lick his face.
 "Mamá, let her get settled first," Mike laughs from where he’s getting attacked. His mother lets go of you, but it’s only for Mike to set the dog back down, and Scout takes the opportunity to sniff and paw at you. “Be nice,” he warns her, pulling you in front of him and pushing you toward the hallway.
 That need to snoop around is ever present as you enter his room, but the much more pressing issue is, "You could've prepared me, ya' know. Given me a little heads up that you're…"
 "Greek?" He snorts, wiping his face with the bottom of his shirt. "My last name is Zacharias. That's a pretty good indicator."
 "I—..." You pause, pout, then mumble, "I'm not a genealogy expert."
 "Obviously not."
 He dumps the bags on his bed, a queen size, thank god, because he had told you last week they didn't have a guest room (and had seemed pretty happy about it at the time). 
 "I'll get mom and dad to speak in English for the next few days." 
 "I mean," you shake your head. "It's their house. I don't wanna intrude on that. Let 'em do what they're most comfortable with."
 He steps over to you, makes his classic move of staring down at you and smoothing his hand over your hair to make you tilt your head up. "That's sweet, but I know they're dying to talk with you, so actually being able to understand what they’re saying is kinda necessary."
 Humming, you stand on your tip-toes just as he begins to stoop lower. Before you can meet in a kiss, though, you smirk, "And, just why do they wanna get to know me, Miche? Is that a secret Greek name too?”
 He licks his lips, voice husky when he replies, "I've mentioned you a few times--”
 “Uh huh,” you smirk, too close for him to actually see.
 “And no, I think it’s Hebrew or something.” 
 You snicker before your mouths meet, breaths grow heavy, and the only time you break apart is so that you can look him in his light eyes and tell him, "By the way, the whole speaking a different language thing you can do?" He grunts, encouraging you to continue. "Very hot."
 You feel him smile against you, a self-satisfied, "Yeah?" making you burn against him. 
 "Yeah."
 It's hard to leave the room, but you both know you have to, hoping neither of you look too kiss-swollen when you walk back into the living room, and when Mike's mom is no longer there, he brings you to the kitchen instead. 
 "Smells good," he tells her, leaning over the stove and taking a whiff of the prepared dish that’s been set on top--stuffed tomatoes and peppers that make your mouth water.
 She says something, and Mike lets her finish before asking, "Can we speak in English while she's here? It's kinda hard to add to a conversation when you, like, don't know what's being said."
 "Oh, I'm so sorry!" She immediately gushes, turning to you with a worried look. Her accent is thick and charming, but she doesn't ever stutter, clearly fluent, just more comfortable in her apparently native language. "I just get so caught up when my Miche comes home, I—"
 And, she's hugging you again. 
 "I'm Maia! Christopher—Miche's father—should be home soon."
 You rub Maia's back until she lets go and turns back to the stove, but even as she does, she's asking you, "How is school? What are you studying? Miche's told me very few things."
 He shouldn't have told you anything at all, you want to say. 
 "Um, it's good. I'm an earth sciences major, geology specifically, so Mike—uh—Miche's been helping me study a lot."
 He leans down to speak so only you can hear, "Not necessary to call me that. She's gonna know who you're talking about when you say Mike."
 Not that you'll tell him, but you kind of like the way 'Miche' feels, the way it rolls from your lips to the back of your mouth, and for just one second, you think about how you'd like to moan it in his ear. 
 "So, uh," you shake your head in an attempt to get it back on straight. "Yeah, it's going good, I think."
 "It is nice that you study together," Maia hums, slicing into the dish to portion it out. "Miche probably enjoys the break from his fraternity life." 
 Mike makes an unsure noise, but you grin and lean on the counter, eyes shining as you look at the middle-aged woman, "You know, speaking of that, I need to know what he was like before the whole frat thing 'cause—"
 "Uhh, we don't need to talk about that," Mike quickly cuts you off. 
 Maia, however, catches your eye and winks, a silent promise that she'll fill you in later. 
 Mike sees it, whines a dramatic, "Mamá, please."
 You laugh, glancing over at him with a devious smile that makes him roll his eyes and grumble something. 
 The creak of a door opening followed by the sound of a screen slamming back against the frame signals the arrival of Mike's father. It takes him a couple minutes to join everyone in the kitchen, probably taking the time to get more comfortable after what you assume to be a long day. 
 When he does walk in, once styled hair fallen out of place, top two buttons of his shirt undone, you see exactly where Mike gets most of his looks. He may have gotten his fucking mane from his mother, but he definitely got his height and his eyes from his father. 
 "Oh!" He stops short when he sees you, looks at his wife, then at you, then at Mike. "Is this the girl?" 
 "Dad!" 
 Both of his parents snicker as he turns to you, pleading more than telling, "Just ignore them, they don't know what they're talking about."
 You don't pay him any mind, join in on the fun when you lift an eyebrow and tease, "Am I, Mike? Am I the girl?"
 "Oh my god, this is gonna be a nightmare," he groans, the tips of his ears growing red. Still, he tries to put on a stern face as he points at his parents, speaks in beautiful, rolling words that are beyond you, then turns his flashing gaze to you and commands, "And you, don't encourage them."
 "Mm, no promises." You stick the tip of your tongue between your teeth and wink at his mom the way she had at you earlier. 
 All of you sit at an actual table for dinner, something you haven't done in at least a decade, as you talk and laugh between bites of food. Scout is laying underneath, waiting for someone to drop a piece of food, and every once in a while, you feel her wet nose nudge against your calf.
 Maia and Chris are very kind and very funny, and it isn't just because they pick on their son all the time. Chris talks about his day in the office, complaining about coworkers the same way Mike complains about his brothers—"I just don't understand why you would eat sardines in the break room! Someone explain it to me!" Maia tells everyone about the three hour phone call with her mother—"My god that woman can talk. Every time we said goodbye, she would just start on something new!"
 "Explains where you get it from," Chris says with a chuckle. 
 Maia scoffs then stabs a piece of his food with her fork, eating it with purpose as her husband watches. 
 You lean over to Mike and murmur, "They're cute. I like 'em."
 He grunts. "That makes one of us."
 Sucking your teeth, you mimic his mother's actions and dig your fork into the meat of his pepper, stealing a bite and scraping your teeth over the utensil in a way you know drives him crazy. 
 You immediately regret it when you realize how big the piece is, filling your mouth so that it's hard to chew, and you grab a napkin to cover yourself while Mike snorts and smugly says, "Yeah, bet you feel real smart right now. How does thievery taste?" 
 Shoving his arm, you manage to swallow down enough of the food to talk and tell him, "Tastes delicious."
 When you look back across the table, you find Maia and Chris staring at you and Mike with shining eyes and matching grins. 
*
You get along well with Mike's parents. A little too well in his opinion. There are a couple mornings you wake up earlier than he does and share coffee with his mother. He'll walk in to hear her sharing terrible stories about how, "He was such a sensitive little boy," and, "I miss the days he and his friends would spend afternoons here playing their little games."
 She even breaks out the photo albums one evening after dinner, leaving Mike mortified as you laugh and 'aww' at the pictures of past birthdays, Boy Scout outings, and the horrors of middle and high school. 
 "Look how cute you are with braces!"
 "Please stop."
 "All dressed up for Easter, oh my god, are those bunny ears?" 
 "Mom made me."
 "You were so skinny. What happened?" 
 "Are you calling me fat?" 
 "No, I'm calling you buff. Dummy."
 Less embarrassing are the long walks the two of you take with Scout (who also loves you, of course). She stays close to your hip as you wander around the park, only leaving your side when you throw her favorite ball. At the house, she noses at you until you shift to let her lay either at your feet or on the couch with her big head in your lap. 
 It's the cutest fucking thing Mike has ever seen, and he hates it because he can't do anything about it. He can't tell you how much he likes seeing you walk around in his house. He can't tell you how much joy it brings him to hear your laugh ring out alongside his parents'. He can't tell you how much he loves seeing you slide into his old bed in nothing but one of his shirts, making yourself comfortable against his chest and weaving your legs between his. 
 He can't tell you, but he can do his best to show you. 
 Late at night when his parents are asleep, when the buzzing TV is the only thing lighting the room, Mike moves inside of you with deep, slow thrusts. He hikes your legs up to lock around his waist or pulls you up against himself if he's taking you from behind. No matter the position, it leaves you clawing at him, breathing heavily, jaw dropping open in a silent scream. 
 You feel so good, so tight around him even after he gets you ready for his cock. Your silken walls squeeze and milk him, pulling every drop of cum from him to soak into you. Fuck, he's so glad you're letting him do that now, fill you up until you can't take any more, until white is dribbling from your messy pussy. The way you look at him all fucked out is intoxicating, eyes droopy, smile lazy, body twitching with aftershocks as he sucks on your neck and kisses down your shoulders. 
 You have to know. You have to. Mike knows his feelings are written all over his face when he looks at you, may as well be carved into his skin. The words are on the tip of his tongue every night, but he muffles them with kisses, with burying his face between your legs, with sinking his teeth into your soft flesh. 
 He can't say it because saying it makes it real. Saying it will make it hurt more. 
 So Mike keeps his mouth shut, watches you every day as you converse with his parents and play with Scout. You poke around his bedroom in your usual nosy fashion, finding the rest of his Magic cards, old D&D books and privacy screens. The dusty record player he'd inherited from his grandfather interests you above all else, vinyls stacked around it, some old, some new, and as you flip through them now, cross-legged on the floor and swimming in his hoodie, you tell him the little things you talked about with his mom earlier in the day. 
 "She showed me your baby teeth," you say with a snort. "Why do parents keep those? My mom did too."
 "Black Magic, obviously," Mike says seriously, but when you glance up at him, he chuckles. "I don't know, babe. It's fuckin' weird, though."
 You grin and look back down at The Alan Parsons Project vinyl in your lap. You're quiet for a moment, but when you do speak up, it's in a quiet voice. "I'm pretty sure they think I'm your girlfriend."
 Mike cringes on the bed, shutting his eyes and sighing. "Yeah, that's probably 'cause I told them you were." 
 "What?" You turn your whole body to face him, eyes wide and incredulous. 
 Sitting up, Mike holds his hands out and questions, "What was I supposed to tell them? Hey, mom and dad, I'm bringing home this girl I fuck at school all the time."
 "We don't just fuck," you scoff. "You could've said friend or… Study buddy."
 "Study buddies with benefits," he lets out a humorless laugh. "How many of those study sessions end with your mouth around my cock?" 
 "That's beside the point." You stand up and walk over to the bed, hands on your hips as you glare at him in an unconvincing manner. You're not actually upset, Mike realizes. A little annoyed maybe but more surprised than anything. "The point is they expect us to do couple-y things."
 "We do do couple-y things." Mike reminds you, rolling his eyes when you snicker and murmur 'ha, do do'. "Oh my god, you're a dork."
 "So are you. And, a dumb one. What happens when they find out we're not actually together? Are we gonna have to stage a break up somewhere down the line?" 
 "Stop worrying about it," Mike tries, reaching out for one of your arms to pull you on top of him. You must be very used to straddling him at this point. It seems like you're in his lap more often than you're not these days, even if the two of you are just talking. "Just chill and fake it for a little while longer."
 You pout, glancing to the wall for a second before you mutter, "Might be tough. I've never had to fake anything for you before."
 Mike groans and traces his fingers up your sides, stopping at your shoulders and using them to guide you closer to him. With your face only millimeters from his, he barely even has to whisper when he presses, "Fake it just this once."
 You nod, lips brushing his, and from there you both devolve into sloppy kisses and desperate hands. As always.
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All Demons are Entitled to Vacation Time (Because The Devildom Isn’t a Dystopia)
Part One (you are here!) Part Two Masterlist
Genuine friends in the Devildom were hard to come by, and the human exchange student had noticed that the brothers had been working her new friend to death, so she decided that the poor bastard needed some time off. The brothers agreed, but come to notice that they may have become a tad dependent on their makeshift assistant’s help.
(Just a heads up, this fic features an OC and my personal MC, so the MC will be using she/her pronouns, if you’re uncomfortable with that, no harm no foul, see you next fic. Anyway, enjoy Paimon’s mental breakdown and the boys being jerks!)
“Do you need anything else, Lord Lucifer?”
“Yes Paimon, get me a coffee.”
“The usual?”
“Yes, and do hurry up, I have work to do.”
Paimon quickly nodded and scampered out of Lucifer’s office at RAD. Sure it was after school, and sure Paimon had other things to do, and sure, he needed to sleep, but when the seven rulers of hell declare you their assistant, you be their fucking assistant.
“Oi!” Paimon felt the back of his uniform get balled up and he braced himself to be thrown into the nearest locker. “Pipsqueak, I need help with my homework.”
“H-hi Lord Mammon, s-sure, when do you want-”
“Nah nah nah,” Mammon spun Paimon around to face him. “I need, ‘help’ with my homework.”
The purple haired demon winced as he rummaged around his backpack and pulled out the assignment that Mammon had neglected to do. “R-remember to change up some words so-”
“I know how to copy homework! I’m not some dunce!” Mammon not so nicely set Paimon free from his 80s movie bully shirt grab and walked off. He whistled some made up tune and sporadically grumbled about finding his missing human.
Cheating on assignments was punishable by hanging from one’s thumbs in the glorified torture chamber known as the detention hall. Paimon had never been down there due to the fact that the place was reserved for the worst troublemakers, but he was pretty sure Mammon was familiar with it. Why didn’t he learn..?
While entranced with his thoughts of torture and mayhem, (see, Paimon could be a demon sometimes) Paimon didn’t notice the Avatar of Envy peeking around the nearest corner and nearly ran right into him.
“S-sorry Lord Leviathan!” Paimon sputtered. Levi’s head swivelled to Paimon as he began to stutter out a reply.
“G-good! You’re here! Get rid of them!”
“Get rid of who..?” Paimon looked around the corner and noticed a group of students just milling about and chatting. “Oh, right away sir.”
This wasn’t the first time Paimon had to do traffic control for Leviathan, and it wouldn’t be his last. He made up some bullshit lie about the hall needing to be cleaned and the students grumbled and slowly filed out. Once the hall was clear, Levi brushed past Paimon without even so much as a thank-you. He mumbled something about sending normies to deal with normies and disappeared down the hall.
Next up on his trip to get Lucifer a coffee, he ran into Satan, thankfully, he didn’t literally run into him.
“Ah, Paimon, give these to Barbatos, last time I saw him he was in the colosseum with Lord Diavolo.” Satan, barely even looking at the poor demon, slapped a huge stack of papers into his arms and strode down the hallway like he didn’t have a care in the world. Shit, and Paimon still had to get Lucifer coffee…
“Ah, there you are Paimon dear,” Paimon needed to muster up all his willpower to not openly roll his eyes as he met the gaze of the cheery Avatar of Lust.
“Lord Asmodeus,” Paimon said blankly. “How may I help you?”
“Take these to Majolish after you’re done… whatever you’re doing. On the double, sil vou plait!” Asmo shoved a massive stack of fabric on top of the paperwork Paimon was holding, causing him to stumble back a bit. “And if any of those touch this disgusting floor, I will personally claw each of your little freckles off your face.”
“Yes sir…” Paimon barely suppressed a growl as Asmo sashayed away from what one could barely call a conversation. As much as Paimon wanted to throw both the fabric and the paperwork into the nearest trash can, Paimon knew that both things could be recycled, and he also valued his life and his freckles.
Maybe he could run to the colosseum on the way to getting Lucifer’s coffee, torture two traitors with one tool, or however the saying goes! Paimon picked up his pace, his vision almost completely obscured by the massive pile of fabric. Despite nearly tripping twice, he made it to the kitchen, started up the coffee maker, then ran to the colosseum to drop off the paperwork.
“Mr. Barbatos?” Paimon’s call for the butler’s attention was cut off by a growl that sent shivers down his spine. Right in the centre of the colosseum the Fangol team was getting into “oh fuck” formation. That could only mean one thing and one thing only… oh no… Lord Beelzebub was hungry… really hungry… who didn’t order snacks?!
“Dammit dammit dammit…” Paimon squeaked as he shifted the paperwork and fabric and rummaged through his bag for his lunch. If Beel didn’t get some sustenance quickly he’d wreck the entire school! “L-Lord Beelzebub?! D-D-Do you want my luh-lunch? Sir?”
Beel’s head swung around to the sound of Paimon’s voice and before he could blink, the Avatar of Gluttony was towering over him. Paimon gulped and held out his lunch bag, and Beel snatched it up and ate the entire thing whole. Well… Paimon needed to replace the lunch bag anyway… and he could always eat later. His stomach growled pitifully. He had made the mistake of skipping lunch…
“Mmm… more.” Beel said, Paimon was still shaking in his designer knockoff school shoes.
“S-sorry, I don’t have anything e-else but the cafeteria has leftovers I think…” Paimon squeaked, Beel nodded and lumbered off towards the cafeteria, his hunger tantrum momentarily halted. Paimon breathed a quick sigh of relief before he heard the sound of someone stirring from a nap next to him.
“Mmph…” Belphegor shot Paimon a glare that only those who just woke up from an hour long nap could. “What took you so long?”
“M-my apologies, Lord Belphegor.” Paimon adjusted his glasses and frowned. “Pardon, but do you know where Mr. Barbatos is?”
“The kitchen, he was making something for Beel.”
Paimon had… he just left the kitchen… damn it. Paimon nodded in thanks and rushed towards the kitchen. The coffee was done, the paperwork was delivered, the fabric hadn’t touched the ground, and Paimon was on his way to give Lucifer his stupid- I mean needed beverage.
He limply pushed open the door to Lucifer’s office with his shoulder and placed the coffee on his desk. Lucifer didn’t look up from his paperwork and raised an eyebrow. “I did say quickly, didn’t I?”
Paimon bit down on his lip, a tic developed under his left eye and he clenched his fists until he felt blood trickle from his palms. “S-sorry, Lord Lucifer. I’ll do better next time, sir.”
“You’re dismissed, Paimon.”
The moment those words left Lucifer’s lips, Paimon turned on his heel and walked right out of the office. He was done, so tired and… and so angry! He just wanted to relax, he just wanted to relax. Paimon’s feet led him to the concert hall. Ah, he was supposed to be the president of the school’s band, not the student council’s resident doormat. He could just call on his undead parade and play some music… that always kept him calm.
His thoughts of relaxation were brought to an abrupt halt the moment Paimon felt the sting of recent magic in the air around the hallway that led to the concert hall. Oh no, please tell him there wasn’t a fight near the concert hall, please tell him-
Two of his band members were in their true forms and hurling insults at each other. Phenex and Eurynome were standing in the midst of a completely destroyed concert hall, the instruments were scattered around the room, dented and completely broken… the two brawling demons paused when they noticed Paimon at the door.
“Prez! You won’t believe this shit! Someone vandalized our stuff, and Phenex’s accusing me!”
“Paimon! You hafta believe me! I walked in and Eury was-”
Their voices had become unintelligible background noise, Paimon’s eyes were glued to the destroyed instruments, his instruments… he felt his shoulders shake and his chest begin to tighten. Why… why!? Why him?! Why today?! Paimon dropped the fabric and his backpack onto the ground and slowly dug his partially bloodied palms into his hair. To his absolute horror, he felt tears threaten to spill from his eyes. Don’t cry- Don’t cry! He can’t cry!
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHGHGGHHHHH!” Paimon let out a screech like a wounded animal, he felt his true form beg to be released so he could wreak absolute havoc on everyone and everything in a mile radius, but he yanked down on his hair and brought himself back to reality.
“Paimon?” The demon in question slowly turned, the human exchange student herself awkwardly stood a few feet behind him, seeming to not be sure exactly what to do. “Are… are you okay..?”
“Y-yes…” Paimon mumbled, his fists began to shake. “Th-thank you Ms. Himiko but I’m fi-”
Paimon’s voice broke and Himiko fixed the other two demons behind him with a glare that could probably kill a man. “YOU TWO. Clean this up right now!”
Before he could react, Himiko pulled Paimon into an empty classroom and slammed the door behind her. “Pai, what happened? Do you need to sit down?”
“Nuh-ne-no! I-I-if i suh-sit down I’ll fu-fall aslee-eep…” Paimon awkwardly hiccuped. Trying to talk through the lump in his throat was proving to be very difficult.
“Paimon… do you want to tell me what’s wrong?” Himiko’s voice was oddly gentle, almost sisterly in a way as she sat Paimon down in one of the desks in the room. “I’m here to listen.”
“Thanks Ms. Himiko… sorry…” and with that, Paimon began to explain.
———————
“BOYS!”
The scream of rage was punctuated by the slamming of the front door of the House of Lamentation and the angry clicking of heels going towards the living room. Six of the seven rulers of hell sat dead straight in their chairs, geez this little human had really whipped them good.
“Stupid human! Let go of my ear-yeeeeeeOW! Sorry! Sorry! Have mercy, tiny overlord-” Mammon was dragged into the living room by the ear and shoved onto one of the couches. She let her glare rest on each and every one of the demons before she spoke again.
“So, Asmo,” Himiko turned to Asmo with a calm smile, but the Avatar of Lust was anything but calm. “You think you’re too good to deliver your own fabric to the place where you work?”
“Uh… what are you talking about Himi?”
“Paimon! You told him to deliver your fabric to Majolish!” Himiko then turned to Mammon, who was already looking for an opportune time to bolt to the exit. “Mammon! You took his homework to copy, didn’t you!?”
“I-uh-”
“Satan!” Himiko stamped her foot and swivelled to glare at the relatively calm Avatar of Wrath. “You can’t just dump your paperwork on him like that!”
“Himiko-”
“CRAM IT!” Satan’s mouth clamped shut and he levelled an absolutely murderous glare at the human, but remained seated. “Levi! What the hell’s the matter with you!? Did anyone ever teach you that it’s polite to say THANK YOU?!”
Levi awkwardly shifted in his seat and sputtered out a barely intelligible reply, but Himiko was already turning to Beel and Belphie.
“Belphie! Beel! What the fuck were you two on during Fangol practice?!” Belphie grumpily lifted his head from his pillow and Beel mumbled out an apology. “Beel! You cannot just throw your hunger tantrums whenever you don’t have food handy, I thought you had enough common sense to realize that the kitchen wasn’t that far from the colosseum! And Belphie! Why didn’t you pack snacks for Beel like you were supposed to!?”
“Himiko why the fuck are you so upset about-”
“Shut UP.” Belphie was in the same boat as Satan in a matter of nanoseconds, the Avatar of Sloth rolled his eyes and went back to resting his head on his pillow.
“And you, Lucifer, the eldest and best of the bunch.” Himiko’s words were laced with enough poison to take down a fully grown grizzly bear as she stared down Lucifer with a glare cold enough to snuff out a fire. “I have one question: would it kill you to show some appreciation to the people who help you? A thank you? An appreciative nod? Or is your head rammed so far up your own ass you’ve forgotten basic courtesy?”
In a blink of an eye Lucifer was standing in front of Himiko. He was a good foot taller than her even in his human form, but she looked right back up at him with zero fear.
“Care to repeat that, Himiko?” Lucifer’s words were as sharp as a razor, he narrowed his eyes when Himiko didn’t even flinch. “If I were you, I’d choose your next words very carefully.”
“Or what?” Himiko asked, tilting her head slightly. “You’re going to try and kill me again?”
The room went completely still. It was so silent that they could hear Cerberus rustling around in the Underground Tomb. No one said a word as Himiko casually smoothed down her skirt. “You know what they say, third times the charm. Are you going to listen to me or are you going to explain to Diavolo why I’m a bloody smear on the wall?”
Lucifer held her gaze for a few more seconds, until he sighed and sat back down, still not breaking eye contact with the human. “What do you want, Himiko?”
“I want you all to give Paimon a week off, or, you pay him to be your actual assistant. Putting up with you boys’ crap should be a full paying job.” Himiko raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “Give him a week off, live without him for a bit, and treat him nicer when he comes back. Unless of course, the seven rulers of hell can’t survive without their assistant?”
Lucifer bristled and crossed his arms. “…fine.”
———————
Sleep went by too quickly… way too quickly. Paimon rubbed his eyes and trudged through the hallway. Stupid mondays… stupid school… stupid Mammon… wait did Paimon say that out loud, because the Avatar of Greed and Lucifer himself were standing right in front of him.
“Sup pipsqueak.”
“Hello Paimon.”
Oh, Paimon must have fucked up bad somehow for the Avatar of Pride and the Avatar of Greed to have stopped him in the hallway. Great. Wonderful. Fantastic. The sweet release of death was coming. But what exactly had Paimon done? Was talking to the human exchange student a punishable offence?!
“Lord Lucifer! Lord Mammon! Uh… how can I help you?” Paimon smiled nervously, at this point, nervous was his default state, so this was his normal smile.
“Ya can help us by handin’ over your lunch mon-”
“Oh for fuck’s sake Mammon,” the signature clicking of Himiko’s heels on the stone floor alerted the three demons to her arrival before her voice did. “Stop being a douche.”
“We’re here to offer you a week off.” Lucifer ignored both Himiko and Mammon and kept his eyes fixed on Paimon. “Himiko noticed you were five seconds away from a stress induced heart attack so she campaigned for you to get some time off.”
“I-I-I’m fine, that’s very nice of you to offer but I’m coping well with my extra duties.”
Extra duties, also known as ‘nice things Paimon was doing for a group of demons he respected, which those demons then began to expect him to do all the damn time.’
“Paimon,” Himiko raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “You’re left arm is shaking.”
Paimon silently cursed his stupid arm. “Those are normal shakes!”
“Fuck dude… I don’t even like ya and I want you to take a vacation.”
“Consider it less of an offer and more of an order.” Lucifer said sternly. “Take the week off and come back refreshed. Your school responsibilities will be waived during your time off, now shoo.”
Lucifer waved his hand and strode past him down the hallway. Geez, what a charmer.
“Have fun, Paimon!” Himiko gave him a wave before gesturing Mammon to follow her, class was starting soon after all.
“Th-thank you Ms. Himiko.” Paimon mumbled and began to turn to leave, but Mammon caught the back of his school coat. Huh, a goodbye locker shove perhaps?
“Before ya leave,” Mammon cooed. “What’re ya doin’ with my human?”
“I’m not doing… anything?” Paimon said truthfully.
“Plannin’ on doing anything?”
“N-no?”
“Are ya sure?” Mammon tilted his head, his eyes began to glow dangerously. “Not planning on trying anything?”
“No sir!” Paimon began to wave his hands in an attempt to communicate some extra ‘NO’. “N-not at all! Ms. Himiko’s just a friend!”
Mammon raised an eyebrow and Paimon felt his stomach drop right to the floor. Apparently talking to the human exchange student was a death sentence. Wasn’t the point of this exchange program for demons and humans to get to know each other???
“Really now? How’d you two get to talkin’?”
“I-I uh, she um…” Paimon stuttered. “She swore me to secrecy…”
After blinking a few times in surprise, Mammon dropped Paimon right to the floor. “Alrighty then, I’ll just ask ‘er myself.”
Mammon then sauntered away like nothing happened. Geez… Paimon silently made a wish that Himiko could swallow her pride and actually admit the reason the two became friends so Paimon wouldn’t end up getting his ass handed to him by the Avatar of Greed himself. What a shit way to go…
————
Himiko gave Mammon a glare that could wither roses the moment he began to pepper her with questions about her friendship with Paimon. Geez, couldn’t a lady have some friends who didn’t want to date her? Was that too much to ask?
She let out a sigh and looked around to make sure that she and Mammon were alone in her room and that there was no one walking around in the hallway outside. Good, nobody. “Mammon, Paimon and I exchange gardening tips.”
Mammon blinked a few times and debated pinching himself to see if he was dreaming. His mean little human liked something like gardening..? That was… that was… so fuckin’ adorable! “You… you like gardening..? Really Himi?”
Himiko’s cheeks reddened with embarrassment, which really hindered the effect of her scowl. “Yes. In case you didn’t know, the plants here are very different from the plants in the human world, and I miss having a garden, so,” she gestured to the window out into the HOL’s garden where Mammon noticed quite a few new flower bushes. He had to admit, they were really pretty.
“Oh, so you two aren’t smoochin’ or anything?”
“Mammon,” Himiko smirked and fluttered her eyelashes. “Just because you’re hopelessly in love with me doesn’t mean everyone else is~.”
————
The moment Paimon stepped foot into his apartment he collapsed onto the couch like a… like a… tired person. The man hadn’t had a proper staycation in almost a thousand years, give him a break.
When he was done being a lump on the couch, he looked up at his plants. He hadn’t properly been able to look at them for a while- shit almost all of them were dead. Perhaps Paimon should have invested in a nice garden of cacti instead of fussy water-needing plants. Oh well, he had things to worry about other than his failing garden. His apartment was also a complete mess. After defeating his chronic anxiety by going on a massive cleaning spree, Paimon decided that he had a hankering for some sweets. He ordered in from Madame Scream’s and collapsed back onto the couch.
His pastries arrived and he was fully prepared to dig in until- A knock on the door startled Paimon from his stress free thoughts and the demon rushed to answer the door. The familiar faces of Mephistopheles and Satan awaited him.
“Hey buddy!” Mephisto gave Paimon a friendly (and a little too hard) thwack on the shoulder and walked into the apartment. “I smell foooooooood!”
“Paimon,” Satan flashed a grin and a friendly nod.
“L-lord Satan,” Paimon nodded dumbly, after registering what he was seeing, he stepped aside and let Satan into the apartment, thank fuck he had cleaned it. “What are… what are you doing here? Do you need me to do anything?”
“No, no,” Satan waved Paimon off. “I heard you and Mephisto were trying to solve a mystery and I thought I’d offer my help.”
“Oh! Thank you!” Paimon sputtered, he then turned to his pie, that Mephisto was busily shovelling into his mouth. Mephistopheles gave Paimon and Satan a thumbs up.
“S’great Pai!” Mephisto laughed at his own pun.
The mystery Satan was referring to was the mystery of the vandalized instruments. Paimon had asked Mephisto to help look into it, he was the former president of the newspaper club and had a penchant for getting into trouble and finding people responsible for trouble. It was a last resort kind of thing, really, Mephisto and Paimon never really spoke outside of their few shared classes.
“O-okay, did you guys find anything out..? Do you need me to answer any questions?” Paimon asked, sitting down at his tiny dining table across from Mephisto and Satan.
“We didn’t find much out today, suspect, but we do have some things we’d like to know.” Mephisto pointed a pie-filling covered finger at Paimon. “How do we know it wasn’t you who vandalized the instruments?! I can see the headline now! ‘Band president vandalizes instruments, Mephistopheles hailed as hero and reinstated as newspaper club president!’ I love it!”
“E-eh?!” Paimon jumped backwards in his seat, nearly knocking himself right onto the floor. “Wh-what?! Why would I do that?”
“That’s what I wanna know!” Mephisto slammed his sticky hands down on the table and leaned across to look Paimon right in the face. “Why’d you do it?!”
Satan grabbed the back of Mephisto’s shirt and yanked him back into his seat and gave Paimon an apologetic look. Ah, good cop bad cop, that was the game they were playing.
“Paimon, do you have an alibi?” Satan asked, his tone measured. Paimon meekly nodded.
“Y-yes, technically my alibi is you and your brothers, sir… I was busy all day, and that morning was the last time I saw the instruments before they were wrecked.”
“Mmm, just as I thought,” Satan nodded. “Paimon, does the band have any enemies you know of?”
“N-no,” Paimon said on reflex. “Wait! Yeah… um… a few demons… I have a list…”
He quickly began to write out a list of names. For someone who seemed so meek and pathetic, he had made a lot of enemies… well, less a list of enemies and more of a list of people who found it fun to bother him.
Satan raised an eyebrow as he looked over the list. “Paimon, how?”
“Wh-what do you mean?”
“How does a high ranking demon like yourself have this many petty enemies that you haven’t dealt with yet?”
A shrug was all Paimon could give. He preferred not to hurt people due to petty grudges, which was not a very good trait for a demon to have. No wonder no one respected him…
Satan huffed and nodded to Mephisto. “Well, we’ll look into these leads. Try and have a nice week off, Paimon.”
—————
Day One:
Lucifer needed his coffee, he sat up in his chair and leaned over to look at the clock, 3:30 pm. Paimon should be- ah, right, Lucifer gave him the week off. No matter, he rose from his seat and prepared to get his own coffee. He was a strong independent demon who didn’t need an assistant thank you very much.
When he walked into the kitchen, he nearly choked on air when he saw the technological monstrosity that was the new coffee machine. It had to be new, he had gone into the kitchen all the time to make his own coffee, hadn’t he? No, Paimon had taken care of that for the past how many years..? Geez, when was the last time Lucifer actually had to walk into RAD’s kitchen?
It’s just a coffee machine, Lucifer reasoned, he’d be able to figure it out in no time.
Riddle him this, why did this infernal thing have so many buttons?! The machine let out an unhappy groan and Lucifer was tempted to repeat the sound himself. Stupid coffee machine… back in his day coffee was made with magic, sure it exhausted the person more but… that’s what the coffee’s for!
After about twenty minutes of nearly fruitless labour, Lucifer finally figured out how to get the machine to make coffee to his tastes. He’d throw the machine at the wall if it made him decaf…
Lucifer (eventually) returned to his office and his massive stack of paperwork with his hot mug of caffeinated salvation and sat back down at his desk. His mind began to wander back to the conversation he had with Himiko the day prior.
Had he forgotten basic courtesy? He had known Paimon longer than Himiko could probably comprehend, was Paimon always this willing to get walked over? Lucifer wracked his brain trying to find the answer. He grimaced when he thought back to his time as an angel, but even then, Paimon was the same. A constantly frazzled Dominion who fell from heaven only to end up a frazzled and even more anxious demon.
It was so odd, when they all first became demons, Paimon was one of the large amount who decided that the best way to figure out their new demonic identities was to cause complete and utter chaos. It was an embarrassment, really, but Diavolo knew that no one could get that number of newly turned demons under control without ripping apart the Devildom, so he sent them up to the human world. It was devastating for the humans, but Diavolo knew it was necessary to save his kingdom. While up in the human world, everyone’s powers were tested and the pecking order if you will, was established. Paimon was right near the top.
One of the most powerful demons in the Devildom, one that watched kingdoms burn for his amusement just mere days after falling from grace, had become nothing more than an assistant. When and why? That was what Lucifer was wondering.
Tsk, he didn’t have time to wonder about the motivations of his little fake assistant, he had way too much work to do. He downed his coffee and stared down his paperwork. He was going to do this himself, or collapse from exhaustion trying.
——————
Day 2:
Mammon mindlessly gnawed on his pencil as he stared down at his homework. He was stuck in the library at RAD and couldn’t go home until his stupid work was done. His human had gone off with Asmo to go shopping… dummy… not that he cared or anything…
He needed help, but the great Mammon didn’t grovel! Wait, yes he did. But he usually didn’t have to when it came to his homework. That little nerd Paimon was always down to let Mammon copy his homework. Sure, if Lucifer even dared to ask if Paimon had let Mammon copy his homework, the purple haired demon would sing like a canary. Stupid little snitch….
…Mammon could have really used that little snitch right then…
He searched his mind for anything to daydream about to distract himself from the lame homework. Ah! His human! He liked to think about his human. Her cute little smile… her deep dark eyes… her soft hair that tumbled over her shoulders… her dumb but still somehow cute little headband…
Not that he liked her or anything! Uggggghhhh… this was going to be a long ass study session…
——————
How did things get this way..?
Paimon was once again lying face down on his couch, apparently cleaning only temporarily staved off his mental illness. At least he was spiralling in a clean house…
His concert hall got completely wrecked and his status wasn’t a deterrent to the stupid vandals… Paimon could and had crushed kingdoms beneath his heel! He’d sown discord across entire countries! Humans and demons alike begged to have the privilege of his favour, and now, nothing. Paimon hugged his knees to his chest and tried to ignore the feeling of his glasses digging into the side of his face. The tightness in his chest and gut was indicative of one thing:
Guilt.
Paimon was guilty. After being called back to the Devildom and seeing what he had done to the human world, he felt the worst most roiling and disgusting sense of guilt. He was completely alone, if any other demon that went up there and did the things he did felt guilty about any of it, they were amazing at hiding it. He had been an angel just a few days before he went completely ballistic…
Was his behaviour for the past thousand years some sort of bullshit atonement for him? Tsk, he didn’t have time to give himself a therapy session. He needed to go to sleep. He earned it, after all.
——————
Day 3:
Levi absentmindedly tapped his phone screen, the colourful gacha game was completely failing to fully entrap his attention. Ugh… just get the daily rewards and log out…
A crowd of chattering students walked into the formerly empty classroom to sit and eat lunch. Stupid normies… whenever he had to show up to school he at least had the ability to eat lunch by himself.
It was Paimon’s doing, obviously. After hearing that Levi was having a tough time being at RAD, the demon took it upon himself to make Levi more comfortable. After the first few times, Levi enlisted him as his personal crowd disperser.
He often wandered the halls during lunch making sure everything was alright like the world’s most anxious hall monitor. Whenever Levi happened to notice the sound of Paimon’s feet pattering against the stone floor, it was usually followed by Paimon’s meek little voice telling some wandering students that the classroom was occupied.
Tsk, dumb normie on his dumb vacation. Levi huffed and slid his headphones on to drown out the sound of the other students talking.
Paimon needed to hurry up and get baaaaaaaaaaack…
—————
Day Four:
“Alright, the scene of the crime…” Satan placed his hands on his hips and looked around the concert hall. The Avatar of Wrath had let Mephisto loose on Phenex and Eurynome for questioning. Satan now had the crime scene all to himself for investigating.
Most of the instruments were dented and ruined, hm… maybe he should have viewed the crime scene earlier when it was fresher. Man… all the fictional detectives Satan knew of would be so disappointed in him. Not perturbed, Satan began to peruse the room and take it all in. Well, until Asmo broke down the door shouting his name.
“Saaaaaaaataaaaaaaan!”
“I’m right here, Asmo, you don’t need to yell.” Satan turned and gave him an annoyed look. Asmo only beamed and clapped his hands together.
“No need to be so snide, Satan dear, I’m gracing you with my presence!” Asmo cartoonishly pouted as he almost skipped towards Satan. He looped his arm around Satan’s and began to try and pull him out of the room. “Come on! We’re going to have a self care day!”
“No, no we’re not.” Satan gently removed Asmo’s arm from his and shook his head. “I’m trying to solve a mystery, here.”
“Really?” Asmo raised an eyebrow and absentmindedly twirled a lock of hair with his finger. “Why? Isn’t this Paimon’s business?”
“Yeah, but Paimon asked Mephisto for help and Mephisto asked me, so here I am.” Seeing that Asmo wasn’t convinced, Satan dragged a hand down his face and prayed to the Demon King that his gossip of a brother could keep a secret. “There are no exams to study for, my favourite detective book series just ended, and Lucifer just rehomed a cat I took in. I have nothing else to do and I’m bored as hell.”
Asmo wrinkled his nose, then shrugged and nodded. “Eh, legit enough for me. I’ll help too!”
The two somewhat carefully rummaged around the room, searching for literally any kind of evidence that wasn’t destroyed in the fight between Phenex and Eury.
“Tada~ evidence!” So quickly? Satan had to stop himself from sighing as he turned to face his brother. Asmo proudly presented what looked like a neon orange fake nail, Satan crossed his arms and gave his brother a deadpan stare.
“Groundbreaking.”
“Satan, for a detective you can be really dense sometimes, I swear.” Asmo huffed and fixed his hair. “People who play musical instruments keep their nails short. Fake nails like these are expensive and are stuck onto the actual nail and sealed with magic. This obviously came off by accident, and it doesn’t belong to some band kid.”
“It belongs to the culprit then…” Satan murmured, digging through his pockets for his list of suspects. “Asmo, tell me, does anyone on this list have these kinds of nails?”
Asmo scanned the list of suspects and hummed to himself before snapping his fingers and grinning. “Only Amii would wear something as garish as that.”
Ah, one of RAD’s resident assholes. Amii and their partner in crime, Murmur, were frequent visitors to the detention hall due to their rampant idiocy. Their combined ability to learn absolutely nothing from their past punishments rivalled Mammon’s, and that was saying something because Mammon had gotten strung up at least once a month for the past two thousand years.
So, the little bastards had taken to bothering Paimon recently… perfect! Mystery solved!
Satan scratched his chin, then grinned. “I think we’ve found our culprits. Thanks Asmo, you were a real help.”
“It’s no problem Satan, really, you can repay me by keeping me company while we both have a nice spa day.”
————
Spending time rethinking one’s entire life and trying to cultivate a garden really sapped up Paimon’s energy. He wasn’t lying down on the couch this time though, his new breakdown spot was his kitchen table.
As he expressed to himself multiple times, he was sick and tired of being walked over, he may have hated being a demon, but he still was one. A damn high ranking one at that! He wasn’t some midranking Dominion anymore! He should be treated with basic respect!
The sudden ringing of his phone jolted him from his mini identity/respect crisis and he fumbled to pick it up.
“H-hello?”
“Paimon, you’ll be pleased to know that I have found the culprits.” Satan’s voice rang out from the phone and Paimon let out a sigh of relief. “Though, Amii and Murmur aren’t on school property at the moment.”
“Y-yeah…” Paimon was too emotionally drained to act surprised. “I think they’re on an overnight trip or something… they’ll be back on Monday.”
“And how do you know that?”
“I uh… I checked the budget documents you sent out at the start of the year to make sure no one was skimming funds again…” Paimon pursed his lips and sighed. “Remember what happened last year? I wanted to make sure Mammon didn’t cause you any extra trouble.”
“Ah, right.” Satan said. “Thanks for that.”
A genuine thank you! Paimon’s eyes practically sparkled as he nodded enthusiastically before realizing Satan couldn’t technically see him. “Y-you’re welcome!”
“So, I know it’s your club but this is also RAD property and I assume you know how much musical instruments are to replace…”
“Yeah… rest assured, I’ll deal with those two.” Paimon mumbled.
“Hm, I’d like to be there, if you don’t mind.”
You see, that was code for ‘I’m going to watch you to make sure you’re not just going to give them a lecture on not hurting other people’s feelings.’
“It’s no problem, Lord Satan.” Paimon said. “Come by if you have the time after school. I’ll put on a show.”
——————
Day Five:
Asmo was practically skipping through RAD’s hallways like he was following the yellow brick road or something. What had him so chipper? Some of his friends in the sewing club had agreed to help him sew some of his clothing designs and make them legitimately wearable! EEEEEEEE! He was so excited! He threw open the doors to the club and everyone… did not shower him with affection and praise. Pardon but what was this bullshit?
“Sorry Lord Asmodeus… but we’re in a bit of a crisis. Some of the sewing machines broke and we don’t have any way to replace them right now.” One of the club members said.
“How’d this even happen?!” Asmo huffed. “The sewing club never shuts down! There was a miniature hurricane going through RAD about a century ago and literally none of you skipped your club meeting!”
“W-well, normally we’d call Paimon to order some new machines or call a repairman because the student council usually gets really busy around this time of day…”
“UGH.” Asmo threw his head back and dramatically groaned. “Are there any machines in here that actually work?”
“Y-yes, about three of them…”
The demon pointed to three in the back and Asmo stomped over to begin sewing the one outfit he could do. He had bought nice fabrics and everything…
Asmo pulled out his sketch of the design, he smiled and set it down next to the sewing machine. He remembered how to use these… right?
‘Paimon usually fixes this’ ‘Paimon deserves a break’ ‘Paimon Paimon Paimon’ Asmo had to stop himself from openly rolling his eyes whenever that little pipsqueak’s name was mentioned. The Avatar of Lust had the stinking suspicion that the bespectacled demon wasn’t particularly fond of him. Everyone loved Asmo, that was a known fact, but Paimon had a funny way of showing it.
He never went exactly out of his way to help Asmo with anything. If Asmo requested help, it was always met with a cold ‘yes lord Asmodeus’. Hmph, Asmo had to hold back a bit of a smirk as a thought crept into his mind.
Paimon’s behaviour was truly a testament to how hard the Avatar of Lust is to get over~.
—————
Ready? Okay! The first step to becoming a respected demon was fixing the way he was perceived by others, and people mainly made their judgements on outward appearances.
Paimon was going to fix his self image! No more dorky glasses! Wait… he couldn’t see… damn. Okay, get contact lenses instead! Aaaaaaand he was out of those. New plan, the dorky glasses were staying on for the time being!
Hmmm… maybe he should flatten down his weird little crescent moon shaped Ahoge… Yeah, not going to happen. His hair kept flying right back up no matter how much hairspray he used.
Looking into his bathroom mirror, Paimon wondered how long it had been since he actually fussed over his appearance. 400… 500 years? Geez, that lined up awfully well with the last time he had been on a date… and that ‘relationship’ did not end well.
Oh well, he looked… well he looked like himself. That was fine. He just needed to fix his posture really quick-
The audible crack of Paimon’s spine may have scared his neighbour’s cat and caused the neighbour on his other side to wonder why their hellhound started barking, but at least he was standing up straight again. It was nice not to be slouched forward like the world’s most nervous Igor. Paimon stretched and shook out his shoulders. Huh, he forgot he was supposed to be 5’7 and not 5’5. He should have done this a while ago.
——————
The Weekend:
School was out for the next two days but the student council was still in the stupid building. Lord Diavolo had decided that the school year needed yet another festival week and it was up to the student council to budget, manage, and plan this entire thing, and to top off the sundae of stress, two of their members were missing.
Beel and Belphie were on the complete opposite side of the school, and their dear little human was having a hell of a time dragging them to the meeting. This was Himiko’s reward for not being an asshole.
“Beel, for the love of all things good in the world, I’m sure there will be snacks provided at the meeting, now get your face out of the fridge.” The long suffering Himiko practically begged. The attic nap club were stuck in the cafeteria despite the borderline desperate efforts of the human.
“You can’t know that for sure…” Beel sighed mournfully before he took another bite of whatever eldritch horror those demons called food. “Paimon or Barbatos would usually bring the snacks and neither of them are here…”
Foolishly hoping that the younger of the two twins would be able to do something, Himiko turned to Belphie, who was passed out with his head down on a cafeteria table.
“Belphie, wake up and help me get Beel out of the cafeteria.”
“No. I am asleep.”
“Belphie I swear-”
“Sh. Sleep.”
Beel usually carried Belphie’s unconscious ass to those stupid meetings because Beel knew for a fact there’d be snacks there, and now neither twin would move from the cafeteria. Great. Time to use the pacts Himiko worked so hard to obtain.
This. This was what it was like to be the one master to rule them all. It was glorified babysitting.
“BOTH OF YOU HAUL ASS TO THE ASSEMBLY HALL RIGHT NOW. BRING THE FOOD IN THE FRIDGE WITH YOU.”
Monday couldn’t come soon enough…
——————
To be concluded!
Author’s Note: Not too satisfied with this one, but honestly when am I ever satisfied with my own writing? Pai will go politely apeshit next part I promise
TFW you’re royalty and the local brown-noser goes on vacation and you now have no one to boss around :/ totally relatable right guys?
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kinkmaster3000 · 3 years
Note
Excuse me, do you still take requests? Because I wanted to ask for a burping story regarding Golden Time's female protagonist, Kouko Kaga. Specifically about her feeling rather gassy after eating at a buffet with her boyfriend. If possible, I don't know if you could sneak a fart or two in there?
Sorry, I don't do any eprocto stuff. Everything else I can happily do, though. Also, I'm really glad to get an ask for this anime, it's def one of my favs, but it's also been a really long time since I watched it through so sorry if anything seems ooc 🙏
“Wow, you really were hungry, weren’t you?”
K.ouko stopped short, the noodles still ungracefully hanging from her mouth. She quickly swallowed them, trying to regain her composure. “I-it’s just because I haven’t eaten all day…”
“Ah, I didn’t mean anything by it, K.ouko. I’m glad you’re eating a lot now, it’s not good for you to skip meals.”
“I-I’m not really eating a lot, am I?” She looked at the table, realizing that she was on her third plate. “Oh…”
“Don’t sweat it, K.ouko!” He grabbed a forkful of his own pasta, shoving it into his mouth. “See? Now I’m eating a lot, too!”
“You’re talking with your mouth full, B.anri,” She giggled.
Embarrassed, he quickly swallowed. “O-oh, sorry…”
By the time they’d left the buffet, K.ouko felt beyond stuffed. The walk back to B.anri’s apartment was agonizing, and every other step brought a little bit of food into the back of her throat.
“Was everything good, K.ouko?”
She didn’t want to be rude after B.anri had treated her to a nice meal, but she was afraid that if she opened her mouth, the air (or worse, the food she had eaten) would come back up. So she simply nodded, not meeting his eyes. She could see him frowning in her peripheral vision and her heart dropped. ‘Now he’s going to think I’m ungrateful, isn’t he?’
“Ah, looks like we’re here, K.ouko. Be careful on the steps!”
She took them slowly, but it was still a great effort. She felt unbearably heavy and drowsy, and by the time they reached his door, she thought she might heave. She had intially been excited when B.anri had asked her to come over, but now, all she wanted to do was curl up in bed. She looked to B.anri to see if he was struggling in the same way, but he seemed alright, and was staring at her with clear concern on his face. “Are you cold? Let’s get you inside, okay?”
She nodded, following him in to his cozy yet somewhat minimalistic apartment. She felt a bit better in its warmth, but she was still heavily feeling the effects of her binge. She chided herself harshly, ‘Why did I have to do this in front of B.anri… this is something that a cute girlfriend definitely wouldn’t do…’
“K.ouko, are you okay? You’ve been really quiet, I’m starting to worry, a bit…”
K.ouko wanted to respond, to tell him that she was just fine, but suddenly felt a pocket of air rise up from the pit of her stomach. It was right at the top of her chest, and she felt like she couldn’t breathe around it. She stood up quickly, about to excuse herself to the restroom, but the upward motion brought everything up faster than she could stop it, and she let out a surprisingly loud burp.
She clapped her hands over her mouth, mortified. Some of the physical tension had been released, but the mental tension had increased tenfold. ‘Why did this have to happen now of all times… just when we finally have some alone time, too. He’s going to think I’m such a pig…’
She slowly looked over to him, hands still covering her flushed face, to gauge his reaction. To her surprise, he didn’t seem offended or grossed out at all. He simply smiled, and pushed out a longer, deeper belch of his own.
She let out a startled gasp. “B-B.anri! Mine was an accident, you did that on purpose!”
“Don’t be so embarrassed, it’s totally natural. I’m just glad you did it first, I’ve been holding that in this whole time!”
K.ouko sighed. “Geez… and here I was, worried about what you would think of me this whole time.”
“I thought I was the one who was worried about you… You’ve been so quiet, I thought that maybe I’d done something to make you upset or uncomfortable. I’m really glad you’re not angry with me, K.ouko.”
K.ouko blushed at his honesty. “Of course not, B.anri. I’d tell you if I was upset, I just… ate way too much.”
B.anri’s eyes moved to K.ouko’s stomach, visibly distended even through her shirt, and she quickly turned it away from view. “Please don’t stare at it!”
B.anri blushed, turning his head away. “Ah, sorry… Does it hurt?”
“...Yeah. It hurts a lot, actually. I really overdid it, I swear I don’t eat this much, usually. I was just really, really hungry.”
B.anri scooted backwards on the bed, with his back pressed against the wall, and patted his lap. “Come sit… I-if you want, that is…” He said shyly.
K.ouko hesitantly eased herself onto his lap, holding her bloated stomach protectively. He reached under her shirt and she gasped slightly as she felt his icy fingers touch her bare stomach. “Ah, sorry, it was really cold outside. Do you want me to stop?”
“N-no, that’s okay… you can keep going.”
B.anri hummed, and began kneading her flesh slightly. “Let me know if I’m making it worse, okay?”
She nodded, and let more of her weight fall into him. Being held in his arms was very comforting, and the soft, kneading motions were loosening up the tightness in her stomach.
He pressed underneath her stomach with his knuckles, and she gasped sharply as a cramp shot through her abdomen.
B.anri started to apologize, but his words were drowned out by the long, growling belch that left K.ouko’s mouth. She instantly felt everything in her stomach shift into a more comfortable position. It would have been very satisfying, were she not currently cuddling with her boyfriend.
“E-excuse me!”
“It’s ok! That’s what I wanted you to do, K.ouko! I bet you feel better now, don’t you?”
“A little bit, but you can’t just decide to do that on your own! I’m your girlfriend, I don’t want you to think I’m gross! And please don’t be so rough! Or put your hands so low…”
“Ah, sorry, K.ouko, I didn’t mean it like that, and I would never think that you’re gross... I just thought that it would help to release some pressure.”
“Well, I guess it did.” K.ouko sighed in slight frustration. Scolding him had been a natural response, but one that she regretted. It really had helped, very much so, but she could still feel more air swirling around in her stomach uncomfortably. She tensed up her chest, hoping to let it all go at once and be done with this embarrassing situation. It only shifted the dense mass of food in a dangerous way, and she sighed in defeat. “Maybe we could… do that again?”
B.anri grunted affirmatively, and resumed rubbing with gusto. He seemed enthusiastic to be taking care of her, and K.ouko had to admit that she was smitten with this side of him. He was rough, but not too rough, and seemed to be hitting all of the right spots. He dislodged another pocket of air, and she let out a low, airy belch. “Mm. That feels a bit better…”
She shifted, trying to get more comfortable. As she moved, a deep, rumbling belch sounded, one that was actually not her own.
“B.anri! That was right in my ear!”
He chuckled, and she could feel it reverberating in his chest. “Sorry, K.ouko. It got pushed out when you shifted. I ate a lot of food, too.”
Before she could respond, he pressed her stomach harshly, and a sharp belch ripped from her throat. “*uURP!* Hey...”
“You’re not allowed to be mad!” He teased, “We’re both pigs today, okay?”
A soft, airy belch popped out of her effortlessly, and she sighed, giggling slightly. “Okay, B.anri.”
Encouraged by her acceptance, he started to press even harder, until she jolted with a sharp hiccup. “Ah, sorry, K.ouko!”
K.ouko sat up slightly as a wave of hiccups took her. She started burping after each one, getting larger each time as the hiccups got more violent, bringing more air up with them.
“I’m really sorry, K.ouko! You’re not going to be sick, are you?”
K.ouko simply shook her head. The burping felt good, but the hiccups were getting increasingly painful, so she tried holding her breath. Despite her efforts, she couldn’t hold back a particularly violent hiccup. She felt a large shift in her stomach, as if a switch had been flipped, and let out a massive, deep belch. She blinked in surprise. She had never belched like that in her entire life. She could barely believe that it had come from her own mouth, but the way that her stomach suddenly felt half as full reminded her that it, in fact, had.
“Excuse me…” She said, holding a fist to her lips. She was a bit dazed with relief, but the mortification was quickly taking hold of her.
B.anri burst out into laughter behind her, “Looks like you startled your own hiccups away!”
“Hey!” She stood up, pointing at him accusingly, “Don’t laugh at me! This is your fault, you kn- hic!” Her hiccups suddenly returned full force, and she groaned in frustration. “Ugh- *hic*, B.anriii…”
“I know, I know… I’m sorry, K.ouko.” He yawned, going horizontal on the bed. “Why don’t you come lay down with me? It might help if I rub your back.”
“... I think you’re just trying to come up with excuses to put your hands on me.”
“W-what?” It was now B.anri’s turn to be embarrassed. “You know I’m not that kind of guy, K.ouko! I just want you to feel better.”
“I know,” She laughed, settling down next to him, “I’m just teasing you.”
26 notes · View notes
cairparavei · 4 years
Text
when love comes | ivar (vikings)
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requested by @kingleshe
pairing: ivar x f!reader
wc: 2.7k
warnings: language, the lothbroks being assholes (kinda, all of them except for ubbe)
You had known them since middle school.
The four brothers had always been a mystery to you, until you dumped into Ubbe, the oldest, accidentally.
You used to have a normal friendship; nothing too remarkable, until their parents passed, and you found yourself in the middle of the four brothers, letting them take their rage and sadness on you, making yourself worth of their trust.
Which was a good thing, because everyone knew that messing with a Lothbrok could only mean trouble.
It all went better ever since. They used to be the popular kids in high school, and almost every guy was scared of them.
In fact, they made your prom date leave you hanging just because they didn’t like his necktie, or so the guy said, and you had no choice but to go with Hvitserk.
Not that you were complaining; Hvitserk had grown into a very nice looking man, but you really liked this date you managed to get for yourself, so you were disappointed when you heard your parents’ house bell ring and saw the brothers waiting for you outside, instead of him.
Time passed and you were still as close as ever, and not a day comes by that you’re not thankful to Ubbe for being clumsy as hell that day, and the next one, and then the next until he introduced you to the rest of his brothers.
To sum up, you claimed Ubbe as your big brother, since he was always overprotective because you apparently are the little sister he always wished to have, and not a bunch of horny teenagers to take care of every time they went to a party and drank more than what their bodies could handle.
On the other side, you were like the chamber of secrets for the two middle brothers, Hvitserk and Sigurd. They told you everything from the first time they failed an exam to the most detailed description on how they lost their virginities, and they knew very well you wouldn’t say a word about it, for they also knew your biggest secret; you’ve been in love with Ivar since the day you met him.
They constantly teased you about it, claiming he felt the same towards you and that you were going to have to tell him sooner or later, but you kept knocking this issue off until it was completely necessary.
In fact, Hvitserk and Sigurd had told Ivar for you, but both of them were so drunk none of them remember, and, how did you know about this?
Ubbe heard them.
It happened when he picked them up from a party a couple of weeks ago actually. Both were sitting in the back of Ubbe’s car, and he noticed that they were whisper-arguing, until Sigurd raised his voice and told Ivar he was being blind for not noticing how you had eyes for nobody but him.
Of course, Ivar was oblivious.
As soon as Ubbe arrived home with them, he left Ivar in the car, half asleep, and accompanied Sigurd to your shared flat. First thing he did was glare at you for not telling him before, for he could have helped you.
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 “Someone had better be dying if you’re calling me this late.”; Ivar threatened over the phone.
“Ivar, I’m bored, and I can’t sleep”, you pouted over the phone. “Come over, please?”
“Listen, Y/N, it’s almost 4 a.m., and you share a flat with Sigurd, why can’t you just wake him up instead of me? I have classes tomorrow if you didn’t know”
“Okay, first of all, he’s not here. Second, I have classes as well, and lastly” you remarked. “I want to see you. You’ve been avoiding me for days, what the hell is wrong with you? Am I not your best friend? We don’t ignore best friends in this household, Ivar Lothbrok”
You heard Ivar sigh on the other side of the call, and after a while he finally agreed to visit you.
You hung up happily and started to make yourself look presentable.
You really had missed Ivar lately. One day the Lothbroks throw a party, then the next it seems like you barely exist to one of them.
It’s not like you had done anything bad, or that you thought, so you found no reason for Ivar to behave like this.
A few minutes later you heard the door open. All of Sigurd’s brothers had a spare key, just in case something happened; which usually meant they were too wasted to go to their own homes so they crashed at your place.
You peeked outside from the kitchen to see Ivar taking of his shoes and coat.
He hadn’t noticed you yet, so you took the opportunity to observe him – he had his hair in a small bun, his glasses on, and was wearing a hoodie and sweatpants. Straight out of bed, you thought.
He made his way to the kitchen and took one of the cups you were holding.
“What’s going on, Y/N?”, he asked out of nowhere.
“What, can I not invite my best friend over without a reason?”
“Not if you call at 4 a.m. and make hot chocolate. It’s more than clear you want to talk about something”
You shivered and looked over him, making his way to the living room and taking a seat in the sofa.
You knew each other like the back of your hands, but were you really that obvious?
“I told you, I couldn’t sleep”, you said sitting on the other side of the couch.
“Why, are you afraid of the dark, sweetheart?”, he smiled.
“Shut up, asshole”, you said, laughing.
The Lothbroks used to tease you often, but especially when you moved in with Sigurd and had to spend your first night in your new place all alone and pretty scared, because he had decided it was a good idea to attend some random girl’s party because “he was in desperate need of human warmth”. So when it became way too terrifying for you to tolerate it, you called over Ivar to spend the night with you.
“Now, tell me what’s wrong. You don’t call someone at this hour for nothing. I don’t believe it’s just because you ‘can’t sleep’”.
You sighed. You really couldn’t let a small lie go past him.
“You’re being weird with me these days. For no reason. I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong to you or anyone for you to be distant as fuck”, you told him, putting your cup on the small table in front of you. You sat back, facing him and crossing your arms over your chest.
“I’m not being weird, you’re overreacting”, he said, and you furrowed your brows.
What in the actual fuck?
“I am not.”, you remarked, “Just like it’s obvious of me to make hot chocolate when something doesn’t feel right, it is for you too when you haven’t been the same towards me these days.”
He licked his lips and looked down at his cup of chocolate. He smiled to himself, noticing you had given him your Toothless cup, just as you used your Light Fury one.
It was kind of funny to him, because you always screamed that you would only share you ‘How to train your dragon’ stuff with who you would consider to be the love of your life.
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 “You just don’t want to believe it, Ivar. But you know very well that she’s always looked at you with the brightest eyes.” Sigurd said drunkenly; “Or are you really that much of an idiot? I mean, you’re not the brightest of guys, but I thought of you as an intelligent person, baby brother”
“Shut your fucking mouth, Sig, you don’t know what you’re saying.”, Ivar answered.
“I won’t shut up until you notice”, Sigurd hiccupped, “Or at least until you admit you feel the same for her”.
Ivar frowned. They knew. But how? He knew his brothers, and they would only mess this all up if he had told them.
Being the youngest, he had seen his brothers have their hearts broken, especially Ubbe’s.
Breaking up with his long-time girlfriend, and childhood friend as well, meant for them to lose contact with her completely, and that scared Ivar.
Like, really. He was scared to the point that, if confessing meant losing you, he would rather dig his own grave and let some wild dogs rip his arms and legs out until he no longer breathed.
Yes, that much you meant to him. Not only Ivar, but to his brothers as well.
You were like the glue that stick them together, for he knows they wouldn’t be talking to each other anymore if it wasn’t because you were there to help them solve their problems.
Like that one time he and Sigurd had the biggest argument and you literally took him by his ear, forced him to eat his own ego, and apologise to Sigurd for ruining his possible ‘potential long-termed relationship’ by telling the girl he had a fart kink.
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“Ivar!”, you snapped him out of his daydreaming, sighing “I’m fucking talking to a brick”
“I’m sorry”, he said, “I was thinking. There’s a lot on my mind right now, I’m really sorry, Y/N”.
“Then let it all out, Ivar, you know that’s what I’m here for”, you smiled softly, taking his hands in yours.
You really had no idea what you did to him.
You cleared his mind whenever you talked to him, and gave him goosebumps whenever you held his hands or snuggled up to him every time you slept over at their place and they chose to watch a horror film
What both of you weren’t aware of is that both Ubbe and Hvitserk did it on purpose, since they were able to see how much you liked to be close to him, feeling his warmth when he put his arms around you and told you repeatedly how he would protect you if anything happened to you, as well as how much he enjoyed being able to be the one to calm you on stressing situations.
Suddenly your phone, which was on the table as well, lit up. You both looked over as a knee-jerk action, and he noticed you had a picture of him as your wallpaper.
“You have some explaining to do as well, miss”, he said, smiling, “I don’t remember giving you permission to use me as your wallpaper”
“Ah, shut up, you know very well I don’t need it”, you laughed, “You’ll have your explanation, but you go first”
“I really have no choice, right?”, he smiled softly while you shook your head no.
He shifted in his seat, facing you as well, and took your other hand in his. You heard him take the biggest breath of air while looking down at your intertwined hands, and you were able to see fear in his eyes when he looked back at you.
“I’m scared, Y/N”, he started, “I’m scared of doing something that could make you run away from me”
You stared at him, your breath stuck in your throat.
“I could never leave you, Ivar, none of you. Tell me what’s wrong, please”, you said, tightening your hold in his hands, trying to reassure him you weren’t leaving.
He took both of your hands and lead them towards his mouth, kissing them softly before supporting his forehead on them.
“Just tell me, Ivar, don’t overthink it. I’m sure whatever it is, we can make it work, nothing bad will happen if you and I stick together, remember?
You felt him smile in your hands. He straightened his back and snuggled you close to him until you were sitting in his lap facing him. He then hugged you tightly, pulling you as close as he could. You felt him shaking a bit.
“It’s okay, Ivar, we don’t have to talk about it now, I’m sorry if you feel pressured”, you told him.
“I just can’t find the right words”, he sighed. “I didn’t think I would ever have to tell you all this shit I’m feeling, I’m so sorry”.
“Don’t be, and don’t say those things about yourself”, you hugged him tightly, “You’re the most amazing person I know, Ivar. You have your tantrums, yes, but who doesn’t?”
You took his face into your hands, and looked him in the eyes.
“I love you, Ivar. You know damn well I love the four of you with all my heart, but out of all of them, you’re the most intelligent, talented, and handsome. You hear me?”, you asked, and he nodded, “And it doesn’t matter how bad whatever that’s going on inside that stubborn head of yours, I’m not going anywhere, okay? It’s fine if you don’t want to tell me yet, I understand, and it’s completely fine”
You were about to keep talking, but, as you were about to do so, he put one of his hands over your mouth while his other one kept you still and close to him by circling around your waist.
“I don’t deserve you. None of us do, actually, but I couldn’t care less about them now”, he started, “I... Remember that time when we went on a picnic that turned into a photo session and then in a cinema date, months ago? That day made me realize I was starting to catch feelings for you. I thought it was just the heat of the moment, but once they came, those feelings never left. I found myself thinking even more about you, and all I knew was that I didn’t see you as a friend anymore”
You frowned, scared of what he could say.
He took off his glassed and put them on the table and rubbed his eyes before looking back at you with the most sparkly eyes you had ever seen.
“Don’t think of this as a bad situation. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable around me, and I know how awkward you get whenever a guy tells you he likes you, or how you don’t even speak to boys after you go out on a date with them. That’s why I didn’t tell you all this before. I don’t want you to feel strange around me. God, I should have kissed you when I dropped you off at your parents’ house that night. You looked so pretty back then”
He was caressing your face now. You were trying to get all those words he had said into your head. You were trying to believe this was really happening and was not some made-up scenario happening in your head while you were trying to sleep.
“You mean so much to me, Y/N”, he continued, “I don’t even know what I would do if you weren’t around anymore. I don’t want you to leave my side, I feel like I need to know what is like to kiss you whenever I want, to make love to you until we can no longer breath. It may sound childish, or stupid, but I need to know what is like to be loved by you”
You felt like your heart was going to get out of your chest from how hard it was beating.
Ivar, your Ivar, the one you’ve loved for so many years, was here confessing to you.
You couldn’t find the words to tell him you felt the same, and that you were never in your life going to leave him, so you did what your mind, body and heart told you to.
You kissed him. And he kissed you back with such passion you thought you were going to run out of air. You were holding his face firmly while he snaked his arms around your waist again, pulling you as close as possible without breaking apart from the kiss.
You both knew what this kiss meant. You both knew that, after this night, nothing would ever be the same between you; at last, it was going to get the best it could. You both were telling the other one that you loved them deeply. You both were giving your hearts and souls to each other.
You leaned back until your forehead touched his, and whispered a soft “I’m in love with you”.
“I’m so in love with you too, Y/N, you have no idea”, he whispered back.
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88 notes · View notes
thebiggestshrimp · 3 years
Text
A Special “Souvenir” part 3
SFW (for now)
MLQC: Victor X MC (featuring Kiro)
Potential Spoilers!! brief mention of Kiro’s other half (so brief you’ll miss it if you blink), plot from Chapter 10, another slight reference to Airplane Date with Victor
Narrative Switch to Victor at the end
Word Count: 1.5k
Part 1 & Part 2 link
Part 3
As soon as you exited the building, you noticed Kiro leaning on a black car, clearly waiting for you.
“Ah Miss Chips! Are you ready to go?”
“I have to head down the street to LFG to hand in a report to my boss” you say while waving the documents in your hand.
“That’s fine, I’ll drive you there so we can get our night started as soon as possible”.
Kiro eagerly opens the passenger door for you, and then confidently strides to the driver's side. This is the first time you’ve ever seen Kiro behind the wheel, and to be honest, you didn’t even know that he could drive. You had just assumed since he was an idol, he wasn’t allowed to drive for legal reasons.
LFG was only down the street, barely a 5-minute walk, but as tired as you already felt you appreciated Kiro taking you there. When you looked at Kiro, you noticed how handsome he looked, how his expression become sterner when he was driving, how his hands look so muscular when he gripped the wheel, or how for the first time you realized just how big and manly he looked... You quickly looked away; it wasn’t your intention to think of Kiro in any way but as a friend. But you could at least admit that he was very hot. No wonder all of his fans fangirled as hard as they did.
You both arrived at LFG, the sight of which made you nervous. You checked your phone: 8:03. Victor prefers it when you show up to hand in your reports before 8 o’clock, so he would hopefully only call you a dummy once for being a few minutes late.
“This should only take a moment.” you nearly sigh while opening the car door.
“No worries, I’ll be waiting for your swift return Miss Chips”.
Little did you know Kiro was intently watching you as you walked towards LFG, admiring the way your ass ever so slightly jiggled. He caught himself staring for too long, whispering to himself, “God damn, I want to show her all of me one day”.
You were currently nervously fidgeting in the elevator, heading up to the top floor to see your boss. You almost caught yourself silently praying that he would let you off easy, in case Anna and Kiki actually lied to make you feel better about the report.
“Ding!” chimed the elevator when you reached your destination. Shakily, you exited and headed to the door marked “VICTOR LI: Loveland Financial Group CEO”.
You knocked. Nothing.
That was unusual, Victor never waited past one knock to invite whomever waited outside in.
You knocked again, a little harder this time in case the previous one was too soft to hear. Again, you were met with silence.
You checked your phone, thinking maybe he responded to your text. Nope.
You sent him another.
MC: I’m outside of your office with the report, are you out on business and I just missed you?
You waited impatiently until your phone said it was 8:16.
MC: I guess I missed you today so I’ll be here early tomorrow morning to hand it in, I hope that won’t interfere with your schedule.
You swiftly entered the elevator again, awaiting the descent to the ground level. At least now you had no reason to be nervous and could loosen up a bit tonight with Kiro before you were mocked by Victor.
Kiro was leaning against his car again, as the vigor returned to his eyes as he noticed you approaching.
“So, did it go well with the boss?”
You gave him a half confused, half relieved look, handing your report to him.
“Well, he wasn’t in his office, so I’m sure he’s not going to be too happy to receive this tomorrow because I was a bit late making it here”.
Kiro quickly eyed your documents and reassured you with his trademark smile. “If it’s from you, then I’m sure he can forgive you missing one deadline”.
Although you appreciated his optimism, you weren’t so sure Victor would feel the same.
Sensing your reluctance, he quickly opens the car door for you, urging you in.
“Don’t worry Miss Chips, tonight we’ll have so much fun you’ll forget all about your troubles!”
Kiro’s sudden declaration and the cheerful tone he emitted made you giggle, which, to his surprise, he found so adorable his face blushed a new color. Luckily for him, your giggle also caught you so off guard that you turned to the side to avoid meeting his gaze out of embarrassment.
You once again were admiring the beauty of the cityscape while Kiro drove. You recognized some places you passed, trying to guess what surprise Kiro had in mind. By 8:32, you finally arrived at the surprise location.  
“You know how hard it is to actually be here on a day they’re open...” Kiro said with a wide grin.
You gasped in surprise, not expecting Souvenir to be open. It had been 3 weeks since you last heard it was even open, and 5 since you were last able to enjoy the fine dining. You realized that since it was actually open, it must mean Victor was inside.
“Hm, so that’s why he never answered.” you said to yourself a little too loudly.
“What was that Miss Chips?” a certain blond chimed in while leaning closer to hear you better.
Slightly embarrassed you nearly exposed your boss’ secret, you quickly wave Kiro away, stating that you were simply shocked that you finally had a chance to eat here again. That answer seemed to satisfy his curiosity based on the way his eyes lit up at the thought of sharing a beautifully made meal with a beautiful woman.
Kiro boldly decided to grab your hand, leading you into the small establishment. You were too consumed with the thought of possibly having to explain away to Victor why you hadn’t come in earlier to hand him the report to respond to Kiro’s assertiveness.
Mr. Mill’s greeted you both, sat you down at a candle lit table, handed you menus, and swiftly walked back to inform the boss that two customers had arrived, one of which being you. This caught Victor’s attention. He wanted to know who you had come with, figuring it was either one of your work friends or, more likely, the idol Kiro Zhou who often frequented Souvenir with you.
Victor had nothing against Kiro, in fact he appreciated that he didn’t mind the “weird paying system” that Souvenir had, and that his love and admiration of his dishes was pretty much the only nice review on the restaurant’s website. However, he knew that Kiro was an evolver, and a surprisingly dangerous one. He wasn’t 100% sure what exactly his evolve was, but he was certain that he had some kind of mind control ability.  
Seeing you with him always left Victor feeling like he lost. What did he lose? A few months ago, he wouldn’t have known the answer to that question. But now, he knew all too well that he had fallen in love with you. He didn’t like to admit it to himself, since he never saw himself as the type to ever fall in love with someone. But then he reunited with you, and you shared tender moments together that ignited something deep within him. You sacrificed yourself for him, just as you did all those years ago. When he had finally confirmed that you were the same girl, the number of emotions that welled inside him made him weep, but not tears of sadness but instead joy that at long last, he had found his first and only real friend.
Of course, he’d never tell you that, not unless you accidentally divulged your feelings first. Victor didn’t like losing, and was confident in his ability to make you confess. Even if you only wanted to be friends, that was okay with him, but he felt that you wanted something more.
It started small, with the way he sometimes caught you looking at him, at which you would quickly make up a half-assed excuse. He then noticed that you commented on his moments way more than you used to, and he found himself commenting on yours more too. He realized that you invited him out to do things, things that weren’t work related. You had once attended a business trip with him so that you could mingle with important people to gain more reliable sources, where you got embarrassingly drunk off a couple sips of Brandy (which he had told you was not a drink for a lightweight such as yourself, but you didn’t listen on the plane ride either). As he carried you to his car and set you down in the passenger seat, you leaned over to him and whispered.
“You know *hiccup*, e-even though you’re my boss and sometimes a hard *hiccup* ass, I still really appreciate your friendsh- *hiccup*. And, it helps that I reallllllly like to *hiccup* look at you”.
Victor suddenly laughed out loud while remembering how embarrassed you were the next morning when you found yourself sleeping in one of Victor’s guest bedrooms. He had told you not to worry about it and that you were not a burden to him.
A thought occurred to him then, accompanied by a mischievous grin.
“Simple, a fair price for a delicious meal” he said to himself.
Victor reached into his fridge and grabbed some of the ingredients to make his signature dish, and also your favorite; pudding.
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Part 4
17 notes · View notes
emrystranslates · 4 years
Text
[Haikyuu!! Light Novel Vol. 11 Unofficial English Translation]  Michimiya's Lie
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Translator's notes: Hello! It's finally here! The first story of volume 11 of Haikyuu's light novel. Just a few reminders I guess? These are unofficial translations and I can't guarantee 100% accuracy. I tried my best to stay as accurate as possible. Feel free to point our any mistakes or comments to help improve my translations <3 Other translation notes at the end of the story. PS. It's nice to read more about Michimiya. I hope you enjoy this story as much as I did.
Where to buy the originals: Here
Masterlist
________________________________________________________ Even if you said it just turned 6 pm, the outside had become darker as night than it is as dusk. Lately, days are short and the wind that touches the face is cold. It was right to wear a coat when you left the house which you thought may be a little too early to wear.
By the rotary in front of the station, Michimiya Yui is finding stars in the open night sky.
“That one is Orion.” Then, where is the North Pole? Was it the one in the middle of the Big Dipper? No, that’s wrong. If she draws a line from a certain constellation, it should be there. But, what constellation was it? Ursa Major? Ursa Minor? She's sure she had memorized it back when she was in elementary.
After returning her raised head and immediately giving up on finding the North Pole, Michimiya Yui hurried back home.
Will she be able to come home before the 7 pm special program? Did she set-up the video recording in advance?
She was carelessly worrying about the television program while hurrying back home.
Then, her feet suddenly stopped.
“Eh, no way.”
Among the people who are similarly hurrying back home, Michimiya’s eyes are staring at the back of that person wearing a black jersey walking around a block ahead of her.
“What do I do? But what if, I’m wrong? No, I’m not wrong. What to do? Impossible, he is also not listening.”
Though for some reason Michimiya was muttering, she bit her lips like she'd made up her mind and looked down at the boots she’s wearing. From her boots, tights, skirt, and coat, she checked her attire from bottom to top.
“It’s okay. I’m not wearing anything weird.” As she nodded encouragingly, she fixed her bangs through the camera of her phone.
Yoshi!
Then, slapping her cheeks with her two hands, Michimiya kicked the pavement and started running on the night road. Like she was rushing towards the court as if there was a match starting.
“Sawamura!”
____________________________
“Ah, what the- So it’s you Michimiya.”
The man who turned back, wearing a black jersey and holding a sports bag was, of course, Karasuno High School’s volleyball team captain, Sawamura Daichi.
Hahaha, she was told, “what the…”
Though slightly hurt by that, Michimiya without being disheartened asked Sawamura, “Why are you around here? What about today’s practice?”
“Ah, since we ended early today, I went to buy some things like my phone charger. Here.”
After showing the plastic bag from the electronics store, Sawamura continued. “I think it’s because it’s worn out but the one I’m currently using is in really bad shape. I thought that since I can also use it in Tokyo, I should probably prepare a replacement in advance. I just don’t want to panic when it happens.”
“Preparation for Spring High, huh?”
“Yeah. How about you? Where are you going, Michimiya?”
Being asked back, Michimiya hesitated just for a moment.
“Eh? Ah, I just went to hang out with Mao for a little bit. Did you know that we really ate a lot? Recently I’ve been wasting so much that my pocket money is not enough, and I certainly gained weight after retiring!” she said and laughed.
Ah-- what is she saying? She didn’t need to specifically say that she gained weight. Michimiya felt disheartened. However, Sawamura replied.
“Heeeh, Ukai-san also said the same thing before. He gained weight after he retired.”
The matter about girls’ talk of gaining and losing weight was completely ignored.
“Haha, is that so!”
Though laughing with all her might, Michimiya is feeling down.
---- Somehow, she feels like she's the only one pointlessly going around.
Sawamura who is standing before her is completely and truly the same as always. He is a person who just blurts out things like “How about we run for a bit right now?” whenever he likes and who makes a face of a typical men’s volleyball team captain. Michimiya is somehow pressed for words. She doesn't know what she should say. Maybe, “Ukai-san and I are similar then?” She can only say trivial things.
Why is that?
During middle school, she wasn’t this nervous when she was speaking to Sawamura. They even usually talked about things like their club activities, family matters, and tv programs. No, sometime in middle school until recently, she feels like there was no feeling of not knowing what she should talk about. Since when has it been like this?
“Michimiya, that’s where your house is, isn’t it? Because mine is straight ahead.”
“Yes.”
When she lifted her face, Sawamura was pointing across the pedestrian crossing. That’s right. They will separate ways from here on. Sawamura goes straight ahead while Michimiya crosses the pedestrian crossing to the other side.  
“Bye,” Sawamura said, and he quickly walked away.
“Ah, yeah bye.”
The moment she said that and waved her hand, a wave of sadness came over her.
Though it was one of the rare times they got to go home together, somehow the time passed indistinctly. At least, if the stoplight was red then he could have waited until it turned green, but it was already green. Rather, she could have called him out. No, isn’t it nice that until here they were able to walk together and talk a little? Like this, after a few months, it’ll be graduation.
That’s right. When this winter ends it’ll be graduation, and chance meetings like this will be gone. Ah-- but even if it’s like that, saying things like “bye,” he just went straight ahead like that as usual.
-----------------------------
Watching the back of Sawamura as he started to walk away, her chest got tighter. It’s difficult. Painful. The pain pushes tightly starting from her chest coming all the way up to her throat. It’s a reproachful green light and yet why does it flicker as if it drives her forward if she won’t cross the street. Ah, she hates it. She really hates it.
What she hates is that she's the only one who isn’t straightforward. She's weak, huh. She hates being weak. She wants to become stronger.  
Then once again, she slapped her cheeks and tried to motivate herself at that moment.
To find the way out, the pain, which had forcefully and continuously come up from her chest all the way up to her throat, had become words that popped out of her mouth.
“Sawamura!”
_______________________
“Yeah, what’s the matter?”
Sawamura who was called stopped just ahead and turned around.
“Eh? Ah, No…..Uhm, It’s…., E--- The, hahahaha…..”
What does she do? She's troubled. She didn’t have a purpose for stopping him.
Since the earlier “Sawamura!” was similar to a hiccup or a sneeze which selfishly came out of her mouth contrary to what she intended to do, she really didn’t have a purpose for calling him out. But, she can’t say that.
What to do? What to do? She should say something. It’s going to be weird if she doesn’t say something. Uhh….
Though Michimiya was in a hurry, when she found the bright street lamp by the road ahead, once again her hand moved before she could think. She pointed at the street lamp and said. “Ah! Uhh, Salt! Right, salt and soy sauce, then olive oil? Yup, that! Somehow it looks like they only have it at the big supermarket here. What’s that? Pickiness? My mom seems to have something like that? It’s troublesome, isn’t it?”
“Eh? Ah, is that so?”
Without noticing Michimiya’s slightly peculiar energy, Sawamura said, “Ukai-san also said something similar to that. Something about beer, I think?” He looked at the direction of the supermarket once again, “Then, we’re going in the same direction.” He ascertained. Michimiya, without knowing why,  thought “Thank you, Ukai-san!” While thanking him from the bottom of her heart, she nodded.
“Yes!”
“Then, let’s go?”
Behind the two who started walking, the stoplight turned red.
__________________
She lied.
The fact that she easily blurted out a lie, perhaps, she is bad. What does she do?
Mom, I’m so sorry. Until now, I planned to live an honest life but from today, I have become a bad liar.
As she was apologizing to her mother, the pain Michimiya felt until a while ago was gone. Her heart, on the contrary, was refreshed, her footsteps light. Even the awkwardness when speaking to Sawamura disappeared.
“Even so, it’s finally Nationals huh? It’s really amazing. Because when you speak of Spring High, it’s just so amazing that you’ve come to not really know what it is,” Michimiya said.
“That thing is not true right? Gestalt Collapse, huh.”
“No. But Spring High is just so unreachable. Ah, I shouldn’t say that. We aimed for that after all. However, rather than 'We’ll go to Nationals' things like ‘We won against Seijou’ or ‘We won against Shiratoriza’ are more familiar. You can actually feel it ‘like woah, it’s amazing!’”
“Aah, if it’s like that, I think I can understand.”
“For me, I can’t go to Tokyo but I’ll definitely watch on tv and give my support!” Michimiya replied.
“Aah, yes please.”
“But you see, both you and Sugawara are not only doing club activities but also studying at the same time, men’s volleyball really is amazing, huh.” While they were talking about things like that, Michimiya noticed something.
If it’s something about volleyball, they could talk normally. Ah, that’s right. It’s probably after she retired from club activities that she had come to not know what to talk about. Maybe it’s because they’re not both volleyball team captains anymore. Maybe it’s wrong? She wonders what it is. No, well, she guess it’s okay since they can freely talk if it’s about volleyball. However, up to the point that she told a lie, how is it that they can only talk about volleyball?
Sawamura without noticing the complicated feelings of Michimiya who was walking beside him, like the way he is, said and laughed. “No, back in first year I did receive failing marks you see. I’m worried about how next year will be.”
Things like who will be fit to be the next captain? Or how Seijou's 2nd years would be? What kind of people will Dateko’s 1st year players be? Even here, stories of nothing but club activities continue. If Sugawara were here, he'd probably say “You’re slow!” then get angry or laugh, but luckily or unluckily, Sugawara is not here. It’s only the two of them.
Then while both of them continued talking about their club activities, the two, at last, arrived in front of the Supermarket.
“Then, I’ll go shopping now!”
After she pointed at the almost blinding bright inside of the store, Michimiya laughed and then waved her hand as if it was nothing. “Bye!”
Truthfully, they were supposed to separate by the crossing but even if it’s just around 5 minutes, it was nice that they were able to walk together a bit longer. Yes, that’s good. She shouldn’t think things like disappointment or sadness, or “It’s ends here huh.” She told herself. However, not knowing about Michimiya’s resignation, Sawamura instead of waving back said, “I’m hungry. I think I’ll also buy something.”
_________________________
The apple is red and colorful while the carrot is bright orange. The radish somehow reminds her of negative things so she’ll ignore it while the cauliflower is fluffy like a puppy which makes it cute. The tofu is tightly lined up and if she looks at the Japanese pickled vegetables, surprisingly it’s beautiful as it is of various colors. How come? Was the supermarket always this sparkling? Michimiya cheerfully walks around the crowded store while holding an empty basket.
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Whenever she goes out to the supermarket for errands she does not really think of anything but today whatever she sees looks delicious and fun. “Meat!” “Steaming Hot Pot!” Even the senseless BGM is fun. The various fruits, ice cream, pasta sauce, toothbrush, flour mix. The candies which change colors, even the combinations of sorts of the small steamed buns by grandma’s house. Anyhow, to the extent that she wants to put anything inside her basket, even herself knows that her spirits are way too high.
Calm down, dear self. It’s impossible. I can’t calm down.
“Ah, this one. Someone frequently bought this for me when I was a child. So it was 20 yen.”
Sawamura said who was beside Michimiya who in turn was holding a yogurt-flavored candy.
“This is the same one as Nishinoya ate just recently.”
“Eh, for real? It probably suits him.”
“Does cheap sweets suit him? Or does it not? No, wait. It does suit him.”
“Right?”
Then, they looked at each other and laughed.
Crap. This is fun. Forever and ever doing it like this.
“This. My mom usually buys this but honestly, it’s bitter.”
“No way! I discovered chocomint soy milk,” Michimiya exclaimed.
“Natto snack? What do you mean?”
I wanted to exchange things like that while walking round and round but I can’t do that. The things I have to buy have been decided beforehand. Truthfully, it’s okay even if I don’t buy anything.
“Uhh, salt, where is it again? This is where flour-related products are. Uhh… ah. There it is.”
As she arrived before the shelves where the condiments are, Sawamura who followed her was shocked.
“Wow. There are a lot. Which one are you buying?”
“Eh? Ah.. uuh”
Then, what should I buy?
More than she thought there were a lot of salt, salt, salt in front of her. Michimiya is at a loss. To begin with, she doesn't know what they were using at home. For now, she will just pick the one slightly expensive and put it in the basket. Well, it doesn’t really matter whatever she gets.
Beside her, Sawamura took the same salt and muttered, “Deep-sea water salt, huh. How is the taste different from the usual salt?”
“It’s a little mild, I think? But I’m not sure. I don’t lick only salt anyways.”
“Mildness, huh? I think I understand the differences in salt. I think if it’s Shimada-san, he probably knows.”
Looking at Sawamura’s face who was looking at the package of salt so earnestly, Michimiya, without thinking, laughed.
“What is it?” Sawamura questioned.
“Eh? No, it’s nothing! I just thought that maybe I should buy another one and try to compare them.” While dodging the question, Michimiya put a bag of ordinary table salt.
“Not a master of sake but a master of salt huh.”
“Yeah.”
Then, at the next shelf, she chose the barrel-prepared natural soy sauce because it also has a slightly higher price. Continuing at the opposite shelf, she chose the organic extra virgin olive oil.
“With these, I’m done! Then, what are you buying Sawamura? Bread? Onigiri?”
“Eh? Aah, do they have yakisoba bread?”
“You like that right?”
“It’s not that I particularly like it...wait? Hmm, do I like it?”
Sawamura is thinking while making a serious face again. It’s interesting.
But, to prevent not being asked “What is it?” again, Michimiya controlled herself from laughing and walked to search for bread. Not really. There’s not one thing that is particularly interesting. We’re just shopping as usual. But, she can’t help break into a smile anyway.
Eventually, she saw that there was no yakisoba bread. Worrying about what to get between hamburger bread and chicken sandwich was also fun. Choosing the money inside her wallet which was just barely enough was also fun. Everything was fun. Everything.
She probably understood the feelings of the people in musicals who suddenly sing and dance, Michimiya thought. If she does not pay attention and consciously make a meek face, she would  to an extent carelessly skip inside the store. She can’t help that it’s just a fun, fun shopping experience.
_________________________
After exiting the supermarket, Sawamura immediately started eating the hamburger bread. Based on the reasoning that the poor can’t afford manners, in front of a young high school man’s hunger, things like manners are too much.
“You’re really hungry huh.”
When Michimiya laughed, Sawamura inserted the straw into the packet of his milk coffee and strangely asked back, “Eh, there’s no need to lie right?”
Ah. My ears hurt.
It was when Michimiya looked down.
“Ah, it’s Karasuno’s volleyball team”
Suddenly, after the name of their school was called, Sawamura and Michimiya at the same time raised their heads. In front of their eyes were three men wearing blazers standing.
With a half-eaten hamburger bread in one hand, Sawamura opened his mouth.
“Ah. It’s Datekou’s Moniwa-kun and...”
That’s right. The ones who called out were Date Tech High School Volleyball team’s 3rd year students, Moniwa, Kamasaki and Sasaya.”
“Eh, people from Dateko?”
“Yeah.”
Though the two students from Karasuno were surprised with this sudden chance meeting, the students of Dateko, on the other hand do not at all express their surprise through words and instead are showing inexpressible discomposure.
If one thinks that the ex-captain Moniwa is retreating while unsteadily staggering, the former middle blocker Kamasaki stands dauntingly, with eyes open wide and barely moving. At their back, former wing spiker Sasaya calmly opened his eyes wide. Though for a short while the three were at a loss for words without even saying any greetings. Eventually they looked at each other’s dumbfounded faces and with trembling mouths, talked.
“Ha…. more than the fact that you're going to the Nationals, a man and woman walking side by side? What is this? What’s with that? Reality?”
“Wait, these two…shopping together?”
“Shopping...no way….perhaps, this is that rumored ‘Nabe-pa’?”
“Wait, Nabe-pa is an urban legend, right?”
“What urban legend? Do you understand what we’re saying?”
“Is it bad if I don’t understand?”
“Well, of course it's not good.”
He doesn’t understand what the conversation is about. He doesn’t understand, but looking at the people he knew suddenly start a useless quarrel in front of them, Sawamura cannot stand quietly.
“No, Uhh, Sasaya-kun? Here is the front of a store, so….” As he was trying to stop the scene, the other three, who were now looking teary-eyed, glared back at him. Without thinking, he winced. At that time, the three people from Dateko gave out something like those times when Sawamura, who unifies the 1st and 2nd year problem children of Karasuno, almost lost his nerves or probably some iron wall higher than the one they face during matches.
Watching the three fighting over nabe on the road, Sawamura said, “I think they’re the type best left as is.”
“I think so, too.” Michimiya firmly nodded.
Together, these two, as captains, have come to unify their team members. On one side they are not at all dull nor late bloomers, but they fundamentally excel in assessing the situation. These two decided that this is where they should draw back from the three.
“Let’s go."
“Yeah.”
Then, the two left the three players of Dateko and started walking away from the Supermarket.
“I wonder what that was?”
“Maa, there’s a lot of things.”
“Right.”
After laughing, they looked at each other.
“Well, since I go this way...”
“Aah”
“Bye”
Michimiya laughed. Today, they said several goodbyes. Yet, there was no sadness like the one she felt until a moment ago. If she said any complaints about having a fun time like this, surely she’ll be punished.
“See you tomorrow.”
“Yeah.”
The two waved their hands and then, they walked onto their respective paths.
_____________________
After fixing her hold on the grocery bag, carrying it with two hands instead of one, she muttered to herself.
“So heavy--”
The bag contains 2 bags of 1kg salt, 1 liter of soy sauce, and 50 ml of olive oil packed in a glass bottle. There’s no way it’s light.
After all, these are not needed. It would have been good if she had chosen lighter ones. Something like pepper or wheat or fried tofu. Either way, how will she explain to her mom the salt, soy sauce and olive oil. She can’t say the truth. With that said, she also has to say another lie.
Be that as it may, she was paying for her sins, and her mind was cloudy. At that time, a voice behind her was heard.
“Michimiya!”
When she looks back, she is surprised. The person who was crossing the pedestrian is Sawamura whom she just parted with just now.
“Eh? Eh?!”
As she stood holding tightly the rustling heavy vinyl bag, Sawamura, who caught up, said,
“I forgot to say something.” His face changed to a serious one after he smiled.
When Michimiya straightened her back without thinking, Sawamura talked.
“Thank you for the protective charm you gave before.”
“Eh. Ah, yeah.”
“I’ll bring it to Spring High as well.”
After saying only that, Sawamura said, “Bye.”
Then again, he turned back and started walking.
“Ah, yeah!”
With his back facing her, replying only was the best she could do.
“.......................”
It’s the usual Karasuno Volleyball Team Jersey. The back of a black jersey which is more familiar than their uniform will immediately tell you it’s Sawamura. No matter how dark it is. No matter how far he is. There’s no mistaking it. Indeed, it’s a back that has the dependability of a captain.
------ Indeed a captain?
Michimiya thinks.
Was I able to show my friends and kouhai a back like that? Without being ashamed, was I able to perform and be devoted?
As soon as she thought of that, Michimiya shouted, “Wait!”
Sawamura stopped his feet and turned back. “What is it?”
Michimiya held out the heavy vinyl bag and said. “This! You see, this, today, the truth is we don’t really need it.”
“Eh? Ah, is that so?”
“Yeah, I’m sorry.”
Michimiya put her head down after saying that. Sawamura answered, as if he was slightly troubled.
“No, there’s no need to apologize, right.”
“No. It’s no good. Because….” Michimiya shakes her head.
Sawamura spoke. “It’s okay. Even if you don’t use it today, someday you’ll use it right?”
“Eh? Ah, yeah. That’s right but…”
That is true but the problem is---- As she was thinking that, Sawamura continued.
“Recently, Ukai-san said --”
“Eh? Ukai-san again?”
“Yeah. Somehow, when he went along to do his family’s shopping, he was asked to line up several times to buy this bread called “Only 1 Loaf of Bread” from one of the famous stores. They have to eat it before it goes bad so everyday, every meal he continues to buy the bread and with that, it was really tiring.”
Bread? What is he talking about? Michimiya was doubtful but Sawamura’s face was serious all throughout so in the meantime she’ll keep listening.
“If you compared that to the bread, the salt and the soy sauce isn’t so bad.”
“Ah, yeah. Maybe it’s because it doesn’t get moldy?”
“Right?”
“Yeaaah?”
So, that’s it. That’s what the story was about, huh. Will it get molds? Will it not get molds? Is it good to talk about mold? Salt certainly does not get molds but…
At that time, her head was full of things about mold.
Sawamura spoke again, “Then, tell me how the Deep-sea water salt tastes like.”
“Eh?”
“Hey, salt master. Earlier, you said that it might taste mild but on the contrary, without putting unnecessary things, there is a possibility that it’ll have a sharp taste, right?”
Being lured by Sawamura’s serious face all throughout, Michimiya forgot about molds and pondered.
“You’re right. Yeah, I’ll try it once I get home.”
“Well then, tomorrow, please let me know.”
After saying that and smiling, Sawamura said, “bye,” and once again turned on his heel.
“Yeah! Tomorrow!” She cheerfully called out and waved her hand.
She saw his back walk across the street and watched it grow smaller and smaller as he moved farther away. It was when he finally turned at the corner and disappeared from her sight that Michimiya released her breath.
“Tomorrow, huh.”
As she said that, she held her cheeks with her two hands.
Hot, I’m sure my face has become bright red. Good thing it is dark, she thought. Since I’m absolutely making a weird face.
As she breathed in the perfectly clear winter air with all her might, Michimiya looked up at the night sky.
“So Tomorrow!”
She breathes out all her feelings together with a frosty breath. Then she faced front and started walking. Holding the heavy and precious package, she embraced in heart her small, small promise with Sawamura.
Salt, it’s okay to just taste it as is but maybe she should try making an onigiri and compare? There's also the option of dipping boiled egg to it and eating it.
As she is thinking about things like that, she starts to run before she knows it.
Just by running, it feels like tomorrow will come faster.
-------END------
Some Translation Notes:
Gestalt Collapse: ゲシュタルト崩壊 (Gestalt Collapse) is a term in Japanese which describes the phenomenon of a complex character breaking down into its component parts in one's mind and losing its meaning if one stares at it for a short while. Source: http://www.antimoon.com/forum/t8706.htm (Will try to find a more reliable source)
"Not a master of sake but a master of salt huh.” The original line is 効き酒ならぬ、効き塩 (Kikisake naranu kikishio) An alternative translation is "It's tasting salt instead of tasting sake"
Nabe - Hot Pot
Kouhai - Lower classmen
Nabe-pa - Short-term for Nabe Party
Natto - Fermented Soybeans
Tsukemono - Japanese Pickled Vegetables
一斤限り Ikkinkagiri Is the Japanese name of the bread the Ukai-san bought. There's no official translation for the name yet so I did my best to translate in English. 一斤 ikkin means loaf of bread while 限り means limit/only/degree.
衣食足りて礼節を知る[ishoku tarite reisetsu wo shiru]:the poor can't afford manners can also be translated as only when basic needs for living are met can people spare the effort to be polite
148 notes · View notes
shipmistress9 · 4 years
Text
Sex Toy Advent Calendar: Day 6: Purple U-shaped Vibe
Fandom: HTTYD
Rating: E
Pairing: Hiccup/Astrid
Words: 3130
Summary: Day 6 of the Sex Toy Advent Calendar. Today's toy makes up for any previous disappointment. And leaves Hiccup and Astrid eager for further explorations.
AN: I ran a bit into a wall with this one. At some point, I had to delete half of what I'd written for this chapter because it wasn't working, and then RL became pretty tough. Ah, well. At least it's finished now. And in the meantime, I had a lot of fun making notes for the future parts of this series. ^^
. o O o .
Today, it was Hiccup’s turn to be thrumming with anticipation as he and Astrid went to open today’s box. After yesterday's disappointment —though everything had turned out more than bearable in the end—her excitement had noticeably dampened. It wasn’t that she wasn’t looking forward to seeing what was in today’s box, but more that she'd lowered her expectations. Which was a shame, really. 
Hiccup didn’t know for sure which gift they got today. But he'd seen a rough overview of which toys would be in this calendar when he’d bought it, and… Well, the fact that there were two black boxes with the golden letters saying ‘six’ was giving away a lot, especially with the additional information printed on the smaller one in his hand. 
“So, what does it say there?” Astrid asked, eyeing the tiny box skeptically. 
“It says that we can use this charging cable for the boxes 6, 12, and 24,” he said smugly. Then he nodded at the other, slightly bigger box in her hands. “Don't you want to take a look?”
Astrid's mouth had turned into a perfect O, her eyes now alight with new excitement. The sight made Hiccup smile. She was so beautiful like this. With quick eager motions, she tore the box open and held up its content. 
“Okay, and what is this?”
“Well, it’s not a cock ring,” he replied in a light, teasing tone. 
Astrid regarded him with a flat stare.
Chuckling, Hiccup took the purple u-shaped device out of her hands. “It’s a vibrator, obviously. If I remember correctly, it’s called Double Joy. A fitting name, because, well, both sides have their use.” He pointed at the differing ‘arms’ of the U. “The thinner side here is meant to go inside you, while the thicker side with the flared and flattened shape here is supposed to cover your clit. Both sides vibrate, individually if you want. Also, the bit that goes inside you is so narrow that I should easily fit in as well. That way, we can both feel the vibrations and also each other, and your clit gets attention, too.”
Astrid’s lips twitched in amusement as she glanced at him. “Someone’s done his homework, as it seems,” she teased. Then her attention returned to the vibrator. “But I admit, this sounds interesting. Should we try it right away?”
Chuckling, Hiccup shook his head. He wasn’t surprised at her eagerness, not at all. It was Sunday, so they both were off work today and had the entire day for themselves. And, well, she was Astrid. 
But sadly, they would have to wait. “Remember this?” He held up the other box, the charging cable. “It has a build-in batterie and needs to charge first. Besides, there’s something else this thing can do, and I think you’re going to want and explore this option before we get started.” 
“Who says we can only use it once?” she asked, attempting to look innocent and failing spectacularly. “But okay, the charging is a valid argument. So let's get this connected, and then you can tell me aaaaaall about its other features.”
. o O o .
Astrid’s eyes were gleaming as she went through the app’s options. She was thrilled, just like Hiccup had expected. 
“Okay, this alone is worth getting this calender,” she proclaimed after a few minutes. “I can control both sides of the vibrator individually, right here in the app. Strength and rhythm, and…” she paused, her eyes growing wide. “Oooohh. I can even connect it to a playlist and it pulses along with the music?” She smirked at him. “We’re definitely going to try this!”
Having expected nothing else, Hiccup nodded, and then leaned in to show her another feature. “Then I hope you have a fitting playlist saved. Anyway, see this here? It’s a partner feature.”
She squinted at her display. “Okay? And what does it do?”
“Once paired with your phone, only you can control the vibrator. For safety. However, you can decide to temporarily give this control over to another specific app user. For example, we could go out with you wearing it, but I control it. It’s apparently extra silent, so nobody at a restaurant or at the cinema would hear it. Well, unless your moans grow too loud.” He threw her a cheeky smirk, but had to bite back a laugh at the dazed look on her face. Oh, she liked that idea, didn’t she? 
Hiccup felt smug, having found this toy and within the fun context of this calendar, no less. She’d voiced interest in such a toy every now and then, and he was sure that it would see plenty of use. 
Intent on teasing her further, he stepped behind her, hands on her hips and letting her feel how thinking about the possibilities didn’t leave him unaffected either. “You could also take it with you when you have to go on a business trip again,” he murmured against her neck. “And then you could allow me control over it when we video chat before going to sleep. I could make you come and watch you, even without being there.”
Astrid moan, and a shiver ran through her body. She leaned into him, her cute butt pressing at his growing erection. “That sounds intriguing,” she murmured.
“Or you could wear it when you go to work,” he went on, voice low and rough now. “I wouldn’t know what you’re doing or how aroused you already are, but I could keep playing with the control the entire day through. I wonder what your annoying co-worker would say if you interrupt another one of her self-praises with an orgasm.”
Astrid nearly choked on breathy laughter, the image no doubt appealing to her. “Mmm, we should definitely keep that option in mind. How much longer until that thing is charged and ready for use?”
“Another hour, I fear,” he said after glancing at his watch. He wished he could give her a more satisfying answer, but that was the instruction he’d read up in advance. By now, he was pitching a full tent in his loose lounging bottoms. But they could bridge an hour by doing something else… right? 
It was a long hour. Astrid played some more with her new app, arranging playlists or something, while Hiccup made a food plan for the week to determine which ingredients he would have to get. Although he’d have to double-check it later with how… distracted he was. 
Every few minutes, Astrid’s eyes flicked toward the clock hanging over their TV, and every time, she gave an impatient sigh. It made Hiccup grin, her eagerness and curiosity so wonderfully blatant and so cute. Not that he wasn’t interested in seeing what this toy could do, but there was just something so refreshing and endearing about watching her that he was almost sad when the waiting was over. But only almost. 
When the hour was over—Astrid apparently had even set an alarm—she jumped up and all but ran toward their bedroom. Hiccup followed her, chuckling, and found her kneeling on the bed. She held the vibe in her one hand and her phone in the other, and let out a victorious “Ha!” the moment he sat down next to her. 
“It’s working?” He crawled behind her onto the bed, stabilising himself with his hands on her waist as he looked over her shoulder.
“Looks like it, yes.” She tapped a few buttons on her phone, and the vibrator buzzed to life. “Excellent!”
“And what’s your plan now?” he asked, a little bemused as she turned it off again and shifted until she lay on her back. “What do you want to try with it?” 
She smirked. “Oh, you’ll see.” 
With one swift motion, she pushed her bottoms and underwear down, giving him an unimpeded view of her lower half, and brought the toy down to her entrance. Hiccup’s breath caught in his throat as he watched it slip inside her, easily, as if it belonged there. It really was proof of how aroused and eager she was that even after an hour of waiting she was wet enough to not need the tiniest bit of foreplay or lube. 
To his slight disappointment, though, she then pulled her clothes up again and reached for her phone. A moment later, a low tune sounded through the room and Astrid’s eyes fluttered shut with a soft moan. The vibrator was indeed surprisingly quiet, Hiccup could only hear it because he was listening for it and there were no other noises around them, anyway. With his heart beating a little faster, he let out a low grunt as he watched her, clearly luxuriating in the invisible stimulation. She was so beautiful like this. 
She held her hand out toward him, reaching for him. “Come here,” she purred.
Hiccup obliged happily, covering her with his body as she pulled him into a deep kiss. Her hips moved in time with the music coming from her phone, grinding herself against his thigh and making her mewl. 
Oh, this was hotter than he’d expected. He could probably continue just like this, lazily making out, kissing her with one hand slowly combing through her hair, and she’d still come sooner rather than later. But tempted as he was—they had the entire day free, after all, and nothing was stopping them from just spending countless hours in bed—he still wanted to do a little more, go a little further. 
He sat up, much to her complaint, and removed his shirt with one quick motion, then leaned down to resume kissing her. Astrid hummed happily as his hand splayed over her breast, squeezing her through her thin vest before it slipped beneath the fabric to peel it off her. She wriggled to help him, but instead nearly arched off the bed when the music switched to a quicker part for a short while and the toy apparently followed along. 
“F-fuck!” she cursed, eyes out of focus as she gazed past him at the ceiling. Her fingers were digging into his arms, her hips moving in search of that elusive stimulation. “This… this is…”
“Oh, this is going to be fun,” Hiccup mused idly, mouthing at her ear. “I think I love this toy already.” 
Astrid didn’t reply and just moaned weakly as he moved down her body and pulled aside the cups of her bra with his teeth. Her nipples were sensitive already and quickly hardened beneath his tongue, so much fun to play with. 
He kept it light for now, merely teasing her. But with half an ear, he listened to the music, and right before he knew another quicker part would come, his lips closed around the hard bud and he sucked, harshly. It made her mewl with longing, and when the music and vibrations grew stronger again, Astrid cried out, limps shaking and hands tightening into fists in his hair. 
Three times he repeated this pattern until she came undone beneath him with a beautiful scream. Her entire body spasmed as waves of pleasure crashed through her, her eyes rolling back into her head. It was a memorable sight, one Hiccup wished he could capture in a drawing later on. She was so utterly beautiful when in the throes of pleasure, so irresistible, so alluring. Just watching her made him feel as if he was about to come himself.
When it was over, she almost desperation reached out, whimpering, and her arm wandered around on the bedcovers as if she was searching for something. It took Hiccup a second to cotton on, still mesmerised by her sight. But then he understood, grabbed her phone lying next to her head, and turned the music off. The low buzzing stopped as well and a moment later, Astrid fell back onto the bed, blissful and relaxed.
“Oh, wow,” she gasped, her head lolling to the sight and with a huge grin on her face. “Okay, this baby alone was worth everything. That was awesome!” 
Chuckling, Hiccup sat up and took in more of her sight. Not even halfway undressed but with her hair sticking to her sweaty forehead and neck, she looked the picture of debauchery. 
“I’m glad to hear that. So I guess the hour of waiting wasn’t that unbearable, retrospectively?”
She let out a shaky laugh. “I’d say it was even more unbearable now that I know what I was missing out on. But just for the records. When I take this baby with me to work, promise me you won’t use the highest setting. I don’t want to fall off my chair when my body just stops responding.”
Hiccup laughed. The image was certainly intriguing, but he’d also noticed something else. She’d said when and not if. Somehow, that didn’t even surprise him. 
What did surprise him though was when Astrid suddenly reached up and pulled him into a blistering kiss. He’d thought that with the apparent intensity of her orgasm just now, she needed a slight break at least. But, obviously, he’d been wrong. Once, he was close enough again, her hands were all over him, roaming over his skin in a show of very obvious eagerness. 
Not one to complain, Hiccup let her guide him, getting rid of her shirt and bra, and enjoyed the sensation of hot skin against his own. Her hands on his back, her legs entangled with his own, her hips grinding against him, slow but insistent. 
“You’re sure you don’t need a break?” Even with how eager she was, he still had to ask, to make sure. “You’re not too sensitive?” 
She chuckled, breathy. “Actually, I am. Just a little, though. But no, I don’t need a break. Don’t want one. I want more.”
Groaning at her needy tone, Hiccup didn’t resist when she pushed his bottoms down and reached for his cock. After her lewd display, he was already hard, the touch of her hand more than welcome on his heated flesh. She stroked him slowly, her eyes drinking in his reaction, and he had to fight not to thrust into her grip in his eagerness. 
Getting rid of her remaining clothes was merely a formality, and before long, she guided his cock to slip inside her along with the toy. Even with how slim this part of the vibrator was, it was a noticeably tighter fit than usual, and at first, they struggled to find the right angle. Once inside though, Hiccup sighed as her silken heat surrounded him. She was so hot, so tight, and just so… so… Astrid!
She was biting her lip when he glanced down at her, her eyes pressed shut and brows furrowed. 
“Are you okay?” His voice was rough with desire, but her well-being was more important. 
Letting out a keening noise, low and needy, Astrid nodded. “I am. Just intense. But good.” 
To give her time to adjust, Hiccup leaned down, supporting his weight on his elbows, and breathed hot openmouthed kisses onto her jaw, down her neck, to her shoulders. It had the desired effect, distracting her and making her giggle. Then she pushed lightly against his chest with her flat hand, and Hiccup pushed himself up again, watching her curiously as she reached for her phone again. 
“Slowly at first, okay?”
Hiccup nodded and was about to say something in response when the vibrations set in. Instead, he just let out a weak groan, his eyes falling shut at the unfamiliar sensation. 
Oh, that felt good!
The toy wasn’t long enough to reach all the way along his cock, but that wasn’t much of an issue. As he slowly pulled out and pushed in again, he found that the toy covered him well enough, and the vibrations were enough to send an additional thrill through his body, anyway. 
And the music… Astrid had picked a calm piece, beautiful, and it was easy to fall into the slow rhythm. It was almost like a dance, in a way. Not that he would call himself a skilled or anything but awkward dancer, but this was different. Easy. Letting the music set the pace for their movements, he enjoyed how it gave him time to indulge in their closeness, their intimacy. Exploring every part of her he could reach with his nose and mouth alone was something he so rarely got the chance to. 
After a while, the music changed, the beat becoming a little faster. It was a natural development to follow, Astrid meeting his thrusts perfectly, and her endless string of moans and breathless sobs as the vibrations grew stronger was a beautiful addition to the familiar melody. 
Hiccup was entirely lost in it all, watching, listening, feeling. The music grew faster, the vibrations stronger, his thrusts harder. On and on it went, a crescendo of sensations. 
Beneath him, Astrid was teetering on the edge of another orgasm, her fingernails digging deeply into his arms. It was pure perfection, and when the music reached its climax, the same was true for them as well. 
It was intense; Astrid screamed with no restraints, and Hiccup muffled his howl against her sweaty neck. Her clenching muscles were like a velvet device of pleasure around his thrumming cock, and the vibrations fuelled his orgasm even further. His hips seemed to move on their own, his thrusts carrying them through to the end even as his cum made her insides slick and slippery. 
“Oh, f-fuck,” he groaned weakly as he nearly collapsed on top of her. He managed to roll to the side instead, forehead pressed against her shoulder, but he kept his arm slung across her chest in a loose embrace. After this, she would need the closeness just as much as he did. 
Astrid fumbled with her phone and then cuddled closer to him once the music—and the vibrations—had stopped. “Yeah, that’s an accurate summary,” she sighed, giggling. She snuggled closer, blindly reaching for a blanket to ward off the cool air. They were both in desperate need of a shower, but that could wait for later. “I don’t know what else we’re going to find in this calendar, but I dare say this toy is one of my top favourites.”
Hiccup let out a tired laugh. He’d hoped for this to be a good one, but the reality was still so much better than his imagination. 
“And you know what’s the best part of it?”
Too exhausted for many words, he just hummed weakly for her to continue. 
She shifted until her lips reached his, and he thought he could feel her smirk as she kissed him. 
“The best part is that we still have the entire day to keep enjoying this toy.”
. o O o .
AN: I bet neither of them will be able to walk anymore around noon at the latest. xD
* - . - * - . o O o . - * - . - *
If you want to support me you can buy me a coffee. I love coffee 😊 (Ko-Fi)
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jae-canikeepyou · 4 years
Text
| odd hour | j.jh
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pair: jaehyun x fem!reader
genre: fluff again cuz why not
a/n: written without proof reading because i had other writings to deal with :p hehehe! anyway i hope you enjoy reading, my dears! ~j.  
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your chest tightened at the loud sound blasting from your phone. eventually your hands pulled the remains of your blanket to muffle out the ringtone. that’s great! it stopped ringing for a moment before the vibration went ahead of the tone. heck, it rang again. you kicked the covers in frustration, little whimpers escaping your lips that it was another night you couldn’t have a peaceful trip to your slumber.
the bright light kept blinking in the dark and forcing you to open your eyes. anger was written all over your sleepy body as you turned lazily to the table beside the bed. who could be calling you at this hour when you already started to enjoy the dream projected in your brain? screw whoever cut it short. as if you had the screen memorised, your fingers slid across to answer the call.
“hello?” you greeted groggily with a long, and somewhat disrespectful yawn. no harm in letting them know how irritated you were, right?
“y/n! i called you twice and you answer at the second call? you usually pick up after the first ‘prrrring’!” mingyu, your best friend slightly yelled a bit louder in attempt to overpower the booming sound system in the background. probably in the club again, you thought.
“mingyu?” you sat up just so you wouldn’t fall asleep. “tsk. ever thought of that i might be sleeping at this hour? it’s 3 a.m for crying out loud!”
by the sound of his voice in the other line, it was obvious his phone was taken away. you could hear him scolding someone, actually, when did he never scold anyone, that included you as well. “yah! jaehyun!”
you quickly stood up in your disheveled pj’s; heart hammering non-stop at the mention of this handsome, human being that have always caught you off guard whenever mingyu would hang with you. he’d tag along too and each time that happened, you tried not to smile or blush in front of the dimpled heartthrob.
and most of the time you end up failing when the rest of the boys shoot you with teasing daggers of grins.
the call was still on hold, and it appeared that mingyu tried to snap the boy back to reality. he kept on raising his tone and uneven breaths were heard, trying to chase jaehyun. you were walking back and forth— feeling nervous, in which by the way, was unnecessary. but what were you supposed to feel?
it was jeong jaehyun.
the guy you fell hard for, literally; when you tripped over due to the desktop chair’s legs that you didn’t see. embarrassing as it was, he was indeed a gentleman to have helped you stand up on your toes. your eyes never left his until he bowed to take his leave.
“y/n! do you have time?” mingyu finally went back to giving the attention you waited for. “i got hold of jaehyun.”
“and?” you asked, eyebrows furrowed in question and held in your breath, the useless excitement of yours started growing— so were your eyes when he said the next words,
and also that had you blushing hard.
“pick your man up!” mingyu laughed with a husky and hiccupy kind.
you became flustered and panicked and your lips couldn’t utter a response. he started to burst out laughing, only to stop when jaehyun took the phone from him. “ʸ/ⁿ! ⁱˢ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ʸᵒᵘ? ʰᵉˡˡᵒ!” he sounded drunk and totally different from what you had imagined. he was already cute, but the jaehyun now was cuter.
“y/n, please come here and get him?” mingyu begged. poor guy, his 97-line friends partied the night away and if there was anyone who would drive, that’d be him. “i can’t fit an extra person in my seven-seater van.” he whined and you could already picture out his pouty lips. “i’ve got chan, seokmin, jungkook, bam, minghao and eunwoo. jae’s a big guy so-”
grabbing your jacket and slipped on some comfy sweatpants, you headed for the door but stopped mid-way when you realised what you were doing. crap i got carried away. “wait hold up.” you sighed, putting down your car keys. “an extra person wouldn’t be a problem right? put someone at the compartment area or on the floor or something.”
mingyu faked a laugh. “i’ve never seen jae drunk before. i don’t want him puking.” he claimed.
“so you’d rather want him to throw up in my car-”
“ah consider this a favor, my sweet sis.” cutting you off and leaving you stunned in your tracks. “we, your brothers know your crush towards him. so if you don’t want us to tell him about your jeelings when he’s sober, better get here soon~”
j-jeelings??
you tried to enter his blabbermouth reasons even if you knew you didn’t stand a chance against this giant puppy. “wait, ‘gyu! i don’t know his apartme-” and he ended the call.
great, what were you going to do now?
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the road was identical with those seen in an apocalyptic world described in movies. there were less people, flickering lampposts and garbage/debris spinning in circles with the wind’s currents. you flinched at the touch from jaehyun’s arms, which were attached to yours. he mumbled words in ways you couldn’t understand. it appeared more of a gibberish language; if not, then he was a total baby.
with combined smell of his perfume and alcohol, you thought you were about to pass out. he was too close and wondered how he was able to cling onto you in the most uncomfortable way possible. you sighed as you finally pulled over at his apartment block.
“jaehyun. we’re home.” you said, unbuckling the seatbelt and you had to do it for him since he was busy giggling at the buzzing fly trying to escape the window.
“we’re homeee?” he turned to you, face flushed than ever where you blinked non-stop at his stupid, adorable smile. “is it possible that you’re my wife? *hiccup* hahahaaa! wait i’m not even married yet!”
w-wife?..
you got off the car and went to his side, opening the door then found him struggling to stand up. “are you my wife?” he giggled.
“jaehyun you’re not married and i’m not your w-wife.” you said sternly, biting back from saying your actual, honest thoughts aloud.
he slung his arms around you thinking that you would support his weight. once you arrived at his doorstep, he pulled and led you into his apartment. apparently with the little furnitures he owned and no roommates found, it was clear that he lived alone. “stay here. i’ll give you water.” he offered and headed to the kitchen with wobbly steps. funny how he could make out his way there.
the place he calls home had pretty basic things; a keyboard, a complete set of tech-stuff you had no knowledge of and a vinyl turntable with several records. you snapped out of admiration when he handed you a glass of water and gummy smile glued to his face. getting up, you decided it was best for the both of you to get some rest. “thanks jae. now that you’re here, i’m gonna head back ho-”
a light thump on the wooden floor had you turning to him, but you covered your eyes at his action.
“tsk, it’s hot.” he removed his hoodie and underneath it revealed his tank top and toned arms. he was about to remove his top when you stopped him just in time.
“w-what’re you doing?!” you squealed and hopped, panicky and unsure what to do next. one palm covered your eyes and the other brought forth to reach him.
“taking my clothes off- hey! that tickles!” he whined, then laughing at the tugs you pulled at the ends of this hoodie, preventing him from further actions.
you fanned yourself at the exerted strength you’ve given, resting your arm by your waist. “gosh you’re such a handful!” you sighed. it was alright to blush since he wasn’t sober to see your expressions. thank heavens.
jaehyun crossed his arms and looked at you from head to toe. feeling the sleep signals hitting your body, you yawned at the odd hour you were suddenly dragged into. you thought bringing him home was hard, but getting him to stay at one place was harder.
his smiley face and waving body headed to the kitchen again, you slowly followed him around the apartment. “are you really not my wife?” his sudden turn to face you, causing flinch at his touch on your arm.
“jaehyun, for the last time, i’m not.” heh i wish. you rubbed his fluffy hair and grabbed your keys to get home. “wash up now and good night jae.”
he lightly slammed the wall behind you, not letting you leave. his eyes stared into yours, luring you into his world, an imperfect perfection. the weight of his forehead suddenly leaned on your shoulder, as if he was towering over you and yet he lowered himself to pull you close to him. “i won’t let you.”
the stillness of your body followed his words, like obeying a general’s command and no matter how sleepy you were, that went away once you returned his hug, not wanting to let go and take in the moment. this was rare, although it seemed like you took advantage of his drunkenness, even on normal days it was difficult to hold a conversation with jaehyun because he seemed so far-fetched.
a soft air of whispers tickled your ears, sending goosebumps at the touch of them. “did i surprise you?” he asked, followed by again a drunken giggle.
was he serious? “and if i said no?” you lied, trying to appear unaffected when you actually were. what’s wrong with you y/n?
“‘no?’ then if i do this, will you be surprised?” he asked with a challenging tone and had to leaned in closer than before where you both of your knees were touching.
“what exactly are you going to do nghf-” your fingers curled and eyes flutter when a sudden warmth met your lips. you knew you were going to faint right then and there,
but in fact it was the opposite.
jaehyun’s weight lifted off of you, collapsing afterwards when darkness consumed his sight to meet his sleep. he mumbled words that you didn’t notice, still utterly shocked with what he did. you managed to catch him and supported him to his bed.
your fingers touched the slightly swollen lips he planted upon as you were out of his door. then it immediately got you thinking that there was no way you would be able to look at him in the eye the next time you both meet.
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the drumming of your heart continued for the next days since that night. yugyeom noticed how fidgety you were whenever jaehyun would sit with the group at the library or at the caféteria. you’d immediately leave and think of lame excuses so you wouldn’t see jaehyun. at first they didn’t mind, you were a busy person after all. however this time, yugyeom managed to grab your wrists and plop you back to the chair. you mentally cursed at him and he didn’t seem to care like smiling it off would let him off the hook.
you annoyingly and purposely tilted your body so you wouldn’t face jaehyun entirely. “i don’t know what’s up with you but you gotta spill why you’re behaving this way.” yugyeom whispered and you rolled your eyes because yeah, you were busted.
“am i too obvious?” your surrendering voice softened his eyes, more so when you covered your face.
he raised his eyebrows and little did you know mingyu witnessed this as well. “obvious when you’re trying to hide your feelings for jaehyun or obvious that you’re trying ditch us again because of jaehyun?”
“both.” you sighed.
“did something happen that night?” mingyu cupped his lips, soon joining the so called ‘secret and quiet’ conversation you and yugyeom were having.
he didn’t get any verbal responses from you because you gave them a smile of uncertainty where your palms brushed your lips briefly. he covered his mouth as if he was really shocked, more of he really was. “something did, yeah?” he whispered and was convinced from your actions.
your phone alarmed, reminding you of your next class. quickly you packed your stuff and shoved them inside the bag, not caring whether they were neat or not. the rushed actions made jaehyun and the others look your way, and you tried your best to not meet his eye. “i gotta go.”
the faint smell of your perfume stayed in jaehyun’s nostrils whilst you didn’t bother to say goodbye. he turned his torso around, following your figure until it was getting further off the horizon of the caféteria. his friends became awkwardly silent, and he expected them to at least say something if there was a reason of your unusual behavior. instead, he got nothing, that they continued to eat even if they knew he had questions.
“is y/n okay?” he tilted his head in confusion, and saw how his buds bend theirs.
no one dared to speak because in this table, jaehyun was the oblivious one. he wasn’t aware of your feelings for him and the others have kept silent knowing the consequences if they told him; you were quite an angry bear, ‘a cute kind’, they said. “why are you all suddenly quiet?” he asked, the sips and slurps of the cups soon to be emptied.
“oh well y’know..” mingyu chuckled with his fangs peeking out. “just tired?”
“‘cause we’re eating?” jungkook pointed his food.
“uh we have a choice to be?” chan giggled with seokmin who was unable to keep silent.
jaehyun raised a brow, totally not convinced at the excuses and sat back with arms crossed. “you know i could tell if something’s up. who answers with a question anyway?” his straightforwardness wasn’t doing enough to keep them talking. “i’m gonna follow y/n.”
yugyeom stood to stop jaehyun from doing his thing without thinking straight. “wait!” he called out to him and the boy turned around.
the rest of the circle had given daggers to youngest who kept telling him to keep his words to himself. they really didn’t want to make you angry, but what yugyeom was doing would risk their friendship with you. to be exact, risk your friendship with jaehyun’s because of term called ‘crush’. their eyes pleaded and begging him to not spill anything.
“what?” jaehyun flattened his lips that the corners curved inwards, a more confused look seen on him. yugyeom cupped his mouth to whisper, the dimpled man’s eyes grew and scurried off the campus.
chan propped his elbows as the man sat back on his seat. “‘gyeom, what did you tell him?”
“y/n gave a hint before she left, i doubted it first. but it made so much sense as to why she kept ditching our meet-ups-”
“get to the point!” the rest of them pressured him.
the blond haired boy only sighed. “i told jae that he might've drunk-kissed y/n.”
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the sun met its sleep and the night began with patches of rain sprinkling your window. cool rushes of wind entered the thin gaps which sent shivers down to your spine, you wrapped yourself more into the cardigan. you hated it when the weather changes. 
pacing back and forth of your apartment, you’ve had battles in your head that maybe it was best to tell jaehyun or maybe it was better to keep things this way before you had the confidence to do so. you yelled into the pillow to let all of your feelings out. it was too much for your heart to carry or continue. even if you did decide to tell him, how would you approach him? how would you begin the conversation?
you held your phone much tighter than before yugyeom sent a message that gotten your brows raising in millions of questions.
[19:03] yuggie: the boys and i will treat you lunch or any of your cravings! we promise! 🙏🏼
“cool. i won’t be touching my savings for a while!” you cheered, knuckles and fists closed at the good news. unbeknownst to you, the reason for their actions probably would be revealed at a later time.
whilst you waited for dinner to be delivered, you turned on netflix to binge some series you haven’t watched before. however, you paused the means of leisure because you felt lonely. your roommate was out of town, leaving you to care for the apartment for a couple of weeks. and you couldn’t call the rest of the boys because some had work while others were busy with gaming. you could join them, but the motion picture of the game just doesn’t work together with your sight. the weather was already making you sick and nauseous. might feel worse if you played. 
so you uninterestedly switched on the tv again, spent nth minutes into choosing but never really decided on one. 
the memory and experience from that night came flashing in your head. you remembered the touch of his plump lips, the mixed smell of perfume and alcohol, his large hands wrapping your arm and the universe in his twinkling eyes. indeed you liked him a lot, and were thankful that your friends kept it a secret. if the truth came out, you wouldn’t know what else to do.
ding dong!
you stood fumbling with your purse, assured that maybe the pizza guy could wait a little, except it wasn’t who you thought it’d be. the door revealed jaehyun, soaked with an embarrassed smile. “hi?” he greeted, the rain drenched his clothes to the skin and his hair laid flat on his porcelain forehead. “i was about to call but-”
he was pulled in immediately, your hands on his wrists as the water bead droplets wet the wooden floor. “what are you doing in rain?!” you hissed, grabbing new towels for him to dry.
“i didn’t bring an umbrella and the sky just-”
“i thought i was reckless to leave the window open but you’re actually more reckless-”
“i have something to tell you.” he let the towel hung around his neck. there was something in his eyes that you somehow.. knew what he meant by that, so you decided to deal with yugyeom later. “i-”
“pizza delivery!” the guy said, making you and jaehyun turn to the still opened door.
you sighed heavily, why is there always one interrupting the other?
once everything was settled, he walked further into your home and removed his shirt that revealed a rather toned and refined abs. he took a new tee from a laundry basket fresh out from the wash that was exclusive for the boys in case of emergencies. you took care of actual babies.
you were now with him seated around the coffee table, unpacking the side dishes and drinks. “join me for dinner. i don’t think i can finish all this in one go.” you took extra ketchup from the cupboard. 
“wasn’t why i came here for but thanks y/n.” he smiled widely at the food laid out in front of him. 
that statement alone made you stop what you were doing. “why did you come here?” your eyes looked everywhere but him. unconsciously you bit your lip not because the guy you like was here, but because the kiss flashed in your mind again. 
jaehyun saw your action and scooted closer, the centimeters between you both lessening. “it can’t be a mistake, can it?” his voice was soft, with a hint of regret and worry at every uttered word. he eyed you from yours to your now wavering lips. “did i.. perhaps steal your first kiss?”
no words were needed to be said as to jaehyun, your actions and silence already said enough. you wanted to scream as the awkward air and your speechlessness was very unintentional. you wanted to talk, yet you couldn’t for who knew the reasons why. 
“i’ll take that as a yes.” he chuckled, stopping quickly afterwards at your fidgety state. “did i look that drunk?”
now it was you who let out an awkward chuckle. “so you don’t remember what happened that night?”
a warm tone of his hums prolonged the more the thought deeper. “not that i know of.. all i remember was being in the club with the dudes.” 
the rain poured heavier and it was uncertain when it would stop. thunderstorms were heard along with the patters of the droplets. jaehyun felt lucky enough that he came right before the weather turn worse. he let out a sigh of relief, but the relief of doing something unimaginable to you hasn’t lifted off of his chest. in fact, he didn’t know exactly why he felt more nervous than before when he shouldn’t be because it was just you.
yet, it was nervous because it was you.
the girl who managed to make his heart flutter at random times with your big laughs you weren’t ashamed of; the girl who rather hangs out with guys since you said there just too much drama with the ladies. but has a handful gems in her circle. and most of all, you were the girl he somehow wanted a girlfriend to be.
“stay tonight.” your words jolted him out from his thoughts while you moved the curtain aside to observe the rain. “it’s not gonna stop.”
“oh.” he muttered, internally cursing himself for interpreting you wrongly. “sorry for the bother.”
you handed him a slice of pizza, already devouring yours. “that was my first kiss.” he heard you began the topic he thought was long forgotten. “but i’m somehow glad it was you.”
“why?” he munched on his slice, anticipation was leading him on the more he waited for an answer. stupid stupid heart, he told himself.
should i say it or should i not? you thought. the thing was, he was here. the opportunity was already given and if you chose to confess later, it would be more awkward. screw it, i’m confessing. 
with uncertainty and slight fear, you exhaled. “because i like you a lot.” you said, now turning away due to heat spreading your cheeks. “a lot more than i like captain america- i mean chris evans.”
he dropped his food onto his plate, lips forming a pressed smile but he remained his composure knowing that he would probably lose control any second. jaehyun tapped on your shoulders, making you turn to him. “is that so? then i’m glad i didn’t remember the kiss.” his voice low and lovely. 
you tilted your head without seeing his red ears. “what do you mean?”
jaehyun, without hesitations, leaned forward and cupped your jaw. the warmth of his lips onto yours was warmer than the food in your hand. he let go of you, planting boop on your nose.
“‘cause i wanna remember kissing you when i’m sober. i like you a lot too.”
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histrionic-dragon · 4 years
Text
The Cross My Heart Job
I love how it was Parker and Eliot putting the walkie-talkies together out of...whatever. Hardison has clearly been teaching people things.
Poor confused Crab-a-Rama employee!
Soooo Parker just walked across the airport carrying that mid-90s beige chonk of a computer, huh? OTOH, I’ve been in airports at yuck-o-clock, and I probably would have been too focused on getting home to care much if I saw that, either.
“How do we get Level One passes?” “Twist Sophie’s ankle.” Apparently this is enough for Parker to assume that reasonable ways of getting the other passes are (a) breaking Eliot’s wrist and (b) setting Nate on fire. Ah, Parker.
“Yeah, this will keep my stuff safe. From a six-year-old with the DTs.” OUCH, Parker. Ouch. Aaand Eliot just punched the lock open. OK then.  --Appreciate how Parker and Eliot can just change here and it’s not a thing, and it’s not meta-made a big deal of either in terms of how it’s filmed or the music or anything, it’s just “assume next disguise and carry on.”
“Mr. Kirk Picard, please meet your party at door E.” YESSSS! Eliot speaks enough geek to get through this hiccup!
Ohhhhhh Nate’s speech to Chesney.... Nate is SCARY. You really, really don’t endanger sick kids when he’s around. He is ruthless. I mean, threatening a sick old man isn’t really okay--but also, that sick old man is willing to kill a kid for a chance, and to be all smug about it (”God helps those who help themselves”), which is also not okay. Nate’s “I help those who can’t” is pretty damn powerful.  Then later--”I didn’t kill you. God killed you. I just made sure it took”--tips it back from “righteously vengeful” to “Um, yikes, a bit,” and I think it’s telling that Nate is alone there. Nate is not a nice person when it’s just him and anger alone in his head. The team is important for everyone.
Aaah! Hardison has to figure out what info a pilot needs to land a plane ASAP. Yikes.
Please tell me they already swapped the bags or coolers or something--! Oh good.
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the19thduckpotato · 4 years
Text
In the Shadow of a Smile (Pt 4)
Part 3
Toshi's thoughts rambled aimlessly again.  Why did she have Izuku stay?  Something to do with me?  He grimaced.  I really wish she wouldn't.  I can take care of myself... Is that a fact, now? Listen.... Further thoughts were cut short as Izuku jogged up.  Toshi's face split into a warm grin.  "There you are!"
Izuku grinned back, falling into step beside Toshi (three short steps to each long one). "Hi!" He fumbled with the opening of the strawberry popcorn, munching on a few kernels. I wonder if he can have any... I know he can have sugar in small amounts, but... he does have his own kind of popcorn. Best not to offer n put him in the position of refusing, he'll sneak a few kernels of mine on his own if he wants some.
Toshi smiled down at his fan student son protege, amused by their comparative steps.  He tried to shorten his own steps and looked about.  "See any store you'd like to visit?" is it strange that I want to give him every good thing that he deserves?  Am I allowed to do that?  Well, i mean, I'm All Might, I can do whatever I like... not that I'd ever abuse that. He watched Izuku.  It'd be blatant favoritism.  But he deserves it.  But that would paint an even bigger target than he already has on him.  Which he definitely does not deserve. Toshi's steps slowed more as he let Izuku get ahead of him. I wish... And he squashed that thought immediately, startled that he even thought it.
Izuku looked around. "Aaahhh..." His eyes popped wide when he saw a certain storefront. "Ooh!! There!!" He bounced and pointed, though he quickly snatched his hand back as he remembered Pointing Was Rude.
Toshi's head snapped up and he squinted.  What in the...?
Izuku turned and grinned up at Toshi excitedly. "Can we go there??"
The blond looked amused verging on jovial laughter.  He almost teased Izuku about was there really a need for more plastic All Mights in the dorm? Just because you feel crummy is no reason to pick on the kid, even jokingly.    He picked this store, now let's learn a little more about what makes Izuku happy. "Of course.  I've been meaning to find myself a Chibi Aizawa eraser topper."  He winked.
Izuku smothered a laugh. "He's underground, they don't make merch of him!" Wait what am I even gonna buy in here, they sell All Might merch, and I'm taking ALL MIGHT in here, that's so cheesy and weird! Can I just look at stuff? Will he think it's a waste of time if I do? Oh no, why did I pick this?? Because you were excited, that's why. Because he asked and you answered, now shut up and Deal With It. Hhhnnngg.... "Do... do you maybe wanna find somewhere else though, because I know it's probably weird and-- and maybe there's somewhere else you'd rather be and I'd 100% like to go with you n honestly I don't even know what I'd want to buy from here, I was just looking...." Izuku grinned and rambled sheepishly as they got closer to the store, both wanting to go in and very much not.
Toshi just casually steered his charge into the store without breaking his slowed stride.  "Weird?  I want to see what's selling.  And who is."  He wrinkled his nose.  "I'm not overly fond of the whole marketing aspect of this job... but I get it."  He picked up a plush grinning All Bean and half smiled.  "Small mementos of the people you look up to.  Reminders that mean different things to different people.  If seeing my face plastered everywhere gave people hope, then so much the better." He didnt like the idea of some of his fans being denied that hope simply because they didnt have the money... but he also knew the heroing business was lucratively expensive. "--oop!"  He pointed at a pile of gray scarves and grinned impishly.  "Yessssssss."
Izuku gave a high-pitched laugh when he saw, then ducked and hoped no one heard him. He grinned back at Toshi and nodded. His gaze flitted around the store, landing on a Crimson Riot hoodie in a rack of clothes. "Oh! Kirishima would love that!" He pointed again.
Toshi picked up one of the scarves--it was much shorter than the real deal--and tossed it about his shoulders.  He affected a regal pose.  "What do you think?" he said, trying a droning Aizawa impression.
Izuku squeaked and hid his grin in his hands, shoulders shaking with silent laughter. He lifted his head, composure regained with a straight face.
"Blah blah, stop showing off, blah, I never get any sleep, blah, I have 20 cats and they're all named Mittens--"
Izuku's mouth twitched. He repeated the process.  Shaking his head, he mumbled shyly, "Noooooo... we can't make fun of him...."
"I'm sorry," Toshi snorted, trying to look apologetic.  "That was disrespectful." Jerk. Toshi's ears tinged red as he set the scarf back.  "You know what I'm looking forward to?"
Izuku looked up curiously, surprised at how quickly Toshi put the scarf back and how sad he sounded at the end. "--Oh?"
"When shops like these are filled to the brim with green.  Then I can be the big collector." If you even make it that-- "I'll be able to cite facts about my favorite hero, snatch up first editions, maybe get an autograph if I'm lucky."  He smiled hopefully at his kid.
Izuku squeeeeaked, hiding his face in his hands one more time. He quickly flew to Toshi, hugging his arm tightly. Of course you can you can have so much more than that you can have me, right there, oh please let me still be there--
"Heck, I know just the people to talk to about--i mean, if that's the way you'd like to go.  Merchandizing and all."  Toshi shrugged shyly.  "You're already making an impact now, just wait till you're well known.  People will be demanding Deku merch, heh." He looked about the store, all the current heroes familiar and easy to spot.  He blinked and saw different heroes now, the kids from UA.  Not just Izuku, not just Class 1A, but all the students. He blinked again, eyes stinging. I want to see that.
"Whuh-wuh... uuuhhh... I mean." Izuku lifted his head from where it was hidden against Toshi's arm and blinked. "Yeah, I'd rather talk to your people than try to do it on my own, but..." You mean you want HIM to talk to them and you not say anything, like a shy little puppy.... ...Look, that's a long way off though.... He didn't contradict himself. "I mean, maybe let's cross that bridge when we come to it. I don't know if that's even legal yet, I don't even have my full license...." Can unlicensed heroes even have merch deals? I mean I'm not unlicensed but it's only provisional....
Toshi grinned knowingly.  "I already know you're going to need merch.  No rush, of course... but if you keep going at the rate you already are, well."
Izuku muffled a long wobbly squeak against Toshi’s side.
"And to think that lil old me got to be fortunate enough to be the Great Deku's first fan.  Man," Toshi whistled.  "Am I ever lucky!" And for what it was worth, he meant every word.
Izuku could tell, and the fact made his heart feel all weird and tied up all the sheepish brushing-off he wanted to do in long confusing ribbons mixed with thanks. "...But-- you made Deku, though... I'd be nothing without you." Well, not nothing... I'd still be a person. But I wouldn't be a pro without you. I'm still not there, yet, but I hope... one day....
Toshi gazed at him fondly.  "Do you really still believe that?  That passing you--"  He paused, mindful they were in public, and gestured you know.  "--the, ah,  heroic torch would have been the same no matter who it was passed to?" "A Quirkless middle schooler?  What are you thinking?!  Such a boy could never serve as the Symbol of Peace!!" Toshi had coughed thickly but still proudly responded with, "He really has this burning desire to help people." And yet, Mirai had refused to listen, hanging up on his former partner. "...I picked you on purpose.  And each passing week only reinforces my decision.  Please do not doubt that.  Deku exists because you exist, firstly.  I just gave you a helping hand, that's all."  He grinned and brushed one bang away.
Izuku smiled softly-- mostly with his eyes. He rested his forehead against Toshi's arm, trying to think of words that would both satisfy Toshi and yet still be true. "Not... exactly the same, no. But I think... the other children out there... have just as much... potential. As I do."
"They do." Toshi tousled Izuku's hair.  "And would that I could help all of them the same way.  But..."  he held up one finger.  "Power is a tricky thing.  It has an effect on people and not always good.  The most well intentioned person can still do terrible things. "So it isn't just a matter of being suitable.  You earned my trust by not blabbing my secret.  You inspired me to action when I believed I could do no more.  You...well.  You made me want to live again.  Something that not even All Might could do.  So who's the strong one now, eh? "Frankly, kid, I'll be honest--i don't think there's a whole lot of people like you out there.  Don't sell yourself short."
Izuku gazed up at Toshi in wonder. He tried to think of something to say... his mouth twitched into a smile. "But I am short!"
Toshi just stared for a moment. S t a r e d.
Izuku slowly unsmiled himself. Not sad, but confused... "...Not funny?"
Then burst into a roar of laughter, helplessly trying to gasp, "well of course--heehee--next to me--"
The smile came back full force. Izuku burst into laughter too-- "Well YEAH, you're a GIANT!!" He looked up at Toshi with the brightest grin.
Toshi tried to regain his composure, looked at Izuku, used his hand to compare their heights, wheezed more laughter. "I'm onlyheeheehee seven fooahahaha oh no help--"
The laughter was incredibly contagious, Izuku hiccuping out noises that were a cross between a donkey and a chihuahua.
Toshi made a desperate noise at Izuku's noises, his laughter getting more out of control.  Tears squirted out and he weakly grasped at his kid's shoulder.  He was dimly aware others would be staring but the floodgates had opened and he could only ride the wave at this point. This marvelous wonderful wave.
Izuku's face was starting to hurt, but he was happy, SO happy. He tried his best to support Toshi but he, too, was a floppy noodle of hilarity.
Toshi fought to get himself back under control, his laughter finally tapering off into snickers, then slowing down to an occasional giggle.  He took a deep breath and checked on his kid.
One last snort.
Toshi's eyes widened.  Ohno. He clapped one hand over his mouth but his eyes still twinkled.
A tired giggle. Izuku enjoyed the feeling of being in the moment, still leaned against Toshi in a half-hug. He didn't dare look up, though, or he knew he'd start laughing again.
Toshi cleared his throat and casually thumbed the edges of his mouth.  "Well now we have to get something," he grinned.  "What's your pick?"
"Oh!" Izuku's gaze snuck toward the rack of jackets. "...Hmmm...."
Toshi's head followed his gaze.  "Oh look, a denim jacket!  Best Jeanist, you cad."
Izuku giggled, though he didn't quite get the joke. He stepped over to the rack, peeking through them and looking for-- well, maybe I can wear it... but what if Kacchan sees me? But... well, I can wear it in my room n stuff, at least. Or in places like this. As long as I hide it before I get back.... His fingers brushed over sleeves to check the texture and pushed gaps between the jackets to see if any were All Might-themed.
Toshi blinked and smiled, hands in his pockets.  He waved at the few people who recognized him then returned to watching Izuku dig through jackets.
Most of the All Might merch seemed to have been snapped up already, but Izuku's face lit up when he saw-- "Ooh!"
"Hmm??"  Toshi tilted his head and arched his neck.  "What did you find?"
Izuku pulled a thick Silver Age-print hoodie off the rack, running his hand over the inside lined with a soft fluffy material. "This is great! Lookit!" He held it up and grinned, bouncing on his toes excitedly.
Toshi looked pleasantly surprised.  "Well whaddya know!"  He held out his arm for Izuku to drape it over.
Izuku placed it over his arm, still bouncing. "Can I try it on??"
"Heheheheh, sure, go on." He quietly made a mental note to get Izuku's size and dig into his limited edition wear later.
Izuku picked up the jacket again, taking it off the hanger (making sure to put the hanger back on the rack for now) and unzipping jacket, holding the ends of his sleeves and wiggling his arms in. It was a little big, but he could grow into it.
Toshi was definitely feeling the dad feels right about this time.  His kid proudly showing off his jacket. The breath hitched in his throat for a moment. "Looks great on you," he managed with a delighted smile.
Izuku looked up, smiling brightly. He clapped his hands together in happiness, looking down at them with much interest when he felt how the parts of the sleeves covering his hands muffled the impact. After inspecting this sensation for a few seconds, he looked back up, asking with a shy grin, "So uh... can I, uh..." he ducked his head then brought it up again, "...can I have it?"
Toshi's eyes shone with joy.  I finally get to spoil my kid! "I don't see why not!  Anything else you might like?"
"--Oh!" Izuku's eyes and mouth went round. Surely that's too much!! I couldn't even think of anyth-- wait, yes I could! "Well-- actually... I was wondering if we could pick out some stuff for the others?" He thought of the Crimson Riot jacket, knowing Kirishima would love it, and wondered if he could find something of Kamui Woods' or even Snipe's for Shouji. "Not, like-- all twenty or anything... but maybe..." he bit his lip and stared into space, a plan formulating. "Maybe we could hunt for stuff, like, over a while... and save it until we have one for everybody? Would you like that?"
Toshi's entire face lit up at this suggestion.  "That's a fantastic idea!  And anything we can't find on our own, I'm sure I could dig up somewhere else." He shook his head in admiration.  "You're one in a million, kid, you know that?"
Izuku tilted his head and gave a scrunchy, lopsided smile. "What, really?" For coming up with a gift idea? Everyone will be doing it come Christmas. A thought occurred. "Well, technically, I'm one in 7 billion...."
"Even better.  And to think, you're my kid now." oh no wait, what did I just say oh no OH NO He stammered out a quick apology.  "I-I mean...ah...err... what I mean to say, y-young Midoriya--" He could feel his ears burning.
Izuku went limp in shock, and his eyes grew wide as saucers, practically sparkling. His mouth started to wobble.
"Hey wait, nonono, what did we say about the waterworks?!"  He frantically gestured at the boy, acutely aware of being watched now.  "UH--"
Izuku shot forward, wrapping his arms around Toshi and squeezing tight.
Toshi stiffened in shock then relaxed his muscles, ruffling Izuku's hair.  "Hey now..." I care about you I care about you a LOT and I know I'm terrible at speaking my true heart.  I never told Master and lost my chance.  I never told Mirai and lost my chance.  I don’t want to lose my chance with you, I couldn’t bear it. "Kid..."
((Part 5))
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