#and finally. i tried to translate her round eyes and face into my style but im not sure how successful that was?

[butchlifeguard]

perona inspired by @onepiecefashion :]

[ID: a pencil drawing of perona from one piece, in a cartoon style but more realistic than canon. she wears a black valentino minidress with a velvet heart at the bust and ruffles at the hem. it is accessorized with black fishnet stockings and black high heels with red roses and black feathers near the ankles. persona has a clutch bag, but the original model does not. perona is standing with her weight on one leg and her hand on her hip. she wears twintails in large ribbonlike curls. the second image the original model in the same outfit. end ID.]

[tomyo]

Now that the anime finally released and people made gifs of the opening, can we talk about Okarun and his effeminacy?

I don't want to reduce it down to "boy not masculine, therefore effeminate", I think he definitely embodies masculinity too but subliminal messaging keeps hitting my brain when I see his cuts in the first part of the DandaDan opening. The posing 4 poses he does invokes imagery of girls doing model posing, specifically the one with his hands on his cheeks while being more creeped out still makes me think of a pose a girl would do to show off her nails. Honestly his design in a different Shonen he would've been the fav uke of fujos everywhere.

I would say there's definitely meant to be SOME statement about gender in DandaDan as both Okarun and Momo use less common pronouns for themselves; Jibun instead of Boku/Ore and Uchi instead of Watashi/Atashi. It's also notable that Okarun has a lot of similar facial traits to the girls in the series; short flat eyebrow, large rounded eyes, and a rounder face which I think personally was really effective because the panels of the characters staring into the fourth wall is literally imprinted on my brain. And it's not just the design style of the series since we see Jiji who uses that more traditional Shonen facial type.

While I didn't think too much about this initially since an underdog male protag who isn't as manly (yet) is a pretty common occurrence, those opening scenes really make me think more on his otherness. I think it's a notable fact that he fits into and doesn't look out of place in Momo's clothes. It reflects a lot on how they both present more gender neutral. One of the things I do appreciate about the series is despite recently showing he's made a lot of physical growth, it has not resulted in him being drawn any more traditionally masculine. He is often outpaced by Momo in terms of fighting ability as well and often still needs her to finish a battle while she's more independently capable. He's also more of the worrier in these situations; the one who has to chastise or watch after a battled out Momo.

We also know that to some extent Okarun has a complex about this; he tried to get buff in secret and felt worried for how he compared to Jiji. I don't think these are bad traits necessarily (I liked him pushing his limit in the recent arc) but I do worry how this could possibly lead into Momo's characterization as well, the girl protag getting sanded down so the boy protag can stand in the limelight as a true male hero. While I don't think it would fully go that way, I've been burned by so many strong female characters (Sakura in particular) becoming more muted as a series went on. As far as I can tell (translations can bury some context), he isn't particularly focused on manliness and tends to avoid the two pitfalls of a male hero; The underdog who becomes more stoic/manly as the series goes on or the pathetic dude just normal enough to get a harem. In fact looking at that for a second, this series definitely pulls of the love dodecahedron with basically everyone crushing on one of the two but in the case of Momo's love rivals, it isn't really that they are crushing on Okarun for his traits but due to the narratives they build in their own heads; Aira needed someone to fill the tragic anti hero lover of her heroine story, Vamola believed she had to find someone strong because her adopted family wished that for her, and Sawaki fantasizes over the idea of a vampire ravishing her. (And to avoid derailing further, it could be interesting to examine how on the flip side Okarun's rivals tend to like her more so from bonding with her). But most of all, what made him and Momo work was not magically working for either other but a lot of effort and connection. Their initial bond coming from in a sense the excitement of discovery all the while they're still fighting over dumb shit and nudging each other as friends, they don't try to project (well at least they don't succeed to) an inauthentic persona around the other. He's not above telling her off but never in a way that isn't portraying them as equals and it's sprinkled in throughout the series how consideration for each other is taken (he bought her Golgo 13, he's given food when he brought Sawaki over, etc.) that by the time he is having those stereotypical protection moments, it doesn't feel like it undermines her as a capable person but rather shows off a natural protectiveness that anyone would have for someone they care about.

Which a final thought is again on what the possessions tell us about each person. I keep theorizing in some ways Turbo form represents elements Okarun wants in himself, he's got more muscles, is more traditionally handsome, and refers to Momo and others more casually (chan opposed to San) but strikingly it's rare his two forms are ever compared or commented on. Now with those powers gone, it's possible the idealer him he desired is no longer reachable.

[dadolorian]

Diamonds and Daddies Ch 2 Whiskey X F!Reader

A/N: Thank you again to @oloreaa​ for being my Beta reader despite not liking this Yeehonk bitch XD  And thanks to @talesfromtheguild​ for the name idea and letting me bounce ideas for this story in general off of you

Fandom: Kingsman the golden circle Ship: Jack ‘Whiskey’ Daniels x Cis F!reader Warning/tags: Kink and consent discussion, Possessive (consensual) language, spanking, slight choking, Daddy kink/ DD/LG/BDSM style relationship, aftercare, fingering, P/V (protected) sex, dirty talk,  reaffirming consent/ checking in with safe word, Jack being possessive/controlling but has readers enthusiastic consent on it. 

Word count: 6K + 

AO3 LINK - coming soon

Summary: Whiskey tries Tinder, and when that doesn’t work discovers a Sugar Baby app that has him most intrigued. Jack gives his Babygirl her first punishment. 

Soft light filtered through sheer curtains, you stretched out lazily, feeling your joints pop and click. Idly, your foggy brain wondered just when your bed became this big and soft. 

You fought to drift back off to sleep as memories of last night slowly came back to you, 

          Cracking an eye open to confirm that yes, you had gone home with the sexy Daddy who wined and dined you last night. You couldn’t contain the smile on your face as you remembered everything that had happened, the slight ache between your legs reminding you of the best part. 

You turned over to snuggle up to your cowboy Daddy, only to find he wasn’t there. You sat up, disappointed and confused, looking around the expansive room for him,  reaching to his side you deduced he had been gone only a short while by the lukewarm heat left on the sheets, you listened carefully, trying to figure out just where he was. 

There was muffled shuffling outside of the room, coming from downstairs, and the delicious smell that was wafting into the room made your stomach growl.

You slid out of the covers to go explore, picking up Jack’s discarded dress shirt off the floor and throwing it on before heading off in search of him.  As you left the bedroom you heard him softly humming, a familiar country tune you couldn’t quite place. Softly padding your way down the stairs there you found him, in his open kitchen, wearing a stetson, jeans and nothing else. His back was facing you, you watched the muscles there ripple as he poured batter into the waffle iron beside him, cursing when hot batter splashed back onto his bare stomach. “Careful Daddy,” you teased, as you leaned against an island counter, making him jump slightly. 

He turned to face you with a soft smile, wiping the batter off of his front with a rag. 

“Morning Honey Bee. Did I wake you?” he asked, rounding the island to give you a gentle kiss.

You hummed at the name, it was the same one you had used on the Sugar baby App, which you still needed to delete for him. 

“Not at all, Cowboy,” you teased, flicking his stetson playfully. 

“I was hoping to give you breakfast in bed,” he drawled, playing with the hem of the shirt you were wearing absentmindedly. His other hand went to the small of your back, gently holding you to his front as he rocked the two of you slowly, dancing in place to music that wasn’t there. 

“Seems that plans out the window now, you hungry?” 

You nodded your head. “Starving. I worked up quite an appetite last night,” you giggled, wrapping your arms around him and resting your chin on his soft front, looking up at him with a giddy smile. 

He chuckled,and bent forward to place a quick kiss to your forehead. 

“That you did, I guess riding takes a lot out of you huh?” he teased with a wink. 

You rolled your eyes at the joke, but your smile confirmed to him you liked it either way.

              He was content holding you just like that, swaying gently together as if you were the only two people in existence, the only thing pulling him away from your embrace was the smell of burning batter.

“Shit, shit!” he cursed, untangling himself from your arms, trying to save what he could of the breakfast. “Damn!”

He unplugged the iron and wafted away the faint smoke with his stetson, trying to thin it out enough to avoid the smoke alarm going off. 

“Sorry, Darlin, I was trying to be all romantic and make you breakfast,” he coughed, scraping burnt batter out of the machine. “But it seems my cooking skills ain't up to par.”

“I’m just flattered that you went through the effort for me,” you smiled, coming up behind him and wrapping your arms around him again, kissing his bare shoulder blades. 

“Of course, gotta take care of my girl,” he moved the waffle iron to the side and cleaned up the mess on the bench.

“How bout we just order something Darl? Since i’ve made such a mess of this?” He suggested, turning in your embrace and resting his large hands on your hips. 

“Sounds delightful” you hummed, standing on your tiptoes to give him a chaste kiss. 

“Here,” he said as he pulled his phone out of his back pocket, unlocking it and passing it to you.

“You open that ‘uber’ app and pick whatever you’re fancying Princess.” 

You took the phone and browsed through the app as he cleaned up what he could, deciding on the safe bet of waffle house, since Jack had seemed so insistent on making them for you to begin with. 

With the food ordered and on its way, you relaxed on the couch, waiting for him to finish cleaning up. You lay on your stomach, making sure his shirt was only just covering your ass as you flipped through a TV magazine he had laying around.

The rummaging in the kitchen eventually grew silent, shortly followed by warm fingers gently caressing up the back of your thigh to your ass, giving it a firm squeeze. 

You hummed, pleased as you felt his weight join you, blanketing himself over you carefully, making sure he didn’t crush you. 

You giggled as you felt his mustache tickle your neck, where he peppered many hot kisses across your skin. 

“D-Daddy,” you giggled, wiggling in his grasp as he continued to tickle you with his facial hair. “Food will be here soon.” 

He growled, not too pleased at the idea of having to cut his playtime short before it had even had a chance to get started. 

“You’re right, Baby, we’ll have to have some fun later,” he sighed, burying his face into your neck for soft snuggles rather than the heated kisses, a change you had no complaint about either way.  “Don’t need to get all worked up before heading to the lobby. Might give a poor delivery driver a heart attack if I answer the door full mast,” he snickered into your neck. 

You rolled your eyes again at his immature humor but you were once more unable to keep your own smile off of your face. 

“We can play after breakfast though. Right Daddy?” You asked, running your foot over this strong calves teasingly.

“Mmhhhh, of course Baby, “ he said, placing another kiss on your neck. “You only have to ask and Daddy will play with you whenever you want. Unless you’re being a brat for me.” 

You hummed in appreciation at the implication.  Past Daddies had never been very...successful at the whole punishment and reward aspect of your usual relationship dynamic. Your string of bad luck when it came to your relationships didn’t just translate to the relationships with your Daddies failing, but also to how skilled they were with mixing the punishments and pleasures you hungered for. You had never been left completely satisfied in a relationship before. 

But, since meeting him, there wasn't a doubt in your mind that Jack’s ability to take care of you, to punish and pleasure you in the way you had been craving for years, would finally scratch that itch. To satisfy your hunger. You weren’t just a sugar Baby for the money after all. 

“I’ll be good for you,” you teased, breathlessly lifting your ass up into his hips, causing him to groan. 

“Teasing's not what a good girl does, Honey Bee,” he warned, using your moniker again. It was like he was reminding you of your place, something that should have been a red flag in any other type of relationship, but with Jack, it only served to turn you on more. 

“What happened to not answering the door at full mast?” You continued to tease. 

“Half mast...different story,” Jack joked, snatching his phone up with one hand to check on the progress of the food. 

“It’s on its way,” he hummed, getting up off of you carefully, gently patting your ass as he straightened up. “Should probably go put a shirt on then.” 

“Awww,” you pouted, flipping over to watch him walk over to the stairs.

“I’ll take my shirt back off when I get back with the food baby, but only if you take yours off first, Honey Bee,” he winked playfully at you before heading upstairs.

He returned from his room, now wearing a plain white T-shirt which showed off his biceps deliciously, and some fancy looking cowboy boots to complete his casual country look.  “I’ll be back with the food in just a minute Darlin,” he said, coming over to you and giving you a slow, deep kiss. “Be good.” 

You batted your eyelashes up at him, playing innocent as he took off, grabbing his keys and leaving you alone in his apartment. 

Bored without his attention and curious about him, you took the opportunity alone to explore. You hopped up off the couch and started to inspect his apartment. Upstairs you found an additional two bedrooms and bathroom , they were of little interest to you outside of their stunning views of the city, the interesting parts of his apartment were all downstairs, you discovered.  A private gym, a balcony with views of central park and his own pool! You were half tempted to jump in and wait for him to return but you didn’t want to get in trouble with him, at least not yet.  You headed back inside and were about to inspect the last room of the house when you spied through the glass door a heavy wooden desk and laptop sitting on top of it, it was his office. Remembering his warning, you loosened your grip on the handle, backing away slowly. 

“What did I tell you bout my office, Babygirl?” his deep baritone startled you, you hadn’t heard him return.    He stood in the open lounge behind you, one hand on his hip, the other holding the takeout boxes, quirking an eyebrow at you questioningly.  His question was a clear warning to you. 

“You said I can't go in there, and I remembered!” You explained as you turned to face him fully. “I didn’t go in, I stopped as soon as I realized it was your office Daddy, I promise.”

 He regarded you for a moment, searching your eyes. He believed you it seemed. “Good,” he purred, putting the boxes on the coffee table. He grabbed two plates and cutlery from the adjacent kitchen and returned to flop onto the couch with as much grace a man his age could muster.

 “Come here Baby,” Jack beckoned you with his finger, before he sat down and toed off his boots, kicking them underneath the coffee table. 

He held out his arm in invitation of a cuddle which you happily accepted, tucking your knees under yourself as you curled up to his side. He gave you a tender kiss to your forehead then served up the food onto the plates. 

“There you go, Baby,” he smiled, handing you a plate. “Wish i could have made it myself, but this will have to do for now. One day I'll make you a romantic breakfast in bed.” 

“I like that idea Daddy,” you hummed, digging into your food quite happily. “But i’m certainly not complaining about this either.”

You both sat, lazily cuddling as you ate your breakfast together, not in any particular rush to get on with the rest of the day. You finished first, putting your plate on the coffee table in front of you while you waited for him. “You might finish it quicker if you let go of me Daddy,” you teased, causing him to cock an eyebrow at you, looking at you as if you had just grown two heads. “Now why would I want to do that, Babygirl?” He asked, the arm around you squeezing the flesh of your exposed thigh. 

“I wasn’t complaining Daddy, I just thought it might have been easier.”

“I know Baby,” he kissed your cheek. “But i much prefer this.” When he had finally finished his food he stacked his plate on top of yours, picked up a blank notepad off the glass top then pulled you up onto his lap. 

“Now, Baby,” he murmured, playing with the top button of the shirt you were wearing, his shirt. 

“What do you say we get that little ‘contract’ sorted? Should be something we get out of the way before we have anymore fun together, don’cha think? I don't want to overstep any boundaries with you.” You nodded in agreement, looping your arms around his neck as he began writing. 

You found it really cute the way his brow would furrow as he wrote, trying his best to balance the notepad between the two of you and not get distracted by your close proximity. When he was done, he re-read the whole page, giving it a nod of approval before flipping it for you to read. 

You made sure to read it properly, to make sure everything was covered. It was a detailed list of all the rules you had both agreed to the previous night, with the important ones underlined for emphasis, safeword, exclusivity, communication. You smiled, giving him your approval. He then flipped to another page, writing down a list, you tried your best to read it upside down, curious as to what else he could be writing. Figuring out a few of the words you realized he was writing a list of kinks. 

He gave it another once over before showing you. 

“Like I said Princess, I don’t want to cross any boundaries with you, I need to know beforehand if you’ll be just as enthusiastic for these as I am,” he said, rubbing your thigh as you took the list and read it. “It's all fun and games talking punishment and rewards until I get to it and find out you don’t like what I'm doing to ya.” 

You took the pen from his hand, crossing out the hard no’s, leaving only your favorites on his expansive list.

Over stimulation Choking Bondage/restraints Throat fucking Spanking Slapping Riding crop Public sex Collars Toys- Plugs, vibrators, Dildos- others Orgasm denial Cock warming Roleplay - costumes Rough sex Ice Candle wax Degradation/name calling  Fisting Anal Spitting

“Perfect” you purred, handing it back to him so he could confirm what you had approved off. He grinned widely as he read it, his eyes growing dark from lust. You were just the same, already feeling the familiar sensation of your arousal pooling.

“Hooo, Honey Bee,” he growled contentedly, reading your amendments. “You left all my favorites on here.” He tossed the notepad onto a side table, discarding it and leaving his full attention on you. “Now keep in mind, those kinks are just for punishments and rewards...We can add more if we want to later, and we can explore other kinks any other time...I just need to know what you want when Daddy punishes you.” You nodded, agreeing with his words. You were exceptionally grateful at just how serious he was taking his role and control over you, making sure you would be comfortable and feel safe with everything he wanted to do with you, confirming to both of you he had your enthusiastic consent for some of the more...extreme elements of your growing relationship. 

“Mind answering a question for me, Darlin?” He asked, gently undoing the top button of your shirt.

“Of course not Daddy, ask away.”

“Got any toys at home?” His hands continued popping buttons of the shirt you were wearing, his voice was curious, with that hungry growl still hidden beneath it.

“Y-yes, i have toys,” you admitted truthfully.

“Get rid of them,” he ordered firmly, staring at your chest as his calloused hand slipped underneath your now unbuttoned shirt, pushing the shirt off of your shoulders, exposing you to him.

“B-but Daddy, they were expensive,” you whined, gripping his shoulders as his large, rough hands moved to cup your breasts.

He dragged his gaze away from your tits to look you in the eyes.

“What was that? You answering back to me already, baby?” He growled, giving your breasts a harsh squeeze in warning, making you gasp. “Your pleasure belongs to me now, remember? I decide when you get to feel good…And no toy is going to do my job for you.” He began rolling your nipples in his fingers, causing your head to fall back in pleasure. He gave you a growl in warning, a wordless command of eyes on me, and you dragged your gaze back to him, whimpering at his touches. You had started to get wet as you read his Kink list, just the idea of exploring them had started to work you up, but now, with his deft fingers and possessive words, you feel yourself getting wetter. 

“When you get home, you’re going to throw all those toys you have in the trash,” he squeezed your breasts together, still toying with your nipples. “Then you’re going to send Daddy a photo to prove it….And then, when i think you’ve earned it, we’re going shopping for some new, special toys we get to use together. For when you’ve been a good girl for Daddy…or a Bad girl.”

You bit your lip to hide the whimper at the implications, unsuccessfully. Once again he was proving just how capable he was at his Daddy role for you. He chuckled at how helpless you sounded, dragging one of his hands down your front to slip between your legs, fingers quickly becoming covered in your slick. “You’re very naughty baby, forgetting to put your panties on this morning...Only bad girls go about with no underwear,” he teased, pushing one, long finger inside you slowly. “B-But...You weren't wearing underwear last night!” You gasped, opening your legs wider to give him better access. The hand still on your tit squeezed harder. 

“Answering back again?” he growled, shoving another finger inside of you. His other hand let go of your breast and looped around you, pulling you tight up against his front, holding you in place so he could attack your neck with his mouth.  He kissed and licked, running his teeth over the sensitive skin there before growling right into your ear.  “Don’t you dare go around thinking that you can answer back to me, Honey Bee, or that what Daddy says don’t matter.” 

Your moniker, again, reminding you just what you were to him, what he was to you.

One simple name you had heard many times before, but coming from his mouth, his husky voice, it held so much power and control over you. 

The two fingers inside you pushed in as deep as they could go, curling back and forth to tease at your sweet spot. You tried to wiggle in his grasp, either to get away from the stimulation or get closer, you weren’t sure, but his grip on you held fast.

“If I say something makes you a bad girl, then you best listen...Don’t matter if Daddy does it too, you do as I say, not as I do...You’re not a big enough girl to behave like that…” he teased you, gently curling his fingers one minute then thrusting his hand into you harshly the next, fingering you as fast as he could in the position. “Thought you wanted to be my good girl?” he rasped, chuckling darkly when you began writhing in his hold, whining and arching your back, holding onto him for dear life, your manicured nails digging into his biceps as the obscene wet slaps of his hand thrusting into you joined your whines. 

His words and deft fingers had brought you quicker to the edge than you had ever been in your life. Something about the way he became so possessive and controlling over you turned you on so easily, you felt your core tighten up and more arousal seep down your thighs. 

Gripping his shoulders you whimpered out a warning that you were going to cum. He sped his hand up, thumb rubbing quick circles into your clit for one teasing moment, and right before you flew over the edge, he pulled his fingers free from you. “W-wha?” you asked befuddled, straightening back up to look at him. “Daddy why?” 

He stood up, tossing you onto the couch on your back before bringing his fingers to his mouth, moaning as he tasted your essence still coating them. “I’ll tell you why, Baby,” he said, pulling his fingers free and licking his lips as if he had just eaten the finest dessert. “You talked back to Daddy,” he leant over top of you so his nose brushed yours. “And then I find out you’re being a filthy little girl by not wearing panties…” He slapped your thigh hard enough to sting. “And then you had the gall to talk back to me, again.” 

He shoved his mouth against yours for a deep, domineering kiss. It was bruising. You could taste the faint flavor of the syrup from the waffles you shared, combined with your own juices, on his tongue. He cupped your jaw to deepen the kiss, then pulling away only when you had become lost to the sensation, driving you insane once again by denying you just as it got really heated. “Now, we’re both new to this...It’s going to take a while for us both to learn all the rules,” he said, straightening up and pulling his shirt over his head, tossing it to the side, forgotten. He was back on you, kneeling between your legs before you could even admire his soft tummy again.  “But if I let this one slide, Baby, I fear you won’t learn the rules...If I let you get away with answering back to me, and being filthy now...Well you won’t learn your lesson, will ya?”

One hand slid back between your legs, ghosting over your soaked folds teasingly. You whimpered again, listing your hips for more contact, batting your eyes up at him in hopes to soften him up 

“But since this is a first offence,” Jack chuckled, gently pinching your clit between two fingers, “I’ll go easy on you. But don’t think those pretty eyes will work on me all the time, baby.” 

“Daddy” you whined, feeling completely helpless underneath him and loving it. “Hmmm? Now what do we think is an appropriate punishment for a first time offence?” He asked, pushing one finger back inside you, thrusting it in and out agonizingly slowly while his thumb circled your clit with feather light passes. Touching you and filling you up, but not enough to satisfy the burning need in you. He watched intently as you tried to seek out more stimulation, raising your hips up into his hand, but he put a stop to that quickly, holding your hips down with his free hand.  “Stay still,” he growled. “You take what I give you, Honey bee, don’t be greedy.”  He watched you with his head cocked, as he decided on your punishment.  “I think we’ll keep it simple,” he continued. “A spanking seems appropriate...Don’t you agree?”

Jack paused, and you realized he was waiting for a response, an approval and consent over his chosen punishment.  “Y-yes...a spanking seems fair Daddy,” you pouted, looking up at him through your lashes. 

“Good” he rumbled, scooping you up and gently laying you across his lap. You could feel his erection pressed up against your belly.

You wanted it inside you, but you knew you had to earn it. One of his arms looped around your middle, keeping you still while the other was gently massaging your ass and rubbing your pussy. “Listen up, Girl,” he said, voice firm. “You are to say “red” if this gets too much, you understand?” he asked, waiting for your verbal affirmation before continuing. “Good, after each spank, I want you to say ‘I will not talk back to Daddy’. Can you repeat that for me?” “I- I will not talk back to Daddy,” you moaned, wiggling your hips to get more friction up against your pussy. “Good,” he praised again, rewarding you with more friction just where you wanted it, his palm rubbing up and down over your folds. 

“You’re going to get ten spanks...And then Daddy's going to give you a reward afterwards, if you’re good for me.”

You nodded, letting him know you understood. “I want you to count them out too,” was his final instruction as he raised his hand, bringing it back down against your ass with a hard SLAP! “O-one!” You yelped. “I will not talk back to Daddy!” He hummed in approval, you felt his erection brush up against your stomach again, twitching in the confines of his pants. SLAP! “Two!” I will now talk back to Daddy!” 

It continued, you tried your hardest to keep still with each slap, to stop rubbing your thighs together, but each slap only seemed to make you wetter, to make you want him more. Slap after slap after slap, you remained his good little girl. “T-Ten! I- I will not talk back to Daddy!”  you cried, tears from the pain running down your face. You were left sore and sensitive, but despite the pain you felt burning pleasure fill your whole body. Jack really was living up to your dream expectations as your Daddy, you were reminded one again just how perfect he was for you.

He proved himself more with how he treated you after a punishment.  

His hand began massaging your ass again, soothing the sting. Jack nuzzled the side of your face affectionately as he stroked the hand shaped welts forming on your ass gently. 

“Whats your color, Babygirl?” he asked softly, kissing your cheek. 

“G-green,” you panted, calming your breath and racing heart down. “Good, good,” he praised, carefully helping you stand on your feet, back facing him. Your legs felt like jelly, you were ready to collapse but his hands on your waist kept you standing. “You took your punishment so well, baby, Daddy is so proud of you!” He kissed the growing welts, praising you. “What a good girl you are, taking Daddys punishment. And look at this,” one of his hands pushed between your legs, coating his fingers once again in your arousal. “You’re even wetter than before...I’m not sure it's much of a punishment if you liked it that much, but a promise is a promise, you took your punishment and behaved...My little girl deserves her reward now, don’t you think?” You moaned and nodded, pushing back against his hand despite how sore you were. “Hmmmm, and I know you’re sore baby, but damn if you didn’t make Daddy as hard as a fucking rock through out all of that. Think you’ll be able to take my cock?” 

He chuckled when you nodded eagerly. 

“Course you can, you’re fucking soaked.” He stood up and gently laid you down on your stomach on the couch. You watched over your shoulder as he pulled a condom out of his pocket and began unbuckling his belt, shoving his pants down his hips. 

Once again, he wasn’t wearing underwear, the hypocrite, but you held your tongue. 

Daddy had just taught you a lesson about answering back, you weren't willing to give up your reward after all that delicious torture. “You’re ass looks fucking gorgeous covered in my hand prints,” he rasped, kicking his pants away and ripping the packet open with his teeth.  “I just want to stare at those pretty welts as I fuck you with my cock, might get a little sore again, baby...Tell me to stop and I will.” 

You nodded, letting him know you understood as he positioned himself behind you, he rolled the condom on, briefly wiping up the precum that had gathered at his tip onto his hand, he held his fingers to your mouth for you to taste. 

He groaned as you swirled your tongue around them, coating his fingers in your saliva and tasting the proof of his arousal. With the condom in place, Jack held himself at his base, rubbing his tip up against your soaked folds, back and forth. “Tell me you’ll be a good girl for me from now on,” he teased, you could hear that arrogant smile in his voice. You whined, frustrated he was holding your reward over your head so to speak. “I’ll be a good girl for you, Daddy...I won't answer back like that again!” you moaned into one of the throw pillows on the couch, holding it against your chest and face, anchoring yourself to something as you tried not to scream from frustration at his teasing. “Yeah? You’ll be a good girl and listen to Daddy too? Keeping still when I tell you to? Not arguing if I deem your behavior naughty?” 

At this point you were sure he was just trying to torture you further. “Yes! Yes Daddy! Please! I swear I'll be good, just please!” you begged. “I’ve been a good girl! Please, I just want your cock!” You didn’t care how pathetic or desperate you sounded as you begged him to fill you, he had manhandled you and spanked you deliciously, in a way no Daddy ever had before and if this was just a ‘mild’ punishment, it excited you further to think how he would handle something more extreme in the future. 

You had never been more aroused in your entire life. 

“Good girls don’t speak like that” he warned, you feared another punishment when you were this close to your pleasure that you actually sobbed into the pillow. “But I'll forgive you, you have been a good girl for me, taking your punishment so well....” he trailed off, distracted by the sight of his aching tip poking at your folds that were framed by his growing marks. He was so close to just...pushing in. It was agonizing having him so close to filling you up and you let him know. Pleading and sobbing harder into the pillow. Taking mercy on you, he pushed forward excruciatingly slow, making you sob in relief, satisfying your burning need, if only for a moment.   “You’re just so desperate for Daddy’s cock,” he rasped, enraptured by his effect on you. 

You moaned and continued sobbing into the pillow, overwhelmed to be finally filled with him. 

His guttural moan joined yours as he bottomed out, sinfully loud.The stretch of his was slightly painful, given he did not take the time to prepare you as carefully as he did the night before. But the way he split you open, was divine. He wasn’t wrong in saying you were desperate for his cock,  and who could blame you when he filled you up so good?

“Jesus, fuck, I don’t think I ever been inside a hole this wet before, Baby,” he grated, rocking his hips into you slowly.  “I can feel it, coating down our legs...Didn’t realize you were such a whore for punishment and Daddy's cock.”  It sounded like an insult, but the wicked grin you heard in his voice told you otherwise. He was delighted at the discovery of just how needy he could make you. 

You were about to comment back when he slowly pulled out of you and then thrust back in, hard, making you scream at the devastating pleasure of him stretching and filling you and the deliciously painful sensation of his hips slapping up against your sore ass. 

Jack chuckled again, beginning a steady, fast and deep pace thrusting into you. He grabbed the back of your neck, pulling you up enough so your face wasn’t buried in the throw pillow. “I want to hear your screams, baby,” he snarled, punctuating his sentence with a devastatingly harsh thrust.  He laughed at you, mockingly, as you screamed again. 

“Fuck, I love hearing your noises, baby, you sound so hot, makes Daddy even harder.”  You felt him twitch inside you as he said it, making you whimper. 

You had no words left, only able to focus on the way he filled you up and rammed against your deepest spot. The burning sting of your ass each time his hips met yours drove you wild. He moaned and growled in approval at the noises you were making, but you were so lost that you weren't even aware you were making them or what you were saying. He rambled on behind you, his raspy voice praising how tight you were, how good you felt around him. You could barely focus on his words.

“Rub your clit baby,” he ordered, the hand not gripping your neck rubbing your ass as he admired your marks. “Daddy wants you to cum on his cock...You’ve earned it” 

You did as you were told, reaching beneath you to rub yourself with a trembling arm. You could feel his balls slap against your fingers with earth thrust. And he was right, you were soaked, your fingers were able to glide smoothly over your bud, sending jolts of pleasure throughout your body like electricity.  You felt your core clamping down on him instantly, making him moan. 

“Fuck, just when I think you can’t get any tighter,” he rumbled. “You’re close, aren't cha Honey Bee? I can feel it,you’re such a perfect little cock whore for me, come on..cum for Daddy, fucking soak me even more.” You whimpered, rubbing your clit faster at his words.

“Cum for Daddy, right fucking now!” You obeyed, you felt like you were being hit by a freight train. 

His teasing and leaving you right as you reached your peak earlier, mixed with the unbearable arousal he had caused with his spanking and dirty words resulted in the most powerful orgasm you had ever felt in your entire life. You felt the wind being knocked out of you as your core clamped down around him almost painfully and milk him for all he was worth.  Your entire body contorted with pleasure, your legs shook violently as you tried to cling to anything to ride out the powerful waves.            You heard him curse behind you, slamming into you harder, painfully so given how tender your ass was but it only added to the pleasure.  He growled out his release, gripping your neck harder.  “Jesus fuck baby that’s it! Yes! Yes! Fuuuucccck!”  His desperate bucking as he chased his own pleasure as you milked him dry simply intensified your orgasm, leaving you a breathless, panting, sweaty mess as your body shook and came down from your high.  “Perfect fucking pussy.”

Even when you were done, as you began winding down from your high, every slight movement of him behind you made your walls flutter more, making you whimper from the over stimulation. 

He groaned deeply behind you as he pulled out, cooing gently at you as you whined. “There we go baby, shhhh now,” came Jack's soothing words. 

You melted into the couch, feeling like a heap of boneless jelly as your eyes started to rift close. He got up off the couch and you heard him walk to the kitchen, disposing of his condom you assumed, you were too tired to even care. You were surprised when he came back and rolled you over gently, picking you up bridal style. You let you a whimper of pain and confusion. “Shhh baby, Daddy’s just taking care of you,” he consoled, kissing the crown of your head. “Rest, let me do all the work.” He carried you upstairs, to his room, gently putting you back on ‘your’ side.

You closed your eyes, ready to drift off as you heard him rummage about in his ensuite. He came back, and you felt him gently begin cleaning you up with another warm washcloth. “Look at my baby...so beautiful,” he murmured tenderly, wiping up and down your thighs, throwing the wash cloth to the side to clean up later once your slick had been cleaned up. “You did so well, took Daddy's punishment and cock so well...What a lucky man I am.” He continued to praise you as he gently rolled you onto your front. You whimpered, your body aching and protesting but you let him manhandle you more. You heard something else rustle, then a zipper. There was a pop of a cap followed by the soothing sensation of his hands rubbing cream into your abused skin.           You whined, the cream too cold for your burning skin but he soothed you with gentle kisses peppered along your shoulder blades. “Let Daddy take care of you, it will be done soon,” he promised. With your welts thoroughly coated you sighed in content, already feeling the stinging sensation start to fade away. “There we go,” he praised, packing up what you now knew to be the first aid kit. He went to put it away and wash his hands before he returned. He moved to lay next to you, fidgeting a bit, wanting to pull you up against him but not willing to agitate your sore ass. He contented himself by laying on his side,  watching you as one hand resting on your back, stroking it affectionately and limbs intertwined  with yours. He kissed everywhere he could reach, just as he had last night, he spoke to you gently, letting you focus on his words rather than on how sore you were. “Rest Baby, when you wake up, we’ll have a lot of work to do,” he hummed. “Gonna get'cha all cleaned up, put a nice meal in your belly, make sure you’re all taken care of.” You snuggled deeper into the plush pillow you were laying on, a smile forming on your lips at his soft promises. “Then Daddy's going to have to get ya home, gonna need to get your allowance sorted, and see you get your appointment for your implant...Daddy wants you without a condom as soon as possible.” he teased, his fingers dancing on your back gently, making the flesh jump.

You whined at the ticklish sensation and he chuckled. “Go to sleep baby, i’ll be here when you wake up this time,” he murmured the promise into your ear as you finally drifted off. 

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

Taglist: 

@thats-one-tender-foot​  @luminescentlily​ @nuttybeardetective​ @ishqinbbc​ @ben-is-a-hoe​ @calamity-queen​ @phoenixhalliwell​ @talesfromtheguild​

[gallivantingheart]

the proposal pt.1

who?: jeonghan x (f)reader

word count: 1495

genre/s: fluff and a bit of fun

warnings: none!

synopsis: jeonghan has never been confused on how you feel about marriage - now it’s just a matter of how to do it.

a/n: just a fun diddy bc i love this sleepy man - no, not based off that movie with sandra bullock

note: bold italics = korean

You confuse him endlessly. More so than the likes of his cryptic self or round-about Jihoon. How you say action is your favourite genre but he catches you watching the same romance movie at least once every few weeks, singing and crying at the same parts. How your wardrobe is full of dark hoodies and you wear the same ripped jeans, but your nails are always sparkly and your draws have pastel blouses. You'll say you don't need romantic gestures, but almost always squeal when he drops flowers by your office. Or the fact you say you're bad at them but always pull the best tear-jerkers on him. Like the time you brought him dinner to the practice room - vase of flowers and all - at midnight while keeping him company, even though he knew you had a client presentation the next day. The comeback prep was gruelling, so yeah, he got a bit misty-eyed.

At least one thing he's not confused with is your opinion of marriage. Despite this comfort, even though you've been together for almost four years, you've never once brought up marriage, even casually. You cried though, when Mingyu and Chaewon got engaged at their anniversary party last year. Babbled wetly into his shoulder about how sweet love was, meant to be and the like - for the record, you were completely sober. Sobbed even longer as one of Chaewon's bridesmaids that Jeonghan had to collect you from the altar after they left the venue. And he's seen you look at apartments to share, linger on pinterest on a Saturday afternoon.

He wants it just as bad as you, but no idea how to broach it. You’ve talked about how you want a rescue cat when you move in together as well as the style of decor. Even said in passing at a park how you hope that your kids have his smile because it’s, “the most beautiful thing I get to see every day.” Jeonghan doesn’t want to overwhelm you with a grand public proposal, but he doesn’t know how to wow you like you do for him all the time. Jeonghan’s gotta be honest - he wants the whole shebang. Smiles, tears, blubbering; the lot.

He also realises that he wants it recorded for your mum when he calls her for her blessing. You moved a whole hemisphere away a year before the two of you met, to pursue a job in the entertainment industry. Something interesting and left of field found you in Korea working in concepts and marketing. So phone and video calls are a regular for the two of you. He’s also tried really hard over the years to improve his English, to bridge the gap with your family. Jeonghan thinks your mother is amazing, kind and funny - the kind of level head he expected to bring such a wonderful person like you into the world.

He’s English is nowhere near good enough for what he wants to say, so he asks for a familiar face to help out. Joshua is on the video call too, made in Shua’s clean dorm. Your mother looks a little surprised to not see you there. You both have the same texture of hair, but not much else.

“Jeonghan! How are you!” She waves.

He smiles at her enthusiasm. “Good thank you. How are you?”

“I’m really good, sweetheart. Bit of a weird time to call - everything okay? Where’s y/n?”

He sees her search the screen for her daughter, even so much as leaning side to side to try and see outside the frame. Some of her speech is still lost on him, so he looks to Joshua in question. He leans over to his ear.

“She’s wondering if everything is okay for you to be calling at this time.”

Jeonghan raises his brows and nods in understanding. Her expression changes as well, the lines around her eyes softening with the fading concern.

“It is okay. Y/N is at work. I...I have a question to ask you. Just us. It’s very important.” He twists his ring anxiously in his lap.

“Of course, what is it?”

Joshua can see the tension rising in Jeonghan’s shoulders, how quiet and hesitant he gets at the elder woman’s agreement. The way he looks at the woman, staring persistently. The American born member leans over with a smile.

“Hi y/n’s mum. It’s a bit of a speech, so I’ll be helping Jeonghan translate, okay?” He looks to his friend, nodding gently. “Jeonghan? Tell her.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever met a person like y/n... She’s kind and exciting and interesting and she makes me really happy. I hope I do the same for her. I can’t imagine my life now if she weren’t in it. I don’t want to lose all that. I would like your blessing in asking her to marry me.” Jeonghan says as clear as he can, without too much of his nerves or feelings getting in the way - usually an easy feat for him.

Joshua translates along the way and he picks up words here and there - happy and your name, of course. But he’s not watching his fellow member speak for once, instead analysing his potential mother-in-law’s reaction. He starts to jiggle his knee off the bed as he sees your mother’s expression roll from from a quirked brow to a warm smile, then watching her eyes go glassy and her chin wobble through said smile. Her hands go over her mouth once Joshua finishes and out of shot, his hand lies flat over Jeonghan’s on his sheets in a sign of comfort.

“I...I...yes. I would love to have you as part of the family officially. Of course you have my blessing.” Your mother pulls her hands away to murmur.

She fumbles to the side for tissues and Jeonghan looks to Joshua in shock. He heard a yes, but… Joshua is meanwhile beaming in return, laughing at his member’s expense.

“She would love to have you as part of the family. You have her blessing.”

Jeonghan grins, his chest so full and tense he feels like he might burst. Instead, he laughs, grasping shua’s shoulders to shake them

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”

She shakes her head. “Of course I would say yes. You don’t know how much she talks about you when you aren’t there - how much she raved about you when the two of you first met. It was like the stories she used to make up as a little girl, come to life. I wish I was there to see her face when you ask.”

Jisoo translates and he laughs even more, elated being an understatement.

It took a little searching and contemplating on what kind of ring to get you. Nothing too big, because you used your hands for everything. Not gold, because you didn’t like the way it looked against your skin. He settles on loopholing the gold for white gold, something silver but reflective and a singular round diamond - only two carats or else you’d throw a fit at the mystery price. He gets a thin chain as well of the same material, knowing you were more likely to wear it round your neck than on your finger for fear of losing it. Seungkwan of all people was the one to help with the final decision, insisting on its chic simplicity and pretty glow.

Jeonghan decides on a little party to pop the question. Or as little as you can get with thirteen members and their partners as well as your friends and their plus ones. Under a guise of missing your friends and a celebration of your success with a client, he even whines that he’ll organise the food and drink. Everyone invited is in on it, of course, which heightens the stakes.

The box sits hot in his pocket or bag all week. All the members know about the little surprise coming up dance between trading their resident trickster or offering a helping hand. Seungkwan has pulled up as quite the miracle worker, his entertainment ties conjuring up a caterer on such short notice and Mingyu slipping the business card of the decorator of his engagement party - it’s a little worn from being worried in Seungcheol’s initial finding but that just adds to the charm. Like a group heirloom to be passed around.

Despite the client win, you’re still snowed under with new paperwork and contracts, so you’re none the wiser to the nerves brewing in your boyfriend which proves to be the perfect mix come the weekend.

He lets you sleep in even later than the two of you usually do, and encourages you to take up that nail salon voucher you’ve been humming and harring about - you deserve a treat, he whines. And when you shut the door gently, Jeonghan breathes a sigh of relief and an inhale of stress - now the fun really begins.

[lishadesu]

Chapter 1: Gong Zhuoliang

Translated by: LishaDesu

So uncomfortable... I can't breathe... help...

"cough...cough...cough..."

Gong Zhuoliang knew that he was coughing so much to the point where his facial features distorted that he must be looking very ugly right now, but he only chose to ignore his image problem for now and kept coughing until his chest ached so much as he breathed heavily in order to absorb enough oxygen as possible for his own body.

Gong Zhuoliang cursed in his heart. What kind of lifeguard was that guy from the luxury cruise ship who really resembled a model and looked extremely useful! He fell into the sea for a long time and no one even came to save him! He just easily sinked just like that after such a long flop!

He wants to complain! He must really complain!

"I lived!"

"Miss, what's wrong ah!"

"Oh my god..."

Mi... Miss?

Gong Zhuoliang, who had finally regained his breath slowly returned to his consciousness. As his vision became clearer, he finally saw the women who exclaimed behind him. At this moment, Gong Zhuoliang was horrified—he didn't fell into the sea? What about the cruise ships? Who could let him know who these burly old aunts are?

"Just what is going on here? What are you all doing here, why don't you carry the eldest mistress back to the room?!"

Suddenly, a sharp and high-pitched female voice came up that made all the maids surrounding Gong Zhuoliang and carrying him in a hurry. Gong Zhuoliang almost couldn't help but groan in pain, but he didn't want to bother about the pain anymore. He just stared blankly at what was happening in front of him.

The courtyard, the pond, the maids in  their ancient costumes, and a middle-aged beautiful woman with a voice comparable to He Dong Shi [1], and as well as the 'eldest young lady'…. Gong Zhuoliang only felt the darkness swarming before his eyes before he fell unconscious.

When he regained consciousness once again, Gong Zhuoliang was lying in the warm bed. He slowly opened his eyes, then stared at the wooden bed posts and bed curtains in his sight. 

As a post-80s idol novelist , YY genres[2] is one of his commonly used themes. But the genre he is especially good at writing is 'Fantasy Magic', while he sucked at 'Martial Historical' , especially the historical harem style. But now, in front of Gong Zhuoliang, everything excites his whole being, especially when hearing the names of the servants who echoed in his mind…

He moved his sore arm. Gong Zhuoliang's whole body was soft as if it was not his own. Still not convinced of his state, he wanted to completely confirm the situation below him, but then he soon discovered that moving was impossible as he was actually tied into a long column with a wide cloth belt!

Gong Zhuoliang twisted and tried to get out of the quilt, but the sound he made only alarmed the people who were guarding him. Gong Zhuoliang heard heavy footsteps who quickly approached the bed. Then the pink bed curtain was raised. As he got up, a big round face comparable to a pancake came over to him.

"Hey, my eldest mistress, just save your energy and don't bother anymore. You really don't pity us for the embarrassment you caused for us servants. You should also think about your mother. If you hurt the old lord and the madam, it would be really a big matter, then how could Aunt Wu live in this house in the future?" 

The fat maid looked down at Gong Zhuoliang, her voice was acerbic and her expression was full of disdain. This appearance completely made Gong Zhuoliang feel angry, but he cannot offend the behemoth in front of him so Gong Zhuoliang simply closed his eyes and ignored her rambling, only wondering in his mind how this all happened. 

After the initial panic passed, Gong Zhuoliang's brain recovered. He remembered that he went to S City to do an autograph promotion for the publication of his new book. A sponsor gave him a ticket for a luxury cruise so he didn't have to take the plane and experience being alone. He didn't expected to be swayed into the sea as he was watching a scenery on the deck, and then only when he woke up, he was now a 'young miss' who jumped into a pond to commit suicide... Could it be that he really drowned like that?

"Miss Li-er, is the eldest mistress awake?"

A soft and somewhat immature female voice came. Gong Zhuoliang's heart trembled violently, but he also felt that the voice was quite familiar, however he's sure that there could be no such a little loli among the people he knew so Gong Zhuoliang couldn't help but be curious as open his eyes again to look at the person approaching his bed.

"Ruo Lan..." 

The slightly weak soft child's voice sounded within his ears and Gong Zhuoliang was once again terrified. Was this baby voice resembling the Jiangnan water actually from him? He  honestly hadn't had a chance to see his own body and appearance right after falling unconscious then waking up twice, and he was only fully awake now. Could it be that he has actually become a child?

Wait, more importantly, why did he just suddenly call out the name of this beautiful young lady? Remembering that she was not only an experienced maid who always follows after the madam, but was only fourteen this year. This young lady was also one of the few people in this mansion who was kind to him.

"It's Miss Ruolan, ah! Wake up, wake up."

As soon as the fat woman looked at the person who came, she immediately stepped back a few steps to make way for her by the bed with a sudden warm smile on her face that was completely different from just now.

"The madam has something to tell me to tell the eldest lady. My sister-in-law must've been tired after being busy for a long time. Go back first. I will be watching over the eldest mistress."

Ruo Lan did not greet the servant girl, but only gave a light expression. After talking and the maid left the room, she carefully closed the door again and then walked to Gong Zhuoliang's bedside with a somewhat forlorn expression on her face.

"Second Young Master... Eldest Mistress, what is bothering you? Even if you had to neglect your own self, just please think about Concubine Wu[3]. Right after knowing that something happened to you, Concubine Wu weeped."

After solving the cloth straps tied on Gong Zhuoliang, Ruo Lan helped him sit against the pillow then sat on the edge of the bed and held Gong Zhuoliang's numb arm, kneading it gently for him.

"How is my mother?"

Another word that he uttered out of nowhere. Gong Zhuoliang instantly pinched the center of his forehead with his other hand then both unfamiliar and familiar images gradually showed up in his mind. Although some memories are vague, it is enough for Gong Zhuoliang to sort out the life experience of this poor child that he's currently possessing... and it was really an old-fashioned, dog-blood plot.[4]

This child's name is magically exactly the same as his own. In view of what happened to him today, Gong Zhuoliang temporarily classified him as having his own providence.

According to this child's memory, Gong Zhuoliang knew that the current dynasty was called the Celestial Dynasty, and the reigning Emperor was Hongzheng Emperor who is now around 39 years old. Gong Zhuoliang determined that this did not belong to any period in his known history as a young man who's currently in the historical timeline. In general, he could only determine that he is in the ancient era!

Then there is the life experience of this child. Thank God, this child is a real male. His father is the richest man in this city. It is also said that his family is a Beijing official and his mother is a Qinyi who's from Jiangnan[5] but ended up marrying into a businessman. And there was also a jealous first wife in their family, anybody could already imagine how the life of this mother and son goes.*

(*TL/N: During historic times, as long as a man holds a very important position at the palace ((ex. Prime Minister, Ministers, General, Military Advisors, Marquis, etc.)), they're allowed to gather as many wives and concubines as they want, hence there are first wife, second wife, third wife... and so on.

The first wife has the highest position in the household after the husband, and is usually in-charge of managing some harem matters, whilst the concubine has the lowest... So in order for a concubine's position to rise, they must be able to satisfy the said-Husband and leave a good impression on them.

In a household containing lots of wives and concubines, hatred and jealousy is inevitable. The said-wives who had a high position usually loves to bully the concubine, and that goes the same with the children of the wives towards a concubine's child)

And if that's the case, Gong Zhuoliang who's now a concubine is one of the young master living in the palace family, and he could live a relaxed life even when he turned into an adult. However, in this era, the situation is exactly like the Ming Dynasty. It is also common for a man to marry another man to fill the house, and so Mrs. Gong [6] openly asked Gong Zhuoliang to be her "daughter"  to support him. Her intentions are obvious, and in this era when the direct wife is very important, the family could also treat her as one of the head of the family other than their Father.[7] No one dared to oppose her decision. And about Gong Zhuoliang's meek father...don't count on him at all.

"Concubine Wu cried too sadly. She finally fell asleep in relief when she knew that you were fine. I went to see her before I came, I think she's fine by now"

Ruo Lan squeezed Gong Zhuoliang's arm up, her eyes fell on the young man's pale and thin face, her nose couldn't help but reddened. The poor second young master who's been suffering for so many years is now driven to a dead end.

"Ruo Lan..."

Gong Zhuoliang looked down at his own fair little hands that completely resembled chicken claws. He didn't know what to say to the little girl in front of him. The memory of this child was vague without any comprehendible details at all. It is not coherent.

Gong Zhuoliang remembered that this child's first sister had just married the eldest son of the local prefect who used to have a fiancée that had been betrothed to him since childhood but died.

It was also said that the eldest son was also a sickly child who had been inseparable from medicine bottles since childhood. A few days ago, the eldest son's betrothed fiancée died and right now, he was also too ill to get married at this point, that's why their family decided to be married with a successful merchant family like the Gong household for the sake of good luck, but then just before the wedding could happen, the bride had already eloped with her servants.

The Gong family knew what they had done, and then they could only wait for the young man to die before they would take the chance to give 'justice' for him and placed his name at the top post as their way for absolving the crime they've done, announcing to everybody how this child had fought 'till the end, in order to leave a good impression to the young man's family, so even if their child that was married to their son had now became a widower, they could still use the prefect's name for any connections as their 'relatives' and as their 'in-law's…. They had really come up with such a good scheme, ah.

Gong Zhuoliang lowered his head to hide the coldness in his eyes. How could he let these bastards get their wish? The child in his memory was kind and filial, but he was forced to death by these relatives. Now he is somehow alive again and if he didn't teach them a lesson for the sake of this child, Gong Zhuoliang would despise himself.

"Eldest Miss... Second Master! My good Second Young Master, Madam, has already agreed to Ruo Lan's dowry. If Ruo Lan would be by your side in the future, she will definitely not let others bully you anymore. If she couldn't, I'll have to be punished to take ten thousand steps back. You'll just have to visit the old ancient Buddha to clarify... It will not be worse than it is now, please be sure to look at it."

Ruo Lan said and clenched Gong Zhuoliang's little hand, her eyes were red while she was speaking, but she kept her back straight, and her beautiful little face was full of stubbornness as if to support Gong Zhuoliang with her own strength.

"Sister Ruo Lan..."

Gong Zhuoliang's eyes turned red all of a sudden. He bit his lips and looked at Ruo Lan pitifully, trying hard to restrain his instinct of letting go of her hand. God knows where did the strength of this little girl come from, his hands hurt so much when she's squeezing it like that!

"Second Young Master... Well, this title can no longer be called that in the future… 'Mistress', in short, Ruo Lan will accompany you in the future, no matter where we go the two of us will live our lives well so please don't be afraid. And don't call me 'sister' anymore or else people will be laughing at you."

Seeing Gong Zhuoliang's tears, Ruo Lan released his hand and took out her handkerchief as she gently wiped the corners of Gong Zhuoliang's eyes, and then she wiped his eye sockets, put away the handkerchief and sat down again, holding Gong Zhuoliang's other arm she she slowly massaged it again.

"I see, Ruo Lan... I won't commit suicide again, don't worry."

It would be embarrassing for a 26-year-old Gong Zhuoliang to call a 14-year-old girl a 'big sister' [8] His affection for this little girl soared again. However when he thought that the actual age of this child was only around 12 years old at the moment, Gong Zhuoliang was distressed and realized that he really had to continue pretending to be 'tender' from now on.

In this era of feudal age, Gong Zhuoliang won't dare to show a trace of abnormality. Once he was regarded as a madman* he surely wouldn't be able to escape in this small body of his and he might have to be beaten and killed by those 'family members' with a stick and be buried behind the mountain.*

(*TL/N: It meant here that if anybody noticed Gong Zhuoliang acting unlike his usual self but rather a different person, everyone would grow suspicious towards him.

*TL/N²: This story isn't surely a cultivation one but it did mention he would be beaten with a stick. From what I knew, in cultivation novels, if a certain person is guessed as being possessed by other person or either evil spirit, it could be only determine by a spiritual stick by beating that person until the said 'person/evil spirit' who's possessing would come out of the victim's body)

"Thank goodness... it's good if you think about it."

With Gong Zhuoliang's assurance, Ruo Lan finally felt relieved. Although her second young master has a soft temper, he has always kept his promises. Now, everything should be really fine.

"Well..."

Infected by Ruo Lan's sincere smile, Gong Zhuoliang finally showed a smile on his face, but was interrupted by a rumbling sound. Gong Zhuoliang felt a little embarrassed as he touched his stomach. He's actually been feeling hungry and now it makes him uncomfortable. He surely hadn't eaten for a day.

"Madam told me not to deliver meals to you today… so I can only secretly bring this in. Let's put a pad on it first." 

Ruo Lan took out a small oiled paper bag from her pocket as she carefully opened it and grabbed a piece of scallion oil pancake inside. Wiped it. After breaking the cake into small pieces, she feeds them to Gong Zhuoliang. After he finally finished eating it, she carefully wrapped the oiled paper and hid them in her arms, making sure that nothing was exposed and supported Gong Zhuoliang to lie down  again before she finally left and changed her face with an indifferent expression.

Such a good child, ah.

Gong Zhuoliang sighed in his heart as he watched Ruo Lan leave. He then took a deep breath and felt with his hand between his legs. He let out a long sigh... It's okay, even though he's only a little boy with no leg hair, he's still a genuine man!*

(*TL/N: to clarify what he's been doing here, he actually touched his crotch and checked if he had a pillar or not XD )

___________________________

TL/N:

Phew.... so far so good...

As this is still the first chapter and also the first MTL that I edited, my grammar still looked a little awkward here. But hopefully I'll improve soon XD

Down here, I've inscribed some footnotes. Although I did say that I was merely editing the MTL, that doesn't mean I wouldn't know a few topics and I still did my brief research for the other parts for a better understanding. Normally, I should've ignore it but I'm sort of also having fun writing the footnotes so I still did :3

But it's up to you guys whether you'd be willing to read the footnotes. I, as a danmei reader too, am very lazy to read an entire essay of footnotes from the translator unless I read something vague and I really really wanted to know everything behind that vague part... But normally, I ignore the footnotes XD

Just why am I like this? I don't like reading footnotes yet I somehow enjoy writing one ahahaha XDDDD

So here's a long one for you ~<3

Translator's Footnotes:

[1]- Based from the phrase "河东狮吼" or "Hé dōng shī hǒu" which meant: The lioness from Hedong roars. 

This is actually an idiom that refers to a 'shrewish wife' or a 'henpecked husband'

[2]- YY genre.

The abbreviation of the 2 Chinese characters "意淫" or Yi Yin which is specifically translated as "Mental Masturbation". However, there's also derivative term for these two characters which is "to fantasize about, to have (sexual or other) fantasy about"

Basically any stories where the protagonist is invincible as heck while at the same time, it had an inhumane level of porn are referred to as YY novels XD

SVSSS readers should've already known about this certain abbreviation haha!

[3]- Concubine Wu. Gong Zhuoliang's birth mother.

[4]- 'Dog-blood plot'

If you have read quite a number of Chinese transmigration novels, you must've already encountered this word before? Or perhaps some of you already had some knowledge about this word.

To those who're not quite aware, the word 'Dog-blood' is a Chinese way of referring to a story or perhaps a plot that's either too cliché or predictable....

[5]- "A QinYi who's from Jiangnan", meaning the birth mom of Gong Zhuoliang must be a delicate beauty.

Jiangnan means "South of river", in which it refers to the Southern part of China. Any woman born in Jiangnan is mostly known as a person with a gentle and delicate temperament.

Another thing, this "QinYi" is actually a real person who's well-known as the most beautiful woman in China. So if a woman is called a "Qin Yi", it means that the woman is beautiful.

[6]- Mrs.Gong.

She must be the said first wife who's married into the Gong Family before Gong Zhuoliang's own mother joined the household as a concubine. And so this Mrs. Gong must not be his true blood-related mother, however, since she's also a wife of Gong Zhuoliang's father, she could be determine as his own 'mother' or rather his step-mother.

[7]- Direct wife.

As I said from my first TL notes, when a man married a woman yet still gathered tons of women as his own concubines, that married woman would be called the first wife or 'direct wife'

Direct wife/ first wife had the strongest tyranny into the household as she's the only legal wife who married the head of the family. The direct wife/first wife is the one in-charge of managing the other women in the household; the leading-role of the wives; And could be also determined as the 'mother-figure' to all children born in the household whether they're illegitimate or not. In the household, she had the highest authority when it comes to making decisions.

[8]- Gong Zhuoliang had been calling Ruo Lan as "Jie" previously. "Jie" means "elder sister" or "big sister"

[lizacstuff]

Sen Çal Kapımı ep 48 asks

THE EPISODE WHERE THEY FINALLY GOT MARRIED!!!!!!!

SERKAN AND EDA ARE MARRIED!!

FINALLY!

YES!!!!!!!!!

Okay, now that I got that out of my system, asks under the read more.

andhewonherheart asked: @andhewonherheart I love that Bolat is Aydan’s last name, not Alptekin’s. I know it’s a little of a retcon, but this way we don’t need to worry about Serkan and his family carrying that man’s name. And Aydan would be a woman that strongarms her husband into taking her last name.

I LOVED THIS!  I sat up straight when Kemal made the comment about Alptekin taking her name and cheered. Seriously. What a great turn of events. Serkan is so attached to his name, it’s nice that he didn’t have to have an identity crisis over that on top of everything else. And now it’s not weird for Eda and Kiraz to take his name after finding out Kemal is actually his father, which I wanted for them. I wanted them all to be tied together with a name, to have that feeling of belonging. Plus, as you say, it’s nice they don’t have the name of that man. 

I will say one thing, though... is it really a retcon?  Did they ever say Bolat was Alptekin’s given last name? I don’t think they did (but who knows with the iffy translations we all rely on). I do remember Aydan bragging on the lineage of the Bolats in a very early episode (maybe 2?) and at the time I thought it was odd that she was so proud of the lineage when she just married into it, especially because if memory serves she was sort of heckling Eda, who was marrying a Bolat.  Perhaps this was always intended, and we only feel like it’s a retcon because we’re programmed by a patriarchal society to assume a woman always take a man’s last name?

Anonymous asked: I don’t really like the idea of Serkan giving up Art Life. I understand the symbolism of him giving up his work for his family, but I would’ve preferred that he finds a balance, like he did with bringing Kiraz to work. I feel like that would’ve been a more rounded way of approaching his character, instead of swinging him in the other direction, now instead of having only work, he only has his family. When he could have both.

He will have both. Eventually. He’ll figure it out and get back to where he was. He is Serkan Bolat after all. You don’t expect him to sit idle for any length of time, do you?

As much as part of me was just torn up at him selling his stake in the company, I thought it was really beautiful.  Sure, balance is good, but this is a man who has ripped out Eda’s heart twice by telling her that work is more important than she is to him. This is a man who left ON HIS WEDDING DAY, who put work first ON HIS WEDDING DAY, who got on a plane ON HIS WEDDING DAY because he tried to balance (do both, go to Italy and get married in one day) and it ended up putting them both through hell and almost ruining both of their lives.

Picture how you would feel if the person you were marrying decided to fly to another country on your wedding day? 

So I disagree with you. I’m more than fine with Serkan Bolat unequivocally putting Eda first over his career and company. After everything they’ve been though, and her insecurities in that area, it was incredibly important and now she will never, ever doubt where his heart lies. It’s with her. She (and their family) is his top priority.

Besides, the show started with Serkan having destroyed Eda’s dream of studying to become a landscape architect in Italy, it’s quite poetic that he gave up something substantial so that she could realize a dream of working as a landscape architect on her dream project in Italy.

I’m pretty sure she’ll be more than happy to help rebuild their company. Together. 

Anonymous asked: i know you said in your previous ask round-up that as far as the actual proposal goes, nothing would top that speech in 27.. i was wondering how you felt about his speech this episode. sure, it wasn't actually the proposal, more like a "reception" toast, but for me i think it was my favorite speech, or at least top 3, serkan has said to/about eda.. just pure love about their journey together and a huge full circle moment with that video from the pilot episode.

YEEEEEESSSSSS. I so agree with this, and actually thought exactly this while watching.  It was a marvelous speech and while, as you say, it was presented as more of a toast, it was really more of a wedding vow.  

I loved it. And I’ve rewatched it multiple times and I plan to watch it many times more. As always Kerem and Hande were excellent in the scene. Eda and Serkan were in front of their friends and family, but they were so focused in on one another they might as well have been alone. The emotion was palpable. 

She is love. Dang, Serkan!  He’s mentioned love at first sight a couple of times, it was nice that in this moment he gave another nod to that.

Loved the call back to the video from the first episode, it worked really well, especially to remind us of how it all started and how she felt like he destroyed her dream. That segued into him mentioned them destroying each other’s dreams. As I said above, quite poetic, especially since he then put his money where his mouth was by the end of the episode and destroyed his dream to preserve hers. 

Well done, show. 

Anonymous asked: i have loved the tone of this season so much. none of the drama we have is super heavy, outside of the kiraz reveal which was given the angst and importance it should have bc of how it important it was. otherwise, we've had happy (now married!) edser coming back together and now facing trouble and issues as a couple! this was basically all i wanted for them since 28!

Yes, me too. I really enjoy the tone this season. As you say, it’s not super heavy, the melodrama is at a minimum, most things are light and fluffy and even heavy issues are played with a light hand. 

For me, I’ve really enjoyed this season and I’m super glad we got it.  I think COVID did us one favor by shutting down production when it did and forcing them to reevaluate what they were doing.  If they hadn’t I’m guessing the show would have continued in a very messy and directionless manner, with lots of melodrama and storylines that would have been traumatic to watch. 

Season 2 has direction and purpose and a plan and once we got past the horrified shock of the time jump and the secret daughter (which I grant you was no small feat) it’s pretty much been trauma free. 

Anonymous asked: After watching the episode, I'm lowkey disappointed. we did get Pretty Woman SCK-style. I was promised Serkan as a gigilo and Eda encouraging it!!!!! LOL, jokes aside, I'll never forget the outrage over that fragman over "harassment" or "prostitution" of all things when the actual dinner scene lasted 3 minutes, Eda was being at the hotel the whole time, and the scene where people thought she was encouraging him was about her project. Almost 50 eps and you would ppl would learn how fragmans work.

The fragman was insanely misleading, but lots of them are, so you would think they would have figured it out by now, but nope! A large swath of people really embarrassed themselves with their complete over reaction to something that turned out to be nothing like they thought. 

Thankfully Serkan was entirely in the dark about how dire the situation was and why Eda was pushing him to make nice with Deniz, and only humored Deniz very unwillingly and then completely cut ties with her.  I think the best part was the least shocking twist ever... that the Serkan staying in her room line was an actual joke on the show. Come on, kids, it was pretty obvious to anyone with a brain that Serkan would never actually consider staying with her, and certainly not just days after he got married. Preposterous!   

Having said that, I do agree with people who think that Deniz being obsessed with him to that degree is dumb. There is a thread of misogyny and internalized misogyny (depending on which writers) running through the writing of these female guest characters who come in and absolutely shed all dignity, sanity and common sense when it comes to Serkan. Selin, Balca, the actress and Deniz.  Good grief. However, I just don’t care enough to get pissy. If that’s what they’ve come up with to fuel the jealousy trope that apparently is a must for Turkish dizis without having Serkan ever have eyes for anyone but Eda, then so be it.  

The formula is more than obvious by now, so I’m not sure why some folks made asses of themselves jumping to other conclusions. 

[cheri-translates]

[CN] Gavin’s Private Photoshoot Date (Eng Translation)

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for a date which has not been released in English servers! 🍒

Valentine’s 2020 Collection: Kiro // Lucien // Victor

MC wants to go for a couple photoshoot with Gavin but is afraid of getting rejected. To lessen the potential blow of rejection, she asks Willow to play “matchmaker” and pretend that Willow won the chance to go for the photoshoot in a lucky draw but has no use for it

Gavin arrives, and MC fumbles with her reasons as to how the photoshoot would be beneficial for her work. To her surprise, Gavin agrees without a fuss

On the day of the photoshoot, they head to Planet Photo Studio

MC is unsure which theme to go for, so the photographer recommends a rather sultry theme incorporating feathers and spider webs. She asks Gavin for his opinion, and he is fine with it after making sure MC doesn’t have to wear revealing clothing

They change into their outfits, and she gets stunned by how he looks:

The slightly modified style matches the striped shirt Gavin is wearing. A feather-shaped pendant rests near his slightly exposed chest. It perfectly brings out the casualness that oozes from Gavin’s bones.

Noticing my eyes lingering on him, the corners of Gavin’s mouth lift.

Gavin: What’s wrong?

MC: Nothing much. I rarely see you dressed like this, so I’m a little surprised. What I mean by “surprised” is… that you look exceptionally handsome!

Not expecting my straightforward compliment, Gavin coughs lightly, and turns his head to the side to hide his blush.

Gavin: You surprised me today as well… Let’s go in.

MC’s confidence in doing the photoshoot eventually wanes because the photographer isn’t satisfied with how the photos turn out

The photographer comments that Gavin and MC seem to be too focused in aligning themselves with the theme of the photoshoot, but she wants to capture the real MC and Gavin, not just the feathers and spider webs.

According to the sequence of the photoshoot, the next pose requires me to sit on Gavin’s lap.

I repeat to myself internally: “This photoshoot requires me to be intimate. Just be natural, be intimate…” I let out a breath, and carefully sit on Gavin’s lap.

However, my stiff body feels like a wooden puppet. My pose ends up looking neither seductive nor sexy. The fact that the photographer has yet to press the camera shutter makes me even more nervous.

At this moment, a firm hand suddenly holds my waist. Gavin’s other hand cradles the back of my neck, his fingers carrying with them irresistible strength.

The distance between us closes in an instant, and I feel the warmth of Gavin’s palm on my cheek.

Looking at my flushed face through the reflection in his amber eyes, I am about to open my mouth to speak, but hear a shutter click from the side.

They finally get a satisfactory shot, and the photographer tells them to take a break. MC realises she is still sitting on Gavin’s lap:

MC: Gavin, I should… be getting up.

Gavin: This is quite nice actually. Or do you not like it?

MC: It’s not that I don’t like it… Anyway, why did you suddenly change the pose just now?

Gavin: I felt that you were too tense. So why not transfer some of that burden and stress to me? It’s just a photoshoot, there’s no need to worry so much.

MC decides to apply lip balm for Gavin because the lights from the studio are very bright and drying:

I put a little paste on my finger, and carefully rub it on Gavin’s lips.

MC: Don’t move.

Gavin freezes, not expecting my action.

His lips feel soft under my touch. Under the light, his moisturised lips have an attractive luster.

At this moment, Gavin is within reach, and all that I see is Gavin. The familiar scent of Gavin and the foreign smell of the gel entwine, making my heart beat faster and faster.

At such a close distance, my fingers can feel each and every single warm breath of his.

Under his amber gaze, his scorching breaths seem to be getting closer and closer…

Unfortunately they get interrupted by the photographer who tells them that the shoot can continue.

After the photoshoot, Gavin leaves for a mission which takes half a month.

In the present, MC receives a call from the photoshoot studio telling her that the photos are ready, so she collects them and goes to Gavin’s house to drop them off.

Gavin coincidentally returns from his mission while she is there, and she decides to tidy the place up while waiting for him to finish bathing. He finishes his bath, decked in the same striped white shirt he wore during the photoshoot. He sees her tidying the place:

Gavin: No need to trouble yourself. I can tidy the place up later.

MC: It’s no trouble at all. You should rest!

While saying this, I pull Gavin over to the sofa, beckoning him to sit down.

MC: Every time I’m at your house, you always treat me like a guest. I also want to t-treat this place as… as…

Even though I had rehearsed these two lines several times in my head, they end up stuck in my throat at the most important moment.

Gavin understands my expression and smiles, voicing the words I have yet to say.

Gavin: As your home.

MC: Exactly! So there’s nothing wrong with cleaning and maintaining the hygiene of one’s own home! If you feel bad about it, then… when I call you to help me with window-cleaning in a few days, we’d be even.

Gavin: Sure, I’ll be waiting for your call.

He asks why she decided to drop by, and she explains that the photos from the photoshoot are ready. He comments that he had planned to organise photos from previous shoots too, so they take a trip down memory lane while looking through past photos on Gavin’s bed. 

Some photos include blurry pictures of MC that Gavin took hastily whenever he spotted MC during missions but couldn’t say hello.

Suddenly, MC receives a business call and she leaves the room to deal with it. By the time she comes back, Gavin is asleep:

I quietly sit on the bed, a little angry at how Gavin always tries to be strong.

I can’t help but lean over and gently poke Gavin’s face… it feels nice.

This light touch seems to turn on a switch within me, and it is as though I am under a spell, addicted to it.

Gavin’s hair is coarser than I imagined, reminiscent of how persevering he is.

The bridge of his nose… a bone? No wonder his nose is so pretty.

My touches continue downwards. The second my fingers reach the corner of his lips, my mind brings me back to the scene half a month before when I was helping him apply the lip balm. It was this same softness, the same warm breaths that wrapped themselves around my fingertips…

I am just about to finish my little prank, but realise that my fingers are gripped onto tightly by Gavin. It is as though I am awakened from a dream, and I take in a shocked breath.

MC: Gavin…?

Gavin: …Mm?

Gavin blearily opens an eye before letting out a light yawn. My face flushes in surprise and shame, yet I pretend that nothing had happened.

MC: Y-you… When did you wake up?

Gavin: Just. I felt an itch.

MC: I didn’t mean to wake you, just that I rarely see you sleeping, so… Please continue sleeping! I’m really not going to bother you anymore!

I think of retracting my hand, but Gavin has no intention of letting go. Instead, he rubs the back of my fingers with his thumb.

Gavin: It’s not convenient for us to talk like this, let’s change positions.

Before I can agree, Gavin pulls me into his arms, the bed letting out a squeak from the weight.

MC: Shall we continue with the photos?

Gavin: We can do that later.

He hugs me a little tighter, his chin resting on my forehead, and I feel the roughness of his stubble.

MC: … Did you forget to shave?

Gavin: Does it hurt?

MC: No…. This is good.

And that is the truth. A simple clean home and an easy-going Gavin who doesn’t put up walls around me. Being able to enjoy a rare sliver of rest in such a busy world – There is nothing more pleasant than this.

Gavin: When you were taking the call, I looked at the photoshoot pictures. It was a little…

MC: “A little” what? Do you not like it?

Gavin: No, I like it very much. It’s just that the “you” in the photo didn’t really seem like you. Your pose was far more assertive than usual.

Just remembering the warmth of the photoshoot causes my entire face to blush.

MC: T-that’s only because of the photographer’s professional skills, the atmosphere and the lighting! Though I am rather passive in real life…

Gavin: You were quite assertive this time round.

MC: Hm?

I look up, not understanding what Gavin means. Gavin looks down at me at the same time. We are so close that our noses are almost touching, and I can see each and every one of Gavin’s eyelashes, and the narrowing of his eyes.

Gavin: When you and Willow were in the pantry discussing how she should play “matchmaker”, Minor was standing outside.

MC: So you knew from the start that I would invite you? Minor that little… I’m going to dock his-

Before I can complete my sentence with “pay”, Gavin seals my lips with a kiss.

His tongue pries open my lips, capturing all my lines of defense.

Gavin’s lips are even warmer than they were when I applied lip balm for him during the photoshoot, and it feels as though I am about to get scalded.

In the midst of the unbearable heat, I let out a whimper which is instantly swallowed by Gavin.

In the quiet bedroom, there are only sounds of our entangled breaths.

The photos we have yet to put away fall around us. These past moments witness this present kiss.

After a long while, Gavin’s voice is at my ear.

Gavin: Apart from photographs, I can give you even more private memories.

Gavin’s breath is as overwhelming as a spider’s web that leaves one defenseless.

The sound of the blinds being pulled shut is reminiscent of a camera’s clear shutter.

Click.

📷

Phone calls: First // Second

[shishi-tls]

Kanroji Mitsuri’s Secrecy

I’M DONE WITH THIS, FINALLY, BANZAI.

Okay, here’s my surprise (and Christmas present) for everyone. This is chapter 3 of the second novel of Kimetsu no Yaiba (Kataha no Chō). Each chapter’s the story of one character, so it’s not like you missed part 1 and 2 of Mitsuri’s story.

I apologize it took double the time I thought it would take me, I honestly thought about giving up many times ohohoho. But hey, here you have it.

This is a mid-quality translation, I do believe it’s readable, but there’re some parts I didn’t give too much thought and left them as short or simple sentences. I tried, okay? 

This is a fantranslation, there could be mistranslations. Read at your own risk.

Also, typos, grammatical errors, whatever there is, just leave a relpy and I’ll try to fix it as soon as possible. 

 Last thing: if you want to put this up on another website or translate it to another language you’re free to do so, BUT LET ME KNOW, OK?

One Winged Butterfly

Chapter 3: Kanroji Mitsuri’s Secrecy

1.-

The first time I met her I thought ‘wow, such a pretty girl’. 

Pure white skin and clear violet eyes; stunningly beautiful and delicate; kind and doesn’t discriminate anyone. 

But, can create things like poison to kill Demons. 

Strong and intelligent, cute, brave… a lovely girl.

I would be very happy if we could be friends. We are both girls, so there should be a lot of things we could talk about…

That’s why, when I heard about it, my head went blank and couldn’t think about anything.

“Kochō-sama’s parents were killed right before her eyes, and on top of that her sister  Kanae-sama too… dying in such a way…”

Ah….

I didn’t know.

Shinobu-chan. I didn’t know.

“Well you see, I joined the Demon Slayer Corps to find a gentleman who would marry me for life. For a girl, it’s actually better someone who’s stronger than themselves, no? We want to be protected. Hey, Shinobu-chan, don’t you think so?”

If I’d known, I’d never said that.

Such a frivolous reason.

If I had known Shinobu-chan’s past, I wouldn’t have been able to say it.

Ah, how stupid of me. 

When I told her that, how did she feel?

She was a little startled, but then she answered with the smiling face she always has.

‘I see… Who knows. I’m sure Kanroji-san will find someone wonderful’.

It must have been really unpleasant and annoying, right? 

Did she think she didn’t want to be together with such a simpleton?

Hey, Shinobu-chan…

I’m.

You see, I…

2.-

“Kanroji-san’s acting weird?”

Kochō Shinobu tilted her head to the side at her coworker who came so suddenly. 

They’re currently inside her office at the Butterfly Estate, where she –as the Insect Pillar– lives. This is a place where poison effective against Demons is developed and Slayers are treated or nursed after being wounded in battle. Therefore, most visitors are wounded people. 

However, her coworker Iguro Obanai came here without a single scratch and as soon as they met, he started to talk anxiously about the Love Pillar, Kanroji Mitsuri, with a serious face. 

“In what way is she acting weird?”

“Everything, she’s weird all around. You haven’t noticed?”

Iguro makes that question and looks at her as if accusing her for something.

As some sort of signal, the snake wrapped around Iguro’s neck sticks out its long tongue. It’s Kaburamaru, the Snake Pillar’s beloved snake.

“Hmm, well…”

Shinobu with the tip of her index finger softly traces around her upper lip. She tries to remember Kanroji’s behavior in the last Pillar meeting, however…

“Nothing in particular”.

“Just where do you have your eyes attached to?” Are those stupidly big eyes of yours blind? Or maybe just decoratives?”

After some nagging, Iguro made a big sigh. 

Shinobu stopped herself from speaking her thoughts out loud ‘unlike you, I don’t exchange letters with her frequently’ and just smiled and apologized.

“Oh my, I’m very sorry”.

Even though it’s daytime and Demons can’t move around, each Pillar should be very busy as they shoulder a lot of heavy responsibilities. However, he pushed all of those aside and came here, so he isn’t doing this just for show or on a whim. Despite his appearance, Iguro cares about his colleagues more than others. 

“It’s fine if they’re things you saw from your own scope, so could you please tell me what’s so strange about Kanroji-san?”

Once Shinobu asked again, Iguro nodded with an obedient look. 

And then…

“Just fifty”.

“Yes?”

“Normally, she would eat a hundred of those dango sticks, but she only had fifty. You hear me? Just fifty. That Kanroji. Her favorite dangos.”

“……”

Being stared fixedly by his bloodshot eyes right in front of her, Shinobu unconsciously stepped back. Contrary to her, Iguro leaned forward. 

“Moreover, she replies coldly to my letters. Her letters are awfully plain and seem to be written to a stranger. Why? It’s weird. Anything and everything is weird.”

“Aoi, Iguro-san’s already leaving.”

Shinobu turned her back to Iguro, walked to the room’s door and said “Iguro-san, the exit is over there.”

“It’s not just that”.

Despite Shinobu’s sarcasm, Iguro kept talking. 

“In the last Pillar meeting, Kanroji didn’t even try to look at the eyes of any Pillar. And not only the Pillars’, Oyakata-sama’s too.”

Shinobu turned around with a surprised face.

Every Pillar respects and loves dearly Oyakata-sama –Ubuyashiki Kagaya–  from the bottom of their hearts. Mitsuri’s not the exception, she also cares about Oyakata-sama. As far as Shinobu knows, Mitsuri has never opposed his will and would even put him above everything else. It was certainly strange for someone like her to avert her eyes from Oyakata-sama . 

“And after that, Tokitō picked up a handkerchief she had dropped, but when he tried to talk to her she jumped high enough to reach the roof and ran away.”

“Yes, that seems strange”.

If Mitsuri was herself, her heart would have throbbed and expressed her gratitude honestly by saying ‘thank you, Muichirō-kun’.

“Was it then when you first noticed something strange on her behavior?”

“No, she was already acting weird 12 days before that.”

Shinobu was full of retorts at him answering immediately and with such detail, but that aside, this meant Mitsuri has been like this for nearly half a month. 

By all means, this was worrisome.

“There could be something wrong with her health. I’ll try to ask her indirectly, you think about something too. Got that, Kochō?”

After voicing everything he wanted to say and seeing Shinobu nod, he left the Estate. Shinobu, left alone in the examination room, sat down on the chair. There was no need for him to go all the way to visit her, he could’ve just wrote a letter and sent it with a crow. It’s quite charming that Iguro cares about Mitsuri to that extent, but…

“Good grief. When it comes to Kanroji-san, Iguro-san immediately becomes unreliable.”

Relaxing her body, Shinobu let out a short sigh. It came to her mind the cute face of the only other Pillar of her same gender, Kanroji Mitsuri. 

“Shinobu-chan, Shinobu-chan.”

She’s older than her, but has an innocent smile and becomes attached to others just like a kitty would. Thinking about the face that had crossed her mind, Shinobu gently narrowed her eyes.

Outside the windows, the wind blew against the cherry blossom trees and shaked its branches, now with only leaves left on them.

3.-

A thin and soft katana ran in a moonless night, almost as if it was alive.

“Breath of Love, First Style: Shivers of First Love!”

A greatly bended sword cuts a huge Demon up to pieces at lightning speed, its head rolled over the ground. 

Mitsuri exhaled slightly, for some reason she felt her body heavier than usual and her katana wasn’t cutting as sharp as it should. It was distressing, her head was like in a haze.

“Thank you… thank you very much!”

The couple she had saved was thanking her, the man was bowing his head over and over again while the shivering woman asked her

“Are… are you okay?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Well… You’re hurt…”

“Oh, no, I’m not…”

Mitsuri noticed the woman was looking at one of her cheeks and wiped it with the back of her left hand. There was blood on it. Seeing this, she finally understood she’d been injured.

“For our sake… because you protected us…”

“We’re really grateful, thank you so much…”

The woman apologized while crying and the man lowered his head once more. Mitsuri waved both of her hands flustered.

“Ah! Don’t worry about it! This is nothing at all, nothing! I’m sorry for making you frightened. But, I’m happy you’re both okay.”

Mitsuri smiled at them and the man was suddenly moved to tears.

“To tell you the truth, my wife’s actually pregnant.”

“Uh… really? You’re having a baby?”

Surprised, Mitsuri looks at the woman who finally shows a smile. Her cheeks which were wet with tears shyly transformed into a smile.

“Yes, the due date should be in around 3 months.”

Her belly did seem plump.

“I see, congratulations. Take care of your body.”

“We owe you our lives, thank you very much.”

The man says his thanks again and afterwards, the couple cuddled close together and disappeared into the night. 

Mitsuri, while watching them until they were out of sight, lifted her hand to her chest. 

Thump thump, her heart pounded. 

If that Demon’s attack had cut that woman’s belly instead of my cheek…

As soon as she imagined it, she found herself terrified.

That Demon wasn’t weak, but it wasn’t very strong too. If I had been myself, I’d have saved them without getting a single scratch.

(And everything would have ended well, without that pregnant woman making such a face…)

The wet night wind caressed her cheeks. Mitsuri gently ran her fingers over the wound.

There was almost no pain.

But she couldn’t help but feel like something very important was falling and spilling over from that opened wound.

4.-

“Sigh…”

Finishing her night round and exposed to the brilliant sunlight, Mitsuri dragged her heavy body through the city. 

She went in her favorite restaurant and ordered some tempura rice bowl, cold soba with dipping sauce, grilled fish with rice and miso soup.

It seemed quite a lot to eat as a breakfast, but for Mitsuri this amount was like a tenth of what she would usually eat. 

Shortly thereafter, tea was brought to her and she sipped it absentmindedly. 

She gave a sigh again. 

Since that time she became eager in disciplining herself and made sure to not have any superficial feelings towards anyone.

In short, she sealed away her love. She’d to give up finding someone who would marry her for life and committed herself to forbid her heart to flutter every day. 

However, it seemed like someone was mocking her because things that would make her heart flutter happened one after another. 

(I wonder why… it’s only at times like this… )

The timing was so bad that brought Misturi to the verge of tears. The last Pillar meeting was specially the worst. 

That day she and the Flame Pillar, Rengoku Kyōjurō, ended up at the same place by looking for a shelter from the rain and he told her “You’re going to catch a cold! Put this on, Kanroji!!”, covering her with his haori. She also saw an unexpected side of the Rock Pillar, Himejima Gyōmei, saying “Namu. Cats are cute…” while carrying in his arms a kitten. Then, she met by accident with the Wind Pillar, Shinazugawa Sanemi, just when he was feeding a stray puppy. On top of that, she spotted the Water Pillar, Tomioka Giyū, taking a nap in the open corridor and waking up with a sudden jerk. Moreover, she tripped but Uzui catched her in his arms before falling to the ground telling her “be careful, don’t go tripping so plainly.” And finally, Iguro inviting her to a newly opened udon shop.

Mitsuri was depressed because she had to suppress her heart from throbbing every time, but she just couldn’t help it. 

… In the end,

“Mitsuri, is something troubling you? If you don’t mind, you can talk to me.”

(I even made Oyakata-sama worry… and when I was leaving, Muichirō tried to tell me something but I just ran away.)

This is the worst.

I got too nervous around Shinobu and couldn’t even look at her face.

(What… am I doing?)

And the final blow: she got hurt while fighting an enemy who wasn’t even part of the Twelve Demon Moons.

Mitsuri dropped her shoulders dejected and restlessly ate her tempura rice bowl brought by the waitress.

(Is it really okay to keep on like this?)

Thinking absentmindedly, she dropped the tempura she had picked with her chopsticks into the bowl. Inside of it there was still more than two thirds of rice left. She should be hungry, but she didn’t feel like eating. In fact, everything she tried to eat was tasteless and felt like chewing sand. She hadn’t felt like this since her first marriage interview was broken off. 

“Kanroji-san, your body shape is the same as other people, but you’ve eight times more muscles than them. In other words, your muscle density is quite high.”

The one who told her this was none other than Shinobu.

“That’s why, you have to eat a lot. People who have more muscles have a higher basal metabolic rate. So please, do at least eat eight times more than a regular human does.”

“But, for a girl… to eat that much, um… won’t people be disgusted? won’t I be disliked?”

“You don’t have to forcibly stick with someone who would stop you from taking the nourishment you need. You should just do this to that kind of people.”

Saying that and keeping that lovely smile of hers, she made as though she was hitting someone with her fists.

“Right?”

“Geez, Shinobu-chan…”

Mitsuri had no idea how much those words and smile had saved her.

A few days after this exchange with Shinobu, Mitsuri went with Iguro to have some lunch. She timidly ordered what she wanted to eat. Iguro, who ate the least among the pillars, only asked for tea and something small to eat. In spite of Mitsuri’s fears, Iguro did not reproach Mitsuri for her gluttony, on the contrary, he insisted her ‘eat this too’ and ordered more food.

He was also the one who casually gave her those long striped socks without asking for anything in return when she was too embarrassed to use her uniform, which showed too much skin, and wasn’t able to burn it right in front of the tailor like Shinobu had done.

“Kanroji, so you were here after all.”

Mitsuri lifted her head in surprise at the sound of a familiar voice and saw the very face of the one she was thinking about just now.

She was taken aback by this.

“I, Iguro-san!? Why’re you here!?”

“I was looking for you to talk about something.”

As if it was the most natural thing to do, Iguro took the seat in front of Mitsuri and, for some reason, frowned deeply.

“Kanroji, what happened? That…”

“Uh?”, without thinking, she looked down at her rice bowl flustered. 

“Did I drop some rice?”

Or was she eating sloppily? Oh no, did she have food on her face?

Mitsuri was getting really nervous, however Iguro had questioned her because of something entirely different.

His next words were colder than ice.

“Why is there a wound on your cheek?”

“Ah! This? This is from yesterday’s night round… I got careless and…”

As soon as she replied in a flurry, Iguro’s eyes became immediately slanted. 

Iguro was rather a cool-headed coworker, but seeing him for the first time making such a grim face made her break out in a cold sweat.

(He’s angry. He must be disappointed with me getting injured when I wasn’t even fighting one of the Twelve Moons. What should I do? Is he fed up with me?)

While Mitsuri was earnestly trying to make herself as small as possible, Iguro suddenly jumped to his feet.

“Where is it?”

“Uwaa!”

Mitsuri could only shrug her shoulders as a reflex.

“Where’s that trash.”

“Eh?”

“The trash that ruined your rosy cheeks.”

“Eh…ah, well…”

Mitsuri was about to answer him she had already beaten it, but Iguro interrupted her groaning with deep hatred. 

“That trash deserves certain death. I’ll go now and cut him into small pieces.”

Mitsuri stopped him in a hurry as he was already trying to leave the shop.

“W, Wait, Iguro-san! It’s already gone. Umm… You see, I cut its neck that same night… so…”

“…”

Finally coming to his senses, Iguro stopped his bloodlust and went back to sit in front of Mitsuri again. Then, he covered his forehead with a hand and apologized.

“Sorry.”

And muttered a few words very embarrassed.

“Me of all people…losing my mind in anger.”

“…Iguro-san.”

(So, you were not angry with me…)

On the contrary, he was really worried about her.

She felt her heart slowly getting warmer.

Come to think of it, Iguro has been kind to her ever since she joined the Corps, he would help her whenever she was troubled with something. He, who would awkwardly address her

—Kanroji.

“There’s something troubling you, no?”

“Eh?…”

“If you’re okay with me, I’d like you to tell me.”

“Iguro-san…”

“I want to help you, Kanroji.”

“!”

Her chest tightened and her heart made a loud noise at his sincere voice and serious gaze, but at that instant, Shinobu’s face came to her mind.

“…!! I can’t!”

“Kanroji?”

Mitsuri jumped to her feet and Iguro looked up at her dumbfounded. She couldn’t look at him in the eyes.

“I, I just remembered I have some stuff to do! Sorry. I’m leaving, okay?

Coming up somehow with those words, she thrust her money at the shopkeeper and almost tripped rushing out the shop.

(I’m sorry, Iguro-san! I’m so sorry.)

Even though you are worried about me.

Even though you want to help me.

But, that will only make my heart leap for him…

If that happened, instead of getting help, I would just get stuck in an awful situation. I can’t always rely on him. 

She left the shop as if she was running away from it. 

Several buildings away, she finally calmed down.

(This is something I have to do alone. I can’t rely on Iguro-san forever.)

She slapped her cheeks with both hands with energy.

However, the haze in her head wasn’t cleared in the least.

And then, a few days later— 

“Haaaah….”

Mitsuri’s condition, instead of improving, only got worse day by day. It felt like she was extremely suffocated and her body was as heavy as lead. Maybe this was the reason behind not being able to use the Breath of Love properly. It was clear it has weakened. 

(I really wonder what’s wrong with me…)

Can I keep on as a Pillar like this?

In the end, I’ve only been feeling miserable and got a message from Shinobu to boot.

Please, come to the Butterfly Estate whenever it suits you.

Mitsuri would normally be happy with this kind of invitation, but this time it only troubled her even more.

(What would Shinobu-chan want from me?)

It’ll be too awkward to see her now… but I can't’ ignore her. 

Just when she had started to walk heavily towards the Butterfly Estate, she heard an “ah!” coming from behind her. 

“The Demon hunter… sis*?”  (nee-chan*)

She turned back at the perplexed voice.

“Yeah, I thought so! It’s sis!”

Some time ago, Mitsuri had saved a boy and his mother from a Demon. Today that boy was standing in front of her, with a smile in his tanned face.

“I’m glad. I’ve been looking you forever, sis.”

“Me?”

Mitsuri blinked her eyes.

“What is it? Some advice? Is something troubling you?”

“…”

Suddenly, the boy’s behaviour changed and became aware of his surroundings. Lowering his voice he told her:

“Actually, the restaurant where my mom works is close by.”

It seems he doesn’t want her mother to know about whatever he wants to tell me.

“Mom will get mad if she hears this.”

A mere child just talked as if he were a grown up man.

“Oh my….”

Holding back a laugh, Mitsuri decided to take him to her favorite teahouse which was some distance away from there.

Sitting right outside the teahouse, the boy happily stuffed his mouth with dangos.

“Have you been well? You’re all grown up! You’re a lot taller now.”

“I’m like 15cm taller since that time.”

“15cm. Boys surely grow up fast.”

Mitsuri smiled with a wide grin. She had a younger brother around the same age as this boy and couldn’t help but see him in this child. 

“So? What did you want to talk with me?”

The boy gulped down the dangos and slowly opened his mouth.

“Y’know, I want to be a carpenter.”

“Oh, that’s good. Are you good at making things?”

“Yeah, kind of. My deceased dad was a carpenter.”

“Oh…”

She wasn’t sure how to reply.

However, the boy was attentive to her and kept talking.

“It’s okay, my dad died 3 years ago already.”

He fixed his deep dark eyes on the sky.

“He got swept away by the river and drowned when he was building a bridge. He was a skillful carpenter, but he was a poor swimmer.”

“So that’s what happened…”

Mitsuri lightly bit her lower lip and looked at the boy’s tanned face.

Her mind strongly recalled his mother when she saved both, holding his son with large tears running down her face. Even now she remembered vividly how she kowtowed, bowing her head over and over again.

“Thank you so much for saving my son. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

Now that she’d heard what had happened to the father, that memory became a heartrending one. 

“Because of that accident my mom won’t let me become a carpenter, it makes her remember about father. She says she wants me to become an apprentice and live in a haberdashery or kimono shop… but, I don’t want to become one of those. I want to be a carpenter.”

The boy tightened his grip of his hand and continued.

“I’m keeping it a secret from mom, I’m planning to become an apprentice of a boss who was an acquaintance of my father’s. Everything’s been arranged.”

“… Why are you telling this to me?”

Mitsuri asked him confused. They boy hesitated at first but then answered brusquely.

“‘Cuz, sis, you were super cool when you saved me and mom.”

“Eh…”

She was extremely puzzled. At that time, she had just joined the Corps and was a lower ranked Slayer who only had her strength to boast, but wasn’t competent at all. She got cut all over and it took her a lot of time to chop off the Demon’s head. Anyways, she had been desperate. She hadn’t been in a state in which she should receive some flattery or even be called cool.

“But, y’know, I was really weak then! Like, I could only reach a lame victory and… I wasn’t cool in the sligh-”

“You were cool!!”

The boy shouted, cutting off her words.

“You fought with everything you got, for us, for complete strangers. Despite being a woman, you went so far as getting all battered… sis, you were cooler than anyone.”

The boy’s honest words pierced her heart.

Maybe because of his excitement, the boy’s earlobes were turning red as the sunset.

“Seeing you like that it made me think. I want to be like that too, doing what I really I want and be of help to others. I don’t want to give up or regret anything. That’s why, it doesn’t matter how much my mom cries for it, I’m going to become a carpenter and show everyone I can make a bridge that surpasses my father’s.”

“…”

“I was looking for you forever because I wanted to tell only sis about this. Okay then, thanks for the dangos.”

Saying that, they boy ran off. There wasn’t even time to call him out.

His back grew smaller and smaller until he dissapeared in the crowd. 

“…”

Mitsuri stared in a daze at the spot she last saw him…

5.-

“Kanroji-sama, thank you for visiting us. Shinobu-sama’s waiting for you.”

After arriving at the Butterfly Estate, Kanzaki Aoi guided her to the training area with a troubled face. Mitsuri tilted her head while trembling.

(Why at the training area?)

Just as the name implies, that place is a dojo where injured soldiers go through a training regiment to boost their recovery process and also where Shinobu trains herself and her Tsuguko. 

Mitsuri had visited the Butterly Estate before, but this was the first time she was called to the training grounds.

With a worried face, Aoi left her alone and she timidly opened the sliding door to the dojo.

“Umm… Shinobu-chan?”

“Hello, Kanroji-san.”

And there she was, at the center of the vast dojo. She was sitting with two bamboo swords at her side. However, she wasn’t smiling as usual. 

With a frosty look, she grabbed both swords, stood up and tossed one of the swords to Mitsuri.

(…Eh?)

She caught it with her hand reflexively.

Shinobu, still stone-faced asked her.

“Could I ask you for a match?”

Despite making a request, it seemed that Shinobu had no intention of listening to her answer as she readied her bamboo sword and pointed it towards Mitsuri.

“Eh?… Wha- Eh? Shinobu-chan?”

While Mitsuri was confused and not able to understand the situation, Shinobu gave her a sidelong glance and rushed in without making a sound. In the blink of an eye, she closed the distance between them and knocked the sword in Mitsuri’s hands off.

The low pitched sound of the sword hitting the floor resounded in the dojo.

“Just now—”

 Shinobu glanced sharply at Mitsuri who stood still and dumbfounded.

“You don’t even have half of your strength. If you were yourself, it wouldn’t have mattered how low your guard was, you’d have dodged that easily.”

“…Ah… Um…”

Shinobu’s voice had a strict tone, almost as if she was reproaching her. Mitsuri became flustered. 

“It looks like you can’t use the Breath of Love properly.”

“Th- that’s… Um…”

What she said was exactly correct and made Mitsuri more and more dispirited. 

Shinobu let out a soundless sigh and lowered her sword. She directed a chilly look to Mitsuri’s body.

“You look pale and your cheeks are hollow. You haven’t been eating enough to keep your muscles healthy, have you?

“!!”

“I’m not strong as a swordswoman, however Kanroji-san’s different. What makes you an excellent swordswoman is your talent to use a longsword as it pleases you without worries, your incredible flexibility, the strength you got by birth and, above everything else, your overwhelming honesty. 

Mitsuri fell completely silent.

“Kanroji-san.”

Shinobu addressed her emotionlessly.

“Why are you trying to make yourself weaker?”

Her heart jumped from the shock. 

She fearfully looked at Shinobu, who was already looking back at her. 

Mitsuri gulped, but the sound of it felt like another person had done it. 

If she was going to talk, now was the moment. 

But— 

(No… I can’t say it…. I just can’t.)

If she said it frankly, it would just hurt Shinobu. She would make her remember unpleasant and sad things— 

No, wrong. In truth, she was scared of saying it. Mitsuri was deceiving herself by thinking it was all for Shinobu’s sake, when it actually was for her own. She was too afraid of being hated by her precious friend if she confessed, of destroying their friendship and losing a friend.

Mitsuri casted her eyes downwards to avoid Shinobu’s eyes and squeezed her hands. 

(What should I do… Something else, I could tell her another rea-)

At the instant she thought that, a voice sounded in her ears.

— You were cool!!

Ah… 

Mitsuri lifted her head energetically. 

That boy told her she was cooler than anyone when she was still a novice. She had felt a huge relief and was happy they were alive. 

She’d thought she finally found a place where it was fine to stay, aside from her family.

Thank you.

It was actually Mitsuri the one who wanted to say those words. 

(I can’t….I mustn’t tell lies.)

If I do it, I won’t be able to stay here anymore.

I won’t be able to face Shinobu ever again.

(I have to tell her properly… my feelings.)

She shut her eyes tightly, then opened them and looked directly at Shinobu’s eyes.

“—Shinobu-chan, I…”

Just by saying those few words, her mouth went dry. She knew she was speaking in a shrill voice. 

“I… heard it…. from the Kakushi….about Shinobu-chan.”

“….”

Shinobu’d been watching her, still with a cold expression. Even now, there couldn’t be seen any change in her emotions. 

If she really had complete control of her emotions, just how much training did she go through to reach that?

A girl whose parents were slaughtered by Demons right before her eyes and whose beloved sister was snatched away too. 

The pain and sorrow almost made Mitsuri’s heart falter, but she eagerly fought them back.

“… I, was embarrassed at my reason to join the Corps… to find someone special and love… I felt sorry for Shinobu-chan. I thought I shouldn’t be like this, I needed to pull myself together… But,”

Sealing away her love made her surprisingly weak. The connection between her heart and the Breath of Love was deeper than she’d thought. 

“I finally got it now. I can’t do that. I have to become stronger being myself. If not, I won’t be able to protect anyone.”

She became afraid of being hated by those precious to her and as a result she neglected those she was supposed to protect. She unreasonably weakened the power and strength given to her by birth and tried to live in falsehood. All when she’d supposedly decided to live somewhere where lies were not needed and use this power granted by her parents to save as many people as she could… 

“This is me! This is Kanroji Mitsuri!! My heart leaps for many kinds of people, I eat a lot and I’m really strong! … But… I, I—”

“…..”

“Shinobu-chan… I really love you, okay?”

Saying that and before she could close her mouth, Shinobu’s pure white throat started to move slightly.

“Aside from me, there’re a lot of members in the Corps who had their parents snatched away from them by Demons.”

Mitsuri’s heart throbbed in pain at her calm voice.

“Aoi, Sumi, Kiyo and Naho too. Their families were killed by Demons and had nowhere else to go, so they live here with me. 

Mitsuri was hanging her head again, but a soft voice reached her hears.

“However, me and those girls would never be jealous of your situation or loath you because of your reasons for joining the Corps. But, well, I was surprised at first when I heard it.”

“Eh?…”

Mitsuri heard a giggle slip out in the last sentence, she lifted her head in surprise and saw Shinobu with a smile playing on her lips. Their eyes met. 

With Shinobu’s cold expression gone, Mitsuri was warmly wrapped in with her usual gentle smile. 

“Everyone here harbors hatred and grief, and despite licking each other’s wound, we can’t move forward. For us, Kanroji-san’s cheerfulness and smile is what always saves us.”

“Shinobu… chan…”

In Shinobu’s eyes, she could see herself ready to burst into tears.

Her deep violet eyes looked the same as the first time they met, they were the most beautiful thing in the world. 

“So, please, don’t do things like lying to yourself. I really like you as you are.”

Unable to endure it, she clinged to Shinobu who was way smaller than herself. Lukewarm tears were shedded one after another. 

“Shinobu-chanShinobu-chanShinobu-chan!!!”

“I’m sorry for testing you like that.”

“No, it’s fine! Really fine… I was being stupid.”

Still clinging to her Mitsuri shook her head, tickling Shinobu and making her laugh. 

“Please, from now on you have to eat properly, okay?”

“Yeah, I will! I’ll eat a lot. And get stronger!”

“Iguro-san was worried too.”

And added a few more words in a whisper.

‘To the point of being a little overprotective.’

“Yeah, I’ll apologize to him too. And to Muichirō-kun… 

Wahhhh.

Mitsuri cried like a child and Shinobu softly patted her back with her small hand, in the same way one would do it to a baby. 

Then, she murmured.

“—To tell you the truth, I was always jealous. Jealous of your constitution.”

“Eh?”

“If I too had muscles like you, if I was taller… Then…”

“Shinobu… chan?”

“I said too much, please forget it.”

She muttered in her arms.

What was she going to say after ‘then’?

Mitsuri felt like the words left unsaid were full of feelings strong enough to be heartbreaking, feelings which would rather burn down everything.

The only swordsman who can’t cut off a Demon’s head among all the Pillars. 

The body she was holding now felt so fleeting, or rather it was like a child’s, that it made her cry loudly once more.

She promised herself again.

That she’d live without making lies.

That she’d kill as many Demons as possible.

And she’d protect as many smiles and happiness as she could.

So that she can live proudly with her cherished friends in this precious place—. 

6.-

“Kanroji-san, why did you join the Demon Slayer Corps?”

“Uh? Me?”

In the corridor of Tecchikawahara’s mansion, Kamado Tanjirō asked her a question.

This boy, who joined the Corps to turn her sister back to a human, had fiery red eyes. They were really pretty.

He was looking at her straight into her eyes, it almost made her shrink back.

“It’s kinda embarrassing… Oh, what should I do. You wanna hear?”

Mitsuri fidgeted.

Nezuko, who through her Demon Blood Arts had shrunk her boy to the size of a child, looked up at her curiously. Mitsuri gently brushed her black hair. 

“You see…”

— Kanroji Mitsuri continued her story with a smile in her face.

FIN

TL:SoMeBoDY kILL ME

[nutty1005]

Xiao Zhan – Beijing Beijing

Translator’s Note: This article comes from PEOPLE Magazine 2020 2nd Issue.

In between “seems beautiful” and “very beautiful”, there can be one or many different views. For example, the phrase “famous after a battle” (TN: Xiao Zhan’s “Zhan” sounds like battle in Chinese), we could analyze the keywords in many ways.

Xiao Zhan, born 1991. Could you imagine how you and I would be when we were 28? Xiao Zhan is like this –

Fan View

“His looks are totally my type” “As warm and gentle as jade, a gentleman who is peerless” “A precious boy with the soul as crystalline as prismatic glass”

“Famous after a battle”, is the most effective “wartime story”. Using this analogy in the entertainment business, there are many who had been battling for quite a while. Xiao Zhan is like this as well…

Audience View

The summer of 2019, the antihero Wei Wuxian (portrayed by Xiao Zhan), came from “The Untamed” into the living rooms of countless viewers, and straight into their hearts;

Platform View

As the Beijing TV Spring Night Spokesperson, as a celebrity with more than 20 million fans on Weibo, as Tencent’s “Most Popular Artist of 2019” and “Drama Actor of the Year”, as iQiyi’s “Breakthrough Popularity Actor of the Year”…

When we change our point of view, will the world become more interesting?

With regards to his looks, Xiao Zhan said he is “ordinary”, and only scored himself a 6.

With regards to his age, Xiao Zhan said his mother’s method of urging him to start a family has went from straight-to-the-point to indirect and tactful.

With regards to “famous after one battle”, is it really as straightforward as standing out from the big data and being ahead of everyone else? Xiao Zhan, who is 1.83m, reduced his weight from 70kg to 58kg for his outstanding portrayal of Wei Wuxian – is this really the result of a day’s work? Does anyone remember the hardworking youth, with a caption “Designer from Chongqing”, from the 2015 idol search variety show “X-Fire”? Does anyone remember that in 2016, after debuting as the lead singer for X9, Xiao Zhan admitted that there were instances of zero income, zero entertainment and zero social activities?

No matter whether it was “very beautiful” or it “seemed beautiful”, would it be free of worries?

Xiao Zhan looked down and smiled, slightly bashful, his expression serene, “Sweet worries.”

He actually loves Beijing so much

On 28 Feb 2019, I (a reporter) entered a dressing room in Beijing TV. The narrow and long dressing room had been split in the middle into two narrower sections. Near the corner, after the staff has dispersed, I finally set my eyes on Xiao Zhan, who sat obediently on a chair while styling his hair.

The stylist stood on the right of Xiao Zhan; to the left of Xiao Zhan was a giant suitcase. After we tried to push the suitcase aside, I managed to stand in the gap. In such a tight space, I could only put the phone in front of Xiao Zhan, on top of the opened makeup case, for voice recording. After some more effort from everyone, there was finally space for the phone.

He was covered in a white hairdresser cape, his long legs enveloped by a pair of black pants – his thick black hair was being kept in order, his handsome side profile, relaxed and natural attitude, polite words, and after some close observation, no piercings on his ears.

How did this unguarded Xiao Zhan look like?

There was no need for exquisite words, just simple and pure wonderfulness.

If it remained unimaginable, it would not be too complex to imagine the warm smiles of the good looking youths on the streets of Beijing. All of these people could have been born in Beijing or traveled to Beijing from their hometowns.

“Chongqinger” Xiao Zhan said, “Beijing, in fact, besides my hometown Chongqing, is my longest lived in city. If we use 2020 to calculate, it would have been 5 years. Beijing, is a striving city, and like any other youths, Beijing means dreams and endeavors to us – this is a city of ambition. Hence, as Beijing TV’s Spring Night spokesperson, I feel that this special meaning, I’m very happy and very excited.”

Indeed, during the release conference in the afternoon, when being asked about how he felt spending his “Year of the Rat” Spring Night with Beijing TV, and expressing that by singing, Xiao Zhan, who was nicknamed “The Little Chinese Music Archive”, thought about it seriously and suddenly sang, “I’m beautiful, beautiful, beautiful……”

Haha, this quick wit and humor was almost as cute as “The Chipmunks”.

Spring Night is a big event, and it required absolute secrecy. We secretly asked Xiao Zhan about Beijing TV Spring Night from his personal point of view. Xiao Zhan continued to be witty, “I feel it’ll be exciting, at least I’ll be performing with a… senior that I really like.” When asked who it would be, Xiao Zhan smiled, “Let’s keep it a mystery, and we welcome everyone to watch Beijing TV Spring Night!”

This “Chongqinger”, who still could not confirm if he could return to his hometown for Chinese New Year, would sometimes show his inner thoughts – “If I could go back I definitely would”, but yet his words lingered on Beijing TV Spring Night.

Xiao Zhan, he actually loves Beijing so much.

He actually likes Zhou Xun so much

Who are the actors that Xiao Zhan admires the most? If he were to pick two, it would be Zhou Xun and Tony Leung.

Xiao Zhan said, “I really like Zhou Xun, her views, her experiences, are all mesmerizing to me. She has many performances that give me the urge to rush into the screen to rescue her. Her performances are very vivacious, it feels like you’re beside her experiencing her performances with her, my attention is all on her, she just has great charisma.”

Xiao Zhan emphasized that he liked Zhou Xun all along, and as we stood and studied his side profile, his face, we suddenly remembered a classic scene from “Palace of Desire”, where the young Princess Taiping removed Xue Shao’s mask.

That year, Zhou Xun was 26, Winston Chao was 40, but it did not prevent her from portraying a young girl’s infatuation. This drama was almost 20 years old, and the female audiences at that time would exclaim that Winston Chao was “as warm and gentle as jade, a gentleman who is peerless”. If this seemed familiar, this phrase was also used by many of Xiao Zhan’s fans to describe him.

Time, in the long river of ages, cycles endlessly Memories, in our past and present lives, crosses endlessly

– Lyrics from “Yu Nian”

This is the lyrics from Xiao Zhan’s song “Yu Nian”, which is the ending song for “Joy of Life”. Who knew that time cycles? Who knew that memories crosses paths?

As of now, Xiao Zhan is similar in age to Zhou Xun’s age then. If we could time travel and Xiao Zhan were to act as Xue Shao, could we guess the ending?

And since we are at this point, we could add another statement – “Traffic” / “Celebrity” / “Actor” – what difference do they make in the face of time? If there are no answers, why not listen to Xiao Zhan’s “Yu Nian”.

Time will tell, it is just that we are too impatient – regardless of our need for speed, we still ought to seek the truth.

He actually admires Vincent van Gogh so much

Xiao Zhan, like many of us, went through the tough period of studying overnight for university entry examinations. He became a student of Chongqing Business and Technology University, majoring in Design. However, this did not prevent Xiao Zhan from becoming a “Top 10 Inter-school Singer”, he self mockingly called himself a “literary enthusiast”, but in fact became one of the stars in many girls’ eyes – someone who was good looking, tall, stylish and could sing and take photographs. Immediately after he graduated, he became a designer, but he would still be brought up by his ex-teachers, one of whom recommended him to participate in “X-Fire”.

When reviewing “X-Fire”, you would realize that Xiao Zhan had a round face, an obedient expression and mild temperament – in fact, you would think that he did not pose much of a threat. But as one by one, the youths started getting eliminated, as their teams were getting regrouped, as they were getting more and more difficult tasks, it seemed as though Xiao Zhan was being sculpted on the spot – his face became more chiselled, he started slimming down, his eyes started having the steady gaze of ambition… Talent search variety shows are, in fact, cruel and all the participants were getting re-sculpted and remodeled – whatever that was removed was not the meant to be in the final product.

So what did Xiao Zhan keep in his heart? These were all the passwords to his past – drawing, design and art. Like anyone who learnt design, they all had an artist that they favored, and they were all different. Xiao Zhan’s answer – Vincent van Gogh.

Xiao Zhan said, “I was asked previously – if I could have a conversation with a past personality, who would it be? I would just choose Vincent van Gogh, because I want to listen to what he had experienced then, how he lived then, such that he was able to create such a beautiful world and paintings. Such as “Starry Night” or “Self Portrait”, I feel that he was able to step away from himself, into very amazing angles, and then create them.”

Those who learned design would usually be able to draw quite well, and usually beyond the levels of self taught hobbyists. Hence, these would also become part of his self cultivation.

Xiao Zhan confirmed this, “Yes, I think starting from aesthetic views to detailed observation, I feel that there were definitely influences.”

On whether Xiao Zhan still went to art exhibitions, the question seemed like a luxury to him – his eyes widened, he straightened himself, and he started smiling widely, “There is very little time now for art exhibitions, I would see them via friends who went and posted in their social media, or those art-related media accounts.”

There could be no burden I could sway my head I could stay my steps I could surrender to you

– Lyrics from “Two Tigers”

This is the promotion song from movie “Two Tigers” sung by Xiao Zhan. There was once in a variety show that he was requested to use his facial muscles to move a cookie on the side of his face into his mouth, while singing. Before the game started, Xiao Zhan pointed at the camera and laughed, “I really do have an idol’s image burden! I really do have an idol’s image burden!” However, after the game started, you see no sign of his “burden”, just 100% into moving his facial muscles, working hard to get to the cookie.

What is an idol’s image burden? Is there art in an idol’s image burden? There are no answers, but we can look for it in Xiao Zhan’s “Two Tigers”.

Art often gave the answers to philosophy. For example, an idol’s image burden could be thrown away, hence it is definitely not art; Art follows the heartbeat, follows life, just like the Vincent van Gogh, a man whose life bloomed and withered like the summer flowers, in the hearts of people like Xiao Zhan.

This phrase “A designer who can’t sing isn’t a good actor” seemed nonsensical, but if you think about it, it seemed to suit Xiao Zhan a lot.

He actually yearns the audiences’ recognition so much

It seemed like Xiao Zhan did gain fame after a single battle, but it was not just one battle – there were more raging battles before then.

The dancing spirit, wearing bright red and green clothes, in “Monster Hunt 2” – the camera panned past him without a HD shot; The minor role of a special agent in “The Rookies” – with some onscreen time less than a minute… And there were more, such as “Star Academy”, “Oh! My Emperor”, “Battle Through the Heaven”, “Shuttle Love Millennium”… Never heard of them? Eh, well this proved a problem – how could there be so many people who became “famous after a battle”?

What next? Xiao Zhan happily shared, “If everything goes well, there would be three roles coming to meet everyone, two period, one modern.”

Alright, the modern role would be Doctor Gu of “Oath of Love”. In fact, there were already naughty fans yelling that they were going to register for Doctor Gu’s hospital. Two period roles from “Douluo Continent” and “The Wolf”. Which do Xiao Zhan like the most? Xiao Zhan was unable to answer, “I feel like I like them all. Three different roles, three different pace!”

So, for the audiences who are already familiar with the two roles from “Joy of Life” and “The Untamed”, which are the ones that are closest to Xiao Zhan himself?

Xiao Zhan shook his head, “They weren’t quite similar to me.”

With regards to his roles, his works, let us get to some quick Q&A.

Q: After experiencing the life of the role, would that some what affect yourself? A: I feel that there are some influences to my usual personality.

Q: Would it make you mature faster? A: I feel that it makes my life richer, it means that I have experienced multiple different lives.

Q: What is your long term goal as an actor? A: If we are talking about long term goal, it is definitely being able to act in a drama that I love, and then gain audiences’ recognition for that. I feel that this is my ultimate term goal.

Q: Which role do you like? How do you live with your roles? A: I feel that there isn’t the most loved, I’m just someone who enjoys the moment. For example, when I’m in the current role, I will invest myself entirely into that role, and then I will cherish him and love him. But when I have to go to my next battle, I will put him down and let him go. And then, I will invest all of my passion for the next one.

He actually likes to smile so much

Observing Xiao Zhan up close and personal – his head narrow, his face small and firm, the folded long legs were especially straight and long. Xiao Zhan, is really thin.

When asked if he was at his thinnest, Xiao Zhan smiled, “No, I was the lightest during ‘The Untamed’, it was shot with ‘Joy of Life’, that was the period. I feel like I’ve regained more than what I’ve lost.”

Wei Wuxian in “The Untamed” liked to smile, all the time, everywhere; Yan Bingyun in “Joy of Life” was cold, all the time, as cold as ice. These two roles shot at the same time, just the emotions were already poles apart – the effort in switching in between them definitely exhausted a lot of brain cells.

When asked if he remembered his longest working day ever since his debut, Xiao Zhan looked down and smiled, then exclaimed at the same time with me, “A few days!”

Whether he could mentally sustain the current pace was not the main point – whether he could physically sustain was hotly debated. On this, Xiao Zhan replied especially fast, “I could adjust to it, really! I personally preferred a busier schedule, the feeling of being busy, makes me feel more fulfilling, and more sense of security.”

“Sense of security” – Xiao Zhan used this phrase, how did he understand it?

For example, Xiao Zhan said that there were instances of him in bad temper, and then he was asked if he would flip tables. Xiao Zhan was slightly taken aback, and answered with a smile, “I can see that you’ve never done design, a designer is a contractor working for his clients, if the clients have opinions, you need to communicate properly and slowly convince them…”

Everyone has a different understanding and adaptation when it comes to “bad temper”, a lot of it came from experience and self control of emotions – similarly, our understanding and adaptation of “sense of security” would be different as well, because everyone’s sense of responsibility and experiences would be different. For a youth to openly bring up “sense of security” and fight for that, we could only choose to give him our blessings. Because, in the blur of the mind, we could almost see ourselves in him.

Before I could give him my well wishes, Xiao Zhan gave the readers and audiences an especially down-to-earth and warm blessing, “I feel that more well wishes are repeated too often. I will simply wish everyone a smooth path ahead, and then peace and safety would be nice!”

Finally, we would emphasize one point – Xiao Zhan really likes to smile!

Moreover, Xiao Zhan’s smiles are varied – there is gentle, healing, mischievous, surprising, confident, hearty, shy, embarrassed… and every one of these smiles could be extended into a language of its own.

There is this saying about a child who likes to smile…

His luck will never be lacking.

[miracleonice87]

Say You Won’t Let Go

a Sidney Crosby wedding series

Part Two

a/n: here’s part deux! read part one here. this will have at least one more part, probably 2! worth noting that I know next to no French and am relying heavilyyyy on our pal Google Translate in this story.

summary: a little more background throughout, as Juliette and Sidney meet up with their families and hockey star-studded bridal party for a rehearsal at their iconic wedding venue. if you’re not familiar with the location (it’s honestly incredible), click here for a look!

warnings: mention of deceased father. otherwise, so damn fluffy it’s practically cotton candy.

_____

Sidney and I arrived at the church exactly on time, much to Lauren’s satisfaction, with two cars carrying Mario’s crew pulling in at the next moment. I closed the passenger door of Sidney’s steel grey Range Rover and turned to take in the sight of our wedding venue, Heinz Chapel on Pitt’s campus, reaching a hand up to shield my face from the early evening sun as I gazed. Sidney did the same, coming to stand next to me and snaking an arm around my torso.

“Not a bad place to get married, eh?” he teased, kissing the crown of my head. I smiled and shook my head. “I’ve dreamed of this since the moment I first saw this place,” I told him. “It’s perfect.”

He took a step forward, offered his hand to me and grinned, quite pleased that we had been able to reserve the coveted location last summer despite it typically being booked three or more years in advance. I didn’t often request many special favors in the name of my uncle or fiancé, but this was one that seemed a necessity. Taking Sidney’s hand and walking toward the cathedral-style landmark, I said a silent prayer of thanks that I’d gotten even more than what I always dreamed of, in so many ways.

My family and Sidney walked into the chapel to find his parents and our bridal party already mingling near the pews, excitement palpably buzzing beneath the magnificent arches and towering stained-glass windows that decorated the exquisite interior. As we stepped through the doors, they turned our way, and I let out an echoing, very French-Canadian-sounding, “Allooo!” making them all laugh.

I first greeted Troy, Trina, and Taylor with hugs and warm hellos. Sidney’s parents were staying at his former townhome on Mt. Washington, which previously served as his bachelor pad and now housed Taylor in light of her recent move to Pittsburgh. We had spent much quality time with the elder Crosbys since their arrival from Nova Scotia a few days ago, helping us with final preparations and enjoying each other’s company ahead of my official entrance into their family.

Both Trina and Nathalie had accompanied me earlier in the week to my final dress fitting and pickup appointment at the bridal boutique where I had selected my gown. Though my mother did plan to attend the wedding ceremony as a guest, she was uninterested in playing the traditional mother of the bride role and joining me for such commitments, which hadn’t surprised me but still stung sharply, especially when I was fastened into the gown and presented by the salon attendant to a waiting Trina and Nathalie.

Bitter tears pricked my eyes as I allowed myself to feel robbed of sharing that moment with my own mom. My sadness was quickly overcome, however, when the women, sensing my sadness, warmly embraced me and fawned over me, admiring the perfect fit of the gown, both becoming emotional when Nathalie tucked my headpiece and veil tenderly into my hair.

The three of us stared at my reflection in the mirror for a few moments as we let tears of many complicated emotions fall, with joy prevailing above them all. I couldn’t keep the enormous smile from my cheeks when Trina squeezed my shoulder and whispered, “Oh, sweetheart, just wait until Sidney sees you.”

Now, we were less than 24 hours away from that moment, with our bridal party and family bustling around us in the chapel.

As our officiant, Father Antonio, announced that we would be lining up for the rehearsal momentarily, Lauren approached me with a grin, extending a bouquet she had made of the countless ribbons and bows from my bridal shower gifts acquired a couple of months ago. I giggled at how cheesy yet adorable the arrangement looked, thanking her as we huddled at the back of the aisle with my bridesmaids and Sidney’s groomsmen.

“This place is a little beat up,” Nate MacKinnon, our best man, ribbed Sidney from between the two of us. “I don’t know why you guys picked this dump,” he added, pulling me to his side. Sidney shoved lightly at his chest before the two of them laughed and embraced.

“Yeah, the old barn in Cole Harbour was booked this weekend, so we kinda had to settle for the next best thing,” Sidney played into Nate’s teasing, as his longtime best friend Mike, also a Cole Harbour native, approached us.

“Kind of a shithole,” Nate whispered, earning a warning glance from me as Austin tried to hold in hysterical laughter. “You can’t say shit in church!” Austin forced out from under his breath. “Oh, we’re going straight to hell,” Mike commented softly. Sidney gave me an apologetic look and I smiled up at him.

“It’s fine. These are our people!” I said to him, flicking Nate’s elbow as I passed him. “Besides, we’ve already been living in sin,” I added, winking at Sidney. He gave me a look of mock disbelief and insisted, “No. I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m a nice Catholic boy.” I giggled and pushed onto my tiptoes to kiss his cheek, which smelled of his fresh aftershave.

In addition to Nate, Mike, and Austin, we greeted Sidney’s other groomsmen as we prepared for the rehearsal — his current teammates Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin and former Penguin Marc-Andre Fleury. They had all graciously accepted the invitation by Sidney to play this special role in our day, with Geno flying in from Russia and Kris and Marc-Andre from Quebec.

Marc-Andre had brought a few other important components to our day along with him — not the least of which was his wife and my best friend, Veronique. She and I had first met when Sidney and I were only casually seeing each other, and she had predicted this wedding long, long ago. She had been one of our biggest cheerleaders since the day we met, and despite her and Marc’s eventual move to Las Vegas, the four of us remained the closest of friends, visiting each other when the men’s respective teams played and whenever else possible.

With Lauren as my maid of honor and Stephanie, Alexa, and Taylor as three of my other bridesmaids, my friend Jacqueline, a Pittsburgh transplant with Canadian roots whom I met while studying at Duquesne, rounded out my crew of six ladies who would stand by my side on this long-awaited day.

To up the cuteness factor, Sidney and I had selected Marc-Andre and Veronique’s daughters, Estelle and Scarlet, as our flower girls, with Geno’s son Nikita and Kris’s son Alex as our ringbearers. Nikita was still a bit young to understand his role, but grinned broadly when Sidney told him when they arrived just how important he was to our day. On the other hand, Kris told us that Alex had cried after his parents had asked him to be in our wedding, because, as much as he adored and was attached to Sid, Alex had been under the impression that I was his girlfriend, not Uncle Sidney’s.

Eventually, after Sidney and I made the rounds to greet them all, the entire bridal party was grouped together to begin the walk-through. The venue’s wedding planner wrangled the children as the priest noted that Sidney needed to leave my side to approach the front of the church alone, in preparation for his emergence from one of the side doors at the front of the sanctuary tomorrow.

Playful “oooh”’s erupted from our groomsmen, who teased Sid about having to pry himself away from my hip. Sidney rolled his eyes, nodding and smirking, before turning his full attention to me. He tucked some hair behind both of my ears before caressing my cheeks with his thumbs.

“You gonna be okay, Jules?” Sidney asked, eyes wider than normal as he searched mine carefully.

I knew he wasn’t asking if I would be alright once he left my side to stand twenty yards away for the next five minutes, but rather if I would be able to contain my emotions as Mario walked me down the aisle, even during a practice run, in place of my father.

We had talked about this specific part of our day a number of times, with Sidney even pondering aloud whether he should walk me down the aisle himself because walking with anyone except my dad felt impossible to me. His sweet dad had even offered to do so, should I desire. After each conversation, Sidney and I both kept arriving at the same conclusion — that the best and most appropriate plan of action was for Mario to give me away and also to join me for the traditional father-daughter dance at the reception.

I nodded, holding onto Sidney’s wrists. “Yeah,” I whispered. “I’ll be okay,” I promised. He nodded solemnly in return and kissed my forehead before pulling back with a wink.

“You can do this,” he encouraged. “I’ll see you up there.” I gave him my best smile as he turned and walked to the front of the chapel.

As our wedding party lined up in front of me to take their positions, Nate stopped me for one of his signature bear hugs, resting his chin on top of my head just for a moment before releasing me. The rest of our group squeezed my hands and rubbed my arms lovingly as I walked to the back door of the sanctuary where Mario waited, hands folded in front of his hips and a tentative smile on his features. He, too, gave me a sweet kiss on the forehead before holding my shoulders at arm’s length.

“Listen, princesse, it was one of the greatest honors of my life when you asked me to walk you down the aisle,” Mario said, soft enough that only I could hear. “But if you’ve changed your mind and would rather do this some other way, please, just say the word.” I shook my head and wrapped my arms around his waist just as the piano music began.

“No, you are exactly the person my dad would want doing this if he couldn’t,” I told him confidently. Mario let out a small exhale, and I could tell he was trying to remain composed. As we parted, he said, “Then let’s go make him proud.” He offered his arm to me and I wrapped my hands around it firmly, leaning my head into his shoulder briefly.

We watched pairs of our party head down the aisle toward Sidney and the priest at a relaxed pace: Jacqueline and Geno led off, followed by Veronique and Marc-Andre, Taylor and Kris, Alexa and Austin, Stephanie and Mike, and finally, Lauren and Nate. Alex walked down the aisle in a near-skip, holding a fake pillow very carefully just as his mother, our beautiful friend Catherine, had instructed him, with Nikita by his side mimicking his every move. Their fathers gave them thumbs up and everyone clapped lightly when they reached the end of the aisle.

Next, after a bit of prompting from both their parents at the front, Estelle and Scarlett followed the boys’ path, scattering fake rose petals in place of the real ones they would have tomorrow, earning their own quiet round of applause. As the children were seated at the ends of the front pews on either side, the music shifted, and our wedding planner turned and gave Mario and me the nod.

“Ready, Juliette?” he asked softly. My eyes traveled down the long red carpet in front of us to the steps where the love of my life stood centered in between our closest friends and family, waiting for me. He gave me a warm, adoring smile and at that moment, I felt my unease melt away, just as it always did when Sidney was near.

“I’m so ready,” I whispered.

[scienceoftheidiot]

In my move, I’m also moving all my drabbles, prompt answers and short stories with my OCs. Here’s an old one.

In case you don’t want to click on the link, the short story itself is right here under the cut. It's 3.5K long, so beware.

No prompt for this one, just Desden and Diane going out for a drink, except it doesn't go the way they expected. Some parts will be rewritten in the future, or a new part added - I have already written a part where they discuss the event at the end, and I'll share it after ;)

In case you don't want to click on the link, the story is right there under the cut. TW : sexual harassement, ableism

“And what’s this song saying, then?  “I said I understood it, didn’t say I can immediately translate all the songs that we get to hear in every bar we end up!”

Desden patted Kalinka on the head. He had not been through his first pint yet, while Diane had drunk one and a half. Music was blasting from the pub’s sound system, but most of the patrons were following a sports event on TV at the other end of the room. They were alone near the counter.

“But you said you knew this one! Also, we have only ever been to one bar and it’s this one. And I’m sure you can.” Desden straightened up, more amused than annoyed.  “Oh, of course I can! … but not just like that and with all that noise and -«

He tilted his head backwards at the roar that just came up from the back of the pub.

“Who scored ? »

“The… blue ones…? » “Well, thank you very much, but which town is it? »  “I have no idea. You should know, if you’re that into it! » “Didn’t know there was a match tonight. Also it’s rugby, yes? Not football, if it’s football we’re leaving this filthy place. »  “Gosh, you snob, yeah it’s rugby, of course it is. Two secs… okay so it’s us against… Toulon?”

Desden grinned, his face lighting up behind the dark glasses that hid a big part of it.   “Whoah, so not only are we playing tonight, but we scored then! We’re the blue ones! » “How’d you know that? »  “I know so many things, you wouldn’t believe it. We’re blue. They’re… white ? » “Oh, please! And they’re red.”

Diane tapped her bitten nails against her glass – nearly empty. The song she wanted to know about was not finished yet.

“Come on, what does the song say?”

Of course, she didn’t really care about it. She did that for the playful exasperation it prompted in Desden. They probably both knew it, judging from the more or less annoyed, crooked smile on his face. He had a dimple in his right cheek – not on the other side, for some reason. It made his smile even more asymmetrical. How come Diane had not noticed that before?

“Right now, I don’t know! why do you want me to do that? » “Cause I ask you to? Nicely? »  “You’re drunk.” He gave a high-pitched chuckle. “As if you weren’t. That was the ugliest laugh, by the way.” “And I am not singing yet. If you want to hear that you’d need to get me many other drinks. Care to do just that?” He said while tipping his now empty glass in her direction.

Diane suddenly thought about something, and sobered up a little.

“Is it okay for you to drink that much? Haven’t you told me you have balance problems? » “Oh, this is cute. Are you afraid for me? »  “Seems like I’m the only responsible adult, here, so, I ask. »

Desden straightened up and got a little more serious. “It’s okay. I’ve drank only one pint of light stuff, and I’m big. I shall be alright. Besides” he added, and the smile was back “I know you’re strong enough to carry me home. » “Shut up.” As Diane was getting up to head for the bar, a pair of hands abruptly landed on her shoulders, nailing her down to her stool.

“Hey lady? Why don’t you join us for the next round? Drink to our certain victory?” She stiffened. She had almost bit her tongue in surprise. She cast a glance at Desden, who looked lost, frowning. But even if she thought she could handle it, she couldn’t communicate it to him like that. Right now he couldn’t even know half of what was happening. Especially that that stranger had his hands on her.

She had to play it nicely. She didn’t want to make a fuss.

The guy was starting to vaguely massage her shoulders. It sent shivers of disgust down her spine. A bunch of guys near the TV screen had cheered as he talked to her and was now looking avidly. She’d have thought they would be a group of random older rugby supporters, but they were more probably students –and well dressed, at that.

So there were others. She’d have to be diplomatic. She turned to the man – roughly her age, or a little younger, maybe? – dressed fancy, him too, with thin metal rimmed glasses, and what he probably thought as a charming smile. Judging by his dapper style, he and his friends could be from one of those expensive business schools, those were in the city centre, not that far. You never saw people like that near the campus – she knew that from all the times she’d been there for a run.

She tried to smile back at him.  “No, thanks. I was having a good time with my friend here, and I’d like to go back to that. You don’t need me to cheer for the team, eh? You got your mates for that. Have a good evening. Bye. » “No need to be rude, girl. Just thought you’d be happy we save you from doing your charity thing here, that all.”

From the corner of her eye, she could see Desden lick his lips, and red slowly rise to his cheeks and ears.  “I was not rude. You are starting to be. Please leave us alone.” Her sudden mean look probably worked, because the man finally let go of her shoulders, and walked away with his hands out, in a “I didn’t do anything wrong” gesture.  She let out a big, if a little shaky, sigh. Desden spoke in a tiny voice. “I am sorry. We shouldn’t have come here. We should go home.” He was already getting up – and probably felt dizzy doing so, as she saw him suddenly grappling the table. She chose not to say anything about it. “Why, did you know there were going to be assholes in this place? » “No, it’s a nice place, it never happened before, but – »  “Then I say we get another drink and leave when we want the fuck to and not before. »

Desden hesitated. He was still half standing, but loosened his hold on the table. “I am not looking forward to more interaction with this type of people. I may sound like a coward, but I am always afraid they could go further. » “And what? »  “Please.” He shook his head and made a face. “Don’t let me say it out loud. » “He won’t do anything. Don’t worry. » “I’ll worry if I want to. Just… please, try to understand.” He was visibly upset. “I don’t mind being called names and such. I don’t care. There’s just nothing to do but let them talk. I just don’t want to get in trouble and I especially don’t want you in trouble either.”

She didn’t know what to say. He didn’t go on any further and motioned towards his ever faithful backpack. Kalinka immediately got up. Diane noticed just now that the bright red colour of the backpack definitely clashed with the plain, if nice, clothes he wore from work. But was the same colour as his shoes. Bright red chucks.  She was going to make a lame joke about it, to try and lighten the atmosphere, when the whole group of guys that had been cheering in front of the TV came back towards the bar and them. The game was over. Despite the points they’d scored earlier, they’d lost. She locked her eyes on her beer, avoiding the men’s stare. Desden himself had sat back. She didn’t know how he could have told, but there were probably too many people around at the same time for his taste.

The man with the glasses stopped by their table again. Too close from her, his back towards Desden. “See, girl, we lost. Should have come with us instead of staying here babysitting. We’d have won.” Diane didn’t want to be diplomatic anymore. She wanted this guy to eat his words.  “Just get lost already. Leave us alone! » “Oh, yes, or what? Your boyfriend’s gonna kick my ass? Send his dog? »  “Yeah, Damien, eh!” Another one was standing next to Desden; he looked quite drunk – and quite tiny next to him. “So, what happens if I do this?” He waved his hand in front of Desden’s face; in doing so, his sleeve brushed Desden’s shoulder, who jerked away as far as he could while keeping his hold on the table. He was as red as his backpack and was biting his lips furiously. They had to leave. “Look, he moved! Eh, wait, is he mute, too, or what?”

Diane didn’t give them a look, leaned over the table and pressed Desden’s hand. “You were right. Let’s go.” He just nodded in answer. They both got up, and she led the way, Desden and Kalinka right behind her, feigning to ignore the sneering men around, bumping into them when they wouldn’t move. They managed to get to the counter.  Desden mumbled. “I’ll pay.” She did not argue.

“Yeah bring him home, tuck him into bed. How much does he pay you, really? Do you sleep with him, too? Is it part of the contract?” Desden felt Diane stop. Like this was one comment too many. They were in the street, now, and he would have thought the men wouldn’t have followed, that they would have stayed inside and carried on with their drinking, forgetting about them as soon as they left. But they apparently weren’t drunk enough for that.  He tried to talk to Diane. “Come on, let’s just leave. It’s okay. Let’s go now.” He had found her sleeve, and was tugging at it. But she wouldn’t move. The guy was still talking – more or less saying the same things on repeat, nothing really inventive.

This type of person was not something he’d encounter often, but he already had. There was nothing else to do than retreat to another place. Most probably home because he was beginning to feel tipsy and that wasn’t good.

“Diane, let’s go. Please.” It had no effect on her. He let go of her arm; he actually was ready to leave without her, that is, if he hadn’t feared for her. She moved away from him, not speaking; he had no idea whatever was going on, or through her mind, at this moment. Frustration and fear were getting on his nerves. Again.

Until he heard, more or less at the same time, the guy suddenly shut up, and a perfectly audible, painful crunch. And then tables or chairs collapsing.

Diane shook her hand, trying to relieve the pain of the punch, and walked towards the man she had just broken the nose of – but surprisingly, not the glasses. She looked down at him from all her height – not much, and he was still half lying on one of the fallen tables – and said in a low, growling voice she didn’t even recognize herself :  “One : I am boxing since I am seven. Also, I grew up with three sisters, it teaches you. Two : you are an arsehole. Three : he is not my boyfriend, but if he was, I’d probably be a lucky girl. He is much more of a man than you’ve probably ever been. You are filth. Go home, arsehole, you’re drunk.”

“You are ALL fucking going home. You’ve ruined my terrasse, bloody tossers!” The barman – where had he been all this time? –  put his hand on Desden’s shoulder. “You okay, mate? Need a lift? I been late on this, but I’m not a cunt.”

Diane was shaken. The guys were all silent, shocked, too. Sobered up, hopefully. She was. She deliberately turned away from them to walk by Desden.

He was white as a sheet. How had he turned so suddenly from totally red to white was a mystery. He took his glasses off – the first time Diane had ever seen him do so – keeping his eyes closed, he rubbed his face with the back of his hand. He started slowly: “No I think I’ll be okay… I have…” He stopped, then bursted out, something between a genuine and a hysterical laughter. “I think I have a bodyguard!”

“You’re all fucking drunk. Piss off, all of you, or I call the cops. » “You should call the cops! Look what she did! She broke his fucking nose, man! “Yeah, well. Want me to call the cops, I’ll call the cops. Then you’ll have to explain to them why you were harassing a woman and a blind man. Good luck. I was going to throw you out, well, I couldn’t predict she would react like that. Too fast for me. Now fuck off. And I’m keeping an eye on you boys. You ain’t following those two. In fact you’re going to stay there for a while. Now,” He turned towards Desden and Diane, who were already leaving, “you two, piss off.”

Here they were, walking in the middle of a deserted street – it wasn’t that late, but it was a week day. Desden had finally calmed down, but still had random bouts of giggling. Diane felt torn between the same kind of maniacal laughter and the need to throw up. Not because she was drunk.

It took a long time before Desden spoke.  “This was -«  “Terrible. »  “Epic. I have never had anyone fighting for me before! » Desden smiled a broad smile.  “What? I didn’t fight for you.”

Diane was still angry. She had to calm down. “And you make it sound like it was a noble fight or whatever. I just punched him.” She hoped he couldn’t hear the trembling in her voice, but he probably could. “I just grew sick of him and I had too much to drink. Sorry. This guy, he… He fucking touched me. Twice. The first time he put his hands on my shoulders, and then he ostensibly grabbed my… It’s… it’s disgusting. And he kept being fucking rude to you. Like you weren’t even there. “I am sorry. Really.” He couldn’t help but chuckling again: “And I know. I actually was there.”   “Do you really find this funny or is it the alcohol, or adrenaline showing?  “Probably all of this. Sorry. » Desden let his head down and stopped talking.          They walked silently again for a few minutes. Diane envied the ignorant calm of Kalinka, who was just there doing her job, and had apparently already forgotten the tension of a few minutes ago. She could see the top of the footbridge. Arrived there, they would part ways – Desden lived nearby on the other side, and wasn’t really into people walking him home, as she understood. Right now he had his hand on her arm, but he could probably manage. He wasn’t really drunk and knew those streets like the back of his hand. She still felt bad about the idea of letting him go alone, though, after what happened. Or maybe it was her who needed someone to walk her home. And probably stay with her. They had reached the footbridge, drenched in a harsh orange light. Diane felt an urge to look over the railing, to have a look at the river at night, to see if the furious rambling she could hear translated into something that resembled what she felt. The river was pitch-black. Not even the slightest, orange-y bit of foam. She sighed. “You okay? I mean, seriously.  “Yeah, allright.  “Well, you definitely don’t sound okay.  “I am, though.  “Mmh-mhh.”         Desden didn’t look nor sound convinced. He had stopped next to her, and was taking his cane out of his backpack – a sign that he felt at least a little drunk, as he could walk the road back to his home following only his dog, usually. She had seen him do it countless times. She wanted to stay with him. Not to protect him, not to make sure he made it home safely. Because she was not sure of making it home safe herself. Because she felt like going back to her empty flat would make her scream.  Because she felt she needed to be held and told she had not done a terrible stupid thing, and that she wanted the arms holding her to be his.  “You don’t want company, walking home? You do sound pretty shaken.  “Desden, you’re the one always claiming you’re not made of glass. Am I the one who is, then?  “Well, obviously not… Okay, okay, it’s just that I don’t like to leave a friend alone like that.  “Are we going to accompany each other back home until the end of the night, then?  “No need to be all witty, eh. Sorry. I’ll go. Just… take care, ok? And don’t think about this too much. It’s nothing. He deserved it. If he gets it taken care of right away, there will be nothing to see in a few weeks.  “Would you have punched him, if you could?  “I don’t know. I… don’t think so. Never been a fighter. I’m a coward, really. Always been. “Do you… do you think he’s going to file a complaint against me?  “He doesn’t have your name, right? The only thing he has that could help find you is me.”         None of them moved, nor talked. It seemed they didn’t know how to leave. She was reluctantly stepping away when he spoke again. Desden had apparently been thinking, because he suddenly said, as if continuing their previous conversation: “And that little speech you gave? It was great. Especially that part about me not being your boyfriend, but –  “Wait, you heard that?  “Well, I have good ears, but I’m pretty sure the whole pub heard it, Diane.  “Shit. It was… anger talking. I hate this type of people. When I’m angry I just ramble, it’s nothing, sorry. “Really? So you don’t actually think what you said?” Was it her or did his hand on her arm, he had put it back there somehow,

tightened a little?  “What, about you being a better man? Of course, what, yes I do!”  “No.” He took a step closer to her. She could feel the warmth in his breath, now. His hand was definitely holding her arm tighter. The crooked smile had returned, but he was not giggling anymore. “About the fact that you’d be lucky if I was your boyfriend.” She didn’t know what to answer. Because she didn’t know what she actually thought about it. Yeah, it was probably true, but… He let go of Kalinka’s leash and brought his hand up, apparently hesitating. Then he smiled again, and felt for the side of her face, lightly resting his hand on her cheek. “Can I?”  “Uh, yeah?” He was going to touch her face. That was what blind people did, right? Like, in film. It felt awkward, them being – admittedly alone – doing that in the middle of the street.  On the other hand, while she had been disgusted by the touch of that man in the pub, she could feel blood pounding in her ears right now…  But Desden just quickly trailed the line of her chin, stroked her lips with his thumb, bent over and kissed her. A very sweet kiss. A very unexpected one, too. He could probably feel she was surprised by her slight recoil – he had a step back, too.  “That… you didn’t actually say yes for that, right?” Red was back on his cheeks, and he looked confused, head tilted on the side. She had never noticed how much of an open book he was. You could read everything on his face, and she couldn’t even see his eyes. He was obviously as embarrassed as she was. “Miscommunication? “Yeah, I… sorry.  “No, no, I’m the one who’s sorry.” He let go of her arm. “Sorry, I thought… Alright, I’m probably still drunk. I should go.”         She should have let him go, called it a day and went home too. That was the right thing to do. This was definitely not the time to do anything else. She caught his arm – remembering too late that he hated that, let go of it and just hugged him. The top of her head didn’t even brush his chin.  Desden took his time to close his arms around her, and did it very slowly, as if she was a small animal anything could frighten into flight. He sighed.  “If we’re going this road you probably should talk a little more, alright? Or miscommunication will happen.”  He could feel her answer as much as he heard it, as she kept her face pressed against his chest. “Okay. “We still… friends, then?” He felt pained to have to say so, but he’d rather state it and keep her close than have her run away because he was dumb. He’d been definitely dumb to think she was anything else than a friend. It was good. He didn’t have many. “No more of this. Friends. All right?” He felt her head move against him. Just to hold her was good enough.  “All right.”

Taglist : @heirsoflilith @hughstheforcelou @shutterbug-12 @omg-okimhere @foxesandmagic

[lockefanfic]

Business Trip - Pt 14: Temptation

When you awaken later that night, it takes you a few moments to determine whether the soft, slim body climbing atop you is real or part of some wonderful dream - but the warmth of the young woman, and the soft, pleasant smell of her hair, convinces you that this was all real.

Sana places soft kisses on your neck and jawline, before moving to your mouth and kissing your lips softly. You are still only half awake, but your senses and instincts take over, and you find your mouth welcoming her kiss and returning it with one of your own, your hands moving to either side of her hips and finding, to your surprise, that there was only bare skin there and no clothing.

“Sana…” you begin, as she deepens her kiss, her lips pressing more firmly against yours.

“Shhh,” she answers, “please. I need this. I need you, right now. Please.”

The soaring glass walls and abundance of brushed steel and marble lent the SM head office building an intimidating aura. It was modern, yes, and likely cost a fortune to build, but it lacked warmth and personality. This was a building that was the workplace of the rich, powerful, and successful - it seemed fitting that they built a building to match their personality. These people didn’t get where they were by being nice.

 You much preferred to meet at a coffee shop somewhere, or perhaps even a park or other open space - somewhere neutral. Sana told you that the response she got from Irene was the address for SM’s head office. It was enemy ground or nowhere at all, it seemed.

 You take another glance at your watch, which had moved… twenty four seconds since you last glanced at it. It was now 4:17, a full hour and seventeen minutes after your supposed appointment time.

 She was making you wait.

 The receptionist, seated at an expensive looking desk to your right, continued to type away dutifully. What the hell was she doing that required her to be typing non-stop since you first got here?

 At least she was pleasant to look at, with her cute, round face and pleasantly sculpted, small features. You’d have guessed she was around Momo’s age, or maybe a little younger. The small nameplate on her desk told you her name was “Joy” - clearly not a Korean name. Was that her codename, like Sana said everyone in this department had? The whole concept was silly. What kind of business gave its employees codenames, aside from the military or some spy agency?

 Joy’s typing suddenly stops, her eyes snapping to the corner of her monitor where you assumed a notification had appeared. She shows no further emotion as she stands and gestures towards the door to her right. No words leave her mouth. Just a gesture, and a blank, unreadable look. Nothing more.

 This place was creeping you out already.

 You stand and button your suit jacket as you mentally prepare yourself for the confrontation to come. Taking a last glance at your watch and shooting Joy a look to ensure she caught on to your displeasure at the lateness of your appointment, you walk towards the door. If Joy even noticed your displeasure, she made no outward sign of it.

 The brushed steel door is heavy, and took more effort that you were expecting to push open. Yet another thing about this building that made you feel uncomfortable. It was too clean, too neat, too heavy and imposing. This was a place that belonged in a science fiction dystopia.

 The room beyond - what you’d assumed was Irene’s office - matched the rest of the building in decor. It was large, far larger than any one person needed his or her office to be, but that in itself exuded a sort of power. Even here in Seoul, where space was scarce, this company could devote what surely must have been almost a thousand square feet to a single employee.

 It said almost as much about the woman you found standing at the end of the spacious office, her back to you as she gazed out at Seoul’s skyline through the floor to ceiling windows that lined the two corners of her office. She must be a woman of some power and influence to command such a workspace.

 One other woman is in the room - she is sitting leisurely in one of two leather chairs in front of an imposing looking desk. The chairs are the type that sacrifice comfort for minimalist style. Not that the woman looked uncomfortable, leaning back into the seat, her long, smooth legs laid bare by her short black dress.

 The seated woman locks eyes with you and makes no attempt to hide the head to toe scan she gives you. A small smirk appears on her lips, and you wonder what it might mean. She is pretty, as every female you’d encountered in this building was - but there was a sense of mischief in her features and especially in her smirk that both interested you and scared you.

 “Sit down,” she says, in perfect English. Whoever she was, she must have spent some time overseas, or at least had a damn good language teacher.

 You let a snort of air out of your nose, ensuring that it was loud enough for both women to hear. It wouldn’t behoove you to display weakness simply by doing whatever these women ordered you to do. You were here to get a measure of your opponent, not show them an easy target.

 You stride, as casually as you can, over to the seat.

 “You take your damn time with your appointments,” you say to the woman standing at the window - the one you assumed was Irene.

 The seated woman speaks in Korean to the standing woman - so that’s who she was; the translator.

 The standing woman lets out a snort of her own before saying something under her breath in Korean. Her comment draws a small giggle from the seated girl, but she doesn’t bother translating it.

 “My name is Wendy,” she says, “and I am Irene’s director of operations. And since you don’t speak our language, I guess I’ll be the translator for this afternoon as well.”

 “You can tell Irene I don’t appreciate being made to wait.”

 Wendy doesn’t bother translating. By your tone alone Irene must have understood what you said.

 Finally, Irene turns around to face you - and you are struck, for a moment, by her beauty.

 She is beautiful in the way that Mina was beautiful; elegant, sophisticated, the kind of young woman one would find at an art museum, or taking in a show at the theatre. The kind of young woman who seemed to exist at a level above the average girl you’d find on the street. She was ethereal, royal - princess-like.

 Irene says something in Korean. A moment later, Wendy translates.

 “Why are you here?”

 “I’m here to ask you why the hell you tried to attack our company by hiring our ex-employee to sabotage our product launch by stealing our data.”

 Wendy translates. When she hears what you have said, Irene lets a sly smile appear on her lips. Somewhere in your subconscious you are struck by her beauty, but you do your best to hide it. Irene responds in Korean.

 “Your accusation is bold, but pointless without proof.”

 You were expecting this. You reach into your suit jacket pocket and grasp a small USB drive that you then toss to Wendy. She catches it with one hand, her gaze never leaving yours.

 “That’s proof.”

 There was no need to explain what was on the stick. Everyone in the room knew.

 Irene speaks again.

 “So what if you have proof? What makes you think people will care?” Wendy says, her tone capturing the same arrogance you detected in Irene’s voice.

 “We could leak this out to the public. Ruin your reputation. On top of that, we have two of your ex-employees that are willing to speak out against you.”

 “Ah yes, the two turncoats,” Wendy says, “What were their names? Chou Tzuyu and Minatozaki Sana?”

 At the mention of the two names Irene makes a comment in Korean. Wendy appears to agree, replying to her in the same language and adding a giggle that Irene shares.

 “What’s so funny?”

 “We were just wondering,” Wendy says, “if you’ve fucked both of those whores yet.”

 “You little son of a b-”

 You are silenced by Irene raising her hand in the air. She says something in Korean with a distinctly disdainful tone, and Wendy’s smirk deepens as she translates.

 “We don’t care about Tzuyu or Sana. Hire them and have them speak out against us, fuck them and ditch them, we don’t give a shit. They’ve served their purpose.”

 “And what purpose is that?”

 “Showing us who’s really in charge,” Wendy continues, “and apparently it’s you. Now we know who you are. Now we know who our opponent is.”

 “That goes both ways,” you say, your glare resting on Irene.

 The woman gives you another look from head to toe, similar to the one Wendy gave you as you entered the room. She bites the corner of her lower lip - such a small, almost imperceptible gesture - and you think maybe she wanted you to see it. When she speaks again, her tone is soft, almost flirty.

 Wendy smiles as she hears what Irene has to say, a devilish look on her young features.

 “Irene says it’s a shame we have to be enemies. Things would be much more interesting if we were partners.”

 “There’s no way in hell I’d work with the likes of you,” you spit immediately. Wendy translates for Irene with just a few words, although you know your tone probably told Irene what you said without need for translation.

 There is a pause in the room that lasts just a few seconds, but they are heavy and tense seconds of silence.

 Eventually Irene walks over to her desk and presses a button that appears to be built into the surface of it. She says something in Korean, and though you didn’t understand any of it, you sure caught the name ‘Joy’.

 A second or two later, the door to the office opens and in walks Joy, the receptionist. You take a moment to admire her long, thin legs and slim body, her black minidress - apparently the uniform around here - doing little to hide the delicious looking curves beneath it.

 When she approaches the three of you, Joy says something in Korean that might have been a greeting, or something, before giving Irene a short bow.

 “You may want to sit down for this,” Wendy says.

 “I’d rather not,” you answer, “I think we’re done here.”

 “I don’t think we are,” Wendy declares.

 You are about to ask her what she means when Irene begins speaking to Joy in Korean, ending her sentence with a gesture towards you.

 When you turn towards Joy again, the young woman is reaching behind her, and the sound of a zipper undoing itself is all you need to hear to understand what was going on here. You mean to say something, to tell her to stop, but you are enraptured by the young woman’s eyes as she slowly finishes unzipping her dress. With thin, delicate hands, she pulls the top of the dress off her torso, and with a little shimmy of her hips, lets the black dress fall to the floor.

 Joy steps out of the silk pooled at her feet, the click-clack of her black heels on the hard floor sounding almost impossibly loud in the silent room. Her body is almost impossibly perfect, her limbs toned, her breasts perfectly round and pert. Her eyes are heavy now, heavy with lust and sultry with desire. Gone was the cold and aloof receptionist - this was a woman who knew what she was about to do, and her every gesture implied to you that she was good at it.

 When Joy reaches you, her hands immediately go to the belt at your waist.

 “Stop right fucking there,” you say, grasping Joy’s wrists and pushing them away, “what the fuck is going on here?”

 “We’ve heard of your exploits with women in this industry,” Wendy begins, “and we wanted to see if the stories about your prowess were true.”

 “I’m here to talk about what you did in Taiwan,” you retort, “not give you some sick sex show.”

 Wendy laughs before answering, “That’s rich. As if business has ever stopped you from fucking any of the other women you’ve had over the past few years. Minatozaki Sana, Park Choa, Kim Seolhyun, Miyoui Mina, even Chou Tzuyu… she’s just barely legal, isn’t she?”

 “Fuck off,” you say angrily, shooting Irene one last look before turning away, “this isn’t over.”

 “How could we forget,” Wendy continues as you begin to storm out of the room, “about Hirai Momo?”

 Momo’s name stops you in your tracks. If they did anything to her…

 “She’s gorgeous,” Wendy admits, “and if I were you I’d be fucking her too. Tell me, did she spread her legs for you immediately or did you have to buy her a drink first?”

 You storm over to Wendy’s seat. You grasp the arms of her chair and lean in until your faces are inches apart.

 “Say that again, you bitch. Say it again and see if I don’t do anything about it.”

 “Enough,” you hear, and it takes you a moment to realize the English word has come from Irene. Inches away from you, a cocky smile is plastered all over Wendy’s face, infuriating you to no end.

 Irene speaks again in Korean, and Wendy translates, her eyes not once leaving yours. She didn't even blink. There is a craziness in her eyes that has overtaken the mischeviousness that was present there before.

 “Irene has an offer for you. Join SM. We could use someone like you around here,” she begins.

 Irene says something in Korean.

 “...and you can have Joy as a fucktoy for you to use whenever you want, to make up for all that tail you’re leaving behind at JYP,” Wendy finishes. As she does so she brings her mouth to your ear.

 “Although I might want a turn too, big boy.”

 That was the last straw for you. You had to leave now, lest you lose control of your anger.

 “You’re all messed up, all of you,” you say, backing away from Wendy and glaring angrily at Irene, “We’re done here.”

 “What makes you think we are? We’re done when we say we’re done,” Wendy spits. You are about to rebuke her when Irene speaks again in Korean. It was hard to miss Sana’s name amidst the Korean.

 “It would be a shame if Minatozaki Sana’s exploits and her role in illegal theft of data were to reach the police,” Wendy says.

 You are frozen by the implications of Irene’s threat.

 “You leave her out of this,” you state, “she’s back with JYP now. She’s done with you.”

 “Is that so? We’ve been in contact with her this whole time. Can you ever really be sure of her loyalty, ever again?”

 Irene takes a few steps towards you, speaking in Korean as she does so.

 “We could demolish her career. And not only that - she could spend a lot of time in jail. With what we know about her, we could ruin her.”

 “You’d throw your own person under the bus like that?”

 “In a heartbeat,” Wendy answers. You are acutely aware of Joy approaching you from your left. Her left hand reaches for your belt buckle again, and this time you don’t stop her.

 “Fuck this girl’s brains out,” Wendy says, every word now freighted with lust, “make her cum. If she does, maybe we forget about Minatozaki Sana. Maybe we let her go.”

 “You people are sick,” you state, even as Joy succeeds in unbuckling your belt, and her slim fingers are slowly drawing down the zipper of your pants, even as she removes the suit jacket from your torso with her other hand, letting the garment fall to the floor.

 “Shut up, big boy. Maybe you’ll enjoy it.”

 Joy turns to face you, her cute features inches away from yours, her eyes half-lidded with lust and desire and need. A sly smile perks up the corner of her mouth. She was certainly willing - there was no doubt about that.

 Her fingers find themselves inside the waistband of your boxers, and her palm quickly wraps itself around your quickly hardening shaft. She gives you one, two, three soft strokes, and before you know it your eyes have shut as pleasure begins to emanate from your crotch.

 “Fuck her,” Wendy starts, “and we’ll leave Sana alone.”

 You are seconds away from giving in, and as Joy brings her mouth to your neck and plants a soft kiss there, you can almost feel the last remnants of your resistance crack before -

 “No,” you state with all the conviction you could muster, “This isn’t right.”

 You grasp Joy’s wrist, still pumping your shaft, and rip it off your crotch before quickly re-zipping and buttoning your pants.

 “You’re all sick, all of you, for even trying something like this.”

 Your statements draw nothing but a sly grin from Wendy and Irene, as if they both knew this was coming and were amused by it all.

 Wendy rises from her seat and struts over to you, that infuriating grin still on her lips. She draws a business card from the inner pocket of the short black blazer she is wearing and places it in your pants pocket.

 “You have one week to think about it. If you want to join us, give us a call, and we’ll make it worth your while. I know it’ll hurt to give up pieces of ass like Momo and Seolhyun, but I assure you we’ll make it up to you. She’s just the start,” she finishes with a nod towards Joy.

 You return Wendy’s smirk with a glare before shooting one at Irene, who still has that slick, sly grin on her lips, as though she were above it all, watching puppets dance on a stage. She reminded you again of Mina’s elegance, but with a ruthless, callous edge to it that frightened you.

 You turn to leave, to find that Joy has picked up your suit blazer and is holding it up for you. You are a little surprised to find a little bit of shame and regret and another emotion you cannot name in her eyes. She seemed entirely willing and even enthusiastic about carrying out her superiors’ orders to have sex with a man she didn’t even know - how much of it was her wanting to please her bosses, and how much of it was consensual?

 You didn’t care, not at the moment - your only focus was on storming out of the building.

 ---

You could trace the exact moment Minatozaki Sana’s world shattered. When you met her the next day after your flight back home, she still carried that air of defiance she had been holding since the events in Taiwan, but as you played back the conversation with Wendy and Irene that you had recorded with a listening device hidden in your suit jacket, her defiant air slowly began to crumble.

 You reach forward and press stop on the digital recorder. To say that Sana looked shaken by what she had just heard was an understatement.

 “They are ready and willing to completely throw you under the bus,” you say, “and if they go to the police or leak info about what you did in Taiwan, it could lead to the police prosecuting you for intellectual property theft, not to mention breaking into a secure server and any one of any number of invasion charges.”

 “...Why,” Sana mumbles, the small word seemingly all she could say.

 “I don’t know. They want to get me to join them. I guess they expect that if I do, I’ll bring along all of JYP’s inner secrets and help them build up that section of their company. That’ll also disrupt JYP’s foothold in the industry. At the very least, by throwing this threat at me they can disrupt our operations for the near future while we figure out how to deal with it. They gain, JYP loses.”

 “What… what will you do?”

 “I don’t know,” you answer truthfully, “but I’ll figure something out. I just thought you should know what’s going on here. Tomorrow at work we’ll reconvene with everyone and figure out a plan.”

 Sana still seems shaken. You reach over with a palm and grasp the back of her left hand.

 “You’ll be okay, Sana. I won’t let them do anything to you.”

 Sana looks up at you with her large, expressive eyes. Tears have begun to well up.

 “Why? Why are you helping me, after I just tried my hardest to ruin you?”

 You take a moment to compose your response. The hurt of her betrayal still lingered somewhat, but it was overcome by the memories and genuine affection you had for her.

 “Because it’s the right thing to do. I told you I’d give you a second chance and that I would protect you, and that’s what I’m doing. Besides,” you add, “you still have that blue hoodie I gave you in Tokyo, and I want it back someday.”

 You grin sheepishly at the young woman, and you earn a soft giggle in response.

 “It’s getting late, so you should stay here. It’s been a long flight and I’m wiped. You’ll have to ignore the complete mess in the guest room.”

 Sana manages a weak smile, and you are heartened to find a little bit of color returning to her face.

 “Thank you,” she says softly, trying her best to smile for you.

 “Oyasumi,” you answer, before leaning forward and kissing her on the forehead and heading to your own bedroom to pass out.

 ---

 When you awaken later that night, it takes you a few moments to determine whether the soft, slim body climbing atop you is real or part of some wonderful dream - but the warmth of the young woman, and the soft, pleasant smell of her hair, convinces you that this was all real.

 Sana places soft kisses on your neck and jawline, before moving to your mouth and kissing your lips softly. You are still only half awake, but your senses and instincts take over, and you find your mouth welcoming her kiss and returning it with one of your own, your hands moving to either side of her hips and finding, to your surprise, that there was only bare skin there and no clothing.

 “Sana…” you begin, as she deepens her kiss, her lips pressing more firmly against yours.

 “Shhh,” she answers, “please. I need this. I need you, right now. Please.”

 A part of you wants to stop her, make sure this was what she really wanted. Another part of you wanted to stop her to ensure that sex didn’t further complicate the already tricky circumstances of your relationship. But a final part of you knew that she was in a hurt state, and that she needed something, some comfort, to ease her mind, if only temporarily, from the danger SM posed to her career and her wellbeing.

 And so unlike your experience with Joy a day prior, you found yourself willingly giving in. When Sana’s tongue presses softly against your lips, you didn’t resist, and soon your tongues were reacquainting themselves with one another as the passion begins to ignite in your bodies.

 Sana is straddling you now, and your hands have begun to roam, up and down her slim torso and finally down to her firm butt, to find again that she wasn’t wearing underwear. As you continue to make out she has drawn the bed covers down with her left hand, revealing your shirtless torso before pressing her naked upper body against you. You revel in the newfound warmth of her small frame, and the sensation of her soft breasts and already erect nipples poking against your chest.

 Sana breaks your kiss and, emboldened by your consent for her desire, she returns to placing kisses on your jawline before moving to your neck and lower. You have been with her enough times to realize what she is about to do, and you watch, enraptured, as she kisses her way to your chest, and then your belly, sliding her body down yours until her face is inches away from your boxers and the quickly hardening shaft they are covering.

 Reaching up with both hands, she hooks slim fingers around the waistband of your boxers before drawing them down. She wastes little time - the boxers are lowered just enough to let your hard shaft spring free, before she grasps it with the fingertips of her right hand, and, taking a moment to ensure your eyes are glued to hers, licks it from base to tip with one long, slow slurp.

 The electricity that courses throughout your body is breathtaking. Sana had given you head before, of course, not that it did anything to dull the utter pleasure that she was able to inspire in your body. Soon she has begun her blowjob in earnest, taking your shaft in and out of the wet, warm cavern of her mouth, her tongue swirling around the sensitive flesh in random patterns, each entry and exit into her lips sending spikes of pleasure from your crotch to the rest of your body.

 When she had given you oral sex before it was often hurried, lustful - but tonight was different. Sana took her time, ensuring you felt every flick of her tongue and pump of her palm, the young woman seeking to revel in the moment, enjoy every second just as much as you did. She wanted to lose herself, wanted to forget that anything else in the world existed aside from the sensual act she was performing on you.

 “Fuck, Sana, that’s so good,” you say, more descriptive words failing to come to mind amidst the pleasure currently overtaking your senses. A minute or an hour passes - you didn’t know or care. All that existed in the world was the young woman bobbing her head up and down between your legs.

 You look down to watch as she performs, taking a stray lock of hair and brushing it behind her left ear, such an innocent act framed by such an indecent one. But there is a certain kind of sweetness to it, in a way - the act of a woman seeking to make her partner feel good by whatever means necessary.

 That thought only adds to the pleasure, and you watch, enraptured, for a few more minutes as Sana pleasures you.

 “Sana… God, you’re so good at that.”

 Sana responds by bringing her left hand between your legs ripping your boxers free, raising her body to allow you to kick them off, finally leaving you as naked as she was. Giving your cock one last lick, she straightens her body and straddles you once again.

 “Damn,” you say, “I wanted you to keep going.”

 “Later, I will,” Sana says with a soft, seductive smile, “but now I want more.”

 You take a moment to drink in the sight of her slim, tight body straddling your hips. Her frame is perfect, a little more on the slim side now than she was before, without losing any of the feminine charm she had in spades. Her breasts, small and humble, sit proudly high on her chest, her torso painted stripes of blue and gold by the street light filtering in through the half-shut window blinds.

 “I’ve wanted you for so long,” she begins, “I… I’m sorry for what I did. You’ve been so good to me, even after I betrayed you. And now you’re protecting me.”

 You raise your upper body up so that you are almost sitting, bringing a hand to her soft cheek. Your faces are inches apart, and you are struck once more by her simple beauty, her cuteness and sexiness giving way tonight to sincere vulnerability. Sana nuzzles against your warm palm, her eyes closing, a soft smile on her cheeks.

 “I would never let anyone hurt you, Sana.”

 “I know,” she answers, “and I want you to know that I’m yours. I’ve cut off all my ties with SM. I’m yours, whether you want me just as a fuck, or as a friend, or as something more, I’m yours...”

 Sana lets a soft smile appear on her lips before pressing her lips to yours once again. Her left arm wraps itself around your shoulders, and you are slightly aware of her raising her hips, her right hand finding its way between your bodies to grasp your wet, erect shaft, and line it up with her entrance.

 You feel the head of your cock press against her wet, tight opening. Slowly, carefully, Sana lowers herself down onto your shaft, your cockhead parting her tight lips to impale her pussy.

 Sana gasps loudly as she impales herself fully, and she opens her eyes slightly to match your gaze. You brush stray locks of hair away to reveal her face fully, and you bring her mouth back to yours to kiss her deeply.

 As your tongues duel Sana begins to raise her hips, drawing your shaft out of her body before lowering it once more, and soon she has found a soft, slow rhythm as she rides you, grinding her warm, tight body against yours.

 You release her from your kiss and lean backward slightly, keeping yourself upright with your hands, allowing yourself to watch as Sana takes you in and out of her body with soft grinding motions, riding you slowly, enjoying every entry and exit of your shaft.

 You burn the image in your mind of her slim, young body, her small, alluring breasts, her flat stomach, the tight muscles of her thighs and hips as they work to grind her body on and off your shaft again and again and again. You watch as your shaft appears for a split second or so before driving back into her, each disappearance accompanied by a soft spike of pleasure.

 As she always did, Sana has let a long string of gasps and moans stream from her mouth, beginning with your first entry into her body and not stopping, you knew, until you were done.

 “Fuck,” she manages to say, “I’ve missed this. I’ve missed you so much. It’s so good.”

 She rides you a little harder, a little faster, and you begin to feel her pussy tightening slightly against you, the first signs of an orgasm building inside her young body. You bring your right hand to her left hip, guiding her, pressing her down at the apex of her rhythm while you drive upward slightly with your own hips, crashing your bodies together just a little harder, a little faster against one another.

 “Ohhh!” Sana exclaims, throwing her head back, sending sweat matted brown hair flying as your shaft creates a new splash of pleasure on the canvas of her senses. The moan is accompanied by a pulse of her walls around your shaft.

 Sana doesn’t stop, the moans and gasps emitting from her mouth rising in volume steadily, contending only with the slap of wet skin against wet skin and the soft slurring sounds of her juices as your shaft swirls them around the inside of her body.

 “I… I’m going to cum. I’m going to cum on your cock,” Sana gasps, “I… I’m cumming!”

 Sana does just that, and her body erupts in pleasure, her small frame writhing and shivering as the orgasm overtakes her senses. Her lustful gasps turn into a long, passionate moan, her arms tightening around your torso as her pussy tightens in pulses around your shaft.

 It takes her a minute or so to recover, but you are more than content to let her cling to your upper body as she recovers, her body occasionally shaking with pleasurable aftershocks as her orgasm winds itself out. You bury your nose in the crook of her neck, planting soft kisses on warm, sweaty skin. Eventually Sana finds the strength to bring her mouth to your ear.

 “It’s your turn. Do whatever you want. I’m yours. Everything I am, all of me… I’m yours.”

 You are struck by her words, not just by her consent for you to do as you wanted with her - but more so for the genuine gratitude you sensed behind them. She seemed truly contrite for what she had done to someone she cared deeply about, and wanted you to know it.

 You know that this isn’t the time for rough sex, and as much as the thought of turning her around and taking her hard from behind appealed to you, this wasn’t the time for it; perhaps there would be an opportunity to do so in the near future. For now, this was a time for slow, passionate sex, and to that end you grasp her upper body to yours before rolling over on the bed so you are on top.

 Sana spreads her legs instinctively, and as soon as she is on her back she raises her hands above her head, presenting you with the beautiful image of her body laid out in offering to you - her eyes are filled with lust and passion and genuine feelings for you, her perfectly sculpted body almost an afterthought to the affection you find in her eyes.  

  “Take me, please,” she says, her voice hardly above a whisper, “fill me with you.”

 You have no other reaction than to kiss her again, your tongue invading her mouth even as your shaft does the same to her pussy, beginning to fuck her slowly, carefully, with the same amount of passion and consideration she had when she was riding you minutes earlier. You savor every thrust, every small pulse of her pussy, enjoy the feeling of her juices and wetness coating your shaft and balls and making every entry into her body so slick, so easy, so pleasurable.

 You are almost ashamed to admit that your orgasm is fast approaching - something about the emotion in Sana’s eyes and warmth of her body only heightened the pleasure coursing throughout your body and mind. You quicken your thrusts slightly, and Sana wraps her legs around your thrusting hips as she senses what that means. You rip your mouth from hers and bury it in the pillow next to her face.

 Her mouth is next to your ear now, and she does her best to encourage you, urging you on with soft gasps and moans with each thrust you take into her pussy. She is tight and wet around you, but most overwhelming of all is the heat of her body pressed and wrapped around yours, welcoming each thrust into your body.

 “Cum for me, please… fill me. Fill me with your cum. I want it. Please… cum inside me.”

 Almost immediately you begin to orgasm, as though her words are a trigger. The pleasure is almost overwhelming, contributed to by the passion between you, the desire in her words, and the need to provide Sana with some comfort, some security in knowing you were there for her. Your shaft pulses with each burst of semen erupting from it, filling Sana’s pussy with thick, hot cum, every splash of hot juice eliciting a sharp gasp from the young woman.

 You breath heavily into the pillow, and Sana hugs you tightly with each of her limbs, breathing heavily and loudly into your own ear. Eventually she recovers enough to kiss your ear lightly.

 “Arigato,” she whispers softly.

 ---

 When you wake up in the morning you are immediately aware of the weight on your chest that has rendered the entire left side of your body numb. But your fear is quickly abated by the realization that the ball of brown hair that is the cause of the numbness is Minatozaki Sana’s head. Smiling softly to yourself and taking a moment to savor the feel of her warm body pressed against yours, you slowly ease yourself up and away from the young woman’s tangling limbs - you only partially succeed, and she appears to awaken slightly, but she mumbles something beneath her breath before seemingly falling back to sleep.

 You brush hair away from her head to reveal her sleeping features; ostensibly to get her hair out of her face and allow her to breathe easier, but you knew inside that it was because you wanted a clearer look at her sleeping face. She was adorable sleeping, but she could also be sensual and sexy, and smart, and charming, and intelligent… despite the events of the past month, you were nonetheless stricken once more by the young woman.

 You smile to yourself as you get up and head towards the kitchen to make some coffee.

 On your bedside, there is a picture of you and Momo - a simple couple selfie taken during one of your dates. For the first time in many months, its existence was temporarily forgotten.

 ---

 On the way to the kitchen, you pick up your suit blazer, still lying where it was when you threw it over the couch after you got home from the airport but before Sana arrived. You reach into the suit jacket pocket to find your passport, happy to find that it was still there. You take out the small booklet to find a small slip of paper falling out with it. For a second you think it might have been the business card Wendy had slipped into your pants back in Seoul, but then you remember having put that away in your briefcase before the flight home.

 You think it might be a receipt or some other inconsequential scrap of paper - but as you pick it up you decide to open it. Odd, because you don’t remember putting anything aside from your passport into your suit jacket, and no one else would have had the opportunity to put anything in there, except for...

 It is a handwritten note, consisting of short note and an email address.

 I can help you.

-joy@rvelvet.com

---

[firstdegreefangirl]

Eddie Week Day Five: Eddie and His Idiot Husband

Word Count: 2291

Original Pub Date: 19 June 2020

Relationships: Eddie Diaz & Christopher Diaz, Eddie Diaz & Abuela

Author's Note: Me? Writing Christmas fic in June? More likely than you think.

Read on ao3 here

Usual suspects: @eddiediazweek @hearteyesforbuck @rebeccaofsbfarm @thisissirius @hearteyesforbuck @dramamineontopofme @twinien @meloingly @myemergence

It started out simply enough: Eddie was picking Buck up from the car dealership, taking him to lunch with Christopher while he waited on an oil change. As soon as Buck swung himself up into the truck seat, Chris started giggling.

“What? What’s so funny, little dude?” Buck turns around in the seat to watch him laughing, and Eddie looked up in the rearview mirror to see his son practically doubled over against his seatbelt.

“You-you guys are … you guys are TWINS!” He can hardly get the words out, but as soon as Eddie realizes what he’s said, he glances across the console at Buck

Sure enough, they’re both wearing blue jeans and the same T-shirt: plain black with the LAFD logo on the chest.

It’s an easy coincidence, especially given how many shirts they both have that are identical, city-issued for special events or fundraisers. They’re not technically uniform, but everyone wears them to work, so it only takes a few months to accumulate a pretty big collection.  

Eddie can see the moment when Buck realizes what’s happened, and he feels his heart swell at the way his face lights up.

“Well,” Buck exaggerates the way he winks at Eddie, makes sure Christopher can see the gesture, and looks to the backseat again. “One of us is going to have to change.”  

It happens again three weeks later, just a couple of days after they take Christopher to the aquarium.

(Eddie had tried to call it a “family day,” but he saw the way Buck squirmed at the notion of being part of a family, of having a family so unlike the one where he grew up, one that does things together, has special days and events for no particular reason.  

So he’d dropped it, but knows it’s something that will come up again later, something for them to work on as a family, even if they don’t call it that just yet.)

Because they are a family, and if it weren’t obvious enough, when the got through to the giftshop, Christopher had insisted on a set of three identical Stingray Bay T-shirts to commemorate the occasion. And neither of them have ever been able to tell him no, not for something as simple as that, so Buck had dropped a small fortune on them, insisted on paying after Eddie had bought the ice cream earlier in the day.  

Eddie knows he should have seen this coming, should have anticipated that Buck would show up wearing his stingray shirt on Tuesday when they met at the school to surprise Chris with lunch.  

Buck does this; every single time Christopher gives him something, he makes a point of showing it off, using it when he knows he’ll be able to see how much Buck loved the gift.

So Eddie should have known he’d pick today to debut the new shirt, should have planned ahead and picked something else, literally anything else, from his closet.  

Not that he doesn’t love the idea of matching clothes with Buck, but that he’d at least like to be a little bit more subtle about it than a pair of blue and grey tie-dye swirled T-shirts with bright yellow lettering and a cartoon stingray. He couldn’t possibly be happier than he is when he’s with Buck; the last year and a half have been the best of his life.  

But he’d rather show it off with the way they can't stop smiling when they’re together, the way they’re constantly touching, always seeking each other out. It’s a quieter, more honest demonstration of their relationship.  

But there’s not much he can do about it when he meets Buck out front of the building and they’re both wearing the shirts. It’s not like he has a closet in his truck with extra clothes, so all he can do is grin and bear it.  

It’s worth it though, for the way Buck pulls his sunglasses down and whistles as Eddie approaches.

“Nice shirt, babe. Where’d you get it?”  

“Just this place I know.” Eddie can’t help but roll his eyes. “My kid picked it out, and the hottest guy I’ve ever seen bought it for me.”  

“Oh, a hot guy? Should I be jealous?” Buck laughs and pulls the door open, settling his hand low on Eddie’s back as he kisses him gently and walks into the building.

“Only because I’m the one holding the French fries, and you know how Chris picks his favorite dad for the day.”

A month later, Eddie starts a massive load of laundry before he gets dressed for work, having put it off for long enough that he knows it’ll probably need two cycles in the dryer. Only after the machine had started filling with water did he realize that he hadn’t remembered to set aside the least-dirty shirt in the pile so he had something to wear into the station.  

Which leaves him scrambling to find a shirt, any shirt he can wear until he gets to work and puts his uniform on. There’s one left, stuck way at the back of his drawer.  

It’s the very epitome of a Laundry Day shirt, covered in garish black and white stripes. In one of his finer moments as a father, Eddie had let Christopher rope him into dressing up as a zebra for the station Halloween party so he could be a zookeeper.  

(There had been no need to rope Buck in. In fact, the whole thing had been Buck’s idea, after he’d gone with Chris on the field trip to the zoo and sat next to him while they watched the zebra feeding.)

The costume had been great, he has to admit. But as soon as the party was over, the shirt went to the back of the drawer, waiting for yardwork season.  

Or, laundry day.

Reluctantly, he pulls the shirt over his head and hopes that he’s running late enough to make it into the locker room before anyone sees him.  

But why would that go in his favor when nothing else this morning has? Eddie has just made it into the station when he collides with a black and white striped blur.

“What? Ed—” Buck steadies them both and looks Eddie up and down, checking for any injuries. “I leave you alone for one night, and you hardly make it to work on—”

Eddie watches his face as Buck realizes which shirt he’s wearing, and he’s sure it must match his own expression when he sees the same garment pulled taut across Buck’s chest.  

“—time.” Buck finishes, amusement shining in his eyes.

“Well maybe I wouldn’t be running late if someone hadn’t insisted on ‘saying goodbye’ before he went home last night.” Eddie raises an eyebrow and Buck flushes at the memory of how … thorough … his parting kiss had been. “Could’ve had the laundry in the machine last night, maybe even had a regular shirt to wear today.”  

“I’ll have you know that I happen to think this is an excellent shirt on you.” Buck runs his hand up Eddie’s torso to wrap his fingers over his shoulders.  

“Mm, there’s no way it looks better than yours does.” Eddie mirrors the gesture with a smirk. “You know my excuse; why’d you pick it out?”

He’s not sure what he’s expecting Buck to say, knows it’s nothing to do with seeing Chris since he’s at a sleepover after school tonight. But Buck still manages to surprise him when he shrugs, and responds like he’s saying the most obvious thing in the world.

“Couldn’t decide if I wanted to wear a white shirt or a black shirt today. So, both.” With his free hand, he waves up and down his body.

Eddie’s got a response all ready to go, is ready to watch the look on Buck’s face when he asks why he didn’t just split the difference and wear grey, but before he can say anything, Hen rounds the corner and bursts out laughing.

“OK,” She gasps out when she’s finally able to control her chuckles again. “Are you two only going to wear clothes from Christopher from now on? Because I’m telling you both, that is a mistake. He’s a cute kid, but the fashion doesn’t translate well to grown men.”  

Neither of them respond, and she walks away after a few moments, calling out for Chimney, who “isn’t going to believe what these idiots managed today!” Once she’s gone, they look at each other and smile.

“Laundry day?”

“Only way I was going to have a shirt for tomorrow that doesn’t have the style sense of a nine-year-old.”  

After that, the spell seems to be broken, whatever wardrobe-wavelength he and Buck were on shifted far enough that they’re dressing independently again.  

Before Eddie knows it, there’s a chill in the air – as much as there ever is in LA – and he and Buck are taking Christopher back to the mall to see Santa again.  

This year, there’s nothing stopping him from leaning against Buck while they wait in line, no reason for Buck not to tuck three of his fingers into the back pocket of Eddie’s jeans.  

While they’re waiting for Chris to come back out of the little cardboard village house, something catches Eddie’s eye in the window of the nearby department store. He turns to face Buck, putting just enough distance between them for Buck’s hand to drop back to his own side.  

“Hey, I’ll be right back. Long as that kid’s list is, you’ll still be waiting, but if not, meet you guys right here?”

“Sure.” Buck smiles, clearly unconcerned as Eddie walks away. He doesn’t waste any time, quickly finds what he’s looking for and waits in a miraculously short pre-Christmas line to check out and join Buck back in the winter wonderland.  

He sits the paper gift bag by their feet, rebuffs Buck’s attempts to find out what’s inside.

“Would you be patient?” But he’s smiling as he nudges Buck away from him. “You’ll find out in … 18 days.”  

“Fine.” Buck rolls his eyes. “But I’m not telling you what your present is either.”  

Eddie picks up a few other things along the way, loves nothing more than spoiling Buck when he has the chance, but there’s no gift he’s more excited about than the one from the mall. It had been such a hit last year that the 118 decides to celebrate en masse again, so he slips the presents into a large box and slides it into the bed of his truck before making sure Christopher's ready to go.

They make it through dinner and two rounds of presents before Eddie can’t wait any longer. When it’s Buck’s turn to unwrap something again, Eddie passes him a slim, flat package.

“Open this one. You’ve waited patiently enough.”

He watches closely as Buck peels away the paper and shakes the box to reveal a silk necktie the exact same color as his eyes. He beams at Eddie, then gasps and stands up in a hurry.

“Bobby! Eddie needs to open the next gift!”  

“Why? He gets to go again in two turns.” Bobby, ever the father figure, has been keeping track, making sure everything is handled diplomatically. Buck steps carefully through the children spread out in the middle of the floor, making his way across the room to whisper something in Bobby’s ear. His eyes widen as he considers whatever case it is that Buck’s making, and he nods. “Alright, I think we can make an exception just this once. Go get your present, son.”  

He bounds across the room and fishes a tiny, firecracker-shaped package from underneath the tree then tosses it to Eddie.

“Your turn, honeybunches.” The over-the-top pet name elicits eye rolls from around the room – Eddie included – and Buck grins as he settles himself back in the seat beside him.  

Eddie turns the present over in his hand, tries to figure out what Buck might have come up with that would be shaped like this. Finally, he gives up on trying to guess and just pulls the ribbon loose at one end, folds the wrapping back to reveal –

An identical blue necktie.

Maddie puts it together first, claps a hand over her mouth to muffle her delighted squeal.

“You bought me … your necktie?” Eddie holds it up, trying to gauge if they really are the same shade of blue.

“No. Well, yes, I did. But that wasn’t … I didn’t know you’d bought one for me. You just always look at things this color when we’re at the mall, so I figured you must like it.”  

“It’s my favorite color,” Eddie replies, his voice thick with quiet wonder. “It matches your eyes.”

On Maddie’s other side, Chimney leans in to stage-whisper, loud enough for the whole group to hear. “Gee, wonder why it’s his favorite. Could it be? Do you think? Nah …"  

She swats his arm and he yelps, but stops talking.

“Your favorite color … is my eyes?”  

“Yeah, they’re ... blue.” There are a million other thoughts going through Eddie’s head, moving so fast that he can’t pin any one of them down enough to elaborate.  

He looks up from the tie, stares into Buck’s eyes and marvels at how a ribbon of fabric was able to match the color so perfectly. As Christmas gifts go, a necktie is pretty unremarkable, but Eddie knows right away that he’ll treasure this one forever.

As the party goes on around them, Eddie’s mind wanders to the little velvet box in his pocket.  

Maybe just once, he and Buck can plan to coordinate their outfits, right down to matching neckties.  

[homogrimoire-archive]

Kingfield's Fourth Anniversary - Day 5

Dream, Memory, Reality.

David and Dwight each dream a wonderful dream. Later, they find themselves in a trial against a new killer, one who proves to be more cruel than anticipated. They don't survive her wretched performance.

[And hey, read the tags for warnings.]

AO3 Link

David lay curled up against Dwight. He was so warm and soft. The bed was comfortable, but perhaps only because Dwight was there to embrace him. Dwight placed a soft kiss in the crook of David's neck, a hum of approval following. He shifted under the blankets to be closer. This was nice. There was a feeling so unfamiliar, yet so lovely, that David hoped he would never forget it.

-

Dwight was walking next to David taking in the new sights and sounds. It was a beautiful day as they walked down the street. It was alive with hustle and bustle, but not crowded. Then, Dwight noticed that David grazed his hand against his. He apologized, blushing, but Dwight took the opportunity to seize his partner's hand. He gently raised it and placed a kiss on it. Looking straight into the other man's eyes, he confidently reassured David that had nothing to fear. They continued their walk, feeling much more content than before. This feeling was something to live for.

-

Then, David woke up. This dream another reason to pine for him in waking hours. He knew he wouldn't be forgetting it anytime soon now. He turned to face the other way, to face the still sleeping Dwight. He was cute, lightly snoring as drool dripped from the side of his mouth. He turned once more. It was only safe to indulge in his dreams. He didn't need any more reason to want to ruin their friendship. There was only one Dwight to be friends with, and David wasn't good at making friends.

-

Dwight awoke later, remembering that small part of a larger dream a moment later. He let out a suppressed sigh in dismay. In front of him lay David sprawled out on his back, chest rising and falling softly. His rose tattoo was clearly visible. Dwight felt the urge to want to kiss that tantalizing spot once more. It was so inviting, begging to be kissed and intimately adored. So close, yet so far away. No matter. It wasn’t the first time he fell for someone he had no chance with. Dwight stood awake, daydreaming something that would remain his dream.

-

Another. This dream, one of a familiar feeling. No, this was a distant memory. One caressed the other’s cheek, gazing into the other’s eyes with such adoration. They closed their eyes, and slowly leaned in, closing the distance between their faces until their lips met. It was a wonderful feeling.

And then, the memory dissolved.

Dwight was immediately hit with a blade to his shoulder. He screamed out in pain as he fell, the killer proceeding to carry him bridal style. That’s right, this was a trial, one with a new killer and survivor to learn about. This killer a beautiful songstress with an affinity for roses and toying with people with their memories.

A hook was nearby, so he didn’t bother to try and escape. He just mentally prepared himself for the pain that was to come. Of course, that didn’t do much good. She gave him a smile a kind of sadistic, mad smile wouldn't expect from a woman such as herself. But, looks can be deceiving. She turned from him and resumed her beauteous song.

On the bright side, the new astronaut among them seemed to be faring well, and Quinten’s experience against The Nightmare proved to translate well against The Songstress. Dwight just hoped David would fare well. As much as Dwight didn’t want to admit it, he didn’t think David had the kind of strength needed to face a killer like this. But he evidently didn't either.

It was then he noticed The Entity’s claws beginning to form. That wasn’t right. She didn’t show up so soon. Dwight began to panic. He could still hear her song well, so she was still nearby a rescue would be dangerous, especially given that the full extent of her powers were unknown. He tried to unhook himself, but failed, inciting more pain and spurning The Entity faster. He began to hyperventilate. He didn’t want to die again. He had heard of how hard David would take it, seen the aftermath of his demise. He didn’t want to feel that nothingness in him that stole away even sadness. And what if The Entity finally tired of him. He had been there so long. Surely he would be one of the first she would discard. And then he would never-

“Hey, I’ve got you luv.” David comforted as he began to unhook Dwight. Then, they heard a deafening crescendo that traveled throughout the entire mansion, stopping David in his tracks so he could cover his ears. Dwight covered his ears as well, the pain from the hook persisting.

Even more rushed, David hurried and unhooked Dwight. They traversed the maze of a mansion to put some distance between them and The Songstress. Panting, they came to rest in a finely furnished room, the song a now distant echo. She was a powerful foe indeed, but she certainly wasn’t gonna be sneaking up on anyone without memories to incapacitate them.

“Here, let me take care a you.” David offered, and began to patch Dwight’s shoulders with his med kit.

“Thanks David.” Dwight said, wincing at the ebbing pain.

"Welcome, mate. … Aaaaand there. All patched up, mate." David told him with a friendly slap to the back one they got up. Dwight smiled at him, and David smiled back, each wishing for something more.

"Right." Dwight said, clearing his throat after. They left the room in search of a generator. Only two remained.

"So, we know she uses our memories to slow us down, a knife, and The Entity generates a lot faster on hooks, but it resets each time. I think that's because of her song." Dwight theorized. "And then there was when she stunned us with her voice…"

"Well, I'd say we've faced worse." David said, and spotted a generator.

Dwight gave a short laugh. "Yeah, I'd say so too." A feral woman who seemed to have the blessings of Artemis, a nurse who showed up without warning like an apparition, a whole alien filled with determined bloodlust, a demon who used their blood against them. She was just another singing small fry.

They worked on the generator together in quiet focus. As her song grew closer, the duo hurried, and their hearts began to hasten. Then, another crescendo that forced them to cover their ears.

“Shite.”

“Fuck, come on hurry up…”

Almost complete! They were intent on finishing it, lest she reverse some of their progress. The generator hummed to autonomous life, and the two made a run for it. One gen left. They exited the room and saw her down the hall. They ran in the other direction, dropping a pallet along the way. They then split up when the hallways diverged. The song began to decrease in volume, and David assumed she decided to hunt Dwight. Yet, just down the hall, a minute or so later, he caught a glimpse of someone who was unmistakably Dwight limping round a corner.

“Dwight! Hold up mate, ’m coming’ to ya!” he shouted. If Dwight got hooked one more time, that was it for him. David couldn’t have that. He rounded the corner, but there was no Dwight in sight. No blood on the floor either.

“Right. Memories. Bloody memories…” That would take some getting used to. The memories of their life before seemed to be easier to break out of. But these memories from within the realm were much more devious and difficult to discern from reality. Made her more worthy of the title of Trickster than that Korean songster. David just hoped Dwight was alright.

Just as the last generator sounded, David heard a scream he wished he wasn’t familiar with. Defeated, he ran for the exit gate. He waited to hear the entity take him away, but the despicable sound did not come. When he noticed that, he felt a spark of hope. David ran into Quinten and had him open the exit gate while he went for Dwight and kept the killer busy. Time was of the essence. Third hook was a death sentence, but this killer seemed to have a way with hooks and The Entity.

He ran in the direction he saw Dwight’s aura. It was at a lower level, so he had to descend a set of stairs into the basement. It looked like a common basement, unbefitting of the sprawling, exorbitant mansion. But that didn't matter. All that mattered to David was getting Dwight and getting the hell out. He saw Dwight Entity's claws surrounding him, heard him shout his name, but it was too late. A thick claw pierced him, draining the life from his body before his eyes.

David screamed his name. He felt a sharp pain in his stomach, a sinking despair. Would this be the last time he ever saw Dwight? He then realized that pain just wasn't from what he saw or his emotions.

The Songstress had got him. He crumpled to the floor, and reality was revealed. The basement now looked like a decrepit version of the rest of the place. It was an open area unlike the typical basement, but had the four hooks and wardrobes in place of lockers, and a matching chest. But this place was dark, darker than he could recall basements being.

He wasn't sure what was real anymore. All he knew was that he was the last one. She picked him up and gazed at him lovingly.

"Oh, my love, you shouldn't have." she praised as she stroked the tattoo on his neck. David growled in response.

"Now, let us be together. Forever." she decreed, and kissed him. The Songstress showed him the form of a woman he dated, and caressed his face as she once did. She sensed no love as he fought back with every ounce of strength he had. Another woman, another response she didn't like. There was a desperate fear in his eyes. She quickly searched through his memories a little more deeply, and found what she was looking for.

She showed the image of a man from the memory of a dream, the same man she just so happened to sacrifice not too long ago. The sight made him gasp. She saw how vulnerable he became. First, he placed a kiss on his neck where the agreeable tattoo lay. That seemed to do the trick. He stopped resisting entirely, though for just a moment.

"Don't! Don't you focking do this to me!" he demanded. He didn’t want this.

"I love you though…" he pouted. Hearing that in his voice, David grew weak.

He pulled the dagger out from a pocket, and slowly moved from his lips from the tattoo unto David's lips. The dream memory began to make out with the struggling and conflicted man as he kept his eyes closed. The knife pierced through his clothes, and began to break through his skin When he finally opened them, he saw The Songstress, and she began to push the knife into his chest, into his heart. He struggled and screamed and cried in agony as she loved him with tender gestures, as she plunged the knife deeper into his heat ever so slowly. He was lying when he begged for her to stop. She knew he was. He always wanted her love.

The Songstress finally broke away from him, and gently laid him to rest on the floor once his flame of life was extinguished, and set a beautiful red rose on his bloodied chest. Such a beautiful memory. Such a beautiful dreamreality.

-

Dwight awoke in front of the campfire. Just him for now. He took a seat on a log, and did nothing. He heard someone else approach. They sat down next to him.

"Hey."

"Hey."

It was David. Dwight surmised he too didn't make it out alive. Either Quinten and the new guy Heintz would show up soon, or they were already out on another trial.

Dwight noticed that David rested his head on his shoulder, and let out a sigh. Neither man felt anything about the situation. They only stared at the fire. Just them two, for a long time before David spoke up.

"I think I saw The Entity take you." David stated. "Did I?"

"No. The third hook didn't take me right away, but it did eventually. You weren't there when it happened." Dwight blankly clarified.

"Hmph. Guess she did fool me then."

Dwight immediately picked up on the implication. He offered no comfort. He didn't feel any sorrow for the man after all.

Slowly, over the next few hours, Dwight began to feel himself return to normal. That often came with the feeling of the weight of the trial hitting him. He knew David was going through the same. He had since taken his head off the smaller man's shoulder.

"I take back what I said earlier. She's the worst." David declared with a seething hatred.

"She made me see my family. We had some happy memories together, and she used them against me." Dwight said, the hurt now catching up to him. "She used memories from here too. I hate her." he growled.

"She did the same with me. Makin' me see things from 'ere, that is. Saw some stuff from back home I missed. Also saw some junk from when I still played, and…" David stopped himself from saying what he just remembered.

"And what?" Dwight asked, concerned for his friend.

"Nothing."

"David…" Dwight pleaded, and placed a hand on his shoulder. He quickly smacked it off, a look on his face that Dwight could tell was hate and desperation.

"Just focking drop it!" he yelled.

"Well fine!" Dwight snapped, and got up to sit elsewhere, and grumbled "God, I don't know why I even try sometimes…"

That anger I'm David disappeared, replaced by a familiar, sinking despair. Death need not do them apart, just himself. David wallowed in guilt, unsure of what to say. He didn't want them to be like this, but he couldn't say what he wanted to. He was scared, more than any trial had ever made him. Well, there was one thing he knew to say.

"I'm sorry." he apologized. "I shouldn't 'ave done that."

Dwight sighed. "It's alright." He didn't want to be angry at David, but he was tired of the man pushing him away, tired of wanting someone who did that to him, tired of being a weak fool who could love.

"I don't think it is."

"… Yeah. It isn't." Dwight admitted bitterly.

"She used memories of you 'gainst me. Left a bad taste in my mouth. It's not your fault."

"She used you against me too." Dwight revealed. "A memory of you hurt, a happy memory of us celebrating a victory, a memory of you from a dream… What did she do to you?

He wondered what she could have done to make him react so. David was admittedly sensitive, his denial of it is what made it so difficult to deal with, but still.

"She- … I need you to promise me something." David requested.

"What?" Dwight asked. He scooted to the edge of his log, closer to David.

"Just promise me you aren't gonna hate me after this."

"I won't hate you. I promise."

"I- I think-" he began, choking up immediately. Then, an angry growl. "Why can't I say it!?" he cried out.

Words strung together make a sentence, a gestalt. A sentence of words is that from which meaning is derived. Yet, there wasn't any  amount of words, nor no sentence, from which the entirety of what David felt could be derived. It is a familiar sentiment.

The words got stuck in his throat. A deadly gestalt that cannot convey all that is felt, and never will, threatens to choke the life out of him. He wants to live, breathe. But to free those words is to face reality. Cruel, unkind, and wretched reality. Defend the self and seal the words. The sentence a fortress that festers in bliss, safe and sound from all but itself. Or leave thy gates open and draw the bridge. Welcome the truth of reality. It isn't always cruel, unkind, and wretched. But even if it is, it's better than any lie, any dream, for it is real. There, you matter. There, you exist.

Thus, David knows he must say something. It is not like there will ever be something that conveys it all. He decides that Dwight deserves to know how he feels about him. At least that way, he can maybe stop feeling what he feels for their leader. Let reality burn the bridge as it enters. Who knows, maybe that little bit of reality is all he needs to start betterment. Maybe. He hopes for a dream to become reality all the same.

"I love you." With fear plastered on his face, he admitted this unto Dwight. Then he turned to face the dark city behind them outside the fire, and began to break down. "There I said it! He's the only one 've ever felt any love for! Are ya happy!? I said it! I'm gay! A poof! A homo! I love a man! I hope y'are god damn fockin' 'appy you bastard!" David sunk to the floor, tears flowing.

Dwight could only watch as this happened, a menagerie of his own emotions threatening to spill out as well. He thought he had come to terms with himself. Guess not. Then, an anger welled within him, a familiar one. A need to act overtook him. Once the other man seemed to be finished, he walked up beside him, and spoke.

Let reality be an unlonely place now.

"I love a man too, asshole! I- I don't give a shit if you want me to just stick with women! I fucking want to love this man! I'm bisexual! Queer! Fag! Call me whatever the fuck you want, I'm me! And don't you fucking forget it!"

David looked up to Dwight in awe as he too revealed himself. He was inspired, filled with what he could be partially describe as a revitalizing sense of comradery and elation. There was more of course, but words would never convey it all. But, these strung together sentences would have to do. For now, they were enough.

David wiped his tears, and got up. He threw an arm around Dwight who turned to see him grinning proudly.

"You hear that!? Don't you fockin' forget who he is, arsehole!"

Dwight wiped his own tears, and threw an arm around David as well. "Yeah! Don't fuckin' forget who we are!"

They shouted at that dark mirror which cast no real reflection for a long time. Laughing, crying, revelry. That and more.

-

"So, we a thing now?" David wondered, almost abashedly, as he and Dwight sat side by side on a log.

"Depends. I want us to be boyfriends. Do you?"

"Boyfriends… my boyfriend, Dwight." David said, testing the waters, inching his hand closer to Dwight's. "I do like the sound a that."

"I guess it's settled then." Dwight made the move and took David's hand in his. He brought it up, and placed a kiss on it. "We're boyfriends, and you're my boyfriend."

David blushed at the innocent act. He wasn't used to being on the receiving end of such gestures. But, he could very easily see himself getting used to it.

"Can we kiss? I want to kiss you." David said. He hoped he wasn't going too fast. He wanted to actually put some effort into this relationship. “I’ve wanted that for a long time now.”

"I did too. Close your eyes." Dwight requested, and David obliged.

The wait for their lips to touch seemed to be an eternity. But, the wait was worth it. It was gentle, and felt right, more right than anything had ever felt to David. He felt no dissonance in this act, only happiness. To Dwight it was all he ever wanted. Here was someone who knew who he truly was in his entirety, and still accepted him. More than accepted him. Loved him.

They kissed for a few more seconds, Dwight caressing David, savoring these feelings before parting. They looked into each other's eyes, and grinned such joyous smiles.

"I think I wanna do that again." David said, followed by a little laugh that made light burst in Dwight's chest.

"I think that could be arranged." Dwight affirmed. And arranged it was.

-

Later, the couple was sound asleep by the fire, Dwight curled around David, arms wrapped around him in embrace. For some reason, Dwight found himself awoken. Half asleep, he couldn't help but notice how enticing David's tattoo was, a prime spot to kissing.

"David?" Dwight called, hoping to not startle him.

"Mnnn… hmm? Wot is it luv?"

"Can I kiss your tattoo?" he asked.

"… You can." David agreed. He waited in anticipation. It was a soft kiss, one of true adore. David hummed approvingly. In each other's arms, they drifted back to sleep, a dreamless sleep.

[fruitpunchninja101]

Slow Dancing In The Dark

Characters: Hanji Zoe x Levi Ackerman

Genre: Romance/Fluff

Rating: T

Here’s part 1 of my gift for  LeviHan Eggscghange 2020 :) I hope my dear giftee enjoys this.Part 2 will be out in a couple of days!

You can also read this on AO3

 @levihanweek

Working for Sina Industries has always been a life long dream for Hange.As a wide eyed child,she would always watch live broadcasts of their space launches and tell herself one day shes gonna be there.Standing in mission control smiling as she watched one of her creations get sent to a different planet.Armed with a degree & a determined heart,she applied as an engineer.You could imagine her disappointment when she was crammed into an 8x12 cubicle in the basement to design and develop circuitry which their boss greedily takes credit for all the damned time.She's pretty good at keeping a front that shes a pretty chill with all her bosses bullshit but she finally lost it when he started harassing a temp.Hange bravely spoke out and got into a heated argument with her boss.She got supended for a week after that.

It took almost six months before she was promoted to another 8x12 cubicle.Only this time,shes moving up on the infamous 17th floor.The place where they flung all the adept yet problematic employees.Its pretty much the same,shitty boss,intricate work but now on a higher pay grade and a lot more hearsay about her reputation.Its not so bad though,despite the lack of recognition and grueling work hours she met a handful of wonderful coworkers who shared the same pain.

Mike and Nanaba were sort of the required stable couple of the group.She met them a month after the big promotion when she caught them making out in the copy room.She's probably standing there for an entire minute awkwardly making fake cough noises to alert them of her presence.Enter Erwin Smith,he casually strode up by the couple and grabbed the box of printer ink Hange desperately needed.He's like freaking Captian America & Superman combined except he has a mind of a slytherin.Not that it was a bad thing.

And then there's Levi,The crabbiest member of their little group,Mr.I-look-very-angry-and-irritated-all-the-time-but-inside-lies-a-total-softy.He’s a clean freak who befittingly,is a sanitary engineer.Rumors say that Levi had tendencies with violence and had to be sent at 17th floor for precaution.There used to be a time when they didn't get along.She'd been very welcoming towards him but hes always been aloof and cold.She didn't mind it at first,but after a while it kinda got into her nerves.Til that christmas party back in 2017,where she had a few drinks and sort of confessed that she liked him and it really bummed her out that he didn't feel the same way.For the first time,she saw something other than disinterest and irritation on his face...she saw confusion.He asked her what shes on about,then reminded her that he just made her chocolates for valentines day when she won't shut up about craving something sweet.He doesn't do that kind of shit just for anyone and after that,hange was pretty sure they've become best friends.

Their friendship was forged in companionship in misery but as time passed they became her second family.

One of the things that Hange looked forward to is hanging out with them every Friday night at a dive bar a few blocks away from their office where they get shit faced and let off some steam from their work.Hange was preoccupied with the jukebox when Mike arrived with his arm slung over Levi dragging the smaller man into her space.”You'll never guess what happened.”The man announced and before she could answer the man screamed."Someone got asked for a date!"

"Ohoho!Whos the lucky girl?"Nanaba came out of nowhere carrying two mai tais and handed one to Hange before heading over at Mike's side.

"Petra Ral."Erwin chimed cooly while sipping a glass of scotch.His blond hair still laid perfectly even after a long tiring day at work.

"From PR?Holy shit!Good job!"Hange said slapping Levi’s shoulder hurting her hand in the process.The man didn’t even falter from where he stood,all he did was stare straight at her before scowling."It's not a big deal.”He said settling his gaze on his side.

Hange smiled.

He’s shy.Levi Ackerman is actually being shy about getting asked out by an adorable strawberry blonde colleague.Isn’t that precious?She’d never seen him like that before.Heaven knows how much she wanted to tease him about his situation but she can clearly tell by the way he clenched his jaw and the deep creases on the space between his brows that if she says anything,he'd run straight to the wall to escape,cartoon style.

Mike started telling the story and Levi sneakily started edging towards the exit.Before the questions came flooding in,Levi was already gone.

“I think I should follow him.“Hange announced.

"Try to convince him to go out with Ral!"Mike shouted which prompted Erwin to take his drink away from him."I think you had enough."

"Goodluck!"Nanaba raised her drink at her.Before helping Erwin keep Mike's drink away from him.

#

Hange found Levi brooding on the sidewalk while smoking.”Can I get a light?”She asked.

“Its cold.”He said,which also translates to she should go back inside or she’ll catch a cold.Levi’s nice like that,it took everything in her to hold back and not make a snide comment.He alwas hated it when he gets called out for being considerate.

“So Petra Ral huh?”She started.

“I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“We don’t have to,If you don’t want to.”Hange calmly took a box of cigarettes from her pocket and stood a bit closer to him.

“Good.”He said before tossing her his lighter.

Hange bit her lower lip to stifle a smile and Levi was already armed with his grumpy face.He's getting a little agitated.She let the silence drag on for a while as she started to giddily shift from where she stood.Unable to contain her curiosity.

“But its Petra Ral...The Petra Ral!Our company sweetheart.”She exploded.

“I barely know her.”

"Isn’t that what dating is for?!Besides,She probably just needs to get dicked down."Hange said casually."Go for it!Have a little fun.What’s there to lose?"

"Yeah well...I don't think I could."Levi started bouncing his leg.Is he nervous?Agitated?Both?It seemed like he's trying to say something.

“Levi,you know we wont judge you if you’re gay right?You don’t have to hide it from us.”

“Why would I be hiding that if I was?”

“Then what are you nervous for?"

“I’m not nervous...I.."Levi paused as if he's considering if he should tell her."I haven’t...I...”

“You're acting like you've never been out on a date."she said.

Levi visibly stiffened and averted her curious eyes.From where she sat,she could see how levi clenched his jaw and feel him hold his breath.No?It cant be...

"Oh.Its been a while for you huh?like 6 months?"She tried to take a wild stab but was met with silence.Hange sobered."You’ve never been on a date before?"she repeated a little louder than she meant to and not soon after she found Levi's hand over her mouth.

“You wanna scream that a little louder?“

“EVER?!”She peeled his hand off her face and asked.

“Tch.I dont need this.“Levi rolled his eyes and started leaving but hange caught his arm.

"Hey!I'm sorry.I didn't know.Its nothing to be embarrassed about.Its just,its a little uncommon you know.I'm really sorry.I didn't mean to be a dick.”

She assumed that its not because of the lack of people who wanna date with him.Believe it or not,this whole quiet mysterious guy persona is a total chick magnet.She even had several people from the office ask about him every once in a while.So what happened?Is it trauma?Is he aromantic?Holy shit!How could she be so insensitive?

“Stop looking at me like that.”He frowned.Snapping her out of her thoughts.

“Sorry,I was just thinking...”

“Don’t think of anything.Just mind your own business and let me be.”

“What kind of friend would I be if I let you be?”

“A good one.And stop drawing conclusions!I can practically see the thoughts up your head.I'm not anything I just...dont know how.”

“why are you so intent on giving up?!I thought you like her!”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Oh please Ackerman!How can you not?She's the perfect mix of adorable,kind,fiesty and beautiful...she’s perfect for you!”

"What do you want me to do?"he asked,in his how can I make you shut up tone.

"What if I help you?You could...I dont know...practice with me?I could help you with the whole dating thing!"Levi looked at her as if she grew another head.Honestly shes just happy he didn't look disgusted with her proposal.He gave her a once over before pinching the bridge of his nose.She knows this maneuver.Its the what-have-i-gotten-my-self-into or holy-shit-am-I-actually-considering-this move.“Are you sure about this?”He asked.

Hange made a gesture of crossing over her heart and raising her right hand up and levi scrunched his brows together.

“Quit downplaying this.I’m serious.”

“I wont offer it if my not 100% I’m serious. The last guy I went out with was a total disappointment and Petra deserves better than that.You know she helped me last Christmas...”

“Yeah,yeah she helped you change your tire."He supplied,refraning hange from tellong the story again.

“And in exchange I'm gonna help you be more fun and well rounded for your date!It's the circle of life!”Hange enthusiastically smiled.

“Alright.How do we start?”Levi asked.

"Ask Petra to reschedule your date for next week,Then we can take the whole week to practice."

#

The harsh sun bore down on Levi as if reminding him never to indulge Hange with her antics again.Aparrently,she found Petra's online journal and identified that she had two dream dates.One is a carnival date (which explains why he is standing in line for cotton candy out in the middle of the goddamn afternoon.) and the other was spending an evening at a local jazz bar in the city.

Levi doesn't know how she successfully lured him out.You see,he liked his comfort zone and for some unknown reason Hange always challenged him to take a step out of the little box he created around him.And although there are times when she proved that taking a risk was worth it,Levi never really appreciated getting stuck in very shitty situations like now.He doesn't know how she seemed fine with all these shitty conditions.Maybe because she's been busy talking about her new droid remodel.

"Hey Levi are you listening to me?"

"Yes."He said exasperated.

"What was I saying then?"She folded her arms and raised her brows,challenging him.

"You're planning to replace fiberglass with aerogel as insulator on your next shitty droid."He said which earned a bright smile from her.Tch!He rolled his eyes at that and stepped forward after the couple infront of them was served with an unreasonable amount of cotton candy.

"I'll get the giant sunshine surprise."Hange said and the vendor then started shaping the cotton candy into a big daisy.Hange looks absolutely delighted.

"That will be 50 dollars."The vendor said offering his open palm to him which prompted him to turn towards Hange."Oh!let me get my wallet!"Hange started going though her bag and for some reason he felt chills run through him.WheN he raised his head,he noticed that people around them started glaring at him.Oh great he forgot!He's in a fake date.He assumed people still think he's obligated to pay.Tch.So fucking primitive.Although he's never the guy who gave much fuck about what others think,he didnt want people to think Hanges being mistreated.Begrudgingly,he paid for the goddamn cotton candy.Hange took that opportunity to talk about how expenses should be handled during dates,she personally likes going dutch but immediately started going on about some studies that says women generally like it when the males carries out the expenses.

Hange's like a battery that never runs out of energy.She wanted to ride every possible attraction from the carnival!Beads of sweat are starting to form on her forehead but she never seem to notice,he started leading her to a park bench to rest for a bit.He appreciated how much she prepared.She was very keen on citing the psychology articles and some magazines she read to help him be better at dating.He doesn't even know why would anyone even exert that much effort for him.

She really is something.

He pulled out his handkerchief out of his pocket and started gently dabbing it on her forehead.

She smiled.

#

Hange didn't really need to teach him much.Despite the seemingly abrasive qualities Levi possess,the man is a very courteous guy.He said thank you,please and treated the park employees with respect.Shes pretty sure he wouldnt have much trouble impressing a girl."You never told me why you've never been out on a date."She started.

"I was never asked."Levi shrugged as if telling her its no big deal.Hange was shocked at his honesty but appreciated his straight answer.

"Based on my observations today I'd say all those girls that didnt ask you out missed out on a good time."

"Tch!Quit bullshitting me."

"It's true!You diligently listened to my stories, joined me riding all the  and most importantly,you bought me an unreasonably overprized cotton candy."

Levi let out a soft chuckle at that and Hange immediately panicked.This is the first time she ever made him chuckle and goddamn it was glorious.It's like his features lit up and made him look years younger.She had to bit her lower lip to sort of calm her wild heartbeat.They stayed seated on the bench for a while when Levi surprisingly asked her to walk around some more.As they started to amble along the park,an idea popped on her head.

#

Her hands gently crept on his wrist and made way to cup his hand "what the..."He glared at their joined hands,but didn't find the need to pull away."You're sticky."He remarked

"Does sticky hands really matter if youre holding hands with your crush?"She asked.He kept his eyes on her and he saw blush creep up to her face."I-I mean not me...I meant Petra...which is basically me because im her placeholder at the moment and..."

"Hange."

"Hm?"

"Shut up."He slipped his Fingers against the gaps of hers and continued wandering around the park.

[shadedrose01]

Truth or Dare (Yes, I Double Dare You)

Ships: Parkner (Harley Keener/Peter Parker), mentioned Thompsborn (Harry Osborn/Flash Thompson)

Summary: Peter play Truth or Dare with his friends.

Tags: Febufluff, Day 8, I dare you to kiss me, Truth or Dare, Party Games, Birthday Party, They play truth or dare y'all, Peter has a crush on Harley, Harley likes him back, Thompsborn is in this too, Bisexual Peter Parker, Gay Harley Keener, Dare, Calling your crush, admitting feelings, Mutual Pining, First Kiss, Kissing, Cute, Fluff, a lot of swearing, I dont know why i made them swear so much, im sorry lol, Bad French, Poor translated french, I Tried

Day eight of Febufluff: "I dare you to... kiss me"!

--

"Hmm, I dare you to speak in a French accent for the next three rounds." Flash grins over his cup, swirling the drink in front of his mouth before taking a sip, watching the smile drop off of his boyfriend's face, an incredulous expression replacing it.

"Seriously?!?"

"Yes, seriously! And that wasn't in an accent!"

"Oui, oui, baguette." Harry deadpans, looking so entirely done with Flash's bullshit, the entire room erupting into laughter as said boy sits up, shoving his boyfriend's shoulder hard.

"No halfassed bullshit, dickwad. The real deal."

"Fine, you want the real deal?" Harry sits up straight, and Peter starts giggling like a mad man from the other side of the room, leaning against the wall to watch the scene unfold, knowing exactly what is about to happen. Harry clears his throat, holds a dramatic pause for a few seconds, before- "Tu veux un accent francaise, tu vas recevoir un accent francaise."

"Oh my god, I forgot he spoke French!" Flash moans, slowly slipping down the wall in shame.

"Oh la la, ma chérie, qu'est ce que tu as fais, eh?" Harry grins, smug, cheeky, knowing he's won this hand as his boyfriend sinks even lower, his head almost level with the ground, his face red.

"And why is it so hot?!?"

"Okay, okay, enough." Ned laughs, sitting chris cross apple sauce beside Peter, the party hat sat on the top of his head beginning to sag.

It was Ned's 17th birthday, and instead of throwing a big party full of alcohol and loud music like most people in their classes did, he decided to have a smaller party, a sleepover full of board games, video games and now party games, with his closest friends, with their friend group. So here they all were, packing into Ned's smaller sized room, Flash and Harry practically conjoined at the hip sitting against the wall, Peter and Ned sitting on top of his bed on the other side of the room, and MJ and Harley leaning against said bed, sat on the floor, playing what would hopefully be a quick game of Truth or Dare. Hopefully.

Peter had never liked this game. There was always too much risk for him in this game, of being asked to reveal one of his many secrets, or of being asked to embarrass himself for laughs. He gets the appeal of it, the adrenaline rush, the amusement of watching your friends do something stupid, it's a fun game to watch, but that doesn't mean he likes playing it. He hadnt even called on yet though, and he was hoping to keep it that way.

He shouldn't have jinxed it.

As if his thoughts manifested into reality, Harry turns to stare at him with a unknown, horrifying glint in his eyes. Oh no, this is definitely not going to end well. "Action ou Vérité?"

Peter sighs, looking up to the ceiling as he mumbles "Dare.", assuming that's what Harry asked. If he's going to go down, he may as well go down in style.

Harry's grin widens, and Peter is already regretting his decision. "Je te défie de telephoner ton béguin."

Peter blinks at him in confusion, before MJ translates, "He's daring you to call your crush."

"What?!?" Peter sputters, Harry cackling at  his flushing face while Harley speaks up for the first time in a while, his ('beautiful, gorgeous, fuck-') face turned towards MJ, scrunched up in thought.

"You know French? Since when?"

MJ just shrugs, face impartial, the only sign of her shyness being her pushing a stray hair behind her ear. "Since I got bored one day and learned it."

Harley just nods, like that makes sense, all while Peter is internal freaking the fuck out. Normally, this type of thing wouldn't be an issue. Sure, your friends will find out who your crush is, and tease you about it, and it'll be embarassing and whatever, but that's not the problem. Oh no no no no no, that would be too easy for Peter Parker. No, the problem with this question for Peter is that his crush is in the damn room, sitting directly in front of him leaning against the bed, an easy smile tilting up his thin pink lips, showing off his adorable dimples as he scans the room again with those big, stunning ocean blue eyes, hair coiffed back just right, messy, but just neat enough to be perfect, one stray blond curl falling in front of his eyes and fuck, fuck, frick fuck.

What is he going to do?!? He can't exactly call Harley when he's right in front of him, but he can't exactly say that he won't do it either, he wont be that guy. And now everybody is staring at it, expectant, waiting, shit, shit, shit-

Ned's eyes are the only ones that are sympathetic, because he knows, he knows who Peter likes and why this is such a big deal. Harley is one of Peter's best friends, they've been friends for years, and Peter is closer to Harley than he is to anybody else, he cant just throw it all away because of a game, can he? Harley definitely doesnt like him back, so if he does call him, it'll only end badly, but theres this tiny, tiny, traitorous part of him that wants to fo it, wants to tell him, if only to get it out in the open. But he cant ruin their friendship like that, he cant, but- but- oh god, oh no-

"Come on, Parker, we don't have all day." Flash complains innocently, not knowing of Peter's internal dilemma as he throws a stray piece of popcorn at him, Peter catching it subconsciously and throwing it into his mouth, just to try and get a few more seconds of peace before all hell breaks loose, before he destroys his closest friendship with his stupid ass feelings, goddamn it-

"Yeah, Pete, come on, dont keep us on the end of our seats." Harley teases, placing his head onto the blankets and looking back at him upside down, his hair surrounding his head like a halo, making him look even more angelic that he normally does, and god, why him, why? "Who's caught your eye, hm?"

Peter takes a deep, long, shaky breath, trying to prepare himself for the worst (and failing), taking his phone out of his pocket and scrolling down to Harleys contract, the black letters and two heart emojis on either side staring back at him mockingly. He hovers his thumb over the call button, noting how much its trembling, before he gulps and presses it, placing the phone to his ear, squeezing his eyes shut like a coward, unable to watch, knowing that Harleys expression was going shift, was going to turn from soft and warm, friendly, to hard and angry, to hatred and disgust and-

ACDC blares out into the room, the noise very obviously Harley's ringtone, and Peter grits his teeth, biting his tongue hard, his heart hammering in his chest.

"Wha-" Harley sounds so confused, so so confused, and Peter's squeezes his eyes shut tighter, holding back the burning tears that are threatening to spill. "Peter, why are you- wait..." He stops, pauses, and Peter digs his nails into his palm, squeezing his phone until he hears it start to crack. "...really?"

His voice is shaky, and god, Peter made him upset, he is probably so hurt, so confused, so disgusted, god stupid, you're so stupid, why would you do that, why didnt you just not do it, why why why-

He nods once, slowly, swallowing down a sob before whispering out "I'm sorry," into the now eerily silent room, his friends seemingly shocked into silence. He doesnt even want to know what they're thinking, what expressions are on their faces-

Theres another pause, another moment before he hears somebody shifting, Harley standing up, he's leaving, he's leaving- Good job, Parker, now you're forcing him to leave, you made him feel so uncomfortable that he's leaving, good fricken job, god, what is wrong with you-

A hand rubs his cheek gently, so so gently, spurring him out of his head as it brushes away a tear that had broken free, before another hand joins it on his other cheek, cradling his face. Peter blinks opens his eyes, shocked to see that its Harleys hands on his face, and that its Harley sat right in front of his face, with a wide smile and glowing eyes, face bright. "You mean it? You really mean it?"

Peter just nods again, so, so confused but also filling with a spark of hope, of joy as Harley's smile grows even more, filling his face before he launches into Peter's arms, hugging him tightly. "Oh thank god," he breathes into Peter's shoulder, and Peter is so lost, what is happening- "I thought you  were gonna call someone else, and I was gonna have to act all happy and like it didn't bother me when it totally would have and-"

"Wait, wait," Peter finally puts together the pieces, and pulls away to stare at Harley with wide eyes, the beginning of a smile twitching at his lips. "You like me back?"

"Yeah?" Harley cheeks grow a rosey hue, and he looks away bashfully. "I thought it was obvious."

Peter shakes his head wildly, eyes still wide, this cant be happening, he likes me back, he likes me- "No, no it wasn't, it really really wasn't-"

"So, what I'm hearing," MJ cuts in, tone blunt as always, but with hints of warm amusement softening the usual edge, "is that you two are oblivious idiots."

They both laugh breathless, staring into each others eyes. "Apparently." Harley murmurs, his blue eyes swirling and flickering up and down, looking down at his lips before looking back up again.

Peter gets an idea, a cheesy, cheesy idea, and grins. "Hey, it's my turn now, right?" He asks to the group, never taking his eyes off of Harley.

"Yeeup!" Ned responds enthusiastically, seemingly thrilled to see his two best friends realizing their feelings for one another.

"Well," he leans forward a bit more, watching as Harleys pupil's grow bigger. "Truth or dare, Harls."

"Dare." He responds easily, quickly, seemingly getting more and more antsy by the second. Peter can't blame him, he feels the same way.

"I dare you to kiss me." Peter doesnt even finish his sentence before Harley's lips are pressed to his, his hands moving upwards and running through his hair, fingers grabbing lightly onto the strands as Peter grabs his hips lightly, pulling him closer, both of the boys grinning into the kiss. Peter can hear MJ gagging in the background, Harry exclaiming "gross!" like he doesnt kiss Flash every two seconds, and Ned squealing like a fangirl, but he ignores it all, just focusing on Harley, focusing on this moment, his heart swelling in his chest.