#and i Knew for a fact that i wasn't That gifted. i'm just an early book nerd who is socially inept

[dream-42]

Here's another nice explanation.

people misunderstand what ‘gifted kid’ actually means but it’s ok it’s fine it’s cool it’s good

[thef1diary]

Little Big Fan | Nine

— Little Big Phone Calls

Series Masterlist

wc: 1.7k

Ever since you had brought Isabella home from the hospital, quite a few things happened.

Twenty-four hours after she was discharged, Tyler finally had the nerve to give you a call. You debated whether or not you should pick up the call as you glared at the screen while it rang, but then you didn't want to stoop down to his level either.

"Is Isabella okay?" were his first words, and if it weren't then you definitely would've unleashed hell upon him. "Yeah she's okay, no thanks to you," you scoffed.

Then he proceeded to claim that you didn't have the right to take Isabella home from the hospital because she was supposed to stay with him for the weekend. You sighed, rubbing your forehead, as you considered how to explain the issue to him in a calm manner.

"You weren't even there when it happened," you started, but then he had the audacity to interrupt you, "I was in a meeting."

"You're always in a fucking meeting! You left our daughter with Emma, it is not her responsibility to take care of our child." You lost your patience rather quickly, and you were glad that Isabella was currently at a classmate's birthday party so she didn't hear your argument. Leave it to her to quickly befriend others.

He was silent for a moment, "Emma is my girlfriend, and she doesn't have an issue with staying with Isabella so neither should you."

You paced around the room, having a strong urge to throw the phone against the wall. "Emma is not the problem, I'm grateful for her actually. The issue is that you need to get your shit together and choose if you want to be a father or a businessman, and quite frankly, you're doing a shit job at both right now."

You didn't wait for his response, hanging up and tossing your phone on your desk while burying your head in your palms.

Then, to make matters worse, you realized that Max's ten-day vacation was almost over, because he had to return to racing. You had quickly become accustomed to his presence and began missing him the moment he left your house a few days later.

You may or may not have hugged him for a few minutes too long on the day he was leaving, especially after knowing that he would be busy with back to back races for two weeks.

When you parted away, Max placed his palms on your cheeks and made direct eye contact with you. "When I'm back, me and you are going on that date," he stated in a tone of finality and you nodded, agreeing with him. "I'll be waiting."

Ruffling Isabella's hair until she smacked his hands away before smoothing it herself, Max had to remind her of school when she asked if he would take her to the races as well. He would have agreed if he had been a little more gullible.

"Gifts?" She settled for instead, earning a laugh from Max and widened eyes from you. "Isabella!" You exclaimed but couldn't hold back your smile at her request.

She shrugged, looking at Max, "if you want," she added. "Always," he responded, since he had already planned on buying a few gifts for both of you.

Then it was just you and Isabella, and even then you were alone when you returned home after dropping her off at school. You never had a problem with being alone at home until you experienced the joy of being with others.

—

Isabella was up bright and early on race day, considering that the race took place earlier in the morning in your time zone. However, you knew she would take a nap as soon as the podium celebrations were over, not wanting to stay up for the interviews. Which is exactly what she did after the last race you watched together, but her "tiredness" could've been due to the fact she was disappointed that Max had not won that race.

You remember the conversation you had with him after that race, and he was quite upset—rightfully so in your opinion as it wasn't a driver issue, but rather a technical problem.

"I don't think my lucky charm works from such a distance," he told you, making you furrow your brows, "what lucky charm?"

"You, of course. Please come to another race soon," he explained, earning a chuckle from you with a blush rising to your cheeks. "I'll think about it."

Today’s race was a different story, because Max had been leading during the entire weekend, always coming out on top for all the practices, qualifying, and even during the race itself.

Later that night, Max called you and you immediately congratulated him for the win. "See, you don't need a lucky charm." He made a sound in denial, "I think it's because I called you right before getting in the car, but we can test it properly when you're at a race again."

"You'll have to try harder than that to convince me," you teased with a chuckle. "I have two more weeks to convince you in person, I think I can manage."

"You're going to be here for the whole two weeks?" You could hear the grin in his voice, "I'm flying out in two days, plus the last time I checked, I have a date with the most attractive woman I know and I am not cancelling those plans at all."

You muttered his name, "did I ever tell you that you're the sweetest." He hummed, "maybe, but I don’t mind hearing it again."

"You're the sweetest, kindest and I'm glad you're coming back."

"Did you think I wouldn't?" You shrugged, "well, I thought you would be busy with the season and all." He was quiet for a moment, making your jaw drop, "you didn't."

He hummed and you gasped, "Max..."

"Yes, schat?" He pretended as if nothing was wrong. "Did you cancel any plans for the week?" You asked, slipping past the unknown word he used, knowing that you'll be searching it up later.

"None were as important as flying back to you, but I think that Christian is keeping an eye on me," he revealed and while you wanted to comment on his words, you were intrigued by his boss. "Why's that?"

"He keeps wondering why I am more interested in my phone than the meetings." You couldn't hold in your laugh, "Max, I had no idea you were in meetings while texting me."

Before the conversation could continue on, you heard pitter patter of footsteps coming down the stairs. You noticed the time, and it was past Isabella's usual bedtime so you wondered why she was still awake.

"Hold on, Max, I think Bella's awake." Isabella walks towards you with a shy smile, quickly climbing onto the couch and cuddling you.

You didn’t hang up, instead you put your phone on the side as you wrapped your arms around her. "Mama, do I have to go to daddy's next week?"

"You don't want to?" You asked while brushing your fingers through her hair. You felt her shrug, "I don't know."

"Did something happen?" You pulled back to see her face that had a frown growing. "I met Emma,"

"Yeah? How is she?" Her frown turned into a small smile as she thought of Emma, "very nice, she plays some games with me, oh and we baked together too."

"That's good..but?" You urged, watching her small smile slip back into a frown. "But daddy doesn't spend time with me anymore and he says bad things about you."

You raised your brow, wanting to focus on your daughter's words before you think about having another conversation with Tyler. "Like what?"

"He says that you're not a good person but I think you're amazing! You're the best mama in the whole world." Her little arms reached around you, placing a small kiss on your cheek.

"Aw thank you, angel," you peppered kisses all over her cheeks until she started giggling.

"So do I have to go?" She asked, snuggling up next to you while fighting back a yawn. You shook your head, "no, if you don't want to, then you don't have to go."

"Good, I want to spend time here, with you and Maxy," her toothy grin was back as soon as she mentioned him. "With Max? You like him?" You could've guessed her answer but it was reassuring when she nodded, "sooo much, he's so nice and he buys me ice cream and glittery clips."

You threw your head back with a laugh, "oh Bella, you can't just like him because he buys things for you."

"But mama he's also nice and he makes you smile." She stated, making you snap your head towards her, and you could see her smile turning a little mischievous.

"What?" She shifted in your lap, wrapping her fingers in your hair as she continued speaking, "I like it when you smile and he makes you smile, right mama?"

"Yeah he does." You glanced at the phone, the call still ongoing so you know Max heard every part of your conversation.

Looking back at your daughter, you suggested, "why don't you go back to sleep, you have school tomorrow morning."

"Can you read me a story?" She asked with hopeful eyes, and you quickly nodded, "of course, why don't you get all comfy in bed and I'll be right there?"

"Okay mama." you kissed her forehead before she slid off your lap, running back upstairs.

You pick up the phone again, "are you still there?" Max hummed in response, "yeah, I'm here."

"I'm guessing you heard everything," you didn't mind it at all, but still needed confirmation. "I did. She not wrong, you are an amazing mother." He chose not to comment on the topic relating to your ex, knowing that it would ruin the mood.

"I've had help lately," your tone indicates that you're speaking of Max as help. "I try."

"Before Bella comes back down to ask for you again, I have to say one thing," Max started and you urged him to continue, "go on,"

"You make me smile too," he stated, reiterating the comment made by your daughter.

Taglist: (continuing the taglist in comments) @xjval @mrsmaybank13 @cherry-piee @urfavnoirette @solphin @burningcupcakefire @nessacarty1 @dreamsarebig @omgsuperstarg @fanficweasley @redbullgirly @llando4norris @wonnou @randomgirlnumber13 @dark-night-sky-99 @chanshintien @leilanixx @gisellesprettylies @peachiicherries @monsieurbacteria6 @67-angelofthelordme-67 @arian-directioner @distancedss @morenofilm @sachaa-ff @lighttsoutlewis @teamnovalak @casperlikej @sadg3 @d3kstar @lewisvinga @lpab @queenofmanydreams @glitterf1 @honethatty12 @drunk-teens-doing-drugs @its-avalon-08 @yourbane @oconswrld @noneofyourfbusinessworld @ssrcsm @softtina @hockeyboysarehot @formulaal @namgification @tallrock35 @bloodyymaryyy @formulanni @ellouisa17 @phantomxoxo

[oukabarsburgblr]

drabble...

"Daisuke...wake up. You promised me you'd accompany me this time."

There were quiet noises of (m/n) whining while shaking a sleeping ravenette, the (h/c) kneeling beside the arranged thick futon in the dim room. "Mmm..." A groan escaped the ravenette's lips who rubbed his sleepy eyes, opening to see a pouting (h/c) over his face, possibly the greatest thing to wake up to in the mornings.

"...where's Haru?" "He's still asleep. I knew that bitch wouldn't wake up." "Sousuke?" "Like a log." A stifled laugh came from Daisuke as he groggily sat up, pinching (m/n)'s cheek. "I'm up, I'm up." He beckoned the (h/c) to stop sulking.

The four friends were on a glamping trip and (m/n) had a tradition to always explore the town nearby on the second day of the trip in the early morning, but almost every night before, they would play games or pull some random bullshit to tire themselves out so (m/n) was left alone most of the time.

Sousuke had been the solo driver of the trip yesterday so there was no point to waking his tired ass up, Haru was ignoring his pleas and Daisuke had promised him that he would wake up that morning to accompany his adventures.

Now here he finds himself, brushing his teeth and washing himself, getting ready to explore the nearby town. It wasn't remote nor rural, in fact the place was quite popular for tourists so he wasn't exactly surprised when he drove with (m/n) to find a huge shopping complex.

Daisuke wanted to laugh when he saw their outfits when (m/n) pulled out his shirt from his bags. They were matching to say the least, Daisuke Yuichi donned in a white polo shirt, beige khakis and a navy cap on top of his rich black hair. (m/n) (l/n) with a beige sweater, brown pants and a printed scarf tied around his head with strands of (h/c) nested snugly and a pair of sunglasses perched on top as well.

It looked like they were on a date. Well, Daisuke already considered that the second Sousuke wasn't waking up as (m/n) pulled him in further into the shopping mall. "Should I try this?" The (h/c) excitedly placed a maroon glasses into the frame of his face, checking himself out in the mirror. The brand of Emporio Armani, Daisuke's second favourite, etched into the side of the temple.

"Looks good on you. Let's take it." Daisuke shrugged, his hands crossed over his beefy chest, smiling at the (h/c) switching out sunglasses where his own was now on top of Daisuke's head. "You say that with every pair I picked." (m/n) rolled his eyes.

"Doesn't help you look good in everything." He called the attendant to pack three pairs of specs, all of them (m/n) had touched when he had walked into the store, mindlessly swiping his card when the (h/c) attempted to pay for himself.

"Thanks, Daisuke. I'll buy us lunch." "You know you won't." He smirked as the (h/c) smacked his back, muttering insults under his breath. (m/n) never paid for anything around the ravenette, Daisuke using his card his dad feeds money into weekly. There was a porter he had hired from the mall's services, quietly following them around carrying (m/n)'s purchases.

He was more than happy to spoil his prince, buying him luxurious gifts for his birthdays or giving into (m/n)'s spending habits, it won't ever leave a dent into his account anyways.

If Daisuke had looked a tad bit older, maybe more like his father, passerbys would've thought it was a sugar daddy-baby situationship, it was in fact just two close friends shopping together, one of which leaning into more than friends.

His large pale hand was on (m/n)'s lower back as they waited in line in a desserts store, the two making small talk with each other with the ever increasing bags on the porter's arms.

"You'd think they'd be up by now?" Daisuke shrugged again, not even thinking of anyone else whenever he's with the (h/c). "Doubt it. They wore themselves out pretty bad yesterday." "Didn't you suggested to do rock climbing when we got here?" (m/n) glared at the ravenette.

"Hey, not my fault Sousuke wanted to go up until the top." Frankly, it was actually Daisuke challenging the redhead to see who could climb the highest since Sousuke was fairly known to be more athletic than him and he had also been the one to drove them to the homestay.

Daisuke still lost, but he was currently alone, eating ice cream with his crush so who won at the end anyways. He bit into the green pistachio soft serve treat, relishing at the taste, although he had eaten better ones before. The ravenette wiped off a smudge of caramel from (m/n)'s lips before licking his own finger mindlessly, not noticing the flustered expression the (h/c) had for a split second.

The adorable headscarf was still around his head, Daisuke always liked how (m/n) was so versatile. "Wanna check out more stuff?" "It's already past noon, Haru's going to get mad at us." "We could stay a bit longer. Swarovski is just at the other end."

(m/n) eventually caved in and exited the retail store with a few boxes of fresh jewellery and a proud look on Daisuke's face who had bought similar pieces to the (h/c)'s. He tipped the porter handsomely before driving them to their homestay, a satisfied smile resting on his lips as he unconsciously placed a hand around (m/n)'s thigh.

The (h/c) was happy he got to spend religiously today, ignoring the hand around his leg as he checked himself out in the dashboard mirror, adjusting his new maroon specs. The grin on his face dropped as soon as he saw a certain redhead frowing, his arms crossed as he stood at the entry of the homestay.

"Think he's mad?" "I don't care either way." (m/n) groaned at Daisuke's response as they parked in the driveway, the ravenette nonchalantly exiting his side and went to retrieve their purchases at the trunk of the car. The (h/c) went up to Sousuke, trying to console him while the latter only glared at the ravenette who was ignoring him.

"You idiots, do you realise how long you've been out for..." Haru had finally joined the premise, pulling at (m/n)'s ear who yelled at him, saying it was his fault for not waking up as the blonde dragged him inside the house, ready to scold how they had abandoned them past lunch.

Sousuke who had always been the one to save (m/n) from Haru's merciless jabs, ignored the pleas and instead stood face to face with a certain ravenette, holding strings of shopping bags with a straight line on his lips.

"You didn't do anything, did you?" The redhead wasn't pissed but his tone indicated that he was. Maybe he was, just a tad bit jealous that Daisuke got to spend time with (m/n) for hours alone together. "Do what? We just went shopping, dumbass."

Daisuke rolled his eyes, kicking off his shoes as he walked past the steaming redhead. "Can't say we're not dating though. Matched a bit too well today." He teased Sousuke one last time before running inside. A pissed ex-delinquent chasing after him to murder the ravenette, not liking the implications he stated.

[END SCENE]

[unedited]

Afterthoughts :

This is canon to the Sousuke Daisuke universe idc. I mean all drabbles are canon except for the smutty ones. Consider them as fun fillers, a peek inside their intertwined lives. I love Daisuke haha. I think I had been giving Sousuke a lot more love lately.

Have i ever mentioned how much I love Lee Won? Never read the manhwa but he's such an icon haha

See ya!

Taglist :

@tehyunnie @rainnyydaysworld @webwanderer @a-short-ass-disappointment @chikai-k @mello-life25 @miyuuuki @simpsations @sugar-p0p @kiiyoooo @helloanime @garlicforthewin

I keep forgetting abt the taglist😭 forgive me my loves

[aashi-heartfilia]

What MaoMao feels for Jinshi...

(Vol 5 epilogue discussion)

Love, duh. She wouldn't let just anyone choke her to death. Isn't it obvious? She just doesn't realise it yet because of her repressed emotions. I've seen a lot of bad takes and people hating on the Vol 5 epilogue, saying it's one heck of a disaster but honestly, it's not. Here's why:

I think it does a very good job of humanizing Jinshi, the imperial brother. Before this point, we were always given a picture perfect image of Jinshi, in his most angelic form...but after seeing this, it looks like he's very much capable of murder, lol. No seriously!

Previously, Jinshi was always all sunshine and roses and this is the first time we see a pinnacle of his anger and frustration taking a form.

Honestly, anyone would be angry. Jinshi has done so much for MaoMao and almost everyone close to him knows that he has eyes on her and only her from pretty early on in the series and only MaoMao is the one person who seems to be in the dark. Or more precisely pretending to be in the dark.

She is literally running away from her own feelings and that's what made Jinshi so frustrated.

It was the same thing in the 'Frogging chapter' (yeah, that's what we're calling it). She was "playing the role of an ignorant maid who's in the dark as to what her supiriors are upto". Jinshi was trying to tell MaoMao that he is the imperial brother and he does in fact like her but that never happened because MaoMao kept pretending that it was a frog.

Same here, even if he didn't say it outright, he was dropping so many hints! Who else could have gifted MaoMao a Moon hairpin? Who would have given her beautiful dresses to wear in the banquet?

Jinshi is called the Moon Prince for a reason and that hairpin had a moon and opium poppy. even other people recognised that it was given by him to MaoMao like Rishu's half sister, so a smartass person like Mao should be able to guess that this was all from Jinshi.

The same person who's busy day and night made preparations for her, only to see some unknown random person dancing with her and kissing her hand.

He was jealous and it's only human.

In fact, I'm glad that he's not a complete saint.

He was mad at MaoMao for pretending to be in the dark when he has gone to great lengths to take care of her, and he was hurt that the same person would even suggest him to marry someone else, i.e. consort Rishu.

He was trying to tell her how he feels, and she wasn't even willing to acknowledge anything that is between them.

Adding to the fact, she knew the thing between Basen and Rishu and yet she chose to turn a blind eye, to the love that could blossom between them and suggested her name to Jinshi. It was wrong on so many levels because MaoMao knew everything and yet chose to give the most political suggestion she could think of.

Maybe because of her repressed emotions, she herself has become heartless while making decisions but just like a double edged sword, it has consequences.

So it was a mixture of anger, hurt and jealousy for Jinshi.

And he wanted MaoMao to feel the same.

The same amount of frustration he has felt as MaoMao keeps running away, just because it would be a little troublesome.

Yeah, he's shitty just like that, and so is she.

(and we love them for it ❤️)

Does it justify what he did? No. But it seems like MaoMao herself doesn't even mind it that much. She looked like well within her comfort zone. Otherwise, we know how capable she is of defending herself. But she was there, pretty much sitting with Jinshi until she dominated him completely and made her escape.

Guess they're both far from the vanilla couple that are usually expected in these kinds of series and I absolutely love it.

She was just mad he didn't poison her instead, like he promised her, to which he replied he would NEVER let her poison herself (because he also loves her a lot too, duh)

This entire scene looks more like a battle for sexual dominance, which MaoMao won.

She always has, since the very first day he saw the real her ❤️

[five-miles-over]

Hi Mun 👋🏼 just found your blog off some tags lol

I would love it if you could do an age gap hc for joker? How would Arthur deal with developing feelings for a partner who is 10 or even 15 years younger than him?

Thank you so much!

Thanks for your patience, anon! I truly appreciate it. Also, Arthur's head canon turned into a bit of a fic, so I apologize for that.

Headcanon: Arthur Fleck Having an S/O Younger Than Him

"ID Please."

While Arthur accompanied you to the grocery store after your shift at work, you bought a bottle of wine to enjoy with the dinner you planned to cook for Arthur. He was coming over to your apartment for the first time, and you wanted to spoil him with a recipe you saw on a cooking show. So you bought all the ingredients, and a bottle of red.

The cashier glanced at you. "You're twenty-two huh? You look like you should be in high school."

You shook your head, flustered. "Um...thanks?"

After paying, you quickly left the store with your bagged groceries. But just when you reached for Arthur's hand, he flinched.

You didn't think much of it at first, but when you tried to talk to Arthur about something, he simply shrugged it off and said it was nothing

The truth is that, Arthur was still processing the fact that you were in your early twenties.

He knew you were a young beautiful woman, smart and kind. A total catch. And that part of Arthur, the part of his mind that told him he was an outcast and fed him nothing but negative thoughts, constantly said, "She could do so much better than you. You don't deserve her at all. She's the whole package, and what are you? Just some guy who can't even take her out to dinner."

He tried to hold it back as he saw other, bigger guys in Gotham walking with their partners, giving them bouquets of flowers wrapped in shiny plastic and other gifts, telling himself that someday he would do exactly that with you. But knowing that you were at ten years younger than him? That was just more fuel to the fire burning inside him.

"She's got her whole life ahead of her. She's going to find someone better, wait and see." The negative thoughts materialized again. "She's just with you out of pity. Date the sad clown, maybe she just wants to fool around. Wait and see. She's going to meet someone with a lot of money, a lot of status...She'll marry him, and when they're all sitting around at cocktail parties, she'll laugh about the time she dated a sad clown. And say she dodged a bullet."

"Arthur?" You tried to get his attention, and repeated his name a couple of times. "Arthur?"

Arthur, seemingly lost in thought, didn't respond until you stood in front of him, stopping him from crossing the street. "What happened?"

"Nothing," he lied. You crossed your arms, not having any of it. And this made Arthur laugh a bit, not out of amusement but out of fear. "Nothing, really," he lied again between laughs.

"Just tell me."

After a few moments of silence, Arthur simply asked. "Are you really twenty-two?...You're twenty-two."

"Yes. I am."

"That's young."

You shifted your weight to one foot. "I know that."

Arthur mirrored your gesture and swallowed. "So...well, I don't care. It's just young."

"I'm not that young," you rebuffed.

"Young enough that the cashier thinks you're in high school."

You put your hands on your hips, still carrying the bags of groceries. "Is that what this is about? He wasn't hitting on me!"

"No, but someone will," Arthur raised his voice a little. "You're young, what the hell do you know?"

"I know that you're my boyfriend and I love you. I don't care what some cashier says about me, and neither should you."

He shook his head. God how he loved the way you'd get so stubborn about your opinions. It was one of his favorite things about you, but right now, in this moment, it made him even more annoyed. How could you say such a thing, lying through your teeth? And with those three special words? "Bullshit," Arthur muttered, walking away from you to cross the street.

You followed him, huffing with your groceries. "Arthur Fleck, what is wrong with you?! Can't you just...Why are you so mad? Nothing happened! I'm still the same person I was twenty minutes ago."

"No. You're twenty-two." He turned around and lashed out. "You're twelve years younger than I am. What the hell's wrong with you? Hanging around with some old clown, waiting until some rich guy makes you his wife and you can leave me behind!" Your eyes widened. "Is that what you think of me?" Your lips quivered and tears formed in your eyes. "Is that seriously what you think this is, just...hanging around? Oh my god." You looked down as you felt a tear roll down your cheek.

Arthur visibly softened, reaching his hand out but stopping himself just before he could touch you. "I'm such an idiot," you sniffed. "You're right, what do I know?" "I'm sorry," Arthur sighed. "I didn't mean to make you cry." Arthur looked down, into your eyes. "I...was just shocked that you were younger. I thought it would...I don't deserve you. You're great, you're a perfect girl and I don't deserve you." He added, "I love you so damn much."

"I love you too," you looked up. "And I don't want to leave you." He laughed for a few moments with pain in his eyes, and bit the inside of his cheek to quiet down. "I'm so sorry," Arthur repeated and put his hands on your shoulders. "Oh my god, please don't cry. I'm so sorry." He took your grocery bags in his hands. "Let's go."

You and Arthur went back to your apartment, and didn't talk about your age for the rest of the night. But you did spend the evening together, telling each other - and showing each other - how much you really loved each other.

Joker Having an S/O Younger Than Him Would Include...

In complete contrast to Arthur, Joker finding out you were ten or fifteen years younger than him would excite him

He'd turn it into a complete kink, calling you his "personal little baby doll"

Whenever you'd go out, you'd be on his lap, him stroking your thighs and your hair.

Unless you were absolutely against the aesthetic, Joker would love to dress you in coquettish clothing - plaid mini skirts, knee-high white socks, white and pastel blouses that he would ruin with grease facepaint while making out with you, and corsets he would rip off you before having his way with you

And if you ever called him "daddy"? Watch out and be prepared to be dragged into the most private area by the Joker. Hope you didn't have any plans for the next...hour

In general, the Joker would be extremely protective of you, keeping his arm around your waist while you walked.

He'd spoil you with anything you ever wanted, acting almost like your sugar daddy while you window shopped.

And when it got cold, he'd put his red suit jacket over your shoulders saying, "Daddy's not going to let his baby doll freeze."

[zerokurokawa]

Daughter From Another Lifetime, Part Two (Bonten!Rindou x Reader)

(part one)

After the conversation with his you, the mother of his child, Rindou did everything he could to make up seventeen years worth of lost time with his daughter. He picked her up from school in his nice car, took her out to eat, took her shopping, and even taught her how to drive like a father should. Other than spending time with d/n, he had other things on his agenda was well. 

He couldn't help but to notice how great you looked to be in your early thirties. Both of you looked amazing. You, with your e/c, h/c and h/l, and overall beautiful physique, were as stunning as the day he had met you. Truth be told, he had never fallen out of love with you and thought of you often. He craved you, needed, and wanted you. Hell, he even thought to himself about having a second child with you if it wasn't too late. He enjoyed being a father after all. 

One night, after taking d/n out to eat, he brought her home on time as promised. You and Rindou had a set schedule when it came to your daughter. He would pick her up from school, take her out on certain days, and drop her back off at home before or at nine. Only this time, Rindou had invited himself inside to talk more. 

As d/n went to her room, he sat himself at the counter once more, making himself at home in your humble apartment. 

"I think I should buy you a house." He stated, out of the blue. 

"I don't need your help with that, I've got plenty in savings and we're doing just fine here." You sounded cold. 

"It would be my gift to you, y/n... I want you to live comfortably and never have to work again." He said, taking a sip of the wine you had poured him. He was still wearing his suit, which was neatly pressed, from work. His lilac and purple hair cascaded down his shoulders as he watched you intently. 

"You would really go that far, huh?" You were leaning against the counter now, cleavage out. He was obviously trying not to stare, but what could a man do? He wanted you, badly. He wanted you back so bad that he even told his brother about your return and the fact that he was a father. Needless to say, Ran was surprised that he was an uncle and couldn't wait to meet his niece. 

"Yeah, I would. I would do anything for you both." He said, leaning in across the counter and propping his arms on the edge. He wanted to get closer to you, but the damn counter was in the way as you were standing opposite of him. You stayed silent while he spoke up again. 

"I want you both to live happily, without worry. I've kept my promise by putting her first. I've been leaving work early and picking her up. I've spent time with her. I've gotten to know her likes and dislikes and she's just like me!" He rambled, a wide grin creeping upon his face. He was trying to win you back. 

"I'm glad, Rindou." You smiled at the thought of your daughter finally having her father in her life. You had seen how happy it made d/n to be around her dad. She even came home one day and told you all about the awesome shopping trip he took her on and how she got everything she ever dreamed of, including the newest iPhone. 

"So why don't you give me a chance to prove myself even further?" He smiled, taking his hand and placing on top of yours. He got up from the counter and walked around to where you were standing. He towered over you, his eyes gazing into yours. 

"What do you mean?" You asked, tilting your head to the side. You wanted him, but not all that he came with. You knew he was in a very illegal, dangerous line of work and you didn't want that to affect your relationship any further than it already has. You caught yourself thinking about the Tenjiku days and how often Rindou would come home with wads of money from seemingly nowhere. That's when you knew he was up to no good. 

"I mean... me and you. Let's give us another chance." He started to wrap his arm around your waist. You let him, for a split moment, as you were lost in his gaze. The next thing you knew, you two were inches apart and he was leaning in further. Right when he was about to kiss you, or so you thought, he tilted his head while brushing back a piece of hair behind your ear. 

"I think... we can make it work this time." He whispered gently into your ear, his breath grazing your skin, causing you to shiver. You stayed silent; lost in a daze of confusion and thoughts as he leaned back, arm still wrapped around your waist. 

"I need time to think about this, Rin..." You trailed off. You wanted him, badly. You were scared though. You were terrified of numerous things. What if he brings work home and someone comes after you and your daughter? What if he gets caught and gets sentenced to prison? What if... he gets killed? 

He backed away, trying not to upset you. He could see the look on your face. As he turned to leave, he asked one more question. 

"Promise me, you'll think about it?" 

You nodded your head in response, still in a daze of thinking. He left without a single word. 

(Tagging: @rukiasluver @merrymerrykiss @burndownyourparade) <333 <333 <333

[charliehoennam]

aftermath.

A/N: nobody asked for this, but all I've seen is Will smut (which I totally love, don't get me wrong) but I need some vulnerable Will

Pairing: Will Miller x f!reader

Warnings: grief, mourning, sad!will, mentions of death, mentions of Will's military past and Tom's funeral

One of the things you've always admired about Will is his strength. He was always the one to put on a brave face and push on. The captain in him had the duty of moving forward and completing whatever mission was at hand, whether it was getting his team to the landing zone or grocery shopping day at home.

It was that very same strength he possessed that got him through the darkest times in his life.

Losing his war veteran grandfather, losing his comrades in combat or to the haunting PTSD that they tried to chase away with substance abuse.

Before you came into his life, before he realized that he was lost in the same fog of that purgatory of PTSD, shutting his emotions out is the only thing he knew. After all that time, he came to believe it was easier than having to deal with them.

It just wasn't a priority; a moment of tears he refused to share with anyone anywhere other than sat naked and alone on the shower floor.

Tom wasn't the first friend he'd lost, but it doesn't mean it made losing him any easier.

It was easy for him to plaster a smile and bury his grief deep down until he felt it was time to unbury it and mourn.

Getting to that point of self-awareness was a victory in itself.

It took so much patience and love and pain, not only on his behalf but yours as well, to help him to understand what he was really struggling with.

He hadn't realized it had gotten so uncontrollable until the incident at Publix - the grand revelation of the weapon he could be, once shred of his humanity, provided the cathartic acceptance of the fact that he needed help.

Upon federal investigation, the story they told was that Tom had been shot and killed in a tragic mugging incident on their consultation trip. Just a boys' night out gone bad.

It wasn't too hard to believe, given they were 5 foreigners in a country that wasn't theirs. The heat from the Feds didn't last long. Thanks to Santiago's few but faithful contacts, that investment was quickly brought to an end.

It's barely 6 a.m. and you're stood in the kitchen making coffee, still processing how this all happened.

Your black dress is simple but elegant and modest against your body. Despite the itchy fabric, you can feel the early morning chill soaking through.

The dripping of the coffee maker lures you into a whirlwind of thoughts. You watch the droplets of dew form on the kitchen window against the cloudy sky which threatens to rain.

You start to second guess the toast when it pops up in the toaster. You're not the slightest bit hungry and you're positive Will won't be either, but you have to try.

He hasn't eaten right in the past couple days. You didn't say anything, but you've noticed the few bites he'd given his food and the way he'd pick at it.

He should've been ready and downstairs by now, so you decide to go up and check on him.

Moving forward is hard for most people, but for Will, it's what keep the pain at bay. The problem is when he stops.

Like a tornado, he's left with the screaming silence and the damage it left in it's wake.

Now that he's home, the mission of bringing Tom home is complete, the hard truth that his friend and mentor is gone has begun to sink in.

You gently knock on the door as you reach your shared bedroom.

"Honey, do you want any help?"

"I'm good, sweetheart. I'll be right out."

You can hear him sniffle despite his attempt to sound as normal as possible. Unconvinced, you turn the knob and open the door.

He's sat on the edge of the bed wearing a simple black suit as he looks back over his shoulder at you with a Marine coin in hand, a gift from Tom when Will confessed about his therapy sessions.

You aren't too surprised to see he changed out of the formal military blue suit he had out on earlier.

The ribbons, the medals, the badges... He couldn't put them on without feeling the crushing and staining weight of guilt.

"Lat minute outfit change?"

The corner of your lips curl in an attempt to smile, hoping to cheer him up with a bit of tease.

"I was gonna wear my dress blues, but..." he trails off for a moment to swallow hard. "Just didn't feel right."

Without a word, you quietly walk over and sit beside him. You're not sure what he needs right now, but you don't want him to feel alone.

"Black is more flattering if you ask me," you speak up.

His beard twitches as he attempts to smile. He knows you just want to help him feel better. Yet all he can do is stare down at the gold coin.

"Five times... Five times. Five close calls. And he survived them all. He didn't deserve to go out like that. He just wanted to help his family."

You fight back tears as you listen to him with an arm wrapped his back as you press your cheek to his shoulder.

"I told Santi to get him in. I said I'd go if Tom was in. Tom didn't even want to go in the first place. He didn't-"

There's a crack in his voice which he catches it in his throat to compose himself. He sniffles letting a tear cascade down his cheek only to wipe it away quickly, hoping you hadn't seen it.

"This isn't on you, Will."

He nods although you both know deep inside that he won't stop blaming himself.

"When you told me you were a marine, I knew the risks that came with that, Will. Every knock on the door had my heart racing. But I decided to stay with you because I love you. There wasn't a person on earth or a God in the sky that was gonna tell me otherwise. I knew the risks and I took 'em anyways because not having you would've hurt more... I don't understand how fate works other than we all end up the same. What I do know is that all we can do is love our close ones and cherish the good memories you have of them."

With a tearful and silent nod, he lowers his head and rests it against your chest. His arms lock around your waist as he surrenders to the tears in your embrace.

The tears quietly trickle down your cheeks as you listen to him finally breaking down.

With your lips pressed against his golden hair, you hold him in your arms and stroke the hair on the back of his neck to soothe him for as long as he needs.

All you can do is hold him through it and he couldn't be more thankful to have you in such a vulnerable moment after having faced them on his own for so many years.

Just the feeling of not being alone was overwhelming enough, but to have you holding him and reminding him of the things that are easy to ignore in grief give him hope.

Although he feels he's coming apart, he knows that he'll have the strength he's always had.

It's different now. It's not the strength to bury and forget; it's the strength to heal.

With a sigh of relief after a long, vulnerable moment, he pulls away from you and nods, mentally assuring himself that he's alright.

Upon arriving at the church, you're greeted by Molly so you offer your deepest condolences due to the circumstances. Just as Will, you find that the guys have all opted to wear normal black suits instead of the formal military uniform and you wonder if it's for the same reason.

"Sorry for that," he sniffles wiping his eyes as he tries to regain his composure, swallowing hard with guilt. "We should get going... I don't wanna be late."

You remind him that there is no need to apologize and that he can take the time to splash some water on his face to help him recollect before leaving.

Frankie doesn't say a word other than to Molly and the girls, apologizing for their loss. Throughout the priest's religious ceremony of easing words, Benny's apathetic eyes are glued to Tom's casket set in front of the church between his military portrait and a beautiful arrangement of white flowers. During Will's heartfelt eulogy, Santiago keeps his head lowered as the guilt consumes him.

The grift and sadness during the wake only follow and weigh heavier during the long walk to the gravesite, lingering among the guests of the funeral like a dark cloud. It's only reflected in depths by the light rain pitter-pattering all around.

The military traditions at the funeral leave a bitter tinge of irony in the boys as they watch Tom's casket lowering into the ground.

Tess's happy big doey eyes are now swollen and red as she cries under her mother's arm, hugging the folded flag as if it were her dad, while Molly holds her other and youngest daughter under the other arm.

Looking over at Will, you see that he's trying his hardest to keep his strong facade as well as the boys.

You slide your hand into his and whisper to remind him he's not alone and doesn't have to feel alone.

With a gentle squeeze to your hand, he nods.

"You with me?"

"I'm with you."

You and Will - as well as the guys and Tom's family - are the last to leave, reminding Molly that you're more than willing to help with anything.

Will, however, lingers a moment to speak to her private and tells her about the fund. You can tell from her reaction, she's genuinely surprised and thankful, relieved to know that she'll be able to pay for the funeral.

Having called your boss the previous day to let them know you wouldn't be going to work due to the funeral, you take the rest of the day off to recover from the overwhelming day after the funeral.

The drive home is quiet save for the rain against the car and the windshield, echoing into the vehicle which you insisted on driving to give Will some mental ease. He didn't put up a fight. He was quite relieved you'd offered.

In spite of being eager to understand how he's doing, you refuse to burden him with constant questions and decide to respect his mourning process. So, you keep a hand on his thigh to remind you're in this together.

He doesn't mind it at all. In fact, he is grateful for your respect and your thoughtfulness. His hand rests over yours and doesn't leave until you have to pull your hand back to turn the steering wheel, but it finds it's way back onto his leg, warm fully welcomed by his engulfing hand.

As you're undressing in your room, Will's hand catches yours while you're unzipping your dress.

"Thanks... I don't know about you, but I'd say this weather is perfect cuddling weather," you share letting the dress hang loosely off your shoulders.

Will smiles shyly as if you'd read his mind and locks his arms around your waist.

"I couldn't agree more."

[bowieandqueen11]

Not Just A Trinket / Izzy Hands Imagine

Request: hi! ur writing is EVERYTHING btw. ur an amazing writer. you mentioned you wanted to write for izzy hands again and i have a request– feel free to ignore if it's not what ur looking for :) maybe izzy hands x reader where the reader has a small gift for him (a little trinket, a beaded crystal bracelet– something they made for him) but they're WAY too anxious to give it to him because they're scared he won't like it so they end up just carrying it around, trying to build up the courage to give it to him pfft

AHHH thank you so much my lovely, that's so sweet of you, and so is this idea!!! :3 Also I know I'm a little early in the timeline mentioning Davy Jones but I like to think of Izzy as a trendsetter ;)

Warning: mentions of fighting/ injury and strong language, some sexual innuendo!

(I do not own OFMD or its characters, all rights go to creators. Gif credit goes to @nadsdraws.)

☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°

Izzy Hands was beginning to detest feeling like this.

He would rather charge sword first at a horde of raging Englishmen: would prefer to scrabble and scrape and scratch through the eye sockets of thousands of the Spanish with naught but his bloodied fingernails. Hell, even grovelling under the sole of the snivelling wreck that now possessed his former boss like a twisted nightmare, a horrid regret, would be preferable. If his hand wasn't too firmly attached to tangled rope of one of the shrouds in a death grip, if his glove wasn't close to bursting at the seams with how tightly he was gripping, he had half a mind to draw his dagger out of its scabbard and gouge his heart out right there and then.

He looked furious. So much so, that Roach was quick to side step him as he hopped down the steps with fresh sewing materials in his hand, giving a final look back at the intent man who only bared his teeth at the cook in response. Valuing his life, or at least the ability to keep all his fingers, if the sight of the keen blade being twisted between Izzy's free fingers told him anything, Roach is quick to recoil back and raise a concerned eyebrow in Wee John's direction. He in turn just rolls his eyes and lowers his head back to his sewing, but the rest of Stede's crew are astute enough, from where they're lingering around the deck, to notice the thick tension brewing like cold shivers of electricity in the air. Even Jim and Oluwande were giving each other side eyes, pausing their hammering at the helm to dart their eyes to their side and trace the path of Izzy's line of sight.

It never wavered. Every time they looked, it never changed. He had spent the last two hours gaping sourly towards the edge of the quarter deck. Gawking solely at you, without a single movement, without a single flicker outside the bubble where you hunched.

You thought he was angry at you for arranging a special outing for Ed and Stede at Datura Grotto, finally indulging in finding a way for them to spend some time alone after your Captain had begged and hounded you for days; he had become so accustomed to bursting through doors trying to find you and ask for your help, that the poor daunted man nearly burst into tears when he smashed your bedroom door into your nose and nearly broke it. The rest of the crew believed he was plotting something: trying to pick out the quieter members of their friends first, as payback for being stuck on this so called 'straight out of Davy Jones' arsehole' of a ship for so long.

Izzy, though. Izzy knew he was smitten. And he fucking hated it. He hated feeling so vulnerable.

Out of all the crew members still pretending to mill about, only Lucius was daring enough to purse his lips and look brazenly back at Blackbeard's first mate. Only Lucius, in fact, was feeling equally brave, and equally vexatious that fine afternoon to muster up the courage to slide up beside him. 'Someone in a bad mood today, are we?'. He taps the ships railing with the point of his nail, the broom he had been pretending to sweep splintered pieces off the floor a moment ago soon forgotten about as he leans it against the side of the ship. He replaces the loss by dropping his hand to his hip, cocking his head and smiling at an increasingly agitated looking Izzy. 'Would it have anything to do with that fine young sea farer over there by any chance? How romantic, Dizzy Izzy. Oh, I do love a good fix-me-up-'

Oh, he was enjoying this.

Izzy's quick to snap, not even bothering to look in Lucius' direction. 'Fuck off, before I do you a favour and cut that little seducing tongue out of your mouth for you.' Lucius watches Izzy's fingers tighten into leather clad black balls on the rope ladder, and doesn't need a second warning to trot off back towards his friends again. With a final wide eyed look of shock, he turns back to Black Pete and shrugs, holding his hands up as if to say that he tried his best.

All the while, you just keep your gaze steady out and onto the brewing horizon of the sea, watching as foam shook out like reaching hands around your ankles as they across cut through the wave crests, only the salty sting of thrumming silence keeping you company underneath his watchful gaze. The beaded necklace you had spent the last week or so threading together, carefully crafted by trembling fingers and a bit tongue during long evenings spent in your hammock, was beginning to feel like an anchor weight in your pocket. You tried to distract yourself with mundane, idle chit chat with a very thankful Lucius, who had swung over to your side after Pete convinced him to go scouting out for some more gossip. Swinging his legs between the latches of the port quarter, he merrily took the hammer you were idly holding from your hand and began to 'fix up the ship', his wrist barely moving as he turned to you with a scheming smile.

'So, do you know what's going on then? Why Izzy's acting like this? I swear, that man. If he doesn't bend over right now and try to get that stick out of his arse, he's going to be a miserable sad sack of repressed irritation forever. He's like a jack in the box. I swear to god, I'm just waiting for him to burst.' The tone of his voice sounds almost worried, but Lucius is smiling and waggling his eyebrows the whole while. 'That would be kind of funny, actually. I've always imagined him as a stamper. Or maybe a screamer-'

You have no idea what to say, not understanding Lucius' oh so unsubtle hints, so you just run your fingers over the bulge in your pocket once more and chime in to his rant from time to time with a disinterested 'hmm' or distracted 'oh, yeah. Definitely.' It really didn't help that you were beginning to blush the same champagne hue as the bubbles between your toes with how gravely Izzy was staring at the side of your face. It was growing increasingly harder not to give into the temptation: to not just swing your head around and meet his hard-set eyes head on.

Once he realises you're dead set on staying right there, away from him, hiding in the corner all day, he sighs and let's go of the sails, marching off to do another impromptu inspection of the boarded vessel. It's an easy distraction: yelling orders at Wee John, spitting insults at Roach as he scurries out of Izzy's way, stealing the Swede's cup out of his hand and spraying beads of coffee around Buttons' feet. All of it was a Grade A fantastic distraction, and Izzy was hell bent on forgetting just how quickly time had gone by that day: Ed and the moronic, sappy, massive twat of an arse Stede would be back from their foliage constitutional any minute now, and Izzy was acutely aware that he was running out of both minutes, and chances to ask you to take a walk with him on the island himself. He had spent far too much of the morning wasting away, leaning his back on Stede's antique armoire and watching you with crossed arms: like a weathered statue, the growing umbra he cast somehow seeming to reach its tendrils out and blanch the fringes of the doorway. Even Fang and Ivan had been too terrified to come near him, and so he had been left alone. A silent sentinel, trying to figure out why the fuck his heart was cracking against the cage of his ribs and tearing their ligaments to shreds.

You hadn't exactly made things any easier for the man: feeling so intimated, you had spent the whole morning begging your friends to whisk you away from him at the first sign of danger. Whether that meant ducking behind Frenchie's lute like a crab, or hiding like a bulky turtle under the large bit of crimson cloth Oluwande was fiddling with the tassels of, you had used any form of escape to save you from the embarrassment of having to be near him. To let him see how flustered you became just at the overwhelmingly intense pressure you felt in the air any time he swaggered over to your side: to hide the fact that your eyes would widen in abject horror, your breath hitching any time the back of his gloved hand would 'accidentally' brush against your wrist as he went on his merry way, pretending it was all by accident. That it was all just a little game to him.

Little did you know, that he was feeling exactly the same way. The one time he had dared to come over to you that day had been an unmitigated disaster. He thought he was being... well, as kind as he possibly could be by slapping you on the shoulder and saying 'how good of a job you're doing.' He was nodding his head between every word, that jilted, simpering smile on his face as he supplemented his sentiment with an incredibly heartfelt 'at least Y/n knows how to do a fucking thing on this ship, not like you lot of useless fucking fuckers they have to work with. The rest of you are embarrassing, really.' He went to walk away, the side of his wrist glancing against the back of your hand as he finished with a breathless 'you lot could learn a thing or two from Y/n.'

He had staggered away from you as if mortally wounded, tongue bitten between his teeth as he tried as nonchalantly as possible to make his way back to the stern of the ship. While you were busy trying to bury your head down into your chest and avoid the smirking faces of Lucius and Pete, you happened to notice from the side of your eye that with each step Izzy was ringing out his hand. To your surprise, he used his teeth to rip his glove off, tucking it under his armpit as he wrangled with his fingers; he couldn't stop every cell burning as if it had just been reeled under the bottom of the ship. Couldn't understand why his fingertips wouldn't stop shaking as he flexed them.

Lucius was right. He was about to erupt, and he wondered if he'd ever be alright again.

It took until the sun nearly bowing over the jaded unicorn surmounting the anterior of the Revenge for you to find the courage to finally slink away from your convenient hiding spot to go over to Izzy. Well, that and the feel of Lucius literally dragging you up by the wrist and giving you a well meaning shove in the back towards the helm.

'Oh, fuck me', Izzy hisses as he watches you approach, turning his back to you to hide how flustered he was becoming with each tugging step at his heart you take towards him. He nearly jumps high enough to fall face first off the side of the boat when he feels your hand tentatively tap his shoulder, but he manages to inhale sharply and compose himself as best as he can before he flicks his eyes to look at you.

'I-uh-', you swallow thickly, shakily drawing your hand away from him and tucking it behind your back. 'I-, uh. I, I mean, I-'. The two of you, a far change of pace from usual, can barely keep your eyes on each other.

You feel like throwing your shoe at Lucius when you register the all too familiar sing song-y chime of his voice murmuring 'say something!' from behind your back. 'Or I swear to god, I'll kiss the man for you!'

'Well, I-', you start again, shooting the most vicious glare you could strangle out of you back at your friend. With a final sigh, you continue: 'I saw your necklace, and I don't mean to pry- but since you're always wearing black, which of course is incredibly cool, I just- well, I thought it needed a burst of colour.' Without a second thought, you scramble to pull your makeshift necklace out of your trousers, and shove the glistening glass emeralds and burnished pearls into his fist.

'It's just a silly thing, really. I saw Stede fixing Ed's red fabric and I just thought... well, you don't have to wear it. It's just a trinket, it's stupid. Really, you don't have to wear it. I'm sorry-'. After a pause, the burning sensation is enough to make you turn on your heel and bashfully start to make a break for the Rec Centre, just to get as far away from him as possible.

'It's not just a trinket.' The softness of his tone, despite how harshly he sounds out the letters makes you swivel back in surprise. He takes the opportunity to take a step forward and grab onto your wrist. He tugs you closer, until you're standing dangerously close to him: if he were to inhale deeply now, to puff his chest out just a tenth of an inch, your belly buttons would be tightly pressed upon each other. You can already feel his buttons strain against your shirt as he whistles out through bunched teeth, the breath sharp and warm against the side of your jaw. 'Don't say that. Never say that. It came from you, so it's not-... just, don't say that.'

He blinks, slowly releasing his viper grip.

'I like it. I really do. Thank you.' He motions awkwardly with a flick of his fingers to the side of his neck. 'Would you mind? With the gloves, I'm... not very good with clasps. Haven't, haven't used one in a long time.'

You can't stop your head from nodding, feeling like a wound up spring toy as you unfurled his fingers again and took the gift back. With a final swallow, you try not to turn cerise as you gently roll down the collar of his shirt. It folds easily down over his vest, until your bare fingers are dragging over the naked line of skin on his neck, just teasingly hiding the tense muscles of his upper back.

'You really didn't have to do this for me, you know.'

'Yeah... but I wanted to. You're not as much of an arsehole as Stede tries to make out.' You manage out a giggle, before you're back to biting your bottom lip in concentration, brushing a few strands away from the back of his head.

He wants to say more, but his voice chokes in the back of his throat like rifting water, his mouth trembling as your fingers brush over the coiled grey hairs bristling at the nape of his neck. It feels like a red hot poker is being dragged across his skin; he shivers at the feeling, a tight coil rolling across his limbs before settling uncomfortably heavy in the pit of his stomach.

He looks like he's about to weep when you take a step back, reaching up with a final pat to make sure the little metal swallow that adorns the centre of your necklace is lying perfectly against his breast. You may have lingered there a little longer than necessary... long enough for your palm to begin burning against the firm muscle of his pec, and for Lucius to draw out an enunciated wolf whistle, but it was definitely worth it. Even the sound of Frenchie snickering from the barrel he was perched on down on the deck was drowned out by the thrumming toll in your ears: by the sound of Izzy's sharp breath piercing your ear as he wavered uneasily on the spot. He didn't want to move away from you, not yet. He could barely even hear them. For the first time in his life, he didn't even fucking care. All he could focus on, over the bridge of his nose - through the gentle curls of his tired eyelashes, was you.

He was intoxicated - but even worse, he was finally beginning to understand. By god, he wondered. What the fuck had you done to him? Could this really be what Edward feels? Could anyone, really, feel this much?

'I hear swallows are meant to bring good luck', you state with bated breath, fingering the charm you had picked up from a market stall at the Republic of Pirates for a final time. It had reminded you almost immediately of Izzy: a hidden treasure, glistening white-gold, like fresh sunlight flitting across the glitter combs littered across the sea beds. It had been well buried within piles of muck: old straw, rotten bits of moulding fruit, bloodied bones twisted into odd shapes that you could barely recognise, but it had been lying there. Waiting just for you. A needle in the haystack. The final piece of the puzzle.

Izzy's breath draws in sharply as you absentmindedly begin to brush your pointer finger up and up: tracing the edge of his jaw line before rolling over the same bird tattoo lacing his neck, your eyes still drawn to the gap between his shirt where his Adam's apple lay tautly.

'Yes. Very good luck', he states, amazed he even found his voice. Surprisingly, he doesn't even try to pull away. He lets you trace your finger over the beak, gliding across the round belly until they're dancing teasingly over its tail. In fact, without his wonderous, dipped eyes looking away from you, he seems to be tilting his head in time, allowing you easier access to brush against his skin and steal his soul with every movement.

Before he has time to think of the repercussions of what he was about to do, the leather of his gloves flex around your cheeks and Izzy Hands has bowed his back down over you, lips knocking against yours. It's terse, and rather urgent in its forcefulness; it was both a slip of outrageous passion, and a terse reminder of his years out of practice feeling any sort of physical affection, and yet you couldn't help but brush up even closer to the man. He welcomes you eagerly, even though this eternity lasted only a moment: with his thumb, he tilts the jut of your chin up so he can lick his tongue against your bottom lip all the more easily. His knee slides forward until it knocks against your own, lurching you forward and saving him the embarrassment of having to voluntarily admit to his weakness and slide his other hand around the pulse point of your neck, until he was cradling the bone of your shoulder.

He finally draws back, his tongue darting out to lick along the edge of his top lip. 'Yeah, very lucky indeed.' He seems sorrowful to be letting go of you, but the loud whistling and snorting that begins to bounce back and forth between Stede's crew snaps Izzy back to himself. With a final glance back down to your lips, he struts off to pick up Lucius' long abandoned broom and starts chasing him across the ship with it.

[buccini555]

𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲 - 𝐓𝐨𝐤𝐲𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬

✭ They end up forgetting your birthday and because of the stress of gang issues and ending being rude to you.

✭ 𝑭𝒕. Hanma Shuji, Akashi Takeomi, Wakasa Imaushi, Ran Haitani and Rindou Haitani

✭ x r e a d e r !

✭ 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭.𝟏 | 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭.𝟐 | 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭.𝟑

𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐦𝐚 𝐒𝐡𝐮𝐣𝐢

Hanma wasn't used to caring about commemorative dates or anything like that, but after you started to relate, he started to see importance in what was insignificant before, he really cared about pleasing you on your birthday, this time not it would be different if the boy hadn't missed the date.

It was already late at night, you kept waiting for Hanma to celebrate your birthday, however, he didn't show up, and then, after long hours of waiting, the door opens and Hanma walks through it, you try to talk about your birthday but the even just ignores you and goes upstairs.

— My day has been shit, so you better shut up and leave me alone.

He said in a loud tone in the room above, you were used to his acidic humor, but... He had never treated you that way, even more so on your birthday, so, with tears in your eyes, you just sat in the room, your eyes closed amidst tears and you fell asleep.

Shuji calmed down by lighting a cigarette and while he was lost in thought, he looked at his cell phone and remembered your birthday.

— Shit! I... How could I have been such an idiot? Damn.

He got up and went downstairs quickly, seeing you sleeping peacefully on the couch with your face still red from crying, he didn't hesitate to wake you up with a tight hug.

— I'm sorry, are you okay? I still have time to buy you a cake, don't I? And if the cake shops are closed I won't mind getting them open.

You hugged Hanma, feeling relieved that he finally remembered, he finally bought you the cake you wanted and did his best to try to make up for the fact that he had hurt you.

𝐀𝐤𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐨𝐦𝐢

Takeomi was always the first to wish you happy birthday and shower you with gifts, and on all your birthdays he took you to expensive places and showered you with gifts.

You had just gotten ready and were waiting for Takeomi at your house, you started to wonder why he was taking so long, until night fell and he didn't show up, you just went to sleep crying, wondering if he had simply forgotten about your birthday.

While you were waiting, Takeomi ended up wasting time and forgetting your birthday because he went out to drink and ended up exaggerating the amount of alcohol, when he remembered your birthday, he was already lost in the middle of so many glasses of wine, for that reason the he didn't even have the strength to see you, the next day, when he realized he had forgotten your birthday, Takeomi quickly got over his hangover and went home, on the way he bought you some flowers and sweets, even though he knew that all you wanted that day was just his presence.

As soon as he arrived at your house, without saying a word he hugged you, he really looked disappointed with himself.

— I'm sorry… I've had too much to drink.

You hugged him, thanking him for the gifts, but you still couldn't hide how much you was hurt.

— I promise I'll never do that again, hmm? Happy "belated birthday", honey...

The eldest said while stroking your hair gently, as much as Takeomi wasn't easy to show his feelings, you could be the regret in his eyes.

𝐖𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐬𝐚 𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢

It was already getting nigth while you were waiting for Wakasa to celebrate your long awaited day, the boy had promised you that he would forget about gangs and other problems he would have to solve just to go celebrate your birthday, but he just didn't show up on the day.

The next day, early in the morning Wakasa returned to your house, as soon as you woke up, still hoping that he had at least bought you a present until he realized that he had probably spent the night with his friends or something and completely forgot the past date.

— What is it, Y/n? Did I do something wrong to be looking at myself with that disapproving look?

The eldest questioned when he noticed your presence, so you went to try to remind him of your birthday, but Wakasa ignored you and left the house again.

— Do not bother me...

As he walked out the door, he said.

You just sat there and tried your best to control your tears, until after a few minutes Imaushi ended up remembering your birthday.

Ultimately, he ended up buying you a belated present and spent the rest of the day begging for your forgiveness.

𝐑𝐚𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐢

Ran didn't necessarily forget your birthday, however that very day, he was busy with gang business and would definitely end up being late for his appointment with you.

The tallest one was almost never late, even more so on important dates, for that reason, you began to faithfully believe that Ran had ended up forgetting your birthday, when you realized that he wasn't going to show up that night, you went to sleep with your eyes teary and heartbroken from the disappointment of Ran's absence.

When you least expected it, Ran arrived at your house, he ended up waking you up with a hug, handing you the gift he had bought.

— I'm so sorry for disappointing you... Happy birthday, baby.

You rarely saw Ran showing feelings, but at that moment he really looked relieved to have arrived at your house and given you your gifts, even if he actually missed your birthday, and besides, he spent the rest of the next day trying to please you as much as possible to make up for the absence the day before.

𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐮 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐢

Rindou's stressful routine often made his mood unstable and your birthday was no different, he ended up forgetting the date and ended up arriving home late.

You were waiting for the same to celebrate your birthday, the hours passed slowly and you began to question whether Rindou had really forgotten your birthday, but, a few moments after you reached this conclusion, Rindou arrived home, as soon as you saw him, went to talk about your birthday, but before you could mention anything about the date, he interrupted you.

— I don't have the slightest patience to listen to you...

Rindou went upstairs, leaving you behind without even hearing you, so you just went to the kitchen and started eating your cake alone.

As soon as Rindou locked himself in the room, he realized how rude he was to you and quickly went to apologize, however as soon as he saw you sitting alone and eating a small piece of cake, he remembered your birthday.

— Damn! I... I forgot about the anniversary.

Rindou thought aloud when you ended up noticing his presence in the place and looked at him with a sad look, making him feel even more guilty.

— I'm sorry... I promise I'll buy you as many gifts as you want, okay? Happy birthday, sweetie.

Rindou hugged you, he actually looked regretful at that moment, but in the end you ended up celebrating your birthday together.

[hotdaemondtargaryen]

TOM GLYNN-CARNEY INTERVIEWED BY BUSINESS INSIDER MAGAZINE.

AS YOU WERE WORKING ON THOSE SEQUENCES WITH MATTHEW NEEDHAM, HOW DID YOU APPROACH GETTING HIM TO THE POINT WHERE HE WOULD MAKE THAT DECISION?

"Well, I think he wasn't given a great deal of options, and this seemed to be an option where the least amount of collateral damage would occur."

"It's survival instinct, I think, at the moment."

"And Larys has proved himself to be somebody who Aegon can trust, at least for now."

"I think Aegon would bite his hand off for that opportunity to get out of there."

"And he can't do it on his own, either."

"So Larys was his ticket out."

THERE'S A VERY MEMORABLE MOMENT IN EPISODE EIGHT WHERE AEGON BRINGS UP HIS PENIS, WHICH WAS DAMAGED IN BATTLE, AS LARYS SPEAKS TO HIM. IS THAT A DEFLECTION, OR IS HE AT ROCK BOTTOM, OR BOTH?

"I didn't see it as deflecting at all."

"I thought it was pure rock bottom, like you say."

"I think he felt like he had nothing to lose, and his dignity went out of the window very early on due to his injuries."

"And I think he's just acknowledging and coming to terms with the fact that he's changed."

"I don't think those changes are fully sunk in yet, but I think the more he speaks about them."

"It's like, when you speak about something, you breathe it into existence, don't you?"

"I think that's the first time he's acknowledged that about himself."

"And as we all know, Aegon found a lot of use for that part of his body."

"So I think he's going to have to reevaluate how he spends his spare time."

WHEN YOU WERE SIGNING ON TO 'HOUSE OF THE DRAGON,' HOW MUCH DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS PHASE OF THE CHARACTER, AND HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT WHEN YOU WERE FIRST APPROACHING HIM?

"I knew that he would be a challenge to wrestle into submission, but it was a challenge that I was more than willing to take on."

"I've absolutely loved every minute of it."

"I think he's the gift that keeps on giving."

"And even though his physicality has changed now, I don't particularly think for him, in terms of how unpredictable and how volatile he is."

"I don't think that's going to change at all."

"If anything, there will be more."

"So I'm really looking forward to getting back on season three, and taking him on this next chapter of his journey and really pushing the boundaries even more with him this time."

ALICENT MAKES THE VERY DIFFICULT DECISION TO SELL AEGON OUT TO RHAENYRA IN THE FINALE. DO YOU THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CROSSED HIS MIND A POSSIBILITY?

"I think there was always potential for her to betray him."

"I felt like everybody's egg timer is running out, isn't it?"

"And Alicent was very much on her final grains of sand at that point."

"It was about time that she probably jumped ship and saved herself."

"She's a very, very intelligent woman, and she is a survivor."

"It's just testament, isn't it?"

"How much of a survivor she is that she'll throw her own kids under the bus."

"But yeah, maybe if they meet again at some point down the line, they can have a conversation and she can apologize."

"But I don't know if that's going to happen."

"I think that's probably a different show, isn't it?"

I SPOKE WITH EWAN EARLIER, AND HE SAID THAT AEMOND AND ALICENT WOULD GO HAVE PIÑA COLADAS ON THE BEACH IN DORNE AFTER ALL THIS IS OVER.

"Oh, I'm going to the south of France, not Dorne."

HOW DID YOU AND EWAN APPROACH THOSE CHANGES, PARTICULARLY AFTER ROOK'S REST?

"These two have been at each other's throats for their entire life, and it now feels like everything's come to a head, and Aemond's finally plucked up the balls to do something about it."

"I think it's now a sibling rivalry on a different level."

"There's absolutely no element of Aegon that trusts Aemond at all now."

"I think that Aemond has his eyes on the prize and will stop at nothing to get it."

"Aegon has to come back and fight fire with fire, so may the best man win."

DURING A CONVERSATION THAT AEGON ISN'T PRIVY TO, HELAENA PROPHECIES THAT HE'LL RULE AGAIN ONE DAY. DO YOU THINK HE'S GUIDED BY ANY TRUE BELIEF THAT HE'LL RETURN TO THE THRONE, OR BE BELOVED BY THE PEOPLE?

"I think what Aegon has is something that is far more present rather than looking too far into the future."

"He's a survivalist, and he feels so betrayed on so many levels, by so many people, that there's more of a steely stubbornness to him now, and he's taking it day by day."

"And I think that's where his strength lies, that we just take it one day at a time."

"He's got this inferno of fiery revenge burning inside him, his bitterness that keeps him awake at night."

"I think he's going to use that to fuel him, and not get too caught up with the whole end-game scenario."

IS THERE A PARTICULAR CHOICE THAT YOU'RE REALLY PROUD OF THIS SEASON, OR SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE BEEN DYING TO GET ASKED ABOUT?

"Fabien Frankel and his ability to look unbelievably heroic on a horse."

"Honestly."

"I mean, love the boy to bits anyway, but seeing him mount a horse and gallop off with all that armor, my god — if I had ovaries,"

"Jesus Christ."

FABIEN IS AMAZING. CRISTON, MAYBE LESS SO.

"But I'm not seeing — because I'm seeing Fabien on a horse."

I'm only watching it because my mates are in it, and I'm a fan of the show, so I'm like, 'Well, I'm watching my mate jump on a horse there. That's absolutely class.'

"And he's so good at it!"

"I know he says he's riding on the back of a trailer or whatever, but my God, I think that's even harder to make it look like a proper horse."

"Fabien deserves more airtime."

DID YOU EVER FEEL LIKE THAT WHEN YOU WERE GETTING ON MECHANICAL DRAGONBACK?

"Yeah."

"Well, less so, because it's mechanical."

"I'd love to ride a real horse in the show."

"Maybe that's something I put toward the showrunners for next time."

"Please, can I ride a horse?"

[stellar-skyy]

Hellooo!! May I please request Зима as a lover? Just sweet fluff with how he caught feelings, how he expresses his love, silly things about him, headcanons, etc. I hope this wasn't too confusing and I'm super sorry if I broke one of the rules, you can just ignore this if I did. Thank you so much nevertheless!!

WINTER ADRIFT — Zima x reader.

i. SUMMARY: Zima as a lover. ii. CONTENT WARNINGS: None! iii. NOTES: Fluff, so fluffy, headcanons, gn!reader, 0.7k words. iv. A/N: Hiii anon!! I was really happy to write this, I love this silly little man. Thank you for the request! ヽ( ･∀･)ﾉ

Zima is a very serious looking person. He doesn’t smile often, his words are few and far between, and when he does speak it is quiet and under his breath.

Despite this somewhat intimidating appearance, Zima is a very soft person at heart. He adores his little bird, his notebooks filled with scribbled poetry and other writings, and of course you. 

You, who appeared in his life as quickly as rainfall, bringing a certain light that he’d never experienced before. You, who split his life into two: the Before, and the After.

Before, he was a lonely poet wandering the Far East, with no one but wild animals to keep him from complete isolation. There was only his bird, his poems. It was a quiet life, one that let loneliness seep in far too quickly for his liking, but it was predictable and calm.

And then came the After. Before, he didn’t mind the solitude. But After—After, he couldn’t bear it, because he’d finally gotten a taste of what it was like to not be alone.

Zima’s days turned from sitting still for hours, writing diligently in his notebook, to walking alongside you through trees, watching the snow fall against his windows together, and baking bread in a kitchen far too small for two.

He fell for you very quickly, even if it took a while for him to realize it. It was only when he reflected upon his notebook and its contents, and noticed the sheer amount of writings dedicated to you. He doesn’t quite focus on his work after he’s penned it, so it was easy enough for the poems to be composed and then tucked away into his mind without realizing how many of them were a reflection on his feelings towards you.

By the time the two of you were properly together, he had already written enough to spill the contents of his heart ten times over.

He’s a very early riser, so he always ends up waking up before you. When he wakes up, he likes to look over at you; to watch your chest rise and fall in a careful rhythm, and observe the way your lips slightly part with every puff of breath. He’ll brush a hand over your forehead first, moving any loose strands of hair out of the way, before pressing a quick kiss to it.

Physical affection isn’t easy for him—in fact, he’s rather shy about it. He would prefer to hold your hand or chastely kiss your cheek rather than be overly affectionate, but if you ask for a hug or kiss, he won’t refuse.

(He gives amazing hugs. Just tight enough to feel secure without being restricting, and warm enough to keep away the winter chill.)

Even if he wants to shower you in sweet words and compliments, he isn’t flawless in the language and sometimes his speech fails him. Talking out loud is more difficult than writing, so the loving compliments he does give you are to be treasured.

Instead of words, he leaves you with gifts. A poem, dedicated to you. Wildflowers, picked from the snow and tied together with a ribbon. Baked foods, each more delicious than the last.

He’ll spend hours with you, not talking, just existing in the same space as him. If you sit with him long enough, you’ll be able to hear quiet mumbles under his breath as he becomes fully absorbed in his writing.

He knew he loved you as soon as the animals became as comfortable around you as they were around him. It began with his bird, who despite being all but glued to his side ever since they had met, decided to land on top of your head and settle in your hair. Next came the rabbits, and the ferrets, and then all of the rest of the creatures.

Those animals were his companions, his friends. It was inevitable they would love you just as much as he did, and seeing them warm up to you so quickly was only further proof that you were the one for him.

Seeing you sitting there, with his bird nestled into the crook of your neck, a fox curled on your lap and an elk resting at your side…

He can’t think of a moment where he’s felt more content.

“Hmm? What are you smiling about?”

“Ah… it is nothing… you simply look… perfect."

reblogs and comments are appreciated! ♡

[apocalypseornaw]

Prove It (Pt 1/5)

Dean Winchester x Reader

A forgetten date, a broken heart. Can Dean fix what he broke and prove how much he loves you?

The sound of Dean's phone ringing felt like it echoed through your head. You groaned and buried your face in his chest, feeling the light rumble of his laughter underneath you. You listened as he answered the phone and best you could tell it was Garth on the other end asking for an assist.

Dean tapped your shoulder and when you looked up at him he motioned to the phone "It would be an overnight. Are you good with that?" You nodded already forming a plan to put the ideas that had been running through your head into action. If this hunt was an overnight that would put them getting home to the bunker the night of yours and Dean's sixth anniversary.

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

When Dean got off the phone he slid one finger under your chin to tilt your face up where he could place a kiss on your lips "You're being quiet and you have that face you make when you're planning something" you shrugged "Maybe I'm planning you a surprise for our anniversary"

A smile slipped onto his face before he pulled you on top of him. Once you were comfortably straddling him he reached up to gently cup the side of your face "Sweetheart you putting up with me for Six years is a surprise enough" You laughed then slapped his chest playfully "You're such a pain in the ass Dean!"

He rolled his hips up causing a gasp to leave your lips considering how sore you wore from him. His smile slipped into a smirk "You like when I'm a pain in other places" you shook your head then leaned down to place a quick kiss on his lips "You need to get dressed and update Sam"

He watched you crawl off of him before pouting "Fine, kick me out" You rolled your eyes and stood out of the bed grinning when Dean's eyes tracked your every movement.

Normally when the boys rolled out on a hunt you'd be in the impala right along with them so it was a little weird to be staying home but you knew for a fact Dean had never been given the opportunity of anything normal. Birthdays, holidays. He'd never had anyone celebrate him and that was what you intended to do.

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

You'd ended up tracking down a signed original pressing led zeppelin album for Dean. It had taken a four hour round trip drive to pick it up but you knew he'd love it.

The lack of noise in the bunker was making your ears ring so you ended up going to bed early. There was an apple pie already made in the fridge and waiting to be baked the following day along with a meal of all of Dean's favorites. Your plan was to have it still be nice and fresh when Dean got home.

You'd done everything that needed to be done around the bunker. Laundry was put away, weapons had gotten broke down and cleaned or sharpened. You'd even made some salt rounds.

You had one of Dean's mixed Playlists going as you pulled the pie out of the oven, sitting it aside so it could cool. Dinner of steak, potatoes and grilled veggies was already done as well.

You checked the time on your phone and felt a hit of nerves wash over you. They should've called by now. You decided to wrap the food up and stick it in the fridge, you could always warm it up when they got back.

-----------

Two hours passed before your phone rang. It wasn't Dean's number but Sam's. "Is he ok?" You asked in place of a hello and Sam laughed lightly "He's fine. I just wanted to let you know we stopped at a bar so we might be a little later"

You felt your heart drop. Your eyes flicked over to the table in the corner of the room you shared with Dean where the gift bag with his record and the covered pie sat. "He wanted to go to a bar?" You asked fighting back tears. Sam must have misread your reaction because he assured you "It's just for a beer Y/N. You know Dean only has eyes for you. We'll be home soon"

And yet he forgot your anniversary, that you were planning a surprise, that maybe you wanted him home.

You bit your tongue from so many words that wanted to fall out and instead bit back "I don't give a damn when he gets home" and hung up. You couldn't hold back the tears any longer. You barely registered the blanket falling off the bed when you stood up. You wouldn't be here when Dean got home.

---------

You'd been with Dean for six years, had been friends with him for longer. You did everything for him and Sam alike. You fought for them,bled for them hell you'd died for them. You always put everyone else first and had simply asked one damn night out of the man that was supposed to love you and that was too much to ask. If you were that much of a second thought why stick around?

@lacilou @suckitands33 @lyarr24 @decadentstrangernacho @nix-rose @irgendwas122 @deans-baby-momma @deans-spinster-witch @tas898

[toomuchracket]

all i want for christmas (birthday party!matty x reader fluff)

back from the dead (a depressive episode) with a fluffy pre-dating fic that's honestly longer than it needs to be. whatever. it's christmas. this fic is also part of christmas75/twelve days of christmas, organised and curated by my lovely friend @abiiors. hope you all enjoy <3

wednesday, 3:34am

as soon as the “email sent” pop-up appears, you feebly close your laptop and lay your head on the desk, ready to finally give in to the sleep that's been edging ever closer to your eyelids for the past hour. but before you get the chance, your phone buzzes with an incoming notification, the vibrations rattling through the wood of the desk and into your skull.

swearing, your voice scratchy with underuse, you open one eye and tilt the screen towards you - the name it bears above the unread text makes you shoot back up to a sitting position, and knocks all traces of grumpiness and tiredness from your brain and body.

matty.

pointedly ignoring the butterflies in your stomach when you see he's opened his message with hi, darling, you continue reading: hope you're alright, and that the new book isn't kicking your arse too much. saw a group of kids in barnes & noble raving about your last one earlier. would've joined them if i wasn't in a hurry, to be honest. fucking brilliant. anyway, i know it's late, but i had to text you before i forgot. can you give me a call when you get this, darling? flying home early tomorrow so i'll be up from about… 8am your time? i've got a favour to ask you. nothing crazy, though, and nothing urgent. but yeah, just phone me when you can. thanks, darling. miss you, talk to you soon. bye! X

just as you're reeling from the three darlings and the kiss and the miss you, another text from your best friend comes in, accompanied by a photo: also look at who you were next to on this display. i got so excited. my three favourites!

you laugh out loud, a combination of shock at the fact your collection is between slouching towards bethlehem and consider the lobster and adoration at matty's beaming face next to it all. fuck, he's cute.

so cute. enough for you to forget that it’s 3 o'clock in the morning, and happily pick up your phone and dial his number - you've spent so much time poring over your message threads that you know it off by heart - as if it was mid-afternoon. you kick your legs back and forth as the call connects, smiling to yourself at the thought of hearing his voice for the first time in over a month.

luckily, you don't have long to wait; your heart flutters as he picks up on the second ring, voice thick in the way it only goes when he's smoking. “you know, you didn't have to call me right away, darling. thought you'd have been asleep. but hiya!”

“hi, matty,” you smile. “and come on, it's deadline week, of course my sleep schedule is fucked. questioning why i'm not asleep, christ, thought you knew me better than that.”

he takes your teasing in good faith. “i do, darling, i do know you,” matty's voice is soft, his tone as tender as you've ever heard it. it's driving you batshit insane. “but you know me. i just want to make sure you're not stressing yourself out about your work too much. rather have my best friend's wellbeing intact than another book, even though your writing is my favourite. speaking of, that display! i'm recreating it at home. genuinely. s'amazing.”

you can feel your cheeks burning. “i can't even comprehend that display right now, m'too tired. but i’ll text you my thoughts once they make sense. and i'm alright, matty, honest. please don't worry about me, lovely.”

“that'll never happen, and you know it.”

“god, you're obstinate. but thanks. i appreciate the care.”

“even when you're insulting me, you're so eloquent. you've got a gift,” matty laughs down the phone. “how's deadline week going, anyway?”

“it's done. just sent the final draft away for edits. s'why i'm still up, actually.”

“really? congrats, darling!” the genuine happiness in his tone makes your heart hurt. “god, i wish i was home now, so we could go out and celebrate.”

“me too. but we'll see each other this weekend for early christmas dinner, yeah?”

“that's what i wanted to talk to you about, actually. you know those roast potatoes you made last year?”

“you mean the ones you and alexa fought over the last spoonful of?” you laugh, remembering the two of them racing to the tiny kitchen in your flat to try and nab them.

“m'still fucking fuming that she got them. bitch,” matty grumbles, then giggles. “nah, she's like my sister, i love her. but yeah, those potatoes. can i have the recipe for them, please?”

you suck air in through your teeth. “well… no. that’s a family secret, lovely. m'sorry.”

“oh,” matty sounds so genuinely deflated that you could cry - you seldom see him upset, but the thought of his pretty face all sad makes you feel incredibly guilty. “that's alright, darling, i understand. my nana was the same with her soup recipes. you'd have to marry me if you wanted them.”

you hum out a laugh, brain suddenly scrambled at the thought of walking down the aisle towards him. god. get a grip! 

scrunching your eyes closed and blinking them open again - a tried and tested way to stop yourself going off on tangents - an idea pops into your head, so obvious that you’re not sure why you haven't suggested it already. “well, in lieu of us getting hitched within the next week,” you smile, enjoying the way matty laughs softly at the other end of the line. “i could come over early to yours and make the potatoes for you, if you'd like?”

“i quite like the sound of the first option, to be honest…”

what the fuck?! you have to clap a hand over your mouth to stop a gasp. or a scream. perhaps even a moan.

“...but i'm more than happy with the second one. thank you, darling,” matty's smile is as audible as his relief. “you're a lifesaver and a legend. come over whenever on sunday, yeah? wake me up if you have to. actually, no, i'll pick you up. s'the least i could do to thank you. and it means we get to spend even more time together.”

“that sounds nice,” you all but sigh into your phone. “i'm excited to see everyone.”

mostly you, though.

“as am i, darling,” matty yawns. it's the cutest sound you've ever heard. for fuck's sake. “m'not bored talking to you, honest, just tired. this is actually the most fun i've had in weeks, this phone call.”

you want to assume he's lying out of politeness, but something in your brain tells you he's being sincere; it's not like you can say anything to dispute him, either, given it's also the most fun you've had in weeks. “matty, you’re in new york. at christmas time.”

“yeah, alone! s'boring. macaulay culkin made it seem a lot more fun when i was a kid,” matty snorts. “plus, i saw you the last time i was here. any trip you're not on is just automatically a bad one.”

christ, what is with him today? “flatterer,” you smirk, before grimacing and continuing to talk. “but i assume you've not been… totally alone, the whole time? i don't like the thought of that being the case.”

you hope to god he's too tired to pick up on your actual meaning; the sight of him with another girl isn’t unfamiliar to you, but that isn’t to say you don't mind it. quite the opposite, in fact.

thank christ, he misses it. “no, i’ve been good. slept by myself every night,” he laughs.

you giggle, relieved. “really? wow.”

“why are you surprised at that?”

“you're you, matty.”

“yeah, well, i'm going through a metamorphosis-”

“kafkaesque of you.”

“knew that one was coming as soon as i said it,” matty sighs. “but in all seriousness, in the past couple of months, i've just… fully realised what i want in life, you know? and it's not what i used to want, or get up to.”

interesting. “well, that's good. m'happy for you, lovely.”

“yeah, thanks. and what about you, miss? you, um, bringing anyone to christmas dinner?”

you snort. “obvs not.”

matty hums. “why'd you say it like that?”

“like what?”

“like,” he pauses, trying to find the words. you can just picture the shape of his eyebrows as he does. “derisively. as if it's a silly question.”

“because it is a silly question, matty.”

“is it?”

“yeah,” you giggle. “i wouldn't even have time for a one night stand, let alone a relationship. not that there's anyone particularly interested, right now, anyway.”

“oh, there is,” comes the reply. “there really is.”

“if you say so.”

“believe me, darling, people want you. they're down bad. totally in love with you.”

“oh, you are so high right now, aren't you?”

“i mean, yeah. but i'm right!”

“uh huh,” you smirk. “i think you need your bed, matty.”

“pot, kettle.”

“alright, point taken,” you peel yourself off your chair, joints cracking slightly worryingly as you stand and pad across the flat to your room. “i'm going there now.”

matty sighs happily. “good. but send me a selfie as proof. accountability and all.”

it's an innocent enough ask, and not a totally unprecedented one - in the times where your self-neglect was at its worst, you would send matty and your other friends selfies so they could make sure you were alright - but the concept of sending matty a late-night pic from your bed does something quite odd to your brain and stomach.

still, you’ll oblige. but will he?

matty giggles when you ask him as much. “yeah, i'll send you one in return. i'm all about reciprocation, me.”

the words leave your mouth before you can stop them. “good to know.”

he laughs, that stupid hyena cackle of his that might be your favourite sound in the world. “christ, i've missed you.”

“it's reciprocated,” you smile, switching your phone between hands as you get into bed and hissing quietly at how cold the sheets are. “alright, i'm in my bed. and you should be too.”

“you're right, i should be,” matty says. his voice is lower than you've ever heard it, the rasp of his cigarettes prominent; despite yourself, it goes straight between your legs. “soon, though, darling. promise.”

“good,” your voice comes out breathier than expected, a setting you haven't used in some time. “i think we both need it.”

“yeah, i think we do, too,” matty yawns again, following it up with a sigh. “right. i'm going to hang up now, darling. i really don't want to, but i feel like if i don't then one of us is gonna fall asleep before we can exchange pics. and i can't be having that, honestly. miss looking at you.”

you giggle, rolling onto your stomach and kicking your legs back and forth. jesus christ, what is this man doing to you? “don't get too excited, i look like shit.”

well, you've looked worse lately - you at least showered and clipped your hair up and put on a clean outfit today. but still, far less glamorous than matty's used to.

or not - “i've literally held your hair back while you yoshed in a plant pot, darling, i think you're alright.”

“and on that note, let's wrap it up,” you laugh, rolling back to lie down. “what time should i be ready for on sunday?”

“oh, um… half twelve? that should be enough time to get everything sorted.”

“half twelve it is,” you yawn. “ok. bedtime. have a safe flight, lovely. talk soon?”

“‘course. don't forget that selfie, by the way. eagerly awaiting it.”

“et toi. lots of love, see you soon.”

“back at you, darling. goodnight.”

the call ends. you close your eyes and, for the briefest of moments, let yourself dwell on the fact your best friend - who, let's be honest, you have a bit of a crush on - shamelessly flirted with you to the point of bordering on phone sex, and let yourself believe that maybe, just maybe, there's a chance he might feel the same way you do.

but it's matty. sweet, cheeky, affectionate matty, who'd find a way to flirt with a brick wall if he was bored enough. because that's what he is, really - bored, high, alone on a phone call with a girl late at night. it's just a natural thing for him to do in those circumstances. you're not special, you were just… there.

that notion stings more than you expected. but you persevere, opening your camera and fixing your glasses. he's your best friend, after all, and he asked you to do this to make sure you were alright. nothing more than that.

still, as you close your eyes and smile, you hold the phone with both hands so your boobs push ever so slightly more together. just in case. then you caption the pic as requested, and hit send.

matty’s reply buzzes in a few seconds later, eliciting a shocked giggle from your lips: fucking love it when you wear your glasses. a follow-up appears in another few seconds: if that's you looking like shit… you're defo the sexiest bit of shit i've ever seen.

fuck him for getting you flustered like this. honestly, fuck him.

and, oh, when he sends a selfie in return, shirtless in low light, hair in its natural state, one hand behind his head… don't you want to do just that?

you bite your lip as you compose your response: my condolences to the single girls in nyc who are missing out on you looking like that tonight.

matty: i know, poor them lol. but their loss is one specific single girl in london’s gain, though, yeah?

you: fuck yeah

matty: you crack me up

matty: miss you sm

matty: anyway, sweet dreams. see you in them, i hope

matty: but see you irl on sunday lol xx

you: miss you too, lovely. goodnight xx

***

sunday, 12:56pm

a mass of black fur rams into your legs as soon as you step through matty's front door. you laugh, dropping your bags and crouching to pet an over-excited mayhem, while matty grumbles behind you. “at least let her get in the house, mayhem, christ!”

“don't listen to him,” you coo at the dog, nuzzling into you quite adorably. “i'm just as happy to see you as you are to see me, baby. got a present for you and everything.”

“you did not buy the dog a christmas present,” matty groans, gently pulling the coat from your shoulders.

“of course i did. got you one as well.”

“thought we agreed we weren't doing presents this year?”

“well, i'm a dirty liar,” you brush down your dress and turn to face matty, smiling. “that, and i saw something when i was in glasgow that i couldn't resist getting you.”

matty's eyes widen near-imperceptibly as he takes in the dark red fabric clinging to you like a second skin, raking up and down your body almost too quickly for you to clock. 

almost. you bite back a smirk. got him!

much to your chagrin, though, he recovers quickly and turns the tables. “well, it's difficult to keep control when you see something… attractive,” he murmurs, gaze lifting to meet yours. “i like that dress, darling, you look gorgeous. and,” his tone and face brighten. “i actually got you a gift, too.”

the revelation is just as shocking as the way he looked at you is. “you did?”

“we're both dirty liars, it seems,” matty grins. he nods towards the kitchen. “make yourself comfortable in there, darling, and i'll go and get it. only be two minutes, promise, and then i'll help you find whatever you need, yeah?”

“you've not done a mad rearranging of your kitchen cupboards since the last time we all came over for dinner, have you?”

“nah.”

you wave nonchalantly. “then i'm good, i know where everything i need is.”

matty smiles down at you - there's an expression in his eyes that you can't quite name - and gently nudges you down the hall. his hand is light against your back, but it sends shockwaves through your nervous system regardless. “alright. give me a shout if you need anything, though, please.”

“i will, lovely,” you smile back just as sweetly. “want me to put some christmas music on? get into the festive spirit and all?”

“anything but band aid.”

you laugh, and matty joins in. “i was thinking more sinatra, anyway.”

“perfect.”

and that's exactly how he'd describe the scene in the kitchen he walks into thirty minutes later. the room is warm, made cosy by the oven that's been slow-cooking turkey for a little while now, soundtracked by frank crooning out have yourself a merry little christmas. mayhem snoozes in his bed by the massive window, which shows snow dusting over the garden like icing sugar on a cake, and then there's you. still keeping an eye on the potatoes bubbling on the hob, you sway gently to the music as you pour dried spices and seasonings into a bowl, your face as content as matty feels.

it breaks into a big smile when you see him in the doorway, white dress shirt hugging his chest quite deliciously. “oh! you got changed. i like it.”

“had to keep up with you, didn't i?” matty smiles, wandering into the room and laying a gift bag on the counter. he peers into the pan of potatoes. “thank you for doing this, by the way, darling. means a lot.”

he opens his arms, and you slot into them before they wrap around you tightly, resting your chin on matty's shoulder and smiling. “no one else i'd do it for.”

matty hums happily. “god, i've missed you. you're always a total peach to me. makes me feel good.”

“a peach? you've spent too much time stateside, matty,” you giggle, pulling away just enough to look at him. “thank god you're home for a bit. but thank you, lovely, i'll take the compliment.”

“for once, you'll take one,” matty teases. his face turns slightly more solemn. “yeah, m'glad to be home. it's a shame you won't be at any of the UK shows, though. i always like them more when you're there.”

“well, when hollywood calls, you have to answer,” you shrug, then smirk. “you just want me at the shows so i'll praise your narrative structuring again, don't you?”

matty's eyes close in bliss. “don’t tease, you literally barrelling towards me backstage screaming about midpoints and how proud of me you were is genuinely the best thing that's ever happened to me.”

“oh, shush,” you roll your eyes, suddenly shy.

“i'm serious! it'd be like joan telling you she thought one of your sentences had perfect structure. a writing compliment from you is a gift, darling.”

“well… thank you. and speaking of gifts,” you - with great reluctance - pull away from matty, bending down to grab a wrapped box from your bag. “here. joyeux noël.”

your best friend takes the present from you, murmuring a “thank you” and smiling at the tag addressed to him. he holds it to his ear and shakes the box, eyebrows raising at the slight rattle.

sighing, you roll your eyes. “just open it, matty.”

his face lights up. “alright.”

after carefully peeling the tag from the box and placing it in his pocket, matty tears through the paper and lifts the lid off. he squints at the sides of the smaller plastic boxes inside, before realisation hits and his jaw drops. “this is…”

“cassette recordings of ten blue nile gigs throughout the eighties and nineties, in their entirety,” you finish, smiling. “thought you'd like them.”

“like them? darling, this is- i don't even know what to say, other than thank you,” matty looks at you, awed, and pulls you into another tight hug. “how the fuck did you manage to get them?”

“the guy in one of the record shops i went into in glasgow was selling them. they're his recordings,” you say, half into matty’s neck. “and he'd digitised them, so he didn't need the tapes anymore, and he wanted them to go to someone who'd genuinely use them. remembered you saying you'd bought a tape deck, and i know how much you love that band, so… i kinda had to buy them.”

matty turns his head and presses a kiss onto your temple; while you bite the inside of your cheek to keep from screaming in delight, he speaks again. “you really are one of the best people i know. christ, i'm so overwhelmed by how perfect that present is. i need a drink,” he pulls away and heads to the fridge. “d’you fancy some champagne, darling, before i give you your gift? you might need it, actually.”

“that's not ominous at all,” you quip, then nod. “pour me a glass while i sort the potatoes and get them in the oven, please.”

matty nods, pulling out a bottle of perrier and grabbing glasses to take over to the table, while you drain and pat-dry the potatoes. he hums along to the background music while he fiddles around with the foil covering the champagne cork; you smile, eyes flicking up periodically to look at his cutely confused face, then back down to the food you're currently buttering and seasoning. it's incredibly domestic, a cosy little christmas dinner tableau, so much so that it hurts your heart to think that life isn't always like this for you and matty. and mayhem, obvs, curled up so adorably in his bed that you have to resist awwwwing every time you look at him.

still, it's hard to be melancholy when matty's irritation at the bottle foil is so amusing. you giggle at his grumbling, turning around to look at him scowl once the potatoes are safely in the oven. “need a hand?”

“no thanks, darling, i'm- ok, yeah, please,” matty sighs, leaning back in his chair and stretching. you pretend not to notice the way his shirt rides up and exposes his hip tattoo. “can't find the tab on the foil.”

“hmm, let me see,” you wander to the table and sit beside matty, moving your chair closer to him. well, to the bottle. “ah - that's because there isn't one.”

“well that's fucking stupid. how are you meant to open it?”

you smile, swiping your index nail across the foil; it slices clean through, and you're able to peel the covering off the cork. “like that. these aren't just for aesthetic purposes, you know.”

“that was actually quite hot. let me see them?” matty gently takes your hand in both of his own, admiring the abstract line pattern on your fingernails, tenderly rubbing his thumbs over the gel. “yeah, definitely hot. let me open the champagne from here though, darling, yeah? can't risk these pretty nails being damaged.”

you bite the inside of your cheek again; this time, to stop from giggling flirtily. “have at it, lovely.”

“i like it when you call me that,” matty smiles, grabbing the neck of the bottle in one hand and the cork in the other, and slowly twisting. “makes me feel good.”

“well, you are lovely,” you smile back. “and opening that champagne quite effectively, i must say.”

“learnt from the best,” matty winks. “you're right, though, it's a lot less messy. although i don't mind that, sometimes. s'fun.”

“yeah, me too,” you smirk, glad to be sitting down and not having to worry about your legs caving in at matty and his words. “kinda fun getting it all over your hand, isn't it?”

matty's eyes widen again, and the cork breaks free with a loud pop; before either of you can cringe at or make light of it, though, mayhem jolts awake with a yelp at the sound, and quickly runs over to sit at your feet. 

you coo at him, reaching down to scratch his sweet head and reassure him (and berate his dad). “aww, mayhem. you scared the baby, matty! look at him, he's terrified! s'ok, sweetheart, i'll keep you safe. come on, you can have your christmas present to cheer you up.”

matty rolls his eyes, but he can't keep the smile from his face as he watches his dog eagerly follow you to your bag. “you know, mayhem, you're such a sap, honestly.”

“oi, don't talk about my friend like that,” you frown, face lighting up as you find what you're looking for in your bag. “aha! here you go, mayhem. merry christmas.”

the dog takes the guitar-shaped dog toy with relish, plodding back over to his bed and playing with it contentedly. matty leans to the side to look at mayhem's gift, bursting into laughter when he sees it. “fucking brilliant. that'll be his new favourite, by the way. but you're his favourite, so it checks out, i s'pose.”

“really?”

“oh, he loves you. he never gets so excited to see anyone else,” matty nods, pouring champagne and sliding a glass to you. “bet he'd enjoy seeing more of you. as would i, actually - i really like spending time with you, darling.”

you nod, touched. “so do i,” you raise a glass. “to seeing more of each other next year.”

matty clinks his glass off yours, repeating your words with a soft smile. you take a sip of your respective drinks, humming in satisfaction as the champagne hits your lips. you nod again as you swallow. “christ, that's good.”

“agreed. and now that we've had a drink,” matty puts his glass down, then leans back in his chair and reaches to grab your gift from the counter. he presents it to you with a grin. “merry christmas, darling. save the box til last, yeah?”

“ok. thank you,” you smile sheepishly, opening the bag and pulling out its contents: a notebook, with a pen tucked into the front cover, a book, and a thin, a4-size box. laying them on the table, you inspect each facet of the present in turn, starting with the notebook. “a parker pen? matty, this is beautiful.”

“that one's also kinda a congratulations gift for getting your manuscript in. there's a little message on the inside, too,” comes his reply. 

you flick your gaze up to find him blushing, and it makes you smile even wider. carefully, you lift open the black cover, and find matty's familiar scrawl on the inside: to my favourite writer… this is for the next one. lots of love, matty ♡. a little giggle leaves your lips, and you reach for your friend's hand to squeeze it. “you really are the loveliest, you know.”

“shhh, it's nothing,” matty softly rubs the back of your hand with his thumb. “the next bits are the good ones, really. m'excited to see you react to them.”

“better not keep you waiting, then,” you smile, reaching for the book; you let out a little cry of excitement when you read the title. “on beauty! i haven't read this since i was at uni, my god. thanks, matty, i can't believe you remembered me saying that! oh, this is amazing.”

“open it.”

your head shoots up. “what? why?”

matty smiles. “just do it, please.”

“alright,” you do as requested. when you see what’s on the title page, your jaw drops. “matthew…”

“oh, shit, the full name. am i in trouble?” matty quips, smirking as he takes another sip of champagne.

“no, no, just… you got zadie fucking smith to sign a book for me? with a personal message?” you all but sob, lip quivering, completely overcome. “she's telling me she loves my work? what the fuck?”

“well, she's got good taste.”

“matty,” you wail. “this is the best gift i've ever been given.”

matty giggles. “no it isn't.”

“i'm telling you, it really is.”

“nah,” matty gently tugs the book from your hands and replaces it with the box. “this might be, though. but you need to stop crying before you open it, though, darling. can i just…?”

tenderly, so tenderly, matty takes your face in his hands and uses his thumbs to carefully wipe the tears pooling on your lower lashline. at his touch alone, your breathing starts to regulate; the same can't be said for your heart or brain, which both go haywire at the intimacy of his actions, something not helped by him whispering reassuringly to you. “there you are, darling. you're alright.”

it's not a question, but you nod anyway. “thank you.”

“anytime,” matty lets go of your face and sits back; you miss him as soon as he lets go. “right. now you can open it.”

with a smile, you lift the lid from the box - it falters, though, as soon as you take in the words on the paper in front of you. “these are outlines.”

“yeah, they are. look closer, darling.”

you squint at the paper, a choked noise escaping your lips. “feel free… fuck off. zadie gave you her essay notes?!”

“she did. and told me to give them to you.”

“how?”

“well,” matty grins, shuffling in his seat. “i went to see her and nick while i was in new york, and i asked her to sign the book while i was there. when she found out it was for you… she insisted you have those. printed more off for me and everything. she thinks you're the shit, darling.”

“you're sure she didn't say i was shit?” you hiccup, sliding the box onto the table before your tears hit the paper and picking up your glass for a long drink.

“positive. she only had lovely things to say about you,” matty takes your glass and refills it, beaming at you. “so, yeah. bit of a weird present, i know, but i knew you'd appreciate it.”

you laugh through your tears, wiping your eyes and shuffling your chair next to matty's to hug him. “i really do. and i appreciate you even more. thank you, lovely, you're too good to me.”

“nah, you deserve the best, darling,” matty’s hand comes up to rest on the back of your hair, stroking it gently.

you wallow in the tender moment for a second, before pulling back to smile at him. “m'sorry for crying, christ.”

he shakes his head. “don't worry about it, s'cute. and you still look fit when you cry, so…”

“shut up,” you laugh, shoving his shoulder.

“really, you look perfect,” matty smiles, eyes soft. “m'glad you came over early today. not just because it means we get the good potatoes, but because we get to do this, have a bit of peace before everyone gets here. s'nice. really nice.”

you nod. “it is. thanks for having me. and for the gift.”

he kisses your hand. “anytime. thank you for my gift. and just for being you, i s'pose.”

“it's like you want me to keep crying.”

“well, like i said, you look fit,” matty grins. “but nah, i'll stop. let's have a nice time and get rid of this champagne before everyone else gets here, yeah?”

“sounds like a plan.”

so that's what you do - sit at matty's kitchen table, drinking champagne and watching mayhem playing with his new toy, talking and laughing with your best friend. outside, the snow falls faster and faster, blanketing the garden in pristine white, but it's falling nowhere near as quickly as you are for matty. when the front door goes, you’re actually welcome for the excuse to leave the table, the kitchen, the intense care in those beautiful eyes that threatens to shatter your sanity and perspective.

it's your newly engaged friends, laden with more champagne and christmas crackers. once you've exchanged pleasantries, your friend sends her fiancé into the kitchen with the bags so she can interrogate you. “now why are you here so early? you're a little bit unsteady on your feet… oh my god, did you and matty fuck?”

“no! christ! and keep your fucking voice down,” you hiss, looking back down the hall to make sure the coast is clear. “i came over early to help with dinner. and we opened champagne. that's it.”

her eyes narrow. “but you want to fuck him, don't you?”

you open your mouth to answer, but pause for a split-second too long; she cuts back in again. “oh, you do! well, you should.”

“i don't just want to fuck him, babe,” you sigh, leaning against the cold concrete wall. your brain is screaming at you to shut up, but you can't. “i… like him. in a more-than-platonic way. like in a deep way.”

“so… tell him that.”

you blanch. “today?”

“yes! it's christmas. we've all seen love actually - it's the perfect time!” she quietly claps, beaming. “and you won't see him again until my birthday dinner, so if the revelation goes tits up… you've got two months to get over it.”

“really filling me with confidence here.”

“sorry,” she kisses your cheek. “i just like the thought of the two of you being happy, that's all.”

“i know, it's just-”

“darling?” matty wanders down the hall to you, pulling your friend into a welcoming hug, then turning to face you. “sorry to interrupt, but your timer is going off.”

“oh, thanks, lovely,” you smile at him. “be in in a minute, yeah?”

“alright. looking forward to it,” with a wink, he's gone again.

your friend smiles at him, then turns to you. “he is looking forward to you returning to the same room as him. how interesting!”

“yeah, because it means we all get the roast potatoes i made. that's it.”

“oh, you made those again? amazing,” she nods appreciatively, then looks at you and tilts her head. “he could still just be looking forward to being in close proximity to you again, though. wonder if there's any mistletoe around.”

“shut up, please, i am literally begging.”

she laughs, tucking you under her arm and walking to the kitchen. “alright, i'll leave it be tonight. but i'm just saying - i think you have to seriously consider that matty might want you under his christmas tree this month just as much as you want him under yours.”

“and i think you have to seriously consider that you might be delusional.”

“well, we'll soon find out, i'm sure.”

[riniworld]

YANDERE!judge x LAWYER!gn!reader

warnings// obsession,yandere theme,Incorrect use of the law (?),mention of Hanging.

refrence// you.

a/n: i forget i have tumbler lol.

just started watching harry potter and i think i know what I'm addicted to.

•you didn't get along with him the first time you arrived.

•having beliefs different from the beliefs of the person who your training under making your training very difficult.

•and he wasn't less annoyed from you,He tried to transfer you to another judge, but no one had an empty spot.

•so now he's stuck.

•whenever you two argue because of a case,you should expect to find a lot of paperwork on your desk.

•he didn't plan on loving someone soon.

•but how can he not,when you are almost always together?

•Or when you bow your head down in obedience when he reminds you of who he is and what his status is compared to you.

•he can't even deny your intelligence.

•Now he doesn't put a lot of paperwork on your desk because he's annoyed with you, but because he wants you to stay more.

•and now your desk in his office because "i have to keep an eye on your work".

•your stuck with him from early morning until late night.

•what's that? Your car broke down? don't worry he'll drive you home just because you were a good trainee.

•he's not a party type but he'll come as long as you're there.

•also he made sure you'll get drunk so he can drive you home once more.

•but he didn't expect you to fall asleep,not on his shoulder at least.

•he has to hide his face so no one could see how red it is...or the creepy smile he has on.

•no one should see that cute peaceful face of yours,they have no right.

•so he excused himself quickly and took you home.

•the next day he became softer and the day after that and after and after.

•it was so strange from him but it's not like you're complaining in fact that made your work more easier.

•But that didn't last long....

•One day, he noticed everyone congratulating you and giving you gifts and you were extra happy.

•he LOVED that smile on your face but had that bad feeling inside him.

•And when he asked...it was the biggest shock of his entire life.

•how could you...? after everything he did?...how could you get engaged!?

•he wouldn't let that slide,he would never.

•and out of nowhere your fiancé has been charged with murder.

•how? when? where? you didn't know.

•but what you knew is that your fiancé is innocent.

•and for your relive The judge of his case is the one your trained under.

•Maybe you can convince him that your fiancé is innocent!

•But he was adamant that he was guilty and that all evidence indicated that your fiancé was guilty.

•You wanted to be your fiancé's defense lawyer, but the judge said that you are still in training and can't do this.

•in the end you couldn't do anything and your fiancé was hanged.

•Your dreams have been destroyed and you have fallen into depression.

•but don't worry the judge is always there to comfort you,and he always will be

•you don't need to know that he the one who did all of that.

•You've already fallen into his trap anyway.

hope you liked it:)

have a nice day/night♡

[taesanluv3r]

when your eyes meet mine

lee riwoo x reader

requested by this anon 💭 idol!riwoo x fan!reader <3 this is the most delulu fanfic ever LMAO lowercase intended, pls excuse any spelling mistakes/grammatical errors. enjoyy :3

wc: 1,970

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ring ring ring!

yn ln groans, an arm reaching out from under her covers to grab her phone that sat over on her bedside table. she winces when she's greeted by the bright light, moving her fingers to swipe at the screen, lowering the brightness and shutting off her morning alarm in record speed.

it's 7 am.

on any regular day, the girl wouldn't even dream of getting up this early- in fact, to her, anyone who gets up before 9 after completing highschool must be a total loser! or...maybe...someone who's got their life together...but that's besides the point. the point is that today was very different from any other day. today was the day! the day yn ln was going to meet the six silly boys she dreamed of every night as she went to bed and thought of every second she stood awake. maybe she loved them so much, or maybe it was because she had taken it upon herself to decorate the walls of her room with the large posters of them she had gotten from the one too many albums she spent all her paychecks on. nonetheless, at least to her, this was a big day- a huge day, even. i mean it's finally happening, a smile on her sleepy face as she's met with the countdown notification.

'yn x boynextdoor! D-DAY!'

it all started about two weeks ago. the girl was going through what had to be the worst few days of her whole entire life. she was laid off at work for two days straight, her salad wasn't crunchy at lunch, she totally forgot to hang her laundry out to dry, and on top of that she got a coffee stain on her brand new white shirt. it was bad, terrible even! all she could do was give up for a moment, calling in sick at work and laying in bed all day just re-watching 'what?door!' for the hundredth time, munching on a tub of neapolitan ice cream and giggling over whatever dad joke her bias, riwoo, said. things were starting to feel alright again. the same way it always did when she was watching those six boys on the screen laugh and yell at each other over silly games. oh how she'd give anything to meet them...

just as the thought crossed her mind, a gift from whoever watched her from above fell into the palm of her hands- well, not literally, but you get what i mean. yn furrowed her eyebrows as a text from her best-friend in the whole world appeared on her phone.

bestie<3

YYNNNNNN!!! big news!!!!!!! yk how i won that ticket for the bnd fansign in two weeks?

the girl rolls her eyes, of course she knew, that's all her friend could boast about for the past few weeks! you see, this fellow onedoor that was texting her, she's one of those fans that seemed to always have their way with luck and winning fan-signs.

mhm, i'm aware...what abt it tho?

yn awaits a response, moving her finger over to the trackpad on her laptop to pause the video that was playing in the background.

bestie<3

well...what if i told u i hv to be somewhere tht day n i need someone (you) to fill in my spot at the fansign? hehe :D

and that's it. that's exactly the sequence of events that lead the chronic fangirl to this moment right now. at seven o' clock in the morning, getting up to prepare herself for the six boys that await her later that day.

"oh fuck...what do i even wear?!"

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as it turns out, time moves a lot faster when you're anxious and excited. in record time, yn ln had found herself in a space full of fans just like her. the girl's heart beat out of her chest, body shaken and tears threatening to fall out of her eyes as she stood in the crowd. after contemplating her outfit choices for hours that morning, the girl decided to wear a nice pair of baggy cargo-pants and the baby blue jersey from the boy group's collaboration with the brand sandsound. she had her hair and make-up the way it normally was, the way she knew would look good. her hands wrap softly around her diy picket, a pretty heart-shaped one with none other that lee riwoo's face on the center of it- his face once again seen hanging on a pretty photocard holder on the strap of her bag. she was nervous, a sort of adrenaline rush coursing through her body when the people around her began to cheer, the silhouette of the six boys she loved so much emerging to the front of them.

"who's there? the boynextdoor! hello, we are boynextdoor"

the boys began their introductions, warming up to the crowd for about half an hour before they were supposed to start the fan-signing event. yn couldn't believe her eyes, she can't believe these people were real! she didn't want to be biased, but she truly could not focus on anyone else anymore, her gaze lingering over to the one boy who had her heart wrapped around his finger- he didn't even know it. lee riwoo looked even more handsome in real life, his aura screaming charisma as he spoke sweetly into his microphone. his hair a shade of brown that was almost ginger, a distinct mole below his eye that moved up a bit whenever he smiled, his smile that allowed for his little fangs to peak through. it sent the girl's heart flying! even more so, when his eyes turned a bit to meet with her own. maybe she was hallucinating in the moment, he could be staring at anyone! but she swore that for a second his gaze stuck onto her, a warm and fuzzy feeling engulfing the whole of her shaken body and a blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"okay, everyone joining the fan-signing event! please make a line over here in accordance to your given queue number. thank you" the staff called out through a microphone, waving his arm around to direct everyone over to one side of the venue. the members of the boy-group began to take their seats over on the long black table, another set of staff members preparing the albums, markers and post-it notes for the event.

once again, yn couldn't breathe. it felt as though all her dreams were finally becoming a reality. she didn't know what to do now, a sudden panic taking control of her brain as she stood in her spot in the line. 'what do i even say to them...?' - 'oh god i didn't think this far' - 'what if my mind completely goes blank?' - 'oh riwoo looks so good today' - 'what if throw up? or...or what if i...'

"NEXT!" the staff called out, gently tapping the girl on her back and signaling for her to move forward for her turn. 'oh i'm so fucked...'

honestly, it didn't go as badly as she thought it would. first on the table was jaehyun. he was so sweet, reassuring her that it was okay to be nervous and thanking her for her kind words. next was leehan who shot her his signature smile, giggling sheepishly at the compliments and praises the girl nervously told him. sungho and woonhak followed, listening intently to her every word as she slowly vocalized them. only two more members left! great! it wasn't so bad after all! or at least it wasn't so bad until she was face-to-face with the love of her whole life himself.

lee sanghyeok.

"hi....um...yn! yn, right?" the pretty boy said, searching for her name on the sticky note that was stuck onto the album. "uh- yeah...um...hi!...uh oh my god- sorry, i'm so..." she couldn't seem to speak, her whole mind going blank and malfunctioning as the boy in front of her smiled softly. "nervous?" he asked, a slight giggle escaping his lips as he did so. yn nods, "i'm sorry, you're just so handsome! and really cool and talented and i really love your dancing and your voice and even your dad jokes- even when they're not that funny sometimes and i really like your hair and uh- sorry, sorry i should stop now" the girl yapped on and on, suddenly going from not being able to speak to only speaking way too much. unbeknownst to her however, riwoo didn't find it annoying at all- in fact, it sparked some sort of a flame in the pit of his stomach. maybe it was the way she smiled at him, maybe it was the way she complimented him, maybe it was the way her hands shook as she spoke to him the way he noticed it didn't really for the other members. whatever it was, something about her peaked his interest.

"can...i...hold...your...hand...?" her question shakes him out of his thoughts. it appears the idol boy had zoned out, completely distracted by this girl in front of him. "huh? oh! uh...i-" he stutters, a sudden shyness taking over his complexion. the girl mentally slaps herself, "oh, i'm sorry...i you don't have to if you don't want to i mean it's obviously your choice i'm just- oh!" she stops talking when his hands slip over to grab her own, the feeling is warm, an electrifying sensation she's never felt before. and neither has he, the world around them going in slow-motion for a second as they paused into the moment. no words were exchanged, but the way their eyes pierced into one another's was enough to make sense of the situation.

"move along, please" the staff that stood behind the boys interrupted the moment, tilting his head to side as if to tell yn to hurry up. riwoo's eyes soften and he looks at her with some sort of look that read of disappointment, she furrows her eyebrows when he let's go of her hand to quickly jot something down on the page of the album that laid opened in front of him. "it was nice to meet you, yn" the boy said, a smile on his face. she returned the gesture, "nice to meet you too, riwoo- i love you!" she said finally, in a rush as the staff guided her over to the final member.

"hi!" she says, grinning from ear to ear as she sat down in front of taesan. they share sweet conversation, the boy thanking her for all her compliments. he looks down at the opened page for a moment and laughs, though she doesn't really know why, shooting him a perplexed expression. he shakes his head, looking up at her after signing her album. "looks like riwoo hyung has a crush on you or something..." the girl's eyes go wide, "what?!" is all she manages to muster out before the staff move to rush her out of the line. the last sight she saw was a cheeky smirk from han taesan and a lingering stare from the brown-haired riwoo beside him who waved.

the statement ran through her head for the next hour as she waits to retrieve the signed album from the pick-up booth. 'what could that menace possibly mean?' - 'he could be lying...right?' - 'he's probably just teasing me'

all her queries however were to be answered as she got the signed album in her hands, hastily flipping through the pages to find the message she didn't even know she was looking for. and there it was, right by a picture of his face in the photo-book, signed by the boy of her dreams himself...

'yn, it was nice to meet you :)...let's meet again some time? text me? (xxx-xxx-xxxx) love, riwoo'

huh...maybe he does have a crush on her or something...

the end.

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ahhh idk how i feel abt this fic 😭😭 but i hope u guys enjoyed it nonetheless :3 tysm again to the anon tht sent this request!! feel free to send some more over in my asks<3 reblogs n feedback r greatly appreciated, tysm for reading! love, kona.

[kallystah]

~~of fruit and wine~~ mihawk x reader

4780 words

Everyone who was in that category knew that waking up early in the morning was a different feeling than at any other time of the day. There was this extra feeling that you didn't get when you went out late at night with your friends. And I'm not talking about coming home from a bar or a nightclub at six in the morning, but waking up at that time to enjoy the peaceful calm and witness the first ray of sunshine of the day.

Unfortunately, for a certain woman, waking up at not six but five in the morning every Thursday made her very tired. It wasn't because of a neighbor coming home from a party completely drunk and making noise in all the corridors of the building, nor because of a baby begging for milk immediately, and even less because of work that had to be done at that time so as not to block the road in day. Hell no.

The young woman was simply a merchant. So she was forced to wake up at five in the morning every Thursday to get ready and set up her stand. And God, it was no easy feat. Not to mention the negotiations that took place every year to get the best spot, it was necessary to prepare all the food in very large quantities and set it up by putting the product she wanted to sell the most to her advantage. For today's date, which was the last week of May, cherries were the number one item on the stand, and what better than her favorite fruit?

The thirty-year-old took her time and turned off her damn alarm clock, one day she would throw it out the window, she was sure of it. But it was not time to complain, the alarm clock showed five thirty, and not five o'clock.

-Shit. The woman swore as she had barely woken up.

Fortunately, she had been woken up by her second ring, which forced her to move quickly, the first at five o'clock allowing her more calm and less stress. Her real problem in the Thursday market was that her shop was located at the other end of the big city, she was the only merchant in her small village so she earned a good living, but to reach the city she had to walk for a good hour and two hours when she carried her things. Fortunately, she was always accompanied by the young Lex, a twenty-something who had strength to spare.

Barely out of the shower and dressed when a drumming could be heard on her front door.

-Old woman, move your ass, it's six o'clock, we should already be gone! Said the said Lex.

-I'm barely thirty-eight, you brute! She answered him, taking her bag to open the door and walk in front of him.

-The important part was "move your ass" now let's go!

The Thursday morning race. It was called that by the young assistant. To reassure you, it wasn't like that every Thursday, there were just a few times a year when the woman forgot to come out of her dreams at five o'clock. And today was one of those days. But Lex wasn't just pissed off because she was late today, but rather because last week because of her delay she hadn't had her entire stand. Two weeks in a row had had the gift of pissing him off.

————

Luckily for them, they arrived at the market square at eight o'clock sharp, five minutes later their place would be given to another person from a more distant stand or the stand to her left would eat up part of his place.

She stuck her tongue out at the young woman from the said stand, this young pest, sorry, woman and Y/n had a less than friendly relationship. She had arrived barely a month ago and had joined the market vendors two weeks ago. They had never gotten along and the fact that the thirty-one-year-old was so unpleasant and stole half of her space, as the old fool, i mean, her father, had taught her, every time she arrived just five minutes late didn't help.

Once her stand was finally set up, it was eight forty-five, she had been fifteen minutes late compared to the first customers but it didn't matter, even despite her lack of punctuality the regular customers had bought her punnet of cherries or her melon while the stand was half done.

It was at ten o'clock sharp that a certain customer appeared, but it wasn't just any customer. He was even the main reason why she had hurried despite her delay that very morning.

Indeed, every two weeks, a very tall, handsome man would arrive at ten o'clock sharp on Thursdays for the market. His pale complexion, his moustache and his eyes had made the merchant's heart skip a beat. And his eyes, how magnificent they were, every time she saw him coming from afar she was absorbed by their colour and the circles present. Absolutely sublime.

But once again, now that she thought about it, if she was able to see his sharp pupil so well, it was because he could also see her beautiful eyes very well. How should she explain herself this time? She was not at all checking him out so openly by neglecting a customer asking her for a kilo of peaches, of course not, she was just reminding her thoughts that there were women, or men, in this world who had been able to enjoy this dream body for a whole night, or more. This dream body, she would almost drool. But a sweet voice that came to her like a melody interrupted her saliva, note the irony.

-Dad look at the man over there. He's been looking in my direction for a while now. At the end of the year I'll be married and pregnant count on me.

Seriously? Y/n had realized the stupidity and the naivety of her neighbor. Plus, the end of the year being in seven months, it would be a bit tight to seduce the man. And then, he absolutely did not come for her.

A second thing shocked her in his sentence. As if… No. Impossible. In East Blue, or even in all the seas, everyone knew the name and reputation of this man. Afterwards, it was possible that the woman overestimated the intelligence of her neighbor.

Finally. The man arrived in the row where she was, passing in front of her neighbor who displayed a dejected look, she noted in her head to make fun of her once the swordsman left, and she adjusted a sweet smile for her favorite customer.

-Mihawk. What a pleasure to see you again, you did not come two weeks ago.

-Good morning Y/n. I was unfortunately busy that day because of the government and the person I sent must have go to another market. Do you have what I'm going to take?

-Here. She said while taking out a huge basket previously hidden from customers.

It contained about twenty vegetables and at least fifteen kilos of fruit. A rather heavy package for the woman whose quality of each food and component of the trays she took care of.

-But tell me Mihawk, you've been asking a lot more than usual lately.

-I have a- He pauses as if he didn't know how to define the relationship. I've had a guest for a few weeks. And she is quite loudy when she has'nt her favorite food.

'She'. Well, however this woman was, she must have been very lucky to have the unique and spectacular Mihawk by her side. Someone had to take care of this swordsman, even if she had less chance of making him her lover. Y/n wasn't stupid, just because he had a woman at home didn't mean she was his wife. Maybe she was even a child. But a part of her couldn't help but be saddened to think of her handsome client with a woman in his arms, him who had always ordered for his one and only person.

-Well, I hope she eats all my vegetables. If I spend time in my fields, it's not so that their food ends up in the trash. She said in her strong voice.

She was horrified to see all the leftovers from people in restaurants, or the quantities that some merchants threw in the trash if the products were not perfect. A tomato that is not round is still edible, such was one of her mottos. For this reason, her and Lex had decided to send all the leftovers of their products, which they knew they would not eat before the expiration date, to associations or orphanages.

Then after a brief but friendly goodbye, the swordsman left without forgetting to tell her the quantities he wanted for two weeks from now, although these quantities had only changed once during all his visits.

————

-So, the forty-year-old? You still haven't seen your beautiful stallion today either? What a shame! I'm surprised that this handsome customer doesn't come to see you anymore! Said the annoying voice of the competitor.

-I heard forty? Ah, you were talking about the number of refusals you received this month. It's clearer in my head now but bring it up again next time darling. The beautiful merchant replied with a smile.

But well, she wasn't wrong. Today was one more day to add to her list. One more day where while the bells rang noon and the merchants put away their goods, she no longer saw the handsome swordsman. And to say the exact number, that made eight. Not eight days, but eight Thursdays where the swordsman should have come to get his basket, and knowing that he only came every other Thursday, that made four months.

From one day to the next he had stopped coming, leaving a full basket waiting to be picked up for the first month. By the third Thursday, the woman had stopped preparing his basket for him. And by the eighth, she was starting to lose hope, he wouldn't come back.

A part of her wondered if it was because he had grown tired of her fruits and vegetables, the other thought that he had noticed her feelings and therefore preferred to avoid her. The young woman wrinkled her nose at these thoughts, not even knowing which one saddened her the most. With a sad sigh, she packed up her stand. But a voice emerged from far away in front of her.

-Y/nnnn…! The voice said with all her breath.

She knew this voice only too well, since it was that of a friend of hers who had made a habit of visiting her every Thursday morning. Finally, their relationship was pretty much like Mihawk. The young woman arrived every Thursday morning between ten and twelve o'clock and she asked for the equivalent of food for four people. So apart from the varying time, the fact that she came every week, and the astronomical quantity of food, she filled the gap that Mihawk had created when he left.

-Perona. You seem a little late today. She smiled at her friend.

-The other cactus head's fault. She said out of breath.

-You often tell me about cactus head but I still don't know who he is.

-Ah!

It seems that an idea has germinated in the mind of her pink-haired friend.

-Would you like to come to my place? Just a few days!

-I have the market to hold.

-Oh come on, you see that at the moment there is no one. The war that took place made everyone want to travel, and if you're afraid for your home and your fields there are plenty of marines to watch over the cities because of the rise of pirates.

-As you said, I have fields. Which will die if I don't take care of them.

-Don't worry, my little Y/n. I'll manage your fields if you're only going away for a week. Interrupted her neighbor on the right.

-Old man, I can't leave you in charge of my work, but I appreciate your gesture.

-I have no problem with that, my little one. My wife and I will take turns going to your village. And we are the second closest merchants to your home, so all your customers will come to us. He finished, laughing.

-Come on, please Y/n. Said her friend with sparkling eyes.

-Very well. But only for one week.

-Yes! She jumped for joy. Here, the change for today's basket. I'll pick you up tomorrow at noon, I flew here this morning. You'll see my roommates are nice, they're tiring and never think about what I'm going through but nice. Anyway they're always out. See you tomorrow!

A bit contradictory all that, thought the woman. But hey, that's how her vacation had been forced. She hadn't had one for three years, always staying in her small village. The last time she had left, it had been to negotiate seeds on an island further away.

————

The two women had met at dawn so as not to be disturbed whether on land or at sea. From the location of the small island where Y/n lived to Kuraigana they had about four hours. The woman thought that it wasn't such a long trip to go on vacation, but that from now on she would understand the delays of her friend who made all this trip for her every Thursday.

-Perona are you really traveling eight hours to buy my basket?

-Horo-Horo-Horo. The ghost woman laughed. By flying I only take two hours, and don't worry I'm happy to come see you. Besides I have fun with the Navy ships or pirates that I come across, they can be so scared. Horo-Horo-Horo.

Well, if it didn't bother her friend then it was fine. Now that she thought about it, during the many small discussions she had with Mihawk, he had never told her where he lived. She had never tried to spy on him through the newspapers, although she followed the pirates' routes. There were rarely any cases concerning the corsairs, once they became one they generally didn't go on adventures anymore, so she currently had no idea where her handsome swordsman was.

Hours passed and from the small ship we could see a misty island with strange large shapes surrounded by ruins and forests.

-Perona reassure me, you still live an hour away, huh? The woman said with a little voice.

-No no. Look, we can see the island in the distance. Besides, I didn't warn you but we never see the sun, on the other hand it's always nice and we've developed part of the lake!

Her friend seemed on the contrary very happy to live on such a gloomy island. Maybe the inhabitants would at least be nice.

-I called the other Marimo, the monkeys don't usually attack me because they're afraid of the master of the castle, but since it's your first time here it's better to have an extra force. Not that I doubt your fighting skills. She mocked.

-Already, I help my donkey carry the cart every Thursday, I am a master of the art of staying under the sun for my crops all day, and I handle the axe very well, so I can defend myself. But who is this master of the castle? And how many of you are on this island? And what is this monkey story? She said, becoming more panicked.

-One question at a time Y/n. Here, we are three humans, well if we consider the other two monsters as humans, and four with you. There have been no more inhabitants for a long time but there are still the Humandraks, they are not bad but they are strong and seek to prove it. So cactus head is going to join us so that they are afraid. Oh also! Don't worry once in the castle we are safe, they never come near.

The two girls continued to talk, the youngest telling the story of this island to occupy the last twenty minutes that the small ship had left to reach the river, river that connected the sea to the lake surrounding the castle, and thus moor at the mini port.

-Huh ? He didn't come back. Said the pink woman under the questioning gaze of her friend.

When the boat was securely tied to the port, step by step, a shadow came out of its hiding place, ready to pounce on the two women.

-Monkey, get out of there. Said a voice.

The beast that seemed to be an improved monkey scowled and returned to its bush.

-Perona is that a Humandrak?

-Yes. He must have sensed someone weaker than him. Said the man.

-Nice to meet you, you must be Marimo? I've heard a lot about you. Says Y/n before being cut off by his friend's laughter, she couldn't catch her breath.

-I'm Zoro, he said after hitting the ghost, Roronoa Zoro.

-Oh! Like the second of the Straw Hats? My name is Y/n.

After a brief discussion about the merchant's arrival on the wasteland, they arrived in front of the castle's doors. Then, the apprentice swordsman returned to his training, saying not to disturb him until nightfall.

————

The two friends were lying on the huge bed filled with the rose's plush, when a huge scream was heard.

-What was that Perona?!

-Just Zoro who must have lost to the king again.

-You are the master of the castle?

-No, he should be back tonight. He left early yesterday morning.

-… Perona, by any chance I'm asking anyway, but you did warn this master that I was coming, huh? Said the woman, unsure of herself.

-No, but he's used to surprise visits now.

-Perona…

The huge and heavy door of the castle opened, no matter where in the castle you were, you would always hear the dull, metallic sound of the gears opening. Then a voice rang out, asking Perona to come down.

-Let's take the opportunity to introduce yourself!

So the two girls went down to the large living room on the ground floor, one enthusiastic about the meeting but afraid of what he was going to reproach her for, the other having the impression of having heard this voice before.

-Mihawk! Did you catch a big pirate this time? I'd like to go buy myself some new clothes.

-… Mihawk?

-Y/n?

-Do you know each other? The pink woman screamed.

-Yes, he was a regular customer. She said, emphasizing the "was" slightly more. It seems that seeing him again like that after he left without explanation and living with another woman disgusted her a little.

-What is she doing in my castle?

-I thought she could spend a few days with us here for a change of scenery.

-And without asking the main owner's permission? Am I going to discover a new intruder on my island every month? Mihawk said, seeming angry. Perona get out of here I have to talk to our guest.

The tone Mihawk had used meant that there was no room for argument. So the ghost girl left for her apartments, if she stayed behind the door Mihawk would feel it.

-You can explain to me the reason why you are here. He continued more calmly as if he did not believe the words of the rose.

-Like Perona said, I needed a vacation. But I did not know that she lived with you and I thought that she had warned the "master of the castle" of my visit.

-No she did'nt, i was'nt even here.

The atmosphere had softened since Perona, and the swordsman's anger with it, had left. For the sake of the merchant who could not bear this part of the man.

-You can stay here. I don't know for how long she promised you, but it doesn't matter how many days as long as you don't come and disturb me when I'm with Zoro. I have to train the new era.

Y/n knew little about pirate, she certainly read the dedicated newspaper every morning of publication, but she didn't know much about it. However, if Mihawk himself admitted that this young man had potential in the new era, and that in addition he was training him, then she was also sure that he would do great things.

————

Just as Mihawk had told her, the merchant on vacation stayed on the island of sadness. At first glance, the island seemed to be the opposite of a paradise island where to spend your holidays, but Perona had been able to show her the good sides of the place.

First of all, the lake. They had developed a part of the lake near the castle to make it a mini beach. Fortunately for the girls, all the bodies that had previously littered the castle had been pushed back by Mihawk when he arrived, so the foul odor they smelled around the island was not present in their developed beach. The girls lounged like this every afternoon under the correct temperatures of the place.

Then, the top of the hill. You could observe the view, but also beautiful bodies. Not to mention those that appeared on the ground but rather the two charming ones of the master and his apprentice. The two women would sit there in the morning to watch the two swordsmen train together, baring the top of their clothes. Better than the view of the island.

Then the last place was the castle. Whether in the kitchens to prepare sweets, in the infirmary for yet another injury of Zoro, or in their room aka the only really warm place filled with stuffed animals and cushions on the island.

But as a reminder, Y/n has feelings for Mihawk. So how did their relationship evolve during these six days spent together? Well the feelings increased, so much so that the guest even thinks that her feelings are mutual.

First of all, about the lake. Of course I said that the two girls lounged there in the afternoons, but did I add that Mihawk joined them to read his newspaper and taste his wine while his apprentice did his series times a thousand? During these moments, she and the swordsman talked together while the ghost grumbled that he was stealing her friend.

As for the place on the hill, the two swordsmen knew they were being watched, Zoro's observation haki had already been manifesting for a while, not to mention Mihawk. But where was the connection Y/n was thinking about in this case? It was simply in the fact that Perona had already complained several times that Mihawk never trained shirtless. However, since Y/n had been watching them from the hill, she had never seen the man wear a shirt during his training.

And finally, the castle. No Mihawk wasn't hurt so she never had to help him in the infirmary, yes he cooked but only his breakfast which he had at dawn when everyone was asleep so they never cooked anything together, and more important than anything else, he never entered the girls' room.

So when did they see each other in the castle? There was the evening meal where they all ate together to discuss the day, make fun of Zoro, talk about the world… But the most important thing was that every evening, or rather morning, between midnight and the first hour of the day, the master swordsman would sit on his balcony and think while looking at the view, something she saw from her friend's balcony.

Y/n would never know what he was thinking while looking at the horizon like that. She then saw his beautiful eyes of all degrees of orange-yellow sadden without understanding why. He was just there, looking at the red moon with that darkened look. But one night, at the end of her third day, he called her.

-Normally, it's not great to observe people like this for so long. He told her without looking at her.

-Sorry Mihawk, I'm leaving.

But as she was returning to her room, he called her back.

-No, you can stay. Your presence doesn't bother me.

————

Back to the present, the merchant only had one day left on this island. Then, she would join her beans and cherries and start her boring routine again. In fact, she loved her job very much and it allowed her to live, but she simply couldn't take it anymore. The moments of joy and good company she had here must have widened the gap against the solitude of her house which only welcomed Lex on Thursday mornings. Of course she got along well with most of her customers, but none of them could compete with the love she had found in Mihawk.

The bell of the old church spared by the war rang, so it indicated midnight. The woman got out of her bed where she could not find sleep, while Perona slept like a log, and went to sit on her balcony. It would be the last time she would see the swordsman lost in his thoughts. But unlike other times, he spoke to her.

-So you're leaving at the end of the day?

-Yes, that's it. I had a great time here.

-You can come back if you want.

He said this sentence while looking at the horizon, but Y/n was even happier to hear it.

-I'll come back with pleasure.

For the first time in all the moments spent together, the silence was awkward. Y/n had this feeling of unease mixed with her sadness to leave, but she didn't dare and especially didn't know what to say. Fortunately for her, Mihawk seemed determined to talk to her.

-Would you like to… He seemed to be searching for his words. ' to, to stay here longer?' He said, turning his head towards her.

-Um, yes, I'd like to come back. She replied, disconcerted to see the swordsman so uneasy and hesitant, then he had already said the same sentence to her just before.

-No but, to stay here. For a long enough time that would allow you to have time to make a vegetable garden and see it go through all the seasons.

Was that the way of invitation that Mihawk used to ask her to live with him on this island ? For 'several seasons' ?

-Mihawk why did you always come to my stand at a market that is four hours sailing from your home.

He paused, then looked back at the horizon.

-I enjoy your company.

It seems that she wouldn't get the words she was waiting for today.

-And, I had the impression that you also enjoyed mine a lot. He continued with a mocking smile.

Was Hawkeye really making fun of her?

-Well if my dear Mihawk is willing to find me a room all to myself, or one that is not shared with the snorer, and he shows me the place where I can plant all my seeds, it would be possible that I agree to stay here a little longer.

-I think it will not be complicated to do, there is a perfect place to build ten of your fields and clean sheets already laid behind this window. He said while giving a head butt towards the door of his room.

After that, he jumped onto the balcony of the merchant, put one arm under her knees and the other behind her back, then before returning to his balcony he murmured.

-But only if my dear resident accepts the company of this room over a drink.