#and i can’t understand why he didn’t even try Tumblr posts

[acoazlove]

A New Place | part four

Azriel x Archeron!Reader

Summary: The aftermath of the dinner brought on a conversation with someone you didn't expect.

Word count: 1.8k

Warnings: angst, and a little bit of fluff (kind of)

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The past few days felt like you were watching in from the outside. Not leaving your apartment on your days off like you normally would. Usually, you liked to be down in the bar while your friends worked, just to spend time with them.

But after that night, you can’t talk to them. Won’t talk to them. Benny set the whole thing up and didn’t give you any warning, or even ask you in the first place.

Now, back at work, you stay silent, not a single word being uttered to your coworkers.

“Y/n,” Benny’s voice comes out softly, cautious almost. As if talking to a wounded animal that’s about to bolt. Acting as if you didn’t hear her, you continue to shine the glass in your hands. Silently wishing a customer would appear in front of you and order something, so you don’t have to deal with whatever Benny wants.

A huff leaves her when she realises you’re ignoring her. “I need to talk to you.” Voice still soft, placing a hand on your shoulder. You harshly shrug off her touch, placing the glass on the bar top and pushing past her into the kitchen.

Footsteps follow closely behind you. “What, Benny?” You snap.

”I’m sorry, I just wanted to help. I thought if you just talked to them-“

”Stop. Just, stop.” Running a hand through your hair. “If I wanted to talk to them, I would have.” Turning away, taking a deep breath. “It should be on my terms.” A deep breath is released behind you. Footsteps scuffing, shifting on her feet. “y/n-“ her blue form appeared in front of you suddenly. “I am truly sorry. You’re right, It should be on your terms.”

Your gaze moves to the back door, “I need some air.” Eyes meeting hers. Understanding took over her features, a nod of her head, taking a step to the side. “Talk to me when you are ready. I don’t expect you to forgive me, or anyone else.” Waving a hand towards the doorway leading back into the main area of the bar. “But just know we’re here if you need anything.”

With a curt nod, you pull the door open, stepping out of the bar. Fresh air fills your lungs, and a deep sigh leaves you. Eyes flutter closed as the afternoon sun kisses your skin. Brows pulling together, mind unwantedly drifting to the thought of how you and your sisters used to bask in the sun after a long winter transitioned to warmer seasons.

Eyes open with a start as the cool breeze brushes your ankle. Glancing down, you find a smoky tendril swirling around your feet. You frown down at it. Lifting your gaze to find the owner, knowing his shadows don’t typically stray too far from him. But you find no sign of him, no feeling of eyes on you. No glimpse of large wings in the moving fae on the streets. The tendril moves up to your wrists, a gentle tug causing you to stumble forward a step. Seemingly pulling you, guiding you.

Arm moving to shake it off, but fail miserably, the little thing intent on moving you in a certain direction. “Go away.” You mumble. “I’m sure he doesn't want anything to do with me.” Voice hesitant as it tightens around your wrist softly. Tugging you forward once again. With a sigh you decide to let it pull you away.

Footsteps carefully along the uneven stones of the streets of Valaris. It doesn't take you long to realise what direction it was pulling you to. The townhouse. You stop in your tracks, harshly pulling your wrist away from the shadow. “No.” You growl. The dark tendril moving to brush against your face, trying to comfort you.

A sharp breath leaving you. Running a hand down your face. Why is this happening to me? The question crosses your mind, rubbing your eyes almost aggressively, turning on your heel, and planning on making your way back to the tavern.

Only a few steps forward you run head-first into a hard wall. No. Not a wall, a person. Cheeks blazing, pulling your hands from your face. “I’m so sorry-“ meeting a familiar pair of hazel eyes. Gaze widening as you take a hasty step back. Eyes darting to the side, trying to find a way to escape the questioning gaze of the shadowsinger.

More shadows join the one swirling around you brushing your skin. A huff leaves the male in front of you. Meeting his gaze to find him frowning at them. “I’m sorry.” He mutters, his cheeks tinting a soft pink at failing to reign them in.

“It's fine.” You find the words leaving you without your permission. Your cheeks heat up in response. A silence settles over the two of you as you both avert your eyes. The quiet was surprisingly not uncomfortable but felt far too long.

It seems Azriel agrees with your thoughts, clearing his throat softly. You feel his assessing gaze on your face, reading you far too easily. “Are you okay?” He asks finally, almost gently, as if worried he’ll scare you off. As if finding something in the way you're standing. The way you refuse to look at his face.

You feel a cool brush of a shadow on your cheek. Hands quickly wiping your face. Feeling a slight wetness under your eyes. Rubbing your face as fast as you can, probably far too aggressively. When did you start crying? “I’m fine.”

Sidestepping him, trying to leave as swiftly as you can. “Do you want me to walk with you?” His soft voice was barely audible from how far you’d moved away from him. You glance over your shoulder, finding him looking at you tentatively. “Of course, it's your choice, but I thought you might like some company.” His wings twitch at his back. “Sorry if that offer is stupid. I shouldn’t have asked.” He hastily added on, taking a small step back, clearly expecting you to reject him.

It takes you a moment before you answer. “Sure.” Your answer is quiet and unsure. But after the past couple of days, you felt lonely. Azriel had been the only one to check in on you. Giving you a choice. Not expecting anything from you.

He gave you a curt nod before striding up to walk by your side. You turn, hands wringing as you amble along past some shops. A comfortable quiet settles between you as you slowly make your way in a different direction from the bar. Not wanting to be back there for a while. Not ready, despite it being halfway through your shift. Benny shouldn’t mind.

”I’m sorry for the other night. I shouldn't have said what I did.” A deep breath passed his lips. “You deserve to have time to decide what you want, especially after how we made you feel.” We? “No one should have made that choice for you. To show up out of nowhere, with no warning.”

a heavy breath leaves you. “y/n, you don’t deserve any of this.” You find you've made your way to the Sidra. Stopping by the bank. “Az-“ frowning from the weight of his statement. “Azriel, you’re the only one who didn’t forget.” Your eyes meet his hazel ones as you pull a necklace from the collar of your shirt. His eyes widen, almost imperceptibly, but his shadows fluttering around his wings gave him away.

“I could tell it was from you, despite not being told.” The steely blue stone in the pendant glimmered in the late afternoon sun. “The look on your face that night told me enough.” Gaze drifts to the glittering water of the sidra as your mind drifts back to your outburst. Internally wincing at the memory.

The feel of his stare burns through your skin. You tuck the necklace back under your shirt before meeting his gaze once again. “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything to them.” His voice filled with subtle regret. A quiet humourless laugh escapes you. “They should have remembered on their own.”

”Still, you deserved to have a nice birthday.” The sincerity in his tone tugged at your heart suddenly. “Thank you.”

His mouth opens then closes as if unsure if he should say his next words. “Nyx misses you. He keeps babbling about his aunty.” A quiet humour in his voice. A snort leaves you. “I miss him too.” Your lips pull down, eyes lowering to the ground.

You hate that you miss the rest of them. They don’t deserve your forgiveness. You know that, but they are still your family. Azriel somehow seems to know where your thoughts slipped to. “They don’t expect your forgiveness. They know they don’t deserve it, especially not anytime soon. They made the mistake of thinking you needed all that time. Not realising how that made you feel.” His body turns fully towards you. “They didn’t forget about you. They’re just upset with themselves. I promise I’m not trying to make excuses for them. Or myself.”

You meet his gaze, giving him a small nod as you process his words. The pink tint that blankets the scene around you makes you realise how long you've been talking. “I should get back to the bar.” A nod of his head as you turn back to the street.

He stays by you the entire walk back to the tavern. No words passed between you. The weight of your conversation running through your head.

He stops a couple of steps back from you as you stop outside the bar. Heading towards the stairs to your apartment instead. Your shift is already finished anyway. A few steps up, you turn, “Thank you Azriel.” He dips his head. “I needed that.” You decide to add on before turning away and making your way up the rest of the stairs.

─

Azriel watches you close your door behind you, then turns to leave, towards the river house.

The look on your face as you talked lingered in his mind the entire way back. The heartbreak, the tears in your eyes. A subtle sense of pain and sadness pulls in his chest. His shadows swarm his ears, whispering your words in his ears repeatedly. Your voice echoes with each word they utter.

Finally standing in front of the house, his family’s voices drifting through the open windows. Far quieter than they were three months ago. The heaviness of your absence straining each of them. Your sisters are still unsure how to handle it. Guilt weighing on every single one of them.

He hopes you’ll forgive them with time, but he’d understand if you didn’t. Your conversation makes him understand you need company, he’ll be there if you decide it's his company you want. Hope fills him, he’d be grateful if you did want that. He shakes his head, shoving that hope away. He doesn’t deserve it.

Shuffling up the pathway to the front door, softly pushing it open, stepping inside, finding himself feeling lighter than he has in months.

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a/n: I actually hate this. It didn't come out how I wanted. I'll probably end up changing and fixing it later on. There may be some spelling mistakes, let me know if you find any. Its slowly but surely coming together. More confrontation to come, as well as more romance lol. I hope you like it regardless. <3

[wonderjanga]

Island Retreat

Some JL members get stranded on an island.

Marvel: “I caught couple rats and a rabbit.” *holding the rats by their tails and the rabbit by its legs*

GA: “Ooh nice. I got a deer. Can I have a rat or two? They taste like stringy chicken.”

Marvel: “Sure!”

WW: “I brought back a bear.” *points behind her to a bear*

GA and Marvel: “Woah, Wondy you’re the best!”

The reason Marvel didn’t get anything bigger was because as Billy, he’s used to catching rats and pidgins so he stuck to what he was used to. GA just was just hunting, and Wonder is just Wonder. Now, of course as Marvel, he could’ve catch bigger things. This was utilized when Arthur, Diana, and him made a challenge of hunting and ran around trying to hunt the most. Diana won with a warthog, three deer, a rabbit, and a snake.

So, here’s the squad: Marvel, Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman.

They turned this into a vacation guys. They’re playing beach ball with a makeshift ball. They’re using the radio they’re supposed to be using to radio for help, for music. They’re chilling.

Aquaman: *stops paying attention to their beach ball game and doesn’t even notice as it smacks into his head as he’s looking to the water*

GA: “Dude…? Why’d you throw our game? Now we’re behind those two.” *looks to where Arthur’s looking*

Marvel and WW: *also look over to the water*

*silence*

Dolphin: *suddenly pops up out of nowhere tugging a crate with him*

Aquaman: “Oh my god…” *rushes over*

GA, Marvel, WW: *confused*

Aquaman: *opens crate* “Alcohol!”

All of them were later chilling on the beach, drinking cocktails of their choices…

GA: “The is the life…”

Aquaman: *Agreed. It’s nice to have a couple days away from Atlantis and being a hero. Speaking of which, Cap, I’m honestly surprised you’re so chill about this.”

Marvel: “Whatcha mean?”

GA: “Dude, you never take breaks.”

Marvel: “Wha? Of course I do.”

WW: “Brother, the other day I heard Bruce discussing with Clark about the fact that out of the six years you’ve been on the team, you’ve never once asked for some kind of leave.”

GA: “Wait really??”

Marvel: *silence* “I don’t see how it’s a bad thing.”

Aquaman: “It is a bad thing, pal. That’s not normal. You don’t have any family you need to visit or spend time with?”

Marvel: “No, not really. Junior and Mary are in the hero bizz so we spend a lot of time together already. Then, as for you guys, I see you almost every day since I go to the Watchtower a lot.”

GA: *gasp* “You consider us family?” *sounds touched*

Marvel: “Yes? Is that bad?” *sounds self conscious*

Aquaman: “Not at all. I for one am happy to be apart of your family.” *sounds proud*

WW: “As am I. I’m happy we’re siblings, brother.”

When the four were finally found, they got scolded by Bats and Supes.

Batman and Supes: *standing side by side*

Batman: *bat-glaring them all*

Supes: “What is wrong with you?! You can’t just shipwreck and then not contact us! Why didn’t you use the emergency radio?!”

GA: “There was an emergency radio?”

Supes: “Yes!”

Marvel: *whispers to Arthur in Atlantean* “Is he talking about the radio we used to play music?”

Aquaman: *whispers back in Atlantean* “I think so.”

Supes: “What’re you two saying?”

Marvel and Aquaman: *simultaneously, and in English* “Nothing.”

Supes: *starts ranting again*

WW: *whispers in Greek* “What were you guys saying?”

Marvel: *also switches to Greek* “The radio. We think it was the one we used to play music.”

Supes: “Guys! I can still hear you!”

Marvel: “Sorry Mr. Superman.”

WW: “Apologies, Clark.”

Supes: *starts ranting again*

GA: *in Italian* “What were you guys talking about?”

Marvel: *in Italian* “Remember the radio? We think that was the SOS radio.”

Supes: “GUYS. Stop whispering in languages we don’t understand—”

Batman: “I understood two out of those three.”

Supes: “—In languages I don’t understand!” *looks to Bruce*

Batman: “They weren’t using the SOS radio to signal for help.”

Aquaman: “We were using it for music.”

GA: “Arthur! You snitch!”

Aquaman: “What? They were gonna find out anyways.”

Supes: “Why were you guys playing music???”

WW: “We had what one would call a vacay.”

Supes: *takes a deep breath* “Okay. Marvel, go sit over there.” *points to a couple feet away from the other three*

Marvel: “What? Why?”

Supes: “Because you speak to many languages! Now go.”

Marvel: *pitifully walks over there*

Supes: “Now, back to what I was saying.” *starts ranting again*

[revelboo]

revel i really love how everything you wrote is connected to eachother in some way its actually so satisfying to read from the very first post and read from there! feels like seeing the bigger picture!

I try to connect the IDW fics or TFP fics to each other when possible, because it makes it more fun for me. This one is a bit earlier than intended, but the reblog tags for the last Jazz bit were killing me 😭

Over It Now Pt 9

IDW Jazz x Reader

• Tracking your passage through the house, his optics follow as lights come on, go out until you reach your bedroom and then the house is dark and silent, leaving him with his thoughts. With his oldest and truest companion, self loathing. Your anger spreading like poison through him as he walks to sit under that ancient pin oak in your yard near your window, head tipped back to look at the hints of stars through the leaves and trying to remember before the war. Back when his smile hadn’t been just a convenient mask to hide behind, he’d been a musician. A singer. He’d been happy then, but it’s been a long time since he was that bot. Sometimes it feels like the memory of a ghost, a life that couldn’t possibly be his. Optics shuttering behind his visor, he tries to picture the street, busy with Cybertronians going about their day. The weight of an instrument in his hands, servos dancing over chords.

• Furious with Jazz and yourself, you lay there in the dark and stare at the ceiling. Wondering why you let him get under your skin when you know the likely outcome. If everything is a game to him, then getting close or allowing him close is only going to hurt you in the end. You know that. So why does that crooked little smile keep slipping into your head? You’re angriest because of how you’d felt when he’d held you like that, safe, precious, like you mattered and it hadn’t been real. Because you’re dumb enough to play right into his little game. At first, the sound is so low you almost miss it. Something aside from the hum of the ceiling fan. Singing, the sound so achingly lonely even as the words mean nothing to you. Sliding out of bed, you limp to the window and peek out through the blinds, spotting the glow of Jazz’s visor beneath the tree, his biolights faintly limning his frame. He’s making that bittersweet sound and even if you don’t understand the language, it’s so full of yearning that it hurts.

• It’s not the sort of songs he’d sang on the streets of Iacon or Praxus, something new. Pouring all the poison in him out into the quiet night, all the things he can’t say out loud. The hurt, the loneliness, and the need for someone to see him, to see past the shiny, smiling veneer and realize that no, he’s not okay. Hasn’t been for a long time. The song sinks its claws into him, a stream of longing and grief, every word a new chain pulling him down with their weight. Because no one really sees him. They never have. Their needs forging him into this so he can do what needs to be done. No matter the cost. A good little spy smiling instead of screaming. The touch of a little hand on his ped breaks him from the song, voice faltering. And you’re right there, head down. Crying as you lean on your crutches, crying for him because he can’t and no one else will.

• You can’t stop crying, because that song is a living thing twisting inside you, all sweetness and barbed wire. This is something real, not a lie and it hurts more than a song should. Then he’s leaning forward, a servo tipping your chin up and then sliding over your cheek. “Sorry, doll. Didn’t mean to wake you,” he says voice low, big hand outstretched like he wants to pick you up, pull you into him again. But hesitating. And you grab onto his servos, letting your crutches fall as he catches you, lifts you to cradle against him, big hands tucking your little frame against the warm mesh of his neck. “I’m sorry. I just don’t know how to do this anymore.” Pressing your face against him, you’re not sure what he means by that. Maybe not lying. Maybe being real. But maybe you can help him figure it out.

Previous

[thetxtdevil]

Orthopedics Surgeon

Doctor!Taehyun x Doctor!Reader

summary: Know it all Dr. Taehyun knows who you did last night in the on-call room. Little do you know he wants some.

content: smut, hospital setting (if you don't like anything correlating to blood and anything medical don't read), descriptions of surgery, sub/switch taehyun, switch reader (idk how I got there), nicknames are used, humping/thigh riding, hand job, classic riding, groping, condom use (yay!)

word count: 3.4k

honorable mentions: thank you @biteyoubiteme and @beomiracles for looking over this, I should kiss you for it.

“Can anyone tell me what the condition for a broken chordae tendineae is?” The cardiac surgeon asks while elbow deep in the patient’s chest cavity. The gorey scene before you was new to your young surgeon's eyes, the deep reds and pink hues, the constant rhythmic movements of the lungs and bypass of the heart was much different from a brain or an abdomen operation, and it excited you. Watching intently on what the surgeon was doing so you can replicate the techniques in your free time and even in your dreams.

The room was silent, a mixture of tired unamused faces and pale nauseous interns that didn’t answer. Either no one knows or they’re too scared to speak up, however, you raised your hand, you felt like a dork but it felt appropriate. After being ignored and given a few side glances you speak up, “Broken Heart Syndrome, sir.” You notice the surgeon faintly jolting at your voice and at the answer.

“Uhh, no,” the cardiac surgeon said strictly, “Broken Heart Syndrome is the diminishing of the cardiac muscle, the condition I was looking for was Chordae Tendineae Rupture.” Your cheeks burn red, if you weren’t sterile you would have hid your face with your hands. You try to bring yourself out of embarrassment thinking no one paid attention until a hushed chuckle forms next to you.

“And you want to be a cardiac surgeon?” Your head whips to the man next to you, a raised eyebrow above big round eyes glances at you, Dr. Kang Taehyun.

“Shut up, Bone Daddy,” you say in a low whisper making sure he was the only one who could hear the vulgar nickname. You’ve known Taehyun since your first day of internship at the hospital, he is the smartest in your class, and had his eyes on orthopedics along with the hot eligible workers. You’ve witnessed him getting close to the f-boy nurse, Yeonjun, after you told Taehyun about your accidental trip to the supply closet. Thinking he would be disgusted by the story, later you were surprised to see the doctor talking and laughing with the scrub nurse. You didn’t know what to think of Taehyun after that, a man you thought was a quiet nerdy boy was a man whore in disguise. 

So imagine how you felt when the both of you grasp a paper on the Public Information board of an apartment for sale. Internship was hard as it is, the event that happened earlier was definitely not the worst of it, adding troubles with living situations was just the cherry on top. This for sale pamphlet was a perfect opportunity to share rent with others, but you did not want to share it with Taehyun. 

“I don’t think you’re the one that is offering the apartment, so I don’t understand why you’re not letting me consider it.” Tae says as you both practically tug-of-war the paper, “come on y/n, we both need a place to stay and you know I have the best study methods, and I’ll share.”

“Yeah y/n, I don’t know why you’re so against it,” you let go of the paper to look at your best friend, Kai, he was also in the same class as you and Tae. Who you were also going to share rent with, but he was fine because he didn’t fool around, “give us one good reason why Taehyun can’t live with us.” You take a step back, looking back and forth the boys’ eyes, Kai had big hopeful eyes whereas Taehyun couldn’t care less. You did not want to tell him that the reason that you didn’t want Taehyun to live with you is because you didn’t want the possibility of him bringing anyone home and making… noises.

Rolling your eyes, “Fine, I’ll share with you, but you better pay rent on time.”

“Deal, Sweetheart.” you shiver at the nickname Tae has given you, hiding the reaction as you squint in distaste at the handsome smirk on the doctor’s face.

%%%

Years pass, the young internship days turned into years of resident chaos and now you spend your days as a full-on cardiothoracic surgeon. Yet you still share your bathroom with Kai and argue with Taehyun about not making enough coffee in the mornings.

This morning you were rushing to the hospital, you slept in from the tiring day before. Quickly changing into your seafoam green scrubs, tying your hair up, stuffing your stethoscope into your white coat while heading to the surgical floor for morning report. Walking around the desk crowded with many healthcare professionals, you make your way to Taehyun who had a counter spot open for you to put your papers.

Taehyun glances at you like everyone else did, but he was the only one to notice your strut. A slight smirk creeps his face as he notes the slight limp you have that he knows a little too well on girls. You come to the counter clicking your pen ready to write about your patients.

“Room 822, has a bit of delirium causing a higher heart rate, Room 304, has been complaining of pain but they are doing their exercises and tolerating meds…” You listen intently about your patients not noticing Taehyun’s constant glances every time you shifted weight on your feet. You are not an antsy person and Tae knows that. “What’s wrong, y/n?”

You throw a confused look at the doctor, “nothing,” you were feeling fine other than the pain you felt from being manhandled by the scrub nurse yesterday.

“Whatever you say, Sweetheart.” Taehyun has known you for years and the years of living together has added to the closeness between you two. He knows that you don’t sleep with others all that often hence the soreness you show, but he had a little secret that he was dying to inform you.

As report ends the many scrub workers disperse throughout the unit. You walk over to the coffee maker in the breakroom pouring luke-warm brown water in your disposable cup when Taehyun slides himself next to you. You feel his eyes burning holes into you as you lazily focus not to spill your life source everywhere. An exhaled “what” leaves your lips making the man fix his posture before he speaks.

“Did you have a fun time yesterday?” Your eyes widen at his question, memories flash into your head of Yeonjun abusing your pussy so good. The way his fingers felt on your folds, the sensation of his abs against your spine as he whispers and kisses your ear. “You were pretty loud, I know you don’t get out much but damn-”

You quickly lower your coffee cup to smack the man, “shut up!”

Taehyun chuckles, “I should say the same thing to you, you should be happy that my patient was loopy on drugs or else they wouldn’t think they were imagining your fuck for a lifetime.”

Mixtures of emotions fill up your insides, frustrated by the cocky smirk of Tae’s plush lips, embarrassed by the fact that you were really that loud, angry that Tae brought it up. It was one of the best fucks you’ve had but you didn’t like that your friend was condescending you. Your mind gears start turning thinking of your next course of action, “what, are you jealous?”

Taehyun’s thick brows rise, he leans his head on the frame of the door, you watch closely to the bobbing of his adams apple as he swallows his thoughts. His big eyes darken for a second before he lifts his head, “no, just keep it down next time.”

You watch the man walk away as if he just talked about work and not that he heard every detail of your dirty secret. From the side of your eye you see the scrub nurse who keeps track of the surgeries, “Nurse, what is Dr. Taehyun’s schedule today?”

%%%

Looking through the glass window that sits above the surgical room is like its some type of opera. These days the watching rooms aren’t used as much but since they are there fellow surgeons like to use the seating area for a place to chart and watch techniques to be used. You sat there doing just that, scrolling through your laptop checking on any procedures or medications needing to be ordered for your patients. Every now and then you glance down watching your friend do a total hip replacement. Your eyes linger on Taehyun and his form. He looked so cute with his golden scrub cap standing out from the neutral colors of the OR. Is it wrong to drool over the doctor's buff arms every time his tools hit hard on the bone of the patient? It amazed you how the blue gown wrapped snugly on the doctor’s body. The waistband hugged his small waist, the sleeve morphed to his muscular arms. Your friend has always been buff ever since your internship years but it seems like he has been working out harder, or is it that you’re looking at him harder.

The heart monitor sounds an alarm waking you up out of your drool-fest. Adrenaline rushes through your vessels instantly standing up to see what was going on with the patient on the table. The anesthesiologist looks at the jagged mountain shaped lines on the EKG, “signs of V-Tach, starting compressions.”

Taehyun looks stunned, not expecting such a turn of events on a simple hip replacement stepping away from the patient to not cause any additional harm, “Get the pads and set them to 100.”

A nurse drags the machine to the bed, the anesthesiologist shocks the patient, Taehyun winces seeing the slight jolt moving the incision sight of the hip, “no change.”

“Shock again at 200.”

“No change, still V-Tach, what do you want to do Doctor?”

Taehyun tells the other doctor to shock the patient again before glancing up to you. You were gone from where he last noticed you standing, before he knew it the scrub nurses got cardiac surgical supplies out and you came rushing through the sliding doors ready to be gowned and gloved.

“Why didn’t you know about this?” You say in a stern voice letting the nurse help the gown on you.

“It wasn’t noted in the chart.”

Looking over at the patient on the table it was a frail old man, “Would the heart condition derive from the operation”

“It can”

“That's why, it's probably a stress induced M.I.”

“Are you sure?”

You stop in your tracks looking up into the big boba eyes of Taehyun’s, “Do you want me to say it louder, Bone Daddy.” The silence in the room was loud, no one understood the reference only you and the other surgeon did. Taehyun bows his head, his blushed cheeks hidden under the mask. You take a step towards the patient, glancing at a displayed EKG of the heart rhythm, “yep, he’s having a heart attack, continue compressions, shock again at 200, and let's prepare for an angioplasty.”

Taehyun stands there admiring your intimidating demeanor, how pretty you looked with your scrunch up eyebrows, standing tall waiting for the patient to be prepped for your specialty. You look over at Dr. Taehyun and say, “Do you want to finish up your side of things?”

%%%

A cozy cool light casts over you as you snuggled up into the sofa watching whatever was on the TV screen. You dig around in the small white take-out box pushing aside the vegetables, looking for noodles to shove in your mouth. The front door clicks open, making you lift your head in attention to see Taehyun waddle tiredly into your guys’ shared apartment. His black hair hung into his eyes, tired body flops into a spot next to you, his whole body relaxing. Head tilting back, hands smoothing his legs that were manspreading. You grab another take-out box of chicken from the coffee table and give it to him. “Kai is on-call tonight and I didn’t know when you’ll get out of work so I just ordered–” You cut yourself off, right when you were about to reach over to get the man chopsticks, he grabs yours and licks any of your remnants off. Your eyes couldn’t care less about what was going on the TV screen. All you could focus on was your handsome friend’s sharp jaw move while chewing, and then how his pretty adams apple bounces after each swallow. 

A smirk turns his plush lips, swallowing his last bite he says, “thanks for helping me today.”

“Of course, you’d do the same for me” you giggle to yourself, “if for whatever reason a bone falls out while in the patient’s chest.” Tae smiles at your comment, your hand instinctively rubs his thigh in a comforting way but once you feel his muscle tense the mood changes.

Your fingers start to draw patterns on the man’s black slacks, “why were you hesitant before?” Taehyun’s head lifts to look at your eyes after watching your fingers, he hums inquisitively. “Why were you hesitant when I asked if you were jealous of me getting laid, are you?”

“I-” he starts getting distracted when he plays with the loose ends of your shorts, “I wouldn’t say I’m jealous, more like… thinking of what I am missing,” you hum at his confession. You both sit there trying to comprehend and decide what two want to make of this. Looking back into the big boba eyes, heat rushes up your spine, a need to also know what you’ve been missing after living with the man for so long. Like as if you could read each other's minds, when you lean your face towards Tae’s, he helps guide your leg to straddle his hips.

Your lips connect like a puzzle piece. His lips were dry and cracked from the habit of his lip-biting concentration, but it wasn’t like your saliva couldn’t help. Warmth of the smooth muscle fighting each other became an addicting game. You held onto his sweater pulling him impossibly closer to you. That same rush of heat boils down to your core making the sense of closeness start to grind down on Tae’s half hard dick. Taehyun moves his lips to your jaw and down to your neck, his ears perk when he gets a hint of your small whimper. Looking up to see you biting your lip hard as you get yourself off from the friction of his pants. “What's wrong sweetheart, let me hear you.”

You glance down at him with slight irritation that he stopped his sweet kisses. Rolling your hips harder on his hard cock presented you with the most beautiful sight of Taehyun’s eyebrows scrunching up and his lips widening letting out a moan of pleasure. His head tilts back, big hands gripping your ass like it was going to float away, he motions you harder onto him. You graze your nose against his neck relishing his homely scent that was all too familiar. Holding back the want to nibble at the skin you lift your head back to Taehyun’s plush lips. “Y/n-” you hum ignoring what he was trying to say, too addicted to the friction against your swollen clit, “ah- y/n, let's take this somewhere else.”

Still too engulfed by the man’s presence and wanting to get off just by his thighs, you didn’t answer. To your surprise, you were lifted up by the stronghold of Taehyun. Your hands reach for his shoulders holding him tight as he gets up with ease. Carrying you to his dark cold bedroom, dropping you down on his pristine white sheets, arms caging your seated position, hovering over you kissing deeply. Taehyun’s fingers dance under your shirt, “now sweetheart, I want to hear you like I’ve heard before,” he says, taking off your top along with your bra, “can you do that for me?”

His rough lips drift low to your hardening nipples making you answer with a breathy, “y-yes.”

Tae hums, satisfied with the state you’re in. He removes his shirt leaving you in awe, you’ve seen him shirtless before roaming around the house, but under the dim lighting paired with his lustful eyes, the sight made you shiver. The man walks away from you, your puppy eyes trail him watching him sit comfortably on his bed, back against his pillows. Following him to his spot, he stops you quickly tugging at your shorts. You slide them off with your panties and stand there waiting for his next request. “Sit on my thigh.”

Your cheek burns pink, bare pussy pressed against the textured material of Taehyun’s slacks. Your body instinctively starts to grind, head tilting back as excitement warms your stomach. Tae’s hands grip onto your hips helping you move, “Feel good?”

Your whine brings a smile to the man’s face, you open your eyes to get a glimpse of his canine grin. Taehyun’s smirk disappears into something more mischievous, you start to feel his leg bounce. Hands quickly grasp his shoulders keeping you stable, “A-ah T-tae-hyun!”

The man hums gripping your love handles harder, “Do you like how my thighs feel? Are you going to cum just by my thighs alone, sweetheart?” You try to nod but the quick movements mixed with your building up orgasm makes it hard to think. “Use your words, love.”

You’re gasping to do so, the friction in between your legs were overstimulating as it is. Once you feel his thumb snaking down to your clit it’s over for you. “F-feels good, fuck!” You cum on his black slacks, falling onto Taehyun’s shoulder. Exhausted but reality hits when you feel the man shifting under you. Leaving small pecks against his neck while reaching down to palm his aching dick. You note that way he whines and tilts his head at your lips on the sensitive part of his neck. “Let me help you please.”

Taehyun chuckles, “well since you asked so nicely.”

Both of you struggle to lower the man’s pants resulting in his dick slapping against his abdomen. You stop for a moment, eyes glued to his veiny thick cock waiting patiently for your attention. Your dainty surgeon hands cautiously wrap around him feeling every bump and ridge to have Tae jerk his hips up. “Taehyun, or should I say Bone Daddy,” the man hums in response, concentrating so hard not to release by your little movements, “where are your condoms?”

“T-there in the ah-” like butter, he melts into your hands, “in the nightstand.”

Multitasking with one hand tending to the man’s dick and the other reaching for a condom out of the drawer. You grin while tearing the condom packet open. You’re amazed at how his aura changed, he can’t be like this with other girls. How can the man in front of you, no more than a needy boytoy, be the one to make those visitors scream so loudly you had to purposely walk in on them to tell them to keep it down. “So Bone Daddy, do you always crumble for pretty girls like me?” You lean in towards his ear, biting the lobe gently noticing the faint shiver of sensitivity while rolling the condom on. Taehyun’s hands quickly get a hold of your hips as you lift them thinking you’re moving away. You chuckle, as a hand lines his cock to your cunt while the other lovingly rubs the nape of Tae’s neck. You sink down slowly, easing into the pain of the stretch he gives you. A grunt of Tae’s contemptment paired with a snap of his impatient hips upwards. Legs working overtime to match his pace, Taehyun finally has the power to admit, “Something about a pretty surgeon riding my cock while giving my neck kisses just does it for me.”

A smile forms on your face, taking what he said as a sign to leave more pecks on the column of his neck. Your lips push down to where his carotid artery is, feeling the harsh pulse, and fast rate. His hips snap up right to your g-spot as you do this, resulting in your attention to his neck to falter, moaning out. Your eyes roll to the back of your head consumed by his tip kissing your cervix. Tae’s hands grope the flesh of your ass as another snakes up to play with your nipple. A cute grin displayed on the man’s face once again making you scream under his touch. The stutter of his hips signals you to bounce faster reaching both of your highs. 

Both of you panting, hooked to one another, feeling each other's heart beats. “Do you still feel like you’re missing out, Bone Daddy?”

“Mmm I think I need to hear you again, sweetheart.”

A nuisance,

TxT's Devil 🩺

taglist: @naoristerling, @inkigayocamman

[magics-neptunes-things]

Mockingjay - Part 7

Hi guys :)

I don't have anything to say for this one, just be careful about the triggers warning.

Enjoy!

TW : Death, blood, murders, face injury, injuries in general.

Chapter before

“Ona”

Ona frowns and stirs, being awakened in her sleep. She knows that voice and it’s what finally really wakes up.

Opening her eyes, she finds herself right in front of Jana. The girl is smiling, looking as peaceful and sweet as she always has been. Ona stands up abruptly, almost falling in the process.

“What are you doing here? Wait, am I dead?” she starts to panic.

Ona looks around her anxiously, trying to learn what is happening. There is nothing around them but trees. The last thing she remembers is falling asleep on the tree with Teagan next to her, when the boy assured her that he had slept enough.

“You’re not dead” Jana smiles at her.

Ona nods, still wondering what the hell is happening. But if it’s a dream, it’s the first time she dreams about Jana while being almost conscious about what is happening. Jana is still looking at her, smiling. She seems so peaceful, with her hair in the usual braid she was wearing every day. Jana doesn’t talk, she just keeps looking at Ona.

Seconds pass and it’s maybe time to say things she says while she talks to her, Ona thinks. But what to begin with?

“Jana, I’m so sorry” Ona says, taking a step to be closer to her.

“About what?”

The question seems genuine. Jana tilts her head on the side, still looking at Ona with a real query.

“For not knowing how to protect you, I guess? You were so young; it was so unfair…”

“It was” Jana smiles sadly. “I’m sorry that it made you suffer so much”

Ona shrugs, looking at her feet. Of course, she suffered from her girlfriend’s death, but she’s pretty sure she suffers very less than Jana herself. Imagine her being scared every single second is crushing her lungs. That’s why she’s trying to protect Teagan, Jana didn’t have someone to look after her when she was in that arena.

“But I’m okay now, you know. Plus, I had a happy life before all of this. I had a loving and caring family, amazing friends, and a perfect girlfriend.”

Ona smiles and raises her eyes again on her when Jana taps her feet with hers. Jana was sweet, but definitely a tease too. Something Ona loved very much.

“A lot of people from the Capitol or the career Districts don’t have that. I was lucky to have all of you.”

She seems sincere and for some reason it makes Ona feel a little lighter. Like if a weight was removed from her shoulders. Jana was right, it wasn’t maybe the perfect life, but at least they were happy.

“Why don’t you think your girlfriend hasn’t talked to you about her family yet?” Jana adds.

It catches Ona’s attention, and she feels herself blushing hard. Ona finds herself babbling about something she doesn’t understand herself, which seems to amuse Jana a lot. Seeming to take pity on Ona, Jana finally interrupted her.

“Ona I’m not mad, please breathe” the girl giggles.

Ona obliges and takes a big breath, trying to calm her nerfs.

“You’re not?” Ona whispers.

“Of course not. You deserve happiness and if it’s with her it’s okay. She seems to be a great girl.”

“You talk like we are living on a peaceful island, not a war arena” Ona points out.

“You always have been the pessimist one” Jana rolls her eyes.

Ona rolls her eyes too. Even if Jana is right, optimism was never something very strong in her personality. But given the life they had, it can be understandable can’t it?

“You can survive this, Ona. I know it.”

“How?” Ona frowns.

“You wear my necklace. I’ll protect you.”

Ona looks at Jana for some more seconds. There is so much she wants to say to Jana, but just when she opens her mouth again, she hears someone else calling her.

“Ona. Ona!”

Ona wakes up in a burst, looking around her quickly again, panting heavily. Jana isn’t here anymore, she’s back on her tree with Teagan next to her. The boy seems uncomfortable next to her, making her wonder what is happening. 

“I’m sorry, but you were whispering strange things. And I think an insect bit you.”

He points somewhere near Ona’s neck, and the girl mechanically puts her hand on it. She can feel the bite, hot under her fingers.

“What does the bite look like?” she asks Teagan.

“Like a stretched round, purple” he says, leaning a little bit to have a better look at it.

“Dreaming bees” Ona sighs. “They can cause hallucinations if they bite you. It can be very strong if the bee is adult, this one might have been a baby”

She rubs her neck softly, thinking a little more. She learned about those bees in survival classes, they are pretty hard to fight because they are hard to crush. And they usually live together, not alone.

“We probably should move from here, this bee probably isn’t alone. We can find another tree or go exploring. What do you think is better?”

“I don’t know. Maybe we shouldn’t go after the starting point, it’s a desert and I heard someone say that his teammates died of thirst.”

“Awful” Ona says, shivering.

If she can choose her death, she would rather it being during a fight or something. Dying from thirst or hunger must be really terrible. It made her think that she needs to fill her water again.

Teagan and Ona decided to wait until dusk before getting out of the tree, still looking around to be sure not to be bitten again.

“Did you make friends during training?” Teagan asks, when they are walking to the river.

“Friends? Not really…” Ona answers, her thoughts going to Lucy once again. “I mean, I liked Anna from the 9…”

“I saw you talking to Lucy Bronze several times too”

“When?” Ona frowns.

They haven’t talked a lot during training sessions, so she’s curious about the answer. Teagan smirks and shrugs before answering.

“In the hallways. I always found her intimidating” he admits.

“I’m sure she would love to hear that” Ona chuckles while they arrive at the river.

She then puts a finger on her lips, asking Teagan to be quiet. She remembers perfectly that Declan said that they were on the other side of the river, which means they could be everywhere. She would love to see Lucy again, but not with the risk of being killed.

Ona was filling her bottle, and Teagan was washing his hands when they heard the music announcing the deaths dashboard. Still with white pictures of the dead tributes. It’s still strange for Ona to think that those people are dead, killed by the ones still around her.

“Only two deaths” Teagan whispers. “How many people are still alive?”

Ona sits on a rock, trying to think.

“Well, us two. Tony, which makes three and the boy hunting you. And the six people of the career’s districts. I think the girls from the 12 and the 7 are still alive?”

“It makes 12 people, and we were 24 at first”

Ona nods softly. Deciding not to stay without doing anything, she starts to look around to find some fruit or something to eat. Teagan helps her, never too far from her. Ona is almost sure that he’s scared of the dark, but she decides not to tease him with that. Maybe she should reconsider her strategy and start to do her things in the daylight.

“Are those strawberries?” Teagan asks in disbelief.

Ona frowns, coming closer to have a look. She had strawberries in the Capitol for dessert from time to time. But those look a little bit smaller and different.

“I’m not sure” Ona answers. “Maybe we –“

She stops talking as soon as she hears it, but it’s too late. Someone is walking to them or running maybe. Teagan has heard them too considering his frightened face. Ona still takes Teagan to help him climb a tree, pushing his feet with both hands.

But it’s too late for her, she just has time to turn around to face the boy who was running after Teagan yesterday.

“Oh. Hi” he smirks. “Who were you talking to?”

“No one” Ona answers, standing a little straighter.

The boy arches an eyebrow and comes closer. That’s when Ona realizes that he’s holding a bloody knife. No doubt he already served. He keeps talking, but Ona doesn’t listen. She tries to think fast, asking herself what Alexia would do in this situation. She can run, she’s fast. But she knows that the boy is fast too. And strong.

She still can try to fight back, but it would probably be a very uneven fight.

Understanding that Ona isn’t listening to him anymore, the boy’s face changes and he jumps on her, taking her by surprise. Ona manages to avoid him with extreme accuracy, her reflexes still good despite the lack of sleep and food.

Ona realizes quickly that he might be stronger, but he’s slower than her. She learned during training not to be on the ground during a fight, but it looks like to her that jumping on his legs is a pretty good thing to try.

So, Ona tries, pushing with all the strength she has in her legs. It does work, the boy falls on the ground but still kicks Ona right in the face with his boots. The pain is immediate and strong, but Ona still manages to stand up. She wobbles a little, but her blurred vision allows her to realize that her opponent is trying to get back on his feet too. He seems mad with rage.

“You’re so dead” he spits.

Just when he takes a step in her direction, a noise above their head stops both of them. Ona just has the time to look up to see a big branch falling from the tree. Right on the boy’s head.

This has the merit of knocking him out half. He is lying on the ground, the branch next to him. Ona knows what to do, but it’s not easy. Her hands tremble when she grabs the branch, but her blows are sharp and precise, destined to leave no chance for the other boy. She knows she succeeded when she hears the sound of the cannon.

“Ona?”

The brunette raises her head, spotting Teagan sitting on another branch of the tree, just next to the one who fell before.

“Nice one, Kiddo” Ona says almost tiredly.

She feels… Empty. Throwing the branch a little further, she turns to the bag and the things that belonged to the boy. Next to her, Teagan jumps from the last branch, coming to have a look too.

Ona opens the bag and gets out the things that are in there. Another bottle, the knife obviously, bandages, a small landing net and a bowl. After having split the things in two, they both take a bag. Teagan insists that Ona takes the big knife.

“You should probably wash your wound, it looks painful” Teagan says.

Ona sighs but nods, getting closer to the river once again. She can’t see her face, but her left cheek is painful. She appreciates the feeling of something fresh against her face, but the pain is still here when she stands up again.

“You probably will have a black eye” Teagan informs her.

She shrugs, deciding not to pay attention to it. If this had been in everyday life, it would have probably changed. But here, she doesn’t care a bit. There’s worse. Their small chance of survival, for example.

“Should we go back to the forest?” Teagan asks.

Ona hesitates, biting her lips softly. She thought that she was safer in the forest, but she was wrong.

“Maybe we can go to the city. It might have houses a little bit more hidden than the big building I chose last time.”

With that, they start walking to go to the city. The walk seems longer to Ona, maybe because it’s during the night. Or maybe it’s because she’s still shocked by what happened. She knew that she would have to fight at some point, but Ona had not prepared herself psychologically for the feeling of killing. Despite her, his thoughts are with the family of this boy, people who loved him.

This time, they are coming from the other side and Ona sees small houses on a little hill. Which is perfect to see someone coming, if she doesn’t fall asleep of course. She wonders if she could fall asleep if she lays down somewhere. Probably.

They walk in silence and after having looked around to be sure that they were alone, Ona and Teagan chose a small light blue house. The windows are almost all closed with wooden panels, but some holes inside allow them to be able to observe around.

The sun is lighting the sky when Teagan calls her, standing in front of the windows.

“Look at the lake” he points.

Ona looks and frowns. There is effectively a lake here, one she hasn’t seen when she was in the city before. But what is strange is that the water is glowing.

“We’ll avoid going to go swimming there, I think” Ona smiles softly before turning in Tegan’s direction. “You must sleep a little. I’ll keep an eye on the area during this time.”

Teagan doesn’t wait before accepting Ona’s offer. He finds a spot on the wooden floor and lies on the blanket they have recovered from their adventures. In two minutes, he is out of the world and Ona can only see once again how young he is.

Ona sighs softly and sits on a cupboard, offering her a view around them. Everything seems so calm and peaceful, as if they aren’t in the middle of an arena. She froze suddenly when she heard something, like a wolf’s cry. But even if she looks everywhere, she can’t find anything.

Her thoughts go to Lucy again and she can’t help but wonder where she is right now. None of her teammates are dead for now and it looks like they are sticking together for now. Is she still on the other side of the river? If Ona was alone, maybe she would try to find her. Just to see her one last time before something bad happened to her. Ona knows she can’t win here, but it doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to try. And she won’t give up either.

Her hand is stroking Jana’s pendant once again. She feels sad not to be able to talk to Lucy. She would like to talk to her about her dream with Jana, because even if it was a dream, Ona has the impression that it’s exactly what Jana would have said.

And to be honest, Ona wasn’t expecting that missing Lucy would be the hardest point of all this game.

Just when she wanted to look around the house a little more, she sees a little group of people walking in the direction of the lake. Frowning, she come closer to the window, trying to see who it is. It’s not Lucy, she knows it. But it looks like to her that it’s Declan with one of the twins and the girl Lucy wanted to kill when they were in the building the other day.

“What are they doing here?” she mumbles, coming closer.

Being careful not to be seen, Ona comes as close as possible to the windows. Now, the lake seems normal, it’s not glowing anymore. Ona frowns softly when she realizes that. Teagan wakes up while the trio is looking at the lake, talking and gesturing around.

Until both girls suddenly come closer to Declan while he’s looking at something on the shores of the lake. They push the poor boy, not giving him any chance to escape a fall in the lake.

An awful scream is heard just before silence. And the cannon.

“Did they… Did they just kill him?” Teagan mumbles, eyes wide.

Ona passes her tongue nervously on her lower lip before answering.

“It looks like it”

She’s scared. Not of those two girls, but she’s scared for Lucy. If they aren’t scared of killing Declan like this, what can they do to Lucy? She feels her head sting at the idea of something bad happening to the girl she loves.

“Wait, what is this?” Ona frowns.

There is something coming from the lake, like a fog floating in the air. It’s pale yellow and it looks like the girls saw it too. She hears Lilith screaming when the fog hits her, and that scream raises Ona’s hair on her head.

They take their bags and run outside, leaving as fast as possible. Looks like she always returns to the woods, Ona thinks. She grabs Teagan’s hand to make him run faster. When she turns around, she realizes that the city is now completely inside the yellow fog, and it makes her shiver.

They never heard about something like this during the trainings or the survival courses. Or at least Ona can’t remember it.

“What was that?” Teagan asks, out of breath, when they finally stop their run.

“I don’t know” Ona answers.

She opens her bag to grab her bottle of water and drink, relieved that they chose the river to have some water and not the lake.

“It looked like chemical smoke or something” Teagan mumbles.

“Yeah”

Scary as hell. She froze suddenly when she hears the cannon once again, looking around her as if she would have the name of the person who just died. But she knows she won’t, she will have to wait tonight. Was it Lucy? Can they betray her too?

“What are we doing now?” Teagan asks.

Ona thinks for some seconds, biting her lips. She wants to find Lucy now more than ever, but she knows it’s probably taking Teagan right to the death with her.

“I don’t know if it’s a good idea to go there” she says, pointing to an area where she never went before. “I think I heard wolves from here.”

“Maybe” Teagan mumbles. “There is snow there”

Ona shivers at the idea. She has never seen snow before, but she’s not sure that she wants to see some in those conditions.

“First, I think we need to find out if the smog is still moving forward or not” Ona decides. “Then we will see.”

When Teagan nods, Ona helps him to go in one tree while she climbs another one. She goes as high as possible, wanting to have the best view possible. Ona needs several minutes to be high enough and have an open view. She can see the fog, but it seems still next to the city. She waits a little bit though, just to be sure.

“It’s okay, it’s not moving anymore” she says to Teagan when she reaches his high again.

The boy seems relieved about this information. Maybe they should go hiding somewhere else, but for once, Ona is tired. Mentally and physically. She doesn’t know where Lucy is, whether she’s safe or if she’s in danger.

“Who do you think will win the Games?”

Ona frowns at Teagan’s question. It’s a good one to be honest. It’s easier to answer now that a lot of them are already dead.

“I think… Lucy Bronze could be a good winner” Ona says slowly. “I mean, her brother already won and she’s strong”

“I would rather for her to win. Not Seth or someone else”

Ona nods only. If she could choose someone to win, she would choose Lucy, of course. While they were talking, Ona hears the same noise she heard the first day, when she was inside the building. Knowing what it is, she looks around to find the small metal box, smiling when she spots it.

When she opens it, she finds a small glass container.

“The message says it’s for your injury on your face” Teagan reads.

Ona looks at it and realizes that it isn’t the same handwriting as that day. The message isn’t from Alexia, which means that some sponsor made the choice to send her something to help her heal her injury.

Opening the container carefully, she finds an orange cream, smelling pretty good to be honest. She uses the mirror inside the box to put the cream at the right place. She grimaces when she sees her face. The cut seems deep, and her eye is swollen. The cream is cold, which alone is really appreciative.

Minutes after, they hear the song announcing the pictures of dead tributes. She frowns when she sees that Lilith is dead, apparently the fog was murderous. But that means that Lucy is still alive, and Ona can breathe again. Declan and Teagan’s chaser are also shown.

“So, still 9 people alive” Teagan breathes. “The two from the 1, Seth, Lucy, us, the girl from the 7 and the one from the 12. Do you think they are together?”

“I hope for them” Ona sighs. “Being alone must be terrifying.”

“Yeah… About that, I wanted to th –“ Teagan begins.

“Don’t’” Ona shakes her head. “No need to thank me. Plus, you saved my life earlier too. We are okay.”

It seems to reassure Teagan, who smiles proudly. It makes Ona smile back and the girl realizes that she hasn’t smiled a lot in this arena. Which is probably normal, though.

“So we’re teammates?” the young boy asks.

“We are” she smirks, before raising her fist for him to punch it.

Then they fall into silence, Ona closing her eyes for some seconds to try to rest a little. Her face hurts and she’s trying very hard not to touch her eyes.

“Can I ask you something?” Teagan asks, several minutes after.

Ona hums for only an answer, not opening her eyes for now. She doesn’t know why, but she has the feeling that the question has been in the boy’s mind for some time now.

“Why aren’t you fighting with Tony? I mean he’s strong and from what I heard; he was one of your brother’s friends? When you saved me the other day, I was waiting for you to tell me that you want to find him or something.”

Ona opens her eyes softly and looks at the boy, thinking of the best way to answer this question. She knows that now they are not as much as the beginning, there are a lot of risks that they are filmed. And she doesn’t want to make any problem for her family if Tony’s family sees this. Or Tony himself, if he wins this.

“I think we don't have the same view of things. It was obvious during the training already. He didn’t want to take our mentor’s opinions and advice. I did and I still do. Alexia told me to run away at the beginning and gave me some advice about how to survive in this based on my strengths. It worked pretty well for now. Plus, seeing we were separated at the beginning of the Games and our paths never crossed, I think it’s just fate.”

He nods thoughtfully, seeming to think about what Ona just answered him. She doesn’t want to say that she hates his behavior and that she’s still mad about the fact that he deprived her to spend more nights with Lucy to look at the stars.

“I’m glad. We would probably never have been teammates otherwise.”

“I’m glad too in that case” Ona grins.

Next Chapter (Coming soon)

[the-winter-spider]

Invisible | Part Two

Pairings: Bucky x reader AU

Word Count: 2.4k

Warning: unrequited love, self doubt

A/N: I dont do taglists they stress me out sorry 🫶🏻

Part One

The next morning, you’re yawning over a mug of coffee when Natasha walks into the cafe, a knowing glint in her eye as she slides into the seat across from you.

“Long night?” she asks, eyeing the bags under your eyes.

You shrug, not really wanting to get into it. “Just the usual. Bucky brought up Kate, though.”

“Ah.” Nat nods, her gaze softening. “And how do we feel about this Kate?”

You stare at your coffee, stirring it unnecessarily. “She’s… perfect. Of course. Just what he’d want.”

Nat sighs, leaning in. “Look, I get that you’ve been telling yourself he’ll come around, but maybe it’s time to look out for you instead.”

“I know,” you say quickly, but Nat raises an eyebrow, not letting you off the hook so easily.

“Do you?” she presses. “Because staying with him, being his friend while you wait for him to suddenly wake up one day and realize how he feels about you… that’s not fair to you babe.”

You blink down at your coffee, her words digging deeper than you want to admit. “But I can’t just walk away from him.”

“Maybe you don’t have to walk away completely,” she says gently, “but sometimes, you’ve got to put yourself first. Even if that means some distance.”

The thought of moving out feels like tearing away a piece of yourself. This apartment, these late nights with Bucky, the little rituals and inside jokes… they’re home. But the idea of watching him bring Kate deeper into your world, of hearing about every date, every moment, knowing you’re just a friend—that thought feels like something you might not survive.

You nod, though you’re not sure if it’s to Nat or to yourself. “I’ll think about it,” you say, more to fill the silence than anything else.

Nat gives your hand a reassuring squeeze. “Just remember, you’re not invisible, not to everyone.”

Natasha’s fingers drum lightly on the table, her gaze fixed on you with that discerning look she wears when she knows you’re holding back. “You know,” she starts, her voice almost playful, “I could set you up with this guy I know from work. He’s got that ‘I could kill you with my pinky but won’t’ vibe. Smart, good-looking. You’d like him.”

You laugh, shaking your head. “Nat, no offense, but I don’t need a pity date right now.”

“Who said anything about pity?” She smirks. “I just think you need a distraction. You deserve someone who’s actually looking at you.”

Her words hang in the air, and though you try to brush it off, the weight of them settles on you. “Maybe,” you admit, chewing on your lip. “It’s just… Bucky’s been in my life for so long. It’s hard to picture letting anyone else in.”

Natasha’s expression softens, understanding in her eyes. “That’s the thing with comfort zones—they feel like safe havens, but they can also be prisons. And I don’t think you want to be locked in a place where you’re always second to someone else.”

Your heart aches at the truth of her words, but you manage a half-hearted smile. “When did you get so wise?”

She rolls her eyes, pretending to brush imaginary dust off her shoulder. “I’ve always been wise, you’re just finally listening.” She pauses, then tilts her head, as if she’s remembering something. “So, tell me—why haven’t I met this Kate before? Didn’t we all go to the same college?”

You shrug, looking down at your coffee as if it holds the answer. “She and Bucky had one class together, last year. That was it. We never really hung out with her… or anyone he dated, really.”

Nat nods slowly, piecing things together. “So, she was part of your little world, just on the outside. And now…” She lets the sentence trail off, understanding that this is different, even for Bucky.

“Yeah,” you murmur, feeling that ache return. “Now, it feels like she’s pushing her way into something that used to be… ours. My life with him.”

Natasha leans back, her gaze sharp but empathetic. “Maybe she is. But that doesn’t change who you are to him. And it doesn’t mean you have to let yourself be pushed aside. Just… remember, you’ve got people who see you, really see you.” She gives you a small smile. “Like me, and Steve, Sam and Wanda.”

You swallow, a knot of gratitude and sadness in your chest. “Thanks, Nat.”

“Of course.” She reaches for her cup, taking a sip before giving you another mischievous smile. “But I’m still setting up that date. You need someone who’s going to look at you like you’re the only person in the room.”

You laugh, but something about her words sticks with you.

Back at the apartment, Bucky’s in the kitchen, humming to himself as he attempts to cook. You lean against the doorway, watching him juggle the spatula and frying pan, the sight as familiar as it is painful. He catches you staring and flashes a grin, waving the spatula with a playful twirl.

“Caught you,” he teases, his blue eyes dancing. “What’s up, creep?”

You place a hand on your chest in mock offence, letting out a dramatic gasp. “Creep? Ouch, Buck.”

He laughs, his head tilting as he gives you that roguish smile. “Sorry, sweetheart.” He clears his throat and corrects himself, “What’s up, doll?”

There it is again. That name that no one else calls you—just him. And every time he says it, it feels like he’s pulling you close, holding you in his orbit. You try to ignore the way your heart flutters, pushing it down. “Better,” you respond, with a forced lightness, trying to keep things playful. “Just wondering how much of a disaster you’re about to make.”

He scoffs, pretending to be offended. “I’ll have you know I’m a culinary genius.”

“Sure, and pigs fly.” You smirk, stepping into the kitchen to stand beside him, nudging his shoulder as he focuses on flipping whatever’s in the pan.

He rolls his eyes, but there’s that look again—the one that feels like he’s studying every detail of your face, like he’s seeing you as more than just his best friend, even if it’s only for a second. “Seriously, though,” he says softly, his gaze meeting yours, “thanks for putting up with me, couldn’t ask for a better best friend.”

You swallow, feeling that flicker of hope you know you shouldn’t hold onto, quashed in an instant. Best friend. You manage a small smile, not trusting your voice to sound casual. “Couldn’t ask for a better one, either.”

But even as you say it, you can’t ignore the ache in your chest. The line between you has been so blurred over the years, with the easy touches, the names he only calls you, the looks that feel like something more—until they’re not. Because he never seems to notice the way he lingers too close, or how his teasing feels like something deeper. Maybe, you think, it’s time to face that your friendship is just that: a friendship.

Lost in thought, you don’t realize Bucky’s speaking again until he nudges your shoulder, his voice low and warm. “Earth to y/n?,” he murmurs, breaking your reverie. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

“Just… thinking,” you reply, smiling faintly as you avert your gaze. He leans down, peering up at you, an amused expression on his face, like he’s trying to coax you out of your thoughts.

“About me, obviously,” he quips, flashing a wink. “Go on, I get it—hard not to think about this face.”

You laugh despite yourself, the sound spilling out before you can stop it. “Don’t flatter yourself Buck.”

He grins, reaching over and tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear, a gesture so casual but so personal that it sends your heart racing. His hand lingers, his thumb brushing against your cheek for just a beat too long before he pulls away. “Can’t help it. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you liked me, doll.”

Your heart skips, and you force a laugh, hoping it sounds natural. “Get over yourself, Barnes. You’re lucky I even let you call me that.”

He chuckles, leaning back against the counter, arms crossed, still looking at you like you’re the most interesting thing in the room. It’s moments like these, the soft laughter, the playful teasing, that make you feel like maybe, just maybe, there could be something more—until reality crashes down with the way he looks away, casual as ever, turning back to his cooking.

“So, what do you say?” he asks, raising an eyebrow. “We take off next weekend, you and me? Get out of the city, do something stupid?”

He says it so easily, the idea of just dropping everything and being with you. It’s the kind of offer that would mean the world if it came from anyone else, but with Bucky, you know it’s just him being Bucky—your best friend who doesn’t know the half of what’s inside your heart. You nod, forcing another smile, feeling like you’re breaking in two. “Yeah… sounds good.”

He grins, but there’s a flicker of something in his eyes, a softness that makes your pulse quicken. “That’s my girl.”

The words are simple, tossed out casually as he stirs the pan, but they hit you like a punch to the gut. His girl. The irony isn’t lost on you—that’s all you’ll ever be. Watching him turn back to the stove, humming again, you wonder if it’s finally time to start protecting your heart, even if it means letting go of this impossible hope.

You stay quiet, watching him as he finishes cooking, every movement so familiar that it aches. The way he hums off-key, that little wrinkle in his brow when he’s focused. And yet, with each passing second, you feel the weight of Natasha’s words from the morning before. Putting yourself first. Even if that means some distance.

Lost in your thoughts, you don’t notice when Bucky turns around until he nudges your arm, holding out a plate with a lopsided grin. “For you, my culinary masterpiece.”

You smile and take the plate, though you barely feel the hunger anymore. “Thanks, Buck.”

He tilts his head, squinting at you, studying you the way he always does when he senses something’s off. “What’s up with you, doll? You’ve been quiet.”

You quickly shake your head, putting on a brighter smile. “Nothing, just… tired.”

It’s a half-truth, and from the way he’s looking at you, you know he can tell. But he just nods, brushing it off as he leans against the counter beside you. “Well, you should get some rest, maybe skip that shift tomorrow. I don’t like seeing you so run down…plus its the 2nd Friday of the month you know what that means”

The concern in his voice stirs something painful in you, and you bite your lip to keep it together. Because it’s just like him to care, to look after you like this, but never in the way you want. You manage a nod and quiet “I know, bar night” not trusting yourself to say much else.

But Bucky, oblivious to the turmoil in your heart, reaches out, ruffling your hair with that effortless smile. “I mean it, you work too hard. You’re allowed to take it easy sometimes, you know?”

Your smile wavers, and you look down at your plate, poking at the food to avoid his eyes. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.”

There’s a comfortable silence as the two of you eat, and for a moment, you let yourself forget the ache, just enjoying this small, simple moment. But then he starts talking about his weekend plans, and you feel the familiar twist of jealousy when he casually mentions Kate. How she texted him about some new art exhibit, how they’ll probably grab lunch afterward. Each word feels like a pin prick, a reminder that he’s drifting further away, letting someone else into a space that you’ve guarded for so long.

You take a steadying breath and look up at him, forcing yourself to speak casually. “So… you and Kate, huh? Sounds like things are getting serious..”

Bucky laughs, but there’s a faint blush on his cheeks. “Nah, I don’t know. She’s cool, but… you know me. Not exactly the settling-down type.”

The words sting, but you force yourself to smile. “Right, of course. Why settle when you’ve got the world at your feet?”

He chuckles, taking another bite, oblivious to the storm brewing inside you. But then he glances over, catching the faint trace of something in your expression, and for a split second, his smile falters. “Hey… seriously, are you okay? You’re not your usual self.”

You force a laugh, waving him off. “I’m fine, Buck. Just… I dunno. Life, I guess.”

He watches you, a furrow between his brows as if he’s trying to piece together something he’s missing. And for a split second, you almost consider telling him. Telling him everything—that you’re tired of waiting, tired of pretending, tired of being his second choice. But before you can even open your mouth, he sighs and reaches over, squeezing your shoulder.

“You know you can tell me anything, right?” he says softly. “Whatever it is… I’m here.”

The tenderness in his voice is almost too much, and you have to look away before he can see the tears threatening to spill. “Yeah, I know….of course”

There’s another silence, and he finally pulls his hand away, turning his attention back to his food. You sit there beside him, the air thick with unsaid words, wondering how much longer you can keep this up.

When you finish eating, you start gathering the dishes, feeling the need to escape the kitchen, escape the weight of his presence. But Bucky stops you, taking the plate from your hands.

“I’ve got it,” he says, nudging you toward the living room. “Go relax, i’ll clean up.”

You give him a small smile, grateful for the reprieve, and you make your way to the couch, curling up with a blanket. But as you sit there, staring at the flickering light of the TV, you realize with a sinking heart that this—him, the late nights, the quiet moments—has become everything to you. And that maybe, no matter how much you want it, he’ll never feel the same.

From the kitchen, you hear Bucky humming again, blissfully unaware of the turmoil inside you. And as you pull the blanket tighter, Natasha’s words echo in your mind: Sometimes, you’ve got to put yourself first. Even if that means some distance.

[evergreen292]

Hmm, maybe I should elaborate on why I am so furious with the 600 strike and therefore totally disappointed in Epic the Musical.

Okay, there’s no problem with the help from the souls of the crew; let’s collectively forget that they should hate him because he was the reason for their deaths, and that they shouldn’t even be there since they died not near Ithaca, and Hades wasn’t likely giving them a day off from the underworld.

No problem with the wind bag, so conveniently delivered by the trident; okay, just a really wild coincidence.

But here the problems start:

1. Since when does a totally uncontrollable and turbulent storm act like a controllable jetpack?

2. Since when is Odysseus totally capable of not only using this jetbag with ease from the very start but also using it in a damn battle? Is that believable in the slightest?

3. Since this is Poseidon’s storm and Poseidon is fully capable of controlling it (as we see at the end), why didn’t he just turn the storm off a little bit earlier, right inside the jetbag, to get rid of Odysseus without any problem? Because the author says so? That’s just silly.

4. Why doesn’t Poseidon fight back but mostly just float helplessly? Yes, he is supposed to be a worse fighter at close range, but not helpless at close range! Why didn’t he even use his own sea for attack or defense? It’s his domain, after all! I saw an opinion that he was shocked because he felt pain for the first time in his divine life… but that’s just not true. He was eaten by his own father and spent his childhood in his stomach, where there was surely enough pain. Also, gods fought their own wars with titans and giants, so he must have experienced enough pain in battle. He even fought in disguise alongside mortals in the Trojan War. So it can’t be the reason. What is the reason? Masochism? Or does the author simply understand that there’s no way for Odysseus to win if Poseidon fights back or at least protects himself with water?

5. Why does Poseidon just let his trident lie on the ground for Odysseus to pick it up slowly? Poseidon was already pretty well beaten by this mortal, so I just don’t believe he didn’t consider Odysseus a threat at that moment. So… just why? Another author’s decision for the sake of a desirable (but totally illogical) Odysseus victory?

6. Why does Poseidon let himself be stabbed repeatedly by his own trident and not even try to take it back, run, or use water to evade? Is he really this masochistic? Another “because the author wants it so”? And we can see that Poseidon bears serious pain well enough, by the way.

7. Poseidon calling Odysseus a "monster" as an accusation is just hilarious because with all his ruthless philosophy, it should rather be a praise! So we have a clearly out-of-character Poseidon here. Also, I think he would rather die (being immortal, yes) than ask a mortal (!) for mercy! And all the “how would you sleep at night” is just so out of character for Poseidon from all the gods! He is ruthless himself, so… is he sleeping poorly at night all these thousands of years? Really? Does he genuinely consider his ruthless deeds something to regret? Do we have a straight PJO Poseidon here instead of our old epic one?! This line seems just forced for the sake of a “badass” Odysseus's response.

So we already have too many illogical moments that the author uses to get a desirable but totally unbeliveable result. But what about mythological accuracy? In Greek mythology, we have no examples of a god being literally defeated (not tricked or captured) by a mere human. Only wounded—twice—in the Iliad, but in the first case, it was Aphrodite, who is specifically described as weak in wartime. And in the second case with Ares, Athena was there invisibly, literally guiding Diomedes's spear to the weak spot with her own hand. So we can’t even say that it’s mythologically possible for a mere human to defeat a god, especially one whose power is comparable to Zeus.

So… now you can see why I am totally disappointed with the 600 strike.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

[blackenedsnow]

I have a shadow the hedgehog request if its alright..? Can we have shadow with his gf who has a hard time eating? Hates the way they look and its getting to the point where they dont get at all starving themselfs..? Them shadow just gentley comforts them as they cry about how bad they feel about themselfs? Then trys his best to get a meal in them?..thanks and i hope your doing alright

more than enough

WARNING: (Implied) Eating disorder, body image issues, self-esteem struggles

PAIRING: Shadow the Hedgehog x Reader

NOTE: Thank you for trusting me with such a sensitive and important topic. If you ever need more comfort stories or anything else, feel free to send me a message. You’re not alone in whatever you’re going through.

SUMMARY: You've been struggling with body image issues for a while, and it’s reached the point where you've started starving yourself. Shadow notices the changes in your behaviour.

The apartment was quiet, too quiet, and Shadow knew something was wrong. It had been days since he noticed the changes in your behavior—the way you avoided eating, the distant look in your eyes when you stared at yourself in the mirror. Each passing day, it seemed like you were pulling away, and no matter how much he tried to get you to talk, you only pushed him away, retreating into yourself.

He found you sitting on the couch, knees drawn up to your chest, staring off into space. Your face was pale, and your eyes had the dull glaze of exhaustion. It broke his heart to see you like this.

“(Y/N),” he said quietly, taking a seat beside you, “we need to talk.”

You didn’t respond, only pulling your knees tighter against your chest, refusing to meet his gaze.

Shadow wasn’t one for words, but seeing you in this state made him want to try—he had to try. “I’ve noticed you’ve been… avoiding meals,” he said, his voice gentle, but firm. “You haven’t eaten anything all day. Why?”

Tears welled up in your eyes, and for a moment, you didn’t say anything. You had been trying so hard to hide how you felt, but now, with Shadow sitting beside you, asking the one question you couldn’t answer, the dam broke. You covered your face with your hands and let out a shaky breath.

“I-I hate the way I look…” you finally admitted, your voice breaking. “Every time I look in the mirror, I just… I can’t stand it. I feel disgusting, and no matter what I do, it doesn’t get any better. I just… I just want it to stop.”

The raw emotion in your voice sent a wave of sorrow through Shadow. He had seen you struggle before, but he didn’t realize how deep it had gotten until now. Guilt gnawed at him for not saying anything sooner, but he pushed it aside, focusing on you.

“You’re not disgusting,” Shadow said quietly, his deep voice low and soothing. “You are not what you see in the mirror. You are so much more than that.”

You shook your head, tears slipping down your cheeks. “You don’t understand… I feel like I’m never enough. I’m always… always hating myself, and I’m so tired, Shadow. I’m tired of feeling this way.”

His heart ached hearing you say that. Without a word, he shifted closer, wrapping his arms around you, pulling you against his chest. He held you there, letting you cry into his shoulder, his gloved hand gently rubbing your back in slow, comforting circles.

“I know it’s hard,” Shadow murmured. “I won’t pretend to understand exactly what you’re feeling, but I do know that you are enough—more than enough. Even when you can’t see it, I see it. I always have.”

Your sobs quieted a little as you leaned into his embrace, but the pain was still raw in your chest. “But how can you… how can you even stand to look at me when I feel like this?” you asked, voice trembling with doubt.

Shadow sighed, resting his chin on top of your head. “Because I don’t see you the way you see yourself,” he said softly. “You’ve always been more than just your looks. You’re strong, kind, and… even when you’re struggling, you’re still the person I care about. You don’t have to be perfect.”

He pulled back slightly, just enough to look at your tear-streaked face, wiping away the tears with his thumb. “Let me help you.”

You stared at him, your heart heavy but touched by his words. The truth was, you had been fighting this battle in silence for so long that hearing someone—especially Shadow—offer you comfort and support made the weight on your chest feel a little lighter.

But the ache in your stomach reminded you of how little you’d eaten, and a fresh wave of guilt washed over you. “I-I just don’t feel like I deserve to eat… I hate how I look, and every time I eat, I feel worse.”

Shadow frowned, his red eyes softening with concern. “I know it’s hard, but you need to take care of yourself. You’ve been starving yourself, and that’s only making it worse.”

He stood up and walked over to the kitchen, opening the fridge. You watched as he pulled out some leftovers, simple but nourishing food. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to get something in your system.

“Here,” he said, bringing the plate over. “I know you don’t feel like eating, but you need to. Start small, just a few bites.”

You hesitated, the thought of eating filling you with anxiety, but Shadow’s gentle eyes stayed locked on you, silently encouraging you to take care of yourself.

“Please.” he added softly, holding out the plate.

With a shaky breath, you nodded, taking the plate from him. It wasn’t easy, but with Shadow by your side, you managed to take a few bites. The food sat heavy in your stomach at first, but with each bite, some of the tension started to ease. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

Shadow stayed beside you, his hand resting gently on your back as you ate. He didn’t push you to finish it all, but the quiet support he offered was more than enough to make you feel like maybe you could keep going.

When you finally set the plate down, you leaned into him again, feeling both exhausted and a little better. “Thank you,” you whispered, your voice raw but sincere.

Shadow wrapped his arm around you again, pulling you close. “You don’t have to thank me,” he murmured. “Just promise me you’ll let me help.”

“I’ll try,” you said softly, resting your head against his shoulder. It was still hard—there were still so many battles ahead—but knowing that Shadow was there, willing to stand by your side, made the road ahead seem just a little less impossible.

[angeliqueiguess]

“Focus!” (j.jh)

018. whirlwind warnings: swearing, angsty

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

prev//next masterlist

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

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

[geekynotfreaky]

literally made this blog just to talk about agatha all along because OH MY GOD???

FINALE SPOILERS BELOW!!!

“because I can’t face him—!”

this right here shattered my heart into approximately one billion and eighty seven pieces. thanks marvel!!!

anyways the finale left people with a few questions so I’m gonna try to answer them.

number one: how come agatha is still around as a ghost? wasn’t the deal for rio to take her instead of billy?

the initial deal was rio could take billy, and in exchange agatha would never have to see her again. and actually, to get really technical, it was that agatha would get billy to OFFER HIMSELF to rio in exchange for that eternal silent treatment. technically, agatha held to her end of the bargain, so rio is holding to hers. she didn’t guide agatha to the afterlife. agatha does not have to see her ever again.

sidenote but I did find it so sweet that flowers sprouted up where agatha’s body was claimed. like, rio left that there as a sort of testament to their love! because she does still love agatha! despite having to hurt her because "it's the job" basically.

number two: why doesn’t agatha care to see nicholas again? simple, she doesn’t want to! not only was she unable to save his life, which uhhh = survivors guilt! she’s also killed so many witches since he died that she knows he probably wouldn’t understand or approve.

in its simplest terms, seeing her son again would hurt agatha more than she’ll ever be prepared for.

number three: why did agatha keep killing witches even after nicholas died?

maybe she just liked the power. it doesn’t seem like she was ever planning to bring him back, given she doesn’t want to see him again. or, most likely, she did it to keep herself from ever dying—she hides from death/rio, and she hides from the possibility of ever seeing her son again.

and finally: why was agatha killing witches in the FIRST place? it’s heartbreaking to think, but I’ve seen quite a few people say she did it to try and save nicholas, give him more time. like “here rio, I’m giving you all of these bodies, so don’t you dare take my son.” we only see one night where agatha most assuredly does NOT kill any witches, and that is the night her son is taken from her.

however if you harken back (pun intended) to wandavision, we have a flashback from 1693 where agatha kills her mother in retaliation as her coven attempts to kill her. this is 57 years before nick is born! and agatha’s mother does hint that agatha has always been “evil” in some form or another. so maybe agatha truly does just love the power.

OR!!!

you can be more abstract and say agatha’s mother saw her as evil because at that point, she had already started her romance with rio. incredibly dated views on lesbian relationships aside, the other witches would be APPALLED at the thought of one of their own being in a relationship with DEATH HERSELF, and would think agatha evil for even considering such a thing.

this makes me wonder if agatha was born with her power-vacuum ability, or if that was something she acquired from death as well. after all, wouldn’t her own mother know better than to sic a coven of witches on her agatha if agatha’s powers had been deadly since birth?

anyway this has been an agatha all along rant please share your thoughts if you have them

[snowysosturn]

Allies or Affiliates? - Chris Sturniolo Part 9

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9

Pairing : Y/n x Chris Sturniolo

Summary : Law student Y/n’s life takes a turn when she reconnects with Chris, her brief teenage flame who is now a dealer for a dangerous Boston drug gang. As their bond reignites, Y/n is drawn into Chris’s tumultuous world, where rival gangs clash and loyalty is everything. Balancing her love for Chris with her own ambitions, can their connection survive the chaos that threatens to pull them apart?

Warnings : MDNI, mentions of drugs, mentions of selling drugs, angst, cursing

I couldn’t stop thinking about last night. Every second of the argument with Chris replayed in my head like scenes from a movie that I’d seen too many times. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get any sleep. The raw frustration, the sting of betrayal.. it was all still fresh, replaying each time I closed my eyes. By morning, I hadn’t come to any conclusions. I just felt exhausted, angry, and desperate for someone to tell me how to handle it. It felt too big, too complex to just shove down or forget. As soon as it was an acceptable time, I texted Willow. She was the only person I could talk to about this.  Even if she didn’t fully understand, I needed her perspective, her advice – anything to help me make sense of what I’d just found out about Chris.

When I arrived at her apartment, she was already waiting at the door, practically pulling me inside. Willow had always been the friend who listened first, asked questions second, and reserved judgement until all the cards were on the table. It was why I knew she’d hear me out, even if this whole situation sounded insane and it made it easier that she already knew the situation.

“You look like you haven’t slept” she said, scanning my face as she shut the door behind us.

“Because I haven’t.” I forced a small laugh, but even I could tell how hollow it sounded. I followed her into the living room, sinking into the couch and pulling my knees up to my chest. She settled beside me, looking at me with genuine concern. 

“Sorry about just leaving you behind last night, that was a bit shitty of me.” I said apologetically.

“No, don't worry about it, I would be the same.. Plus I may or may have not brought Nate back here last night.” Willow said with a dirty smirk on her face.

“What?!” My face dropped in shock.

“I mean I always knew he was rough around the edges anyway so I expected him to be wrapped but in something.. But I had fun the first time, I wanted to do it again” She responds giving me a side smirk. “But anyway that’s besides the point, spill. What happened when Chris went after you?”

I took a deep breath, trying to figure out where to start. “We had a huge argument..I.. I just don’t know what to do about Chris. I went straight home after, but it’s like I can’t get it out of my head.” I sighed, rubbing my temples, trying to ease the tension building up. “He told me he’s involved with the Crimson Cartel, Willow. Like, actually involved. He said he got pulled into it because of Nate and his family.”

Willow’s eyes widened slightly, but she didn’t look as shocked as I thought she would. “Whoa. That’s.. heavy” she said slowly. “But, I mean, we’ve known Chris for a bit now. He’s always seemed cool, especially with you. He’s not hurting anyone, right?”

I felt my chest tighten at her words. “No, but.. he deals, Willow. He’s actually in a gang. This isn’t just some bad habit or weird side job, he’s in deep. And he told me that’s why he disappeared from my life years ago. He didn’t want to drag me into it, so he just left. And then, seeing me again, he said it felt like a sign.”

Willow leaned back, her brow furrowing as she absorbed what I’d told her. “Okay, but maybe we’re blowing this out of proportion. I mean, think about it. You said yourself that he doesn’t hurt people, and he seems to really care about you. It’s not that big of a deal, right?”

I let out a frustrated sigh. “Willow, it is a big deal. We weren’t raised to think this kind of thing is normal or okay. He’s wrapped up in something that could put him – and everyone around him –in serious danger. It’s not as simple as just brushing it off because he’s nice to me.”

She shrugged, giving me a small, sympathetic smile. “Maybe. But he’s still Chris. I mean, he’s not out there starting fights or doing anything extreme, right? He’s just selling. And lowkey the bad boy image is kinda hot..” She raised her eyebrows, giving me a playful nudge.

I tried to smile back, but it felt forced. “It’s not just about his image, though. It’s about what it all represents. I mean.. what if he gets caught up in something? ” My voice grew quieter as I spoke, and I found myself staring at the floor, lost in thought. “

Willow was quiet for a moment, her face thoughtful. “I get it. It’s complicated. But he’s obviously got feelings for you, Y/n. I mean, you don’t throw out that kind of confession if you’re not serious about someone. And maybe he’s right, maybe seeing you again is a sign.” She shrugged. “You could always see if he’d try to get out. It might be a long shot, but.. maybe he’d consider it if he knew it was that important to you.”

I shook my head, feeling a wave of frustration and sadness wash over me. “It’s not that simple, though. He made it clear last night that this isn’t just something you can leave behind.”

Willow watched me carefully, her expression softening. “Look, Y/n, I get that you’re scared. But I’ve seen the way he looks at you. He’s not just going to throw that away. Maybe he’ll surprise you. Maybe he’ll find a way to make it work.” She paused, glancing at me with a small smile. “Just.. take it one day at a time. You don’t have to figure everything out right now.”

I sighed, leaning back against the couch as I mulled over her words. A part of me wanted to believe that maybe, somehow, things could work out. But the other part of me knew that Chris’s world was dark, dangerous, and unpredictable. It wasn’t the life I wanted, and it definitely wasn’t the life I’d ever imagined for myself.

“So, you’re saying I should just.. wait and see what happens?” I asked, my voice uncertain.

She nodded slowly. “Kind of. I’m just saying that maybe it’s not as clear cut as you think. You don’t have to make a decision right this second. Talk to him again. See if he’s willing to try and distance himself from it, if that’s what you want.”

I rubbed my face with my hands, feeling the weight of everything hitting me. “I don’t even know if that’s possible. He told me about Nate’s cousin, Danny, and how he basically dragged Chris into the cartel. He made it sound like there’s no way out, and.. I don’t know, Willow. I don’t know if I can just sit around and hope he’ll somehow find a way to leave.”

Willow reached over and gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “I get it. But just think about it, okay? Chris isn’t the kind of guy who’d put you in danger on purpose. I’ve seen the way he is around you, he’s protective. Maybe he’ll come up with a plan, but I think he’s worth giving it a shot. You deserve to be happy, Y/n.”

Her words hit me harder than I expected, and I felt a lump forming in my throat. I wanted so badly for things to be different, to go back to how it felt when Chris and I reconnected, before I knew what was really going on. But now, I couldn’t ignore the reality of who he was and the risks that came with being with him.

We sat in silence for a while, both of us lost in our own thoughts. Finally, Willow spoke up, her voice gentle. “Look, I know this isn’t how you pictured things turning out with him. But maybe there’s a reason he’s back in your life. Maybe you’re supposed to help each other, or.. I don’t know. Maybe this is a chance for both of you to figure things out together.”

Her words stirred something inside me – a faint glimmer of hope, buried beneath all the fear and doubt. Maybe she was right. Maybe Chris and I were meant to be in each other’s lives, even if it was messy and complicated. But I knew it wouldn’t be easy, and there were no guarantees that things would work out the way I wanted.

“Thanks, Willow” I said softly, giving her a small smile. “I don’t know if I’m ready to make a decision just yet, but.. I’ll think about it.”

She nodded, her expression understanding. “Take all the time you need. And whatever you decide, just know I’m here for you, no matter what.”

As I left her apartment, I couldn’t shake the conversation from my mind. I was still conflicted, still unsure of what to do. But talking to Willow had given me some clarity, even if it was only a small step toward figuring out the mess that was my relationship with Chris.

The day dragged on, and I found myself going through the motions, unable to fully focus on anything. Chris had told me that seeing me again felt like a sign, like something had pulled us back together for a reason. But as much as I wanted to believe that, I couldn’t ignore the risks and the dangers that came with being with him.

That evening, I sat alone in my room, staring at my phone, my finger hovering over his contact. Part of me wanted to call him, to try and work things out, but another part of me was terrified of what that conversation would lead to. Could I really ask him to walk away from everything he’d been pulled into? Could I be with him, knowing what I knew now?

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my thoughts. Maybe Willow was right—maybe I didn’t need to have all the answers right now. But one thing was clear: if I wanted to be with Chris, I’d have to face the reality of who he was and what his world entailed. And if he was willing to try and find a way out, maybe, just maybe, there was hope for us.

My fingers still hovered over Chris’s name, and I felt my stomach twist with a mix of nerves and longing. Despite everything, part of me wanted to see him, to hear his side again, even if it meant facing the harsh reality of his world.

Finally, I typed out a message:

"Hey, I’d like to talk. Can we meet up?"

I hit send before I could overthink it, watching as the text delivered. My heart pounded as I waited, the seconds dragging out painfully, until my phone vibrated with his response.

"Of course. I can come pick you up if you like?”

The tension in my chest loosened a little, and I felt a strange sense of relief. Whatever happened next, I knew I’d at least have the chance to speak with him, to see if there was any path forward for us.

After agreeing, I put my phone down, staring out the window as the sky began to darken, a mix of excitement and dread settling over me. I didn’t know how the conversation would go or what it might mean for us, but for now, I was willing to take that chance, to let myself hope, even if just a little, that there was still something worth saving between us.

a/n : everything seems calm... for now

taglist: @mattybearnard @sturn-33 @ncm9696 @yourfavsturniologirl @crazy4jewel @sodakid1234 @stupendoustreewinner @lovealwayssturniolos @matthewsturniolosss @m4ttsmunch @loveexxx @ilusa @starkeyszn @wonnieeluvvr @dylnblue @valxrieq @maggot3647 @cigarettecemetary @ribread03 @chrisstvrns @bandasaruswrx @noplaceissafeanymore @amexiass @witchofthehour @mattssgf @jetaimevous @v33angel @ivysturnss @urmom69lol @ashlishes @watercolorskyy @sturnioloshottiekay @amelia-sturniolo3 @imjusthereforthesturniolosmut @pvssychicken @alizestvrnss @lvrsturniolo @bernardsbunny @spaghetti835928383 @marrykisskilled @sturnsxplr-25 @bxtchboy69 @vickytaa @anikaistg @matts-girlfriend @lvrsturniolo

[shadamyheadcanons]

Shadamy in high school headcannon

For Shadamytober 2024 - Day 3: Highschool Outcast

One poor anon sent in this ask an eternity ago. I started writing a full story for it, but I lost steam because I just can’t connect with high school romance stories the way I could when I was younger. I’ve been looking for an excuse to share the parts I did get done, though, and I just realized it suits the High School Outcast prompt for Shadamytober, so I can post it now!

Ignore that I’m late for that, too

Fair warning: I wrote this years ago, and I won’t be continuing it. It doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, but don’t go into this expecting any more!

@shadamytober

Amy sat in her math classroom at the start of the year, shaking like a leaf. She stuck out like a sore pink thumb in a class full of “the troublemakers,” as she’d always called them.

“Hey, Pinky, haven’t seen you around before.”

“What’re you doing Friday night? I’m free if you don’t have cheerleading practice.”

“I suck at math, but I’ll still give you private lessons if you want.”

In the process of averting her eyes from the student in front her, Amy spotted him in the far corner of the room: Shadow the hedgehog. A cold pit of unease settled in her stomach.

Of course he’s in this class. As if this room weren’t terrifying enough.

Most people agreed that Shadow was the scariest guy in school. His identity was shrouded in rumors. Some claimed he was a thief. Others said they’d seen him beat people up. Whatever the truth was, though, Shadow was surely bad news. He sat in the far corner of the room surrounded by a buffer of empty desks...and his red eyes were locked on her. She snapped her gaze away and held herself tightly.

It was actually a relief when the teacher started the lesson, shooting a glare of warning at the boys who were harassing Amy. She let out a sigh, hoping that would be the end of it as she stared at the board and attempted to make sense of the numbers and letters the teacher wrote. She tried to sort out the binomials, polynomials, functions, and variables as best she could, but she was hopelessly lost from the get-go. She shook with fear.

Something light hit Amy on the head. She frowned as she opened the balled-up piece of paper that had landed on her desk...only to find that it was a crudely-drawn image of the male anatomy. She yelped quietly, startled and disgusted, and the Mobians around her cackled quietly at her reaction. She swiftly crumpled up the piece of paper with her shaky hands and pushed it off of her desk.

The ruckus was loud enough to draw the teacher’s attention, but apart from threatening the boys with detention, he didn’t do much. Amy peeked up from her notebook and saw Shadow’s red eyes staring at her again. Her lower lip trembled.

She spent the rest of the period trying to write down equations she didn’t understand with a hand that wouldn’t stop shaking from the way her creepy classmates were leering at her. On top of that, she could practically feel the pair of red eyes watching her struggle through it.

Once the bell rang, Amy bolted straight to the bathroom and burst into tears in one of the stalls.

Is the whole year going to be like this?

Amy arrived as early as possible the next day so she could take a seat in the front right corner of the room. I’ll be closer to the door this time, and only three people can sit adjacent to me, so I won’t be surrounded. She nodded, confident in her reasoning.

A wrench was thrown into her plans when Shadow dropped into the seat next to her, having entered the otherwise empty classroom just after she did. She stiffened with anxiety and stared directly ahead with wide eyes.

Why here? WHY HERE?! Literally every other seat is empty! Don’t tell me he’s going to mess with me, too. I can’t handle this!

She whimpered quietly, but Shadow didn’t say anything. He didn’t even look at her. He took out a battered notebook and a pen with a chewed cap from a messenger bag that had seen better days, then placed them on the desk and rested his chin in his hand, half dozing off as he waited for class to begin. Amy watched with confusion out of the corner of her eye as she gingerly retrieved her pristine pink notebook and pencil, but he did nothing more.

More students started entering. Amy shrank in her seat and averted her gaze from the ones who had bothered her on the first day. Surprisingly, though, no one said a word to her. Some of them opened their mouths, only to snap them back shut and turn pale before scurrying off and sitting as far away as they could. Amy frowned, then looked over at Shadow. One of the boys from yesterday came up, only to turn tail when Shadow glared at him. She tilted her head, confused.

Is he...trying to isolate me...? She frowned. That can’t be it. He’s not even talking to me. Why bother?

By the time the teacher arrived, Amy and Shadow were sitting in the front corner while the rest of the students were gathered on the other side, leaving a row of empty desks around them. She would have laughed at the absurdity if she weren’t so terrified.

The subject material proved to be as elusive as ever, the equations being just as unsolved as the stoic, unmoving hedgehog beside her. To add to the enigma, Shadow wasn’t even taking notes. He examined the board with half-shut eyes, but there wasn’t a single word on his paper.

Amy rolled her eyes. Why even open the notebook if you’re not going to write anything? Is this guy even here to learn?

Still, it was nice not being harassed by multiple boys who wouldn’t leave her alone. They wouldn’t even look her way now. She decided the silence wasn’t so bad; even if she still didn’t get the math, at least she could focus on trying.

The teacher rattled off some problem about Train A going north and Train B going south at such-and-such speeds, then gave them a few minutes to work on it. Amy wrote down the information she hoped was important and started plugging in numbers to guess-and-check her way through it, knowing that even if she didn’t have the right technique, she’d get there eventually.

I guess the situation today is technically better. Just so long as he doesn’t do anything weird.

“You’re doing it wrong.”

Amy jumped at the voice. She turned with trepidation to see Shadow was staring at her, eyes just as harsh as ever. She’d never actually heard him speak before. His voice was low and smooth, oddly relaxing despite his blunt manner and message.

“Well...I was just gonna...” she squeaked, trailing off at the end.

Shadow looked at her for a moment longer, then turned back to his own desk. She let out a sigh of relief, only to freeze up when he ripped a page out of his notebook and shuffled his desk right up next to hers. Her heart pounded in terror at the close proximity. He spoke up again, apparently oblivious.

“You can make equations out of both of these. The ‘y’ value for both is where they are at a given time, the constant term is where they started, and the coefficient of x is their speed. Since we know they’re in the same place for the collision, the ‘y’ for both should match, so you can set them equal to each other and solve it.”

Amy’s mouth dropped open, and she looked back and forth between Shadow and her paper, torn between confusion, understanding, gratitude, and intimidation.

Shadow kept staring. “Solve it.”

Amy hunched down in front of her paper and picked up her pencil. “Okay,” she replied in a small voice.

It took Amy a minute or two, but she finally got it. She turned her elated grin to Shadow. He didn’t smile back, but he nodded approvingly and shuffled his desk back to its original spot.

After another ten minutes of perplexing explanations, the teacher gave them a few more problems to work on by themselves. By the time Shadow had raced through them, Amy was still stuck on the first one. He looked up from his desk, checked her notes, and sighed, almost sounding exasperated, but he shifted his desk back over and patiently explained the processes once more.

With his guidance, she completed the rest of the problems and sighed in relief. He shuffled his desk away to give her space again. She finished just in time for the teacher to assign their homework.

Amy peeked over at Shadow, trying to figure out what to say. Eventually, she settled on a simple “thank you.”

Shadow looked up one last time. Then, he snatched up the paper he’d used to show her the procedures and quickly scrawled something on it. He handed it back to her, and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw his name with a number written under it.

“Text me if you have trouble with the homework. Or don’t. I don’t care.”

Amy’s mouth dropped open, and she gawked after him as he packed up his bag and left.

What the hell?!

Amy’s eyes scrunched up as she stared at her homework that night. She’d finished about half of it with little trouble, but she stalled out when the equations grew more complex. She pressed her lips together before turning her gaze to the stray piece of paper she’d folded and kept in her notebook. She packed up her courage and picked up her phone, entering the unfamiliar number with shaking hands. She typed out a careful message and hesitated for a few seconds, then pressed Send.

Amy shifted from one foot to the other just outside the school library. She checked the time and held her books a little tighter in front of her.

A minute later, Shadow rounded the corner and walked directly toward her, looking just as intimidating as usual. She let out a sigh of relief. Thank God Shadow’s here... She scrunched up her nose. Now that’s something I never thought I’d say.

“Thanks for helping, Shadow. It’s super lucky that we have the same study period!”

Shadow just grunted in assent and walked right past her into the library to look for a seat. She frowned. He’s so helpful, but he’s like...this. Nice...but weird.

He made a beeline for a table all the way in the back next to a window. She took out her pink notebook and pencil once more. Just to make small talk, she asked, “Any reason you went for this table? Just curious.”

“The view from the window,” he explained. “The foliage is nice in the fall. In the wintertime, a layer of snow blankets the pine trees, and the pond freezes over. There’s a brief time in the spring when cherry blossoms bloom on that tree over there.” He said all of it calmly, his neutral expression still casually fixed on the pen he was retrieving from his bag.

Amy’s heart thumped. She gulped and clutched at her blouse over her heart. What the hell was that?!

Shadow glanced up at her pose and her wide eyes, then frowned. “What?”

She stayed tense for a moment, then shook it off. “Nothing! So, uh...I got this far...”

Shadow shifted closer to examine her answers. He nodded in approval and started walking her through the rest of the problems with quiet words and careful strokes of his pen. Her frazzled nerves calmed down at his soft voice, his easy explanations, and the muted sounds of the library.

When she had to do the problems herself, though, it was less relaxing. She could feel his eyes on her while she wrote. Wanting to break the uncomfortable silence, she gathered her courage while she erased one of her attempts, then spoke to her intimidating companion.

“So, um...if you’re this good at math, why aren’t you in the advanced sequence?”

Shadow stared down at her shy expression for a moment longer. He suddenly let out an amused “hmph,” though he still didn’t smile. “You know Mr. Robotnik?”

Amy groaned and let her head roll back to look at the ceiling. “Oh, God, do I!” His gaze turned inquisitive, and she smiled sheepishly. “Ah, yeah...why?”

He closed his eyes and shook his head. “His class was boring, and he was really annoying, so...I amused myself.” Amy tilted her head, curious. He crossed his arms. “He insists on being called “Dr. Robotnik” and gets pissed off if you call him “Mr. Robotnik,” but I was bored and didn’t like him, soooo...I did that. A lot. On purpose.”

Amy’s eyes went wide at his deadpan expression. She tried—and failed—to hide her laughter. She stifled it as best as she could to avoid being scolded by the librarians. Shadow just stared, seemingly thrown off. Once her giggles died down, Amy quietly asked, “Let me guess: he put you in the lower sequence just because he didn’t like you?”

Shadow put his elbow on the table and rested his head in his hand, interested. “How’d you know?”

“Pfft.” Amy shook her head. “I wasn’t always this bad at math. I was pretty good with numbers, but once they started adding letters, they kinda lost me. I probably would have been okay if I hadn’t been stuck with him.” Shadow’s expression changed. It almost looked...sympathetic? Amy decided she was imagining things and continued on. “He’s brilliant, but he’s a horrible teacher. I just kept falling behind, and he was too much of a jerk to help me. Thanks to him, my grades took a nose-dive. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to catch up.”

“You will.”

Amy paused. “What?”

Shadow nodded to the paper and pointed to all the problems she’d gotten right. “You’ve already gotten better. With a little help, you’ll catch up again in no time. You’re a smart girl.”

Amy was stopped in her tracks once again. That’s the first compliment he’s given me. It’s the first nice thing I’ve heard him say about anyone. Knowing it came from someone like Shadow only made it hit harder. A grin spread across her face.

Shadow remained stone-faced as always. “So what were you saying about him not liking people?”

Amy laughed shyly. “Well, ah...you know how you messed with him because you didn’t like him? Uh...I didn’t like him, either, so...” She scratched the back of her head. “I’m the one who got everyone to start calling him ‘Eggman.’ It was just too much fun to see him get bent out of shape! Even if I’d had the grades, he never would have sent me to the advanced classes.”

Shadow’s neutral expression finally broke, leaving surprise in its wake. “That was you?!” He looked her up and down, from the pink variation of the school uniform she’d chosen, to the matching flower-adorned headband, to her cheery, innocent face. “Really?”

Breaking through his façade sent a thrill through Amy’s chest. Mischief crept into her tone. “What, a girl like me can’t have a rebellious streak?”

“Huh.” Shadow scratched his chin, intrigued. “I guess people can surprise you.”

Amy grinned back.

No kidding.

With Shadow’s help, Amy finished her homework just before the bell rang. The two of them walked to class together, drawing more than a few stares. She was shy about it at first, but something about the way Shadow never seemed bothered by how people looked at him rubbed off on her, instilling her with a unique form of confidence she’d never had before. It wasn’t just his flat, unfazed expression, either. It was the way he walked, head held high, never hunched down under the stares he drew. He didn’t even bother to wear his uniform correctly; his jacket was partly unbuttoned, and his red tie hung loosely around his neck.

At last, one set of eyes stopped him in his tracks. The vice principal loudly scolded him for his disheveled appearance. He reluctantly tightened his tie and buttoned his jacket properly, sighing and rolling his eyes as he did so. The vice principal snapped at him about his uniform and bad attitude once more before walking away, her high heels clacking harshly against the tiled floor of the hallway. Amy peeked at his dapper ensemble and examined it in surprise.

He’s...actually kind of handsome like this...

Amy shook her head furiously to try and rid herself of the strange thought. Then, once the high heels were no longer audible, Shadow let out a single chuckle...and smirked just a little bit.

While Amy was still processing the first kind-of smile she’d ever seen on Shadow, he unbuttoned his jacket all the way. He slipped a finger into his tie and pulled out the knot entirely to let it hang completely free around his neck. He even unbuttoned the top two buttons on his dress shirt, showing a white patch of fur underneath it. He put his hands in his pockets and strutted defiantly to class, oblivious to Amy’s inner turmoil. She snapped her head forward and tried to ignore the flush she knew had spread across her cheeks.

Why does he look even more attractive when he’s sloppy?!

A week or two passed, and Amy fell into a routine: math class, homework, getting help from Shadow during study period, then math class once more. At one point, she admitted that she felt bad monopolizing his study hour and offered to pay him or leave him alone, but he just looked confused, so she didn’t mention it again.

One day, Amy was checking her schedule at the end of math class, sensing she’d forgotten something important. Shadow packed up his bag and spoke.

“Library as usual tomorrow?”

Amy opened her mouth to answer, but then she cringed. “Shit...I have a dentist appointment tomorrow!”

“Hmph.” Shadow shrugged. “No school. Nice.”

She shook her head. “No, see, I’m only missing half the day. I’ll be here just in time for math class, but I’ll miss study hour!”

“Ah.” Shadow nodded in understanding. “That’s a waste. You get time off, but it’s a study period instead of an actual—”

He was cut off when Amy took his shoulders and started shaking him. “Shadow, you don’t get it!” Panic crept into her tone as she shook him. “If I’m not here for our study period, I won’t get any help, and I won’t be able to do well on my homework, and I’ll fall behind again, and I’ll flunk out and have to run away and join the circus—”

“Amy. Stop.” At his firm command, she froze. His expression was half-amused and half-exasperated as he gingerly removed her hands from his shoulders. “None of that is going to happen, I promise...especially not the circus part...but if it’ll make you feel better, we can work on it somewhere else, okay?”

At the comforting look in his warm red eyes, she relaxed. “Okay.” She thought for a moment, and her eyes lit up. “Can’t we just go to the library after classes are done?”

“The library closes early on Mondays and Tuesdays. It stays open later Wednesday through Friday, and it’s open from ten am to ten pm on weekends. It’s Monday, though, so we won’t have enough time.”

Shadow stared at her and waited, having rattled off his response rapid-fire. Amy’s baffled look made way for a small smile. “You’ve really got those hours down, huh? You must love reading!”

He looked away and scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, something like that.”

Amy thought for a moment more, then shrugged. “We could always just study at my house, if you don’t mind.”

At that, Shadow jammed his hands into the pockets of his school uniform and looked sideways at her. “I’m comfortable with that, but...are you?” he asked tentatively.

Amy looked at him funny. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I—” She cut herself off when she remembered she was talking to Mr. Scariest-Guy-in-School, and that he probably knew that just as well as she did. She smiled and waved it off. “Yeah! For sure!” When he hesitated, she added, “My mom will be there. She gets home early on Mondays.”

Shadow visibly relaxed. He looked off into space, and then something seemed to occur to him. “Oh, but I can’t go right away. I have something to do at the end of the day first. It’ll take maybe fifteen minutes.”

Amy shrugged. “I don’t mind. It’ll give me time to get set up.” And clear off my cluttered desk...and hide all my embarrassing stuffed animals...and make sure I don’t have any weird tabs open on my computer... “I’ll text you my address, okay?”

He paused and shifted his weight to his other foot. “So...how far is it?”

“It’s close.” She typed in the address and sent it. “I normally just walk there.”

She almost missed the way his shoulders relaxed. “Walking distance. Cool.”

Amy nodded happily and put away her phone. “Thanks, Shadow. You really didn’t have to do this.”

“It’s not a big deal.”

Amy snorted. “I still appreciate it, though.” On a whim, she stepped forward and pulled him into a hug, just as she did with her other friends.

Technically speaking, it was the strangest hug she’d ever given. He didn’t push her away, but he didn’t hug back, either. He just stood a little stiffly and waited for her to finish. When she pulled away, his face was completely blank, as if he’d never encountered a hug before and didn’t know how to react.

Amy had to hold back a loud snort of amusement at his lack of response. “I’ll see you in a bit, Shadow!”

She dashed out of the classroom, ignoring the confused students around her and still sensing the inquisitive red eyes at her back. She giggled to herself.

We’ll work on it.

Amy shuffled the last of the clutter under her bed and grinned in satisfaction. Good enough! She peeked out the window. No Shadow yet. She glanced back at her desk and the second chair she’d dragged in, and concern briefly crossed her mind. Maybe it’s a bad idea to choose the desk in my room to share with the kind-of-scary guy I barely know. She frowned. Is this why my dad says I have no sense of self-preservation?

The doorbell rang out, jolting Amy out of her thoughts. She bounded down the stairs to answer it, and her eyes bugged out when she saw Shadow there.

I couldn’t see him anywhere two seconds ago. How fast is he?!

She set her thoughts aside and opened the door for him with a smile. “Hey, Shadow!”

He wasn’t looking at her. Instead, his face was turned upward. He tilted it back down to fix her with a deadpan look. “Your house is huge.”

“Huh?” She was thrown off, but he just walked right inside. “I mean...kind of? It’s not really—Shadow, wait!”

He flinched and stopped. “What?”

Amy stepped past him and pointed to her own socked feet and the shoes lined up neatly at the door. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot. He looked unimpressed, but he rolled his eyes lazily and slipped out of his own shoes. She nodded, satisfied.

Shadow followed her up the stairs. The humbled expression he carried on his face as he looked around didn’t escape her notice, especially when he stepped into her room and blatantly examined its pink and red decor. She held her hands behind her back and looked at him sideways. “Is everything okay?”

His gaze snapped back to her. “It’s really girly.” She hesitantly opened her mouth to speak, but then he slipped his messenger bag off his shoulder. “It suits you.”

He didn’t look at her again as he sat down. She stood awkwardly, mouth open. “Uh...thanks?” He nodded a little, either not comprehending the weirdness of it or not caring. She shook it off and took out her math homework. Was that a compliment? I swear, I’m never gonna figure this guy out.

The two went over the premise of the homework, and Shadow helped iron out the bits she hadn’t gotten in class. While she was working on the second problem, she broke the silence. “So what did you have after school? Anything exciting?”

“Hmph. Not really. It’s the same thing I do every day.”

“And what’s that? Oh, but you don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to—”

Shadow shrugged. “I don’t mind. Sometime last year, a group of guys were bullying this rabbit middle schooler outside the west wing of the school. Teasing her, pulling her ears, shit like that.” She looked up in surprise to see he was fixing the paper in front of him with a searing glare. He shut his eyes and crossed his arms. “So I beat the shit out of them. Turns out she was waiting for her mom, so now I wait with the kid every day after school to make sure it doesn’t happen again.” He opened his eyes again and looked up at Amy, who’d stopped writing. “What?”

Amy snapped her mouth shut, realizing it had fallen open a bit as he told his story. Her heart softened, and she smiled adoringly at him. “That’s so kind of you!”

He fidgeted and looked at her sideways. “Uh...beating people up...?”

His uncharacteristic hesitation and movements reminded Amy that he wasn’t used to being looked at that way. She felt a twinge of pain at the idea, but she pushed it aside. “No, I mean standing up for her! Waiting around every day just to make sure she’s okay. That’s really sweet of you.”

Shadow opened his mouth, clearly unsure of how to deal with the sentiment. He crossed his arms again and shut his eyes. “It’s not a big deal. Anyone else would have done the same.”

Amy wasn’t sure about that, but she didn’t want to argue. Instead, she rested an elbow on the desk and leaned her cheek into her palm to look at him more closely. “Everything people say about you is wrong, huh?” When he just blinked at her, she panicked and backtracked. “I mean—! It’s not like—there are, well...y’know, rumors...and you know how people are...” She cringed and trailed off.

He huffed. “It’s fine, I know what people say about me.” He leaned his arm on the desk and turned his body to face her. “People talk. It happens.”

Amy pouted. “Are you...okay with that?”

He paused, choosing his words carefully. “Being the ‘scary guy’ isn’t always fun, but it’s not all bad. No one messes with you if they won’t go near you.”

Amy thought of the empty desks that always surrounded Shadow and the wide berth he was always given in the cafeteria. She thought of his atypical social habits and the way even a simple hug could throw him off. Her heart stung.

Oblivious, Shadow kept going. “And if no one messes with me, then I can protect other people, too. My family. Kids who are being bullied. And, uhh...” He scratched his head and looked away.

Amy narrowed her eyes in suspicion, and then a bright smile graced her face. “That’s what you were doing in math class, wasn’t it? On the second day, when you sat next to me.”

At the reminder, Shadow’s expression twisted just a little in...embarrassment? He covered half of his face with his hand. “Yeeeaaaahhhh, uh...I may have overdone it. You looked so upset on the first day, like you were about to cry...so I scared off anyone who I thought might upset you again...but by the end of it, I’d scared off everyone, and you were more afraid of me than you were of them.”

Amy matched his cringing face with her own. “Was it that obvious?”

He uncovered his face. “By the time we got around to the math part, you looked like you were about to piss your pants.”

Amy’s expression turned bitter at the image, and then she let out a brief chuckle. “Gotta admit, I was pretty petrified...but I still felt comfortable enough to text you for help, didn’t I? That has to be worth something.”

He scratched his chin and looked up at the ceiling. “So you’re more scared of math than you are of me...” He nodded. “I’ll take it. It’s better than I usually do with people.”

Amy wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry at that. She chose to laugh, and she considered it a victory when she saw him let out the slightest chuckle in response.

By the time they’d hit the five o’clock hour, Amy had been done with her homework for a while, but she hadn’t asked Shadow to leave, and he hadn’t shown interest in going anywhere anytime soon, either. After plenty of surprisingly enjoyable conversation, though, the alarm on Shadow’s phone went off. He squinted at the cracked screen, then showed a face that looked almost disappointed, though it could have been Amy’s imagination.

“I have to get home and make dinner for my family. You all set?”

Amy’s heart sank more than she’d expected it to. “Yeah.” She reluctantly descended the stairs with Shadow in tow.

Once she reached the door, though, her eyes lit up. “Hey, um...” She steeled herself. “Do you want to, maybe...hang out again? Not just for math.” When he just stared at her, she panicked. “Oh, I don’t mean—not in, like...a weird way, I just like talking to you!”

She didn’t know how to say ‘it’s not a date’ without actually saying that, but Shadow seemed to pick up on her meaning anyway. He stared off into space for a moment, then nodded a little, as if mulling it over. He looked back down at her and shrugged. “It’s been a while...but yeah. Sure.”

Amy grinned, then frowned as a sad thought hit her. “Do you not have any other friends to hang out with?”

He frowned a little. “Yeah, but...” He scratched the back of his head idly. “I used to hang out with my friend Rouge a lot, but then she graduated, and now she’s in a training program to become a government spy.”

Amy made an intrigued noise. “Government spy? That sounds impressive!”

“Hmph. Don’t tell her that, she’ll get a swelled head.” He paused and looked away. “We’re still good friends, but she lives three hours away now, so...I don’t have...” He cut himself off and pressed his lips together. “I spend a lot of time by myself these days.”

Sympathy touched Amy’s heart, but she shook it off in favor of smiling up at him. “Well, I’d be happy to be your friend! What do you say, Shadow?” She held out her hand for a handshake.

He looked from her chipper face to her hand. After a moment, a small smirk showed itself on his face. He ignored the hand and pulled her into a quick side-hug. “Sounds good to me.”

After that, he abruptly dashed off with such speed that the wind he whipped up nearly knocked her over. Her heart pounded at his dramatic exit. Once she’d calmed down, Amy smiled.

It was only a quick side-hug...but it’s a start.

[That’s all she wrote...literally. From here, Amy convinces Shadow to join the track team along with her, Sonic, Blaze, and Espio so he can have more friends, and they become a couple along the way. Some people are disapproving at first, but they come around in time. Shadow’s family is also poor, and he’s very dedicated to his chronically ill sister, who winds up being very fond of Amy. I mentioned a few more details in this post.

Cliché? Maybe, but it’s a nice reminder of how far I’ve come as a writer, I think.

Poor anon probably forgot they even sent this ask. I hope they’re still on tumblr to get the notification, lmfao.]

[fluentmoviequoter]

Want to Be a Prince

Requested Here!

Pairing: Jim Street x fem!reader

Summary: You play the part of a princess at Lila Kay's party and meet the prince you've been dreaming of.

Warnings: fluff, Street gets nervous and flustered

Word Count: 1.6k+ words

Masterlist Directory | Jim Street Masterlist | Request Info\Fandom List

“You have got to be the best parents in the world,” you tell your newest clients, Deacon and Annie Kay. “If my parents had done stuff like this, I never would have moved out.”

Deacon chuckles as Annie asks, “Then how would you have become royalty?”

“Can’t deny the call of a tiara,” you reply. “But, seriously, thank you for hiring me and Lila is going to love this. All the kids will.”

“Thanks to you,” Deacon points out. “Lila’s had a rough year this is quite literally the least we could do.”

“No, Mr. Kay, it isn’t. Most parents wouldn’t even consider going to lengths like this just to make their kids feel better. Lila won the parental lottery.”

“When you’re done feeding our egos,” Annie teases, “your castle is ready, and the makeover team is here.”

“Thank you.”

Deacon checks his phone, then says, “Street’s dropping off the bakery order. He just left work, so he should be by in an hour or so.”

“Did you get him that cupcake he wanted to try?” Annie asks.

“He’s a grown man, he can buy his own cupcake.”

“That sounded like a yes to me,” you murmur.

Deacon sighs and nods. “I did.”

“Good friends, too,” you muse as you rearrange the princess dresses beside you.

“Okay, can I run through everything one more time?” Annie asks.

Deacon smiles and gestures for her to go ahead. She’s got the party planned out wonderfully, but she wants everything to be perfect for her daughter, and you admire that. Watching how she and Deacon interact, their words and actions filled with love for each other and their family, makes you smile. You want that. But if your better half wanted to arrive a little faster, you wouldn’t argue.

“The girls will get dropped off at 3 after school, they’ll come into this magical wonderland and meet the makeover team, pick dresses, get their hair and makeup done, and then head outside for a royal dinner. They’ll see the castle, be welcomed by a real princess… I think we’ve got everything,” Annie lists.

“You did a great job, Annie,” Deacon tells her before kissing her forehead. He checks his watch, then asks, “Do you need to get ready?”

You lean back and check the clock on their wall, partially blocked by pink streamers, then nod to yourself. “I do. Need me to do anything else?”

“You’ve already done more than enough.”

“Why didn’t you stay at Disney?” Annie inquires.

As you stand, you smile and answer, “I felt like I didn’t have enough time. I loved it, but kids were in and out so fast, getting rushed by the staff, that the magic was gone. That’s why I do this, so it didn’t make sense to me to stay there.”

Annie nods and muses, “Worked out for us.”

“I hope so.”

You leave them to finish setting up and find your items arranged neatly in their master bathroom. Changing out of your clothes, you put on the items you wear under the pink princess gown you chose for tonight’s party. Then, you do your hair and makeup, focusing intently on the mirror to ensure your look is precise and aligns with your outfit. After rubbing body-glitter-infused lotion over your collarbones and down your arms, you step into your dress to slide it over your hips before placing your arms into the off-the-shoulder sleeves. With your shoes on and everything packed away, you take a deep breath and exit the Kays’ bathroom.

“That’s why you’re my favorite,” a voice you don’t recognize says.

As you return to the living room, Annie whispers, “Whoa. You look amazing.”

Deacon turns toward you, and you see bakery boxes on the table and Deacon's friend Street. You remembered his name after Deacon said it, and now you understand why. You assumed he was a cop, too, but you weren’t expecting him to be so cute. Or to stare at you like he just walked into Narnia and you’re a mythical creature.

“Hello,” you greet softly.

“Oh, hi,” he replies, blinking quickly. “You’re a princess.”

You nod. “Sometimes.”

He keeps his eyes on you and says, “I dressed up for Sam’s last party. My costume wasn’t as good.”

“You didn’t work at Disneyland before you started freelancing,” Deacon points out.

“I bet you were great,” you tell him.

Street clears his throat and looks at Deacon, recoiling slightly at Deacon’s knowing look. “Do you need help with anything else?” he asks, hoping that Deacon says yes and he has an excuse to stay close to you for longer.

“Actually,” Deacon begins.

“I’ll do it,” Street interrupts.

You laugh under your breath, and Street feels like a kid at Disney for the first time. He doesn’t even know if you perform well as a princess, but you look like one, and Street can’t seem to look away from you.

“We need to set up the dinner table,” Deacon says. “Which is outside,” he adds when Street doesn’t move away from you.

“Maybe I should be a prince for Halloween,” Street muses as he follows Deacon.

“You should,” you agree.

Street smiles at you before he closes the door, and Annie looks at you with the same knowing look as Deacon gave Street.

“What?” you inquire.

“Nothing,” she says lightly. “You want his number?”

You consider acting shocked for a moment, then look down at your dress and answer, “I’ll ask him.”

With fifteen minutes left, you walk outside to find your place in the castle Deacon had built in his backyard. Street looks up from the princess-themed table and smiles at you. You realize you haven’t introduced yourself and walk to the table before offering your name. Street shakes your hand, and everything feels different when you pull away from him.

Glancing at Deacon, you’re glad to see him occupied with chairs before you ask, “Could I… could I get your number?”

“Yes,” Street answers. It comes too quick, but he doesn’t even care enough to be embarrassed as you smile and push your perfectly curled hair over your shoulder, exposing your glittery collarbone.

“I don’t have my phone,” you tell Street.

He looks at your face as he pulls his phone from his pocket, unlocks it, and hands it to you. Once your name and number have been saved, you return it to him and relish in feeling his fingers brushing over yours.

“I’m so glad I picked up those cakes,” Street murmurs.

“Does that mean you’ll reimburse me for the cupcake?” Deacon interjects. He waves his hand and adds, “I’ll ask at the wedding.”

“I have to go be a princess,” you tell Street.

“I have to find an excuse to stay.”

“It’s Lila’s party, Street,” Deacon points out.

Street nods, his eyes on you.

“Fine, you can stay, but I’m putting you to work as a waiter.”

“Whatever you say, Deac.”

“Wow!” Lila exclaims, exiting her house dressed in a blue and purple gown with sparkly eyeshadow and her hair braided delicately. “A castle!”

The girls behind her awe at the castle, wide-eyed as they look around.

“Hello, my fellow princesses!” you call, waving from the castle tower. You move your hand to your necklace and widen your eyes to compliment, “Your gowns are beautiful, true beauties, just as their wearers.”

As the kids rush toward the castle, eager to meet the princess, Street watches from Deacon’s side as you smile, lower gently, and accept hugs with a grace he’s never experienced. He knows it’s an act, but it has to be an extension of you. It makes him desperate to learn more about you. To learn everything about you.

“Can you talk to animals?” Lila asks.

You smile and whisper, “We can all talk to animals, the key is learning to be quiet and patient enough to listen for them to reply.”

“Deac, when you said wedding earlier,” Street begins, leaning toward Deacon.

“Don’t,” Deacon interrupts. “You two figure that out later.”

“Gladly,” Street replies before straightening.

You walk with the princesses to the tables Deacon and Street set up, whispering with them and complimenting their bows as they reach the table. When you meet Street’s eyes, you smile and curtsey before sitting beside Lila.

“Where’s your prince?” she asks.

“He’s saving good people,” you answer. “I see him often, but dinner with princesses is always a treat.”

Deacon and Street serve macarons and chocolate pastries around the table before dinner. When Street reaches you, he whispers, “Princess.”

You smile widely, then quickly replace it with your practiced princess expression.

“I’ve never wanted to be a prince before today, Deac,” Street says.

“The right woman will do that to you.”

“You’re so pretty,” Street blurts out.

You laugh and look down at your t-shirt and leggings. “Thank you.”

“I mean, you were beautiful in the dress, but… it’s just you, you’re gorgeous.”

“And you’re a prince.”

Street hesitates, and you take his hand, smiling your genuine smile as you ask, “Are you going to ask me out or do I have to do it?”

“Where do you want to go? Give me something to work with.”

You brush your thumb over his knuckles and murmur, “You’ve got it.”

Street nods. “Will you go out with me? We can get dinner and then try the best cupcake in the world.”

“That sounds perfect,” you reply. “I’d love to.”

Street sighs, and you bump your shoulder against him as he walks you out of Deacon and Annie’s house. “I wasn’t going to say no, why are you acting relieved?”

“I’m so nervous,” he confesses.

You turn toward him and place your hand on his cheek. As you kiss Street, he feels like he could be a prince. As long as you’re his princess, Street knows who and what he is. And what he's going to be for Halloween.

Bonus:

“I guess the cupcake paid off,” Deacon says as Annie watches you and Street out the window.

“Only you would take credit for what just happened, David,” Annie replies, smiling.

“I knew he’d have a crush on her. Like I told him, the right woman turns you into a prince.”

[grumpymiika]

♡ TW: Yandere, dark content, non-con, toxic relationship, violence

You were curled up on the floor, weeping as the bruises covering your body throbbed painfully. They hadn’t been gentle today—they never were, and it was useless to hope the bullies might treat you with even the slightest kindness rather than the merciless beatings they delivered daily.

You couldn’t understand why they did this to you; you’d never been the type to cause trouble, especially not with classmates. It was as if they had simply decided you’d be their punching bag, while the teachers ignored everything happening. It would have been unbearable if not for Philip, your wonderful boyfriend, who was always by your side, caring for you, comforting you, treating you as if you were a person rather than the target of their torment.

Philip opened the door and found you huddled and crying. He immediately rushed over to help. “Darling! Are you alright? What happened? Did they hit you again?”

Philip bombarded you with panicked questions, pulling you close against his chest, his hand softly stroking your hair, pressing gentle kisses to wipe away your tears. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” he whispered, trying to soothe you, “I’m here now; you don’t have to worry about anything anymore... I’ll protect you.”

What you didn’t see was the hidden smile forming on his lips as he kissed your face. How could he possibly feel bad when you looked so cute, clinging to him like this? It was almost as if you were begging him to keep encouraging the classmates to rough you up a little. “Thank you, Philip…” you whispered through your sobs. Philip continued to hold you tightly, his hands running down your back, attempting to ease the bruises.

“My poor baby,” Philip murmured against your cheek, “I hate seeing you hurt like this. But don’t worry, okay? I’m here now. Those filthy brats won’t lay another finger on my precious girl.” One of Philip’s hands slid slowly down your back, possessive. “I’ll take good care of you. And every one of them will pay.”

“And what will you do…?” Philip smiled reassuringly, his hand returning to stroke your hair gently, “Don’t trouble that pretty little head of yours over those idiots. From now on, no one will EVER dare to disrespect you this way.” His hand slipped down your back once more. “Besides, I think we both know who you really belong to. No one else understands that you’re MINE. No one else can bully you or make you suffer—only I get that honor.”

Philip’s dark, intense gaze pierced into your tearful eyes. “So, let me handle it. For both of us, alright? Just stay quiet while I deal with them.” You weren’t in the best state, your mind drifting towards thoughts of vengeance. “Okay… Thank you.” Philip nodded, placing a tender kiss on your forehead. “Good girl. I’ll make everything better soon.” He stood up, towering over your smaller form, then strode over to a desk and picked up a pen and paper.

“I have an idea,” Philip said softly, tapping the pen against his lips. “Let’s see… We can’t have you getting hurt again, right? So how about this—from now on, you’ll be my little pet. I’ll make sure everyone knows you belong to me. No one will touch you or even look at you without my permission.” Your heart dropped. What was he saying? “Pet… what do you mean?” he smiled maliciously. “Oh, I think you know exactly what I mean. Just think—everyone at school will know you’re mine, and if anyone dares to mess with you…” He stepped closer, leaning down toward you, “Well, let’s just say they won’t be walking straight for a long time. I’ll make sure everyone remembers you’re mine. Even if I have to be a little rough sometimes, you’ll be very well taken care of.”

Philip winked suggestively. “Trust me. You’ll love being my pet. I’ll train you to crave my attention, my affection… all of me. And if you’re a good girl, maybe I’ll even let you have some fun with me. Doesn’t that sound nice?” He reached out, caressing your cheek as he looked at you with adoration. Your world shattered—the one you thought you could trust was, in truth, a lunatic who only wanted to use you. You pulled away from him, angry and heartbroken. “Are you out of your mind?! I’m not some pet!” Philip raised an eyebrow, laughing softly as you backed away. “Crazy, am I? Is that what you call the one who only wants to keep his precious safe?”

He walked toward you, slowly extending his hand to grip your chin firmly. “Let’s get one thing clear, darling—I own you. You belong to me, and you know it. I won’t let any stupid boy toy with you. You’re going to be my obedient little plaything and do exactly what I say, when I say. Am I understood?” he growled softly, pinning you against the wall, his larger frame looming over yours. Fed up with his nonsense, you shoved him forcefully and bolted for the door.

Philip stared in shock as you slipped past him and fled. His smug smile vanished, replaced by fury and humiliation. His strong hand yanked you back, pressing you against the wall once more. His fist slammed into the wall beside your head, sending plaster fragments flying. “This isn’t over! If you want to leave, fine! Let's see how you like living as an independent little stray!" Philip stepped back, releasing you. He kicked the nearby chair violently; you simply stared, horrified, realizing you'd never know him.

The moment of fury fades swiftly—a crack in his hardened heart appears. “What have I done? My poor baby… please, forgive me.” It was enough to undo you. Tears began streaming down your face, terror shining in your eyes. Philip blinked, surprised by the sight of your tears, his anger dissolving completely. “Oh, no… please, don’t cry,” he rushed towards you, wrapping you in a tight embrace. “My love, I didn’t mean to scare you like that. I just… I love you so much and want to keep you safe.”

His voice trembled with desperation and vulnerability. Philip buried his face in your hair, inhaling deeply. “Please forgive me. I’m not… I’m not trying to control you, I just…!” His words trailed off, tears slipping from his own eyes. He gently cupped your face, but it was too late; to you, he was nothing more than a madman. “I want to end this,” your tone was cold and indifferent. Philip felt as though he’d been punched in the gut as those words left your lips. The air was knocked from his lungs, and he stood frozen, utterly stunned.

Then reality snapped back with an overwhelming force, denial flooding through him. “No, no… you can’t leave me! Not now, not ever!” His voice rang out, high and desperate. His hands seized your shoulders, fingers pressing into your skin with bruising force. “I won’t let you go! You’re MINE! Do you have any idea what I would do if you left me?!” Rage surged through his veins at the thought. He shoved you roughly against the wall, his actions sending fear spiraling through you. “You’re not leaving me, do you hear? I’ll do anything to keep you… anything! Anything!”

“There’s no point resisting, it’s over!” you shouted, struggling to break free from his grasp. Philip boiled with unbridled fury at your words. Without a second thought, he slapped you hard across the face, leaving a red mark on your cheek. You gasped in pain. “How dare you threaten to abandon me! I’m not a piece of trash you can just throw away when you’re tired of it!” His fists clenched, nails digging into his palms. “But fine. Have it your way.” A cold smile twisted his lips. “If you’re no longer mine, then no one will want you. Not now, not ever.”

His hand shot out like lightning, grabbing a handful of your hair and yanking your head back with brutal force. His grip tightened, the pain searing. “Let go of me, you idiot!” your scream echoed in the room as Philip continued to pull your head back, exposing your vulnerable neck. His knuckles turned white as his grip on your hair intensified. He forced you to keep eye contact. “Is this what you want, you little whore? You want to play games with me?” He ground his hips foward, pressing his body against yours.

Despite Philip's relentless grip, you stubbornly try to push him away, “Gah! Let go of me!” You cry out in pain, struggling fiercely against him. Your body writhes, muscles straining and flexing as you fight his hold. Philip snarls, refusing to release you; no matter how much you struggle, he doesn’t relent. Every fiber of his being seethes with fury at the thought of losing his precious plaything. “Cry louder, you little whore! Moan so everyone can hear who owns you!” He grinds himself against you, his voice dripping with vicious possessiveness. “You’re mine, and I’ll do whatever I want with you. Understood?”

At last, your struggle gains you a moment's advantage. You manage to kick him in the stomach and scramble to escape. Philip staggers backward, clutching his midsection in pain. “You want to play?!” he snarls, his gaze darkening into something deadly. He lunges toward you, knocking you to the ground with ruthless force. His weight pins you down, like a predator securing its captured prey. “It’s over. Game over.” His thighs clamp around your body, snuffing out any hope of escape. Desperation overwhelms you, and you begin to cry, realizing there’s no way out.

“Oh, you pitiful little thing,” he sneers, his voice laced with mockingly sweet tones of fake concern. “Look at you, so scared and helpless. How precious.” He leans in close, invading every inch of your personal space, his expensive cologne blending with an intoxicating musk. “But you should’ve known better than to try and run from me, sweetness."

With his other hand, Phillip lifts her skirt and removes her panties. Cool air hits her exposed skin as the piece of lace falls away. "Look at those pretty pink lips... Let's show them who owns them."

"No! Please don't do this," you begged, tears streaming from your eyes. "Shhh, quiet now..." Phillip purrs, silencing your desperate pleas with a kiss. His tongue plunders your mouth, swallowing every moan and whimper. He bites your bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, marking it as his own. "Mmm, you're already so hot and wet for me, aren't you? Such a needy slut, begging for my cock..." Phillip's other hand rips open your shirt, sending buttons flying everywhere. Cold air hits your overheated skin as the garment is ripped completely apart.

"I'm going to ruin you. I'm going to fuck you so hard you'll forget your own name."

[cherryblossompink303]

Patience: ~The twins fight!~

➼ pairing: Kyoya Ootori x Reader ➼ summary: The twins get bored and decide to play around with the two girls of the host club and chaos breaks loose. ➼ what to expect: "I'd look out , for a moment there it sounded like you care" ➼ warnings: none ➼ Part Four | Part Six

"Let's Play the 'which one is Hikaru?' game" The twins chime out, introducing the game that they have played with the clients ever since the host club started.

"So? Can you tell which one of us is Hikaru?” the twins tease in unison.

“Well, it’s hard to say!”

“You’re identical!” The guests gush over the twins in awe.

“Many ladies have tried to tell us apart, but so far none have succeeded.” they wag their fingers in a demeaning fashion.

"That's the dumbest game i've ever heard" Haruhi comments, sat with you having coffee. "They've always done this, it is silly but the girls seem to like it" you shrug.

"You just don't like it because you never guess right y/n" Hikaru appears out of seemingly nowhere as if they heard you from across the room. "No, I never guess because you lie, statistically someone should guess right 50% of the time and yet they never do, I wonder why that is" You taunt, Kyoya chuckles from a nearby table.

The twins gasp dramatically in offence "We would never lie!" the two of them exclaim in unison. "You're jealous because we are so popular" Kaoru accuses, sticking a finger in your face "I'm not even a host, why would I be jealous?"

"Apparently you don’t understand the merits of having a pair of twins as members of the Host Club.”

"Other than you driving Tamaki up the wall?" you tease, knowing what they meant, your the host club's manager you've seen the numbers of it all, next to Tamaki the twins were extremely popular, although you never fully understood the appeal.

“Listen up! Having a couple of good-looking guys with homosexual tendencies earns the club high points. It also helps if the two struggle between their attraction and their friendship.”

You nod, trying to turn away and out of this conversation but they follow your gaze. "And in our case, because we’re twins, our relationship is taboo, and therefore more intriguing.” you grimace, you never try to put too much thought in Hikaru and Kaoru's relationship for the sake of your job, so saying it directly wasn't fun to hear.

The twins appear surrounding a guest. Hikaru tilts her chin his way, whispering into her ear.

“And besides, who hasn’t fantasized about twins? Having two lovers is better than one, don’t you think?”

Kaoru replaces Hikaru’s hand with his own, directing the guest his way, “It’s a young woman’s romantic fantasy.”

The guest stammers, “Well, I- um… yeah, you’re right! I can’t take it!” other guests join in on her squealing. "So you see y/n-"

"Don't, I get the picture, just get back to work"

"Hikaru! Kaoru!” Tamaki appears screaming

The twins mirror each other, hands perched on their hips, “Hm?”

Enraged, Tamaki continues, “When I have control of the club’s website, I did so on one condition! That you take it seriously!” Tamaki shrieks in mortification.

“We take our job very seriously, Boss,” Hikaru assures.

Kaoru waves his hands eccentrically, “In fact, last night we worked on it till dawn.”

Tamaki opens his laptop aggressively, “Is THIS what you worked so hard to create?!” He smacks the keyboard, showing images of Haruhi and You pop up.

"What the..."

Haruhi had been photoshopped- Suprisingly well- to make her appear shirtless, although it was obvious that it was fake since obviously Haruhi does not have the chest of a guy. Meanwhile the twins had edited pictures of you to show more collarbone, one photo being taken from behind had you with a completely exposed back.

"Hm, I didn’t notice that change in the website.”

You nearly jump out of your skin at the voice adjacent to you. None other than Kyoya stands emotionless beside you, observing the picture on the monitor.

“Please don’t tell me you were involved in this.” You plead, knowing that if anyone were to supply the photos used to create these it would be Kyoya. "No, but they are doing remarkably well"

It takes all the strength within you not to hit Kyoya up the back of his head. "Why did you even do this! I'm not even a host, not to mention the fact that the host club has an all female demographic!" You cry, voice increasingly getting higher.

You were going to lose your mind, you know the body in the photos wasn't yours but you were uncomfortable showing a lot of skin regardless, even if it wasn't technically your skin.

“You look great, y/n-Chan!” Honey exclaims from behind you. You make a quick movement and cover his eyes with your hand, much to his confusion.

“Oh! We never see much of y/n! I wanna see!”

“That’s why.” Kyoya points with his pen to the girls fawning over the revealing photo of you.

“Plus, I’m sure our male hosts don’t mind taking a glance at it from time to time.” he shrugs. Oh you were going to kill him.

“You-!”

Tamaki snatches the laptop from you and hands it to the awaiting girls. You exclaim in protest and reach for it, but it’s too late.

“Tell me when!”

“Huh?” the twins tilt their heads.

“When did you take naked pictures of y/n and Hruhi?!”

“Oh, dear god.” You shove your face into your hands and resist the urge to scream.

“You bribed her, didn’t you!” Tamaki starts to cry, grabbing at his hair anxiously.

“You’re imagining things.”

“It’s obvious that the photo’s been altered.”

“It was photoshopped?” Tamaki whimpers, facing the twins with dread.

"Trust me Tamaki I knew nothing about this"

“We did a pretty good job, huh?” Hikaru slides next to Tamaki with Kaoru, shrugging identically.

“We’ve got some major photoshopping talent.” Kaoru brags unabashedly.

“You idiots! That’s a waste of your skills! Have you no shame?!”

Tamaki’s attitude takes a swerve, now kneeling before the twins, pleading, “But if you’re going to do it anyway, can you photoshop Haruhi into this idol photo book?” He presents the twins with the photo book excitedly.

This time, it’s Haruhi’s face that pales, becoming white-faced. You can’t help but laugh.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Boss, why don’t you just-”

“-ask her if she’d wear an outfit like one of those.” the twins suggest, much to Haruhi’s dismay.

Tamaki glances at Haruhi with hopeful eyes, “I never thought to ask her…” he tip-toes behind her and presents her with a pink, frilly dress.

“What do you think about this, my dear?”

“What are you doing with that dress?” Honey tilts his head.

“I would have to agree with Tamaki; I’d love to see what Haruhi looked like if he dressed as a girl!” A guest abandons the laptop to pay attention to Haruhi and Tamaki’s interaction.

“Oh, he’s so cute! I’m sure he’d look great no matter what you put him in.”

Haruhi sighs in exasperation, turning to look at Tamaki with a half-assed glare. Tamaki bursts into tears and drifts away.

You snatch the laptop while it’s unattended and slam it shut, irked. "Okay that's enough, no more creepy photoshops of me and Haruhi you perverts, what do you take us for anyway?"

The twins share an identical smirk with a hum, “Isn’t that obvious? You’re our toys.”

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As we were saying, in order to entertain one’s self in this otherwise boring life-”

“One must find himself stimulating toys.”

You and Haruhi groan in unison “we are not your toys, okay?” The twins shrug with mischievous chuckles.

Suddenly, a door appears behind the three of you, revealing someone cloaked in darkness and peeking out from behind them.

“You want a toy?”

The voice calls your attention as well as the twins’, the three of you glancing over with a chorused confused, “Huh?”

“Toys, toys, if you like toys, then you should come and visit my black magic club.” the figure with a deep voice holds a candelabra.

The pieces fit together in your brain, and you realize the intimidating figure only to be Nekozawa-Senpai. You sigh heavily.

“We’ve opened a marketplace that boasts black magic items from across the globe. We’re also holding mass around the clock.”

Neko’s voice pricks the hairs standing straight on the back of Tamaki’s neck, drawing his attention and fear over to him.

“If you visit right now, I’ll even throw in a free curse doll. You can have Beelzenef as your free gift.”

You snort at the mere name of the doll. The twins struggle to hold in their laughter as well.

“Why is he talking to us through a crack in the door?” Haruhi asks from beside you.

“Wait a second, has that door always been there-?”

Kyoya meanders to the four of you with his infamous folder, “Nekozawa-Senpai likes to hide, he doesn’t really care for brightly lit places.” he clarifies at Haruhi’s question.

You raise your hand childishly, “I still have a question about the door-”

Tamaki stalks up behind Haruhi and speaks abruptly, “Don’t get involved with that guy, Haruhi.”

Haruhi leaps into the air with a yelp at his sudden appearance.

Tamaki isn’t phased in the least, “If you do, you’ll end up being cursed!”

“Do you have any basis for that?” you can’t help but snicker at Tamaki’s attitude toward the clearly harmless elder student.

Dramatically, “Yes! And you should know that! It happened during final exams at the end of the last school year! It’s terrifying just to talk about it.”

“On that fateful day, I accidentally stepped on that weirdo Nekozawa’s cursed doll, Beelzenef. Afterward, I took my exam and the entire test was written in some strange lettering! I looked to the others around me for help and realized I knew none of them! I was all alone in a different dimension!”

Honey cries in the backdrop, “Scary!”

“Did that really happen to you?!” Haruhi gasps.

Kyoya clarifies, “That only happened because you were so scared you accidentally walked into the beginning Greek class and took their exam.” he rolls his eyes.

“No, it was a curse! I know because three days later, I woke up and my legs were as heavy as lead! Just how do you explain that?!” Tamaki challenges.

"your legs were heavy because you ran a marathon the day before, remember?” you point out

Nekozawa appears near you, Kyoya, and Tamaki with a warning, “You shouldn’t underestimate the dark powers of Beelzenef the curse doll! All you have to do is write the name of someone you hate on his back. Then that person is certain to come face to face with misfortune!”

Wow, this guy is dark in more ways than one,” Hikaru observes as Tamaki shakes in fright.

“Supposedly, he hates bright lights,” Kaoru glances at his twin with a glint in his eye, “I wonder what he’ll think of this?” He brings a flashlight out from behind his back, flicking it on and off.

The light shines brightly onto Nekozawa, and incidentally, Tamaki, startling them both.

“You murderers!” Nekozawa shrieks as he dashes back to the safe darkness of his club room, slamming the door behind him.

Tamaki lets out a harrowing shriek, “How on earth could you do such a thing?! Obviously the two of you don’t know the true terror of black magic!” he attempts to scold the twins as they wander off.

They throw themselves into chairs alongside each other boredly.

“Ugh, I am so bored.”

“Isn’t there anything fun we can do around here?”

Being ignored is one of Tamaki’s worst nightmares. So he confines himself to his sulking corner and crouches in shame, “My dignity as the club’s leader is being ignored.”

“It sure is.” you tsk as you shake your head at the twins’ behavior.

“Hey, y/n, we’ve got a favor to ask you.” Both Hikaru and Kaoru raise their hands in unison, gaining your attention. “What is it?”

“The next time we get a day off,”

“Can we come over to your place and hang out?”

You tense up at the question "Why would you do that?" in the two years you had been living in Japan you never really had the club members round to your place, while they all lived in mansions you lived in a small apartment not far from the school.

“We’re curious! We wanna see where you live.”

Without hesitation, you have an answer, “No way.” Your response is immediate.

“Aw, pretty please?” they plead annoyingly. "You never let us come round" Kaoru spoke up.

"I’ve been curious as well; I don’t think any of us have been to your house before.” As per usual, Kyoya appears beside you

“No way in hell, Kyoya,” you deadpan. The crease between Kyoya’s brows becomes more prominent at your response. "Besides, it was your family who set me up with my place, I honestly thought you knew where I live"

Kyoya shrugged "I know your address but I haven't seen it in person, I don't go that far in depth in my research"

“We can settle this with a game!” The twins adorn their green caps.

“If you can’t pick out which one of us is Hikaru, then your penalty will be the two of us coming over to your house later tonight.” They shuffle themselves back and forth, spinning.

“Okay! So which one of us is Hikaru?”

Relief floods your system that the game is so simple- they’ll never have to come over. You point confidently, “This one’s Kaoru, this one’s Hikaru.”

The twins prance in accomplishment, “Uh oh! You got it wrong!” They grin.

You raise an eyebrow that they were still choosing to lie even to you “No, I know I’m right. You guys may look alike, but you’re very different.” you clarify.

The twins let out a mildly frightened laugh, trying to keep their composure.

"How did you do that, y/n? Whenever they wear those hats to cover up which way they part their hair, it’s practically impossible to try and figure out which twin is Hikaru and which one is Kaoru!” a guest catches your attention.

“How can you tell them apart?” Another asks.

"I have to spend every day around them for one, you slowly start to pick up on little things, Hikaru is more impulsive than kaoru while kaoru is more mischevious with his plots"

Kaoru snorts and covers his mouth with his hand, “Sorry, Hikaru, I don’t mean to laugh.” But as he says it, his light chuckle transforms into full-blown laughter.

“Well, I don’t see what’s so funny. I’m honest, I speak my mind, and I don’t hold back.” Hikaru closes his eyes and holds his head high.

“It’s sneaky people like Kaoru who are the troublemakers.”

Kaoru’s eyes open wide and the laughter stops. He rises from his hunched position and glares at Kaoru, suddenly serious.

“Don’t turn this on me, Hikaru. After all, I’m the one who’s always going along with all of your selfish games.”

“I may suggest them, but you’re the one who really gets into them, Kaoru. If you hate it so much, then why don’t you just stop?”

“Because I’d hate to see you make an ass of yourself in front of everyone. It was your idea to call y/n our toy, but I noticed you were quick to make a pass at her,”

You slowly try to creep away from the twins, no longer wanting to be apart of whatever is going on, accidentally backing into Kyoya, who grasps your shoulders to stabilise you. "Are you alright?"

“What’s going on?” your voice is unsteady. He follows your finger and shrugs. “I’m not sure.”

“Admit it, Hikaru, you’re actually in love with y/n, aren’t you?”

You're eyes widen in pure shock, in the years that you had known the twins neither had expressed any romantic interest in you, or at least none that you had noticed. Kyoya's grip on your shoulders tighten a little.

“You’ve got it all wrong, Kaoru! Man, you’re such a freaking idiot!”

“Why would I fall for her? I mean, she looks like a tanuki.” Hikaru reasons.

“Wow, thank you so much Hikaru, appreciate it" you mutter.

“Awesome. This is just perfect!”

Something powerful shakes the ground and rises from the floor.

The motor carries Renge, much to your dismay.

“Our beloved y/n is in the middle of a beautiful yet poignant four-sided romantic relationship!”

“Four-sided-?” You glance around cluelessly.

“And to make it even more exciting, two of y/n’s admirers are twins, torn apart by love! Just the thought of it could make me eat three bowls of rice!”

“Oh butt out, Otaku.” The twins groan. You speak up, “Actually, this is the first time she’s acknowledging my existence so-”

“You guys are meanies, you shouldn’t say something like that to your manager!” Renge cries.

“Never mind.” you pout.

“I’m confused, I thought that you had decided to go back home to France, Renge.” Haruhi points out.

“Well, I was going to start up a host club of my own, but I don’t think France is ready for a host club just yet.” Renge explains.

“Cut it out, already!” The exclamation draws everyone’s attention back to the twins.

“You’re the one who’s always crawling into my bed! Talk about annoying!” Hikaru huffs angrily.

“I only do that cause you look lonely! I wouldn’t choose to sleep in your bed, you idiot!”

Somehow, the twins’ guests find their bickering to be dote-worthy.

“Who are you calling an idiot, you’re the one who sucks at math?” Hikaru fires back with rage.

“Oh yeah? Well, you’re failing your foreign language class, you big dummy!”

“The way you grind your teeth is deafening!”

“At least I don’t toss and turn so much that I fall out of bed!”

“Sex Pixie!”

“Sicko!”

“YOUR MAMA WEARS TOO MUCH MAKEUP!”

“That’s it! We’re over!”

Silence falls over the host club, you look up to see kyoya's equally shocked face.

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By the time you had reached lunch the next day everyone was getting sick of the twins fighting. Haruhi had told you that the twins had showed up to class with dyed hair and nearly tore the classroom apart.

As you along with the rest of the host club entered the refractory the twins were still arguing, this time over what they were ordering for lunch

“I was wondering what all the fuss was about. I can’t believe the two of you are still fighting, you’re a disgrace to the host club.” Tamaki says as you all enter.

“Hey, look who it is.”

“Oh, I love them…”

“I’ve never seen them all together like this…”

"We've had enough of this! You're both to blame for this!" Honey demands.

You turn to Kyoya "I'm surprised you joined us Kyoya, you never normally eat here" you point out, Kyoya still scribbling in his notebook. "Yes well given the circumstances I figured that it would be best that I come and keep an eye on things lest they start chucking things around the room again. I don't want someone to get hurt"

"Someone?" You ask, sending him a pointed look, kyoya glares at you over the rim of his glasses "Don't want to see you needing a doctor, we both know how that would go" he smirks.

You laugh "I'd look out Kyoya, for a moment there it sounded like you care about me" you faux horror. He tutted through a smile "Well we can't have that can we?"

“I don’t care if my boxed lunch is in an embarrassing heart shape! I will eat it!” Tamaki’s shout echoes in the expansive dining hal, leaving the two of you to stare at him in confusioon.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but it’s evident that your fantasies are completely incoherent.” Kyoya departs, carrying his meal on a tray.

“y/n, you wanna sit here with me?” Hikaru pulls out a seat next to him and gestures to it, suddenly calm, separate from Kaoru.

“Uh, okay.” You approach sceptically, sitting down next to him.

“So what’s that?” He points to your little container you’ve brought with you, “What’d you bring for lunch?”

“Just some food I made before school" you shrug.

“You wanna switch with me? I had to order something different than Kaoru, so I ended up with stuff I don’t really like.” He pushes his tray in your direction and swipes up your container.

“That’s fine with me.” You shrug, taking a fork and poking at the food on your new spread. You begin to chew on a bite, humming with satisfaction and chewing thoroughly.

Kaoru pulls out a chair on the other side of you, “So, y/n, is that any good? How would you like to taste mine? Here.”

He slides his fingers under your chin and aims a spoon toward your mouth, tilting your chin upwards. Your face flushes at the proximity.

Hikaru leans forward and eats what’s on Kaoru’s soon, “Quit butting in, get lost, Kaoru.” He deadpans. You squeak and jerk away, separating yourself from the twins glaring at each other.

Kaoru hesitates before chucking a bowl of soup in Hikaru’s direction.

Although it looks like Hikaru has received the blow, he pulls on Tamaki’s tie to reveal that he shielded himself with his own boss. He smirks.

Before you know it, you’re caught in another crossfire between them. Chairs, plates, food, and even Honey is thrown between them.

You slip away and somehow yet again ended up sat by Kyoya yet again “Weren’t you enjoying yourself over there? I'm sure the twins are excellent company”

“Very funny.” Your eyes roll exaggeratedly, opening up your food. "Why have you brought your own lunch? I understand why Haruhi requires a boxed lunch but you and I both know you are in a vastly different situation to her"

"I don't know I just... I've felt weirdly homesick this week, I figured making some food from where I am from would help" you shrug, Kyoya hums back in understanding "Could I...try some?" He asked, slightly sheepishly which was a rare look for him.

You nod, smiling back as you slide over the box for him to stick his fork in, patiently awaiting as he took a taste. His face lights up in a mix of surprise and delight "This is really good"

"You think? I don't think myself to be that much of a chef" you shrug, sliding the box back to take a taste for yourself "You made this?" you smile back at him nodding "yeah"

Kyoya hums, staring back at you with a look that you couldn't quite place. "You should tell me about your home country more often" he lightly commented, returning to his own food. You stared back at him in mild shock, "Yeah"

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"Looking at the numbers, if this situation isn’t resolved, I’m afraid we’re going to have to stop offering our brotherly love package. We’re down one pair of loving brothers.” Kyoya grumbles, sitting directly across from you.

“Oh, y/n, I just want you to know there’s no reason for you to feel responsible. Even though it was your tactless comment that started this whole feud between the twins in the first place, right?”

Your shoot him a dead pan glare. Clearly he did blame you despite the fact that the twins kind of started the fight themselves.

Honey fidgets solemnly with Usa-Chan in his lap, “It’s weird for Hika-Chan and Kao-Chan to be fighting like this. It’s never happened before.” a frown etched upon his face. Mori nods with a bleak hum.

“They’ve never fought before?” Haruhi chimes in from beside you. You nod grimly.

“I’ve known Hika-Chan and Kao-Chan since we were pre-school. We weren’t in the same year, so I never really got to talk to them, but I remember that the two of them always played together.” Honey recalls.

“Yeah, that’s true. I mean, I’ve only known the twins since they were in middle school but they definitely stood out. It seemed like… they kept everyone at a distance except each other to protect themselves. I mean, they were even more isolated back then, I couldn’t even imagine how they’ve turned out now when I knew them at first.” Tamaki chimed in.

“Maybe this fight is a good thing for them.” He extends his arms to emphasize his next point, “Maybe it means that the twins are expanding their horizons a bit. We should just leave them alone and let them work it out.”

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You quickly realise that leaving them alone to work it out wasn't quite going to cut it. By the time the next day rolled around you all realised that you could not open the host club that day as the twins were yet again hurling things at eachother.

“Don’t you guys think that maybe, it’s time you give up all this fighting? It’s driving me insane!” Tamaki cries, looking like he is one more argument away from having a breakdown

“What’d you say? It’s driving you insane? You’ve got to be kidding me- how do you think I feel right now?! Every time I look in the mirror, I see his face! I’m sick and tired of constantly being mistaken for you, Kaoru! The truth is, I hate your guts!” Hikaru yells across the room.

“You took the words right out of my mouth. In fact, I hate you so much, I bought this! Belzenef, the curse doll!” Hikaru produces the wooden cat doll from his blazer. Tamaki shrieks.

“I’m going to complete the curse, Hikaru. I’m going to write your name on his back.” Kaoru pulls a marker from thin air threateningly, Hikaru growls.

Rage and frustration filled you, this was too far, it was all getting out of hand.

“From this day forward, you’re going to experience nothing but misfortune and sorrow!” The marker squeaks as Kaoru scribbles onto the back of the doll.

Tamaki screeches in horror, his palms cupping both his cheeks.

You march up to him, snatching the doll from him and throwing it to the ground. "Are you insane!?" Kaoru stares back at you in shock. "You don’t bring something like this into a petty fight! Both of you are at fault here, but what’s really sad is that you’ve brought everyone else around you into your big mess!”

At this point you are staring down at the two of them like a mother scolding two small children, “Now apologize to each other! If you don’t make up right now, I’m never gonna let you come over to my house, have I made myself clear?!”

You hadn't even registered the words before they left your mouth, pausing as you processed what you actually had just said. The twins stare up at you in shock and horror, however that does not last long as the corners of their lips twist upwards into a smirk.

“So then what you’re saying, y/n, that if we make up, we can come over to your place?” They circle you with hands perched on their hips.

Vertigo overtook you as you realised exactly what had just happened, looking down to find that all that Kaoru had wrote on the curse doll was 'blank'

“I’m so sorry, Kaoru. Even though I was just following our script, I said such awful things to you. I’m not fit to be your brother.” Hikaru caresses Kaoru by the cheek gently.

Kaoru reaches up and takes Hikaru’s face in his hands, “Don’t say that, Hikaru! I was worried. I couldn’t live with myself if I ever thought I had hurt you.”

“Kaoru, I’ll never let you go again!”

“Hikaru!”

You remain stood there, stunned at what was happening before you.

As the twins embrace, Honey flails his arms with squinted eyes, “You’ve gotta be kidding! You mean you guys were faking it this whole time?!” He screams.

You and Tamaki have fallen to your knees in defeat. Your fist tries its hardest to clench the ground, your head hanging between your shoulders.

“We didn’t have anything else to do, we were bored.”

Tamaki weakly lifts his head to observe them, “Twins with too much time on their hands…”

Hikaru and Kaoru both stick out their tongue at him, pulling a single eyelid down in a mocking way.

“…are the devil.”

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“I’m so glad they made up!” guests squeal in admiration.

With pink and blue hair, the twins encourage them, “Okay, it’s time to play the "which one is Hikaru” game!“ They smile widely.

A guest pipes up, "I know! The twin with the pink hair is Hikaru!” She announces proudly.

“We have a winner!” The twins have found that letting their guests win is also as much fun as watching them get them mixed up.

“So are you two going to keep your wild hair color even though you’ve made up? It’s much easier to tell the two of you apart now.”

Haruhi glances up as she strides past them, cocking an eyebrow as she observes their hair colour. They are not the same as they were yesterday.

“Huh, no, it isn’t.” she almost laughs as she stroll past, anticipating their reaction. They each hum boredly, watching her go. “Today, the pink one is Kaoru and Hikaru’s the blue one. You switched overnight huh?"

You hum in approval from nearby "You're finally catching on Haruhi" you congratulate her at being the second person to correctly tell the twins apart.

The twins freeze, staring at the two of you blankly as they realised that you both could truly tell which one was Hikaru.

"I think you broke them" Kyoya pointed out, glancing up from his notebook. You hum in agreement "Yes I think so" he smirks, placing the book down "I must admit it was quite interesting to see you lay into the twins like that, I've never seen you that angry before"

You shrug "I don't even know where it came from really, I guess something came over me" Kyoya pauses, smile slowly fading into a smirk "I'd look out , for a moment there it sounded like you care"

You laugh.

Maybe you did.

Next time on patience 'The Gradeshool host is the naughty type!'

Tag list (reply to be added): @skottch @cgmajor @rebirthbunbun

[hyperobsessedd]

Quick little joost x reader drabble because i can’t be asked to write a whole paragraph.(I wrote WAYYYYY more than a paragraph oops)

a/n: after many edits were finally here

tw: mentions of alcohol

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I think joost x reader who is trying to learn dutch would be so cute. You had been wanting to learn ever since you moved to the Netherlands but never got around to, you had to many responsibilities at work and outside of work. You did the occasional duolingo but the only phrase you learned how to say was ik ben een kind (I am a child) a phrase that obviously didn’t apply to you. For the most part you got around speaking English but even then communicating with the locals could be kinda difficult.

Meeting joost was probably the turning point in your reluctance to learn Dutch. It’s not like you started taking a Dutch course immediately after meeting him but talking to him really made you feel like taking one. When y’all were still in the talking stage he would always sprinkle in light Dutch words/phrases like schatje, liefje, mijn liefste. “Don’t worry about it, it’s just a term of endearment” he would always say when you tried to inquire about said words. Guessing that he would most likely never tell you what the words meant you took matters into your own hands.

Spending hours studying/learning Dutch wasn’t over some silly pet names wasnt exactly what you thought you would be doing when you first met joost but as they say love makes you do crazy things. As the weeks progressed you could fell that your Dutch skills were getting better (writing and reading specifically). You could now (for the most part) understand what joost was saying to you irl and over text.

He had initially invited you over to his apartment to have dinner and a movie but the possibility of watching said movie was very very slim. You guys talked and talked while eating, continued chatting while sipping on some wine, and even now in your almost comatose state the both of you continue to babble on (gaga reference) about whatever came to mind.

“You know what liefste” you chuckled at the mention of the silly little pet name. “What, why are laughing” his head turned towards your direction, the pout very obvious on his flushed face

“Just the nickname ‘s all” you slurred out, the alcohol seemed to kicked in

“And you’re sure that you aren’t laughing at me”

“Why would I laugh at you? I’m also drunk and I think you look cute like this” you said before giving him a small boop on the nose

“You think I’m cute?” His eyes lightened up upon hearing your words

“Of course I do, just like how you think I’m cute”

“I never told you the you were cute” he sat back on the couch trying to think about his past actions

“Do you think I don’t know what liefste and schatje mean” his eyes widened at the mention of the nicknames

“I thought you didn’t know Dutch” he looked deep in thought as if trying to recall things you had told him in the past

“Well I may have started learning it for a certain someone” you tried to hint at him hoping that he wasn’t too drunk

“Oh really, is he nice” he played along speaking equally as vague as you were

“He’s a bit cocky sometimes but his pretty face makes up for it” you got closer to him until you were staring into each other’s eyes

“Really”

“Really”

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Notes and reblogs are always appreciated and requests are open