#and it turns out angsty :D

[lonely-night]

you'll be the saddest part of me a part of me that will never be mine

[bilberry-jam]

Here's a little comic based off of @teatitty idea of "[Geralt & Dandelion] both looking wet and pathetic after getting caught in a sudden downpour and bickering over whose fault it is"

I like to imagine this is set within the first few years of them travelling together when they're still learning each others boundaries and what not.

[dinglefu]

Here’s me practicing my new art style with my favorite bald glorios from my older hyper fixation!! (CW: Disturbing imagery, blood!)

Guhg I love them both and the art style is drastically different everytime I do it but it’s personally so much fun and so much easier than the regular art!

Also idk but this is an au btw, angsty Scp-096 has kind of infected my mind for years and I know he’s the best man monster failure ever but like I couldn’t help myself but experiment with the idea that he finally realizes the cruelty behind his containment and potential termination and has enough. And he practically rips himself a new life to finally have some autonomy.

However he’s still viewed as a monster even after rioting and fighting against the people containing him, and it doesn’t end well. He doesn’t find peace knowing that in the search of freedom, he has cast blood across his hands.

Of course, Scp-106 found this remorse as a potential weakness and a window to become allies with the more vicious being, regardless of their strained relationship in the beginning.

Could them having something in common finally bring them together, or is this only a misinterpretation on 106’s side?

[supermarine-silvally]

💜 Yara

Thank you very much for the prompt, dear Anon!! <3 I hope you enjoy it!

💜 surprise kiss / impulsive kiss

This fucking Marine would not leave her alone. 

“And so there I was, surrounded by forty of the nastiest, ugliest pirates in all of the South Blue! They were pointing their weapons at me, creeping closer and yelling curses far too crude to repeat in front of a lady. Bunch of disgusting savages.” The man took a swig of alcohol, pounding his mug against the counter.

Yara’s teeth gritted, staring down at the bottom of her glass as if it had gold in it. If it wasn’t for this ridiculously overpriced beverage-- some kind of pomegranate-flavoured thing that didn’t taste half as good as it looked on the menu board-- she would’ve been out of this shithole bar ages ago. 

It was the first day that the Moby Dick had made shore in almost a month, and she had somehow managed to spend far too long of it stuck next to this loser who had just spent the last hour bragging about his impending promotion to Captain of the 453rd Branch or whatever. The shit-eating smirk on his face told her that women were usually fawning over him by this point, and the fact that she wasn’t apparently meant that she needed a little more persuading. 

The Marine leaned closer to her, his breath reeking of cheap liquor. “So you know what I did next?”

“I couldn’t care le--”

“I grabbed hold of the steering wheel and swung the ship around! The bastards were so surprised, they didn’t even have time to grab hold of anything, so they all ended up tumbling into the ocean!!” He roared with laughter. “Can you believe that? See, the thing about pirates is that they’re all so hopelessly stupid.”

“Are they now?” Yara said flatly. She was increasingly tempted to push the edge of her dress back, fully revealing the tattoo that adorned her left leg. The only reason why she hadn’t so far was because she was loath to make the man think she was trying to entice him. 

“You better believe it, sweetcheeks.” He winked. “And if you want my opinion, Gold Roger was the stupidest one of all. Some ‘King of the Pirates’ he was. I heard there wasn’t even much of a fight to bring the brute down.” Swallowing another gulp of his beverage, he turned to face her. “Now, enough about me. What’s a pretty little gal like you doing all alone in this part of town?”

“Who said she was alone?” a familiar voice spoke from behind them. 

Yara’s heart leapt, a small smile creeping onto her lips as she finally glanced up from her half-empty glass. 

Ace flashed the both of them one of his usual cocky grins before draping an arm over Yara’s shoulders. “There you are. I was looking everywhere for you.”

The Marine’s expression soured. He shuffled closer to Yara, his tone dropping. “What do you say we get out of here? A man of my rank can get a room at any hotel you fancy.”

Ace tsked. “Whispering isn’t polite, y’know. And there’s a big problem with your plan.”

“Oh? And what’s that?”

A devilish grin spread across the young pirate’s face. He withdrew his arm and reached forwards, fingers brushing gently under Yara’s jaw as he tilted her chin up ever so slightly. “She’s mine.” 

Without a moment’s hesitation, he leaned in, his lips colliding with hers. Yara’s eyes widened, surprised by the sudden burst of affection, but they quickly fluttered shut. Ace’s hands had found her waist, pulling her in closer, the taste of pomegranate lingering between them as he deepened the kiss. Finally, he pulled away with a gentle nip to her bottom lip, leaving her breathless. Keeping one arm wrapped firmly around her midsection, he shot the Marine the most satisfied smirk Yara had ever seen.

The man’s lip curled as he slid off the bar stool and took a step towards Ace, trying to look menacing. “Oh, yeah? Who do you think you--” He stopped, his eyes landing on the ASCE tattoo on Ace’s arm. All the colour instantly drained from his face. “W-Wait a minute… I know you… You’re… You’re Fire Fist!!”

Ace tipped his hat at him. “That I am. Pleasure to meet ya.”

“But… that means…” His gaze slowly shifted over to Yara, finally noticing the tattoo poking out from under the hem of her dress. He gulped. “H-Hellcat Yara… It’s-- It’s the Whitebeard Pirates!!”

“And you say we’re the stupid ones,” Yara said disdainfully, watching as the man’s shaking hand reached for the sword strapped to his belt. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

His hand stilled for a second before grabbing the sword and whipping it out. “I’ll… I’ll capture you both! You have a combined bounty of almost one billion Berry, right?! I’ll be rich-- and a hero!!”

Ace and Yara looked at each other, then back at the quivering Marine. Yara let out a sigh, lifting up her glass.

Thunk!!

Before the man could move, she brought it down over his head. He slumped over, his sword clattering to the ground. The rest of the pomegranate-flavoured beverage splashed from the glass, dripping down his blank face.

“Wow.” Ace looked impressed. “That’s one way to solve it.”

Yara shrugged. “I’ve been wanting to do that for over an hour now. Besides, his flirting game sucked anyways.” She placed the glass down on the bar’s counter, sliding it over to the bartender who had apparently seen enough brawls to be completely unbothered by the situation. 

Side by side, the two young pirates left the bar, stepping out onto the sunny street. 

Ace’s stomach growled as they walked, making him chuckle. “All that excitement and I’m completely famished. Now whaddaya say I take you out for dinner? My treat.”

She laughed. “You say ‘treat’ as if you haven’t skipped the bill on every single date you’ve ever taken me on.” 

“That’s true,” he conceded, grinning sheepishly.

 Yara looped her arm around his, twining their fingers together. “I would love dinner. And to spend time with you as long as you’ll have me.”

Ace pretended to ponder it. “Well, if that’s the case, then… How about forever?”

Smiling, she leaned down and pressed a kiss against the crossed-out ‘S’ of his tattoo. “Forever sounds nice.”

tagging: @auxiliarydetective @oneirataxia-girl @daughter-of-melpomene

[sylvieserene]

I wonder how Sho learnt of his father's apparent demise due to a landslide like...did he witness it first hand or was maybe told by his mother (Masumi) later? Because if it's the former, it must be very traumatising for a 5-8 year old child and even if it's the latter, it must have been extremely hard to explain to a child like him who was very young and very attached to his father. Like it's hard to explain the concept of death to someone so small-

I wonder how he moved on and I kinda also wonder how his mom allowed him to go back to the mountain since a lot of people won't actually let their child play in an area which is prone to landslides and where their spouse died due to it :(

It's something I can't help but wonder a lot of times.

@idaten-jump what are your thoughts on this?

[heterochromatica]

itsumoegao asked: 📗 Though Izuku managed to stay on his feet, his legs trembled as he applied pressure to the wound which suddenly made its presence known once the adrenaline wore off. He ... Went a little too far this time, didn't he? There were so many rioters, he had to subdue as many as possible until the police achieved order. Todoroki looked to be okay at least. To that, Izuku formed a faint smile, staggering towards his friend, stopping after a few steps in. "Oh no, I'm gonna ..." Gaze flickered towards the crimson across his palm as his vision blurred. "I think I'm gonna pass out ..."

As soon as he noticed his best friend approaching he spun around, already taking a couple steps towards the emerald haired teen, mismatched eyes widening as he saw the damage done. His heart was beating a mile a minute. It felt like everything else slowed down or maybe he just didn't feel any of it anymore because it didn't matter?

"Mi-midoriya?!" he hurried over to the other, taking two steps at a time in order to reach him, hands stretched out to catch, to hold, to comfort. Just before he could go down, Shoto was there, letting the other fall against his chest, carefully wrapping his arms around him to hold him steady, calling his name again, and again, and again.

"Midoriya?! It's okay.. I got you..."

"Midoriya? Midoriya?!" and then there were hands, people, noises, voices. Someone took care of the teens wounds while Shoto held him. He would stay with him. Stay at his side and make sure that he was going to be okay. Even after they told him that his friend would be okay, Shoto didn't budge. He didn't dare to leave his side, too worried that something worse might happen. He could only hope that Midoriya would wake up again soon. @itsumoegao

[novthirty]

OUT OF BOUNDS | you get isekai-d into the N109 zone

— pairing: sylus x non-mc! reader

— synopsis: you land in the world of love and deepspace. with no way to return home, sylus offers you the job of his personal secretary. wc: 3.8k

— tags: isekai/transmigration, fluff, angst, pining, slice of life, birthdays, holiday season, reader is not the main character, boss/employee relationship

— a/n: i'm thinking of making a part 2, but also thinking of making it into a full-fledged fic,,, let me know if you’re interested! but for now, i’ll be working on another, more angsty non-mc fic for sylus’s bday 👀 hope you enjoy! 💕💕edit: i’ve since turned this into a multi-chapter fic! this will continue to function as a standalone one-shot, but you can find the series here.

ao3 | masterlist | requests are open!

It was just your luck to be walking home from a 7PM class on a desolate road, only for a vehicle to swerve and crash into you. The impact is like a sledgehammer to your body as you hear the crunch of glass and the snap of bones. This is it, you think, as the world around you blurs into nothingness. 

—————————————————————

You wake up in a hospital bed, where you promptly have a panic attack from the IV attached to your arm. You desperately thrash against the nurses’ hold, trying to remove the intrusive line from your body, but it’s no use as your injuries and the numerous drugs hamper your movements. You hear muffled explanations— inaudible to your clouded mind— before they decide to sedate you. You drift back to sleep. 

Sometime later, you wake up again, this time with the IV detached and a familiar face sitting by your bedside. You laugh, thinking you must be in some sort of dream or coma-induced hallucination. Because why was Sylus, a love interest from Love and Deepspace— the game you’ve been obsessed with for the past few months— sitting beside you? You say as much, and the only response he deigns you with is, “Did you sustain brain damage on top of your other injuries?”

You shake your head at the absurdity of your delusions, quickly falling back into a medically-induced sleep. Things should be back to normal when you wake up.

—————————————————————

Newsflash: they weren’t. Days passed, and you gradually had to accept that whether it was reality or not, you were gonna be stuck here until you figured out how to go back to the normal world. Sylus visits you from time to time, the strange girl who landed in his backyard and claims to be from another world. It turns out that the place you’ve woken up in is not a hospital, but Onychinus’s medical ward.

When you’ve healed enough to be discharged, you have nowhere to go. So you turn to the only person you’re familiar with in this world.  

You had been a college student, just months away from graduation before you found yourself here. It fills you with spite, how everything you’d worked hard for was taken away in the blink of an eye. But you push the bitterness aside, offering whatever skills you have to Sylus so he doesn’t kick you out. You know that this world isn’t kind, the N109 Zone one of the worst places you could have ended up. A normal civilian such as you wouldn’t survive here alone. Though you don’t have much to contribute to a criminal organization, you’re grateful when Sylus offers you the job of his personal assistant. 

Although you don’t have much work experience, your previous internships and methodical nature help you to excel at this job. Never has the leader of Onychinus been so…. organized, his colleagues around him observe the stark change in the following months. You whip him up to shape, scolding him when he arrives late to meetings, making sure he actually calls back when he says he will. His business partners now call his office to be greeted by a chirpy voice, “How may I help you? Oh, Sylus isn’t here right now. Would you like to leave a message?”

He had initially given you this job as more of a placeholder role, so you can occupy yourself with the illusion of real responsibility while he investigates his suspicions about you. Where did you come from? Who sent you? And most importantly, how did you manage to infiltrate his base right under his nose? But his investigation leads him to the simple truth: there was nothing on you. It’s as if you materialized from thin air. No records, no blood ties, no evidence of your existence before you walked into his life. 

But if reincarnation can be fact, and dragons more than legends, why deny the possibility of other realities? This, more than anything, makes him inclined to believe your claims. 

Besides, you’ve proven yourself to be… useful, he supposes. Although the fear he instilled in his business partners was enough to put them in their place, he now had you to act as a buffer to their complaints and concerns, handling matters that were beneath him. You easily adjust to his nocturnal schedule; you’re like a little crow chirping at his shoulder at all times of the day, reminding him to leave on time for meetings, to eat three meals each day (even going so far as to ask his preferred meals to inform the chefs in advance). You physically force him out of his office the moment noon hits in an attempt to prevent him from overworking, “Sun’s up, boss. It’s time to hit the sack.” 

Your office is connected to his, although it's less a room and more an alcove he cleared away when he gave you the job. You have a small desk, a fluffy pink swivel chair, and a shelf covered in the trinkets you spend your salary on. (Another thing you have in common with Mephisto, he notes to the ever-growing list.) He finds amusement to idly watch you during his downtime, twirling the strands of your hair and chewing your pen as you talk on the phone about weapons shipments and insuring someone who lost a finger in an operation. 

Contradictory to his initial expectations, you prove yourself in a professional capacity and cement your place in the ranks of Onychinus.

—————————————————————

The first surprise is truly when the clock strikes twelve on April 18, and he enters his office to find a cake on his desk. Decorated in black and maroon frosting, it’s topped with his name in crooked cursive and a crow-shaped candle to boot. Moments after, you stride in from behind with Luke and Kieran, all carrying gifts and wearing patterned party hats, singing a terribly off-key rendition of the birthday song.

“Happy birthday, Sylus! Make a wish!”

He blows the candles (and wishes for the only thing he truly desires). 

“Do you like the cake? The chefs helped me decorate it!” You say as you slice it into even triangles, giving him the largest one. Mephisto is perched on your shoulder, with his own red party hat, as you feed him small bites of your own slice. (The resemblances between the two of you are truly uncanny). The celebration is a silly endeavor that lasts no more than an hour before he kicks everyone out of his office. But try as he might, he can’t wipe the grin off his face for the rest of the day. 

When May comes, you rope him into the preparations for Luke and Kieran’s birthday. Due to your incessant nagging, he’s since discovered your shared digital calendar— complete with monthly, weekly, daily, and hourly agendas— and chosen to ignore it. “The calendar exists for you to be on time,” You seethe whenever he steps into his office late, the little shit smirking as if you didn’t just rearrange his schedule to hell and back for that one hour-long meeting he missed. However, that doesn’t mean he’s exempt from any festivities you force upon the household. 

The twins’ celebration is a significantly more chaotic affair than his, involving a two tiered cake and a booking for a laser tag arena, and ending with a trip to the medical ward. Despite the casualties, it’s the most fun Luke and Kieran have had since they joined Onychinus. (Fun that wasn’t self-orchestrated, at least). 

Your presence brings a liveliness to his found family, something that grounds you all in this high-paced line of work. A presence that, little by little, seeps into his life to the point he can no longer imagine living without it.  

—————————————————————

When he finds you on a cold midnight in November, sitting alone on the kitchen island with a puny cupcake and a candle, he asks you what the hell you think you are doing. 

“Well, it’s just a birthday. I didn't feel the need to have a lot of celebration this year." The answer is nowhere enough to appease him, especially given your grandiose efforts to celebrate literally everyone else’s birthday. So, you admit to him, “I felt a bit sad, I guess. This was my last year of college. I had so many plans for before my entry into the workforce… and now, I can't really do any of them.”

Without missing a beat, he asks, “And what were those plans?” 

You list off the various places you wanted to visit, the items you were supposed to cross from your bucket list this year. As you reminisce on old plans, you split the cupcake with him and bid him goodnight, returning to your office to catch up on work. 

When you wake up at 5 PM later that day, it’s to streamers and balloons in the living room. 

“Happy birthday!” Everyone in the house cheers as you enter the room, decked out in all sorts of party favors. Even Sylus, who was notoriously un-festive, is wearing a cone-shaped party hat striped with your favorite colors. 

What follows is an impromptu day-off for everyone in the base (you feel an oncoming migraine thinking of how you’re going to readjust Sylus’s schedule). They bring you to Linkon City, your first time visiting since your arrival, following an itinerary that matches your original plans to a T. 

Sylus is upset that you’ve kept the date to yourself for so long, but more than that, he’s angry at himself for not bothering to ask. So he does his best to make up for it in the final hours of your birthday. Throughout the evening, he drags you to every activity that had been on your wishlist, lavishing you with all sorts of presents on the way. It’s a little too much. You’re not used to being spoiled, not used to treating yourself without deserving it first, and you tell him as much. 

He tips your chin upwards with a feather-light touch, his gaze unreadable as he asks, “And who says my lovely secretary doesn’t deserve the world at her feet?” 

The atmosphere shifts, the effortless ease at which you interact with him dissipates into stutters and heated stares. You ride home on the back of his motorcycle, finding yourself flushing despite the winter chill in the air. It’s a comfortable silence, yet your heart is thumping loudly against your chest. Does he hear how he makes you feel? You wonder. 

Before he retires to his bedroom, you place a soft kiss against his cheek. “Thank you for today,” you whisper before shutting the door behind you. 

—————————————————————

From then on, things are significantly more… tense, between the two of you. What were once casual interactions turn tense with every brush of your fingers, with every meeting of your eyes across the room. He's always lavished you with the sweetest of pet names; darling, little bird, sweet girl. You assume it’s just his speech pattern, given what you had known of him from the game. But why does it make your heart race every time he refers to you with such terms of endearment? Why does it fuel your delusions of having something more? 

—————————————————————

It comes to a head during the week of Christmas, where you once again strong-arm him into having your festive way at the Onychinus base. 

You were appalled at their lack of holiday spirit for the previous years, “How can you run an organization like this?!” So you drag your boss out to the nearest Christmas tree farm. “You’re rich enough to afford a real one,” You decide definitively. He rolls his eyes but drives you there anyway. 

Each night on the week before Christmas goes similarly. The moment your work is done for the evening, you drag the whole house into some sort of festive activity. Decorating the tree, baking a gingerbread house, making eggnog. Holiday tunes fill the Onychinus base 24/7 and for once, Sylus finds that he doesn’t mind. Not when he sees the way you dance to yourself when you think no one’s looking, the way you know the words by heart and hum them under your breath. But he doesn’t participate much, mostly checking in and making a sardonic yet supportive comment before returning to his work. 

One evening, he decides to bring his work to the living room while you’re setting up the tree. It was a great source of amusement to see you struggle on your toes to place the ornaments, hoisting yourself up on whatever surface was available to you. But even he found it a bit too pitiful to watch you struggle to place the star, too vertically challenged to place the finishing touch. Couldn’t you just get a ladder? “Let me help you,” His breath tickles your ear as he grabs your waist and lifts you up. 

You squeal, holding tight to his arms and kicking at the air beneath you, “Sylus, what the fuck! Put me down!”

“Place the star, darling. While I'm still being nice.” In the end, you call it a team effort, despite his only contribution being his role as a human ladder. 

—————————————————————

You’ve been very festive and cheery the whole week of Christmas, so it disturbs him when the eve of the 25th arrives and you’re downtrodden. A shell of your typical self. He's never seen you like this before— absentminded and listless, it takes you a whole minute to realize he’s calling your name for the grand Christmas dinner you had insisted upon. You open presents with everyone in the early morning, smiling and thanking at the right cues, but he can tell your heart’s not in it.  

After the gifts have been given and the wrapping paper cleaned up, he takes you to the rooftop to ask what’s wrong. 

And so, you bare your heart to the only person who holds enough of it to break it. 

It’s a bittersweet Christmas for you, the first one you’ve ever spent away from home. For the first time since you were whisked away to this surreal world, you speak of your original life. Your family. Your friends. Your dreams. A fragile boundary that you haven’t touched with anyone here, for it hurts too much to speak of what you left behind. Of what was taken away from you. 

And it is here, underneath the midnight sky where he tells you of his search for the other half of his soul. He speaks of a similar homesickness, resonating with how out of reach home feels for you right now, as he’s waited what seems like a millennia for the person he calls his. 

You already know, of course, that sooner or later, he will meet her. This world was once your favorite game, and you had shed tears at their loss, at their cursed fate. You stay silent, listening to the tragic tale from the man himself. The affection in his tone as he speaks of her— his sorceress, his soulmate— makes you hurt for this man, for the trials he’s endured in the name of true love. But it is also a bitter reminder that you have no place by his side. 

—————————————————————

On New Year’s Eve, he doesn’t even give you the chance to feel homesick. The moment the sun goes down, he takes you on a joyride to Linkon City, bringing you to a cafe to have dinner together and sightsee the various festivities for the holiday; making sure you don’t even have a moment to feel sad. 

He brings you to the tallest building in the city, for the best view of the sky when the fireworks show starts. Despite the chilly air, his hand is warm in yours, clutching it in a tight grip as he wades through the crowd of people who had the same idea. You find a secluded corner where the two of you sit down and sip your milk tea, talking about your new year’s resolutions. 

“I don’t do resolutions,” He waved a hand, unimpressed. “If I want to change an aspect of my life, I won't wait until the start of a new year to do so.”

“Boo, you’re no fun,” You stick your tongue out at him. He rolls his eyes, but he’s internally pleased with how well he’s distracted you thus far. “My resolutions are always the same. Exercise more, eat healthy, and save money!”

“Dear, there is a private gym back home that you haven’t touched even once,” Your heart flutters at the word home. A word that brings you melancholy most of the time, but now fills your heart with a sort of domestic bliss.

“Well then, it’s perfect! I'll have no excuse not to start tomorrow.” 

He shakes his head in fond exasperation. Your eyes are glued to the magnificent colors soaring through the sky, legs bouncing in time with the countdown. But unbeknownst to you, his gaze is entirely on you. 

When the clock strikes midnight, you jump to give him a hug. “Happy New Year, Sylus!”

He cradles you in his arms, placing a gentle kiss on your forehead, “Happy New Year.”

—————————————————————

As the months pass by, you grow more accustomed to the harsh edges of your new job. It's not exactly the first job you had envisioned for yourself; you had once hoped to start somewhere more in line with your aspiring career, somewhere you could make use of your degree. But plans don’t always work out. What you do is unorthodox, but it’s fulfilling and allows you to live in this dangerous world from a safe vantage point, almost like dipping your toes into a ten feet pool. 

That doesn’t mean you’re completely sheltered from all the dangers of the job, however. Given the type of clientele you handle, more often than not, you’re faced with threats of being maimed over the phone when you can’t give somebody what they want. Each time, Sylus promptly takes over and matches their energy twicefold with a more heinous, yet very real threat.

The worst days are post-missions, when you have to witness your newfound family return bloody and bruised in the name of Onychinus. You become conditioned to waiting with a first aid kit and a change of clothes for Luke and Kieran, immediately patching up their wounds. But Sylus— you almost think he’s invincible, with how he returns from even the most high-risk operations without a scratch. 

That is, until one night when he walks through the front door, leaving a bloody trail in his wake. His evol is working overtime to knit his skin back together, but the blood still pools beneath him on the marble tile. You stay by his side through the night as he recovers, listening to deluded murmurs about a time long past, and an ever-so-familiar name. 

You grip his hand in yours throughout the night. But it’s not your hand to hold. 

—————————————————————

Over the span of a year, you become one of Sylus’s closest confidants. He treats you with all the gentleness and care in the world, revealing to you a softer side of him that you knew existed in the game, but that he rarely ever showed to anyone else. You feel honored that he trusts you with these facets of himself, but you also feel guilty. 

Because what Sylus doesn’t know is that he was your favorite. You, a student facing burnout in your final year of university, began to cope with a game suggested to you, subsequently becoming engrossed with one of its newest characters. His soft treatment of the main character, juxtaposed with his violent nature, had drawn you to him. Your heart had fluttered at every tender moment, each call and text message, each appearance in the main story. You had foolishly indulged in the delusions of romance with a fictional man. 

When you landed in this world, there was a cognitive dissonance as you came to terms with the difference between the 2D character that lived on your phone screen and the living, breathing person in front of you. For a while, you were too focused on your new situation to even think of the implications of the fictional character you’d been crushing on being in close, real proximity. He had not trusted you, either. You could practically visualize his defenses in each interaction, as he contemplated what to make of you. 

At the time, you thought that by now, surely you would have woken up from this coma-induced hallucination already. Surely you would have woken back up to reality. But as you grow to accept that the situation you’re in is real, and the likelihood that you may be stuck there for the foreseeable future— before you knew it, he had crept into your heart. 

You don’t know when it started. All you know is that his presence in your life is more than the surface-level distraction it once was in your reality. No, Sylus— the living person who comforted you on the saddest birthday you’ve had, who indulged your demands for a Christmas celebration, who makes your heart race like no other— has you wrapped around his finger. He could ask anything of you, and your heart could do nothing but surrender to his whims. 

But in the back of your head, always lurking, is the distant reminder of the main character. The vivacious hunter whose life is tied to his. The other half of his soul. There’s no chance you could ever come between something destined by the universe itself, so you yield in the face of their cosmic love. You shove away your feelings and resign yourself to finding a way back home, desperately, before this world forces you to lose a love you never had a chance at. 

—————————————————————

What you don’t know is that he’s desperately blocking off every potential lead back to your world, not wanting to face a reality where you are not in his life. 

He finds himself conflicted, because his soul is tied to her. His sorcerer, his soulmate, whom he has yearned for for what feels like a millenia. But here you are, his lovely secretary, the woman who forces him into mundane festivities and stays by his side even in weakness. The two images war in his head; the dragon roaring at how distracted he’s become from searching for his mate, and the man, falling fast and hard for a woman from another world, brought to him by pure fate. A love born out of an unexpected connection. 

His search for his long-lost love continues, but alongside it are his attempts to tie you down to his world, to keep you in his grasp. Because he cannot, will not, live without you.

He will watch the world burn before he lets it take his love away again.

—————————————————————

So, the two of you continue in this cycle of push and pull, of moving closer but not close enough. You live in a limbo, desperately searching for ways to get home before the main storyline catches up to you. Haunted by the narrative, you two move in and out of each other’s orbit, just out of reach. Just out of bounds. 

—————————————————————

like and reblog if you enjoyed!

i’ve since turned this into a multi-chapter fic! this will continue to function as a standalone one-shot, but you can find the series here (comment there if you’d like to be tagged!)

[madebycloud]

You're here that's the thing

jinx/powder x reader — 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

summary: home isn't a four walls and a roof nor the material things that fill in it. it's the warmth in jinx's eyes whenever she smiles at you, it's the little hands clinging to your shirt as they cross the street. home is right here. (requested by anon) warnings/themes: FLUFF!! domestic ig, vulnerability (???), slight angsty at the end but happy ending <3 words: 5.7k notes: i'm glad nothing bad happened at the ending and they all live happily ever after :D

You're chowing down on a steaming bowl of seafood at Jericho's. The flavors explode in your mouth. Delicious, delicious happiness.

A hooded figure quietly slides into the seat beside you. You catch a glimpse of blue hair before she lowers her hood.

“Bad day?” you ask, and the bluenette doesn't respond and steals your bowl from your hands. “I was eating-”

“-And you still are, it's fine,” she interrupts.

Life in Zaun is tough, especially after Silco's death, leaving room for chem barons to fight for power. What's new? Absolutely nothing.

You frown at her and watch her eat your food. “How was your day?”

She scoffs. “Shitty.”

“When is it not?”

She shrugs. “True.”

Then, a kid catches your eye. You nudge Jinx, nodding at the kid in the far corner. “Who's that?” 

“Dunno. She's been following me.”

You look at the young girl who's been staring at you both, squinting at her as your gaze shifts back to Jinx. She takes notice of your questioning look and quickly says, “She's not mine.”

You raise an eyebrow. “You sure?”

She rolls her eyes. “She's not mine. Don't look at me like that.”

You glance at the kid again, watching as she slowly slinks into the shadows, hiding from view. “You hungry, kiddo?” you call out, gesturing towards the seat beside you.

The girl's eyes peek out from the shadows, widening as you catch her gaze. She hides again but emerges just a few seconds later, hesitantly creeping forward. Her eyes flit between you and Jinx for a few seconds before landing on the bowl of seafood.

She tries to hop up onto the stool, though it's a bit high for her, and you help her up. You order her a bowl of seafood like you and Jinx were having. She then begins eating, her hands stuffing her face.

You share a look with Jinx before looking back at the girl eating the bowl of seafood. You watch as she slurps down the food, barely noticing the juice running down her chin.

“Uh, so kid, where are your parents or guardian?” you question. “Shouldn't you be with them?”

She chews a bit, staring at you in response, then shakes her head.

“No one, huh?” you ask. “You don't have any family?”

She shakes her head again.

“No friends either?” Your question earns another head shake from the girl.

You and Jinx finish your food and pay Jericho, then head out into the busy lanes with the girl trailing after you. The kid sticks close to Jinx's side, eyeing any person who passes by.

You turn towards Jinx. “Can she stay with us?”

She looks at the child and back at you. “Do we even have a room for her?”

You consider the practical aspects of taking the kid in. The answer is likely ‘no’, but you're not about to leave a random kid on the streets, and you'd really prefer it if someone didn't die today.

“She could use your room,” you suggest. “I mean, you found her first.”

But Jinx isn't having it. “Nah, you're the one who brought it up, so it's your room.”

You and your parents once owned a house. Thanks to the all and mighty Piltover enforcers who played a role in your parents' disappearance, leaving the house unoccupied.

Seeing an opportunity, you claimed the house, not only for yourself but also for your close friend who, without it, would have nowhere to sleep comfortably.

“It's my house.”

“Our house,” she corrects, smirking. “Considering most of the stuff there comes from me, it's not just yours. So that means-”

Your brow furrows, and you stop in your tracks, planting your hands on your hips as you stare at her. “By ‘comes from you,’ do you mean the stuff you've stolen?”

“Finders keepers.”

You sigh, knowing you're not winning this argument. “Fine,” you relent. “She can sleep in my room. I'll take the couch.”

You then crouch down to meet the kid's gaze, Jinx standing beside you with her arms crossed. “What's your name, little one?” you ask, but the child remains wordless.

You glance at Jinx for help, but she's already thinking of names. “How about Pompom?”

You scoff at Jinx's suggestion before turning back to the kid who's eyeing you both with a frown on her face, shaking her head at the name 'Pompom.'

“No?” Jinx asks, and the girl shakes her head again. “Not into that one, huh? How about Pinky? or- or... Sparkles?”

Each time Jinx suggests a name, the little one shakes her head. You're both getting nowhere at this rate.

“You're going to be a pain, aren't you?” Jinx murmurs, crouching down beside you to see the kid at eye level. “No, no, and no to the names?”

“How about ‘Isha’?” you suggest.

The moment the name leaves your lips, the child's eyes light up.

“Isha, it is then.”

The kid—now called Isha—nods her head, and the look in her eyes is one of happiness. Who knew this kid was such a picky one? You think you see a small smile at the corner of her mouth.

“She likes ‘Isha’ more, huh?” Jinx says, a bit pouty. “Figures, it came from you.”

“What? It's a nice name.”

“Yeah, whatever.” She turns to Isha, poking the girl on the nose. “Well, Isha, you're stuck with us now.”

Isha's eyes dart between you and Jinx. 

“More like we're the ones who are stuck with her,” you reply, chuckling, as you playfully ruffle the girl's hair.

—

It's been a full month since Isha started living under the same roof.

It's a rare sight to see Jinx with a soft expression, but whenever she's around the child, her face has a certain amount of… softer edges.

But not now, apparently.

You've walked into the living room and found Jinx making Isha hold a gun, teaching her how to shoot. You scoff, raising an eyebrow as you watch Jinx make the girl practice holding the weapon straight.

“Seriously?” you ask, crossing your arms.

“What? It's a fake gun,” she defends herself, adjusting the toy in the little girl's arms.

“That's not the point. She's just a kid.”

“Pft, ‘just’ a kid.” Jinx rolls her eyes. “It's harmless, I promise. Just a little fun.”

“If you're looking for something fun…” You reach into your bag and pull out a coloring book and colored markers. “I found these in the lanes,” you explain, offering the items to Isha. “Much better than play-shooting,” you suggest, giving a pointed look to Jinx before she can protest.

She watches as Isha's face lights up, her attention immediately shifting to the coloring book and markers. “But-”

“No buts. She's coloring now,” you cut her off, giving the book and markers into Isha's waiting hands.

Jinx lets out a sigh, dissatisfied, but she doesn't protest further. She pouts and leans back against the wall, watching as Isha happily colors in the book.

You join Isha, sitting next to her. Her hands grip the markers tightly as she fills the pages with colors. “Making something nice?” you ask, peering over her shoulder to see her work.

Isha nods, her tongue sticking out of her mouth as she carefully adds some color. She glances at you, offering a shy smile before returning to her drawing.

Once Isha is finished with her drawing, she proudly holds it up for you and Jinx to see. The drawing shows three stick figures on a bright blue sky. The two tallest figures, with one that has what looks like braids, are holding hands with the small one in the middle. The three figures smile under the sun.

“Wow, look at that! It's us, all together.”

Jinx, though reluctant at first, can't help but crack a smile too. “Why are my eyes so big?” She snickers, pointing at the large eyes drawn on her figure.

Your eyes catch a look at the squiggly line below your drawn figure, and you point a finger out. “And what's that supposed to be, hm?”

Isha giggles, a blush creeping up her face.

Jinx leans in to get a better look before letting out a snort. “It's your shadow, duh.”

“In that case, my shadow looks like it ate too much and grew extra limbs.”

“Well, if your shadow's a glutton, mine's got tentacles.” She points to her shadow drawing, which indeed looks like it has several wriggly appendages attached to it.

“You know, I think this is fridge-worthy,” you grin, holding up the drawing. “What do you think, Isha? Do you want to put this on the fridge?” You turn to Isha, who nods excitedly, clapping her hands together.

You hand the drawing to Isha, who eagerly takes it to the fridge. You follow her, lifting her up so she can stick the drawing against the fridge. She smooths out any wrinkles and carefully adjusts it until she's satisfied.

“Ta-da!” you say, as the drawing now has a permanent place of honor on the fridge.

“Not too shabby, squirt,” Jinx says.

Isha grins at the compliment, preening at the words of approval.

Jinx chuckles before gesturing towards the drawing. “Maybe one day we'll see this piece in a Piltover museum, valued at a million golden hexes.”

“Only a million? I think it's worth a lot more. Maybe we should start an auction right here and now.”

Isha giggles, her small fingers tracing the colors on her drawing again.

“Alright, alright, don't go getting ideas. We don't need some fancy Piltie art collector trying to buy this and hang it in their mansion.”

“Come on, Jinx.” You nudge her. “Don't you think it'd be hilarious to see this hanging in some fancy mansion surrounded by all those fancy Piltover paintings? Maybe we should get Isha to make more of this and turn this whole place into a gallery.”

—

You meant ‘place’ not your face.

Lying down on the couch, you squint your eyes open as you feel a moist sensation along your face. When your vision clears, you see Isha, giggling, marker in hand, and running away as fast as her legs can carry her.

“Isha-” you call out, sitting up, touching your cheek. It's covered in... marker? “You little rascal, come here!”

The sound of a door opening makes you pause. Turning, you see Jinx standing there, half-asleep and clearly irritated.

“What the hell is going on here?” she grumbles, rubbing her eyes.

A snicker escapes Isha's lips.

“Looks like you've got a new makeup look, Jinx.”

“What?” she asks, her voice still groggy from sleep.

Silence.

Jinx looks at you, at Isha's hand, at the streak of color on your cheek, and finally, places her own hand on her cheek. A wet mark of color spreads on her fingertips.

“Isha.”

You and Jinx exchange a glance. Grins matching hers. Without hesitation, you both rush after Isha, who breaks into a run.

Just as she turns a corner, you quickly change direction and outstretch your hands, successfully scooping her up into your arms and spinning her around, her hands grasping at your shirt and arms around your neck as she continues to giggle.

While still holding Isha, you see Jinx's eyes as her hand darts towards a nearby marker and begins to draw on Isha's face.

Isha squirms and laughs in your arms, trying to escape your grasp. Jinx continues to draw on her face, not holding back as she draws lines across the girl's cheeks and chin.

“Come on, lemme finish it.” A few more ink-blots make their way onto the girl's face before she's set down. “Ta-da!” Jinx declares, wiping her hands on her pants.

Isha, still giggling, runs to the nearest mirror. She turns her head from side to side, admiring her new ‘makeover’ from Jinx.

A tug at your heartstrings, and you steal a glance at Jinx, watching her smile at Isha.

Her hair is messy from sleep, a few strands falling into her face and framing her cheeks. Her eyes are still heavy with sleep, heavy-lidded and bleary.

Even in the first light of the sun, even just after waking, she's beautiful.

You look away, hoping Jinx didn't notice you staring at her with that expression written all over your face.

But Isha doesn't miss that. She looks between you and Jinx, her mind catches up and connects the dots, and a sly grin slowly spreads across her face.

Oh. She knows something that you'd prefer to keep hidden.

—

Isha's been down with a cold.

Today, you made her a bowl of porridge. Jinx volunteered to help.

You stand at the stove, stirring the porridge, with Jinx by your side, carefully cutting up some fresh fruit to mix into the meal. You ladle the porridge into a bowl, checking to make sure it's just the right temperature for Isha's sore throat.

You look down at the bowl, satisfied with the consistency and temperature, before moving it onto a tray along with a spoon, a glass of water, and the bowl of fruit.

You walk towards Isha's room, with Jinx following close behind. Pushing open the door gently, you enter the room to find Isha sitting up in her bed, her blankets piled around her. Her face is flushed from the fever, and she looks tired, but her eyes light up when she sees the tray in your hands.

“Here's your porridge,” you say, setting it down on the bedside table. 

Jinx moves to the other side of the bed, sitting down next to Isha and placing a hand on her forehead. “You're still a bit warm.”

Isha nods weakly, trying to suppress a cough.

“But that porridge should help,” you add, sitting down on the edge of the bed and offering the bowl to Isha. “Slow sips, okay? don't want you getting a tummy ache on top of everything else.”

Isha accepts the bowl and sips the porridge carefully. 

“There you go.” 

Once she's done, Jinx continues to check on her, fluffing her pillows, adjusting the blankets, and giving her the occasional pat on the head.

—

It's late evening.

Jinx sits cross-legged on the floor, her back resting against the footboard of the bed where Isha is lying down. The little girl's eyes are focused on Jinx, her hands covering her face partially as if trying to stay up a bit longer.

Jinx tells a story she learned from Vander, one that he used to tell her when she was a child. A story about miners getting stuck in a mine and rescued by a mysterious, wisp-like woman that guided them to safety.

When Jinx finishes the story, she glances at Isha, expecting her to be asleep by now. But she just lies there and watches Jinx.

Peeking through the door, you expect to find Isha asleep, but she is still wide awake. Jinx looks like she's wracking her brain to think of more stories, still determined to get the little girl to sleep.

You chuckle as you settle down on the floor next to Jinx. “She's not tired yet, huh?” you whisper.

“No, not yet,” she replies. “I've run out of stories to tell and she doesn't seem even a bit sleepy.”

“She's just like you.”

“Hush,” she says, trying to suppress a smile. “I'm not the one keeping her awake right now.” 

“Well, neither of us are helping,” you point out, looking at the little girl who's staring at you both. “Isha, it's time for bed. You need to close your eyes and sleep.”

Isha pouts, clearly not wanting to go to sleep just yet. She looks at Jinx and then at you, her eyes pleading for another story.

“Come on, kid,” Jinx says. “It's well past your bedtime. No more stories.”

Isha's pout deepens, her bottom lip jutting out stubbornly.

You sigh and stand up from the floor, walking over to a nearby bookshelf where you keep various children's books and comics. After a quick rummage, you find a colorful comic book that should interest Isha.

You return to the bed, carrying the comic book, and sit down next to Jinx again. Isha leans forward, her eyes immediately drawn to the book in your hands.

“Found one,” you say, holding up the comic book for the little girl to see. Her eyes light up when she recognizes the vibrant cover.

Flipping open the comic book to the first page, you begin reading aloud about a group of animals in a forest. Isha listens intently, snuggled up in bed, her eyes darting between the images and your face as you read the story.

“Every day, these animals would wake up early,” you read, pointing to the drawing of the animals waking up and stretching. “Some would eat breakfast, some went to play, and some went to search for food.”

“One particularly lazy squirrel woke up late.” You turn over the page to reveal a picture of a sleepy squirrel yawning and rubbing his eyes as the other animals were already out of their nests.

“By the time he woke up, all the nuts were already gone.” You flip over the page again to reveal an image of the squirrel, now wide awake, searching for something to eat but finding nothing but empty trees and bushes.

“The squirrel was shocked and saddened that the nuts had run. But then,” you change your tone dramatically, “one of the rabbits heard the squirrel's cries and decided to help him!”

You turn the page again. “The rabbit, seeing the squirrel's plight, decided to share his own breakfast with him.”

“The squirrel was delighted and grateful,” you read, and you turn the page to show an image of the squirrel happily sharing the nut with the rabbit. “The two of them ate and ate together, until their tummies were full and they fell asleep in a heap on the forest floor!”

You glance up from the book and see that Isha has finally fallen asleep. Her small head is now lying on her pillow, and a smile graces her lips, as if she were dreaming about the animals from the comic book.

You close the comic book and set it down, but then there's a weight on your shoulder.

Looking to the side, you see Jinx, who has fallen asleep. Her head rests on your shoulder, and her hair tickles your neck. Her mouth slightly open, softly... wait, is that snoring?

It's an odd but endearing sight, your heart might have just skipped a few beats.

A strand of blue hair falls over her eyes. Your fingers twitch, wanting to reach out and brush the hair away from her face.

Don't. It would be a small action, but you know that it might wake her up, and the last thing you want is to deal with a grumpy face and her snarky comment.

But your hand moves as if it has a mind of its own. Inch by inch, your fingers close the gap, gently brushing a strand of her blue hair back behind her ear.

Jinx lets out a sigh, her head instinctively leaning into your hand, craving, demanding your touch.

Your eyes trace her face. You want to remember every subtle curve, every freckle, every lash. 

There are no words for how much you want her, long for her. It's a feeling like an ache, a need for something, and that something is Jinx. It's a hunger, a need that no food can satisfy.

To love her is to be consumed.

You want to pour out all the words you've ever known, every poem, every line, every phrase, just to try to describe the feelings that have taken root within your heart.

‘Love’ has such a simple, mundane, and tame definition, it doesn't even come close.

Perhaps there's a word to describe your feelings in a distant language long forgotten or even a language yet to be discovered.

Until then, you burn for her.

Perhaps it's for the best that those words exist only in your mind because those words are yours and no one else's.

Until then, you burn for her.

Perhaps it's best that you're the only one who knows this burning, that this aching and desperate desire does not fall on any other ears than your own.

Until then, you burn for her.

Perhaps one day she'll look at you the way you look at her.

Until then, you burn for her.

And for the fire to burn, there must be something for it to devour.

You want to be that something. You want to be that flame she feeds upon. You want to be the match to her gas, the gasoline to her explosion, the tinder to her flame.

To love her is to be consumed.

You're tempted to brush through her hair again, but you hold yourself back. You don't want to risk ruining the moment, ruining her. You pull your hand back, away from her face, and settle on resting it against your thigh instead.

Then Jinx slowly stirs from her sleep. She lifts her head from your shoulder, her heavy-lidded eyes meeting yours, then your mouth, then back to your eyes again.

She swallows hard, her throat bobbing slightly, causing you to question your own sanity. Are you hallucinating? Is it just your imagination? You wonder if your mind is playing tricks on you. Your thoughts are fogged by the way she's looking at you.

Finally, Jinx breaks the silence. “You're staring.”

You blink. “I–” you start to respond, then realize how stupid and obvious it sounds. “Just making sure you didn't drool on me.”

She snorts, her hand pushing your face away from hers.

“Hey!” you say, putting a palm to your face.

You watch as Jinx stands up, heading towards the door, opening it slightly, and pausing to look back at you. “Good night.”

“Night, Jinx,” you reply, one hand still resting on your face.

Just before the door closes, you catch a glimpse of her face—eyes averted, cheeks flushed, and a small smile on her face.

You hear a soft, barely suppressed giggle coming from Isha's bed. Confused, you turn to look at her, only to find her looking at you with a wide grin.

“Isha,” you say, surprised, “I thought you were asleep!”

—

“You could have warned me,” Sevika grumbles. Isha continues to focus on coloring her hat.

“Fat chance,” Jinx responds, turning to face Sevika. “About what?”

Sevika glares at her, obviously displeased. “Your stunt at the checkpoint.”

“No idea what you're babbling about.”

“That wasn't you?” She scoffs. 

Jinx pauses, realization crossing her face. She glances at Isha with a knowing look, noticing the smirk on the child's face.

The conversation with Sevika continues, with Jinx growing more and more restless as it does. Once the discussion is over, Jinx rises from her spot. “I gotta go bother someone,” she says, before walking out.

You notice the look on Isha's face. Disappointment.

“Let's go, Isha,” you say, already grabbing a bat and some small balls. You don't wait for a response, signaling for her to follow as you head to the door.

—

It's late, the sun having set and the moon now high in the sky. You and Isha had spent the previous hours playing, but Jinx still hasn't returned. Concerned, the two of you look for her.

Isha rides on your shoulder, her small hands gripping your hair. She looks at the surroundings for any sign of Jinx. After some time walking and climbing, you end up on a rooftop. You both climb carefully, making sure not to fall.

You spot Jinx, perched on the edge. She's sitting with her knees against her chest, looking out at Piltover.

You gently place Isha down, giving her a subtle nudge, gesturing towards Jinx. Isha catches your cue, nods quietly, and slowly approaches Jinx. The kid carefully settled herself down beside the bluenette. Her legs dangling off the ledge of the rooftop.

You take a seat on the other side of Isha, settling down with a soft rustle of fabric.

Jinx continues to stare out at the city. “You guys found me, huh?”

Isha shifts her position, moving closer. You notice that she's looking up at Jinx, her head resting against her arm. Jinx glances at the child. She reaches over to ruffle Isha's hair affectionately.

“Couldn't stay away.”

“Yeah,” she mutters, “I guess you two are pretty stubborn.”

You chuckle. “You sound like you're surprised that we'd look for you.”

“You never give up, do you?”

“Nope,” you reply. “Not when it comes to you.”

You reposition yourself, shifting your body so that you can lean back and rest a hand on the cold, gritty rooftop. Jinx moves herself into a more relaxed position, leaning back and placing her hand on the rooftop next to yours. With her other hand, she pats at Isha, gesturing for the child to lie down.

Isha obliges, her small body now sprawled out across Jinx's lap. She fidgets a bit, beginning to tire.

Watching over the city below while the moon hangs low in the night sky, a familiar touch breaks the silence, fingertips seeking yours. There's a gentle pressure, a gentle caress, that causes your hand to twitch involuntarily, yet you don't pull away.

You stare down at her hand, at her slender fingers, her knuckles.

You know what those hands are capable of. You've seen the destruction they can cause, the destruction she can cause. And yet, here they are, resting against you with a gentleness and vulnerability.

Your eyes return to Jinx, watching her watch the glowing lights of Piltover.

“Your hands are cold,” she says as she continues tracing lazy circles with the pads of her fingers. You hadn't even realized how cold your hand had felt until she pointed it out, and now it seems to be burning under her touch. “Ever thought about wearing gloves?”

“Gloves?” you repeat.

“Hm, I guess not.” Her fingers suddenly stop their tracing, and for a moment, you feel disappointed. But she quickly resumes, her thumb brushing over your wrist.

Your eyes dart down to follow the action, watching as her skin meets yours. You hear her huff softly, but you're too busy watching her hand at work to look up and see what kind of expression she's making.

“I can feel it.” 

“Feel… what?” 

“Your heart.” Her hand stops its circular motion, and instead her forefinger starts tracing your veins. “It's beating fast. It's like...” she trails off, and her finger pauses on your pulse point, like she's counting something.

Then Isha shifts in Jinx's lap, her body stirring slightly. Both you and Jinx turn your attention towards the girl. Jinx lifts her free hand and pats Isha's head reassuringly. Her touch is soft and careful, not wanting to disturb the sleeping girl. With Isha settled, Jinx turns her attention back to you.

She studies you for a moment, her eyes roaming your face, then she suddenly releases your hand. The sudden absence of her touch feels like a loss.

Jinx sits back, creating a bit of space between the two of you.

You blink, confused and disoriented, but you don't move from where you're sitting. “What's on your mind?”

“Just thinking.”

You frown. “About what?”

“About you.” 

“Me?”

Jinx glances down at the sleeping Isha, a smile at her lips. “Yeah, and Isha,” she says, her hand absently playing with the child's hair. Her eyes then dart back to you. “Mostly you, though.”

“What... what about us?”

“I've got a habit of bringing trouble wherever I go. I just-” she begins. “I don't want anything bad to happen to either of you... because of me.”

You look at her, your eyes softening. You reach out a hand but stop before you touch her, unsure if she even wants you to. “Jinx...”

Her eyes search yours before she looks down at Isha. “I'm not sure what I'd do if something happened to you… either of you.” She pauses. “I care too much,” she blurts out, looking back up at you. “And honestly, it scares me. I don't want to mess everything up. Everyone I've ever cared about has gotten hurt by me or because of me.”

“That's not true. You wouldn't mess anything up. You-”

“Don't.” That single, quiet word cuts you off, her face hardening. “Don't say that.”

You can't seem to find the right words. What do you say to someone who's been abandoned and never had anyone until now? It feels like you're walking on thin ice, and you don't want to break anything.

So you stay quiet for a moment. Then, you try again. “I… we are not going anywhere.”

“You don't know what could happen.”

“Yes, I do,” you murmur. “I know there's a chance we might end up hurt. Or worse. But that's a risk I'm willing to take. Because being with you, right now, is worth it.”

For a while, she doesn't look at you, but her eyes dart over to Isha, her expression softening before she turns away. Her eyes then meet yours.

“You trust me.” 

“Yes. I do.”

You reach out slowly, giving her enough time to pull away if she wanted to. But she doesn't, and your fingers find their way to her cheek, gently cupping her face.

“I care about you too,” you murmur, your thumb tracing a path over her cheekbone. “I care about the person you are, not just the person you think you are. I see the good in you, the good that you struggle to see in yourself.”

Your thumb continues tracing the contour of her cheek, her face so close that you could count the freckles and the flecks of lighter blue in her eyes. 

“You're afraid. You're terrified of the possibility of me or Isha getting hurt. I understand. But you need to realize,” you pause, your fingers drop down to her chin, coaxing her to look at you, which she does. “You're not a curse. You're not a jinx. Bad things happen, but that doesn't mean it's your fault. It's not your fault-”

“I know.” She trembles under your touch. Her eyes glisten.

“No, listen to me. It's not your fault.”

“I know-” she croaks out, her eyes averting to your hand on her face, then to Isha, then to the city below. 

“It's not your fault,” you repeat. A single tear manages to escape her eyes, trickling down her cheek. “You were just a child.”

“But I should have known. I should have—They're gone because of me. It's my fault.”

“No, no, no, it's not your fault. You were just a child. You were doing what you thought was the best to help them, to protect them.” Your thumb gently wipes the tear away, but it's quickly replaced with another one.

“It's not your fault,” you repeat again, your fingers leaving her cheek to brush over her bangs. “That was not your fault, and none of it was your fault.”

She looks at the city, refusing to meet your gaze as her eyes water.

“Please,” you murmur. “Look at me.”

She doesn't respond, but she slowly turns her head to meet your eyes.

“You are not defined by your past, by your mistakes. You are so much more than that. You are loved.” Your fingers move to trace her jawline before moving slowly upwards to her temple. “By me, by Isha. And by many more people than you realize.”

She leans into your touch, her cheek pressing against your palm. She grips your wrists weakly, her hands trembling. The tears flowing down her cheeks get worse, and it hurts you to see her like this.

“It's okay, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere,” you say. “No matter what happens, you hear me? I'm here to stay. We're here to stay. You're stuck with us.”

Slowly, the tears begin to subside. Her breathing steadies. Her body calming down.

You let your fingers slowly shift from her tear stained cheeks to her hair, playing with the strands. “I'll do everything in my power to keep both of you safe.” Your hands move down to her shoulders, giving her a gentle squeeze.

“I'm not some damsel in distress,” she mutters.

You laugh. “I know you're not. You'd probably kick my ass if I tried to treat you like one. But even the toughest people need someone to have their backs, right?”

Jinx huffs, though you can see the edges of a smile on her face. “That's a cheesy line.”

“Maybe,” you admit. “But it's still true. You don't have to face everything alone.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she says, her hand resuming its gentle stroking of Isha’s hair. “You're annoyingly stubborn, you know that?”

“And yet?”

“And yet somehow I tolerate you.”

Sensing the change in atmosphere, Isha mumbles incoherently, shifting slightly.

“Looks like someone's stirring,” Jinx coos.

With one final pat on Jinx's shoulder, you withdraw your hand, silently communicating that the moment is over, for now. Her shoulders tense at the loss of your touch, disappointment or perhaps longing in her eyes. But she quickly composes herself.

The little girl slowly opens her eyes, blinking sleepily and looking around. She rubs one eye with a fist, then glances up as if just realizing that she's in Jinx's lap. Isha grins brightly when she sees Jinx, her tired eyes lighting up. She wriggles a bit, stretching her limbs and looking surprisingly cheerful despite being woken up.

“I think we should head back. It's getting late.”

Jinx nods, carefully shifting Isha in her arms as she stands up. The child wraps her arms around Jinx's neck, clinging to her like a monkey.

“Alright, kid, time to head home,” she tells Isha, bouncing her up in her arms. The girl giggles and buries her head into the crook of Jinx's neck. “Ready to go?”

You nod, gesturing for them to lead the way. Isha stretches out a hand towards you, wanting to hold onto you too.

“Looks like you've got a fan.”

“Nah, she just likes me that much.”

“That so?” Jinx huffs. “Or is she just using you to get to me?”

“You know she'd choose my company over yours any day.”

“Oh, so that's how it is, huh?” She pokes Isha gently in the stomach, causing another giggle from the child. “Traitor,” she mutters before addressing you again. “I'm wounded, really.”

“You'll survive,” you assure her. “Somehow.”

The warmth of Isha's grasp on your hand. The giggle that escapes her every time Jinx spins her around. The way Jinx's eyes soften when she looks at the child.

This, you realize, is what it feels like to have a home.

notes: im so excited for act 4 on saturday!

[arrenjo]

Part one is here

Summary: Your apartment floods and you do your best to make it on your own, but when Robby finds out he takes matters into his own hands; part two

Back | Next

A/n: the only true part two so far but leaving all the unresolved tension without so much as a kiss seemed kinda rude. I’m an angsty gal at heart so of course it has to be dramatic. Also my first time writing almost-smut, be gentle ;D srry for lack of gif, I know it’s more aesthetically pleasing but I couldn’t find one that scratched the itch, yk?

Content/trigger warning: Panic attack portrayed, plot with a bit of almost-smut sprinkled in. 18+ only, minors DNI!!

The following morning, you woke up with your head on Robby’s chest. Your hair splayed in every direction across the burgundy fabric of his shirt, his chin resting on top of your head. His thumb made small circles on your shoulder blade over the fabric of your oversized t-shirt as he held you. Your legs were entangled with his, your bare legs against his thin sweatpants. You felt safe, secure. You didn’t move for a moment, almost afraid it was a dream. You opted to lie still for a moment to try to assess if he was awake yet.

“Good morning,” He murmured into your hair after a moment, lips brushing the top of your head. Your stomach did a flip as you tried to decide whether to look up at him or not.

“Mm,” You said softly, willing yourself to keep your breathing even, trying not to think about the fact that you were literally in Robby’s bed.

“How long have you been awake?” You asked.

“A while,” He responded simply, still rubbing small circles on top of the fabric of your tshirt. Neither of you felt particularly inclined to move, this was as close as you had ever been to him and it was comforting to know he at least wanted you close like you did him, but his silence unsettled you.

Last night, the silence had been comfortable. There was something different about this morning though, almost as if there was something hanging in the air. Your stomach started to turn at the thought of him regretting letting you be here. You could have easily just fucked up, arguably, the best and most important work relationship you had.

Had he not wanted to sleep in the same bed? Had you asked too much? Did he not feel the same way? The touches and the coffee and him running his fucking thumb over your lips in the supply closet like he was considering fucking you right there sure seemed like there was something between the two of you, but maybe you were wrong.

I fucked up, I fucked up, I fucked up, your brain said relentlessly on repeat.

Your breathing started to pick up speed and tears welled in your eyes.

I fucked up, I fucked up, I fucked up,

You were in your own head and you needed to get away. The panic was starting to set in and it was impossible to coordinate your movements, you needed to get away. You started to push him away and he tightened his arm around you.

Away, away, away, your brain said.

Don’t let him see you like this,

You tried to push him away again and choked back a sob.

“Hey, hey,” He said as soon as he realized what was happening. He quickly placed his hands on your waist, under the hem of your shirt and just above the waistband of your shorts, fingers making contact with your bare skin. He lifted you in one smooth motion to partially on top of him and to eye level. You looked away from him, desperately trying to blink the tears back. Your breathing turned ragged, desperate for air. He took your chin in his hand with one hand, the other arm still securely around your waist, and moved your chin so you were looking at him.

“Where is your head at?” He asked, his voice low.

“Michael-“ You choked out with a sob. Robby almost physically winced, hearing you desperately say his name like that was almost too much. Robby moved to completely under you and braced the back of your head with one hand, the other still around your waist tightly. He quickly sat up with you, your legs on either side of his torso. He held you close to him as your body racked with a full-on sob.

“Hey, I’m right here. I’ve got you,” He soothed. The hand attached to the arm around your waist started rubbing circles on the small of your back. He stroked your hair with his other hand and said your name in the same soothing, low tone as you sobbed again.

“I’m sorry,” you tried again, managing to get the words out between sobs.

“No, you don’t have anything to be sorry for. Everything is fine. Everything is perfect,” he soothed you. “I’ve got you, I’m right here.” He repeated. After a moment, he used one hand to gently tilt your chin up to him again, forcing you to make eye contact with him. His brown eyes searched yours for any sign of what might be wrong. He looked at you, pleading, desperate for an explanation.

“I shouldn’t have asked and now you regret it and I’m sorry,” You pushed the words out in one breath before you dropped your head and pressed your palms to your eyes, breath hitching on another sob that you were desperately trying to control. “Fuck, Robby, I’m so sorry,”

It took Robby a solid ten seconds to process what you had said before he reacted. He pulled your hands from your eyes and grabbed your chin again.

“You think I regret this?” He asked in a low, steady voice. “Do you know how long I’ve thought about waking up next to you? Thought about having you in my bed?” You were silent as you took another steadying breath, heat flushing your face and chest. You were suddenly very aware that you were fully in his lap. Your hands found the fabric of his t-shirt on either side of his body and you gripped it tightly.

“Long before Pittfest, long before that first time I acted like a jackass,” He continued.

“That was the best I’ve slept in a long time.” He said, eyes locked on yours. “I think I was still a little disoriented,” He admitted through a half hearted chuckle that vibrated your body. He let his smile fall, “I never want you to think that I regret this, not for even a second,” You nodded, processing what he was saying, breaking eye contact with him for the first time in several minutes.

“Hey,” He said softly after a beat of silence. You looked back at him again and he slowly pressed his forehead to yours, noses touching. You closed your eyes and one hand reached up to stroke his beard. He let out a small ‘hmm’ at the contact.

“I could never regret you,” He whispered. You took in a ragged breath at his words, it was all you could do to maintain what little composure you had regained.

Your mouth was centimeters from his, his breath hot and wet on your lips. His hands moved to under the hem of your shirt, on either side of your hips. He squeezed gently and you moaned softly, feeling his dick almost immediately harden beneath your weight. The sensation sent waves of heat up your neck and down your abdomen, and it lingered between your legs.

You tilted your head up just enough for your lips to ghost over his and that tiny bit of contact seemed to be all the permission he needed, his lips crashed into yours, hot and desperate. One hand found the hair at the base of his neck and you pulled him closer as his lips moved frantically against yours. His tongue darted into your mouth and you moaned against his lips. His hands squeezed your hips again and you shifted your weight into him, creating friction between you and his erection. He let out a low moan against your mouth and started trailing kisses down your jawline and your neck, stopping to lick and suck with each individual kiss.

“Robby,” You moaned, desperate for more. His lips found yours again after a moment and his hands moved upwards under your shirt as he claimed your mouth. Your breathing was ragged and so was his. In one smooth motion, he laid you back and was on top of you, your hands started to glide up his shirt when the shrill alarm on Robby’s phone went off, startling you both.

“Fuuuck,” Robby groaned, dropping his forehead against your collar bone. You both had completely forgotten about work and didn’t have time to finish what you had started. You laughed humorlessly.

“Figures,” You said, stroking his hair.

“We can be late?” He offered with a grin, looking back up at you. The proposition brought a real laugh out of you.

“Uh huh, and we would never ever hear the end of it. Can’t you imagine both of us walking in at the same time, both late? Jack Abbot would be insufferable.”

“It would get the rumor mill started for sure,” He tugged the neckline of your shirt down and pressed a kiss to your collar bone. His beard combined with your heightened senses had you clenching your jaw. You closed your eyes and took a steadying breath.

Maybe being late wouldn’t be so bad after all.

The shrill alarm interrupted your thought process again and you groaned. “No, we have to go,” You said, mostly to yourself. Robby laughed and pressed one more kiss to your lips before getting off of you and walking out of the room. You whined at the sudden loss of contact. You laid there for another minute, trying to compose yourself, when Robby reappeared with a set of folded scrubs in his hand that he offered to you. You immediately sat up, your brow furrowed.

“I did some laundry last night after you went to sleep, thought you might need some clean scrubs.” He explained. It was all you could do to keep your mouth from dropping open.

“You didn’t have to do that,” You started.

“I know, I wanted to.” He said, you took the scrubs out of his hands and smiled up at him.

“Thank you,” You whispered, standing up to press a kiss to his cheek. Robby wrapped his arms around you and kissed your forehead.

“Come on, let’s go. The more I think about it, the more I realize that you’re right and Jack is about to give us hell.”

[https-lvesick]

MY TOP TIER SMAU REC LIST!（ 𖹭 ）

PARK JISUNG (nct dream)

score that goal! [jisung] by @lqfiles

football player!jisung x fem!reader | genre ・ humour, football/sports au, fluff, some angst, pining and eventually mutual pining, probably slow-burn, college au, strangers to lovers | status ・ completed!

summary ・ after your college had announced that all the students were required to join a club and attend it twice a week, you were planning on either a) dropping out, or b) join the art club and pretend to be sick most of the times. that was before you discovered that park jisung is a long time member of the football team. change in plans: you LOVE football.

game on! [jisung] by @hyuckswoman

astronomy major!jisung x astronomy major!reader | genre ・ humour, crack, strangers to enemies to lovers, college au, slow burn, y/n prefers dying over admitting her feelings, jisung is lowkey mean at times.. | status ・ ongoing!

summary ・ a story in which y/n finds herself meeting her roblox bestie in real life. turns out he’s not exactly everything she hoped for… who would’ve thought her nemesis park jisung would be user plumblossomer.

the bolter [jisung] by @lowkeychenle

idol!jisung x fem!reader | genre ・ SOCIAL MEDIA AU! :D suggestive, crack, funny haha stuff idk | status ・ completed!

summary ・ when you meet jisung, things are working behind the scenes, things you can't see and you don't acknowledge. can you overcome your metaphorical running in time for jisung to secure your heart?

drum me, stupid! [jisung] by @jirsungs

drummer!jisung x fem!reader | genre ・ college au, social media au (some chapters will be written though!), music band au, slight enemies to lovers, unrequited love (for a bit), whole bunch of fluff, angst, mutual pining, silly humor | status ・ completed!

summary ・ a story about a college student enjoying her life in school perfectly fine, until one of her friends drags the group along to watch their school's band perform. little did she know that day would be marked as the day her whole world turned upside down because of a particular, nonchalant, and difficult drummer boy. a drummer boy who spilled his entire drink on her brand new outfit at a party and never came back.

linger [jisung] by @beomgewz

college student!jisung x fem!reader | genre ・ strangers to friends to lovers, she fell first but he fell harder, college!au, unrequited love (at first), angsty(?), drugs, slow burn | status ・ ongoing!

summary ・ despite all of your efforts, you still cannot get over your 5 year crush on the shy boy from high school. to top everything off, he has a long term girlfriend of 3 years!

HAECHAN (nct dream)

pay the price [haechan] by @lqfiles

neighbour!haechan x fem!reader | genre ・ enemies to lovers, angst, fluff, probably slow burn, humour, neighbours au | status ・ ongoing!

summary ・ after getting evicted out of your old place, you're left with no other choice but to look for a cheaper alternative. which is how you end up becoming neighbours with lee haechan, who has a passion for music and disturbing whatever peace and quiet there is.

one night only [haechan] by @mrkified

college-student!haechan x fem!reader | genre ・ secret relationship, slight enemies to lovers, college au, angst, fluff, crack/humor, band au | status ・ completed!

summary ・ three years since your falling out with lee donghyuck he has suddenly transfered to your college in hopes to make it big with his friends in his band. unfortunately for you, your unresolved friendship started causing problems between you and the people around you, especially since your best friend is his ex. so — why have you found yourself in his room with a raging hangover?

she's the man [haechan] by @yutarot

gamer!haechan x fem!reader | genre ・ humour, friends to lovers, college au, gamer!haechan, gamer!yn, everyone’s a gamer actually, loosely based off the movie ‘she’s the man’, fem reader, slowburn, angst, plot heavy | status ・ completed!

summary ・ after you discover your love for gaming, you soon find out that your college won’t let you in any of their e-sports teams due to your gender. but what happens when your twin brother leaves town just before he’s about to start at a new college, where not even NCU’s e-sports captain, lee haechan knows anything about him? there’s only one problem, your brother’s crazy ex is trying to hunt you down. will they all find out your true identity? and will their views on you change if they discover who you really are?

divine timing [haechan] by @v1si0n

college student!hyuck x fem!reader | genre ・ smau (some written parts), college student! hyuck x fem! reader, ????? to lovers, fluff, probably some angst but not heavy bc i’m sensitive, humor, lowkey she fell first but he fell harder trope, hyuck is a jealous little lad. | status ・ completed!

summary ・ you confessed to your longtime crush, donghyuck, back in high school because you figured you guys would never see each other again. you begin to question your faith in the universe when you run into him on a rainy tuesday night, and you start seeing him every day after.

blooming hearts [haechan] by @jji-lee

flower shop owner!haechan x fem!reader | genre ・ humor , strangers to enemies to lovers, college au, maybe a little angst, fluff, slow burn, haechan and reader are oblivious and stubborn | status ・ completed!

summary ・ a new flower shop has opened up in front of your dorm housing and has been creating problem after problem for you. now you and shop owner, lee haechan have an ongoing feud that neither of you are willing to put to rest. as the weather cools and the flowers wither away maybe something else will begin to bloom between you two…

MARK (nct dream)

down bad! [mark] by @hyuckswoman

college student!mark x fem!reader | genre ・ slowburn?, humour, collegeau, fluff, mutual pining, strangers to lovers | status ・ completed!

summary ・in which a random business major finds herself joining a random music class not knowing the guy she had been fawning over attended it aswell.

got my ion you [mark] by @chenlesfavorite

tutor!mark x fem!reader | genre ・ social media au (smau), half written, friends to lovers, fluff | status ・ completed!

summary ・ you’ve failed yet another chemistry exam, high chances are you’re gonna have to retake the entire class next year and miss out on almost all school breaks due to studying and fixing your bad grades, and that is until your trusty friend suggests a tutor to you.

dream boyfriend: incoming [mark] by @wonbin-truther

college student!mark x college student!fem!reader | genre ・ smau, fake dating to ?? to lovers, slight jaemin x yn, yns cousins are assholes, mark is the ideal son in law, hes also an asshole, kys/kms jokes, mark kinda leads yn on, will add more as i go along | status ・ completed!

summary ・ it wasnt your fault mark was the first profile to appear on your instagram! and it was most definitely not your fault when you told your annoying older cousins that mark lee, the captain of your unis soccer team, was your boyfriend and somehow got him invited to the next family reunion...

when you smile [mark] by @svnnw

fake boyfriend!mark x fem!reader | genre ・ fluff, angst, slowburn, comedy, humor, fake dating, non-idol au, college au | status ・ completed!

summary ・ after barely passing your recent exam you're now desperately looking for someone to tutor you so your friends wouldn't worry about you and your grades.

cryptic crush [mark] by @jji-lee

fuckboy!mark x fem!reader | genre ・ humor, neighbors/enemies to lovers, college au, fluff, slight slow burn, fluff, mark and reader are always at it bro (fighting not fucking LMAO) | status ・ completed!

summary ・ are you looking for something deeper than just superficial romance? of course you are! sm university presents : cryptic crush the only on campus app that is 100% anonymous. sign up now and we'll randomly pair you with someone ready to chat! who knows? they might be the one...

NA JAEMIN (nct dream)

love on the court [jaemin] by @polarisjisung

basketball player!jaemin x basketball player!fem!reader | genre ・ (one sided) enemies to lovers, childhood best friends to lovers, college au, kinda forced proximity | status ・ ongoing!

summary ・ every college student has their struggles, but raising her younger brother has Y/N top of the list, struggling her way through college whilst balancing her academics and basketball captaincy is difficult no doubt and with Jaemin, her ex best friend and captain of the guys basketball team, and his growing one sided hatred towards her, it doesn't seem to be getting any easier

CHENLE (nct dream)

night rider [chenle] by @chenlesfavorite

motorcyclist!chenle x fem!reader | genre ・ social media au (smau), written, slowburn, angsty-ish, fluff, strangers to enemies to lovers (except they're not really enemies.. they just can't stand each other) | status ・ completed!

summary ・ working night shifts 24/7 at the convenience store while also supporting your boyfriend’s obsession with watching motorcyclists race is not easy, but little did you know that one of the bikers that he loves soon gets involved with you.

RENJUN (nct dream)

belladonna! [renjun] by @winwintea

actor!renjun x fem!reader | genre ・ social media au (smau), fluff, angst, drama, horror, very dark, detective au, murder mystery au, explicit(?) | status ・ ongoing!

summary ・ you've been tasked with visting and inspecting the grand rose theatre, a theatre that's been plagued with mysteries over the years. all seems well, until a string of murders follows your visit. as you further investigate, you find yourself falling for huang renjun, the beautiful male lead, and your mystery murderer who leaves you love notes and clues about who they could potentially be. will you be smart enough to be a step ahead of the killer? or will you find yourself caught within their trap?

JENO (nct dream)

hot to go! [jeno] by @sungiejpg

idol!jeno x stylist!fem!reader | genre ・ idol au, fluff, humour, maybe slow burn | status ・ ongoing!

summary ・ being aespa’s stylist is an easy and a lovely job, that’s what yn thought until she met Jeno by mistake. She now finds him scary.

JAEHYUN (nct 127)

roses [jaehyun] by @nneteyamss

college student!jaehyun x fem!reader | genre ・ smau, college au, second chance (?), humor | status ・ ongoing!

summary ・ during your freshman year of college you had a situationship with jaehyun. despite both falling for each other, issues got in the way and jaehyun ghosted you. it's been 2 years since and he never got over you and he'd do almost anything to get you again... including writing a song to get your attention.

KARINA (aespa)

it's me before her [karina] by @uchinagai

idol!jimin x actress!fem!reader | genre ・ smau + written , wlw fluff , idol au, y/n is in huge denial, strangers(?) to lovers, idol!karina, actress!y/n, idol!y/n, tiny bit of suggestive | status ・ ongoing!

summary ・ kim y/n, #1 soloist currently, known for other than just acting like out of this world and singing like an angel, is also known in the industry as 'flirt' among female idols. a certain world wide idol, got her attention on her, but little did she know, there was another one, more desperate and in love with her before the global it girl.

notes ・ if you guys have more aespa smau that you guys like it, pls send me! i'd really love more aespa fanfics to read!

[theliving-radio]

Hi :D I've read your Big Brother Malleus headcanons and I love them a lot. I don't know if you take requests but... I've been wondering on what would happen in the following scenarios:

Reader gets involved in a mishap during class and gets turned into a little kid by accident. While Ace, Deuce, Grim, and the teachers try to find a way to fix this, Reader starts crying and screams that they want their Big Brother.

Angsty bit: someone with a grudge against the Draconias finds out that the Reader is Malleus' younger sibling and kidnaps them.

You don't need to write anything you're not comfortable with. Just wanted to share some of my ideas for when a Protective Big Brother Malleus will appear.

1) I love this idea so much, so here’s a writing short~

Professor Crewel passes the neatly wrapped up, toddler Prefect to the three idiots to prepare making an antidote.

Ace held you away from him like you would give him a some weird crazy disease from your tiny chubby self.

“Oh my Sevens… Ace, hold them properly!”

“I am holding them!”

“Not PROPERLY!”

“Mrah! Pass them to me! I’ll carry them! They’re my hench-human after all!”

“Grim, they are like the same size as you but heavier!”

“I’m strong enough!”

All three of them argued over one another, the noise from them starting to hurt your little head. And so you did the only thing you could do to get out of these idiots hold.

Cry.

It started out as a small sniffle and then increased to loud wailing. All three of your friends stop what they’re doing and go back to focus on you.

“Hey, why are you crying? It’s ok! Look, big brother Ace is here!” Ace raises you in the air and started making an engine sound with his mouth, trying to mimic a plane sound as he pretended you were the plane!

His movements only caused you to cry harder.

“Mal Mal!” Ace stops his movements when he heard you scream out for a certain fae.

“Uh oh.” Deuce also paused as he, Ace, and Grim slowly turn their heads to the classroom door as they heard the sound of loud footsteps steps running in the hallway.

The classroom door slams open to reveal Malleus in the doorway, scanning the almost empty classroom. His eyes land on you, your tiny figure crying in Ace’s hold.

Was that you? It couldn’t be…

But you confirmed Malleus’s thought when you sniffled and started making grabby hands towards him, letting out sad miserable sobs that broke his poor dragon heart.

Malleus was over to the four of you in an instant, stealing you away from Ace to hold you close to himself.

“Hey-,”

“My poor, sweet, Baby sibling. You do not need to fear anymore. Big Brother is here now.” Malleus ignored Ace, having his full attention on you.

Malleus held your small body close to his chest and rocked his body side to side, lulling you into a deep sleep. Your hiccups and sobs were no more, just the sound of your soft snores as the fae continues to hold you.

Malleus smiles down at this small baby version of you. His baby sibling, (who is an actual baby now) was adorable. You had your face squished up against his chest and your tiny hand was gripping his school jacket.

Ace and Deuce were in awe seeing the dragon fae take special care of you, how gently he handled your infant form.

Grim on the other hand wasn’t really impressed. He’s seen Malleus try and baby you before and you usually swat him away playfully, so this wasn’t really new.

Malleus turns to face the people who caused the problem in the first place. Ace and Deuce thought they were gonna die right then and there. Instead, the fae smiled at them.

“Both of you are lucky that your mishap has created something positive out of it. I already assume Professor Crewel is making something to reverse the process?”

“Yeah… He said we have to take care of the Prefect for the time being.”

“Absolutely not.” Malleus dismissed Deuce, “I shall be the one looking after my Baby Sibling. I am their Big Brother after all.”

Malleus proudly walks away from the three, going back to his dorm and to ask Lilia if he has Silver’s old baby carrier.

He knows you aren’t gonna be like this forever, but he’s gonna use all the time he has to savor this opportunity. Big Brother Malleus is gonna take good care of his Baby Sibling.

2) Now for the kidnapping bit, I wouldn’t think it would be much of angst. Just more of-

You were currently sitting in a chair.

In an office.

Inside the Royal Sword Academy.

Facing Headmage Ambrose who looked as equally as annoyed as you were.

And right beside you was the cause of the reason why you were here.

Standing beside you was a student from Royal Sword, who also happened to be a Prince, standing proudly at his accomplishment.

And what did he accomplish?

Kidnapping you apparently. You were minding your own damn business, having a nice walk with Malleus… when this asshole on a white horse came out of no where and swiftly stole you away from your peaceful walk.

Like excuse you???

“Prince Etienne, please… can you explain to me, one last time, why you brought Mx (Y/n) here?” Ambrose finally spoke up as he adjusted his spectacles, looking at the one named Etienee.

“It’s just like I said, Headmage. I’ve been hearing news about a poor, magic-less student suffering at Night Raven. Clearly, the school had to be taking care of them, right? Yet I couldn't stop my concern..." Etienne crossed his arms and closed his eyes, recounting the events on what he saw.

"So, I rode over to the school, hoping to maybe see the Prefect and how they are doing. But when I made it to the school, what do I see? This poor Defenseless student being attacked by one of their peers! He was about to hit them!"

At the time of your kidnapping, Malleus was teasing you due to the height difference and was about to ruffle your hair... but before he was able to do so, you were taken away.

Did he think Malleus was gonna hit you? Malleus would probably curse himself for eternity if he was to hurt you. Just two weeks ago, the poor idiot locked himself away when he accidentally stepped on your toe. He sent you a chest full of jewels from his own hoard as an apology!

"-so I took action! I couldn't stand by and watch another get hurt! I told my horse to pick up the speed. I was able to grab them by the back of their shirt and lift them up and onto my steed! From there I immediately rode back here and away from their attacker."

Attacker?! Malleus!?

But Etienne didn't seem to care or listen. Even when he took you away, you threw insult after insult at him, yet he did not care.

Ambrose pinches the bridge of his nose and lets out a long sigh.

"Excuse me, Headmage?"

"Yes, Prefect?"

You point over at Etienne, "I wish to report this student for harassment and disturbing the peace... My peace."

Etienne quickly turns to you and dares to look offended... HIM! Offended!

"Why are you reporting me?! I saved you!"

"Saved me from what? Getting my hair messed up? Being teased by a friend?"

"He was going to hit you!"

"Bullshit!"

Ambrose watches as you and Etienne bicker at each other. He sighs and stands from his desk... and that's when he feels it...

A powerful source of Magical Energy was fastly approaching this very room...

Suddenly, the Headmages' office doors slam open, and the room is illuminated by a bright flash of lightning, followed by the sound of rolling thunder. There stood a tall and intimidating figure; the only sound heard from them was the heavy breathing and the small whisps of fire escaping from his mouth.

Malleus Draconia in the flesh looked like he was just about to kill someone.

Before you were able to greet him, Etienne pulls you closer to him and raises his mage pen, pointing it right at Malleus. Seeing you so close to the human prince caused Malleus to growl.

When the situation looked like it was getting too much, Ambrose flicked his wrist and took Etienne's pen away, flicked his wrist again and had you both separated, then motioned for Malleus to come inside his office.

The dragon fae huffed out his nose, letting out smoke as he began to make his way across the room. Etienne turned to Headmage Ambrose, his expression of pure shock. "Headmage! This is the student I saw-!"

"What took you so long, Horton?" You interrupted Etienne, giving Malleus a playful smirk, making the fae move his murderous glare from the prince to you. His expression changed so quickly to one of worry as he strode over to you and began to pat down your body.

"Are you ok? Did you get hurt anywhere? I'm so sorry it took so long for me to get here, I was processing what happened before my eyes." You laugh as Malleus explains himself, still patting down your body to see if you had any cuts or bruises on you.

Etienne's jaw dropped as he watched the student from before, who tried to hurt you, was looking for any injuries on your person. Ambrose lets out a small chuckle as he goes back to sit at his desk. The Prince turns to the Headmage, who clearly wanted to know what was going on, but didn't know how to ask.

"Prince Etienne, I know that I, and many of your teachers, have told you to stop jumping to conclusions. You always assume something before examining the full situation," Amborose motioned to Malleus, who seemed less concerned about the other two humans in the room as he was nonstop checking on your well-being. "This is Prince Malleus Daconia. Future King to Briar Valley."

Malleus took his glove off and pressed the back of his hand against your forehead. "Are you getting a fever? You feel slightly warm..."

"Malleus, it's been like 45 minutes, how would I have gotten a fever within that period?"

"Humans have a weaker immune system than fae, so I wouldn't be surprised if a certain human prince gave you an illness..." Malleus shifted his gaze to Etienne, going back to the death glare he was originally giving him.

“You looked like you were about to hit them!”

“And why, pray tell, would I ever hit my Baby Sibling?”

The room fell silent from the bombshell Malleus just dropped.

You stuck your hand up, adding to what he said “Adopted! He adopted me as his sibling, and I’m ok with that.”

“Baby Sibling.”

“We are not starting this conversation again.” You huff and crossed your arms. Malleus couldn’t help but chuckle at the obvious pout you gave him.

In that moment, Etienne watched as Malleus lifted his hand up… and ruffled your hair…

He got the situation all wrong…

“I apologize for my behavior!” Etienne bows towards you and Malleus. “I really thought the Mx (Y/n) was in some sort of danger! So I acted out without thinking!”

Malleus grew quiet as he looked down at the human Prince, clearly asking for forgiveness from his past actions. The Fae only lets out a huff and steps closer to Etienne.

“I am not entirely happy that you ‘rescued’ my dear Baby Sibling… but, I do admire the fact you sprung into action just to protect them, even when there was no danger around.” Malleus’s words caused Etienne to look up at the dragon fae, confusion written on his face. Malleus continued, “My Baby Sibling was not in any danger, yet when you believed they were, you took action. I admire that. And you were unaware of our relationship, so it would make sense you assumed the worst.”

Etienne picked himself up, his face burning from the embarrassment and the praise Malleus gave him. He nervously scratched the back of his neck and turn towards you. “I also apologize for… not listening to you when you said you were in any danger.”

You wave his words off, “Don’t worry about it. It’s not the first time I was kidnapped.”

“What?”

“Are we done here Headmage?” Malleus’s turned to Ambrose who rose from his chair.

“Yes, again I apologize for the trouble my student has caused. Please, allow me to escort you out.”

Ambrose walks ahead as you and Malleus trailed after him, leaving behind the human Prince.

Etienne rubs his hands over his face and lets out a sigh. Truth be told, he was aware of Malleus Draconia. He was aware who the Dragon Fae was. Sevens, his kingdom was right next to his!

But he was never aware that there was a new Draconia in the picture. Etienne furrows his brows as he looks back towards your retreating form.

Were you going to be ok?

————————————————————————

Sorry for the long response back!

Also it occurred to me that now, Malleus will barge into any room if his Baby Sibling was in danger, or just called out to him lol. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this!

[scvrgrl]

is this love? | monkey d. luffy x fem!reader

you had caught his attention from the moment he met you, and now he knew exactly why. these feelings were both enticing and petrifying, suddenly filled with guilt for being so unprofessional. although, monkey d. luffy has never been a man of tradition...

word count: 6.4k

tags: fem!reader, a lil angsty (brief mentions of insecurity), best friend!usopp and best friend!nami, shifting perspectives between reader and luffy (most of it in luffy’s pov), some suggestive content but no smut, hardly proofread oops, lots of fluff tho! inspired by ‘is this love?’ - bob marley & the wailers :)

the sun hung high in the sky, it's warm rays spreading across your skin, transforming it into a glistening bronze. it was a leisurely time on the thousand sunny, the chaos of battle behind the crew and a ways away in the new world. you finally had time to yourself, taking advantage of the tranquility that lingered in the air. all morning, you participated in self-care activities — from enjoying a long, steamy bath without disruptions from your male crew mates, to dedicating quiet time on the deck to finish the rest of the book Robin lent you while you tanned in your admittedly-skimpy bikini. however, the peaceful silence become suddenly unsettling, your heart beginning to race as you became increasingly anxious. your senses had been already been deprived, the sun blazing just behind the thin layer of your eyelids, the wind’s pace picking up and swarming into your ears. where is everybody?

as if you had summoned them, the door to the sunny’s common area swung open, slamming so hard against the wooden panels you thought it created a dent. three figures emerged carrying vibrant weapons that sprayed a mysterious liquid. before you could react, the salty liquid covered your entire body, small icy squirts piercing through your skin accompanied by shouts and belly laughter.

“get her, Usopp!!” a high-pitched voice rang, giggling uncontrollably as they swarm around you. Luffy and Usopp surround you, boxing you in while you sat there stunned and helpless in your seat. it turns out that Usopp had manufactured a new weapon — although, it’s sole purpose was to terrorize you and the rest of the crew rather than the foes you’d soon face in the new world. Chopper had made himself comfortable while he rested on the shoulders of the surprisingly sculpted man before you, Usopp’s brown skin glistening with sweat and seawater. Luffy stood beside you, his pronounced abs directly in your eye sight as he gazed his pearly grin upon you. the proximity of his heaving, sweaty body beside you made your cheeks flush, hoping the rubber man wouldn’t notice as you stare a little too longingly into his eyes.

the fondness you’d grown for your captain slowly bloomed into an unrequited crush over time — constantly reminding yourself that he has bigger things to worry about than working his way into your heart. the weight of his effect on you was suffocating at times, almost like “an exhausting burden that sucked the life out of me,” you had described to Nami once. it was unnecessarily distracting the way you couldn’t keep your eyes off of him — sneaking glances at dinnertime as he ravaged his meal, always looking for him during a battle to ensure his safety over your own, fumbling over your words and avoiding eye contact whenever he would approach you. his blissful ignorance to your coy advances didn’t make it any better, he always assumed you were just teasing him.

“hey! what’s the big idea, huh?” you griped, shouting at the group for splashing the crisp pages of the book on your lap. Robin is gonna kill me. “i’m gonna wring your neck for soaking Robin’s book! you know she's gonna my head, dumbasses!”

“awww c’mon [y/n]! it’s just a little water! what are you, scared or something?” Luffy teased, quirking his thin eyebrows.

“just a little water, huh? we’ll see about that,” you retorted, shifting your shocked expression to something more sinister and calculated. The sudden change of your demeanor stunned the young men before you, each of them exchanging quick glances before turning tail to flee. before they could do so, you lean over, clutching onto Luffy’s strong arms to steal the water-gun from his hands. the swiftness in which you moved didn’t give him enough time to react, a surprising feat considering how agile he can be. the slick from the sweat-seawater mixture that coated his body caused your hands to slip, gliding across his firm biceps and feeling every vein and scar that marks his skin. you were able to find dry patch on his wrist, clasping it in your hands and ridding him of the weapon.

“hey what the-!” Luffy exclaimed, arms thrown up into the air, leaving him perfectly vulnerable to your attack. you aimed the gun straight at the area between his eyes, the espresso-colored irises following its barrel. ocean water squirts right where you want it, waves of obsidian becoming soaked and falling over his eyes. Luffy shakes his head to rid his eyes and hair of the salty water, directing its droplets to you when he hears your squeals of shock. a large splash hits your spine as Usopp and Chopper team up against you, firing their “ammo” whilst you were distracted. you turned your attention to them, your initial anger subsiding into an invigorating rush of adrenaline as you charged toward them, laughing and screaming.

“Luffy, grab her!” Usopp commands over his shoulder, shielding himself from your relentless attack. before you could comprehend the command, you’re suddenly swept off your feet, kicking your long silky legs as a pair of strong arm wraps around your waist and hoist you up.

“Luffy! put me down!” you pleaded, giggles being pushed out of you as Luffy presses firmly on your stomach. he shifts your entire weight into his arms, hooking one of his arms under your legs as he carries you bridal-style. Instinctively, you wrap your arms around his neck, pressing your bare chest against his, breathing in tandem as he carries you toward the commotion. your breasts graze against the large “x” scarred into his chest, the textured skin creating a sense of friction that causes your stomach to flutter. you hadn’t noticed, but you had been breathing dangerously close to the crook of his neck as you held yourself close to him. selfishly, you wished this silly quarrel never ended, just so you could hold onto Luffy’s touch for a little while longer…

…

Luffy and Usopp had been scheming all morning — huddled and hushed in the corner of the boy’s quarters as Usopp made the finishing touches to his new contraptions. their sudden bursts of rambunctious laughter had earned its fair share of glares from Zoro, who had been resting peacefully in his hammock. they had been compiling a list of unsuspecting victims to test their weapons on — automatically ruling Zoro out as he had seen the finished product. as Usopp went down the list, Luffy gave his opinion on how he think each person would react, giving amused “oooo”’s and “ahhh”’s with each name. when Usopp made his way to your name, Luffy rolled over on his back, holding his stomach as a sweet melody of belly laughter erupted from his lips. 

“oh man, she’s gonna be so mad!” he exclaimed, riding through his fit of giggles. 

“she's gonna kill you two, you know that right?” Zoro grumbled, peeking at the pair through his dark eyelashes. his arms crossed behind his head, hands cupped in the valley of green tufts to support his neck while he rested. 

“that’s why we have to do it! [y/n] has yet to experience a taste of our pranks. c'mon Usopp, back me up here!” 

Luffy’s gaze fell upon his best friend, who had still been tinkering with the gun’s trigger mechanism. Usopp’s tongue rested between his lips in concentration, briefly returning it back to it’s place as he looked over to Zoro, “he’s right, Zoro. everyone on the crew needs to experience it. it’s like a rite of passage.” 

“whatever. i’m not savin’ anyone’s ass if she bugs out,” Zoro conceded, shutting his eyes for the last time as he finally drifts off to sleep. 

so that’s exactly what they did — stealthily monitoring your every move throughout the morning, lurking within dark corners of the ship to catch you in a vulnerable position. and, unbeknownst to yourself, you set the perfect trap when you decided to bask in the midday sun with your funny little book.

now, Luffy carried you in his firm grasp — cradling you close as he dodged the fire from Usopp and Chopper’s offense. the seawater sprayed upon your exposed body caused you to slip from his grasp, Luffy’s fingers sliding from the slick pooling between the creases in your thighs and waist. with every passing moment, his grasp on you became looser and looser. eventually, you were able to break free — using your freedom to take control and tackle Luffy, fighting him for his weapon. 

the two of you tussled on the warm patch of grass that coated the deck, arms and legs beginning to itch from the constant scratching. Luffy had fought many dangerous foes before, but they were no match for your strength and determination. he felt himself losing, your thighs pinning his waist to the ground as you firmly parked yourself on his lap. you used one of your free hands to pin his wrists against the pillowy grass beneath the two of you, the other hand spinning the toy gun with incredible ease. 

you rested the gun between the small space where his dark eyebrows met, a sly smirk dancing across your lips, “gotcha.”

the air surrounding the two of you abruptly became thick, Luffy’s breath hitching in his throat despite the quickened rise and fall of his chest. why is she so heavy all of a sudden?

the height of the sun once again casted its beaming rays onto you — only this time, you had an unexpected audience. your soaked hair had draped over one of your exposed shoulders, the saltwater accentuating natural waves that ran through it. the suns rays allowed the seawater that coated your skin to glisten, droplets shimmering over the curve of your thighs and boobs and ass and—

wait. 

Luffy found his heart racing against his thoughts, thumping violently in his chest. an unfamiliar warmth pooled at the base of his abdomen, sparking into a living flame that kindled and fluttered throughout his body. the warmth suddenly became overwhelming, his cheeks and neck flushing with every passing moment. the blissful fluttering in his belly transformed into an unbearable wave of nausea, anxiety rising in his chest. what the hell is going on???

without much thought, Luffy abruptly twists his hips from beneath you, causing you to lose your balance. you rolled onto the grass, propping yourself up on your elbows as you watched Luffy briskly walk away, the muscles in his back working as he hurriedly swung his arms back and forth.

“hey, are you okay?” you called out, concern filling your chest.

even the sound of your voice put Luffy on edge, worried that you would catch on to his sudden change in demeanor. he flashed you a quick smile over his shoulder, his pearly teeth shining in the sun as they gritted against each other, “yeah, i’m fine! i think i just ate too fast is all. i’m gonna go lie down for a bit.”

the moment he returned to face the rest of the sunny, his smile fell. Luffy made his way down to the boys quarters, finding his bed and flopping face down into the mattress. he released a sigh that could’ve pushed all the air from his lungs had he tried just a little harder. the weight on his chest made him wish that he could do just that, hoping that such a simple remedy would cure his sudden ailment. becoming so overwhelmed by an unfamiliar feeling unsettled Luffy. he had always been so used to being sure of himself — never thinking twice about challenging emperors and soldiers with bounties that dulled his own in comparison.

the thoughts that raced through his mind caused him to toss and turn, ruffling the already-disturbed sheets from beneath him. falling asleep was always second nature to Luffy — the act of simply resting his head was enough to make him drift off to sleep. but now, he couldn’t stop thinking. images of your soaked body flashed behind his closed eyelids, the droplets of water traveling down your navel burned into his memory. Luffy released a loud groan of frustration, palms digging into his eyes as he pulled at the jet-black hair that draped across his forehead. dramatically, he kicked the sheets that became tangled between his legs, limbs flailing and begging to be set free.

Luffy’s thoughts nearly suffocated him, anxiety rising in his throat as he came to the realization that something was seriously wrong. he hopped out of bed, immediately swinging open the door and making his way over to Chopper’s medical ward. his loud footsteps echoed through the narrowed hallway, large feet slapping against the floor as he charged straight to the familiar door. Luffy lingered a while before knocking, fidgeting with his calloused hands as he worked up the courage to admit that he was sick. he was always used to taking care of his crew that he often felt bad for worrying them about his own problems. 

“hey Chopper, you in there?” he asked gently, lips pressed against the crack of the door. 

a small “hm?” was heard before the sound of hooves scuffling against the wooden floor made their way closer to Luffy. Chopper opened the door, curiously inspecting his captain as he stepped inside. Luffy jumped onto the examination table, the weight of his butt slamming against its surface caused some nearby vials to rattle. 

“what’s wrong, Luffy? did you get into Sanji’s knives again? he told you not to do ‘three-knife style’ anymore!!” Chopper scolded, worried that his friend ticked off the ship’s cook. “if you make him mad again he’ll give the rest of your dinner away to Nami and Robin.”

under normal circumstances, Luffy would have entertained the idea, arguing that mastering such an artistic fighting style would only help in improve his chances of becoming king of the pirates. however, this day had been far from normal — nerves once again bubbling up to the surface, making his mouth go sour as his thin brows furrowed together. “i think something’s wrong with me Chopper. like, seriously wrong.” 

Chopper’s blue nose twitched as the expression on his face shifted from amusement to concern. panicked, he shuffled his way over to Luffy, grabbing his blue medical bag to assess his condition. he noticed the way Luffy clutched at his stomach, fingers lingering over the small tissue that covered his belly button. Chopper tenderly pressed on his abdomen, testing whether or not his friend is suffering from something internal, “does this hurt?”

Luffy shook his head, sighing heavily as he laid down on his back. “it’s not a stomachache i don’t think, it’s something…different. i can’t put my finger on it.” 

“well, what do you mean? maybe if you tell my your symptoms, i can make a treatment plan to help you feeling good as new!”  

Luffy smiled at his generosity, mentally patting himself on the back for choosing such a caring doctor to manage his crew. he chewed on the soft tissue inside his mouth, contemplating different ways to list out his symptoms. when that didn’t work, he just let his mouth run, word vomit pouring out of him seemed to be the way to go. 

“it all started when we were on the deck playing with the water guns. my heart started to race and my cheeks got super hot, like my face was on fire! my palms got super sweaty too — like way more than usual so that made me even more nervous cause i almost never sweat. and then my stomach — oh my god my stomach — it felt like all of my organs did a flip! i haven’t felt that way since Katakuri spun me around in the mirror world, and even then it didn’t feel nearly as bad as it did just now! i seriously thought i was about to yack all over [y/n] if i didn’t get off the floor.” 

Chopper stared at him wide-eyed, his breathing becoming rapid as he worked to piece the puzzle of Luffy’s sudden illness together. as Luffy continued, Chopper became increasingly more nervous, each of his symptoms sounding a little too close to a virus he had done some reading on earlier that week. he had read that the mystery disease came from ingesting a rare bacteria that thrived off of hot, humid climates and the salt from ocean water — which had coincidently been the exact conditions the straw hats had been sailing through for the past few days. Chopper’s “brave doctor” act slowly begins to deteriorate as Luffy continues to list his symtoms, “-and my chest got super tight, like someone was squeezing my heart and wringing out my soul” 

tears welled up in Chopper’s eyes, a small trail of snot running out of his blue nose. the sound of his sniffling pulled Luffy out of his thoughts, returning his attention to his furry friend. “Chopper? what’s wrong buddy? was it something i said!?”

losing the battle of fighting back his tears, Chopper began to wail and turned around to flee the room. Luffy charged after him, puzzled as to why he would suddenly burst into tears. it turned out that Chopper was making his way to the kitchen, seeking comfort from Nami and Sanji, who had been preparing the crew’s next meal. the aroma of chicken and vegetables filled the room, the delicious scent traveling to the rest of the ship as the door swung wide open.

“hey! if the two of you are gonna horse around, then do it outside! i’m cooking here-“ Sanji shouted, cautiously swinging his knife to point in the direction of the deck.

“LUFFY’S GONNA DIE!” Chopper cried, ending Sanji’s sentence short and gaining the attention from the chef and his unexpected partner. bewildered, the pair turned to face the intruders, fear becoming apparent on both of their faces. 

loud, thunderous footsteps had suddenly come to a halt upon entering the room, Luffy caught the swinging door with his large palm before shouting, “I’M WHAT?!”

“i’m sure that’s not true, Chopper. now what’s actually going on?!” Nami asked, her tone soft with reassurance. she had been chopping carrots and celery to accompany Sanji’s dish, the blade coming dangerously close to her long fingers upon the interruption. Chopper had run up to Nami, seeking comfort in her lap as he nuzzled his face into her thighs, wiping his tears on the pair of denim jeans she wore. 

“all of his symptoms line up with a specific virus i was doing some reading on the other week! i don’t have the proper herbs to cure it in my collection! i’m so sorry,” Chopper said, the last part muffled as he hid his face behind his small hooves. 

“well what were the symptoms? maybe you’re just jumping to conclusions buddy,” Sanji soothed, his raspy voice always softer when speaking to Chopper. with that, Chopper turned to Luffy with glossy eyes and snot dribbling down his chin, nodding his head for him to share his symptoms. so much for doctor-patient confidentiality.  

Luffy huffed a deep breath, preparing for his crew to decide his fate, “fine. i dunno…when we were messing around on the deck, my chest just got real tight all of a sudden — and not from all the running around. it was…different, like an aching almost.” Luffy balled his hand into a fist, mimicking the tightness in his chest. “and my stomach started fluttering and burning, like way deep down. i’d never felt anything like that before in my life. and the weirdest part was that it didn’t hurt, but it actually felt kinda good for a moment…” 

the words from Luffy’s rosy lips trailed off as he returned his gaze back to his crew, their faces shockingly calm and…happy? “why are you guys looking at me like that? what’s wrong with me??” 

the door to the kitchen swung open once more, Zoro walking in and holding from a half-empty bottle of sake. “sounds like you’re in love,” he joked, chuckling as he brought the rim to his mouth and taking a long swig. Sanji began to berate him for being so selfish, claiming that the bottle he was so carelessly drinking from was meant for “special occasions only, dumbass!” 

Luffy blew a raspberry through his lips, “yeah right! i’ve never even had a crush on anyone! that’s just gross, plus that’s Sanji’s job!” 

“i don’t know Luffy, what you just described sounds exactly what i feel when i look at my sweet Nami and Robin!” Sanji cooed, his tongue lolling out of his mouth and smooching kisses in Nami’s direction. 

Nami, not even flinching at Sanji’s advances, asked more questions to investigate Luffy’s condition, “well, did it happen when you were looking at anyone in particular..?” despite being known for her independence, Nami was very in tune with romance — always picking up on queues and indulging in romance fiction that Robin would entertain her with. the moment she asked the question, Luffy’s demeanor shifted. 

“well...kinda. it happened when i was holding onto [y/n]” Luffy said, voice unfamiliarly low and shy. the entire room erupted in laughter, teasing Luffy for sweating something so normal. Chopper sighed with relief, glad to know that his friend wasn’t dying. Nami giggled and punched Luffy’s arm playfully, “you do have a crush, ya dope!” 

Zoro slapped his back with an extra-heavy hand, his slight drunkenness causing him to lose control of his strength. something inside Luffy finally clicked, a brief moment of relief soothed his soul before the gravity of the situation came down on his shoulders like a fright train. the cacophonous laughter began to blend into a ringing in Luffy’s ears, overwhelmed with the information. he huffed a quick laugh and turned to make his way back to the boy’s quarters. what the hell?

…

Luffy couldn’t sleep that night, his eyes straining to carve out the grooves inside the wood that lay above him in the dark. everytime he closed his eyes, all he could see was you — the way your hips curved, your pillowy thighs plush across his lap, the small constellation of moles and freckles that sprinkled across your smooth skin. his cheeks flushed just at the thought, thanking every power up above that the room was dark and everyone was fast asleep. the racing of his heart was no match for the speed at which his mind ran, however, disgustingly sweet thoughts flooding his senses. 

the brief moments of sleep he did get were interrupted by dreams about you. he pictured the way your warmth would feel beside him, entangled in his sheets and his arms after a long night of peaceful sleep. the rising sun’s glow landed on you just right, illuminating the soft skin on your bare back. your cheeks were colored with a soft, sleepy blush, the rise and fall of your back as you breathed soothed all his anxieties. your eyes had a softness to them that tugged at his heart as they stared into his own with contentment, your dark lashes still heavy with sleep. your plush lips fixed themselves into a smile, mumbling something that was inaudible to Luffy’s rosy ears. whatever you said didn’t matter, as your lips met his and morphed together into a soft kiss. morning breath be damned, he found himself drinking you in, touching every part of you, attempting to commit it to memory. however, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember exactly how you felt, the fuzziness of the dream clouding his senses. the dream felt like a warm embrace, a tight grasp that he wouldn’t mind staying in for just a little while longer… 

when he woke up, Luffy opened his eyes to the empty spot in his bed — you nowhere to be found. your absence led Luffy’s heart to ache, feeling like he was missing a piece of him. this newfound discovery about himself tied loose ends in his life that he couldn’t quite pinpoint — he wasn’t sure why he always made sure you were okay during a battle, why you were the reason behind his motivations for improvement, why he always caught himself sneaking glances at you during meal and leisurely time. you had caught his attention from the moment he met you, and now he knew exactly why. these feelings were both enticing and petrifying, Luffy suddenly filled with guilt for being so unprofessional. although, Monkey D. Luffy has never been a man of tradition. 

… 

the past few days had been a blur for Luffy, constantly lost in his own thoughts. he started becoming hyperaware of every little thing, making sure that every time he saw you he was presentable. Luffy started grooming himself — showering more than once week, spending more time in front of the mirror to tweak his wild hair so it sat just right. with the bouts of self-confidence came insecurity as well, overanalyzing his posture and facial features. the scars on his face and chest suddenly the only thing he could think about — wondering if you thought them to be impressive or gross, seeing them as a mark of failure and weakness rather than a symbol of survival and determination. he traced the rough edges of the scar on his chest with his calloused fingertips, analyzing the fusion of pinks and reds that color his chest. this particular day he decided to cover it up, buttoning his shirt just above his scar to conceal it from the rest of the crew, embarrassment and shame pang in his chest. 

conflicting feelings wrestling in his mind and chest began to take physical tolls on Luffy — deep purple bags weighing his eyes down from the lack of sleep. he decided that he finally had enough of this senseless torture, deciding that today was the day he would tell you exactly how he felt. Luffy’s impatience led him to believe that jumping to confessions would finally allow him to marvel in all the good things love had to offer. he couldn’t wait for you to be in his arms, to carry you around on his back, to kiss you anywhere and anytime that he wanted. he couldn't wait for you to be his. 

Luffy figured he would pay the only person he thought would be the most well-versed in this thing called “love” — his ship’s cook, Sanji. despite having a questionable past when it comes to romance, Sanji could actually be captivating, making suave advances at all kinds of women over their years of travel and succeeding. Luffy wandered into the kitchen, finding Sanji sharpening his knives in preparation for dinner. 

“hey Sanji. can i ask you somethin’? Luffy asked, resting his elbows on the pristine table cloth as he took a seat. Sanji put his knives away and returned his attention to the young man, cautiously approaching him as he wore a solemn expression. 

“sure, what’s up?”

“how can i tell [y/n] i like her? i mean, i don’t wanna scare her away but at the same time, i just can’t stop thinking about her! she’s so pretty I’m worried she wouldn’t wanna be with someone like me...” Luffy trailed off, getting lost in his sorrows once again. 

Luffy’s uncertainty threw Sanji for a loop, scrunching his curly eyebrows in confusion, “since when do you care about what people think? just be yourself, Luffy, you have nothing to worry about. i’m sure if [y/n] didn’t like you she wouldn’t have joined the crew”

“well yeah but what if she doesn’t like like me? what if me telling her i like her scares her away and she’ll never be a part of the crew again?” Luffy threw his face into his hands, pulling at the stretchy skin around his cheeks in exasperation. 

“if that’s the case, then treat her to a huge bouquet of flowers! women love that flashy shit,” Sanji claimed, taking a long drag from his cigarette. “i’ll even help you bake her a cake or something. sound good?” 

“hell no, you’ve got it all wrong!” Nami exclaims, wandering her way into the kitchen for an apple to snack on. “women don’t just want ‘flashy shit’ Luffy, especially not [y/n].” 

“wow Nami, that top looks darling on you!!” Sanji exclaims, scurrying over to her to get a closer look. brushing off the compliment with a simple “thank you,” Nami continues her string of advice. 

“look, since i’m the closest to her i think that you should just be yourself. all [y/n] truly wants is honesty, and if you tell her exactly how you feel, she’ll be understanding no matter what.” 

and it was true. Nami had easily become your best friend the moment you stepped foot on the thousand sunny — the both of you confiding in each other free of judgement. it was Nami and Usopp who had listened to you pour your heart out about how you truly felt about your captain. there were nights where you cried into her lap about how lonely you felt because you thought he would never reciprocate these feelings, believing that he couldn’t afford to make the room in his heart to love you more than just platonically. you believed that you’d be stuck in the friendzone forever, your bottled feelings gnawing at the walls of your heart bit by bit until it was entirely consumed by loneliness. Nami kept these moments in mind, internally screaming as she couldn’t wait to watch this relationship unfold. you idiots have no idea.

“once you’ve gathered your thoughts, then you can tell her how you feel. but until then, i’d lay low for a while — that way you don’t jump her the next time you see her. but don’t completely ignore her!” 

Luffy hadn’t expected to take Nami’s advice, but it made sense as she was the closest to you. he brought her into a tight embrace, squeezing the petite woman’s frame as he chuckled a giddy laugh into her ear, “thanks Nami! who knew you were so good at this stuff?” 

“yeah well, this therapy is gonna cost you about fifteen hundred berr—“

“SEE YA!!” Luffy shouted over his shoulder, cutting Nami off before she could set her price in stone. 

… 

you hadn’t seen or heard from Luffy in a few days, which wouldn’t worry you under normal circumstances if he wasn’t acting so…strange. your captain has always been cooky and silly, but this behavior was different. the times you had seen Luffy, you flashed him a soft smile, a peaceful, friendly greeting. however, his eyes would just go wide and avert your gaze, something akin to fear flashing in his dark eyes. when you tried to confront him about it, he would brush you off and say it was just leftover stress — but the way his lips pursed and how he avoided direct eye contact let you know that he was lying. after that conversation, you resulted to avoiding him as well, embarrassed to seek him out when it was very clear that he did not want to see you. 

the loneliness and shame was eating away at you, every day a piece of you withered away as you mulled over what you could’ve possibly done to receive such treatment. all roads led back to that moment on the deck, where you got too comfortable, too carried away and let yourself do something you knew you shouldn’t have. it was too much, why would you ever think that was a good idea? 

you made your way to Nami’s room, trails of dark grey running down your cheeks from the mascara you had cried off. upon opening the door, you caught a glimpse of Nami and Usopp laughing about something before they directed their attention to you. Nami’s warm smile quickly faded, patting the cushy space next to her as she invited you over. the moment you shut the door behind you, the tears returned tenfold. all the pent up frustration and anger came pouring out of you, strong streams of salty tears surging from your eyes. 

“i think Luffy hates me,” you said, voice strained from choking back a sob. you filled them in on all the gruesome details, spilling the guilt and honest frustrations you felt and how you blamed yourself for his behavior. Nami immediately regretted the advice she gave to Luffy when she saw the state you were in, never imagining that you would’ve been this devastated. her and Usopp exchanged quick glances, warning each other not to reveal too much so they wouldn’t spoil Luffy’s confession plan. 

“oh [y/n], i promise he doesn’t hate you. boys are just dumb sometimes, especially the ones on our crew,” Nami joked, chuckling lightly to ease the tension that lingered in the air. you huffed a breathy laugh as you wiped your nose, tucking your hair behind your ears to avoid getting the trails of snot into it. 

“i think he’s just going through some personal stuff right now,” Usopp reassured, twisting the tiny frills of your shirt between his fingers as he lay sprawled out on Nami’s mattress. “trust me, i know what it’s like to have Luffy hate you for a while, and this just isn’t it. just give him some time and he’ll come back around.” 

their kind words put you at ease, the stream of tears drying out slowly as you collected yourself again. “thank you guys, i needed that.” 

the pair gave you soft smiles, continuing to keep the mood alive by cheering you up with filling you in on the predicament Usopp got himself into earlier that day. 

…

the sunset marked one week since this whole predicament began, Luffy finally ready to confide in you about how he truly felt. he had prepared a whole speech — each line carefully crafted with Nami’s help to describe exactly how he felt, not wanting to miss a beat. he couldn’t afford to forget anything, as one tiny mistake could result in catastrophe. Luffy had never prepared this much for anything, not even when fighting warlords and emperors. you had superseded all of them, your attention and feelings more important than his own. 

Luffy recited his speech over and over again in his head, making his way to your favorite spot on the sunny in hopes of finding you. the second he laid his eyes on you, however, his mouth went dry and the words suddenly scrambled together in his head. his attention was fixated on the way your face glowed against the orange horizon, the breeze blowing your hair behind you and putting every feature on display. you leaned over the railing, resting your elbows on the wooden edge as you drank in the smell of the seawater. your glowing eyes turned to meet Luffy’s, your face stoic and glum as you turned back to face the setting sun. 

“fancy seeing you here,” you stated sarcastically, your words lacking any form of amusement as your frustration returned. 

“can i talk to you about something?” Luffy said, his voice suddenly small and nervous. the tension in his voice had been unexpected, causing you to turn around and meet him face-to-face. you crossed your arms over your chest, nodding your head in his direction as a sign of permission for him to continue. Luffy took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts properly to restrain the word vomit that built up in his throat. although, his nerves made him feel like he was about to actually vomit. 

“first, i want to apologize for the way i’ve been acting these past few days. it was never my intention to make you upset or mad at me or anything. i did it because…” Luffy paused, fidgeting with the hem of his shorts. god, this is so weird. 

“because…?” you asked, the anticipation eating away at you. your heart thumped violently in your chest, throat beginning to sting as your nerves returned.

“because i like you, okay? like more than i should — and if i’m being completely honest, i didn’t even know i could like someone like that. but when I’m with you, i feel like i have a purpose. and of course I feel that way with everyone else, but you’re different!” 

Luffy took a small step forward, gently grabbing your hands and holding them in his. “the moment i realized that i actually liked you, something inside me clicked. it felt like everything suddenly made sense and a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. i felt like i could breathe again and i was free. hell, i’ve been having dreams about you ever since — but nothing weird though i promise!” 

the way he threw his arms up in defense at that last sentence made you laugh, all of the dizzying stress releasing through your nose. you hadn’t realized it, but tears began to flow from your eyes. but these were tears of joy, tears of relief that everything you had beat yourself up over for the past week was all in your head. all you could do was stare at the man before you with a beaming smile and teary eyes, your brain short-circuiting as you took in every syllable that left his mouth. 

“i’m so sorry, [y/n]. i never meant to make you feel like i was avoiding you on purpose, i was just finding the right things to say. i really don’t wanna screw this up, so — if you’ll have me — i want to be there for you. i want to be the person you wake up next to every morning, the person you can come to and share everything with. i want to be yours and i want you to be mine.” 

Luffy’s thumb grazed your cheek, wiping away the tears that ran down your face. you leaned into his touch, gently pressing your lips into the palm of his hand. the intimate gesture caused Luffy’s cheeks to burn a bright red, a hopeful smile forming across his lips. 

“took you long enough,” you teased, redirecting his hands to your waist as you draped yours around his neck. “i’ve loved you for a long time, ya know? i was just waiting to see if you’d ever come around, dumbass.”

Luffy could no longer contain his excitement, hoisting you up by your waist and spinning you around in the air. your playful squeals were quickly silenced as he brought your lips to yours, drinking you in with every touch and taste.  

many people made the assumption that Luffy was born under a lucky star, attributing his success to destiny and fate rather than the determination and strength he put forth. that claim had always pissed him off as it made him feel like he was cheating the system entirely. however, it wasn’t until he held you in this moment that he finally understood what they had meant. 

i could get used to this.

teehee i’ve been wanting to write for luffy for sooooo long but never knew what to write about. then this idea came to me like an epiphany and im so glad it did!

[takes1]

THANK YOU FOR WRITING MY KUROKEN REQUEST OMHFGSGHFGRS. IM SO SO HAPPY THANK YOU AJJWKAJDHFBTNFJEJ!!!!!CANT WAIT FOR THE NEXT! :D

[p.2] kenma sharing you with kuroo

im so glad youre into it!!!! i love hearing from you! this was getting too long again, had to break it up AAAAAAAAA so there will be another part idk why i cant be concise theres just a lot of juicy stuff here

warnings. heavy nsfw, minors DNI

details. fem!reader / threesome / angsty smut / jealous!kuroo / secure!kenma /petnames / submissive(with conditions)!reader / praisewhore!reader / kenma being rough on purpose / f!rec oral / backshots / riding / kuroo being rough on accident / very mastermind!kenma / poly!kuroo, poly!kenma, poly?reader / crushing on kuroo / fluid pecking order / 3k words / somehow more to follow, pls reply to be added to taglist for HOPEFULLY FINAL PART

links. my masterlist. more haikyuu. my ao3. part one here. final part.

The sheer size of his physique always made you and Kenma both feel smaller, and fragile at times. Like a couple of toys to him.

Now that you could see what he had been hiding underneath his shirt; a full, wide chest that stretched, taut, across two robust shoulders. Lines worked under his skin, cropping up like guitar strings as he tossed his shirt to the side.

Comparing him to Kenma was useless. They weren't just in different weight classes; it was simply unfair to draw the full list of their differences out.

The worst part was that he knew how hot he was. He acted like he was the best thing since sliced bread. Always flexing in every mirror, offering a bulky bicep for you to squeeze just to watch you squirm on more than one occasion, leaning over both you and your boyfriend, crushing you in unnecessary group hugs.

"How's that sound, baby?" Kenma muttered against your ear, speaking in that low tone he knew you liked.

Face burning hot, you stared at the floor until Kuroo filled your vision. His chest was blocking your ability to ignore him, to try thinking clearly enough to maybe say something back.

Kenma was keeping you still, one arm around your middle, the other hand rested under one of your breasts, "You can touch him. It's okay."

They shared a look you couldn't see.

"I won't bite anymore," Kuroo whispered. He kissed the top of your head as an apology, of sorts.

He lifted your wrist and placed it onto his sculpted stomach. It was a safe move, because it did help you calm down and give you something to look at. You weren't sure if you'd be able to look him in the eye ever again.

Your heart was still racing, but you did want to touch him. Both of your hands slid over his impressive body, thumbs prodding harder into the bulky muscle you weren't so used to- the type of grabbing and groping you had always been curious about. The back of your hand brushed his dark happy trail, your breath clipped at how his v-line dove deep into his sweats.

"Kemma," He muttered, breathy, over your head, keeping your hand right there, at his waistband.

You missed whatever exchange they must've had outside of your focus, but you were right on time to turn and watch them kiss.

Mouth open, you watched, shamelessly turned on, at the steamy exchange of tongue and spit, past and power between them right next to your head.

Nothing about that was unsure in nature. You could have been convinced that they kissed frequently.

Kuroo's hand kept yours barred on his tummy so you couldn't let him go- his other hand slipped between you and Kenma, pulling possessively at the small of your back. Kenma was also pulling you harder, closer, and you felt his hand slide onto your neck.

He usually did that when he wanted comfort- but it felt different for blur of reasons here.

They were both holding tightly onto you, but kissing each other. It nearly gave you whiplash, how fast it simplified things.

The way Kuroo parted, jaw flexed, a little flare on his nostrils in restraint was outrageously sexy. His narrowed, drunken eyes looked to you.

Your wall was back up, immediately- but you couldn't move, so you took his kiss, anyway.

His lips were wet and warm with the faint taste of Kenma. And he was making himself busy at he curve of your neck, noisily sucking and biting that little sensitive spot where it dipped into your shoulder, where he knew you held all of your stress.

"Mmnh-!"

Your uncontrollable sound was eaten right up, and Kuroo was able to get his tongue in your mouth, all clumsy, needy, like he just wanted to be inside of you no matter the method. He pushed your hand further into his pants and -of course- he wasn't wearing any underwear.

Did they kiss just to get you to this spot? The thought was concerning, but fleeting.

You gasped when he finally parted- for air, at Kenma's mouth, and the brief, unintentional brush against his cock.

Your hand shot back out of his pants, and though it looked like a struggle for him, he didn't continue trying to keep your wrist hostage. Kuroo didn't have much patience. The way he showed his passion sided closer to some kind of underlying bitterness, if anything.

A big, loud, tingly kiss to your neck, "He's good, huh?"

You glanced at Kuroo- he watched Kenma, a toothy smirk on his handsome face, like that compliment truly resonated somewhere.

"Yeah," You sighed, still scratchy. You hadn't used your voice in a while.

His arms slipped from you, a small lull in all the intensity for a position shift. You went maybe half a second with neither of them touching you- Kuroo scooped you up just as you were moving to take your seat on your boyfriend's lap.

"What're you thinkin', buddy?"

He held you like a display for him, both hands cupping your tits, a few giggly pecks to the top of your head.

"Wanna know what's goin' on in that brain of yours," His mutter felt aggressive against your scalp, making you feel a bit meek, yielding to his greedy touch.

Kenma scanned your intertwined bodies with a calculated, muted (as most of his emotions read), excitement you had rarely ever seen before.

What he had in mind was inventive, certainly not your first thought, but it was in your favor.

Your concern was quelled as you saw his little idea into action- he could handle more weight than you thought, as Kuroo straddled him, a little amused smile on his face. He took in the view of you perched atop Kenma's face, your hands crossed delicately on his chest.

The idea was so you would have to look at Kuroo.

He caught the hickeys scattered along your shoulder and neck.

"Damn Kemma, that's pretty gnarly," Kuroo's finger slipped over your skin and you flinched, "You sure that's gonna heal before class?"

Kenma shrugged underneath you, another kiss over that already tingly, sensitive bud. You tried to shift away, but he barred his arms over your hips to kept you in place. You had to brave the sensation, this position, longer.

"That's the point," Mumbled against you. Kuroo smirked at how your form broke, a curve to your spine already.

A big, slow lap at your pussy was just what you needed- all this grabbing and pinching and bruising, you just needed some head at this point.

Your moan, light, fluttery, and soft, had his attention locked.

Kuroo's thumb was gentle -not quite as gentle as Kenma- brushing your cheek, the rest of his fingers curled lightly under your jaw. You could look at those shoulders, that thick neck, his veiny forearms all day, but it was just different, difficult, having to meet his face.

"Ohh, you gotta learn to look at me, babydoll," His thumb was lowered, swiped across your glossy lip, his voice bittersweet, "Or we're gonna have a tough time."

It was like looking at him would make it more real. To your defense, it did- every time. You hated that he was using it as a way to get at you, because now he wouldn't give it up.

Finally, a kiss you didn't move away from.

His height gave him the advantage of being able to lean across the distance comfortably. You got to sit 'still' on Kenma's skilled tongue.

Since you weren't making it an unnecessary struggle this time, he was softer. Or, he was just trying to prove he could play the 'good guy,' too. He stroked himself over his sweats to the sounds you spilled across his mouth.

It only took a minute for him to move away from you, clambering off of the mattress, temporarily--

"'Ey bud- I'm takin' my pants off- I can't stand this shit."

You looked away as he stripped, so quick, so eager to get back to his kisses.

There was a clouded, dreamy haze in your vision at his slow, methodical circles. It was impossible to sit straight, but you knew Kenma could take a bit of weight on his chest.

"M-mmnh-ah,"

It took a second for your brain to catch up to everything, but when you replayed how he announced his actions, you really liked that he was, in a way, deferring to Kenma.

"Thaat's better," He groaned, lowering in a silly way to look at your pleasure-drunk expression, "Hm."

He looked down at Kenma, a palm gliding over the lines in his stomach. The muscle underneath danced, twitchy, and sensitive.

"Does he feel good, babygirl?"

You nodded, a weak, "Mh-mm, ah-!"

Kuroo seethed at the sound and quickened his pumping hand, "Ohh- you wanna tell him how good he feels?"

As his eyes trailed down your pretty, weakening form, he barely stopped himself from touching the tent in Kenma's pants. Instead, he kept his second hand gripping his hip bone, probing the skin there.

"Mmh-!" You cried, stooping forward with a tremble.

The little pitiful, embarrassed expression on your face was deserving of another kiss, however fleeting.

"Go 'head. Tell'm, baby."

Kenma must've loved the idea, because he made it intentionally difficult for you to get your words out. It was huffy, and broken, and interrupted by a quick, higher whine or two- but you did manage to tell him how perfect he felt, just like Kuroo wanted.

He didn't notice your reaction to his quiet, natural, "Good girl."

A couple of taps let you know to take your weight off of him. You were shaky, close, and already embarrassed, by that time, though.

Kuroo helped by keeping you upright and supported as Kenma slid out from his position.

"You are sooo cute," He cooed, a big hand squishing your face up so you couldn't avoid another kiss.

He liked smothering you with attention, in the absence of his more intense habits. It felt like you were dealing with cuteness-aggression, unable to wriggle out of his hold.

Your attempts were always half-assed, since it was everything you wanted. The subtle pushing, evading his kisses, little dissatisfied huffs, were more about the principle of not letting him treat you however he wanted. Kenma always put you first. You didn't want Kuroo's sudden presence to change that.

Since he knew you wouldn't touch him, he just stroked himself, between your bodies. It only worked to get him more frustrated at how difficult you were.

"Could you-- damn," Kenma did a double-take at his friend's dick, and left it at that, "Could you lay down?"

Kuroo liked his role. He liked his dick getting praised, too. His smile was unshakable, as he followed along and adjusted per Kenma's nudging. He looked up at him once more when you were prompted to sit on his lap.

Though your pussy was aching for something more, after an hour of essentially just on-and-off foreplay -especially a fan of the big, hunky addition to the bedroom beneath you-, you only hovered until Kenma weighed your hips the rest of the way down.

Kuroo was whiny, speaking only to his friend, "Why won't she look at me?"

He looked at you, "Aren't we friends?"

You grew warm, shuddery at that call-out and the fact that he caught you staring at his abs again.

A good distraction was Kenma, finally taking those stupid sweatpants off; you leaned towards him, quick to pump his cock and treat him well to a flurry of kisses.

He looked sleepy, satisfied with how easily you paid him attention.

His question was mumbled against your lips, a way od depriving you of your last kiss, "Why won't you look at Kuroo, hm?"

You squinted and sighed, a thoughtful effort on your brow until you felt the addictive, slick sensation of Kuroo's cock sliding against your folds, bumping your clit just right.

He was such a tease- he knew what he was doing, when he did it. He wanted to cut you off and smirked at his success.

An uneven whine- your hands landed on top of Kuroo's, swallowing up the crease of your thighs, hips, and ass with his outrageously big fingers.

"You should be nicer to him," He placed a gentle kiss to your cheek and left your side, opting to get behind you.

Kenma guided you by the shoulder to lean forward, face-to-face with Kuroo, knocked to your elbows. He pressed himself against your entrance.

"Oooh, what'd I tell ya?" He spoke right through Kenma sinking deeper into your pussy, finally filling you up, and still rocked his own cock against your clit, "You gonna- ah, look at me now? Or are you about to make this hard?"

You and Kuroo were in similar roles, in the way that you had no idea what Kenma was thinking, or why he did it, aside from speculation.

"A-ahh-!" You gasped, brow furrowed at how much you needed him, how much better this felt with Kuroo here, really here, instead of just in your fantasies.

The stretch, the delayed gratification of finally taking him, loosened your personal reigns a little. You wanted to see how his friend liked it.

It was difficult, but you managed to take in his handsome, dark features while Kenma filled you over and over again. His jaw was tight, flexed, as he bit the inside of his cheek. His eyes never looked endearing but they were clearly narrowed on purpose, focused and tense at your decision to keep your attention on him only now.

He was so jealous that it looked like he was struggling more than you. You loved watching it play out in his eyes, having to sit there and listen to you get railed right in front of him.

"You've got such a pretty little slut for a girlfriend-," He quelled his hunger for you with a quick, harsh kiss, muttering just between you, "Lucky bastard."

Kenma stayed deep, just barely rolling his hips with a sigh. You choked out a moan against Kuroo's frown.

There was an enviable ease to his words.

"I know."

This whole mess of a dynamic was unfolding and taking different shapes the more you all switched, resisted, or accepted your roles.

He was deep, and you were taking him so well that he wasn't as slow, or as soft as he usually opted for. The audience present gave him just a small kick of energy that he used to be a little harder with you.

"Koz-ume--!" You begged, "Mmh- slo-w-- slower..."

He didn't slow down because he knew you were only being theatrical. The intention behind his willful ignorance, still made you search for something, somebody, that would listen. It left you holding onto Kuroo for comfort instead, squeezing him closer to you, mumbling your incoherent whines past his ear.

In the process, his greedy, pinchy hands became more sympathetic, as he had to hold you still. His frown became occupied with shushes and little pecks to your shoulder, and he eventually had wrapped his arms around you, like a hug.

"You're takin' him soo well, babygirl," His low mutter did nothing to soothe you. It only made you want to cum to the sound of his voice. He rubbed over the scratches Kenma had been busy raking across your back.

"Soo fuckin' good."

Neither of you were ready to part, not yet- but Kenma pulled you out of his arms. He hugged you to his own chest, stalling deep inside of you, stuffing your poor pussy with a cruel thrust.

Again, one of those instances that wouldn't be replicated as easily with a big difference in height.

He was breathy, but he didn't stutter: "You gonna be nice to him?"

His hand squeezed your neck, his eyes steady from you, to Kuroo. Your breath was labored, your eyes narrowed, wanting, down at him.

"Hm?"

In the stillness, you could feel the extra wet running down your legs and wondered if you'd ever be so perfectly turned on again.

A managed a higher, breathier, "Yes," and he loosened his grip, letting you back onto Kuroo. Though he hadn't gotten any, he was more than satisfied with how pliable it made you.

You couldn't stop looking at him now.

He kept his grip tight on you, in case Kenma wanted to try taking you away again. His kisses had more depth, more appreciation. As hot as it was seeing Kenma so assertive, he hated being left out in the cold.

"That's too bad."

Was a phrase that both of you, even in spite of your stimulation, paused at. Your lip was hesitantly let go from its place between Kuroo's teeth. He gave him a dirty look as you burrowed your head into his giant shoulder.

Kenma was toneless, void of empathy, "You wanted to third, didn't you?"

Kuroo's expression shattered- the tension in his whole face dissipating into a thousand little pieces for about two seconds, as he tried to decipher what he meant, how he meant it, and how he should take that.

"I'm kidding-" Kenma snickered, still speaking through his fluttery, cute giggle as he addressed you, "You still wanna fuck Kuroo?"

It really hit home, for both of you, that none of this was going to work without Kenma being decidedly cool about a lot of things.

"Yes," Spilled from your lips, muffled against Kuroo's hot skin- you repeated yourself, shakily pushing yourself up for good measure, "Fuck yes."

A 'See? I told you so,' look to Kuroo. He slowly pulled out of you, leaving you to deal with an emptiness that altogether worsened your clingy exterior.

Kuroo's jealousy had softened to appreciation, and your apprehension traded spots with a need for attention. Kenma liked the control of facilitating it all.

☆VIP☆

@integers @paradoxicalwritings @yuchacco

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[harrywavycurly]

Worth the Fight: A Little Treat

Masterlist: Here

CW: A few pregnancy symptoms, ultrasound stuff, baby things, slight panic attack, language, arguing, Harry is a dick, angsty bits.

A/N: This is one of the more dramatic parts of this story. I literally debated on the outcome of a certain part of chapter for two days, but hopefully y’all will be happy with the choice I made! And as always, let me hear your thoughts, comments or concerns✨

Tag List: @kookjipao @msolbesg @lomlolivia @namoreno @outofthisworl-d @mema10 @watarmelon212 @natykn @sassamanda77 @st-ev-ie @ghayda0 @hannah9921 @indierockgirrl @chaoticthoughts2022 @lizsogolden @gmikaelson @styleswithaseaview @sofaritsalrightt @babegoals @fangirl509east @one-sweet-gubler @stylesftcher @umadirectioner @last-saturday-night @montgomery-929496

Summary: You and Harry visit Dr. Andrews and the two of you learn some things that causes Harry to react in a way you don’t expect✨

You can feel the daggers Harry is shooting at the side of your head from where he’s sat in a chair against the wall facing the side of where you’re currently sitting on the exam table in Dr. Andrews office, he’s been glaring at you with his lips pressed into a hard line ever since the nice young man walked into the room. You felt the energy in the office change the moment the Doctor stepped inside and offered you a warm smile and introduced himself, Harry all but went stiff at the sight of him, barely acknowledging him with more than a head nod and a tight lipped smile and you wanted to roll your eyes because you immediately knew what his issue was about. You simply ignore his glares as he crosses his arms over his chest while Dr. Andrews begins asking you some questions.

“So you think you’re about eight weeks is that right?” You just nod as he clicks his pen and writes something down on the paper he has on his clipboard with all your information on it. “And you’re wanting to do a paternity test as well correct?” You once again find yourself nodding as if saying the words out loud will make everything more real, that this is happening you are in fact pregnant and are here to get an ultrasound and a test done so that the man who is still doing nothing but glaring at you can learn that it’s his baby you’re carrying. This time Dr. Andrews looks at you and offers you a smile as he slides his pen into the pocket of his shirt before he turns and places the clipboard on the counter near the sink that’s in the office.

“Now that we have the boring stuff out of the way what do you say to taking a look and maybe get a better idea of how far along you are?” You hear shuffling coming from the side of you making you glance over to see Harry looking visibly unamused at the doctor’s attempt to lighten the mood as his eyes watch Dr. Andrews sit down on a stool with a set of wheels attached to it allowing him to move about the space with ease. His eyes are practically glued to the man’s hands as he starts to put gloves on as he wheels himself over to the end of the exam table near where your legs are hanging off the edge.

“Oh uh-yeah I would uhm love to take a look.” You stumble over your words as Harry finally peels his eyes away from what Dr. Andrews is doing and stares at you with a blank expression. “Is that-do you want to uh take a look?” You ask with a quirked brow to which Harry licks his lips before rubbing them together as he gives you a small nod as confirmation making you smile as you turn and look at your doctor. “Will we actually see anything or-”

“Knock knock.” Harry jumps slightly as a woman enters the room in baby pink scrubs. “Sorry didn’t mean to scare you I’m Nancy and I’m here to assist Dr. Andrews with the ultrasound.” She explains with a light chuckle as she looks at Harry and gives him a kind smile that he doesn’t bother to return, instead he just looks away from her and back towards you and he feels his eyes go as wide as golfballs making his eyebrows shoot up towards his hairline at the sight that’s before him.

Your lower half has a thin sheet draped over it so Harry can’t see anything other than the flesh of your calves and the socks on your feet that are currently being placed in stirrups as you slide down lower on the exam table. He watches in horror as Dr. Andrews is handed a wand like device from Nancy as she takes a seat closest to the machine that Harry knows is for ultrasounds, but the thing in the doctor’s hand isn’t anything he’s ever seen before and he’s all of a sudden feeling extremely uncomfortable. He uncrosses his arms from his chest and places his palms on his knees as he finds himself leaning in towards the screen that Nancy is setting up, needing any excuse he can to look away from Dr. Andrews as he finishes getting everything ready. But Harry can’t help but glance over just in time to see him put something over the wand like device and that’s when he decides he simply has to know what’s going on.

“What’s uh-what’s that? That thing you’re putting on there?” Harry’s voice causes you to quickly turn your head to look at him, this being the first time he’s spoken almost the whole visit minus when he was asked questions about his own health history from the nurse before Dr. Andrews came in. You follow his gaze and before anyone can answer you let out a chuckle making Harry raise an eyebrow at you as he takes his eyes off what’s happening at the end of the table near your sock clad feet and up to your face.

“Oh right you haven’t seen one of those in a while have you? That’s called a condom.” You answer as you lay down so your head is on the pillow at the end of the exam table. Dr. Andrews lets out a low chuckle while Nancy hides her laughter by biting into her bottom lip as she gets the screen ready but turns it so for the time being only her and the doctor can see what’s happening.

“Really? Jokes? Now’s not the time for this.” He snaps with a huff as he sits back into his seat and begins to twirl the ring on his middle finger, a habit that you’ve noticed he does when he’s a bit anxious.

“Have you eaten today? You seem extra grumpy.”

“Yes I’ve eaten today it’s almost ten in the bloody morning.”

“Not a morning person then?”

“What? Yeah I’m a morning person. This is what normal people call the late morning. I’m usually up well before this.” You just turn your head to look at him as he lets out a scoff and you just roll your eyes at how annoyed he looks while sat in the chair a mere three feet away from you.

“That doesn’t mean you’re a morning person you know that right? That just means your body is used to being awake at a certain time.” You explain making him let out a groan as he runs a hand over his face and you know he wishes he could be anywhere else but in this room with you, about to get a glimpse at what in his mind could only possibly be his baby. You on the other hand are a ball of excitement at finally getting to see the little thing that’s been causing you to feel absolutely exhausted at the end of the day mixed with a hint of nausea tossed in at random times throughout the day.

“Doesn’t mean you enjoy the mornings.” You add after a brief moment of silence and Harry just shoots you a look, his way of silently letting you know he’s over the conversation and won’t be adding anything further to it.

“Okay you ready?” You turn your head and look down towards your feet at Dr. Andrews who is already looking at you with a smile on his face, you give him a nod and that’s when Nancy walks around the exam table to turn off the overhead lights leaving just the glow of the screen on the ultrasound machine and a lamp on the counter near Harry to light up the room. “You may feel some pressure but it shouldn’t cause you any discomfort.” Harry tries to focus on what Nancy is doing instead of what the doctor is currently doing between your legs with the wand.

“Now Mr. Styles this is called a transvaginal ultrasound and we do this so we can get a clearer picture of what’s happening so we can confirm a few things and it’s easier to do it this way than through the stomach.” Nancy explains in a soft and calming voice that makes you relax even though thanks to your hours of googling you already knew what to expect. You allow yourself to glance over at Harry and see him just nod his head at her words as he rests his forearms on his knees after scooting to the edge of his seat.

“Okay let’s take a look here.” You place your hands on your stomach as you feel a wave of nerves take over you and you wish you could reach over and grab onto Harry’s hand for comfort but currently he just so happens to be the least comforting person you know. “You’re doing great. Just try to relax for me.” You just nod and let out a deep breath and then all of a sudden you see Nancy’s eyes go wide momentarily before she turns to look at Dr. Andrews and taps a few places on the screen, you watch him lean in towards the screen and a small smile makes its way onto his face.

“Congratulations.” You feel a wave of relief wash over you as the word slips out of his mouth while Nancy turns the screen finally allowing you and Harry to see it. “You’re having twins and it looks like you’re-” Harry’s voice quickly interrupts him before he can finish his sentence.

“I’m sorry you-you said uhm-what did-what did you say?”

“I know it always seems to be a bigger shock to the dad-”

“I’m not-we don’t know if I’m-”

“Twins? Like you mean there’s more than one baby in there?” You ask cutting Harry’s rambling off making Dr. Andrews laugh and nod as Nancy points to one little section the screen with the tip of her finger that’s labeled ‘baby A’ and then she points to another section next to it that’s labeled ‘baby B’ but both just look like little beans floating around in a black bubble.

“That’s exactly what I mean and you look to be measuring almost nine weeks along and everything looks good.” You can’t really do anything besides nod as the realization that you’re going to have twins begins to sink in. “Let’s take a listen and-”

The sound of Harry standing up makes you sit up on your elbows as Dr. Andrews and Nancy pause their movements, wanting to give Harry time to process things before moving on having dealt with this kind of thing before from shocked parents finding out their little bundle of joy is suddenly two of more. You open your mouth to say something but quickly close it when Harry runs a hand through his hair as he turns to look at you, his eyes are wide and the hand that’s at his side is balled into a tight fist and you know he’s panicking and right now you can’t do anything about it because your legs are in the air and you have nothing on your lower half besides a sheet.

“Harry are you-”

“I can’t-I uh have to go.” Before you can even say anything Harry is gripping the doorknob of the exam room and throwing it open allowing him to make a swift and in your opinion, slightly dramatic exit. You stare at the door for a few minutes, thinking that maybe he just needs some air and he’ll be back but deep down you know better, this is the same man who left your apartment without saying goodbye and doesn’t handle situations like this well at all.

“Sorry about him.” You apologize with a sigh as you bring your focus back to Dr. Andrews who just gives you a nod and a small smile while Nancy gives you a look that tells you she wants to say something but she doesn’t, she just smiles at you and begins printing off photos from the machine.

“No need to apologize.” Dr. Andrews says quickly brushing the incident off. “Now do you want to hear your babies heartbeats?”

You let out a heavy sigh as you exit the elevator and step into the hallway your apartment is on, you adjust your hold on the box that’s currently now being held with one hand so you can dig around in your purse for your house key. It’s not until you’re further down the hallway that you notice him, sitting with his back against your front door with his knees bent allowing his feet to be firmly planted on the floor while his hands are resting flat against his stomach and you squint your eyes a bit to see the back of his head is resting against your door and his eyes are closed. You want to turn around and head for the elevator and leave him sitting there but his eyes shoot open and his head turns in your direction when a tube of chapstick falls out of your purse and hits the floor with a clunk.

“Shit.” You mumble as you look down at the chapstick that decided to betray you and announce your presence to the one man you don’t want to talk to or see and if it wasn’t your favorite one you would let it sit there and turn around and go back to the elevators or make a quick escape down the stairwell. You let out a huff as you squat down so you can quickly grab the tube and shove it back into your purse but when you go to stand up you feel a hand on the bottom of the box you’re trying to keep from tipping over, gently taking it from you.

“Are these donuts?” You ignore him as you steady yourself once you stand back up. “You shouldn’t eat all these at once that’s a lot of sugar.” You roll your eyes as you quickly take the box from him and walk the few feet to your door.

“You didn’t tell me he was a man.” Harry all but blurts out after a moment of uncomfortable silence and you lift your head to send him a glare as you stop right in front of your door. You knew that’s why he was is a foul mood at the beginning of the appointment, but you just didn’t think he’d bring it up now considering that’s not the biggest issue the two of you have to get through regarding his behavior today.

“Yes I did.” Harry wants to roll his eyes because he’s sure you didn’t but at the moment he can’t be bothered to because he’s just glad you finally decided to speak to him even if it’s in the most annoyed tone of voice he’s ever heard come out of another person before. “I said he has good reviews and he had an appointment today at nine. It’s not my fault you lack basic reading comprehension skills and didn’t catch it.” Harry crosses his arms over his chest as you speak, his mind mentally going over your messages and he hates that you’re right, hates that he did miss the little hints that he knows he could’ve easily picked up if he would’ve just paid a bit more attention.

You feel his eyes on you as you move the box to one hand and go back to digging around in your purse for your house key. Normally you have it out and ready to go, but today has been anything but normal so you just let out a small sound of frustration as you touch the bottom of your bag and don’t feel the familiar coldness of your metal key ring. Harry chews on his bottom lip as he watches you struggle to hold a box of donuts in one hand and dig around in your giant bag with the other, and he swears he’s never sees someone constantly be at odds with their purse before, it’s as if it hides your belongings from you on purpose. After a few minutes he decides he can’t watch you struggle any longer as he lets out an annoyed huff and uncrosses his arms so he can reach over from where he’s stood next to you with his body turned towards you, while yours is facing your door in what he knows is an attempt to not have to look at him and grabs the strap of your purse, that to his surprise you let slide off your shoulder without any resistance.

“You and this fucking bag.” He mumbles as he opens it up and you just roll your eyes as you turn so you’re now facing him as he digs around in your purse. “What’s the point of having so much shit in here if it takes you forever to even find it?” He asks as his brows pinch together when his hand comes in contact with something sleek but when he pulls it out and sees it’s just your AirPods case he tosses it back into the bag with a groan.

“Thank god.” He sighs a few moments later once he finally finds your keyring that has your car key as well as your house key on it. He drops your bag by his feet so he can put your key into your lock but before he can open the door you reach out and grab the doorknob keeping it closed.

“No.” Harry drops his hand from the door as he raises a brow at you making you just shift the box in your hand so it’s resting partially on your hip as you stare at him with an unreadable expression on your face.

“What do you mean no?”

“Oh you don’t hear that word a lot do you? I mean no as in you’re not allowed in my apartment.”

“What? But we-”

“There is no we.” Harry swallows hard as he watches your eyes get a familiar sheen to them. “There’s you and then there’s us.” His eyes glance down to your free hand that rests on your stomach and he instantly knows who you mean when you say us and it makes his stomach do a flip at the reminder that you’re carrying twins.

“Listen I’m sor-”

“Don’t.” Your voice is low as you try to blink away the tears that are beginning to make your vision a little blurry. “You left me in the middle of an exam just to be sitting at my front door hours later so you can say sorry? No that’s not how this works.” Harry feels like his heart is beating a mile a minute as you sniffle a few times between your words.

“I just got-”

“I don’t care.” You state cutting off whatever excuse he was about to toss your way as you bend down and grab the strap of your purse that’s still by Harry’s feet. “I don’t think we should talk until you get the results of the paternity test back. Which you still have to go give your sample for by the way since you left before they could get it.” You say with as much conviction you can muster in your slightly emotional state but you internally give yourself a pat on the back for getting all out in one go.

For once Harry doesn’t know what to say, he knows you’re upset and he knows right now there’s not a lot you’ll let him do or say to make it up to you so he just nods his head thinking that the least he can do is give you what you’re asking for without starting an argument.

“I agree yeah-yeah that’s a good idea.” You look at him almost in shock at how quickly he agrees to your request but of course he would agree to not speaking to you for a bit, something you assume he’s looking forward to. You sling your purse strap over your shoulder with an annoyed huff before reaching for your doorknob and Harry has to stop himself from reaching out and opening it for you.

“You know I was so excited about today because I just wanted to have that moment of like oh wow this is all happening when I saw my baby or I guess my babies for the first time and you- you had to go and fucking ruin it.” Harry hears you let out a shaky breath as a few tears make their way down your cheeks. “You Harry Styles are an asshole.” Your voice is watery but the words still sting as they reach his ears and the tears are free flowing now as you sniffle, but before he can even attempt to say anything, not that he would dare try to defend himself given the state you’re currently in; you open your door and take a step inside.

But just as you turn to close it Harry instinctively takes a step back wanting to give you some space, you glance down at the box in your hand and then look up at him allowing him to really get a good look at your face and that’s when the reality of what he’s actually done begins to set in. He watches as every blink causes more tears to slide down your slightly blotchy cheeks, the tip of your nose is pink from sniffling due to the unavoidable snot that comes with these types of tears but the worst of it is the look in your eyes that makes it almost painful for him to keep the intense eye contact with you because it’s a look that tells him this is all his fault. He’s the reason that a day you intended to be happy and joyful turned into you crying in front of your door while telling him you don’t want him to come inside.

“And yes these are donuts. I thought I deserved a little treat after everything I dealt with today.” Your voice snaps Harry out of his thoughts just in time for him to watch you close the door and when he hears the sound of your deadbolt he knows there’s no chance of you coming back out to talk to him.

He’s not sure how long he stands there, just staring at the gold lettering nailed to your door that says your apartment number, 5C but he knows it’s long enough that when he does finally move to run a hand through his hair his knuckles feel tight as if he’d been making a fist the whole time without meaning to. He lets out a long sigh as he turns to begin walking towards the end of the hall where the elevators are. He reaches into his front pocket for his phone but instead of calling for his driver he scrolls through his contacts in a anxious hurry to find the one person that he knows will tell him what to do and try to help him fix things. And Harry needs to fix things because right now he’s so lost in his own thoughts and feels as if he’s drowning in a pool of anxiety and stress that it’s causing him to hurt other people and that’s not who he is or wants to be. He needs help un-muddling his mind and seeing things more clearly and there’s only one person who can do that for him.

Everything happens in a blur as he steps into the elevator, not remembering even hitting the down button as he frantically thumbs at his screen until he finally lands on the name he’s looking for. He looks up just as the doors open on the ground floor of your building and the moment he walks out of the small space he hits the call icon and brings the phone up to his ear while he heads towards the front entrance of your complex. It’s darker outside than it was when he first got to your apartment, a sign that he sat outside your door for at least a few hours and stood there a good bit after you told him he couldn’t come inside.

“Harry?” He doesn’t even realize he was holding his breath until he feels his lungs release a deep exhale as soon as her voice floats through the receiver and into his ears after a few rings, he doesn’t miss the slight scratchiness to it letting him know she was probably asleep before he decided to call.

“What’s wrong?” Of course she asks that, of course she knows there’s something wrong. It’s only then that Harry feels as if all the events of the past few weeks from you first contacting him about being pregnant to the exam this morning hit him and his eyes begin to sting and his heart feels as if it’s going to beat out of his chest.

“Mom I-I.” He starts to talk but then has to stop and take a few deep breaths to try to calm himself down but it’s pointless as he feels tears begin to gather at his waterline and his lungs feel as if they can’t take in enough air all of a sudden. “I don’t know-know what to-to do.” He manages to get out between shaky breaths as he stops walking when he spots a bench and that’s where he finally allows himself to break down, on an uncomfortable wooden bench on a dimly lit street only a few feet from your apartment complex while on the phone with his mom.

[elliesngirl]

Anything with reader being mean to loser ellie who is down bad?

Loser!Ellie Williams x Mean!Reader: Masterlist

Warning: Reader is very mean to ellie, men, d slur, angsty, happy ending though, suggestive kinda at the end,

btw let me know if you want to be on the taglist + send requests! not proofread lol

Work count: 2.8k

You frowned in the mirror as you tried on clothes. You needed to make a good impression on the first day of your second year of college. You convinced them to allow you to get a private room; having roommates was too much to handle.

You decided on a denim skirt, brown knee-high boots, and a red top, matching the boots with a belt, then adding jewellery.

You posed in your mirror, snapping a selfie for your Instagram story, getting tons of likes and replies instantly, all complimenting your looks.

You strutted into class, not caring that you were 20 minutes late. It's pretty normal for you. You sat down at the back, one leg over the other, pulling your phone out of your pocket and replying to all your friends.

"You're late." The teacher said, making everyone look at you, rolling their eyes, you looked down and mumbled, "No shit." You went back to your phone. "Ms Williams, could you please catch her up."

She nods, then shyly walks up to you, almost feeling bad for being in the same room as you. She stands next to you waiting for you to acknowledge her, but you're too busy looking down at your phone.

"Umm.." Ellie says quietly, grabbing your attention, you look up from your phone, looking Ellie up and down, "Yeah?" you say with an attitude filled in your voice.

"I need to tell you about what you missed..." She said, looking down at the fingers she was playing with, you laughed at her, turning your phone off and then putting it down. "Why?" You asked, "The teacher told me too...." She admitted, only honesty laced in her voice.

"Yeah, I don't really care.." You giggled, showing her a fake smile, then picked up your phone, texting your friends.

You: Guys you wouldn't believe who is talking to me rn Scarlett: Girl who? You: Ellie Williams Charlie: That dyke? ew You: yeah lmao Scarlett: Tell her to leave? You: She won't take the hint.

"Are you texting crap about me...right in front of me?" Ellie asked shyly, scratching her neck, rolling her eyes, "Why do you care?" you ask, she looked down, "Oh no reason."

Silence.

"What's with your shirt?" You asked, laughing at her, but she didn't process it.

"Oh! my shirt! It's got all the dinosaurs on it!" She starts to point to all the dinosaurs telling you which one is which. "This is a Tyrannosaurus, This is a Triceratops, and this is a Velocirap-"

"I don't care!" you say a little louder, grabbing her attention, she looks down once again, "Oh.. sorry."

"Aren't you meant to be smart?" you ask and she can't say anything, she doesn't have anything to say, "Those clothes are for boys." You remind her, before turning away and rolling your eyes.

"You realise this is college, not high school, you don't need to be a bully," Ellie says quietly, taking a lot of courage to stand up for herself.

"If this is college then why do you dress like a 3-year-old boy?" You fight back, making Ellie's face go red, "You're right, I'm sorry." Ellie whispered as you rolled your eyes, "Can't hear you, you need to speak up." You teased, messing with her was so fun.

"I'm sorry.." Ellie said a little louder, but you weren't done, "Still can't hear you.." you pouted. 

"I'm Sorry!" Ellie shouted, making everyone look at her, you couldn't help but laugh at how humiliated she looked, she quickly grabbed her stuff and left, the humiliation was too much for her.

-

You were hanging with your friends, sitting on the bench and eating lunch, Charlie came back to the table, with an annoyed look on his face, "I can't believe Jasmine rejected me." He gowned, you giggled, his eyes glared at you. "Oh please.. like you can easily get anyone's number." He uttered.

You rolled your eyes at him expressing "I bet I can."

"I bet you can't," Charlie said, smirking. 

You stood up, ready to ask some random guy, but Charlie stopped you. "Ah, that would be too easy." He says, you sit back down. "What?"

"You have to not only get someone's number, you have to have a thing with them for at least 6 months, then break their heart." He says, smirking but that just seems normal for you, "Done." You smirk, "but not just someone, Ellie Williams." Charlie added, with a smirk.

Your eyes go wide, "are you kidding me?" You grew, making his smirk grow wider, "What? You can't do it?" He scowls, and you reach your hand out, ready to shake his. "Deal."

With that you leave him to walk around the campus to find Ellie Williams.

You find her in the library, reading books about astronomy, you slowly walk up to her, hoping that she can't hear your footsteps, but the old floor gives your presence away and she looks up, as soon as she makes eye contact with you, she closes the book and starts to walk away quickly. 

“Please don’t leave.” You state, she turns around to look at you, “Why not?” She questions, voice barely above a whisper. “I’m sorry for how I treated you in class..” You apologised, “You like space?” You asked, trying to get her to move on. “Me too.” you smiled, making hers light up.

“Really?” She asked, “What’s your favourite planet?” She questioned, “Ummm. Venus.” You spoke fast, making something up on the spot, she smiled, “Really?” You shook. 

“What are you doing, maybe we could get coffee..” you offered, Ellie’s eyes lit up, “Yes please!” She exclaimed by then her eyes went wide, “I mean... sure.. sounds great.” You nod, giving Ellie your phone. “Here, put your number in.”

Ellie puts her number in and you snicker at how easy that was, part one of the bet done, only six more months left to finish this.

You stuttered away, with a smirk on your face, eager to tell Charlie how well you did.

“Boom, got her number,” You said, showing him Ellie's contact number, he rolled his eyes, “Yeah yeah, still got a date with her for 6 months.” 

You whine, “What do I get if I do?” You ask, clearly irritated, “Umm bragging writes.” you roll your eyes, “And! I will…buy you coffee for the rest of the year, and clean your room.” You smirk, “Make it food too and deal.” He nods.

“And if you lose. You have to buy my lunch and date me” You gang, you couldn’t imagine dating him, “Ew, I am not losing the bet now..” You speak, walking away.

-

The next day you walked into the café, dressed in a black mini skirt, white stockings, black heels and a pink top.

You were 15 minutes late, you looked around and caught Ellie, sitting in the corner, wearing dark wash jeans and a flannel. As soon as she made eye contact with you, she stood up and waved at you. 

“Hi! You look gorgeous..” She voices, giving you a soft smile, “Thank you.” You smile, and she pulls out the chair for you, waiting for you to sit down. Once you do, she sits down and gives you a silver necklace, she grins brightly when passing it to you.

You give her an awkward smile, not knowing what the charm was on the necklace, “It’s Venus.. your favourite planet.” Ellie tells with a cute smile, “Oh... right, thank you..” you say, moving the necklace to the side. “Do you want me to put it on you?” Ellie asks and you're about to say no, but you decide to just say yes, for the bet.

“Yes please.” You say with a smile, she walks over and moves your hair, her fingers brushing against your neck, you couldn’t deny the tingling feeling you felt in your stomach when you felt her touch. She grabbed the necklace and put it on you.

She moved, “What do you want? I can order lunch for us!” She questions, smiling brightly, you smile back, “Can I get banana bread and a latte.” You asked, Ellie nodded, “ Of course.” She said, walking away, as soon as she was out of your vision you rolled your eyes, texting Charlie 

You: Bro this bet will be a piece of cake, she is down bad Charlie: it’s been two days of the six months, calm down You: I got this.

You put your phone down as Ellie sat down, “So.. Tell me more about yourself.” She expressed, smiling, like she wanted to hear about your life, no guy you have dated ever really cared about what you did.

“Well. I used to cheer in high school, my dad has this business and I work there sometimes.” You tell her, noticing that Ellie maintains eye contact with you while you're speaking. “Really? That’s so cool, what do you do?” She asked.

“Oh, I just design clothes.” You smile, her eyes widen, “seriously? That’s so cool!” she exclaims, “Really? Everyone tells me its name and I'm better at being a nepo baby.” Ellie sighs, “Well whoever is saying that is just being mean, can I see your work”

You pull out your phone and show her your designs, her smile grows brighter as you swipe through them, “Wow, you are really talented,” Ellie declared. You showed her a genuine smile. 

The food came out, and Ellie ordered banana bread and a hot chocolate, you found yourself having a weird feeling, you were starting to enjoy her company. 

You had to brush yourself out of your thoughts, there was no way you were thinking this.

You let her talk about her interests, she mainly yapped about Spiderman, dinosaurs and space, you barely listened but you pretended to. 

“Hey, so do you wanna come to my dorm tonight? my roommate is out so I could order food and make hot chocolate.” You hear Ellie suggest, you smirk, nodding your head quickly “Yeah that would be great.” You state, smiling. Ellie let out a deep breath, it took a lot of courage for her to ask. “You can just wear pyjamas, nothing fancy.”

-

You put on your pink Peter Alexander pyjamas, grab your phone and make your way to Ellie’s dorm. You knock on the door, and she almost opens instantly, wearing a blank top and Spiderman pants. Hair messy, looking like a dork, you almost said it out loud, but thankfully you stopped yourself.

“You look pretty.” Ellie told you, her green orbs staring into yours, looking down you felt your face grow red, “I’m not even wearing makeup” You admit, Ellie giggles, “You don’t need makeup.” 

You smile at her, and then there are a few seconds of silence, “Wanna play Minecraft?” Ellie asks you to nod your head and you sit on her couch, she passes you the controller and then grabs her own. “Umm. I’m pretty bad at the game.” you admit, she touches your shoulder, making you feel butterflies, she pouts at you, “It’s okay, we can play on easy mode.” 

The two of you make a survival world and you keep getting stuck in situations where Ellie has to come to save you, you even convinced her to turn the inventory on. 

After a while, you couldn’t help but notice that Ellie kept losing focus on the game and was staring at you, more specifically your lips, putting the controller down and you turned to make eye contact with her. “What’s up?” You ask, her eyes keep switching between your eyes and lips. 

“Can I kiss you?” She asks, voice soft, like you were the only two people in the world, you give her a small nod, whispering, “Yes.” back, allowing her to hold your face and bring you into her, her soft lips landing on yours.

The kiss was short, but it was meaningful. When you pulled away, Ellie had the cutest smile on your face. It almost made you feel bad. Why were you doing this? But you couldn’t let Charlie win the bet, you would have to date him, but if you followed through with this, you would have to break her heart.

You dug yourself in a hole, you had no way out.

You decided to keep going with the bet.

The next months with Ellie were exciting, the two of you made it official after 1 month of hanging out, Ellie is the happiest she has ever been, she writes songs about you and sings them to you whilst playing the guitar, it only makes you feel more emotional.

-

“6 months coming up now, bet you're excited.” Charlie said, with his stupid smirk on his face, “Yeah, super excited.” You say sarcastically, “Don’t tell me you're falling in love.” Charlie exclaims, and you roll your eyes, “Of course not!” You lie, “It’s just I feel bad, I mean I got the losers' hopes up. For nothing” You giggle, you feel bad for saying this, you knew it wasn’t right.

“So. how are you going to break her heart?” Charlie asks, you shake your head, “I don’t know, I have the bitch wrapped around my finger, breaking her heart will be a piece of cake.” You smirk, “Well see.” Charlie, says walking away.

You make your way to Ellie’s dorm, taking a deep breath, before knocking. It took her a while to answer this time, but when she did, her eyes were red and her cheeks were tear-stained. 

“Ellie? What’s wrong?” You ask Ellie to let out a small sob, “Oh come on, you know what’s wrong.” your eyes widen, “what do you mean baby?” you ask, hopefully trying to ease the situation. “I heard you and Charlie talking, I am just a bet?” her voice sounds broken. “Listen I can explain-” you start, but Ellie cuts you off. “Well congratulations, you have successfully broken my heart.” She cries, slamming the door in your face. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” You mumble to yourself, and you knock on the door again, hoping that she will at least hear you out.

“What do you want!” She exclaims, not opening the door, “Please just listen to me..” You whisper, hoping that she will hear you, after what feels like years she opens the door.

She pulls out her phone, “You have one minute.” she says starting the timer. 

You wasted no time to explain, “Okay, I will admit you were a bet, but I grew to like you! It was on the second date when I realised that what I was doing was wrong, but I made the stupid decision to keep going. I don’t know how to prove it, but I do love you!” 

Ellie shakes her head, before her timer goes off, “Times up, I can’t believe I was so dumb, my roommate even tried to warn me.” You looked down, you felt so guilty and there was nothing you could do to fix it. 

“Ellie..” Your voice is quiet and soft. 

“What.” Her voice was stern and cold, a tone you had never heard from Ellie before. 

“You were right.. Bullying in college is stupid, I am just dumb, I am stuck up and believe that I could take that out on you because I’m privileged, but I really do love you, I was gonna come here and tell you the truth.” You admit, not noticing that you started to cry. 

“How do I know you’re not lying.” She asks, You reach into your purse, pulling out your phone, “This was meant to be a surprise for your birthday, but I got these!.”

You showed her that you bought tickets to the Jurassic World exhibition, and her eyes lit up, “You got this for me?” you nod, but her face drops, “This is in Thailand.” You sigh. “Well… it happens to fall during our summer break so I did get tickets to Thailand. One ticket under your name and this one is under my name but we can change it if you want.”

She sighs, looking at the ticket, “One condition.” You nod, waiting for her to tell you, “Stop being friends with Charlie.” You don’t even have to think before saying, “Done.” Making her smile, then, you look at her lips, you miss them, you notice that “Can I kiss you? You ask, Ellie shakes her head, teasing you, but then quickly nods her head, saying “Yes.”

You lean in slowly, but Ellie wastes no time bringing you in for a passionate kiss, holding her head, pulling you closer, “Wanna make a bet?” Ellie whispered lips over your ear. You could only mumble a yes in response. “I bet I could please you better than all the guys you have slept with.” 

You smirk, pulling away from the kiss to say, “You know I can’t even bet against that.” Leaning back into the kiss, kissing away Ellie’s stupid smirk.

Taglist @vahnilla @radioheadfan699 @defnoteleonor @robinphobia @liztreez @deathbydollz @hemmo01 @soodle-noup @reneesub @ellensmithxo @lamorenita @kissedberries @liasxeatt @smiths-fan--13 @0phantom0 @ellieslittleslutt @aliceellieswife @mrpeanitsbutter @asothinking @pussyeatercunt @culuvr

[inseobts]

Pretty please could I request a scenario/imagine with Ace where the reader is from Drum Island and lost someone or something during Blackbeards raid and the reader swore vengeance vengeance on the guy.

So when she's tracking Blackbeard down, she keeps running into Ace and it grows into a friendly rivalry to see who's gonna get Blackbeard first and they compare notes and information

How this all ends on Banaro id leave up to you, I'm not pressed on a happy or angsty ending and I'd like to see your spin on this! I like your writing a lot.

Chasing Fire and Shadows

portgas d. ace x fem!reader

poll for part 2

a/n: the islands I name are random tho lmao loved writing this so much btw

words count: 4.6k

tags: slow burn, enemies to allies, shared revenge, adventure, angst/drama, light humor

masterlist || ao3 || ko-fi

Snow falls hard on Drum Island the night Blackbeard attacks.

You remember the fire, the screams, and the way the cold didn’t matter because rage kept you warm. Blackbeard’s crew swept through the town like wolves through a sheep pen, lighting homes, laughing through gunfire. No mercy. No reason.

Your brother had gone to help put out the flames. He never came back.

All they found was part of his coat. Burnt at the edge. Blood at the seam.

That night, in the silent wreckage of your village, you dug your hands into the snow and swore two things:

You would find Marshall D. Teach.

You would kill him yourself.

After all that.

“Vengeance won’t keep you alive.”

That’s what Dr. Kureha says the morning you tell her your plan.

You stand in the snow, fists clenched, scarf whipping in the wind “Then I’ll make sure strength does.”

Kureha narrows her eyes “Strength without control is just chaos. What are you gonna do? Run around with a kitchen knife screaming his name?”

“No,” you say “I’m going to train.”

And you do train, for months, you fight your own limits. Early mornings. Weighted runs in deep snow. Hand-to-hand combat with heavy gloves. You work under the mountain monks for endurance, under ex-hunters for reflex, and under Wapol’s leftovers for grit.

One of the monks, old and blind, says something you never forget “Pain will make you sharper, girl. But only love will keep you human.”

You don’t know how to feel about that.

Six months into your training, you find something in the wreckage of a smuggler's den near the coast. A Devil Fruit. Rotating, pale silver with jagged navy streaks, looking like a storm frozen mid-sky. You remember your breath catching, your hands shaking.

You don’t know its name. No one does.

But you eat it anyway.

It tastes like battery acid and regret.

Three days later, lightning shoots from your fingertips during a sparring match. You black out. Nearly burn down a hut. But you feel the power, deep and electric, coiled in your blood like a storm waiting for a trigger.

They start calling you the Thunderborn after that.

You learn to control it, piece by piece:

Charging your body to move faster than the eye.

Electrocuting your punches for impact.

Using static fields to sense motion behind you.

Eventually, you learn to “blink” short-range lightning jumps.

Now — Alabasta

You walk into the Nanohana bar in a sand-stained cloak, hair still carrying bits of static.

And there he is again.

Portgas D. Ace.

At the counter. Shirt open, freckles out, drinking like he owns the damn place.

He doesn’t see you at first, but you don’t say anything.

You just sit beside him and order something cheap.

Then he turns “Well, well, if it isn’t Drum Island’s sparkplug.”

You smirk “If you call me that again, I’ll fry your eyebrows off.”

Ace laughs “You’ve gotten funnier. And sparky. Did I hear lightning outside earlier?”

You sip your drink “Might’ve been me.”

“Figured. You light up when you’re mad.”

You glance sideways “Why are you always ahead of me?”

“Because I don’t stop to make dramatic entrances.”

“Jerk.”

“Aw, come on. You missed me.”

You roll your eyes “Only thing I miss is good intel. Got any?”

Ace shrugs “He’s headed west. Some say Jaya. Others say farther.”

You slam your notebook on the counter.

He lifts a brow “Still writing everything down?”

You flip through pages of hand-drawn maps, bounties, and coded rumors “Unlike you, I don’t rely on luck.”

Ace grins “I rely on fire.”

“You rely on being reckless.”

“You rely on overthinking.”

The two of you stare at each other. Then both laugh just a little.

There’s something about him you can’t hate, no matter how frustrating he is.

He taps your notebook “We should compare notes.”

You raise an eyebrow “Are we teaming up now?”

He smirks “Nah. Just wanna beat you to him fair and square.”

You lean in “Then good luck keeping up, Hothead. I’m faster now.”

Ace tilts his head “I like a challenge.”

He finishes his drink, drops some coins, and walks away, but then he pauses at the door.

“I’ll see you at the next dead end, Lightning Bug.”

“Say that again and I’ll roast you.”

He laughs and disappears into the heat.

You stare after him, heart thudding like thunder in your chest.

You're not here to cause trouble. You're just passing through Scorpio Island, a busy port with cheap food and a decent information network.

It’s humid. Loud. Smells like salted fish and sweet rice. You’ve just finished questioning a dockworker who “might’ve seen a man with a weird black beard” which isn’t helpful at all.

Then the air shifts.

You pause mid-step. Hair lifts slightly from your skin. Not from your powers but from instinct.

You’re being watched.

When you look up, Marines start stepping out from the alleys. One, two, six, then ten. Boots clinking. Guns half-drawn.

You blink.

“What…?”

The nearest officer, a man with a square jaw and too many medals, steps forward.

“Y/N, right?” he says like he already knows “You’re coming with us.”

You take a step back, palms up “I don’t want any trouble. I’m not a pirate or anything—”

He tosses something at you.

A bounty poster.

It floats through the air and lands at your feet, face-up.

Your face. Your name. Wanted: 82,000,000 Berries. Alive or dead.

“What the—?” You crouch to pick it up. Your fingers spark from the shock of touching your own damn bounty “This has to be a mistake. I didn’t do anything.”

“You took down the Captain of the Blackjaw Pirates in Loguetown. Witnesses saw lightning. Saw you.”

Your jaw drops “I wasn’t—! That was self-defense! He tried to rob a ship I was on!”

“You blew a hole in the harbor.”

You groan “He exploded first! I exploded back! It wasn’t like I was trying to—!”

“Doesn’t matter. You attacked a pirate with a bounty. You fought on public ground. That makes you a threat.”

You clench your fists. Static dances around your knuckles.

“I don’t want to fight you,” you say again, slower, sharper “I’m not your enemy.”

But they don’t listen.

They raise rifles. They step forward.

And you flinch, not from fear, but from frustration.

“DAMN it,” you mutter “Why is everyone so STUPID—”

Suddenly, there’s a gust of hot wind and a blur of orange and freckles.

“Oi” says a voice you recognize, just before your feet leave the ground.

“What the—!”

You're lifted off the street in a flash of fire, bridal style, and the world tilts.

Portgas D. Ace is grinning, even as flames flicker at his shoulders.

“She said she doesn’t want a fight,” he calls to the stunned Marines, like he’s announcing a party “So back off.”

And then he’s like flying. No, blasting forward in a burst of flame, carrying you over rooftops, streets, and screaming civilians until the port becomes a blur beneath you.

After making sure you got far enough, he sets you down gently. Too gently.

You slap his arm.

“What the hell, Ace?”

“Ow.”

“You could’ve dropped me!”

“Sure, but then I’d have to carry you again. This way saves time.”

You glare. Sparks flicker from your hands “I had that under control!”

“Yeah, I saw,” he says, flopping onto a patch of dry grass like this was a walk in the park “Totally calm. Not shouting at all.”

You kick a rock “They’re saying I’m some kind of threat now. I didn’t even mean to take that guy down! He attacked me!”

Ace lifts a brow “Big guy, metal jaw, kinda ugly?”

“That’s the one.”

“You melted his sword.”

“It was instinct!”

Ace whistles low “That’s why your bounty’s that high. Not many people take down a guy like that without trying.”

You fold your arms, seething “This is so stupid.”

Ace looks at you for a long moment “You okay?”

You sit beside him “No. I’m not. I’m not even close.”

“...You’re not gonna cry, are you?”

You shove his shoulder “I will electrocute you.”

He laughs “There she is.”

You look out toward the ocean, your anger slowly cracking “I didn’t sign up for all this. I just wanted to find Blackbeard.”

Ace’s smile fades “Yeah. Me too.”

You don’t say anything for a while. The wind brushes past, carrying sand and silence.

Finally, you ask, “So. What now?”

Ace stretches his arms behind his head “We keep chasing. And maybe next time, I’ll let you save me for a change.”

You side-eye him “...You just want to get carried.”

“I’m just saying it’s only fair.”

It’s late afternoon on Mira Island, a laid-back little place known for its wind chimes, lazy bars, and fishermen who talk too much.

You’ve been here two hours and already heard five versions of “a pirate with a black beard stole someone’s boat.”

Typical.

You’re sitting outside a bar near the water, boots up on the railing, pretending to enjoy a bland cocktail. The sun hits the sea just right, and for a second, you forget the bounty, the chase, the Marines...

"Nice poster, Sparkplug."

You freeze mid-sip. That voice again.

You lower the glass slowly and turn.

Ace stands there, grinning like always, flipping something between his fingers.

He slaps it down on your table.

Your new bounty poster.

It’s the same damn thing from Scorpio Island… but worse.

Now it says:

WANTED — Y/N Dead or Alive — 142,000,000 Berries

And the picture?

You groan “Where the hell did they even get this photo?”

Ace leans on the table, chin on hand “Looks like a surveillance shot. Pretty high quality for Marines, honestly.”

You glare “I look good in it. That’s suspicious.”

He snorts “Right? I mean, hair’s all dramatic in the wind, eyes glowing. You look like you're about to declare war on God.”

You squint at him “Did you come here to bully me?”

“Nah,” he says “Came here to drink. Saw your face first thing at the port. Figured I’d come ruin your day.”

You grab your glass “Too late, it was already ruined.”

Ace sits across from you and signals the bartender “Then let’s make it worse.”

Two drinks later you're both laughing. You’ve moved on to shots.

It turned into a challenge somewhere between the third insult and the first real smile.

You’re trying not to slur. He’s trying not to fall off his stool.

“This island’s too quiet” you mutter, pouring another.

“You’re just mad it doesn’t have Marines to shock.”

“You’re mad I can outdrink you.”

Ace points at you “That’s not true. You’re just shortcircuiting, so the alcohol hits faster.”

You gasp “Did you just insult me?”

He nods “Twice, actually. You missed the first one.”

You slam your glass down “One more round.”

“Only if you ask nicely.”

You roll your eyes “Fine. One more round… idiot.”

He grins “There it is.”

Later on, you're both quieter. Buzzed, but not spinning.

You stare out at the sea, feeling the calm before the next storm. Because there’s always another storm.

You speak first “You know… maybe we should just make it official.”

Ace lifts a brow “What?”

You look at him, serious now “An alliance. You and me. Find Blackbeard together.”

He pauses.

Then he shakes his head, just once “Can’t.”

You frown “Why not?”

“He’s dangerous.”

You sit up straighter “You think I don’t know that?”

“He killed someone I cared about.”

Your breath catches “...Same.”

Ace doesn’t look at you when he says, “I can’t risk someone else.”

You stare at him, heart suddenly heavier “So what, all this time… you were just playing nice?”

He blinks “No.”

“Then were you feeding me fake info? Sending me in the wrong direction to keep me out of it?”

His expression hardens “I don’t do that.”

You cross your arms “Really? Because it kinda feels like I’m chasing a shadow and you’re chasing the real thing.”

“I gave you everything I had. Every rumor, every tip. That’s my style. I don’t lie to people I respect.”

You scoff “Respect?”

Ace leans in a little, face calm but serious “Yeah. You’re strong. Smart. Brave. You deserve better than chasing a monster into hell.”

You meet his eyes.

“I’m already in hell beacuse of him” you say.

Ace doesn’t respond. Just looks at you for a long time.

The silence between you is sharp. Electric.

And then he says, “...I’ll see you around, Sparkplug.”

He leaves before you can say anything else.

You sit there, staring at the table, fingers twitching.

The poster flutters in the wind, your own face looking back at you.

Wanted. Alone. Again.

It’s too damn hot.

You're holed up in an abandoned fishing shack on Gulliver Island, nursing a half-broken fan and peeling off your jacket like it’s trying to kill you.

Outside, the jungle hums with heat and insects. Inside, it’s just you, a damp rag, and one tall, shirtless idiot leaning against the doorway.

“Thought you’d be gone by now” you mutter.

Ace smirks. He’s barefoot, towel slung over his shoulder, sunburnt collarbone on full display.

“I was,” he says, stepping in like he owns the floor “But then I heard about a lightning girl terrorizing a squad of Marines a few miles up the coast.”

“I didn’t terrorize them,” you snap “They cornered me. Again.”

He raises both hands “Hey, I believe you. I just figured you might need a break.”

You glare “So you brought yourself?”

He grins “Thought you’d enjoy the view.”

Your eyes flick over his bare chest before you can stop yourself “Please.”

“Caught that.”

You toss your rag at his head. He catches it with one hand and chuckles.

Later, you sit across from each other at a short wooden table. There's barely enough space for two people, and your knees touch every time one of you shifts. You blame the heat for the sweat on your neck, not the way Ace’s eyes linger too long when you lean forward.

He slides something across the table.

Your bounty poster. Again.

You groan.

“They upped it,” he says casually “You’re at 170 mil now. Guess the lightning show made an impression.”

You snatch the paper “Why do they keep using this photo?”

“You look too good in it. Makes you more dangerous.”

You shoot him a look “I’m already dangerous.”

“Oh, I know.”

His tone is low. Too low. You feel it in your spine.

You set the poster down.

“So,” he says after a beat “What now?”

You shrug “Still chasing him. Still alone.”

Ace’s fingers tap the table. His knee bumps yours again and doesn’t move.

You meet his gaze. It’s hot in here, and not just because of the island.

“You ever get tired of being on your own?” you ask, voice soft.

He doesn’t answer right away.

“I’ve got reasons” he says eventually.

“I know. You told me.” You lean in a little “Doesn’t mean you have to like it.”

Ace watches you for a long moment. There’s tension now, real and pulsing. It builds between you like a charge in the air, like your own devil fruit is reacting to something deeper.

“I don’t want to see you get hurt” he says, quietly.

You look down, then back up at him “I don’t want to see you die chasing him alone.”

Your foot brushes against his under the table. Neither of you moves this time.

You could lean in. He could close the gap.

But neither of you does.

Instead, he stands, too quickly. His hand runs through his hair, like he’s shaking off whatever just passed between you.

“I’m sleeping on the roof,” he says “Too hot in here.”

You watch him leave, jaw tight, pulse racing.

The door creaks shut behind him.

You're left alone with the heat… and a storm you’re not sure you can keep holding back.

Weeks later.

The storm rolls in fast.

One second you're arguing with a stubborn trader about a Blackbeard sighting, the next you're sprinting through sheets of rain, your jacket clinging to your skin like a second, colder version of yourself.

Lightning flashes above. Loud. Familiar. Yours, or maybe not.

You duck under a hanging sign and shake out your soaked sleeves. Behind you, heavy footsteps squish through the mud.

“I told you to wait” Ace says, breathless.

You turn, rain dripping from your hair “I told you to keep up.”

His freckles are speckled with raindrops. His hair’s a mess. He looks unfairly good for someone drenched head to toe.

“Nice weather” you mutter.

“I swear, you summon this stuff on purpose.”

You smirk “Oh? Fireboy scared of a little water?”

He gives you a look “I’m not scared. I just respect the enemy.”

“What's that even supposed to mean.”

Thunder cracks above. You flinch slightly, but Ace notices. He steps closer, that infuriating grin back on his lips.

“Shouldn’t you be used to this?”

“Not when I’m stuck in it with you.”

He gestures to a shed nearby, half-hidden behind a fruit stand “There. Shelter.”

You glance at it. Small. Barely big enough for one of you.

“Great” you deadpan.

Inside the shelter it’s even worse than expected.

Dark, creaky, barely more than a shack. But it’s dry. Mostly. Except the roof drips in two places.

You stand awkwardly close. Too close. The space smells like rain and sweat and wood. His arm brushes yours when he adjusts his belt. You try not to react, but your skin’s already warm from the charge of the lightning earlier.

“You’re shivering” he says quietly.

“No, I’m not.”

He looks at you. Long. Serious.

“Come here.”

You stare “What?”

“I’m warm,” he says, and yeah, his Devil Fruit does give him an advantage here...

You hesitate. Just a second.

Then you sigh and step closer. He pulls you in gently, an arm around your waist, casual like it means nothing. But it does.

His skin radiates heat. His breath brushes your temple. You stand there, half-mad from how close his mouth is to your ear.

“Better?” he asks.

You nod, voice low “Yeah. It’s fine.”

“You sure?”

You feel his smile before you see it.

Then, softer “You know… I wasn’t trying to push you away. Lat time we met.”

You glance up.

“We’re not allies” you say.

“We’re more than that,” he answers “Aren’t we?”

The silence grows thick. Your heart pounds so loud it nearly drowns out the rain.

You tilt your head “You always this forward when you’re wet?”

He chuckles, low and slow “Only when I like the person I’m stuck with.”

You stare at him.

He stares back.

Your lips are inches apart.

And still… neither of you moves.

Not yet.

But the storm isn’t the only thing building.

The rain pounds the roof, wild and heavy. The wind howls through the cracks in the walls, but inside the shack it’s still.

Your breath hitches.

Ace hasn’t moved and neither have you.

Your fingers curl slightly into his shirt. He’s too warm. Too close. Too good at looking at you like he knows exactly what you’re thinking.

“Say something” you whisper.

His voice is rough “You want honesty?”

You nod.

“I think about you too much.”

You blink “That wasn’t the kind of honesty I was expecting.”

He grins but it's softer than usual “Then maybe you should stop expecting the worst from me.”

You don’t have a smart reply this time.

You tilt your face up. You’re done pretending the heat between you is just because of your devil fruits, or the jungle, or the shared goal of revenge.

This is different. And it’s real.

You lean in.

So does he.

The kiss is slow at first. Testing. His lips brush yours like a question.

Then it deepens.

Your fingers fist into the front of his shirt. His hand finds the back of your neck, thumb grazing your skin in a way that sends a sharp bolt of need straight through you.

You shift, pressing closer... hips brushing, mouths moving. The shack feels smaller. The air tighter.

You gasp when his teeth graze your lower lip.

He pulls back just enough to speak, voice hoarse.

“I’ve wanted to do that since the first island we met at.”

“You’re late” you murmur, tugging him back down.

This time, the kiss is rougher. More desperate. His hands on your waist now, yours sliding up under his shirt, fingers trailing over warm skin. He swears under his breath when you do.

You only break apart when a roll of thunder shakes the shack.

Your foreheads stay pressed together.

You’re both breathing hard.

Still wrapped around each other.

“Storm’s not letting up” he says.

“Guess we’re stuck.”

A small smile “Yeah. Real shame.”

Time pass and you’re curled up beside him, his jacket draped over you both like a blanket.

You trace a small burn scar on his shoulder lazily with one finger.

“You still want to find Blackbeard alone?”

Ace’s jaw tightens for a second.

Then he exhales “I don’t know anymore.”

You nod. You understand.

But for now, in this moment, neither of you are alone.

Weeks pass.

You and Ace keep crossing paths. At first, by accident. Now? You’re not so sure.

You bicker like rivals. Fight like friends. Flirt like something more.

“Lightning for brains” he mutters when you zap open a locked door instead of picking it.

“Matches-for-hands” you snap back, shoving past him.

But you don’t go separate ways this time.

It’s hot again. The island of Kota is all red dust and thick air. You’re sitting outside a half-crumbled tavern, nursing something too bitter to drink, when a kid, skinny, sunburned, eyes too sharp for his age, runs up to your table.

“You’re the lightning girl, right?”

You pause “Who’s asking?”

He glances around, then whispers, “I got news. About the man you’re hunting.”

That gets your full attention.

Ace looks up from his drink across the table. His whole body shifts, not much, but you feel it. Tension behind the ease. He’s worried, and trying to hide it.

“What kind of news?” you ask the boy.

“Blackbeard passed through Southshore two days ago. They say he’s headed to the mountains on Harka Isle. Big crew. Real big.”

The kid slips a folded paper into your hand and bolts before you can ask more.

You stare down at the message. Your pulse picks up. The handwriting is frantic. Names you recognize. Places that weren’t supposed to exist anymore.

“Let me see.” Ace says, reaching for it.

You snatch it away “No.”

“Come on.”

“No.”

“You don’t even know if it’s real—”

“I’ll decide that.”

He leans back in his chair, jaw tight “You’re not thinking straight.”

You stand “And you’re not listening.”

The fight doesn't end when the sun sets.

You’re pacing your rented room above the tavern, lightning buzzing faintly under your skin.

Ace leans against the doorframe, arms crossed.

“You’re acting like you’ve already decided to die.”

You spin “And you’re acting like I don’t have a reason!”

He walks toward you “I never said that.”

“But you think it.”

Silence.

His voice drops “I think you’re carrying something too heavy. Alone.”

You look at him.

And something breaks open.

“You want to know exactly why I’m doing all this? Fine.”

You walk to him close, but not touching.

“He killed my brother,” you say “During the raid on Drum Island. Not with his own hands... Blackbeard’s a coward. But it was his chaos. His madness. My brother bled out in the snow, calling for me, and I was too far to reach him.”

Ace’s eyes darken. He doesn’t move.

“I don’t care what it costs,” you whisper “I don’t care if I burn out, or if I die with him. As long as I take that bastard down into hell with me.”

He exhales slowly, like your words hit something deep.

And then he steps forward.

“I hate this,” he says quietly “Because I get it.”

You don't say anything else.

You just reach for him.

Later on, the sheets are twisted. Your skin still hums, but not from lightning. You’re pressed against Ace, legs tangled, his hand stroking slow circles on your spine.

Neither of you says much.

You don't need to.

It wasn’t rough. It wasn’t fast. Not this time.

It was everything unsaid, poured out in touches and breath and the way he looked at you like you were more than vengeance.

You break the silence.

“You really think I can’t do it?”

“I think you can,” he says softly “I just don’t want you to lose yourself doing it.”

You stare at the ceiling.

Too late for that. But you don’t say it.

You just stay there, in the dark, skin on skin.

Storms can wait. But not forever.

The sun is cruel when it wakes you.

You turn over, reaching across the bed.

Cold, empty sheets.

Your stomach drops.

You sit up, frowning “Ace?”

No answer.

You scan the room. His shirt is gone. So are his boots. His dagger. His hat.

You rush downstairs barefoot, wild with sleep and fear “Ace?!”

The barkeep doesn’t even look up “Left before sunrise. Didn’t say much.”

Your pulse pounds in your ears “Left where?”

No answer.

You push out into the sun-drenched street. A headache builds behind your eyes “Damn it. Damn it, Ace—”

“Hey” a voice says. It’s the kid from yesterday, standing near the edge of the alley. Same nervous energy. Same sharp stare “He left you something.”

You rush over “Where is he?!”

The boy just hands you a folded piece of paper.

You open it with shaking hands.

I had to go ahead. I know you’ll try to follow me. I hope you don’t. If I can end this, maybe you won’t have to. Don’t hate me for this. I’m not trying to leave you. I’m trying to save you.

You reread the words five times.

They don't sink in.

You press the page to your chest, breath shaking. But your mind grabs onto one thing.

He didn’t say goodbye.

He didn’t say he wouldn’t come back.

You chase every whisper. Every rumor.

Lightning burns under your skin as you cross sea after sea.

Someone saw smoke on Banaro Island.

Two men, one made of fire, one of darkness.

You go there.

You go to Banaro.

The island is scorched, like lightning and death danced a waltz across its surface.

Ash coats the wind. Trees splintered, rocks cracked down the middle.

Your stomach twists but your hope is louder.

“Ace won,” you whisper to yourself “He had to.”

There’s no body.

No blood.

You search until your knees ache. You find his hat, not burned, just buried under some rubble. You hold it to your chest and close your eyes.

Maybe he left it on purpose.

Maybe he’s coming back for it.

You smile.

You believe that.

You have to.

Three Days Later

You're in a small port town, hair damp from rain, scarf pulled tight as you sit in a dusty inn with a cup of bitter coffee.

There’s a newspaper crumpled on the table beside you. You’re not even looking at it.

Until you see the name.

“Portgas D. Ace: Captured. Now held in Impel Down.”

Your chest goes cold.

The mug slips from your fingers and shatters.

People glance over, but you don’t notice.

You just stare.

Captured.

Alive.

But for how long?

The newspaper says nothing about the fight. Nothing about what’s coming next.

But you know.

The World Government has him.

They’re going to make an example out of him.

You press your palms to your face and sit still for a long time.

Hope is still in your chest... But now it’s shaped more like panic.

You have to get to him.

You have to do something.

You will.

Because you can't be too late this time.

But you might be, if you don’t move... now.