#and it was extremely embarrassing and shameful for both of them since they were so young

[coldforestnight]

[pucksandpower]

Fairytale

Charles Leclerc x Princess of Monaco!Reader

Summary: Charles Leclerc has everything he could ask for (off the track, at least) including a fairytale romance … except no one actually believes that his girlfriend is really his girlfriend

Charles sighs as he walks into the drivers’ lounge, bracing himself for the inevitable teasing. Ever since he had casually mentioned having a girlfriend, and more specifically who the girlfriend in question is, his friends have been merciless.

“Wow, if it isn’t Prince Charles in the flesh! Back from another romantic getaway with his imaginary princess,” Max laughs as he enters.

“Come on mates, lay off,” Charles pleads half-heartedly. He knows it is useless.

“I just don’t get it,” Lando chimes in. “There’s no shame in admitting that you’re single. We’re racing drivers, we don’t exactly always have time for relationships.”

“Maybe his standards are too high,” Pierre suggests. “He’s actually holding out for real royalty or something.”

The others laugh as Charles feels his face grow warm. If only they believed him.

“You know what you need?” Carlos grins. “A nice Spanish girl to set you up with. My sister’s friend Elena is single, I could give you her number.”

Charles rolls his eyes. “I told you, I have a girlfriend. Why is that so hard to believe?”

“Because we’ve never seen her!” Max exclaims. “You talk about her all the time but she never comes to races or appears in photos. She might as well be a unicorn.”

“Maybe she’s just embarrassed to be seen with Charles,” Lando teases.

Charles frowns, stung by Lando’s words. If only they knew the truth. The reality is that his girlfriend is extremely famous in her own right and values the little privacy she has left too much to be seen at races. Her life is already public enough without adding the scrutiny that anyone connected to a Formula 1 driver inevitably receives on top of it. Besides, she has her own royal duties to attend to.

“Come on guys, that’s unfair,” Pierre says gently, noticing Charles’ discomfort. “If Charles says he has a girlfriend, we should believe him.”

“Thank yo—” Charles starts to say with relief. At least someone is on his side.

“Even if she is imaginary,” Pierre adds with a smirk.

Charles groans and puts his head in his hands as the laughter starts up again. He can’t really blame them for not believing him.

You are basically a fairytale princess — beautiful, elegant, and kind. Not to mention an actual member of the royal family. Her Serene Highness Princess Y/N Grace Stephanie Caroline of Monaco is the type of girl people write epic poems and songs about. Charles can hardly believe his luck that you had chosen him.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Daniel interrupts, taking pity on Charles. “Leave the poor man alone.”

“We’re just joking,” Max says defensively. “Charles knows we don’t mean anything by it.”

Charles gives Max a tight smile. “Sure.”

“Tell you what,” Daniel says, clapping Charles on the shoulder. “Bring your mystery girl to a race soon. We’ll all get to meet her and then you can finally prove these jokers wrong.”

Charles sighs. If only it were that simple. You have been tempted to attend races in the past but the scrutiny both of them would come under is just too much. You treasure the privacy your relationship allows. But maybe Daniel is right. Maybe it is time for you to finally meet his friends. After all, you are the love of his life. There is nothing to hide.

“Alright, deal,” Charles says finally. “I’ll ask her.”

The others exchange surprised looks, not expecting him to agree.

“Can’t wait to meet her,” Carlos says with a wink.

Charles rolls his eyes again but smiles. One way or another, he is going to prove to them that his amazing girlfriend isn’t just a figment of his imagination.

***

Charles is still thinking about you when he is suddenly accosted by Silvia, Ferrari’s Head of Communications, after practice.

“Charles! Just who I was looking for,” she says briskly. “I need to discuss something rather important with you.”

Charles suppresses a groan. Conversations with Silvia are never fun. “What’s up?” He asks with forced cheerfulness.

Silvia lowers her voice. “It’s about your relationship status. We feel it would be beneficial if you were seen dating someone … compatible.”

Charles’ eyebrows shoot up. “Compatible?”

“Yes. A model. Or perhaps an actress. Someone who would look good on your arm and boost your image.”

Charles folds his arms defensively. “What’s wrong with my girlfriend?”

Silvia waves a hand impatiently. “Yes yes, this alleged princess you keep mentioning. The problem, Charles, is that no one has seen her. No one knows if she is actually connected to you in any way. So, as far as we are concerned, for all intents and purposes, you are single.”

Charles frowns. This again. “I keep telling you that she’s really my girlfriend. Y/N is just very private.”

“Private women don’t date Formula 1 drivers,” Silvia says bluntly. “If she really was in a relationship with you, she would be here. But since that is clearly a figment of your imagination, we need to take steps.”

Charles feels his blood boil. How dare Silvia insult his relationship with Y/N? Question their connection?

“Here are profiles of suitable options,” Silvia continues, shoving a surprisingly heavy folder at him. Charles doesn’t open it.

“No.”

Silvia blinks. “No?”

“My relationship with Y/N is off limits,” Charles says firmly. “My personal life is exactly that — personal. Not to be exploited for PR.”

“Don’t be foolish,” Silvia snaps. “This is bigger than you. Your image reflects on Ferrari. We need to be able to control it.”

“No. What you need to do is back off,” Charles shoots back.

Silvia’s nostrils flare. Clearly she isn’t used to such defiance. “Charles, be reasonable—”

“I am being reasonable,” Charles interrupts. “I won’t pretend to date someone just because the team wants me to. I’m with Y/N. I don’t care if you believe me or not.”

Silvia shakes her head in disgust. “You’re making a big mistake. Don’t come crying to me when this blows up in your face.”

She storms off, heels clicking angrily against the floor.

Charles takes a deep breath, adrenaline pumping through his veins. He can’t remember the last time he stood up to Silvia like that. It felt good but also nerve-wracking. He knows she won’t let this go easily.

His phone buzzes and his heart leaps when he sees it’s a text from you.

Heard you had a rough day. Wish I could be there to make it better. I love you 💋

Charles smiles, the tension in his shoulders easing. You always knew just what to say and when to say it.

He quickly types back.

I wish you were here too. No matter what anyone says, they can’t change my feelings for you. I love you so much ❤️

He hits send, imagining your smile as you read his text. It doesn’t matter what his team, the media, or even his fellow drivers think. His relationship with you is real and authentic. Someday he’ll find a way for you to be by his side. But for now, your private moments together are enough.

Charles knows staying with you is the right decision, PR be damned. You are his soulmate — the fairytale princess he never expected to find but thanks God every single day that he did. Your love is worth fighting for. And someday, when the time is right, he’ll finally be able to show the world that what you have together is very real.

***

Charles groans as he notices multiple missed calls from his brothers. He has been avoiding their calls lately, knowing they would just tease him mercilessly about his girlfriend. But he knows he can’t dodge them forever.

Taking a deep breath, he calls Arthur back.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Prince Charles himself, taking time away from his busy schedule of dating princesses to spare a chat with us commoners,” Arthur says slyly upon answering.

Charles rolls his eyes. “Very funny. What do you want?”

“We just wanted to check in on our brother and see how life with Monegasque royalty is treating you,” Lorenzo chimes in. Charles realizes he must be on speaker.

“Oh yes, Princess Y/N,” Arthur says in an exaggerated swoony voice. “Our brother’s one true love since he was 15 years old and had that giant poster of her plastered on his wall.”

Charles feels his face flush. He knows exactly what poster Arthur is referencing — a stunning photo of you in a ballgown from a high society event years ago. Teenage Charles has ripped it out of a magazine and hung it up reverently in his room, gazing at it longingly.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he sputters. “I never had a poster.”

“Oh really?” Lorenzo laughs. “I seem to recall you cutting out every picture you could find of her and keeping a little scrapbook.”

Charles cringes internally. Okay, maybe his teenage obsession had been a bit … enthusiastic. But he can’t help that he had recognized you as his dream girl even then.

“Alright, so maybe I had a tiny crush on her,” Charles admits. “But it is not crazy that we ended up together.”

Arthur cackles. “You used to kiss her photos goodnight before going to bed! You were completely obsessed!”

“Remember how he tried to sneak into that royal gala at Salle des Etoiles to see her?” Lorenzo adds. “He was totally insane.”

Charles grimaces at the memory. Okay, not his finest moment.

“Face it Charles, you’ve been in love with the imaginary idea of Princess Y/N since you were in nappies,” Arthur teases. “No shame in admitting she wouldn't even give you the time of day now.”

Charles feels his frustration rising. Why does no one believe him?

“Because your so-called relationship makes no sense!” Lorenzo says, accurately reading his silence. “She’s a literal princess and you’re … you.”

“Gee, thanks,” Charles grumbles. He knows his brothers are just teasing but it still stings.

“Come on, just admit you made the whole thing up to get everyone off your back,” Arthur prods.

Charles sighs loudly. “For the millionth time, what we have is 100 percent real! Just because it seems unlikely doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. I don’t care if none of you believe me, I love her and she loves me.”

His brothers are silent for a moment.

“You alright there?” Arthur asks, his voice softening.

“Yes, I just wish everyone would stop questioning my relationship all the time,” Charles admits. “It hurts.”

“We’re only joking Charles, we don’t mean any harm,” Lorenzo says gently.

“I know,” Charles replies. “Doesn’t make it any easier to hear constantly though.”

“You’re right, we took the teasing too far,” Arthur says. “We’ll lay off from now on.”

Charles smiles slightly. “Thanks. And someday soon I will prove to you that it is real.”

His brothers are silent for a moment.

“Keep telling yourself that,” Arthur finally laughs.

Charles groans and runs a hand through his hair in frustration. Clearly nothing he says would convince his stubborn brothers that his relationship with you was real and not merely a childhood fantasy.

“Alright, well, I should get going,” Charles mumbles, eager to get off the phone.

“Chin up, we’re only teasing,” Lorenzo says lightly. “Have fun with your imaginary princess!”

Arthur and Lorenzo explode into more laughter as Charles quickly hangs up, his face burning. Someday, he will prove to them and everyone else that his amazing girlfriend isn’t just a figment of his imagination. No matter how long it takes.

***

Charles sinks into the familiar couch in his sports psychologist’s office, exhausted after a long day on the simulator and endless teasing from his team.

“Rough day out there?” Dr. Anderson asks kindly, noticing the strain on Charles’ face.

“That’s an understatement,” Charles sighs. “The car is just so slow this year. We keep trying new setups and tweaks but nothing helps. And the strategy is somehow even worse than the pace. It’s like the team wants me to fail.”

Dr. Anderson nods sympathetically. “That must be very frustrating. Tell me more about how it’s impacting you.”

Charles launches into a tirade about the endless issues with the car, the incompetent strategists, and the lack of proper communication from his engineers. Dr. Anderson listens patiently, letting him vent his pent-up anger and disappointment.

After a lengthy rant, Charles finally runs out of steam. “Anyway, it’s just been a terrible season,” he concludes glumly.

“I can certainly understand why you feel that way,” Dr. Anderson says. “It sounds like the team is letting you down in many ways.”

Charles nods, feeling some of the tension leave his shoulders after unloading. It helps to talk about it with someone whose job is not to judge.

“Is there anything else bothering you lately?” Dr. Anderson asks gently. “Any other sources of stress?”

Charles hesitates. He and Dr. Anderson have been working together for years, ever since he joined Ferrari. He knows he can open up to her.

“It’s just … well, besides the team stuff, no one believes me about my girlfriend,” he admits.

Dr. Anderson raises her eyebrows. “I see. Tell me more about that.”

Charles explains the endless teasing from his fellow drivers, the manipulation attempts by the PR team, and the doubtful reactions from his own family. How despite his best efforts, no one seems willing to accept that he is really dating Princess Y/N of Monaco.

“It’s so frustrating!" He bursts out at the end. “I don’t know what else I can do to convince them that we are actually together.”

Dr. Anderson purses her lips, jotting down notes. “I can understand why their doubt would upset you. It must be painful to have your relationship questioned.”

“Exactly!" Charles exclaims, throwing his hands up. “You get it. I knew I could talk to you.”

Dr. Anderson gives him a sympathetic smile.

Charles leaves the appointment feeling much better, confident that his psychologist believes him and is on his side.

As he is exiting, Charles notices Dr. Anderson’s notebook left open on her desk. Before he can stop himself, his eyes scan the page and focus on his name.

He feels his heart sink as he reads.

Charles Leclerc: deflecting from pain of difficult season by creating elaborate fantasy relationship. Fixation on celebrity crush indicates deeper self-esteem issues. Recommend to confront delusion directly in next session.

Charles reels, shock and anger swirling through him. Not even his own psychologist believes him! She thinks he is living in some weird fantasy.

Swallowing the bitter taste in his mouth, Charles straightens his shoulders and walks out. He has never felt more alone and frustrated in his conviction. But he refuses to give up. No matter what anyone says, his love for you is real. And one day, somehow, he will prove it to the world.

***

Charles is back at his family home in Monaco during a rare few days off. He is puttering around the kitchen while his mother cooks dinner.

“Oh, by the way, Y/N is coming over for dinner tonight,” Charles mentions casually. “I want you all to finally meet her.”

Pascale laughs lightly without looking up from the stove. “Of course, sweetie.”

Charles frowns. “I’m serious, maman. She’ll be here in an hour.”

“Mhmm, I’m sure she will,” Pascale replies indulgently. Charles huffs in annoyance.

Just then, his brothers come into the kitchen, freshly showered after playing football outside.

“Hey Charles, how’s life with your imaginary girlfriend?” Lorenzo immediately teases.

“She’s actually coming over for dinner tonight,” Charles says tersely.

Arthur lets out a loud laugh. “Yeah right! Good one.” He grabs a piece of bread from the counter, still chuckling.

Charles throws his hands up in exasperation. “Why does no one ever believe me about her?”

“Boys, that’s enough,” Pascale chides gently. “Let your brother dream.”

Charles opens his mouth to retort but just then, the doorbell rings. His eyes widen.

“I’ll get it!" He yells, dashing for the door. He takes a deep breath before swinging it open to reveal you standing there casually in jeans and a sweater, looking effortlessly gorgeous.

“Surprise!" You laugh, pulling him into a tight hug. Charles melts into your embrace, all his stress and frustration fading away.

“You have no idea how happy I am to see you right now,” he murmurs into your hair.

You pull back to smile at him tenderly. “I’ve been looking forward to this for ages. I want your family to know how much I love you.”

Charles grins and takes your hand, leading your into the kitchen where his stunned family waits.

Pascale’s mouth is hanging open in shock. The piece of bread Arthur is holding falls to the floor with a dull thump.

“Y-your Serene Highness,” Pascale finally manages to stammer out, hastily wiping her hands on a towel. “What an honor, we weren’t expecting you ...”

She shoots an accusatory look at Charles, who throws up his hands defensively. “I told you she was coming!”

Pascale flushes. “Yes, well, I didn’t think … that is … we would have prepared ...”

You step forward gracefully, immediately putting Pascale at ease. “Please, just call me Y/N. I’ve been dying to meet Charles’ family.”

As you effortlessly charm his mother and brothers, Charles stands back watching with a satisfied smile. The shock and sheepishness on his family’s faces is vindicating after so many months of teasing and disbelief.

Charles has never been one to say “I told you so” but … I told you so.

***

The cheers of the crowd are deafening as the chequered flag waves for Charles at the Monaco Grand Prix. He can hardly believe it — finally, a win at his home race!

As he pulls into parc fermé and jumps out of the car, the emotions hit him. Pure elation at ending the long wait for a home victory. Relief at overcoming the team’s doubts. But most of all, excitement for what comes next.

The podium ceremony.

And with the Monegasque royal family presenting the trophies as usual, Charles knows exactly who will be handing him the winner’s trophy.

He can barely stand still through the anthems, eager for his moment with you. The weekend has been agony, so close to you yet having to pretend that there is nothing between the two of you.

But not anymore.

At last, the royal family walks onto the podium led by none other than Princess Y/N. Charles’ heart skips a beat at the sight of you gliding towards him in a figure-hugging red midi dress, sunlight glinting off your carefully styled hair. You somehow manage to become more and more beautiful every time he sees you.

Stopping in front of him, you give him a subtle wink before launching into the customary congratulatory speech. Charles nods along, not hearing a word as he zones out while admiring the stunning woman he gets to call his own.

At last, you turn to pick up the trophy. “It is my honor to present this trophy to our victor, who represents Monaco with pride in everything he does, Charles Leclerc,” you announce, holding it out to him with a brilliant smile.

In that moment, Charles throws all caution to the wind. As he accepts the trophy, he reaches out and pulls you into a passionate kiss.

The crowd below erupts in shocked cheers and screams. You melt into the kiss for a blissful moment before gently pulling back, your eyes sparkling. Charles grins at you breathlessly.

“Worth the wait?” He murmurs.

“Absolutely,” you whisper back, squeezing his hand. “I’m so proud of you, mon amour.”

Turning back to the roaring crowd, Charles wraps an arm around your waist and thrusts your linked hands into the air in triumph.

Looking out at the paddock, Charles sees the priceless dumbfounded looks on his fellow drivers’ faces. The Ferrari PR team looks ready to pass out in horror. Reporters are screaming questions and snapping photos frantically.

But Charles only has eyes for the radiant princess at his side. At long last, he has made your love public for the whole world to see.

Later, after celebrations around the circuit have started winding down in favor of moving to lounges and clubs for the night, Charles and you escape for a private moment together.

“That was quite the reveal,” you say with an amused quirk of your eyebrow.

Charles laughs. “I know, subtlety has never been my strong suit. I hope you don’t mind.”

You caress his face tenderly. “Of course not. I’m happy to finally be by your side. No more hiding.”

Charles kisses you deeply, all the love and longing of the past months pouring into it.

When you finally break apart, foreheads touching, he murmurs, “No more doubts. No more teasing. They all know now that you’re real and all mine.”

“Forever yours,” you whisper back. And seal it with another perfect kiss.

***

“I can’t believe it. I just … actually can’t believe it,” Max mutters, staring at the large screens around the paddock that are showing you and Charles gazing adoringly into each other’s eyes during the post-race interviews.

“Lord Perceval … dating an actual princess,” Carlos muses in disbelief.

“And not just any princess, his teenage celebrity crush!" Lando exclaims.

“I guess we owe him an apology,” Pierre says sheepishly.

“Big time,” Daniel agrees. “We gave him so much crap for making her up.”

“Speak of the devil,” Max mutters as Charles strides into the room, hand-in-hand with you.

An awkward silence descends on the group. Charles clears his throat, enjoying their obvious discomfort.

“I believe you all know my girlfriend, Her Serene Highness Y/N Grace Stephanie Caroline, Hereditary Princess of Monaco and Marquise of Baux. But you can just call her Your Serene Highness or Princess Y/N,” he says politely.

The guys mumble greetings, not quite meeting your eyes. You smile graciously. “You can just call me Y/N. Any friend of Charles is a friend of mine and there’s no need for titles around friends.”

Charles narrows his eyes. “Actually I don’t think that will be necessary. I believe they should maintain protocol and address you properly.”

You shoots him a look. “Darling, it’s fine, really. I want your friends to feel comfortable around me.”

But Charles crosses his arms, not budging. “No, it’s not fine. I must insist that they observe the formal mode of address for royalty.”

The drivers shift awkwardly again. You pull Charles aside with a soothing smile.

“What are you doing?” You whisper. “I’m trying to put them at ease.”

“I know but they deserve to squirm for a bit after how much they mocked us,” Charles whispers back petulantly.

You bite back a smile. “Don’t be silly. I know their teasing hurt but let’s move past it. Can you really blame them for thinking it sounds like a made up fairytale? Put yourself in their shoes.”

Charles sighs. “I guess you’re right ... I just want them to respect you.”

“They will, in time,” you say gently. “But forcing them to be overly formal won’t accomplish that. I’m still just me.”

Charles nods reluctantly. “Okay fine, we’ll do it your way.”

You turn back to the drivers who are trying to act natural and pretending that they didn’t just listen in on your conversation with a bright smile. “I’ve heard so much about all of you,” you say. “Charles speaks very highly of his fellow drivers.”

“We’re, uh, happy to finally meet you too,” Max manages to get out.

“Yeah, congrats mate,” Daniel offers weakly.

More awkward silence follows. Charles smirks, deciding to twist the knife a bit more.

“I know you all had your doubts about me landing a catch like Y/N,” he says casually. “But I can’t blame you. Even I can hardly believe someone so incredible would fall for me.”

He gazes at you adoringly as you blush prettily while the drivers fidget uneasily.

“Anyway, as you can now see, she’s real and we are happier than ever!" Charles concludes brightly.

“We’re really sorry for not believing you,” Lando bursts out sincerely. “And all the teasing.”

The others chime in with apologies and congratulations. Charles graciously accepts, reassuring them no hard feelings.

After you have throughly charmed them all and departed, the group surrounds Charles excitedly.

“Alright, you have to give us all the details,” Max demands. “How did you meet? How did you get her to go out with you? When did it get serious?”

Charles just laughs. “It’s a long story. But the important thing is that she’s the only one for me. Despite everyone doubting us, our love was real from the start.”

“Pretty epic to have a real life princess as your soulmate,” Pierre says dreamily.

“Just remember you knew me back when you all thought she was imaginary,” Charles jokes.

“We’ll never live it down,” Carlos groans goodnaturedly.

Charles smiles, feeling lighter and happier than he has in ages. The long struggle to prove himself has been worth it. Now he has everything — the win, the girl, and the utter shock and joy of proving to the world that even his wildest dreams can come true.

And this is only the beginning for him and his beloved princess.

[lostinforestbound]

hello !! ur my absolute favorite rolan writer and i wanted to make a hc request or whatever u want it to be of lia & cal bonding with tav over embarrassing rolan (like telling tav about embarrassing stories about him when he still had a crush on tav or something like that) if not that’s okay love your writing !! 🫶

Absolutely!!! I love writing for Cal and Lia, especially when they both team up to bully Rolan a little! Thank you so much for your patience while Requests were closed, I know this has been sitting in here since March!

Cal and Lia Bonding with Tav (By Embarrassing Rolan)

When Tav and Rolan became serious, Cal and Lia were genuinely so happy for them. But they were especially happy for Rolan, their grump of a big brother finding someone who truly understands him.

That absolutely does not mean he's safe from being teased though! In fact, this only made their teasing much worse, now that they had another person to embarrass him in front of.

"Hey Tav, did you know Rolan got so drunk one time he started gushing about you, telling us how fucking irritating you were but then how pretty/handsome your face was?" "LIA!"

Cal and Lia would never tease about Rolan's most vulnerable moments. Not unless they have explicit permission from Rolan to do so. They love to tease Rolan to annoy, never to harm. Some things that are off limits include his condition at Last Light Inn. Lia joked about his drunken foolishness lightheartedly, but when his face twisted into a mixture of shame, embarrassment, and sorrow, she immediately regretted it.

Lia apologized and the both of them made up extremely quickly, as she never meant to upset him, but they both knew then that the topic wasn't something to joke about. Not yet, at least, the wound is too fresh.

It doesn't take long for Tav too feed off of their teasing energy, since they both do it so much, especially when they're around. When they start joining in, Cal and Lia pull them aside to tell them Rolan's limits. This is the first time they see them both extremely protective of Rolan. While they both tease him plenty, that's still their big brother. They won't let anyone harm him.

After that quick discussion, the three immediately bond over messing with Rolan, much to his absolute dismay.

Cal and Lia talk about things he did when they were kids! Firebolts backfiring, covering himself in soot. His first ever date and how much of a disaster it was. Him correcting people's pronunciations on words, almost getting himself into a few fist fights. They'll even talk about how much of a bumbling fool he was before he and Tav's first date, trying to pick the perfect outfit that looked the most impressive, but not too impressive or it'll look like he's trying too hard.

In turn, Tav will talk about their past interactions, like how they made Rolan absolutely flustered for the first time. They were looking in his eyes and complimented the irises, saying they looked like Citrine. A yellow stone that generally means success. They have never seen him so damned flustered, they HAD to share!

Sometimes, Rolan is just sitting there in between the three completely embarrassed and unable to do anything about it. No matter how much he protests to the teasing, they still take joy in torturing him so. He wouldn't have it any other way.

[rr311]

╭﹐❣︎﹕ Making You / Them Flustered ﹒〣 ﹕‹𝟹 － 𝖲𝖧𝖨𝖭𝖱𝖠 𝖪. 𝖬𝖠𝖪𝖨 𝖮. 𝖳𝖠𝖬𝖠𝖪𝖨 𝖪. 𝖵𝖴𝖫𝖢𝖠𝖭 𝖩. 𝖲𝖧𝖨𝖭𝖬𝖮𝖬 𝖡.

cw/tw. kissing, flirting, teasing

an. s𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗋𝖺 𝗀𝗈𝗍 𝗆𝖾 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝗅𝗂𝗇 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗒𝗉𝖺 𝗐𝖺𝗒. 𝖧𝖾’𝗌 𝗍𝖾𝗐 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝖾 𝖻𝗋𝗈 🙁 𝗂 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗄 𝗂 𝖿𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽 𝖺 𝗇𝖾𝗐 𝗈𝖻𝗌𝖾𝗌𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇 🥰 𝖠𝗅𝗌𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗈𝗇𝖾’𝗌 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗆𝗒 𝖿𝖾𝗅𝗅𝗈𝗐 𝖿𝗋𝗎𝗂𝗍 𝖼𝗎𝗉𝗌， 𝖽𝖾𝖼𝗂𝖽𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝖺𝖽𝖽 𝗀𝗂𝗋𝗅𝗌 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗅𝗂𝗓𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗂’𝗏𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝖽𝗈𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝖻𝗈𝗒𝗌 🧍🏽‍♀️ 𝖡𝖴𝖳 𝖠𝖭𝖸𝖶𝖧𝖮𝖮𝖮𝖮𝖮 𝖾𝗑𝗉𝖾𝖼𝗍 𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝖺𝖽𝖽 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗇 𝗂𝗇 𝗆𝗒 𝗁𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝖼𝖺𝗇𝗇𝗈𝗇𝗌 😈

𝖲𝖧𝖨𝖭𝖱𝖠 𝖪𝖴𝖲𝖠𝖪𝖠𝖡𝖤

Pulling you by your pant loops & Teasing

Motherfucker was so sly with it.

He loved teasing the hell out of you, he turned 18 and then all of sudden he’s grown so bold. He used to be so shy around you, always blushing and stuttering and now since he turned 18 basically a young adult he’s grown out of that and decided to make you his target!

Like anytime you guys would be training one on one he would pull out that stunt to catch you off guard. One time during training he had that dirty smirk on his face as he led his hand to hook his index finger around your loop tugging you close to him with his head leaned down to your level feeling his nose brush up against yours, his breath hitting your lips making you flustered. It was a dirty move but he didn’t give a flying fuck, to make things worse he was shirtless during the whole thing due to it being extremely hot outside since the ac wasn’t working inside and like i said before he turned 18 and didn’t know how to act. He teased you mentally every single fucking time, when he seen you would get distracted he would use that as an advantage to take you out making you fall onto the floor.

He was such a dickhead but honestly you loved the little move he would also do on you. You both were currently outside with the rest of the team as you stood next to him playing with your flames as you made tiny sparks as he sat on the bench next to you man spreading watching everyone do their own thing. Maki, Iris and Tamaki bugging Hibana into showing them her flowers, the Captain and Lieutenant talking to each other about the past mission you guys went on and Vulcan working on his little robot? Machine thing? I don’t even know but you were caught up with playing with your flames. You didn’t realize a certain someone’s fingertips were trailing around your waist till you felt them hook around your pants loop making you face his direction. You slightly flinched from the sudden tug but relaxed knowing it was only Shinra’s ass who would do this in literal public having no shame.

You looked down to make eye contact with his red eyes, as his hands moved up to your waist holding you close to him in between his legs, looking up to look into your eyes. “Hi.” He said, you smiled rolling your eyes knowing what he was up to with that grin on his face. “It’s too early for your tricks Shin.” He hummed with a raised brow, “What do you mean? I’m only touching my lovely girlfriend.” He tried to state innocently but the way his hands were moving down your back making their way to your ass told you otherwise, “In other ways..” He mumbled but you heard it scoffing to yourself but jumped feeling his hands grip your ass. “Shinra!” You silently yelled pulling his hands back up to your waist hearing him chuckle in response seeing you slowly become flustered bringing your hands up to your face, you groaned into your hands in embarrassment hoping and praying no one saw him do that. “You’re such a dick.” You muffled into your hands hearing him chuckle in response. “I hate you so much” You said, finally taking your hands out of your face to look at him who only had a cheeky smile planted on his face.

“I had to get you back one way or another.” He shrugged, you looked at him in disbelief. “You’re still on about that? Shinny i said I was sorry.” He shrugged in response, “I know, still wanted to get you back though.” You huffed stepping back feeling that flushed feeling come only for you to get pulled back by your loop with his index finger still hooked around it as he was now standing up very close to your face with a grin on his face, darting his lazy eyes towards lips and back up to your eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re getting embarrassed now?” He questioned with that teasing tone in his voice, you groaned. “What if I am? And how could i not be when you’re practically doing this in public..not to mention in front of the team!” You mumbled, honestly Shinra only does this stuff in public to see you flustered and all embarrassed. It was cute seeing you like that and plus he had to get you back from last time you made him flustered in front of everyone.

He’s only returning the favor.

“Like i said baby, only returning the favor.” He whispered leaning in to close the gap between you both. The kiss didn’t even make it to 5 seconds before Arthur yelled out interrupting the moment. “Captainnn (Y/N) and Shinra are doing gross stuuuff.” You instantly pulled away hearing his loud ass voice interrupt, “Shut up Arthur we were not!” You snarled as he shrugged with an unserious face. From afar Captain Obi looked at you two shaking his head with a sigh as Lieutenant Hinawa had his gun out ready to shoot you both scaring the two of you as you both back up, hearing him mumble. “Talk about getting caught..”

“Shut up.”

𝖬𝖠𝖪𝖨 𝖮𝖹𝖤

Rubbing/ Grabbing your hips & Soft kisses

She was smooth with it to be honest.

Anytime she would walk past you she would always grab you by your waist to move over a bit so she could walk past or whenever you’re not paying attention to her she uses that as an advantage to steal kisses from you. Half the time she’ll do it on purpose to see your reaction, like one time was during training when you two had to improve your techniques for missions to get stronger and when you were doing your own thing TRYING to focus she would distract you hella! Would also grab you by your waist from behind with those warm fingertips trailing and rubbing small circles on your soft skin only for a minute later throwing you onto the floor. You would say it was a dick move (it was.) but at the same time you wouldn’t, Maki was such a tease just like Shinra but she’s not the one to do it in public, she’s more of a private person with her love life but if it is in public it’s only you two alone together.

Now It was currently 11:30 at night, you and the rest of the crew just got back from an extremely long mission with company 2 tiring all of you which sent you all to your rooms exchanging good nights to one another heading off to bed. Shinra and Arthur went to their rooms arguing as always down the hallway where their room was, Tamaki and Iris going to their rooms, Vulcan and Viktor, Captain and the Lieutenant then lastly you and Maki. When you both got to your shared room you were quick to strip off your uniform, throwing it somewhere in the room changing into something more comfortable grabbing your black bonnet, stuffing all your braids into it before laying in the comfortable sheets. You sighed in relief to finally lay on something soft linstead of something hard and warmth hitting your body, closing your eyes with no hesitation letting the relaxation calm your soreness, Maki chuckled as she was already changed into her pjs getting in the bed with you.

Maki moved her hands under the cover to find where your hips were to pull you towards her chest feeling her warmth hit your body as her hands are still on your waist softly rubbing them knowing it comforts you and is sore down there. You cuddled more into her chest opening your eyes to be met with purple ones staring down at you, “That feels good.” You tiredly mumbled watching a small smile form on her lips, “I bet it does.” She responded back, not even a second after saying that she leaned down to take your lips with hers softly moving her mouth along yours as you sighed into the kiss, kissing her back. You slightly giggled feeling her fingertips trail circles on your hips as she pulled away, pecking your cheek, down to your neck giving them small pecks, “Maki that tickles.” You said feeling her smile on your neck.

She trailed her kisses back up to your face, kissing your lips one last time before actually pulling away with that lovesick smile of hers. “I love you.” She whispered, you playfully rolled your eyes, “I love you too, now close your eyes and go to sleep.” You stated as Maki huffed, “So bossy.” She teased, you again rolled your eyes, “Goodnight my love.”

“Goodnight baby.”

𝖳𝖠𝖬𝖠𝖪𝖨 𝖪𝖮𝖳𝖠𝖳𝖲𝖴

Patting her head & Reassurance

You have to admit Tamaki was like a cat, I mean are you surprised? Her abilities are cat like, flaming ears and two flaming tails. You do admit when it was your first time seeing her abilities you thought she was a furry at first but she isn’t after many times of her hitting you and yelling at you for thinking that, one thing about Tamaki is that she will let people know that you are hers and she is yours. She’s like one of those protective/ possessive girlfriends that get defensive when it comes to their partner just like how a cat would do with its owner, sometimes you would have to calm her down and give her that reassurance that she needs which leads to being flushed and red as a tomato because of the way you put your words together and that embarrassment feeling of getting scolded by you.

Just like right now you had to pull her away from Shinra who looked like she wanted to murder him for what she saw, it was an accident but you could see why she was mad the scene was out of context. You and Shinra were outside since he asked you for help with his Adolla Burst, you of course agreed to it agreeing he needed more strength with his flames. So you both started to train, you guys were sparing with him coming at you with all he had as you gave him tips as you were blocking his attacks, the fight was going according to plan before some odd reason his flames got faster which ended up Shinra knocking you both on the ground with him on top of you and you below him with his hands pinned to the dirt ground placed on the side of your head. He looked down at you with widened eyes, “Are you okay (Y/N)?! I’m sorry i don’t know how i did that, are you hurt anywhere?” He asked concerned, you softly groaned shaking your head, “It’s fine Shin and no i’m not hurt anywhere.” You answered, Shinra sighed in relief as he was about to answer only to get cut off by a loud thud, you tilted your head up as shinra looked where that thud was to see Tamaki with red ears and her flame ears on top of her head, “Oh shit.”

Which led to now! Tamaki on your shoulders as you parted her from Shinra who had a red handprint on his cheek rubbing the pain with a pained face. When you got inside to a place where it’s just you both you set her down on her feet, as she stood there with her arms crossed and flame ears still active. “Tamaki you didn’t have to slap him that hard.” You huffed as she rolled her eyes, “He shouldn’t have had my girlfriend pinned underneath him!” She snarled as a sigh left your lips, “Listen baby, it was an accident ok? Me and Shinra were just training to help his flames get faster and stronger, for some reason his flames had gone 2x the speed from before which lead him to knocking us both to the ground. I would never do such a thing to you and you know that, same with Shinra ''You reasoned, Tamaki still looked at you with an angry face with her flame ears still flaring into the air looking away from you. You softly sighed, bringing your hands tilting her face towards your way with two fingers below her chin tilting her up a bit to make eye contact with you, “I’ll look you into your eyes and tell you the truth. Remember the day when I said that? Trust me when i say it was an honest accident, Shinra respects our relationship he would never do anything to ruin that.” Once hearing your words she felt herself slowly start to calm down seeing her ears go out and face going back to her color before it got covered with a pink blush,

“I’m so sorry..I overreacted about it..” She mumbled, you only smiled patting her head. “It’s okay my love, the whole situation was out of context.” You said with a small smile, she really doesn’t deserve you. You were gentle with her and calm and loving…it made her get emotional a little bit. Her eyes started to slightly water as she pounced her way into your chest letting the tears fall and soak through your shit feeling her grip the white tee as you softly sighed, rubbing her back up and down. “I r-really don’t deserve you..” She sniffles with a choked up voice, softly chuckling leaning down to kiss the top of her head.

“You do deserve me, fate brought us together and I'm forever grateful.”

(That was so corny I apologize .)

𝖵𝖴𝖫𝖢𝖠𝖭 𝖩𝖮𝖲𝖤𝖯𝖧

Smiling through kisses & Neck kisses

Word to my grave.

He was such an ASSHOLE.

Like he does this on purpose to get under your skin to see you become a shyness mess! Like you guys could be having a nice date night you know? Laughs, jokes and giggles being heard and told till suddenly he wants to be a little jokester and get immediate with you. Moving his hand to be placed on your hips pulling you closer to his muscular warm body, placing his other hand to be on your jaw then pulling you in to connect his lips with yours savoring that sweetness that came off you. Smiling through the kiss as he pulled back pecking them a few more times before moving down towards your neck, pecking that soft skin earning giggles and butterflies starting to form.

He would always do that and you hated how it would always work.

Now it was 12:30 in the afternoon and you had gotten done early with your training going to the kitchen to fix the team some lunch since you guys had skipped breakfast. You were almost done though, only thing you were waiting on was the rice to be cooked when you were waiting for that you were sitting on top of the counter top swiping through your phone checking your socials or what not, you knew if the Lieutenant walked in seeing you on top of the counter you would be getting punished for the rest of the week but it was only for a few minutes till the rice was done so you would be okay. You hummed a little time to yourself as you swiped and swiped till suddenly you felt a presence go between your legs and warm hands going to your waist shooting your stare to look into red ones. “Well hello to you too Vulcan.” You smiled, “Watcha up to?” He asked, you shrugged placing your phone on the counter as you wrapped your arms around his neck, “Fixing up some lunch for the crew.” You mumbled as you heard him hum in response. “Mm..well if you’re waiting on something to be done that means you got a few minutes right?” You raised a brow with a suspicious look, slowly nodding your head you watched him grin.

“Perfect.” He whispered, before leaning in to take your lips with his as you groaned into the kiss knowing he was gonna do something like this. In response he smiled through the kiss moving his mouth against yours as his hands on your hips moved down towards your thigh laying on top of it, you hummed into the kiss as you gripped the back of his neck indicating you needed to breathe. He got the hint and pulled back trailing his mouth towards your neck giving them light pecks, “Should’ve known you would do something like this.” You sighed relaxing more into his touch as he chuckled with that same grin on his mouth,

Few more seconds Vulcan pulled back trailing them back to hover over your mouth with a smirk averting his eyes towards your lips and eyes, “You love it though, yeah?” He questioned, by how embarrassed you are right now to admit it he was right, his kisses always made you soft and shy. He was so gentle with you it made your heart flutter. You nodded your head slowly being your hand to be on his cheek, “Yeah..” You whispered back leaning in to take his lips with yours again before- “Something smells good in he- OH MY GOD.” A voice yelled startling you both to look who it was and it was Shinra looking at you both with widened eyes and a blush on his face, “Everything alright Shin- oh.” Captain Obi started but stopped seeing why Shinra yelled, you were on the kitchen counter with Vulcan in between your legs and hands on your thighs.

Talk about getting caught .

The embarrassment went above the limit as you felt a hot feeling going through your body as you hid your face in your hands. You now remembered the training session ended earlier today than usual and since you were making lunch the smell of the food stunk up the hallways obviously catching their attentions when they came back inside. “Uhm..well this is awkward.” Captain Obi stated clearing his throat, before you could even do a thing you heard a gun go off and a bullet hitting you right in your side, “Ow! What the fuck?!” You snarled looking up but changed once seeing who it was, Lieutenant Hinwa with the gun pointed towards you with a stern look, “No sitting on top of the counter.” He said clearly shooting another bullet and this time hit you in your arm, “Ouch! Ok ok! I’m getting off.” You groaned jumping off the counter as you rubbed your arm in pain hearing Vulcan snicker beside you. “Somethin funny?” You asked turning your way towards your boyfriend with a glare who instantly shook his head throwing is hands in the air. “No ma’am.”

“So mean..” You heard him mumbled rolling your eyes in response. “Uh..anyways. Finish up in here and we’ll set up the table, come on Shinra!” He yelled catching Shinras attention away from your thighs with a huge blush on his face as he followed the captain like a lost puppy. “Also (Y/N), you’re on  bathroom duty for a week.” Your eyes widened as you through your hands in the up, “Wha-!” He gave you that look the look that tells you to shut the fuck up and do it, you groaned crossing your arms. “Ugh fine.” He walked away with a satisfied nod as Vulcan walked up to you placing his arms around your shoulders, “Damn baby, good luck cleaning the bathrooms for a week.” He laughed,

“I hate you so fucking much.”

𝖲𝖧𝖨𝖭𝖬𝖮𝖭 𝖡𝖤𝖭𝖨𝖬𝖠𝖱𝖴

Touching your stomach & Watching you sleep

Everyone knew how non social Benimaru was.

They were surprised when they found out he had a literal wife! You and Benimaru have been married for 6-7 years? Maybe even more but it was shocking when they saw you for the first time in the village. Beni was known for caring for himself and protecting others but never known for the one to be in a relationship! But you proved them wrong (obviously), even being married to Beni for years and ongoing years he’s never failed to make you feel that first feeling when you guys started dating, all shy and a lovesick girl. He wasn’t known for being affectionate but when he does become affectionate it’s either when you guys are in bed together or when he just wants to hold you.

In the night of Asakusa you were laid in your guys shared bed as you were cuddled in the bed sheets with a cold empty spot next to you. Huffing you turned to where Beni was supposed to be but was met with a still made up side sighing as you turned back around facing the white walls that covered the room closing your eyes to try and sleep. As the time passed by, you heard a loud thud behind the closed door hearing it open and close, hard footsteps echoing through the room and a figure getting under the blankets on his correct side of the bed. You quickly closed your eye’s pretending to be sleep as you felt warm hands crawl their way towards your waist pulling you close to his body back against his chest and his hands now on-top of your stomach softly rubbing it,

“Are you sleeping?.” His voice echoed, you stayed silent. You were kinda still mad at him for leaving you hanging like this in a cold bed but started to feel bad hearing him let out a sigh believing you were fast sleep. Letting that feeling win over and sink in you turned around to face his half lidded red eyes that carried many emotions behind them as they gazed into your (E/C) ones. “Hi.” You whispered softly watching a small smile form on his lips, “Hello sweetheart, why’re you still up?” He shrugged in response, tracing your fingers along his clothed chest, “Was waiting for you.” Benimaru nodded his head slightly moving his head toward the crook of your neck inhaling your comforting scent, sighing, “I’m sorry, i didn’t expect to be out so late tonight but those company 8 brats kept bothering me into training them.” You chuckled softly running your hands through his black locks, “Shinra and Arthur? I’m pretty sure they just wanna get stronger love. I mean you’re one of the best Captains on the fire force, who wouldn’t want your help?” You mumbled continuing to play with his hair feeling him huff into your neck.

“Yeah yeah..” From the sound of his breathes getting shallow you knew he was gonna be knocked out like a light, few more minutes you were proved correct he had fallen asleep hearing soft snored leave his mouth making you smile leaning down kissing the top of his forehead,

“Rest well my love.”

(I now realize Beni is 22 years old and i thought bro was 29 🌚 , im too lazy to change it so pretend bro is in his late 20’s)

[vinsmokesangio]

facetime call

pairing: tom blyth x bestfriend!reader x actress!reader

summary: you decide to “relax” your body and your best friend almost caught you. this is a second part of this au.

warnings: mentions of past relationships, f!masturbation, suggestive conversations | english’s not my native language | no proofread

genre: friends to lovers

word count: 733

masterlist

A few days passed after that “date”, where you and Tom shared the first kiss and confessed to each other. You feared your friendship might change after that, but actually it was going pretty well, at least for you. Tom still texted you, sending you memes and making facetime calls. The feeling was amazing, you really feel like you’re living a teenage dream, like that song. Unfortunately, past relationships still haunted you with your traumas. The fear of being left alone again always playing tricks on your mind… You didn't have the opportunity to meet your friends in common with Tom to talk about what happened between you both, but the last photo dump you posted on your IG account and the comments you've received from them might could’ve been useful for them to gossip about it in your absence. You’ve been really busy, finishing your drama school and preparing for the Christmas play which would be in a few days. Tom promised he’ll be attending, so as the rest of your friends and the thought of that made you anxious. Tom is a really good actor, and it kinda intimidates you, since you’re still graduating.

You went home and took a hot shower to let go your anxious thoughts. Have you noticed you’ve been thinking a lot lately? About everything? You can read the first paragraph again and take your notes… All the “what ifs” was driving you crazy, so you decided to take a breath and take care of yourself this evening. Skincare routine while watching Stranger Things for the third time, moisturising your hair.

No matter how much you tried to distract yourself, all your thoughts came back to Tom. His sweet lips in perfect sync with yours, his big hands caressing your body, hot and burning with desire. It was innocent and romantic, but the memory somehow turned you on. Since you were alone, why not take advantage, huh?

Lying comfortable in your bed, you let your hands help alleviate this feeling, letting them run down your body until you found the source of the heat you were feeling. Your mind masterfully reproduced the few moments of affection you exchanged with your best friend until then. The desire for months of accumulated sexual tension, the heat of his confession and the good feeling of conquest made you more excited and you began to pant. It didn't take long for your movements to become more intense, your breathing more shallow and you reached your peak. Letting out a long - but low - moan, you recover on the bed. Until you receive a facetime from Tom and shame takes over your face. You decide to answer, why not?

”Hey” - you say breathlessly. Damn, it would be hard to disguise what you just did thinking about him.

“Hi!!! Where are you? I’ve got news for you, Billy the Kid was renewed for a third… are you okay?”

Tom was extremely hyperactive and when he was happy, he seemed to vomit his words. But his euphoric expression quickly changed to concern as he watched you move a little on camera, your forehead sweaty and… wrapped in a towel?

“y/n, are you naked???” he burst out laughing, and you tried to hide in your pillow, but soon joined in with the laughter.

“Yeah, I am! I was showering!” giving up trying to hide it, you simply accept it and join in on his game. You notice his expression change to a more mischievous look.

“……….. Well, I've never had sex via FaceTime, but if you...”

“TOM! Shut the fuck up!!” then you both laugh again. That's why you love him. The way he always makes things lighter, making jokes, being goofy. He is your comfort. It's simply impossible to feel embarrassed around him, he will always make the mood delicious.

Tom then finishes telling his news, that the series would be renewed for a third season and he would receive the text soon. He was happy and you could tell from afar. You tell him about your day and a few minutes later, the call ends. You hang up the call and stare at the ceiling of your room, not noticing the huge smile on your face. You allow yourself to feel what you're feeling, you allow yourself to fall in love, and you accept it. Whatever will be will be.

[okaerina]

𖥻 ( 尤も ) HYPE BOY ! — @/NMR ⋆ ࣪

syn ; in which your crush declares his love for you !

you enter your class with a bright smile plastered on your face. It was truly a wonder why suddenly you were so enthusiastic about coming to school. well it all started in last year when a cute and cool transfer student from japan became your classmate. he's been popular ever since he stepped foot in this school. both senior and junior girls will fawn over him, boys will die to befriend him or either be like him. his popularity rose up more after he joined the dance and basketball club and drastically secured his position as the ace. nishimura riki he was. soon you also found yourself extremely interested in him.

today was a basketball match and you were gonna cheer for ni-ki to the fullest. not to mention the fact that you've literally spent the whole night praying for his victory. the ringing of the bell snaps you out of your daydream as your eyes fall on the entrance of your classroom and there he is, nishimura riki in all his glory entering the classroom with his signature swag as the girls and boys flee towards him but amidst of all his eyes meet with yours as you quickly avert your gaze down from the embarrassment that you just got caught gawking at him. but you fail to notice the adorning smirk lingering on his plump lips as a light pink hue decorates his bread cheeks.

time flies faster than ever with you constantly stealing glances at ni-ki and getting caught oh so embarrassingly. but you can't stop i mean how are you supposed to? when he looks so dreamy? everyone quickly rushes towards to the school's basketball court as the game's about to start in a while. you rushed to take a seat at the front row where the view is nice with your bestie tailing behind you. the game starts and your nervousness takes over you as if you were the one playing on field. but your anxiety quickly subsides as you take a notice of the dirty blonde mullet's charming smile. the rest of the game was you cheering at the top of your lungs for ni-ki. ni-ki successfully does the last dunk as the victory of ni-ki's team is announced through the microphones. everyone breaks out in a chaos of celebration and some in shame of loss. you were most definitely on the celebration's side.

you rush out your way towards the field where ni-ki is to congratulate him with a beverage in your hand but suddenly you halt in your footsteps not daring to take step forward towards him. there ni-ki stands with girls surrounding him like beehive and suddenly you feel so small and meek compared to them.

does he even know who you are ? do you even have any chance ? will he ever be yours ?

wary questions like this filled your head afterall you weren't the best. you were insecure. but deep inside you always believe your love will reach him and that you'll have your happy ending with him. ni-ki excuses himself from the girls as he takes notice of your zoned out figure and marches towards you. "boo !" he exclaims as you let out a squeak. all he does is laugh at your cute expression and you cannot help but blush at how melodious his laugh sounds. "sorry, btw is thar for me ?" he chirps pointing at the beverage can in your hand. "y-yes!" you reply as you shove that in his hands. he happily mutters out a thanks and proceeds on chugging down the beverage. you take this as a chance to admire his beauty. the way he closes his eyes, his lips attached on the can, his perfect side profile and his prominent adams apple that bobs up and down as he drinks the beverage. seriously how can someone drink so handsomely ?

your quickly pulled out of your lovesick thoughts as ni-ki pulls you by your hands in a empty classroom and that's when you notice your probably gonna die from heart attack caused by him. he locks the classroom door and steps towards you. you notice the way his growing muscles highlight by the sleeveless jersey he's wearing with quarter high jersey pants that compliment his long slender legs. he comes closer, pining your hands on both sides of your head, your back pressed against the blackboard. his face so close to yours you can easily count each and every moles and blemishes. his sweat drenched long hair sticking at the back of his neck as long strands of wet hair fall over his eyes. they tickle your face from the close proximity. his plump lips just few centimetres away from you, your eyes travel from his lips to the mole decorated right under the corner of his lips as you gulp out of nervousness. "did you think I wouldn't notice, princess?" the nickname makes your knees wobble and suddenly you are unable to utter out words as he continues. "it might not be the best occasion but I couldn't control myself anymore y/n. I love you, I really do, I've been in love with you for so long." you couldn't believe what was happening right now. is this a dream ? "I-I love you too" , you reply with a shy smile and blush painting your cheeks. before you can say another word you feel a pair of soft plump lips crash on yours. you flutter your eyes shut in contentment and kiss back. the kiss was so passionate and filled with love.you both broke apart as you two smile resting each other's foreheads together.

"i love you my chemical, hype boy ! "

© aengello / 2023

taglist ; @solarwoniii @shiningstar-byulxx @wtfhyuck @ichiibunztwt

[morning-star-joy]

and I'll never see you again if I can help it

a stranger's heart without a home Chapter 6

Pairing: rivals to friends with benefits Joel x F!Reader, Post-Outbreak

Chapter Summary: You and Joel fall into a temporary truce after your patrol. At Tommy's urging, you go out for drinks with the two brothers. When you and Joel find yourselves alone after, the tension between you continues to rise until it snaps again.

Chapter Warnings: Explicit Smut (18+ MDNI) Mutual Masturbation, Unprotected p in v sex, Drunk Sex, Dirty Talk, Brief Mention of Masturbation (f), References to Previous Smut, Language, Alcohol Use, the sexist asshole from Chapter 3 makes a reappearance & tries to sl*t shame Reader but gets put in his place by both Reader and Joel, Brief Bar Fight, Mild Description of a Shallow Cut/Injury Treatment

A/N: Translation: Qué mala eres = You're so bad (ty to my wife @cynibuns for helping with the translation ily here's your writing cred)! Also, Chapter 14 will be up on ao3 tomorrow! Most likely evening-ish PST when I get home from being out of town. Hope you’re all having a lovely weekend!

Wordcount: 10.4k

chapter 1 || chapter 5 || chapter 6 || masterlist

ao3 link

The severity of the tension between you and Joel lightened, if only slightly.

You wouldn’t say he treated you warmly now, but the harshness of the chill he regarded you with did lessen. Joel would greet you when he saw you now, either with a slight nod or your name spoken as an acknowledgement. You returned the niceties with your own, and even though they were simple, they lessened a burden you hadn’t realized you had felt since the man returned to town.

Tommy was happy about this perceived change in your relationship with his brother, to say the least. If you and Joel found yourself in the rare circumstance that you were seated next to each other for a meal and not biting each other’s heads off, it felt like Tommy would appear out of nowhere to slap you both on the back in barely contained glee.

“We gotta go out for drinks tonight,” he would say with a grin, to which Joel shook his head to himself and you laughed disbelievingly.

“Maybe when the kid is old enough to come with us,” you would remark cheekily, referring to the latest addition to the Miller family, knowing from how you remained Joel’s patrol partner that the bundle of joy still needed both parents around to help.

Those patrols with Joel weren’t as awkward as they were before, either. There wasn’t much more talking between you, but you fell into step with each other easier, taking out both Infected and the occasional bandits with less difficulty.

While it wasn’t the same as your familiar contest with Tommy, your traded banter with Eugene or your mentorship with Jesse, you found yourself actually coming to appreciate the steadfastness of Joel’s presence when he rode and fought beside you. When he wasn’t treating you with such extreme disdain, you could almost understand why Tommy was so fond of his brother.

Almost.

Joel still irritated you. He was just as gruff and rude as ever, even if he wasn’t as antagonistic towards you as before. If you would try and crack a joke, he would just stare at you until either you awkwardly coughed, or he just shook his head and looked away. If you would try and ask him questions, he would give you short, one-word answers that got you nowhere.

He still annoyed you. Especially when his hand would brush against yours as he handed you some rations. Or when he stood so close you could smell the earthy, heady scent that made your head spin. Or when you would feel him watching your ass as he boosted you up to an area you couldn’t reach, but looked away quickly whenever you glanced back at him to try and catch him in the act.

Joel was still a bastard, because he wouldn’t say anything about those moments. But later you would replay them in your mind, helpless to the memory it brought to the forefront of your mind, unable to suppress it any longer.

It was embarrassing, how often you had slipped your hand between your legs as you thought of Joel at night. In the back of your mind, you could almost remember the feeling of his fingers playing with you instead. You would try to relive how it had felt for those fingers to be rubbing your clit and thrusting in and out of you. You would visualize being bent over your own kitchen counter as he fucked you against it, moaning into your pillow as you made yourself cum again and again just from the memory of his touch.

That memory almost felt like a hallucination, the fact that you had actually had sex with the grizzled, stoic survivor seeming more like a fever dream than reality. At times you were certain you really had just dreamt it. But then you would remember the morning Joel had passed by you as you sat on your porch, drinking coffee from an engraved mug, and how fast he had looked away as his steps quickened past your picket fence.

Oh, so he does remember, you had realized as you hid a smirk behind another sip of your coffee, glad you had been sitting outside that morning to catch his reaction to you drinking from that mug.

It was infuriating, because that heat that simmered between the two of you was still there, even as you both tried your best to ignore it in the light of day. What you did with yourself at night with the memory of him, however, was your secret alone.

And that was fine. You were finally settling back into the calm that Jackson offered. Those hiccups Joel had thrown into your practiced routine were smoothing over with the strange, unspoken truce between the two of you.

But then that was also ruined, the night Tommy actually did manage to take you both out for those drinks.

Your discomfort at the situation was matched only by Joel’s as Tommy shoved whiskey filled glasses into his hand and then yours. You shot a glance at Joel from the corner of your eye, watching as the man lifted a shoulder in a resigned shrug before tossing back the shot, followed by Tommy and then you.

Tommy’s joy as he ordered another round was almost infectious, a smile tugging at your lips as you glanced over The Tipsy Bison to see it busier than it was most nights. Either the warmer weather was brightening everyone’s spirits, or they all just had the same spontaneous burst of energy that Tommy had when he showed up on your doorstep to drag you out with him. Joel had been standing behind him, looking more uncomfortable than you had ever seen him as he looked anywhere but at you while you stood in your doorway.

The second sign that your fever dream of him was real, and that he remembered it just as much as you did.

“So,” Tommy sighed after knocking back another shot, placing his cup down and grabbing the bottle of whiskey the bartender had left to make refills easier for the three of you. After refilling his glass, Tommy turned back to you and Joel with an easy grin. “I’ve heard good things about your patrols.”

Neither you nor Joel said anything as Tommy sipped from his glass, waiting for you to reply. Which you didn’t.

“Guess you don’t hate each other as much as you thought,” he teased, waiting to see if he could get a reaction out of either of you.

You merely shrugged, and Joel took another sip of his whiskey.

Tommy sighed, shaking his head as he picked up the bottle to refill your glass once you finished it off.

“Well you're both chatterboxes, aren’t you?” he muttered, shooting you both a bemused look, though it held a fondness to it. “Can’t imagine all the riveting conversations you must have on those patrols.”

You glanced at Joel as you sipped at your refilled drink. Neither of you had spoken about the heated argument and ugly words you had thrown at each other during your patrol to the ski lodge, or the panic attack that he had witnessed you having. 

The latter you figured he avoided mentioning out of some kind of understanding. You remembered seeing him stumble out of the bar last winter, how he had leaned against the frozen pillar for support. How you had approached him to put a hand on his shoulder, just as he had done to you, even as you both flinched away from being touched during your respective moments of anxiety.

But the argument, you weren’t sure why Joel never brought up again. He had made his opinion of you and your history with the Fireflies, his disdain for the tattoo on your skin, quite clear. Whenever you felt confused on how he had seemed to just let it go, you remembered that look he had given you when the storm had begun to clear outside; the realization you weren’t privy to passing over his face before he offered an olive branch in reaching out his hand to help you up, an unspoken peace offering you had accepted. You didn't know what had spurred him on to extend that unspoken understanding that had settled the disdain-fueled friction between you, but you figured maybe it was also the reason why he never brought up the argument again. 

Your name being spoken pulled you out of your internal monologue, and you turned your head to see Tommy looking at you, brows furrowed in puzzlement.

“Hm?” you hummed, about to take a sip from your drink before you realized it was empty.

Tommy reached out for the bottle again, whiskey pouring into your glass as his brow smoothed out and he smiled cheekily at you. A glint of mischief was in his eye, a flush from alcohol tinting his cheeks.

Oh, this was either going to be very good, or you weren’t going to like this at all.

“When are you finally gonna let me set you up with someone?”

You coughed, holding a fist up to cover your mouth as you nearly choked on your whiskey.

“Sorry?” you spluttered, baffled at the sudden topic change as Tommy’s smirk widened, and you felt a heavy gaze settle on you from your other side.

“Come on,” Tommy drawled, his voice playfully boisterous as he leaned back against the bar. “Having somebody is great! And I haven’t seen you with a beau since the moment I met you.”

A laugh escaped you, turning into a fit of disbelieving cackling spurred on from the whiskey as you shook your head at your friend.

“If Dina hasn’t gotten anywhere in that hopeless endeavor, neither are you,” you teased, your laughter doubling at the playful roll of his eyes.

“Qué mala eres." The Spanish rolled off his tongue in a sigh, the language slip a sign that the alcohol was going to his head, and you sighed as you threw back another shot. “You’re missing out, my friend.”

Your head shook, looking away from Tommy only when the weight of the stare on your back had become so heavy that you couldn’t ignore it anymore.

When you turned back to Joel, though, his eyes had already moved away, scanning the crowd in the bar as he sipped silently at the whiskey glass in his large hand.

You blamed it on the effect of the alcohol as you observed how the lights of the bar seemed to brighten the brown hue of Joel’s eyes, making them appear a lighter color than how dark they usually looked. Despite your better judgment that told you to look away, your gaze followed the line of his nose down to his lips as he drank his whiskey, and you couldn’t help but wonder for a moment what it would feel like to have those lips pressed to your own, the one thing that he had denied you when he had fucked you.

His tongue darted out to lick at the drops of liquor on his lips. Desire pooled between your legs as you looked back up, and you jumped when you saw his gaze was fixed on you.

Oh, fuck, you thought to yourself, that desire intensifying as he arched a brow at you, and you realized that he had caught you looking.

Had caught you wanting.

Your hand tightened on your glass, glaring up at him even as his lips twitched into an almost imperceptible smirk.

But it was there.

And it was satisfied.

That damn, nearly unnoticeable smirk made your cunt throb as you realized that you still wanted him. And judging from the look he fixed you with now, maybe Joel still wanted you too.

You looked away hastily, knocking the rest of your whiskey back right as Tommy spoke up again. 

“So, big brother, how’d your date with Esther go?”

Whiskey got stuck in your throat as you choked, coughing as you lowered the glass, and Tommy’s hand began to thud on your back to help you clear your throat.

“You okay?” you heard him ask, and you nodded, clearing your throat of the more intense burn the alcohol had left as it didn’t go down your throat as smoothly as it was supposed to.

“Yeah,” you croaked, shaking your head with another cough as you waved your hand dismissively. “Yeah, I’m good.”

You ignored the looks each brother was giving you as you stared straight ahead, refusing to look at either in protection of your own pride as Joel asked Tommy, “What’d you say?”

The question made you bristle, something in his tone telling you that Joel knew exactly what Tommy had asked, but wanted that line of conversation to continue.

Or maybe the whiskey was just going to your head, you thought as you turned back around to the bar and grabbed the bottle to refill your glass.

“Esther!” Tommy said brightly, and you held your glass a bit too hard. “How’d it go? Did you like her?”

Joel shrugging caught your attention, and you looked back to see he was looking out of the corner of his eye at you, before he looked away and replied to Tommy, “Yeah, she’s nice.”

You turned back to your glass, taking the whole shot before refilling it again.

“She has a great sense of humor,” you heard Joel add, your fingers tapping impatiently on the counter as you chewed on the inside of your cheek.

“See, I told you!” Tommy’s voice was full of excitement, even as your mood continued to worsen the more information was revealed about Joel’s apparent fucking date. “I knew you’d like her. You’re a good match.”

Another shot was knocked back in one smooth motion before you spun around to face the brothers again.

Joel went on a fucking date. 

Joel “I’m not sticking around here”, doesn’t-want-a-relationship fucking Miller went on a fucking date.

The thought made you bristle with anger, even though you knew it shouldn’t. It made you mad because, fuck, going on a date meant that he might be getting his dick wet with other women, when he had already fucked you and was looking at you with that dark, sultry gaze earlier as he licked his lips and fuck.

It took you a moment before you noticed that the attention of both Miller men was on you, and you realized slowly that the expletive had actually left your mouth instead of just staying in your mind, interrupting whatever they had been discussing now.

You looked from Tommy’s confused expression to Joel’s blank one, the slight curl of his lip that he hid behind his whiskey glass telling you all you needed to know as your gaze shot out towards the room.

Over in the corner of the bar, Gustavo was playing his trusty banjo with a few other musicians. A small group of residents, friends and couples, were dancing in an open space next to them.

A smile grew on your lips as you slammed your empty glass back down on the counter, sending Joel and Tommy an easy grin while you walked backwards away from them.

“If you’ll excuse me, boys,” you drawled, giving them an over-dramatic flourish of a bow, one you thought Dina would be proud of, “I’m going to go dance.” 

Your smile melted into a smirk, your gaze lingering on Joel for a second too long before turning around and confidently making your way to the area where people were dancing.

The shots were definitely going to your head, but you found it hard to care where the music was louder. It didn’t take long before you were swept up in a dance, spun around in the arms of a man whose name you couldn’t remember. It wasn't often that you allowed yourself to let your hair down like this, but the rhythm of the music, the fast pace of the dance, and the alcohol dulling your thoughts made the memories you always tried so hard to forget fade further into the background.

And if the carefree feeling from dancing wasn’t making you laugh, then it was the feeling of a heated stare fixed on your back as you giggled and turned through the steps of the lively dance.

You could feel his eyes on you, and even though you didn't look back towards him as you danced, you knew it was him. That intensity was unmistakable, familiar now in its weight as it focused on you, even as you weren't looking directly at him. It spurred you on, getting closer to your dance partner than was necessary, and relishing in the feeling of that stare sharpening on your steps as you did so.

After a few songs you were starting to feel too hot, too dizzy to continue this charade. Exchanging lighthearted bows with your dance partner, you laughed a bit more before backing away. While you had approached the dancing with an ulterior motive—one that seemed to have been successful, judging by the gaze you could feel on you throughout the dances—you found that you had actually enjoyed yourself, your head clearer and heart more carefree than you had felt in ages as you tried to find where you had left the Miller brothers.

“Whore,” a voice pretended to cough as you passed by a table, and you paused.

You turned slowly, that rare happiness you had felt evaporating as you looked back to find a face you had a hard time placing a name to. He looked a little younger than you, his features weaselly as he held back a snicker, surrounded by a group of a few other stupid looking young men.

“Excuse m—”

“What was that?”

Your own voice was interrupted by another, one lower and more menacing than your own, coming from some place close behind you. 

Glancing back over your shoulder, you saw Joel had found you before you could find him. His face was carefully devoid of any telling emotion as he stared past you at the man who had apparently just majorly fucked up by calling you a whore.

You looked back as the man shifted, seeming unsettled by Joel’s presence, and then it clicked. This was that bastard that you had been drinking with last winter, the one who Joel had knocked on his ass in the snow outside this very bar.

“Alright,” you sighed as you pushed a few loose strands of hair out of your face. “Let’s just—”

“You heard me,” the man at the table repeated, trying to sound confident as he pushed himself to his feet, even as his voice was shaking. He glared back at Joel, seemingly spurred by some stupid sense of wounded pride or suicidal tendencies. “I called her what she is: a whore.”

You laughed, louder than you should, devoid now of any carefree feeling from earlier. Surely you were drawing the attention of those drinking nearby, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to care about that right now.

“Right, I’m a whore for drinking and dancing with friends?” you asked, eyes blazing at the audacity of this man as you felt Joel shift and move around you. “Because I refused to sleep with you when you asked so pathetically?”

The man whose name you still couldn’t remember—something that made the situation even more hilarious, even though nobody knew that fact except for you—took a step towards you at that last jab you made, though his path was quickly interrupted as Joel stepped in front of you.

Joel’s hand grabbed the man’s shirt roughly, pulling the bastard closer as his carefully stoic face began to melt into a rare display of...anger? It was an intimidating, nearly terrifying look that you had seen directed towards you once, but now it was showing in defense of you.

“You speak that way to a woman again, and you won’t be so lucky as to leave with just a bruised ego this time,” he murmured, the low words deceivingly soft as they rumbled from his chest.

The weaselly man looked between Joel and you, forcing laughter even as he could tell he was outnumbered. His next words were his own fault, the final nail in the coffin as he sneered to Joel, “Shit, I can’t imagine the pussy is actually that good for you to defend—”

A crack filled the air as Joel’s fist collided with the man’s face, sending him flying back into the table where his friends sat behind him.

“Joel!” you shouted, grabbing his shoulder to try and pull him back, even as he didn’t budge. “Jesus, Joel, you can’t just—”

You continued to tug at his shoulder, and when he finally looked back at you, the man shifting on the table caught your eye, and your words cut off. The glint of something sharp followed the sound of glass shattering, and you stepped in front of Joel before you could think twice about it. Your arm lifted to defend yourself, letting out a yelp of pain as you felt the broken bottle slash across it.

Chaos descended upon the bar. 

Shouting rose up around you as you saw a few men grabbing the stupid son of a bitch who just tried to instigate his own funeral by attempting to cut Joel. You turned, the sound of Tommy’s voice shouting pulling your attention as you saw your friend holding back his brother, who was trying to escape his grip to fight the bastard with barely contained fury.

“One punch,” you heard Joel muttering angrily as Tommy kept pulling him back. “Just one punch, teach him a fucking lesson—”

“You already taught him a lesson, Joel, you broke his fucking nose!”

You blinked, pulling your arm up to look at the blood trickling down it. While you felt slowed, almost out-of-body by the combined dampening of adrenaline and alcohol, the action seemed to finally grab the attention of Joel and Tommy. The men abruptly stopped their struggle as they turned to you.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Tommy addressed the gathering crowd loudly, pulling their scattered attention to him as he stepped forward to grab your assailant by the back of his shirt collar. He shifted into his authoritative tone as he continued, “No more excitement for tonight.”

Tommy looked between the bleeding man he was holding onto and Joel, sighing before he said in a level tone that commanded respect, “Maria will have a word with you both tomorrow. For now, go treat your wounds.”

He gave a small shove that was hardly gentle to the guy, who stumbled away as his friends rose to escort him out. Tommy glanced at you, mouth opening as Joel pressed some clean napkins he had picked up from a nearby table against your bleeding cut.

“I’ll get her treated and home safe,” Joel said quietly to Tommy, the younger brother glancing between you two with a furrowed brow before you nodded at him.

“Go tell Maria what happened,” you added softly as you held the napkins to your cut. “I’m fine.”

Tommy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he muttered something along the lines of not knowing what to do with the two of you, before leaving with a nod and short farewell.

Joel’s hand found a spot between your shoulder blades, gently ushering you out of the tense atmosphere you had created and into the fresh spring air outside. The chill of the late night breeze sobered you up a bit as he continued to lead you in a direction that you slowly realized was in the opposite direction of your house.

“Wait, but my house is—”

“I have first aid at my place,” Joel interrupted your confusion in a short tone, to which you raised an eyebrow in response.

“So do I,” you said slowly, watching as he stared at the dark street ahead like he was refusing to look at you.

Even with his hand still pressed firmly on your upper back.

“I don’t know where stuff is in your house," he muttered, still not looking at you as you turned onto the darker streets of one of the residential districts in Jackson.

You snorted, a small smirk creeping on your lips as you blamed the alcohol flooding your system for fueling your cheeky remark.

“Yeah you do,” you muttered, and he finally glanced back at you in disbelief when you added, “You know where the mugs are, at least.”

Joel shook his head as he led you to his house, saying nothing else aside from muttering to himself, “Jesus fucking Christ.”

You laughed at that, unable to resist the humor in his exasperation at the situation, even as his hand finally fell from where he had been guiding you when you stopped outside a large house. When he led you up the steps and through the gate to his new home, you whistled low, nodding in appreciation at the scale of it.

“Damn, Joel, they set you up in a place way bigger than mine," you drawled, smirking again as you heard a quiet scoff escape him from where he had moved to walk ahead of you.

Yeah, the alcohol was definitely to blame for sarcastically teasing Joel so much, even as he continued to give you replies that were as short as always.

“Shut up,” he muttered, though not unkindly as you crossed the path up to the porch.

A smaller building nearby caught your eye as you waited for Joel to open the door, and you turned to see a garage with the lights on a bit farther away from the house.

"What's that?" you asked, nodding towards it, and Joel followed your gaze after the front door swung open. 

"Ellie lives there," he muttered, offering no further explanation as he walked into the house, and you followed without any more questioning.

The few tones Joel spoke with were familiar enough now for you to know when not to press something. Even though you tolerated each other's presence more than you had before, Ellie was still a topic that he rarely discussed, and you didn't push him on it. It wasn't your business, anyway.

You glanced around you, trying to take in your surroundings as you entered the home, maybe gain enough of an opinion to critique his taste in décor if it was poor. But he herded you down the hallway, not giving you a chance to collect any witty remarks as you walked through a makeshift washroom-closet and into a kitchen on your left.

“Really, a kitchen again?” you teased, snickering at his annoyed huff as he sat you down at a small table next to a window, even as you were surprised at your own blunt reference to an act neither of you have dared to discuss openly since his return.

“You’re insufferable when you’re drunk,” Joel muttered, maybe more to himself than to you as he went back into the washroom to rifle through something.

“Says the drunk man who broke somebody’s nose,” you bit back with no small amount of snark, unable to hide your smirk as he reappeared with a first aid kit and a humorless expression that made you laugh.

Joel pulled the other chair at the table over next to yours, sitting in it as he set the first aid on the table.

“Insufferable,” he repeated to himself with a shake of his head, opening the kit and pulling out the supplies he needed to clean your wound.

Joel peeled away the napkins that had stuck to your skin, and if he saw you wince, he ignored it. He focused on his task, making no attempt at small talk as he made sure the bleeding had stopped before applying disinfectant. You held back any reactions from the sting, watching him as your head tilted in quiet observation, his silence giving you a moment to think.

Genuine surprise had flooded your being when Joel had stood up for you at the bar. While you had seen hints of a rare, odd sense of something almost akin to chivalry in the older man, the fact that he went so far as to break a man's nose rendered you into disbelief.

If somebody had told you months ago that Joel Miller would deck a man in the face because they had called you a whore and made an out-of-pocket remark about your pussy, you would have laughed for a long, long time in incredulity. Hell, you still wanted to laugh from doubt at it happening even now. There was no time, no universe, in which Joel—the man who had regarded you as nothing more than a nuisance—would commit such an act for you.

Yet here you were, sitting in his kitchen as he tended to a shallow wound that you had taken on his behalf. A favor for a favor, you supposed—his defense of your honor, your defense of his body.

“What?” Joel asked, sparing a glance up towards your analytical gaze and pulling you out of your inner monologue. He looked back down at your cut, wiping the cotton drenched with disinfectant over it again as you considered how to respond, wondering how much of your thoughts you wanted to reveal, if any of them.

“Just thinking about what a Southern gentleman you are,” you finally revealed in a light tone, holding back a snicker as he shot you a bemused glance.

“What?” He repeated, his voice holding more confusion this time, and you sighed. The sound was melodramatically tired, as if you were exasperated by his lack of understanding. Inspired by Dina's penchant for theatrics, even though you were only teasing right now.

“That’s the second time you’ve defended my honor,” you said the last few words cheekily, mocking a posh accent when you spoke of honor as Joel huffed at your strange show of dramatics. The next words were more serious though, more contemplative as you observed him and asked, “Trying to repay those debts?”

He shook his head, tossing the slightly bloody cotton pad to the side as he picked up a medicine cream that would help the cut heal.

“Still doesn’t count,” Joel muttered, squeezing some of the cream out onto the tip of his forefinger before gently running the rough digit along your injury. The feeling of his coarse touch against your skin made you shiver, the sensation a reminder of how it had felt when he was thrusting his fingers inside of you.

“Because I could have handled it myself?” you finally asked once you had pulled yourself out of the vivid memory, blaming both the flashback and the flush on your cheeks on the whiskey.

Joel hummed in affirmation of your question, screwing the top back on the cream once he had finished spreading it along your cut, and setting the tube back down.

“I lost my head,” he finally said quietly after a moment of silence, and your gaze refocused back on him from where it had been wandering around the room, taking in his interior design choices. “I shouldn’t have.”

“Eh,” you shrugged a shoulder, a small smile tugging at your lips. You didn't know why he had lost his head, but you found yourself unable to ask why before you admitted in a softer tone that you surprised even yourself with, “I don’t…not appreciate it.”

Joel didn’t look at you, and you didn’t look at him as you cleared that hint of softness out of your throat and mind. You were unaware of the sentiment until you had said it, and you were eager to rebury it in the back of your mind, in the empty grave all memories of Joel had managed to claw their way out of since his return to Jackson. Maybe if you buried it well enough now, he would stop haunting your subconscious.

You took another moment to glance around his kitchen that was much larger than yours. The sight of a coffee pot on the stove made you laugh, turning back to him with another smirk as he picked up a roll of gauze.

“Are you going to offer me a cup of coffee?” You asked slowly, not really sure where this constant influx of sultry snark was coming from, but you were powerless to stop it. Must be the alcohol.

You were surprised by the quiet chuckle that left Joel’s lips, a sound you had never heard before that made your heart skip a beat. The small smirk dancing on his lips made your stomach flip as he replied surprisingly smoothly, “I guess I do owe you one, huh?”

A smirk of your own was your only reply as he spared a glance up at you. Joel shook his head, gaze turning back down as he bandaged up your arm.

“That’s a bit overkill,” you remarked, examining the bandage he had wrapped around your entire forearm as you rotated it once he had finished.

“It gets the job done,” Joel sighed, packing the first aid kit back up and flipping it closed again. “You should be glad it wasn’t deep enough to require any stitches.”

“Because you would’ve done a shitty job and given me an ugly scar?” you asked, not expecting a response as he stood and took the kit back to the washroom.

“Yup,” you heard his deep voice respond from the other room, and you couldn’t help but laugh at the blunt admission as you leaned back in your chair.

It was...weird, this almost amicable atmosphere between the two of you. You had never spoken to each other so easily before, and you blamed the strange phenomenon entirely on the whiskey you both were drunk off of.

Glancing through the other doorway into the adjoining dining room, you noted that Joel had a lot of warm earth tones in his home. It was cozier, more homey than you would have expected. You wondered idly if Tommy or Ellie had helped him with the furniture choices, or if it had been all him.

The colors and the feelings they evoked also reminded you of how he smelled of that earthy scent you couldn’t name as he licked and bit down your neck.

You cleared your throat, shifting in your seat as arousal stirred within you. Joel walked back into the room, pulling your attention when he sank back into the chair that was still next to yours, his knee brushing against yours once he was seated.

Silence that had become typical between you fell again.

“So,” you started slowly, fingers tapping against the table, desire pooling between your legs as his knee brushed against yours again. You cleared your throat, trying to find a topic to distract yourself from the fact that his presence was much too close to you now, nothing distracting you from his annoyingly magnetic presence.

When a topic from earlier flashed through your mind, you grasped onto it quickly as you teased, “Esther, huh?”

Joel groaned, running a hand over his hair and effectively messing it up, the look of the disheveled, gray curls only making your lust stronger as your knees pressed together. Shit, maybe this topic wouldn't work.

“Don’t start,” he muttered, not looking at you in favor of rubbing the badly healed scars on his knuckles that you had noticed in your kitchen months ago.

His words were pointless though. Despite your best judgment that told you to take the opportunity to switch the topic, you had already started, and you wouldn’t stop now.

“With a name like that, she must be as old as you, right?” you asked, arching a brow as he turned to watch you blankly. You couldn't stop a snicker and smirk as you added, “Like, from the 1800's old?”

Joel sighed, shaking his head as he rested an elbow on the table and dropped his face into his hand.

“Can’t imagine the sex is good, if she’s that old,” you continued, spurred on by his exasperation, and grinning impishly as he groaned into his hand.

“She’s nice,” he finally muttered, hand falling away from his face even as he kept looking down at the table, and you nodded along slowly.

“Right, nice," you assented, not sure why the words made you restless as you glanced away from him.

You kept nodding, looking around the kitchen, when your gaze fell on the coffee pot again. A smirk grew on your lips as your eyes darted back to his, and your chest fluttered in excitement when you saw he was looking at you from the corner of his eyes now.

“I gotta admit, I didn’t think you were the type who liked ‘nice’, Miller.” The words were dark, almost sultry, and you saw something in Joel’s gaze shift as it focused entirely on you.

“Oh yeah?” His deep voice rumbled in his chest, his arched eyebrow begging for more of your defiance as he leaned towards you just an inch. “And what type do you think I like, exactly?”

Your fingers continue to tap a rhythm against the table, slowly moving closer to where his own hand rested until you were right next to it. Your touch hovered inches from him even as you continued to tap the surface around his fingers, avoiding touching him directly, only letting your fingers graze against his occasionally. A whisper, a temptation, a plea to touch him again.

“Sluts,” you answered slowly, the filthy term rolling off your tongue as Joel’s eyes darkened on the way your mouth formed around the word. “If I’m remembering correctly.”

He said your name in a low tone, the sound a warning, but you only saw it as a challenge.

You leaned closer, your fingers still dancing around his hand, head tilted with a sly smirk. Joel’s knee pressed harder against yours as you slowly spread your legs, and his gaze flashed down between them, his hand curling into a fist as he understood exactly what you were implying.

“You’re drunk,” Joel said quietly, voice husky as he tried to turn you down, even as he refused to look away from your opened legs.

“So are you,” you whispered, your fingers finally grazing directly over the top of his hand, and he jolted.

Joel leaned back from you, gaze darting away from you, and your stomach almost dropped from disappointment, maybe even embarrassment, before he looked back at you not even a second later.

“I—” Joel shook his head, swallowing thickly. “We shouldn’t—”

His eyes caught on your seductive smirk, and he shook his head again, the defenses in his gaze falling all at once as he breathes out, “Fuck.”

Joel’s hands were on you within a second of the murmured curse, pulling you roughly out of your chair and into his lap. His head buried in your neck, tongue and teeth finding your skin as you moaned loudly from the feeling of him suddenly pressing against you because finally, finally. You had been wanting him for weeks, even though you had tried to deny it, and now you finally had him again.

And maybe you were both drunk, maybe you both would regret it in the morning. But you wanted him now, just as much as he wanted you, and that was enough.

Your hips rolled, pushing your throbbing clit against the erection that was growing in his pants already, even as all he did was mouth at your neck.

“I make you this hard just by being in your lap, Joel?” you murmur, continuing to grind your hips against him, and he grunts.

“Shut up,” Joel muttered, pulling his head back, and you darted down towards his lips before he grabbed your chin in a firm hand.

“No,” he said stiffly, his gaze serious even as it became clouded in lust from the feeling of your clothed pussy pressing against his hard dick in his jeans.

“You have this rule for every girl you fuck?” you whisper, rolling your hips against his faster, and his look of annoyance faded into one of hazy desire as his eyelids fluttered and his head fell back. Your tone was more biting as you added, "Did you have it for Esther, too?"

“You really do have a sharp mouth, don’t you?” Joel muttered, and you laughed, jolting forward and pressing against his chest when he suddenly slapped your ass. “Pants off. Now.”

“So demanding,” you chastised, even as you stood and did what he told you to.

You made a show of it, your fingers circling the button of your pants before unbuttoning it. Joel’s eyes were glued to your seduction as you slowly unzipped your pants, then slid them down until they pooled at your feet on his kitchen floor, and you stepped out of them.

“Panties too,” Joel murmured, his hand rubbing his thigh as he leaned back and watched you, and you laughed breathlessly.

“What happened to your Southern manners?” you teased, and Joel raised an eyebrow.

Without a word, his finger reaches forward, dancing along the hemline of the dark, simple panties you were wearing. His finger curves under the band on your thigh, the rough pad of it skimming against your skin before he grabs the banding and swiftly yanks, snapping your panties and letting the fabric fall to the floor.

You blinked rapidly, unable to help the light laugh of surprise that left your lips even as he nodded towards the table behind you.

“Sit.”

Shifting backwards, you pressed your hands against the table and hopped up, bare ass pressed against the cold surface as you smirked at him. You spread your legs for him, and Joel inhaled sharply through his nose, his hand twitching on his thigh as if he wanted to touch you, but still he held back.

“Touch yourself,” he murmured, and your eyes widened before the words sent desire curling low in your stomach.

You placed your hand on your lower stomach, fingers spread as you dipped down lower, until you slid them through your folds that had grown wet from his words and your grinding against his hips.

“Already so wet,” Joel muttered, his hands moving to slowly unbutton his jeans even as he kept watching you touch yourself.

The sight of him unzipping his pants caused your breath to hitch, your wet fingers tracing up to begin to rub slow circles over your clit. You bite your lip, feeling the pleasure start to build as you touch yourself while Joel busies himself with pulling his cock out of his pants. 

It was the first time you had actually seen it and, fuck, he was big. You already knew he was, had felt every delicious inch of him deep inside of you. But seeing the strong, stoic Joel Miller sitting in front of you now, legs spread with his cock in his hand, hard at the sight of you, was enough to shoot you even closer to an orgasm.

“Don’t you want to feel?” you whispered, shivering with a moan as you watched Joel lift one of his hands and lick his palm slowly. A brief thought passed through your mind, wondering what that tongue would feel like working at your clit instead of your fingers, and you began to stimulate yourself faster.

“Oh, I will,” Joel gave a small smirk, one that grew just a bit at the moan that left you at the seductive teasing and that downright fucking sinful smirk.

“Fuck,” you whispered, eyes glued to his hand as it found his dick and he began to pump himself slowly.

Joel grunted, and you locked the sound of it away for later, for those lonely nights where you had only your own hand and no other company to bring you pleasure. He fists himself almost lazily, eyes drinking you in as your fingers picked up on your clit. Your mouth opens, breath coming in small pants as your hips begin to lift towards your own touch.

“That’s it,” Joel murmured, and you resisted the urge to close your eyes and tilt your head back, too intoxicated by the sight of him getting himself off just from watching you touch yourself. “Make yourself cum because of me.”

A loud moan escapes your parted lips, hips bucking up into the air as you rubbed your clit faster, finding just the right angle as your pleasure crests, then explodes through your body as you lose yourself in the mind numbing bliss of an orgasm.

Joel stood as you moaned through it, hands finding your sides to lower you back against the table even as your thighs twitched from the aftershocks of the orgasm. He took a moment to appreciate the sight of you spread across his table, your face flushed and pussy dripping wet from an orgasm, before he collected your release on his fingers and spread it across his dick.

He pumped himself a few times, placing the head of his cock against your entrance as you looked up at him, licking your lips in anticipation.

“You ready?” he asked quietly, and you nodded quickly, legs wrapping around his hips as he slowly pushed into you.

Even though you had already felt him inside you before, it felt just as delicious as the first time you had fucked as his dick entered you inch by inch. Your cunt gripped him tightly as he bottomed out, his palms placed on either side of you, bracing himself against the table as he leaned down.

For a moment you wondered if he was going to break his rule, but Joel stopped before he could get close enough to kiss you. He seemed to be trying to collect himself, brows furrowed and eyes dark as sin as he pulled out of you a few inches to thrust back in.

You moan at the same time he does, though Joel was much quieter as he pulled out to thrust back in again.

And again.

And again.

The sound of the wooden table creaking, the legs scraping against the tile of the kitchen floor as Joel fucked you was almost as deliciously sinful as the sound of skin slapping against skin with each thrust. One of your hands grabs the edge of the table above your head, your other hand snaking down to rub your clit as he begins to thrust faster.

“Fuck, you—” Joel cut himself off, still holding some part of himself back, even now when he was fucking you like you were both utterly depraved, sinful beings. Which you might be.

“So good,” he finally mutters, his hands coming up to grab the top edge of the table around your hand, his forehead falling to rest against the table next to your head so you could hear every grunt, every sharp breath of pleasure leave his lips as he fucked you. “Feel so good.”

“Mm,” you moaned, nodding desperately to agree even as the ability failed you to concisely word the pleasure that was building. “Close. I’m close.”

Joel also nodded beside you, turning his head so his lips could graze your ear.

“Cum on my cock,” he whispers against it, breath fanning against the sensitive skin, and your hips jerk forward to meet his hard thrusts, fingers desperately rubbing your clit until the climb of pleasure broke, and your orgasm washed over you.

Your back arched as you cried out from the intense pleasure, soaking in the feeling of your quivering walls gripping every inch of his dick as he fucked you through your high.

“God,” Joel groaned, grabbing your hips as he leaned back, pulling you roughly against him to meet each of his hard thrusts. You fought to keep your eyes open, vision blurry as you watched his head lean back, lips parted as his eyes squeezed shut in pleasure.

He bucked into you hard once, twice, before pulling out, his hand finding his dick as he pumped the cum out of his cock to land on your inner thighs. Joel panted, eyes opening and glazing over from the ecstasy of his orgasm. His chest kept heaving as he continued to catch his breath, even as his gaze lowered to look at you spread out and well-fucked on his table beneath him, his cum dripping down your thighs.

“Here we are again,” you murmur once you could find your voice, the words hoarse, your eyebrow arching as a tired smirk turns up your lips. “I think you might have a thing for kitchens, Joel Miller.”

A huff that sounded a bit too much like a laugh escaped Joel’s lips, and he shakes his head as he tucks his softening dick away. He turns, walking over to his counter, and your head drops back against the table, mind swimming with the desire to give into the gentle lull of sleep in the sweet afterglow of sex.

“Here,” Joel murmured, and you opened your eyes to see he was holding out a hand towel he had used to clean his hand.

You take it with a nod of thanks, pushing yourself up with weak arms until you were sitting up well enough so you could clean the mess he had left between your legs once again.

He took the towel back once you were done cleaning yourself, moving into the attached washroom to supposedly drop it somewhere to be cleaned later before walking back out to meet you. 

Joel’s hand reaches out, an offering to help you up, and you give a small, amused smile at the familiar situation as you take it.

You stumbled a bit as you stood, and Joel’s hand tightened on yours minutely, helping you steady yourself. You murmured a tired thanks, leaning down to pick up your ruined panties, shoving them in the pocket of your pants once you pulled them back on.

“I’ll walk you home,” Joel said quietly, and your eyebrows shot up in surprise as you looked at him. He rolled his eyes, gaze averting as he muttered, “I promised Tommy.”

“Ah,” you nodded, the thought of your friend making you wince because, shit, you’ve fucked his brother twice now.

Maybe Joel was thinking the same thing, because you both went quiet as you fixed yourselves up so you looked presentable enough in case you ran into anybody else on the walk back to your house, and not like you had definitely, without a doubt just fucked each other. Your legs were shaky as you left Joel’s house, but you had walked further distances on more unsteady legs before. This wasn’t that hard. 

It was quiet, the chirps of insects the only sound you could hear other than the echoes of your shoes tapping against the pavement as you walked down the empty streets of Jackson. Luckily, you didn’t end up running into anyone as you rounded the corner onto your street, and saw the familiar Number 27 that you called home.

Or tried to call home.

You sigh quietly, hands shoved inside your pockets as you glance back at Joel. The two of you came to a slow stop in front of your fence, and after a moment of trying to catch his eye and failing, you shrugged to yourself as you reached out to push the gate open.

“We can’t do this again.”

The words made you pause, and you glanced over your shoulder back at Joel.

He still wasn’t looking at you, his gaze turned up towards the night sky. Jackson wasn’t so well-lit that you couldn’t see the stars, and one glance up showed that the multitude of those stars were twinkling in the clear expanse of midnight blue before you looked back down.

Your eyes traced over Joel’s face, over the strong nose, gray scruff, and wrinkles that were from both age as well as a hard life of survival and loss.

“Yeah,” you found yourself agreeing quietly, your feet shifting away from him, walking backwards down your path as you didn’t look away from him just yet. “Yeah, we can’t.”

Finally you turned, walking silently the rest of the way up to your porch. It wasn’t until you were through your door and shutting it behind you when you felt that familiar, intense gaze on your back.

You ignored it.

[ssho197]

pt.1 showering with my fav genshin men

contents: gender neutral reader, slight nsfw, nudity, injury (xiao), slight public nudity (xiao), praise (kazuha), degradation (scaramouche), body shaming (scaramouche)

pt.1 xiao, kazuha, scaramouche

first post abt charas other than xiao ??? hope this does well (i’m actually roasting and burning to a crisp here it’s so hot augh)

xiao

starting off strong w my fav ofc,, so when you often to shower with him to help clean the blood off his wounds, he declined immediately since he didn’t want to trouble you with cleaning him but you insisted,,, also doesn’t have to be a shower it could be bathing in a lake,,

when you first took your clothes off to get into the shower/lake xiao turned away instantly and just refused to look at you so you turned his head towards yours and gave him a little kiss as confirmation or jus a sign of like “it’s ok xiao don’t worry”

his clothes were stained red in some parts so you also helped wash them after you two showered/bathed together,, you helped clean every inch of his body and you made sure not to put too much pressure on his wounds

as for how he acts while showering together,, he was pretty flustered but he does praise you or validate you if you’re insecure about your body,, he would also let you be under the shower head to ensure that you’d be warm he wouldn’t dare hog the water

kazuha

he’s one of my favs because he’s just so sweet!!!!! jdjcjsnsjdixa so he first offered to wash your hair after you had an extremely long and difficult day and of course you accept his offer,, after you settle down and put away your work/day/school stuff he’s already got candles going in the bathroom, he somehow dimmed the lights and got your comfy pajamas ready

just seeing your boyfriend treat you like royalty brought tears to your eyes,, you got into the bathroom with kazuha waiting for you patiently and he went in for a quick kiss to comfort you and he then brought you to the bathtub or shower and he offered to help you take off your clothes to which you agreed,, he’s super gentle with you and he makes sure he folds away the clothes he takes off you,, he also takes off his own clothes and then takes your hand and steps into the shower/bathtub with you going in first

bathtub ver: he lets you lay on his chest as he rubs the shampoo into your scalp while giving you a scalp massage,, it’s so comfortable and relaxing you could just fall asleep in your boyfriend’s arms as he washes your hair for you,,, he makes sure to wash your hair with both shampoo and conditioner, he tends to your scalp and tangles delicately, as if he were holding a butterfly.

shower ver: he lets you stand under the shower head and he holds you with one hand by the waist as the other washes your hair,, he makes sure to be careful while grabbing the next bottle as to not make you slip on the wet tiles

he’s not flustered or embarrassed at all, he loves you for who you are and praises your body all the time,, he kisses your scars or marks that make you insecure and tells you you’re beautiful, even when you’re as vulnerable as when you’re showering

scaramouche

oh boy. this is going to be a wild ride. you had to offer to shower with scaramouche first and after he thought about it for a week he finally agreed. he thought it was stupid and weird that you wanted to shower with him. “ugh you’re so fucking clingy. fine. i’ll do it. are you happy now?”

he finally got another haircut and you have to wash his hair to get rid of any stray hairs that might still be on his head,, you explain this to him and after a tiny passive aggressive argument, he agrees.

you drag him to the bathroom and take off your clothes, when you finish, you look at scaramouche who is still fully clothed, scowling at you and looking you up and down. “what?! what the fuck are you looking at? take your clothes off and hurry up scara” he finally does and god. his body left you stunned. his waist and chest were so nice to look at.. AHEM?? “now what are YOU looking at?

he hogs the hot water and you have to push him out of the way so you don’t freeze to death,, you take care of his scalp and make sure not to pull too hard on the minor tangles and knots in his hair as you rub the shampoo into his hair. he throws small insults at you, degrading you and your body,, “ugh.. you take up so much room…” or “why do you look like that… ugh..”

[sponfawn]

MTH Meta - Sisterhood of the PPGs

For anon who asked for a post on the Girls' relationships, specifically wrt Buttercup not opening up to her sisters, Blossom not telling Buttercup about what happened with Brick, and why they never actually address their issues. Hope you like long posts.

Full disclosure, I am an only child and my friends who had siblings mostly had brothers or a large age gap with their sisters, so if anyone else has other thoughts, pls feel free to share!

Blossom and Buttercup are really interesting to me. In some ways they have extremely similar motivations, it's just that the methods and approaches they use are near opposites. Ive said in another post that they both try to prevent being objectified by dressing and acting in certain ways. But to go into this further, they both have quite a bit of internalized misogyny behind that. They are both very conscious of their reputations and take measures to maintain them, and they both have self-imposed ideas about what it means about them if they don't reinforce those roles/expectations. Those roles and reputations are very tied up in their identities. They are both proud ppl who like to keep their emotional lives quite private, and who see certain displays of emotion as shows of weakness. Where Blossom uses self control, rationality, and "maturity" to hide her vulnerability, Buttercup uses anger, violence, and occasionally humor.

I think I will start with Buttercup, because I was a lot like her for many years, and I think I understand her better than Blossom.

Buttercup has built her very public reputation on being the "toughest" of the Girls since they were 5 (really since they were created). Since they were kids, she has teased Bubbles for being openly emotional and sensitive. And I think for many people, especially kids, when you have a reputation for something it can be very difficult to step outside of those expectations. It can be easier if one has a change of environment where people don't have preconceptions of who you are or what you're like. But Buttercup has never had that luxury, because as a public figure who has only ever lived in Townsville, everyone knows who she is and they all have certain expectations of what she's like.

This is also true of Blossom and Bubbles, but I think at least in Bubbles' case her expectations are a bit less restraining. At least emotionally. People tend to underestimate her, but she is comfortable with putting them in their place when she feels it's needed (see the face she made that actually scared Brick when she visited the Boys' apartment for the first time). Her reputation is being cute and "the joy and the laughter" of the Girls, and while that can also be restrictive in theory, we don't really see that holding her back from getting mad or upset.

Brene Brown has a theory on shame (through a v binary gender lens but I think it's applicable here). For most (cishet) men, she uses a metaphor of a box. Inside the box are behaviors/etc that a person considers acceptable in terms of masculinity, and behaviors outside of the box tend to elicit shame because they do not adhere to the perceived "rules" of masculinity and thus show "weakness". Obviously Buttercup is not a cishet man, and I'm not sure that I would go so far as to say she experiences shame outside that box. But her reputation and internalized misogyny act similarly, as a box outside of which certain behaviors are "weak" and seen as embarrassing. We can see this when she tells Butch to act like she didn't cry, when she thinks about how stupid it was for her to get a dress with Mitch, when she is at the kitchen store and hopes that no one she knows sees her there. She has a set of self-imposed "rules" about what she "shouldn't" show to other people that ends up restricting her a lot in terms of her ability to be vulnerable with others. With Mitch, she was able to break some of those "rules" because he knew her in a way she thought her sisters and others didn't, and because he reinforced her private (albeit limited) vulnerability with approval and affection.

Buttercup communicates more through actions than words. It may partly be just a natural preference but for some ppl it's because verbal communication can feel more vulnerable or difficult, because it is so specific and straightforward, if that makes sense. In the og show, Buttercup even has trouble with the vulnerability of just saying sorry. Angry confrontations and physical fights are her forte. Otherwise emotional confrontations? Not so much. We see this with Mitch and the guys in the earlier chapters, and even with Butch when she feels like a moment is too intimate and distances herself.

She has a sort of fear of other people perceiving her vulnerability to begin with, and i think in some ways that aversion may be even stronger or more deep seated with her sisters. If her experience was anything like mine, showing signs of mildly uncharacteristic softness may have been met with teasing or may have been brought up later at inopportune moments. We know that Bubbles teases her, and while idt Bubbles would do so if she thought Buttercup was genuinely hurt and vulnerable (though she didn't pull punches around Buttercup's breakup on their first day of the winter semester), small jabs like that over the years can go a long way to reinforcing some behaviors and discouraging certain others. There's also the fact that sometimes the people who have known you intimately your whole life can be the hardest to break behavioral patterns with. Our brains create these sort of well-worn paths with thought and behavioral patterns we use often, and those are the paths we automatically take. And if those paths have been reinforced for your whole life, it's especially hard to break out of. It's definitely possible, but one has to work hard for it.

All of this is to say - there are over a decade of precedents that likely reinforced Buttercup's struggles with verbal communication and vulnerability, and a lot of it is tied up with her sense of self and others' expectations. Teens in general also tend to be less than amazing at communication especially if they haven't had therapy. At the moment, there are more reasons than not why Buttercup doesn't confide in or bring up her complicated relationship with her sisters and the ways she feels hurt by them. As frank and unfiltered as she can be on the surface, she is very avoidant and cagey about her internal experiences when it doesn't directly involve anger.

Blossom, interestingly enough, has a LOT of the same issues with public perception, identity, and vulnerability. Going back to Brene Brown, she uses a metaphor of a web to describe cishet women's experiences, where there are many things that one has to juggle perfectly that intersect with various roles in one's identity (eg one's roles as a parent, spouse, employee, daughter, friend, etc). Perceived shortfalls in any of these areas can trigger shame associated with one or more of the various roles one has tied to their identity. That's not worded the best, but I digress. Again I don't necessarily think it goes as far as shame for Blossom but it's certainly connected to guilt for her. Incidentally, the way to combat shame according to Brene Brown? Honest vulnerability, which fosters connection to others.

Blossom holds herself to a standard above everyone else, including her sisters, because she has inhabited the "leader" role since she was created. She takes a lot of pride in that role, and strives to live up to it, including with regards to shows of emotion. She is very concerned with appearances (I don't mean this in a judgy way) in the sense that she is always thinking about how others perceive her, how she can be a good role model, how she needs to have restraint and self control, how she "shouldn't" slip up or make mistakes because she's not human, she's "better". And this is a role and an identity she has held for so long that she doesn't really know who she is without Townsville to protect (see her specific anxiety about college visits and her future outside of Townsville).

So while it says that Bubbles and Blossom are closer in general because they shared more interests growing up, after Brick rejected her, I don't think she wanted anyone to see her crying. I don't think it was just Buttercup she didn't want seeing, but Bubbles happened to walk in while she was crying. She was trying to muffle her sobs with her pillow, was trying to calm down before anyone came up, but Bubbles found her when she couldn't deny that she was still actively trying to stifle her sobs. I think letting Bubbles comfort her was already a big step for Blossom in terms of emotional vulnerability, but it was made a little bit easier by the fact that it was Bubbles who isn't ashamed to cry and talks openly about her feelings.

When Buttercup saw her at school, she had already kind of calmed down from crying and was getting ready to go home. She was also at school, a setting where she is always "on" and doesn't allow herself to be vulnerable, so she was inclined to deny that something was really wrong - it was embarrassing to her. Buttercup coming into the room added more tension to an already raw situation in which Blossom's pride was hurt - both in terms of being rejected and in terms of being so emotional about it when she's supposed to be "mature". I think Buttercup wanted to spring into action, to know what was going on so she could try to fix or help in her own way, which resulted in her concern and then frustration, but Blossom was already making a big step telling Bubbles. I think the fact that Buttercup also sees crying as a sort of "weakness" affected Blossom's willingness to share with Buttercup. Blossom herself sees her control over her emotions as a virtue, so being so emotional also seems like a "weakness" to her. The last thing she wants on top of heartbreak is to come off weak, because as much as Buttercup and Bubbles are her sisters, she is their leader. Bubbles is closer to her and doesn't attach that meaning to emotion or crying, making it easier to show that vulnerability with her. There's also the fact that Blossom may have thought that as protective and impulsive as Buttercup is, she might've made a big deal out of it with Brick for hurting Blossom. And that would be yet another humiliation, albeit fully unintentional.

As for why they haven't addressed the elephant shoved in the back of the proverbial room, I think there's a couple reasons. In Bubbles' words, Buttercup lets things build up until they explode. It's hard to have a productive talk about deep seated, years old issues when everyone's emotions are already really heightened. And that seems to be the only time it comes up at least from Buttercup's end. Bubbles is by far the most emotionally intelligent and communicative one, but she doesn't like arguments or emotional conflicts so I don't think she's very inclined to bring things up that could start them if she can avoid it. We sort of see this with Will when she defuses his anger by calling herself a "bad girlfriend" and doesn't address a lot of the things that make her unhappy in their relationship until their breakup. Blossom seems to come from the perspective that if someone has an issue, they should bring it up in a mature way without becoming very emotional or defensive (or aggressive). That it is their responsibility and they only have themselves to blame if they don't (see her conversation with Bubbles after their first monster fight). And in general I do think that is a fairly decent communication policy - ppl can't read minds. But it's not a realistic way to improve Blossom and Buttercup's relationship specifically imo.

We don't really see Blossom asking Buttercup what's going on either, and we know that Buttercup isn't one to volunteer information about what's going on with her. Tho it's very possible that Blossom has tried to ask in the past but has given up after Buttercup rejected those attempts. I think Buttercup also tends to get more defensive with Blossom in apprehension of criticism. Blossom is more critical of her than Bubbles, which doesn't necessarily inspire her to confide in her if she was ever inclined to do so. In fact, most of their interactions throughout the fic involve competitiveness/rivalry, teasing, and/or scolding. Mostly scolding (if only cuz Buttercup doesn't care about cussing or behaving "properly" in more official settings).

Putting two kids/teens with a high aversion to vulnerability and opposite strategies of addressing issues in the same household tends to lead to conflict that doesn't get fully addressed/resolved without intervention. At least in my experience.

As a tangential addendum, I do find it really interesting that Blossom confided in Bubbles yet not the Professor, and that Buttercup confided in the Professor yet not her sisters. And I think that is also at least partly a function of the roles and reputations they take on. Blossom is the competent leader who is supposed to be ok. She doesn't want to worry the Professor. She might even feel like it might disappoint him for her to be so shaken over something "trivial" and a rowdyruff boy to boot (I don't think he would be but I digress). Buttercup also doesn't want the Professor to know about how Butch ripped her shirt off because he was tired and she didn't want to worry him, but that was a source of anger rather than sadness. In contrast, she was kind of in shock when she got back home after the breakup with Mitch and the initial rage. She only broke down after the Professor asked if she was ok and it kind of shook her out of her numbness. But I think there's also a sort of vulnerability she specifically allows with the Professor in private, though this is more of a headcanon. My only "evidence" for this is that scene in the show where he kisses each of the girls goodnight and Buttercup scowls until he kisses her on the head, eliciting an adorable but brief smile before scowling again. And in the first chapter he indulges her request to drop them off further down the block away from Mitch, and she kisses him on the cheek and says "I love you with all my heart", and idk I just think she has an especially soft spot in her heart for him. Like in the deep, secret recesses of her heart she's a covert Dad's girl?

[igotanidea]

Rumor has it : Xavier Thorpe x F!reader

request: can u do enemy!xavier getting into a fight with someone bcs they've been slutshaming reader and reader pulls him out of the fight and cleans him up?

Let me tell you: Xavier is NOT a fighter.

warning: slut-shaming, a bit innuendos, brief mention of blood and injuries, school drama , oblivious school staff

„Enid! Do you know what they say about your roommate?” Ajax noticed the blond she-wolf in the quad and approached her immediately

“Wednesday? Yes, I heard a lot of stories, but I can assure you none of them…..”

“No, not the new one. I meant Y/n.”

“Y/N? What can they say about her? She’s one of the kindest girl I know.”

“Yeah, well, maybe she’s a little bit too kind….” The gorgon scratched his head, or rather his beanie, awkwardly.

“What do you mean?” Enid frowned eyeing her boyfriend carefully, not understanding a word coming out of his mouth

“Rumor has it…. Um… it’s a bit embarrassing to say it.”

“You don’t need to. I won’t force you. It’s like you said – it’s just a gossip, right? Nothing to believe in?”

“ Sure.”

“Then how about….” She started, but stopped in the middle of the sentence “oh, who am I kidding? Of course I’m going to force you. I need to know! And besides, Y/N is my friend so if anyone is trash-talking her I swear I will wolf out on them. Even if I can’t really do this. Now, talk to me.”

“Some people….”

“Boys or girls?”

“Both in fact. They accuse her of being …. How do I put it? A soft touch.”

“WHAT?” Enid could not hold back the disbelief and surprise in her voice. And some pain on the account of her friend. “Y/n? Are we talking about the same person? She sticks to the rules. She respects herself. She would never!”

“I know. And you know. And a lot of people know that. But you know, one fake word and it’s spreading around the school.”

“Let’s hope this word do not reach her ears. I can’t imagine how much pain and suffering this will put her through.”

“What is going on with you, today?” Thera, one of the sirens, who was her regular partner stopped in her tracks seeing how shaky her opponent’s hands were and how it was almost impossible for her to  hold her skewer “I’m not going to fight with you.”

***

At the same time, the girl in subject was in the middle of the fencing class, not really doing well. Despite Enid’s wishful thinking she already was finger-pointed by some of her classmates, for reason unknown to the her,  and it caused  girl’s absent-mindedness and distraction. It was not normal for one of the most skilled fencer to make the rookie mistakes. Normally no one would pay attention and most would even enjoy her slipping, but in addition to that she was also extremely sad and anxious.

“Are you giving up so easily? Scared I will beat you? Again?”

“I’m showing you mercy.” She scoffed, but still kept all the dignity of her kind. “Honestly, it would be degrading for me to fight you in this state. Get yourself together girl.”

“Look who’s talking.” Y/n spat at her

“Um, excuse me?” Thera scoffed, her face expression changing from condescending to angry.

“You’ve been a mess ever since you broke up with….”

“Oh, don’t you dare finishing that sentence!” siren came right at the other girl, taking her by surprise and causing her to trip over her feet and fall down to the ground. “Now, that is better. Being on the ground seems more natural to you, doesn’t it?” she smirked

“What are you….”

“Oh, I’ll tell you what.” Thera crouched on the ground next to Y/N, leaning into her ear “being under someone is your natural state, am I wrong, slut?”

Oh, that hurt. Y/N heard some whispers on the corridor this morning as she was walking by. Whispers about a girl with bad reputation. She turned a deaf ear to them, mostly because she was never into gossip, but also because she knew Enid would let her in the news, but now? Now it was all becoming perfectly clear.  She was that girl. A slut, apparently. But why? Obviously this was  a lie and Y/N never gave anyone any reason to call her like that. Quite the opposite, actually. Always sticking to the “no boys” policy. Focused on her duties and school obligations. Avoiding romances, flirting and giving anyone any pretence to accuse her of doing something wrong. In the matter of relationship she was much like Wednesday Addams, cut the death glare. So why would someone disseminate such bullshit? Why would someone want to hurt her? Hundreds of questions started spinning in her mind, most of them starting with “Why?”, because she felt overwhelming unfairness of the situation. She was so vulnerable and just as the tears was about to flow down her cheek the fencing master finally got his head around what was going on. One of the students shaking on the ground, completely defenseless, the other with foil in hand and vicious smile. Not good.

“Do we have a problem here, ladies?” he asked approaching the girls

“No, no problem, sir” thera smiled widely showing all her teeth and it came out predatory rather than charming “Y/N tripped and I was just helping her up”

“All right then. Y/N get back on your feet, you still have a duel to finish.

“I…. I don’t really feel very well sir…” y/n muttered, holding her tears back, but not wanting to spend any more minute in this stupid class. The only thing she wished for was getting back to her dorm, covering herself with blanket and pretending nothing was happening.

“I noticed.” Oh, now he noticed “very well then. I will assign you an easier opponent today. How about…..” he turned around the class, searching for the right person to match Y/N’s impaired skills “Mr. Thorpe. Come forward.”

“Why me?” he muttered

“Why him?” Y/N hissed at the same moment. This unison in mutual reluctance made both of them look into each other’s eyes. Auch! It was like the electricity run through their veins, forcing them to turn the gaze away. Everyone at school knew that Xavier wasn’t exactly the greatest fan of Y/N and the other way roud. Of course, for the sake of their common friends (Enid and Ajax included) they were forced to deal with each other from time to time, but it took a lot of effort. They were never paired in class before and the rest of the students held their breaths in anticipation. This dead silence made both Y/N and Xavier regain their common sense.

“You know what, I’m good” Y/N shrugged casually keeping her cool “opponent like any other.”

“You took the words out of my mouth” Xavier smirked.

The teacher nodded and went on to observe other student dueling, not paying any more attention to Thorpe – Y/L/N dynamics.

“Are you all right” Xavier asked before putting his mask on. Clearly he noticed her being blue and those treacherous water in the corner of her eyes

“Why do you care all of a sudden?!” she hissed, not wanting any more attention “we’re not friends, stop acting like you care! You only bare with me because of Ajax. And maybe because you want to get close to Wednesday.”

“I….”

“You’re not the only observant one in the room. I noticed how you look at her.”

“You do realize you just admitted to being sad?”

“Oh, damn it!” she secured her face with mask “are you gonna fight me or what?”

“Gladly.” He mirrored her action and inflicted a blow.

***

The situation was getting worse. Now she was hunted by the words. Slut, bitch, easy girl. Sometimes it was impossible to get out of bed. Y/n wanted to stay hidden from the whole world, pretending like she didn’t exist as some sort of self-protection. She couldn’t even walk her way towards the classroom without being chased by pitying looks, smirks and damning words. Or worse, offensive propositions from some of the more courageous boys. Most of the time she had to walk to class with Ajax or Enid or both just to make it intact. Playing cool and acting like she didn’t care was taking all her energy and on Friday she woke up crying.

“I don’t” Enid interrupted her “Ajax doesn’t. Kent and Divina doesn’t. And Yoko. And hopefully, Wednesday…..”

“Y/N” Within seconds Enid was by her side, holding her hand and hugging her “please, don’t cry or I will.”

“How can I not?” Y/N sobbed “everyone thinks I’m a …..

“I don’t. I dealt with bullies before. I can give you an example of how to retaliate on them.”

“Um, thanks Wednesday, but lashing piranhas on people is not really my style. Besides, I still don’t know who started this.”

“And you don’t need to know.” Wednesday stated blankly “we can just get rid of everyone who repeat it.”

“Wednesday!” Enid was appalled by her attitude “that is not the answer!”

“You’ll do what you want, but don’t say I didn’t give you an easy solution.”

“Right.” Y/N sobbed again “I think I’m gonna skip classes today. Please, tell Thornhill I wasn’t feeling well. Honestly, this is not even a lie…..”

***  

 Instead of attending botany class, Y/N decided to take a little walk at the lake. Being around water always made her feel better, even despite the fact she wasn’t a siren and it was pretty unusual behavior for an airbender. Most of the time her kind avoided the opposite element., but not her. As she was enjoying the little breeze coming from the water, some laughs and catcalling sounds came from behind and she was forced to turn around as a strong hand fell on her arm starting her.

“Oh, there you are, little one. Waiting for another boy to take care of you?” one of the boys mocked

“Go away” she muttered flatly

“Oh, sweetheart, don’t be like that. I bet we can have some fun.” The other chimed in.

“Yeah, Tom said you can be a lot of fun. Airbender, huh? Bet that add some spice.”

“Tom?” Y/N eyes went wide and suddenly she knew who was the reason behind her torment. The boy she turned down. She refused to get together with him, so to humiliate her and avenge his broken ego he came up with completely made up stories. Well, as much as it hurt, it worked. “That piece of….”

“Shh. Keep that pretty mouth shut.” The first boy came right at her grabbing her chin forcefully

“That is, as long as we tell you to. Those lips may actually come of use later on and ….”

“Leave her alone!” sudden male voice captured everyone attention

“Oh, shit!” Y/N though. The last person I need. What it Thorpe doing here?!

“You know, you can always join us. If what they say about her stamina is right, she’ll be of use to us all……”

He did not get to sat another word as a perfectly aimed punch threw him off guard. Honestly, the only good one since Xavier Thorpe was not exactly a good fighter. Soon he lost his balance and the cards turned on his disadvantage.

“Stop it!” she yelled and surprisingly they all listened turning the gaze on her “I’ll… I’ll go with you, just, just let him go. “ she looked upon Xavier whose lip was busted and whose nose was bleeding and already started to swell. “Let him go, please…” he wasn’t a friend but surely she couldn’t let him get beaten to pulp because of her he was an idiot.

‘Y/N….” Xavier muttered in a warning tone. Don’t you dare.

“now, pretty one. Isn’t that better and easier for everyone?” three boys approached her once again but when they got close enough she made a wind so strong it caused a huge wave and wetted them all from heads to toes.

“Run!” she rushed past the assaulters, helping Xavier on his feet and before the boys realized what happened Y/N and Xavier were halfway to the school.

“What the hell were you thinking?!” she lashed out on him as soon as they reached the quad

“You know, a bit of gratitude would be nice. I was trying to defend you after all.”

“Defend me!” she scoffed “Look where it got you….” her eyes saddened as she looked on his bruised face.

“Y/N…”

“Don’t Y/N me! Just … just show me, that” she cupped his cheek forcing him to look at her and she froze at the spot. What the hell was happening. “I owe you.” she moved a feet away “so as thanks I’m gonna patch you up. Stay here, I’m gonna get some bandages.”

“Whatever.”

She was there and back in a couple of minutes, which made him wonder whether she was running.

“Such a hurry for me?” he smirked

“You must have hit your head pretty hard during that scrimmage. I will never run for anyone. Waste of air in lungs.”

“And that’s coming from the air master.”

“Airbender.” She corrected. “Now stop talking. I need to clean your face.”

He listened and the silence that fell between them was a bit uncomfortable. Here they were. Two people, who were never close, in the middle of an empty quad, not saying a word to each other even if the situation called (or rather screamed) for some explanation.

“Why did you do this?” she asked pulling away after disinfecting his wounds “why did you got involved.”

“Because you didn’t deserve it.”

“That is not a good enough reason to get oneself beaten up.”

“Look.” He rubbed his forehead “regardless of what you think I am not your enemy. And I don’t consider you to be mine. I was just wondering. Maybe we can start our acquaintance again? Not because of Enid’s or Ajax’s or Addams’s sake. I just… I just think we may benefit from it.

“I’m Y/N Y/L/N”  she smiled and reached for his hand.

“Nice to meet you Y/N. I’m Xavier Thorpe.” He shook it and reciprocated.

Maybe there was something good coming after all.   

@pinksirensong @somest1

[prismuffin]

How would Wally West, Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, and Conner react (separately) to taking care of their drunk guy crush, him being extremely cuddling and calling them flirty petnames??

💫More details💫:

Reader is best friends with them, and they have a big crush on reader. Reader gets really drunk at a party, so they take him home.

The Reader calls them names like, "pretty boy", and "cutie". Teasing them when their face gets all red.

And to have reader go to sleep, they end up cuddling, with reader being the big spoon.

Idk how I feel abt how I wrote this but these asks are so cute! ok ok so I think that-

Wally would be so flustered. His whole face would be red as he helps you to your room. He had to call a cab for you and you’ve been flirting with him since it arrived. Calling him things like “Pretty boy,” and “Handsome,” the entire night. When he did finally get you into bed you just pulled him on top of you and held him tight. He never knew you were such a cuddle bug. The whole situation was just embarrassing but he was pretty comfortable and you are his crush so this is the opportunity of a lifetime I mean come on. Falls asleep in your arms and freaks out when you wake up. He reassures you that you guys did nothing but cuddle in case you can’t remember and almost passes out when you say “oh that’s a shame.”

Dick would flirt back until you start using petnames then he'd become almost as flustered as Wally. He'd have a huge smile on his face as he helps you back to your room. When you get all whiney about him leaving he'll let you cuddle him until you fall asleep, only he ended up falling asleep before you. Just being wrapped in your arms was enough for him to knock out pretty quickly despite his usual sleeping troubles. In the morning he's teasing you to hell and back, like you're never gonna hear the end of it. Doesn't ask you out there and then but definitely feels more confident that you reciprocate his feelings on at least some level.

Tim would be mostly trying to ignore everything you're saying. 'He's drunk, he doesn't mean it' is all that he's thinking to himself as he helps you to your room. When you both are there you will not go to bed at all, and after a while you made him cuddle with you to help you sleep because you "don't wanna sleep alone". His brain backfires on him when you start mumbling to him as you hold him, stroking his hair and calling him things like "love," and "cutie". In the morning he tries to pretend like nothing happened though the memory is cherished in his mind.

Conner would be pretty silent on the way to your room while you flirt with him the entire time. Much like Tim he sums up this random boost of confidence to you just being way too drunk. "Stop flirting with me and get some rest." You did not stop flirting nor did you rest. Agrees to lay with you to get you to sleep and somehow ends up being held by you. He's flustered for sure but he's definitely trying to hide it. He's pretty tense while cuddling and his heart is beating 1000 times faster than he's sure it should. Once you crash that's when he allows himself to indulge in your warmth. He finally lets himself cuddle into you and breathe in your scent and soon he finds himself drifting to sleep to. In the morning he's totally blaming you for the position you both wake up in but he's not moving until you do.

———

Directory

[maverickscorner]

Faber suae fortunae

Or (Quintus and) Maider's love story towards freedom.

Warning! Some heavy themes mentioned in this chapter.

Chapter 13

Woola was running, panting, alongside his friend Julio.

It was early morning, and he should have been in bed, but what he had learned was too important to stay under the covers.

Julio, who often lingered around the Imperial Palace, had learned that morning that a group of Praetorians was going to arrest Tenax and bring him before the emperor to punish him severely. Since, like many other children, he had received Tenax's help in a moment of need, he had immediately rushed to tell his friend Woola. He didn’t know the reason behind that decision, but they had to warn Tenax immediately.

—Julio, you go to Cala. Tell her Tenax is in danger and to meet me at his villa!

Julio obeyed.

And Woola kept running. He had to hurry.

***

Tenax woke up slowly, to the soft snoring of Maider.

The light was filtering gently through the shutters and curtains. It was morning.

Maider and Tenax were still naked, covered only by a light sheet.

She was hugging him, lying on her side, her head resting against his shoulder.

Tenax smiled.

The previous night had been one of the most beautiful of his life.

He had made love to the girl he felt he loved and who loved him. It was a totalizing feeling, and extremely different from the nights of passion he’d spent with street girls.

Perhaps, he thought, it was the first time he had felt truly loved. The first time he felt that nothing in his life had been in vain if it had led to that moment. To being with Maider.

She snored a little louder. Tenax chuckled. He adored that she was both funny and clumsy, and yet so strong, resolute, and fragile.

He loved her, yes, and he hadn’t told her yet. But he would fix that soon.

He brushed a strand of hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear, and she made a grimace. She was waking up.

She yawned, cuddling closer to him.

—Good morning— Tenax said to her.

—Good morning…— she mumbled.

Maider opened her eyes, looked at him, and smiled.

They kissed.

—Did you sleep well?— she asked, stretching a little.

—Very well— he replied —I guess you’re a bit like my personal sleeping aid.

Maider laughed.

—I assure you I don’t do it on purpose.

—It’s a good thing. I’ve always had trouble sleeping, ever since I was little.

—Oh, never happened to me.

—I figured as much.

She shrugged, a little embarrassed.

—I suppose you’re referring to my snoring.

—I’ve heard worse.

—I know, but it’s there. Sometimes, at the Hur house, I would sleep with Sarah, my lady and best friend. Can you believe after a few hours, she’d send me back to my room because I snored?

Tenax laughed.

—That’s an exaggeration.

Maider appreciated his kindness.

—Thank you… Quintus. It makes me feel better.

He grimaced. Maider understood.

—Something tells me you’re not used to being called that.

—Only you can call me that— he said —It’s my real name, but also my slave name. The truest part of me, the part I had to suppress to become Tenax.

She snuggled closer to him.

—Do you want to talk about it?

Quintus sighed.

—I suppose I owe you that. You’ve always been honest with me, and I’ll be honest with you.

She kissed him.

—I’m listening.

—Alright. Well…— he hesitated —My story begins in Syracuse, Sicily, thirty-five years ago. My master was a wicked, vicious man, but very handsome. He was married but had many lovers. One of them was a noble girl from the area. A bit naive, I admit, and her parents were strict traditionalists. Anyway, the girl had an affair with my master and got pregnant. She got pregnant… with me.

Maider’s eyes widened.

—So…

Tenax nodded gravely.

—Yes, my master was also my father.

Maider felt her heart in her throat.

—But he…

Tenax took her hand to reassure her, though there was a hint of shame.

—Yes. But let’s take it slow, okay?

Maider nodded, and Tenax continued:

—You should know that until a few years ago, I didn’t know any of this. I thought I was simply bought as a child, the son of a prostitute and a drunkard, but… well, after discovering my master was also my father, and that noble blood runs through my veins, I sent a trusted man to Syracuse to gather information. He found my mother there. She’s just over fifty and still alive.

Maider gave him an eloquent look. Blue eyes met green.

—And no…— said Tenax —I haven’t had the courage to visit her in person yet. But that’s another story. Now, as I was saying… this girl, Aemilia, got pregnant with me. Her parents, my grandparents, tried to throw her out when they found out. She, naive but clever, told them she would keep me hidden from the world if they supported her. And that she would entrust me to my master’s care. After all, she had no other choice.

—And your master agreed?

—Aemilia convinced him. I was born a noble in one palace, and on the same day became a slave in another. Aemilia never heard from me again. I was told she tried to ransom me, but my master wouldn’t allow it. He needed slaves, and I was the perfect prototype.

Maider held him tight. Tenax appreciated the closeness.

—I was put in the care of a wet nurse, and my early years passed rather carefree. My master’s house was large, and there were many children. What I noticed was that my master, often distant and severe, was particularly and slimily sweet with some of the children. I didn’t care until… until his attention focused on me.

Tenax hesitated. He wasn’t sure how to continue. Maider gently caressed him, her eyes on him. She knew she was the first person he had ever opened up to, and she felt honored by all the love and trust he was giving her. At the same time, hearing about Tenax’s childhood made her stomach churn. Knowing what he had endured made her nauseous.

—Anyway— he continued —I grew up fast. I was nine years old, and along with another child, I became his pleasure slave. As I said, I was a beautiful child. I was so small, I… I didn’t understand the situation. I just wanted him to leave me alone. I started rebelling, and he began to beat and whip me. That’s where the scars you saw last night came from. The more I rebelled, the more he seemed to get excited. It was… it was terrible.

He hesitated, swallowing hard.

—I spent three years like that, then I planned to escape, along with another boy, Ursus. We set fire to his bed while my master was sleeping, and we killed him. I was eleven years old. The fire spread, and Ursus got trapped. I… I didn’t look back and managed to escape.

He took a deep breath.

—I learned that my master was my father from Ursus himself, a few years ago. My fellow torture victim had become a killer by then. I killed him before he could kill Cala. It was… a terrible time.

—It’s over now— Maider told him.

Tenax shook his head, deep in thought.

—I don’t know. I came to Rome as a boy, and I learned to fend for myself. Through beatings, thefts, and intrigues, I’ve gotten to where I am now. But I’m tired, Maider. I’m always on the edge, and if I fall, I risk being tortured or killed. I want… maybe I want a normal life. A house in the countryside, someone to love, and a few children. To be the father I wish I had.

Maider was moved. She kissed him.

—That’s a beautiful plan— she murmured.

Tenax melted into her touch.

—Would you like to share it with me?

She nodded.

—I love you, Quintus. Of course, I would.

He kissed her.

—I love you, too.

Maider cupped his face in her hands and deepened the kiss. Tenax responded with equal fervor, grabbing her by the hips and pulling her on top of him. They grew excited. Their hands roamed, as did their tongues.

Until they heard footsteps, right outside their door.

Then, an urgent knock.

—Tenax!

It was Claudia.

—There are three Praetorians at the door. They want you to follow them immediately, or they’ll enter the house and take you by force!

Tenax’s heart skipped a beat.

He remembered how he had treated Domitian’s protégés the day before, and his breath caught in his throat.

They had come for him.

Domitian had run out of patience.

***

Hi! Eli here. Another tense chapter, hope you like it. Let me know in the comments what you think. Thank you for your support!

Eli

[paralyze-fic]

Paralyze.

Chapter 89

After our battle ended, Yaomomo and Tokoyami were taken by robots to Recovery Girl, while class B decided to stay as they mentioned they were okay and mostly unharmed, so we walked back to the platform in complete silence. I could feel my throat kinda scratchy, so I wasn't feeling like talking, knowing it would get worse.

As soon as we made our appearance, we were surrounded by the majority of both classes. Some of my classmates praised me for my quick thinking and strategy and I sheepishly scratched the back of my head, slightly embarrassed at the sudden attention.

"Going after Fukidashi when he used his quirk was good thinking, (M/n)-kun," Izuku spoke as he looked down at his notebook, "Keeping an advantage point high off the ground was on point as well, I think this was the best outcome for Class A, honestly..." He began mumbling, not really talking to me anymore.

"Playing unconscious was clever, you totally caught us, (L/n)," Kendo-chan's voice caught my attention, and I shrugged with a grimace.

"Still feel like I should've tried winning more fairly, to be honest," the rest of Kendo's team walked behind her and looked at me.

"It was fair. I controlled Dark Shadow, and you tricked us back," Kuroiro spoke, arms crossed, and Komori nodded next to him, staring up at me, her hair moving slightly to show her left eye.

"We had no idea just how powerful your quirk was, (L/n)-kun, you deserved to win," she smiled at me and I looked over at Fukidashi.

"Also uh..." He turned toward me, "Sorry about the kick, I didn't mean to hit you so hard," he shook his head and stepped closer.

"As students from the hero course, getting hurt is part of the training! Don't sweat it!" I chuckled and put my hands in the pockets of my jacket, staring at them, replaying the battle in my mind.

I took a deep breath, smiled at them and nodded goodbye before I began turning around to head over to Katsuki, "Let's fight again soon," the four of them smiled -or I assumed Fukidashi did at least- and nodded, determined.

On my way to my boyfriend, class B would compliment me, making me feel extremely embarrassed.

Thankfully, Vlad King had called an interval due to the destruction of the field that had to be moved yet again, and we were having a small break, so maybe I could-

"You've gotten really strong since the Sports Festival, haven't you, (M/n)?" I turned around at the sound of Shi-chan's voice.

For a moment, I thought he was mad at me, but I noticed the corner of his lips moving up, a gesture he did whenever he was proud of me. Right, this was the Shi-chan who protected me from bullies before my quirk manifested; he told me he would always feel proud of me and of the quirk I have.

I crossed my arms and walked closer to him, leaning against the railing like he was, "That would be thanks to Kat-... Bakugou for training and sparring with me whenever we have a chance, and now Iz- Midoriya has joined us in our training, so..." I glanced at the blue sky while letting out a sigh, "It's thanks to them. I discovered a lot of things my quirk can do but I still have a lot to learn..."

"It's such a shame you weren't transferred to class B, (M/n)-kun!" Monoma came out of nowhere, forcing me to lean down so he could wrap his arm around my shoulder, I silently stared at the blond as he kept talking, "We would've been a powerful duo!" He exclaimed dramatically, like he always seemed to do, his hand on his forehead looking eccentric.

Even more than he usually does.

I sweatdropped at his behaviour but I wasn't quite sure how to free myself from this random situation, "I'm sure we would have, Monoma..." Before any of us could say something else, Katsuki approached us with heavy steps and held my hand, forcefully pulling me away from the blond without saying a word.

I looked over my shoulder as he dragged me away somewhere else. Where? I had no idea.

"Talk to you later, Shi-chan!" He nodded and Monoma instantly turned to talk to him instead, so I focused on Katsuki and what he was doing, where he was taking me...

We were walking straight to All Might and Izuku, huddled up in a faraway corner while the rest of the students were focused on their battle strategies.

"Be careful, in the fifth battle..." I heard All Might as he talked to Izuku, glancing over to the side, where Shinso was, "Young Shinso, who triggered the vestiges of One for All, will be there."

"Yes, I'll be careful," Katsuki stopped behind Izuku and I wondered how All Might hadn't noticed us, or well, if he did, he didn't rat us out to Izuku.

"Oi," Katsuki's gruff voice caught their attention, effectively startling the greenette.

"Waa...cchan! You startled me!" I held back a smiled at how Izuku reacted.

Katsuki took in a breath and took a step forward, slightly ahead of me, "Don't ask us to keep the secret if you're just constantly gonna be chatting up secretly in public, you'll be found out!" He was definitely pissed off, although I didn't really mind it, they had been doing this practically since they met, as far as All Might told me.

Both of their reactions to Katsuki's complaint were to stand there looking at the ground, ashamed and gulping loudly in unison.

"Don't you gulp at me!" After aggressively expressing himself to them, he calmed down a bit, "Did something happen? With One for All?"

Izuku seemed guilty as he glanced over at me, and I leaned closer, could it be...? "T-the truth is..." He looked down at the ground and lifted his right hand, staring at it, "Something happened in the middle of the night while I was asleep... My quirk had a spontaneous discharge," that means...

"So that was the glass breaking? A spontaneous discharge?" Izuku nodded and I frowned, trying to understand why it happened. There was more to it and Izuku wasn't telling us. Why? No fucking clue.

"Ha! I don't even know if you're getting better or worse anymore," seeing as this had turned into a conversation between Katsuki and Izuku, I moved over closer to the railing, hoping on it and sitting on top, leaning forward and placing my elbows on my thighs.

"Neither do I."

For a moment it almost felt like Katsuki was encouraging Izuku on, telling him to get stronger so they could have their battle rematch. I could see All Might thinking so as well. Of course, that changed immediately after, and I couldn't hold back a laugh as I watched All Might's face fall, any trace of a smile completely gone, and he now seemed deep in thought as he looked at the sky.

"The next stage will take place two blocks east from the previous ones," Vlad King caught everyone's attention, and I hopped off the railing, making my way over to Shi-chan.

However, Katsuki had different plans for me. He stood somewhere near his previous spot and pointed at the floor between his feet, "I wanna talk to Shi-chan, Katsuki," he reached me with his free hand and pointed at the ground again.

"Sit," I grinned at him and sat in between his legs. The next battle was Katsuki's team, so I was gonna use that time to be with Shi-chan; after all, I didn't mind being in this spot.

I watched the screens as each team reached their starting zones. It was Shouto, Iida, Shoji and Ojiro going up against Tetsutetsu, Kaibara, Honenuki and Pony. I won't lie, seeing Tetsutetsu destroying the whole scenario, even after receiving orders from Vlad Kindg to keep the damage to a minimum, was hilarious.

"There'll be no tricks, we'll fight face-to-face!"

I glanced over the various cams, and I caught sight of Shouto right as he sneezed. I wasn't crazy, quite a few squeals were going around at that.

Well, I decided to continue paying attention to the battle. Class A separated and Shouto used his ice attack.

I frowned as I watched and couldn't help but think that was a mistake, "Shouto shouldn't have done that," I mumbled to myself, not really realizing I had caught the attention of some of my classmates and some from class B.

"What do you mean, (L/n)?" I looked over at Mineta as I heard my name and I turned back to the screens.

"Honenuki's quirk has a wide range, covering the affected ground with ice will only give him the chance to soften it as well, however, with fire..." I trailed on as I watched Iida sink inside the ice, confirming my theory.

"Using ice was the cheap option; if you had attacked with ice, we couldn't have done anything," Honenuki's voice filled our ears, making everyone focus back on the screens as he said the exact thing I was thinking.

I remember being really careful about his quirk during the Calvary battle at the Sports Festival. Well, for now, it seemed class B had the advantage, with Pony's sneak attack against Shoji and bringing support to Tetsutetsu, having him fight one-on-one against Shouto, the battle was turning out quite interesting.

It just got better when Iida managed to free himself from the ice. He moved so fast that it was almost impossible to see him through the screen. Honenuki realized the risk of going alone against Iida and softened the ice, sinking into it.

Changing my focus, I watched as Ojiro struggled to fight off Kaibara. His quirk really made me wonder if I could stop him with mine...

Iida came by and took Kaibara with him to the prison, successfully capturing one.

"When he's turned into steel, he can move even when he's frozen," Sato's comment made me look back at the cam showing Shouto against Tetsutetsu, and I could see how the bi-coloured haired male struggled to fight against Tetsutetsu's quirk.

"Only an idiot would attack with so much ice when it doesn't do anything to him," I glanced up at Katsuki, and while I could half agree, Tetsutetsu could turn into metal, which was able to withstand equally low and high temperatures. I didn't know if he had a limit, and if he did, it was gonna be hard to know what it was.

Shouto was having trouble going up against him, that much was obvious with a simple glance.

"It burns!" Tetsutetsu backed away from Shouto, and the camera stopped functioning; thankfully, there was another one at a safe distance that turned toward him.

His left side reminded me of Endeavour; seeing him up in flames brought me back to Kyushu for a moment.

A lot of things happened that I hadn't been paying attention to. Ojiro was captured, Shouto was semi-conscious in Iida's arms as he escaped, Tetsutetsu and Honenuki were both lying on the ground, the former crawling over to the quirk-affected water tank, and Honenuki yelling at his teammate to hit it.

Iida ended up caught under it, unable to move, leaving Shoji against Pony, as everyone else was knocked out.

She elevated herself and her teammates with her with Shouto in her arms, far enough away to prevent Shoji from catching her, "Tsk, she ran away," I tapped Katsuk's boot with my knuckles a couple of times and looked up at him.

"Retreating and waiting for backup is also something Heroes do, Katsuki," he looked down at me, he knew I was right and couldn't think of anything to say back to me. I sighed and stood up, looking at him with a small smile, "You're going up now, love, shows us your strength."

I noticed the tip of his ears turning pink and he huffed, reaching for my hand and squeezing it for a short moment before walking over to his team.

"There's no way we can win anymore, but we can still tie," I looked over after catching Monoma's voice, hearing his laugh and watching him do his Dio pose again. Kaminari stood close, completely unphased, "I anxiously awaited this battle, because we have Tokage in it... You'll see, Bakugou-kun," I sweatdropped at him.

This definitely had something to do with the Sports Festival, didn't it? I do faintly remember them going up against each other during the Calvary battle...

Sighing, I made my way over to stand next to Shi-chan.

"(M/n)," I hummed as I watched the screens, seeing both teams getting ready, "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," I mumbled while keeping a close eye on Katsuki. Hearing their strategy made me smile, it was hard to listen because of the all the noise going on around, but I managed. With that, there was no way in hell they were gonna lose.

"Are you and Bakugou a thing?" With wide eyes, I looked over at Shi-chan, who wasn't looking at me. I stayed silent, getting his attention, "Are you?" His purple eyes seemed to be piercing into my soul, and I found it impossible to lie or hide anything from my best friend.

"Y... Yeah, we are dating... We've been for a while," I whispered as I played with my fingers, feeling a little embarrassed about getting caught. I wanted to tell Shi-chan about it; I just wasn't sure how or when, and I had to ask Katsuki. But now I was kinda panicking, if Shi-chan was able to tell, then maybe the rest of the class had already caught on that we're dating-.

"Hey, don't stress," his voice brought me back, the heavy and warm feeling on his hand through my clothes helped to ground me, "You've always had this look in your eyes whenever you're in love, I've known you for twelve years, you're not exactly hard to read, (M/n)," I blinked a few times at this new information dropped on me like a bucket full of ice water.

I stared into Shi-chan's purple eyes, looking back into mine with an empty stare, and I noticed the smallest glint of it. "So... You knew..."

"That you had a crush on me in middle school? Yep," well, I was sure my head would go right through the platform if I decided to bury my head in embarrassment, "Don't worry about it, I thought it was cute."

My hands went up to cover my face, feeling as if I was gonna spontaneously combust with how heated up I felt.

"Still, it must have been awkward for you, Shi-chan..." He simply made a 'dunno' humming sound and I peeked through my fingers at him.

"I thought I had a crush on you when we were kids, but... You're not my type," he mumbled with a shy grin as he looked off into the distance.

Following his line of sight, it landed on... Monoma, or was it Kaminari? They were standing right next to each other, so it was hard to know for sure.

I couldn't help but chuckle, my arm dropping around Shi-chan's shoulders and pulling him close to me, he grunted but didn't push me away and instead leaned closer, "Loudsy blonds, eh? We're not that different after all."

"Well, we've been attached at the hip our whole life, kinda expected it," we looked at each other and immediately started laughing.

Before any of us could say another word, Vlad King announced the beginning of the fourth battle, so we turned to watch the screens. Sero was preparing a trap with his tape while Jiro-chan was busy tracking the sounds and movements of class B's team. They were going against Bondo, Awase, Tokage and Kamakiri, whom, a while back, I had come to realize had a similar personality to Katsuki

"Two wins for class A, and a draw for both classes! Class A seems to be holding their own!" Vlad King spoke loudly into the mic, and I sighed, already anticipating what he was gonna say next, "However, class A owns their first victory to Shinso," the next screeching scream he let out made me flinch, "Can we even count it as such?"

"That's unfair, Vlad-sensei!" Eijiro and Kaminari began complaining, only to be stopped by Aizawa. And well... Monoma made his appearance, mocking them only to have Kendo-chan hit him like she always did to handle him.

Hearing the sound of Katsuki's explosions I looked back at the screens, "You're too slow!" He yelled looking back at them. The only one able to sort of keep up with his speed was Sero, and even if they were "slow", Jiro-chan and Sato were putting in the effort to stay close behind him. "Shut up and follow me!"

Katsuki took the lead, keeping an eye out for anyone getting close. He seemed to have seen someone, as he stopped himself with an explosion and landed on a pipe underneath him.

"There's someone! Ears!" I shook my head at how he refused to call our classmates by their names. He knew them, he just didn't think it was that important, "They're all together, find them!"

Jiro-chan used her quirk and tried to find them, taking longer than usual. She was quick when it came to scouting, so I glanced over at other cams, seeing small pieces covered in purple fabric bouncing and tapping metal surfaces, then I saw Tokage floating in the air. Right, I forgot about how her quirk worked.

"It's a trap!" She exclaimed and the whole team tensed up. I remained calm while I continued watching.

Katsuki was exceptionally good at quick decision-making under pressure, I know damn well how strong and fast he is. Class B thought of a good plan, however...

Jiro and Sato had run back to the trap Sero had created, calling out for Katsuki, which let class B know their position, and Bondo used his quirk, using Sero's tape to their advantage as he covered it with his glue.

"Too slow!" Kamakiri came down from his hiding spot and sliced up the pipes in different places and various sizes, all of which started to collapse and gravity did its thing, taking it all down and getting dangerously close to the rest of class A's team.

Even though it seemed like class B had taken the advantage, I spotted the random black and orange blur as Katsuki zoomed toward the rest of the team, using a wide explosion to get rid of everything and saving the three of them in an instant.

"We're gonna win! I'm taking Jiro first!" Kamakiri did the same as before, coming in through the dust and smoke clouds toward who he considered the easiest target out of the four.

But Katsuki was already there to save her.

Even if he kicked her out of the way, although it was a rather nice and gentle kick, almost like a nudge, giving Jiro time to rebalance herself and regroup with Sero and Sato.

He did tell them he would save them if they were in trouble, and if he was in trouble, they would save him. Katsuki had changed so much since our first fight, and how much he had grown and matured in these past months was gonna show one way or another.

He blew Kamakiri away, who somehow managed to cover himself with his blades, "You blocked it? Insects have good reflexes!" Katsuki sent him flying once more, further away this time and I chuckled as I watched him give out orders to Jiro.

Something I had definitely noticed when I joined class A was one thing. The class was divided into two, but they still worked together just fine. They either followed Izuku's drive to become a hero, saving people to win, or Katsuki's, whose drive was to become a hero, defeating villains to win.

I was somewhere in between, as a few of my classmates were as well.

"It doesn't matter if it's training or not, I decided..." Katsuki had a wild look on his face, a determined fire in his eyes, "I will dominate every battle and come out on top. Four to zero, no wounded," I could see their stance change along with their demeanour, "That is... How those who are actually strong win."

I smiled as I heard his growly voice say, a superior grin on his face.

"You're saying he did a complete change?!" The screeching noise coming from our right made us jump, we looked over and realized it was Monoma, definitely overreacting just a little bit too much.

Thankfully, he shut up quite quickly after his initial shock.

Turning back to the screens, class B appeared to be retreating, most likely because they didn't want to fight Katsuki straight on, who was the main threat of class A.

Realizing this, Katsuki propelled himself forward chasing after them, trying to find a stray class b member, and Bondo squealed in fear as the spiky blond flew past him, giving his position away. He got chased and he crawled on all fours, reaching a corner where Awase had apparently been hiding for a while.

"Oh, so Bondo was the bait..." I mumbled to myself, moving to stand slightly behind Shi-chan and resting my chin on top of his head, "Separating Katsuki from the others would've been the best plan, but his combat style changed and shifted into a team player rather than a solo, so... I doubt it'll work."

Shi-chan shifted in place and I glanced down at him, "Why? Class B's plan seems solid to me."

"Well, Katsuki and Sero work well together and are friends," I used my hand to begin giving out my points, "Jiro spent a long time working with the band, so all of them have good teamwork when together, and Sato has always been quick to help and bring support when needed," I kinda hesitated before continuing, "...And Katsuki loves his baking so they spend time together in the kitchen most days."

"So Bakugou has a sweet tooth... Who would've thought?" Shi-chan mumbled watching the screen with a slightly different expression on his face. I almost laughed, remembering he also loved sweets.

Yep, who would've?

Focusing back on the battle happening, I watched as Sato managed to free Katsuki, sacrificing his gauntlets, though he didn't seem pissed at all. He smirked, and I smiled, too.

He's about to destroy class B.

Sero and Jiro teamed up right behind Katsuki as they chased after Awase, who unfortunately played into their faint attack and got taken out by Jiro's attack, while Katsuki went on ahead, searching for the remaining two threats, completely ignoring Tokage above him.

Sato ran behind him, staying somehow far away to not be spotted by something other than the cameras, and Bondo turned around, using his quirk to try and stop Katsuki.

"Winter is not the best season for me!" So he says as he practically hits Bondo everywhere with his explosions, leaving him stunned for a moment, "I finally warmed up!" As Katsuki continued ahead, Sato captured and incapacitated Bondo.

"What a great coordination! They captured two of my lovely students!" I briefly glanced over at Vlad King, and he seemed distressed about the situation.

Jiro guided Katsuki to where Sero was fighting Kamakiri, reaching him in time and holding onto one of his sharp bent fangs, spinning in the air. That was the Howitzer Impact move...

However, seeing him throwing Kamakiri straight into a wall made me guess it was the Excatapult he had told me about once.

Sero captured him with his tape, and I watched him as he wrapped around different pieces of Tokage's body, preventing them from moving and going back to their original body.

"Wow, that's genius," as Tokage was busy trying to find where class A was, she wouldn't have noticed until it was too close to her or was too late. Sero tapped the hand grenade Katsuki gave to them onto a piece of her body.

The explosion gave away her position, and I saw Katsuki changing direction as he heard it, too, coming up behind her and igniting his hands right in her face.

"You... How have you changed this much?!" She exclaimed as his quirk blinded her with the bright light before Katsuki grabbed her face and propelled himself with an explosion directly to the ground.

"I didn't change; my objective remained the same," despite knowing she wasn't fully cognitive, he still answered her question, "Surpass All Might and be the number one hero."

What followed was the slow part, all of them picked up a student from class B and made their way back to the prison.

"Only... Only..." They closed the door and began walking away, "In only five minutes, with excellent teamwork, class A won four to zero!" Jiro and Sato high-fived while Sero took off his helmet and Katsuki fixed the collar of his shirt, making their way to the stairs and back on the platform. 

Aizawa praised their teamwork, and I saw Katsuki walking to stand in front of All Might and Midnight. I couldn't really see them from my spot, but it was definitely something good as Katsuki's body language said he appreciated the meaning behind All Might's words.

"Kacchan!"

"Out of my way!" Oh, that scene kind of reminded me of my first hero training with class A. I chuckled and released Shi-chan, as his last battle would begin soon.

"Good luck, Shi-chan," he looked at me and showed me a small smile. I raised my fist, and he bumped it lightly before heading over to his team. I watched as Katsuki walked toward me, his team and Kaminari following behind him.

"This will be the fifth battle, the last one of the day. Is everyone ready?" Vlad King called out for the teams to prepare and they left to their designated zones.

"Katsuki being the MVP, but... That is nothing new, is it?" He tsked and reached for my hand, wrapping it around his shoulders and leaning his back on me, making me lean against the railing. "Izuku is going up now. What do you think, Katsuki?"

He groaned and glanced at me for a moment. "Raccoon Eyes has a ranged move, she could stop size's attack melting them," 'Kodai-chan,' I whispered in his ear her name but he ignored me, "Round Face can go up against poltergeist," 'Reiko', I did it again, "The little midget's quirk can stop twin impact by trapping his attacks," 'Nigerenki', completely ignored, "And Deku..."

He stopped and frowned, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That damn nerd can do all three against that copying bastard, they just have to not respond to the purple dude's words and they will win," I was kinda surprised about his analysis of the fifth battle, but well, Katsuki was constantly competing against Izuku and he wanted the greenette to become stronger, to be able to keep competing.

He will never admit how much he enjoys having someone that rivals his power and intelligence. Makes him want to be better.

I sighed and leaned my cheek on his soft spiky hair.

"However, Deku will definitely fuck up, he can't control his emotions well," now he had a sort of sadistic look on his face, as if hoping Izuku would make a mistake and lose.

"That's a way to prove you're better, I guess...?" I trailed on kind of unsure of what I should say, however, before our little chat could continue on Vlad King announced the official start of the battle, so we kept quiet and focused on the screens.

I was really hoping Izuku's quirk was fine after that "spontaneous discharge" he had. He said it happened in his sleep, so I wondered what could've triggered his quirk. Did he feel in danger? Was he overwhelmed by emotions? I really wish I would've asked, although... He might've kept quiet about it.

The battle started with Izuku taking the lead and moving ahead of the rest. They were working on a strategy with him as the lead, and probably the bait, which I understood.

They communicated silently, with only motions and signs, unable to speak to each other to not expose their positions and prevent Shi-chan's brainwashing.

Uraraka, Mina and Mineta began working on their plan, a trap to be able to track and find class B, but a moment after Mina used her quirk against overgrown bolts, I glanced over at the screen where Izuku was as he made his way up the pipes as I had done.

Soon enough, a barrel surrounded by a purple mist flew toward him and Izuku managed to hit it back. His attention deviated toward Monoma and he focused on the eccentric blond from class B. They appeared to be having a conversation, well, a one-sided one, as Izuku was being careful of Monoma's copy quirk.

On the screen beside it, I could see the rest of the team struggling against the coordinated attacks of class B.

I had no idea how this fight would turn out in the end.

I watched attentively at Izuku and Monoma, and something felt off when I saw the greenette's expression. He seemed to be in sudden pain.

Then it happened.

Katsuki tensed in my arms and my breath hitched when I saw those black tendrils spurting out of his arm. That seemed like a complete independent quirk from One For All...

"One for All... Its a quirk passed down from user to user through generations, accumulating power and getting stronger to save people from danger, is a quirk made to stop All For One, young (L/n); One For All connects all of us and responds to the calls of help."

All Might's words echoed in my head, and my mind started working, fast.

If One for All is a quirk passed down through generations, a quirk that gets stronger with each new user and as time goes on, could it be possible that it retains something from each predecessor? Wasn't there a study, about blood cells containing memories? Quirk factors are part of the DNA structure, so it's not entirely impossible, is it?

Have all the One For All users been quirkless before? Like All Might and Deku?

Because if they weren't, then that means...

My train of thought stopped when I caught movement out of the corner of my eye, and I saw All Might rushing over to Aizawa and Vlad King. He seemed tense and anxious as if he knew something was wrong with Izuku. And he probably knew, he knew more than any of us. More than Izuku himself even.

Izuku had said his quirk felt fine, even after what happened at midnight, but those black tendrils said otherwise. What changed?

Just what fuck is One for All, exactly?

My hand reached down to hold Katsuki's forearm, pulling him closer to me, tightening my grip as I watched the screens, worried and honestly, a bit scared.

++++

In case y'all don't know, one of the love interest I had planned for Paralyze before picking Bakubabe, was Monoma lol.

[igottiny]

Ateez imagine. Meeting your parents and family for the first time.

Seonghwa - Bows respectfully to your parents. Helps your mom finish cooking dinner and also helps clean up after insisting that she rest and let him handle it. Your mom is now smitten with him as well.

Hongjoong - Extremely polite to your parents and absolutely bonds with your mother when she brings out all the photo albums full of your baby pictures in them. Teams up with your dad in playfully teasing you about how cute you were when you were two. They find him just as endearing as you do to the point that even your dad is referring to him as his son by time you guys leave at the end of the evening.

Yunho - He’s polite to your family but you two often find yourselves off in your own world full of giggles and inside jokes, unintentionally ignoring your parents on a number of occasions. Not that your parents mind as they are just happy to see that you are happy and that’s all they need to approve of him. When you fell asleep on his shoulder, he pulled you closer, holding you tight. Your mother was so endeared that she told him that whenever he felt the time was right that the family heirloom engagement ring was his to give to you.

Yeosang - Earns your fathers respect after passing his interrogation I mean, interview, silly me, careful examination of his intentions with you. Has your mother fanning herself too when helps your father and brother with any heavy lifting they need help getting done around the house. Careful with your mom, I think she just fell for him harder and faster than you did.

San - Greets them respectfully but catches himself joking around with you like you’re alone at his place as the night goes on. Your father scoffs at the not entirely family friendly banter between you two only to later realize that you are a lot like your mother as your father was a lot like San when he was his age. Both of your parents discern that he means no harm as they see themselves in the two of you and know you will be just fine.

Mingi - Bows politely and is the sweetest of smiling angels. Your mom absolutely melts at the dinner table with how he praises her cooking and saying that now he knows where you get your skills and talent from. Your dad approves of this. Your sister is jealous of you but your brother has a new best friend when they start talking about all the musicians they both admire.

Wooyoung - Bows politely and tries so hard to keep himself in check. You both are rather sassy and he knows he some times gets out of hand with it. Catches himself at the last second multiple times, flushing in embarrassment and slight shameful regret at your fathers raised eyebrow or disapproving glance. Your father has his concerns yet knows you well enough to know that generally encourage that kind of behavior with your own; which he also doesn’t approve of but seeing as you two seem happy, he lets it go.

Jongho - Makes being polite and respectful his mission in life. Not that this is a particularly difficult task for him since he already is beyond his years. Your parents are actually surprised that he is as young as he is given that fact. Him making easy work of the few tasks around the house that your father solicits his help only impress them further. Your mom was quite pleased when she made his cheeks flush over a comment she made to you in a very loud whisper about how handsome she thought he was and the it was a shame she was already married.

MASTERLIST

[readerg1rl]

Your new roommate jungkook

my bff is a k-pop fan and asked me to make this 🥲👍 im doing this as best as i can cuz idk anything about k-pop or jungkook

Aaaand... there might be some typos, i did this in a hurry sooo... Yeah

Word count (only text): 4.5k

Fem!reader, friends to lovers, oral (both ways) sex p to v, hugs, lizzy kisses, kisses, degradation (only once)

18+ Minors don't interact

"FUCK YOU" you say to your roommate as you enter your shared dorm

The microwave explodes with her Bolognese spaghetti and meatballs and it is all across the room, the smell of burnt spaghetti and plastic is everywhere and you just can't take it

"You are always like this!" You shout since this is the last straw

"What do you mean?" She says almost innocently "it's not a big deal"

"Not a big deal?! The whole room smells like your damn spaghetti and burnt electronic!" You shout

"I know but-" she looks at the ground

"No buts! Im moving away to another dorm, good luck" you shout as you go to pack your stuff. You are extra mad, it looks like hot steam will come right out of your nose and ears based on how mad you are right now. You take a couple of deep breaths and try to think who will now be your roommate. Maybe you went overboard, it's not like she did that on purpose. But no, she does this all the time, maybe it's for the best.

After you pack your stuff you go out and say your final goodbyes, now comes the hard part. Finding a roommate.

You go through dozens and dozens of dorms but every dorm has ben filled, this leaves you with 2 options, go back in shame or ask your friend aka crush Jungkook.

He is tall and funny, he is a year older than you and has tattoos all over his left arm, it makes him look so cool. He likes to drink and to joke around, he smokes cigarettes and has THE sexiest wolf cut, he har multiple ear piercings and such a nice body-

"okay, the last option..." You say to yourself as you unsurely walk to his dorm.

As you get closer and closer adrenaline really sets in, why are you so scarred? Why are you sweating? Why do you walk so slow? Why did it end like this? Are all the questions you have been asking yourself, it's not like you two are going to do anything. You will just be sharing a room with him...

You knock on the door "WHAT AM I DOING" you scream in your head so nervous

He opens a door and he is wearing light grey pants and a black hoodie, a pair of headphones and a joystick. He must have played some videogames cuz he even has a popcorn on his hoodie

"oh, hey" he says taking off his headphones and puts them around his neck

"hi, I'll be quick. The microwave in my dorm room exploded so im looking for a place to stay and i was wondering..."

"you can stay at my place" jungkook replies while getting the popcorn off of his hoodie

"Really?!" Your eyes widen

"yeah, do you want me to say it in Spanish? Come in and make yourself at home" he chuckles to himself and welcomes you in

"thank you so much, i went all around campus, you were my last option"

"why the last one, do you not like me?" He makes a sad face trying to amuse you and make you feel more comfortable

You chuckle "no, no, i just-"

"it's fine, i don't care, im happy you found your solution" he smiles "i only have my bed so..."

"i can sleep on the couch, it's no problem"

"really" he says

"yeah, you are the one who lets me stay here in the first place" you smile reassuringly

"okay then. You can unpack your stuff and put it in that closet"

"okay" you head over to open it and find a half of it full of jungkook's clothes

"you can use the other half" he says approvingly

"o-okay" you nod. The closest is filled with his scent and all of his stuff is just out here, his hoodies, pants, shirts, jackets. There are drawers for underwear tho but still... the thoughts of seeing his underwear is exciting enough.

You put your stuff there and it looks tidy enough, you just can't imagine him seeing you sleep and eat and just be chill, it's too embarrassing, but still extremely exciting, i mean, what are the chances that you share the same dorm as your crush?

He gets out of his room "it looks like you already finished" he gives it a quick glance "you are really tidy" he chuckles "teach me how to be like you" he says in a joking tone

"what are you playing" you ask curiously

"some videogames" he tries to not make it a big deal

You smell some tobacco but you don't make a big deal out of it

"im going out, see ya later, roomie" he says with a chuckle and a wink

"see you later" you wave your hand at him, you are still in front of your shared closet... he wouldn't notice if you only gave a quick peak to his underwear drawer. You think as your heart beats faster, no, it doesn't feel right, but its so intimidating and, what is the worst that can happen...

"okay" you say to yourself, you open the drawer and give it a quick look "oh my-" he wears some big boxers, made of fine cotton with elastic on the top and bottom, just, perfect. You are just staring in his drawer amazed that you get to see this

He starts to enter the dorm and as soon as you hear it you close the drawer and stand up, you looked very suspicious

"i forgot my phone" he gives you a glance and a smirk as you just stand there nervously "I don't mind" he says as he goes out the door

What does it mean 'i don't mind' he doesn't mind what? Did he mean that he saw you or figured out what were you doing and told you as don't do it again, or that you can do it more? You have so many questions but you decide to definitely don't do that again and just sit on the couch and do something on your phone

About few hours later he returns and he brought a bag full of something. BEER? Is it really what you saw? It doesn't matter, he is enough responsible to do whatever he wants with his life, but why so many tho?

Few days pass and you got used to him and it seems like he got used to you, he is always trying to make you laugh and he always succeeds. The amount of beer didn't go down, not even by one can, you wonder why?

Its sunday

"Y/n, me and my friend are going to hang out, you can come with us, if you want to" he asks kindly

"i already have plans with my girls, but maybe some other time" you reply with a smile

"okay, well, see you" he waves and gets out

You wave back to him "now, what should i wear to go out with my girls?" You ask yourself, you find a really cute shorts black shorts and a cute white crop top to wear, just perfect for this hot weather.

You put it on and it looks perfect, the black shorts make your legs look just perfect, and the crop top really exaggerates your curves, perfect contrast combination.

You put your dorm key, phone and money in your pocket and head out to meet up with your girls.

The rendezvous with the girls goes well, you first went to a cafe, then to a shopping and then to eat. You return home and decide ta take a quick nap.

You wake up from the nap and see that your roommate aka jungkook iz still not here, you decide to just put some movie on the TV

He returns into your dorm, and looks over to see what are you doing "may i watch with you?" He asks politely

"yeah, sure" you reply turning your head to him but keeping your eyes to the movie

He chuckles at you "popcorn, beer?" He asks heding to the kitchen

"popcorn is fine, i don't really drink" you smile politely to which he frowns

"come on, i'll still get you one" he winks and purposely makes you blush hard

"i- i really don't drink" you reply nervously

"who do you think i bought all this beer for" he opens the fridge

"i- yourself?" You say akwardly

He comes over with few cans of cool beer and opens one for you "drink up baby girl"

“I- i really can’t, I shouldn’t” he puts the beer into your hand and nudges it towards your mouth

“come on, don’t be a coward” he says and takes a sip of his “see nothing happened now come on, y/n, y/n, y/n” he starts cheering for you to drink

“Okay… but just a sip” you say hesitantly while getting the can close to your face

“i knew that i liked you for a reason” he says with no hesitation and almost makes you spill the beer out of your mouth from shock

you swallow “what?”

“ oh i mean more than a friend… do you like me too?” he turns towards you and your body is acting on your own trying to take another sip and he just watches it go higher and higher, closer and closer to your mouth

“yeah, yeah…” you murmur looking away and finaly taking your second sip and blushing HARD

he puts a hand on your thigh and looks back to the movie “let’s watch it now”

“yeah” you are so tense, you don’t know what to do, you are giving his strong hand on your thigh small glances, you glance down every time he gently squeezes it or carefully caresses it. All of that gives you goosebumps and it kinda feels like a dream come true, but… what’s next, what is the next move?

after some time of thinking what should you do you alcohol hits in, have already drank the whole can and you could really go for another one so you put the empty one on the coffee table and open the second one as silent as you can but junkook doesn’t do anything just starts caressing your thigh more passionately as a sign of reassurance, and it works, your sips are more comfortable and it even slowly starts to get you drunk, drunk enough to be easy to control but still on your right mind

“You are so cute” he says cocky while looking at you right in the eyes with pure passion and a little playfulness in his voice

“you are cute too” you say trying to sound confident accepting his game

“do you think that i could get a kiss on the cheek?” He got really bold, but you are as bold as him

“of course baby” you tease him and cup his cheek, you make sure to give him a really good kiss on the cheek

“i wonder how would that kiss feel on my lips” he got almost too bold and not that you would do it if you weren’t drunk, it would just be psychically impossible, i mean, to kiss jungkook? No way

“you wanna find out, cutie” you wink, you are feeling bold and unstoppable, you also try to be a bit cocky and it does make a tent in his pants. You kiss him, it feels amazing.

you open your mouth a bit making a little of a gap between your teeth and he puts the palm of his right hand on the back of your head and left hand around your hips gently pulling you closer and making his way into your mouth. You try not to gasp and moan but the way he tastes you and savour all of your taste like its something that he will never taste again makes you moan and gasp anyways. He swallows all of your moans and gasps with his grunts, the wet sounds of your wet lips and tongues fill the room air with passion and desire, desire for something more.

the kiss finally breaks and he takes of his shirt “let’s have some fun” it seems like he got turned on by you and your amazing kiss, that’s a plus but it still makes you blush and feel bit awkward because… seeing him without a shirt, i mean, his muscles and abs and chest and biceps and his arms… it makes you go crazy in your head, he is built like a god, you imagine your hands flowing freely from his chest to his abs, to his chest again and his strong biceps as he gently moans or grunts and squirms udder your touch of a feather

“your turn” he says with a cocky grin, he seems really mischievous tonight. He watches carefully as you hesitate to take off your crop top off leaving you in your silky baby pink bra

“here you ho” you blush

“all of it” he demands playfully

“you really look desperate to see me bare” you try to act dominant “i mean, look at your eyes… full of desire like a dog staring at a treat” with that you take off your bra off and reveal your beautiful big and round breasts

“oh my-” he blushes at the sight, and with that all of his confidence leaves his body, time to show him who is the dominant one

"aren't you a cute one, don't be shy... i mean, you asked for it first, use your chance" you say as his fingers slowly but surely find their way to one of your breasts, his precise fingers gently travel to your nipple tracing circles around it, he then slowly cups your breast and squeezes it, it doesn't feel real, your crush, jungkook touching you and you know that he won't stop just here, when he does something he does it till the end and makes sure that he is fully satisfied.

"don't be shy" you say with a cocky grin and a big blush spreading across your cheeks and ears

He first lifts his head nod moving eyes from your cupped breast then his eyes slowly find way to your eyes, you made him blush so hard and he looks so cute

"i know but... i mean- yeah, you're right" he then takes a big breath and puts his other hand on your other breast trying to look more confident, he starts fondling slowly

"is this okay?" He asks trying to make this more comfortable for both of you

"It's fine but... you really shouldn't hold back when i tell you so" you say trying to get to him, you like being dominant but you also like the male to be dominant too. It is fun to rule him but it's even more fun to not know what comes next and just feel more, this should be fun, not stressful

"why are you scared, i won't bite, i won't tell..." you look a bit worried for him, you were once friends whit his now ex girlfriend and she said that he is never afraid to ask or do in bed, you just couldn't understand if you went wrong somewhere or if you went overboard

"i just never imagined that i would be with you" what does it mean with you?

"what do you mean?" You ask bit unsure

"i just had a huge crush on hou even before you moved into my dorm so... you being here with me is amazing and i am a bit scared of doing something wrong because im scared that you will not like me anymore" he confesses it all wich leaves you in shock

"i understand but... i won't look at you any differently i-... if i didn't wanna do this i wouldn't have taken off my shirt"

"yeah, alright" he gets confident, more confident than you imagined he would

You nod in reassurance and he then pauses the movie and scoops you up, he brings you bride style to his room and lays you down to his bed

He gets over you and starts fondling your breasts with more force and desire, he becomes more passionate with pinching your nipples with his middle finger and thumb, rolling them and flicking and pressing with his index finger, he does it like he want to squeeze those moans and gasps out of you

You try to hold them back and it kind of works but then he lowers his mouth to one of your sensitive nipples and gently starts to suck on it and it makes you squirm and moan, even making you gasp at some points

But like that wasn't enough, he starts nibbling on it and flicking it with his tongue making you moan and squirm, gripping his hair by the roots and holding it in place while wrapping your legs around his strong hips. Your head drops back in pleasure and your eyes roll to the back of your head, he seems to be really enjoying this because he doesn't miss a chance to make eye contact with you

Every Time you check up on him by lifting your head you find his eyes looking deep into yours while not letting your bud go out of his mouth

He finally stops teasing your bud with a mischievous grin that makes you blush harder than you already are and looks you in the eyes, slowly lifting himself once again and giving your breasts few firm squeezes, slapping one for the end

"good girl, you moaned loud and clear like a slut... I like that" he says without any shame in his voice

He goes closer to your face and goes over to your ear "do you wanna keep going baby girl" after that he starts gently nibbling on your earlobe, so this means when his ex told him that he doesn't hold back. Even though he was kind of harsh it may stimulated a bit of degradation kink and little bit of a praise kink

"mmm~ yes my love, of course" you reply with slight desire in your voice and desperation in your voice too

"Splendid" he chuckles and goes lower moving his head close to in-between of your thighs, slowly lifting one and then kissing it going higher and softly nibbling on your other inner thigh

"look how wet you are already" he groans while sliding his fingers over your drenched clothed folds, slowly teasing it with his fingers precisely going up and down and then up and down again tracing circles around your clothed clit looking really carefully at your reactions, listening to every moan and every gasp like a melody yet to be finished

he finally finishes and takes off your panties but not your skirt, he likes to tease you

he moves his head in between your thighs and starts working with his mouth, as the skirt covers his head completely you have to only imagine what is he looking under it as your head falls back and eyes roll to the back of your head as you moan loudly in pleasure

he first gently kisses your slides then kisses your clit then gently sucks on it, then kisses it again, he then traces circles around your clit and licks your pussy from bottom to top slurping all of your juices, he then continues licking and sucking for quite some time making sure that every movement pulls at leas a gasp from your drooling in pleasure mouth

your hips move up and down trying to press harder on his face in need of more friction, in need of more pleasure, soon enough he realizes that just the licks around your clit and licks over your wet folds aren't enough so he tries to insert his tongue as much as possible inside your dripping pussy to taste more of you and your beautiful juice and feel you clench around his tongue as you are nearing your first orgasm of the night

he gently puts his teeth around your swollen but and gently nibble it, flicking it with his tongue making you go crazy in pain and in pleasure

"I'm close, fuck" you moan loudly as you enter a phase of holding your orgasm in

"go all out on me princess" he groans as your words make him go harder and faster with his godly work of his mouth not holding back and not letting his tongue fail him

"no" you shout in a moan "stop first" you shout desperately in need for release, but you don't want to come all over you

"I wont leave your pussy alone till you cum" he grunts working even faster and more aggressively and finally making you cum as he swallows all of the magical potion that comes right out of your pussy with a wet slurp at the end

he slowly rises his head from your sensitive pussy and looks at you with a wide grin spreading across his wet face

"how did you like it princess" he asks with a cocky tone but you are just now starting to come down from your high and realize what you have done, and as soon as you realize it you hug him tight

"don't do that to me ever again" you say with a chuckle

"don't worry, you were amazing, and I must say" he licks his lips and wipes some sweat and cum off his face "your pussy tastes delicious"

you blush a lot and reply in a bit embarrassed tone "thanks" avoiding eye contact and staring down

"look..." he says scratching the back of his head "I made you feel good so I think that it's a time for little repay, don't you think?" he grins

"how should i do that" you ask almost expecting his answer

"blow me" he demands

"um... okay" you reply nervously "so... do you want me to do it while you stand or lay down?" you ask bit nervous

"while I stand, ok?" he slowly starts to get off his bed and takes off his pants standing only in his boxers "now..." he stands next to his bed and points right in front of him "on your knees" he demands as you get off the bed, then stand in front of him, then get on your knees

you take off his boxers as you see his huge dick spring right out of them with even a little pre-cum leaking out of it

you start giving him small kisses over his tip an his slit not knowing how to start, you lick the pre-cum off his tip and slowly start taking him in and out of your mouth

he locks his fingers on the back of your head holding you by your hair and gently rocking his hips back and forth for more depth

you try to get as much of him in your mouth as possible but he is just too big, so h takes matters into his own hands and starts holding your head in place while trying to put all of him in you, he gags you and puts him whole in your mouth and even chokes you for a few seconds but that doesn't seem like enough for him

"on the bed" he commands in so much neediness in his voice that makes you just obey as he takes off your skirt

he puts your legs over his shoulders and lines up against your entrance before quickly thrusting into you completely ignoring your waits and don'ts he is jus too much in need to care right now

he enters your pussy without any warning completely stretching you open and making you adjust to his big size, he goes fast and hard on you, pulling it all the way out and quickly slamming it all the way in as you clench around him every time he hits your g-spot

you cry in pleasure every time he rocks into you holding on to the bed sheets for your dear life but then he goes so fast, e gripped his sheets too and goes to fast to hold back

his needy grunts escaping his mouth every time he feels your pussy and inner walls clench around him make him go faster even more making you cry and drool in pleasure trying so hard not to pass out from over stimulation of his neediness he is inflicting on you

and without any warning with a final grunt and thrust his cum fills your pussy to the top, coating your burning inner walls white as you moan in a bliss as he does a few more thrusts to slowly get off his high

he slowly pulls out after a literal minute of keeping it in and watches you drip his fresh and warm cum on to his sheets and laying down motionless in a bliss

"oh shit- I'm sorry" he says bit worried by seeing you in this state "can you stand?" he asks and makes you try to get off the bed to get you to the shower but your legs are too weak and you just fall to the ground, struck by gravity

he quickly buts you back to bed apologizing, he puts a chair into his shower and scoops you up placing you don on the chair and washing you giving you many warm kisses on your cheeks and lips and forehead and nose

when he finishes up he just puts you into your pjs and makes you wait a bit on the sofa to clean up the mess in his room

"you can sleep with me in my bed" he says extending his arm to you which you take

you two end up cuddling in his bed, he is the big spoon and he is just hugging all of you as you are pressed against him and his strong chest and muscles

he pets your hair

'you are the most wonderful girl I know" he says sweetly with a warm tone "I love you"

" I love you too" you kiss him and he kisses you back and it starts off with him gently moaning against your lips and biting and nibbling on your juicy lower lip, then you nibble on his lower lip and realize that he left his mouth relaxed and bit opened so you try to insert your tongue into his mouth and start tasting him slowly, little by little

in a moment out of surprise he opens his eyes just a bit to see your face as you work your thing in his mouth, and he accepts it, he closes his eyes again and tries to work his way to your mouth and there you two are caught in the most breath taking kiss ever, you two express all your love over this exact kiss as the light moans and slurps of saliva and the feeling of pure passion fill the room

"I love you" he says as you two finally break the kiss somehow

"I love you too" you reply nuzzling your head into his chest hugging him tight as possible

he just pats your head as you two both slowly drive off to sleep

[acacia-may]

Could I have 13 for the ask game please?

Thank you so much, Greta! 💐 I'd love to answer this question from the writing excerpt ask game for you. Apologies in advance for the ramblings 😅

13. A excerpt of my writing that helped me understand a character better

(Warnings: Discussions of childhood trauma and abuse. Black Clover spoilers)

I write a lot of character studies, but the scene that immediately came to mind when I saw your ask was the flashback sequence I wrote in "Breaking the Cycle" depicting the first time that Langris presented with and ever used his magic.

This whole story was actually written because a friend of mine irl had been asking me some genuine questions about why/how I thought Langris was abused. Emotional and psychological abuse is often extremely subtle, and we spend so little time in Langris's POV in the canon that there is some reading the lines that must be done on the part of the reader/watcher to really see and understand that he's also a victim of House Vaude, just in a different way than Finral. Writing that story and especially that flashback scene was kind of my attempt at showing what I think it was like for Langris to grow up in that very toxic environment.

While he didn't suffer the same kind of abuse as Finral, he suffered in his own way. I think that depriving a child of unconditional love (whether that be by flat-out rejecting them like Finral or making them "earn" love like Langris) is one of the most horrible things a parent can do to their child--it causes lasting problems that stick with someone long into adulthood, like an empty space in their heart that they'll constantly be trying to fill. Finral tries to fill it with flirting/validation from romantic relationships and Langris tries to fill it with achievements, but it's a similar wound for both of them.

It was very painful but really interesting to try to get into Langris' head and really see House Vaude from his eyes. I think it gave me a much deeper understanding of his character and everything that he had gone through.

This is a very long portion of that flashback sequence, but I had trouble cutting it down beyond this. I've put it under the cut because of the warnings for heavy subject matter, childhood trauma and abuse, and spoilers for Black Clover

“The Noble House of Vaude has produced the premiere spatial mages of the Clover Kingdom for centuries,” their father continued, towering over Finral intimidatingly and glaring at him with a look that lingered ominously like a heavy, dark cloud before a thunderstorm. Langris swallowed hard and something twisted in his stomach. “This worthless excuse for magic is an embarrassment to this family.” 

Turning away abruptly with a sharp wince, Langris shut his eyes. He swallowed hard as he felt his mother’s hand on his shoulder. When he turned to look at her, her face said what it always did: you have to do better. He knew this—had known it ever since Finral had presented with a magic power that only brought their parents shame, frustration, and disappointment—the only problem was he didn’t know if he could. He stayed awake at night hiding under the covers and trying to make the type of portals that his parents wanted but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t use magic of any kind. He wasn’t sure which would be worse: having magic like Finral’s or having no magic at all. He didn’t want to find out.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…” Finral apologized again. His shoulders were trembling as his wavering voice grew softer, smaller. Langris’ hands began to shake as he watched the tears well up in his brother’s eyes. “I…I just don’t want to hurt anybody…”

“Useless coward! You’re a disgrace to this House,” bellowed their father. He huffed. “The humiliation—one son with such worthless magic and another who hasn’t shown any ability at all…” Feeling his father’s attention falling on him, Langris shuddered and recoiled. His insides were twisting, and he was torn between desperately wanting to run away and hide and being unable to move.

“Langris is still very young,” intervened his mother. “I’m sure he’ll present with a very powerful magic any day now.” Langris stared down at the ground under the weight of his mother’s tightened grip and pointed stare which warned louder than any words: you had better.

Langris’ toes curled up tightly in his shoes. He felt like he was going to be sick.

Finral turned to look at him with teary eyes, but he tried to smile at him slightly. “Let me try again…” he said wiping his eyes and taking a step nearer to Langris, stepping in between him and their parents, before trying to make another portal. It shined and shimmered in front of him before flickering and disintegrating. Langris had always thought it was remarkable that his brother could make something like that, when all Langris could ever do was stare at his empty hands desperately willing the appearance of portals that never came. Their parents, however, were always unimpressed.

“Pathetic,” scoffed their mother.

Their father frowned irately before shaking his head. “They’re getting even worse. Utterly worthless. You don’t deserve to call yourself a Vaude.”

Finral hunched over—seemingly curling into himself, and his eyes welled with tears again as he choked out a barely audible apology. “I’m sorry…”

“You incompetent good-for-nothing!” Their father glared at him. “And now you’re crying?” he scoffed in incredulous disdain at the tears that streamed down Finral’s cheeks. “As if it isn’t your fault that you’re wielding such ineffectual magic, you blubbering idiot.”

Finral sniffled and tried to wipe his eyes apologizing profusely, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry…I’m trying…I just can’t—” Whack. Langris flinched at the horrible slapping sound of his father’s hand striking Finral’s face and his brother’s painful whimpering.

“I told you to stop your whining and excuses!” their father thundered. Langris clinched his trembling hands into fists. His chest felt tight and heavy. Stop it. Make it stop. He desperately pleaded internally to someone…anyone…as tears poured down Finral’s face and he frantically and hopelessly tried to wipe them away as their father raised his hand again.

Langris’ heart beat faster and faster and his stomach warped and coiled into knots—a weight building up inside him too heavy for him to bear. His knees buckled, and he un-clinched his fists. Stop it. Stop! St…

Crash. Boom. Thud. A bright burst of blue collided with the nearby gazebo sending pieces of wooden debris flying. The world seemed to stop as the roof caved in and the structure collapsed on itself.

“Woah…” whispered Finral with wide eyes, but their parents were stunned into silence. Tears prickled in Langris’s eyes, and his heart was pounding so rapidly he was sure it was going to beat out of his chest. His whole body trembled as his father turned towards him, and he shut his eyes tightly flinching in anticipation of his father’s rage.

“That is spatial magic worthy of House Vaude,” said his father. His head reeling, Langris opened one eye in blinking disbelief.

“What wonderful power, Langris!” his mother exclaimed placing a hand on his head.

Langris blinked at them. Was this it? Was this the magic his parents so desperately wanted—the magic that somehow he possessed? It almost seemed too good to be true.

“I…the gazebo…” Langris began quietly and apologetically still completely bewildered by his parents’ reaction.

“We’ll have the servants clean it up,” answered his father dismissively before he turned his attention away from Langris to his brother. “Finral,” he began, and Finral looked up almost hopeful but his face fell immediately as his father said, “You would do well to wield your magic like Langris. You wouldn’t want the shame of being shown up by your younger brother again, would you?”