#and now i chose to put them aside once i felt somewhat full
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jonny-b-meowborn · 2 years ago
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Y'know I expected this to happen but I think my food binging issues are just disappearing pretty much on their own. Like, while I was still at school and living in dorm, I wasn't eating much most of the week. We didn't get good quality food in my dorm so I had to skip meals a lot, I didn't always have the money to buy myself food to school so I didn't eat anything between breakfast and going back from school, and most of the time I didn't eat any snacks for a bunch of reasons. So, when I went back home for the weekends my body kinda needed more food after being low-key hungry all the time, which lead me to binging food almost every weekend for at least two years. And I expected it to get better after I move out of dorm and back to my home, since here I have constant access to food, and an easier access to snacks, so I won't have those times of constant hunger that I need to make up for. And it's been about a month since I moved back home, and it's already better. It got worse for the first week or so, but it's better now. For example, I bought a bag of chips and instant noodles a few days ago, planning to eat them in one sitting. I didn't even open them on the same day, I ate the noodles a day after I bought them, and then today I opened the chip bag and at one point felt full and just. Put them away. Didn't force myself to finish the entire bag as usual. Just decided I'm good and I can eat it later, or maybe even tomorrow. It's a very small thing but I'm really happy about it
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daisyandbilly · 2 years ago
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Let’s talk about episodes 4, 5, and 6 of Daisy Jones & the Six! This is kind of late because I have written and re-written this review 8 times.
(Spoilers galore — do not continue reading if you don’t want to be spoiled)
Let’s start with the good! Immersion. Episode 4’s house party was what I’ve been waiting for in terms of set and scenery. The smoky rooms, the people, the noise, the outfits, the wood paneling of the house. I think the house party will forever be a favorite part of this series for me. It was a happy addition. Although it didn’t exist in the book, Camila bringing Daisy into the fold and getting Billy to put aside his ego for the sake of his art and the band was great. She saw the potential of them and orchestrated a thing of beauty. Lots of mess but also beauty! Seeing the band interact outside of a strict music setting was a joy. Can we get more of that?! Daisy holding Julia: chills. Another full circle moment, they’ve always been somewhat connected.
I still don’t like that Daisy didn’t actually have a career until she met the Six but their first performance was great. Billy’s annoyance, Daisy’s false bravado, her crashing the stage after the first song, The Six’s excitement. All so good. Camila clocking Billy for his rudeness during the interview. So good!
I have zero notes for Simone thus far, she has been a delight to watch and I can’t wait to experience her New York disco days.
I loved everything about Karen and Graham’s little surfing side quest, down to the car his… girlfriend(?) was driving — i want it! When she pulled him inside of the house my eyes popped out of my head lmao. Karen jokingly using her jealousy to shame the poor girl for her love of Barry Manilow threw me off a liiiitle. It wasn’t a huge issue at all, it’s just that in my head she would’ve been too cool to say that, girls girl and #girlboss and all.
These episodes were some of my favorite so far. The tension and initial anger and the music were great. I love understanding the context of songs and this was so special. More Fun to Miss and Regret Me truly hit even deeper if that was possible. Watching Billy and Daisy go back and forth when writing the album felt very frustratingly satisfying. It’s such an important chunk of the book and I wouldn’t have minded it playing out a bit longer but I’m unsure if that’s because I still feel thrown off by the pacing of the show. We only have four episodes left.
Now let’s get to the elephant in the post. Unfortunately I have been spoiled left and right while running this blog. I knew about the kiss (and a few other changes that I won’t spoil, don’t worry.) And as much of a fangirl moment that I had during it (I still gasped and leapt from my chair), when it was over… I was left scratching my head. The excruciating what-if aspect that looms over the book has been replaced with a handful of cliches. There is no guessing or later revelation, it’s all been laid out.
I hate that I agree with the critics again, I swear I never thought that would happen, but once Billy initiates the kiss a lot of the plot has been stripped of its nuance. This is now a show about a very real love triangle. I know things must change for adaptations and they really wanted to lean into the Fleetwood Mac aspect of the band’s relationships but something about the dynamic between these characters is off especially this version of Camila and Billy as we continue with the season. We’re supposed to feel love and instead it’s translating as obligation.
Book Billy’s faithfulness to Camila after he got sober is what he held onto with a vice grip. And although he loved her and emphasized that he chose her above all else, the weight of temptation everyday constantly crushed and guided most of his decisions when he was with Daisy. They were magic onstage because it was where they could be together and burn all that pent up energy. Daisy replaced his addiction and because of that she was the temptation he never fully lost himself in because of what happened the first time. Watching them together on stage was meant to be akin to the dynamic of The Civil Wars. Profound longing mixed with unbridled inhibition and the sadness of the reality of their situation.
Here he’s already given into the temptation that he was supposed to ultimately struggle with when he made a decision at that bar in Chicago. And once Daisy vocalizes her anger/hurt at him bringing Camila to the Aurora cover shoot, the triangle has been solidified. This feels like an affair, just one that didn’t have enough gas to take off. I understand the idea of and see the tweets about conflicting point of views and unreliable accounts (due to who is interviewing them) and while I agree (I do!), that just doesn’t hold up here. Daisy’s shame that Billy rejects her after she kisses him is meant to get her on the path to running away to Thailand, marrying Niccolò and falling deeper into addiction. The idea of her leaving because of the same Rolling Stone article that she exposed Billy for is ??????? And seeing Camila here being relegated to a wife standing by her man cheating a second time as long as he doesn’t love Daisy is so… weird. Not even a little fling with Eddie could even the score but honestly good for her! (this is meant to replace that “lunch” with Greg/Gary Egan that happens in the book). I hope they don’t turn Camila into a placeholder; just another obstacle for Daisy and Billy to endure especially now that they’ve chosen to shorten the age gap between the interviews because that would be depressing.
Do I still love these characters? Absolutely. The show is doing a wonderful job of capturing a lot of emotions and I can not emphasize enough how much I love this cast. I know these are deeply flawed characters and they eventually experience the consequences of their actions and selfishness but we’re still supposed to be rooting for them. I do think they’ve forgotten to slip a few redeeming qualities for Billy in tho 👀.
Rating ⭐️ — 4 out of 5
24 hours later and Im still going back and forth with this rating lol
Also why Greece? Nothing wrong with that change, just curious
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chironshorseass · 4 years ago
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hello yes i’m OBSESSED with your writing so if you’re still taking prompts maybe “please look at me” bc i also have an unhealthy relationship with pre-tlo percabeth angst and live for pining percy
SYD U GAVE ME THIS AND I JUST HAD TO PUT ALL MY PROMPTS ASIDE!!! because how could i not!!!
for what i wrote, i kind of mention this clarisse one-shot.
anyway enjoy <3, since I sort of went crazy with percy being powerful :) like i always do :) and of course, pre-tlo percabeth :)
read on ao3
The waves had grown restless these past few days. Violent, brutal. The night was quiet, the moon hidden beneath darkened clouds, drenching the camp in heavy ink. Percy knew many demigods proclaimed it as the quiet before the storm. They couldn’t have been more wrong.
All he heard was noise.
He’d been like this—unsteady, overwhelmed—for some time, now. Everywhere he went, he felt like a ship sailing into giant waves, water crashing against his deck, threatening to bring him under.
Grover would’ve understood, maybe. But Grover, like the moon, had vanished. That only left a few of his other friends—and of course—Annabeth.
Percy couldn’t avoid her gaze, no matter how much he wanted to. She was always there, watching. Maybe she awaited the day when he’d sink to the power of those waves that plagued the beach, that plagued him. Maybe she anticipated with bated breath on the day when he’d turn sixteen and he’d have to make one decision that would change everything.
Nevertheless, she’d drift away from him. Then come back, again and again.
It drove him crazy, how much their relationship had changed with the times and circumstances. Only now, Annabeth wasn’t what bothered him.
His gut was.
It tightened and loosened, the same way the currents flowed to the rhythm of his rushing blood. He could hear that now, too.
His blood. The sea. The clashes against rock.
Everything was beating to a powerful symphony of drums.
But worst of all was his gut.
Something had gone terribly wrong.
Percy knew there was a war. He had nightmares about it, in fact. Nightmares leading to frantic waking-ups from the feeling of lava burning into his skin. But he hadn’t sensed the war’s presence so strongly in all his three years of attending camp as he did now—and he felt it, because the source of conflict had to do with the sea.
The shadows of cabin three clung to his skin in a comfortable blanket, but he couldn’t ignore this dread. It had trickled patiently into his system for a week now, culminating to this exact moment. He couldn’t sit still. He had to leave. Now.
Not long after stumbling outside while shoving his armor on did he hear the conch horn ringing as a warning. The lookouts had seen something. His legs moved faster.
Doors of other cabins began to smash open, and with it came the spilling of panicked campers. He was already way ahead of them, though.
“To the beach!” someone cried.
Percy arrived just in time to see Chiron assemble with Michael Yew and Austin Lake. The sons of Apollo. They’d apparently been the ones on night duty. The centaur saw Percy before the others made out his heavy footfalls.
“Percy,” Chiron said. “Thank the gods you’re here.”
“There’s something,” he gasped, doubling over once he’d reached them. “There’s something out there,” he finally managed to say, gulping mouthfuls of air. “The sea.”
They already knew, however. The conchorns were signal enough. But what was more obvious was the glimpse of the giant tail, jutting out of the water like a spear cutting through flesh.
The breath he’d managed to find from his mad dash was stolen away at the sight of the monster.
“Yeah,” Austin said, swallowing. “There’s something out there, alright.”
Chiron eyed Percy warily. “My boy. We are dealing here with something I fear that you are only capable of stopping.”
“Yeah, well...it looks like a pretty big fish. I—”
A howl punctured the atmosphere—probably the same sea monster he’d seen earlier. Percy gasped, feeling a stabbing jolt in his stomach. He didn’t know why this sudden change of the sea was affecting him so, but he had to stay strong. So he stood up straight and concentrated on his breathing.
“Are you alright?” Austin asked, studying him.
Percy looked at Chiron, who met his eyes as well. You have to be, his teacher seemed to say.
“I...I think so.”
Michael chose the moment to turn his back on the sea, blowing the conchorn once more. He shouted at the incoming campers, “Greek fire! We need Greek fire!”
The rest of the multitude showed up right away, Hephaestus kids priming canons while others exchanged weaponry. Through all of it, Percy’s gut became a pressure cooker, a fist closing around glass, about to break. He cried out in agony just as a tidal wave shook the world. Falling to his knees, his arms encircled his middle, muffling that pain. He wanted nothing but to make it stop.
He vaguely heard a sound of surprise, coming from someone nearby, then the rush of hands holding onto his shoulders. They helped somewhat, a comfort to the madness.
The hands were warm and soothing. The voice of the person became clearer. He knew that voice. He knew those hands.
Annabeth appeared in his vision, all worry lines and pinched eyebrows. She said something to him again, but the words might’ve been ghosts; the stampeding blood behind his ears was too thunderous to make out anything else.
He closed his eyes and concentrated like he had earlier.
Sharp as a blade, his senses switched to the outside world.
“Are—are you okay?” Annabeth was saying. “You doubled over, and I…”
“No.” He opened his eyes to meet hers. They matched the storm that raged across the sea. “I—I’m not okay. I need to stop this, I need—”
“We were just discussing strategy,” she said. He was glad for the distraction she’d offered. “The Scolopendra isn’t just any ordinary sea monster.”
“The Scolo what?”
She helped him stand up, steadying him with her arms.
“The Scolopendra,” she repeated. “A child of Keto. It’s one of the biggest sea monsters in existence, and it won’t leave the camp border.”
“No shit.”
Annabeth ignored him, glancing backwards at where the monster had last been seen. “There’s no telling what it can do. There’s barely any recordings of it.” She swiveled back to him. “Chiron says that it can control the tide. It might be capable of drowning the camp if we don’t kill it.”
“I won’t let that happen.”
“I told Chiron that we needed to try my strategy first. As in, bombing it with Greek fire before we go with the last approach.”
“And what would that last approach be?”
He had some idea, but before Annabeth could speak, the creature shot out of the water, faster than lightning. He only caught a glimpse of the crayfish-like tail and rows of webbed feet before it disappeared again.
“That looks like a giant shrimp,” he declared.
A giant shrimp that was probably capable of crushing a decently-sized trireme. Shrimpzilla, he was about to call it, as a way to lighten the mood. But he thought better of it, once he saw the hard line of Annabeth’s lips as she watched the campers rev up the Greek fire.
The Scolopendra dared to peek out of the waves for the third time, giving the chance for Beckendorf to yell out an order. Instantly, canyons discharged the green substance directly towards the monster.
It roared defiantly, maybe in pain, maybe in anger. No one was sure, because as soon as the night sky lit up with green flames, the Scolopendra crashed against the water like a wrecking ball. For a moment, all was silent.
No one dared breathe.
Annabeth squeezed Percy’s shoulder. She looked hopeful, as if relieved that she didn’t have to go with the second plan.
Chiron’s tail twitched. Beckendorf held out a hand, urging the campers to wait. Some stood anticipatedly, swords ready. He saw Clarisse in the front line, her electric spear aimed at the sea and crackling with energy.
Percy sensed what was about to happen next before he heard it.
“Annabeth,” he said frantically. “Annabeth, we have to go. Now.”
“What? But—”
“NOW!”
He’d already separated himself from her, yelling at the rest of the campers to leave. They didn’t have the chance; milliseconds later, the Scolopendra appeared. It bellowed with the power of a thousand hurricanes. Many campers covered their ears.
To everyone’s horror, it had closed in on the shore, its back legs likely reaching the sand floor as it rose to its full, terrifying height. Lightning crackled, and with it, came another roar.
“No,” he muttered. “No, everyone get out!”
Too late. The monster had already spit out a million gallons’ worth of salt water.
Instinctively, Percy let out a yell and threw his hands out.
The water halted in midair, rippling like a broken mirror. It was as if time had slowed down, as if Kronos himself had been the one to interfere. But Kronos wasn’t interfering. It was all Percy—with nothing but his willpower. A bead of sweat rolled down from his temple.
Annabeth reached him just as he cried out and threw the water back to the sea with everything he had, forcing the giant shrimp to hide as well.
He caught his breath while Annabeth looked back and forth. From him to the sea, from the sea to him.
She shook her head at no one in particular. “The plan didn’t work.”
“No shit.”
Then she gazed at him again. “Thank you for doing that, Perce.”
“Yeah,” he breathed. “No problem.”
“About the second plan...”
“I have to kill it, don’t I?”
“I...maybe. But we can help—”
“It isn’t a maybe. It is a certainty,” a voice said, strong and firm.
They both turned around.
“Chiron,” Annabeth said. “How can he possibly—”
“He’s the only one capable,” the horseman said. “You know that better than most.”
Her eyes flicked to Percy. Memories flashed through his mind. A quick, burning kiss. A promise. Then, the way fire engulfed him. The call of the sea. An explosion, strong enough to wake one of the most dangerous monsters of all.
When the bombard was over, he understood. He had to face this monster alone, like he had with the telkhines.
“Okay,” he finally said.
“Okay, what?”
Chiron nodded at him, ignoring Annabeth’s question. Without glancing back, he retreated to where the rest of the demigods were watching by the sand dunes as a precaution.
“I need to face him alone,” Percy told her, once Chiron was gone.
“No! Percy, that thing is bigger than—”
“I’m the only one that can’t drown, Annabeth!” He grasped her shoulders so that she was looking directly at him. “If anyone can do it, it’s me.”
“Don’t think I can’t see what’s going on with you,” she said, voice bitter and rough. “You’re distant, like, like the ocean is—”
“We’re both growing distant, ‘Beth. That’s not the problem right now.”
She pushed his hands away. “And that’s not what I’m talking about, and you fucking know that!”
Before he could reply, the monster's call came again. A reminder that this night wasn’t over.
“Please. Just trust me on this, Annabeth. I have to try. It’s our last option. You said so yourself: it may be capable of drowning the entire camp.”
She said nothing, not even sparing him a glance.
“And—and I don’t know why I’m like this! Maybe it’s because I can feel the ocean getting agitated, or because the war is getting worse, or—”
He realized it, then. Annabeth's tears. They were silent rivers, flowing gently down her cheeks and into her mouth. Flowing down to where everything ended up, to the sea.
“Hey,” he said, approaching her slowly. He took both of her hands in his, but she repelled away from his touch. “Please, ‘Beth.”
This time, he cupped her damp cheek, moving it in his direction. “Please look at me.”
And when she finally obliged, her gaze was fractured with glistening tears, like diamonds.
“I can’t lose you again,” she whispered.
Percy had yearned for too long; he let go of that rope tugging him in the opposite direction and instead let Annabeth in. They melted into each other, both shamelessly giving away the little warmth they preserved. It was the kind of hug that felt like a lifeline, the kind that made them both sway like the tide.
“I missed you,” he mumbled into her curls.
She held him tighter. “I missed you, too.”
“But I have to fight this one myself.”
Annabeth pulled away slightly—and when he saw the look on her face—he knew that she knew.
-
“HEY, SHRIMPZILLA!”
The Scolopendra reared its head, even uglier up close. Its nostrils flared with hairs, beady eyes staring down at him. When he charged, the monster bellowed and threw itself in the water, sending sprays taller than a house.
But none of it touched Percy.
He didn’t stop running, a plan in mind. Meanwhile, the sea churned around him in one giant mass of power, but it parted with each step he took, forming a trail of now exposed ocean floor. Water collided with the sky, flying with the salt in the air.
Hello, friend, it seemed to say. Or rather, hum. The sea was a song, and he was just there to dance to its melody.
The Scolopendra had disappeared again.
He didn’t look back, though he knew the entire camp was there, watching—maybe in awe, but he didn’t care enough to find out. He kept walking, alone, surrounded by a pool of green and blue. Was this how Moses felt, In those stories he’d heard? Bricks of ocean water, flinging up into the sky, just so that Percy could pass. The feeling distracted him from the objective.
That’s what he’d argue later, because Percy can’t explain how the monster managed to sneak up to him that easily.
The pool of green seemed endless. There was a moment where nothing moved, not even the water. But then something did tug him violently, up, up into the sky.
For a second, he couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t scream out, the breath stolen from his lungs and the icy rush of air when flung into the sky nauseating. The only feeling he knew was of the Scolopendra and its death grip on his entire body.
With each second, the roiling waters grew farther and farther away. The Scolopendra’s growl, however, couldn’t have sounded closer. Sharp claws sank into his chest and arms. If he didn’t react now, he’d be eaten before the next flash of lightning struck the sea.
Somehow, he managed to uncap Riptide.
And with a scream, he stabbed, as hard as he could.
-
“Hey. Want company?” A soft voice said.
He craned his neck around.
Annabeth subconsciously made the world easier to look at. Especially now, as she stood behind him in the pier with the last vestiges of harsh sun striking her back. Her stance was stiff, hesitant. He understood why.
So instead his eyes bored into his lap. He shrugged.
That was a sign enough for her. She crouched next to him, pulling her legs under herself and then flinging them out to where the wooden planks ended and the open air began, toes nearly kissing the placid lake.
She sat next to him, quiet as the wind. It took a few seconds or minutes or hours before she decided to speak.
“I’m sorry.”
From his peripheral vision, he could tell that she’d been studying him instead of watching the reflection of herons flying above the water. Something he’d thought she’d been doing. Apparently not.
It also took him seconds or minutes or hours before he could respond.
“What for?”
She exhaled, “Letting you go alone. Being a part of the campers who…”
She didn’t finish that sentence. He knew why.
Being a part of the campers who abandoned you alone after what you did.
“S’okay. I get it.”
A lie. He didn’t get it.
“Doesn’t make it right.”
He stared at his hands. “Guess not.”
The details of the fight were yet to go away. The memories were still fresh—like his mother’s batch of cookies whenever he came home from camp. Teeth were ever-present in his mind. And those webbed hands. Those twisted sounds as a monster choked on its own blood.
Afterward, everyone had taken a step back. Even Annabeth and Chiron seemed to contemplate him as though he were doomed. Maybe he was.
“I wish Grover were here.”
“Yeah,” Annabeth sighed. She kicked her leg up, swatting at some mosquitos. “Me too.”
“He’d pull our shit together, fix everything.” He found himself sounding wistful, longing for a missing piece of himself all of a sudden.
She didn’t reply to that. They both missed their best friend. Now, more than ever. Percy tried to not dwell too much on the fact that Grover hadn’t responded to his Iris Messages or to his calls from their shared empathy link.
“I’m sorry.”
“You already said that.”
“No, Percy. I’m serious.”
“I know.”
“Just look at me.”
He did the opposite, gazing at the trees to his left. They were a deep, mystical green. The colors looked like the ocean, where he’d displayed his powers for everyone to see. Worst mistake of his life. He realized that tears had begun to form in his eyes; he quickly blinked them away.
“Percy,” Annabeth insisted.
Her tone wasn’t hash or demanding—but rather, a light pink sky. A hand brushing his, sweet and tender. He noticed that it wasn’t just his imagination; glancing down, he found her fingers ghosting against his knuckles.
“Please look at me.”
This was eerily familiar. It hit him, then, that he’d said those exact words when she’d panicked about him going alone to fight the Scolopendra.
Hesitantly, his eyes focused on her face. Her freckles were there, golden like the rest of her. Only now, her eyes were rimmed with tears.
Something changed inside them both. She stared at him, he stared at her. Her face contorted, and the both broke down, crumbling like ruins with the slightest gust.
“I’m so sorry,” she sobbed, clinging to his shirt.
“Me too,” he murmured back.
He held unto her as if she were a life force, breathing in her lemony scent. Tears were exchanged, mingling in the other’s hair. They held each other, an embrace that didn’t deserve to end. It only made him cry harder, while Annabeth held him closer.
“Why are you sorry?”
He couldn’t say it out loud.
I’m sorry for why we’re like this. I’m sorry for scaring you. I’m sorry for leaving.
Instead, he pulled away. He studied her, every single feature, from those grey eyes and that upturned nose to those curls that no longer appeared to look like a princess.’ They were just Annabeth’s.
“I scared you,” he said.
His arms loosened around her, just now realizing how long they’d hugged, but their hands stayed interlocked—like some sort of middle ground.
She regarded him, eyebrows furrowed. “I can’t ever be scared of you,” she said matter-of-factly. “You’re my best friend, Perce.”
He looked away. “Everyone else was.”
“I should have gone to you after—I just...I thought you were angry at me.”
Their hands separated. “Why would I be angry at you?”
“Because I let you handle all of it alone. The monster, the campers—”
“‘Beth.” He took her hands again, cupping them with his. “I couldn’t ever be angry at you.”
“That’s not true,” she said wryly.
An observation, not an accusation. Still, that didn’t make it hurt any less. He recalled the shouting, the fights. The only thing they looked for in those moments was to hurt the other, twist and pull at any chink in the armor they could find.
She winced, remembering that, too. “Sorry.”
His mouth twitched. “You’ve said ‘sorry’ too many times. It’s getting repetitive.”
She hit his shoulder playfully. “Well, I mean it.”
He didn’t retort anything back. They found peace in this lake, once again gazing at the horizon.
“It’s not true what you said, either,” he said, his mind lingering on what she’d told him earlier. “You’re scared, as well.”
The sound of the incoming crickets carried on in Annabeth’s hesitation.
That is, until she said, “I am. Scared. I’m scared.” He glanced over. She was staring in his direction, but she wouldn’t meet his eyes. She cleared her throat. “I didn’t know you could do that.”
“Neither did I.”
She laughed, breathless. “See that’s what scares me. What else can you do? Honestly?”
He shrugged, turning away from her.
“How’d you do that, anyway?”
“I defeated it, didn’t I?” It was better to deflect than to answer her question.
Defeating the monster should’ve been what mattered, anyway.
“Percy.”
“Annabeth,” he said, in the same condescending tone.
“All I’m saying is that you could hurt yourself. You don’t know what you’re capable of. And then when your birthday happens—”
“You think I’m going to destroy Olympus or something?” He shook his head. “I should’ve known that you’d side with the gods on that, too. You think that they should kill me?”
“What? Percy, I’d never—”
He whirled, facing her, and finally let go of all those pent-up thoughts that just like the sea, wouldn’t leave him alone.
“Just admit it, Annabeth! Admit that it freaked you out that I blood bended or whatever the fuck Chiron called it! Admit, that it freaked you out how I killed that monster! That I’m fucking cursed!”
“Percy Jackson, you are not—”
“Yes, I am. Why would my dad give me powers like that? Huh? Just say it with me: you’re scared—of me.”
Her eyes were red, face hard as stone. Just like her voice when she said, “Look. I just wanted to help. But if you want to sit in your self pity, then go for it! You clearly don’t need me.”
She made no move to leave, however.
Their eyes held, until the anger from both of them melted. He huffed out a breath, shoulders hunching. “We can’t ever stop fighting, can we?”
She sighed.
“Guess not.”
“I won’t do that again.”
She lifted her chin. “Why?”
“Like you said. Scared you.”
That made her purse her lips.
“You’re not cursed, Percy. You know that, right?”
She reached for his hand. It was becoming a strange routine. Finding comfort in hand holding and then dismantling it as if it never happened.
“You’re mostly right all the time, so.” He squeezed her hand. “I s’pose I’m not cursed, then.”
“I’m right most of the time?” she said, eyes twinkling.
“Okay, fine,” he conceded. “You’re right only sometimes.”
She opened her mouth in mock-offense. “Percy Jackson—”
He cut her off with his laugh, a laugh that fit with the music of the crickets. She rolled her eyes, something that he’d missed achingly, now that he saw her do it for the first time in what seemed like forever.
Scooting closer, she nudged him. “I could help you. Alongside Clarisse.”
His eyes widened. “You knew about that?”
“She’s my friend, too.”
“Of course she is,” he muttered.
Him and Clarisse...they might’ve had a rocky relationship when he’d first arrived at camp, but now, he didn’t know what he’d do without her help—without her friendship. They both understood the other in a bizzare, not very common way. She’d helped him hone in his powers, but it had yet to be something he’d wanted to admit to Annabeth. To everyone else, for that matter.
“I get why you didn’t want to tell me,” she said. “But...I do want to help. You’re my best friend, and, and I also want to spend time with you. If...that’s alright.”
“It’s alright by me.”
Annabeth gave him a look.
“Yeah, yeah. I know.” He tried for a smile. “I guess you could come along, then.”
His grin was shared with her, though her eyes were serious. “You’ll see. We’ll figure out your powers. What you can do, why you can do it, why the sea is affecting you…”
“All of it?”
She nodded. “All of it.”
They left it at that, though what they didn’t leave was the canoe pier. Not until the sun hid under the trees, spilling its ink of reds and oranges across the horizon.
The golden of the sun was replaced by the silver of the moon for the night, then it rose again for the day.
And in between, the waves lapped against the shore, constant and content. The ocean had calmed. For now.
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narrators-journal · 4 years ago
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Help from the help
Narrator, do you have a thing for these sorts of power dynamics mayhaps? Do you maybe want to get railed by Illumi while you’re his maid? Yes. Yes I do.
cw: I dunno, maids? Illumi being awkward maybe?
In total, you'd seen Illumi Zoldyck maybe five times during your time as a temporary maid for his family. Three times when you'd cleared dinner dishes, once when it had been your turn to clean his wing, so you'd been making his bed and he'd come in and ordered you to not forget to clean his bathroom too, and once when you had been putting a load of laundry into the washer and turned around to find the tall, dark-eyed assassin so close you actually ran into him a bit, he'd apparently come in to try and find out if a piece of clothing had been washed. Aside from those times, you'd hardly seen him. Despite these sparse encounters, you were rather smitten with him almost from the first time. It wasn't like he was insanely better looking than any other Zoldyck, Kikyo was very pretty, Silva was nowhere near the worst to look at, even Milluki had his charms and wasn't hard on the eyes, but something about the doll-like assassin drew you in more than the rest. Probably the unattainable aspect you mused to yourself one day as you made your way upstairs with a laundry basket full of cleaning supplies, heading to clean said son's wing of the home today. Or maybe I just have a thing for men with long hair, you continued as you went, finding the upstairs cleaning closet and fetching the vacuum as you lost yourself in your thoughts. You were spacing out pretty hard, just mulling over all of what you found attractive about Illumi, entertaining yourself with ranking which Zoldyck you'd date before the rest, stuff like that while you worked, so you didn't notice until you'd turned the corner at the end of the hall leading into Illumi's wing that you had that static-y, fuzzy feeling his aura left you with creeping up your spine. Confused, you looked around, giving a small yelp when you realized Illumi was damn near leaning over you from behind,           "Uh, s-sir??" you squeaked with wide (e/c) eyes before quickly clearing your throat and speaking again in a more composed voice "is there something I can help you with...master Illumi?" He simply stared at you, straightening at least when he had gotten your attention,             "I was wanting to ask something." He finally explained, walking around you to be in front, which helped you relax a tad bit, as at least now you weren't relying on somewhat intimate senses to gauge where he was,            "Well sir, if this is about some cleaning issue, I wasn't the one to clean your wing yesterday, that was a different maid," you chirped, using your happy demeanor to hopefully hide the filthy places your brain had shot to after his words.            "I know, I ran into the maid yesterday. I'd rather ask this of a woman closer to my age." he said flatly, and if he noticed any giveaways for your lascivious thoughts he didn't acknowledge them as he went on, "you see, father has told me I lack experience with women, and if I'm to find a wife I need to learn. So, would you help me?" he asked, making you blink, your brain temporarily screeching to a halt.         "Uh, I don't see how I could help with that, master Illumi." you pointed out, laughing awkwardly while he looked at you coldly, and you knew you might've offended him,         "(Y/n), I know very well that you are attracted to me, you more than any other maid should realize I have no trouble attracting women." and just like that, the color drained from your face. Your heart felt like someone was trying to squeeze the blood from it while you scrambled to reassure him, the task not made easier under his calculating, unreadable gaze. Finally, after a moment of floundering, you gave up and just went quiet, resigning yourself to the embarrassment of so brutally having your crush called out,           "A-alright, so...what did you need help with?" you asked, your voice somewhat quiet, which seemed to amuse or please the long haired billionaire in front of you,           "I need practice with seducing a woman, and if I am to try, I'd prefer to seduce someone I find attractive. So, I chose you." The words made your breath catch in your throat, but before you could put together the words to ask your next question, or even the power of thought required to register that last part, he spoke again, "No, I am not a virgin, I just don't have a plethora of experience, and my father says that I need more if I'm to get a wife." he explained, and you decided not to push it further or ask about why his father was concerned with the issue,           "Alright, so what do you want me to do to help?" you asked instead,           "I would like for you to let me try to seduce you. You have my permission to tell me if my attempts are off in any way," You nodded, agreeing to help the struggling assassin. After that was settled, he left you alone to continue cleaning. What followed was possibly the most awkward period in your life. True to his word, Illumi did try his best to try and seduce you over the next two weeks, and true to his word, he did need work at it. Part of you was somewhat charmed at how awkward this intimidating murderer was when it came to trying to flirt, but the rest of you lowkey wanted to be one of his hits rather than hit on for that same reason.
At first, his lines were rather cheesy, stuff that you guessed he heard his parents use or from movies, but as time went it became pretty obvious that the lines weren't exactly the issue, his delivery was.          "y'know, this might work better if you were more...expressive," you advised one day after he'd tried another miss of a pick-up line, and all you really got in response was a slow, owlish blink,          "Expressive? I'm expressive," he argued, but you shook your head,                  "You have a tendency to sound bored or uninterested when you speak, and it's currently what's making you sound so awkward...sir." you explained, and for a moment he looked a tad lost, but than hummed,        �� "What should I sound like then?" he finally asked, "Hisoka?" Your stomach dropped at the thought of Illumi trying to imitate Hisoka's way of flirting. You'd run into the brightly colored magician a few times, mostly whenever he'd stop by to be tortured for interfering with jobs, and you'd been hit on each time by the man. You didn't know if you could survive Illumi being as brash, forward, and creepy as that.          "I wouldn't suggest following his lead, but m-maybe finding a middle ground? L-like, sound more...coy? Flirtatious? But don't sound quite as...aroused, as master Hisoka does." you advised, and Illumi seemed to understand better.           "so, what if I did this," he than walked towards you, backing you to the wall of room you'd been cleaning in his wing and than caging you between his arms before leaning down so your faces were closer together before he spoke in a much more playful, husky voice, "Would you let me bed you now, (y/n)?" and you couldn't even respond. It was like he'd knocked the wind from your lungs in one try, leaving you feeling as if you were going to melt down the wall. Thankfully, Illumi inferred your answer from there and smirked a bit while his hands slid down and than around you, pulling you closer to him so you didn't have the option of sliding downwards anymore.         "I didn't expect it to be so easy to win you over, (y/n). I've only changed one thing and you're already putty." he purred, and all you could muster up was a pretty brainless reply,          "It's a pretty big...change." even in your derpy, hormone-addled state that sounded kinda dumb, but it got you a small laugh from Illumi. After that, the assassin took you by surprise and actually went in for a kiss, though he pulled away when you squeaked,          "What?"         "ah, n-nothing, just didn't expect you to...do that." you squeaked out, your body now fully aware of just how close his was, and of a small spot of pressure.        "I did say I would try to seduce you, that includes getting you to have sex with me." he pointed out, and his return to a disinterested, aloof voice did nothing to stop his words from being gasoline on a bonfire to you. So, when you couldn't form any other arguments, he kissed you again, and this time you were swift to return it. You wouldn't admit it, but you were a little surprised at just how good of a kisser Illumi was. Yes, he'd said he wasn't a virgin, but after some asking around you'd learned that he at most has has sex 4 times, all for jobs, so you were not expecting his kiss to knock you on your proverbial ass like it did. Though, you were glad to be in one of his side rooms when it did, because the way he dominated your tongue with his, and slid his hand down your back, over your ass and down your thigh to pick up your knee may have gotten a pretty inappropriate noise out of you. So, when he finally broke the kiss to step away in order to strip, you were already panting while following his lead and losing your own clothing. Once fully disrobed, he wasted no time in scooping you up and pressing you back into the wall with another kiss, letting you wrap your arms around his neck and your legs around his hips for support. Then, he set to work on getting more moans out of you. He started with pressing his body to yours, and you rewarded him with a mewl and a hip wiggle when you felt his swiftly stiffening member against your stomach, you also gasped and moaned when his lips moved from yours and down your throat, zeroing in on your sweet spot within seconds and nipping and sucking at it until you were sure to bruise. After that, you were already soaked enough for him, but he kept going, keeping you up with one hand on your ass, using the other to rub your clit and send shockwaves of pleasure through you so powerful you curse and arched your back.            "it's been a while since you've gotten off, hasn't it?" He asked, using that playful purr you'd later curse yourself for teaching him to use, but for now you just nodded. It really had been a long while since you'd had sex, if at all, but either way the way he played your body like an instrument had all other times currently beaten. That decision was set in stone when you felt him leave your clit for a moment to slip a finger inside of your already soaked cunt, giving a few testing thrusts just to make you moan again, then he pulled his hand away and instead grabbed onto your hips to lift you up more, which earned a squeal when your hips pressed more against his member on the way up. He quieted you down briefly with another kiss while your veins coursed with lightning and he lined himself up with your entrance. He pulled away just as he pushed into you, wanting to hear you whine his name as he filled you up. Once you were full, he began to move, briefly setting a slow pace, but once you were moaning more he was quick to get rougher. Pretty soon you were a mess of moans and curses, clawing into his shoulders a bit, which got you pretty mercilessly rammed into as punishment, but the pain only seemed to further feed your lust at this point, along with Illumi sprinkling in hungry kisses while he slammed his dick into you repeatedly. Though, he made sure to use one hand to hold your hips in place while the other was in your (h/l), (h/c) hair to keep you from moving up the wall or turning your head to avoid his demands for kisses. In a short time you could feel a knot in your stomach tighten, your orgasm quickly approaching. So, with one final cry of his name, you let yourself fall over the edge, Illumi soon following after. Though, part of you was a bit sad that he pulled out to spill his seed onto your stomach and not fill you up with the warm fluid, but you kept your complaints to a small whine, which earned you a look that you gauged as intrigued.          "Did you want me to come inside?" he asked, and while his voice was back to being flat, and notedly not changed by the activity he just partook in or the fact that he was holding you up, you could hear the hint of maybe surprise in it.          "A little..." you admitted with an embarrassed, breathy laugh before trying to unwrap your legs from around him so you could get dressed, but he moved his hand from your hair to your thigh, keeping it in place,          "Well than, I'll have to fix my error."
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lilfellasblog · 3 years ago
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Tolerable
Summary: Virgil's been accepted by Thomas and the famILY, even after they found out his secret. But will this be too much for them to handle? Or: Virgil has endometriosis, thinks he has to hide it, and that works out as well for him as you think it will.
A/N: If you liked this, please reblog. It is the only way to help this fic reach a wider audience.
TW: Past bullying and harassment mentioned, endometriosis, menstruation, this is a sick!fic, painful cramps, unsympathetic dark sides.
Word Count: 2351
AO3 here!
Fic Masterlist here!
Virgil groaned and curled into himself. Not for the first time, he cursed the Mindscape’s sick sense of humor for not only making him the only trans Side, but also for giving him the period from hell. After researching his symptoms and checking in the Subconscious (he tried not to think about how he could see everything in there), he had discovered he had endometriosis. It certainly explained what he’d been experiencing. He didn’t even want to think about the number of tampons and pads he burned through. Alternating ibuprofen and acetaminophen could only take the edge off so much. The websites he visited suggested some, ahem, all-natural pain remedies, but Virgil was the opposite of in the mood when he was on his period. He felt tired and dizzy and light-headed and nauseous, and he always seemed to get migraines at the same time of his period because apparently God hated him personally.
He ground a fist into his lower abdomen during a particularly painful cramp that felt like his internal organs were ripping each other in half, and kept it there until the pain subsided somewhat. He wasn’t sure why, but pressing his knuckles into the spot where he felt the most pain seemed to help lessen the severity of that particular wave.
Virgil sighed, trying to figure out if he wanted to ask the others for help. He was exhausted, having dealt with this for a day already on his own. They’d all accepted him, including Thomas (thank fuck), but he didn’t know if they wanted to deal with everything that came with him being a trans guy. Yet, now that they knew, even though he’s dealt with this on his own before, being alone feels even harder.
What if they’re grossed out? They weren’t grossed out by me being trans, they seemed sad whenever I had even asked, but this is… yeah. I don’t know, I don’t want to push it. Just as he finished that thought, an excruciating pain ripped through him. He bit his knuckle and held his breath to keep from crying out.
“Virgil? You okay in there buddy? You missed breakfast, so I brought some up if you want any,” Patton offered through the door.
Virgil had to breathe through his nose to battle his nausea at the thought of breakfast food. “Thanks Pat. I’m good, just not feeling too well. I’ll be fine in a bit.” It’ll be manageable in a few days.
“Oh honey, I’m sorry to hear that! Is there anything I can do? Would soup help?”
Actually… “Yeah, I think I might be able to handle soup.”
“One bowl of soup, coming right up!”
“Thanks Pat.”
“Anytime!”
Despite his pain, Virgil smiled fondly. He’s too good for me. Before, if he’d shown any indication that he was on his period, the consequences would be more pain, some kind of humiliation, and a nightmare sequence courtesy of Remus that always lasted so long he’d bleed over.
Virgil rode out the waves of pain, unable to concentrate enough to follow Buzzfeed Unsolved, until Patton knocked on his door again.
“Virge? I have your soup,” Patton called quietly.
“Alri-” Virgil’s voice cut off as he was bowled over by a powerful tearing sensation that left him seeing stars.
“Virgil? You okay in there? Are you hurt?” Patton called, much more loudly this time.
Shitshitshit, I can’t let him see me, he’ll know I’m in pain and he’ll ask why and then I’ll have to tell him.
“I’m worried you’re hurt or unconscious, can you answer me?”
Virgil took a few deep breaths. “I’m here,” he croaked out.
“Oh honey, you sound like you’re in so much pain! Are you okay?!”
Since he wasn’t holding his breath, a pained keen left him against his will.
“I’m coming in.”
Fuck.
Virgil tried to uncurl his body, but he couldn’t find the willpower to counter the pain. As soon as Patton caught sight of him, he quickly set the bowl of soup (with crackers and cheese, Virgil noticed) on the nightstand and rushed over.
“It’s okay, I’m here. What’s wrong? You look and sound like you’re in so much pain!”
The worst of it passed, and Virgil managed to relax his body a bit. “I’m okay, I’m… kind of used to it.”
Patton’s expression darkened. “Did they hurt you again?” he asked, voice nearly a growl.
“No, nothing like that!” Virgil quickly promised. Patton sagged in relief.
“Thank goodness.” Patton frowned. “This has happened before? Do you have a stomach bug?”
Virgil thought about lying for a brief moment, but was too scared of accidentally summoning Janus to risk it. “No…”
He cursed when Patton’s puppy dog eyes came in full-force. “Is it something bad?”
Just as Virgil was about to hedge around the answer, he felt a telltale dampness. “Uh, nothing dangerous for us since we’re Sides, but I do need to go to the bathroom.”
Patton immediately scooted aside. “Okay! I’ll be here when you get back,” he reassured.
Shit. “Thanks.”
Virgil uncurled himself from his position on the bed, then carefully made his way to the bathroom. He cleaned himself up since he had bled over a bit, changed out his pad and tampon. Just as he was about to flush away the bloody water and toilet paper, there was urgent knocking at the door.
“Virgil, are you okay?!”
Virgil was a little annoyed, but knew to rein himself in. “Yeah Pat, I’m good, just about to wash my hands.”
“Sweetie, are you sure? There’s blood on the bed.”
OH FUCK.
“Um, I’ll be out a in a minute.”
Think think think think THINK!! Okay, what can I tell him? I could just fudge the truth a little bit, but that might be too close to a lie. I could just tell him I don’t want to tell him, but he’d be so sad that I don’t trust him and he deserves better than that. Shiiiiiiiiiiit.
Realizing he’d been staring into space, he dried his hands, then went out to face the music.
Patton was studying the comforter that had gotten stained, and looked up and smiled at Virgil as he emerged. “Hey Virge, I was just gonna wash this for you, is that okay?”
Virgil could feel another wave coming on. “Yeah, but you don’t have to.” Let me lie down so I don’t double over in front of you.
Patton waved him off. “Nonsense, you’re sick and I wanna help!”
SHIT. “Okay, I can help get it off.”
“Sure!”
Virgil frantically tugged at the comforter, while Patton calmly gathered it up in his arms. As soon as the comforter was off the bed, Virgil laid down and curled up, hopefully in a way that made it look like he was just lying down.
“Virgil, can I ask you something? You don’t have to answer!”
Virgil assessed Patton. Patton was looking nervous himself, biting his lip and eyes averting themselves.
“Yeah, go ahead.”
Patton took a deep breath. “Well, I know you’re in a lot of pain, you’re not feeling well, you said it’s happened before, and there’s blood that you don’t seem too worried about.” He fidgeted uncomfortably, trying to figure out how to ask. “Is there anything I can do to help with… this?”
Virgil sighed. Of course he’d figure it out. “Honestly, the soup is more than what I usually get-”
“What?!” Patton cried.
Oops.
“Um, usually I just kinda deal with it on my own?”
Virgil kicked himself for the devastated look on Patton’s face. “Oh Virge…”
“It’s fine, I don’t mind dealing with it by myself!”
“I know, but you shouldn’t have to! And you don’t have to anymore!” Patton declared. “You’re in so much pain, is that normal? Is there anything we can do to help?”
“Normal for me, yeah, and I don’t think so.”
“Normal for you? Why just you, are you in more pain than other people who get periods?”
Way to put it on the nose Patton. “I-”
“What’s this regarding?” Logan asked as he walked in.
Patton didn’t close the door, shit!! “Nothing!”
“Patton seemed to be implying that you’re in a great deal of pain-”
“WHO DARES HARM YOU?!” Roman thundered, sword already drawn.
GODAMMIT. “NO ONE. Okay, Jesus Christ. Look, I’m fine, I’ve just got the period from hell. I’m sorry you guys found out, I didn’t mean to, I’m fine dealing with this on my own, I know it’s weird and-” Virgil cut himself off at the sorrowful looks he was getting. He sighed. These guys aren’t the Dark Sides, they probably don’t think it’s weird and gross and something I’m doing to them on purpose. “Sorry. Just, I have this thing that makes this harder, I can’t think of the name because I can’t think during this, and I’m fine. I’m just miserable for a week and then it’s manageable. This is better treatment than I usually get, and now I can at least get food. Just ignore me.” Virgil cursed God as another devastating cramp chose that specific moment to be an asshole. He held his breath, but couldn’t stop from curling in on himself. Concerned Patton noises could be heard, and Logan was trying to encourage Virgil to breathe. Roman just stood there, feeling helpless.
Once it passed, Virgil unclenched and took a few breaths. “Sorry,” he panted.
“Please do not apologize. Average menstrual cramps-” Virgil winced. “-have been shown to be at a similar pain level as a heart attack, and it sounds like you experience more severe cramping. If you wish to be left alone, then we will respect that,” Logan stated, agreements coming from each of the other Sides. “But there is still the concern of unusual pain. Do you require pain medication?”
Virgil shrugged. “Yeah, it helps me not lose my mind, but it can only do so much. I’m on the max dose for ibuprofen and tylenol right now, and I’m alternating them.”
Logan frowned. “This is your pain level even with medication?”
Virgil shrugged. “Yeah, it’s this thing that starts with an “e”… shit, what is it…”
Logan’s eyebrows shot up. “Endometriosis?”
“Yeah!” Virgil squinted. “How the hell did you know that?”
“I’m Thomas’ center of knowledge. Gracious, Virgil…” Logan trailed off. “Has a TENS unit ever proven helpful?”
“A what?”
Logan straightened up. “A TENS unit administers small electrical pulses to pain points or trigger points via electrodes placed on the skin. Research, as well as personal anecdotes, have shown them to be effective in combating menstrual pain. Would you like me to conjure one for you?”
Whatever, worst thing that might happen is it could hurt worse for a few seconds. “Sure, why not.”
Logan closed his eyes, and a few seconds later a rectangular device with a bunch of wires coming out of it appeared. “Would you like me to apply the electrodes, or would you like to?”
The thought of someone touching his bare skin, especially where he was in so much pain, still scared him, even though he knew these weren’t the Dark Sides. “I can put it on.”
No one said anything as Virgil rolled over to his side and placed the electrodes where Logan instructed. He turned back over, blushing slightly and feeling weird. He could feel another bad one coming on, and he hoped that this would work. Logan handed Virgil the unit.
“There are a few levels of electricity. Since this is your first time, it’s recommended you start at 1 and see if you need to increase from there.”
Before the next bastard cramp could come to do its damage, Virgil just nodded and turned on the device, bracing himself for electrocution pain. Instead, the cramps was… not as bad? It still hurt like a motherfucker, but it wasn’t as godawful as it could be. He cranked it up a few more dials, and the pain dimmed to a level he couldn’t remember ever feeling.
His eyes widened as he uncurled and sat up, jaw slack. The pain was still there, and he could still tell that his muscles were freaking the fuck out, but the pain was down so much he could almost ignore it.
So Logan just made my life about a thousand times better. How do I let him know?
“What kind of bullshit wizard magic is this?” Nice, REAL kind of you to say after Logan literally changed your life.
Logan just did his proud little smirk of his and drew his shoulders back. “No magic involved, merely science, and,” he adjusted one side of his glasses. “logic.”
Virgil sighed, still light-headed and dizzy, but the amount of relief that flooded his body without the pain was helping him feel so much better.
Logan frowned. “If you’ll excuse me, Thomas requires my help with a business e-mail.”
Virgil looked out through Thomas’ eyes and Sanders what the HELL. “Yeah, you’d better go deal with that.”
Patton waved his hand over the bowl of soup to warm it. “Is there anything else I can get you?”
Virgil fidgeted. “Not to be a stereotype, but I’m currently willing to commit homicide for chocolate.”
In the next moment, Virgil found his lap full of his favorite dark chocolate-sea salt-almond bars.
“I should probably go too, make sure Thomathy gets the tone of the e-mail right,” Patton said regretfully.
Virgil waved him off. “No worries, go do your thing.”
“I’ll keep our brave knight company!” Roman declared.
Patton said goodbye and sank out. Roman and Virgil stared at each other.
Roman broke first. “Soooo, friendo…”
Virgil sighed, putting Roman out of his misery. “I don’t usually feel like being a people, but this TENS unit thing is really helping. I’d be down to play some video games after lunch.”
“Sounds wonderful! I’ll get the game set up!” Roman sank out with his usual flair.
Virgil snorted and shook his head. Thank god for TENS units.
He flushed as he thought to himself, Thank god for famILY.
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svnflowervol666 · 4 years ago
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Ma Petite Chérie: Christmas Then (Harry Styles x fem!Reader)
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Read more from this little universe, Ma Petite Chérie, in my masterlist!
Word Count: 6k
Summary: It’s the happiest time of the year, but it couldn’t be more miserable for Harry and Y/N.
Author’s Note: Reupload because it wasn’t working in the tags! Here is the first of two Christmas bits for Harry, Y/N and Tallulah! I’ve told you all that I planned on writing about Harry and Y/N breaking up early on in their relationship, so I decided to add a little Christmas spirit into the mix in honor of the season. I promise, the next part isn’t this sad. I always feel like I’m not that great at writing angst, mostly because it hurts my heart too much, but I hope I did this story enough justice. Feedback is greatly appreciated, it helps to keep me going and to write things that you guys actually want to read. Any who, enjoy! The next part will be up by the end of the month. Take care and TPWK.
Harry had never thought that a night out with his colleagues would cost him his world. It was supposed to be a celebration of another successful year at his job, nothing more. It was supposed to be dinner, a few rounds of whiskey with his team, and an early night back to the two girls he loved the most who waited impatiently for his return. It wasn’t supposed to be a trip to the club, where the bass in the speakers replaced Harry’s own heartbeat and made his mind temporarily forget where his priorities lied. He thought that he’d only be there long enough to not seem like an uptight asshole that didn’t care to have any fun, but alas. Harry can be quite the pushover, and quickly slipped into that inedbriated state that often persuades you to do things you know you shouldn’t.
Harry had certainly thought wrong.
Y/N, on the other hand, was only supposed to be gone long enough to clear her head. Steam was practically billowing out of her at lightspeed the night this all happened. It would later be referred to as “The-Incident-That-We-Don’t-Speak-About-Because-It’s-Painful-Too-Even-Think-About” in the future, but right now, it consumed her. Every little detail of that night and the argument that followed haunted her like a reoccurring bad dream that she couldn’t shake. The way he smelled like cigarettes from keeping his coworkers company on the club’s smoking patio, the way his eyes were glassy from one (or two) ((or three)) too many shots of tequila, the way he yelled at her. She had assured him that all she needed was time to think, and then she’d be back to talk. At the time, she had told him that she quite frankly didn’t want to even be in the same postal code as him, so she left. All that was in the duffle bag she packed in four minutes flat was her toothbrush, face wash, and enough clothes to get her through the weekend while she cooled off at her friend’s apartment.
She didn’t plan on being gone for sixteen days.
A lot had occurred to her in her time away from Harry. One, was that this was the first time they had fought. Ever. She’d always wondered if her time with Harry would ever stop feeling like a fairytale that only existed in novels and storybooks. Everything about the two of them was picture-perfect from its conception, and had somehow only gotten sweeter as the years had passed. She firmly believed that they weren’t like everybody else, those that put on a charade around others, but were unbearably miserable in private. She had started to think that maybe it was supernatural, the way that they fit together so perfectly that she thought no one else on the planet could make her feel the way Harry does, perfectly complete and peaceful. But it was turning out to be as simple as the age-old saying, life is not always rainbows and butterflies.
Two, was this really what Y/N wanted? She didn’t give it a second thought when it came to Harry having a child, quickly stepping into the role of being someone important in Tallulah’s life. And Harry let her, too. As cautious as he is about who he involves his daughter with, it was almost scary the way he let her in and allowed her to love and care for her. Yes, scary. Scary, because children are permanent and they are hard work and they include making sacrifices that sometimes don’t seem fair. So, Y/N had been asking herself if this was where she saw herself staying, as she had too big of a heart to become such an important character in Tallulah’s life to decide somewhere down the line that she suddenly didn’t want to be tied down anymore. It wasn’t fair to the poor girl, just a measly four years old, to have to go through losing someone that had promised to love her forever. Twice.
Deep down, she knew that this, Harry’s modest yet still lavish home with a pastel yellow door and vegetable garden out back that was often littered with dolls and abandoned sun hats from the cutest little thing that Y/N had ever seen, was where she wanted to be. But this brought her to the third thing she had pondered whilst she rotted on her friend’s uncomfortable sofa at 2 a.m. as she’d waited for her melatonin supplements to enter her system and send her off into a subdued state.
Could she ever forgive him for what he said?
//
It was just one week before Christmas. Harry texted her at least once everyday, Y/N only replying to the ones when he’d asked her if she was ready to talk, to which she’d tell him that she wasn’t, and that she promised she’d tell him when she was. Part of her stayed away from him for so long because she feared that somehow, deep down, the right thing to do was to stay away forever, and that was certainly going to be the worst day of her life. It would be for the better, Y/N thinks, if that is the case, but she’s trying very hard not to think about that being the endgame for her and Harry. Hence the inner turmoil that’s consuming Y/N’s body whole.
Sarah had promised her that Harry wasn’t coming. They sided with her on this one, she’d said, thus rescinding his invitation to her and Mitch’s annual holiday party. It felt somewhat wrong to be going to see Harry’s friends without him, especially given the fact that they’d more or less been split up for the past two weeks. But as much as they were Harry’s friends, they were also hers too. Harry really knew how to pick the ones he held closest - they were good people. He knows how to chose them because Harry is also a good person and Y/N knows this, and that makes it all the more painful when she pulls into the car park designated for guests of the condominium where Mitch and Sarah lived.
They’d seemed a bit off when they welcomed her into the sizey flat with the small, wrapped gift she’d brought for their exchange, but Y/N dismisses their seemingly rehearsed greetings as pity. Although the last thing she wants is to talk about Harry, she finds their condolences and overall presence soothing. She hadn’t seen much aside from her friend that she’d been staying with and her overweight, powder white cat these days, so human interracton in any capacity was refreshing.
Until it wasn’t.
The longer she stood in the circle of the others that came to the party, mindlessly nodding along to whatever was being said but not actually paying any attention, the longer she was left to sit with her thoughts. She remembers the three other times she’d come to Mitch and Sarah’s for this exact party, and how warm and loved she felt. Right now, all she feels is the cold radiating off of the sliding glass door that she’s leaning on and loneliness. To Y/N, it almost felt like everyone in the room knew what had happened to her and Harry. Like they were trying too hard to be cordial with her because they saw her as the girl that Harry yelled terrible things at and did terrible things too. It was overbearing and she had to get out before she exploded.
Finding aid in the very sliding glass door that chilled her to the bone, she wandered out on the patio to get away from the noise that was so loud yet so quiet at the same time. Tiny snowflakes coated the railing and the outdoor furniture, enough to illuminate her surroundings in an almost purple glow despite the time of night. If Tallulah were here, she’d convince Y/N to catch them on her tongue with her. Any other time, a thought like that would have made her smile, but right now it just made her sad. She wasn’t wearing a coat, yet she couldn’t find herself to care in this moment.
She wanted Harry. She wanted Harry there with her, whispering in her ear that Josie is full of herself and will say anything to get people’s attention and that he thinks they should ditch the party early so they can “warm each other up” at home. Despite the ache in her bones that wished for him, she couldn’t stop thinking about the last time she saw him.
~
“You’re lying.”
“Wha’ are you talkin’ about, Y/N?” he was swaying back and forth where he stood, clearly too drunk to keep his balance.
He almost sounded annoyed, but it was moreso because she’d interrupted his treck to the bedroom where his warm bed was waiting for him to ail his drunkenness and less because of her prodding.
“Clara was there, Harry. At the club. The one you forgot to tell me you were going to? She saw you. Talking to her. Any of that ring a bell?”
She made sure not to raise her voice in fear of waking up the toddler that had fallen asleep on the sofa waiting for her dad to come home so she could show him the ornaments she’d made with Y/N while he was gone, but he hadn’t come home when he’d promised her. Y/N wasn’t trying to fight, just get some answers. Yet here Harry stood, in their bathroom, lying to her face.
“Okay. So she was there ‘n we talked. We work for the same people. You’re not tellin’ me your mad that I talked t’ her about work, are yeh? Talked t’ her about work at a work party?”
“I’m not stupid, Harry. Stop doing that.”
Harry huffed in annoyance, as if her mere presence was beginning to cause his disdain.
“Then stop actin’ like it was somethin’ that it wasn’t. Swear t’ you. She came up to me, asked how Lulah had been, we talked about work for a second, and that was it. Fuck, even told her about you for christ’s sake.”
“I couldn’t care less that you talked to her, Harry. It’s the fact that you didn’t tell me you’d be out later than you said, went to a club, talked to her, the girl that broke your fucking heart, and I found out from a friend. And when I asked you about it, you lied. Do you see how fucking bad that looks?”
“Why don’t yeh ask Clara what she saw, hmm? Since you’re so keen on taking her word for it. She’s gonna tell you that nothing. Happened. I’m truly sorry I didn’t tell yeh I’d be out late. Didn’t think I’d be gone that long and just got carried away.”
Y/N was fighting tears now. He was talking in circles, unwilling to see her side and acknowledge that he’d done wrong.
“That’s what you’ve been saying for the past month, Harry. You’re always getting carried away with work and leaving me to take care of her. I can’t tell you how many times Tallulah’s asked why you’re always missing dinner and why you don’t go take her to her ice skating lessons or help her wash her hair anymore. She misses you. So do I. And then you go and do this. I know you’re busy this time of year but I also know you’re doing more than you’re being asked of, so don’t pull that shit with me. Would it kill you to come home every now and then and at least eat some pasta with your fucking daughter?”
Harry’s brows were furrowed together, eyes dark and half-shut in what was the beginning of a drunken rage. For a split second, Y/N saw a flicker of sadness within the deep green of his irises, but it disappeared as quickly as it came.
“Yeh say that like she’s a burden. ‘S that it? You’re mad that you have t’ babysit?”
“Harry,” Y/N warned him.
He was treading territory that would be hard to back away from once he took the first step.
“What? If it was that big of a fuckin’ deal, you could have told me that you don’t like keeping after her.”
“Jesus, it’s not!”
She was yelling now, unable to keep her emotions from getting the best of her. She looked after Tallulah like she was the one that had given birth to the four year old that slept peacefully on the couch, cuddling her stuffed elephant in place of her father.
“You know that I love her and that I’d do anything for her, but it’s different when you leave me alone with her all of the time. She needs you, Har. More than she needs me, and you’re acting like your job is more important than her. You have to be there for her, Harry.”
A nasty scoff left Harry’s chest that would haunt Y/N forever. She’d never forget what he said next.
“Right. Thanks for the parenting tip. Last time I checked you weren’t her fucking mu-”
~
“Yeh gonna freeze t’ death out here, ya know?”
The same voice that plagued her head pulled her out of reliving the events that landed her here, on a snow-covered patio, just as the first of what she knew were going to be many tears rolled down her face.
Y/N whipped her head around, frowning when she realized that Sarah and Mitch had lied to her and that they definitely had invited both of them to the Christmas party.
“Should have known those two were up to something,” was all she replied, quickly swiping the single, stray tear that stung her cheek as it touched the cold air.
“Jesus, you’re shivering. Here,” Harry began shrugging off his coat, ready to offer it to Y/N to keep her from catching pnuemonia.
She hadn’t realized just how cold she was. Her lips felt like they were going to crack at any moment, and she was almost certain it would take upwards of an hour for her to feel her toes again.
“Harry-” Y/N started, her voice sounding soft and defeated.
“Please don’t be stupid, Y/N. You’re gonna get sick.”
He spoke to her in the way that he would Tallulah when she refused to let him brush her hair after a bath, sternly insisting that she’d wake up with painful knots in her head if she didn’t let him run a comb through it. There was something comforting about it, but also something so incredibly sad about it all at the same time.
Reluctantly and without looking him directly in the eyes, she took the long, fur-lined coat from his hands, almost flinching when she accidentally touched pinkies with him. The coat was well-loved, ridden with his scent and most likely permanently stained with a little bit of spit up from when Tallulah was a baby. It smelled like home, Y/N thought.
There was a long pause between them, neither knowing what to say or where to even start. Y/N found herself missing Harry even more now that he was standing right next to her, brawny arms leaning against the frozen railing.
“How’s Lulah?” she asked, able to find her voice amongst the anxiety prodding every inch of her body.
Harry nodded as if to say she was alright, then cleared his throat.
“Good. Misses you.”
He wanted to tell her that he missed her, too. A whole fucking lot. But he was trying to prolong having that conversation in fear that it wouldn’t end the way he’d planned it in his head and she’d walk away from him forever.
“She asks about you every day. ‘Bout when you’re comin’ home. Said she doesn’t like how quiet it is without your music playing in the kitchen.”
She was crying now. Fat, wet, silent tears in the opposite of Harry’s direction so he couldn’t see. She missed hearing Tallulah’s raspy voice asking her question after question about where eggs come from and why anyone would dare take away someone’s babies the way farmers do with mummy chickens.
“I know you’re not ready to talk,” Harry began.
“But do yeh think you could at least come home? It doesn’t feel right without you there.”
Y/N did what she could could manage the tears streaming down her face like a waterfall, hoping Harry would think her face was just cold as she aggressively rubbed her cheeks with her fists.
She was ready to give in, seeing him in person immediately shattering any bit of strength to stay away from him that she had left. Maybe she’d find some clarity if she stopped sleeping on a pull-out sofa that did absolutely nothing for her already-bad back and went back to where she’d lived for over a year with the two people she felt like she’d spent a lifetime loving.
Slowly, her eyes went to meet his. She saw how tired he looked, for lack of a better word. Even though it was dark, the light from the snow accentuated the deep circles under his eyes. His hair looked like it hadnt been washed in days, the way it used to look when Tallulah was a baby that cried at all hours of the night. His posture was, to be quite honest, shittier than it normally was. Y/N knows it hasn’t been that long since she’d been gone, but she could almost swear he looked skinnier than the last time she’d seen him, given that the hollows of his cheeks looked concave and scrawny.
Just as she parted her surely-blue lips, ready to tell him everything she’d wanted to tell him for the past two weeks, the ringing of Harry’s cell phone caused them both to jump.
“Fuck,” Harry muttered under his breath.
“’M sorry. It’s mum. She’s got Lulah. Give me just one second.”
His eyes were pleading, almost like he was silently begging her not to run off if that’s what she was thinking of doing. Y/N’s ears perked up at the mention of his mother. She wondered if she knew about any of this. Surely she did, as Harry tends to confide in her for just about everything.
She was trying not to be nosy, but it appeared that Anne was speaking quite loudly, so it was a bit hard for her not to. She couldn’t make out exactly what she was saying, but she did hear one word. It was clear as day, and she knew immediately that something was wrong.
Raspberries.
Y/N’s head whipped around in Harry’s direction, and she saw the way his face was void of all color and his chest had started to heave.
“That’s never happened before. Did you give her the antihistamine?....What’s she sayin’?....Jesus Christ, mum. You have to calm down. Just go ahead and take her. I’ll meet yeh there. They’ll probably just have t’ give her a shot or somethin’....Mum, it’s alright. You didn’t know. Just get her in the car, please. I’ll be there in twenty.”
Harry clicked his phone off and shoved it in his back pocket, a sense of urgency taking over him.
“I’m so sorry, Y/N. I’ve got t-”
“What happened?”
Y/N was just as worried as Harry was, feeling sick to her stomach that something clearly awful had happened to her.
“Mum’s watching Rosie, too. Lulah got into the bag Gem packed for her and ate somethin’ with raspberries in it. Said her throat feels scratchy, which is-”
“That’s not normal,” Y/N stated, being keenly aware of how Tallulah only ever tends to break out in a slight rash every time she eats the bright pink fruit.
“Yeah,” Harry replied.
“Y/N, I have t’ go. But I really want to talk t’ you. You don’t have t’ say anything back. Just hear me out, yeah? Please don’t disappear on me again.”
She wasn’t listening to him, only worried about the little girl with too many allergies and a keen interest in anything sweet.
“Can I go with you?”
Her voice was quiet, as if she were afraid of Harry telling her that she wasn’t allowed to see his daughter. She knew it was his decision and that she had to respect it, but all she wanted to do was hold her tiny body in her arms and tell her how much she missed her and that she was going to be alright.
Harry stuttered a bit, clearly not expecting her to ask him such a thing. Part of him was happy that she was willingly offering to be near him, but he supposes it’s only got to do with her worry for his daughter.
“I, erm, uh, yeah. Of course. Let’s go. Mum’s taking her t’ the hospital over by her house.”
He ushered her back into the warm apartment and back out the front door towards his car. They couldn’t even be bothered to acknowledge the stares thrown their way.
//
The car ride was quiet. Harry had left the radio off during his drive to Mitch and Sarah’s, too busy rehearsing what he was going to say to Y/N if she actually let him talk to her. Y/N sat with her knees to her chest, but opted not to turn away from him. That was a good sign, Harry thought. The heat was on, but Y/N was still freezing. She supposes Harry was right about her getting sick.
“Could you drive a little faster?” Y/N asked after some time, fiddling with the cuff of her jeans.
“No,” Harry retorted.
“It’s snowing, Y/N. Don’t need all three of us t’ end up in the hospital.”
She had half the nerve to roll her eyes at him, but she knew he was right.
“Hey,” Harry called out to her.
He started to reach over the center console for her hand out of habit, but felt his heart sink into his stomach when he remembered the state of their relationship and slowly retracted it. He thought she didn’t notice, but she did.
“She’s gonna be fine. Mum said she wasn’t even crying. Probably just needs a few shots t’ make the swelling go down.”
Y/N nodded instead of responding, sinking further into the seat but keeping her eyes on the snowy road ahead of her.
Silence took over again as they trecked through the snow towards Tallulah, with tension so thick it felt suffocating. From the corner of her eye, she saw a pair of Tallulah’s winter gloves tucked into one of the cup holders and she wanted to cry again.
But instead of doing that, she laid her palm face-up on the console, waiting for Harry’s eyes to catch them. When they did, he hesitated, flickering between her hand and her face. She still wasn’t looking directly at him, but he knew she knew he was looking at her.
He tested her first, lying his hand next to hers, but not touching. She didn’t pull her hand away, and he swears when he looked down, he saw her hand inch towards his as if she were coaxing him. Harry thinks this might be the last time he gets to touch her if she decides that she can’t forgive him for what he said, so he goes for it.
He laces his fingers with hers, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief take over his head and his heart when he finally got to feel her skin against his after what felt like centuries. She doesn’t wrap her fingers around his like he did to hers, her hand still lying limp against the arm rest, but he’s okay with that.
It isn’t until they’re pulling into the hospital that Y/N gives Harry’s hand a squeeze.
They were getting there. At least Harry hoped.
//
Y/N is physically unable to keep herself from smiling when she hears Tallulah practically squeal her name the second she steps into the room she’d been given. Her voice was deeper than usual, most definitely due to the accident that landed her here in the first place. Tallulah all but jumped out of her bed to greet her with a hug, which Y/N accepted without a second thought as she wrapped her arms around the small girl and sat with her on the bed, most likely staining Harry’s coat with the emollient cream they’d coated her rash with at the hospital. As if that coat could take any more beatings.
Harry watched from the corner, feeling somewhat out of place for whatever reason. He knew he owed Y/N an apology for what he said to her that night, and at that moment he felt like he owed Tallulah one, too. How could he say those things to her? How could he let his arrogance get the best of him and ruin the best thing that’s ever happened to him?
Anne briefed him while Tallulah had her mini-reunion with Y/N, letting him know they’d given her a few shots and could go home as soon as the swelling in her throat had gone down. She wouldn’t stop apologizing to Harry for causing her grandbaby harm, but Harry assured her for the twentieth time that accidents happen and that it certainly could have been worse. Anne soon sensed the tension between Harry and who she hoped would be her daughter-in-law one day, and told Harry she’d better get going because she’d left Rosie with the neighbor. Her eyes urged Harry to fix this shit at all costs because she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to him, and Harry was not one to disobey his mother.
“Are you coming home?” Harry heard Tallulah ask Y/N.
He locked eyes with her for a split-second.
“Yeah,” Y/N sighed.
Harry felt his heart jump as he was now paying extra attention to the woman holding his daughter like she was the most precious thing on earth.
“Gotta make sure you get tucked into bed alright.”
And then it sunk.
“Will you be there when I wake up?” Tallulah asked with eerily familiar green eyes peering up at Y/N from her lap.
This time it was her heart that sunk.
“I....don’t know, Lulah. We’ll see,” she whispered, feeling tears pool in her eyes once again.
Y/N hid her face in Tallulah’s hair, for fear that Harry would see her.
“How’s Carrot, hmm? ‘S he doing good?” Y/N blurts out in diversion, hoping Tallulah would be more interested in talking about the fish Y/N had won her at a carnival a few years ago than where she stood with her and Harry.
Tallulah talked her ear off, filling her in on everything she’d missed while she was gone. She tells Y/N that their kale plant in the garden was huge now, seemingly sprouting overnight. She also tells Y/N that Rosie can walk now, or at least can wobble a few steps before falling down on her bum.
Harry watches as Y/N pretends like everything Tallulah is telling her is the most interesting news she’s ever heard. That’s what parents do, and that’s exactly what Harry had shouted at Y/N that she wasn’t. He had fucked up in the worst way and only fate could tell him whether or not he’d be able to fix it.
It was Harry’s turn to cry now, pretending to rub exhaustion out of his eyes rather than tears. Much like earlier when he’d instinctively reached for her hand, he’d hoped she didn’t see it.
She did.
//
Y/N kept her promise to Tallulah and tucked her into bed after she was discharged and sent home with a steroid pack and rash cream. She willed away the wave of nausea she felt walking into the house she’d shared with Harry after all of this time, telling herself that she just needed to make sure Tallulah knew she was at least there to tuck her in. She took turns with Harry, each of them running their fingers through her curls and telling her to have sweet dreams and that they hoped she felt better in the morning. Tallulah insisted that she was fine and wanted to stay up and talk to Y/N about what she thought Santa was doing right now and if he was going to bring her the glittery nail polish that she’d asked him for, but the sleepiness in her eyes told a different story.
“Do you want me t’ call Sarah and have her take you back to your car?” Harry asked when they returned to the living room where they’d entered.
“Figured we ought to have that talk,” she said, unable to meet his eyes for the umpteenth time that night.
“Yeah,” Harry replied in a tone that almost sounds like relief.
“We can definitely do that.”
The pair find their way to the couch, sitting faced towards each other, but not touching. It’s awkward and it makes Y/N want to fall apart because this is her Harry and she’s in her own home, yet it didn’t quite feel it.
“You hurt my feelings,” is all she says, picking at a loose thread on the sofa.
“I know I did,” Harry began.
“I can’t take any of that back, but I want you t’ know how sorry I am, Y/N. None of that shit was true. I should have told you I was gonna be out late. Shouldn’t have even gone out with them, t’ be honest. I couldn’t even tell yeh why I lied when you asked if I saw her there. Just didn’t want you t’ get the wrong idea, I guess.”
“Harry, I already told you that I didn’t care that you-”
“I know yeh did,” Harry interjected, “But I want you t’ know that I’d never even think about doing something like that t’ you. You’re quite literally the best thing that’s ever happened t’ me. Sometimes I don’t even think you’re real. I wouldn’t have made it without you. Neither would Lulah. And that...”
He pauses, trying not to burst into tears right in front of her. Y/N sees his jaw tensing, something Tallulah does when she’s attempting to calm herself down after throwing a fit. She isn’t sure why, but she begins to feel at ease the longer he talks. Maybe it’s just hearing the sound of his voice after so long or maybe it’s because he’s telling her what she’s been wanting to hear, what she was once afraid that she’d never be able to.
“That shit I said about you not being Lulah’s mum. That’s a load. I know you know that. You are her mum, whether she knows that or not. I’m sure she does... I know she does. You’ve been there for everything. You never complain when it gets hard. Yeh could’ve been doing anything else besides helping my sorry ass take care of her, but you didn’t. ‘M not sure if I’m doin’ a good job of convincing you to stay, wouldn’t blame you if yeh didn’t want to, but I really hope that you do. If you don’t, I still want yeh t’ know that you’re her mum. You’ve done things for her that she doesn’t even realize. She loves you so much, Y/N. And so do I. You’re the love of my life. Always will be. I don’t think there’s anybody else out there that makes me feel the way you do. You’re it for me and I need you t’ know that.”
He’s blubbering now, not caring that she sees the salty streaks subconsciously flowing from his dark and gloomy eyes. He felt it coming. She was going to leave. She was going to finish packing tonight and walk out of his life and he wouldn’t get to spend the rest of his life showing her how much he loved her.
That’s when he feels a hand on his shoulder. It’s light, but it’s meant to be comforting.
“Can it be my turn now?” her voice laced with tears as well.
Clearly it was a night for crying.
Harry nods, because that’s all he can do.
“I was frustrated, that night. I don’t think I should have made as big of deal out of you staying out so la-”
“No. You should have. I was being an ars-”
“Harry,” she pleads, “Let me finish, please.”
He lets out a shaky, “Okay,” and she continues.
“It’s not a big deal when you go out with your friends. You’ve just been so....absent lately and that was what set me off. When Clara called me that night it was just so, embarrassing I guess? I didn’t know what to say to her, and it obviously didn’t look good. But I know you wouldn’t do that to me. You’re a good person and a good dad, Harry. I hope you know that, even if you don’t feel like it right now. And the Lulah thing...that hurt. A lot. I know you’re stubborn and hate admitting that you’re wrong, so I’m going to let that speak for itself, but I’ve never once regretted anything that I’ve done with you two. I knew it would be different being with you, but I’ve never thought of any of this as a sacrifice or a burden. You guys make me so happy. I don’t think you’ll ever understand how much of a privilege this has felt like to me, to be able to watch her grow up and be a part of it. She is the most magical thing that’s ever happened to me. And so are you.”
Harry’s staring at her, still crying, sillhouette lit up by the lights on the Christmas tree behind her that’s decorated with the ornaments she made with his daughter on that dreadful night. He doesn’t want to hurt Lulah’s feelings, but he makes a mental note to throw them away the second he’s able to so he doesn’t have to think about this ever again.
“I love you, Harry. Please don’t ever lie to me again. Even if it’s about how many minutes you are away from the grocery store. I can’t take it. And I can’t stand to feel so far away from you like this. It’s....gross. And I hate it.”
He perks up at what she’s just said, wondering if she’s saying what he thinks she’s saying.
“You’re staying?” he sounds hoarse and both him and Y/N know he’ll wake up in the morning with a headache from how much he’d been crying.
“Don’t think I have it in me to leave, bubs.”
There’s the slightest hint of a smile on her lips, and Harry’s pulling her into his chest. She holds him as he weeps silently into her neck. The cloud of sadness that had held her captive like a nightmare rushed out of her body so quickly that she couldn’t quite process it. All she felt now were Harry’s arms holding her close and his blubbering into her hair about how he was sorry over and over again.
“I know you are,” Y/N cooed, scratching his scalp in the way that she knew calmed him down.
“‘M gonna keep sayin’ it until you believe me,” he whimpered.
“I do believe you, Harry. I promise. We’re gonna be alright.”
That seemed to steady him a bit as he collected himself. He still held her as his shaking breaths began to even out. He wouldn’t dream of letting her go ever again.
“We’re gonna be alright,” Harry repeated to her, his voice almost inaudible had Y/N not been as close to him as she possibly could have been.
She pulls back to brush the stray curls from his forehead, where she pressed her lips gently to his temple as if he was so delicate that he might shatter if she used anymore force.
This time it was Y/N that saw his face surrounded by the multi-colored lights strung around the fir tree they’d picked from the farm just days before they thought their world was ending. He was beautiful, from the crown of his hair to the tips of his toes, inside and out, she thought. Maybe he didn’t feel like it at the moment, but Y/N made a promise to herself that she’d spend the rest of her life proving to him that he was.
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mcwriting · 3 years ago
Text
The Marriage Project (12)
Hi all!!! This is the long awaited 12th chapter! It took months of rewrites of not only this chapter, but future ones as well to ensure this was written to the best of my ability.
This chapter marks the heaviest moment in this story, so please, please be mindful of the content warnings for this chapter. I marked the section that includes this moment.
I also chose not to add tags so that this is not everyone's first impression of this series!
Masterlist
Word Count: 2700
Warnings: s*xual ass*ult, language, alcohol consumption, blood/injury mention
% end of the first week of November- cont. %
Throughout the game, you and the other homecoming court members (aside from any football players or cheerleaders) had been sitting on the sidelines right in front of the student section, so you were somewhat able to talk to your friends.
The team was playing good in the first half. It was probably Tom’s best game that you’d ever seen. At halftime, they did the “official” crowning of court members and recognized football and cheer seniors.
The seniors were presented first, having their parents with them as they walked across the field. They started with the cheer team so Daisy could change back into her white dress.
Then came the court recognitions, you and Tom stepping onto the field after everyone else as the crowd cheered and clapped.
Tom’s arm linked around yours as he helped you stay steady walking across the grass, since your heels weren't quite meant for the soft ground. Someone handed you a large bundle of roses and you smiled widely.
The bright lights, the cheers, the smile Tom gave you.
It was a moment burned into your memory forever.
Then it was over, and the team went back to their game, winning 42-27, their best win by far all season.
You were saying your final thank you’s to people’s congratulatory comments as you began heading out to the parking lot. Alexis caught up with you amidst the chaos.
“You still on for Tyler’s? I’ll drive,” she offered.
“Yeah. Let’s go home so I can change and then we’ll head out, okay?” you said, finally getting to your car.
She followed you to your house, where you changed into a tight long-sleeved bodysuit, skinny jeans, and some heeled booties. You also packed some other things into a bag to sleep at Alexis’s house later.
You told your parents you were staying the night at her house. They definitely knew better by the way you’d left on your makeup and put on real clothes, but didn’t question you, instead tossing out a “stay safe” and “don’t do anything stupid” as you headed out the door.
Things were pretty much in full swing by the time you and Alexis pulled into the yard outside Tyler’s house and found your friends inside, red solo cups in hand. The speakers were blaring something with a strong beat and most people were dancing.
You had a white claw to loosen up. After having refrained from partying throughout volleyball season, Alexis would be designated driver for the night to let you have your fun. You saw plenty of football players hanging around but didn’t find Tom anywhere.
Weird.
*CW below*
After a little bit, you ran off to use the bathroom just down a hall. You went alone since it would only be a couple minutes, you knew everyone there, and weren’t drunk.
When you stepped back into the hall, you almost ran into a large figure. It was Harrison.
“Oh, hi there, little lady,” he sneered.
“Fuck off, Harrison.” you commanded, brushing past him. He grabbed your wrist and yanked you back.
“I don’t think you want to be saying that to me,” he pinned you against the wall. His breath reeked of alcohol. You looked around, but it was dark and no one was close enough to see your predicament.
“What the hell do you want? I’m just here to have fun.”
“And what do you think I’m doing huh? Don’t think I forgot about that little stunt you pulled going to Johnson. It’s your fault I missed two games.”
“Don’t think so buddy. Maybe if you respected women you wouldn’t have been in trouble in the first place. Now get off me,” you commanded, trying to push forward.
Big mistake.
He drove a knee between your legs and placed a hand over your chest, gripping your breast so tightly it hurt. For the first time, you were actually scared, but still stared directly into his eyes.
“Nah. I just think you’re too much of a pussy to take me. Now you’re gonna stay quiet or something much worse is gonna come to you,” he threatened, then placed his lips on your neck.
You squeezed your eyes shut to focus your thoughts. It was like you were frozen in shock and pain.
His other hand started sliding up the inside of your thigh when you panicked, kneeing him in the groin and shoving him from you before sending a fist into his jaw.
You were thankful he was drunk, as it made him disoriented and off balance.
Harrison reeled back, looking at you in confusion as he bent over, holding his mouth in pain. There was blood around his gums. He looked at you angrily before another voice called out.
“What the hell is going on here? I thought I told you to stay away from her,” Tom seethed. There was a fire in his eyes that you’d never seen before.
“You think I really care what you have to say? I was just trying to teach y/n a little lesson about consequences,” Harrison replied, slurring his words, before spitting blood onto the hardwood floor and pointing a finger right in your face. “You really think a couple hits are going to stop m-”
Tom was about to step forward to do something when rage overtook you and you threw another punch to his nose, causing him to fall backwards unconscious.
Tom looked down in shock at the limp body beneath you, then back up to you. Once your eyes met, his features softened.
“Y/n? Are you okay?” he asked, stepping over Harrison and guiding you away from him. As you finally began processing what had happened, tears slipped down your cheeks.
“I… he- he…” you couldn’t get the words out and your breath quickened.
“Hey, hey. I know. You don’t have to say anything. It wasn't your fault. Can I hug you?”
*end CW*
You sniffled and nodded, not meeting his eyes. He engulfed you in his arms, rubbing your back as you buried your face in his neck. Your chest throbbed from Harrison’s grip and knuckles ached from where they’d met his face twice.
After a few minutes, you straightened up and wiped your face, trying to be tough. Harrison was still out cold on the floor.
“Do you want me to go get your friends?” he asked, to which you nodded. He ran off and only a minute later came Alexis and Caroline.
They fawned over you, making sure you were okay. Tom put a hand on either of your arms and looked you directly in the eyes.
“I’m going to make sure he and his awful friends leave, okay? You haven’t done anything wrong.”
The girls led you back into the bathroom while Tom began dragging Harrison off. They helped you clean the mascara stains on your cheeks and make sure you were okay. After about 10 minutes, you finally felt confident enough to go back out.
When you got back to the main room, word had it that Tom, Jake, Chris, and some of the other guys were making sure Harrison’s crew would leave and not come back.
Knowing that you were safe from him finally, you decided to drink in the hopes of forgetting what happened for a little bit and have some fun. You started off with a shot of strawberry lemonade vodka, which led to shotgunning a beer and tossing back another shot (or two) of bacardi.
Not a half hour later and you were plastered. You went crazy on the dance floor, jumping around like a fool as different people came up to dance with you.
You were barely aware of what you were doing and extremely clumsy. The room was turning as you clambered up onto a table. You were spinning in circles until your shoe’s heel missed the edge and you started to topple over.
You couldn’t even react, but after a second realized you hadn’t hit the ground, and were instead in Tom’s arms.
“Alright I think it’s time for you to take a breather,” he said. It was hard to understand him as his voice sounded distant. He carried you out of the warm room and outside, where the cold air hit you like a truck. He set you down on the edge of Tyler’s porch.
“Y/n are you okay? After everything that happened I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
What he said wasn’t funny, but you found yourself cackling anyways.
“Better than everrr! Did you see my twerking?”
“Yes, yes I did. Are you feeling okay? Your face is super red. You aren’t nauseous?”
You shook your head with a big grin.
“I’m fiiiineee, pretty boy. Just because you’re my husssband doesn’t mean you have to follow me everywhere! I’m alllll gooood.” You slumped onto his shoulder, still giggling.
“Alright, princess. Let’s just chill here for now alright? I’ll text Alexis in a little bit.”
You sat in silence twisting your star ring as you began to cool down and your hearing was returning to normal. Tom was rubbing his thumb over your shoulder and had you drinking your second cup of water, but the effects of the alcohol were still present.
“Tom?” you whispered. He hummed. “You’re a really good husband.”
He chuckled.
“You think so?” he paused. “I think you’re a pretty good wife, too. No matter how much trouble you manage to get us both in.”
After a little longer, you felt yourself getting sleepy as the night took its toll on you. Alexis came outside and rushed over.
“Hey! I was looking everywhere. Sorry I didn’t see your text. Let’s go, y/n. You’ve had a looong night.”
Tom picked you up from the porch and led you to the car, half carrying you. He helped you into the car and buckled you up, then stood leaning in the doorway.
“Thanks for your help, Tom. Glad you were there for us,” Alexis said with a small grin as she buckled in.
“Of course. I’d do anything for her,” he replied, giving you a wink before shutting the door and waving. Alexis had barely pulled out of the driveway when she looked at you.
“Okay spill. What’s been going on with you and Tom?” she asked in a serious tone. She was clearly using the alcohol against you, and even though you were much more aware than before, you still started talking.
“I think I really like him.”
“Like we didn’t all already know that. I meant what have you been hiding from me the past three months? I know there’s more to the story.”
You sighed.
“It started last month, when Tom beat up… you know… the first time. We held hands on his bedroom floor that weekend until his mom accidentally walked in. And then we took those pictures and kept saying all these flirty things. I accidentally caught him naked, don’t ask.”
“Oh I’m definitely asking about that later. But continue.”
“Well then I stayed for dinner that Thursday and Sam caught us in the kitchen goofing around. Oh, and then last weekend we kissed, and-”
“YOU WHAT NOW?” she yelled, causing you to wince at the sound before you started rambling.
“We didn’t really kiss per se… It’s because we were fake dating for that couple. It just kinda happened! And now we’re going to homecoming together but it was supposed to be a secret so… don’t tell anyone before dinner tomorrow. Or tonight I guess since it’s Saturday morning.”
“I knew it. Dammit I knew it! Why didn’t you just tell me!”
“You’d make fun of me! Do you think I want to like him? We’ve been at each other’s throats all this time and now I’m just supposed to forget all that because of a little crush? You don’t get it, Lex. It’s not like he’d ever feel the same way.”
You looked out the car window, trying to settle your breathing after getting worked up. Your head hurt and you were still thirsty. Alexis pulled into her driveway and cut the engine.
“I know I would clown you about it, and I probably still will, but we’re friends for a reason. And you’re joking, right? Everyone knows Tom is head over heels in love with you.”
“What? No way.”
“Yes way! Have you not seen the way he looks at you, and follows you like a puppy dog, and gets so protective over you? I mean come on, y/n. He literally said he’d do anything for you and winked before we left. You must be blind to not see that.”
You sat and tried to think about it for a minute, wondering if she was right about him.
“Let’s go in, y/n. It’s getting cold and you need to sleep it off. You’re not going to have a fun morning, that’s for sure.”
You followed her into the house, trying not to stumble. Your balance definitely wasn’t all there. Her garage door led straight to the kitchen where you chugged a glass of water and took some antacids, grabbing more water to take to her room.
You went into the bathroom to shower off the makeup and sweat and hairspray. When you got out and looked in the mirror, you saw the way your chest was reddened from what Harrison did to you. It took everything to hold back more tears.
%
The moment your eyes opened, everything hurt.
Your head, stomach, feet, chest. Your head was flooded with memories from the previous night. You rolled away from the window to find Alexis sitting on the floor next to a plate and glass of water.
“Well, well, well. Sleeping beauty awakes. I brought you my hangover cure.”
You looked down to see that on the plate sat two advils, an alka seltzer, and some cinnamon pop tarts. It was almost 11 am.
“Thanks, Lex. For everything. You’re the best,” you said, taking a bite off one pastry.
“Don’t be thanking me. Tom’s the real hero. He got a bunch of people together this morning to report Harrison for what he did to you and he’s suspended again, can’t go to the dance. I guess Johnson is gonna deal with it more next week and he might be expelled. Do you have any proof other than Tom?” she said gently.
“Let’s see,” you said, tugging off your shirt, revealing a sports bra. She gasped when she saw the purple bruising around one breast and the hickey marks that had been left on your neck.
“Oh my God, y/n. That’s awful.”
“I know. It didn’t look like this last night. We need to get some pictures.”
After taking some pictures for proof and finishing off your “breakfast,” you and Alexis began preparing yourselves for the dance. You were going to do makeup and hair at her house before going home to change, and then to Tom’s.
If he even still wanted to go with you. You decided to call him while Alexis curled your hair.
“Hey, y/n. Are you okay?” he asked, voice deep and raspy. He must have gone to bed again after organizing the reports against Harrison.
“Yeah, I’m way better. Thanks for everything last night. For saving my ass. I heard what you did this morning, too. You’re the best.”
“It’s the right thing to do, y/n. I’m glad I was there. And you’re sure you’re okay? We can skip the dance tonight if you aren’t up for it. You know my mom would love to have you come hang out any time.”
“Hey, now. I’m not about to leave the dance without a king and queen. I mostly wanted to check if you were still okay with going together after everything.”
“Of course! I want to go with you, y/n. Nothing’s changed that.”
You smiled.
“Okay, well, I’ll pick you up at 5 for dinner. Bye, Tom.”
“See ya, princess.”
You ended the call and sat quietly looking down. You almost forgot Alexis was there until she said,
“So you’re driving him, huh? I alway knew you wore the pants. Now tell me about that whole ‘seeing him naked’ thing...”
%
A/N: so... there's that chapter. I hope you all understand that this moment is not at all meant to romanticize or glorify the terrible experiences so many people endure, but instead highlight one way this issue is dealt with.
I wish you all the best. Please remember that my messages and asks are always open ❤️
Send a message or ask if you’d like to be added to my permanent or series taglists so I can verify you’ve been added!
Story tag list: @jackiehollanderr, @one-big-fangirl, @l0lmk, @primadonnasdream, @bookworm06, @thenoddingbunny-blog, @agentnataliahofferson, @spider-babe, @stxfxniexreads, @justafangirlduh, @supraveng,
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taexual · 4 years ago
Text
i’d love you to stay but that’s simply insane // JJK (12)
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   jungkook is an uncontrollable lead vocalist of the campus band, and you’re a goal-oriented top student that’s known his rich and complicated family since childhood. you don’t want anything to do with each other, until each other is exactly what you want to do.
pairing: jeon jungkook x reader
genre: college au
warnings: jealous & possessive!jungkook vs. reader who won’t take his shit
words: 8.8k (whoops)
    chapter twelve
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Your roommate refused to hide her surprise when you told her you were going to the Parental Advisory party with Jungkook. She couldn’t come with the two of you because she was going to visit her parents this weekend, but the disappointment of missing the party did not overshadow her excitement about you going there with Jungkook.
“Don’t blow this out of proportion,” you pleaded – for the three-hundredth time that evening – unable to relate to her joy. “We won’t be there long, so it doesn’t—”
“It’s your first public date,” Inna spoke—very ceremoniously—as she dug around your closet, convinced that her duty as your roommate was to choose an outfit for you, even if she was the only person – aside from you and Jungkook – who knew that this was all pretend. “Everyone will have their jaws on the floor when they see you arrive together anyway, but a good outfit might just make you feel less self-conscious.”
You had many objections but, knowing that Inna was running short on time before her bus arrived, you chose to only argue about the things that you could have changed her mind about.
“I don’t think it matters what I wear,” you said, your arms crossed over your chest as you watched the several pairs of tights and sweatpants fly out of the closet in reckless abandon as Inna looked for a gold mine. “I’m going to be uncomfortable anyway.”
You couldn’t see her when she had her head in the pile of your clothes, but her voice made the smirk on her lips obvious, “I’m sure he will find a way to make you feel more comfortable there.”
“We’ll only stay there for a little bit,” you said. “We were supposed to return here later. Although, I’m not sure if that’s still happening.”
“Oh!” Inna jumped up, momentarily forgetting about her stylist career. She wasn’t just smirking anymore, she was full-on grinning now, teeth and all. “So, you’ll be coming back to your place later? That calls for a whole different outfit.”
You didn’t realize what she was implying right away.
“We—what do you—oh,” you said, her words hitting you with a wave of hotness that forced your hands to guard your flushed face from her. “Inna, no. You know I don’t like those parties, we just agreed to go there for a little bit, and then watch a movie or something back here.”
“Right, of course,” she nodded and you thought she was relenting but, really, you should have known better as she teased, “that’s why they call it Netflix and Chill, babe.”
“I know you can’t see my eyes,” you said, your hands still on your face, “but I’m glaring at you right now.”
“Here,” she said, picking up a black off-the-shoulder blouse and a velvet burgundy mini skirt – you’d bought them both when you and Inna had lunch at the mall on your first weekend on campus and you hadn’t worn the outfit once – and tossing it for you right as you peeked at her through the gaps between your fingers. The blouse hit you in the chest but you caught it before it fell to the floor. “Now is the perfect time to wear this.”
She didn’t hide the offense in her voice – she was the one who had picked the skirt out for you – as she was evidently still bitter that you’d never even tried it on, aside from that one time in the changing room.
“I thought I’d just go in a sweater,” you said – which was very bold, considering that Inna looked ready to tackle you for wasting her time – and then lamely tried to explain your reasoning, “it’s chilly today.”
“You’ll wear that,” she ordered with an aggressive nod at the clothes in your hands, “and if you’re cold, you’ll ask Jungkook for his jacket.”
“What if he doesn’t wear a jacket?”
“Then you’ll ask for his shirt,” she said and smiled at her own impressive wit. “A win-win situation, really.”
You were going to protest again and Inna knew it, too, so, before you could even open your mouth, she closed the door of your closet – as much as the haphazardly thrown clothes allowed it to close – and stood facing you, her arms crossed and legs parted in a threatening manner.
“Put it on,” she demanded. “I will not leave until I know you’re going to that party in something that’s not sweats. If I miss my bus, it’s on you.”
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Inna did not miss her bus – but barely, as she jumped around your dorm for ten minutes straight, in awe over how perfectly the skirt she’d picked out fit you and how “fascinating” (that one’s a direct quote) it made your legs look – and, then, before you knew it, you were waiting for Jungkook to come pick you up all by yourself.
You felt nervous. Granted, you’d felt somewhat worried the whole day today – which wasn’t very unusual, you liked to get your worrying started in advance – but, with Inna here, you’d held yourself together. Now your hands shook—trembled, really—as you sprayed some perfume on your wrists before rubbing them together.
Many things about tonight bothered you: you didn’t want to put up an act for half of the campus – especially not for the people who cared about Jungkook so much, they screeched and ran in the opposite direction when he crashed his car – and you also didn’t want to have to deal with whatever consequences the combination of alcohol and Jungkook would bring.
The first time you saw him drunk, he drove into a pole. The second time – he went home with a different girl, nevermind that he may have been looking for you. You were afraid that the third time could have been the charm – one last hurrah before something finally put an end to your friendship.
But most of all, you were afraid of you and him being there together, because your last conversation hadn’t exactly gone smoothly and now you didn’t know what to expect.
At first, you were almost looking forward to tonight as much as Inna was, especially since Jungkook was ready to leave the party early so you could spend some time together in a place where you felt more comfortable. But then he seemed to take all of his words back with one single phrase.
The only thing that “really mattered” about you and him, was that his parents believed you were together.
You always considered the worst case scenarios – just to prepare yourself – but they seemed limitless tonight as you weren’t sure what to make of his words and which side of him to prepare for: the side that did want to spend time with you and wasn’t afraid to say so, or the other side.
But you wouldn’t have had the time to prepare for tonight even if you did know what to expect; Jungkook -- and all of his sides -- was already here.
When the knock came, you needed at least half a minute to calm your breathing before you finally felt collected enough to open the door.
“Hey,” Jungkook said as soon as he heard the lock turn, sounding out of breath as if he’d ran all the way up the stairs. “Your RA—not a very nice guy—didn’t want me to come in—had to—”
“You ran away from him?” you asked, opening the door properly so he could come inside before the RA came running after him. However, with the door fully open, your outfit was suddenly in full-view for Jungkook and he froze, his breath catching in his throat.
“I—oh, you look really, uh, g-great,” he said, lifting his eyes back to your face – as if to check if this was really you – before sliding them down your body again in a way that you’ve never seen him do before. It didn’t mean that he’d never checked you out before – because, oh, he had – you were just never aware of it. “The dark colors go really well with—well, everything.”
“Thanks,” you said, crossing your arms as you moved to a side. You wanted to give him a compliment in return but could not find the words because the black cargo pants and the ripped jean jacket he’d worn tonight was not much different from any other outfit he’d worn before, and yet, you still hard a hard time looking away. “Come in while I grab my bag.”
“Oh, yeah, sure, of course,” he slipped inside, eyes still on you – his feet tripping over the threshold just slightly – as he closed the door after himself.
You walked over to your bed to grab your phone with the intention of putting it in the handbag that you had thrown over the open door of your bedroom. But when you turned around, phone in hand, Jungkook was standing right in front of you and your nose almost smashed right into his chest.
“Oh,” you blinked, the close proximity nearly throwing you off balance and Jungkook’s hands were already reaching for your waist to steady you on your feet.
You swore you would have suffocated if he’d touched you right then but he realized he’d entered your personal space as soon as he felt your shaky breath wash off on his own face.
In his defense, he’d only walked so near because the smell of your perfume pulled him in – he didn’t mean to cross any boundaries – but, standing so close, he could see the alarm in your eyes. Clearing his throat, he took a step back and gave you an encouraging smile as you slowly walked past him.
He tried not to think of the expression on your face – wary, yet expectant – when you saw how close he was, but he was glad you lingered by the door as you checked the contents of your bag.
“Ready to go?” he asked as soon as you clicked the lock on the handbag and turned around.
You were not ready to go because even though he stood several feet away from you now, his presence still lingered all around you and you could still smell his cologne. You could almost taste the mint strawberry gum he always kept in his car.
Your head was swimming with the feeling of him.
You’d been afraid of tonight and yet you hadn’t realized just how challenging it was really going to be.
“Yeah, we can go,” you said, not pausing to give him a look as you opened the door and waited for him to follow you out of the room. “If the RA hasn’t called the police yet.”
“Ah, shit. He’d do that?” Jungkook asked, more curious than worried about getting fined for being here without an entrance pass – he couldn’t really bring himself to care because it all seemed worth it.
You stopped in the hallway as you closed the door. Surprisingly, your hands had stopped shaking – it was your heart that was restless now.
“He’s done it before,” you said, fumbling with the lock. “But, in that case, we had a squatter and he’d just discovered her three months after she moved in, so he was understandably angry.”
“Well, I haven’t moved in yet,” Jungkook said carelessly, not realizing how your heart decided to skip a beat at the word yet. “And, not to mention, I’ve been here before and he’s never stopped me from coming up.”
“He would have if he knew how much time you wasted sitting in this hallway,” you said, double-checking if the door was really locked and then joining him on the way to the elevator.
Jungkook stuffed his hands into his pockets after he pressed the elevator button.
“I didn’t waste time,” he said. “I was waiting for you.”
The elevator door opened. Your chest did too as your heart rose to your throat.
“I-I mean, you could have waited at home,” you said, walking into the cabin before him and leaning against the mirror. The mixed signals he was sending you made you dizzy.
“You weren’t answering my calls,” he reminded you, pressing the ‘L’ on the dashboard and sheepishly glancing at your reflection. “And, in any case, doesn’t he know who I am?”
You raised your eyebrows at the arrogant expression on his face. Jungkook noticed your look but proceeded anyway.
“No one else has this problem,” he said, “I’m welcome everywhere.”
“You’re making tonight very difficult for me,” you told him.
“What? I’m not trying to show off,” he said, showing off. “I’m just saying.”
You chose not to play his game anymore as you shook your head and hypothesized, “maybe he’s just worried about how often he sees you here. I can talk to him.”
“Good. Because he’s going to have to get used to the blessing that is me,” Jungkook said, extending a hand for you when the two of you stepped out of the elevator in the lobby, the RA nowhere in sight, “I’m not going anywhere.”
You weren’t certain what he expected you to do – surely he didn’t mean for you to hold his hand right now, before you even got to the party? – so you watched his palm for several moments, involuntarily tracing the branches on it with your eyes.
“Well, come on,” he encouraged, taking your hand himself when it became clear that you weren’t going to do anything. “I parked my car out front. And before you say anything – yes, I do know that parking here is for residents only. If anyone asks, I live here.”
“I—” your mind was still listening to him say he wasn’t going anywhere, so it took you a few moments to find your next words and, in that time, Jungkook had already guided you out of the lobby and into the crisp evening.
“I’m pretty sure everyone knows where you live,” you said.
A smirk appeared on his lips but, this time, Jungkook chose not to gloat (too much) about the fact that he was a Parental Advisory member.
“Not your RA,” he countered instead, pressing a button on his car key. A pleasant click informed you that the car had unlocked. “He looked like he’s never listened to anything that’s not Verdi.”
“He actually plays a lot of Liszt in our second-floor lounge room,” you said. “There’s a piano there.”
“That just proves my point, if anything,” Jungkook stopped in front of his car and opened the passenger door for you, casually leaning against the vehicle while he waited for you to climb inside – it was almost unbelievable how easily he managed to act like all was normal.
In all truth, Jungkook found his laid-back attitude hard to believe as well because, inside of his chest, there were hundreds of explosions happening – thousands, actually, when the evening breeze lifted your skirt higher up your thighs – and only half of them were caused by the way you looked tonight. The other half were the result of holding your hand.
“Alright,” he said after having circled the car to enter it through the driver’s side. “Keep me updated on your mood so I know when you want to go home, yeah?”
“I—” you started to say, wanting to let him know that he didn’t have to worry about taking you home, but Jungkook beat you to it.
“If you say you want to go right now, I swear—”
“No, I was just—well, actually…” you looked at him with glitter in your eyes – and if you’d really meant it, he would have taken you home right then and there – and a teasing smile. “No, I was going to say that I don’t want you to feel pressured to leave with me. I promise to stay for a little bit, but you can stay for however long you—”
“I only want to stay for as long as you’re staying,” he said and you thanked the God that the sound of the car engine coming to life drowned out the loud beats of your heart. “We agreed to get back to your place and hang out there, didn’t we?”
“We did. But then—”
“Did you change your mind?” he asked with a quick glance at you before he turned to the rear-view mirror to back out of the parking lot. “Do you not want to spend time with me anymore?”
It was absurd that he was the one asking you this.
“I do want to spend time with you,” you said.
“Well, I should hope so,” he replied, the arrogant smirk now back on his lips again. “I doubt there are better alternatives than me on this campus.”
“Probably not,” you said, rolling your eyes, and then biting, “but only because Inna left to go home tonight.”
Jungkook would have let you know how this wounded his impossibly huge ego if his mind hadn’t drifted elsewhere as soon as you said this.
“Oh,” he spoke, turning out of the parking lot and into the street. “So you have the place all to yourself, huh?”
You raised your eyebrows when you turned to look at him. “You could not have sounded more like a typical college boy as you said this.”
Jungkook smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “I am a typical college boy.”
You smirked. “I thought you were only one of a kind.”
He gave you a proud look – completely ignoring the mocking undertones in your voice – before returning his eyes to the road as he drove towards his house.
“I am, of course,” he said. “Just wanted to hear you say it.”
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Much to your – and Jungkook’s – surprise, the party ended up not being so bad, after all. Initially, you thought you’d have to come up with a way to leave after an hour, but several hours have passed now, and you had to admit, you were genuinely enjoying yourself here.
At the beginning, you couldn’t quite get comfortable – all because you could feel everyone’s stares on the two of you when you arrived hand-in-hand – but when you finished a few drinks, the people in the room no longer seemed as strange and threatening.
Jungkook helped you ease your discomfort by refusing to leave you alone – and making his close presence seem so casual, it was as if his parents were, indeed, here, watching you two play a relationship – but even when you finally convinced him to find his bandmates and say hi to them, you still didn’t feel too out-of-place.
You felt relaxed, actually. Excited. And maybe a little irrational or else you wouldn’t have found yourself on the couch next to Brock – the well-known social climber, dead-set on beating Jungkook in terms of campus popularity – discussing your plans for the summer.
“I want to spend at least a few weeks at home with my family,” you were telling him as you toyed with the edges of your third—or was it fourth?—drink tonight, “but only if I pass all of my finals at the top of the class. Or else I’ll never hear the end of it.”
“They’re that hard on you, huh?” Brock nodded knowingly – for someone who seemed so shallow when you first heard about him, he sure had a lot of empathy – and took a sip of his own drink.
“They’re alright,” you said, swallowing the remaining alcohol in your cup. “Although my roommate thinks they’re robots.”
“Oh, your roommate has met them?” he asked.
“I brought her over once,” you explained. “I do that with friends, usually, but only if we’re really close. Most people don’t handle the judgmental looks on my parents’ faces too well.”
“I see,” Brock said but only to win himself more time to find the right way to ask you this, “so, uh, has Jungkook met them?”
“My parents?” you asked. And then, not thinking about it, added, “of course. He met them a long time ago.”
Brock raised his eyebrows in evident surprise. It dawned on you then – albeit slowly – that he didn’t know how long you and Jungkook knew each other. Actually, probably no one at this party knew – you spent the majority of your time at university pretending Jungkook didn’t exist.
“So, you’ve been together for a while then?” Brock questioned.
His eyes didn’t give it away but you were sober enough to understand how this could have been a trick question: Jungkook was probably sleeping around with other girls before you started to talk again, so defining a clear timeline of your relationship was crucial or else you were going to fall down the spiral of “cheating” rumors.
“Uh… no,” you said, choosing to play dumb. “Not very long.”
“So, he met your parents before you started dating?”
“Yeah. My dad’s a teacher,” you said, which was the truth, so you didn’t completely lie, and Brock’s lips parted. You could almost see the puzzle pieces click together in his brain.
“Oh, I would not want to spend the summer with my parents if one of them was a teacher,” he said with a chuckle. You gave him a tell-me-about-it-look and scanned the room for another drink. “Are you going to be on campus during the rest of the summer?”
“Uh, probably, yeah,” you said. “I’d like to get an internship somewhere close, so I could live at the dorm.”
“Busy girl,” Brock said in a way that sounded more condescending than affectionate. His company no longer seemed so pleasant – you definitely needed another drink – but he didn’t seem to pick up on your emotions, “I know that Jungkook is probably going to be on campus as well but, um,” he scooted closer to you on the couch – just a little but enough for his knee to touch yours, “if he’s away, I could maybe show you—”
You didn’t hear what was it that he was going to show you because someone landed on the armrest of the couch right behind you. The smell of alcohol was the first thing you registered, but then you picked up the scent of the cologne, too, and you didn’t have to turn around to know that it was Jungkook.
“I’m back,” he spoke into your ear – whispered, actually -- sending an excited shiver down your spine. “I brought you something to try. It’s—”
It was a drink. Finally.
“Thanks,” you cut him off, not really thinking much of the pale green liquid in the half-empty shot glass and downing it all in one go. You frowned when the drink reached your throat, going down with a fiery resistance.
Jungkook noticed your grimace as you swallowed. He placed a protective hand on your back – and then shot Brock a warning look which prompted the boy to return to his previous spot on the other end of the couch – as you coughed, not really enjoying the anise-flavored travesty he’d brought you.
“You okay?” Jungkook asked, concerned.
“Mmhmm,” you replied, your esophagus still burning, “n-not a fan of absinthe. Have you been—” you paused to inhale through your mouth, cherishing every bit of cold air, “—drinking this the whole night?”
“Yeah, he basically drinks that shit raw,” Brock answered instead, somehow happy to see Jungkook bring you this much discomfort. ��And it still takes him a while to get drunk.”
“I haven’t been,” Jungkook answered your question, deliberately ignoring everything the other boy had just said. “Taehyung broke out a bottle he’d brought back from France. Do you want me to get you some water?”
“No, no, I’m fine,” you replied, inhaling a few more times and then clearing your throat for good measure. “It just took me off-guard, that’s all—”
You ended up not finding the end of your sentence as Jungkook slid down the armrest and landed on the couch next to you, his arms sneaking around your waist as he pulled your body closer to his. Your heart would have most likely stopped if the shot of absinthe hadn’t released all this adrenaline into your bloodstream.
“I’m sorry,” he said into your hair – the close proximity and the quiet tone of his voice had quickly cut off all signals from the synapses inside your brain – and cuddled into you until he found a more comfortable position. “I would have warmed—warned you if you’d have given me a chance.”
He was obviously drunk and tongue-tied – but that was nothing new. What was new, however, was this affection, as he held on to you as if you were both stranded on a stray piece of wood in the ocean and he was afraid you were going to slide off into the water and die.
“T-that’s okay,” you said with a nervous chuckle, figuring that he was only doing this to prove a point that you were dating. But no one seemed to care; this far into the party, everyone was either making out with someone or dancing their lives away – except for Brock who was actively trying not to look at you two.
“Hmm,” Jungkook exhaled slowly for no reason other than to see the skin on the nape of your neck shiver from his breath. He wasn’t drunk enough to miss the effect he had on you, but he was far too drunk to be able to hold himself back from deliberately affecting you this way.
“How much have you had to drink tonight?” you asked, not uncomfortable in his arms per se, but certainly tense – even more so when you finally concluded that he was holding you like this specifically because Brock was here.
“Not much,” Jungkook replied, still as quiet as before. He shot the boy across the couch a glance so full of spite, you would have believed him to be completely sober if you’d seen him do it.
Brock only rolled his eyes in response, ready to say something to you but instead, he was forced to watch you strain your neck as you tried to look at Jungkook, his grip on your waist not loosening.
“Really? Because you seem really drunk,” you told Jungkook, your voice no longer passive.
He snickered – you felt his abdomen muscles move against your back as he did – and, purposefully staring right Brock in the eyes, he said, “I’m only drunk on you.”
If he wanted to see you squirm, he would have succeeded, but his grip on you was too tight for you to move. Pressing your lips together, you touched his knee with your hand in a warning manner. You didn’t like being caught in the middle of a purposeless war of masculinity.
“Maybe it’s time we left, then,” you suggested. He worshiped the disappointment that appeared on Brock’s face after you said this.
“Yeah?” Jungkook asked – but he didn’t have to, he was just trying to win some more time to hold you close to him like this – and then, slowly unwrapping his arms from your waist, he said, “I’ll run to say bye to the guys, okay? It’ll only be one second. Meet you by the door?”
“Sure, yeah. Take your time. I’ll stop by the bathroom before we go,” you said, craving some cold water on your face – and not just because of the lingering fire in your throat – as Jungkook released you and stood up, leaving an unnaturally cold sensation behind you, where his body had been.
He walked off quickly, his grin only widening when he glanced at you over his shoulder and saw you stand up and walk away from the couch without saying a word to Brock.
What Jungkook didn’t see, however, was how -- as soon as he rounded the corner to enter the kitchen where his bandmates were searching for sugar cubes for their ridiculous absinthe ritual -- Brock leaped from his seat and grabbed your hand, stopping you from walking away.
“Hey,” he said, pulling away when he felt you flinch in surprise. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to—uh, you headed home, then?”
“Yeah,” you said, taking your hand back and hiding it behind your back in defense. “It was nice talking to you.”
“It really was!” he said, a little too enthusiastically. “Which is why I was wondering if you were free anytime soon. So we could talk again, maybe? I just don’t want this to be the only time I get to hang out with you. I felt like we had a real connection. You know?”
You didn’t. You thought he wasn’t a terrible person to talk to, but you could only tolerate him in small doses.
“Mmhmm. Well, we live on the same campus,” you said, trying to smile politely as you made your way towards the bathroom. Much to your disappointment – and horror – Brock fell into step with you. “I’m sure we will, uh, see each other around.”
“Yeah? Where do you usually hang out? When you’re not with Jungkook, I mean.”
As far away from you as possible, was going to be your answer if he wasn’t going to let you walk away from him.
“Everywhere,” you said and then decided to make yourself sound less available, “or nowhere, actually. I prefer to stay home. With my roommate.”
“I like to stay home, too,” he said. You doubted that very much – unless staying home meant throwing parties at the million-dollar mansion that his parents had purchased for him. “You think we could do that together some time?”
You could distinctly recall the way your heart sped up when Jungkook suggested nearly the same thing one time. Brock’s words seemed to have a completely opposite effect on you, however, as you desperately looked for a way out of the situation and were almost prepared to use the golden I-have-a-boyfriend excuse – which could have been true for all that Brock knew – when he spoke again.
“Just you and me,” he clarified. “You could text me when Jungkook is away.”
Now, if only he could have survived five seconds without bringing Jungkook up – further proving to you that this was all about Brock showing everyone that he was better – maybe you would have stopped and considered this – although you doubted that, too – but now you didn’t even hesitate before you clicked your tongue.
“Don’t you think that’s inappropriate?” you asked.
He clearly didn’t as he retorted, “why?”
“Because this is something that you wouldn’t suggest if he was here,” you explained. “And I don’t really want to go behind his back and plan some secret tête-à-têtes.”
You gave him a smile – instead of saying goodbye – and were already reaching for the handle of the bathroom door when he grabbed your hand again. This time, when you turned to look at him, you didn’t bother to hide the irritation in your eyes.
“You misunderstand me,” Brock said, very matter-of-fact but still wary as he let go of your hand. Good. You were going to need it when you inevitably smacked him across the face. “I’m not implying anything. I just genuinely liked talking to you and would like to do it again without anyone bothering us. If you don’t think Jungkook’s going to allow you to see me, I can talk to him about—”
“No,” you said sharply. “I don’t need anyone’s permission to do anything. It’s my decision. And I said no.”
Brock watched your eyes for a moment, intrigued by how strict they looked.
“Okay,” he said then. “Got it.”
You nodded and, almost tripping over your own feet in your hurry, you finally tore yourself away from the party by entering the bathroom and locking the door.
Alone at last, you exhaled and walked over to the sink, choosing not to look at your reflection in the mirror out of fear of dissociating even more – you already felt disoriented enough.
Washing your hands with cold water and then dabbing wet fingertips under your eyes and down the sides of your face felt refreshing, but it wasn’t enough to stop your heart from working overtime – courtesy of Jungkook and Brock, and their passive-aggressive battle to show the other one who was better.
You weren’t sure what you were more frustrated with: the fact that Jungkook’s touch affected you so much or the fact that he only seemed to touch you to show off to Brock. Obviously, you’d come here to establish your relationship in front of your peers but, considering that Jungkook tried to treat this whole thing as a sort of business deal, only worrying about his parents’ opinion, his actions tonight seemed over the top.
Not to mention, you could have handled Brock yourself. He was the first person who talked to you at this party and he probably only did because he’d seen you arrive with Jungkook, and, just like with everything else, he was determined to replace him. Naturally, Jungkook -- never one to back down from a challenge -- wanted to put Brock in his place.
This really irked you – you liked to be in charge of your own life and hated having to rely on others to do things for you. Jungkook should have known that.
But although you were irritated, you didn’t feel like starting an argument and then potentially having to deal with dead bodies. However, right after you decided to leave the party quietly, your mythical sixth sense picked up a bad vibe and your stomach dropped – all just a second before you heard deep grunts of struggle from behind the door of the bathroom.
For just a split second, you hoped that this commotion didn’t involve Jungkook but all of that hope vanished when one of the voices yelled, “who the fuck do you think you are?” and you recognized the undeniable tenor of your childhood friend.
Cursing under your breath, you shut the water off and, not even bothering to find a towel, walked out of the room with your hands still dripping.
You felt hopeful yet again when you saw the almost empty living room – maybe they stopped fighting – but that hope disappeared soon enough, too, when a tirade of cuss words reached you from the kitchen, followed by the sound of skin slapping against skin, muscle against muscle.
Following the sound, you clenched your hands into fists and tried to brace yourself for whatever you were about to witness. And, just like you expected, a group of spectators – always thirsty for some violence – was watching Jungkook hold Brock by the collar of his shirt.
Brock – who was obviously enjoying the attention of the whole party – snarled something that provoked Jungkook to throw another punch to the side of his face. Brock’s whole head twisted to a side and, roughly pushing Jungkook off of himself until his back hit the fridge, Brock spat the blood out onto the kitchen floor.
“Jungkook!” you called out before they turned this whole house into a boxing ring. He heard you – his eyes drifted to the group of people watching him – but he couldn’t see you through the crowd.
Cursing again, you tried to push past the people even if it involved losing sight of the two boys – you could hear the fight carry on as they slammed each other against furniture – until you finally reached the kitchen island and saw Jungkook carelessly hurl Brock on top of it, his head nearly hitting the marble tabletop.
“Jungkook, for fuck’s sake,” you snapped.
It was hard to say if he heard you this time, because one of Brock’s hands broke free and roughly pushed Jungkook’s chest. The boy stumbled backwards, hitting the cupboard behind him with a loud groan as empty plastic cups scattered all over the tabletop and rolled to the floor.
Recovering immediately, Jungkook lunged for Brock again – but this time you were there to interrupt them.
Grabbing Jungkook’s wrist as soon as he swung his hand back to prepare a punch, you finally got him to tear his eyes away from the opponent and give you a frenzied look.
“That’s enough,” you said, all out of breath as if it was you that’s been in a fight. “You made your point.”
Brock rolled off the kitchen island and coughed loudly as he dusted his shirt off. When you turned your head – both of your hands still gripping Jungkook’s raised fist, even if he was no longer planning to punch anything with it – you saw that Brock’s lip was bleeding, his left eye was starting to swell, and various hues of dark purple decorated the right side of his face.
Jungkook looked better in comparison to him – at least, from what you could see – although his cheekbones were clearly bruised, the skin irritated and bright red.
“You need to learn how to take a fucking joke,” Brock spat just as you let go of Jungkook. Immediately, he jumped past you, seemingly ready to knock Brock out.
Brock stumbled backwards, not yet prepared to defend himself against Jungkook again, but he didn’t have to do anything because you’d sneaked under Jungkook’s raised arms and pressed both of your hands into his chest, stopping him in his tracks.
“Jungkook,” you told him, knowing you had to remain calm in order to make progress, but struggling as fury boiled inside your veins.
Jungkook looked at you, his nostrils still flaring, but his anger dissipating as quickly as it had ignited. He took a step back until you no longer had a hold on him, and snarled at Brock, “you’re a fucking joke. Let’s go.”
The last part was directed at you, obviously, as Jungkook turned around. Knowing how quickly he could change his mind, you took his hand in yours just to make sure he didn’t knock anyone unconscious on his way out of the house.
Everything was already so surreal, you were glad he was clutching your hand so tight it almost hurt, or else you’d have thought you were dreaming. But then, to make this even more hard to believe, Jungkook exited the house and made a beeline for his car.
“What are you doing?” you demanded, stopping and thus pulling him to a stop, too.
“We’re getting out of here,” he shot back as he finished climbing the few remaining porch steps. You remained at the top. “I’m driving you home.”
You could have laughed at the absurdity.
“You are not driving,” you said, resisting his pull as he tried to get you to climb down the steps. “You’re wasted. Do you not realize that?”
“I don’t—”
“First, you need to sit down,” you told him and lowered yourself until you were sitting on the porch, your feet resting on the lowest step.
Jungkook held your hand and watched you, frozen.
“Sit,” you repeated, making it sound more like an order this time.
“I need to get out of here,” he said, growing frustrated with your need to mediate between him and his obvious anger issues. “I’m not fucking sitting—”
“Well, you’re not getting behind the wheel of a car, either,” you cut him off, pulling his hand down.
He still resisted. “I’m fine. Let go of me.”
“Sit.”
“I’m not fucking sitting down, for fuck’s—!”
“Then stop acting like a fucking lunatic and get a grip on yourself!” you yelled, all patience gone as you jumped to your feet. “You’re drunk whether you realize it or not. You can’t drive yourself, let alone someone else, and you’re fucking out of your mind with anger. So, sit your ass down and fucking breathe. Or else I’m calling the police to get you arrested. Maybe that will get through your thick head.”
Scolded to the point where he almost felt embarrassed, Jungkook mumbled something incoherent and sat down.
“God, you truly never grew up,” you said with an exasperated sigh as you plopped back down next to him. “Always looking for different ways to get your adrenaline fix.”
He groaned, leaning forwards as he rested his elbows on his knees and hid his face in his hands.
You wanted to ask him what was it that Brock had said that provoked him to start a fight -- because you had no doubt that Jungkook was the one who threw the first punch -- but decided against it. You didn’t want Jungkook to fire up again.
And so, you sat in silence for a little while – you, fuming, and Jungkook, trying to control his breathing – until he finally sat up straight and dared to look at you. Your eyes were set firmly on the grass, swaying freely in the night wind.
“Are you mad?” Jungkook asked.
Your face didn’t even twitch as you countered, “what do you think?”
“At me?” he tried again.
“What do you think?”
He swallowed. “What did I do wrong?”
You looked at him incredulously. “Do you seriously have to ask me that?”
“Yes,” he said, knowing that he was going to get a lecture but needing to hear it in order to properly defend himself. “Obviously.”
“You got into a fight with Brock,” you said because it was this simple.
“Yeah,” Jungkook confirmed pointlessly and then said with a prideful undertone, “because he deserved to get punched.”
He did not seem to regret it in the slightest and would have probably done it again if he went back inside the house – that’s what scared you the most about this. You may as well have been talking to a wall.
“But that’s exactly what he wants—” you tried, but Jungkook cut you off.
“To get punched?” he asked.
“No—to get a reaction out of you,” you explained, more patient now that it looked like he was finally starting to listen to you, “he wants people to talk shit about you.”
Then, surprising you, Jungkook said, “I know.”
It took you a moment to grasp that he knew the consequences his actions would have, and that made his decisions all the more self-destructive.
“So,” you took a breath, “why do you do this?”
You were scared of his answer but instead of sounding like a lost cause, he just sounded aggressively nihilistic.
“Why not?” he retorted, shrugging one of his shoulders. “What do I have to lose? At least they’re talking about me. About us.”
If he’d asked you – really asked you, not just rhetorically – you’d have told him about all the things he would have lost if he kept this up. But he didn’t ask because he didn’t think there was an answer – a meaningful answer – that would have been worth the change in attitude.
He was simply convinced he didn’t have anything worth to keep: not his relationship with his parents, and not even what remained of his own reputation.
“Well, yes, but what they’re saying isn’t doing us…” you started to say but felt yourself hit a dead-end. You were a conformist. He, clearly, wasn’t. But it wasn’t for you to decide which one of you was right when it came to dealing with campus rumors. “Anyway. That was wrong. You know fighting is wrong. You end up getting hurt.”
“He’s the one who picked a fight with me as soon as you walked away,” Jungkook mumbled childishly.
“That doesn’t mean you’re any less guilty,” you stated. “You were acting weird around him before the fight, so, in a way, you brought it upon yourself.”
Jungkook looked at you, his eyebrows furrowed. “When did I act weird?”
You looked away. “When you brought me that shot of absinthe.”
“What do you mean?” he asked but he knew what you meant. “I was just letting him know that we were dating. Letting everyone know that we were—”
“Right but everyone got that when we arrived together,” you spoke as soon as your face started to grow warmer from the memory of you and him on that couch, “and none of that even matters, anyway, remember? Your parents aren’t here. You didn’t have to—”
“I wanted to,” he said.
You paused. Then asked, “what?”
“I wanted to touch you,” Jungkook clarified. “Is that wrong?”
For a minute, you couldn’t remember if you thought that was wrong or not when he put it like that.
“It’s—” you said and then swallowed, thanking the cold breeze that raised goosebumps on your bare legs for distracting you from his intoxicating words. You had completely sobered up when you had to break up that fight and you’d have liked to remain clear-minded. “Well, if you’re doing it to mark your territory like some dog, then yeah. It’s wrong. It’s disrespectful to me.”
“I wasn’t trying to mark my territory.”
“It felt like you were.”
Sighing, he caved, even though he hated the accusation, “alright, maybe I was, a little. But Brock needed to know that he was never going to get to touch you like that.”
“Ah,” you smiled humorlessly, “and you get that privilege, right?”
“I—well, didn’t we come here to show off?”
“We did, supposedly. But…”
Your voice faded because you realized that one of the biggest reasons why it felt like he’d crossed the line tonight, was because his actions affected you so much. If you hadn’t cared about him the way that you did, you probably wouldn’t have been bothered by the methods he chose to prove the authenticity of your relationship.
Sure, he could have been less possessive, but you knew him well enough to understand that he wasn’t trying to offend you. And yet you couldn’t let this go without standing up for yourself – especially not after he tried to take back every single one of his confessions the last time you’d talked to him.
“We weren’t supposed to do it like that,” you said, sounding a little more confident now. “I just felt like you went too far. Brock wasn’t worth it.”
“There’s a dozen others like Brock at that party,” Jungkook pointed out.
You scoffed. “Right. Even if there are, the only reason why they’d want me is so they could brag about stealing Jungkook’s girl.”
“No, it’s—is that the only reason why you think these guys want you?” he looked at you as he asked this, almost appalled that you would reduce your own impact to this level.
“They don’t—” you started to say with a shake of your head but that was enough for Jungkook.
“They do,” he countered, cutting you off, “and it’s not because you came with me. It’s because you’re you,” he didn’t mean to scan you from head to toe with his eyes as he said this but self-control was not one of his strong suits.
You had your objections but, at the same time, you were able to understand that arguing about this would have been pointless. Your knowledge about how men functioned came from text-books and observations, while his came from personal experience. You’d never see eye-to-eye about this.
“Why do you care about those other guys?” Jungkook asked after you didn’t reply.
“I—I don’t,” you said, still distracted by your own thoughts. “But you clearly do.”
“Of course, I do,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “They want you.”
You looked at him. “So, even if they do, why does it matter?”
“It matters because they can���t have you,” he said, “and they need to know that.”
“Know what?”
“That you’re mine.”
Your hands went numb and the fabric of your skirt that you’d been playing with started to feel foreign – fake, even – so you dropped it and took a deep breath, wrapping your arms around your midriff instead.
“I get that we’re playing a relationship,” you said, quieter than you probably should have, “but I’m not a trophy that you can brag about when you feel like it.”
“You might as well be,” he said, not intending to make it sound like you were some decoration, but realizing how it could have been interpreted precisely like that, “maybe ‘trophy’ wasn’t the right word. I mean that you are something—someone—to brag about. Because I’m proud to call you min—m-my, uh, fake-girlfriend. My friend. I’m proud of who you are. Proud of what you’d achieved. Proud of the way you can call me out on my bullshit and put me in my place—”
You did not acknowledge his slip-up with the label of your relationship – because he was drunk – scoffing instead, “there’s no way in hell you’re proud of that last one.”
“No, no, I am,” he nodded for more effect. “No one has the patience to deal with my shit. But you do.”
You went quiet again, your head spinning. The buzz of the alcohol had mostly worn off but you were unable to find a way to reply to him, and you chose to blame the drinks you’d had for that.
“Don’t do that again, okay?” you ended up saying.
Your thoughts ran a little too fast for him to keep up. “Do what?”
“Get into fights,” you said. “Act irrationally to prove a point.”
“Me hugging you was completely rational,” he said, bringing it up with such ease, it was like he was a completely different person now.
“You know what I mean,” you said. “Don’t treat me like an object. Especially, since it doesn’t change anything with your parents.”
“I wasn’t trying to--w-why are you bringing my parents into this?”
“Because of the other night?” you said, thinking it was obvious. “You were completely dismissive about this – a-about us – and you basically said that—”
“I know what I said,” he cut you off, looking down at the wooden steps of the porch. He remembered. “I didn’t mean that.”
So, here’s the answer, then: he didn’t mean that. But something – fear, insecurity, uncertainty – had still made him reduce your relationship to just an act for his parents.
“Okay,” you said, hesitating. “But we’d agreed to tell each other the truth. So, don’t—don’t say things you don’t mean. Not when it’s just us alone.”
“Okay,” Jungkook nodded, a promise on his lips, “I’ll think before I act from now on.”
You scrunched your nose, looking at him out of the corner of your eye. “Will you, really?”
He considered it, then rephrased himself, “I’ll try to think before I act.”
That got you to smile. “That’s better. Thank you.”
Jungkook smiled back and the tension outside of his house seemed to blow away with the wind. Even the night shadows around you suddenly seemed brighter.
“You have to admit, though,” Jungkook said then, “my plan to get Brock to believe we’re dating worked so much better than your diplomatic speech would have.”
“Why do you think I’d have given him a diplomatic speech?” you asked.
“I’ve known you since birth,” he replied, grinning.
“Fair point,” you couldn’t help but snicker. “We’re still doing it my way next time, though.”
“Alright,” he nodded, not really caring about much else except that you said there was going to be a next time. “So, you ready to go home now?”
You’d been ready to go home for a while now.
“I am,” you said,
He stood up. “Let’s go.”
You stood up after him but, once again, hesitated before climbing down the porch steps.
“Actually,” you spoke slowly, “I think I’m going alone.”
Jungkook hadn’t noticed that you weren’t following him as he headed towards the pavement across the front yard. He stopped at the sound of your distant voice and turned around.
“What?”
“Yeah,” you said, making your way towards him. “You stay here. Stay out of fights and—”
He was shaking his head. “If you think I’m going to let you go home alone, you’re—”
“If you think I need your permission to—”
“Okay, sorry, my bad,” he lifted his hands in a defensive manner that interrupted you. “I didn’t choose my words well. But my point stands. You’re not going home alone.”
You looked away with a sigh.
“Neither of us can drive,” you said, “and I’m not staying here.”
Jungkook rolled his eyes, dismissing your attempt to escape him with a very sarcastic, “oh, and that would sure be tragic if our plans didn’t involve us going back to your place together anyway.”
“I…” you did feel the same pang of excitement in the pit of your stomach as you did when he first suggested you spent more time together at your dorm, but everything that happened since then made you unsure if it was such a good idea, after all. “I feel like going to sleep, actually.”
“Okay,” he didn’t seem bothered by that. “I’m walking you home, then.”
“I’m perfectly capable of finding my own way,” you said.
“I’m sure you are, you’ve walked around campus plenty of times before,” he said, still as witty as ever. “I’m still coming with you.”
“Jungkook…”
“Let me. Please,” he took a step closer to you as he said this and you would have probably let him to do almost anything when you saw the night sky reflected in his eyes. “I don’t want to walk you home so that other people would believe that we’re in a relationship. So that my parents would believe we’re in a relationship. Or because you’re an item I want to show off. I want to walk you home because I want to walk you home.”
You could no longer feel the cold, late-hour wind.
“Okay, fine,” you said, your voice purposefully indifferent and even irritated, just so your real feelings wouldn’t manifest themselves. “Walk me home, then.”
“Way to make it sound like I’m putting you in pain,” Jungkook jabbed.
“You are kind of a pain in my ass, actually,” you pointed out.
“Yeah? Does that pain bother you?”
“Yes, very much,” you glared at him as the two of you crossed the front yard towards the main street where he’d crashed his car weeks ago when you first found each other again. “Keeps me up all night with thoughts about it.”
“Good,” he said with a smirk, walking around you inconspicuously, so that he was on your right side, his body shielding you from the cars that drove past every now and then. One could never know what sort of a drunk lunatic could drive by. “That means my plan has worked.”
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faulty-writes · 4 years ago
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I’m hopelessly in love w someone whos in love with someone else 😞👉👈 can I request a Tamaki x Reader where he comforts a reader who was heartbroken?? You can the ending, thank you lots in advance!!
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Anger and sadness caused your heart to sink like a ship underwater. It felt as though you were in the middle of the ocean and a terrible storm was brewing above you. Your head barely above the crashing waves that threatened to drown you despite the emotional set of weights that were attached to your ankles or in this case, your heart.
A sniffle sounded as you pressed both hands to your chest, allowing your eyes to spill over with tears. Yes, normally people say things like ‘You shouldn’t waste your tears on someone who doesn’t deserve it' but you couldn’t help it, wasn’t it better to let everything out anyway?
A comforting hand came to rest on your shoulder, but you didn’t bother to turn and look. “I’m sorry that happened, some people can be such jerks!” Nejire said, her eyes slit with anger and her hand folded into a loose fist.
She hated seeing others in pain which made sense given her status as a hero. Granted Nejire and yourself had been friends since you entered the doors of UA, the only difference between you two was the fact that Nejire was a member of The Big Three while you were trailing behind in the hero course.
You could only nod as you reached up to wipe the tears from your eyes, but such was useless as more continued to trail down your already irritated cheeks. “I-It’s just…” you paused, trying to think of the right word, “p-painful?” maybe that was it. Painful.
Nejire’s frown seemed to deepen and she stepped closer, allowing her arms to wrap around you. Though you weren’t expecting it and a part of you just wanted to push her away. But, you found yourself leaning forward and burying your tear-stained face into her shoulder.
You could feel Nejire’s hand curl into your hair, gently stroking it. While comforting, you knew it wouldn't dry your tears, “They knew you liked them, huh?” your chest tightened and another soft sob escaped before you nodded. “Mm…” Nejire furrowed her brows, her hand still combing through your hair.
“But they decided to find someone else,” she glanced to the side, she was happy to comfort others and she loved making people smile. But in this case, she wasn’t entirely sure what to do. “A broken heart takes time to heal, come on,” she insisted as she reached down to grab your hands.
“I’m sure you’ll feel better once we’re back at the dorm,” she suggested with a kind smile but you felt somewhat sour. How could she smile like that? Honestly, you weren’t sure if you wanted to go back to the dorm, but it was better than nothing.
So with some uncertainty, you nodded and allowed Nejire to drape her arm over you before guiding you toward the third-year buildings. Once Nejire helped you get ready for bed, she left to find Tamaki. Though he wasn’t so thrilled by what she had to say.
“W-Why me?” was the first question out of his mouth as he stared at Nejire with an almost horrified expression. His hair standing on end and a tremble coursed through his body. But Nejire, as usual, wasn’t going to back down.
“Come on Tamaki!” she exclaimed as she raised her fists up and took a step toward him. “You’re the perfect person for this,” she said as she took another step forward, in turn, making Tamaki step back. A frown was on her lips which didn't suit the anxiety-ridden boy well.
“B-But...I…” he tried to argue, but ultimately his words were swallowed as Nejire leaned close, allowing their noses to touch as she stared directly into his indigo-colored eyes. “No buts!” she exclaimed with a pout before leaning back and pointing her finger at him.
“Y/n could use comfort right now and you’re the perfect person for that, sure you may seem dark and depressing,” Tamaki’s jaw stiffened and he lowered his head. “...Thanks...another set of words to w-weigh me down…” he muttered but Nejire seemed to ignore him.
“But they could use your light! So tomorrow, you're going to talk to them,” she said, more like demanded as her hands came to rest on his shoulders. “W-What?!” Tamaki squeaked out as he lifted his head to look at her, but he was only greeted with her stern expression.
After a moment it faded along with her sigh, “You'll do fine,” she released her hold on his shoulders before turning to walk away. “H-Hey, wait!” Tamaki tried calling after her, but she either didn’t hear him or chose to continue walking.
“Oh, G-God…” Tamaki said as he allowed his head to hang. He wasn’t looking forward to this, but it was no use trying to argue with Nejire. That’s why he found himself standing outside your door, though there were some violations that came with this which made his stomach twist into a thousand knots.
He let out a groan and wrapped his arms around his waist, he felt so nauseous. What if the teachers found out? What if people thought he was doing something bad on the other side of your door? “Mm…” he groaned, his whole body trembling despite the fact he looked like a statue.
A few third years walked past him, giving him strange looks and muttering to themselves about why he was just standing there. That didn’t exactly help his self-esteem, “W-Why are people so c-cruel?” he questioned as he leaned his forehead against your door, trying to calm himself down.
But his heart continued to pound inside his chest which was tightening the more he thought of how much he was dreading this. But, you were in pain and despite the fact that heroes weren’t exactly trained on how to fix a broken heart, they could still mend them.
That’s what a hero did, repair the hope in someone’s heart and while Tamaki took his hero work seriously. He still had a bad feeling about being alone with you, the only people he typically hung out with were Mirio, Nejire, and a few select students from Class 1-A.
Still, he couldn’t just do nothing. “G-Guess I have no choice,” he yet again muttered to himself before taking a deep breath. ‘I have to do this,’ he finally concluded, ‘Y/n needs a hero...sort of?’ he shook his head, ridding himself of his thoughts.
“I g-guess it’s b-best to g-get this over w-with…” his voice trailed off before he raised his hand and knocked. You had been laying in bed since you woke and you knew you missed breakfast. But, you didn’t care. Your chest coursed with that heavy feeling and you couldn’t seem to find a way to stop it.
You knew full well that everyone experienced heartbreak and maybe it was a part of life, but did it really have to hurt this much? You were grateful that Nejire had helped you back to your dorm and even stayed until you fell asleep, but you also felt silly that she had to do that in the first place.
You were supposed to be a hero and you were allowing a little heartache to get the best of you, in a way it was pathetic. But you couldn’t help the way you felt, to put so much effort into someone. To finally have the courage to tell them how you felt only to get rejected in the worst way possible.
That is, get tossed aside for someone else when the person you wanted wasn't even yours but knew how you felt about them. It just didn’t sit right, how can someone know how you feel and still hurt you by claiming someone else as theirs?
It made you so angry and part of you wished you could teach them a lesson, but you knew being angry didn’t solve anything. You reached up, wiping away more tears before a series of knocks sounded. You hated to admit that you jumped, startled by the noise that now echoed through your room.
But a groan soon followed, you didn't want to face anyone, and who was even trying to bother you? You crawled to the edge of your bed before standing up. Your steps were slow and you dreaded the fact that it might be Nejire.
But if it were Nejire, then chances are she would have already burst through the door. Maybe it was another third year wanting to ask if you’d like to join them to watch television or something. One thing about the dormitories was that everyone truly seemed like family.
But even so, the last person you expected to see on the other side of the door was Tamaki Amajiki. The boy could be classified as the shyest and least motivated student of UA, but also the one who had a sense of bravery and enough skill to become one of the top students.
“A-Amajiki?” you questioned as you stared at the boy with wide eyes, but it seemed you offended him as he trembled and immediately glanced down at his feet. “U-Uh...h-hi?” His words came out like a question as he awkwardly waved his hand which dropped back to his side seconds later.
You felt your throat tighten and you reached up to wipe your eyes once more, hoping they didn’t look as red and puffy as they were. “What...are you doing here?” you questioned before taking a deep breath.
In the back of your mind, you wondered if Nejire had asked for him to check up on you and you couldn’t decide if that made you angry or grateful. But, you watched as Tamaki stuttered out his words. “W-Well I...um...uh...j-just wanted to…” you watched as his hands repeatedly curled into loose fists, a nervous tick maybe?
“N-Nejire is going...t-to be mad at me if I...d-don’t do this…” he confessed and though you knew you shouldn’t be surprised, you asked anyway. “Did Nejire...tell you to come here?” you placed your hand against the doorframe, eyes glued on Tamaki who doesn't seem to want to say anything. However, he nods.
“S-She…” he begins as he slowly lifts his head once more, his stare lingers on you for a moment before shyly glancing away, “said you needed...c-comfort,” a soft growl rumbles in your throat as you think back to what happened, the heartache that you felt.
You swallowed hard, “O-Oh…” you replied as you glanced down, your hand dropping from the door frame only to slap against the side of your thigh. ‘I guess this is her way of saying she cares, but why Tamaki?’ you thought before letting out a sigh.
“Come in…” you said as you stepped away and gestured with your hand. Tamaki cautiously took a step forward and leaned over to glance inside your room.
He then looked over his shoulder as if he thought about retreating and more than likely he did. But slowly he walked into your room and you closed the door behind him before walking over to your bed.
Your blanket was still thrown over the side and a wet spot was on your pillow from where you had spent time crying. You folded your hands in your lap and looked at Tamaki who remained standing.
His head turning back and forth as if he were unsure of what to do or where to sit. Another sigh escaped you before you patted the spot next to you, “Sit here,” you insisted and watched as Tamaki stiffened his posture.
“O-Oh…” he responded before lowering his head once more. You noticed the way he was playing with his hands, pressing the tips of his index fingers together as he took another step forward.
You turned your head, glancing at your wall until you felt the bed dip next to you. Turning back, you took note that he still looked nervous and unknown to you, his heart was racing inside his chest.
He slowly glanced at you, trying to swallow the lump in his throat but he ended up choking slightly and coughed a few times which effectively caught your attention. “Yes, Tamaki?” you questioned as you felt that awkward tension grow.
“W-What? I d-didn’t…” he tried to respond but ended up freezing when he noticed the way you were looking at him with a raised eyebrow. He latched onto his lip before turning his head away, he knew it was rude.
But he just couldn't speak, not with the way you were looking at him. “I mean...I w-was just...c-clearing my throat um...I didn’t mean t-to-” his words came to a stop when you let out another sigh and slapped your hand against the mattress of your bed.
You knew your heartache wasn’t Tamaki’s fault but you couldn’t help yourself at that moment. “Yeah...nothing is ever your fault, is it?” your tone was slightly hostile and Tamaki turned his head back to look at you. His eyes now wide and his lips turned in a frown.
“W-What?” he responded before you shook your head and stood on your feet. “Nothing is anyone’s fault...they just turn it around and make you feel like you’re the crazy one!” you exclaimed, throwing your arms around like mad which caused Tamaki to panic. “W-What do you...uh m-mean…” he trailed off as you began to speak again.
“Even after you confess your feelings and give them your heart, they just take it and act as though it didn’t take courage to do what you did in the first place!” you exclaimed, your hands tightening into fists before you turned to face Tamaki who jumped where he sat and raised his arms up as if he were afraid you were going to hit him. “C-Courage um, I-'' you growled and Tamaki let out a panicked squeak, his face turning a strange shade of blue.
“Then they act like it meant nothing and just run off with someone else and-” you felt your eyes begin to water and that familiar stinging sensation followed, but you ignored it. In a way, it was nice to feel something else besides the emotional hurricane that had been preoccupying your chest since the day you got your heart broken.
A sniffle came as you reached up to wipe your eyes, your action was an immediate concern for Tamaki who seemed to snap out of his anxiety. “A-Are you um…” he paused, maybe there wasn’t any point in asking if you were okay. The answer was pretty obvious. He swallowed and slowly rose to his feet, though he was still a little afraid.
He reached out a shaky hand to you, “I-It’s...uh, o-okay,” he knew that was the best set of words he could offer you at the moment as he laid his hand on your shoulder. You let out a sigh and clenched your jaw. “Amajiki…” you said as you reached up to take his hand, gently removing it from your shoulder.
This simple action seemed to hurt Tamaki or maybe it was the fact that someone he cared about was crying. Sure he didn’t take the time to talk to you on a daily basis, but he still cared about you because Nejire did. He swallowed and you grew concerned when you felt his grip on your hand tighten.
You tried to pull your hand away but you quickly realized he wasn’t planning on letting go. You turned on your feet to face him, seeing that he was looking down and his lips were pressed together in a thin line.
You were half tempted to try again, that is rip your hand away from his and tell him you felt better so he could leave. But another thought crossed your mind, Tamaki was part of The Big Three and he could easily use his quirk or tactical intellect to keep you right where you were.
“Wha-” you opened your mouth to speak, but instead you found yourself giving a cry as you were yanked forward. Another soft sound echoed from you as you collided with Tamaki’s shoulder, his lavender-like scent filling your nostrils and your cheeks grew warm.
You had never been this close to Tamaki nor did you expect him to suddenly pull you forward as he had just done. Then you felt the gentle caress of his hand on your back, laying between your shoulder blades. You swore you could feel his heart faintly beating in the silence that followed moments later.
“Amaji-” once more it seemed like you were interrupted as Tamaki made a struggling noise, it sounded as though he were trying to catch his breath or maybe just find his words. Slowly his free arm came up and moments later, you felt his delicate fingers thread their way through your hair.
“I’m s-sorry,” his stuttered apology came which almost had you rolling your eyes. What was he apologizing for? You remained quiet, waiting for him to say more. But another moment of silence filled the air and you felt his arms lower.
Another wave of confusion washes over you as you stare at Tamaki who then lifts his head, his eyebrows tilted and his eyes filled with a determined expression usually only reserved for his training or hero work.
“I...h-heard that someone b-broke your heart and t-that’s not nice…” he said and you would have chuckled if not for the fact that Tamaki genuinely meant his words.
But ‘not nice’ isn’t the way you would have chosen to describe someone purposely breaking your heart. A frown came to your lips and you glanced down, “Mm…” Tamaki seemed to notice your reaction and another sense of panic filled him.
‘Did I...say the wrong thing?’ he thought before shaking his head. ‘I have to try harder…’ he reminded himself, but more than likely that was the hero inside him talking. He reached his shaky hands up and grasped your shoulders which, in turn, caused you to glance back up.
“I mean...uh, i-it’s kind of a m-mean thing to do a-and...uh, I k-know how you f-feel...or h-how it feels to b-be l-looked over and n-not picked or r-rejected,” he confessed before swallowing the lump in his throat. “T-That’s happened to m-me a lot,” memories of middle school flashed in his mind. How he’d have to stand in front of the other kids and be forced to use his quirk.
But every time his nerves would get the best of him and he’d end up falling short of displaying what his full quirk power could do. He got made fun of a lot and if it wasn’t for Mirio, he probably wouldn't have pushed himself to become a hero.
Still, his words seemed to have gained your interest despite the fact that he felt a little embarrassed for having admitted such a thing to you. But he pushed the feeling down and stepped forward, his lips quivering as he spoke, “I know y-you’re hurting b-but I m-meant what I s-said,'' he lowered his head.
“The person t-that broke your h-heart...t-they don’t deserve you and i-it’s uh...t-their loss because I t-think you’d make a...g-good partner,” he said just as his mouth went dry. Even as he lapped his tongue over his lips, it didn’t seem to moisten anything.
You took a deep breath, though Tamaki’s words weren’t exactly comforting, it was nice to know that he thought you were worth something more. Your shoulders relaxed, you knew your heartache wasn’t going to go away.
But as you stepped forward and closed the gap between yourself and Tamaki. Feeling the way your chests pressed against one another and the warmth the otherwise shy boy radiated along with his pleasant lavender-like scent as you brought your arms up to wrap around him.
Taking the chance to bury your face into the crook of his neck, but you couldn’t help but feel some amusement as Tamaki’s body grew stiff. His pale cheeks turning the deepest shade of red and his arms hovered in place, slightly trembling as he was unsure if he had enough courage to return the simple act of affection.
But his thoughts were scattered when he felt your hot breath against his pointed ear, whispering, “Thank you, Amajiki,” he seemed to have lost his words and gave a simple nod in return.
He slowly brought his arms around your waist, fingers barely grazing the fabric of your shirt. “Y-You’re...w-welcome,” he said and you remained there, embraced in the comfort of one that attempted to mend what another broke.
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memory-mortis · 4 years ago
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Little Kitten (Dio x Reader)
Why hello there! First of all, I have no clue what this is. It’s not smut. It’s not fluff either. It’s just... huh. A random idea I had like 2 days ago. Secondly, to all of you who sent me a request months ago, I am really sorry. Don’t worry! I am still working on them! But it’s taking really long because I just went through a small writing block and I was feeling a little depressed. I will finish them one day, it just might take a while. Anyway, without further ado, let’s get this bread
WC: 1.8k TW: blood, the usual Dio stuff
So this was supposed to be a self-insert, which means the reader was originally meant to be female, but now that I think about it, it could be perceived as gender neutral too. The reader wears dresses, but fuck it, boys and nonbinary folk can wear dresses too, fuck gender stereotypes amirite?
This one contains NSFW themes. 18+ only.
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“My, my… what do we have here? A soaked little kitten.”
Those were the first words he ever spoke to you. They came within a fever dream, his voice coated in honey and silk, reaching for the deepest desires hidden within your soul. He clenched your heart in his fists, dug his sharp nails into its tender meat. Figuratively speaking, of course.
Lord Dio had found you on the side of the road, soaked from the rain, beaten and bruised. You were trembling, barely conscious, and the memory of him walking towards you, his steps reminiscent of those of a proud lion, was hazy and blurry. It is safe to say that you were very close to death, and you would’ve had perished had it not been for him. You couldn’t tell to this day why he chose you out of all the poor women lying on the street, but he took a liking to you and while many men and women came to his mansion only to never return home alive, he kept you by his side and even fed you. In return… he made you his little play toy. You didn’t mind. You had nowhere else to go, and no one had treated you as respectfully as Lord Dio. He knew your boundaries, and whenever you asked him to stop, he stopped, and that is exactly why you chose to accompany him to Egypt.
The full moon hung low over the streets of Cairo littered with dots of light created by street lamps. A cool breeze of fresh air poured in through the open window which you stood by, your eyes pinned to the view of the city that opened in front of you. You did not feel cold thanks to the blanket wrapped around your shoulders. Lord Dio would freak out if you didn’t take care of yourself and that was the last thing you wanted. A sigh escaped your lips in the form of a cloud of mist. While the air in Egypt was hot and dry in the day, once the sun set, the temperatures dropped close to the freezing point. You admired your master for being able to sleep in the scorching heat. You had tried to adjust your own sleep schedule to match his but it was always just too hot to sleep and so you had to settle for seeing him late at night and early in the morning, despite how lonely that sometimes made you feel.
You started reminiscing of your first days spent with Lord Dio. The very first night he took you home you were sick and tired, so you didn’t protest when he cleaned you up and helped you get dressed into warm new clothes. Besides, from the aura he gave off, you knew you couldn’t escape even if you tried to.
“My poor little kitten, malnourished, your cheeks are so thin and your eyes so sunken,” he purred into your ear as he washed your hair. You were so exhausted you leaned back into his touch and didn’t move when he ran his hand over your throat. Dio was pleasantly surprised by your reaction, you could practically feel the smirk growing on his face as he leaned over to smell your neck. “So compliant, so submissive,” he whispered as he stroked your cheek. “I think I’ll keep you around.”
You were not a fool. You knew that Dio wasn’t human from first laying your eyes on him. Everything about him was so surreal, so ethereal, he was inhumanly gorgeous and radiated the glow of a supernatural being. You knew he was a vampire. It wasn’t your first time spotting one. But you didn’t mind. You didn’t care if you were just another meal for him. You fell prey not only to his predatory instincts and tendencies, but also to his otherworldly beauty. You craved every single look of those sharp, golden eyes, you needed his cold touch. His attention was a drug that kept you up at night.
To your surprise, it took weeks for him to show any interest in drinking your blood. In fact, he hadn’t shown himself to you at all in the first few days. Each morning, you would wake up to eggs, bread and tea on your nightstand, and every evening you would find dinner on the floor in front of your door. Lord Dio was elusive, nowhere to be found no matter how hard you tried. Sometimes you would run to the door upon hearing footsteps, only to find a completely empty hallway, and for a moment you thought that you were crazy or living in a haunted mansion.
But then… you found him. He was sitting in an armchair in the library, an open book in his lap. Despite having his back to you, he registered your presence.
“Hello there, kitten,” he greeted you without even looking at you. You shuddered at the sound of his voice, just as soft and alluring as you had remembered. Finally, he closed the book in his lap and set it aside, stood up and looked at you. The view was breathtaking. He gazed down at you hungrily, a couple of golden locks falling into his face. He had no shirt on and his broad chest and toned abs were clearly visible to you. You noticed the scar all around his neck and you would’ve questioned him about it had it not been for sudden anxiety rising within you. Before you could notice, he was behind you, brushing your hair aside to take a good look at your shoulder. “Hmm, you’ve put on some weight. Good, good… now you don’t look like a walking skeleton anymore. Tell me, kitten, what’s your name?” he asked, his voice low and somewhat comforting. You immediately felt at ease, as if intoxicated by his presence alone. “Y/n,” you answered obediently. “Y/n…” he rolled your name over his tongue as if savoring it, engraving it into his memory. “What a pretty name for a pretty little creature. Say, y/n,” he spoke in a low voice, his lips close to your ear. You couldn’t help but lean your head towards him in a trance, drunk from the vibes he radiated. You couldn’t explain it if you tried, but something about him made everything feel right. “What do you say about becoming my personal plaything? I’ll treat you well. I’ll take you everywhere I go.” You nodded all too furiously, which made him let out a chuckle that took your breath away. “Good, good,” he growled excitedly and in a matter of seconds he was gone and back in his armchair. “Go prepare yourself. There are some dresses in your closet. We’re dining together tonight.” You didn’t waste any more time.
Lord Dio didn’t need to eat. He mostly just watched you while drinking his wine. Or blood. Who knew what he held in that wine glass. At first you felt really awkward. The food was really good, but you didn’t like people watching you gobbling down on it. Eventually, however, you got used to it. Every now and then you would look up and see him either reading or smirking to himself. Sometimes, his eyes would linger on the lower parts of your body. The dresses he would bring you every now and then were very pretty, you almost felt like a doll in them. You rather didn’t ask where he got them. But what was even more exciting was him getting you out of them.
The first time, he was surprisingly gentle. You could tell that he wanted to ravish you right then and there, but he held back, just for you. You were his little kitten. He couldn’t let himself break you, at least not so soon. It was a difficult task, but he did his best to make it a pleasurable experience. Still, to this day, your favourite nights were those where he let himself slip. The ones where he would rip your dress to shreds, push your face deep into the sheets of his huge bed and tear your body apart. Every thrust of his hips felt like the first beat of your heart, every “little kitten” whispered in your ear brought you alive, the real you that was not afraid to scream. You didn’t care if Vanilla Ice, or anyone else for that matter, heard you. It was hard to do so with Dio’s cock stretching your insides, the spell he cast upon you made it hard to form a coherent thought during those times.
He loved to hear your moans, he loved the way you called out his name. It gave him an incredible power trip, and his satisfaction brought even more pleasure to you. He never even tried to tone you down. He liked it loud.
You ran your fingers over the laced choker around your neck. It was one of his many gifts, and by far your favourite. Because it was his favourite too. It quickly became a necessity to wear these. After all, you didn’t want to walk around with the bite marks on your throat exposed. He didn’t drink too much. Every now and then he would get excited during sex and drink more than usual, which caused you to be dizzy, but you didn’t mind this either. In fact, it became something of a pleasant ritual. Your brain connected the dots between drinking blood and breeding and after a while you were conditioned so well your core would throb if he so much as licked the wound.
You’d seen the corpses of all the women and men he would drain of all blood. Something about you was special, your blood was different. He said it was like a juicy cherry on top of a cake. That’s one of the reasons why he kept you around. That, and the fact that you didn’t really question his decisions.
“You’re up late,” lord Dio’s voice echoed from behind you and you didn’t even flinch when he put his hands on your shoulders. “Can’t sleep,” you mumbled. “Oh? What’s keeping you up? Need to burn some energy?” He stroked your cheek with his knuckles and you shuddered at his touch. He froze when he saw the tears welling up in your eyes, turned you around and lifted your chin up to take a proper look at your face. “What’s wrong, kitten? What’s making you shed those tears? Did someone try to hurt you?” You shook your head in response. “They’re getting close, aren’t they?” Though it was a question, your tone made it sound more like a statement. Dio went silent for a moment. “Are you worried about me, Dio?” he said with a growing smirk. “I am the greatest being alive. They can try to get as close as they want, there is no way they could ever lay a hand on me.”
You sniffled and did your best to stop your quivering lip. Dio looked at you like you were a fragile little flower, wiped the tear on your cheek away with his thumb and leaned down to press a kiss to your forehead.
“Come, let’s go to the bedroom, little kitten. It seems that you need to be reminded of how powerful I am.”
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mobagehelllocal · 4 years ago
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“dati” ver ii - kalim, vil, idia & malleus
A/N: Wah, this got so long I had to split it into two parts ;u; So here’s some information if you didn’t read ver i, and went straight for ver ii! 
 The Reader, is different from the actual MC of TWST! 
“Dati” is a pretty difficult word to translate, because it’s just one word but--it can mean so much.  For the sake of this story, you can interpret its meaning as “a long time ago”. 
Due to the general premise, the reader is female! 
The prologue for ver ii “dati” is the same prologue for ver i! 
Link to the concept design for the uniform!
Inspired by: 
“Dati” by Sam Concepcion, Tippy Dos Santos and Quest. (I encourage you to listen to it OR read the English lyrics.) 
“If You Can Dream” by the Disney Princesses. (I would link both but my posts dont appear if I do that ;u;) 
So, without further ado, let’s get into it!~ 
Other versions: ver i (riddle, leona, azul), ver ii (this)
--
"--as you already know. We held a school-wide meeting about the week long exchange program with the all-females private school, Garden Academy. Professors Divus Crewel and Mozus Trein accompanied our delegates to Garden Academy this morning,” Dire Crowley peered at his students through his black mask, “while Professor Mozus Trein stayed with our delegates, Professor Divus Crewel escorted the delegates from Garden Academy to Night Raven College.” 
Excited whispers broke out in the crowd. Crowley cleared his throat once, then again--before everyone settled down. The Headmaster huffed audibly at that. 
“I’ll be using this morning meeting to introduce the delegates,” Crowley turned to the left side of the stage. He motioned at Crewel who was standing back stage with a Garden Academy professor and her students. “Now then, please give a hand for--” 
In the crowd, his eyes widened. 
--
In turn, you were pretty excited too. You had held off telling your friend about you coming to his school because you wanted to surprise him. 
All you girls had been assigned to a particular dorm, not to sleep in--but rather, to experience. Each dorm in NRC (much like GA), had their own unique culture. So, to truly experience the college meant you all needed to immerse yourselves in the different dorms and their cultures. You had to sneakily reconfirm with him what his dorm was, to make sure you got assigned to the correct one. 
And now that you were here...
“Alright ladies,” Professor Radcliffe said kindly, “we will reconvene here at 5PM to return to the dorm Headmaster Crowley so generously set aside for us.” 
“Yes Professor.” Radcliffe eyed all of you girls, before she sighed with an exasperated smile. You were all very excited, and doing very little to hide that. 
“Okay, I know you want to go--but one last thing,” you all let out loud, false and very unladylike groans that Radcliffe ignored. “Remember to be beautiful--” 
“At heart.” you all recited, familiar with your school’s motto.
“Go on then,” Radcliffe finally said, “the dorm heads and their assistants should be waiting outside for all of you.” 
With a cheer, you all parted ways.
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Kalim‘s eyes brightened as he caught sight of you again.
“Jamil! Jamil! Look!” he tugged on the other boy’s sleeves as he pointed you out to the crowd. “So it really is [Name]!”
“They did announce her full name on the stage, Kalim.” Jamil said rather blandly, not that Kalim was affected by his exasperated tone. 
“Kalim! Jamil!” Your uniform--the pale green of House Water Lily, the House of Passion--swished around you as you came to a stop before the two boys that you hadn’t seen in ages.
“It’s been awhile.” You reached for their hands and clasped them with yours--at which both boys blushed. While Kalim gave you a goofy smile, Jamil instantly looked away. 
You had spent a couple of months as a child in the Land of Hot Sands because your parents were just beginning to expand your family owned restaurant--Tiana’s Palace--into that country. You had met Kalim, then Jamil because your parents were business partners with Kalim’s father. 
It was hard not to enjoy their friendship. Kalim--was fun loving and easy going. Jamil--was calm and attentive. When you were getting exhausted by Kalim’s energy, Jamil knew when to step in and what to say to calm him down. They were perfectly balanced, and you remembered them fondly.
Needless to say...
When it had been time for you to return to your country, there were a lot of tears. 
-
“Sniff... why are you leaving?” Kalim cried, “I thought we would be friends forever!”
“I--I don’t want to leave too!” you shook, snot dripped down your nose.
“Kalim... [Name] has to go back.” Jamil said slowly, but even his eyes were glassy and wet.
“Wah!” You sniffled as you wrapped both of your arms around the two boys who became so dear to you. 
“I--it’s not like we won’t meet again!” Jamil protested, as he too began to truly join in the crying fest.
“Waaah! Don’t leave [Name]!” Kalim wailed loudly. 
“B--but I can’t stay.” you sobbed. “I tried already...” 
(Behind you the adults were chuckling to themselves at the drama the kids were causing... had they not realized they could just ask them to keep in contact...?) 
(But to a child, the world seemed infinite. It didn’t seem to have an end. 
To the three of you, it truly felt like a final farewell.)
“Promise, we won’t forget each other?” you demanded as you pulled back. The two boys shared a glance through their tears and turned back to you with a determined nod.
“Promise we’ll always be friends, no matter what!” Kalim said. In turn you and Jamil nodded pretty determinedly. 
Then you and Kalim turned to Jamil--you waited for him to make a promise too. He flushed at suddenly being put on the spot, before his eyes light up and he said--
“Then we promise--to meet up again, one day? Here?” 
You and Kalim nodded vigorously at that. 
As your parents took you a way, you all wailed pretty loudly. 
“You can see them again one day.” your mother had said, confused. 
“But it doesn’t mean I won’t miss them when I can’t see them.” you said in a solemn tone. Your parents exchanged looks amused looks.
“I’m surprised you got so attached to those two.” 
“They were fun to play with.” 
“I’m sure they were sweetie. Now get some rest.” 
-
There was some time where you all attempted to exchange letters--since the MagiCam had yet to be developed to a point where international instant messaging was possible. 
However... 
Children were fickle creatures.
Within a few months, you all eventually found something of more interest than a friend from a distant place who you might not see again.
Your interests in each other waned away, until it became a distant, fond and somewhat embarrassing memory. 
That is until...
-
“Hey [Name], did you sign up for the Night Raven College exchange program?” You looked up from the recipe book that you were reading.
“Yeah I did, why?”
“Did you know the model, Vil Schoenheit goes there?”
“Who is Vil?” Your friend gasped dramatically before she rolled her eyes. “Figures you wouldn’t know who Vil Schoenheit is. Come here.” She showed you pictures of Vil’s MagiCam account. There were some photos of the school, and rarer still--photos of other people aside from Vil himself. 
Which, you know--if you had a face like that, you’d totally fill your MagiCam with just selfies. 
“Oh Sweet Evangeline,” your friend sighed dreamily, “NRC boys are definitely cuter than RSA boys--and I swear I’m challenging all the RSA stans to try saying otherwise over my dead body--” You snickered at her rant, before a certain photo caught your eye.  
“Oh is that...” 
“Oh holy Evangeline--” your friend began to wheeze. “I think these are all the Dorm Leaders for this school year--” she clicked onto the photo to open the post. Your friend was right--Vil had noted that this was this year’s NRC Dorm Leader list. 
“Malleus Draconia-- naturally. Vil Schoenheit--NATURALLY.” your friend giggled in excitement, “Oh, I guess Leona Kingscholar is repeating a year... No idea who Riddle Rosehearts, Azul Ashengrotto or Idia Shroud is--and this guy is--” 
“Kalim Al-Asim.” you whispered. If you shut your eyes, you could hear the wind whistle, the laughter of two boys, the joyous shrieking of a girl--and a magic carpet ride across the wide expanse of the sky. Your friend arched a brow at you.
“Do you know him?”
“I think I do.” you hesitated, the sound of laughter still rang in your ears. “I’m pretty sure I met him when I was a kid... when I travelled around with my family.” 
“Oooh, you should totally try and see if he remembers. He’s cute.” 
“We were kids.” you tried to explain to your friend but she only waved a dismissive hand. 
“You aren’t now. Also childhood romance trope is so cute, you gotta let me see it first hand.” your friend grabbed your phone and typed in the tagged username of Kalim Al-Asim. 
{”Hi Kalim! Do you remember me? I’m [Name] [Surname].”}
{”Like [Name] [Surname]? Like Tiana’s Place? Yes! Oh Sorceror, how’d you find me?”}
{”Well funny story...”}
-
And the rest was history.
Jamil took awhile to come around, but you had a video call with the two, and after naming a particular embarrassing moment--Jamil had easily been convinced that it was actually you. 
That had been a few months before the actual exchange, and you chose not to tell them about your part in it so you could surprise them once you got up on stage.
Surprise them you did.
The moment they announced your name, Kalim shouted, and Jamil had face palmed. 
It was another memory to add to the ones you held dearly. 
Now you were seated in Scarabia’s dorms, as you happily enjoyed the grand feast and parade prepared by Jamil and Kalim. 
As Kalim flopped onto the seat next to yours, he shot you a wide grin.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” 
“I am!” you hummed, “I haven’t been anywhere close to the Land of Hot Sands recently...” you put your spoon down and smiled. “The food is really good too! This is the best version of your cuisine that I have tasted. My compliments to the chef for sure! I’d love to take a peek at the recipe.” On your other side Jamil choked, and you turned to him with a confused expression. 
“Are you okay, Jamil?” you asked, concerned.
“Hahah, he was probably surprised at the praise! Jamil cooked everything after all!” 
“Woah, you did? We definitely should exchange recipes.” with a particularly red face, Jamil nodded his assent before he excused himself.
“I hope he’s okay.” 
“It’s fine! He’s having a hard time expressing it, but he’s really excited to see you.” Kalim peered at you curiously. “I am too, of course.” 
“Same.” you agreed. “It’s a little sad we lost contact.” 
“Well, finding each other now was pretty fun! So I think it was worth it.” You giggled in response.
“I’ll have to agree with you, Kalim.” 
You both turned back to the front to watch the parade when Kalim spoke up again.
“Hey [Name]?” 
“Hm?”
“This time... let’s not lose each other, okay?” You turned back to Kalim, surprised at the change of his tone. You couldn’t help but let your expression melt into a soft one.
“Mhm! This time... let’s keep those promises.” You two shared a grin, as the parade finished off with fireworks.
--
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When Vil saw you hop up onto the stage, he had definitely been surprised. He hadn’t expected to see you--though now that he thought about it, it had been so out of the blue of you to ask him about whether or not he was in Pomefiore.
Then again he had been busy with other things... So he hadn’t thought too much on it. You were, after all, the type of person who brought up something from ten years in the past simply because you suddenly remembered it. He had assumed it had been something like that.
Vil stood with Rook by his side, his arms crossed as he waited for the Garden Academy students to exit the Mirror Chamber. Once you finally appeared in the crowd, your eyes instantly met his.
“Hi Vil.” you greeted--uncharacteristically nervous and shy around him, dressed in the pale purple colors of House Chrysanthemum--the House of Artistry.
At the sight of you, Vil’s lips instantly curled up into a beautiful smile.
“Well if it isn’t my number one fan.” he raised a hand and began to rub a finger against a purple mark on your cheek. “paint got to your face again.” Your tense shoulders loosened as Vil greeted you the same way he always did.
“Whoops.” Vil shook his head, and as he pulled back he noticed that your skirt and your sleeves had faint splatter marks of paint--and on your wrist--
“You need to stop writing on your wrist, dear one.” he chided gently, though used to your antics, he easily unclipped his magic pen from his breast pocket and began to cast a spell to clean you up.
“Is it that obvious? I really did try to clean up...” you complained, but you let Vil fuss over you--as he normally did. There was no stopping him until he was satisfied. When he finally pulled back, he nodded in an approving manner.
“Vil, did you like it? Was it a good surprise?” you looked up at him with curiosity shining in your eyes, and he let out a soft chuckle.
“Yes. It was a pleasant surprise. So we’ll be spending a whole two weeks together...” he mused.
You were a person he had grown up with, and the person he regarded as his dearest friend. Much like him, you had an eye for art--except while his art focused on himself as a model and actor--yours came in the form of paintings.
Your identical passion for beauty made the two of you attached at the hip. You were the one whose opinion mattered the most to him--because there was no one whose opinions he trusted more.
“Ohoho, Roi de Poison, who is this?” Rook peered curiously at you, he had never seen Vil react like this before...
Well actually he had. Whenever Vil was on his phone--but Vil never explained, and no matter how Rook tried, he never figured it out.
“This is my best friend, [Name]. We’ve been friends since our childhood.” Vil’s lips curled up, “She’s also--” Vil looked at you for a moment, and you nodded. Vil then mentioned your MagiCam account, and Rook’s eyes popped open in surprise. He knew that name--you were one of the most popular artist on MagiCam. Rook knew that you and Vil followed and liked each other’s works, but there had been no hint to the of your relationship with Vil.
He studied Vil curiously.
For someone who was never afraid to share what he did to the public’s eye, you were an incredibly well kept secret for Vil. From what he knew about you on MagiCam--you were a very private person who was never one to share your photos. Why, he knew that Idia Shroud from Ignihyde was a fan of some of your otaku related works--he had heard from the man that one of your quirks was that you chose to never appear in fan gatherings. You were incredibly mysterious.
To realize that--that person--
He eyed you curiously. You were far different from the women that Vil would often be seen hanging out with. As a model, he had a pretty extravagant social life. He hung out with people as glamorous as him and you--
Well, to put it plain and simple, you weren’t anything like that.
“So Vil, where do we go first?” you asked, Vil turned his gaze away from the analytical glint in Rook’s eyes, to smile at you.
“I’ll show you the gardens, I’m sure you’ll love them.”
-
After Vil had bid you ‘good bye’ as you and your classmates returned to your designated dorm, Vil looked at Rook with an annoyed expression.
“Alright Rook.” the Pomefiore Dorm Leader crossed his arms, “what is it?”
“What’s what?” the other third year raised his hands defensively.
“You kept staring at [Name] earlier with that look in your eye... I don’t like it.”
“I was just thinking... she was a very well kept secret.”
“A secret..?” Vil arched a brow. “She isn’t a secret at all. As you remember, she’s also incredibly famous on MagiCam.”
“No, I do mean, she’s a secret of yours, Roi de Poison.” Rook smiled, and Vil’s eyes narrowed in turn.
“I don’t understand.”
“You never mentioned her on MagiCam.”
“That was by her request. She wanted to build up her own audience.” Vil explained.
“Hm... that’s interesting.”
“What is?”
“I do believe...” Rook’s eyes slipped open. “That your friend is hiding something from you.
-
Vil didn’t like to believe what Rook told him, but he did wonder to himself how he could miss it.
You had considered each other best friends--yet he never noticed how you truly felt. The next time he caught you (because for some reason--it was as if you knew he wanted to talk to you about something important--and he had a difficult time catching you), he asked you if you could spend lunch together in private. You had happily agreed.
Once you two had sat down together in one of the gazebos in NRC’s gardens, he placed down the basket of food.
“Ah! Vil, it looks really good~” you said, happy.
“Yes, and you’ll see it’s all healthy too.” he smiled--how could he not, in your presence? As you two began to eat, you chattered on about what you’ve seen and liked about NRC so far. While he did listen--he can’t help but have his thoughts drift off to Rook’s statement.
Could you really be hiding--?
“--Vil? Is something wrong?” you put the utensil down, and studied your friend with a worried expression on your face. He felt a little guilty--your usual absent minded but happy expression was twisted with the furrow of your brow, and the downward slope of your lips.
“No it’s...” he hesitated a moment. He thought for a second how you were the first person to ruffle him in a long time. “I was thinking... we’re both big influencers now--in fashion and in the arts.”
“Alright, I’m listening.” you nodded.
“Why don’t we do a collaboration? While you’re still here. We have a week left.” He offered, and you furrowed your brows.
“I don’t know Vil--as alike as our fields are, our audiences can be pretty different.”
“Do you... well, do you not like sharing about me on your page?” Vil hated this. As an influencer, he was used to being loved and hated. There was a time when the comments got to him--but now, he’s able to brush it off with little problem. With you though--well, he was always going to be emotionally invested in you. So, of course you could make him feel this insecure. He hadn’t felt like this for such a long time--and it’s certainly much worse than he remembered. You looked alarmed.
“What? No, no! Of course that’s not it.” you frantically shook your head as you reached your hands out to hold his.
“Then why? I was happy that you didn’t want to mix business with our friendship... but well... something made me realize that we don’t have a relationship on MagiCam at all and...” Vil paused, and you rubbed the back of his hands gently. “And you’re so important to me [Name]. So I want to share that with my followers too.” Your cheeks turned red at that and you looked down on your laced hands.
“It’s just...” you inhaled sharply, “I... well, I know you have a certain image to uphold and--and I don’t want to be someone who would cause people to criticize you.” you pulled your hands away to gesture at yourself. Paint splattered blouse, ink on your wrist and hair--an absolute mess. “I mean look at me... and look at you. People have a hard time imagining we’re friends and--and well... I know the type of fans Beauty influencers can have. I don’t want to get criticized because I know you’ll defend me and I don’t want that to negatively affect your reputation.” Your eyes flickered away, and he could swear they were slightly wet.
Of course.
Rook was wrong.
Rook had assumed that perhaps you simply hadn’t wanted to be associated with Vil Schoenheit. While that was technically the truth--you weren’t doing it for negative reasons. You were just looking out for him--thinking about the best for his reputation.
“Like right now--I really wanted to see you, surprise you--so I impulsively joined the exchange program and couldn’t back out. I was worried about how people might see us hang out together... I’m worried about how what your fans will think...”
However, there was no way in hell that Vil Schoenheit would let you put yourself down like this.
“Okay, no.” he interrupted, and you looked up at him--confused.
“Vil?”
“I won’t allow you to look down at yourself like that. I appreciate that you care about my reputation but--” he takes your hands in his and looks you in the eye. “[Name], you’re more important to me than that.” your eyes water up, and he kept speaking.
“Sweet one, you were always my number one fan--even before my career really took off, you were the one who cheered me on. You were so sure I could do this, even when I had my own moments of weakness. You believed in me when no one else did.” Vl scowled, “So I’ll always be on your side too, alright? It doesn’t matter to me what they all think.”
“But... you really worked hard to get to where you are.” you said weakly, “It can happen super quickly...”
“I am not Vil Schoenheit for nothing.” he said in response, “besides--you are beautiful [Name].” your blushed intensified, and you ducked your head. “Do you not believe me? I know beauty when I see it--and I know you are.”
“Vil... please stop, you’re embarrassing me.”
“No I will not. I will keep telling you this until you know this. I refuse to let someone I consider beautiful, look down on herself like this. Alright?” He reached out a hand to lift your chin. Your eyes were wet, and you bit your lip as you nodded hesitantly.
He smiled, pleased.
“Vil... I’m sorry for not... well...”
“No, I’m sorry I didn’t realize sooner. What type of best friend am I, that it took someone else pointing it out for me to realize it?” You giggled at that.
“Well, to be fair--we are best friends. I know how to hide it from you.”
“And you better stop hiding these things from me, alright?”
“Yes, of course.” you nodded, a grin finally lit up your face. Vil’s smile turned gentle.
“Now, how about we think of a collaboration project?”
--
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As you stepped out of the Mirror Chamber, you immediately move in the direction of a familiar blue flame.
“Hello Ortho.” When Ortho looked up, he beamed brightly.
“[Name]!” He wrapped his arms around you, which you reciprocate with an elegant smile.
“It has been awhile, has it not?” you mused, as you let go of him. You quickly smoothened the pink skirts of House Eglantine--the House of Sophistication. You turned your head from side to side and your brow raised as you realized that a certain man wasn’t here.
“Ortho, where is your brother?” Ortho gulped nervously, and behind him--one of the Ignihyde student’s gadget began to shake. Your eyes narrowed.
“Is your brother holing himself up in his room again? On such an occasion? Which requires his presence as a dorm leader?”
“Uh...” Ortho glanced away nervously before he met your gaze again. “Yes?”
“Ortho!” squeaked the gadget, “you could defend me!”
“Sorry big brother... but you also brought it onto yourself.” Ortho said quickly, and your lips twitched at that. “There’s no point in lying to [Name].”
“That’s true.” you could hear Idia squeak from the tablet at your response. “Take me to his room.”
“Alright [Name].” Ortho agreed easily.
“Ortho!” Idia wailed, “on whose side are you on?”
“For once, not yours. Sorry big brother.” Ortho eagerly looked up at you. “Will you tell me some stories?”
“I also have pictures.” you offered and Ortho cheered. You turned back to the the tablet.
“Prepare yourself Idia.”
“I’m going to die.”
Your childhood best friend mourned, and your lips quirked in amusement.
Despite it all, you had missed Idia especially because...
Your lips twitched downward for a bit, before you immediately composed yourself.
You really didn’t want to upset Idia after all.
-
As he heard you begin to tell Ortho some stories from your school, Idia began to frantically run around his room, and cleaned up as best as possibly could.
After all, you weren’t a part of House Eglantine just for show.
Like him, you were the daughter of an incredibly old and wealthy family from the Isle of Lamentation. In your childhood, Idia, who had always been shy--attached himself to you, when you had protected him from some bullies. Ever since, he just followed you around.
For some reason, you chose to stick around with him--despite how different the two of you were.
He was an absolute shut-in who preferred to play games and watch anime from the comfort of his bedroom.
You were a popular socialite amongst the elite of the Isle of Lamentation--known for your beauty and intelligence. You were also recognized on MagiCam for your love of travel. In fact, you were often transported all over Twisted Wonderland because tourists locations wanted to be on your account. 
Again, he really didn’t see why you stuck around.
A lot of his friends when he was younger--those seeking to befriend the Shroud Family’s heir--had given up on him when they all realized that he was difficult to communicate with.
But not you.
Ever since he attached himself to you--you had seemed to attach yourself back for no reason. You willingly called himself his best friend (and despite how different you were--he’d admit that you were the only friend he had that he could consider as a best friend--), which could hurt your social standing because of how insanely beloved you were--but you didn’t care (and of course, you’re also the type of popular kid that could never make yourself unpopular).
Don’t get Idia wrong.
He didn’t hate you.
You were patient.
You were kind.
You were understanding.
Idia definitely had a crush on you, and he didn’t know what to do with it--because he had such a hard time finding something about himself that you might be attracted to.
You were like the true hidden route to be conquered on a dating simulation game. First he would need to find a way to ensure that he were on the right path. Then next, he needed to complete a bunch of prerequisites to be able to even access this hidden route.
Your difficulty level was EX.
He had spent most of his childhood by your side--
‘but why does it feel like I know nothing about you?’ he frowned.
Truth be told, Idia had an idea on why. He had been very selfish with you. Nobody had been willing to talk to him about his interests in real life--except you. That’s why he talked to you about his games or robotics--because it’s different when someone in real life is the one doing the listening to you. In the process of that, he felt like you knew more about him than the other way around and it made him guilty.
He was guilty he didn’t hear you out often but the thing is--you never really shared. 
“--Idia.” he felt a hand press against his forehead, and he fell backwards with a screech. You put your hands on your hips as you looked down at him with an arched brow. “Well, at least I know you aren’t running a fever.” 
“You--you’re here!” He squeaked, “Already?”
“I am.” you looked around, and noted how messy his room was. Instead of commenting however, you began to move around and pick up his things. When you noticed he still hadn’t moved, you turned to him with an arched brow. “Come on Idia, I’ll help you.” 
“Ah... Okay.” He looked up at Ortho in confusion, and it seemed that he was also stunned that you hadn’t gone straight into a lecture about his responsibilities as you normally would. 
-
Idia considered himself a terrible friend, but he wasn’t so terrible as to not notice that you weren’t... well, at max HP. Sometimes he thought you would get angry, but you would instead sigh, and just avert your gaze. 
When you were in public (because Idia was worried okay? So he kept an eye out for you too--) you seemed to interact normally with your peers. The fans you had in NRC--were dealt with your normal grace. 
However, when you would visit Idia, you would grow quiet--and thoughtful.
It was, literally, killing him. 
Was it him? Were you mulling the idea of cancelling your support together? 
Idia sincerely didn’t know what to do if this was real. 
So one time when you were in his bedroom, you suddenly got a call. You looked down at your phone, furrowed your brows in that way that Idia hated--and left the room. 
“You should speak with her, brother.” Ortho suggested, a frown on his face. “she seemed really down recently.” 
“I mean... what do I even say?” Idia squeaked. 
“I’m not sure.” Ortho shrugged, “but I can tell your concerned brother, so just do it.” 
-
Idia gathered all his courage, and moved to follow you. As he turned down the hallway he heard you speak.
“--I don’t want to marry Adonis.” 
Idia immediately froze, and stood in place as he heard your one sided argument--with who he assumed--was probably one of your parents.
Alongside with being the most popular socialite of the elites in the Isle of Lamentation, you were also the most desirable waifu--ahem--he meant bachelorette.
Idia knew this because it was one of the only times you ever complained about it. Your parents were pleased with how popular you were, and the amount of marriage offers you received. You had told him that since you were pretty young, you weren’t really being forced to chose now.
“But I’m sure the pressure will be different when I grow older.”  you had sighed. Idia hadn’t known what to say--and the most he could do was put a hand on your back. 
“There... there?” he asked, with a frown. He really hadn’t known what to do. You looked up and met his eyes before laughing.
“Sorry to bother you about this Idia.” 
‘No, it’s okay! I don’t mind!’ was what he thought, but you stood up. 
“Venting helped a little. Thank you for listening.” you picked up your things and stared at a frozen Idia. “I think I’ll go home now. I’ll see you... later.” 
He should’ve tried to stop you--but he just... blanked. He should’ve tried to say something--anything to cheer you up. Heck, maybe you would’ve liked for him to ask if you wanted to game a little to get your mind off of it. 
“I’m serious mother... Adonis doesn’t respect women--I won’t...” you paused, “I won’t feel safe... I know father thinks he’s the best option but... I don’t really want to talk about this right now. I’m in Idia’s dorm...” you stopped again. 
“Mother...” your voice was shaky, and Idia’s hands fisted in his coat. “No. Stop talking about Idia like that.” Idia tensed, and turned his head. “... It’s not about that, he’s my friend. My best friend. I won’t allow you to talk about him like that.” 
Idia had an idea on what the elite of the Isle of Lamentation thought of him. They looked at him with respect because he was the heir to the Shroud Family, they also acknowledged his skills with technology... but otherwise? He was considered eccentric. 
The reason your family did not mind your relationship with him--is because it brought them a certain esteem. That their daughter was the only one who the next Shroud heir would actively communicate with. The Shrouds were still one, if not the most powerful family in the Isle after all. 
“Bye.” 
Idia flinched, and he frantically looked around for a place to hide.
“Idia?” He looked up and noticed that you were looking at him with a startled expression, before it slipped to an exhausted one.
“You heard...?”
“A bit.” he croaked out. “Is that... why you were so sad?” 
“You noticed?” He frowned at that.
“Of course I did... we’re... friends, right?” you studied him carefully, and he felt like he was in a boiler room or something--he was sweating a lot. 
“Yeah we are.” you then slid down to the ground, and tucked your skirt underneath you. You looked up at him expectantly, and he hastily sat down next to you. 
“So they’re pressuring you right now.” Idia stated.
“Yeah.”
“With Adonis.”
“Yeah...” you groaned, as you raised your hands to your temples. “they could’ve chosen anyone.. but they chose that narcissistic... arse.” 
“Who are the other offers?” Idia asked, and you mumbled out a bunch of names he recognized. Hey, he might not be active in the social sphere, but he was aware on who was who. 
“Adonis is...” Idia paused, “well in terms of social standing, I guess.” 
“Yeah. Unless someone of higher status proposes, there’s nothing I can do.” you mumbled. 
“What about me?” You whirled your head to look at Idia. “W-what--? You?” You cleared your throat, “I mean...that... I...�� 
“Oh.” Idia blinked in surprise. “No! NO! Wait! I meant, why--what was your mother saying about me?” Your face flushed red, and Idia found your flustered expression cute. You rarely showed that face. 
“Oh you know, same old, same old.” you grumbled as you fanned your face with a hand. “Just... criticizing you... and all that.” 
“Well... I can guess what she said, and... she’s probably... not wrong.” You turned to him with the same ferocity that you had done earlier.
“No Idia, don’t you dare speak of yourself as that. Don’t you dare listen to the elites on Lamentation. They couldn’t be even more wrong about you.” 
“But--”
“No buts.” you narrowed your eyes, and he flinched at the sight of your fury. “You are an amazing person--you’re smarter than they think and you create some pretty amazing things. Sure you could stand to go out more and make friends--but when you’re focused on your craft...” you paused, and you expression softened. Idia wondered what you were remembering. “You are so amazing. I hate how they don’t see that.” His breath hitched.
“You really mean that?”
“Of course I do! I love you--your work.” you coughed in response. The two of you went silent, before you sighed and picked yourself up. He looked up at you, and you shot him the same sad smile you had--all those years back, when the problems of today seemed like distant nightmares. 
“Thank you for listening to me, Idia.” you said, “and I’m sorry to bother you with my problems.” 
“I... I’m your friend right?”
“... Yes.” 
“So please... don’t worry about it [Name].” he looked away uncomfortably. “I may complain sometimes...”
“Sometimes?”
“Okay, all the time.” he said grouchily, and you giggled--which made it all the more worth it. “...even if I complain all the time--you’re still my precious friend.” 
You smiled, leant down and pressed a kiss to his forehead.
When you pulled back, Idia was stuttering, and turning red. 
“Thank you, Idia.”
After you left Ignihyde, he sat back at his computer and began typing out an email.
For you--whose smile was so precious to him...
Idia knew that he liked you. A lot.
He probably already loved you really. 
And judging from the way you reacted--
maybe it was mutual...?
-
Dear Lord and Lady [Surname],
The Most Ancient and Noble House of Shroud would like to extend an offer of engagement between your daughter, [Name] [Surname] and our heir, Lord Idia Shroud...
--
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"Oh no.” one of the Garden Academy students, dressed in the aquamarine colors of House Sage--House of Spirituality, turned to Lilia with a frown. “We’re missing one of our fellow House Sage classmates... give us a moment, we’ll go find her.”
Lilia’s lips only curled upward.
“Would her name happen to be [Name] [Surname]?”
“Yes.” the student blinked in surprise. “That would be her.”
“Ah.” Lilia smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m sure she’s fine. I’m sure he’s gone to find her already.”
The Garden Academy students shared a glance.
-
The most Malleus knew was that majority of the Student Body had gone off to the Mirror Chamber for some event. He didn’t know, after all, he hadn’t been invited.
So he had decided to go on a long walk, internally unamused that he was once more forgotten when he sensed it--
Your presence.
It was in the gentle caress of the wind against his face, in the rustle of the leaves, and in the soft warmth of the sun.
One moment he was incredibly unhappy, and in the next second--he felt your magic touch his.
It was like a ripple--and it soothed his entire being.
You and your magic--he wondered if you knew the extent of your effect on him.
He began to walk deep into the forest.
He paused in his step as he caught sight of you. You had sat down in a patch of sunlight in the small meadow. You were surrounded by some creatures of the forest--from bears to deers and rabbits. You looked completely serene--as you should--after all, you were one of the most powerful nature fae living. Coming from your head were horns--but nothing like his. Yours were shorter, and much more like tree branches. As you hummed idly to yourself, a few birds fluttered forward and decorated your horns with small flowers. Your smile brightened the clearing, and the birds--pleased--chirped a song that you instantly began to hum along with.
How he wished he could draw closer to you without disrupting the peace--animals didn’t do well with Malleus. They inherently knew how powerful he was--and though the same could be said about what they sensed from you--your powers were much more attuned to nature in itself. To be by your side--it would be peace for the animals.
‘ He could understand. By your side, there were no pressures to be anyone else other than himself.’  
As he stepped into the clearing, all the animals turned to look at him, and tensed. You blinked in surprise at their actions, before you turned your head to see Malleus at the far edge of the small clearing you were in.
“Mal.” you greeted, your startled expression slipped into a sweet, happy one. “It has been a long time.” Malleus inclined his head. “Won’t you come close, dear friend?” you raised a hand, beckoning him to come closer.
He eyed the animals around you warily.
“I don’t think they will enjoy that.” You let out a soft laugh at his deadpanned statement. Your laugh seemed to instantly calm most of the animals down (he could feel his tensed shoulders unknot too). You looked around you and began to speak to them.
“Now now everyone--Mal is a dear friend. I grew up with him. He’s a good person. Won’t you all please be patient with him?” The animals around you shuffled uneasily.
You looked up again and gestured for Malleus to draw closer once more. Malleus approached slowly at first, and once he realized that none of the animals would be disrupted, easily slid down beside you. One of the male deers leaned forward to sniff him--and Malleus held as still as possible. Apparently satisfied, the deer relaxed beside Malleus. Around him, the animals slipped back to their relaxed states.
“See? That wasn’t so bad.” One particularly ambitious rabbit hopped up onto your lap and peered inquisitively at Malleus. You smiled, and began to brush your fingers through the animal’s hair.
“[Name], not that I’m unhappy to see you but...” He began, “what are you doing here?”
“My school, the Garden Academy is having an exchange program with your school.” you peered up curiously at your childhood friend. “Did you not hear?”
“As per usual, I do believe people have forgotten to inform me.” he frowned slightly. “Then... this would be the event being held at the Mirror Chamber, then?” You nodded.
“The event should still be ongoing.” Malleus eyed you curiously, but you spread your arms wide in response.
“The trees told me that some creatures were excited to see me.” You said--and the animals all made noises of agreement, “so I thought to visit them already.”
“Will your classmates and teacher not worry then?” You giggled at his questions.
“I appreciate the concern Mal but.. there’s nothing here that can harm me.” you said simply, and he hummed in acknowledgement--you were right.
You were perhaps the one person Malleus could consider an equal.
You had grown up side by side--and he was more than aware of your power and capabilities.
If there was one person who knew him as well as Lilia--it was you. You had seen him at his best and his worst--you were there when he could barely control his own magical power. He hadn’t been good at dampening his own energy back then--nobody ever approached him out of fear for the amount of power he had. The only one who bothered to interact with him had been Lilia, who had been his designated caretaker and...
And you.
You had no reason to be by his side when he had been his most volatile.
But you had been there.
And you stuck by him with no hesitation.
“How about you?” You glanced at the dragon fae from the edge of your eye.
“Ah. I wasn’t invited.” he answered with a sigh, and you could see the discontent in the almost, unnoticeable, wrinkle between his brows. You--who knew him so well--could spot the tiniest giveaways to Malleus’s moods--it was a skill you were proud of.
You were someone who occupied an almost identical role to Malleus. All that differs from the two of you is the type of magic you possessed.
As a dragon fae, and a descendant of the Witch of Thorns--it was easy to predict the type of power Malleus would eventually manifest. Draconic transformation and dark magic. This made people fear him, and dislike interacting with him.
As a nature fae, and a descendant of the Spirit of the Willow--most knew that you would grow to have power attuned with nature. It explained why you could speak the language of the trees and flowers--why animals adored you. To others--people saw you as harmless.  
Perhaps in the beginning, you hadn’t really thought too much of your similarities. As years passed however--you realized how unfair the world was to Malleus.
They never saw the boy who sneezed and set Lilia’s hair on fire, they never acknowledged the man who treasured his Gao Gao Dragon toy--because it adored him as is. They didn’t allow Malleus to make mistakes, they didn’t allow Malleus to be vulnerable. They refused to see past this idea of a strong magician and the title of prince.
You reached forward and cupped his cheek. He turned to look at you quizzically.
“Then... should we have our own event?” You smiled, a tad bit more mischievous. You looked down at the animals. “Would you be willing to help out, my friends?”
The bunny in your lap twitched its nose in response, and a lot of the animals eagerly leaned closer.
“An event, like a party--to celebrate our reunion?” You glanced at Malleus to see him look on in curiosity. It seemed like the animals understood the idea of a party and began to move. You noticed the the female animals were the ones who specifically pulled you away, and when you glanced at Malleus--you noticed the the male animals began to surround him. He shot you a desperate look, but you only laughed.
“Let’s have fun!”
-
The male animals had weaved flowers together on top of Malleus’s head. Another animal had gotten several leaves, and put them together to form a long cape. He had no idea how the animals were doing it--but he just assumed it was because you were magic.
One of the birds flew over, and chirped loudly--which the animals took as a sort of signal. They all stopped and studied what they had done to Malleus. They began to make displeased noises, until one of the deers pushed a long stick towards Malleus. When he picked it up, he looked to the animals to see that they were all still unsatisfied. To humor them, He unclipped his pen from his breast pocket and waved it. He used the foliage that had fallen to the ground to decorate the stick--and craft it into a staff similar to his own.
“Is it good?” he asked, and the animals all vigorously gave their assent. At that, he could feel his lips curl up. The bird chirped again, and the animals snapped into action. One of the bucks nudge Malleus forward with his snout. “Ah, is it time to go back?” the birds make a pleasant chirping sound, and he allowed himself to be pushed back into the clearing.
He found himself in the clearing again--with all the male animals standing by his side. He thought briefly of what an amusing sight this probably was, until another bird chirped from the opposite side of the clearing. He raised his gaze that way, as a bunch of female birds flew in, and dropped flower petals onto the ground. The smaller animals came in first, followed by the younger fauns--and finally--
You stepped forth into the light of the clearing, and he found his breath caught in his throat. While the flowers on his form were restricted to his crown--the animals had chosen to decorate your whole form with it. Unlike the flower crown you were wearing earlier--this one had a train that fell to the ground, and billowed around you--making you all the more ethereal. Escorted on either side by the tall, elegant form of does--you resembled the idea of a Fae Queen with her animal court. As you came to a stop beside Malleus, you giggled at his surprised expression. He felt something tug on his pants, and when he looked down--he found a squirrel made exaggerated gestures towards you.
“Ah.” he looked up and met your curious gaze. “You look beautiful, [Name].” And he did mean it--for the centuries that he had known you, and the centuries he had yet to share with you--he knew that one thing would remain constant--the way you made his heart skip a beat, and the way you were beauty in everything you did.
“Thank you, Malleus. You look handsome” you blushed. That’s when you were both nudged forward by the deers, and were now much closer. One of the deers, snatched the staff in his hand. The birds fluttered around you, pulling your sleeves into place until finally--both you and Malleus were moved to a waltz pose. You stared into each other’s eyes, stunned. Malleus wondered briefly is animals were truly capable of sensing feelings he had--that even he had yet to fully comprehend.
“Shall we?” he offered, and you beamed in response. The birds began to sing, and the two of you proceeded to dance in the clearing.
“I think they enjoyed themselves, too much.”
“Did you have fun?” Malleus asked gently, and you smiled.
“I did but...” you curiously peered up at him. “Did you have fun?”
“I suppose I did.” He mused.
The other animals watched on--pleased.
Though neither of you saw it--blissfully caught up in enjoying your dance--they did. They could see the future King and Queen of Faeries.
--
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mikauzoran · 4 years ago
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Lukadrien: Zebras Can’t Change Their Stripes: Chapter Six
Read it on AO3: Zebras Can’t Change Their Stripes: Chapter Six
When Marinette opened the apartment door, the script Luka had been practicing on the way over abruptly evaporated from his mind.
Her bloodshot, puffy eyes revealed she’d been crying lately, and the dark circles underneath them told of sleepless nights since their separation.
She looked weary and worn out but still oh so beautiful, and it made his heart ache.
“Luka?” she breathed, a flicker of light and colour coming back to her face and eyes when she realized he was really there and not just some mirage conjured by her exhaustion.
His heart crumbled as she pulled him into a tight hug, and he couldn’t fight the need to wrap his arms around her and hold her.
“…Did you change your mind?” she inquired doubtfully into his chest after nearly a solid minute had passed and she couldn’t allow herself to delude herself any longer.
He pulled away, mournfully shaking his head. “I’m sorry. I wish we could make this work, but…nothing’s changed…and I need to take care of myself. I can’t keep waiting and hoping for things to be different.”
She stepped back, looking away and crossing her arms with a tired sigh. “Okay…but let me know if you do change your mind. I can’t imagine ever stopping loving you.”
She looked back at him, meeting his eye, her own misting with tears. “I do love you, you know. It wasn’t fair for you to say that I didn’t. I can love more than one person at once. You’ve loved more than one person at a time.”
Luka winced, shrinking guiltily. “You’re right. That wasn’t fair of me, and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that…but I still can’t be with someone who loves someone else more than me.”
“You are the one who decided that I love him more than you,” she replied coolly. “I’m sorry for whatever I did to make you think that, but isn’t the most important thing that I chose you? I picked you, Luka,” she stressed, a pleading note to her voice.
His gaze dropped to his feet as he muttered, “Because you couldn’t have him.”
“Because I love you and wanted to make a life together because I thought we could work,” she corrected.
He looked up at her, eyes scanning her face and seeing truth there.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I can’t change the past. I come with baggage, and if you don’t think your baggage and my baggage go together…well, I’m really, really sad about that, but it’s okay. I do love you, and I want you to be happy. I’m sad it can’t be with me, but I want you to be happy.”
Tentatively, he pulled her back into his arms. “Thank you. That means a lot to me, Chanson. I want you to be happy too…I just don’t think we can be happy together right now. I’m sorry if that’s my fault.”
She shook her head, effectively nuzzling his shoulder. “It’s not. Not totally your fault. Obviously, I’m part of the problem too.”
They stood there quietly holding one another for a minute before Marinette spoke up again. “…This sucks.”
“Yeah,” Luka chuckled tearfully. “Yeah, it does.”
“We can still be friends, though, right?” She pulled back to look up at him with desperation in her eyes. “This isn’t goodbye, is it? I don’t want to lose you, Luka.”
He gently wiped away the tears that had escaped and were making a break for it down her cheeks.
“Shh,” he soothed. “You won’t lose me. I don’t want to lose you either, Marinette. I think it’s just going to take some time before I’m okay…. I’d wanted to spend my life with you too.”
She nodded, resting her head back on his shoulder. “Okay. I guess…we’ll just see how it goes. Maybe once it stops hurting so bad, if we just act like everything’s okay, we’ll be all right again.”
“Maybe,” he sighed, pulling back. “I hope so. Right now, though, it’s just too painful to be around you. Don’t be mad if I don’t call you for a couple weeks.”
She nodded again. “All right. That’s…that’s a long time.”
He exhaled slowly, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. “I think it’s going to take a long time to start to feel okay again.”
“Okay.” She blew out a long sigh, relenting and accepting that things were changing and that it was beyond her power to do anything about it. “Well…I hope things get better soon.”
“Yeah,” Luka mumbled, not so sure that was realistic.
“…So…was that what you came here to tell me, or…?” Marinette shifted awkwardly, reaching up to tuck a stray bang back behind her ear. “Did you need something?”
“Oh. Yeah. Sorry.” Luka turned around and grabbed the garbage bags full of Marinette belongings that he’d set down next to the door out in the hall. “I was cleaning the flat, and I found some of your stuff. I thought I’d better return it.”
“Oh,” Marinette replied, feeling off kilter as she accepted the bags. “Thank you.”
“I also came because…” He bit the inside of his cheek. “I need to talk to Plagg.”
She winced and shifted her weight again. “I mean, you can try, but…Plagg hasn’t been himself in years. He doesn’t like to come out of the Miracle Box, and he doesn’t like to talk.”
“He’ll want to talk to me,” Luka assured. “I have a message from Adrien for him.”
Marinette’s eyes widened, and she stepped out of the way to let Luka into the apartment. “That…may change things.”
“I hope so,” Luka sighed, running a hand through his hair as he followed Marinette up the steps to her room. “He’s not mad at Adrien for giving him up, is he?”
Marinette shook her head. “He’s mad at himself for not taking care of Adrien better.”
Luka snorted at that. “I’m sure he did his best. Plagg was the closest thing Adrien ever had to a father.”
“…How is Adrien, by the way?” Marinette inquired hesitantly, feeling somewhat better about asking now that Luka had introduced Adrien as a topic of conversation himself.
Luka exhaled slowly. “He’s…a little rough, but he’s going to be okay. He’s safe now, and things are going to get better.”
“Do you think he hates me?” she blurted out, pushing her trapdoor open and then turning around to look at Luka nervously once she was through it.
Luka rolled his eyes, brushing aside her same old fear. “Marinette, I’ve told you a dozen times that he’d never hold you getting his father arrested against you. He helped.”
“What about for keeping my identity a secret?” she pressed, needing to be sure.
Luka shook his head. “That’s probably a complicated subject that you two will have to figure out between yourselves, but he did say he wanted to get back in touch with you, so he obviously doesn’t hate you.”
She heaved an enormous sigh of relief, a hopeful smile filtering onto her lips. “Thank you, Luka.”
He returned her smile with a tired one of his own that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
He knew what would happen when Marinette and Adrien reunited. Just because Adrien wasn’t ready for any kind of relationship now didn’t change the fact that he and Marinette would end up together eventually.
And then Luka would lose them both to one another, just like he’d always feared.
“Anyway!” Marinette quickly changed the subject, heading over to her sewing box and retrieving the Miracle Box. “You’re here to see Plagg.”
She pulled out the Black Cat Miraculous and handed it to Luka. “He’ll only come out when summoned by his Miraculous, so you have to put on the ring.”
Hesitantly, Luka took the Miraculous, and it changed to resemble the silver and black ring he used to wear.
Once he slipped it on, a droopy, irritated-looking Plagg appeared in a flash of green light.
“You rang?” he grumbled, making no secret of how put out he felt.
“Hi, Plagg. I need to talk to you, if that’s okay,” Luka greeted.
“Make it quick,” the kwami snorted. “You’ve got ten seconds.”
Luka looked to Marinette. “May I speak in private with him?”
Marinette shrugged, making her way back towards the trapdoor. “I’ll be downstairs when you’re done.”
Luka waited until the door was closed behind her and he heard her footsteps fade before turning back to Plagg.
“Sorry. Adrien isn’t ready for people to know he’s back in Paris yet, so I didn’t want her to overhear,” Luka explained. “Do you want to see Adrien, Plagg? I can take you to him.”
The kwami’s ears and tail perked straight up.
“You know where he is?” Plagg demanded, buzzing around Luka’s head, flying this way and that in agitation. “Is he okay? Where is he?”
“He’s rough, but he’s safe,” Luka quelled Plagg’s fears. “He just moved in with me the other day.”
“Take me to him. Now,” Plagg commanded, a threatening edge to his words.
Luka held up his hands in a placating gesture. “He’s not ready to see you yet. He’s…”
He winced and repeated, “He’s in rough shape, Plagg. What I can do, though, is take you home with me, and you can see him from a distance until he’s ready to see you face to face again. How does that sound?”
Plagg rolled his eyes and crossed his stubby arms. “Why is he not ready to see me?”
Luka shrugged helplessly. “I’m not sure I fully understand it myself. I asked him if he wanted me to go get you, and it looked like he wanted to say yes, but he said no, that he wasn’t ready to face you. He also said something about not feeling worthy of having a Miraculous.”
Plagg snorted hotly at that. “This is all That Man’s fault. He never treated Adrien right. He did everything in his power to erode Adrien’s self-confidence.”
Luka nodded, commiserating. “I’m going to try my best to help with that, but Adrien’s been through a lot, and he just needs a little time before you two are reunited.”
“Fine,” Plagg decided. “I don’t care. I just need to see him for myself and make sure he’s okay.” His voice softened as he added, “…He wasn’t okay last time I saw him.”
Luka nodded sympathetically.
“Take me to him,” Plagg repeated with an air of certainty.
“Okay,” Luka breathed. “Now, I just have to figure out what to tell Marinette.”
Plagg rolled his eyes and waved Luka’s concern away. “I’ll explain it to her.”
To Plagg’s credit, when they went downstairs to confront Marinette, he simply informed her, “I’m going with him.”
Marinette blinked in confusion for almost a solid minute but eventually shrugged. “Okay. Be good, though. Don’t cause Luka problems.”
“I never cause problems,” Plagg insisted.
“My dinosaurs,” Tikki peeked her head out to hiss.
“They had it coming,” Plagg replied, easily shrugging it off.
Tikki let out a bellicose scream and launched herself at Plagg, beginning to chase him around the room as he cackled.
“Wait,” Luka interrupted. “What do you mean ‘okay’? You’re just letting me take Plagg?”
Marinette gave her ex a watery smile, pointedly ignoring the frolicking kwamis. “He’s been moping for years now. He clearly wants to go with you. Why would I stop him?”
“This is why she’s the best Guardian ever,” Plagg praised, flying over to give Marinette’s cheek a sloppy lick.
“Plagg,” Marinette scolded through a shriek of laughter.
“She is the best, isn’t she?” Tikki cooed, perching on Marinette’s shoulder and smiling warmly to see her other half acting like himself again.
Luka almost agreed, but he caught himself. “…Well. I have to get going, but thank you so much. And thank you for trusting me with Plagg. Take care of yourself, Chanson.”
“You too, Bluebird.” She leaned in, giving him an air kiss to either side of his face. “I hope I hear from you soon.”
 Once in his car, Luka texted Adrien that he was heading home and informed Plagg that Nino was there and had just had his reunion with Adrien.
He spent the entire drive white-knuckling the steering wheel as Plagg flitted energetically about the vehicle.
“You’re going to make me crash,” Luka sighed when they stopped at a light. “Could you please take a seat?”
Luka wasn’t sure if it were better or worse when Plagg landed on top of his head, but he decided to refrain from commenting.
 Nino and Adrien were sprawled on the couch when Luka returned to the apartment, their limbs intertwined in a way that made a flame of jealousy flicker to life in Luka’s chest.
Nino was showing Adrien pictures on his phone while telling Adrien anecdotes that made Adrien laugh so hard he had to lean on Nino for support.
The laughter faded when Luka opened the door.
“Nino, why don’t you head on in to my room and get comfortable?” Adrien suggested, disentangling himself from his friend and getting to his feet to go to Luka.
Nino gave a salute and promptly made himself scarce.
“Hey,” Adrien nervously greeted, coming to stand awkwardly in front of Luka, rocking back and forth from the balls of his feet onto his heels.
“Hey?” Luka responded uncertainly. “Everything okay? You having fun catching up with Nino?”
Adrien nodded vehemently. “Oh, yeah. Yeah. No. It’s great. Everything’s great. I just…are you okay?”
Luka blinked, taken aback by the question. “Uh…yeah. Why do you ask?”
Adrien bit his bottom lip. “I saw that you took some of your ex-girlfriend’s stuff with you. Did you go see her? Are you okay?”
Luka’s mouth rounded into a little “o” of surprise. “Um…yes. Yes, I did see her. It…went well, actually.”
Adrien’s shifty attitude immediately evaporated, and a soft smile spread across his lips. “Oh, good. I’m really glad to hear that. And how are you feeling?”
“Tired,” Luka replied honestly with a shrug and a sigh. “Sad. Relieved. Like I’m making a huge mistake…. It was good that I saw her and talked to her, though.”
“Good,” Adrien repeated, pulling Luka into a bolstering hug. “I’m so proud of you. That was really brave, and I’m glad it went well.”
Luka softened into Adrien’s embrace, letting himself enjoy it. “Thank you, P5.”
He kept to himself the fact that he’d only been able to do it because he’d been doing it for Adrien.
He gave Adrien a squeeze and then pulled back. “I’m kind of wiped, so I’m going to my room to rest. Let me know if you need anything, but you and Nino have a good time, okay?”
“Will do,” Adrien assured with a brilliant grin reminiscent of a young child heading out to the park to play. “I’m making chocolate cheesecake in the rice cooker at the moment, and it should be done in about an hour. Do you want me to let you know when it’s ready?”
“Uh… Sure,” Luka agreed, reasoning that Plagg would probably enjoy a slice, even if Luka didn’t particularly feel like dessert. “Thanks, Adrien.”
“Sure thing.” Adrien gave another bright smile before heading to his room after Nino.
 “He’s not eating enough cheese,” Plagg bemoaned once they were sequestered in the privacy of Luka’s room. “He’s so skinny!”
“Don’t worry,” Luka coaxed, tentatively reaching out to scratch behind Plagg’s ear like he’d seen Adrien do in the past. “He’s only been here a day. He’ll fill out with time now that he has a secure source of food. I’ll make sure he eats.”
“You’d better,” Plagg threatened even as he accepted the scritches.
 Plagg managed to go a little over twenty-four hours before outing himself.
He kept hidden while Nino was over and all during the next day, even through band rehearsal.
He woke up in the early hours of the morning his second night in the apartment and phased through the walls of Luka’s room and the intervening bathroom in order to check on Adrien.
His kitten was shifting in his sleep, muttering as he dreamed. He clutched a black cat plushie to his chest that reminded Plagg of the one Adrien had had from childhood and kept in his room back at the Agreste Mansion.
A sad smile tugged at the corners of Plagg’s mouth as a warm feeling welled up in his chest.
He didn’t see the harm in flying in for a closer look…until Adrien blinked his bleary eyes open.
“Plagg?” he asked sleepily reaching out and gently shepherding the kwami in to rest on Adrien’s chest next to the stuffed animal.
“I miss you,” he mumbled as he drifted back to sleep.
“Oh, Adrien,” Plagg whispered, getting choked up despite himself. “I missed you too.”
He gave Adrien’s chest a nuzzle, making Adrien spring back out of the bed and onto the floor with a yelp, suddenly wide awake.
Plagg floated over to peer over the edge of the bed, lime green eyes glowing in the dark. “You okay, Kid?”
“Plagg?!” Adrien gaped up at the kwami before looking around, taking in his surroundings and trying to ground himself. “Is this real?”
Plagg nodded sheepishly, beginning to come up with excuses to tell Luka as to how he’d gotten caught. “I’m as real as you are.”
“Oh my gosh…Plagg!” Adrien scrambled to his feet, scooping up his kwami and bringing him up to his face to nuzzle even as tears started to stream down his cheeks.
“Plagg, I’m so, so sorry. I never should have thrown you away like that. I don’t know if you can ever forgive him, but I’m sorry. I regretted it instantly, and there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t wish I could take it back,” Adrien insisted desperately, the words coming out of his mouth as hard and fast as his tears.
Plagg reached out and put a paw over Adrien’s lips, lightly chiding, “Kid…it’s okay.”
Adrien shook his head. “It wasn’t okay. Plagg, nothing’s been okay these past four years.”
Plagg arched an eyebrow. “Are you still a drama queen, or how worried do I need to be about you exactly?”
A bashful smile peeked out behind Adrien’s distress as he admitted, “Okay. Maybe I’m being a little overdramatic, but…things have been really bad, Plagg. Some days I was glad I was all alone in the world because I didn’t think I could bear for anyone to see what had become of me.”
“Oh, Adrien,” Plagg cooed, flying up to nestle in Adrien’s hair and starting to purr soothingly. “I screwed up too.”
“What?” Adrien breathed, trying to look up and see Plagg’s expression.
“If you ever tell anyone about this, I’ll deny it, but you have to know that I screwed up too,” Plagg repeated, gently stroking Adrien’s hair. “Nothing that happened was just your fault…so I’m sorry too. I’m sorry I let you down.”
“You didn’t,” Adrien protested, getting back up into bed and fishing Plagg out of his hair.
“I did,” Plagg insisted wearily, not fighting as Adrien brought Plagg to his chest to cuddle. “…but let’s not play the blame game, okay? We can’t change what happened, after all.”
“Yeah,” Adrien sighed, settling back in. “I guess you’re right…but…you forgive me?”
“There’s nothing to forgive,” Plagg snorted. “Do you forgive me?”
“I never held anything against you,” Adrien scoffed.
“All right, then,” Plagg declared with finality.
“All right, then,” Adrien agreed softly, a tired smile spreading across his lips.
There was a beat of comfortable silence before Adrien broke it, demanding, “…How did you even get here? Did…?”
Adrien shook his head. “Luka went and got you for me.”
“Luka came and picked me up,” Plagg affirmed, nuzzling Adrien’s chest. “He’s too boring and mellow to be my holder, but he’s a good guy. Definitely one of Sass’s, but…I’m glad you ended up with him to look out for you.”
“I got lucky,” Adrien admitted. “I got really, really lucky running into him…and I think he’s lucky he ran into me too.”
“Well, duh, but how do you figure exactly?” Plagg hummed, looking up quizzically at Adrien.
“He’s going through a rough breakup right now,” Adrien informed, a cloudy expression rolling onto his face. “He could use someone to look out for him too…and I’m much more capable than I was when you last saw me,” Adrien rushed to assure. “I can do all kinds of things now like cook and clean and fix things.”
Plagg nodded. “I know you’ve gained some new skills. I had some of that chocolate cheesecake you made, and it was exquisite.”
“Yeah?” Adrien chuckled, a pleased blushing rising in his cheeks.
“Yeah,” Plagg confirmed softly. “…I’m proud of you, Adrien.”
Adrien drew in a quiet gasp, eyes going wide even as they started to mist over. “You are?”
Plagg nodded, flying up to pat Adrien on the head. “I’ve always been really proud of you. I’m sorry I never told you that.”
Adrien scooped Plagg up and cradled him to his chest again, needing the contact. “Thank you. That makes me really happy to hear that. I didn’t think anyone ever was, no matter how hard I tried to be perfect.”
Plagg mentally kicked himself (not for the first or last time) for always being so tsundere and aloof with Adrien.
In a feeble attempt to start making up for lost time, Plagg gave Adrien’s chest another nuzzle and started another round of purring.
“…I love you, Plagg,” Adrien whispered, giving a weak purr in return.
“I love you too, Adrien,” Plagg confessed, dropping all pretenses. “I really missed you.”
“I’m sorry I can’t buy you expensive Camembert anymore,” Adrien choked through laughter and tears.
Plagg scoffed. “It was never about the Camembert.”
“Part of me knew that, but it’s nice to hear you say it out loud,” Adrien admitted with a lopsided grin.
“Don’t get used to it,” Plagg grumbled, the embarrassment of admitting to having feelings finally catching up with him.
Adrien smiled wider and began to scratch between Plagg’s ears. “It’s a good thing Luka is rich now. He can buy you the kind of cheese you’re used to.”
“I’d eat cheap, sliced cheese if it meant I could be with you again,” Plagg muttered. “Never disappear like that on me again.”
“I won’t,” Adrien promised. “I’m sorry, Plagg.”
“Yeah,” Plagg sighed. “Me too. Now, go to sleep. You look all sickly; you need your rest.”
“Night, night,” Adrien whispered, closing his eyes and drifting off as he petted from the top of Plagg’s head down his back rhythmically, over and over until he fell back asleep.
 The next morning, he woke up early and relished the feeling of Plagg curled up in his hair while Adrien made breakfast.
Having his kwami back by his side made him feel more like himself than he had in years.
When Luka emerged from his room looking like a zombie, Adrien sprinted to Luka’s side and threw his arms around him.
“You’re the absolute best, and I can’t tell you how much I love you for going and getting Plagg back for me,” he gushed into Luka’s shoulder. “Thank you, Orpheus.”
Luka returned the hug and then pulled back with a tired smile. “You’re very welcome. I’m glad I could help make you so happy.”
He removed the ring from his finger and reached out for Adrien’s hand, slipping the Miraculous onto Adrien’s right ring finger.
“There,” Luka decreed as he surveyed his work. “Back where it belongs.”
“I won’t throw it away twice,” Adrien swore, eyes shining with gratitude. “Thank you for bringing Plagg back to me. I’ll never forget this. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you, but…I won’t forget everything you’ve done for me.”
Luka reached out and ruffled Adrien’s hair with a fond smile. “Don’t mention it, Perfect Fifth…but if you share some of whatever you’re cooking with me, we can call it even.”
Adrien rolled his eyes. “I made enough for the both of us to start with.”
“Have I ever told you how much I love you?” Luka chuckled as Adrien tugged him over to the kitchen. “You’re a godsend.”
A grin of pride quickly spread across Adrien’s lips, and a pleased blush dotted his cheeks with colour.
“I’m glad you think so. Keep reminding me, okay?” he chuckled.
Plagg, meanwhile, rolled his eyes, muttering, “Not this mutual pining garbage again,” as he dug into his all-cheese omelet.
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queenmagnusao3 · 4 years ago
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Rescue & Recovery: Part One
This one has a happy ending. This is the fluff part of my angst/fluff mood
The vehicle hadn’t even stopped before Lin was out the door and sprinting towards the scene.
She had been in her office when the call had come over the radio.
“Small explosion caused building to collapse, multiple officers unaccounted for.”
She was brought up to speed on the drive over. Apparently about a dozen of her officers, including Mako, had been dealing with a hostage situation in a bank downtown when something had gone wrong and the building had collapsed on top of them. She quickly found the Captain in charge of the scene, barking an order for a report on the current situation.
“Hey Chief, we’ve got almost everyone accounted for. But we’re still missing 2 officers. Detective Yung and Detective Mako.”
He was still talking to her and she nodded absentmindedly, not hearing anything else he said.
“Chief?”
“Hmm, oh. Sorry, Captain. I missed that last part.”
“I was just saying that the building is secure and we’ve been the okay to start the search operation. Should I give the go ahead?”
“Yes. And I’ll be joining the effort myself. My seismic sense should be able to pick up on where they might be trapped.”
He gave her a look that she chose to ignore. He was obviously not very confident that the officers were still alive but she wasn’t going to even entertain the thought until she was proven otherwise. She made her way through the police barrier and took up a position just outside the perimeter of the building.
 You better not be dead.
She slammed her foot the ground, closing her eyes as the ripples shot out away from her. The earth reported back to her. There was one heartbeat somewhere nearby.
 Just one?
She tried not to think about it too much as she motioned for others to come with her as she led them to where one of the missing officers was buried.
 It has to be him.
They were moving too slowly. Another earthbender was taking a tedious amount of time to slowly move the debris away. Mako didn’t have time for this. She had personal experience being trapped beneath the earth. The loss of air was the most dangerous aspect of the situation and the only solution was to get the buried person out as quickly as possible. She would have died that day if Tenzin hadn’t been able to summon trickles of air to them through the microscopic spaces between the rubble they had been buried beneath.
Lin gruffly pushed the others aside took her bending stance, checking once more for the location of the beating heart before quickly and crudely pulling the earth up and away from him. There was a loud, spluttering coughing fit and Lin closed her eyes for just a moment before facing the reality of who she had just saved.
//////
Mako was done for.
He could barely breath and felt the weight of the rubble slowly crushing him. He knew they wouldn’t just leave him but search and rescue efforts could take hours. Especially since he wasn’t sure what state the building was in. They would have to secure it first before digging around in the crumbled remains.
But then he thought he heard voices. And then he heard the earth above him moving.
He tried to move, to yell to them that he was there but all that got him was a mouthful of building and a tightening feeling in his chest. He started to panic. They were right there, he just had to hold on. But it was getting harder to breath and he couldn’t move.
Just as the panic started to get the better of him the entire space above him shifted before lifting entirely, the bright sky painful against his dirt filled eyes. They adjusted and he couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Lin Beifong still holding her arms up as she moved the debris, her eyes shut tightly in strained concentration before she opened them hesitantly.
“Hey, Chief.”
His voice came out in a croak and he could have sworn that her shoulders sagged as she looked at him. There were others there and they quickly worked to free him completely, grabbing his hands to yank him out.
She was there then. Pulling him to his feet as she looked him over. Fussed over him was more like it. And he could have almost sworn that her eyes had gotten a little teary as she practically patted him. She had just prodded him hard in a very sore rib when he finally brushed her off.
“Ow! Okay, Chief. I’m fine, okay. Just a little banged up. I’ll be sure to see a healer.”
She narrowed her eyes at him as if not completely convinced he was okay.
“Why don’t you come with me to see Kya. She can check you over.”
“Chief, that’s okay. Really.”
“It wasn’t a question, Mako. She’s going to want to see you anyway so we may as well get it over with now.”
He didn’t argue further, neither of them speaking much as they made their way to the small apartment she shared with Kya. He followed her inside, pausing when a voice called to them.
“Lin, is that you? I was just- oh. What on earth happened to you two?”
“A building collapsed downtown and we need your healing expertise.”
Kya scowled as she went to Lin, immediately summoning her water and poking the cranky police chief.
“Stop it! Not me. I’m fine. Mako’s the one who got buried alive.”
She gestured to him and Mako looked to his feet sheepishly. Kya didn’t waste any time, moving her attention to him.
“You know, cleaning up after Lin’s reckless behavior is enough of a task without you joining in. I’d appreciate it if you don’t make this a regular occurrence.”
“I’ll try.”
“Well, that’s more of an effort than Lin’s ever put in. There, you should be all set now. You really got lucky from the sounds of it. Why don’t you go use our shower to get this disgusting dirt off you.”
Mako didn’t even really have time to process what she had said before he was being pushed into the bathroom by Kya. She made to close the door behind her but it didn’t quite latch and he heard a brief conversation before pulling the door shut.
“I was so worried, Kya. I thought I’d lost him.”
“I know. It’s okay. He’s okay. I promise.”
“I would never be able to forgive myself if something had happened. He’s… he’s like a kid to me, Kya.”
Mako’s eyes got wide, his hand still on the door after he had closed it. He had become very close with both Lin and Kya in the last year. And though he imagined she would have never let him hang around as often as he did if she didn’t like him at least a little bit, she still had never shown any kind of real affection towards him.
But then again, displaying emotions was never Lin Beifong’s forte. He stripped off his clothes before stepping into the warm water.
And now that he thought about it…
She did things for him that he didn’t think she did for anyone else. All those nights she worked late with him, claiming that she had paperwork to finish when he knew full well that she had finished hours earlier. Or when Kya would call her and just happen to “force” her to invite him to dinner. And she had spent hours training him one on one, allowing him to even beat her a few times. She thought he didn’t know, but he did.
He heard Kya talk about love languages before. How every person has their own way of showing affection and that sometimes it came in the most unconventional little gestures. He had never really understood what she meant by that but he was also notoriously bad at picking up on the feelings of the people around him. He always seemed to be saying or doing the wrong thing.
But now, now he realized he may have finally figured out the Chief’s supremely unique love language. He turned on the shower and started getting undressed, smiling to himself. She thought of him like a son. And he supposed she had come to be somewhat of a mother figure to him too.
So as the water washed away the dirt and grime of his very long day Mako felt a warm feeling in his chest. And he finally supposed his life wasn’t so bad after all.
AO3 Link
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trashyswitch · 4 years ago
Text
Fluff Rarely Sleeps When There's Weight: Part 2
Logan decides to get himself something to eat, and winds up seeing a blanket on the couch. Not only does Logan learn of how fluffy and comfortable it is, but Logan learns that he's VERY sensitive to blanket fluff!
For @kanene-yaaay
So an update on life: I GOT HIRED FOR A JOB! I'm gonna be working in a retirement home! It's like a dream job for me! WOO HOO! But this means, my fanfic writing is going to lessen a little when I start working. I'm gonna be hit with 12 hour shifts, and a couple days as a sleep/spare time break in between. It's gonna be weird and hard to get used to, but I'm gonna try and get lots of writing in on my breaks to make up for it.
Logan was reading a book and determining some new activities to put into Thomas’s routine. He had heard the commotion upstairs, and giggled to himself at the silly tickle fight that had started up between Roman and Virgil. It’s rare to hear (let alone see) the two of them getting along. So hearing that happen, made a few ideas flow through his head.
A while later, Logan began to feel hungry. So he closed his books, headed downstairs and walked to the kitchen. There were many food items he could eat, but a specific list of foods came to his mind: studying foods.
Logan decided to make himself a peanut butter and Crofters sandwich. Peanut butter was supposed to help your brain study, and fruit has always been a brain food. And as everyone knows, Crofters is one of the healthiest fruit jams there is! And of course, whole grain bread is good for you in general. So: PB & J is the perfect lunch option for Logan.
Logan brought his food out to the living room and placed it onto the table. Sitting onto the couch, Logan sighed in content and grabbed and started eating his sandwich. Behind him, Logan felt a purple fluffy blanket that was folded up and sitting there against the back of the couch. “Hmm.” Logan hummed before returning to his sandwich. He managed to get halfway through the sandwich when the fluffy blanket fell down against his lower back. Logan turned to look at the blanket, and decided to return it to its rightful throne on the couch. With the blanket back on its special spot, Logan returned to his sandwich.
But the blanket didn’t stay there for long. Logan had a bit more of the sandwich down when the blanket fell. But this time, it landed right onto Logan’s shoulders. Logan blinked in confusion as his inner thoughts told him he wasn’t leaning against the couch. So...how did the blanket manage to plop itself onto his shoulders? Logan sighed and grabbed his napkin. While he wiped his hands off, he let the blanket fall against his lower back again and put it right back where he found it beforehand. Finally, Logan got up, picked up his plate and headed to the kitchen.
When the plate was washed and placed aside for washing later, Logan came back to the living room to see the purple blanket no longer on the couch, but laying right on the floor. Logan lifted an eyebrow in confusion. Does this blanket not like being propped up on the couch or something? Logan sighed as he sat down onto the couch, and chose to pick up the blanket and plop it beside him.
A few minutes later, Logan felt something against his leg. He looked over, and lifted an eyebrow: the corner of the blanket had jumped and was now sitting on his leg. How did that happen? Logan stood up, lifted up the blanket and stretched it out so he could see the whole thing. It couldn’t have moved. But, he could admit that it does look comfy. Logan decided to wrap it around himself.
The fur was so nice against his neck! And his arms! The fur felt nice on pretty much everything. So, Logan laid himself onto the couch and enjoyed the security hug that the blanket gave him. It felt so warm and cozy as well. He could easily assume this was Virgil’s blanket thanks to the color, but boy did Logan love it as well! A smile started showing up on his face as he processed the softness and comfort he got from the blanket.
The blanket seemed to be hugging him more, the longer he laid there on his belly. The bottom corners had soon found a way around Logan’s legs and were now hugging them. Logan didn’t think much of this though, due to his growing exhaustion from the blanket and his writing from earlier. Logan soon fell into a deep sleep for about 45 minutes. It felt nice and long though, like he wasn’t being cheated out of genuine sleep.
When Logan woke up, the blanket seemed to have tucked itself under his shirt. But Logan didn’t really realize this thanks to his dozy state. But things started to click into place when the blanket’s fluff started to move and lightly tickle his sides from under the shirt. Logan squeezed his eyes a little and moaned in slight irritation.
“Mmmm-wha?” Logan moved his hand to his belly and felt the bits of fuzz on his sides. Thinking it was nothing, Logan ignored it and closed his eyes.
But the fuzzy blanket decided to go full force, and rub its blanket corners against his sides. Logan’s eyes widened as his lips perked into a big smile. Logan quickly shoved his face into his pillow and started giggling while he struggled to get the blanket off his sides. The blanket started moving around a little, never giving Logan a chance to actually grab the corners.
To make things worse, the upper middle of the blanket had scooted itself up to his neck and started tickling there too! Logan squeaked and actually started laughing in a higher-pitched tone! He tried to scrunch up his shoulders, but that didn’t do jack for the back of his neck. The blanket quickly started to wrap itself around Logan’s neck, and torment the sides of his neck too. And on top of THAT, the upper corners of the blanket had moved itself up to his ears and started tickling there!
Then Logan made the big mistake of reaching behind his neck to grab the blanket…
Quickly, the blanket’s upper corners moved from his ears right to his armpits and scrubbed vigorously. Logan shrieked and clamped his arms right down to his sides as endless laughter came out. “HAHAHAHAHAHA! HOHOHOW IHIHIHIHIS THIHIHIS EHEHEVEHEN HAHAHAPPEHENIHIHIHING?!” Logan asked the air in pure confusion. The stimulation was just too much for him! The poor logical man couldn’t even think while he was worn down to nothing but a giggly puddle. “HOHOHOHOW AHAHARE YOHOHOHOU TIHIHIHICKLIHIHING MEHEHE RIHIHIHIGHT NOHOHOHOW?!” Logan asked the blanket.
Gosh...If even one person could see him like this, they would question his sanity. What kind of person yells questions to a BLANKET of all things?! Not a logical person, that’s for sure. Despite how weird the circumstances were, the blanket seemed to be enjoying itself! To further show its love, the blanket turned itself horizontally (in contrast to his vertical body) and hugged Logan right around his arms. His arms were now stuck against his chest and his lower shoulders to his upper legs were being covered in furry blanket softness. Though part of Logan’s brain was enjoying the feeling of being hugged, the other half of his brain was telling him ‘GET OUT! THE BLANKET’S GONNA TICKLE YOU AGAIN!’
In an attempt to earn his trust, the blanket didn’t tickle him again. It just hugged Logan comfortably. Logan’s rocking and attempts to get out, soon subsided as exhaustion and a surprising amount of trust started to take over. Logan looked at the blanket in confusion and decided to feel the fluff against his fingers. As he felt the fluff however, Logan started smiling and giggling as he learned something new about himself: his palms and his inner fingers were somewhat ticklish as well! Ticklish enough to make him giggle, no less.
When the blanket wanted to keep going, it started tickling Logan’s lower ribs. Logan guffawed in pure surprise and practically lost all his composure. Logan was kicking his feet, cackling, shaking his glasses off his head, and soon started pounding the couch! You would think that removing the corners of the blanket would help your situation. But Logan had found out earlier on that he CAN’T. The blanket was weakening him and would go for his armpits every time he tried. So, he eventually gave up and laughed all his frustrations out.
The blanket paused, and grabbed Logan’s glasses. Placing them onto the side table, the blanket continued its tickle attack on Logan with no worry of anything broken. Eager to tickle him a lot more, the blanket lifted up Logan’s shirt and shoved most of its blanket body through the bottom of the shirt and fed the corners out the shirt sleeves! Then, it started fluffing and wiggling itself to tickle him vigorously with the blanket fluff. Logan was wiggling and rocking all over the place, squealing and cackling hysterically, and was super overwhelmed by the tickles he was experiencing. It was just too much for the man! Logan was used to not being touched very much. So going from barely touched to tickle attacked all over, Logan grew overwhelmed rather quickly.
It didn’t help matters either that his serotonin levels were soaring. His brain was being fed so much happiness, that he was being put into dazes filled with all the giggle fits. It was such a strange and foreign feeling for him. He’s often warned Thomas of not doing drugs or drinking too much. But Logan was now learning of a new hormone-inducing drug mixture: dopamine and serotonin. The good news was, it doesn’t harm the body but rather helps the body. The bad news was: It was making his body feel weak and tired, while also fogging up his brain. He knew he would never be able to think straight no matter what. But this was ten times worse!
The blanket decided to give Logan another break and unravelled itself from Logan’s upper body. Logan giggled and wiggled around as it dislodged itself from under the shirt, but soon began calming down when it was out. The blanket wrapped itself around Logan’s legs and waist to hug him once again.
Logan didn’t know how he felt about being tickled so much. He loved it on one hand, but another part of him was telling him to get away from the blanket because it was tickling him too much. But the dopamine rush from the tickle attack felt amazing to him! It was like getting an overdose of happiness at disneyland. But...it was just tickling. How could tickling have such a big effect on him that he’s literally fighting with himself on whether he likes it or hates it?
Meanwhile, the blanket could sense his overthinking brain yet again. When will this man ever learn? The blanket decided to see if his legs or knees were ticklish as well. By doing this, the blanket travelled itself down to the bottom of his dress pants and slid each corner right in and up the pant sleeves. Finding the vulnerable knee pits, the blanket fluffed up its fluff a little more and started rubbing the corners against the knee pits.
“Uhuhuh ohohohohoh! HAHAHAhahahahaha! Cohohohome ohohohon blahahankehehehet! Knohohohock ihihihit ohohohoff!” Logan finally begged for the first time.
The blanket, enjoying the giggles, decided to rub just a little faster behind the knee pits. Logan’s laughter quickened quite a bit. “OhohoHOHOHO BOHOHOHOYHY! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HEHEHEHEHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Logan laughed more and more.
There was the happy sound! That kind of laughter gave the blanket extra fluffs of excitement! The blanket declared then and there, that Logan would be tickled for a little longer. But Logan didn’t know how he felt about its plans. Logan was kicking his feet, rolling all over the couch and laughing his heart out! And to make things better? Logan had started snorting! And everytime Logan would snort, he would cover up his mouth and muffle his own cackles! It was SUPER adorable!
“PLEHEHEHEHEHEASE! IHIHIHIHI CAHAHAHAN’T BREHEHEHEHEHEATHE!” Logan pleaded as tears of mirth started to well up in his eyes bit by bit.
The blanket was starting to realize that Logan was gonna need a break very soon. So, it tried one more spot: the back of his calves.
And HOLY CRAP! Logan threw his head back and SCREAMED like his body was on FIRE! His scream quickly turned into hysterical, almost insane kind of laughter! And just as quickly, the laughter went silent. That was when the blanket gave him a break. The blanket removed itself from his pant sleeves very gently and laid itself in a pile in front of Logan’s feet.
Logan took a while to calm down, and soon sat himself up. “You gonna make yourself known, Mr. Blanket?” Logan asked.
The blanket stayed still at first.
“Hello?” Logan asked, poking the blanket.
But the blanket refused to move.
Logan narrowed his eyes and picked up the blanket in curiosity.
But suddenly, the blanket wrapped itself around Logan’s shoulders again! Logan giggled and hugged the blanket back. “I knew you were just playing!” Logan reacted. “I’m Logan.” he greeted, holding out his hand.
The blanket shook his hand with a corner and wrapped itself around Logan’s head and shoulders. Logan giggled and snuggled himself into the blanket for a bit. “You’re very soft.” Logan admitted.
The blanket snuggled itself in more. Logan giggled at the snuggles he was getting, and smiled as he closed his eyes.
“I see you found my blanket.” someone said to him. Logan opened his eyes and smiled. It was Virgil. “Not a bad blanket, huh?” He asked.
Logan smiled. “Very cuddly.” Logan replied. “And playful.” Logan added.
Virgil’s smile widened. “His neck is really bad too.” Virgil let it know.
Logan’s eyes widened as he realized what Virgil just told the blanket. Logan quickly struggled to get the blanket off, but ultimately curled up and bursted out laughing. “Wahahait! VIHIHIHIRGAHAHAHAHAHA! YOHOHOHOHOU EHEHEHEVIHIHIL- HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Logan started kicking his feet and rolling around on the couch once again.
But for Virgil, this was the first tickle attack he’d seen. And BOY, was it MAGICAL! Logan was a laughing, blushing mess, which was usually a rare sight. The only person who’s been able to enjoy this new sight of Logan, was Patton and this blanket! And he could see why Patton wouldn’t stop talking about it: it was so fun to see!
“STAHAHAHAHAHAP! IHIHIHIHIT TIHIHIHICKLEHEHEHES TOHOHOHO MUHUHUHUHUCH!” Logan begged.
“Does it really tickle that badly?” Virgil asked.
“YEHEHEHEHES! IHIHIHIHIT REHEHEHEALLY TIHIHIHIHICKLEHEHES!” Logan replied.
“Do you want it to stop though?” Virgil asked.
“KIHIHIHIHINDAHAHAHA.” Logan replied.
Virgil smirked. “So...is that a yes? Or a no?” Virgil asked curiously.
Logan finally worked up the courage to shake his head no. Virgil smiled and watched the rest of the ticklish situation play out from just a few feet away. Since the man didn’t want him to stop the blanket, Virgil was gonna let the blanket tickle him for a while till either Logan would tap out, or the blanket would stop for him.
The blanket slithered itself around from Logan’s neck, to his back, to his sides and ribs again. The blanket did spend some extra time on his back though, because as it turns out: his back was a giggle spot! Logan was arching his back and giggling all cutesy and childish! It was so cute! Someone call Patton and let him know about this secret fact!
Virgil smirked as he looked over at the hiding spot behind the kitchen counter. There was a slightly visible glow of red coming from the side of the counter. Virgil knew exactly who that was: Roman.
Virgil was fully aware that it was really Roman controlling the blanket the entire time. How did he know? Well, apart from the time Roman blew his own cover when he used the blanket on me...the red glow also proved it. The color red, always matched up with the prince. Roman, amidst his blanket controlling, sent Virgil an ‘Okay’ sign for a few seconds before returning to his fun little activity.
The blanket eventually stopped for Logan and gave him a big hug. Logan was still a giggly mess from the tickle attack, but also felt heartwarmed to have yet ANOTHER hug from the loving blanket.
“Awwww! It looks like Mr. Blanket really likes you!” Virgil teased.
“Ihihihi...Ihihi doho tohohoho, blahahankehehet.” Logan replied, patting it nicely. The blanket snuggled into Logan a little more and started to calm down. With all that time spent tickling, the blanket seemed to be getting quite tired. Talk about irony! But Logan didn’t mind. As long as the blanket didn’t develop any more cravings for tickles during his nap, Logan was perfectly okay with the blanket hugging him.
The reality is, he really needed this. Logan probably needed this more than any of the sides did. So to finally get some love without having to gain the courage to ask for it? Literally the best thing anyone could ask for.
...It didn’t take long for Logan to start up another tickle fight…
Let it be known that Logan officially loves tickle fights!
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hitsuackerman · 5 years ago
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Soom Meetings (Hawks x Reader) nsfw
Prompt: Its quarantine time. You were preparing for a video conference with a few other heroes. Hawks, being the cheeky bird that he is, has other plans for both of you
Warnings:  ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°), cursing
a/n: this entered my mind since we have to do online meetings w/c are a pain in the ass huhuhu i just thought, what would Hawks do if he were added into the mix? Enjoy my self indulgence xD
Masterlist to my other fics :) here
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Taking a sip of your coffee, you couldn’t help but stare blindly into space. It was quite early, at least for you. On a normal day, you would wake up at 10am. Gotta get that full 5 hour sleep heroes dream of. Today would mark the 80th day of quarantine and things were not going well.
The bitter goodness your coffee had to offer now began to circulate your system. The stinging sensation your eyes felt with each blink slowly went away. Yawning somewhat made things a little more tolerable. Staring at the view of your glass windows, you savored the clear blue skies and silence your unit had to offer.
At least for now.
With the steaming cup of coffee in your hand, you tiptoed to your room. A ghost of a smile on your face.
Slowly opening the door, you creeped closer to your bed. Careful not to step on any of the feathers scattered on the floor. Eyes darting to the messed up sheets, crimson wings spread out flat as his back rose and fell in a steady rhythm. His arm hanging limply on the edge of the bed.
Gently, you lifted one of his larger feathers and made space for you to sit down. His hair as messy as always. The tufts of hair splayed all over the pillow. Not a sign of stress on his sleeping face. Unconsciously, your finger began to trace his jaw.
His wings began to crest and his feathers began to fluff up. His hanging hand now blindly searched for you. When he felt the soft skin your thigh had to offer, you quickly placed the cup on the bedside table and waited for him to make his move.
A small squeak left your mouth when he easily maneuvered you back into bed. Bare arms snaking your waist as his head nuzzled into the crook of your neck. Legs beginning to tangle with each other. One wing now protectively resting above you. There was no doubt in your mind. You adored mornings like this.
“Well, good morning to you.” You ran your fingers through his hair. The feeling of him tightening his hold on you felt lovely.
“I have to admit,” His voice was still raspy. Deep. “This quarantine makes me thankful. I get to spend more time with my favorite hero.”
“Oh… I’m your favorite hero?”
“Fishing for comments?”
“Perhaps.” You giggled. “You are ranked higher than me, though.”
“That doesn’t matter, Lovebird.” He chirped. “You're a rank below me yet you're underground. That’s literally an impossible feat.”
“I honestly don’t know how that happened.” Drawing circles on his back, he let out a satisfied hum. His eyelashes tickled your skin. Hawks was fully awake now.
“Well, we don’t have any patrols scheduled for today.” He shifted his position. Placing himself between your legs you willingly opened. His hands slowly grabbed your wrist and pinned them just above your head. Bringing himself closer to you, he began to trace the tip of his nose on your neck. “How about we continue where we left off last night, eh?”
The sudden grinding of his hip along your accumulating heat was enough to make you wrap your legs around his waist. Tilting your head, Hawks growled a tiny bit before sucking on your tender skin. As he sucked on your skin, he interlaced his fingers with yours.
His morning wood rather evident. He pushed himself on your clothed entrance. Lazy morning sex was something you would want. Hell. Just feeling Hawks inside you was something you would definitely want. BUT, you couldn’t.
“As much as I’d like you to fuck me lazily in the morning,” You managed to free your hand and pushed him away. Your foot resting on his chest, keeping his lust filled eyes at bay. He was pouting and this only made things worse. “I have a meeting in 20 minutes.”
Holding your ankles, he placed your leg on his shoulder and went back to his previous position. His chest now touching yours. His trademark smirk resting on his lip.
“I’m sure you can just turn your video off, baby~” He nibbled on your lower lip and grinded his hips once more. “Or we can just give them a show.”
Hawks felt a tugging sensation on his chest. He knew you were using your quirk on him. The next thing he knew, he was floating away from the bed. Your fingertips emitting a mahogany glow. Placing him on the chair, you sat on your knees and smiled. Acting all innocent. 
“We can do that later.” You stood up and went to the closet. Feeling his eyes following your every movement. You took out your hero costume’s leather jacket and white shirt dress. Used to his stare, you changed in front of him.
“You’ll regret teasing me, chickadee.” He threatened. He stood up and walked towards you. Buttoning your shirt when he was inches away from you. His hot breath brushing your face. When he finished, his hands began to wander your curves as you put on your jacket. “Better watch out, Number 3.”
This man would be the death of you. The way he smoothly held on to your chin while giving you a deep kiss was enough to make you weak. Screw the meeting, that’s what you thought, but this was an ‘important’ one based on the email.
“I’ll be in my office, Number 2.” You booped his nose and went your way. He did, however, smack your bare ass when you turned around. For a second, you played with the thought of grabbing a pair of his boxers but, nah. It would be a lie if you weren’t curious what his antics would be later.
Opening the doors (and leaving them ajar), you immediately went to your PC and prepared everything. When your wallpaper finally appeared, you blushed at the sight. It was one of your first photos with Hawks. Taken approximately 4 years ago.
Opening the Soom app, you let out a silent groan. Everyone was now online and currently waiting for the host to start the meeting. There were 8 green dots. A bunch of heroes that you were in charge of. Edgeshot being one of them.
The meeting was a simple one. A briefing for an upcoming mission to come in 3 months. As to why they chose this online platform still baffles your mind. Your eyes darted to the door when a stray feather began to float it and wander around your office. Right when you were about to call for Hawks, the call for the meeting began.
Straightening yourself, you put on your game face and observed each of the participants. The feeling of weight being slowly added onto your shoulders crept in. Somehow, you had managed to let the spotlight land on you. Because of that, you were given more missions despite not being tied to any agencies.
Teamwork was never your forte. But safety was. You always managed to coax yourself into being a team player by making sure each of them were far from harm.
As the minutes dragged by, the familiar pop of yellow peeked inside your office. Raising a brow, he took that as an invitation and led himself in. A plate of chicken nuggets on his hand. Looking at his wings, you saw how there were barely any feathers. Just the small soft ones.
Your eyes widened when he was just about to walk into your camera’s view. 
“Is something wrong, (hero name)?” Fatgum asked. His voice cutting the meeting. All eyes were on your video now. The corner of your eye twitched when Hawks moved your notebooks aside and sat down. One knee resting on top of the other.
“Nothing.” You faked a smile and your professional tone back. People were still clueless that you and Hawks were dating. The two of you had to thank you being an underground hero for that. “Please proceed.”
The meeting continued and this time you made sure you were on mute before opening your mouth.
“Whatever it is… do NOT.” You scolded him. Eyes not wavering from the call. But, your arm was extended just enough for you to pinch his thigh. The little wince of pain was enough to make you content. 
“Shouldn’t have done that, love nugget.” He took the wandering feather and made it hover around his finger. Instructing the small feather to creep behind your back, the small red thing did its job.
Your breath hitched when the feather brushed your exposed nape. Your body shivered as the feather did small back and forth movements. Yet, in the video, the feather was small enough to be deemed as non-existent. Clenching your fists, you tried not to be bothered by the sensually soft touches Hawks gave indirectly. 
Hawks was now walking away from you. The feather still doing its job. Your eyes were focused but he knew your peripheral vision was on him. Perfect, he thought. Now he was situated across from you. The same playful smirk on his lip. Lifting his hand, he motioned that he would keep his mouth shut.
You knew too well he was playful, cocky, and a tease. So when he began to take his shirt off, your eyes darted to his little strip show. It was not helping one bit that he was flexing his toned muscles. Your throat was definitely dry.
“So what are your thoughts about the plan, (hero name)?” Edgeshot asked. There was no response and all they could see was you and your eyes focusing somewhere else. “(hero name)?”
“YES!” You snapped back. Clearing your throat. “I think the plan looks alright. The division among heroes is compatible. But I am con-”
You jumped from your seat a tiny bit. Your hands held on to the edge of your desk. The feeling of his hands running up and down your thigh was making your core heat up. Having caught you off guard, Hawks managed to pry open your legs. His golden eyes clearly teasing you from under the table.
“I’m, uh, concerned about the entry?” Your hand now held on to his messy hair. Hoping that he wouldn’t go any further than that. The regret of not getting his boxers now flooded your system. Only being in your panties made things much easier for him. You were now biting your tongue and tried to even your breathing.
Hawks was now kissing your inner thighs. Poking his tongue out, he trailed it all the way to the hem of your panties. His teeth tugging the hem and releasing it with a snap. Seeing your jaw tighten and your chest heaving, it only encouraged him.
His finger now began to slide up and down on your panties. A wet spot indicating that you were turned on with his advancement. Spreading your legs further apart, another feather came swooping in and landed straight into his hand. Using the tip, he began to brush it on your skin. The grip you had on his head shattered. 
Using the feather, he sliced the corners of your panties. Looking down at him, you gave him a small pout. One not noticeable to those on the video. You liked those panties and now he just had to slice em. It was still hot though, no denying that. 
“Holy shit~ Keigo~” Thank quirks your mic was on mute. Feeling his tongue lick your entrance made you push your back to the chair. Blinking away the urge to end the meeting and have him take you on your office table. Which, come to think of it, has never happened. 
It was pretty evident that your cheeks were now pink and your eyes hazy. When he sucked on your swelling clit, you fisted some of his hair. Only pushing him and telling him to continue.
“Now that we’ve got that cleared. (hero name). We suggest that you hold another meeting to run through the details.” The chairperson said.
“Fuck, yeah.” It was more breathy than you intended. You mentally slapped yourself.
Both Hawks and your eyes widened. This was getting too interesting for the winged hero. Wanting to push it more, he inserted his middle finger and began to pump slowly. His teeth began nibbling on your lower lips and clit alternatively.
“What I meant to say was, yeah.” Your face was a blushing mess but stoic in their eyes. “Forgive the language. I was rather excited and pumped up.”
“Pumped…” Hawks whispered with a small chuckle. Sucking on your clit one more time, he inserted two fingers. His pace a little faster. Using his free hand, he trailed under your shirt and squeezed on your breast, tugging your hardened nipple.
Releasing the grip your right hand had on his head, you slammed the mute button once more.
“Fuck!”  You covered your mouth and hoped they saw it as a cough. “Holyshitholyshitholyshit!”
Your back was now glued to the back of the chair. Lowering your body a bit, you gave him easier access and he happily licked and sucked your engorged clit some more. Knowing the mute button was doing its magic, he too let out a moan. He was starting to become frustrated. The throbbing sensation in his caged cock was getting out of control.
“When will that meeting be over, baby?” He asked. His fingers doing the work for him as he palmed his cock. His eyes blew up with lust. 
“Shh…” You reassured him. Meeting his gaze, you gave a soft smile. “It’s almost over.”
With hints of frustration, he fully exited his fingers away from your wet pussy. Licking the juices off his fingers, he crawled out from under your desk. All he wanted to do now was to show himself in the video and put an end to his suffering. Taking his boxers off, he stuck his tongue out and tossed it over your head.
No one noticed it except for one.
Your chat box pinged and you opened it.
MT. LADY: GIRL! WTF WERE THOSE BOXERS?!
(h/n): Are you seeing things, Yu? :p
MY. LADY: Dont think I didnt see yer face. Im not as blind as the others.  Who? Do i know him? You dating someone? How did i not see this coming?!
(h/n): Hmm… ;)
That’s all you replied and you closed the chat. Your eyes traveled to Hawks, who was now hovering behind your monitor. Palming his throbbing member. Winking at your flustered face. 
“C’mon baby bird…” He mouthed. He wiped a fake tear away from his eye.
Finally, the chairperson spoke and wrapped things up. When he finally dismissed the meeting you practically left the room without saying farewell. Pushing your chair back, you opened your arms and immediately felt his warm body against yours.
Both your lips crashed into each other. It was the perfect definition of a hot, steamy, and messy make out session. Lifting you up, he placed you on your desk. Your hands pushing any obstacles that lay in your path. Quickly taking your jacket off, you tilted your head as Hawks began to leave a trail of kisses and hickeys.
Impatience won and the winged hero practically ripped apart your shirt. Pushing both your bodies, you felt the cold surface touch your back.
A loud moan escaped your mouth as he began to suck and nibble on your hardened bud. His other hand entering your wet hole. 2 fingers in while his thumb rubbed circles on your clit.
“I want you now, Keigo…” You whimpered as he began moving downwards. Leaving behind sloppy kisses till he reached your abdomen. Taking his fingers out, he used the juice and began spreading it on his cock.
Teasing you with the tip, he brushed it against your clit. Your legs instinctevely wrapped around his waist in an attempt to pull him closer. Before he would put himself in you, he glanced at the door and red blurs came swarming in. Attaching them to the base of his wings. Once all of them were in place, he stretched them to their full span. He knew you were always turned on when his plumage was full while he made love to you.
Resting his elbow beside your head, he gave you a deep kiss. His tongue asking for entrance as he slowly slid himself in. Your back arched with pleasure as he nibbled on your lower lip. Your wet hungry pussy feeling full from his shaft.
Roaming hands found their way to the base of his wings. Giving them a bit of massage before digging your nails into his skin. He let out a growl mid-kiss. Thrusting harder, he earned a loud moan from you. The kind of moan that immediately pushed him to the edges.
His hands found their way to your hips. His grip firm, keeping you in place as he began thrusting into you faster and deeper. The carnal look in his golden eyes slowly ate the coil in your stomach away.
Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. The hickeys now fully visible. The only sound inside your office were the sounds of skin slapping against each other, moans, pants, and loud cursing from sheer pleasure.
“Kei…” You were close and you were not sure how long you could last. “Fuck~ Harder, baby~”
Placing the bend of your knee on his shoulders, he leaned closer towards you and kissed you once more. His thrust much more deeper and he felt his cock twitching. His sinful mouth found its way to your earlobe. Tugging it ever so slightly and nibbling on it.
“Cum for me, Pro-Hero #3.” He whispered. “Show me just how much I can break your walls.”
The last thrust he gave you snapped. You nails dug into his skin while your legs pushed him in even deeper. A wave of heat began to flood your body. Each thrust Hawks did as he rode out your orgasm made your body shudder. Not soon after, Hawks grunted and bit down your neck as he let his twitching cock release inside you. Feeling your pussy milking his cum was overwhelmingly delicious.
Collapsing on top of you, he chuckled.
“You need to have more online conferences, nugget.” He lifted his head and peppered your face with light, feathery kisses. The afterglow evident on your blushing smiling face. “I love you, (Y/N).”
“I love you too, Keigo.” Your leg began brushing his. “Shall we prepare lunch?”
The two of you shared a giggle as his feathers flew out of the room to get some towels and clothes. In your mind, you were already plotting your revenge. Two could definitely play this game.
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kryptsune · 4 years ago
Text
Till Death Do You Part {Part 1} (UF Frans)
🌼Hummm I wonder why this is getting reposted with fully new edits. Could there be a reason I wonder?~ 
It was common for a girl such as herself to be betrothed to another even if she didn't know of him truly. A frightening prospect to promise your life to someone you had never met. Someone she knew so little of. Tonight was the night that they would meet and speak weeks before they would pledge themselves to one another. Just thinking about it made her nervous, hands fiddling with the fabric of her dress gently. Any moment now. 
 She was made up to look the most beautiful she had ever before but even then she was anxious, a shy and timid thing. Her auburn hair was styled in ringlets by her face amongst the bright ruby of a satin dress. Why had her father arranged such a thing? Wasn’t love the most important feeling? What if that was a luxury should would never be able to afford?
The young Lord yawned as he adjusted his cufflinks, going through the motions as always. He figured she would be just another pretty face, no mind to stimulate him, "I give her a month..." he murmured to himself before setting out for his first meeting. She was pretty, of course, and he always played the handsome and charismatic young suitor, "You must be the oh so lovely Lady Frisk."
Frisk didn't know who or what to expect as she twirled slowly to see whose baritone voice was addressing her. Was this him? The young lady picked up her dress taking a little curtsey out of respect. It was the proper greeting for a lady, "Yes Sire, though such flattery is not necessary. Frisk will do just fine." She had beautiful sparkling blue eyes like dazzling sapphires and a smile warm like the first rays of the morning sun.
She watched as he took a sweeping bow, "I would be your betrothed, Lord Red Fontaine." His hand extended out to her desiring the feeling of her own, "My... your beauty is astounding, I do not flatter my dear, there's no necessity for it.” 
Well, he certainly was the charmer, “Forgive me, my Lord. I was uncertain and a lady should never assume. I thank you but I must confess my own thoughts on the matter, beauty only runs so deep. There are far more important qualities in a person.” She gingerly slipped her hand into his own. This was a gesture that most male suitors practiced at the time. The true test for her was his reaction to her confession. 
He lifted that dainty pale hand, brushing his lips over the skin. A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth as he laid on his almost supernatural charm, "Quite right my dear. Beauty fades overtime, but the mind...oh the mind is wondrous in what it can do...It is a true rarity to find both qualities." She was different from the other pretty faces he had charmed over the centuries. Something told him this was going to be quite interesting. 
Most men she had conversed with wanted dull and shallow girls, all things which she was not. That gentle kiss he laid on her hand did cause her cheeks to warm in a sweet pink glow, “Such a refreshing perspective my Lord. I am used to dulling the mind in pursuit of shallow appeals. As you can see I do not hold my tongue.” It was better, to be honest about who she was then proclaim a temperament that she could not uphold.
He could not contain the smirk that twisted his mouth, perhaps she would prove to be a challenge nearly after 400 plus years, "Indeed, I too find your outlook refreshing. It's so rare to see a young lady of the times actually use the mind they possess." His voice was soft as he pulled her closer to him.
Cobalt eyes locked with his as she was brought close enough to feel the velvet of his suit. She considered him swoon-worthy, a gentleman, and he agreed with her view of intellectual stimulation. A rarity if she ever knew one. Her nerves fluttered away, “It is unfortunate. I hope that I do not disappoint. I must confess my nerves have been keeping my attention all day until this point."
One of her many distinguishing features were those eyes that held a vibrancy to them that he hadn’t seen in all his centuries, "As they should... After all, women are expected to bow and behave for their men." He gave a boisterous laugh and waved a hand dismissively, "Bah with that. I want my bride to be herself. Something I suspect you'll do, won't you?"
She seemed like such a sweet little thing. Usually, the ones he chose were vain or dim-witted. They jumped on him as soon as they saw his looks but not her, "A good mindset to have my dear, come let us take a walk and speak more." All he got was that sweet smile and those gemstone eyes filled with newfound curiosity and excitement, “I can only ever be true to myself, my Lord. Nothing more.”
He smiled at her agreement, endeavouring to know her fully and of course more playing to what she liked, but he found he had to lie less around her, "Truly, I've had a wonderful time my dear. I look forward to our wedding and future life."
Frisk was the happiest she had ever been because of his genuineness. She wasn’t quite sure if she loved him but he made her smile and treated her like a human being, not just some prize to be won or a doll to display, “As do I.” That genuine smile practically caused her face to glow.
He kissed her forehead chastely knowing full well he had to play his hand sweetly for now. The young bride to be couldn’t deny his sweet forehead kiss was enough to melt her as his hand slipped from hers. There was no doubt that she was smitten with him. His voice was that baritone that would cause one’s knees to weaken, "Wondrous my dear, I shall see you quite soon~"
As he always intended of course. He left her soon after dropping her off back at her home, slipping into the shadows as he returned to his own estate. His mind wandered as he strolled past the lamps posted at every street corner, their flames bright behind their glass cases. As with every game they played he would relay his findings to his two older brothers. They would exchange their progress and in turn joke about their victim’s coming demise.
His return home prompted a sit down by the roaring fire and a glass of wine as he let them speak. Carthus, the second eldest, reclined upon the ornate fainting couch that rested to the right of the main sitting area. The eldest, Gered, took a seat to his right.
The conversation left him at odds even as he barely processed to the words that slipped from his mouth. His two brothers on the other hand reveled in the drab game they had been toying with for more lifetimes than he cared to count.
Carthus smugly teased his younger brother with her potential thoughts of him as the moon rose to cast its silver light upon the land. The beams slipped through windows casting a somewhat eerie glow within the room. He of course had no such worries of the dark but what about her? He could just hear his brothers mockery about how hypnotized by him she probably was, "Honestly brother what do you think she will taste like?~" 
Despite his emotional confusion he placed a smirk on his face, leaning back, and taking a sip from the wine glass cradled in between his fingers, "She is rather spirited and I believe pure as well. A rarity. It did not take much to have her wrapped around my finger, brother, but you are well aware of what I am capable of." The smirk forced on his lips grew as he spoke, “I believe this time that the game shall be won by me. My bride to be will be easy to please~”
Gered chuckled from his place closest to the flames, "We shall certainly see. I cannot wait to see how this game will come to a close... of course, we shall see how our lovely ladies stack up when the time comes to evaluate."
Carthus was back to his teasing, leaning forward to make a point of it, "I cannot wait to see the look on her face when she finds out what you really are in her last moments of life." It caused him to pause. What would she think of him regardless of the outcome? No mortal had survived to tell others about the brothers. They usually lasted a few months once the wedding vows were finished.
He cleared his throat to respond to his brother’s rather sadistic humor, "Oh it will be quite sweet I assure you." The three laughed in unison as they toasted to their manipulative vice, “Their faces are always precious right before you devour them~" If he was honest he did not even remember most of them. They were a meal and nothing more. Those blue eyes, however, stuck with him even now.
The following day he would meet with her again though the visit was more of a surprise to her. He found her lounging beneath the shade of an old tree and drawing silently. A few sticks of charcoal were scattered about the lush grasses at her feet. 
He put on his best smile as he drew a single red rose from his coat pocket and dangled it in front of her sight, "Good morning my dear one."
She blinked in surprise, that soft flush painting her cheeks, "Good morning. You took me by surprise for a moment. I am overjoyed to see you again so soon." Truly she never felt so affectionate toward another before. Her smile only grew when he took a seat beside her, "As am I my dear, I simply could not wait to see you once more."
Though her joy was genuine she still retained doubts in her mind. The idea of an arranged union was not one that usually ended happily. She gently set her book aside as she smiled at him sadly, "Is such a thing true? I wish for you to be honest with me and I shall do the same.”
Red inclined his head for a moment before brushing his fingers over the soft, cool skin of her shoulder only to find a strand of long auburn hair to toy with, "I am being honest with you my dear, that certainly seems an odd request. Do you think I am only telling you sweet words that you expect to hear?" That was exactly what he was supposed to be doing. 
Frisk looked out over the water as her pink lips curled upward. A smile but one filled with sadness. He had rarely seen such an expression on such a pretty face before, “I apologize. I must keep a healthy skepticism. My heart flutters when you are near and yet it feels too good to be true.” Maybe that was because it was.
How to assuage her concerns? He truly did not know how to do so since he was the root of the deception, "Ahh I see." His back came to rest on the tree behind him as he made himself more comfortable, "I can see why... to potentially find one that we belong with. It's an amazing feeling I think. It truly feels as if nothing else matters."
The look still painted on her face gave off that aura of doubt. He could usually sweet-talk his way out of anything but she was far too sharp to fall too easily for his floral language and sweet promises. Her eyes now remained trained on the ground, “I fear I do not deserve something so wonderful.”
A comment like that shocked him. It was baffling, "why ever not my dear?" Curiosity swam within his eyes as he moved to tilt her chin up. What a sweet and pretty thing she was, so fragile and yet so strong at the same time.
“I am cursed for what runs in my blood is dark. A power unnatural and forbidden.”
A curious response, "Oh? What might that be my dear?" Forbidden? Dark? Unnatural? What could she possibly harbor that would lead her to believe that she deserved ill-fortune? The irony was that he was the worst omen she could have possibly received. 
Her lips parted as she kept her attention on her betrothed, letting the word linger on the soft breeze that lifted her hair, “magic.”
A mortal with access to magic? A mage? A witch? She was rare indeed in more ways than he originally anticipated. Perhaps that was why he had been drawn to her, "Magic?" His tone housed a sufficient amount of curiosity and he wondered if now he had to be more careful. If the power of the mages slept within her blood then even his own abilities may not work on her. 
She nodded softly, “Yes. It’s a part of me and it feels right and beautiful but... it’s known as something evil.” A lie she had been told nearly the entirety of her life.
As an immortal being infected by dark magic himself he knew that all too well. His past was far from joyous, "Magic.. is one of those things people will..." He sighed pulling her closer to him. How much would he be able to tell her without implicating his rather... bloodthirsty condition? She deserved some form of comfort, "The things that people do not fully understand become a threat. Even if such a thing is no more harmful than the smallest butterfly.”
He truly understood her even better than she could have hoped, “Something that they do not understand they seek to destroy or punish. Even something frightening does not mean it is evil or has ill intentions.” Her eyes fluttered open as her hands began to glow softly, when she opened them there was a small illuminated blue flower nestled in the center of her palm.
He smiled, letting a gentle finger stroke one of the magical petals, "Magic can be beautiful... It can be deadly. It is like a sword. It depends upon how you use it."
Her cheeks darkened further as he spoke, "That is what I believe as well. It is hard to try and hide who I truly am. I fear no one would understand or be afraid of me. It's why no one truly knows but when I am around you I feel as though I can speak my truth. Forgive me."
His hands reached for hers closing them around that luminescent blossom, "There is no need for forgiveness my dear. You need not hide anything of yourself from me. For I hide nothing from you." He smiled at her. Why did he care what she thought?
She scooted a little closer to him as his arm came to wrap around her as he held her closer to him. That gentle breeze soothed her as she enjoyed the afternoon. He would be able to feel how much joy she got from just being in his company, "I have been very lucky. Perhaps this is not a curse after all.”
He had a desire to say more but he kept his words simple, comforting, “Of course it is not. It is a natural part of you that should be nurtured not diminished. You shall never have to fear such judgment from me.” For I am something far worse.
Frisk rested her head gently against his shoulder feeling free from whatever chains kept her prisoner before, “I know. No one has ever looked at me the way you do it’s...” She toyed with the hands resting in her lap, “Nice to know you accept me for who I am.”
He smiled. "Of course I will Frisk. You are quite wonderful.”
She rested there in silence with him. It was so peaceful and all the following days were the same. They both began to know each other better just by speaking their minds. She even practiced some magic when they were alone so that she no longer lived in fear of it.
When the day of the wedding arrived everything seemed to go by smoothly. She had been nervous at first but the moment she said "I do" he could see it was one of the happiest moments of her life.
In the depths of his mind, he thought it was the dumbest choice she could ever have made, but his face remained with an overjoyed smile, exactly what was expected.
Even...perhaps...
When he pulled her toward him for the kiss that would seal their vows, he felt something. This was far more than just a childish game of superiority. She could be different and then this wretched cycle could end. 
Until death do us part
There was only one problem...
Death... had already parted them…
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