#and then the few important ones do get to stay

[madamechrissy]

Just Friends!?

-Art in the banner from nek0zuu_ on X-

Pairings- Former Nerd! Gojo and popular F! reader

Summary - Satoru Gojo was the biggest nerd EVER in high school with you, next door neighbors, study buddies, you were the best friends in the world. Never having the courage to ask you -the 'popular girl' out- you never knew he felt for you. He ended up leaving town, moving to the big city of LA- getting famous with a modeling career, and lost touch with everyone from his old life. While you're working the family pub to help out your parents, years later, he finally comes back to visit, just to have you making his drink. Everything about him is different, aside from those pretty blue eyes and the sweet grin. You feel he's so accomplished now, and you're just a small town girl, but little do you know, you've never left his mind.

Warnings - Will be explicit and smutty (it's me!?) Nerdjo turned famous and cocky, but he's still just a Nerdjo deep down hehe- his chap, mentions of sex/getting turned on, Gojo being an ass tbh, welcome back Jock Sukuna and say hi to bitchy model Samantha lol, some angst and mutual pining, lots of feelings

Based HEAVILY on the 2005 Rom com Just Friends - part of my amazinggg moot @indiewritesxoxo's Friday night flicks! 🌙

<<<Part One - Masterlist

Part Two

Your POV

It was odd, being back in your hometown after years of living on your own, but when your family needed help with their bar, and with student loans piling up -  teaching did not pay very well - you couldn’t help but come back home for a bit. The shifts at the hometown bar helped, and staying with your parents for just a few months was definitely a life saver.

It’s not exactly where you saw yourself, teaching lay offs all over, now you have a preschool class here and you love it, but it’s definitely not enough to cover everything. You feel so… just upset, that you’re back here at your first job, grabbing beers for familiar faces, people who never left their hometown, and some that have, but came back like you did.

Despite it being Spring, it was freezing where you lived, some cold spurt that brought on snow in March, so many of the town were curling up by the roaring fire, bundled up laughing and drinking to stay warm. The bar had quite a cozy atmosphere, it reminded you of home, truly, you grew up here, from bussing tables and cleaning to serving drinks.

“Hey love, you look amazing.” You see Suguru and Shoko then, Shoko has a cigarette between her fingers, a familiar smile that makes you beam, as you come out from behind the bar, hugging them both.

“I missed you two oh goodness!” You receive a kiss on each cheek from them, as you hug them together.

“We heard you were back in town, how have you been?” Suguru asks softly, you sigh a bit, peering up at the tall man.

“I can’t believe I’m back here. Layoffs.” They frown then. “I heard you all run a whole dentist office!?”

“Sugu is a hot dentist.” Shoko teases, and he smirks a bit.

“Shoko runs the clinic attached to it. She outranks me.”

“Always.” You laugh with the two of them, hands on their shoulders now.

“I’m so proud of you two, what? Doctors, I can't believe that.”

“Hey now, teaching is important.” Shoko brushes your hair back softly, earning your flushed cheeks at her praise.

“They definitely don’t make enough.” Suguru says, earning your sigh.

“You’re telling me. Let me get you all drinks!” You eagerly bounce back, mixing them up drinks, Shoko loves a lemon drop from what you remember, and Suguru always enjoyed a rum and coke.

“You remember!” Shoko winks as you hand her the pretty drink, garnishing it with a little lemon swirl and grinning. The noise of the bar fills your ears, as you lean across the polished bar table, glinting under the soft lights overhead.

“Of course I remember. Gosh, it’s been four years since I’ve seen you all I think.” You all start catching up, but of course it starts to get busier, and you begin to take care of all the customers as Suguru and Shoko start tossing darts at the black and red circled board.

You smile at them, they’d always been the perfect couple, making that longing fill you too much. You fully expected to be married with kids by now, sure it was quite a homey little dream, that white picket fence, maybe two kids and some cute golden retriever, but that’s what you always dreamed of. Unfortunately, your bad taste and men did not end in high school.

“Speak of the devil…” You murmur nervously, when you see him, Ryomen Sukuna looking just as good if not better than high school, he still wears his damn letterman’s jacket from college, where he’d become an all star player, you hear now he’s even going pro.

What’s he doing back home?

He grins over now, red eyes sharp as ever, and you fully anticipate him bothering you, saying something pervy, as he walks across the crowded bar, stopping to talk to almost everyone, he was quite a name here. The only person more famous from your little town - there is a population of fourteen thousand and perhaps four stop lights- was Satoru Gojo.

You’d seen him on the damn cat walk, recently he was on the cover of Vogue, him and some other really famous model, this little smirk on his face that just doesn’t fit the boy you knew. If you thought he was cut before, his body was damn near godly, so perfect it was intimidating, and he’d only gotten prettier, not that Satoru wasn’t always so pretty.

He just didn’t know it then.

You think of him sometimes, hurt initially back when summer break hit after high school, and he refused all your calls, he refused to see or talk to anyone when you all lived so fucking close. You tried everything you could, feeling awful because it was your party and you didn’t know, could you have done more? Could you have shoved everyone out?

You were fully planning to if he’d just given you a moment. Your yearbook to this day is something you cherish, and reading his sweet words over and over, he’d taken over an entire page, with words of love you’ve never felt before. But to say it was all ‘a joke’ and leaving, never accepting a friend request, shit he didn’t even talk to Suguru or Shoko, his other best friends.

Satoru never spoke of his hometown in interviews, and when you saw his mom recently, you learned he’s never come home. You know things were hard on him, brutal even, but you wish he knew just how much you loved him, cared for him, sure it was more of a beautiful friendship, but you also were attracted to him, though you were scared to ruin that friendship.

If he just gave you a damn moment.

A friendship you built your entire life demolished, and you miss him even now, you miss the quiet mornings you two would study at the library, you miss the cup of coffee he’d have for you every morning. You missed the little sleepovers, playing pokemon games together, battling it out on the Wii, the amount of things the two of you shared, gone in a moment.

Sukuna leans across the bar, shaking you out of your reverie, his familiar, arrogant smirk just a little softer as his ruby eyes drape down your body, you’re just in some jeans and a polo, nothing too sexy for the family bar here. But he seems to take pleasure in every slow inch, murmuring your name.

“Look at you, even hotter than high school, shit.” You heat up a bit under his gaze, tilting your head and running your hand across your neck.

“Thank you, Sukuna. You look good too.” You earn his wide grin, as he swipes a hand through his pink hair, snowflakes melting just a bit as he leans his hip against the bar now.

“I’ve wondered how you were doing, aren’t you a teacher?”

“I am, but… layoffs.” Sukuna frowns a bit. “I’m teaching preschool here for now, but it’s…”

“They don’t pay shit.” On this, everyone agrees,

“Mmhmm, but it’s my passion. So here I am, working the student loans off.” You wink at him, and he softens then, resting his elbow on the bar, a hand in his chin.

“So pretty you shouldn’t be working.”

“Oh… no. Not at all.” You clear your throat, something is so different about him, he’s not the asshole you remember, or so it seems. “But just temporary, I’m finishing up a couple classes to teach higher education.”

“You always were smart, you’ll do well.”

“Oh… thank you, Sukuna.”

“Used to call me Kuna you know.” You giggle now, easing a bit, even under his gaze, which keeps darting down your body. “God you haven’t changed a bit.”

“Say that to the freshman fifteen that never left.” Sukuna chuckles then, when you turn and bend over, grabbing a beer.

“Went to your nice ass-”

“Sukuna!” You glare behind yourself, and he’s chuckling. “Here I was thinking you were all sweet.”

“I am sweet, thank you. Shit I’d love to catch up sometime?” You hand him his beer, sighing then.

“I don’t know…”

“Lunch or something?”

Satoru’s POV

Satoru’s stepping into the bustling bar with the most annoying model ever, cock hungry too, who’s clinging to his arm, looking at the little bar in disgust, while he eyes the familiar surroundings. He scoffs as he sees Sukuna’s letterman jacket, so pretentious really, and eyes everyone around, surely… your parents still run this place, he wonders, do you ever come visit?

“It’s so… quaint.” Comes Samantha’s voice next to him, running her fingers along the dusty bar, grimacing, she’s as tall as Satoru in her heels, perhaps one of the few women who he doesn’t tower over. All models were pretty tall, but typically he still had a couple inches, but Samantha was the best in her field, and maybe longer legs than Satoru Gojo himself.

“Yeah, I guess compared to LA.” He murmurs, the surroundings oddly comforting, despite how much he thought he’d hate it here. Something about shivering in the cold and then coming to this warm, bustling bar was…

Homey.

It gnaws at him, as people recognize him, and they begin to all come up, many who used to pick on him. He clings to that pretty model of his tighter, putting on a bright grin and lowering his black Gucci shades, the two of them are decked out in Saint Laurent and looking like a million bucks. Even in public, you had to make sure you were dressed to kill.

“Holy shit…” Satoru sees Suguru and Shoko then, their mouths drop as they come up to him. He's spoken to them a little here and there, but overwhelmingly has not said much since college was over. “Look at you two!”

“Look at you, all preening like a peacock.” Shoko rolls her dark eyes, sipping on a drink as she assesses him and his ‘girl’ who is clinging to him, laughing far too fake to ever be taken for as genuine, grating on his nerves.

“How cute, townies!” Samantha says, tossing blonde hair back, and Satoru scowls over at her.

“Who’s the snob?” Suguru asks boldly, making her gasp as Satoru’s muffling his laughter.

“Be nice.” Satoru warns, hands in the pockets of his red dress pants, a ruby so bright and bold it’s ridiculous for a place where people wear jeans and flannels.

“They’re not nice, Gojo. I don’t like it here!” She’s stomping her feet, and Satoru sighs, shaking his head.

“Go get a drink, hmm?” He turns her and smacks her ass, she cringes then.

“Myself!?”

“Become immersed in the small town, it’ll be good publicity, sweets.” He winks as she pouts and saunters off, ignoring the men and at one point hissing at one.

“She’s on drugs or…” Suguru trails off, and Satoru snorts.

“She’s definitely on a good Adderall / Xani combo. Shit… I missed you guys.” He ruffles Shoko’s hair, and shoves at Suguru good naturedly, Suguru smiles a bit, dark hair even longer than Satoru remembers.

“Sure you did. Come back to visit?”

“Uh… no.” He peers at his phone, sighing now. “Our suite for whatever reason isn’t available, I was stopping here and going to call Mom, since I have no reception whatsoever.”

“Why would you bring her to your mom’s, doesn’t she suffer enough with you as her kid?” Shoko earns Satoru sticking his tongue out, picking up the phone and dialing.

“Toru, sweetie!” Satoru sighs, he loves his mom, but to this day she really treats him like a child, even now.

“Hey mom, cool if I stay a few nights? I have a modeling-”

“You’re coming home!?” Satoru winces, pulling back the phone as Suguru and Shoko laugh.

“Yeah, if it’s-”

“I’ll make your favorite, baby, triple stack pancakes with sundae-”

“No, no, too many carbs.” He hears his mom’s sigh of disappointment, and clenches his jaw just a bit, looking over to see Samantha taking pictures of herself on her fancy phone, throwing up a pose now. “I guess yeah, I’ll eat pancakes.”

“My baby, oh I can’t wait, let me get started now!” His mom hangs up, and he can’t help but feel that fondness, the emptiness he’s had for so long just the tiniest bit filled by her voice.

“She’s excited.” He muses, sighing then. “I need a drink.”

Suguru and Shoko eye each other, and Satoru’s blue eyes narrow, studying their odd expressions. “Yes, you should, bartender she’s amazing.” Shoko’s smiling, and Satoru’s lips purse a bit.

“Hmm, guess I’ll see. I’ll be back.” He pats their shoulders again, heading over and passing more and more familiar faces, gosh none of them left, huh?

He leans against the bar, poking around on his phone as he hears Sukuna, asking then - 

“Lunch sometime?”

He snorts, eyeing the tall, big man who used to torment him, now eye to eye with him, and damn near his size. Sukuna blinks in surprise a bit when Satoru eyes him with humor.

“Lunch is friendzone territory, ouch.” Sukuna glares now, fists clenching on the bar, and that’s when…

You see him.

Satoru Gojo.

“Maybe I like lunch.” Your voice shocks him then, he eyes you, wide blue eyes going to the face of the girl he loved.

Your face.

You’re so pretty it makes his heart thud out of his fucking chest, you’re just like you were, maybe a bit more mature looking now, but god it was like a blast from his past, the ultimate memory of you couldn’t compare. You’re so beautiful, this fucking glow around you still, that comfort he has been craving hitting him in one instant, as he just stands there.

Satoru Gojo, who got whatever girl he wanted, was just standing there, staring at you, with his lips parted, you are heating up under his scrutiny, unsure of just what he was thinking, biting that lower lip a bit and shifting. He notices now, that you’re not fawning over him, drooling, like women did, if anything you’re glaring just a bit, your jaw set.

“I… you… here…” He can’t compute a fucking word - stupid, stupid - why did you reduce him to pathetic again, after all these years!?

“Yes, I work here again. I know, it’s not what I imagined either.” Your soft, devastated words attack him, making him feel like you punched him right in the gut, as Sukuna raises a brow at Satoru.

“Friend zone, did you just say that?” Satoru’s sputtering now, before clearing his throat, shutting his eyes and taking a breath.

He’s not some ‘nerd’ anymore.

He’s Satoru Fucking Gojo.

He smirks and leans against the bar, eyeing you slowly, pulling off pretentious shades that make you miss his tortoiseshell glasses. But when those piercing, swirling blue eyes hit you, trailing like Sukuna’s had, you feel so shy suddenly, so nervous around him, after so long. Surely he was looking down at you, surely he was so high and mighty that your life seemed sad to him.

You stand a little straighter now, while the two men, who have changed so much, both eye you, a blast from fucking high school if you ever saw one. “Look at you…” He murmurs your name softly, like a caress- shit his voice is deeper, it’s so sure, so cocky and conceited, not the sweet boy you miss. “You look great.”

“Thanks, so do you.” You manage softly, he’s in some suit worth as much as your year of work you’re sure, open with a vest showing of chest muscles, fuck he has red silk gloves, it’s so ridiculous you almost laugh.

He’s gorgeous but…

Who is he really?

“Working here again, huh?” He means it to be casual, but the way it comes off makes you straighten your shoulders, as Sukuna winces.

“All that money, all those women and you never learned.” Satoru scowls at Sukuna now, while you turn away, giving him a view of a body he’s dreamed of, fuck you’re even sexier now, those jeans sitting just right, is none of you not perfect, not beautiful?

“What can I get you, Gojo?” You ask after grabbing another beer for Sukuna, who takes it with a smile, and he tenses at that.

Gojo.

When did you ever call him anything but ‘Toru’?

But, you all are literally strangers now.

“Martini.” He says, earning Sukuna’s snort, Satoru’s scowl heads his direction once again as you start to get the ingredients together, shaking it up in the gold shaker like a pro.

“Little bitch drink.”

“Beer is disgusting, fuck that.”

Sukuna glares as he sips the drink, and you pour Satoru his martini, garnishing it and giving a small smile that doesn’t reach your eyes. “One martini.”

“Thanks, sweetheart.” You falter, at his soft voice, at the way he says everything as if it were some caress.

“You’re welcome.” He hands you far too much money then, making you blink. “It’s only ten bucks.”

“Keep the rest, love.” He winks now, and you feel your face heating up, did he think you needed it so badly? Does he pity you?

Does he care?

“Thanks… um, sure on lunch, Sukuna.” Satoru’s teeth clench, like watching history repeat itself. “Even if it’s ‘friend zone’ I’m fine with meeting up.”

“Perfect, here’s my number…” He writes it right on one of the pretty white napkins, and you take it carefully. “I’ll be in town all week.”

“Alright, sounds good.” Sukuna tips you, not the exorbitant fifty dollars Satoru just handed you, but a twenty, with a little nod of his head, as he passes Satoru now, and Samantha comes right up to him.

“Oh look at you, all star for the-” She’s flirting but Sukuna ignores her, winking at you and making you want to giggle, but you barely hold it in. “So rude! Gojo, can we please leave this shitty little bar?”

You scowl right up at the tall, beautiful model who pouts over at Satoru, clinging to his arm, he stiffens, but you see it, clearly they’re… together. “The ‘shitty little bar’ is owned by my family. And you are more than welcome to leave.”

“Oooh, you’re feisty.” She’s giggling psychotically, using her hand to make a clawing motion. “Rawr!”

“The fuck…” You shake your head, sighing as you set back to work, Samantha’s hands running down Satoru’s chest, irritating him to no end.

All he can see is you, and you’re just turning away, the girl he…

He left.

He left you.

No word, no goodbye, and he thought maybe it wouldn’t feel like this, maybe after eight years and endless women in his bed, he could stop feeling like this, stop the love he had. He tried to chalk it up to puppy love, you were the nicest person to him, of course he developed feelings, right?

Wrong.

He watches as you head out from behind the bar as Samantha’s going on and on about some Instagram post, downing the rest of his martini. “We’ll leave in a minute, go wait in the car.”

“I can’t believe we don’t even have a driver, ugh!” Satoru blinks at her, turning her now, watching as you stop and talk to Suguru and Shoko, smiling so sweet, lighting up the whole fucking room.

“I’ll be out in a minute.”

“Oh fine but…” She drags him down by his tie, whispering in his ear then- “I can suck you while you drive.”

What would once excite him doesn’t compute, he just nods and pushes the crazy woman to the entrance of the bar. “Sure whatever.”

“No pictures, please.” She throws on her sunglasses, as curious people wonder just what this woman is talking about, and Satoru feels your eyes on him then, his catch yours across the room. He watches you tense, as he steps closer, and Shoko and Suguru depart, giving you both one moment.

“Hi.” He manages to say, and for once, the pretentious rich model reminds you of him, the boy you grew up with, the one you miss so badly it feels like he’s a dream.

“Hi.” Your soft voice ends him, you’re shifting side to side, Satoru towers over you, making you feel so small then, as he presses a hand against the wall over your head, tilting your chin up with his other hand. Your eyes go wide then, breath catching, heart hammering.

“I’d love to catch up, I am here for a few days, I’ll be at mom’s.” You blink a bit then, looking down, gently taking his hand off your chin by his wrist, the contact making you both pause. For a moment he pictures it, kissing you, making every move he failed at in high school, taking your lips over.

He pictures so much, up to and including you under him, shit maybe now he’d have a chance with a girl like you, maybe he could taste your sweetness, could inhale that vanilla body spray you somehow wear eight years later. Could show you pleasure he bets you never got before, cock aching just being in your presence, he has to will it to go down.

“Your mom, I just saw her.” You ease his hand down, back resting against the wall just a bit, hair falling across your shoulders, you gasp when he brushes it back, another move he had tried and failed at back then.

That night should have been his first kiss.

You should have been his first everything, fuck.

“Could we do dinner or drinks?” His tone reminds you of what he said earlier, so you smile, a little mean glint in your eye.

“Maybe lunch.”

“Lunch!?” He’s glaring, thin white brows lowered, and you giggle.

“Coffee?”

Shit.

“Or is that too ‘friend zone’ for you, Gojo.” Satoru blinks a bit, hand falling, barely brushing your shoulder when it falls, you try to ignore how good it feels, he tries to act nonchalant, not like the fucking world is faded, aside from you. That the entire bar is just an echo, it’s just you.

And you’re furious, he can feel it. “No, no I mean it’s fine. If you want… coffee we can do coffee.” He can’t believe he’s saying this, he brushes his white locks back, winking down then. “We can do whatever you want.”

“Uh huh. Well, coffee then, if you want to catch up I’m surprised, considering it all though.” Satoru’s jaw clenches just a bit.

“I’d like to catch up.” You soften at his first vulnerable statement, the first thing that feels real. “How about in the morning, are you staying nearby?”

“I’m living with my parents for a couple months.” He frowns at that, you suddenly feel so insecure, a rich model right in front of you, just as he said that day- that he’d make it, and you all…

Would just burn out.

Maybe you did.

“Oh, you are, is something wrong?”

“Helping them a bit, big teacher layoffs nationwide.”

“You teach?” His smile is finally genuine, as you nod, so shyly, his shoulders relax, as his hands slip in his pockets once more. “You always wanted to.” Your eyes shoot up to his now, swirling beautiful blue, a hint of the sweet boy you adored.

“You remember?”

“How couldn’t I…”

“I figured you forgot us all.” Satoru gulps down the guilt, as you manage to pull yourself together, sighing. “Come by my parents in the morning, if you remember where they are.”

“How can I forget, it’s across the street.”

“All right then… I look forward to it.” He awkwardly leans down, as you wrap a friendly arm around his waist, inhaling his cologne, much different than the boy who wore axe body spray and always sucked on lifesavers. His hard body against your much softer one feels a little too good, when he rests his chin on your head.

Nothing has ever felt better than holding you in his arms.

Memories swirl for the both of you, but it’s different, Satoru seems like some bold and pretentious stranger, but for a moment you remember. You remember crying in his arms, over this breakup or that, you remember his sweet hugs during study sessions, you remember laughing and watching the dumbest movies. You exhale just a bit, as a big hand presses the small of your back.

Satoru missed you.

He doesn’t say it, he can’t say anything, pulling back and looking at you then, hand coming to cup your face, opening his mouth to speak when Samantha starts shouting “I’m bored Gojo! I’m so bored!”

The entire bar turns her direction, you fall back a bit, as Gojo internally curses, seeing the brat that is his partner crossing her arms in that fur coat. “I’m coming okay, shit!”

“Your girlfriend is bored.” You’re giggling then, you can’t help it, covering your face as Samantha glares.

“Not my girlfriend, jesus. Um… okay, the morning.” You nod, walking off now, past Samantha, who hisses at you like the psychotic bitch she is, making Satoru grimace with Suguru and Shoko walk up to Satoru.

“You fucked that intro up.” Suguru says, snorting as he puts his arm around Shoko’s waist, and she’s laughing.

“Fucked it up bad.”

“Oh like you’re any help.” They just shake their head, eyeing Satoru’s screaming model bestie.

“See you in eight more years.” Suguru’s words sting, as Satoru feels it then, the guilt eating away at him, but Samantha won’t shut up long enough for him to process, he drags her out into the cold, chilled air, seeing you climbing up into what appears to be your SUV, your eyes flicker to him for just a moment, before you shut the door.

“You like townies hmm? Can’t stop eye fucking girl next door.” Satoru’s eyes make even Samantha falter then.

“Who I like is none of your fucking concern. In.” He plops down in the rental, an audi of course, god forbid Satoru Gojo or Samantha would be seen in anything less, on that they are the same.

“You’re so cranky, she’s hot, just… gives those girl next door vibes.”

“Yeah well, she was the girl next door for me. Almost.” He feels her hand now, trailing over his thigh, she leans over and laughs in his ear, making him cringe. “How’d I get stuck with-”

“Let me make you feel so good, should I suck little Gojo?”

“Little Gojo!? It’s not little, Samantha.” He shoves her off, and she pouts again, crossing her arms.

“How’d I get stuck with you is the question, no fun. Now we have to go stay in poorville.”

“It’s the fucking suberbs.”

“Poor. Poor. Poor. Boring, boring.” Satoru almost pushes her out of the goddamn car, no blow job would be worth it, even if it would shut her up for a moment, even if his cock twitches thinking of you.

He pulls up to his home, his mother already has it opened when he walks up, hugging him tightly, kissing his face all over and making him wince. “Mom…”

“My baby, I never thought you’d come home.” She’s got tears in her pretty blue eyes, she visits LA once a year or more, but now the way tears fall from eyes that match his wracks him with guilt.

He could have come back at least once, right?

No, no he couldn’t.

“And this is…”

“Samantha.” She shakes his mom’s hand, tossing back long blonde locks and smiling. “You have such a quaint little home.”

Satoru’s mom blinks rapidly, brows together, this wasn’t a small home, it was four stories and lovely, left to them from Satoru’s dad, but he supposes to a rich, spoiled brat like Samantha, it’s ‘quaint’. “Um, thank you, and you’re staying too?”

“Unfortunately.” Satoru’s mom raises her brows, as Samantha clings to Satoru once again, grinning.

“I get to meet the mom, huh? I’m so special-”

“Let’s eat.”

Satoru finally leaves a snoring, annoying model brat Samantha alone in the guest room, when he walks inside his childhood room, frozen. Time has been frozen, his mother hasn’t changed a single fucking thing, up to and including pictures of you and him all over the walls. He gulps down his emotions, shutting the door behind him with a quiet click, undressing carefully.

He sees his old nerdy ass sweater, one you’d gotten him, still folded on his desk, like he never left. His fingers brush the fabric, as he stares at his reflection, feeling like he’s a ghost in his own room. The connections start to build, the mirror he kissed that night, the endless photos and mementos he kept. He eyes that box now, opening a letter carefully, crumbled and faded ink.

My Toru, I hope you have the best day, I can’t wait for the movies!

Toru, can you believe how the year has flown by!?

Do you want to go bowling Y or N

Your new glasses are so cute I love them!

Bad day today, sorry I’m quiet.

Tears fall down his cheeks, he only notices when the blotches form on the ink, all the times you’d write to him every day, passing little notes in class with hearts all over them, brightening his day. He’d kept every single fucking one, and there were so, so many in this tin box, stuffed inside like all of his fucking feelings.

He wipes his eyes quickly, shaking it off, pulling out his luggage with his own clothes and getting dressed in sweats for the night, curiously pushing on the cd left in the player, sighing then. Your favorite song, it’s that mixed CD he was making you, the one he never gave you. Satoru quickly turns it off, the button a resounding click, walking to the corkboard littered with you.

Knock knock knock.

“Come in, mom.” She does just that, peeking her pretty face, still so young looking, so sweet as she smiles at him. “You didn’t change any of it.”

“No, I always hoped you’d come back, at least for a day.” She walks up to Satoru now, seeing the photos he’s staring at now, Satoru and you sipping a milkshake together with two straws, in the middle of a diner. “You two were so sweet, she’s back in town you know.”

“I know… I’m seeing her in the morning.” His mom’s eyes light up, and he laughs a bit. “Don’t get excited, my life isn’t here mom.”

“Part of it will always be.” She cups his face, smiling up at him. “I hope you have fun with her, she has kept in touch all these years you know.”

“She has?”

“Yes, she… misses you. She asks about you when she visits town.” Satoru blinks back emotion, turning away now, clearing his throat.

You asked about him after all this? After he'd gone out of your life for good? What if he just heard you out, what if he…

“I’m tired, mom.” Mrs. Gojo nods, a hand on his back for a moment.

“Good night, Toru.”

“Night.” He lays in his bed, phone blowing up, his agent with details, a coordinator for the show, friends from LA teasing him on having to come back home, but he quickly turns it off, holding a photo of you, the only one he brought.

He gently touches it, sighing, wondering…

Will you like him now, could he be good enough?

While you lay in bed, tossing, turning, fuming damn near at Satoru Gojo’s audacity, sitting up finally, putting on Satoru’s favorite song, on that mixed CD you had been making him, before he disappeared. Your childhood room is the same as it always was, littered with photos of you and Satoru, your best friend that just disappeared, and came back a different person.

You touch a photo, one where he’s grinning so big with his cute little braces, holding up a science award, and you’re so overcome with emotion you have to hold back your tears, touching the polaroid gently. Was that boy in there somewhere, the boy you knew, the one who deserved the world - he seemingly got it of course.

Would he find you so boring? He hung out with celebrities, he walked runways, he’s clearly got a beautiful - batshit insane but- girl on his arm. Was it some pity, did he feel bad you were in a little bar? Your mind can’t handle it all, as you plop down in your childhood bed, mind racing.

Who was Satoru Gojo now?

Ah why'd I tear up when Satoru goes home? Next part we see just how coffee goes lol

taglist #1- @pinkyvomit @saitamaswifey @kachowness @vraiao @artbligh @psychoartiste @ghostskilledmyaddiction21 @bsenpai @simp-for-wanderer @rjreins @emonaculate @myahfig4 @casua11ycrying @psycren @blushedcheri @ureuphoriasworld @frozenmallows @kanaojacksonofc @rcveriees @xlilycoco @yukimaniac @sypnasis @tokina @sharkubi @tztuoo @hyori2 @yesdere @gradmacoco @gamerhere @seikamuzu @xinsonyax @vvaoo @angie420 @ria54sworld @blue-musingss @mysticmyth @asimpinamillion @arabellasolstice @ilovebeansyay @notme000 @emochosoluvr @iv-vee @heh123321 @fushikamo @danilovesboba @spookyy-gracee @satorusleftnut @clqxuds @femaholicc

[gakukitty]

— CRUSHING x sakadays

summary . what does it look like when the both of you are crushing on each other?

wc . 1.6k

cw . nothing much to be worried about !! not edited, so sorry for any mistakes / things thst don’t add up

the characters areee : shin asakura , kei uzuki , nagumo yoichi , heisuke mashimo , natsuki seba , gaku , shishiba

masterlist ౨ৎ

shin asakura

oblivious scale : 7 . shin’s obviously got some insider info on what you’re feeling, but he’s surprisingly oblivious. i feel like he’d feel suupppeer guilty for reading your mind— that and he always gets distracted whenever he has a chance to hear any important thoughts that could give him an idea of how you feel about him. next time, for sure, shin thinks— and the next time he’s already fighting back the urge to bash his head against the wall in both nervousness and embarrassment, then the opportunity slips away.

hc : constant hand-brushing . shin reeaallly doesn’t mean for it to happen, and he knows that you don’t either— because he can literally hear the way your thoughts stutter and stop for a moment as his fingers lightly brush against yours. he thinks it’s just soooo cute !

hc : all of your favorite things find themselves in your hands . he knows exactly what you want and what you like. ‘oh man, that keychain is so cute.’ you think to yourself— and in the following days, shin is suddenly holding out that exact same keychain for you with flushed cheeks.

kei uzuki

oblivious scale : 4 . he most definitely knows that you have some type of feelings for him— kei can understand that much. but either way, he still feels just a little unsure about this all. like, how does he know his mind isn’t playing tricks on him? but he thinks that look on your face is pretty sincere.

hc : constant eye contact . uzuki doesn’t even mean for it to happen. his gaze just naturally meets with yours! sure, he sometimes glances over to your on purpose, but other times it sort of just.. happens.

hc : lingering . the man really likes being close to you, he realises. so it’s only natural that he’s just a little hesitant to leave your side. “bye, uzuki.” “bye, (name).” and the two of you just stand there in silence. and once you finally do walk away from him, albeit a little hesitantly, he stays standing for a few seconds. uzuki stares, dazed, before he finally leaves too.

nagumo yoichi

oblivious scale : 1 . nagumo deeeeffiiinittleyyy knows. he probably knew even before you did! he only feels a little doubt sometimes, but they quickly wash away when he catches a subtle glance from you.

hc : spontaneous visits . he can’t help it! he just wants to be with you allll the tiimmeee. so, don’t be surprised when you hear knocking on your door and nagumo standing there, covered in blood and smiling widely.

hc : casual touching . now, nagumo’s not overbearing at all with his touching at all. sure, he likes to pat your head or your shoulder, maybe hold your hand or poke at your cheek— but he never touches you enough to cross the lines of.. whatever you’ve got going on. he thinks it will stay this way for a while. holding hands but never intertwining fingers. patting your head but never stroking your hair. poking your cheek but never caressing it.

heisuke mashimo

oblivious scale : 9 . this one shouldn’t be too surprising. i mean, this is heisuke we’re talking about. however, he’s surprisingly perceptive at time— but he just doubts himself. you smiled at him? that definitely means you like him, right?! wait, no.. you’d never like a guy like him..

hc : doodling . heisuke isn’t sure how he’s supposed to make a move. the man spends a few days thinking, his thoughts rolling around his head like little marbles as he bashes his forehead against a wall. he doesn’t know what to do!— until he gets it. he finally thought of something. he’ll draw you a portrait! however, when the picture finally finds it’s way to your grasp, you’re not sure if this is supposed to be a threat or a compliment. it’s the thought that counts, so you give heisuke a beaming smile— a smile that makes him want to draw one million more pictures for you if he gets to see that smile again. so, every now and then, heisuke shyly hands you a little paper— or piisuke brings it to you!

extra : doodling . additionally, he likes to draw on your hands. his warm hand grabs yours, the other shakily holding onto a pen. you agreed to let him do this, so it’s okay, he reminds himself. the end product is a little wobbly, but cute!

hc : acts of service . heisuke doesn’t have the funds to buy you expensive and lavish items, so he’s decided to compensate for that by becoming your personal dog. okay, not actually. but he overhears you saying you’re tired? do not worry, heisuke is already on his way to give you a piggy-back-ride! need water? he’s scrambling to share his water bottle with you!

natsuki seba

oblivious scale : 3 . natsuki is pretty sure that he’s got a pretty firm grasp on what you feel of him, judging by the way you linger in his workshop, occasionally asking about him or bring him something. but what if you’re just being friendly? he sighs, figuring that dwelling on it will do no good.

hc : sweet sharing . one thing that the two of you have made a tradition is for you to bring him something sweets sometimes when he’s busy in the workshop. at first, he was a little confused— why is this random person coming here with sweets for him? are they poisoned? but once he realises you’re a friend of shin’s, he guesses you’re probably not the type to do that. so he had some of those for the rest of the day— and just like that, you started to come by more often. he wonders where you get all these sweets from. one day, though, he decides to do something. “(name),” he calls out for you as you move to leave. you glance back at him curiously. “yes?” “stay. let’s share.” natsuki offers, gaze shifting away from the weapon he’s working on and meeting with yours. ever since then, you both share these sweets together.

hc : metal flowers . natsuki is obviously good with metal and stuff like that— so it’s obvious he’d use his skills to impress the person he likes. he works for a few nights, perfectly crafting some roses from metal. he didn’t really feel like buying an actual bouquet— because those wither rather fast— so, he settled with these. he binds a small strip of metal into a bow around the stems of these flowers, and a small, proud smile graces his lips.

gaku

oblivious scale : 0 . gaku absolutely 100% knows about how you feel. he can tell by that little sparkle in your eyes whenever he’s around.

hc : casual closeness . you’re just casually sitting on a couch in the hideout, humming absentmindedly to yourself as you scroll through your phone. that game looks cool, you think. d just as you write down a reminder to buy that game, you feel a figure slide onto the couch beside you. his (very nice and delicious) muscular arm resting on the back of the couch, his forearm just barely brushing against the back of your head. you swear that you feel a chill down your spine. you snap your head to look at the offender— a man named gaku. he just stares blankly, before his lips curve into a lazy smirk. heh. he knew you’d react like that. the man’s definitely not shy to get close. standing behind you, his breath gently fanning over the back of your neck? daily occurrence at this point. linking his arm with yours when he feels like it? easy. resting his chin on your shoulder? why are you so fidgety? oh, why are you getting so flustered when his hand reaches for yours?

hc : annoying touches . gaku thinks you’re really funny when you’re startled. he first realised this when his hand accidentally latched onto the hood of your jacket and tugged you down a little. you yelped, turning around and blinking back at gaku. that’s how he fell in love with these reactions. ever since then, he’s found great pleasure in tugging your hair lightly, pulling you back by the hood of your jacket, pulling your shoes off when you’re sitting down, and other things that he’s noticed you react to. he just gives you a nonchalant shrug when you confront him about it— but the subtle flush on the tips of his ears, and the almost unnoticeable curve of a smile on his lips betrays his enjoyment.

shishiba

oblivious scale : 0 . shishiba knows. he knew since the start.

hc : walking home . the first time you two walked home, it was a rainy night. raindrops were pouring, and the skies were dark and cloudy. you’re way too close to home, so you’d feel bad catching a bus or or taxi. shishiba gives you a side-glance, taking note of your contemplative expression. “i have an umbrella.” he says, his gaze shifting away from yours. “let me walk you home.” shishiba adds, clearing his throat softly. and with that, you both started to walk home together more often. or to the nearest train station, bus stop, etc.

hc : hair ties and hair clips . shishiba once overheard you complaining about your hair bothering you. and he’s definitely noticed it— the way some strands brush against your face in the wind, and the quiet huff that escapes your lips as you attempt to soothe your hair. so, one day, he offers you a hair clip. it’s now become a habit for him to give your hair ties or clips if he notices you becoming particularly agitated by your hair.

[cantstopmeb1tch]

I finally weighted in below 100 lbs and to celebrate I thought I would share with y’all the tips and tricks I’ve used to help me stay disciplined and motivated

1. This is gonna sound so cringy but u really need to reformulate ur mindset around food here’s what i mean: im not gonna lie to u and say I have a good relationship with food now but before i used to have a crazy scarcity mindset and i used to restrict myself to really specific things and whenever anything else (literally anything like bread, pb, pastries, chips, etc) was around I would end up b1nging + whenever I would eat even a little over my limit it would spiral and b1nge but u have to change ur attitude around food and realise that it’s gonna be around forever and if u want something u can always work it into ur c@ls for tmw or the day after now i eat a wider variety of food and i budget a sweet treat into my c@l intake everyday and it keeps me from b1nging

2. In terms of c@l distribution throughout the day i find that eating two meals and a snack works the best i find that having breakfast not only gives ur energy for the day but then u feel less hungry for dinner and r thus less likely to overeat or b1nge. I also budget a sweet treat / snack for before I go to bed bc i like to have something to munch on while I watch a show, u don’t need to have a snack at night but I feel like it helps with eating mindlessly in the kitchen all day which adds up quick when u know that when u really feel like cracking up have enough c@ls to satisfy the craving

3. Deciding on ur c@l budget is honestly super personal but i personally eat around 600 c@ls a day bc i tend to b1nge with anything lower. U lowkey just have to go through some trial and error until u find ur balance but remember it’s always better to budget an extra 200 c@ls a day than to that have 5000+ c@ls b1nge fest every few days

4. Now if u do b1nge u need to remember that it’s not the end of the world the more u depress over it the more likely u r to b1nge again u need to trust that the work uve done up to now has been working and is worth it. I know its really hard and it can be very demotivating but I try to be kind to myself and the day after a b1nge I always just drink a lot of liquids, take it easy, go on a walk and eat unprocessed food to reset myself u jsut need to distance urself from the feelings that led to the b1nge. U also shouldn’t try to overcompensate bc that just leads to b1nge and restrict cycles and we all know how horrible those r

5. U really have to be kinder to urself in general like if u overeat a little it’s ok and u can jsut move on u don’t need to spiral over an extra 500 c@ls when ur already in a steep deficit however that doesn’t give u a free pass to act on every single one of ur cravings. If uve been craving something for days then go ahead and have a little but often what we think r cravings r just urges to b1nge one anything so u have to learn to distinguish between wanting something specific and feeling ravenous

6. As I’ve mentioned before eating a wide variety of food helps with b1nging but ofc there’s certain foods that I avoid and only eat in once in a while (most bread, rice, pasta, pork, steak, most sauces especially creamy ones, most processed foods, store bought pastries and meals, ice cream, nuts, oil) and others that I work into most of my meals (white fish, tuna, salmon, chicken breast, extra lean ground turkey and beef, Greek yogurt, homemade low c@l pastries, veggies like lettuce cucumbers tomatoes cauliflower edamame artichoke corn hearts of palms, fruits like berries apples grapes watermelon, rice cakes, digestive cookies)

7. I try to eat mostly whole foods home cooked meals bc it helps with cravings and u eventually adjust to enjoying healthier things more and u get more nutrients which is important since ur already not eating much. Also home cooked meals allow u to fully control what u eat and restaurant food is always higher in c@ls since they always drown everything in butter and oil

8. To track ur c@ls I recommend the app lose jt (over my fitness pal) u can set any goal weight and c@l limit and there’s everything u need to track both c@ls and macros easily. And ur gonna need to invest in a food scale to get accurate results

9. Speaking of scales I do recommend getting a bathroom scale I feel like it helps when I feel like I’m not losing anything to see the numerical proof that I’m getting there although I don’t recommend weighting urself every day bc that can quickly become demotivating if ur plateauing I usually weight myself once a week always in the morning with no liquid in me after I’ve gone to the bathroom

10. It’s always hard when u plateau but that’s just a test of ur discipline and that’s why it’s important to build habits that u can sustain we always hear how u need to get 10k steps and several workouts a week to lose w3ight but that’s unrealistic for a lot of us and when u can’t achieve it u get really demotivated and quit. It’s better to do less and be more consistent, start with 5k steps and work ur way up yk u have to be realistic and look at where ur starting from

11. I will say tho that walking is absolutely great for w3ight loss, it doesn’t make u more hungry since its low impact and u can do it whenever. U can just start small and get off a few stops before the closest one and walk a bit more yk

12. I also recommend doing low impact workouts on YouTube to tone and maintain muscles bc there’s nothing worse than being skinny f@t u can just do it on ur floor and watch a show at the same time u don’t even need to do a crazy long time just 30 mins a day is great

Anyways I hope y’all enjoyed my little rant and lmk if there’s anything else ud want to know about <3

[c4tluver02]

basketball practice

wc: 2k

summary: You watch Steve during his basketball practice and something happens between him and Billy. The interaction messes with him but thankfully you're here to pull him out of it.

warnings: none!

On Fridays Steve had basketball practice after school. Now did you need to stay throughout his whole practice? No, you definitely could have a friend drive you home instead of Steve, but it was always more than that. You knew that Steve liked you being there. Normally you are just doing homework or reading a book, but sometimes when Steve looks up at you there you are smiling at him with big eyes. Or when he can tell that you're really into the game and hear your little cheers when he makes a shot. Sometimes Steve wonders why you’d stay somewhere that has you sit for an hour doing nothing when you could be at home? But asking that would risk an answer that he might not want to hear so he decides that he should just take your big smile and cheer as they are. 

This Friday was no different, Steve got out of class and talked straight for the locker room knowing he would see you in the gym. He likes this little routine you guys have. He gets ready and walks out to you waiting for him. Despite just seeing you a few hours ago at lunch he runs up to you and greets you with a big hug that lifts you up a little. You giggle at the action and wrap your arms around his neck. He lets you down and gives your temple a kiss. 

“Hi baby, how’d your test go?” Steve asks as he leans his head back a little, loving the feeling of you scratching his head. 

“I think it went well, I definitely wrote a lot so hopefully he gives points for putting something on the page.” You respond with a small smile, letting your arms down from around his neck to hold his hands. 

“I’m sure you did great, you always stress about it and then get a good grade. Plus Mr. Hill is like a thousand years old. I doubt he actually reads them; he just wants something to say that you guys did work.” Steve responds rolling his eyes playfully

You smirk at Steve's comment, he thinks so highly of you and it makes a blush creep up to your cheeks whenever he lets you know it. 

“Steve! C’mon enough chatting, more playing!” The team leader yells for him. 

A sigh comes out if Steve immediately, not wanting to end the conversation with you. Luckily Steve will have all of the ride home to talk to you about your day. You let out a soft giggle and give him a quick goodbye kiss before he runs to his group. You walk to the bleachers and take a seat while watching the group of boys. There's been a new student for the last few games which has definitely helped the team. Steve told you his name was Billy and he didn’t know much about him.

As the game goes on you decide to get your homework done. It’s nice that this gives you a reason to do it otherwise you’d procrastinate. Lost in the writing of your work you hear a thud which makes you look up. Your eyes widen as you notice Steve is the one on the ground and you can tell it hurts by the pained face he has on. Billy then comes up to him and gives his hand to help Steve up. But when Billy says something and pushes Steve's hand back to him your jaw drops. He walks over Steve's body as he lays there out of breath and in a newfound pain. A whistle makes you take your eyes off Steve as the captain says practice is over. You try your best to run down the bleachers as Steve gets up with a hand on his back. 

“What the hell just happened?” You say with a tone that is an octave higher than normal.

“Nothing, I just tripped.” Steve says as he takes continuous fast breaths. Too embarrassed of what just happened to discuss it further. 

“What did Billy say to you? Why didn’t he help you up?” You continue regardless of his quick undescriptive answer. 

Steve goes to the bleachers to sit and drinks his water. “Nothing important. He’s just a dick. You ready to go?” He’s trying to come off nonchalant but his voice is laced with irritation. 

“Yeah, uh, let me just get my bag.” You are confused. How did Steve fall, was he pushed? Why wouldn't he tell you what happened?

Steve wipes his face with a towel and puts his hand out for you to grab once you are on the last few steps of the bleachers. 

You turn your head to see Billy looking at you with a smirk on his face. Steve opens the door for you and you walk through it letting go of Billy's deep stare. He makes you feel deeply uncomfortable and you would bring it up to Steve but you don't need another thing for him to get mad at. 

Once you two get in the car you decide to ask a different question. Steve normally stays to shower but he didn't. You wonder if it’s the pain of his fall that changed his routine. 

“Are you okay? I didn’t see you fall but it looked painful.” You say with a quiet voice. Your hand is still intertwined with his and you're drawing little circles on the skin below his thumb. 

'I'm fine, did you want me to drop you off at your place?’ Now you're starting to get stressed, you always go to Steve’s after his games. 

“I mean I would rather go to yours but if you want to you can.” You say it so softly, like you’re scared of what he’ll say. 

You let go of his hand, the thoughts now flooding in your head. He probably wants to be alone and you asking all these questions obviously isn't helping him. This is the first time Steve actually looks at you and you're looking out the window, your body fully turned away from him. He doesn’t mean to come off cold especially when you didn't even do anything wrong in the first place. 

A sigh comes out of Steve- “Baby i'm sorry I shouldn't be acting like this towards you.” He picks your hand back up and gives your knuckles a kiss. “We can go to my place, okay?” 

When you look back at him with the saddest eyes Steve feels like he should do more than just hold your hand but he is driving and you're still not sitting towards him. “Okay.” You say in a meekly tone. 

You reach Steve's driveway and he puts the car in park. Once you both get out Steve grabs onto your arm and his hand slides down to your own. “Do you wanna make a snack and I'll go shower? We can watch a movie when I'm done?” 

Now Steve is the one with the soft tone. Both of you are in fragile moods and Steve knows it's all his fault. “Yeah, okay. Like some sandwiches?” You ask, your hand not exactly reaching to grab his back. 

“Perfect, yeah! I'll be quick okay?” He gives your cheek a kiss as he opens the front door for you both. You close the door and Steve is quick to take off his shoes and run up the stairs. 

As you make the sandwiches you think about bringing up the topic again with Steve. You’d hope that he would feel comfortable telling you things even if some douche said something rude to him. That his ego shouldn’t even be worried when it comes to you, always making sure he feels the best he can. You're at the point of your relationship with Steve that he could do anything and you wouldn't think any less of him or any differently. Yet here you two are, uncommunicative because of something some newbie said to him. 

Steve comes into the kitchen while humming, the shower somehow clearing his mood. You however have just been sitting here thinking a million thoughts digging yourself into a deeper hole. 

“Thank you for the food honey.” He gives your head a kiss as he grabs his plate. 

“Mhm.” You don’t even turn to look at him, stuck in your stance still zoned out within your mind. 

This isn't missed on Steve, he turns around and stops walking towards the living room. “What's wrong angel?” 

“Steve, why are you talking to me about what happened?” You ask, fulling letting your feelings be known. Bringing up a topic he was apparently already over with, it no longer plaguing his mind. 

“Because it’s just not important angel, okay? I fell, Billy said some stupid shit and it was over.” He says it so quick and matter-of-factly you almost believe him. 

“But he obviously said something rude and he walked over you. Literally stepping over your body when he had his hand out to help you up. It would be normal to be upset about it.” You wish he would just come out and say it embarrassed him. Then you could make him feel better and shower him with compliments that he truly deserves. 

Steve sets his plate down and sits in a stool that rests near the counter. Letting out a sigh knowing this is now a conversation he’s not getting out of.

“Billy told me I should  plant my feet okay? That's it. Some half-ass excuse of advice as to why I fell.” You can tell talking about it is bringing the anger right back to Steve. 

“It’s okay to say you're upset about this Steve. That's why I am dragging this all back up. You can tell me if something made you feel bad. You don’t need to act like nothing ever bothers you.” 

Steve looks at you with wide eyes. Of course you can read him like the back of your hand. He guesses he should know that by now. Hiding his feelings does feel silly now that you call him out for it. But to just move on and pretend it didn't happen felt safer to Steve. But regardless of how he feels, you were right. He should tell you how he feels because if there's one thing he knows it's that you wouldn't judge him ever. 

“Billy pushed me so that he could make the point. He literally told me advice on how not to fall when he's the one that pushed me down. And he’s not even a fair player. I don't know how they haven't kicked him out yet. ” Steve finally lets it all out. His voice rising higher and brows pinching together. 

“He’s awful, could you tell Jason to kick him off the team? He likes you, I'm sure he’d listen.” You’re leaning over the counter, now level with Steve. Thankful he finally opened up and told you everything. 

Steve grabs your hand playing with the rings on your fingers. “Yeah I think I might. My back is all fucked up from the fall.” 

You feel bad that Steve feels bad and if you could have fought Billy yourself you would have. To push someone else is so childish and Steve is the last person that deserves it. 

“Do you want me to massage it while we watch the movie?” You look at Steve and he finally looks at you. The heated conversation now cooling down and resolved. 

“Yes please.” He leans over the counter to place a soft kiss on your lips. “Thank you honey.”

“No need to thank me Stevie, but you know you can talk to me about anything right? I’d never judge you or see you differently I promise.” Your hands are cupping his jaw as you rub his cheek softly. 

“I know, I love you.” He leans his head into your hand. 

“I love you too, now let's go watch our movie.” You say giving him one last kiss before walking towards the living room.

[atlantis-is-burning]

@globlingoober thank you for the tag!

As for my lore, I got a $1K tip from customer who was almost definitely, 100% a hit man.

I used to work a 3-9pm shift at a bar right after high school and I always had a customer come in at exactly 5:45pm every single afternoon. He told me his name was Peter (probably not real) and I'm guessing he was roughly 60 at this time (graying hair, beard, tattoos on his hands, etc) He was always extremely cordial and polite to me although I never heard him speak more than about 10 words in the entire time I worked at the bar.

He would come in every single day and order a single shot of Grey Goose vodka and a Heineken beer; he never deviated from this order and he never skipped a day at the bar so it got to the point where at around 5:40, I would get his shot and beer ready for him and have it sitting at the end of the bar where he always sat. He would come in, raise the shot glass to me, and then sit there in complete silence for about an hour and a half before he would stand, leave money on the bar, tip his hat to me and then leave.

No amount of small talk worked on him and aside from a few very short, often one-word answers, I never found out anything else about him. He was one of my favorite customers though and I always felt very safe in the bar with him and he would usually stay just long enough for my other coworkers to start coming in around 7pm. Once other people started to arrive, he would quietly slip out and I wouldn't see him again until the next day.

This went on for three full months without fail.

When I got into college I knew I would have to quit working at the bar (or at least adjust my hours) and I mentioned it to him in passing one day and he just sat there, very quiet as always, and then said "education is important, focus on that" and then he left. My last night there I told him I would miss him and that he'd always been a great customer and he smiled, held up his shot glass to me, and then passed me a stack of money. I figured it was just him paying for his drinks but when I went to the register and actually counted it, it was right at $1000. I went back to give him his change, assuming it was a mistake, but he was gone and I never saw him again.

I'm still friends with a few of my old coworkers and last year one of them sent me a message saying that they had seen a news article that "Peter" had been arrested for a contract killing and was awaiting trial in upstate New York. I tried looking him up but considering I don't know his real name and my coworker only saw his photo on an article behind a paywall (😑) I never found out anything else.

So yeah, that's how I got a $1K tip from a maybe/possibly/definitely hit man 😃

Tags: @babyseraphim @bundibird @forestpelt (you do not have to respond if you don't want to! 💙)

it's so weird to me that everyone on this website is a human person outside of their weird internet niche so rb this with a random bit of your lore

[redr0sewrites]

💫A/n: just some general pv x reader hcs. sorry ive been in such a writing slump ://

💫Cw: fluff + smut, praise, use of pet names, minors dni w the nsfw portion

💫 dividers

sfw:

Pure Vanilla is one of the best partners you could ever ask for in my mind

he's very attentive and an incredible listener, while also being so smart and gentle

if you're dating him, you definitely feel cherished. no matter how busy he is, and he is often busy, Pure Vanilla always makes time for you and puts in effort

he dotes on you a LOT!! he is always offering to help you, even at his own expense, and never wants to see you upset. he's a great person to ask for advice, and is endlessly supportive because of these qualities as well

he's very forgiving, and big on commitment and communication. you don't argue much, and even when you do, he's never the type to make you feel as though he doesn't respect you- that doesn't mean you don't argue though, as communication is very veryyyy important to him

i also think that Pure Vanilla, if he's in a relationship with you or even if you're just one of his close friends has a very heavy bias towards you. like if you're arguing with someone else, he would never ever publicly disagree with you and would support you 100%. if he genuinely disagrees with you he'd tell you kindly in private, but he's not the type to cause unnecessary drama for others to see, and wants to make sure that you know he's always on your side.

as positive and kind as he is, i do think that Pure Vanilla cookie has a bit of a self negativity streak in the sense that he can be a huge people pleaser. as his partner, you're one of the few people (cookies?) who gets to witness his more insecure and negative side. he tends to blame himself a lot for simple mistakes or problems that were entirely out of his control, and this can definitely apply to a relationship as well

unsurprisingly, he's very touch starved, and while not unwilling to admit it, he struggles to come to terms with it per se. i think Pure Vanilla would subconsciously be aware that he craves affection, but just doesn't know how to verbalize it as he doesn't want to force his feelings onto you

in tandem with this, i think he lovesss when you play with his hair! he loves that unbridled, gentle sort of affection, and melts whenever your hands go to run through his hair or massage his scalp. this is also a very specific personal headcanon, but i think Pure Vanilla would give the best gentle massages. he's an amazing healer, so you already know that transfers into your relationship, and having the opportunity to relieve the tension from your body is sooo satisfying to him. obviously not in a sexual way, he just wants you to be comfortable and loves helping you in any way he can

enjoys peaceful dates where he just gets to spend time with you!! Pure Vanilla cookie doesn't need anything thrilling to keep him occupied, and is absolutely fine just staying home with you for the evening and reading side by side, cuddling, or just enjoying each other's presence. if you are interested in thrilling dates, like amusement parks or scary movies, he's happy to indulge you, but he absolutely prefers the quiet, simple moments with you that are just so much more affectionate to him

nsfw:

Pure Vanilla cookie is absolutely a switch in my mind. it truly depends on your preferences, as he's down to be sub or dom or whatever works for you. i think he slightly prefers to bottom in terms of position simply because its less pressure for him (especially due to his eyesight conditions and his worries about not pleasuring you,,,, ☹️) but also won't reject topping. again, it really depends on his and your moods

i do think there are times where if you push his buttons enough he does have the capacity to be a pretty hard dom, but most of the time he's quite gentle! he's heavy on praise and reassurance, both giving and receiving, as he wants to make sure that everything he's doing is pleasing to you.

Pure Vanilla's favorite position in my mind would be the lotus flower position, where he basically just gets to be as close to you as possible. he has a penchant for just melting into your embrace and burying his head into your neck with a wordless whine, especially when he's overstimulated, and this position more than allows for that. however, i do also think he'd enjoy a spooning position where you're both laying on your side and he or you can just hold the other back-to-chest and have sex like that, but this position is more reserved for sleepy mornings and quicker sessions before bed.

no matter your genitals, Pure Vanilla would Love. to go down on you. he's absolutely a munch, and loves pleasuring you in this way and watching you absolutely fall apart. theres nothing more satisfying to him than wringing orgasms after orgasm out of you until your whimpering and whining, and all the while he's squirming and humping the bed while waiting for his own release. something about the eroticism of oral to him just makes him go crazy

when it comes to kinks, at first he's pretty .... vanilla.... (haha.... get it. im sorry) but i think over time he'd reveal his more serious kinks and perversions. he's also down to experiment with anything you're into, as you're his first priority in bed. however, i do think Pure Vanilla would be against anything that could seriously hurt you. he would worry too much, and doesn't like seeing you in extreme pain. in contrast to this though, i do think he would enjoy seeing you become an absolute wreck from overstimulation or edging (especially if this is Truthless Recluse we're talking about,,,, but those are headcanons for another time i fear)

when it comes to general kinks, he has a lot, and you're gonna have to bare with me through some of these explanations. starting off pretty obvious, i'd say praise and just like pampering in general during sex is a pretty big one for him. he loves seeing you flustered, but also enjoys being praised or overwhelmed with pleasure in return. next up, i don't know if this really counts as a kink but like,,, hand holding is super important to him, he loves being close to you. hair pulling, specifically receiving, is HUGE for him. i'm just picturing Pure Vanilla being all soft and gentle during sex, but then the second you pull his hair he's a quivering mess !!

next up, parallel play and just. mutual masturbation in general. he often fantasizes about you walking in on him masturbating and vice verse, and it's just very attractive to him to learn what makes you tick. also kinda similar to this but i think he'd secretly be into being humiliated a bit. i don't think Pure Vanilla would ever admit it, but if you started teasing him about how loud he's moaning or how pathetic he is he'd cum on the spot. he's always trying his best to please others, and so you taking that a step further and getting him all embarrassed really turns him on.

while these are all pretty tame, i do think that Pure Vanilla has some more secretive and embarrassing sexual desires that he absolutely feels ashamed of- and also turn him on more than anything else. i might make some seperate headcanons for what i think his more perverse interests are, but overall i don't think he'd share his fantasies with his partner until you both are very close and very intimate. however, if you're freakier than him and give him the opportunity to share his desires ..... well. that's also quite attractive to him, yk?

overall, i think he's a very sweet lover when it comes to sex, and can accommodate anything you ask, whether it be as tame or as freaky as you prefer !!

thanks for reading !! i haven't written in a hot minute and i feel like it shows <\3 my life has been kinda weird and stressful rn but im trying my best to get back into writing !!! ALSO PLEASEEE SEND IN CRK OR PRESSURE (roblox) ASKS 😞🙏

[universesweetheart]

Sleeping Beauty (Chuuya x Reader)

Wrote this overstimulated and sweaty because I live in tropical hell!

I love chuuya

Bye now - Mars 

You stirred awake in the early hours of the morning, the sky still dark, stars visible from the view of your open windows. Laid up comfortably in your lover’s arms as he snores softly, his body pressed into yours. The redhead was practically on top of you. 

Blinking awake you stayed stilled, gathering your thoughts. You knew your lover had an important mission which would require him leaving earlier than he usually did and whilst he did set the alarm the night before, you wanted to do a little special something for the hardworking man you loved. 

You also knew the stubborn motherfucker would try to sneak away as he didn’t ever want to interrupt your sleep, he usually leaves a note on the nightstand.

Sneakily you slipped out of his arms, slipping a pillow in your place. You turned off the alarm set to go off in the next hour. As quiet as you could, you made your way to the kitchen and whipped up a breakfast for him.

A simple bagel sandwich and a coffee for the redhead, snacking as you worked around the kitchen. You sipped a glass of tea as you did. 

Setting everything up in a tray, you made your way back to the bedroom, placing the tray down on the table and moving over to the bed.

You sit down, leaning down and kissing your lover's forehead. “Chu?” you whispered softly, placing another kiss in between his brows. 

Chuuya’s brows furrowed but he remained asleep for the most part. Prying the pillow from him, you placed another soft kiss on the tip of his nose, “Baby,” you tried again.

“Come on, wake up, pretty boy”, now that earned a soft grumble from Chuuya and you smiled. Settling besides him, you kiss his shoulder this time, “C’mon” you whisper softly

“No” he mumbled and turned away from you, hugging the pillow, his back now towards you. You smirk mischievously and scoot closer, kissing his back softly.

“C’mon, sleeping beauty,” You hugged him from behind, resting your face against his, cheek to cheek and whispering sweet words you knew he couldn’t resist. 

 Brushing back his hair, you kiss his temple, then kiss his cheek, and finally move up to place soft kisses to his eyelids. With a grumble he finally opens his eyes and looks at you, a groggy look on his face. You smile softly, looking back at him.

“S’too early, babe” he grumbled and sat up, the silk sheet sliding down his chest and pooling around his hips. His toned chest on display, one that you shamelessly stared at.

You get up from the bed and get the wooden tray, setting it on his lap and settling beside him. You stroke his hair and lean in, kissing his cheek. 

“How long you gonna be gone this time ‘round?” You look at him, a hint of sadness swimming in the pool of adoration in your eyes. 

“A few weeks” He answers shortly, looking down at the tray before him, his eyes soften and he leans over and kisses your temple, his hand coming to rest behind your head, “I will be back before you know it, sweetness” 

The redhead closes his eyes and lean his head against yours, “Thank you for this, you really didn’t have to,”

“I know, but I wanted to, Chuu” you tilt your head up, looking at him. 

He looks down at you, and smiles softly, “I love you.” he said with conviction, he captures your lips in a soft yet passionate kiss. 

“I love you too” you kiss him back with equal passion and love, “hey?”

“Hm?”

“Y’know, you snore”

“I don’t, you brat” a hand comes down and smacks your behind, a soft laugh escaping him, eyes crinkled in happiness and content.

[laceyfaeryy]

i have no ideas but all i know is i need is more solo DDLG jason todd/daddydom!jason content omfg… that just is the exact content i need you always so it so perfect

like DD!jason overworking in his office & like his little girl getting fussy resulting in her getting a spanking or perhaps even crawling under his desk to try to get his attention either scenario 😫

- 🕊️

MDNI 18+

slight spanking with ddlg jason todd

—ㅤ꒰ྀིㅤ jason todd x reader ಿৎ

it was the middle of the night, the only light illuminating the room was from jason’s computer screen. he knew that you, his sweet girl struggled to sleep unless it was completely dark, even his office which was across your shared bedroom had to be closed with the lights off. occasionally, the room was filled with the sounds of his keyboard as he typed, the last thing he wanted to do was to stay up late and overwork when he could be in bed with your soft body. though the sound of your bare feet padding on the wooden floorboards snapped him out of his trance. jason loved you deeply, but the last thing he wanted was for you to distract him whilst he worked on an important project. “sweetheart,” his tone soft but slightly stern as you peeped your head into the office, your features soft and still full with sleep. you mumbled incoherently as you walked towards him, your smaller hands clutched onto a bunny stuffy. “missed you daddy,” you mumbled as you stood in front of his desk. jason sighed, rubbing his hand over his face as he leaned back on his chair, “look sweetheart, i can’t have you here ok? i have work to do.”

“but i want you now,” your face scrunched up in defiance, brows tight together as your plush lips jutted out in a pout. “no,” jason responded his voice stern. “i’ll come once my work is done, can’t have you demanding me on every little whim yeah?” jason adored you, god how could he not? you were his sweet girl, but you also had your well… tantrums. “need you please,” you bounced on one foot to another, shifting slightly. jason’s patience was running thin, and the last thing he wanted was his little girl acting out. “need you,” you spoke again, your voice slightly louder as if you were trying to protest. before he could even speak again you crawled under his desk, your needy body moving towards him quickly as you reached for his belt, only for jason to grab you by your wrist.

“daddys busy.” his tone now sharp, as he gripped onto your wrist. you let out a soft whine, your brows furrowing even more. “‘m achy” you mumbled softly, barely audible. “yeah you’re needy?” jason’s tone dripping with faux concern, “need daddy to take care of it?”

you nodded, big glassy eyes staring back at him. “need you,” your voice barely a whisper as you leaned closer. “well, only good girls get rewarded, and you haven’t been very good.” you opened your mouth to protest, tears welling up. jason knew that you took great pride in being his sweet girl, the one that obeyed his rules, so hearing that was like a slap in the face. “come here baby,” his large hands released your wrists before tapping his knee, “need you over here.”

the moment japan placed you over his knee he gently tugged your boy shorts down, revealing your plump ass, kneading it. “you’re gonna need to learn a lesson sweet girl alright?” his hand gently tapping your ass whilst you wiggled, a soft whine of protest leaving your lips. “good girls learn their lesson right? and you’re a good girl yeah?” he cooed, his free hand gently tilting your chin to look at him. “you’ll be a big girl and take it yeah?” you nodded quickly, “i’ll be good daddy.”

“there’s my good girl,” he praised before giving your ass a harsh slap, your soft skin now slightly pink as he continued. your perfectly manicured nails dug into his thighs, your lips quivering as you held your tears back. “doin’ so well my sweet girl,” jason spoke softly as he gently massaged your pink cheeks, before rubbing your back. “just a few more yeah?”

[ms-boogie-man]

☦︎17TolucaLake☦︎

A Little Unpacking … let's go!!! :)

Boyo! The two journos are super really trying to stack the deck here.

Texas… one of the few states standing up for its sovereignty as well as its citizens. It is a state that has been under attack by George Soros and the Democrat party trying to force immigration in an effort to flip the voting blue. So of course the left-wing journalists will write with a bias to make it appear that the leadership does not know how to lead and the people do not know how to live, and so, measles outbreak

The vaccine for measles was first dev'd in 1963 (HERE) and later improved in '68. It sounds super really alarming that the current outbreak is the biggest in 30 years but bear in mind the vaccine has been around for over 60… and the first shot is not always effective, and the 2nd shot still does not guarantee efficacy… and all the while, what are they putting in you?! Moving on to #3

There is evidence that measles is related to the widespread autism epidemic… autism being a very serious issue. I know I will get some pushback here and I will ignore it… as I said, evidence is out there and while i have heard people dispute it, I have not seen anyone refute it

There is massive evidence that COVID vaccines are harming the users while providing ZERO benefits that a vaccine is s'posed to. Is it any wonder people do not trust vaccines and would then avoid a shot that has had somewhat of a proven track record

It is not the government's job to mandate vaccines. If there is a vaccine and you wish to receive it, then do it. And if you are shot-up, then you are protected from those who are not, yes? Right??!! Beyond that, stay in your own fucking lane yo

… and of course this post has to include all the phobias</sarc> re: the trans community

Hmm… go HERE

I am no health expert so I am not handing out medical advice, but it almost seems like a better bet to just treat the symptoms and let your body develop its own immunity

Here is somethingy interesting… indulge at your own risk *but then again, is life not one big risk

One more thingy: Never come to me and 'demand' sources. Anythingy I post here is related to stuff I have seen for myself. If anything is important enough to you, get off your ass, get on your little computer-thingy — tic tic tic tic *mimes typing — and go research it for yourself, ya lazy sod, ya cunt

Hint: I always look for stuff — and I am quite the little blood hound yo — that will prove me wrong rather than prove me right… I just never find anything

Source

[sunrisecaminus]

Omg omg- I just read your recent writing with Magnus! I would really love a few headcannons with Magnus being a girl dad, along with Dreadwing and Breakdown, please!

Idk why, but I love the thought of these giant robots being really sweet and caring to the girlie's. 🤭

Message - Bro I love all three of these mechs. I would love them to adopt me and any of the people on tumblr.

Guardian Ultra Magnus/Dreadwing/Breakdown x Reader

Summary - How it feels to have these bots as your Guardian. They are very different types of dads.

Warning - None

Ultra Magnus This mech is so adorable with you. He tries to understand humans any chance he gets, but it still is a lot for him. For a while, Magnus did not trust anybody whenever you would walk in public. Was a Decepticon just going to come out of no where and shoot you?! He had to protect you in everyway. Sometimes, he forced you to stay at the base because it was too dark out for you to go home. You understand why he is like this, but it can get a bit pushy. His face always showed a soft expression anytime you walked in. He could have a stern look and be yelling at Wheeljack, but once you walk in he just "oh Y/n you ok?". Magnus doesn't care how much you like to lay on his shoulders, it can be comforting to have someone at all times just there with him to talk. Whenever he hears someone has bullied you, oh boy. Whoever it was better not come back, because he would get an earful from Magnus. He never really liked to touch people, but feeling you holding onto him made himself relax. Honestly, you could talk for hours, and Magnus would just rest and listen. If any of the Decepticons hurt you, Magnus would only see red and fight them until they die or retreat. No one hurts this child…they are the sweetest thing he has ever met and won't let anyone ruin that for him. "I know how to make you feel better, why don't we go to your favorite food place?"

Dreadwing "Sweet little bird, why do you worry me?" He is not a father figure…more like a fucking babysitter. Dreadwing is so tired of taking care of you, no he isn't annoyed or anything. In fact, he loves to take care of you, but you just have so much energy that it takes him a while to catch up to you. Please stay by his side at all times, he will panic if he turned around and sees you gone. No one would dare hurt you, but if someone was being stupid and did, they will be executed on the spot. Dreadwing sees you as a family member and won't let anyone take that away from him…even Megatron. You were so sweet with him, even if you were a little piece of shit sometimes. He warns you a lot on defending yourself, but if you used these skills and wit to defend him from a soldier accusing him of something Dreadwing didn't do, oh yeah, you will be cherished until your death. Any food you love, he will grab for you. You want to travel somewhere? Dreadwing would always drop everything to take you. He loves to watch you smile, it gave him enough serotonin to forget the war. Talk kindly about his deceased twin, please…even if the man was a bit of a hard head, Dreadwing still loved his brother and it would mean a lot to him if you showed the same care. If you draw him any pictures by the way, he will keep every single one of them, even the ones you deem as awful.

Breakdown This man is the most chill dad in the world. Want to walk around somewhere outside the ship? Go ahead, just call him if anything happens. Want to go out on the dangerous cliffs of Jasper? Let him at least be in the area, but you can go as far as you wanted. Breakdown is not neglectful though, and even has a calendar on anything important you need to do for the week. He is really good at reminding you if you have a dentist appointment or need to clean your house from not being there for so long. If anyone bullied you, get ready for Breakdown to just beat the shit out the guy. He may be a bit dumb, so don't ask him at all for homework help. He gives really good advise though when it comes to friends, letting you sit up on his shoulder and listen to whatever happened to you. Megatron has not ever seen someone as low ranked as Breakdown protect someone like you before, especially when Breakdown defends you from someone higher than him. Starscream has been beaten more than once, and Airachnid couldn't believe someone could have the strength to throw her for meters….half a mile actually. "Hey, if anyone is being a piece of scrap, call me ok?" He loves any of your hobbies, trying to learn how humans have and actually likes some of the games.

[would-this-pokemon-be-a-friend]

Have you done noivern/noibat line? They are just big fluffy bats and I think they would be great (:

Since we’re haven’t covered either, we might as well start with the first stage: the adorable noibat! Unfortunately, I must urge you to not be fooled by the B rank this pokémon earned in my algorithm: these little guys won’t be the right fit for most owners. If you are really dedicated, and don’t care too much about your ongoing ear health, then a noibat may work for you.

Even with the extra height afforded to them by their big ears, noibats are well within housepet size at just over a foot-and-a-half tall. They’re rather lightweight as well, which checks out given their aerial lifestyle. A noibat would be right at home in yours, as wild noibats are well versed in living in the tight spaces of caves (X). There is, however, a pretty extreme downside to this.

Noibats spend most of their time in the dark, meaning they rely on echolocation to navigate around the caves they make their homes in the wild, determine when their favorite foods are ripe (Ultra Moon), and to deter larger pokémon (Shield). Their ears work like organic speakers, emitting sound waves of 200,000 hertz, which bounce off of their environment and return to them, allowing them to get around without flying into anything (X, Y). This is going to make living in an enclosed space with a noibat annoying at best, and dangerous at worst. According to the pokédex, “even a robust wrestler will become dizzy and unable to stand” when exposed to these sound waves (Y). When your little friend is simply making their way from one end of the house to the other, you might find yourself greatly disoriented, which can of course be dangerous. Now, there are certainly ways to get around this issue in your day-to-day. If you provide an outdoor space for your noibat, as well as a dedicated shelter for them, you may have less issues. This would require carefully training your noibat to stay close to your home, however. These fruit-lovers are easily mistaken and will go after applins, so if any live in your area you may have issues (Scarlet).

If you do manage to get around the sound waves issue, caring for a noibat is pretty straightforward. As previously mentioned, these pokémon love fresh, ripe fruit, so providing them with a steady supply is a must. This provides a great opportunity for some enrichment play, since these pokémon are avid searchers: try hiding their food and allow them to find it using their sonar (Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon). It is important to note that this is a nocturnal species, so morning people beware (Sword)! If you want to spend some quality out-of-the-cave time with a noibat, be prepared to stay up late.

Thankfully, besides the clear sound wave issue, noibats aren’t exceptionally dangerous. They can use a few pretty dangerous Flying-Type moves, like Hurricane, but it seems to me that, if threatened, a noibat is far more likely to try and discombobulate you with their sound waves than to attack you outright. These moves played a role in the score, but not to the point that it tanked it too bad.

Overall… well… I love this pokémon, but it’s really not going to be a great fit for most owners. That being said, if you’re careful enough (and a night owl), you may be able to make it work. Expect complaints from your neighbors, though.

[abbysimsfun]

Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 164 (Ash's Life in San Myshuno)

Ash's life with the Landgraabs in San Myshuno was a big change of pace from Brindleton Bay. Everywhere he went with his family, people tended to call him sir. He'd thank them in his childlike voice that hadn't yet broken and wonder why so few just called him Ash, but living at the penthouse was a lot like a permanent weekend.

He could spend more time on the computer at the Landgraabs' than at home (not least because his mother was almost always working away at building her video game in the Bay), he could swim whenever he wanted, and he could play with "Bridgette's dog" Sansa.

He secretly believed Sansa liked him best, because he's the one who insisted Miko add Buttercups to her Simstacart deliveries, but every one of the Landgraabs was happy he was there. They even let him call home to talk to Heather and Conrad whenever he liked.

He wasn't a big fan of his new school in the city. He'd been placed a year ahead because of his aptitude scores, and the older kids didn't like the small, rich kid clearly so much smarter than the rest of them. He didn't do himself many favours, socially, when he confronted a bully who pelted him with crumpled up paper from the back of the classroom.

The teacher sided with Ash. If he hadn't shared a classroom with his good friend Pearl Richards, he wouldn't have a single friend at school in the city. And even though Pearl was with him the day he was kidnapped, his Nan often let her come over so they could do homework together after school.

He wasn't unhappy with his father's family. But if anyone asked whether he'd rather be back in Brindleton Bay, where things were familiar and Gord would rest his head on his knees instead of Sansa, who tried to bite his ankles, he would have said yes. He was pretty sure that's why no one had asked him.

No one talked about the custody case around him - not his father, not his mother. Not anyone. But he knew he mattered a lot to everyone. He would soon spend a weekend at home in the Bay for Lavender's fifth birthday, so he went about his days getting used to his new normal.

On the day of Bridgette's birthday, Miko returned home from a successful gig, excited to share how a producer in the crowd wanted to hire her to write commercial jingles. That the producer worked for Landgraab Entertainment didn't seem like an important detail as she shared her news - not at home with Landgraabs, who were all used to buying the lion's share of their opportunities, anyway.

The family cheered while Bridgette blew out her candles, aging up into a five-year-old fashionista! She was becoming more and more like a Landgraab with each passing day, but she was still friendly and good-natured like her mother.

The family sat down in front of the TV to enjoy their cake - though Malcolm dug into a bowl of franks and beans, instead. "The better to fart-attack you all!" he said with an evil laugh as he tooted.

"Gross! Dad!" the kids groaned, but they couldn't stay mad while they forked down coconut cake Miko threw together from a box of pre-mixed dry ingredients.

Ash overheard Nancy and Geoffrey talking about his engineering work. "The Sues think their lawyer swooped in and secured the patent for the device," Nancy grumbled. "They think he's the one behind Lilix LLC. How's the team coming with the new prototype?"

"Biometrics isn't easy, but we've got a good team at Landgraab Engineering. They'll figure it out before too long. It'll get around the patent, too. Don't worry, Nance."

"What are you talking about?" Ash wondered. "Are you talking about the time travel device."

Nancy smiled. "Not your time travel device. A biometric one, to better control what kind of people might use the technology you invented."

To Ash, this sounded like a good idea, considering how he'd been taken through time by criminals with a faulty device. While he was living full time with the Landgraabs, he had no way of knowing Felix and Lilith's time thief, Robin Banks, had an unauthorized biometric wristboard from the future. All he knew of Felix and Lilith's trip through time was they'd made it back safely, but they were still chasing the slippery time thief.

(Heather and Conrad are trying to adhere to the judge's desire they avoid things like time travel and ghosts, so when they talk to Ash, they don't talk about where Felix and Lilith went or what they might have told them about the trip.)

"Isn't it better if no one uses time travel?" Ash wondered innocently.

"Of course it is," explained Geoffrey with a smile. "This stuff is a long way off, and by then a whole lot of laws and rules will be in place to help manage this. It probably won't even be completed before I retire, but once something's been invented, it can't be ignored. Landgraab Corp. has the best available resources to ensure it's managed properly."

Feeling comforted by this seeming sense of responsibility, Ash finished his cake and carried his plate to the kitchen. ->

<- Previous Chapter | Gen 2 Start | Gen 2.1 Summary

Gen 1 Start | Gen 1 Summary

NOTE: I use Maplebell's More Traits and fashionista is one of them. I am CAS lazy, but of all sims to randomly get this trait, it had to be Nancy Landgraab's granddaughter! Perfect. But, I need some help trying to define her sense of style, because I have none, so tomorrow I've got a lookbook and a little poll for help with Bridgette's fashion sense!

And with Bridgette aging up, that means Lavender's birthday is also very soon! This week, in fact!!

[thezombieprostitute]

Tech Tuesday: The Double G's

Summary: April Fool's Day is taken seriously in this office.

Warnings: Plot holes, Pranks. Please let me know if I missed any!

Previous

Tech Tuesday Masterlist

The G's had set their alarms for earlier than usual. Today was an important day: April Fools. It was a day of pranks, yes, but for years it's been more than that. Today is a day for competition. The G's versus the J's. It had started as simple pranks but when Jake and Johnny decided to team up, God and Geralt stepped up to the challenge.

Last week Pine and Syverson helped negotiate the rules of engagement. Everything has to stay within the department, no repeats of pranks that caused the break room to be closed. No one touches the server room so as not to bring another firestorm of CEO Levinson's fury. There was a list of reminders about who had what allergies in an attempt to avoid having to call an ambulance. Syverson also made sure to include himself, Barnes and Drysdale on the "do not prank" list as they'd been having a rough time lately.

The terms were agreed upon and signed by everyone participating. The G's had only had to drop three of their prank ideas. They'd have to think of something else to do with the box of cardboard strips they'd designed to look like biscoff cookies. Maybe next year Drysdale would be more willing to play.

The point cards were handed out. You got someone? You mark it on your sheet. Someone gets you without being around? You leave a marker so they know they got you.

As the G's enter the building they spot Spitfire at the security desk, looking like she was still waking up, drinking half her coffee in one breath.

She spots them and says, "yeah, as you expected, they stayed late last night."

The G's nod in understanding. Jake and Johnny were more the type to be up late than wake up a minute earlier than usual. They could do a lot of setting up but it would do them no good if their pranks were dismantled after by skilled hands. And the G's were confident in their skills.

Years of working on quality control, testing for bugs, hunting down glitches and problems has given them an edge for spotting pranks. As they approached their desk they checked for the obvious ones. Sure enough, their mice had photos of Pokemon taped underneath to prevent them from working. An easy fix. Testing their desk drawers, they find the trigger for a confetti bomb. Geralt hands God the tools he needs to safely undo the trap while preserving the mechanism. Both desks had a few traps but each was safely taken care of.

When they were sure there were no other physical pranks to take care of, the G's set to work reinstalling those pranks at Jake and Johnny's desks.

For their next move, they go around the office, skipping Barnes, Drysdale and Syverson's desks, and replace everyone's snacks with 100 calorie bags of "cookies". All confiscated snacks were labeled so that they could be returned to the correct person by the end of the day, and then were hidden.

The only hiccup was when they went for Maestro's snacks. When he opened the drawer, Geralt let out a little yelp as a toy spider leapt at him. God came running, worried, but calmed as soon as Geralt showed him the spider.

"That's one for Maestro," Geralt rumbles. He gets up and makes sure to give Maestro a marker for her scorecard. The first of the day.

Jake and Johnny's start to the workday is signaled by a muffled, "what the hell?" The G's give each other a small smile as they hear the confused mutterings about mice not working. Apparently Jake was not yet awake enough to check the other side of his mouse to see the paper blocking it from working. He opened his drawer and there was a small "pop" as confetti flew everywhere.

"Points to you!" Jake yells out to the department. The G's smile and mark their scorecards.

They were disappointed when they heard Steve yell out, "thanks for the cookie crisp, whoever that was. This'll be a great second breakfast!" Clearly he did not mind the 100 calorie packs replacing his usual snacks. "Anyone else get these?" he continues. "I'll take 'em off your hands." This set off a bunch of people checking their snack caches, resulting in Johnny's confetti bomb going off in his face.

"Dammit! Points to you!" Johnny yells.

The first of the virtual pranks showed up later in the morning. God was in the zone, hunting down bugs, when he was startled by a short "Eldritch Blast!" animation.

"Points to you!" he loudly grumbles. His jaw clenches in embarrassment at having been got.

Geralt raises his eyebrows. Are you going to be okay?

God cracks his knuckles. Eventually. Should've seen that coming.

Geralt gives a small smirk. The J's have been favoring the virtual pranks of late.

God rolls his eyes. Because they know they can't beat us at any other kind of prank.

Geralt nods his agreement.

At 4 o'clock, Pine and Syverson called for a ceasefire on all pranks. The G's were quick to return everyone's snacks, smirking at Johnny's annoyed glares. Everyone started sharing their scores, exchanging compliments on pranks, but then they got to Steve. Steve had a smug grin on his face the entire exchange.

When they finally get to Steve he says, "I think some of those points you've claimed actually belong to me."

"What do you mean?" Pine asks on everyone's behalf.

Steve points to the J's, "you didn't leave confetti bombs at the G's desk. Nor did you tape the underside of their mice. Correct?"

"Yeah," Jake drawls, confused. "We got in and they'd done that to our stuff."

"Yes, because they thought you'd done it," Steve smirked. He turned to the G's. "Spitfire told you, honestly, those two left late. She didn't tell you that I left even later." The G's eyes widen in realization. "I got you to play additional pranks on them on my behalf."

"Okay, but that still doesn't give you enough points to win," Johnny contests.

"That program you added to the internal messaging? The one that would play an animation between 1 and 40 seconds after a word was typed? I used took over that one." Steve reveals. Turning to the G's, "what animation popped up for you?"

"Eldritch blast," God says with narrowed eyes.

"I didn't program that!" Johnny barks. "It was supposed to be a motorcycle animation!"

Steve looks around at the group, "did anyone besides Jake and Johnny get the motorcycle animation?" No one raised their hands. "Who else got the Eldritch Blast animation?" Everyone besides the J's affirmed that was the one they saw.

"You sneaky bastard!" Jake laughs.

"How'd you know what we were going to do?" Johnny pouts.

"You've all become predictable," Steve shrugs.

"Well played, Rogers," Geralt nods.

"Using our confidence against us was a smart move," God nods.

"But now we'll be sure to up the ante next year," Geralt warns.

"You'll be as suspect as the J's," God affirms.

Steve smirks, "I'm honored. But I still think I'll win next year, too."

"Challenge accepted," the G's growl with a smile that has Steve fell a chill in his soul.

Next

Tagging: @alicedopey; @delicatebarness; @ellethespaceunicorn; @icefrozendeadlyqueen; @jaqui-has-a-conspiracy-theory; @kingliam2019; @late-to-the-party-81; @lokislady82; @peaches1958; @peyton-warren @ronearoundblindly; @stellar-solar-flare

[susiekern]

on ice - Sukuna x fem!reader

a/n: Guess who's back with something other than The Fallen... me, hi. Since I've been in a bad slumber lately I finally edited the Sukuna piece I wrote in november probably mixing my hyperfixation on jjk and hockey

general: modern au

warnings: swearing, suggestive language, Sukuna probably ooc but idc, Naoya probably deserves his own warning

word count: 4.191

There’s soft music playing in the bathroom as you go through your morning routine. Wash your face, put on skincare, have a few sips of coffee, apply makeup, and then curl your hair. It’s peaceful and relaxing almost.

Barely 6:30 am on the clock, and you’re almost ready to head out. After curling the last strand with the straightener, you take another sip from the pretty ceramic mug that’s been waiting patiently on the counter and clean up the little mess you’ve created getting ready. With all of the cosmetics and hair tools in place, you grab the mug and small Bluetooth speaker, taking them with you to the bedroom for your final and hardest task of this morning. Getting the 6’2 tall hockey player out of bed. Every time, you find it amusing how the sounds of you making the coffee or even the music you always put on don’t wake him up. It’s like he’s hibernating and won’t wake up on his own until the spring comes. Actually, when you think about it, the 210-pound clump of muscles, under the giant duvet, kind of reminds you of a bear in its cave.

“Kuna, get up; we need to leave soon.”

You place your mug on the nightstand and sit on the edge of the bed, leaning over his sleeping body. Your voice is not much louder than a whisper, but after doing it so many times, you know it’s enough to wake him up. He’s able to sleep through 5 alarms, but as soon as you whisper “Kuna”, he’s out of sleep slumber in seconds, like he has some kind of y/n radar. A bit funny, but mostly adorable. A soft smile pulls on your lips when his brows slightly furrow, and he wraps one strong arm around your figure. With one pull, you’re lying flat on the mattress, half of your body under his weight, his head nuzzling in the crook of your arm and neck. There’s a grunt coming from his throat as he breathes in your perfume, and the arm that’s around your waist brings you even closer, if that’s possible.

“Kuna, seriously, we’ll be late.” You try again, even though your fingers instinctively tangle in his pink strands that softly tingle your cheek.

“Let’s stay in today. It’s not like we have anything important to do.” Sukuna murmurs in your neck, and you can’t help but laugh at his words.

“Oh, right, Mister Team Captain. How stupid of me to think your training, game, and my presentation are important enough for us to leave the bed.”

“Exactly.” He nods and sighs after a few seconds. Giving your neck a small kiss, he pulls himself up to sit and stretch his arms. “I fucking hate it when you’re right.”

“So, always?” Teasing a little, you admire the view. All of the hours he spends at the gym and on ice pay off because just the sight of his upper body muscles stretching makes you almost drool on the bedsheet. Every time you see him shirtless, there’s a strong urge in your brain to bite into his pecs and/or abs. And you did it before, many times. “On second thought, maybe I should drop out, you leave the team to Yuji, and we stay here forever?”

“As much as I like how that sounds, I have to decline the offer.” It’s Sukuna’s turn to laugh. He leans in to give you a quick kiss and gets up. Giving you one last smirk before he locks himself in the bathroom. “Besides, you’ve already got yourself all dolled up; we can’t let that go to waste. Right, doll?”

With a deep sigh, you move up too, following another step in your routine. Teasing by Sukuna? Check. His breakfast protein shake and coffee? Work in progress. You’re standing in front of the coffee machine, preparing his usual double espresso with one teaspoon of sugar, when he walks in and wraps his arms around your waist, resting his chin on your shoulder.

“Your shake is on the island, and coffee is almost ready.” One of your hands rests on his forearm as you lean back into his chest. Not sure how, but Sukuna is like a walking heater; his body temperature is always a bit higher than it probably should be. That makes him a perfect sleeping partner for cold winter nights, or for someone who’s always freezing, every night.

“God, I don’t tell you how amazing you are nearly often enough.” The man sighs and, using one of his giant hands, turns your head by the chin to kiss you. You smile but pull away as soon as he bites your bottom lip. It’s either stand back now or be late for everything, because if his tongue makes it in, there’s no way he’s letting you go with just kissing.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m perfect, I know. Now drink and get ready, because Yaga will kill you if you’re late again.” With one last peck, you leave him alone to get fully dressed in the bedroom and finish your own coffee.

“You’re staying at mine after the game?”

15 minutes later you’re both in Sukuna’s jeep as he drives towards the campus, and you go through the notes for the presentation one more time. His warm hand is on your thigh, thumb caressing in circles.

“You just assume I’ll be at the game, huh?” He squeezes your leg lightly as a warning not to play with him. At least not that early in the morning.

“I can’t play without my lucky charm, can I? We can go to yours, but I doubt that Shoko would appreciate it.”

“You always say that.”

“Yeah, ‘cause I have better things to do in the morning than listening to ‘my sleep schedule is fucked and you fuck it up even more with your mating sounds of a feral rabbit’ lecture again. You, for example.” You roll your eyes but nod and flip the page in the notebook. The rest of the drive is silent; you focus on your notes, and Sukuna decides not to interrupt but keeps his hand on you for the whole time. When he stops in front of your faculty building, you grab your bag and turn to him. “So, I’ll see you at the rink…?”

You’re not sure if that’s a question or a statement, and honestly, Sukuna’s not sure either.

“Yeah, boys would kill me if their captain sucks, because his ‘charm’ is not there.”

“Are you really still doing that weird thing with Sukuna?” A few hours and a presentation later, you’re sitting in the cafeteria with your friend Yuki, sipping another coffee.

“What weird thing?” You ask, not sure what she means.

“Relationship without an actual relationship, duh.”

Okay, here’s a thing. Or to be fair, there isn’t. Because you and Sukuna aren’t together, at least not officially. You are together most times, sure, but you haven’t put a label on it so far, and there’s no forecast of it changing anytime soon.

You met him over a year ago, when your good friend and his cousin, Choso, introduced you at the party, and you kind of clicked from the first moment. You were intrigued by his ‘I don’t care about anything’ image, and obviously, he’s attractive as fuck. And you caught his interest when his attempts at flirting with you were laughed at. After that night he got your number from Choso, asked you out for a coffee, then for a drink, his game, a movie, and suddenly one day you’re being introduced as his friend. And it was PG-friendly for the first few months. Sure, there was teasing and flirting for fun, but you never went further than cuddling while watching a movie. You both appreciated what you had and didn’t want to fuck it up by… fucking. It’d mean crossing the invisible line that was drawn at the beginning of your friendship.

Until you did cross it. The hockey team had an important game that even Sukuna was nervous about, and you were probably the only person who knew how not to make it worse. Even scolding your mutual friends for violating his space when he just needed some silence and peace, not 100 texts from everyone. And then you showed up at the arena wearing his jersey and a smile that somehow calmed his nerves as soon as he saw it. That’s why when, after the victorious game, you offered to drive Sukuna home so he could get ready for the after-party, and you were still in his jersey, with his name on the back, sprawled in his bed, waiting ‘till he got out of the shower? He was all over you in no time. There was no awkwardness, no regrets after, and no weird moments you’d experience during the first time with someone new. It felt natural, like you’ve done it a million times before. It felt right. Safe to say, you didn’t make it to the party, too absorbed with each other.

And ever since, you’ve been in this… weird state. You’re not together, but neither of you has even looked at someone else since your first night; you spend most nights at his or your place, and you know each other's schedules and routines. Hell, you even have your own for shared evenings and mornings now. At this point, almost half of your closet is in his apartment, and after the first month of going back and forth, Sukuna secretly took photos of your cosmetics to get you a set for his place so you wouldn’t leave him early in the morning.

All of your friends just assumed one day you’d randomly make it official, seeing how deep you fell for one another. Honestly, at first, you thought so too. That maybe after a few weeks, one of you would start that ‘what are we’ conversation.

But you know Sukuna’s not a relationship type of guy, and you don’t want to risk losing what you have for a dumb label. Even if it hurts like hell every time you tell people you’re ‘just friends.’

“We’re just having fun, Yuki.” Your answer is not the one she was hoping for, but it’s the one she expected.

“You’ll hurt yourself, babe. And I’ll be the first to tell you ‘told ya.’ Then we’ll buy cheap wine and drink from the bottle, watching some shitty rom-coms.” She sighs when you smile at her and turn your attention to your phone when it pings on the table. She doesn’t need to check to know you’re texting Sukuna, because who else would you reply immediately to? “Dumb, dumb girl.”

It’s almost time for the game, and the arena is buzzing, full of excited people. Your team is playing against their main competition for the playoffs, and every time they meet on the ice, it’s intense and brutal. And people can’t wait to see it tonight. You’re standing with Choso, Yuki, and Nobara, Sukuna’s brother’s friend, in the no-civilians zone, one of the perks of being close to the captain. Your conversation is cut short when the enemy team makes their way in. Funny enough, you know at least half of them from high school, since you’ve only moved here when you’ve started college.

“Well, well, isn’t that y/n y/l?” Hearing a familiar voice, you turn around and smile lightly. “Shit, it’s actually you.”

“Hi, Naoya. It’s been a while.” The blonde man smiles back and pulls you into a hug. You and Naoya were friends when you were still in middle and high school, meeting young when your families were doing some business together. For some time you even dated, but that ended up pretty quick when you decided to leave the town. Many said that Naoya was shady; you’ve heard about him a few times in the last two years, about how he changed, more and more similar to his father, the biggest asshole you’ve ever met.

“Year or two, yeah. How are you?” He asks when you separate after a moment and looks you up and down. “Looking good as always.”

“Stop, gosh. You don’t look bad yourself. Keeping the hair longer now?” You ruffle the stands a little, and he scoffs, pushing your hand away.

“Quit it, woman. It’s already messy without your help.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m good, thanks. Studying business, so a little busy, but…”

“Too busy to grab a coffee with an old friend tomorrow?” He interrupts. “I really missed having you around, and I’d love to catch up. So what do you say, y/n?”

You don’t even get to answer, ‘cause a second after his question, there’s a tattooed arm over your shoulder, and you feel the warmth you know so well.

“She’s busy. So quit it, Zenin.” You look up at Sukuna and almost shiver. His face is like a stone, jaw tense, and if looks could kill, Naoya would be reduced to ash already.

“And since when are you a guard dog?” The blonde man snorts but looks between you with the tiniest specks of confusion and much more annoyance. Just now he notices that you’re wearing a jersey with a proud C on your chest, and it doesn’t take a genius to guess it says “Sukuna” on your back. “Well, I’ll be damned.”

“Naoya, let’s go!” One of his teammates yells at him, but his gaze is still stuck on you.

“Think about it, princess. For old time’s sake. You have my number.” With that, he winks and turns to join his team.

“What the hell, Kuna?” You move from under the tattooed arm and cross your own on your chest. “What was that?”

“What was what?” The man in front of you furrows his brows and checks the time on his phone. “We’ll talk about it later if you want, but I have to go get ready.” He says, but stays right there, looking at you expectantly. You scoff and lift your chin up a little.

“Need something?”

He does, and you both know it. Before each game, he finds you to collect his good luck kiss(es), since the one time you did that jokingly, he scored 5 points on his own that evening. Now it’s a must-have, and if they have a game away, he’ll collect it right before he has to leave.

“Doll, don’t be a brat. Told you we’ll talk about it at home.” He sighs, and you roll your eyes, trying to hide the fact your heart went mad. Home. Not my or your place, home. What the hell?

“Fine, grumpy. Only because I want you all to win; I hate to see Yuji sad.” You take a step closer, and Sukuna leans down a little so you can reach his face and cradle it in your hands. One kiss on the forehead (that Sukuna cringes about), one on the lips. However, it’s never just one. You hold back a moan that tries to slip out when he pulls you closer by the waist and deepens the kiss, his tongue making its way into your mouth.

“Suku—oh, shit, sorry.”

You pull away, hearing Yuji’s embarrassed voice from behind you. Sukuna’s younger brother stands in the locker room’s doorway, holding the door with one hand, the second scratching his neck nervously, not used to seeing his brother in situations like this.

“I’m coming, Yuji, chill out.” The older one says his way and looks back at you. “Wait for me after the game, doll.”

“Yeah, okay.” You simply nod and watch his back as he disappears with his brother. Only then does a deep sigh leave your lips before you go to find your friends on the bleachers, guessing they left during your conversation with Naoya. What a mess.

You can barely sit still throughout the game. Being at almost every one, since meeting Sukuna, you got used to seeing aggression on ice. But this? This is a new level.

Both teams went through almost every player they had, penalties were thrown left and right, and at one point you were sure that the guy named Todo missed his destiny and should try MMA instead of hockey, ‘cause what the fuck.

Somehow your team managed to score three points in all of that chaos, two on the power play and the third with pure luck, but it counts. Which made their opponents even more bloodthirsty with only one period to go and 3:1 on the table. That’s also why Geto gets the meanest elbow to his sternum, Toji, your goon gets thrown into a wall by Todo (you worry for a second that the wall would break with how hard that was), Yuji gets tripped and run into and ends up with an actual deep cut from this asshole’s skate on his leg.

There are 7 minutes left on the clock when Sukuna goes against Naoya in a face-off. So far he was calm, surprisingly, seeing as his brother had to be taken to the medical room, and there were barely any emotions on his face. Until Naoya starts talking. He says maybe two sentences before Sukuna drops his stick and pins him to the ground with actual murder intentions in every single one of his punches.

You’re on your feet, as close to the wall as you can, and you swear your heart stops when Naoya manages to land a few punches too. It takes four players to pull Sukuna away from him, and before he skates straight to the penalty box, knowing very well he’ll probably stay there until the end of the game, he spits a mix of saliva and blood, landing it mere centimeters from Zenin’s face.

“What the fuck did he say?” Choso wonders, as you all watch how Naoya’s teammates almost scrape him from the ice.

“I’ll take a wild guess and bet it involved y/n.” You hate how you have to agree with Yuki. But what could he say to flip the murder switch in Sukuna?

The team won, but no one is really in a celebratory mood. Yuki and Choso wait with you outside of the arena, but as soon as they see Sukuna, they leave, not wanting to piss him off anymore. You take a look at him and sigh, taking in damp hair, a busted brow, and bruised knuckles that took damage even through the gloves.

The silence seems ironically loud as you drive the car to his apartment, but neither decides to break it before you get there. Only when you get inside does Sukuna drop his duffel bag onto the floor and lean his hips on the kitchen island, that you decide to speak, not sure where to start.

“Why?”

“You have to be more specific, doll. Why what?” He sighs and crosses his arms on his chest, fingers tapping on one bicep, a nervous habit of his and the only sign he was actually stressed about this conversation.

“Cut the bullshit, Ryomen.” Well, that got a reaction. You’ve never before called him by his actual name; hell, you weren’t sure if anyone ever used it before. Even his brother and cousin called him just Sukuna. Not letting his stare intimidate you, you keep talking. “You know exactly what I’m asking about. But do you want to hear it? Sure. Why did you try to scare Naoya off before the game, and why did you beat him later?”

“I wasn’t trying to scare him off.” He starts, and you can’t help but roll your eyes.

“Please, I’ve known you long enough to know your ‘look at how big and dangerous I am’ stance.”

“Will you fucking let me talk?” There’s annoyance in Sukuna’s raised voice after you interrupt him. “You want to be right so badly? Fine. I was fucking jealous. And yeah, I acted like a damn guard dog.” He admits and pinches the bridge of his nose with two fingers. For a few seconds, he stays silent, and you furrow your brows.

“But why, for the love of god? And is talking to me a good enough reason to almost kill a guy?!”

“This guy is one of the shittiest people I’ve ever met, and your history with him doesn’t fucking change that!” He’s standing straight now, every muscle in his body tense, and he looks like he’s about to punch something to release some of it. “Still, no, that’s not a good enough reason. But this fucker is talking shit about my girl, how he’s going to ‘ruin your pretty body again’ and how he misses how easily you bruise ‘cause he can mark you, is.”

“W-what?” Sukuna is taking deep breaths to calm himself down while you try to process what he just said. ‘My girl,’ ‘ruin your pretty body again’…

“That’s fucking why, y/n. I don’t care that you’ve slept with this fucker in the past. But if he ever tries to touch you when you’re mine, I’ll rip his damn arms off. And I won’t fucking regret it for even a second.”

“Mine?” You ask quietly, looking into his crimson eyes like they alone could give you answers to so many questions you have right now. At the same time, you can’t put the words together to even ask one.

“Yeah. Mine.” Sukuna nods and takes a step closer.

“Since fucking when? And don’t tell me you’ve just decided, ‘cause if that’s just your stupid testosterone ass talking, I might actually punch you.” You groan and rub your temples, feeling overwhelmed.

First, your ex-(boy)friend turns out to be an ass; now your current (boy)friend has an enlightenment moment about your relationship? What’s next? Yuki goes to the church? Choso wears colors?

“Of course not, who do you think I am, doll?” He looks actually offended, and a part of you wants to laugh. “You’ve been mine since the first time you’ve put on my jersey. I thought that was obvious?”

And you’re laughing.

“What the actual fuck, Kuna? That was like eight months ago. You’ve never thought that I don’t know, we should maybe fucking talk about it? Like adults do?”

“You clearly have a mouth that I know can do a lot more than talking. Why didn’t you say anything either?” You brush away the hair that fell onto your face during the laughing fit and sigh.

“Because you’re the Ryomen Sukuna. You’ve been here only a year longer than me, and you’ve already had a reputation when we met. The first thing I learned about you, other than your name, was that you don’t do relationships.” Either you’re losing your mind or Sukuna is nervous. No, he’s definitely nervous, biting his cheek from the inside.

“I’ve been ‘doing a relationship’ with you for almost a year now, y/n. Yeah, okay, we should’ve talked about it, but I thought I was pretty clear with… my actions, for example? Damn it, woman. We cuddle! I can count on one hand how many people I’ve cuddled with.” You bite your lip to stop the laugh that’s trying to escape because Sukuna, THE Sukuna, always so calm and stoic, is gesticulating. “What’s so fucking funny?”

“It’s just… I haven’t seen you this emotional about anything ever, I think.” Hearing that, he’s back to crossing his arms and furrowing brows at you.

“Sure, laugh at your man being emotional. That’s called a stereotype, and it’s hurtful, doll.” He has a point, obviously, but there’s a soft smile on his lips, and you can only focus on one thing he said.

“My man?” You take a step towards him and lean your head back a little to maintain eye contact.

“Um, yeah? That comes in a pack, doesn’t it? If you’re mine, then I’m yours, y/n. I’m not into polygamy.” Sukuna sighs for the nth time tonight and moves his hands to your hips finally. He can almost feel how just touching you soothes his nerves.

“Say that again.” You whisper, resting your palms on his chest, the warmth of his skin spreading throughout your body, even if you only feel it through the t-shirt material.

“I’m yours, weirdo. I’ve been for a long time now.” As amused as Sukuna is about your reaction, he finds that wide smile on your face adorable.

“Damn, you’re actually serious. And all it took was an idiot talking shit about me? Wild.” You can’t help but laugh and shake your head a little at how stupid this situation is.

“I’m kind of opening my heart to you, and you bring up this fucker again? Seriously?”

“Sorry.” You take a deep breath in and caress his cheek with your thumb, careful about the bruise that’s forming around his brow and cheekbone. “So I can actually tell people that you’re my boyfriend now?”

“You haven’t before? Wait, what have you been telling people?”

“Um… that were really good friends? You?”

“Everyone knows you’re my girl, doll. I didn’t even have to say it. But I did, just to be clear, you know.”

“So half of this campus knew we were together before me? So romantic.”

[specialagentartemis]

Reflections on the finale of InCo:

I love Nova. I think she's really fascinating as an aroace character who is neither a loner with few social contacts nor a social butterfly with a lot of friends and a lot of love in her heart for people and humanity: she's sort of both. She wields friendship as a tool and a weapon. She's an InCo, she couldn't do her job without having lots of contacts and integrating herself into lots of social situations; she likes to get drunk and have fun on the planets she visits without telling anyone anything about herself as a person. With Nova, information flows one way. But she sees very clearly the practical value of friendship as well! Befriending the royal family and palace guards and ordinary communities near the palace and the shipping merchants alike on Eolara, getting their stories, piecing together the truth - and, as she told Chel at the end, getting to know the palace guards well enough that they warned her that the coup was happening and to get away. They did not warn Chel. "You need to make more friends, Chel."

And at the same time, she keeps herself closed off. She doesn't talk about her feelings or anything personal to anyone - except sometimes SAWA and maybe Jean. She keeps these friendships at arm's length and doesn't let them become real. They're business. The last person she was close to, truly close to, trusted and saw herself having a home with, was Alula. And Alula is dead.

Hatov was an accident, but her friendship with Hatov was real even before he was useful to her, and it was a significant turning point.

I like that we never really learn what happened to Alula - we can read between the lines, but it's a story Nova still never tells anyone in its entirety, something that's hers alone - and we also never learn what happened to Wilm. Sometimes you don't ever know, and you need to deal with that. Nova is healing over Alula. Hatov is healing over Wilm. Nova accepting that what's done is done and she deserves to have friends and a home and a life again, and it's neither betraying Alula nor helping her stay emotionally safe anymore, it's just hurting herself; and Hatov realizing that he's never going to know what happened to Wilm, but that waiting for answers is keeping him stuck and he has to say goodbye and accept that Wilm is gone in order to move on, too.

(I also really like Hatov's development from sheltered self-important awful little prince to responsible politician and king to his people!! It was Great. And part of that WAS accepting that Wilm wasn't perfect, and that his family isn't always right and shouldn't always be obeyed, and that there aren't good answers, sometimes.)

And Nova slowly letting the cracks form, the business-friendships with Kora and Zahlia become real, reaching out to Hatov's mother and giving her the space to open up about the things she's been suppressing in the hopes of doing everything Right and getting the correct rewards... Nova letting herself stay too long and getting attached to this place... and the people. Nova's healing from the pain that Alula's death left does include letting herself have a home and friends again! Despite her denial to herself that any of this is real or she could ever want it!

And I really like at the end that she does get her ship. She does have the ability to leave. She does leave the planet - it's been five years, and she belongs here, more than she's ever belonged anywhere before, but she also has a wanderer's heart and I think she needs proof that she can leave, if she wants. Spend a year out in space travelling like she used to in order to prove to herself that that option always exists for her, that her choice to come back to Eolara is a choice, and that when she makes it she makes it freely. I don't think Nova can ever stay planetbound for good, but having a home and a place to come back to is freeing in the same way that having her ship is. (And now being a royal advisor to the Eolaran government gives her a lot of protection against the GU she never had before.)

InCo!! Is good!!!

Also, I really hope Chel got a better job after this, because damn.

[snootlestheangel]

The boys love April Fool's.

Whenever they are able to spend the day on base, an all out war breaks out.

Price will only do something small yet incredibly irritating to Simon. Only Simon.

Such as taking all of the skull masks and balaclavas he has and leaving only the plain black ones. Annoying, but not a hindrance. Or one year, Price switched out Ghost's sugar for his tea with a different kind of sugar. Ghost, with a surprisingly strong sense of taste, noticed the change immediately, but continued to down the rest of his tea out of spite when he made eye contact with the captain. Another time, Price had carefully taken one sock from every match, forcing Ghost to wear mismatched socks. Did it piss him off? Yes. Was it dangerous? No, actually, because all Ghost did was take his hats and hide them for a few days.

He's learned Gaz is extremely petty and will accomplish things he didn't think were possible. It scares Price, the things Gaz gets away with. He knows the sergeant uses those good looks of his, but he's also now confident the man isn't above committing war crimes for revenge.

He knows Soap lacks restraint when it comes to pranks, and after last year's... mishap... he's not willing to face that again. He can sometimes smell the burning hair when he's been up for too long.

But Simon is such an easy target, and his retaliations are just and equal to the crime.

The real reason Simon is so laidback when it comes to April Fool's pranks between the members of the 141 is rather simple, and sad. He's never felt such camaraderie before, and he loves feeling like he's finally at home. He doesn't mind getting roped into the shenanigans because he knows it's a sign of love and trust, especially from Price and Soap. He also knows Gaz hardly ever messes with him these days, as one year he heard the sergeant muttering "you're no fun" when Ghost simply laughed off the elaborate trap Gaz had set for him.

Soap's large family had traditions when it came to April Fool's Day. They were always harmless, or at least that's what he and his siblings led their parents to believe. They had the quiet agreement that anything goes so long as Mom and Dad stay clueless about their little war.

In other words, Soap never learned limits in a prank war, and combine his intelligence with his penchant for chaos, and something is bound to explode by the end of the day.

Gaz is just... petty. And not like a little, or harmfully. Just... like the one year he didn't like when Nik jokingly gifted him a trophy that said "Worst Passenger Ever" after his fifth fall from some type of aircraft. So, in retaliation, he bought a sticker book of over a thousand stickers and hid them all over the inside of Nik's beloved helicopter. Everyone is still too afraid to ask Gaz how he managed to have so much time alone with the copter and not get caught.

The only time Price ever pranked Gaz for April Fool's was the first April Fool's the boys were having as a team. Price had simply taken all of the chargers and taken all of the batteries out of Gaz's battery-powered clocks, which resulted in Gaz waking up to an unknown time. He spent the better half of the day in a foul mood (he asked Soap to fix his watch, which wasn't a good idea and he should have known).

As revenge, he pulled the classic "move everything in Price's office over by an inch." And by everything, it was everything that had the ability to move over an inch. For stuff in his drawers that couldn't move? He switched them around. The bottom drawer no longer had extra office supplies, it was the important stuff that should have been in the top drawer. But the top drawer was something else, and Price spent about thirty minutes looking for a new pen before storming out of his office in a rage and marching down to Gaz's quarters.

Gaz agreed to put everything back if Price told him his birthday. The blackmailing was expert level, the captain had to admit.

What they hadn't expected was that this year, Price had an assistant.

No, not Nik.

Nik is banned from base on April Fool's Day after the one year he got involved.

No, what the boys hadn't expected was Bailey to offer her help. They hadn't expected the captain's sweet daughter to be so... bloodthirsty.

It was the only time she ever was excited to be back on base. She stayed hidden most of the day, carrying out her father's wishes from the smallest nooks and crannies.

They knew something was up after the first couple of harmless pranks. A water bottle disappearing from the bench mid workout. Things being moved around when their backs were turned. The sound of Price calling for them around the corner, only for him to not be there, and when they find him, he claims to have never called. At one point Soap was bombarded by a hailstorm of bouncy balls from unknown origin. All, and yes all, of Ghost's masks/balaclavas were missing. Not that he minded, he often went without it while on base, but it was still irritating. Gaz woke up with all of his clocks in his room, and came back to them all missing. Fun.

These were all things Price would do, or has done, so they hadn't thought much of it.

It was finally when they were all in Price's office that they realized he couldn't possibly be behind these. He was listening to them complain about the day so far, as he kept them all too busy to get at each other. As they complained, he quietly and calmly put everything on his desk away, leaving the top of the desk completely bare. None of them noticed, or if they did, they didn't care to comment, probably because of the casual confidence he did that with.

He watched with a straight face as a ceiling panel above them opened up. He couldn't stop the smile as a large bucket was tipped out of the opening, and cold water spilled out right on top of them. It was incredible, the screaming in unison as the water landed on Ghost's head and falling down onto the sergeants on either side of him.

Price claims his tears of laughter were actually from how beautiful the scene was. The boys were cursing up a storm, shaking off excess water like dogs and making rude finger gestures towards their captain. He was laughing so hard it sent him into a coughing fit, and the boys quickly realized they could hear laughter coming from the ceiling as well.

Gaz was the first to notice and look up at Price's little accomplice. She gave him a big grin, a little snort of laughter accompanying. Gaz just shook his head, shocked and also a bit disappointed. There's NO way he's ever going to get revenge on this trickster.

Ghost and Soap look up at the same time as Bailey snorts again, and they quickly drop any anger. Soap sticks his tongue out at her as Ghost glares at Price, who was still laughing. Ghost helps her down from the ceiling (after she accidentally dropped the plastic bucket onto Soap's head), and she goes bouncing over to her dad. They high five, both still chuckling, and her smile making her cheeks hurt.

As the three walked back to their respective quarters to change into dry clothes, their missing possessions safe in their arms, they couldn't help but laugh.

"She looked so devious, the little traitor." Gaz had said with a fond laugh.

"It was nice to hear her laughing that hard. Guess I'm okay with being the butt of the joke if it makes her happy." Ghost had added.

"Aye, a father has to bond with his kid somehow." Soap had said, and the conversation left at that.

Back in Price's office, Price sat with Bailey, a happy smile on both their faces as she called Nik to share what happened.

Yeah, she was starting to really like it here.