#and yeah. just got a reply from my successor today

[writerswall26]

First Time In Years

Synopsis: Y/N is an action star who's dubbed as Tom Cruise Jr. she was in a relationship with Jenna for a while before the two of them broke up due to Jenna's uprising status in the industry. The two of them happened to bump into each other at an award show and time stopped when they saw each other again.

Warning: Bad writing, Feels.

Words: 1.1k

Masterlist

A/N: I was feeling a bit bored then this popped in my head so I thought I'd share it to you guys. Happy Reading!

You've been away from the entertainment lime light for a couple of years because of an accident that happened in a production you were doing a few years ago.

During those times you were down and under, one person stuck by your side and supported you, from recovery, to therapy, to getting back in shape. You'd never ever forget that person, she was the one for you, you believed that. But fate had something instilled for the both of you. She was an uprising superstar, you did not want to hold her back. So you did what you thought was best at the time, you broke up with her.

A few years back, you were not so sure you're gonna be back into doing action films due to an accident you had on a set that left you bed bound for at least 3 months. You thought your time in doing actions was done by that point. But here you are, leading a sequel from one of the best action films of all time, Top Gun: Maverick. Your Godfather pushed you to be in this movie, quoting "you're gonna be my successor, I want you in this movie". So yeah, what Tom Cruise asks, he shall get. And today, you're back in an award show with your castmates.

Today, you're gonna have to face that person again. You're not entirely sure what would happen, or if anything would happen at all. You haven't seen her since you two broke up, but you did follow her activities. Watch her series, movies, anything that would update you of what she's been up to. And you couldn't be more proud of what success she'd had. She was becoming a household name and she's still getting bigger and bigger as the time goes by.

So, when you saw her being interviewed wearing a wonderful dress, you could not help but stare, you're shameless about that, but can you blame yourself? She was looking beautiful. She looked more mature now, her long hair cut shorter, she looked more of a woman now, it's crazy what time did to her. She looked more beautiful, she's always been beautiful in your eyes.

"Stop staring and start approaching, kid." She heard Miles whisper in her ears.

Y/N turned to her castmate and gave out a chuckle. "I don't think that's a wise idea."

Miles looked confused. "Why is that?"

Y/N shrugged. "Let's just say we want to leave it where it was left." She said before she walked on. Miles was still confused as he followed her inside with their team.

"So, who's that girl you were looking at lovingly outside?" Glen asked as soon as they got to their table.

Y/N groaned, not wanting this topic to be the talk of the entire night.

"She's just... some I used to know, okay?" She told them, pleading for them to stop asking questions.

The older men and women got the signal as soon as they heard her frustrated voice, and thankfully, they did not continue to ask.

The entire show, Y/N would steal glances to look at the girl she's watching outside. She couldn't help it. It's been so long. Of all the places, she never thought she'd be seeing her here, with a guy she knows has been linked to the girl.

"I'm gonna go to the toilet real quick." Y/N told her mates and went without waiting for a reply.

She did her business and was about to leave when she stopped on her track as she was face to face with the girl she's been eyeing the entire time. She looked as shocked as Y/N, her eyes widened.

Should've tried to hold it in. Y/N thought.

The two of them stood there, in the middle of the comfort room, staring at each other with wide eyes. No one made an attempt to move, or even to speak. It's like they're stuck in a dimension where they're just there, standing and staring at each other.

Y/N was the first to move, to get back to her senses. She gave out a small chuckle, thinking how dumb they probably look inside the toilet room, just staring at each other.

She cleared her throat, getting the attention of the girl in front of her. "Well, you look extremely lovely." Y/N said genuinely, smiling.

The girl in front of her giggles as well, her dimples showing. Y/N always loved those cute dimples, and she most definitely loved the sound of those cute giggles.

"It's so weird that the first time I see you after so long, we're in a comfort room." Jenna said, giving out a giggle again, lowering her head, shaking it lightly.

Y/N laughed with Jenna as well. The two of them looked like madmen inside the comfort room.

"How have you been?" Y/N asked when they finally calmed down.

Jenna's smile never left her face. "Good. I've been good. You?"

Y/N nodded. "I'm getting by. Trying to get back on my feet."

Jenna nodded, then she looked at Y/N from head to toe. She never thought she would see the taller girl again. Ever since they broke up, Y/N seemingly went under the radar, like she was hiding, not wanting anyone to find her. But here she was, standing tall and healthy.

"I saw the film. I thought you weren't gonna get back to it. Was afraid I'd heard on the news that you broke something again." Jenna admitted, making Y/N's heart jump at the thought that Jenna was still worried about her after all these times.

"I wasn't expecting to get back in action as well. Just tried to bring back the old me, but did not expect to get back."

Jenna nodded. "What made you take the film?"

Y/N grinned. "Tom Cruise."

Jenna giggled again. "Ah, of course. Can never say no to the godfather." She said, causing the both of them to share a small laugh.

"You realize we're really catching up inside a freakin' comfort room, right?" Y/N said, giving Jenna one of those weird looks she loves to give.

"Yeah, I know it's weird, and disgusting."

Y/N just shook her head. She stared at Jenna for a moment, taking all of her in. She's still as beautiful as before, maybe even more. But one thing's for sure, she's still the Jenna she knows, nothing has changed.

"Congratulations on everything you've achieved. I'm extremely proud." Y/N turned serious, but the smile on her face never left.

"Congratulations on getting back to the screen, I'm extremely proud." Jenna replied.

The two of them stared at one another, before Y/N broke their eye contact.

"I'll see you around, Jenna." She finally spoke.

"See you around, Y/N."

And they both left it at that. Their hearts are full knowing the sacrifice both of them made blossomed into something bigger than they both expected. That would stay in both their hearts forever.

[thetreefairy]

𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 - 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜!𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞! 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐤𝐢 𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐚

Part one <3

Title : hospital scare

TW: needle is a talk, hospital talk, swearing, Shigaraki being a little overprotective shit, AFO also becoming a grandfather figure who's also a yandere :), reader hiding because they don't wanna go to doctor Garaki Kyūdai.

It got published sooner then I expected, it's a comfort story for meee because I have PTSD from hospitals and my health, so I need comfort after a flashback. At my economy exam—, imma fail my exams :(

They-them pronouns

Reader never liked hospitals or doctors especially Garaki Kyūdai. He scared the living shit out of the reader, but they did need that operation for their hands. Yeah, that was not going to happen

In fact reader made sure to hide in a place where Shigaraki Tomura even couldn't find her: AFO office in the League of Villains hide out. Well, he knew about the room, but he was simply too much of a wuss to walk in there.

Reader had been hiding in that room ever since their papa said: "I'll see if Doctor Garaki can help with your hands, until then, stay in your room, Twice and Toga will read some stories to you."

Reader of course asked: "Would I need a surgery? Will there be needles, Papa? Please, no needles, no surgery." Tomura knew he couldn't say that for sure. "I don't know, my dear."

Imagine Twice's and Toga's surprise to find you not in your room sitting on your bed. All hell fucking broke loose. Mr. Compass, Twice, Dabi and Toga first started to look for you themselves, in the hope they wouldn't feel Shigaraki's wrath.

Kurogiri and Spinner both didn't even try, knowing that it wouldn't safe them from his tantrums anyways.

Well the League of Villains were desperately trying to find reader, reader was messing through AFO's paperwork and making stars on them. As to say: 'GOOD WORK YOU SMART'

AFO had to pick up some paperwork in his office today, he had asked Kurogiri to teleport him to his office. Where he found his paperwork scattered over the floor with a child drawing stars on them. With hands that look like they can fall off any minute.

"Are you perhaps Tomura's child?" AFO questioned the reader making them aware of his presence. "Yes, sir AFO. I am! Are these papers yours?" Reader replied with a smile. "Why, yes, may I ask what your doing to them?"

"I'm giving them stars and flowers for being such a smartie, sir AFO!" And at that moment AFO felt his heart strings being pulled. Okay, he's going to become an active grandpa. Shigaraki will simply have to deal with it. "Why, thank you. But, call me grandpa, after all I am your papa's father."

"Kay Kay! Ouch..." Readers hands started bleeding again, and AFO could hear his successor yelling at the other league members.

"YOU MORONS LOST THEM?! HOW MUCH OF A FUCKING IMBECILE ARE YOU ALL?! THEIR HANDS COULD START BLEEDING WITH TOO MUCH MOVEMENTS! IF I FIND THEM WITH A SPECK OF BLOOD DROPPING OUT OF THEIR HANDS I'M GOING TO KILL ALL OF YOU!" Reader whined at the loud yelling, obviously Shigaraki couldn't hear them. Reader and AFO were way back in the bar.

"Would you like for me to heal your hands?" AFO asked reader. "Would you have to use Needles? Or do I gotta have a surgery?" Reader was on the verge of crying. "No, no, I'll just need 5 seconds to do so." AFO sat down on his office chair and mentioned for reader to sit on his lap. Reader did just that. "Now hold your hands up and close your eyes." AFO instructed, and just in 5 seconds their hands where back to normal. "Thank you grandpa!"

And just on cue Shigaraki stormed in. "READER, DON'T YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED I WAS! MASTER COULDN'T YOU HAVE INFORMED ME THEY WERE HERE?!"

"Tomura, perhaps you should take care of your child better. Their hands were all cut open."

"That's because I just devolped my quirk, grandpa. And I didn't wanna go to doctor, doctor is scary with all the needles and hospital." Reader told AFO, they didn't want their papa to be scolded. "But, Papa! Look! Grandpa healed my hands!" Reader jumped off AFO' s lap and ran to Tomura to show them.

Tomura picked them up and started to cuddle the life out of them. "Never scare me like that again or I swear to God, I will never let you leave this house again.." AFO could cleary see how his son loved his child. "How about watching a Disney movie together?" he suggested. "Huh?" Tomura was shocked, his master is normally very private. "Well, I would like to get to know the League better and my grandchild."

"PLEASE PAPA! LET'S DO A DISNEY MOVIE NIGHT!" Reader chimed in. But Tomura didn't feel like his master wanted to get to know the league. Just his child... "Fine." Tomura couldn't help it, seeing his baby so excited. "But I get to be Elsa this one." he told reader. "Then grandpa has to be Bruno from enchanto!"

If readers family werent villains they would call them a happy family but a chaotic bunch of uncles and aunt who need some therapy.

So sorry if the story is a bit bad, I kept going in and out of a PTSD attack. I'll probably edit it when I feel better. Advice is appreciated, thank you all for reading.

[endeaavorr]

[01.41]

general!enji x reader

“welcome home,”

sweet familiar voice rings through enji’s ear, so smooth and yet, dissapointed.

“i’m home,” enji says his greeting.

he takes off his shoes with his feet, hands over his coat and cap to his wife, she takes it dutifully like a proper woman.

she keeps her head low as enji walks inside the house, unbuttoning the sleeves of his shirt, rolling them back.

“you’re really late,” she says from behind, hands full with her husband’s attire, head no longer bowed but her eyes don’t dare to look.

“it’s nothing new, is it not ?”

enji coldly replies, clearly not in a good mood.

oh, you deject. he forgot.

it’s your birthday today. well technically, yesterday. your fifth birthday as his wife, bearing his last name that still brings blushes and butterflies whenever you dwell on it.

usually he would take at least half day off and spend the evening with you, sitting by the backyard of your house, his calloused palm caressing the side of your knees that’s tucked toward his. your smaller arms hanging by his strong one that has saved and yet killed so many, head leaning to his broad shoulder, and finds comfort with the graze of his stubble on your skin.

but yesterday, you woke up with a cold bed, he probably didn’t even come home, judging from the crease on his coat. you spent the day by yourself, tidying around the house, and accepting gifts from your late father’s acquaintances delivered by their chaffeurs. you waited and waited, the calls you made to his office in the headquarters didn’t even go through.

you pick yourself together. you can’t be selfish. enji is a general, moreover your late father’s successor, a highly respected one. he has a lot in his plate. the least you can do is lessen his burden by being a good wife.

you hurriedly put the away his coat and cap, making a mental note to take it to the launderer tomorrow.

meanwhile enji in the living room absolutely feels like he’s about to pass out anytime now. he’s been awake for roughly 48 hours, officials been cornering him like hell the past month. he pours himself some drink and takes a quick gulp, the burn making him close his tired swollen eyes.

his sight hasn’t even cleared yet when he feels a sudden jolt on his back, small yet excited arms hugging him tightly.

“i’m glad you’re home, i missed you.” you say with a smile pressed to his back.

he feels it and sigh. he doesn’t understand why but instead of warmth he only feels annoyance.

“yeah,” he says disinterested, his free hand removing your hands that barely reach each other around his torso.

you stand back a step and then two at the gesture, hurt.

“what’s wrong ?” you ask, a bit shaky.

he sighs again before carrying the entire bottle of alcohol with him to the sofa, he he drops himself unmannerly, head thrown back with his scared left arm over his eyes.

you stand ashamedly almost five meters away, fingers pinching each other behind your nightgown like a child that doesn’t belong. your father surely would scold you if he saw you acting likewise, it’s a sight of an unproud woman, he’d say.

you try again.

“i made dinner, i’ll go heat them up for you okay,” you say rushed, feet already turning your back on him to the kitchen. you don’t know if it’s eagerness or embarrassment moving.

“don’t bother, i’ll pass out any moment now.” he blurts, not even looking at you.

another rejection. you feel your cheeks tremble a bit, eyelids getting hot and tensed.

you brave yourself to sit next to him. heart wrenched, but still, as a good wife, prioritizing him.

he still doesn’t look at you.

your soft hands gently brush the side of his head, a gesture he has always liked,

“what’s wrong ?” you ask, voice smaller.

he sits up.

“can you stop this ? my head’s about to explode, i thought i made it clear since i got home,” he raises his voice.

“but i just want to help—,”

“well you’re not ! just stop nagging like a child and let me rest,” he looks at you in distaste, as if you’re another burden to his already weighted shoulders.

you reel back, a tear slipping down your cheek

“right, sorry.”

you wipe your cheek and hurriedly go to your shared room, curling your body as small as you can, resisting the urge to hug his pillow.

the last thing your overworked husband needs is a warm pillow wet by his crybaby wife’s tears and snot.

you’re not really big on birthdays. but since married to enji, he has made your birthdays something you look forward to each year. especially with him being distant for the past month, you were really hoping on this birthday to be more, eventful. the fact that it turnt out like this, breaks your heart. so bad you feel like you’re about to throw up.

enji fell asleep almost as soon as you left. he wakes up 30 minutes later, out of nowhere. he starts to scan around the room with the aftersleep haze, his head killing him.

he gets up to get a glass of water, thinking about a nice hot bath, so hot it burns his skin a bit. he needs it.

on his way back from the kitchen, he stops at the wooden rack by the corridor to his room. there are a lot of books. but on the upper shelf there’s a picture of the two of you under a blooming sakura tree, in your kimonos. he recognizes it as your honeymoon trip four years ago. he remembers how your honeymoon overlaps with your birthday that year and he surprised you with a small private resort he bought under your name.

he smiles at the fond memory. he wishes the two of you can spend a week there for your birthday this year, just the two of you.

he’s making plans and counting days, when suddenly he feels like someone just jabbed his guts, hard.

he missed your birthday.

enji feels horrible. he feels like punching himself on his face. he didn’t come home for almost three days, didn’t even once call home to check on you, his wife. and when you just wanted to help him, he berated you and called you a naggy child.

he leaves his glass on the rack and strides to your shared room. he slides the door and sees you curled to your side of the bed, facing the wall. clearly, pretending to be asleep.

his heart squeezes.

you feel the bed dips and you hide your face as far as you can to your pillow. too shy to show him your face.

“hey,” he slides closer and spoons you from behind.

you cry again. you just miss him so much.

he rests his head on top of yours, arms tightening around you.

“i’m sorry, i left you alone on your birthday and got mad at you for no reason. sorry, i’m sorry.”

you turn to face him and bury your face in his shoulder, arms reaching as far as they could around his back, inhaling his familiar scent and no longer holding back your cries.

“i-i’m not upset at you enji.. i just- i missed you,”

you sob harder, now hiccuping. his shirt’s wet with your tears and snot.

“i know, i’m sorry.”

“where..sob.. where were you.. you barely came home..”

enji rubs circles on your back, he waits for your cries to subside before he starts talking again, so you can listen properly.

“something’s happening in the hq, my people suspect a rat among the higher ups, i had to reset a lot of our security to prevent more breaching, that’s why i’ve been so busy. but it doesn’t matter, i left you alone on your birthday, that’s inexcusable.”

he kisses your hands.

“i’ll make them up to you, i promise.”

he’s sit in the bed, leaning to the headboard. you’re resting on his chest. fingers tracing the lines of his chest, enjoying his strong embrace.

“i’m sorry, enji..”

“hey, it’s my fault. next time, when you want me to stay, just tell me, okay ?”

“i can’t ask you to throw away your responsibilities like that, i don’t have the right—“

“you’re my woman, you have every right to ask for me.”

you blush at his reply.

you stand on your knees and straddle him, pulling him for a kiss, and presses your foreheads together.

“i’ll call in sick tomorrow,”

“you’re burning up you know, you’ll probably get sick for real.” you say with an eye smile.

“don’t fall asleep yet, i’ll go prepare your bath, you’re smelly.” you press a kiss to his cheek then go prepare his bath.

we’ll be okay, you think.

[hatakemrs]

Hi!! I loved your TokRev boys "I hate you" hcs, and was wondering if you could do sth similar (or maybe like, they say sth rude) with Wammy Boys since you do death note as well?

Sure 😊 I love the wammy boys so here are some hcs about how Nate 'Near' River , L Lawliet and Mihael 'Mello' Keehl and Mail 'Matt'Jeevas will react to saying something rude in a conversation. Enjoy<3

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

Nate 'Near' River:

Being Nate River's partner comes with its own pros and cons. Near can be really sweet when he wants to but becomes emotionally distant few times which worries you out.

So when Near got to know about L's death he was devastated.

Though he wouldn't show it you knew what he was going through and you tried to comfort him in every way possible.

It had been a month since L's passing and Near had been doing better than previously but you knew something was wrong so you wanted to check up on him one evening.

"Near?" You wishpered as you slowly entered his room. "Get out" a dry voice replied. "Near I know what you're going through but-" you started but Near yelled at you "Oh for God's sake Y/n! Just Get out and stop pretending like you know what I'm feeling!".

This time you just went out of his room without a single sound.

It wasn't until the next morning Near realised his mistake . He knew what he did was wrong but didn't knew how to apologize for it.

He tried to make conversation with you but failed miserably.

"Play with my hair please?" He finally approached you with a question he always asked as an alternative for apologizing.

You can say you both shared some kind you silent agreement on this. If you did ruffle his hair he would know that you accepted his apology otherwise not.

This time you did ruffle his hair as you knew it wasn't completely his fault for yelling at you that day.

L Lawliet:

This workaholic mf doesn't even sleeps at night so don't expect much alone time between the both of you.

You were ok with L not spending much time with you but he was drowned in his work to the point that he didn't even help you with your college work.(which would have been a matter of seconds for him)

So you looked for another option and that was asking Light Yagami , your bf's co-worker and possibly Kira, to help with your homework. (It was during the time Light didn't had memories of being Kira)

Light wouldn't deny of having a small crush on you and L knew it so when L saw you and Light sitting together while doing homework,it pissed him off.

The jelly boy didn't talked to you much and only showed his annoyance by roasting matsuda a bit too much.

"Y/n, I think we should go to cafe to do your homework " Light suggested with a smile and you were about to accept the offer when L interrupted with "Y/n has a date with me today". " Date? but i thought you were busy-" L interrupted you in mid sentence and said "Enough work for today. Everyone is dismissed"

After sending every one home L didn't talked with you instead turned back to his laptop. "L what was that?" you asked and he replied in a cold voice "That was you being an attention seeking bitch" his words hurted more than ever. "Yeah? That's what you think of me? Is that the reason you avoid me and ignore me all of the time!" You yelled at him and left his flat when he was about to open his mouth.

You were sitting in a park crying to yourself for past an hour ignoring all the calls and message you were receiving from L.

Suddenly you felt a tap on your shoulder, you looked up to see L . You were about to leave but L's reflexes were fast, he gripped your wrist and pulled you into a hug.

"I'm really sorry Y/n. I didn't mean it- It was just, you were studying with Light and it really pissed me off for some reason. I'm sorry love."

It's best to say after this L gave you much time(specially when Light was around)

Mihael 'Mello' Keehl

Whether Mello accepts it or not you knew he had an inferiority complex.

Which boosted when Near got picked as L's successor over him.

It made him furious, 'why did they pick him as L's successor?' was the only question going through Mello's mind.

You tried to comfort him but it only made things worse.

"What do you think you're doing huh?" Mello said in the most cold voice ever.

"I was just trying to help you-" you tried to reason but Mello cut you "Can you stop acting like that?! That's why your name wasn't even recommend as L's successor!"

Mello had done it. You were the therapist friend in Wammy House who rarely lost her cool. But that didn't mean you didn't felt sad when your name wasn't even recommended for the post.

Mello would know what he had said wrong but it takes him time to cool down so he will take his precious time to apologize to you.

And his apologies comes with many chocolates with a note attached to them.

The note read "Y/n I'm really sorry. I knew what you were going through but I was so blinded by my own anger that I couldn't see your pain. I shouldn't have said those words and i really regret them. I hope you can forgive me." - Mello

Mail "Matt" Jeevas

You and Matt had been together for at least 8 months and you didn't had really big arguments.

Matt had really low social skills so most of the time you had to take the initiative to make conversations.

And honestly you didn't mind you knew Matt loved you as he showed love by actions more than words.

When Matt left the wammy's house you went with him which included you joining the mafia organization too.

When the first meeting of Mafia was held you were intimidated by all the guys around you so you were clinging to Matt.

"Y/n can you stop clinging to me?" Matt asked but you made an uneasy expression so he would notice but he didn't. "But Matt-" you opened your mouth only to be cut by Matt's "Gosh Y/n I hate how you always clingy to me even though we are in public" His words hurt.

You let go of him and sat there being clearly uncomfortable until the meeting ended.

After the meeting you didn't talked with Matt and left the room.

"What the fuck Matt?" Mello approached his friend. "W-what happened?" Matt said being confused. "Dude you shouldn't have treated Y/n like that. She was clearly uncomfortable with the surrounding, how could you not notice?" Mello explained to him while the other boy realised his mistake.

He immediately went out and searched for you.

"Y/n!" he ran up to you. When you saw him you wiped your tears and turned your head towards him "Look Matt I'm sorr-" Matt cut you off again "Y/n no, please don't apologize I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have acted that way, I didn't realise you were uncomfortable, It was my fault and you aren't clingy at all. I love when you hug me and hold onto me-" you hugged him tight "Damn Shut up now love,I already forgave you."

[hyperfixatedartt]

The Monkie Kid's Lover by Fanfiction_writing! (Me on AO3)

It was a normal day like any other Mk was delivering noodles across the city and came back from doing so to the shop he worked and lived at, Pigsy's noodles.

"Hey Pigsy! How you doing? I just finished delivering noodles to the city square!" Mk told his father excitedly

"I'm doing good, Mk, and that's great and your shift is almost over so you can get some rest soon, sound good kid?" Pigsy was happy today, tang had been smothering him with love so he'd go easy on Mk today

"Yeah it sounds great dad! Well I'll be on my phone till my break is over, okay?" Monkie kid had replied and asked

"Yeah sure, go ahead kid I'll be here if you need anything" Pigsy had responded

Later Mk was in his room asleep

So he slept until the next day

"Hm.." Mk yawned as he got up and got dressed he knew red son would be attacking again today, he kept track and saw a pattern to Red son's attack's so he knew when and where and what days he would strike

The Monkie kid proceeded to walk down the stairs fully dressed with his staff in hand and he walked and walked until he was in the whereabouts of where he needed to walk no more furthermore because red would strike here in only a few minutes to spare

As if right on time at 9:30 Red son appeared at this designated spot near the weather front to drain it's power and use it again the city

"Noodle boy? What in Buddha's name are you doing here before me?" Red was surprised to see Mk here especially since the alarm for demons crashing a day just went off

"I'm here, because I am. Anyways, should I go soft on you today?" Mk was flat out tired and didn't wanna have to deal with this much longer as he got ready and into his Fighting position

"Heh, no way noodle boy you'd be wasting your time trying to beat me fighting like a baby with soft hits." Red son taunted

"Oh shut up red bull." Mk smirked at himself knowing red bull was a type of drink but hong erzi,red son's formal name, didn't know that

"You wish" Red son then paused thinking of what to say next "anyways on with the fight?"

"On with the fight." Mk repeated

A little later Mk and red son finished there fight

They were both tired and in some pain.

"Wow…you certainly didn't hold back today Red…just…wow!" The Successor of sun wukong was a little drained if not tired from the fight. He was surprised nonetheless because Red in the past wasn't that much of a challenge now all of a sudden he's landing hits?

'Jesus' Mk thought,'I must not be keeping up with training then'

Afterwards Red son looked at Mk with a seemingly happy smile on his face "hah! I've worn you down, noodle peasant! I, Red son, am becoming victorious!"

[THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS IT IS NOT FINISHED I REPEAT IT'S NOT FINISHED]

[el-hawthorne]

EXTENDED: Yeonjun – Mafia AU

Auhor/Wattpad: hawthrn_

Genre: romance, mafia!AU, fluff

Cast: Mafia!Yeonjun x Fem!Reader

Warning: blood, gore (?)

Words: 9711

Summary: Everyone in mafia world knew that infamous Choi Yeonjun is your enemy and rival. And everyone knew that you are the only person who could pissed him off without him shooting death on your back. Then you happened to encounter Choi Yeonjun in your woman form. Never thought that he would having crush on you in your woman form. Yet he wasn't aware that you're also his enemy and his rival that he despised so much.

My masterlist

Navigation : TXT Mafia AU

��️ typos and mistakes are possible since there is no proofread ⚠️

“You brat!”

 You fell on the floor as your father punched your face. Hard. Your lips even bleeding and you could feel the sting sensation when you tried to open your mouth.

 “You can’t even defeat him and you dare to show your face in front of me as my son?” your father yelled at you.

 You coughed, forced your aching body after your father beating the shit out of you, “S-sorry, fa—”

 “Your sorry is useless! It doesn’t make you to turn back time and defeat him!” he kicked your stomach and you let him, “I don’t want to see your face! You better succeed on your next mission if you still want to live as my son!”

 After that, your father left you alone at his room.

 “He is a madman indeed,” your assistant walked toward you and offered his hand to you, but you of course stood up on your own. Didn’t accept his hand.

 “Oh, and you’re his son too, indeed,” Jisung snickered and walked beside you, “Sorry, I mean you are his successor.”

 You glared at Jisung, “Can you just shut up?”

 “Well, I can’t. Sorry not sorry,” Jisung smirked, “and I forgot to tell you that Renjun hyung is still outside because of some business.”

 “What?” you snapped your head.

 Really? Huang Renjun? Why would he leave when you need him the most? I mean, your father beat the shit out of you pretty bad than before. And you need him as a doctor to treat your wounds right now.

 Chuckled, Jisung finally said something useless, “Well, he has his life too as a man, you know?”

 “I can treat your wounds if you want, at least I know what I do,” Jisung said.

 “Nah, better not,” you shooked your head, “you better leave me alone, I really need my sleeping beauty. And when Renjun arrived, tell him to meet me at my room.”

 Jisung clicked his tongue, annoyed because you chose Renjun rather than him as your assistant. He’s not that bad. But he knew you had your own reason. Maybe some deep talk because Renjun is the perfect person for that.

 “Okay, you should rest.”

 “I know,” you replied as you parted with Jisung when you got inside your bedroom.

 Sighed, you plopped yourself on your bed. Your swollen eyes stared blankly to the ceilings.

Just like years before, it became your routine. You lose the match at mafia competition this year and this caused your father went mad over you.

 Madly in rage.

 You hurt his pride today. And he made sure to hurt you too as you made his pride hurt in front of his mafia colleagues.

 ‘He’ did it. This year, ‘He’ won as you clearly remembered how cocky his smile and his gaze toward you. his father must be happy and proud of him.

 You knew that because you saw his father’s eyes. The way his father’s eyes stared at ‘him’ was really the complete opposite with the way your father stared at you.

 Well, ‘he’ is the son of your father’s enemy. Maybe that’s why your father never went easy on you when it comes from his enemy.

 Well, it wasn’t really something that made you wonder. Last year, you won the match. So you wouldn’t surprise when he won this match this year.

 Because it has always been like that for over past several years since you were 18, joined the match. The trophy from mafia match never lasted long more than one year.

 It was either you has the trophy or ‘him’.

 “Someone is asleep.”

 “Yeah, this is my spirit talking now,” you said unbothered as your gaze still on the ceiling.

 “Jisung said, it was pretty worse than before.”

 “Well, he’s not lying,” you said and forced yourself to woke up.

 “Guess if he knew you are a woman, he still hard on you.”

 You glared, “Renjun, can you just do your work now?”

 “Okay-okay, I still need to prepared the kit and ointment for your wounds you know?”

 “You already knew my father never wants a weak successor.”

   ****

   "Congrats for your successful mission," Soobin said to Yeonjun as he clinked his wine to Yeonjun's.

 "Thanks," Yeonjun replied before he sipped his wine.

 This night quite chill for Yeonjun. After he won the match, his father didn't gave him some hard missions to him like last year.

 He still remembered how his father bragged about him being the winmer of mafia match in front of his colleagues. His father was happy and proud of him.

 As he should.

 He worked his ass really hard just to win the match and defeat you, his one and only enemy and rival. You've been his enemy and his rival since your family and his family hated each other's gut.

 Also, you're the reason of his suffering.

 Yeonjun sighed. He didn't want to think of you. Because it made him sick. He just wanted to enjoy this night at his favorite club right now.

 Sadly, after he tought about you, the  hype music on the club wasn't really that good anymore. The wine he sipped wasn't sweet anymore. The company of his friend felt so bored.

 So he decided to go to the toilet to first. But Soobin held bis hand.

 "Where are you going?" Soobin asked.

 Smirked, Yeonjun look at Soobin, "Toilet, why? You want to come?"

 "Ew! Just go there quick or you will miss the show."

 One of Yeonjun's eyebrows raised, "What show?"

 "You'll see. Now go," Soobin pushed him to go to the corridor.

 Still confused while walking in the corridor, Yeonjun go to the toilet anyway. But the he saw something on his way to the toilet.

 "You jerk, your dick isn't that big to show her. Didn't you know that you just stained her eyes with your tiny ugly dick? Huh?" the girl with black leather crop top and black hot pants, exposing her beautiful skin, tackled a guy on the floor.

 Behind her is a scaredy girl in a tight dress.

 "She deserved a big dick, a guy she love. Not a bastard who has a shrink dick," the girl in her crop top said after she kicked his groin.

 "I-i already call the security, just like what you said," the terrified girl in a tight dress finally said.

 The crop top girl nodded in satisfaction, "Good."

 Not long after that, some security came in and held the guy on your hands. You told them to take him to the police because that guy made a scene in the club. He tried to do inappropriate things.

 "You're okay now. Do you want to go home? I can asked my friend to get you a taxi," that crop top girl asked.

 "Yes, please."

 Yeonjun was so immersed when he saw that crop top girl. That girl feared nothing and looks strong.

 He was confident enough when that crop top girl passed by, she would look at him. Because he is famous and everyone knew him. He is hard to not get noticed with his figure, features, and his aura.

 But that girl didn't bother to turned her head. She is too focused on the girl on her arms right now. While the scaredy girl turned her head at him and slightly gasped.

 "Is she into girls?" he asked himself as he felt a sting on his pride when the girl he wanted didn't look at him.

 Yeonjun came back from toilet with sour face. While Soobin enjoyed his time drinking his wine alone with some women beside him.

 "What's with that face?" Soobin asked with his eyebrows twitched when he saw Yeonjun sitting on the sofa.

 Some girls trying to approach Yeonjun and sit beside him. But Yeonjun just ignored them as he drank his wine.

 "You seems annoyed," one of the women asked.

 "Yeah, don't make me annoyed more before I made your boss fired you from your job," Yeonjun said bitterly, really want to shooed the women away from him.

 "Wow, what's the matter, Hyung?" Beomgyu came with his messy hair, lipsticks still visible on his neck's fair skin. His emerald tie already loosen up from his white shirt.

 "Nothing."

 "Ah, you're lucky, Hyung. Tonight a special guess in this club is a bit late due to some problems," Beomgyu said as he plopped on the sofa, joined them to drink wine.

 "What guest?" Yeonjun failed to make his question sounded interested on what Beomgyu said. And he didn't bother to hide that.

 "You sure your panties got in a knot, hyung," Beomgyu chuckled, didn't scared at all when Yeonjun glared at him, "just see."

 Like what Beomgyu said before, 'a special guest' came on the stage as a DJ. Yeonjun widened his eyes for a second when he saw that crop top girl again. But his friend caught his reactions.

 "People called her Fleur," Soobin said.

 "Fleur?" Yeonjun turned his head, then he saw Soobin smirked. Ready to tease him, but he didn't give a single fuck about that.

 "No one really know her real name. Besides, she is not 'Fleur' for no reason."

 Yeonjun knew that Fleur meant. As a his father's successor who literally known even outside Korea, Yeonjun mastered more than 20 language. Including French.

 Flower.

 Yeah, he kind of understood why that crop top girl had that nickname. The way every guy stared at her with their craving eyes, wanted to keep her all to themselves proved it.

 Yeonjun clenched his jaw. Didn't like the feelings burning inside him right now. Yes Fleur played the amazing music right now as the sweats went through her delicate neck.

 "You want her, don't you?" Beomgyu teased him after he sipped his wine, "Well, the show hasn't started yet."

 "What show?" Yeonjun gritted his teeth, he doesn't like the way those guys staring at Fleur DJ-ing on the stage, now Fleur has another performance?

 "You're obviously jealous, hyung," Soobin said, "but she's not yours."

 "Shut up," he said, didn't like when Soobin stated the fact.

 What Beomgyu meant about the show is, Fleur now went to another stage, doing pole dance. People started to cheered her when she danced. Every move she made seems so natural and delicate.

 The slow music as bgm played. Her dance move looks even more sensual. The guys drooled over her even more. Especially Yeonjun, his jaw dropped when he saw her performance.

 "Since when did you two know all of this?" Yeonjun asked Soobin and Beomgyu, anger visible on his voice.

 "Well, the owner on this bar is my close friend. He told me that he has a special guest that he hardly get, will doing performance on his bar. That's why I asked you two to come. Poor Taehyun and Hueningkai, they can't come. Taehyun still on his mission, and Hueningkai having some family matters," Beomgyu said.

 "Hardly to get?" Yeonjun asked and finally got some enlightened, "so she's not a fix pole dancer and DJ in this club?"

 "Bingo!" Beomgyu said, then he stood up, "I have to go, have some errands to do."

 "Yeah, just go. Don't sex in front of me," Soobin said, earning a chuckle from Beomgyu and a woman who's clinging beside Beomgyu.

 "Bye, don't call me until tomorrow," that's all Beomgyu said before he left with a woman with him.

 "Go leave us and have sex with her already," Yeonjun shooed them, annoyed as he still watch Fleur's pole dancing and glared at every guy who's drooling on her at the same time.

   ***

   "You sure didn't want to work here?  Just say your salary range and I will pay your salary right now," the bar owner say as he gave you some envelopes contained your honor for tonight.

 "Nah, I didn't plan to work here," you said as you only took an envelope and gave the rest back to the bar owner.

 "I only need this, you know? If I'm in the good mood, maybe I will perform here again if you asked me, but not soon," you said before you left.

 "Fleur! Wait!"

 You stopped and rolled your eyes before you turned your back, "What?"

 "Please think about it, okay?"

 "I already said what's on my mind. I you acted like this again, considered this as my first and last performance. Bye," you said, but right before you opened the door, you saw the owner's assistant standing in front of you.

 "Miss, someone wants to meet you."

 You scoffed before asked, didn't bkther to hide the irritated voice from you, "And why would I should meet that someone?"

 "Well, he is the VVIP guest in this bar. Also, he is the infamous businessman. Choi Yeonjun."

 "So? Just like that?" you crossed your arms in front of your chest, "now move. I have something important to do."

 You forcefully slide the assistant effortlessly as the assistant almost fell on the floor. Quite surprised about how strong you are.

 When you opened the door, you saw someone you despised on your entire life. Choi Yeonjun, who's standing in front of you.

 "Sir, can you move?" you asked him politely.

 "What important thing you must to do, Fleur?" he asked you, "can you spare your busy time for a while with me?"

 You knew it, sooner or later you will meet him in your original form. A woman. But you didn't expect him to meet him tonight in this bar. As you knew, someone like him would really keep his image and reputation as an infamous businessman.

 You're quite surprised when you saw him in the corridor earlier. But as a someone smart, you kept your expression blank and tried to ignore his existence. As if he wasn't there.

 "I'm afraid I can't," you replied as you pursed your lips.

 "Really? For 15 minutes?"

 "Yeah. My boyfriend already waiting for me," you lied, hope that he would leave you.

 "You have a boyfriend?" he asked, looked disappointed. Looks like your lie worked on him.

 But—

 "Mhm, now can you move?" you, tried to move him aside, but instead of that, your wrist was being held by him and your back suddenly on the wall.

 You grunted in pain and glared at Yeonjun, "What are your doing?"

 "It's better for you if you break up with your boyfriend. You can have me instead, baby," Yeonjun whispered through your ears with his hot breath mixed with wine all over your face.

 You never thought that Yeonjun would look this attractive. His features is undeniable handsome with his piercing eyes which is match with his eyebrows, pointed nose, pink reddish plumpy lips.

 And his slightly parted bangs in the middle made him more irresistible. His musk cologned mixed perfectly with wine. Now you kind of understood why everyone fell for him.

 You were afraid that you would fall for him too just like others, if you weren't get away from him right now.

 "You can't change my mind," trying your best to sounded stern.

 "Oh yeah?" Yeonjun chuckled before he kissed you deeply passionate.

 You tried your best not to kiss him back, then pushed him.

 Yeonjun smirked, "You didn't kiss me back, but I'm glad you're not going to slap me. I know it will make you think back about your decision. I hope you can change your mind after this."

 After he mention that, you're so ready to slap him. But Yeonjun was faster to caught your hands. He even had the audacity to peck your lips.

 "And don't think this will be our last kiss."

   ***

   "I'm glad he kissed you," Renjun said, not bothered when you glared at him.

 "What was that mean?"

 "It means, he still normal. He finds you as an attractive woman."

 You scoffed, "He's just trying to get into my pants."

 "If he really want to get into your pants, you won't be here tonight. He could ask his men to get you and you couldn't do anything or else, your disguised will be over."

 "Believe me, if he use his men, his disguise as a businessman and public figure will be over as well."

 "Okay-okay, I think this will be our last convo today. I need to continue my work, bye," Renjun sighed before patted your head before he left you alone in your room.

 Now that you were alone, the kissing scene that happened between you and him replayed inside your head. How soft his lips when his lips touched yours.

 The way his gentle move made your heart pounding like crazy. As if you're loved. And it scared you, because you were supposed to hate him, not the other way around.

 But—

 "For fuck's sake! That was my first kiss!" you screamed through your pillow, didn't want anyone to find out what happened to you, especially your blushing face.

 You always thought that someone who happened to be your first kiss is a type of white prince who rode his horse just like fairytale. Because the small version of you really like to read fairytale story before you slept.

 But you knew that would have never happened. Since your tyrannical father only wanted a son as his successor. And your obedient mother asked you to become one.

 *"You're his son! Goddammit! He will kill us if he know you're his daughter. He will kill me. Don't be a selfish brat who doesn't know how to be grateful!"*

 You closed your eyes as you felt some tears stained your cheeks. The memory of your mother who yelled at your 8 years old form just because you wanted her to buy your dress as your birthday gift.

 The broken vases, your crying sound all around the room. Your mother's bloodshot eyes dead stared at you as you cried and closed your ears with your hands.

 Those memory replayed on your mind. Reminded you that "his" action shouldn't bother you.

 As if God really like to torture you, he made you met with Yeonjun through your father. He asked you to attend his colleague's party, and Yeonjun will be there too.

 He obviously knew, but he just didn't like if Hyeonwoo's clan—a clan which belong to Yeonjun's Dad was one step ahead on him. That's why your father asked you kept in touch with his colleagues.

 "Well, he kind of looks attractive tonight," Renjun said as he place his arms over your shoulder.

 You scoffed, "If you find him attractive, why don't you approach him instead?"

 "Nah, sorry baby. I'm still into girls."

 Renjun's answer made you rolled your eyes.

 "What are you doing here?"

 The sudden appeareance of Jisung made you and Renjun startled a little. You glared at Jisung, ready to punched him and he innocently smiled. Renjun only shook his head.

 "Where have you been?" you asked him.

 "Why? You missed me?" Jisung playfully asked while wiggling with his eyebrows.

 You made a gesture as if you wanted to puked in front of him. Just made Jisung annoyed. Well, it was payback time.

 "Just have fun already. I need to talked some business with father's colleagues."

 "For a second, I forgot you are our next leader. Can't wait for you to replace that mad old man," Jisung said, "I would definitely more than willing to become your right hand man. Even when you ask me to kill him, I will."

 "Someone is on fire," Renjun snickered that made Jisung snapped his head toward him.

 "Why not?"

 "Well, because we have to enjoy some expensive wines tonight," Renjun said as he dragged Jisung to go along with him.

 After they gone and left you alone, you approached some of your father's colleagues. They are nice, but mostly scared because recently your father's clan became infamous.

 Thanks for your achievements.

 "Oh, Yeonjun! I'm glad seeing you here too," your father's colleague said to Yeonjun who happened to approach you too.

 "Well, of course. Your party is always nice, just like the host of this party," Yeonjun praised him.

 You didn't bother to hide your dislikes toward Yeonjun. Rolled your eyes and scoffed everytime he spoke and smiled.

 And the other? Of course they noticed you, including Yeonjun. But there was satisfaction inside him when he saw your displeased.

 "It's nice to have some conversations with you two. But I have to greet the others too. I hope you don't mind if I left you two?" he asked carefully by looking at you and Yeonjun.

 "It's fine, you can greet the others too. This is your party after all," you said to him.

 "Yeah," Yeonjun agreed, didn't bother when you scoffed at him who agreed on your replied.

 After the host of party left you and Yeonjun alone, everyone could sensed some killing aura around you and Yeonjun. The disliked is too much because you two really despised each other.

 "What a coincidence, I saw your disgusting face tonight," you said as you crossed your arms in front of your chest that already flatten using a cloth.

 "Yeah, I can recognize the most ugliest voice when I'm arrive here. At first, I wasn't sure it was you. So I came here just to make sure it wasn't yours. But unlucky me, I meet you again."

 "Suck my dick! Bitch!" you said cockily at Yeonjun who's now smirked at you.

 He chuckled as his reaction of what you said toward. He surely knew you are a dom. But you must knew he is a hard dom. Even a man would kneel for Yeonjun if he asked.

 "Why would I? Do you even have a dick? Nah, let me fuck your pussy," he whispered through your ear, purposely let his lips touched your ears as his hot breathe invaded your ear.

 Widened your eyes, after you realized what he did earlier. Meanwhile, Yeonjun smirked, felt proud of what he did on you.

 You scoffed and decided to left him immediately. Not wanting him to see your blushing cheeks. Because you suddenly remember how his lips felt on your lips.

 And you knew, it's not a good sign for you.

 "No, you're not a woman anymore," you said to yourself bitterly, "you're a man. An heir of your mafia father's clan."

 That's it. You said it again to yourself, remember your mother's message before she died.

 Or more likely, she killed herself because she couldn't bear your father's torture toward her. Left you alone in this harsh world.

 "What a selfish bitch!" you gritted your teeth, feeling the rage inside you.

 You knew, you better leave before causing a scene in your father's colleague party. You must keep your father's image if you still wished your father spared your life.

   ***

   You thought, that night would be the first and last you would met Choi Yeonjun in your woman form. But no, he was drank his wine as his eyes never left your boy which was now dancing delicately with the pole on the other day.

 For the first time, you felt uncomfortable when you did your hobby. Maybe it was because someone you knew was watching you. You sure, if Renjun or even Jisung watched this you would feel uncomfortable as well.

 Your body was still hanging with your legs snaked on the pole before you could hear the gunshot. Everybody on the club ran away in panic state. Women’s scream were louder than the music club.

 You cursed because of the sudden attack, because it already ruined your performance and your time to enjoy your hobby. You poked your tongue, definitely felt annoyed.

 Thanks for your reflect, you landed on the floor perfectly and fished out the gun you always brought with you. For your safety, of course.

 Good things that you wore all black. So everyone probably wouldn’t notice your figure with the dim lights in the club.

 The culprits now invading the club with their gun in their hands. You didn’t know what they are searching about, but you really felt the urge to shot one of them because they already ruined your night after your hard mission today.

 “Go search that safe, now!”

 You believe that the one who gave the order was their superior, and another culprit were his subordinate. They roamed the room to search for something else.

 “Fleur!”

 Someone grope your wrist. It was none other than Yeonjun. Worried was all over his face. His eyes scanned you from head to toe.

 “Are you okay? Did you get hurt?” he asked.

 You pulled your wrist from him, but his fingers wrapped on your wrist remained firm.

 Scowled at him, you glared, “I am, now can you—”

 He didn’t let you finished and pulled you to his embrace instead. You were too stunned because of his action as his intoxicated cologne mixed with expensive wine invaded your nostrils.

 Somehow, you felt safe in his arms. Comfortably weird and felt right at the same time even though your mind said it was so wrong.

 “I’m glad you are safe,” he whispered through your ears, for some reason it was sending you chills.

 “Well, well, well look who we got here? The infamous businessman Choi Yeonjun with his lover?”

 You pulled the hug and Yeonjun faced the one who just mentioned him and you. It was the same man who gave the order to search a safe earlier.

 He looked unfamiliar. Even never seen him before. But when you turned your head, you saw how hard Yeonjun clenched his jaw and balled his fist. Looked like, Yeonjun knew this man.

 Before he replied the man, Yeonjun shoved you to his back, so his existence would cover your body, “What are you doing here?”

 “Don’t mind me, just doing some business matter,” the man chuckled, then peeked out at you.

 But Yeonjun moved his body, “What are you starring at?”

 “You sure have a good taste in woman.”

 “Do you want me to dig you eyes out? Because I am more than willing to do that once again you lay your filthy eyes on her,” he spat at the man.

 “Wow, you’re such a possessive lover.”

 “Not your business. You still didn’t answer my question!”

 “I’m afraid I can’t do that. But really, it’s just a business matter.”

 Yeonjun scoffed, he wouldn’t believe anything about what that man said. But he knew, it must be something very important. Because the mafia that man belonged to, wasn’t just a mere mafia. They also had the same privilege just like his mafia clan. So of course they wouldn’t do something this rushed for nothing.

 “There’s nothing here,” you said to the man as you stepped out and stood beside Yeonjun, made Yeonjun turned his head with his wide eyes open.

 “What are you talking about?” he whispered, lowkey panic about you, because the man who involved with him right now was no doubt dangerous.

 “Oh yeah? How did you know, young lady?” he seemed delighted when he saw how beautiful you are.

 “Because that safe is with me, I already replaced it before you came and brought that to a safe place,” you crossed your arms in front of your chest, looking at the man with your smug face.

 The smile on the man’s face, fell. Slowly, his face became red because of anger. But his voice told the opposite.

 “Interesting, I’ve never seen you before in mafia world. But I’m sure with the way you talk, you look like the experienced one, tell me what’s your name.”

 You scoffed, “Why would I? I don’t want your filthy mouth mentioned my name.”

 “I don’t want to make you regret it, but you better tell me where is the original safe,” the man suddenly pointed his gun at you.

 He was so ready to shoot you. But not when Yeonjun was with you. He immediately shoved you to his back and dodged the man to get the gun in the man’s hands.

 “I won’t die. If I die, you will never know the where’s the safe. So nobody win,” you said cockily at him.

 Meanwhile, Yeonjun already locked the man on the floor with gun on the man’s temple. His subordinate suddenly came and pointed their gun on Yeonjun and you.

 The man laughed crazily, “Choi Yeonjun, you should scared about your clan now. You know L/N Y/N, your biggest enemy? I already killed the entire people in his clan. And you know what I mean? It means, I could do the same to your clan.”

 Your body stiffened after you heard what that man said. Suddenly you thought about Renjun and Jisung. You didn’t care if your father died, you hate him anyway. But Jisung and Renjun? They are the only thing who support you to live your life.

 Thanks to the dim light, everybody couldn’t notice how your eyes glistening. You couldn’t mourning about them right now or your disguised will be done. But you wouldn’t hold yourself from shooting the man with the gun in your hand.

 You don’t deserve to die like this. You deserve to die painfully after you killed my precious people. You said to yourself with your tightened grip on your gun and red face with fuming anger. Clearly didn’t satisfied to take vengeance over Jisung and Renjun’s death.

 Then you fell on the floor as the man’s subordinate shoot you with their gun. You smiled to yourself, at least you already took your revenge.

 “Fleur!”

 You slowly losing your conscious state. Yeonjun looked very worried as he cupped your cheeks, and you wouldn’t deny it. That felt nice to have someone worried about you.

 Before you really blacked out, you heard gunshot sounds everywhere. Then Yeonjun kept yelled your name, failed to make you kept awake.

   ***

   You thought, you would meet Renjun and Jisung again. Because all the white things you saw made you believe that you were on heaven.

 Indeed, that thought was ridiculous. There was no way you would end up in heaven with so many sin you’ve commit. There must be some error system in afterlife universe.

 But instead, when you turned your head, you saw the man you despised for your entire life. Choi Yeonjun leaned over you and sleeping with his peaceful yet tired face. His hands were intertwined with yours.

 Slowly, you removed Yeonjun’s hands from yours. Unaware, that the smallest gesture would woke him up.

 “Fleur, finally you’re wake up!” Yeonjun stood up as he cupped your face and kissed your forehead.

 “Where am I?” you asked with your hoarse voice, ignoring Yeonjun’s kiss because you were still weak, and the pain in your throat.

 Yeonjun smiled softly at you and caressed your cheeks using his big hand with rough palm, “We are at hospital, sweetheart.”

 Not long after that, a doctor with a nurse beside him were came inside the room. You didn’t realize Yeonjun already pushed the button beside your bunk to call a doctor.

 He stepped backward, watched the doctor and the nurse checked up your condition. He crossed his arms in front of his chest. Yeonjun patiently waiting for you.

 “She’s alright now. But she needs rest. I already took morphine in her, so it could numb the pain of the gunshot on her stomach. Call me if she feels the pain again.”

 Yeonjun nodded and approached you. His gaze was clearly different. Too subtle that made you felt so endearing about yourself. His hands tucked your some strands of your hair behind your ears.

 “Here, you must be thirsty,” he handed you a glass of water and helped you to sit.

 You winced in pain when you felt the pain on your stomach. And didn’t even realized, that your tears already stained your cheeks. Yeonjun’s rough thumb wiped off your tears before he kissed your eyes.

 “Slow down sweetheart, the painkiller still hasn’t kicked in,” he whispered.

 He was very gentle toward you. And it surprised you because you’ve had never seen this side of him. It was all new for you. So unfamiliar yet you found yourself getting comfortable with his presence.

 “Good girl,” he patted you head after you chugged down all of the water inside the glass, and he took the empty glass before he placed it on the drawer.

 “How long I’ve been unconscious?” you asked him, your voice still hoarse but it was better than before.

 Yeonjun pursed his lips, “3 weeks, your body have gone through the shock state because of the gunshot. Does the pain already kicked in?”

 You nodded, “What happened after I passed out?”

 And Yeonjun told you everything. That day, after you passed out, Yeonjun’s men came to fight. But the remained culprit succeeded to ran away after they found out that they wouldn’t make it if they still wanted to fight. Yeonjun immediately brought you to the nearest hospital when his men took over.

 Lucky you, the nearest hospital was under Yeonjun’s clan power. So you got the immediate and best treatment.

 Your eyes didn’t leave Yeonjun. The way he told the story about what happened that day, you could see the bitterness in his eyes.

 And you could feel his hands tightened when he held your hands. As if you would disappear if he didn’t do that.

 “I thought I lose you that day,” he said, trying to swallowed his sadness which lingered on his voice.

 Something that you wouldn’t expect about yourself was when your hand made its way to caress Yeonjun’s cheeks. His skin felt so warm and soft when your palm touched it.

 Yeonjun smiled at you and kissed your palm. His lips was plump and soft, that made you remembered the last kiss between you and him. Your cheeks suddenly blushed because of the sudden thought.

 You looked away, trying your best to hide your crimson cheeks, “Did you get the safe?”

If you thought Yeonjun didn’t see your flushed face, you were wrong. He saw that, and it made his smile grew bigger than before.

 “I don’t what are you talking about, sweetheart.”

 “I-i ... ugh, I lied about that day to whoever it is. I just overheard him ordered his subordinates to search something about safe. I Thought, something inside the safe must be an important thing. If not, they wouldn’t create a chaos in public,” you explained, only to earn Yeonjun’s amused look on his face.

 You glared at him, “What was that look?”

 “Well, I would say you are smart.”

 “Of course,” you scoffed, feeling annoyed. Because you thought, he would make fun of you.

 “And I’m smart enough to catch what you mean that day. I have the same thought about that too. So yeah, the safe is now with me.”

 You nodded and decided to back to sleep. Without asking for help, Yeonjun already had his hands on you to help you. Looked like the medicine already kicked in because you didn’t wince at all when he helped you to lay yourself on the bed.

 “Sleep well, sweetheart,” he said before he kissed your forehead.

   ***

   After the day you woke up from your coma, Yeonjun always tried his best for taking care of you. First week after you woke up, Yeonjun didn’t let you do anything that would lead you got hurt because of the pain on your stomach.

 Yeonjun would feed you in your every meals. He would peel the fruit for you. Every morning, he would brought you to the garden using with you on your wheel chair. He even wouldn’t hesitate to lift you up whenever you need to go to the bathroom.

 Okay, that was quite embarassing. But at least, he listened to you when you said that you didn’t want he helped you to cleaned you up and changed your clothes. Of course, you prefered the nurse did it to you. It would be less embarassing.

 But little did you know, Yeonjun already chose who can helped you to cleaned you up and changed your clothes. He is very picky when it came to you. He wanted the best and made sure about your safety first over everything.

 “You okay?” Yeonjun who waited for you in front of the bathroom asked you with concerned look on his face.

 “Yeah,” you answered shortly, held Yeonjun’s hands so you could walk to your bed.

 It was already two weeks. The doctor said, you were improved a lot and you were allowed to leave the hospital next week and do the rehabilitation. Now you could walk a little. But of course, with Yeonjun beside you. In case, you would fall on the floor because of the sudden ubearable pain, so he would be there to help you if that happened to you.

 On the another, Yeonjun started to work again. So, he would leave you with his trusted men to guard and kept you company.

 Actually, he didn’t want to leave you. He enjoyed every second he spent with you. Even though, you mostly slept, but whenever you needed his help, he would be delighted.

 But his father was kind enough to let him off for a week and let his assistant to covered his job. Well, his father’s biggest enemy already vanished by the way and he would let Yeonjun did whatever Yeonjun wants.

Yeonjun always finished his mission early than before. All of his men knew, now Yeonjun met someone who he would take care of. Slowly, Yeonjun changed and started to acknowledge his men more and even encourage them because he knew they still could improved their ability.

 Well, it came from you. He saw how much you struggled to fight your attempt to eat more medicine to numb your pain. Every night, you would cry because of how much it pained when your wound became worse.

 That’s why, Yeonjun always tried his best to finish his mission. So he could take care of you, and you wouldn’t be that lonely without him. Another reason, he missed you so much. So he couldn’t help to kiss your lips every time he arrived. And at night, he always beside you because he wanted to comfort you whenever you had a nightmare or your pain became worse.

 “Yeonjun.”

 It was one of the night when Yeonjun leaned over you to sleep beside you. You gently tapped his hands to wake him up. Seconds later, he woke up with his eyes completely opened.

 “Yes, sweetheart?” he said with his hoarse voice.

 “I ... I need you. Can you sleep beside me?” you asked with cold sweat ran stained your temple.

 You moved your body to another side, so Yeonjun could lay himself beside you. His cologned mixed with his soap invaded your nostrils. Somehow, you felt comfortable and safe whenever he was around you.

 Yeonjun carefully engulfed your smaller frame as if you were so fragile. He let you burried your face on his chest. It was warm, and his fast pounding heartbeats were in-sync with yours.

 “Feel better?” he whispered with his softest voice on your ear.

 “I am now, thanks Jun,” you said before you drifted off to sleep again.

 Before Yeonjun continued his sleep, he stared at your sleeping form. Your face looked so peaceful, innocent, and unguarded. He knew how comfortable you were with him. and he felt proud and happy at the same time. Because that means, you trusted him.

 He smiled before he kissed your temple, “Dream about me, sweetheart.”

   ***

   After the third week, you started you rehabilitation. At first, it was such a torture for you. Your first day wasn’t that good and you cried. Mainly it was because you couldn’t do some exercise because you couldn’t handle the pain. This was the first time you were clearly disappointed with yourself.

 “Goddammit! Just stand up, you fool!” you cursed at yourself with tears visible on your cheeks, still forcing yourself to stand up after you fell on the floor a minute ago.

 One hour later, you already finished your rehabilitation today. Lucky you, Yeonjun never left your side on your first day. He picked you up from your wheel chair to your bed.

 Yeonjun knew what happened during your training. Because he saw that. And his heart ache when he saw how much you struggled and be so hard on yourself. For sure, he hated it.

 He crouched down to equalize his level, so his eyes could met your beautiful eyes and smiled, “You did good job today, Sweetheart.”

 “No, I was such a stupid weak who couldn’t—”

 “Don’t talk bad about you. My sweetheart did good and I’m proud of her,” he cut you as he wiped the tears on your cheeks with his thumb.

 “Really?” you looked at him with your glistening eyes.

 “Of course, sweetheart,” he said, cupping your cheeks with his big hands before he kissed your swollen eyes because of your crying.

 “You should rest now, sweetheart.”

 “Can we ... uh, can we cuddle?” you said as you looked away to hide your crimson cheeks, felt embarassed because of what you said to him.

 Yeonjun smiled before he helped you to lay on your bed before he climbed and cuddled you. He tucked your hair behind your ears before he kissed your forehead.

 You were already slept when Yeonjun suddenly heard someone knocked the door. He climbed down the bed and walked to the door. His assistant was in front of him.

 “Anything new?” he asked to his assistant, named Jay.

 Jay pursed his lips as he shook his head, “This type of safe was different. We couldn’t open it. But we do know to who it belong.”

 “Spill.”

 “It was Y/n’s father. We realize a strange signature which belong to Y/n’s father. It was his another signature that people hardly knew.”

 “And boss, lately we saw some strange car on the place where we hide the safe. I’m afraid to confirmed this, but I suspect that cars belonged to Joon Black’s clan. I’m sure, the signature I saw on those cars belong to that clan.”

 “Shit!” Yeonjun cursed at himself, feeling frustrated as he ran his slender fingers through his black hair.

 He thought, there must be someone in his clan who betrayed him. Because nobody knew about that place other than him and his men. But he just surprised that his trusted men would stabbed him on his back like this.

 “I want you to catch the culprit in less than three days. We need to get rid of a traitor, maybe some traitors. Real quick.”

   ***

   “So you didn’t even want to talk, huh? I guess you love the pain I gave you so much,” Yeonjun said to a man in front of him who badly get beaten.

 People couldn’t recognized that man’s face anymore. Yeonjun was quite impressed with the traitor who had the audacity to hide right under his nose. Slowly, Yeonjun took a rusty saw before he slowly cut the man’s finger.

 Sinister grin appeared on Yeonjun’s face when the scream was all around the torture room. All of his men behind him only watching him with their flat expression. Well, he wanted to show his men what happened if they betrayed him on his back.

 Then, Yeonjun stood up and threw the saw before he asked like a professional businessman as if nothing happened, “Can we negotiate some important matters now?”

 But the man remained silent. Still didn’t want to talk about anything. Yeonjun sighed before he took a fruit knife and aggresively opened the man’s mouth forcefully. He stabbed the man’s mouth using that knife as the blood stained his face now.

 “You wouldn’t want to talk. So I give you the real reason why you can’t right now,” he said before he cut the man’s tongue and the corner of his lips until it reached the man’s ears.

 “I cut your tongue,” Yeonjun sang as he shoved the man’s bloody tongue in front of the man’s face.

 Yeonjun smirked when he saw some of his men scared of him. Another men even couldn’t hide their emotions and their feelings right now and gag. At this point, Yeonjun clearly insane.

 “Jay,” Yeonjun called his assistant who looked remained calm, “Is the bull ready?”

 “It’s ready now, Boss.”

 “Good, dispose him. Now.”

 Jay nodded before he dragged the man to a giant bull statue made of gold. But it wasn’t just a mere statue when Jay opened a small door and force the man to get inside. Then he closed the door and light the furnace that was right under the bull statue.

 Not long after that, the cow’s deep moo invaded the room after the bull completely scorched by the flame.

 “Boss, the safe was made by a professional who lived in Japan. He only made something personal that should fit the request from the client. Should we—”

 “Bring him here, no matter what. Send special team to do this mission,” Yeonjun said before he left the training camp and decided to go back to the hospital.

 Today was tiring and he didn’t even realized it was already 11 p.m. But, he knew—more like he thought—you didn’t know anything about him. The least thing he expected when you saw him was you were freaked out. So he would clean him up first before he went to the hospital.

 Your room were quiet with the dimmed light in your room. He arched his brows when he saw you were sitting on your side of the bed and wore his spare shirt. You were looking down with your shoulder shaking and whimpered.

 ���Sweetheart?”

 Your shoulder stopped shaking when you heard a gentle voice called you. The only one who called you that way. You quickly wiped your tears and turned your head to Yeonjun who approached you now.

 “Why are you crying? Does it still hurt?” he asked you with worry all over his face while his hands cupping your cheeks carefully.

 Immediately, you pulled him and hugged his waist. He was surprised, not to forget that you also wore his spare t-shirt.

 “I thought you wouldn’t come,” you murmured as you burried your face on his toned abs.

 Yeonjun smiled softly and hugged you properly, before he whispered, “I’m home now, sweetheart. Now tell me why are you crying, hm?”

 “I had a bad dream,” you said.

 “What was that?” he asked as he played with your hair, sometimes sniffed your hair because you were using his shampoo. And that smells lovely on you.

 “In my dream, you left me.”

 “I would never leave you, sweetheart. If anything happened, I will stay with you no matter what.“

 After calmed you down, Yeonjun laid you down on your bed before he laid himself beside you. Just like nights before, his arms engulfed you protectively.

 Because of his tiredness, Yeonjun was the one who slept first. And you watched his sleeping state. You didn’t know but your heart ached. Suddenly had a feeling that maybe this will be the last you would see him slept beside you and made you felt loved for your 20 years of life.

 You wanted to stare at him for as long as you wanted. But you couldn’t fought your eyes that slowly felt heavy.

 “You lied, you will leave me after you know about me,” you whispered before you pecked his lips and started falling asleep.

 But little did you know, he still awoke. He heard what you said to him earlier. His thumb made its way to wiped your tears on your cheeks.

 “Never, I could never leave you even if I wanted to. I love you,” he whispered before kissed your closed eyes.

   ***

   “Boss, they already took the safe.”

 Yeonjun gritted his teeth after Jay through that bad news to him through phone call. He decided to go to the place where he hid the safe. But before that, he looked back at you who slept peacefully. He kissed your forehead before he left you.

 “I will be back, I promise,” he mumbled before he finally left your room.

 “Called another guard to come here, I need ten. You heard me?” Yeonjun said to one of the guard in front of your room.

 “Yes, boss,” one of his guard answered.

 “Protect her,” that’s all Yeonjun said before he left.

 With his car’s maximum speed, Yeonjun went to his own mansion. Jay was already there with some of his men.

 “How the fuck did that happened?” he asked with anger visible on his voice.

 Jay pursed his lips, “They put a tracker on the safe.”

 Not long after that, Yeonjun’s phone rang. Yeonjun fished out his phone from his pants. It was an unknown number. Clearly the culprit.

 “You seem mad.”

 “I would definitely torture you with the most painful way until you beg for your death once I got you, Joon Gi,” Yeonjun said through the phone. Yes, it was Joon Gi—the leader of Joon Black clan. Another long term-enemy for Yeonjun’s clan.

 “You wouldn’t do that, Choi Yeonjun. Because ....”

 For some sconds silence, Yeonjun didn’t hear anything. He only heard a loud thud.

 “Speak, bitch! Why are you still silent? Oh, you want to become a hero that you want to save your lover?”

 Yeonjun’s eyes widened. Suddenly he thought about you. He fucking knew it now.

 “You took her?” you asked, his jaw clenched with his fist balled. He was so ready to punched someone right now, especially the one who called his phone right now.

 “Glad that you finally catch up quickly. Maybe because her effects on you?” Joon Gi chuckled at Yeonjun, “Listen Mr. Lover, if you want your precious thing safe, you will come here without your men. Oh, you must come fast, I can’t guarantee you what my men would do to her. Because she is quite ... you know? irresistible.”

 “Don’t. You. Dare.”

 After that, Joon Gi hung up the phone. The seconds after, a message contained an address appeared on his phone.

 “Who was that, Boss?” Jay asked.

 “Joon Gi,” Yeonjun said, “you know what to do next, I will go to this place.”

 Jay took a look at Yeonjun’s phone before he nodded. He understood what Yeonjun meant. Then, he patted Yeonjun’s shoulder.

 “Save her, hyung,” it was Jay talking to Yeonjun as Yeonjun’s junior and best friend at high school, not as an assistant.

 Yeonjun nodded and smiled weakly, “Yeah, of course.”

 After that, Yeonjun took his car and drove it to the place where Joon Gi requested him to met up. He was alone, without his men. And Joon Gi felt happy because of how stupid Yeonjun acted today just because he stole that woman—you, from him.

 “I’m here now. You can take the safe, I don’t care. But let her go,” Yeonjun said.

 Your face had a lot of bruises. Even you got a black eye and swollen. Your eyes met Yeonjun’s, who’s now standing not far from you.

 “Yeonjun,” you mumbled, before you coughed blood, “you shouldn’t come here.”

 Yeonjun’s eyes widened when he saw your state. He glared with his bloodshot eyes at Joon Gi who smiled smugly at him.

 “You know what? I don’t care about that safe. It was my son’s wish to get the safe. But your lover killed him,” Joon Gi screamed before he walked toward you and pulled your hair, “this bitch killed my precious son!”

 “Get off your filthy hands from her,” Yeonjun growled as he raised his gun toward Joon Gi, and Joon Gi’s men raised their gun to Yeonjun.

 But Joon Gi didn’t seem bothered with that.

 “Bitch, you kill my precious son. So let me kill someone precious for you too as my revenge.”

 “Kill me, not him,” you said, feeling the urged to choke Joon Gi to death.

 “You’re the brave one, huh? How about I kill him first, after that I kill you?”

 “Not until I kill you first.”

 Then, after that Yeonjun’s men came from nowhere and shot Joon Gi’s men. Now, the war began. Yeonjun quickly made his way to tackle Joon Gi to the ground. Meanwhile, Jay appeared and cut the ropes on your wrist and legs.

 “Thank you,” you mumbled before you pushed him so he wouldn’t get shot.

 “Wow, I should be the one who thanked to you,” he said, quite amused about how fast your reflexes.

 Not until he realized, Yeonjun’s piercing eyes already at him. He awkwardly smiled, “She is all yours, Boss.”

 But, something you did next make everyone surprised. You took Jay’s gun and pointed it at Joon Gi.

 “You know why I killed your bastard son? Because he killed someone who dear to me first. I don’t care if you kill people in L/N’s clan and my father, but not with Renjun and Jisung. They are the only people who treat me like their own family when I have nothing,” you said before you pull the triger, shot the gun on Joon Gi’s skull before you passed out.

   ***

   “You wouldn’t bring me to your torture room?” was the first thing you said when you woke up in an unfamiliar bedroom, clearly not hospital bedroom. It was too big and luxury.

 “I already figured out who you are,” Yeonjun said as he brought a tray contained your breakfast.

 “Since when?”

 “Almost three weeks ago. I saw the knife I dug on your skin years ago. I wrote my name there, even if you covered it with your tattoo, I clearly can recognize it.”

 Yeonjun wasn’t dumb. He knew something was off with you since the first time met you in your woman form. He asked Jay to dig all of information about you.

 Well, he was interested in you. He wanted to know all about you. But something was off when Jay could hardly grasp some of your informations. You were that mysterious, and it caused him to more curious about you.

 At first, he only knew that you worked only once in a week.

 The first time you work as a DJ and pole dancer was when you suddenly volunteered in a club where the DJ couldn’t come to do the job. Then you also did a pole dance, you volunteered too.

 Every people in the club loved your performances. Even the club owner asked you to come often. That is the beginning of fleur story.

 The day when you had a gun shot, Yeonjun knew you weren’t an ordinary woman. You seems knew who you dealt with. Your voice didn’t stutter when you told your lies to a mafia.

 And when your hands holding a gun like a professional or at least an experienced one and shot Joon Gi’s son with your face remained calm.

 You reminded him of someone who mirrored him so much. Someone he despised all of his life because of his family conflict with your family. It was because your father betrayed his father.

 But he was waiting for Jay’s confirmation. Because he gave Jay the task to dug more information about you. As much as he could.

 Surprisingly, Jay has every single detail about your information. About where were you from, who’s your family, your past until now. Yet, Jay got your informations after your clan already vanished.

 You were a child where your mother selfishly asked you to become a boy because of your tyrannical father only wanted a boy who would be your father’s successor.

 Your mother and your father would punished you if you couldn’t reach your goal by beating the shit out of you.

 Your father were the type of egoistic father who only cared about himself, full of himself, and greedy.

 Even when your mother killed herself, he even fucked another woman on the same day your mother died.

 Your best friends were Renjun and Jisung. They always accompanied you and encouraged you to do your best. And Renjun happened to know you were a woman. Until that day, the only people who knew your real self were Renjun and your mother.

 Now, it was him and Jay.

 He wasn’t mad. You didn’t even knew about the safe on that club was actually belong to your clan. Clearly understood about why you were such a mysterious person.

 And to confirmed all of that, Yeonjun could saw his initial name on your shoulder. The scars he left by carving his knife on your soft yet delicate skin.

 Yeonjun himself wasn’t a perfect person. He felt betrayed but he couldn’t lash his rage toward you after he saw how your innocent face slept like a baby.

 He then realized, he fell harder for you more than before. So that’s why he started to do his job so he could channel his rage on the other things.

 And the night you wore his t-shirt, crying over him, hugged him, and even sleep comfortably in his embrace when he could murder you anytime he felt it. But no, never in his mind passed the thought that he would hurt you.

 He knew he couldn’t hurt you, because when he saw you were in pain, it made him more in pain that he would rather you could pass the pain to him.

 “So, that’s it,” he said after he told you the whole story.

 Your eyebrows arched, “You wouldn’t kill me?”

 Yeonjun smiled as his right hand reached your cheek and caress it, “I’d rather die with you.”

 “I don’t mind if you kill me. At least, you heard my confession. I love you, Choi Yeonjun.”

 “I love you too, Y/n,” his eyes were subtle when he stared right into your eyes, speaking how much he loved you and no words could explain how much he love you, “Close your eyes, sweetheart.”

 You did what he said before you could feel your body being lifted into his lap. His hands led you to clung onto his neck before his hands rested on your waist, so firm.

 Then, you felt his plump and soft lips on yours, led you to a deep and passionate kiss.

 “I told you, I would never leave you, sweetheart,” he whispered between the kiss.

   -          The end

 Sincerely,

-El ❤

   A/N: Is it just me or this extended imagine is weird? I’m sorry it took me long enough to write this. Honestly, when I write this extended imagine, I always delete the some part for the nth time, thinking that would be weird and out of the plot or character. But maybe yes until now. Please comment you feel the same like me. Maybe I will update this kind of imagine long enough because the plot is quite heavy. And while you were waiting for TXT Mafia AU series, you could read my drabble or fluffy imagine instead that I will publish every day. Thank you for patiently waiting for me.

[emeren]

speed racer- eren jaeger

pairing: eren jaeger x fem!reader 

word count: 6k

content warnings: nsfw, smut, 18+, smoking, degradation, overstimulation, breeding (w/o baby talk) 

notes: 100% inspired by the official art, like mmm yes please. also i know absolutely nothing about how car racing works, but that’s not important. this is unedited because my brain turned to mush writing it. enjoy!! <3

SUMMARY: eren’s a semi-professional car racer, who has a tumultuous friendship with the reader. after losing a race, eren sets out to win something else in his life, much to the reader’s surprise. 

“took you long enough!” sasha called out, holding her hand above her eyes in an attempt to block out the bright sun. you dished her a smile, weaving your way through the throngs of people in the stands, attempting not to step on anyone. your eyes briefly flitted to the track, the assistants distantly getting their cars ready. they were hardly visible from here; merely faceless figures idling around. you heaved out a sigh as you reached sasha, the brunette gingerly patting the spot next to her. 

“you couldn’t have gotten better seats, sash?” you asked as you sat down, pushing your sunglasses on top of your head. sasha waved her large bag of popcorn in front of your face, an exasperated expression on her features. 

“the line was long, and what’s a race without popcorn?” she grinned, offering you the bag. you rolled your eyes but took a fistful of the bright yellow snack nonetheless. “plus, if you really wanted that good of seats, you would’ve come early yourself.” 

“i did come here early,” you retorted, your voice muffled by the popcorn. sasha raised a questioning brow, her elbow nudging you in the side. 

“getting here early just so you can poke around the racer’s quarters is not the same thing,” she singsonged, a girlish smirk on her face. you scoffed, turning away from her as you felt heat race to your cheeks. “c’mon, everyone knows you and eren are totally into each other. i don’t understand why you guys don’t just go for it.” 

“i wasn’t poking around, and i am not into eren,” you said, shifting uncomfortably as the words left your mouth. it was true, to some degree. the two of you had been friends in high school, back when eren was just some skinny kid with anger issues. now he was a semi-professional racer, and the rivalry between the two of you was palpable, to say the least.

you’d been in the same friend group and for some reason eren just loved to pick on you whenever he got the chance. you suspected it had something to do with his repressed daddy issues or whatever, and he’d known mikasa and armin far too long to be so catty with them. initially they were just playful taunts, but as you got older, they started to become more personal. with age came your own unchecked need to banter and argue with him. 

somewhere along the way the arguments turned to sexual tension. a sexual tension that for the most part, the two of you were happy to ignore. it allowed room for a more sassy friendship, at least. 

“uh huh, suuure,” sasha responded, seemingly unconvinced. she must’ve sensed your discomfort, deciding to change the topic. “who’s who?” 

your eyes traced the track, analyzing each vehicle. “armin’s in yellow, mikasa’s in red, eren’s in white, and i believe levi is in green.” 

“levi’s racing? isn’t he getting a little old for that?” sasha laughed, squinting. you chuckled. 

“it’s just a small fundraiser race, plus he’s a crowd favorite over here,” you explained. sasha nodded as she processed the information. the sun was hot, beating down on your back. “i’m honestly surprised this many people came out.” 

sasha tossed more popcorn in her mouth, halfway done with the bag despite the race still not having started. she offered it to you again. “mhm, this is the same type of crowd that we’d see in the underground.” 

you thought back to your days of attending the illegal races, late at night and under the cover of darkness. though you were just a junior in college, it felt like those nights freshman year had been decades ago. that was before eren showed real promise in the professional circuit. it was also where levi scouted him out to be his successor. 

as if on cue, you could see the figures of the racers emerging from the port, each headed for their respective cars. you couldn’t help the way your gaze immediately followed the tall, brown haired racer adorned in his white racing jacket, checkers on the side. the crowd erupted into cheers at the sight of the all the racers, one from each color of the rainbow. eren walked with a certain confidence, his adamant determination being one of the only things that followed him from high school. 

though you couldn’t clearly see his face from where you sat, you knew he was smiling. eren had always loved the adrenaline rush before a race. 

“alright ladies and gentlemen, we welcome you to the annual shiganshina fundraiser race!” the reporter boomed over the intercom. sasha squealed in her seat, excitedly gripping your arm and pointing towards your friends. you felt a mix of excited nervousness waft over you, giggling along with her. “today we’ve got racers from all over the circuit, and each one has volunteered their precious time for the cause. can we get a round of applause?” 

the crowd erupted in yet another ear deafening round of applause as the announcer read off the names of each of the racers. you and sasha made sure to scream your loudest when armin, mikasa, and eren’s names were read off. 

you hoped they knew it was you, your throat scratchy as you sat back down. there was no need to be loud for levi; the entire crowd went absolutely feral at the mention of his name. 

the announcer read off the conditions of the race, as well as the reasoning for the fundraiser itself. you and sasha chatted quietly about the after party while the racers put their helmets on and got in their cars. before too long, the announcer was gearing up for the start. 

“alright everyone, we’re about to start. get yourselves ready.” 

you and sasha stood, hollering and cheering for your friends as the cars all lined up. you knew you’d be happy if any of them crossed the finish line first, but it was undeniable that it would be eren. it wasn’t armin or mikasa’s passion like it was eren’s; they viewed it more as as fun hobby. nevertheless, you dreaded how smug eren would be once he added another win to his already growing list. he really was a bastard sometimes. 

“racers ready your cars. 3... 2... 1... go!” 

they were off, levi’s green car easily settling into first place, cruising past the other cars as he whipped around the first curve. you held your breath, eyes scanning the other cars placements. eren was in fourth, armin in fifth, and mikasa in second. sasha yelled sporadically, reaching out and squeezing your wrist tightly. 

as they rounded the circuit for the second time, eren passed the third place racer, coming up behind mikasa’s red car. you held your breath. “c’mon eren...” 

“shit! he passed her!” sasha screeched, jumping up and down. you smiled as he whipped the corner, nearly cutting the edge of the median. 

“levi is still so far ahead,” you commented, trying to pry sasha’s death grip from your wrist. your eyes glanced to the clock, realizing that the race was near its finish. levi was cutting the third corner and eren was quickly gaining on him. 

“looks like it’s gonna be clo-” sasha’s voice was cut off as a large man tripped over the bleacher behind you, effectively shoving you into her side. “shit, the popcorn!” 

you regained your balance, giving the man behind you a dirty glare as you turned to sasha. she frowned at the popcorn that’d been spilled all over the ground. “what a waste!” 

looking back up at the track, the crowd broke into screams of excitement. you expected to see eren’s face on the big screen to the side as confetti streamed through the air, but were surprised to see levi’s unimpressed stare. 

eren lost? 

“you’ve gotta be shitting me,” sasha gaped, her face slack in shock. you shrugged, shaking the feeling of disappointment from your shoulders. serves him right. 

people started to vacate the stands, shoving their way past you as you turned to sasha. “let’s go find connie and jean, sash.” 

she nodded, still frowning. the two of you climbed down the steps, going against the flow of the crowd as you weaseled your way down onto the spectators path. you could see all of the racers shaking hands, congratulating each other. your mind briefly considered whether or not eren was going to be upset, but you decided not to dwell on it. 

you watched as the racers disappeared into the tunnel, eren’s tall figure no longer in view. just then, connie and jean came walking out from the service booth, both wearing their maintenance coveralls. 

sasha wildly waved her arm, grabbing your hand and pulling you through the remaining stragglers towards your friends. 

“hey guys!” she smiled, the boys jogging to meet you halfway. 

“why were you guys in such shit seats?” connie asked, skipping over a greeting. you let out a small laugh at sasha’s expense. she merely shrugged, turning to jean. 

“we going to your place?” you questioned before she had the chance. jean nodded, adjusting the backwards baseball cap on his head. 

“yeah, just gotta wrap some things up, then we can head out,” he replied. you grew happy at the thought of kicking back with your friends, enjoying a nice night of fun. parties at jean and connie’s place were always the best. 

***************

“some race that was,” connie groaned, leaning back and bringing the beer bottle to his lips. so far it was just you, sasha, connie, jean, and a bunch of random drunk people who’d come from the track. sasha scoffed from her spot on the worn, brown couch. 

“you could say that again,” she grumbled. “we didn’t even get to see levi cross the finish line ‘cause some guy rammed into us.” 

jean looked at you from where he leaned against the wall, a bottle in his hand and his eyebrows raised. “wait, for real?” 

“yeah,” you sighed, drinking whatever bitter liquid sasha had poured into your red solo cup. “didn’t even say sorry.” 

“how many times do i have to tell you guys, just come work maintenance with jean-boy and i,” connie suggested, wrapping his arm around sasha’s shoulder and giving a squeeze. she rolled her eyes and shoved him off. “you guys would get to watch the race from the track itself.” 

“i don’t know the first thing about cars,” sasha laughed, you nodding along with her. 

“and you think we do? i just said that so we could get the best seats in the house,” connie snorted, taking another swig of his drink. you chuckled at his idiocy, unfazed by yet another one of their stupid stunts. “where’re the big racers anyway?” 

“they should be here soon,” you responded, glancing out the window. jean was unironically blasting the fast and the furious soundtrack, something he’d done after every race for as long as you’d known him. by now the songs were ingrained in your brain. 

“who wants to bet jaeger is in a pissy mood?” jean snorted as he moved to sit down on the arm of the chair you were planted in. 

“when isn’t he?” you sneered. connie and sasha hummed in agreement. both you and jean loved nothing more than to push eren’s buttons. you knew jean’s motives stemmed from some boyish fun, whereas yours felt a little more personal. 

the sound of clapping began to compete with the music, your neck craning to look past jean into the hallway. eren, armin, and mikasa came into view, people cheering them on and patting them on the back. they each wore their racing jackets over their street clothes. 

you felt a familiar sensation burn in your stomach at the sight of eren. his dark hair was pulled back per usual, wispies framing his tan face. The white jacket stood out against his black t-shirt and black jeans; key necklace he always wore glinting against his chest. as your gaze travelled up from his body, you were startled to make contact with his teal eyes. you quickly glanced away in embarrassment. 

“well, well, well,” jean cheered, raising his bottle to the trio. “how’d it feel to lose to a short, old man, eh jaeger?”

eren scowled, obviously peeved. “if i had to lose to anyone, i’m glad it was levi.” 

connie snorted at that. “man, professional circuit has you soft.” 

“whatever you say, baldie,” eren smirked mischievously as he came to sit down on the couch. connie defensively rubbed his head. “at least i’m making money in prof.” 

“i still can’t believe you have people that actually want to sponsor you,” you snipped, a playful expression on your face. eren lazily looked towards you, the familiar irritation laced in his eyes. 

“i’m sorry, what was that? i wasn’t listening to you,” eren retorted, looking as unbothered as ever. you glared at his words, but caught armin’s disapproving eye and decided to stay quiet. 

as the night carried on, you watched your friends relax and reminisce about previous races and the days spent in the illegal ring. it seemed crazy that your life was so centered around car races, when you weren’t even a racer yourself. but you supposed you were just happy to be supporting your friends.

at some point you got up out of your chair to refill your cup. the large hoards of people had started to dance; the house feeling hot and humid as you shoved your way to the kitchen. luckily the room was empty, save for armin who was drinking water out of the kitchen tap. 

“thirsty?” you asked, amused. his head snapped up, surprised by your voice. it took one look to tell he was absolutely trashed, face red and eyes half lidded. he smiled goofily and nodded his head before stumbling back out into the crowd of people. 

you quickly filled your cup, following the direction armin had gone. as you stepped out of the kitchen, a body came out of nowhere and smacked into you. 

eren jumped back, trying to avoid the liquid that sloshed out of your cup. “hey, watch it!” he hissed. 

“you watch it, casanova,” you snapped, irritated by the sticky alcohol that dripped down your hand. eren’s eyes narrowed at the nickname, his arms defensively crossing his chest. 

“i told you not to call me that,” he bit back, eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. you rolled your eyes, instinctively bringing your hand to your mouth in an attempt to lick the drink off. eren watched you, his gaze clouded with an indiscernible emotion. you knew what you were doing. 

“hm. too bad,” you quipped, dragging your tongue down the side of your hand, popping your pointer finger in your mouth. eren glowered at you as you let out a giggle. “see ya, loser.” 

“whatever, brat,” he huffed, shaking the tension from his pants as you sauntered off into the crowd. he hated the effect you had on him.

you’d already decided not to get shit faced. while the rest of your friends had chosen otherwise, you danced alongside them, your resolve wearing thin much faster than theirs. jean and sasha bounced happily up and down, screaming the lyrics to whatever song it was blasting from the speakers. connie and mikasa were playing beer pong, and you had no clue where armin and eren had gone.

you heaved in a breath as a sharp pain shot through your side, signaling the end of your dancing career for the night. your two dance partners were too far gone to notice, waving goodbye to you as you stepped out of the sweaty crowd. 

slipping your phone out of your pocket, your eyes nearly popped from your head at the time. two thirty?!

only slightly tipsy, you decided to find jean’s room and call it a night. he’d just have to sleep on the couch. with one hand dragging on the wall, you made your way through the house, past armin who was doing body shots with a couple of strangers, up the stairs and down the dark hall. it was quieter up here, but you could still hear the music and knew it’d be awhile till sleep visited you. 

shoving jean’s door open, you were surprised to see none other than eren laid back on the bed, puffs of smoke coming from his mouth. the strong scent of weed hit your nostrils, nose scrunching up in reflex. he propped himself up on one arm upon your entrance, eyeing you. 

“oh, sorry i’ll just- wait a minute,” you paused, narrowing your eyes at him. “you aren’t supposed to be smoking on your sponsorship.” 

eren let out a loud laugh at that, more smoke spilling from his lungs. “thanks, mom. i know.” 

you stood in the doorway, not really sure what to do. “jean’s gonna be mad if his room smells like weed tomorrow.” 

“yeah, why do you think i chose to do it in here?” he leered, bringing the blunt to his lips and deeply inhaling, sharp cheekbones protruding with the action. you sucked in a breath, not wanting to acknowledge just how gorgeous he was. his jacket was off, black shirt tightly gripping his muscular yet slender arms as he propped himself up. he blew the smoke from his nostrils this time, making your face heat. “wanna hit?”  

you sighed, weighing the options. jean’s bed was a lot more comfortable than connie’s. you could just wait till eren was done, and then pass out. “no, but i’ll wait with you till you’re done.” 

“suit yourself, brat,” eren hummed, flopping back down on the bed as you shut the door behind yourself. you came to sit by him, looking down as he heaved in a sober breath. he really is beautiful, you thought. 

your eyes scanned his face. “you really shouldn’t be smoking, you know. you could lose the sponsorship.” 

eren rolled his teal eyes, giving you a side glance. “i’m aware. i’m also aware that you aren’t going to rat on me.” 

“and what makes you so sure?” you asked playfully, your voice low. eren’s gaze shifted to you, placing the blunt between his lips as he sat up, face inches from yours. 

“because. you can act like you hate me all you want,” smoke blew from his lips as he spoke, slowly inching his face closer to yours. you swallowed, eyes struggling to maintain contact with his dark stare. “but i know how badly you want me.” 

you blinked, heart rate accelerating as he glanced at your lips. “speaking from experience?” 

eren’s mouth quirked up in a smirk at your words. “something like that.”

you watched with desire as he brought the bud of the blunt up to his lips, deeply inhaling the toxic smoke. he lifted his free hand, pointer finger gently tracing your jaw as his thumb came up to caress your chin. he tapped softly against your face, as if asking you to open your mouth. 

you weren’t sure what part of you was wanting to submit to his every move. maybe it was the alcohol. or maybe it was the accumulation of sexual tension. something told you it was a deeper itch that needed to be scratched. an itch only eren could reach. 

you parted your lips, eyes fluttering as eren leaned forward and carefully brushed his own against yours, dumping his lungful of smoke into your mouth. you breathed it in, fighting the urge to cough and whine as he pulled away. 

“good girl,” he breathed, leaning away to snuff the bud out on jean’s bedside table. you heaved out as much as you could, shocked by your own willingness. you were mainly surprised by how much you enjoyed whatever that was. 

you stared at him expectantly as he turned back to you, a serious expression on his face. “eren.” 

“yes?” he asked, leaning heavily on his arm, eyes unashamedly focused on your lips. his other hand came up again, lightly ghosting your jawline. you could feel yourself growing wet between your legs; the way eren was fucking you with his eyes sending an unwelcomed throb to your clit. 

acting on impulse, you lurched forward, latching your lips onto eren’s slightly chapped ones. he wasted no time in kissing you back; hungrily pressing himself closer to your body. his lips were warm and tasted like weed and coca cola, his tongue wiggling its way into your mouth where you happily welcomed it. 

you brought your hand up, wanting to run your fingers through his hair, but were stopped when they got caught in the bun. eren grunted, kissing you harder and bringing his own hand up to yank the tie from his locks, letting his soft hair fall to his shoulders. 

your fingers were quick to glide through the brown strands, scratching his scalp in the process. some throaty sound emitted from his chest, the noise making your cunt ache in need. how is he so hot? 

eren’s hands came to your waist, roughly shoving you down onto the bed, so that he hovered above you. your lips continued to meld together, saliva coated mouths wetly intertwined. you removed your hand from his hair, bringing both hands to run down the expanse of his arms that were on either side of your head. you squeezed his biceps, surprised when he suddenly pulled away. 

“is this okay?” he panted, breaths labored. his pupils were dilated, all seriousness behind his gaze. you nodded your head without hesitation, practically begging him to continue. “words.”

“yes, yes. i want this just as much as you do,” you responded. eren smirked from above you, his dark hair swirling around his face as his key dangled in front of your chin. 

“good, because,” he leaned down to your ear, lightly nibbling the lobe as the cold key rested against your throat. “i’m going to punish you for all these years of torture.” 

your eyes widened, the words sending a desirable chill down your spine. “torture?” 

eren’s hot mouth travelled slowly from your ear down the side of your neck, lightly peppering the skin with lustful kisses. his tongue came out as he reached your collarbone, dragging the wet muscle up the front of your throat, leaving a trail of saliva in its wake. a small whimper involuntarily left your mouth as he pulled back, grabbing your chin in his large hand.  

“all of the nicknames,” he pressed a kiss to your lips. “the quips,” and another, your chest tightening. “the stunt you pulled earlier with your hand. oh god. it’s like you were practically begging me to bend you over and teach you a lesson.” 

he pulled back, dark eyes boring into yours. the desire was palpable, your breathing shallow as he stared at you. it was like he was waiting for some silent agreement. 

you held eye contact, tilting your chin back ever so slightly in his grip. “good thing i learn fast.” 

your words flew straight to his cock, throbbing uncomfortably behind his jeans. eren let go of your chin, his lips hungrily reconnecting with yours as his hands pinned your wrists to either side of your head. his tongue was quick to invite itself into your mouth, warm and erotic. 

you wanted to tug on his hair again; wanted to hear his primal groans and feel him vibrate against your mouth, but you were pinned to the bed. desperate to hear eren moan, your teeth grazed his bottom lip, the action making him yank his head back. 

“tsk tsk, none of that,” he growled, wet lips glinting in the low light of the room. “this is your punishment. guess we’re going to have to do something else.” 

you frowned as he let go of your wrists, lifting himself from the bed and standing. you propped yourself up on your elbows, eyes laced with desire as eren swiftly pulled the black shirt over his head, key pendant resting on his newly exposed chest. he was dangerously attractive like this; dark hair disheveled on his shoulders, only adding to the feral stare he was giving you. 

he leaned forward, grabbing your thighs and yanking you to the end of the bed, legs dangling from the side. you watched in awe as he dropped to his knees, fingers coming up to toy with the button of your jean shorts. 

“these little shorts make your ass look so good,” he grumbled, tapping the button. “be good and take them off for me.” 

you wasted no time in lifting your ass off the bed, struggling to yank the denim down your legs without hitting eren in the face. he watched your every movement, licking his lips as you wiggled them off. 

without thinking, your hands gripped the hem of your shirt, pulling it over your head to reveal a black bra. eren’s pupils dilated further at the unexpected sight of your breasts. 

he helped pull the shorts from your ankles, tossing them aside as you sat back down, just in your panties and bra. you paused for a moment, unsure of what he was planning to do. 

“watch me,” he demanded, staring at you through his brows. you nodded your head, breath hitching as he placed an open mouthed kiss to the inside of your thigh, tongue swiping against the smooth skin. 

his eyelashes fluttered as he licked up your leg; just the way he looked at you being enough to have you creaming in your lace panties. your teeth tugged at your bottom lip, the burning in your face mirroring the way your clit throbbed along with your heart beat. 

eren’s tongue trailed until he reached the edge of your underwear, eyes never failing to stay connected with yours. you swallowed as he lifted his head, placing his tongue flatly against your clothed clit. 

it was a warm, muted feeling, your body all too aware of the beautiful man between your legs. eren brought his fingers up, hooking under the fabric and pushing it to the side. 

“so wet for me already,” he hummed, a smile on his face. you blushed in embarrassment, the feeling of his breath on your glistening pool of moisture making you shiver. “’m gonna eat you so good, little bitch.” 

you gasped as eren rapidly brought his face down, burying his head between your legs. the sensation was like no other; a swirling feeling in your stomach as his tongue hungrily swiped against your clit. your hands flew down to his hair, tugging as his lips wrapped around the bud, suckling softly. 

a moan escaped your lips, the sound causing eren to groan out in reply. the vibration of his vocal cords against your center amplifying the pleasure. 

a distinct feeling began to burn in your chest, the sloppiness of eren’s tongue licking up your slick causing your legs to squirm, tightening around his head. “fuck.”

eren pulled back at the pressure against his skull, a smack sounding through the air as he released his suction on your wet cunt. 

“i told you to be good,” he hissed, lips coated in your sheen. you knew the image of eren’s face between your legs, hair disheveled and mouth swollen, eyes dark and lustrous, would be burned into the back of your brain. 

flustered, you nodded your head, spreading your legs so they weren’t pressing against his face. he nodded in content, arms coming up to wrap around your thighs to keep you steady. 

and he was back; eating your pussy like he hadn’t been fed in years, a primal desperation. he pressed his tongue down harder, the cry ripping from your throat at the sensation only egging him on. you struggled against his grip as he abused your clit with his mouth, sucking and tracing his teeth over it so good. 

his tongue slid down to your entrance, shoving itself in without invitation. the fullness wasn’t like having sex; it was a heated, swirling feeling. the wet muscle circled around your spongey walls, your face beginning to burn and hands growing clammy in eren’s hair. 

you threw your head back as his ministrations sped up, your hips attempting to grind into his face. the warmth in the pit of your stomach building like a loaded gun, ready to release itself. 

all it took was the added pressure of his hand wrapping around your thigh so that his thumb could press against your clit, feverishly rubbing. you came crashing down, your eyes screwing shut as the wave of dopamine stretched to every part of your body, legs jerking against his hold. 

eren pulled his head back again, a smile on his wet face as he licked your release from his lips. “tasted so good, so good for me.” 

you breathed out in reply as he came back up above you, gently taking your chin and bringing his mouth down to yours. 

the kiss was small and simple, your eye lids growing heavy. you could taste your bitter release on him, the unfamiliar flavor not completely unpleasant. 

“sleepy?” eren mumbled against your lips, coming back to look at you. you nodded your head, eyes catching on the key that dangled from his neck. “too bad. we aren’t done with your punishment yet.” 

you frowned, your body suddenly more awake than it was before. “huh?” you asked, sitting up as eren shifted to pull his jeans off. 

you weren’t sure what you expected when he yanked both his jeans and boxers down; you guessed you’d always thought his anger issues were compensation for something. the realization dawned on you that eren had nothing to compensate for as his cock sprung from his pants, the sheer size making your mouth water. 

a smirk crossed his face as he stepped from his jeans. “enjoying the view?” 

“what? no,” you scoffed, averting your gaze. eren crawled back over you, his bare length pressing into your stomach as his hands came up to unclasp your bra. 

“don’t be shy, this is your punishment after all,” he whispered, pulling the cups from your chest. his eyes unashamedly scanned your breasts, a smile tugging his lips as he gave them a generous squeeze. 

you tried to ignore the imprint of him on your stomach; but it was nearly impossible. you could feel the spot between your legs grow wet again, arousal already weaseling its way back into your system.

eren brought his lips to yours once again, the kisses much sloppier and desperate than before. he grunted as you shifted to lay back down, his exposed dick rubbing against your stomach. “can’t wait to be inside of you,” he mumbled against your lips. 

you whimpered at his words, his lips melding with your own while he simultaneously tugged your panties down your legs. he propped himself up with one arm, the other positioning the tip of his cock at the entrance of your already throbbing cunt. 

you took a deep breath as he slowly eased himself into you; the sheer stretch making your eyes lull back in your head. eren moved his hips slowly at first, loosening you up. he was watching your expressions; his eyelids heavy and mouth slightly agape. 

“shit, you’re so tight,” he groaned, hips starting to move faster as he gazed down at you. you swallowed, closing your eyes as he sent one particularly hard thrust, cock nearly ramming your cervix. “you good?” 

“mhm,” you responded, bringing your hands up to grab his hair. “just so big.” 

eren let out a breathy chuckle at that, eyes traveling down to your pelvis where his dick was visibly creating a bump with every thrust. he placed his hand on your stomach, pressing down as he bucked his hips violently forwards. he was so deep. 

you cried out at the feeling of his length sliding in and out of your cunt, your walls clenching around him as your hands clawed at his muscular back. 

he was filling you up so good, a moan leaving his lips as your enhanced arousal unexpectedly brought your second orgasm down, tears pricking your eyes. eren kept abusing your pussy, his thrusts growing senseless before he buried himself deep within you, releasing his load inside of your exhausted center. 

both of your breathing was labored, eren looking up at the ceiling. his face was flushed as he recovered, you laying limply beneath him trying to regain your composure yourself. 

“that felt so good,” you admitted, bringing your hand up from his back to caress his angular face. eren frowned at your words, large hand grabbing your wrist and removing it from his jawline. 

“m’not tired yet,” he said seriously, your eyes widening as he placed a chaste kiss to your lips. your fucked out face beneath him had his dick already hardening again. “m’not gonna be tired till i win.” 

he suddenly pulled up, hooking his hands under your knees and pushing your legs up by your head. the action strained your muscles, the feeling of eren’s cum dripping down your ass filling your head as he readied himself to fuck you senseless. 

he stared at your cunt; at the way his cum was oozing out of it, the abused pussy ready to take him in again. he used his fingers to catch the drip, forcing it back inside of you. the thought of filling you up all nice and pretty sent him over the edge, his hand shamelessly guiding his cock back inside of you.

eren was meaner this time; each thrust was deep and deliberate, hitting your cervix and making you cry out in pleasure. the burning sensation in your clit was overwhelming, your mouth hanging open as eren slowly fucked you stupid. 

“good, pretty girl” eren breathed out, ramming his hips into yours. “took her punishment like such a good girl.” 

you tried to nod your head, but you couldn’t move. the feeling of hot, sticky tears rolled down your face, eren’s cock deep within you almost too much to bear. he grabbed your chin, tongue swiping up your cheek as he savored the salty flavor on his tastebuds. this man and his licking. 

“tell me, did you learn your lesson?” eren grunted in your ear, hand still gripping your chin. you tried to form a sentence, fucked beyond words. “hm, use your words and i’ll let you cum.” 

one more deep thrust and his dick stopped its strokes, pausing within you. “yes... yes.” 

“yes what?” 

your tongue was heavy in your mouth, pussy all too aware of eren’s length within it. “i learned my lesson, you won.” 

he smirked, aggressively bucking his hips into your weak cunt, the action making you cry out as he rammed your cervix. the tears continued to roll down your cheeks as eren’s dick twitched, spurting the his seed into you. your third release followed his, your clit spasming from the overstimulation. 

eren heaved himself out of you, collapsing deftly onto the bed. the two of you sat in a heated silence, your face sticky from the tears. eren glanced to you, eyes trailing down your body. 

“i’ll get a rag,” he mumbled, shoving off the bed and walking into jean’s bathroom. you were beyond exhausted and knew that you’d be sore tomorrow. eren reemerged, quickly cleaning you up and handing you your shirt. 

your eyes lazily watched him as he walked over and locked the door; brain too tired to form a sentence. 

he must’ve noticed your concern. “we can sleep in here tonight; i don’t think you’re in any shape to move.” 

you carefully crawled into the sheets, not even bothering to put your shirt back on. eren followed suit, climbing in behind you. 

“night,” he whispered as he shut the bedside light off. your lids were growing heavy, a smile on your lips as you began to fall asleep. 

“night, casanova.” 

<3 <3 <3 

[intheticklecloset]

Get Some Sleep (My Hero Academia)

Primary Universe

@ghostlyshylee​ It took me a while to figure out how to make this happen, but I think I landed on a pretty solid idea! All Might’s quite the motivator when he needs to be. Hope you enjoy! :D

~

“Young Midoriya,” All Might said, reaching out a hand to stop Deku in his tracks. They’d happened upon each other while walking through the halls and had greeted each other normally, but something seemed off about the boy today. Now that he was stopped and getting a better look at him, he realized what it was. “Are you getting enough sleep?”

There were dark circles under Deku’s eyes, and he seemed a little more sluggish than usual.

“Yes!” Deku replied. He was just as enthusiastic and sincere as ever; nothing in his tone of voice suggested he was lying.

All Might frowned, unconvinced, but nodded. “Okay. As long as you’re sure.” He stepped back out of the way. “I’ll see you later.”

“Sure thing!” With that, Deku hurried past him and on to his destination.

All Might went on his way, too, concerned but ultimately shrugging it off. If the boy says he’s sleeping well enough, I have no reason to doubt him. He seemed mostly normal aside from those circles under his eyes. Maybe I was just imagining things.

But after that day, every time All Might saw his successor it was the same thing, only appearing to get progressively worse. The dark circles and sluggish movements became delayed response time, which became struggling in class, which became staying up late to catch up on his work, and the cycle continued. The retired pro hero knew if he didn’t put a stop to it now, it would only snowball into a mountain the boy simply could not climb at his current skill level.

So one Friday afternoon, he called Deku into the teacher’s lounge for a meeting with him after class.

“Hi, All Might,” his student greeted brightly as he stepped inside, set down his bag, and sat on the couch across from him, as per usual. “You wanted to see me?”

“Yes.” All Might frowned, acting very serious – as serious as if he was about to reveal some new information about the League of Villains. He leaned forward in his seat and looked directly into Deku’s eyes. “Are you getting enough sleep?”

Deku blinked, surprised. He suddenly seemed nervous. “Yes,” he replied, though he didn’t sound sure. He also averted his gaze. “Didn’t you ask me that the other day?”

“Look me in the eye, young Midoriya,” All Might said, “and tell me you’re getting enough sleep.”

Deku looked him in the eye, but that was as far as he got. “I…I’m getting…sleep…”

“How much?”

“I don’t know…” Deku averted his eyes again. “Six or seven hours?”

“Look me in the eye and tell me that.”

Again, that was as far as his student got. He held out for five seconds before sighing heavily and admitting, “Okay, more like four or five.”

“Every night?”

“Yeah.”

“For how long?”

Deku’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “Two weeks.”

“Midoriya, that is not acceptable.”

“I’m sorry, All Might. It’s just that I’m trying really hard to keep up with the others both in training and academics, and by the time I’m done I don’t have enough hours left to sleep, so I just…work with what I have.”

“This problem,” All Might said, “needs to be fixed. Starting right now. What can we do to help you get the sleep you need? Where are you struggling?”

Deku finally looked at him again. “I’m not really struggling anywhere. It’s just that I don’t have time. Between personal training with you, classes, homework, field work, special classes, internships—”

“You have far too much on your plate, and when it’s all over you just don’t have time left to sleep well.”

“Exactly.”

All Might nodded, considering. “Okay. Here’s what we’re going to do. Starting on Monday, we’ll cut our personal training time in half so you can get an extra hour that way. I’ll talk to Aizawa about some of the other things.”

Deku’s eyes widened. “I don’t want to stop training—”

“We’re not going to stop. Just going to take it easy for a while.” All Might’s gaze softened. “Midoriya, you’re an incredible hero in training. But you’re still just a kid. You need to get the right amount of sleep or you’re going to fall behind no matter how hard you work. I know you’re smart enough to understand that.”

Deku sighed. “Yeah, I know.”

“Don’t beat yourself up over it. You’ll have the rest of your life to be sleep deprived as a pro hero. But for now, as long as you’re a student – my student – you will get the amount of sleep you need to learn well. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. One more thing.” All Might got to his feet. “For this weekend, we won’t train at all.”

“What?!” Deku exclaimed.

“Do I really have to explain myself again?”

“N-No, but I can still train, even if we don’t do as much of it.”

“Trust me.” The pro hero sat beside his student on the opposite couch, putting an arm around his shoulders. “No alarms tomorrow. Sleep in. Rest. Catch up on your homework during the day and then sleep in again on Sunday. We’ll start our training an hour later on Monday. Okay?”

Part of Deku was upset that he’d allowed his fatigue to take him this far, but on the other hand, he was incredibly grateful to All Might for helping him find a solution. “Yeah. All right.”

“I’m sorry it took me this long to notice something was off about you.” The teacher shook his head. “Two weeks...”

“It’s okay. I knew I was tired, but I didn’t want anyone to worry, so I didn’t say anything. It’s not your fault.”

“Next time you’re feeling overwhelmed in any capacity, tell me.” All Might poked his side. “Understand?”

Deku squeaked. “Y-Yes, I understand.”

All of a sudden, All Might remembered. A while ago the students of Class 1-A had had a rescue mission training day as part of their gym class, during which Midoriya had been on the villains’ side. All Might had wondered how his protégé would handle being a bad guy for once, even if it was only for practice, so he’d watched him carefully throughout the training. At one point Kaminari had found him, and within minutes of their meeting each other on the field, Deku had been completely subdued by the electric hero.

All Might had spoken to Kaminari about it afterward and learned that – apparently – the boy was incredibly ticklish, and the whole class knew it. It wasn’t the most conventional or preferred method to subdue a villain, but it had worked in the moment, so All Might had let it go.

But now…

“Say, Midoriya, why don’t I help you get a head start on tonight’s rest?” he teased, abandoning any kind of subtlety in favor of grabbing onto Deku’s ribs and digging in. He grinned when the boy squealed and began to giggle hysterically, squirming in his strong grip.

“Nohohohohoho, All Mihihihihihihight!” Deku cried, pushing at his teacher’s hands, blushing furiously. “Dohohohohohohon’t!”

“I have it on good authority that you’re used to this kind of treatment from your classmates,” All Might said, chuckling a little. “It certainly seemed to tire you out during your rescue mission training.”

Deku let out a sound that was something between a yelp and a whine. “Yohohohohohou saw thahahahahahat?!”

“Of course. I’m one of your teachers, after all.”

“Agh! Thahahahahaht’s so embahahahaharrassing!”

“Why?” All Might suddenly pulled Deku in for a bear hug, the boy’s back against his chest, and wrapped his arms around him to trap him in place, digging his fingers into his ribs even deeper. “I thought it was rather endearing.”

“Nahahahahahahahahahahaha!” Deku shrieked with unstoppable giggles, squirming and kicking helplessly. “Buhuhuhuhuhuhuhut he complehehehehehetely dohohohohominated me out thehehehere!”

“Perhaps, but he also was creative in his methods of stopping your progress while not physically harming you. The rest of your classmates engaged in actual combat once you were down, but Kaminari knew tickling was the perfect way to subdue you while not actually hurting you. Both of you left the training grounds uninjured that day, if you’ll recall.”

“Buhuhuhuhuhuhut--!”

“No buts,” All Might said firmly. “No more protests, no more analyzing. All I’m trying to do right now is help wear you out a little more so you sleep well tonight.” The pro moved a hand down to squeeze experimentally at a hip, which he recalled having been the spot that got Deku to the ground during that mission in the first place. Deku let out a loud squeal and started thrashing in his arms. All Might laughed. “Besides, we almost never get to have fun together, do we? It’s a nice change of pace.”

“ALL MIHIHIHGHT!!” Deku shrieked, grabbing desperately at his teacher’s hand on his hip. “NOT THEHEHEHEHERE, PLEASE!!” In response, All Might grabbed both of his hips and started tickling, making the boy laugh and flail so hard he toppled off the couch. The pro followed him down. “NONONONO PLEHEHEHEHEASE NOT THEHEHEHEHERE!! ALL MIGHT!!”

All Might was easily able to pin Deku to the floor, his fingers flying across his torso at top speed, tickling every spot he could find until his student was a giggling, squirming, blushing mess on the floor. Surprisingly, as soon as All Might’s focus left his hips, Deku’s begging ceased as well. The hero scribbled in his underarms, spidered over his ribs and sides, and clawed at his stomach, and all the while the boy simply lay there and giggled and let it happen.

Then he moved back to the hips, and all of that changed.

“NOHOHOHOHOHO!!” Deku screamed, tossing his head back and laughing loudly, fighting back for real now. “NOHOHOHOHOHO, PLEHEHEHEHEASE, I CAHAHAHAHAN’T TAHAHAKE IT THEHEHEHEHEHERE!! ALL MIGHT!!”

“You didn’t seem to have a problem with me tickling you everywhere else,” All Might observed, grinning at the hysterics he was causing in his young student. “But this must be a bad spot, huh?”

“IT’S THE WOHOHOHOHOHORST!!” Deku cried, his laughter starting to sound hoarse now. “PLEASE, ALL MIHIHIHHIHIHIHIGHT!! DOHOHOHOHOHON’T TIHIHIHIHICKLE ME THEHEHEHEHEHERE!!”

All Might couldn’t help but smirk. “Are you going to let yourself sleep in tomorrow?”

“YEHEHEHEHEHES!!”

“No alarms?”

“NOHOHOHOHO ALARMS!! PLEHEHEHEHEHEASE!!”

“And you’ll do the same on Sunday?”

Deku shrieked. He knew his teacher was just messing with him now, and it made him feel both incredibly flustered and extremely cared for at the same time. He started pounding the floor, trying to tap out. “YEHEHEHEHEHES I’LL GEHEHEHEHET ENOUGH SLEHEHEHEHEHEEP!! I’LL SLEHEHEHEHEHEEP FOR HOHOHOHOHOHOURS!! DAHAHAHAHAHAYS, EVEN!! I PROHOHOHOMISE!! JUST PLEHEHEHEHEASE STAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!!”

Finally, All Might stopped tickling and let Deku catch his breath. He couldn’t help but smile at how red-faced and teary-eyed the boy was now, though his student didn’t seem to mind at all. In fact, as soon as he was able to sit up, he beamed at his teacher.

“T-Thanks…All Might…” he said between breaths. “I really…needed that…today…”

“I agree.” All Might reached forward and hugged him. “Take better care of yourself, young Midoriya. Please. I don’t want to have to worry about you more than is standard in our line of work.”

Deku hugged him back. “You’re right. I’ll do better, I promise.”

“Good.” The pro hero pulled away, grinned, and ruffled Deku’s hair. “Sleep well tonight, Izuku.”

Grinning, the hero in training nodded. “I definitely will.”

[eastofthemoon]

Never thought I would write Lego Monkie King fic, but here we are.

Title: Did I Forget To Mention

Rating: G

Characters: Monkey King, MK and Pigsy

Summary: Monkey King was certain he knew all about MK. However, after a visit he suddenly realizes how little he does know his successor.

Archive of Our Own

Wukong flew across the sky in his bird form. He hadn’t planned on training the kid until tomorrow, but the weather was just too perfect to waste.

Besides, it was either that or house clean and he wasn’t in the mood for it. It could wait another week or two.

Wukong gave a small twirl in the air as he flapped his wings and soon landed on top of the sign.

He spotted MK walking out with Pigsy close behind. Wukong wanted to swoop down and surprise tackle the kid, but paused. MK wasn’t in his regular set of clothes. They were strangely a lot nicer than normal and he was even straightening a tie?

Wukong tilted his bird head in confusion. He didn’t even know the kid had nice clothes. Where was he going that he had to dress so formally?

Curious, Wukong stayed in his bird form and flew a little closer, but made certain to stay out of sight.

“I shouldn’t be long, Pigsy,” MK said as he put a bag in his delivery cart. “I’ll be back by the lunch rush-”

“Kid, it’s fine,” Pigsy said as he patted the kid’s shoulder. “Sandy says he got you covered, just try to be back by the dinner and we’re good.”

He’s oddly flexible today, Wukong thought. Pigsy always got so cranky when he was dragging MK off to do some training.

MK sighed, but gave a smile. “Okay, thanks, Pigsy.”

Pigsy waved a hand. “Don’t mention it.” He then rubbed his neck and passed MK a small box. “Oh and uh, here I made some egg tarts for your folks.”

Wukong frowned. Folks? Did he mean MK’s parents?

MK’s eyes widened happily. “Really? Wow, thanks, Pigsy! That saves me having to stop by the bakery.” The kid carefully tucked the box into the bag and climbed into the car. “Alright, I’ll see you later.”

“Stay safe,” Pigsy said with a wave before venturing inside his restaurant.

Wukong quietly watched MK drive away.

MK had never mentioned his parents to Wukong before. He talked about Mei, Sandy, Pigsy and Tang, and sometimes even mentioned an aunt of his, but never his parents. Wukong knew he lived by himself, but he never thought too hard about it. Granted it was odd the kid was making such a big fuss over seeing his parents.

Were they super strict or something? Was that why he didn’t leave with them?

Wukong probably should have gone back to the Flower Fruit Mountain, but he found himself flying after MK’s cart. The lack of information was going to nag him until he knew.

It didn’t take long for Wukong to get his answer when MK climbed out of the delivery car and ventured into a graveyard.

Wukong felt his heart stop as he watched MK carefully carry the bag and walked until he reached a pair of tombstones.

MK gave a small smile. “Hi Mom, hi Dad.”

Wukong landed on a nearby tree, but kept his distance.

MK silently cleaned the tombs. He then placed the flowers along with the egg tarts and burned some incense before kneeling.

“I bet you guys are worried about me,” he rubbed his neck. “It’s been a year, but don’t worry. I have a great mentor in the Monkey King and all of my friends got my back. I’ll be okay.”

He then folded his hands to pray and then rose up once he was finished. MK gave one more smile at the tombstones before picking up his now empty bag and left.

Wukong waited until MK got to his delivery car and drove away. He shifted back into his true form as he landed in front of the tombstone.

Quietly, he gave a bow and lingered for a moment before turning back to his bird form and flew away.

No training today. There was a lot he had to think about.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wukong returned to Flower Fruit Mountain until it was close to evening. He took flight as a bird again and headed to Pigsy’s restaurant. He waited until the shop closed and Wukong watched MK and Tang head home.

He snuck through an opened window, reverted to his true form when he landed and entered the kitchen. Pigsy was in the middle of washing dishes.

Wukong cleared his throat. “Hey Pigsy, I-”

He briefly regretted it as Pigsy yelped, spun around with a wet frying pan in hand ready to attack. Wukong prepared to dodge, but Pigsy froze upon seeing him and blinked.

“MONKEY KING?!”! He cried and cursed before shaking the wet frying pan in his face. “Geez, didn’t anyone ever tell you to not sneak up on people?!”

“Sorry,” Wukong said as he held up his hands. “Didn’t realize this was how you greeted paterons?!”

“It is when people sneak in here after I locked up the place when it’s supposed to be empty,” Pigsy snapped.

Wukong raised an eyebrow and gestured to the window. “Not completely locked up. You missed a window.”

Pigsy frowned, glanced to where he pointed and grumbled. “The one time I forget-” He shook his head. “Wait, nevermind that! What do you want? I doubt it’s about testing my security.”

Wukong’s eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms. “I needed to discuss something about MK and you seemed like the best person to ask.”

Pigsy’s eyes widened. “The kid? Is he okay?”

“He’s fine,” Wukong said quickly and rubbed his neck. “But...I didn’t realize his parents were dead.”

The small panic left Pigsy’s face before the cook turned back to scrubbing his pan. “He told you?”

“Not exactly,” Wukong said. “I spotted him this morning and followed him.”

Pigsy raised an eyebrow at him. “So you saw him visiting his parents' graves?”

“Yeah,” Wukong said slowly. “When..did they die? Was it recent?”

“No, years ago,” Pigsy said as he rinsed the frying pan. “He was little at the time. MK admitted to me he doesn’t remember them much.”

“I see,” Wukong replied. “So, who raised him?”

“His aunt took him in,” Pigsy continued as he set the frying pan aside and tackled a bowl. “Known her for years, nice lady. Bit of an airhead sometimes, but she does love MK.”

“But he’s not living with her now, right?” Wukong asked. “I was under the impression he lived by himself.”

Wukong knew the laws enough to know that legally MK was just old enough to be living on his own. It wasn’t common, but it did happen. He never gave much thought as to why in MK’s case.

“He does,” Pigsy replied. “Not long ago MK’s aunt got offered her dream job that requires a lot of traveling. She was reluctant to take it because of how it might affect MK.”

Wukong raised an eyebrow. “So, she didn’t?”

“No, she did,” Pigsy said as he looked up. “She never told MK about the job offer, but he accidently found out about it. So he decided suddenly that he was old enough to move out and take care of himself.”

He huffed. “Although what he defines as ‘caring for himself’ is up for debate, but I digress. MK moved out and his aunt took the job while making sure to send MK rent money to help out. She sends him a postcard about twice a month.”

Wukong frowned. He did recall MK flashing a postcard in his face a few times, but Wukong would often try to redirect the kid towards their lesson for the day.

Pigsy glanced over his shoulder as he pointed a finger at Wukong. “Now, my question is, why are you asking me all of this and not MK?”

“How could I?” Wukong said as he said on the floor and leaned against the wall. “The kid never told me any of this. He must have had his reasons for not wanting me to know.”

It bothered him. Wukong wasn’t fully sure he understood why, but it did. He was MK’s mentor. This was stuff he felt like he should now, right?

“I thought we had a good relationship,” Wukong continued. “This is a big detail to not tell someone. How could-”

Suddenly, something hard struck the top of his head.

Wukong yelped as he looked up and saw the culprit was the frying pan in Pigsy’s hands.

“OW!” Wukong rubbed his head as he growled. “That hurt-”

“Oh, please,” Pigsy snapped. “I know it takes way more than a frying pan to actually hurt you.”

Wukong glared. That might be true, but it still stung. “But what was that for-”

“Because for someone who is immortal you’re not too bright!” Pigsy set down the frying pan. “MK never told you because he didn’t want you to know! The kid just never thought of it!”

Wukong blinked. “What?”

Pigsy sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Look, it’s hard to explain, but when someone you know dies after a while you just naturally forget who knows and who doesn’t.” He tossed his hands up in the air. “It probably just didn’t occur to him to bring it up.”

Wukong raised an eyebrow. He couldn’t help, but wonder if Pigsy was speaking from personal experience.

The Monkey King gave a sigh as he rubbed his neck. “Okay, fine, but we’ve known each other for close to a year now? How could he not think of bringing it up?”

“How would he?” Pigsy retorted. “What do you expect him to do?” He gave a fake grin and waved. “Hiya Monkey King! How’s your day going? Oh, by the way my parents are dead!”

Wukong cringed and pointed back. “Okay, first of all, NEVER smile like that again it’s creepy and second,” he frowned, “I get what you’re saying but still…”

Pigsy’s eyes narrowed. “Let me put it this way, when the two of you have ‘talked’ has it been about MK himself or has it been all about you and his training?”

Wukon raised, but then dropped his arm in thought. MK did mention his friends, but it was usually just some side note before Wukong changed the subject or he recalled a detail from his own adventures.

Wukong didn’t reply, but the silence seemed to be more than enough of an answer for Pigsy.

“That’s what I thought,” Pigsy said as he returned to the dishes in the sink. “I’m just an outsider here, but it seems to me that MK knows a lot more about you than you do about him.”

Wukong’s tail twitched in thought. After a long moment he gave himself a deep sigh. “You’re right.” He shook his head. That was the downside of being immortal. It was a lot easier to forget the world doesn’t revolve around you.

“I need to fix this,” Wukong said aloud. He wasn’t sure if he was saying it to Pigsy or to himself.

Pigsy snorted. “First smart thing you said since you got here.”

Wukong gave a small smile. “Thanks, Pigsy.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Pigsy said as he glared. “Just try to avoid giving me any more future heart attacks.”

“No promises,” as Wukong turned to leave. “Unless you are willing to offer me free noodles?”

Pigsy picked up the frying pan. “Do you want another whack?”

Wukong held up his hands. “Nah, I’m good. See you around.”

He heard Pigsy give another disgruntled snort as he turned into a bird and flew off. As Wukong headed home, plans began to form in his head. He would find a way to fix this.

----------------------------------------------------------

The next day, MK arrived at Flower Fruit Mountain. He was a bit earlier than Wukong expected, but it wouldn’t disrupt his plans.

“Heya, Bud,” Wukong greeted from his seat on his cloud. “Bit early today?”

MK huffed as he ran up. “Pigsy said I could have the morning off, so I thought it would be good if I came earlier.”

“Did he?” Wukong replied and gave a smirk. I wonder if he did that for me, but I won’t question it if he did.

MK swung his staff. “So, what are we focussing on today? Defence? Strike attacks? How to hang upside down without throwing up?”

“None,” Wukong said as he landed and brought out the book he’d been hiding. “Thought we try some of this?”

MK’s eyes lit up. “What is it? An ancient book of spells?! Secret techniques?!”

Wukong laughed as he tossed it to him. “Take a look.”

MK caught it, and suddenly the excitement on his face turned to confusion. “A...cookbook?”

Wukong crossed his arms as his tail twitched. “Yeah, I thought it was time to try something different. Never hurts to take it easy every once in a while, right?”

MK gave a thoughtful frown as he flipped through the pages.

Wukong rubbed his neck. “Something wrong, Bud?””

Did MK not like the idea?

“Oh, it’s nothing,” MK said hastily and laughed as he gave a nervous smile. “I just didn’t think that you cooked anything.”

Wukong raised an eyebrow. “What? Did you think I ate nothing but peaches and peach chips?”

“Um...kind of?” MK muttered with a sheepish grin.

Wukong raised a hand, but then lowered it. It was his favorite snack so he couldn’t blame the kid. He shook his head.

“Anyway,” Wukong said as he wrapped an arm around MK’s shoulder. “Why don’t we try one of these recipes?”

“I’m not a great cook,” MK said, but then gave a small laugh. “Although, I’m a lot better than my Aunt Ling.”

“Oh, yeah?” Wukong asked as they headed to his house.

MK laughed. “Yeah, she once tried to make dumplings and we nearly set the kitchen on the fire.” The boy laughed at the memory. “Granted, if she wasn’t such a bad cook I wouldn’t have met Mei.”

“Oh, really?” Wukong said as they entered the house. “Why don’t you tell me all about it while we cook.”

MK’s face brightened as he told the story and Wukong didn’t interrupt him. In the end, the food they made wasn’t great, but it was worth it for the stories MK shared. It was a small step, but it was one in the right direction.

[themonotonysyndrome]

Chaos Horizon

Part 6 of the ‘Successors of the Future’ is out! Man, next week is already the new year... what a year this has been! Anyway, I don’t have a lot of things to say today so let’s get right to it! Oh, and have a happy holiday everyone!! 

Let us never forget that this whole series begin because of the amazing @tri3tri and her equally amazing fics and galaxy brain. If you haven’t check out her blog yet, then please do! I’m such a sucker for family drama and yandere characters and her blog continues to feed me whenever work stresses me out. 

-

A year has passed in Twisted Wonderland. More importantly, for the students in Night Raven College. 

Renata has learned quite a few important things just this one, short year. Yes, she needed allies for the time when her father finally discover her presence here in Night Raven College, but she never expected to honestly care and dare she admits it, love Hoyle and Rex. 

They were nothing like the friends she made in her old school back at the other world. She noticed their true personalities underneath the surface with each passing days. Underneath his sarcasm, gung-ho attitude and sly tongue, Hoyle Trappola is someone who cares deeply for those who managed to see through him; see past his defences. Renata felt blessed to be his close friend after a night the three of them shared in her bedroom, just playing games and watching movies on his laptop. In a rare window of honestly after Renata explains about her family life and circumstances, Hoyle repaid her honesty by admitting that he wish that he could be a better son to his Dad. Being a single father is tough and despite doing his best to shield him from the hardships and struggles, Hoyle overheard one night when his Dad is talking to his grandparents on the phone. How they urged him to consider marrying a woman so he could have someone to support him and Hoyle in the house. 

This was when he was still a child.

Renata didn’t offer sweet, comforting words. She knows that all Hoyle wanted was to vent, so he let him talk while tucking her head on his shoulder and pressed close to his side. She listens because that was Hoyle needed. 

Rex is the total opposite of Hoyle, yet just as bright and amazing in his own way. Underneath his serious demeanours, resting bitch face and volatile impulses, Rex Spade is actually an insightful and gentle-hearted boy who looks out for Renata and Hoyle even when it’s unwarranted. Though it’s quite easy for them to persuade him to join in their shenanigans with a few teasing words and in Hoyle’s case, a challenge. 

Never had Renata enjoyed her school life with friends like these! 

The other important thing - or realisation - that Renata discovered is that her Mama’s friends always kept her in their thoughts. 

Though Hoyle’s Dad gobsmacked expression when he brought her to his home for Winter’s Break was, uh, an experience. To put it very mildly. 

Renata originally planned to return home via the same spell that Headmaster Crowley used all those years ago to send Mama and her siblings back to her world during Winter’s Break. But while Hoyle, Rex and her were hanging out and playing cards in Heartslabyul’s main lounge, Hoyle brought up in mid conversation that his Dad offered their home to stay if she had no way to go during the holiday. 

“You’ve been talking about me to your Dad?” Renata had asked, folding her cards on the table. It sucks to learned that she’s terrible at poker and she pouts whenever Hoyle snickered at another bad hand on her. “Or have you been complaining about me?” 

Beside him, Rex stares down at the cards in his hands, hard. As if they hold the answers to the universe. Around them, the other Heartslabyul students gave their table a wide berth, though there were a few brave souls that greeted Renata when they came over to tease Hoyle. 

Renata happily introduces herself to them as a show of appreciation. 

“A bit of both. Mostly complaining when we had to clean the Hall of Mirrors.” Hoyle easily admits without a shame. He gathered all their cards into a deck and shuffled them. “Anyway, you down? My Dad seems to know your Mum so he offered our place to stay if you don’t have any plans.” 

Ace trappola, one of Mama’s best friend that she mentioned before. Renata would like to see just what kind of man he is. 

With a nod, Renata reply, “If it’s no trouble then, yeah. I’d like to hang out at your place for Winter’s Break. I’ve never been to the Rose Kingdom before.” 

And we’re now back to the present - where Renata and Ace are hanging out at his home; both waiting for Rex to show up with his Dad. 

It’s the last day before they had to returned to Night Raven College. 

“Have you met Rex’s Dad before, Hoyle?.” Renata asked, her eyes glued to the TV as she munches her bowl of cereals. They could hear his Dad walking about upstairs. 

“Have I met him before? Dude, he’s my godfather.” Hoyle scoffed, scarfing down the last bits of his own cereal before placing the empty bowl on the coffee table in front of them. A simple breakfast while watching the morning cartoons are the best. “Rex got his stick-up-the-ass attitude from his Dad.” 

“Ah. So he’s super strict?” Renata guessed. 

“More like serious, but he’s actually silly.” Hoyle amended. “He and my old man love to argue literally about anything and everything. They’re weird like that.” 

Renata just hums. She’ll get to meet him soon enough. Upstairs, his dad hollered at him to clean up so they could go out as soon as the Spade arrives. While the Trappola are getting ready, Renata gathered the dirty dishes from their breakfast and went to the kitchen to wash them. 

Mama always told her to be on her best behaviour if she’s under someone else’s house. 

Just as she puts the last bowl away, she heard heavy footsteps - heavier than Hoyle’s - coming from behind. 

“You really didn’t have to clean the dishes, you know. Usually Hoyle does it before we go out every Sunday.” Said Ace, leaning against the wall. 

“It’s not trouble at all, Mr. Trappola.” Renata assured him. She dry her arms by blowing hot air onto them before turning around to face her Mama’s best friend. “It’s nice that you finally look at me, instead of my horns.” 

“A-Ah, you noticed that?” Ace stammers, abashed that he wasn’t as subtle as he thought. 

“It’s cool, Mr. Trappola. I get that a lot at school too.” Renata admits easily. She’s gotten annoyed at him tip-toeing around ever since Hoyle introduces her. It was obvious that he has questions; it just that he doesn’t know how to ask them. 

Scrambling to salvage the situations, Ace took a moment to exhale harshly before he decides to be his honest self. “It was rude of me, yeah? We all didn’t know what to think when your mother just... disappeared one day and then suddenly, my kid brought back her own kid who just so happen to look like the King of the Valley of Thorns...” He trailed off and then he regards Renata with a severe expression. “What happened your mother, Renata-chan?” 

“It’s a long story, Mr. Trappola.” Renata said instead, smiling ruefully. “And I don’t want to ruin our day. Can I tell you and everyone what happened to Mama and us later tonight?” 

“Sure, kiddo... Is it alright for me to called you that?” 

“Mm-hmm! So what are we doing today, Me. Trappola?” 

It was nice to see the ice chip away from Ace little by little, now that the man sees past her appearance. While waiting for the Spade to arrive, Renata had a lot of fun chatting and laughing with Hoyle and his Dad, now that there’s no awkwardness lingering between them. Ace didn’t waste any time telling the teenagers all the trouble her Mama and him got into at Night Raven College and hearing the life that Mama had before Father kidnapped her was a blessing to hear. 

Judging from Ace’s story, it sounded like her Mama had a lot of people who truly loves her. It’s good to hear it. 

The buzzing of the doorbell interrupted Ace mid ranting how it was Deuce who often got them all in trouble - not him! - and MC never seem to realised that and no one back him up. His reminiscent were put on hold when Hoyle went up to usher the Spades in. 

Deuce Spade immediately blanked out, mouth slack-jawed the moment Renata waves hello to him. He looks as if he just saw a ghost. 

“Yeah, I know how it looks like.” Ace interjects when Deuce couldn’t stop spluttering and stammering, his eyes kept switching to Ace and then at Renata...and then back to his best friend. Ace just clap his shoulders in a comforting manner. Meanwhile, Rex ducked underneath the two men to scurried over where Hoyle and Ace are seated. He squeezes himself in between them to show them the new café that just open up in the Rose Kingdom through his phone. 

Once Ace managed to stressed out to Deuce that Renata will explain hers and MC’s story later in the evening, they all head out to town. 

“You said that you’ve never been to the Rose Kingdom before, Renata?” Rex asked out loud for the others’ benefit. The town nearby to the Trappola house is bustling with life today. “Then there’s so many things you gotta check out! Do you like desserts? What kind of desserts do you like? Have you ever tried ice-cream cake before?” 

“Easy there, Rex. You’re going to overwhelm the poor girl.” Deuce lightly scolded his son. His eyes linger a little too long at Renata before he caught himself and jerk away. “A-Anyway, how about we all walk around first and see what catches Renata-chan’s attention.” 

“Sounds like a plan, Mr. Spade!” Renata internally wondered if all of Mama’s friends would react this way when she introduces herself to them. 

That entire day, the Spade and Trappola played the perfect hosts to her. As they brought her to one shops after the other, chill out at the park after lunch and regale how the Queen of Hearts used to govern her kingdom, Renata found herself comparing the Country of Thorns to the Rose Kingdoms with every little things that she saw. Everything is so bright and... open here. The sun is shining down on them and everywhere they go, humans occupied the land but Renata did notice a few beastmen going about with their lives. It was nice to truly witness the world outside of Night Raven College and the Valley of Thorns. 

Hoyle and Rex made sure they kept close to Renata, shielding her with their bodies when strangers stare at her a little too long for their liking and would usher her into a shop or café to distract her from their curious stares. They weren’t subtle about it, but she is touched that they care about her that much. 

Renata is beginning to understand why Mama always talk so fondly about their Dads. 

After dinner, everyone returned to the Trappola’s house so Renata could finally explain herself. The living room is packed full and it reminded Renata of her siblings and Mama crowding in front of the TV to watch a movie. 

“Did Mama ever told you guys that while she was at Night Raven College, she met Father at night?” 

“Father... so your... Dad... really is...” Ace began, but unsure how to even continue but Renata save him the trouble with a nod. 

“Malleus Draconia. Mama said he’s a pretty big deal during his time at the school, being one of the top 5 strongest Magician in this world and all...” 

Hoyle scoffed. “Understatement, Renata. He’s the strongest Magician in all of Twisted Wonderland now. The number 1.” He explains. 

Well. Renata wonders how her little sister would react to this when she tells her later. 

Renata then continue on with the story. “Mama explained that they were friends and that in the beginning, everything was fine. But in the end, their story completely went off the train tracks.” 

And so, for the rest of the evening, Renata did her best to explain what had happened to Mama as honest as possible. They love Mama and so they deserve the truth. 

She told them everything that Mama had told her and her siblings. Of Mama’s friendship with Malleus Draconia and how what looked like a happy ending turned horribly wrong when her Father was consumed with the horror that one day he would outlive his wife and one and only dear friend. His intense love, possessiveness and obsession with her and their children blinded him to everything else - to the point that he kept their Mama and them in a gilded cage. 

Renata kept her dislike over Bellatrix to herself when she explains how they managed to escape from the castle on the eve of her Father’s second wedding. In the end, it was thanks to Headmaster Crowley that they could live freely in the other world. 

Until the Ebony Carriage came to pick her up and now, here they are.

Renata watches her audience did their best absorb the information overload.

“I never thought...” Ace muttered, distressed. His bit his lower lip, thinking hard. “I never thought that Malleus Draconia had MC all along... what a fucked up situation!” 

Deuce is troubled as well. “Poor Prefect... to think the Malleus Draconia fell in love with her... No wonder we couldn’t find her!” 

Beside him, Rex nods furiously while Hoyle is already growing bored of this conversation. “It sucks, but it sounds like your Mum is pretty badass for a magicless human. I mean, being able to escape from the most powerful Magician ever in Twisted Wonderland? The King of all dark Fae? Kudos to her.” Hoyle interjects. “So, what’s gonna happen now? You said that your Dad is crazy possessive over you guys, so I very much doubt it if he’s not looking for you guys. Even until now.” 

Finally! They’re getting to the good parts. 

And so with a curious smile, Renata asks, “Funny that you mentioned that. Do you guy know what Sebek Zigvolt is up to these days?” 

-

Night Raven College’s Entrance Ceremony is always a big event on this island every year. 

He was one of the main characters last year - of the many that was addressed by the Mirror of Darkness - but as a Second Year student, he’s standing among the rest of the older Savanaclaw students now. Scenting the newly sorted First Year cubs and waiting for the whole thing to wrap up already. 

At the centre of the chamber, the headmaster continues to called out names to step forward and face the Mirror of Darkness. 

Amber Leech, Aeacus Shroud, Felix Felmier... the ceremony goes on. 

“Psst! Bakari!” A voice suddenly whisper. 

Bakari turn his head to the side and there’s Renata with her ceremony robes’ hood up, beaming at him. She’s standing away from her Diasomnia mates, a good space between her and the crowd at the back that no one seems to pay her any attention. 

Bakari slips away from the rest of the Savanaclaw students in favour of walking towards her. 

“How’s the fresh meats?” Was the first thing that Renata asked him.

“Some of them look promising.” Bakari admits. “More predators than preys so far.” 

“Oooh, Savanaclaw’s hierarchy is so harsh.” Renata reply a bit absentmindedly. Bakari notices that her green eyes are scanning the room and the crowds around them. Looking for someone. Something unpleasant churns in his stomach but he resolutely ignores it. “Are you gunning for the Dorm Leader’s position?” She wondered.  

Bakari scoffed, his tail flicking irritably just at the mere thought. Unlike his Dad, he has no lofty ambitions to secure a powerful position for himself. “Savanaclaw is governed by the laws of the strong eating the weak. You have to be the strongest in order to be the Dorm Leader and I have better things to do than watching over my dorm members.” 

Like figuring out how to appease his Dad after he told him to stay away from the lizard bastard’s whelp during Winter’s Break. Regardless of her surname. 

As if he’s going to do that though. He wants to fully unravel the mysteries of Renata MC/S. For the time being, she’s the most interesting creature in Night Raven College. 

“Sounds tough.” Renata murmurs. “Well, it’s a good thing that you don’t want to be a Dorm Leader! Otherwise your workload would take you away from me.” 

Bakari just hums. Already gotten used to her offhanded flirting. 

The two of them watch in the background as the group of First Year students gradually thinned out. The headmaster’s loud voice carried to the back of the chamber. 

“... Sherrie MC/S, please step forward!” 

Murmurs erupted when said student pulled down her hood, a pair of black horns is clear for all to see. 

Bakari glance to his side to see Renata beaming. “You were looking for your sister?” 

“Something like that! It’s so nice when everything is coming together, don’t you think?” Renata chuckles, pleased with herself for some odd reason. It just made Bakari more and more intrigue. 

And the uncomfortable feeling within him vanish just like that. 

“...Octavinelle!” 

The murmurs now turn into confused whispers and fingers are pointing as they all watch Renata’s little sister melded into the crowd of new Octavinelle students. Some of the students nearby even glance behind to stare at Renata and when she cocked an eyebrow at them, they quickly turn away. 

“Octavinelle? Did the Mirror made a mistake?”

“I thought only merfolks are sorted into Octavinelle.” 

“Those horns looks just like her’s. There’s no way she’s a merfolk!”

“Maybe her magic is not as strong to be sorted to Diasomnia?”

The students of Night Raven College sure love to gossip, Renata couldn’t help but internally mused. Even worse than those back in her old school. 

“Guess you’re planning to catch up with her after the ceremony?” Bakari assumed, casting a sideway glance to gauge her expressions. 

“I’ll meet up with her tomorrow, after she settles in for the night.” Renata answered. “There’s no need to rush. We have lots of time to prepare for the future.” 

-

Ok! I think I did ok with this oneshot. Editing, was as usual, a bit tedious but the power of Miku’s songs prevail and I manage to push this through! Hope you guys have a wonderful holiday. 

[plaidbooks]

Hey. Could I please request something fluffy with Sonny? Sonny, reader and their toddler bonding ... honestly i have no plot whatsoever. Lol I just want Daddy!Sonny🥺 thanks💕

Glimpses (A Glimpse of the Future part 5.5)

A/N: I fucking love Papa!Sonny, and I need him. This fic made me want children...but only if Sonny’s the dad/my husband. This is kind of a spiritual successor to A Glimpse of the Future, but can be read as a standalone (I just love the name Rosa for his daughter, okay?). It also covers the Cuddling square in the VDay Bingo. Hope you enjoy, and thank for requesting @amorestevens <3

This is day 1 of the bingo, hurray! I was asked to do fluff instead of angst, but i make no more promises for any other story!

Tags: none, just fluff

Words: 1389

Taglist: @witches-unruly-heart @beccabarba @thatesqcrush @itsjustmyfantasyroom @stardust-fray @permanentlydizzy @infiniteoddball @ben-c-group-therapy @glowingmess @whimsicallymad @lv7867 @storiesofsvu @cycat4077 @barbasimp @alwaysachorusgirl @crowleysqueenofhell @reading--mermaid @averyhotchner @mrsrafaelbarba @detective-giggles

On days he worked, Sonny was lovely, gently waking you before he got in the shower so that you could get up and get some things done in the peace and quiet before your two-year-old awoke. But on his days off, Sonny was a godsend. He took care not to disturb the bed as he got up, letting you get a few extra moments of sleep. The only thing that would awaken you was the smell of coffee, food, and the deep fear that you had overslept. But by the time you’d come padding into the kitchen, Sonny would be just putting the finishing touches on breakfast, serving you as you wrapped your arms around his waist, kissing his cheek. And while you’d eat, he’d get Rosa out of bed, carrying her to the kitchen for milk and her own breakfast. Only then would he feed himself.

Today started out like that, with you happily in love with your husband, watching him wash dishes while sneaking bites of food. Normally, you did the dishes, but he was very particular about his stainless-steel knives, and you’d given up arguing about it. So instead, you fed your daughter, making sure she got more in her mouth than around it.

Since becoming an ADA, Sonny now had weekends almost always off. Almost. Which is why you were taking full advantage of it. It was a beautiful day outside, and you were determined to drag him with you to the park, to let Rosa play on the little play structure there.

“Isn’t she too small for that?” Sonny had asked, wary.

You chuckled—he was “cool Uncle Sonny,” who let the kids do whatever they wanted normally. But Rosa was his one and only child, and he kept her on a pedestal. The first night you had brought her home, Sonny didn’t sleep, instead watching her all night, making sure she was okay. You knew what kind of parent he was going to be when in his sleep-deprived state, he cried about not being able to nurse Rosa.

“She’s fine, babe—I’ve taken her there before. Besides, look at her! She’s got your height,” you replied, gesturing at her. It was true; while Rosa looked like you—besides her bright, blue eyes—she was already big for her age. She was going to be tall when she grew up.

“Y-yeah, but—”

“She’s fine, Dom,” you smiled at him. “I promise.”

 ***********

Once Sonny was able to let her go, he learned that you were right; Rosa was fine on the play structure. Though, she fell once, and you thought Sonny would have a heart attack. You had to grab his arm to stop him from rushing over to her. And when she had sprung back up, laughing and running around again, Sonny had let out a sigh, relaxing next to you.

“You’re going to be the dad that sits in the kindergarten class with her cause you refuse to leave her, aren’t you?” you asked, elbowing his ribs.

“Hey, I worry. My job…” he trailed off, eyes locked on his daughter.

You squeezed his arm. “I know, Dom, I know. But you can’t stifle her, either.”

“I-I know…there was just this case recently…. Never mind; I don’t want to think about it.” Sonny shuddered slightly, and you squeezed his arm again.

As you left the park, you each had one of Rosa’s hands, and she walked in between you two. Sonny would count down from three, and you’d both swing her forward, lifting her off her feet, making her squeal with laughter.  Eventually, she got bored with that, though, squirming out of your hand and going to Sonny.

“Dada, up!” she commanded, and Sonny laughed, lifting her and planting her on the back of his neck, legs dangling on his chest. You grinned at the two of them, heart full.

 ***********

“And this can’t wait until Monday? Or at least tomorrow?” Sonny said angrily into his phone. He was pacing in the kitchen and you were doing dishes, Rosa playing with her toys in the living room, cartoons on. You glanced at him just as he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Fine, I’ll be right there,” Sonny said though gritted teeth before hanging up.

“What’s wrong?” you asked. You had just finished dinner—it was rare for Sonny to be called in this late.

“Liv needs a warrant tonight. I gotta run to the office real quick, then try and find a judge willing to sign off on it on a Saturday night,” he explained, heading out of the kitchen towards the bedroom. There was no time to get into a full suit, so he was opting for a button-up and blazer over his day-off jeans. He tried to be stealthy, to not let Rosa see, but it was too late.

“Dada?” she asked as he headed for the front door. Sonny froze in his tracks, glancing at you for help.

You walked over to Rosa, saying gently, “Daddy has to go to work really quick. He’ll be right back—”

“No!” Rosa said angrily, stomping her foot.

You sighed. “Rosa, we’ve talked about this; Daddy sometimes gets called into work. He has an important job and has to—”

“No! Dada stay!” she reiterated, crossing her arms. Then the tears came, and she wailed loudly.

You looked over at Sonny, who hadn’t moved a muscle; he was normally gone before this. “Why are you still here? Go; hurry back. She’ll calm down,” you tried, but now Sonny had tears in his eyes.

“D-does she do this every time I leave?” he asked softly, his voice barely audible over Rosa’s screams.

“Not every time, but often enough,” you confessed. You never told him, because you were afraid of this kind of reaction. “Just…go, babe. It’s only going to be worse if you drag it out.”

But instead of turning and leaving, Sonny pulled out his phone. “Yeah Liv? Family emergency; call another ADA. Sorry.” And then he hung up, shrugging out of his blazer and hanging it up before coming over to Rosa. He squatted down in front of her, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. Daddy’s staying home for the night, okay? No more crying,” he cooed to her, bouncing her gently.

Rosa sobbed for a little while longer, her arms wrapped around his neck. You gave him a soft smile. “You realize you’re just encouraging her; now she’ll cry whenever you leave to try and stop you,” you muttered.

“And if I see it, she has a pretty good chance of succeeding,” Sonny whispered back, kissing the side of her head.

 *************

The three of you ended up cuddling on the couch, under the giant blanket Sonny’s ma made for  your first Christmas together. Sonny had his arm around your shoulders, pulling you against his side. Your head was on his shoulder, his head on yours. Rosa was tucked between you both, your hand stroking her back lovingly.

When you were pretty sure Rosa had finally drifted off, you said softly, “I wanted to tell you this tomorrow, but I can’t keep it secret anymore.” Sonny lifted his head from yours, furrowing his brow as he looked at you in confusion. “I’m pregnant, Dom.”

A wide grin broke across his face. “Really? When did you find out? How far along are you?”

You opened your mouth to respond when Rosa shifted. “Mama, what’s preg…mat?”

Your cheeks warmed as you glanced at Sonny. He chuckled. “That’s all you, doll,” he murmured.

You shot him a playful glare. “Uh, Rosa, it means you might have a little brother or sister soon.”

She was quiet for a long time, and you thought she might have fallen asleep. Finally, she whispered, “I wish I had a little sister to play with.”

The smile Sonny had was blinding, and he pulled you both closer. “We’ll just have to wait and see, my little Rose.” Sonny kissed the top of her head, then pulled you in for a gentle kiss. This was the best ending to a perfect day, a family day. You hoped that you could have more of them soon, especially with baby number two on the way. You nuzzled your face closer against Sonny, heart full of love.

[renaxwrites]

Hi! May I request headcanons for Oikawa, Atsumu and Kageyama who fell in love with the same girl?

Nekoma’s Manager Pt. 3

- (Oikawa/Atsumu/Kageyama)

a/n: HAHA this is perfect!! I know it’s no hcs, but it’s the perfect pairing for another part to the Nekoma Manager x Atsumu. Since some of y’all asked, why not continue 👀 pt. 1  pt. 2  pt. 4

You were on the train back home, exhausted from this eventful week you had at the All-Japan Youth Training Camp. You yawn and stretch your arms over your head, careful not to hit the blueberry boy sitting beside you. He chuckles. 

“Tired, y/n-san?”

You breath out a sigh of light amusement. “That is a total understatement.”

Kageyama finds himself observing you in curiosity. He’s been feeling a little more giddy around you a couple days into the camp, with a newfound admiration at how hardworking and strong-willed you are. Not to mention, very pretty.

“If you want, you can nap. I’ll wake you up when our stop comes and walk you home,” he suggests. 

You blink, the thought of a nap already taking effect on your eyes. “Thanks, Tobio-kun. You’re an absolute life-saver.” After a few attempts to make your bag comfortable to rest your head on, no luck.

Bashfully, you turn to shyly ask, “Tobio-kun...can I...use your shoulder?”

“Hmm?”

“I know it’s awkward it’s just...my bag is uncomfortable...I’ll make it up to you I swear.”

He ponders for a second when a light bulb goes off in his head. “Well, we’re having a match against Aoba Johsai on Friday...you make it up by coming to watch. For the team, of course?” you notice a slight blush paint his cheeks.

You grin. “Tobio Kageyama, is this your way of asking me out?”

His face is almost as red as Nekoma’s color. “I-I mean, it sounded better in my head so, yeah I guess,” he looks away sheepishly. 

In response, you tuck your head onto his shoulder, and fall fast asleep. He holds his breath, afraid that any sudden movements will wake you up.

He kept his promise and gently woke you at your stop, then walked you home. 

Friday arrived, and you were anxious to see this match. Sure, it’s going to be an interesting match between two teams, but today, it was a face-off between the Great King and the King of the Court. 

You make your way over to Karasuno’s side, when you hear an unfamiliar voice call out for you. You turn to find the Great King and someone else standing before you. 

“Hey, you must be Nekoma’s manager. I’m Iwaizumi. This is Oikawa. There’s been a lot of talk about you and your skills. Just wanted to make a point to introduce myself to you, hopefully we can become acquainted.” He stuck out his hand for you to shake. 

You shake his hand. “Of course! Nice to meet you Iwaizumi. Looking forward to the match! Maybe if you play good I’ll slip you my highly-requested notes.”

The Great King was practically bursting at the seams from wanting to introduce himself, and couldn’t take it any longer. “So you’re both super smart and super pretty. If Iwa doesn’t want his notes I’ll gladly take your notes. And you don’t need the formalities, Tooru is fine.” He seems pretty smug, flaunting his captain power. 

His smugness reminded you of a certain twin back at the camp. What is it with boys thinking being stuck-up to you was considered flirting? Time to put him in his place. 

“Well, Tooru, I said if you play well I would give you my notes. You need to earn them, captain.” And with that you walk away with a wish of good luck. 

“Hard to get, huh? That’s a new one for you, Shittykawa.”

Oikawa puts his hands on his hips, gaze following your frame. 

“...I kind of like that.”

                                     

You walk over to Karasuno’s side, and are immediately greeted wholeheartedly by the team. You sit down on the bench and find the King of the Court plop down beside you. 

“How are you feeling, Tobio-kun?”

His face was monotone until he heard your question, to which he replied with a sense of determination. “Ready to show Oikawa that I’m not just his stupid successor. That I’m more than the name that others have called me.”

Something about his statement made you giddy. Maybe it was just his spunk that was contagious.

You put a hand on his shoulder in admiration, instantly making his face go haywire with blush. “I know you’ll do great. And don’t worry, I’ll make an extra set of stats for you if you perform well today,” you say with an innocent smile.

Someone else on the other side of the court saw this interaction. And he wasn’t having it.

Karasuno, usually a loud, rowdy bunch, went silent as the Great King strode up to where you and Kageyama sat. Both teams were as confused as you were. Needless to say, all eyes were on the three of you.

“So, y/n-chan. Seems like you and this ‘king’ are pretty close, hmm?”

You cross your arms, not ready to back down. “I guess you can say that.”

Kageyama rises, with him and Oikawa never breaking their battle of eye contact. 

“Well, y/n-chan, you can do much better than him, I think. Scratch that, I know. In fact, I’ll throw a little wager. Aoba Johsai wins, I take you out on a date, and vice versa.”

Before you could respond, Kageyama retorts. “She's not just some object to be won over. Where’s her respect?” He glances at you with a look of concern.

Just when things couldn’t get any wilder, you hear a smug voice of velvet.

“My my, glad I came. The battle for the throne is already more interesting than I was told it would be, and the game hasn’t even started.”

Atsumu Miya. 

“And what are you doing here?”

The blonde twin raises his hands in self-defense. “No harm in watching the so-called kings battle it out, right? Woulda came sooner if I knew you were gonna show up too,” he makes sure to include a wink, much to Oikawa and Kageyama’s dismay. 

“And who the hell are you now? We were having an important conversation with y/n-chan,” Oikawa spits out.

Atusumu shrugs. “What’s it to you? If you must know, I’m one of the top setters in Japan, so technically I’m more qualified to talk to her if I want.”

The two boys began to get closer, sizing each other up, continuing to banter until you stepped in.

“Everybody CALM the hell down.” You stop in between and pushed them on their chests in opposite directions. “The match is about to start, so get it together and relax.” By this point, everyone was watching. Even Hinata was recording on his phone, just in case.

You sighed in exasperation, with the three setters staring at you with intensity. “If anyone is deciding who I’m interested in, it’s myself. But right now, I’m focused on doing my job for this match. Period. And in response to deciding on who, I'll be fair to all of you by leaving it to what I told Atsumu.” They all lean in, anxious to know how to beat each other.

You grin. “No one qualifies to take me on a date until they beat Nekoma.”

The whistle blows, signaling for the match to start in a couple minutes.

“Are you sure you’re okay? I mean you had not one, not TWO, but THREE of the prettiest setters pining over you!! How are you not nervous at what they’ll say?” 

You take the phone away from your ear a bit as Yachi screamed on the other end of the line. “Well, I don't really know how they’ll react. I’ll let you know once our practice is over, though. Should be interesting,” you giggle, glad to have a girl friend to share boy gossip with. 

You walk into the gym and find the whole Nekoma team lined up, all with their arms crossed. No doubt waiting for you.

Kuroo and Yaku step up. “Y/l/n y/n. Would you care to explain? Kenma, pull up the video.”

Kenma raises his phone to you, showcasing the video that was taken of you and the three infamous setters at the match on Friday.

You roll your eyes jokingly, and begin to explain everything, starting from the All Youth training camp to what happened on Friday.

Once you’re finished. Kuroo and Yaku nod, leading the whole team into a huddle. They stay this way for a while, no doubt making bets. Eventually, they break huddle, all grinning smugly. 

“Well, I guess we’ve got our work cut out for us boys,” Kuroo announces.

“Time to crush some pretty setters’ dreams.”

tags: @hihiq @edensxgarden

[hsinliu]

talk to me (ichirou moriyama)

there was a loud screeching sound, a tire nearly burning against asphalt, the car, a matte black expensive sport style one, abruptly stopped at the front of the building. ichirou, the current lord moriyama, walked out of the drivers seat and tossed the keys to the valet parking muttering a comand in rapid japanese, the valet parking bowed his head and held the keys close to his chest before hurrying to park the car.

ichirou was wearing his usual attire, a black fitted suit from some fancy designer which now had a fresh blood stain on the right cuff of the dress shirt, the thought of it irritated him, he walked to the elevator in long strides not making eye contact with anyone but everyone stopped walking as soon as they saw him and bowed his head. ichirou swiped the key card to his room, punched a code, did a retina scan and only then the door swung open with a beep.

the penthouse was illuminated briefly as a lighting struck outside and some seconds after the thunder coated ichirou's ears. ichirou rubbed between his eyebrows and changed his clothes into something more comfortable, not that he dislikes wearing suits but tonight he wanted to relax and didn't feel like dealing with curious eyes. ichirou walked out once he was ready.

"oyabun, where are you going? do you need to be scorted?" one of the guards outside his room asked, using the honorific freely as the building was secured.

"no, i'm just going to the convenience store. you can rest." this time ichirou made eye contact with the kobun, dismissing them with a slight hand movement.

now ichirou was wearing a dark blue baggy tracksuit. despite having his face half covered with the hood everyone bowed his head as he walked out, again.

next to the moriyama building there was a convenience store from a japanese chain since everything from american chains tasted like cardboard. ichirou crossed the door and the employee greeted him in japanese. walking down the aisles he picked some items to have dinner, he picked a potato and egg salad sandwich, yakisoba noodles, a cup of microwaveable rice, strawberry mochi for dessert and ice americano, he walked a bit more wondering what else he needed for the night and lastly picked a face mask that claimed contains colagen.

he dropped the items for the cashier to scan them. "i will take them." the cashier said, he was a young man, couldn't be older than 23 "it's 22.8 dollars."

"you're good looking." ichirou said looking directly at him.

"excuse me?" the boy asked, his cheeks blushing.

"do you take yens? i didn't bring any dollars." ichirou took out his wallet and then continued the previous conversation "like an idol, are you one of these?"

the boy's cheek were now an angry red, his eyes open wide in surprise. "huh? yeah we take yens, it's two hundred-" ichirou put a few five hundred yen bills on the counter before he finished the sentence and the boy hurried to give the change.

"keep the change." ichirou interrumpted his action and train of thought.

"it's too much, i can't-".

"keep the change, don't make me repeat myself again." ichirou said with a more serious tone but polite eyes who did not help the boy's blush.

grateful the boy bowed his head "thank you, lord-".

"don't. just call me ichirou." ichirou took the bag with his items "come sit with me " he suggested with a head tilt before walking to the sitting area, he dropped the things on a table and microwaved the rice, then he muttered 'thanks for the food' to no one in particular and finally began eating.

"am i in trouble, lord-" ichirou gave him an accusatory look "am i in trouble, ichirou?" he corrected himself.

ichirou spoke after a few mouthfuls of rice "what makes you believe that? and how did you know it was me?" the tone was friendly but the boy didn't feel any more comfortable.

"the- the tattoos." the cashier pointed to his own chest and ichirou looked down on himself, he then noticed the zipper was a little too low so his chest and a glimpse of his tattoos were visible. "i wasn't- i wasn't staring." but he was. "and i see you everyday, i mean, you always come back around this time, i always have the night shift."

ichirou zipped up the hoodie with a slight smile "ah, that makes sense. you didn't reply my other questions, tough." now he was mixing the yakisoba noodles with his chopsticks.

the boy gulped, his mouth dry. "i'm not an idol, i'm a college student. i thought i was in trouble since you requested me to come sit with you."

after eating half the noodles ichirou spoke "really? what college? maybe we're on the same campus. and no you are not in trouble i just wanted to have your company, you could have refused." ichirou spoke in a calm voice, pronouncing each word with delicacy.

"why are you asking so many questions about myself? i'm just an employee in this convenience store." the boy was fidgeting with a strand on his clothes.

"to answer your question, it's just as i told you you're good looking, isn't that reason enough to want to have your company? i like to be around beautiful people." ichirou took a sip of the ice americano and then bit the mochi "would you rather ask questions about myself instaed? we can do that, i know the surveillance of the store doesn't have audio, you can ask whatever you want." the boy didn't immediately speak and kept fidgeting not quite making eye contact "hey, look at me" ichirou said with a gentle voice touching the boy's chin with his index and middle finger so he would look up "i know i'm intimidating, i would feel insulted if you didn't think i am. i can stop talking if that's what you want, i'm just going to finish this" he pointed to his food "and then i'm going to walk out that door. if that's what you want." ichirou repeated, in hopes the boy didn't want that.

a few minutes passed and ichirou was almost finished with his food, he was on his last sip of ice americano when the boy finally spoke again "i'm going to OOO university by the way, and mmh i wanted to ask, why were you angry today?"

ichirou was both pleased and surprised by the question "oh, you noticed? well i was angry because a certain business didn't go as planed and because i don't like this weather." he flexed his right hand remembering the way he had broke someone's nose just a few hours ago.

the boy wanted to ask if he got into fights frequently or what kind of business was he refering to but instaed asked "what kind of weather do you like better? i like when it's cloudy but only when i get to stay home and watch movies." now he was more relaxed, he rested his elbows on the table and put his hand against his cheek, enhancing his boyish looks.

ichirou let out a laugh "yeah, this kind of weather is for people who can allow themselves to spend the whole day at home, it's not good for going to work, i like when it's sunny with a clear sky."

the cashier got a mental image of ichirou on a park or a garden enjoying the weather but then remembered something "i've seen a little girl around the moriyama building, is she your sister?"

"i don't have siblings." ichirou replied with a polite smile.

"oh? she looks like you, i was sure she was somehow related to you." the boy elaborated, not giving up on his theory.

"that is because she's my daughter." at this confesion the boy's eyes widened "she isn't usually in the country, you know for safety reasons, but she has been behaving like a brat lately so she comes back almost every weekend, the other kobuns say i spoil her too much but she's just a little girl, am i supposed to tell her no?, she can learn about the family business when she grows up there's no need for me to be rough with her from the start."

"she's going into the... business too?" the boy asked carefully, it sounded like ichirou is fond of her daughter so he wondered why he would want that for her.

ichirou removed his hoodie and ran a hand through his hair before putting it back on "i had her out of... tradition, i needed a successor and i ended up loving her, that's not how it should have been, that certainly didn't happen to me and my predecessor. but yes she's going into the business, i hope she doesn't hate me for it."

"did you? hate your- your predecessor for it?"

ichirou let out a humorless laugh "of course i did, i was ripped out of any normalness i could achieve before i even had it. maybe i'm doing it wrong, maybe giving her a normal life and then taking it off of her is going to do more harm than good. mmh? don't you think?"

the boy was startled by the sudden question. he didn't expect to be questioned on his opinion on ichirou's decisions on how to raise his daughter. he gulped and then spoke "i don't know what to tell you, i've never been in that kind of situation."

ichirou sighed loudly, finished his drink and threw it on a trash can "yeah, that was a weird thing to ask, sorry." he glanced sidelong at the cashier and smiled. "do you think it's pathetic that i came to some convenience store seeking for a friend?"

the cashier dropped his gaze fidgeted with the hem of his uniform and quietly said "i think you are... sad."

ichirou got up from his seat "i think it's time for me to go."

"we can be friends, if you need one." the boy got up too.

"i think it's best if we don't."

ichirou walked to the door and when he was about to walk out the boy spoke "you're so weird, did you know that? you literally said you were looking for a friend and when i suggest it you act like it's me the one pushing it."

"you are right but i really have to go now. i'm sorry."

the boy stood there for a while, then a group of teenagers entered the store making a fuss about what kind of food to buy. after they were gone the cashier refilled some aisles and finally sat behind the counter "did i accidentaly fall asleep at work and had a dream about having a conversation with the head of the moriyama family? i think so."

[wonderwafles]

Kiss prompt: Tallulah/Caliban, #17?

Funnily enough, you caught me in the midst of writing a fic about them already! Your prompt fit in perfectly. (Now on AO3!)

...

The rain pouring down turned the roads into mud-slick quagmires that threatened to pull him down and never let him go again, which Caliban-8 figured was really just as well, today of all days.

The Hall of Consensus awaited ahead, framed by low buildings and the dark clouds above. He stood at a street corner, the eyes of several civilians on him (he was, after all, famous-by-proxy) and straightened up. He looked devastated, out in the rain. Just as well.

The doors of the Consensus now stood before him. He schooled his features, raised his hand, and knocked.

Consensus was in session; he wasn’t supposed to knock. But this news could not wait.

The doors opened, by the hand of a minor Faction representative — for which, he couldn’t remember. Perhaps there had been a change, since the last time he was in the City.

“Ah,” he said, looking him up and down. “And you are…?”

“Caliban-8,” he said. His voice grated like broken glass in the aftermath of tears. Most people did not think Exos could cry, and yet, by some quirk or feature of their design…

The man still looked confused. Caliban sighed. “Second in command to Talullah Fairwind,” he added.

A few more agonizing moments of silence, making Caliban’s job much harder than it needed to be, before a gruffer voice from behind the door made them both jump.

“Hello, Caliban,” Osiris said. “Open the door, man, open the door! This one has come from long and far to meet us again.”

As with anything Osiris said, there might have been a rebuke buried in there somewhere. It was one of the things that always caused strife between Osiris and Tallulah, who hated the idea of someone talking out of both sides of their mouth at her. Today of all days, Caliban did not ask.

“Osiris,” he greeted the Warlock as he stepped inside.

“I received your message,” Osiris replied, straightforward as ever. “I don’t suppose there’s any chance you come bearing good news?”

Caliban looked around. At the table in the center of the Consensus, the surrounding audience having depleted to only a few stragglers and many empty chairs, Saint-14, the Speaker, and three Consensus leaders sit. A session is in full swing. Part of that must be his fault, for the news he had all but told Osiris he had.

He decided to turn away from Osiris, and make his way down the stairs. “Thank you, my friends,” he said. (Politician speech, but he feels it truly.) “It’s true that I have some bad news.”

Saint turned away, just so. The Speaker is inscrutable behind the mask. Caliban can tell they already know what he’s going to say.

“A couple of days ago, Tallulah Fairwind was killed,” he said. His voice broke at the appropriate moment. He didn’t even need to try. “An Ahamkara got to her. She…”

He took a moment to compose himself, and to remember his instructions.

“She took on a bet with the dragon in order to save a distant village,” Caliban continued. He looked around. All eyes were on him, including what few spectators there were. The rain pounded outside, noiseless and deafening. He closed his eyes, blocked them all out. “She lost the game. She argued that instead of the village, the price should be her life. The dragon accepted.”

He opened them again as he heard the scraping of a chair. In an instant, Saint had wrapped his arms around Caliban, tightening around him like servos in a steel trap.

“My friend,” Saint said. “I am truly sorry to hear this news.”

“As am I,” Osiris said, laying his hand on Caliban’s shoulder. “Tallulah was… a true friend. And a fierce defender of the City’s people, not just its doctrine.”

“I bet she went down like a hero,” Sagira added. “Like always.”

Consolation was murmured across the table. The Faction leaders — he recognized New Monarchy and the War Cult, but who was that third one? — joined in.

Eventually, it all died down, and Saint finally released him. Only the Speaker was left sitting at the head of the table. He had not risen, nor did he say anything while the others spoke.

Now, however, his soft voice drifted throughout the room. “I am sorry, Caliban,” he said. “It was… I first met Tallulah in what feels like the bleakest part of the Dark Age. She was such an excellent Hunter. I thought there was no better choice for the position of Vanguard. I still feel that way now.”

Caliban nodded. He couldn’t help but agree, even knowing how much Tallulah longed to be free. And what she would do to get there.

The Speaker’s mask tilted down slightly, towards what Caliban had in his hands. “I suppose she has named you her successor?”

Caliban held up Tyranny of Heaven. “Her Dare was that whoever got her bow would replace her,” he said, speaking carefully, telling no lies. “She gave it to me just before the end.”

It was a fine piece of work, silvered and made by a hand that almost seemed alien in its precision and beauty. Caliban had always said that it was the first, and only, nice thing that Tallulah owned.

“Look,” New Monarchy’s man said, standing up. “This is grave news, and the City has a long time of mourning ahead of it. But I feel I must say, as a member of the Consensus, that this whole Dare thing is ridiculous. And if Tallulah intended to choose her successors based on Hunter bravado—”

“We’ve had this discussion before, Executor,” the Speaker said. “Mandating a Hunter Vanguard would only serve to drive any potential candidates further away. In any case,” now inclining his head towards Caliban, “we have a very clear-cut scenario here. Tallulah has named her successor. If she trusts him, then so do I.”

Uh oh.

Caliban swallowed, a vestigial tic from the time before the creation of the Exos. All eyes turned to him again. Now was the hardest part. “I’m afraid I have to decline,” he told them all.

Before they could say anything, he pressed forward. “The dragon is still out there, and still a threat,” he said. “I feel… bound to hunt it. To make sure that nothing like this happens again. And I am aware that would conflict with my duties as Vanguard.”

“This does not need your hand, Caliban, skilled though it is,” Saint said, full of patience and grief. “This dragon… we could start a search party. You could lead them, from the City.”

Caliban had always hated Hunter bravado. But now, at least, it made for a good cover. He summoned up every inch of acting ability he had, as well as every ounce of resolve he could muster, and broke his friend’s heart.

“I am bound to this,” he insisted. Real grief filled his voice as he looked around the Consensus. So many friends to say goodbye to. So much left undone here. “The Ahamkara was mine and Tallulah’s responsibility. And now it is only mine. I would not risk any other Guardians to clean up my mess.”

Saint and Osiris bowed their heads. They understood duty. The others… it was hard to get a bead on them.

“Fine,” the Speaker said, a twinge of anger making its way into his voice. “Go, then, and have your vengeance, so long as you leave us another successor to replace a lost friend.”

Caliban cringed. A thread of razor wire tightened around his heart, and he almost thought about calling it all off, telling them all the truth they deserved to know. But not now. Not now that he’d already passed a million event horizons.

“Be kind, Speaker,” Osiris said. “I understand what he’s doing. And I sympathize with it entirely.”

Osiris met Caliban’s eye, and something in there made the Hunter think that he had entirely underestimated the old Warlock.

“Kauko Swiftriver,” Caliban said, as the silence deepened. “He’s a good man. He’ll take up the job, I know it.”

“Good man indeed,” Saint said. “And what of the Dare?”

Caliban thought deeply about this. He couldn’t offer Kauko the bow. And his conscience couldn’t take it if he Dared his friend to do something dangerous just to cover for him.

Then, the answer crashed over him like a waterfall. “I will Dare him to tell everyone here my greatest secret,” Caliban said. And smiled. It was the first time since he had gotten to the Consensus that he felt like smiling. “You all will get your Vanguard.”

…

“That’s a damn evil choice your boy gave me, Tallulah,” Kauko Swiftriver said.

Tallulah laughed, and brushed the hair out of her face. She had decided to wear it loosely now, in honor of new freedom. “I told you,” she said. “He has a dark side.”

Kauko scoffed. “Yeah. Maybe you’ve been getting to him.”

“I’ve been getting to him for a while now.” Tallulah smirked. “But hey. Don’t be too upset. It’s not such a bad life, you know. Saint and Osiris are good people. Just prepare to be the biggest third wheel in the history of third wheels.”

“I think I know what that’s like,” Kauko said. But he smiled. “Fine, fine. Anything for you, Fairwind. Just… be safe out there. And yeah, I know what I said. I mean it. It’s retirement. Enjoy it.”

“I’ll try,” she replied. “Thanks, Kauko. For real. Stay in touch?”

“Sure thing.”

Wishful thinking, maybe. But neither of them said anything else as the terminal blinked out, and Tallulah was left alone in the tiny ship with her thoughts.

Not alone for long, however.

“That,” Caliban accused from the other end of the ship, “was horrible.”

“Cal!” Tallulah brightened up. She couldn’t help it. “Was wondering if you’d skipped out on me!”

But her spirits fell as she saw his face. For a second, a horrible fear that he had changed his mind washed over her, and for a moment she had no idea what she was going to do.

“Was it that bad?” she asked, keeping her voice casual, making her way over to him.

“Saying goodbye to your friends is always hard,” he said. He shook his head. “But I wouldn’t have agreed to do it if I didn’t want to go with you. I just… I hated having to lie to them.”

She sighed. Sometimes, he knew her better than she knew herself. “I know, buddy,” she said. Nothing at all came to mind to make him feel better. “How can I make it up to you?”

Caliban sighed, and wrapped his arms around her. “I don’t know,” he said.

“Really?” she said, returning the hug. “You’re aware you’re turning down a favor from the one and only Tallulah Fairwind, Hunter extraordinaire? One time offer of me owing you, never to be admitted again?”

Caliban smiled into the crook of her shoulder. “You don’t owe me anything,” he said. “I know how this life was getting to you, getting to both of us. I’d do it again in a heartbeat if you asked me to.”

I owe you everything, she thought. Everything, every day, for all the days there ever will be. Sometimes the thought of this truth staggers her, nearly knocks her to the floor.

“Tell you what,” Tallulah said, separating from the hug. “If, in a hundred years, Saint and Osiris are still standing, we’ll pop back to the City and explain ourselves. I bet that’s enough time for them to stop being angry with us.”

Caliban laughed. “You promise?” he asked.

Always, always, always. “Let’s seal it,” Tallulah said, and pulled him closer. Caliban leaned inward and returned the kiss, and for a second it didn’t even matter that their cramped jumpship had Caliban stooping even before the kiss, or that they were leaving behind everything they had ever known for a chance at something better.

Caliban broke away and laughed. “Okay, okay, I believe you,” he said.

“Then let’s get gone before Osiris figures us out,” she said. She went over and sat in the cockpit, keying the engine.

“Nice ship, on such short notice,” Caliban said. “I don’t suppose it has anything to do with the fact that the representative of the new Faction, which just recently rocketed out of obscurity to gain a seat on the Consensus, wears the same logo as the one on the hull?”

Tallulah winked. “Probably just a coincidence,” she said.

“Sure. Last question, then. Do you know where we’re going?”

“I do indeed, so you can stop that tone of voice. I was talking to this Iron Lord pal of mine—”

“All the Iron Lords are dead!”

“Hey, hey! Let me finish the story...”

[diavolodigitale]

L’appel Du Vide: 01 What a Way to Start

Not that anybody is really reading it here, but I decided to follow through with this story no matter what.

All chapters: 00 - 01 - All stories in PDF

Rhys is the CEO of Atlas and Jack’s AI is back, surprise, surprise! Now Rhys is dismayed, Jack doesn’t care much, and the events of Borderlands 3 are just beginning to unravel. Is there any way to fix the plot of this game? Would it be any better if Rhys had to cooperate with Jack this whole time? Well, this is your chance to find out!

Spoiler: yes, dammit, it would. Everything’s better with a bit of Handsome Jack in it.

Genres: Fix-It, Developing Relationship, Alternate Canon, POV Third Person, Humor, Drama, Plot-driven (kind of? well, it has plot)

Pairing: Handsome Jack’s AI/Rhys (they’re still just talking, dammit)

Characters: Handsome Jack’s AI, Rhys

Rating: M for Mature but not in this chapter lol

Size: around 3000 words (chapter 2/11)

Sun set and rose, another day began. Rhys shaved off his moustache.

“Mornin’, sleeping beauty,” said Jack, who was sitting in Rhys’ chair when the latter one entered his office wearing only red bathrobe and home slippers.

“Morning,” replied Rhys, eying Jack wearily. Jack almost expected him to be surprised by his presence all over again, but it seemed like Rhys did not, after all, convince himself that the events of the previous day were just a dream, which, depending on how one looks at it, might even be considered personal growth. “Let me say how much I appreciate you not stalking me while I sleep. Just so you knew,” he said, painfully aware of Jack’s realness and determination to stay.

“Actually,” began Jack, idly following Rhys’s movements around the room with his gaze, “I watched you for some time, but your face looked so stupid that I started having these fits of hysterical laughter, so I left not to wake you up accidentally. I care for you so much, after all, and… Hey!”–he suddenly sat upright in the chair and pointed at Rhys’s hunched miserable figure–“that thing from your face disappeared! I could’ve sworn I saw it yesterday...”

“And now it’s gone,” concluded Rhys with a sigh.

“Phew, great job, pal. It was so awful, I cannot even begin to describe.”

“What? I thought you liked it,” said Rhys, nonplussed.

“Yeah, about that… I lied. Didn’t want to tell you this, but with that moustache, I wouldn’t let my kids anywhere near you,” said Jack and cackled.

Rhys scowled. He got rid of his moustache precisely because Jack told him he liked it, even despite the fact that it was particularly hard for him, considering the meaning it supposedly held. Since the day before he had this strange desire to do everything in opposition to Jack. Perhaps, it was deeply rooted in his former traumatic experience with the AI. Or in the fact that he had always been kind of mischievous, either one of those two.

“I see you’re in a good mood today,” said Rhys, making himself a morning coffee. He couldn’t say the same thing about himself – half of the night he spent persuading himself not to bang his head on the wall until Jack left for good. As a temporary means, it was as good as anything, but certainly wouldn’t be a reliable way to get rid of the AI forever. In any case, it seems not to have worked for Rhys previously, so he had to come up with something else. Changing the prosthetics took time, and he didn’t have that precious resource at his disposal in the needed amount.

In the end, when he finally managed to fall asleep, it was at the thought that he was actually a little sorry for what happened with Jack’s hologram during their last confrontation. Despite all the evil Jack had done, he used to be a significant part of Rhys’s life and helped shape him into what he was now. Most importantly, he taught him not to trust anybody and to always swing for the fences. Now, being the CEO of Atlas, Rhys could clearly see that this strategy worked perfectly.

“Oh, by the by, I took some time to look through your files and check out this Kawatagi guy we talked about yesterday. Must say, he’s a very promising candidate. Maybe, I should’ve chosen him as my successor instead of you-know-who,” said Jack in a conspiratorial tone, stroking his chin and narrowing his eyes. “Instead of you, I’m talking about you,” he added in a normal voice.

Rhys sighed, gently lowering two sugar cubes into his coffee. Here we go again.

“First, why the heck did you rummage in my computers without my permission? Second, his name’s Katagawa, more precisely – Katagawa Junior. And a candidate for what? Wait, don’t say anything, I don’t even want to know. Now get out of my chair,” said Rhys and proceeded to try and shoo Jack away with a few careless waves of his hand.

“It’s not like you can’t sit here. I’m just a hologram, you know.”

Jack was grinning, of course. Rhys looked down at him with his tired sleepless eyes and sighed the fortieth time this morning.

“Remember when we first met, you called me weird? Now you’re the one being weird, congratulations.”

“Oh, come o-o-on, don’t be so bo-o-oring.” Jack disappeared from the chair and reappeared on the sofa, lying on his side with his head resting on his hand. “You know, I think I’ve now seen enough of you to bet with confidence that you don’t have any friends. I bet I was your closest friend (and don’t forget that I was your imaginary closest friend), ‘cause I don’t see how someone can tolerate that attitude for long.”

Don’t worry, Rhys, he won’t get to you, you’re thick-skinned now, you know that, thought Rhys and put his mug on the table. He sunk into his chair and turned on the ECHO device to check for any new messages.

“Actually, I do have friends,” he said in his best I-am-not-offended tone.

“Yeah? Anybody in particular?”

“Zer0, for example. I am proud to call him my friend and I’m sure he’s proud to be called mine.”

“Zer0, yeah… wait, who’s that again?”

Rhys rolled his eyes. Some things just never changed.

“One of the vault hunters who… took part in your elimination, so to put it,” he answered carefully.

“Oh, yeah, that filthy bandit, I remember him! Well, not him killing me, of course, but I think I saw him somewhere. Didn’t he have that mental condition? I remember him saying some gibberish instead of speaking like normal people do. Yeah, right,”–Jack laughed–“I can see you two dorks being friends.”

“How could I have survived this long without you trying to offend me all the time? Unbelievable.”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking! Or was that still your thought? I always forget I’m in your head. Anyway, to summarize our conversation so far, we’ve established that you’re a pathetic loner with only one creature in the whole world you can call a friend of sorts. You never seize to amaze me, Rhys.”

“There’s also Vaughn,” said Rhys through his teeth, beginning to lose his patience.

“And that is…?”

“You remember Vaughn, don’t you?”

“If I’m asking who that is, then, apparently, I don’t,” answered Jack, making the irritation in his voice sound as blatant as possible. “Why do you carry around that thing people call a head, huh?”

“He used to work for Hyperion with me.” Rhys threw a quick glance at Jack, looking for any sign of recognition on his face, but there was none. “Is short, wears glasses?” Still no signs. “Has a six-pack?” he said in his last desperate attempt to make Jack’s memory serve its purpose.

To his surprise, it actually worked. Jack snapped his fingers and rolled over on the sofa.

“Oh, that ne-erd, yeah, I remember him. Where’s he now?” he asked, not even trying to pretend that he really cared about the answer.

“He’s on Pandora, doing some bandit stuff. Guess he is working for the…” Rhys suddenly stopped, hastily thinking about what he had almost let out.

“For whom?” asked Jack indifferently. The answer still didn’t matter much to him, but he just couldn’t bear the thought of Rhys keeping something hidden from him.

“For the… err… for, well, you know… coughmson coughders,” replied Rhys, sounding like he was choking on something, and started loudly typing on the table, pretending that he was incredibly busy with his emails.

“What? Didn’t quite catch that.”

“Rimzon raide-ez,” indistinctly said Rhys into his fist and cleared his throat.”

“God dammit, Rhys, what the fuck are you saying there?” shouted Jack with annoyance and jerked up from the sofa. “Should I stand right behind you all the time to know what comes out of your mouth? Even your thoughts are more distinct than that.”

Perhaps, scared by the prospect of Jack constantly following him closely, even closer than he already did, Rhys gave in.

“It’s the Crimson Raiders, for god’s sake!” he yelled and landed his fist heavily on the table. He then took a deep breath to calm down and added, “He works for the Crimson Raiders. I just didn’t want to tell you.”

“O-oh. O-o-o-oh, I see how it is. He’s with team idiots now, isn’t he? Well, good to know. Now we’ve proven that all your friends are either stupid or nonexistent. Great.”

Rhys’s left eye was glowing as he was interfacing with the devices in his office. He took a sip of his coffee, scrolled down the list of new casualties reports and tried not to take what he had heard close to his heart.

“Now that I got my daily dose of humiliating you, let’s talk business,” said Jack and laced his fingers together as if he had a very profitable offer for his interlocutor. “I think we can squeeze something out of this Katamaga,” he began, and Rhys immediately exerted himself. He did not like the sound of that. “I think there’s more to him than you see. He doesn’t just want Atlas, you see, he very obviously wants you to work with him. What a fool! That’s a perfect opportunity for us to rob him of everything he has, including his pathetic corporation. I mean, I never liked Maliwan, but if it’s a gift horse… Who am I not to take it on your behalf, right?”

“I appreciate the thought you put into it, but I already have another plan, and it definitely isn’t allying with Katagawa Jr. He’s an obsessed psychopath and I don’t want anything to do with him,” replied Rhys confidently. He shivered even at the possibility of having another Jack-like associate.

“Enlighten me then. What genius idea has your corporate mind produced?”

“First, you have to promise not to yell at me. My head aches and I won’t endure any more than you already being here and talking to me,” said Rhys patiently, already predicting Jack’s reaction to what he intended to share. There was no way to keep it a secret, so he wanted to at least soften the blow.

“Yeah, whatever,” said Jack and yawned.

Rhys braced himself. Discussing this would surely be no easy matter.

“I want to make a deal with Lilith. She helps me defeat maliwans, and I give her something she wants in return.”

There was silence. Then there was a snarl and a nondescript squeal.

“WHAT. THE FUCK. ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! MM, RHYSIE, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN?” Jack appeared standing on Rhys’s table right before him. The sight made Rhys spit out a bunch of his coffee. “You’re joking, right?” Jack squatted down to see Rhys’s face when he spoke. “Out of a-a-all people in these 6 goddamn galaxies you choose her? I see you’ve been a very bad boy in daddy’s absence, completely out of your mind!”

Rhys raised his index finger and burbled, “You told me you won’t yell. I specifically asked you not to yell, Jack.”

“What am I supposed to do then, huh?!” Jack disappeared and in the next second was already standing at the window with his arms crossed, thoughtfully observing the Atlas soldiers running around outside. “I thought you can’t disappoint me more than you already have, but it seems like you always manage to conquer new heights.”

“Look, there’s really no point in talking about this. I’m my own boss now and this is my decision. I was the one to rebuild Atlas from ruins, so I’m sure I’ll be able to take care of it. Please, Jack, I’m tired and sick and I don’t want all this.” Rhys sighed wearily and rubbed a coffee stain on the table with the sleeve of his bathrobe.

“Okay. Okay-okay-okay-okay, hear me out. Just this one time, just once, let me tell you something.” Jack turned to Rhys and Rhys gave him a little nod after considering for a few seconds. It’s not like he really had a choice, he just liked to think he had a firm grip on the situation. “Tell me, do you remember Lilith doing something, anything for the sake of somebody else?”

“Um, yeah, she killed you, actually,” replied Rhys confidently.

“No-no-no, honey, she didn’t do it for somebody, she just wanted to have her revenge on me,” said Jack, stressing what he viewed as essential pieces of information to make sure Rhys REALLY got what he wanted to say. Were he not a hologram, he would probably be shaking with rage as he did it. “She wanted to destroy me, because I destroyed her boyfriend who just wouldn’t let me wipe those bandit asses, which, by the way, included his, off my planet. She couldn’t care less about all those people that died, about Crimson Raiders, about her other “friends”. She is a murderer, just like you, me, like any other person on that goddamn planet. The only difference is that she, unlike us, didn’t have ANY good will.”

Jack’s intense stare made Rhys turn away. AI’s words made him consider what he knew of Lilith, but he felt almost wrong when doing so. He shook his head, trying to scare the thoughts away.

“You just hate her, that’s all. She may not be the best option, but when choosing between her and Maliwan, I believe, the choice is obvious.

“Is it? Is it, though?” asked Jack furiously with his eyes almost bulging out. “Let me tell you one thing. Two things, actually. Despite how surprising it might sound to you, I’m actually happy that she killed me. You know why? Of course, you don’t, otherwise we wouldn’t have this conversation now, dummy. So, I’ll be kind enough to explain. Even after her betrayal, I didn’t finish her off, which means I am better than her. “What is the second thing, Jack?” you might ask. Well, here goes: she is a stinking bandit. A bandit, and the only thing you should do with bandits is kill them, but I’m sure this much you should know by now.” After finishing his rant, Jack exhaled loudly and adjusted his unmoving hair with a swift motion of his hand. To top his speech off, he asked, “Still better than Katagawa?”

Rhys, however, still remained unimpressed.

“Jack, he killed his entire family to become the CEO of Maliwan. I imagine you would think it’s a reasonable thing to do when you want to run the corporation so bad, but I’m sure you know I disagree with that.”

“And what do YOU know about his family?” asked Jack, clearly upset by the lack of expected reaction. “Do you even know anything about the way he runs Maliwan? The only thing I know is that now they are more successful than ever (even though I hate to say it). Use your brains, kid, and you’ll go further than you could’ve hoped. One of these two alliances will bestow endless opportunities upon you while the other one will almost certainly get you stabbed in the back.”

“I hear you. I hear you and I disagree. I’m sorry, Jack,” said Rhys and shook his head apologetically. He was already imagining what would such a start of his day lead to.

“Oh my god, how can you not see that you have more in common with him than a skag and a grinder! He sees something in you, and that something makes him crave for your favor with such persistence. Just imagine how much you can squeeze out of him if you give him the tiniest thing in return. It’s simply a gold mine!”

“He wants us to merge, that’s enough of a reason for me to refuse him,” said Rhys with utter disgust.  

“So what? Don’t worry about that, cupcake, you’ve got me, and I’m here to help. Who says we’re gonna merge?” Noticing how Rhys was shaking his head again, Jack leaned closer, trying to make the atmosphere more… companionable, and continued in a calmer voice.  “Believe me, I know that Atlas is your child and you would never sacrifice it. We’re gonna… adjust the conditions a little, little tiny bit. No merge, only the alliance. How does that sound?”

Rhys thought that Jack was once again confirming what a masterful negotiator he was. No matter what objections Rhys had, he always did his homework and learned his weaknesses. The long-forgotten feeling of a threat sitting right at his side returned to Rhys as he caught himself thinking over the possibility of allying with Maliwan. Don’t budge, Rhys, don’t let him see that you have second thoughts, he’ll eat you alive.

“Completely unachievable,” he was only able to utter.

“Come on, stop screwing around, will you? You’re wasting time with your fidelity to stupid principles. Have I ever given you any bad advice?”

Rhys chose not to say anything. It was as good an answer as any other. The leftover coffee in his mug already went cold and he frowned in disgust when sipping on it.

“Okay then, I’m beginning to grow real tired of this, so you better listen here, you little dipshit, and listen carefully…” Jack’s tone was once again peremptory and his eyes were drilling into Rhys’s soul. “I’m tryna help here, so stop pretending you’re a princess who lives in a tower filled with her little cute ponies and chooses to believe there’s no filth around her. Just do what I say and you’ll be on your road trip to success. And you’ll thank me later, believe me. If you choose not to do this, however, I’ll follow you around all the time, saying what a sore loser you are. All day, all night, Rhysie. You know me, I’m restless, and I can come up with millions of ways to make you hate your life. You won’t sleep, you won’t talk to anybody, you won’t eat your fucking lunch without me standing one centimeter away from your ear, whispering how much you suck. Now let that sink in. Once it has, give me your final answer.”

Jack’s eyes were glowing. His whole body was glowing because he was a hologram, that’s just what holograms do. Yet even though it was his permanent state, an unchangeable condition, his eyes looked different.

He really is serious, thought Rhys to himself. Well then, guess I’m going to die of starvation, sleep deprivation, and lack of human contact.

“Fuck you, Jack. Fuck. You.”

“Is that a yes?”

[imjustthemechanic]

The Price of a Soul

Part 1/? - Agent Russel Part 2/? - The Letter Part 3/? - Miss Lake Part 4/? - The Stewardess Part 5/? - An Assassination Part 6/? - Fallout Part 7/? - Face to Face Part 8/? - Deals, Details, and Other Devils Part 9/? - Baggage Part 10/? - Private Funding Part 11/? - Just Passing Through Part 12/? - Party of Four Part 13/? - Resolute Part 14/? - The Wreck Part 15/? - Body Snatchers Part 16/? - Out of the Frying Pan Part 17/? - A Miracle Part 18/? - A Matter of Circumstance Part 19/? - Nome Part 20/? - The Future Part 21/? - A Hero’s Welcome Part 22/? - Up to Speed Part 23/? - Expect Further Delays Part 24/? - The Welcome Wagon Part 25/? - Fugitives Part 26/? - A Reluctant Accomplice Part 27/? - Deja Vu

Well, well, well, what’s this?  Peggy doing the exact same thing she just got arrested for?

-

Agent Russel returned to the Automat the next day and sat down at his booth, drumming his fingers on the table and looking around nervously.  It was so obvious that Peggy sent Angie over to discreetly ask if he thought he’d been followed.  From her vantage point behind the counter, she saw him shake his head.  Only then did she and Kay come to join him.

“What did she say?” asked Peggy.

Russel took out the page Kay had given him to give her, and shook his head.  “She didn’t even look at it.  She was, uh… I told her I had a message for her, and she immediately asked if it were from Peggy.”

Peggy didn’t have to ask – she knew those had been Dottie’s exact words.  Russel himself didn’t call her ‘Peggy’, but she knew Dottie did.

“Does she know where I am?” Peggy asked cautiously.

“I don’t know… I don’t think so,” said Russel.  “We haven’t told her much.  But she said to tell you that if anybody’s making deals it’ll be her setting the terms.”

Peggy hadn’t been expecting that.  She glanced at Kay, who also appeared puzzled.  “And what are those?”

“She says she’s willing to rescind her testimony and claim it was coerced,” Russel said, “she’ll even say Jack Thompson beat her up if you want her to.  But you have to get her out of jail and get her in contact with somebody she will specify.  If you try anything funny, she’ll get back in contact with Thompson and Masters.”

Peggy and Kay exchanged another look.  Not at all what they’d had in mind… but was it something they could work with?

Kay seemed to think so.  “In that case,” she said, “we’re gonna need one more favour from you.  Don’t worry, it’s nothing illegal.”

“That’s not reassuring,” Russel said.

“We need you to come up with a reason to unlock the cell door at a specific time,” Kay told him.  “Say, eleven PM tomorrow night.  We’ll do the rest.”

“I think I can figure something out,” said Russel.

“Great,” Kay nodded.

“Leave a message with Angie if you can’t manage it,” Peggy told him.  “We’ll check in before we try to do anything.”

“I will,” he promised.

They left him to eat his lunch in peace, and changed back into street clothes in the employee washroom.

“You sound as if you have a plan,” Peggy said to Kay, as they got back in the car.  They’d left the green Ford at the side of the road somewhere in New Jersey and taken a powder blue Chevrolet from behind a petrol station.  They couldn’t afford to be linked to a specific vehicle.

“I have part of a plan,” Kay replied, taking a pair of sunglasses out of the glove compartment.  These belonged to whoever owned the car, and had therefore been ‘borrowed’ along with it.  “There are drains in the floors of the cells.  I saw them when I was in there.”

“Yes, there are,” said Peggy.  They backed out of the alley and turned onto the street outside.  “They’re far too small for a person to fit through, though.”

“That’s fine,” Kay said.  “I’m told you have some experience navigating the storm drains of New York.  I need you to find a place where we can get down there and find our way to under the cells.”

“I can probably do that,” said Peggy.  “Anything else?”

“Yeah.  See if you can find us some gas masks,” Kay told her.  “Let me know where to drop you off, and then I have to do some shopping.  I’ll meet you back at the same spot in… let’s make it two hours.”

- 

In the evening, they returned to the empty farmhouse in the Pine Barrens.  Peggy had located a manhole they could climb down without being observed, and used a ball of Kay’s knitting yarn to mark the route from there to underneath the police station.  From the drain right underneath it, it was not possible to actually see what was happening in Dottie’s cell – the opening was too small and high above them.  Kay assured her this didn’t matter.  She’d also obtained gas masks and rubber boots, buying both from a man selling questionably obtained army surplus behind a shop.

Kay, meanwhile, had purchased a number of chemicals, including bleach and acetone, and a variety of cooking and baking utensils.  In the farmhouse she put a mask on and did some complicated chemistry, producing a volatile, milky-white liquid that she carefully poured into the now-empty bleach bottle.  Even after that was done, she patiently waited five minutes after capping it for any vapor to disperse before she took the mask off.

“What is that?” Peggy asked, removing her own gas mask.

“Can you guess?” Kay wanted to know.

Peggy considered what she’d used to make it.  “I assume it’s similar to chloroform.”

“Close.  We call it nepenthyl,” Kay replied.  “Release it into an area and it’ll knock everybody out for five to eight minutes.  I don’t have the equipment to make it really pure, so there’s probably some chloroform in there too.  This won’t be enough to actually hurt anybody, though.”

Peggy smiled.  “Did you sit up at night in that little room above the Botticelli Gardens, making the peppery stuff you sprayed me with?”

“Yes,” said Kay.  “I needed non-lethal options.  Who lives and who dies affects the future… I don’t want to kill anybody unless I know they’re going to do evil things.  You have to live, and so does Howard, and Sousa, and Wilkes… and Thompson, even if he’s a pig.”

“So you were joking when you suggested killing Masters,” Peggy observed.

“I suspect Vernon Masters has already done evil things,” Kay told her, “but I’ll look into that later.  I want to cross the big names off my list first.”

Peggy recalled the list of Project Paperclip scientists she’d recited while in jail.  All of them were already most certainly war criminals, still alive only because the government considered them useful… and yet, were they not human beings nonetheless?  “It doesn’t bother you at all?  That you have to kill people to make your better future?”

“You know where I came from.  It took me years to learn how to be bothered by it in the first place.”  She shrugged one shoulder.  “But in this case, no.  I saw the world they helped make.  I lost friends, and my friends lost family, because of their direct successors.  My conscience can handle it.”

- 

There was no message left for them at the Automat the next day, so Peggy and Kay took their equipment down into the drains below the police station and used an old fire hose to make sure the fumes of nepenthyl would go directly through the grate in Dottie’s cell.  Then there was nothing to do but wait.

At a quarter to eleven, they heard footsteps and voices coming from above.  Peggy held her breath and strained her ears to hear.  One of the voices sounded like Agent Russel… or was she imagining it?  She looked at Kay, who pressed a finger to her lips and listened for a moment.

“Agent Russel,” she murmured.  “What brings you here at this time of night?”  A pause.  “The head office wants some full-body photographs of her.  We need a record of scars and other distinguishing marks.”

Peggy kept very quiet.  Kay’s hearing was obviously much better than hers, but this couldn’t possibly be easy.

“Ma’am, please remove your clothing.”  Pause.  “Why, Agent Russel.  Are you trying to seduce me?”  Pause.  “Ma’am, I don’t want to have to force you.”  Pause.  “Really?  Because I think you’d enjoy that.”

Dottie knew.  Of course she did.  She was playing along.

Kay checked her watch, and then set the timer on the valve that would release the nepenthyl.  “Let’s go,” she whispered to Peggy.

They climbed up onto the street, and waited for a taxi to pass before pushing the manhole cover open.  Peggy got out first, and then reached down to help Kay.  They waited silently behind the building while the clock ticked down.  At eleven o’clock, Russel would get tired of Dottie’s taunting and open her cell.  Thirty seconds later, the chemical would release.  Hopefully everybody’s watches were in rough agreement, or this would all go very, very badly.

At three minutes past, Kay said, “now.”

They put on their gas masks and barged into the lobby.

Immediately they heard a scream.  The receptionist was still awake, holding a damp handkerchief over her mouth and nose with one hand, and the telephone receiver in the other.  For a moment she stared at these masked intruders in wide-eyed horror, and in so doing, she let the handkerchief drop.  A moment later she was unconscious on the floor behind her desk.

“Hello?” a tinny voice on the phone asked.  “Hello?  Iris?”

They had to hurry.

They ran down the steps to the holding cells.  The air here, where the majority of the drug was lingering, was still misty, but they could see light up ahead.  Peggy stepped over the unconscious bodies of policemen until she spotted Agent Russel’s blue blazer.  He was lying there still gripping Dottie’s wrist with one hand.  She had fallen on top of him.

Kay pulled out a roll of olive-coloured duck cloth tape and used it to bind Dottie’s hands and ankles, then wrapped more of it around her mouth.  Then she lifted the unconscious woman’s legs while Peggy took her shoulders, and they dragged her back upstairs.

In the lobby the receptionist was still unconscious.  The telephone was still off the hook.

They threw Dottie in the trunk of today’s car – a burgundy Oldsmobile – pulled their masks off, and drove away.

Only then, with everything done, did Peggy allow herself to notice that her heart was beating fit to burst from her chest, or that she was gasping for deep, non-filtered breaths of air.  They’d really just done it – they’d broken Dottie Underwood out of jail for a second time.  If this didn’t work out… if Dottie were recaptured and decided to turn Peggy in again, there’d be no getting out of it.  Once was special circumstances.  Twice was a pattern.

Once they were well away from the police station, they pulled into an alleyway.  When they opened the trunk, Dottie was waking up, but still groggy – Peggy pressed a rag soaked in the nepenthyl against her face to knock her out again.  Then they used the rest of the role of cloth tape to wrap their prisoner up like an Egyptian mummy.  There was absolutely no way Peggy was losing control of her again.

After that, they could take a more leisurely drive back out to their campsite in the abandoned farmhouse.  Nobody seemed to notice them as they passed through small towns on the way, and not enough people went through the Pine Barrens area to notice that three different cars had been parked there in as many days.  Upon arrival, they left Dottie in the trunk and went inside to get what sleep hey could.

“I think we’ll let her talk first,” said Kay, yawning.  “Then we’ll emphasize that we are now in charge, and give her our terms.”

Peggy wasn’t even sure what those were anymore.  “As long as we can have breakfast first,” she said.

- 

In the morning they took their time, at least partially out of spite – Dottie had caused Peggy so many problems over the past couple of years, it served her bloody well right if she had to sit there tied up in a car boot for a few extra hours.  This also afforded them the chance to listen to the radio and get some more news.  The escape of a dangerous criminal did merit a mention, with a description of Dottie followed by an admonition not to underestimate her.

“And now for the news you’ve all been waiting to hear,” the announcer said.  “Captain America is in Washington, DC, for one more day, during which time he will visit the Smithsonian and dine at the White House with President and Mrs. Truman.  After that, he’s off to Annapolis, then Harrisburg, and will complete a tour of New England before heading south again.”

What was Steve thinking while all this went on, Peggy wondered.  Was he thinking of her?  Of his friend in Russia?

What about Daniel?  Peggy had no way of contacting either of them… and might never again.  Wouldn’t that be the easy solution, she thought.  If she never saw either man again, she wouldn’t have to worry about breaking anyone’s heart.