#and you have to be able to step away for a bit when you need to because there's never going to be an Ultimate End

[elliewrites77]

Pride and Anger

this is probably the only angst i've written to be posted, like ever. and it came to because I was thinking about Ace and Luffy, and how sad (and unnecessary, ill die on this hill) his death was. so, like most sane people, i will continue to pretend Portgas D. Ace is alive and well, and my poor Luffy did not have to go through something so traumatic by himself. I hope it doesn't come off as too angsty or all angst. that's a fun word lol

He was alive. Portgas D. Ace was alive.

Critically injured and on the brink of death, sure. But alive.

He was really alive and in front of you.

And you were furious.

You were furious with him, with the marines, with Garp, with Roger, with everyone. And that was exactly why the members of the Heart Pirates stayed as far away from you as they could get. The only person you had spoken to with even a little bit or kindness had been Law, and that's just because he saved their lives. Both boys had been on their last breath when Law saved you all in Marineford, and you were grateful to him, truly, but you were far too enraged to worry about your manners with his crew. You snapped at anyone that suggested you leave them to rest, and when Luffy finally woke up, you snapped at them when they said you should go up with him, to the island of warrior women. You refused to leave Ace's side.

You felt bad, sure. You wanted to be with Luffy, to comfort him as much as you could. But every time you tried to move, your body froze. It was keeping you there, with Ace. You knew Luffy would understand, and at least he wasn't alone. You were thankful for Jimbei too.

You keep replaying the events over and over in your head. Especially the part where Ace almost turned back. He almost turned around to fight, to die for some words. Pride, that's what almost took your closest friend. Pride over a pirate who had already given his life for Ace. Pride that almost make him break his promise to you. His promise to come back.

You don't know what stopped him, really. Maybe it was Luffy, or maybe his brain caught up with his ego. Maybe it was so he didn't disappoint Whitebeard or his crew. Maybe it was you. You didn't know, and you might not ever know. Because he was alive, yes, but it wasn't impossible for that to change, according to Law. And the fact that you still have hope but know that it could be in vain, that also made you furious.

So you stayed. You sat there, staring at his form, the wraps covering his body making him look like a mummy. You stayed, listening to his faint and abnormal breathing. You stayed, praying to whatever higher being their was that he woke up. That he survived. Because you'll be damned before if you didn't get a chance to tell him how angry you were with him. He has almost left you, just like that. Sailing away is one thing, dying is another. He wasn't allowed to die. He had promised that he wouldn't.

You were angry that he had spent his whole life thinking he wasn't loved or able to be, when you had spent your whole life loving him. More than a friend, more than a partner in crime, more than two kids who had a lot in common (including shit dad's). You were angry with yourself for never telling him, too.

You finally moved when Law came into the room, telling you that you really needed to speak to Luffy, now. Something about his look told you he was right, and your body actually let you move.

Hugging the boy you considered family was a relief, and you were close to crying into his bandaged shoulder as he hugged back. You didn't want to let go, didn't know if you could hold it together if you did. But after a few minutes, you heard him utter words that reignited your rage.

You saw the fear an most of the Heart crew when you pulled away, fire in your eyes. You saw how each one of them stepped back as if you were a bomb ready to blow. You didn't care, simply looking from Rayleigh to Luffy and back. Luffy knew the look in your eyes, and returned it with a serious one. That alone is what made you pause.

"Why?" You whispered.

"Ace almost died, he still might. I...I couldn't protect him..couldn't protect you. I have to get stronger, for you, for Ace, for the crew. If I'm ever gonna survive the New World, I have to be...better."

You wanted to argue, wanted to make him stay. 2 years? You didn't want that. But you knew Luffy, knew his determination was strong, and his desire to protect his loved ones was even stronger. So you just hugged him again.

"I swear, Luffy, you better be safe. I don't know what that weirdo is gonna have you do, but please just, try not to get hurt." You said in his ear, feeling him nod as a response. You understood, really, but that wouldn't stop you from worrying.

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It had been a few weeks since you said goodbye to Luffy. You were staying with Law, not having anywhere to go for 2 years, and since Ace still needed to be cared for, it only made sense. But everyday he didn't wake up, your hope waned. Law noticed this, offering to teach you more medical stuff or training you to fight better just to give you something to do. Both things helped, for a few hours. But at the end of the day, you returned to that cold room, and returned to watching his motionless body, the only thing telling you he was alive being the slow rise and fall of his chest.

Your anger was still there, yes, but it has lessened over time. At this point, you only held onto it because it made the hurt of everything that happened a little more bearable. It helped to talk to him, even if he couldn't hear. You confessed your anger, your worry, your pain, and your love. Getting it out, even if you were practically talking to yourself, helped you cope.

Which was good, considering he didn't wake up for an entire year.

He was in a coma for a year. His outside wounds, the small ones, healed. But there was still a large scar on his chest that would always twin with Luffy's. But he was slowly, slowly getting better, according to Law. And that gave you more hope, despite how long you waited.

And as you prepared yourself for another year of no change, you were surprised when Bepo enthusiastically approached you as you were returning to the polar tang, after spending the day on an island to gather supplies. It took a moment for your brain to process the animals words, but as soon as they did, you dropped everything.

"He woke up!"

You rushed onboard the submarine, pushing past everyone to get to that familiar room. But you froze inside the doorway. All you could see was Law, standing over Ace and talking lightly. You could barely hear his voice as he replied. It was cracked, and slow, clear that he was gathering himself after not speaking or being awake for so long.

You remained frozen until Law, who somehow knew you were there, slowly moves out of the way, revealing Ace to you once more. You had gotten so used to his 'sleeping' state, that it shocked you even more when you met his eyes.

They were dazed and tired, which was perfectly understandable. But they lit up at the sight of you, something you immediately noticed. It made you tear up as you forced your body to move closer. Law silently left the room.

Neither you nor Ace broke the silence, or eye contact. It felt like a dream, to be staring into his eyes, his beautiful eyes, once again. A dream you had for a year straight. At that thought, you did break from his gaze, your eyes running down the rest of his body in assessment, as if he grew new wounds just from waking up.

"You gonna keep checking..me out..?" He spoke gruffly, a small smirk on his face. The tears fell from your eyes instantly, and you dropped to your knees beside his bed.

"You stupid, dumb, beautiful idiot. You left me sitting here alone, for an entire year. A year of not knowing if you'd ever wake up. And the first thing you say to me is that?" you spoke through sobs, a laugh making its way through as well. You laid your head on his arm, feeling him slowly lift his other one to pat your head as you cried onto him.

"m'sorry angel...I..don't remember everything yet but...ink-dude told me a bit.." he spoke slowly. you could tell the words were hard for his throat to let out.

"Law. He's that captain of this ship." You informed through another teary laugh, lifting your head from his arm and instead grabbing his hand in yours. "don't push yourself right now. It's honestly probably best if you..don't remember everything for a little. You still need rest."

He used his free hand to rub your cheek, wiping away some of the tears still slowly rolling down your face.

"too..pretty to..cry" you heard him mumble. His eyes looked sad. You could guess why.

"You're too pretty to die. Remember that next time." you joked slightly, smiling at him. You were happy, so so happy, that he was actually awake now. Right now, that outweighed everything else.

He chuckled, coughing right after. You gave him a glass of water, holding his head to help him drink. When he was done, he laid it back down and closed his eyes for a moment. You stroked his hair, admiring him. Sure, he had his eyes closed for a year, but this was different.

His eyes fluttered open, and he gave you a smile.

"I heard ya...you know.."

Your brows furrowed. You thought he couldn't hear.

"You heard me every time?"

"I don't...think so...all I remember is...you talking about stopping for...medical gloves...and saying you love me."

Your eyes widen, and you freeze once again. That had been that very morning, before you left to get supplies. You did tell him you love him every day though, feeling like you'd regret it if you didn't. But you were okay with doing that when you thought he couldn't hear. Now that he had, you were nervous.

"I uh..I didn't...um.." You stuttered. He chuckled lightly, gripping your hand again.

"It's okay, angel...I..I'm sorry, about..this..about everything...but I need...need you to know that...I love you too." He confessed, bringing your hand to his lips to kiss the back of it. Tears came to your eyes again, along with a smile, and you closed your eyes resting your forehead against his.

For the first time in over a year, you weren't angry or scared. You were at peace.

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masterlist

[just-dreaming-marvel]

Holding It Together

MAIN MASTERLIST / MARVEL MASTERLIST 

Logan Howlett x Female!Reader

Word Count: 1,065ish

Summary: It all becomes too much and Logan can tell.

Warning(s): some angst, mental breakdown

Notes: I wrote this because I'm really struggling right now and I wish I had someone to break down to. You can really imagine any type of Logan you want.

Everything had slowly piled on. From every direction. Work. Family life. Your insecurities. The political climate. Your health problems.

On the outside, you forced yourself to seem put together, positive, and okay. But on the inside, you were breaking faster than you could put yourself together. You didn’t want anyone to know how bad it was getting, but someone was slowly seeing the cracks you didn’t know were coming through your facade. 

Logan first noticed when you laughed at one of Scott’s lame jokes one breakfast. It wasn’t as loud as it usually was, more hollow. The next time, he found you zoned out in the library. He watched you curiously for a moment. And before he could go to you, Ororo pulled you out of your daze and dragged you a long to come help her.

Logan noticed that you were being pulled in too many directions. Everyone wanted your help all the time. To collaborate on lessons. To ask questions. To hang out. Or to run trainings and missions. Then there were the family events you were constantly going to when you had time. He couldn’t remember the last time you took a day off or insisted on staying in your room for the night. Logan was growing concerned that you weren’t going to be able to handle all of this much longer.

One night, on his way to bed, Logan saw you in the hall. You clearly didn’t notice him as a few tears slipped down your cheeks and you seemed to head to your room on autopilot.

“Y/N?” He called your name.

You froze and quickly wiped away your tears. “Hey, Logan,” you forced out a smile. 

“Y/N,” he repeated, his tone full of concern as he stepped closer to you. “Are you okay?”

You bit your lip and nodded. “I’m fine.”

His brow quirked. “You sure?”

“Positive.”

He didn’t believe you one bit. “I’ve noticed that you been non-stop lately.”

“It’s just life,” you shrugged.

Logan shook his head. “No, it’s not, sweetheart. This is much more than that.”

You sighed. “I’m okay, Logan.”

“Y/N—“

“I’m going to bed. Goodnight.” Then you disappeared into your room.

~~~

Logan kept his distance the next day but also made sure that you were in his line of sight most of the day. You were holding yourself like the weight of the world was on your shoulders and Logan hated to see you that way. He just wanted you to be happy and relax.

As they day went on, Logan watched you continually put others before yourself in unhealthy ways. You really had no boundaries. When Kitty asked for your help with prepping dinner, Logan stepped in. He had had enough.

“No, Y/N’s going to go rest,” Logan said, placing himself between you and Kitty.

“What?” You questioned. “Logan, I’m fine.”

He turned around to face you. “No, you’re not. Let’s go.” He gently turned you around and began guiding you to your room. 

“Logan—“

“Not hearing it, sweetheart.”

“Logan, please.” Tears collected in your eyes.

“I’m done watching you run on fumes. You’re going to rest and I’ll bring you whatever you need.”

“No.” You pulled yourself from Logan’s grip and spun around to face him. “I can’t, Logan. I need to keep going.”

“You’re going to get sick if you continue on like this.”

“I have to keep going. If I don’t… Just, please, Logan. I’m fine.”

He shook his head. “No. I’m not dropping this. You’re running yourself to the ground and I can’t stand by and watch it anymore.”

“There’s just so much,” you admitted quietly, allowing the tears to fall. “If I help everyone else, I don’t have to think about it.”

“Sweetheart…” He stepped closer and carefully cupped your face in his large, rough hands. “Ignoring the problems are just going to make it worse. Trust me, I’m the king of doing that.”

“I’m sorry. It’s just all too much, Logan… It’s all too much.” You broke down into sobs and Logan quickly pulled you into him, holding you close.

“I got you, sweetheart. I’ve got you.” 

Gently, Logan picked you up and carried you the rest of the way to your room. He tried to set you down on your bed but you gripped him tightly. He toed his boots off as he held you before moving to lay on the bed. 

“You can’t keep going like this, sweetheart,” he told you as you cried against him. “You’re wearing yourself down and it’s hurtin’ me to see.”

“I’m sorry,” you cried.

He shushed your apology. “Don’t do that.”

“Everything’s just so overwhelming… I’m so alone and I don’t know how to handle any of it.”

“I’m not goin’ to let you handle it alone anymore. I’m right here for you, sweetheart.”

You pushed yourself up to try to get off of Logan and shook your head. “No, I can’t put my burdens on you, Lo—“

“Stop that.” He pulled you back against him. “You can’t keep your burdens to yourself any longer. I’m here and willing.”

“Why?”

Logan looked at you and hesitated. How could he possibly tell you that he had a major crush on you when you were at such a low? He would have to wait and be okay with just being a friend for now.

“Because, sweetheart, I care about you,” he responded. “And I’m your friend. Let me help.”

You nodded. “And it all… won’t scare you away?”

“Never, darlin’. Nothing you could say would ever scare me away from you.”

Your breath caught at his words and the look in his eyes. You could see that he was serious and that there was something else behind it. You didn’t push though, not in the right mindset.

“I need you to stop holding it all in, sweetheart,” Logan continued. “I need you to be straight with me and allow me to help you.”

“I don’t know where to even start, Logan… Just the thought of any of it… I get emotional and I—“

“Calm down, darlin’. Breathe. We don’t have to talk about anything right now. Whenever you’re ready.” He kissed your head. “Right now, let me just hold you. Okay?”

You let yourself sink into him further, tears still slipping from your eyes. “What if I fall asleep?”

“Then I’ll hold you until you wake. I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

[mahowaga]

OPEN ARMS | G.S.

SUMMARY: chased by killers, you're torn between love, survival and the impossible ordeal of letting go.

PAIRING: gojo satoru x gn!reader GENRE: angst (reader is also a sorcerer in this au!) NOW PLAYING: open arms (just sza) by sza WC: 2.1k WARNINGS: not proofread!

Great, you think. Another day, another migraine.

And this time, it's three of them. Your head feels like it's about to explode.

You scale the fence, gripping the wire and hooking your feet through the gaps, and look over the wall at the three men huddled together on the other side. They are discussing something, and every two seconds or so the biggest one (who is wearing a red bowtie) nods and murmurs, “Sounds good.”

You have no doubt that they are contract killers hired by the Sorcerer Association. (You're not exactly their favorite jujutsu sorcerer, and they've made it glaringly obvious with the way they've plastered your face everywhere and put a bounty on your head. Tch, all because they're not big fans of your cursed technique. If you remember correctly, they'd called it "the harbinger of ruin". A bit of an overreaction, you think.)

Your to-be murderers are clad in razor sharp suits and ties, a pair of dark sunglasses resting on the bridge of their nose, a revolver in their hand. It's cute how they dress themselves up as triplets.

You raise your eyes to the sky as if to beg the gods for a sliver of their patience and wonder if the Sorcerer Association will ever leave you be.

The killer with the red bowtie pulls a piece of paper out from the pocket inside his jacket and squints at it. He reads out your full name, then looks to his colleagues with his brow furrowed. "Ain't that the kid no one’s been able to catch yet?”

One of the others has a teal Band-Aid (fancy) slapped onto the side of his neck. Blood stains the edges of it, turning it a sickly and splotchy green. It makes you wonder why he had even bothered to slap one on knowing that the wound would leak out anyways. The guy grunts, lifting his shoulders, and says, “We’ll get 'em. They specifically entrusted us with this mission. We’ll bring the kid's head back for them.”

The three men chuckle and slap each other on the back. It's almost comical. You cringe, feeling bad.

You know very well by now that the Sorcerer Association always tells the contract killers whom they hire that they've been chosen specifically for this mission. (If it isn't already common knowledge, the mission is to kill you. Probably in the most painful way possible. An eye for an eye and all that.)

Tch. No one has been able to kill you yet, and you don't exactly plan on letting these three fools outsmart you either. Your streak needs to remain intact. That and, more importantly, your life.

If they are truly that good, they should’ve already noticed that the only thing separating them from you at the moment is a chain-linked fence and a wall. The fact that they haven't disappoints you greatly.

You let go of the fence and land on the ground, the gravel crunching beneath your feet.

You freeze, knowing they heard you. You need to think quick, plan your next steps within the next ten seconds.

“Someone’s here,” one of the guys say, and they begin running towards the wall.

You've already backed away into the shadows of the buildings, but when you hear them begin to climb the fence, you take it as your cue to start running.

You raise your eyebrows when you see him. Your gut churns, because you're not ready to see him. It's too soon, too dangerous, too risky - too painful.

You are taking refuge in a library that you've broken into. You have to give them credit – those killers are relentless. They’ve been chasing you for a whole week without rest, and even you have to admit that you're running out of energy and ideas. The library is a last resort - it's prodigious, drenched in darkness, and lined with bookshelves as tall as the domed ceiling. The perfect place to lay low.

And of course now is the time he decides to make an appearance.

While hiding behind a bookshelf and sinking lower and lower to the ground with each gunshot you suddenly hear a deafening whoosh, one that you know for a fact isn't from those revolvers your killers carry around, and it's followed by a blinding white light. You don't risk looking around the corner to see what's happening, but you do hear punches being thrown, punches connecting, bones cracking, men grunting, men cursing and then three gunshots in tandem. A finale that ends with a bang. Literally.

You realize that you are holding onto your arms and shaking. You take a deep breath and try to calm yourself.

Someone's gone and killed the people after you. But who? Why? Are they coming for you next?

Your mind is reeling. There's nothing useful in there were you to be cut open and examined. Nothing but worries and fear and adrenaline begging you to do something rash. To step out of your hiding place and confront the assassin - or your savior.

You almost do it, too, but then-

“Missed me?” He rounds the corner and smiles – in that Gojo Satoru way where his blue eyes gleam like the ocean during a summer's day, instantly warming you to the core like a cup of hot chocolate on a winter’s day.

You stumble to your feet quickly, embarrassed that he's witnessed you exhibiting fear. (In all the years you've known him, he's never seen you afraid. Never seen you vulnerable like this.)

He holds his hands out to steady you and his arms seem to be the only semblance of consistency in your life at the moment. Strong and unbreakable, figuratively speaking, unlike your currently wavering will to survive this entire ordeal and stop the Sorcerer Association from coming after you.

“Woah, where have you been?” you ask, taking in his slightly disheveled appearance. You touch your fingers to your forehead, which you have only just realized is bleeding. You aren't quite sure when you got injured.

He raises an eyebrow. “Where have I been?” he scoffs, folding his arms against his chest. “Last I checked you were the one who vanished into thin air.”

You're kind of upset that he’s taken his hands away from you. You feel the absence of his warmth almost immediately.

You spread your hands. “Yeah, five months ago! I expected you to move on.”

He exhales sharply and runs a hand through his snow-white hair. It still looks as soft as ever, and he still has never told you his hair care routine.

You sigh and dust your clothes off, gauging his reaction. You're not sure you can handle what's about to come.

“Well, it was a rough five months for me," he says, cocking his head, regarding you with that achingly gently gaze of his. "I tried locating you but you just kept moving from place to place. I finally latched onto your signature when you stopped here, so I took my chances." He shrugs, as if he hasn't just turned your world completely upside down.

You're silent for a moment, trying to process his words, but your head is working slower than your ears, creating a backlog of things to be made sense of. Then-

“You looked for me?” Your voice cracks slightly, and you try to cover it up by coughing. (This fails because you end up hacking with the dust lingering in the air from the earlier shootout.)

Satoru sees through it, like he always does, and tilts his head, smiling.

“'Course I looked for you,” he says. “I wasn’t going to let you go through this alone.”

A stray piece of scaffolding falls from the ceiling, startling you both. You realize you've moved closer to Satoru a little too late. (This is what adrenaline does to a person, it delays your critical thinking.) Now you're almost touching noses with him. If you raise your chin, you could seal the deal.

“What the hell,” you mutter under your breath and wrap your arms around his neck. You're not thinking straight, and you know it, but you're not letting this opportunity go without a fight. His hands snake across your waist, pulling you even closer to him. 

You missed this. You didn't even know how much you missed this, how much you yearned for him in the five months you spent apart. In the five months after you decided to run.

For a while you just look at each other, Satoru's gaze occasionally slipping down to your lips, followed by him running his tongue over his own, making you bite yours.

Your heart is trying to escape the confines of your ribcage. You'd let it run amok if you didn't want this with him right now.

You don't have to be a detective to see the tension between you both. It's as sharp as a blade, and as taut as a rubber band stretched to it's limit - ready to snap.

You're anxious to kiss him, but you know damn well he wants to. You can't lie - it would change everything, but you're not sure you're opposed to the idea of him being yours.

You know that he wants to kiss you because, well, the last time you were with him he'd told you he wanted to build a life with you, his eyes earnest as they met yours, his hands warm around yours, and you had blindly obliged, needy for someone who cared about you. Someone who saw you for you. Someone who would protect you. Someone who loved-

It was after the killers started coming for you when you realized you could never have a life with anyone unless you wanted to risk their deaths.

Love? Love isn't an option for a fugitive. A target.

With that upsetting thought you pull away from him roughly; from his security, from the life he promises you'll have with him - from everything.

Satoru's furrowed brows are too much for you to face right now. You can't bear seeing his heart break a second time, knowing it's at your hands yet again.

But he has to understand.

He says your name, reaching for your hand. “You know that I can protect you. You don’t have to worry. We just let our guard down last time. I won’t let it happen again.”

You turn away from him, breathing heavily, trying to reign in your emotions. “How can you guarantee that?” you whisper shakily.

When there is no answer for a few seconds you swallow the lump in your throat, knowing that there really is no way that he can guarantee your survival. If his only reason is that he is the strongest, well- even the strongest can only handle so much.

It was always doomed between the two of you, you realize.

It hurts. It feels like someone's run a white-hot poker right through your gut. It feels like someone's reached into your chest and ripped your heart out. It's devastating. It's heart wrenching, because it is true.

Tears threaten to fall. Your vision blurs. Every cell in your body leans towards him, crying for him, reaching out for him.

It's true. You love him. It's a truth you've never truly let yourself believe, because of how impossible the rest of it seemed. And now, looking at him, having to face the way the blue of his eyes shatter like stained glass, the way his hands ball into fists at his sides, the way his breathing becomes heavy, like he can't even do it without his chest hurting - it kills you.

Gojo Satoru. He had listened to you when you'd rambled about your entire life whilst lying beneath the starry night sky. He'd held your hand the day after the failed mission, brushing his thumb over the back of your hand, telling you that he would always take care of you. He’d been with you through thick and thin, ever since you were kids, and had stuck by your side through it all. Hell, he’d even been assigned with the task of killing you, and he’d retaliated instead. You should’ve known back then that he was in danger, but his offer to run away and live a life away from all this, together, had been so much more promising and entrancing to you. It had blinded you.

Now, however, you know that the both of you can never be anything more than mere acquaintances - probably even less than that. You are a death threat to him, and he doesn't deserve to die. Not because of you.

“That’s what I thought,” you say bluntly, coldly, even though your breath hitches. Your voice cuts through the silence, and you see him stiffen.

His gaze darkens. Your heart clenches.

Knowing Satoru the way you do, you know that he won't let you go just like that. He will fight, tooth and nail, like he has done for everything in his life.

You aren't sure he'll come out victorious this time, but, like him, you stubbornly hope despite it all.

NOTE: hello! thank you for reading, i hope you enjoyed this one! i had to bring in the angst because i am allergic to happiness, i'm sorry :( oh no :(

[burningcheese-merchant]

cmon burningcheese headcanon generator 3000. I know you got some more in there so SPIT IT OUT ALREADY!!!

Should I change my blog name to that, I wonder 🤔

Rough day today so I'm going to answer this particular ask in an attempt at self-soothing because BurningCheese makes me happy haha

For Valentine's Day, Burning Spice likes to show off his surprising way with words by writing Golden Cheese poetry. Even today, after knowing him for so long (and knowing he's not dumb, far from it), she still can't help but feel astonished by the silver tongue he hides in his mouth. He's been doing this since long before they ever got together (he started when she began tolerating him enough to allow him near her outside of their usual sparring sessions lol) and he's never missed a day. Even when she still hated him, she was never able to refuse (both because he knew to play to her love of gifts, and because he wouldn't leave her alone until she took the damn envelope lol)... Nowadays she almost acts like a schoolgirl with a crush, in how excited she is to see what he writes her next. She keeps them all safe in an everything-proof box and it's one of her favorite things to receive from him (like so haha)

Likes To Bite x Likes Being Bitten (and it goes both ways lol. GC just waits until they're alone to give him a nibble. He loves it so fucking much you have no idea)

BS's main love language is physical touch, which he gives GC in spades. A hand on her shoulder, an arm around her waist, grabbing her and yanking her away from whatever she's doing and into an inescapable hug, holding her in his lap, smothering her with kisses, adult fun time (wink wink)... He simply cannot keep his hands off of her, nor does he want to, nor will he ever. (this also extends to fighting. They still spar all the time, for fun. Old habits die hard)

BS is extremely clingy at bedtime, he will grab onto GC and fall asleep and not let her go no matter what (he won't wake up either, he sleeps like the dead... Unless she tries to get up to drink water or something, then he's awake and grumbling and fussing like a spoiled baby until she's back in his indestructible cage of an embrace)

GC doesn't like spicy food at all. She indulges BS when he wants her to try food from his homeland because that's what lovers do for each other (and she's too proud to chicken out), but... goodness, those people are insane. They think this amount of spice in a dish is acceptable??? BS just thinks it's really funny to watch her sputter and her face turn red when she eats a mouthful of vindaloo lol (although he secretly hopes that any children they have do not inherit her spice intolerance)

BS helps GC preen or otherwise tend to her wings when necessary. She used to ask her attendants to help, now he's the only one who's allowed to (they've come a long way since this haha)

They're both very jealous and not jealous at the same time, if that makes any sense. Neither doubts the other's loyalty or devotion, not one bit. Buuuuut alsooooooo they don't like when anyone else tries anything with the other lol. Someone even LOOKS at GC Like That and BS is either getting in their face to intimidate them or being overly touchy with GC to establish dominance lol. (GC usually doesn't need to step in if the reverse happens, BS will just tell other women to fuck off point-blank. But if they don't listen, then it's HER turn to be overly touchy to establish dominance lol. Also, lots of mean girl insults. That's what you get for trying something with her man)

BS proposed to GC on the same cliff where he tore up her wings. Very macabre and tasteless on the surface, admittedly, but he saw it as undoing the dark, unfortunate significance that place held. Making new, happy memories to replace the old, unhappy ones, ykwim? (She understood what was meant by them being there when it happened, she was actually very touched)

BS is GC's new throne. Being significantly smaller than him means she fits really snug in his lap. An extra throne was not built for him after they married because GC said that he's allowed to sit in hers and she'll just sit in his lap when he does lol

GC tastes rich and a bit salty; BS tastes very hot and spicy. His is actually the only spice she can tolerate (and thinks is delicious)

Something kid-related just because: GC named their son, BS named their daughter. But you probably could've guessed that on your own haha

[leviackermanstoes]

GOD PLEASE I NEED ALUCARD X FEM READER WHO IS ALSO HALF VAMPIRE. It would be good if we got something along the timeline of castlevania nocture. Maybe Alucard mets the reader after decades or so. Reader has the same personality as Alucard but she’s more straightforward and obviously very supportive of whatever Alucard is on about. YEARNING ALARM INCOMING.

Bring back male yearning🙏uh I kinda changed it up a bit but it should still be okay I hope😭

---

He's begging babe, stay, stay, stay...stay...stay.

-very little warnings on this one. Just lots of fluff and cute alucard. Sappy vampire shit. Minor sad themes🫶

-

you stood by the training dummies watching as richter practised his moves. It was late into the afternoon, and even later, when maria returned with the fruits, she said she had been told to gather.

"Told by who?" Your brows furrowed.

"Alucard" maria shrugged her shoulders and walked off.

Staring as your heart skipped a beat, you found yourself wanting to fall into the grass to your knees. Alucard? There was no way. Not your alucard...? You stood up and told richter training was over and walked him back to the castle where all your suspicions and fears were made true.

There, at the bottom of castle steps, stood None other than adriān alucard tepes in all his glory, tall and unwavering Like a pale, golden brick wall. As he conversed with maria, you hoped you would be able to sneak past him in order to avoid drama or a sticky situation.

But as soon as his golden eyes met yours. You were done for.

"___?"

He said it shakily and breathy as if he didn't believe it was actually you. He stepped away from maria and walked towards you where his head almost fell off his shoulders. You weren't fake. But how were you still here? Still so you, still so...beautiful.

Alucard's hands were still shaking when he reached out to feel your shoulder, immediately taking them away in seconds so as not to make you uncomfortable. You didn't know what to make of all of this, your former love and the only man who ever made you feel worth something was standing infront of you after all these years.

50

Fifty fucking years.

"Adriān?"

It's not like you believed it yourself either. I mean, he was here, just standing here with the other teen you had been training. Standing before you like, he'd never left that position in all those decades he spent apart from you. Would he even want to love you again? And if you tried to tell him how strong your feelings for him still are, would he reciprocate them?

"We should uhhh...head inside before the storm comes over"

Richter stuttered on his words as him and maria watched the two of you. Alucard turnt his head, leaving his eyes on you for as long as he can before he puts them to richter.

"Head inside, we shall meet you momentarily"

And as the rains began to pour, young richter belmont and maria renard ran inside, leaving their mentors to stand in the freezing rain. It had been maria's guess that alucard hated rain, so she had to give him her extra bread at dinner.

"Where have you been?" He asked shakily.

Truth be told, you had never seen him so...like this. So desperate yet so far away that telling him anything either brought him closer or too far away to hear the rest of your words. Afraid of admitting to him that you had been thinking about him every second since the two of you split up.

"I've been out fighting. Protecting targoviste"

"Targoviste?" He repeated.

Alucard puts his lips together. You're so unsure of what to do that it's almost impossible to find any kind of words to say to him, so you give him a smile and walk inside with either tears or rain gathering on your face.

-

Richter belmont watched as you stood on the castles balcony, pondering over the last hour that you went through. He thought maybe that you and alucard were just having a rough patch and were actually the best of friends, but after seeing the whole day having gone through without your both talking, he knew something had to be more than just not talking.

"Miss?" He said

"Yes, richter?" You turnt your head.

The tall teen walked to you with a curious head on him. You knew he wanted to know about you and alucard, but you didn't quite know what to tell him because for all sakes of heaven, you didn't even know what to tell yourself.

"I know what you're here for richter. Sit and I'll tell you everything you want to know"

Who were you to deny your young trainee what he asked for? A simple sappy, emotional story that he willing wanted to hear.

"Where do you want me to start?" You asked him

Richter's face dwindled. "At the start. I want to hear everything if you can"

You nodded at him. Staring down into the down dark forest, only a few thoughts came to your mind. It's all so thorough, so inextricably bound to you through your heart and soul that you don't even know how much you can say without falling into pieces.

"Alucard is... someone very important to me. He's been there for me when I needed him and when I didn't"

"When you didn't?" Richter interjected.

"Yes. Often, he would appear even when I was mad at him or angry with him or after we'd had a fight. Alucard would've hugged me even if I had told him i never to see him again" you almost laughed to yourself.

You weren't sure if richter was going to understand the level of love, but you figured that if he wanted to know, he may have some idea.

"So is he your husband?" He asked

And well

You didn't want to answer that. "No. He's not. But he is someone I love dearly"

"So why did you not talk to him for decades?"

You sighed. And just like every other year, someone had asked you that you put your head in your hands and didn't care whether or not your hair was in front of your face. As the cold wind blew on your dress gently or tore it to shreds.

"It's hard to say." You rested your chin on your hands, holding your head up as you found the words. "People grow apart sometimes"

"You don't seem like people who grow apart"

For a 19 year old, he was oddly wise in what he said. Just like trevor. Who might have been an idiot at times, but there was a time he couldn't give the best words to help you.

"Where's the time going to spend all of it together?" You replied.

----

It wasn't til late the next night when alucard finally spoke a word to you after your moment. His black clothing was blending into the dark forest as you both walked, only the bits of gold gleamed.

He was still as beautiful as the day he let you go. Still so angelic and bright-eyed. Still looking like everything you wanted. Still so riddled with haunt and dread but managing to look ethereal.

"So...what have your decades been like?" Is all you managed to say.

Alucard stopped in his tracks, you turnt back to look at him. His face was undeniably read with something visibly...almost pissed off. In a way that made you suddenly scared for your life.

"Adriān?"

"Don't"

"What's happened?" You asked

Alucard only stood there in silence as if he expected you to know what he was thinking. But you weren't a mind reader. Maybe he had had a couple of bad years and you had triggered him by asking.

You stepped closer to him.

"Is that seriously all you have to say to me?" His brows are tight in frustration.

"I-im sorry i-" alucard tightly grabbed your waist and pulled you closer to him.

All the air between the two of you was sucked out and all hope of having a civil conversation was almost gone when his cold hand came to your cheek. But he stopped himself.

"Fuck"

And then he stepped away like he'd made a grave mistake. You could now only see his broad back and smell him on you, all over and in the air. Just like every day.

"Please don't leave me in the dark again adriān"

"For so long," his voice was gruff and smooth. It's tense like he struggled to speak. "I waited to see you again. Gods above, I prayed to every single one of them just to see you again. I would've scoured the burnt edged of the world to find you again"

He turnt to you, golden eyes immediately found yours.

"And now that I have you, it's like every fibre of my being has been torn to shreds and sealed in a box only you can open again. I am on fire when I am with you, thin like paper so that you may never feel I am hiding anything from you, and yet..."

Alucard sighed, his fangs baring just slightly. Something that always made you drown. Alucard was beautiful, stunning, and angelic, and he knew it. You felt like he did use it against you sometimes. As trevor once told you, "Pretty people get whatever they want by looking at you"

And alucard was a perfect example.

"Yet you look at me as if you don't know anything about me. Like I am the only person in the world you despise"

Despise? Not a word you would use to describe how you felt about alucard...your Adriān...your lover. You're everything. You want to say maybe you could but you know absolutely know from the bottom of you heart that there is no corner of your soul where adriān tepes is despised by you.

"I don't despise you. Gods, i could never despise you. " you breathed out

Tears welled in your eyes. "For gods sake, you stupid vampire, come and kiss me, would you"

Without a second thought, alucard almost teleported to you, and within a second, he is kissing you like there's nothing else in the world to do. You can feel the scratching on his nails as he grabs at your hair, but you don't care. You don't care about anything except for the fact that the man who has entirely captured your heart has his lips on yours for the first time after decades, almost centuries of pining over him and begging at the sky, adrian alucard tepes finally has you in his grasp.

[justsomeoneintoomanyfandoms]

I Want You Back

This was originally requested by Anon who asked: "Could you make headcanons where you have an established relationship with the Tokyo Debunker characters but your ex suddenly tries to win you back?" The links to the other houses are below.

Fandom: Tokyo Debunker

Characters: Yuri Isami, Jiro Kirisaki x gn! Reader (separate)

Frostheim | Vagastrom | Jabberwock | Sinostra | Hotarubi | Obscuary | Mortkranken

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You're happily in a relationship with the Tokyo Debunker characters. So how will they react when your ex suddenly tries to win you back?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That worm thinks they can just walk up and win back Yuri’s partner? Uh huh. Their IQ must be lower than expected.

Yuri doesn’t even initially consider the possibility that you may want to get back with your ex. In his eyes they’re nowhere near good enough for you and stand no chance.

And he’s going to tell your ex that directly. He’s not pulling any punches and it’s honestly a feather in your ex’s cap if they can walk away from that confrontation without tears in their eyes.

It’s only after he’s sent them on their way that the self-doubt starts creeping in. It’s not a feeling Yuri’s used to so it’s going to take him a while to realise what’s going on.

He won't talk to you directly about it though. You’re going to have to pick up on his sullen vibes and give him a bit of extra affection for a while before he goes back to normal.

Totally unbothered. He trusts you to handle the situation and honestly, won’t step in unless you directly ask him to.

He’s also completely confident in your desire to stay with him rather than go back to your ex. He remembers you telling him all the things you didn’t like about your ex after all.

The two of you also have a very open relationship when it comes to how you’re feeling so he trusts that if you weren’t happy with him, you’d just tell him.

If you do ask him to step in, he’ll be quite blunt about it. Your ex certainly gets the message though and isn’t likely to want to prolong a confrontation with someone like Jiro.

Afterwards, he won’t really bring it up again unless you’re in need of a bit of extra comfort yourself. It wasn’t a big deal to him so he’s happy to just move on with your lives.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey, did you enjoy this? If you like my writing, please consider donating to my Ko-Fi page! This will allow me to make some money off my writing, something I enjoy doing.

ko-fi.com/justsomeoneintoomanyfandoms

Important Note: Please only donate if you are financially able to. If you are currently in a position where you can't donate, a like, comment or reblog will mean just as much.

[knight-dwx-09]

Consequences Of Your Own Actions

After team RWBY and Jaune had arrived back to Remmant and reunite with everyone. They hold a party together as RWBY and Jaune retell most of what happened after they fall and listen to what had happened while they were in the Ever After.

About Jaune stuck at the ever after, his journey with Alyx and Lewis, which they were surprised of, meeting team RWBY, and their story how they get back.

Ruby try to keep the whole drinking poison as a secret, since it was pretty mess up, but Yang won’t allow her little sister to suffer alone anymore and just tell them straight up what she did and the reason. Safe to say, most of them were horrified from their expression, especially Qrow.

Ruby: Yang! You weren’t supposed to say that.

Qrow didn’t let to continue as he grabbed Ruby by the shoulder and yelling at her.

Qrow: Ruby! What were you thinking?!

Ruby: I-I didn’t… *Sigh* I am sorry for causing more trouble…

Qrow: What? There’s nothing you did that you have to say sorry *Sigh* I have already lost your mom, Ruby… I can’t lose you too… so please, if this whole stuff is weighting you down or the pressure are too much. Speak to me, your friends, sister, or your dad. Let one of us carried some of burden. Not because we think you are worthless or you couldn’t handle it. But because we cared of you. Can you at least do that for me?

This cause her to choke a bit, tears welling up in her eyes as a sob leave.

Ruby: … I will try, uncle Qrow, I will…

Qrow: That is good for now

Ruby: I love you, Uncle Qrow… *Buried her face into his chest and hugged him tightly*

Qrow: Love you too, Pipsqueak *Ruffled her hair*

Yang smiled at all of this, happy that she could help Ruby after being a failure of a sister for not being able to noticed her sister’s trouble. Qrow noticed her and opened his right arm, gestured her to come in as well with a smirk which she replied by accepting the hug.

At the same time, Jaune simply stared at the family with a slight smiled before feeling someone wrapping their hands around his waist as he looked to the side to find sad Nora.

Nora: You must felt so alone… waiting there for years… alone…

Jaune: …Yes… yes it was… *Wrapped his arm around Nora and deepen the hug, tears slowly emerged from his eyes*

Ren open his mouth to say something but hesitant a bit, mouth tremble as his eyes wander to the side.

Ren: Jaune…

This get the attention of the knight.

Ren: *Takes a deep breath*… While you were gone, I couldn't help but reflect on old memories, and all I could say was...… I am sorry for yelling at you back at the snow storm. It wasn’t right of me to put the blame on you when I have watched how much effort to grow stronger and your desired to become a huntsman. While I become one just for my selfish desire and following Nora… I am really sorry…

Jaune: Ren… It’s okay, I have already forgive you

Ren stared with wide eyes.

Jaune: Come on, don’t be so shock. You are my brother from another family, of course I forgive you after I have the times to myself. Now come here and give your brother a hug as I really needed one right now.

Ren stood there, not knowing what to do with that information but decide to step in to hug his girlfriend and brother together with a smile, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulder. After those beautiful and cute moments, Jaune had finally ready to reveal the news. Well, more like being pressure by the voice in his head.

Jaune: I guess you all should meet my new partner from now on

This grab the mind of most of the people there, remembering about Juniper in the story.

Nora: Are we going to meet Juniper? Did she follow along? Where is she? I can’t wait to feel her fur and ride her into battle against Grimm. That is one of my dream!

This only cause Jaune to laugh awkwardly as he pulled off from the hug and stand a feet away from them

Jaune: No, he is someone I extremely despise but I don’t have any say in this partnership so here we are

Jaune closed his eyes and letting air leave his lungs as everyone watch him, awaiting what he gonna do next. The next time he open his eyes, they weren’t met with the usual blue eyes, instead, the saw purple and neon blue eyes with a grins that stretch to inhumanly size as his voice distorted with an another voice.

Jaune(CC): Oh, how nice it is to finally able to move *Breathed in* Is this how the air in Remmant feels like? They aren’t much different to my old home but they sure feel a lot fresher.

Everyone, beside team RWBY, just stared confusedly at Jaune? As he looked around the room with a big smile before stopping at Oscar.

Jaune(CC): *Appeared in front of Oscar, scaring him a bit* You must the boy name Oscar whose has an old wizard soul inside you. So, how does that work? Did the wizard pick his next host or is it just random? If it is random, is there anything conditions it must met before you are transfer to said person? I am really curious.

Oscar: Huh? What?

Jaune(CC): *Gasp as he push away Oscar* Are those chicken nuggets dinosaur you have said you miss eating? I wonder how it taste *Rushed forwards and shove a hand full of nuggets into his mouth, chewing and swallowing the whole thing in seconds, before doing the same with the rest of the food*

Those who weren’t at the Ever After just stared, no sound made, no action made to stop him from eating. Just watch as Jaune? drink a bucket of chocolate milk.

Ruby: Okay, I know you all may be confused as to why is happening at this moment

Nora: I will be the first to asked it. What in the hell happened to Fearless Leader? One second he seem normal, now he had become a child-like state who are amazed by everything around him. Did Jaune-Jaune get possessed by a curious being that seriously want to know about our home while in the Ever After?

Ruby: *Blinked* Wow… that is pretty much what had happened

Yang: So yeah, Vomit-boy here is possessed by the Curious Cat

Qrow: The cat from the story?

Team RWBY nodded.

Qrow: Well, fuck my ass. I guess he had joined into the “Two soul in one body” club *Slipped one lien into the swear jar in Ruby’s hands, don’t ask where she get that from*

Oscar: The what club now?

Qrow decided to not answer that.

Emerald: So how do we separated them?

Blake: That is the thing, we are unable nor know how to do so. Even the blacksmith said that their soul has fuse together that forcing them apart could be extremely dangerous, possibly kill them.

Emerald: And what now? Are they gonna stuck like that for the rest of their lives?

Weiss: No, that doesn’t mean we won’t stop trying to find a way. I will ask the scientists and doctor around if they have some idea. *Looked at Oscar* And sir, could you perhaps give us the blue print of the machine that could transfer the maiden power? I am not certain it will work but it won’t hurt to look into the blue print of it.

Oscar(Ozpin): *Took control* I would advise you to not use that machine, it’s only supposed to be the last resort due to how taxing and dangerous to one soul. The only reason we use it was to keep Amber alive and not let the maiden power fall onto Salem’s hands, it was a desperate attempt which I regretted even up to this point.

Weiss: I am aware of the risk sir and I would like not to use this as well. However, maybe we could look into the machine to find out how the soul work, deconstructing its function and rebuild it, making it a bit more safer for the person in it. Just as a last resort of course

Oscar(OZ): *Nod* if you are that willing, I will draw the blueprint for you to look at. I just hope it won’t end this way. *Gives control back to Oscar*

Oscar: *Look at Jaune(CC) who was eating watermelon with its skin* Should we stop him before he got stomach ache?

Qrow: You kidding? From how much the brat is eating, he will probably go into a food coma in a couple of minutes.

After he said that, all of Team RWBY, (J)N(P)R, and Oscar rushed in to hold Jaune(CC) down before he could stuff a whole chicken into his mouth.

Next days

Jaune could be seen sitting near the toilet, holding it like it was the only thing keeping him alive as he vomit into it. Tears began to emerged from his dull neon purple and blue eyes, half-lidded from nausea as he rest his cheeks against the toilet sit.

CC: Jaune… please switch with me… I don’t like this feelings…

Jaune: Screw that, you were the one who eat all of the foods. Then you must deal with the consequences of your own actions

CC: Please Jaune… I am really sorry for eating and drinking all of those nuggets, salad, fish, steak, cake, chocolate milk, orange juice, coffee… *Vomit*

Jaune: Wow, so this is how it feels to be the passenger of my own body? Just the feeling of floating on a cloud with my own thoughts. No responsibilities, no dizziness you are feeling right now, just a bliss, comfy feeling of existing. It’s kinda nice.

Jaune(CC) just whimper as his stomach grumble once again.

[lossie92]

I know I'm a bit late, but hey, at least I'm posting something, right? 🫣

The promised snippet comes from an unnamed story in which Madara encounters a feral Tobirama in the Uchiha territory.

I hope you enjoy it!

-

Warnings: a/b/o au, mentions of kidnapping

-

Kagami was alive.

His little bean, his baby… He was alive.

Madara couldn't believe it despite how much and how desperately he had been praying for it. Yet here he was now, a little dirty and maybe slightly thinner than Madara remembered him being, but alive.

To say it felt like a miracle would be an understatement.

How he ended up with Tobirama was a mystery, though Madara had his guesses.

“Can I come closer?” He asked, his eyes locked with Tobirama's. His body was as relaxed as he could make it and he had his hands by his side, open palms turned towards the omega.

When he received no response, he started to slowly inch closer. Predictably enough, Tobirama's growl grew louder with each step he took and he was also showing his teeth now in a snarl that twisted his face into something truly wild and animalistic. That was to be expected though. Feral omegas were known to be incredibly wary and aggressive, and Tobirama was no exception.

Having a pup in his care didn't make things any less stressful for him either. An omega’s instinct was to protect their pups by any means necessary. The intensity of that instinct varied depending on an individual. There were omegas who barely responded to a pup in danger and those who started producing milk any time they heard a pup cry.

Tobirama's instincts and drive to protect seemed strong to say the least, and the way he was shielding Kagami, obviously intent on dying if need be in order to keep him safe, meant he wouldn't back down from a challenge.

Madara wasn't interested in challenging him in any way.

Kagami seemed perfectly content strapped against Tobirama's chest in a makeshift carrier. He was safe and asleep, and that was all that really mattered.

However, that didn't change the fact that Madara wanted to get a whiff of Kagami's scent; to touch him and hold him again. He had missed his baby so much it physically hurt to think about it.

With that in mind, Madara moved another step closer and then another, and another. Careful, measured steps that he hoped wouldn't trigger or provoke the omega.

He was almost an arm's length away when Tobirama suddenly stopped growling. He then started to sniff the air around him, likely able to catch a whiff of Madara's scent by now, before his eyes widened only to then become glassy with tears that soon began to fall down Tobirama's face seemingly unnoticed.

“M-mate?” The omega whispered in a raspy, wet voice as he leaned forward, a shaky hand extended towards Madara. “Mate!”

“I'm not—” Madara started to deny before he thought better of it.

There was no point in arguing with Tobirama right now, was there?

[organic-bloodbath]

Hi Oona! I really enjoy your Teach Ddakji to me.

I wanna see Reader and Salesman playing ddakji (maybe a regular game night) and at some point Salesman forgets himself or sth and slaps Reader on reflex. Then tries to make it up to Reader. Wheather Reader knows about the fact he's a recruiter I'll let you decide. Tho it'd be fun if they didn't. I just want some hurt/comfort. Pls?

I already requested the same to someone else but I know I'll enjoy it far more in your writing style. Unless you don't like the idea.

Slap me, my love

The Salesman x Reader

Summary: As above.

A/N: I'm happy to hear you've enjoyed it ❤️ Hope this is okay too 💙

♡♡

You and your fiancé had a game night every Saturday, you'd had it ever since you first met. You played a variety of different games with each other, and you were so excited every time you tried a new game you hadn't played before.

Tonight, you were playing Ddakji. It wasn't a new game for you, the two of you had played it several times already. In the beginning, you had been quite bad at it but now you had become a lot better – though he still won more often than you did.

Whenever one of you lost, the other could decide a 'punishment' for the loser, although it couldn't really be called an actual punishment. Usually it was a kiss on some part of your body or something else slightly sexual, but it varied a lot, and you never knew what he had in his mind.

Now, it was his turn and, with no surprise, he succeeded at turning your blue square around.

"Could you lose atleast once to make me feel better?" you rolled your eyes but smiled.

"You told me you didn't want me to hold back and let you win on purpose," he reminded you, a smile on his lips as well.

"Alright, what do you want as your reward?" You bit your lip.

"Hm, let me think," he said, stepping right in front of you. "Maybe... this."

He moved your hair out of the way to expose your neck to him. He leaned down to kiss your neck, making more marks on your skin. You let out a sigh of pleasure, cupping his face in your hands when he pulled his head away.

"Would you mind to continue the game later and, perhaps, start another game in the bedroom, hm?" you asked, playing with his tie.

"Tempting," he whispered. "But let's have a few more rounds before that, hm?"

"You're such a tease."

Then, it was your turn to hit your blue square on his red one, but unfortunately you missed and didn't manage to turn it around like he had done. As you lost and was waiting for your punishment, it was something you hadn't been prepared to at all. You didn't feel a kiss on your cheek or anything else what would bring butterflies in your stomach, no. You felt a hard and painful slap on your left cheek which stinged your skin a lot.

You held your cheek in horror as you looked at your fiancé. His eyes widened, and he could see the terrified look on your face.

"Darling, i'm so sorry," he apologised, voice trembling. He took a step towards you, but you took two steps back, instinctly needing to take distance to him.

You had been together for the past four years and never, absolutely never, had he layed his hand on you. He had never hit or slapped you, and you couldn't even imagine he would do that at all.

"I promise, i didn't mean to do that," he said desperately, speaking much faster than normally. "I swear it was an accident, i would never hurt you intentionally."

You had told him that your ex-boyfriend had hit you a few times before you had been able to leave him. Your ex had started abusing you two years into your relationship, completely out of nowhere, and he had manipulated you to trust him not to hit you ever again after that, but still new bruises had appeared on your skin.

You had trusted your current fiancé to never hurt you but here you were, holding your cheek which surely would turn red and leave a bruise.

You had promised yourself that if any man hit you again, you'd instantly walk out of the door and never turn back. But looking at him right now, regret clear on his face, you weren't able to do that.

If he does it once, he'll do it again, your mother's voice reminded you inside your head.

"Just, stay back," you mumbled, eyes starting to water.

"Darling, i-"

"How could you possibly do that accidentally?" you asked, ready to start tearing up.

He rubbed his eyes and shook his head, then locking his eyes with you. "I just. When i play Ddakji with other people, the punishment of losing is a slap on the face." He took a careful step towards you, trying to see if you'd take more distance to him. "I, i played it a little earlier today with a guy, so i think it just stuck with me now."

When he noticed that you didn't flinch back anymore, he dared to take your hands in his, gently brushing your knuckles with his thumbs. He looked directly into your eyes.

"I'm really, really sorry," he said, genuine regret and sadness in his eyes. "You have every right to leave but please, please don't."

He brought his hand on your cheek, slowly to see if you'd flinch away – he didn't want to make any fast movements right now, making sure you knew what he was about to do. You stood still, feeling his gentle touch on your sore skin.

"I would never, ever want to hurt you on purpose," he whispered.

You were unsure what to do. You had promised yourself you'd leave from the first slap and never go through that again, but you couldn't. He looked so sorry for his actions and during your entire relationship of four years, he had shown no sign of violence towards you.

"One more slap and i'll walk out the door and return my ring to you," you stated seriously.

"Of course," he immediately agreed. "It'll never happen again, i promise you."

He pulled you in a gentle hug, rubbing your back with his hand and resting his chin on top of your head. You closed your eyes and relaxed in his embrace.

Leave, Y/N, your mom's voice insisted. Walk away when you still can. He will do it again.

"I love you so much, Y/N," he whispered.

He wouldn't slap you a second time, right? Four years he had been so gentle with you, surely this had to be only a one time accident.

You loved this man more than life itself.

"Let's go get some ice for that, okay?" He took your hand in his to start leading you towards the kitchen.

You sat on a chair at the table while he got an ice pack from the freezer. He sat down next to you, pressing it against your cheek. You didn't say anything and avoided eye contact with him for a while. Him making you this uncomfortable and afraid absolutely broke his heart. You took the ice pack in your own hand and kept pressing it against your skin. He kneeled down on the floor in front of you, holding your free hand in his.

"Tell me what i can do to make this better," he pleaded softly. "I don't want to lose you or make you scared of me."

"Do you really slap other people?" you asked, narrowing your eyes.

"I do, yes," he admitted, a smile spreading on his face afterwards. "You're the only person who i kiss."

Your cheeks warmed a little bit, a small smile finding its way on your lips. He brushed a strand of your hair behind your ear.

"But why?" you asked.

He furrowed his eyebrows, looking confused. "Because you're the only person i truly love, i don't want to kiss anyone else."

"No, i mean," you chuckled, "why do you slap people? Is it a guy thing or something?"

He couldn't help but smile at your assumption. "Something like that."

You fell silent for a moment, until he stood up, pulling you up as well to stand in front of him. He put the ice pack on the table and made direct eye contact with you.

"Slap me," he commanded.

"Excuse me?" you asked, raising your brows.

"You heard me," he said seriously. "Slap me. As hard as you can, don't hold back."

You rolled your eyes. "I'm not going to slap you."

"Come on, do it. Then we're even," he insisted.

"I won't-" you started, but he interrupted you.

"Just slap me. One slap."

He was completely serious and clearly wouldn't give up until you did as he told you.

So, you lifted your hand and slapped him on his left cheek as hard as you could, making his head turn to the side a little bit. Your hand hurt from the hit, making you whimper a little bit.

He looked back at you and only smiled, as if it didn't hurt at all.

"Did it not hurt?" you scoffed.

"Oh, it definitely hurt," he stated. "My face is just used to pain."

"Oh yeah? You want me to do it again until it hurts?" you asked, crossing your arms.

"Feel free," he agreed, even leaning his face towards you a little bit.

"Nah, i'll pass," you smiled. "I wouldn't want to intentionally hurt you."

"And neither would i."

He stepped closer and rubbed your arms with his hands.

"Are we okay?" he asked softly, looking at you with furrowed brows, still genuinely worried.

You nodded. "We're okay."

He wrapped his arms around you, squeezing you into a tight and comforting hug.

"I think we should do something else, if you still want my company," he said softly.

"What would we do then?"

"I could read for you," he suggested.

He lead you to your bed, laying down on his back and pulling you against him, his arm around your shoulder. You rested your head on his chest, hand against his ribs.

He grabbed a novel and started reading it for you, continuing the chapter you had been left off. You liked to listen to his voice, it was soothing and comforting. It had become a habit that he read you once in a while before bed. Sometimes he'd read you much longer than needed, since it didn't take you long to fall asleep, and he didn't immediately realise that.

He brushed your hair and figured you had fallen asleep after couple of chapters. He looked at your sleeping figure, hating himself for having such a fast reflex to hit you like all the other people he played with.

He didn't know what he would do if you left him and he'd lose you. You were everything to him, he wasn't able to live without you anymore. You were the only light in his darkness.

He pressed a kiss on your hair. "I love you."

[emmg]

wiiiip not Wednesday lol

tagged by @heylittleriotactand tagging fellow babes in turns hehehhehee @aldisobey @jainydoe @caffeinatedmunchkin @thepalehorsevictoria @excited-hiss

I have bits and pieces written here and there, but nothing solid except for that one passage where Emmrich googles the definition of sugar daddy, texts Rook to ask if that’s what he is, gets a lolwut in response, and then has to google that too because he doesn’t understand youthful slang lmao.

So instead, here’s something from Herbarium that I’m working on, because I am absolutely, furiously, seething over the fact that Veilguard didn’t even give us the bare minimum of a chance to call Emmrich out on how utterly insane lichdom is in the context of a romance. Nope, all we get is the option to deliver a thumbs up, like great job, buddy, enjoy your undeath, let's boink! Yet, somehow, the concept that you can love someone without blindly supporting their worst decisions is just... nonexistent? Our Rooks should have had the option to say, I love you, I will support you, and I will help you chase your dream, but I can’t stay by your side if you go through with this. Even if I love you more than anything. But no, apparently nuance is too much to ask for. Anyway.

****

"I'm sorry. Deeply, terribly sorry," he whispers, his arms encircling her waist, his face pressed against the rise of her ribs. "I love you; entirely, inexorably. You need not return it in full, only in the measure you can bear. But you are my last, Rook, my very last, and I cannot begin to imagine what I would do if you did not return. I love you as I am, and I will love you in lichdom, and I will be able—" 

Above him, a sigh. Her fingers move through his hair in uneven strokes.  

She sounds depleted when she speaks, and then he remembers—she is. The hollows beneath her eyes have grown pronounced, the skin bruised with fatigue. Her hair, dull and lank, clings to its unwashed roots. 

"Please stop talking about it," she says, neither entreating nor reproachful. There is no sharpness left in her, no irony, no venom. Just a voice stripped of its essence. "I will support you, no matter what. You know that." 

"Support is not the same as acceptance. To bear something is not to embrace it." 

Her fingers continue their indifferent sweep. "No," she murmurs. "It isn’t." Another breath. "Can we sleep now, Emmrich? Don’t you want to sleep? I’m cold, and I want to sleep. And I want to hold you." 

He loved them, he told them, all those figures trailing behind him, the blurred procession of his past. Some answered with a nod, a perfunctory thank you. Others only blinked, uncomprehending. A few, after a pause, offered a measured well, then. Fewer still returned it, though never for long.

Rook says it differently. Quieter. She presses it to his cheek, light as the slip of paper one tucks away without reading, its corners already worn, its message already known. Groggily, she moves, sliding beneath the covers, lifting them just enough for him to follow. She is not sentimental—that, precisely, is why her I love you, spoken without tremor or weight, drained of inflection, is the only one that lingers, the only one that resists erosion. 

Suddenly, he feels as if he has forgotten all those that came before; their voices die out, sinking into the same nothing that swallowed old promises, childhood prayers, the smell of rooms he will never step into again. He strains to recall them, but there is nothing left to grasp. Only hers remains, colorless and bland, like the last light left burning in an empty house. 

Love is acceptance. Love is support. But they do not always converge. This is what rattles him, what makes him press his face into her shoulder, trying to quiet the lurking dread. 

Oh, she will support him. She will watch, nodding, shifting her weight from heel to toe, a restless pendulum of feigned ease. She will smile, make some awful quip to puncture the silence, to quell her own unease. She will tell him to go through with it, whatever it may be. She will take his father’s butchering blade, wipe it clean, and place it, without hesitation, into the hands of the one chosen to sever him from life. Then, when he returns—when he steps over the threshold, no longer a man but a thing made of magic and will—she will greet him, kiss the bare curve of his skull, wish him a good eternity, and walk away.

Because Rook has never struggled to seek out what she likes. She will continue. She will find something, someone, to cherish, and to cherish her in turn. She will support him, yes. But she will not accept. 

He wants to seize her hands, press them between his own, feel the warmth of them before it is too late. He wants to shake her, to shake sense into her—or out of her—until she understands, until she sees what he sees. Why, why, why can she not grasp that this is the better course? She would not have to lead the charge, would not have to stand where death is swiftest. He would take that place, step into the fire, let the blade that might have cut her down pass through him like wind through a hollow. What harm could it do? He would be beyond harm. A creature of eternity, of patience, of limitless devotion, the power of the Necropolis at his back.

He would not sleep. Would not tire. Would not falter. He would guard the tombs, guard her, keep vigil over the living and the dead alike. He would serve Nevarra, and he would serve her, and in time, oh, in time, perhaps he would find something—a loophole, a secret, some arcane twist of fate to keep her from slipping away, to keep them both here, tethered, together. 

No one would have to cross that final, irreversible threshold. No one would have to see what lies beyond—whether it is the blank serenity of the Maker’s realm or a silence so absolute it swallows even the thought of regret. 

Please, please, please, he wants to say, pressing his forehead to her shoulder, his breath wasted against the fabric there. Let me love you like this. Let me stay. Let me make it so you never have to leave.

She would not even have to look at him, if the sight of what he became repulsed her. He would spare her that, too. He would wear a veil, an illusion, his old face, preserved like a saint’s death mask, a perfect glamour.  

Nothing would have to rot. Nothing would have to change. Nothing at all. 

[itsnesss]

Kwon Jae Sung x Robby's sister

Kresse tells Kwon to seduce Reader to get Robby distracted and worried. (The bar scene)

𝐤𝐰𝐨𝐧'𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 | kwon jae-sung × fem!reader

summary | kwon approaches you at the bar, his charm irresistible. without warning, he kisses you, deliberately distracting robby

warnings | keene!reader, tension, inappropriate advances, mild manipulation, and potential emotional distress, kissing

word count | 1.2 k

author's note | it would help me a lot if you liked, commented and reposted so that more people read what I write and don't forget to follow me, thanks ᡣ𐭩

The bar is filled with noise: laughter, loud music, and the constant hum of conversations. Despite the lively atmosphere, you can't help but notice your brother Robby, sitting alone in a corner, his gaze fixed on his drink. There's something in his demeanor that unsettles you. You know he's been going through some rough patches lately, but there's something more you can't quite put your finger on. Maybe it's the way he's been distant lately, or maybe you just worry seeing him so alone. But you don't have time to analyze it too much; tonight, you've decided to go out and clear your head, to step away from the thoughts swirling in your mind.

It's then that you feel a presence approach. When you turn, you find Kwon Jae-Sung, his deep gaze fixed on you, and a smile you can't help but recognize as calculated. Something in his posture lets you know that he's interested in something more than just a casual conversation. There's a spark in his eyes, a glint of interest you can't ignore.

"Would you like to join me for a drink?" he asks, his voice soft and confident, as if he's sure you won't be able to say no. You can't help but feel a flutter in your stomach at his proximity. You know him, but there's something different about him tonight, something that makes you feel nervous.

Your first instinct is to turn him down, but for some reason, you don't. Maybe it's the way he looks at you, or maybe it's just the idea that a little distraction wouldn't hurt. You take a deep breath, deciding that you're not going to lose anything. After all, it's just a drink, right? So you accept his invitation and follow him to a secluded table in a corner of the bar, where the lighting is dimmer and the atmosphere more private.

Kwon sits across from you, a little too close. His gaze never leaves you, as though he's studying every move you make. You feel uncomfortable under his scrutiny, but you try to remain calm.

"I usually see you with your brother," he comments, his tone casual, but with an intentionality you can't ignore. "I don’t see him here tonight.

You're tense at the mention of Robby. He’s right, you don’t usually go to bars alone, let alone without him. But tonight is different. Tonight, you needed some space.

"I just needed a little time to myself," you reply, trying to sound calm, though you feel a bit nervous. "You know, sometimes you need to step away."

Kwon smiles, and that smile carries an air of complicity that unsettles you. He leans back slightly in his chair, watching you like he's looking for something in you. You feel the distance between you both slowly disappear with every word he says. The space between you seems to shrink, and you feel his proximity like a weight on your chest. The background music seems to fade away, leaving only the sound of his breath, almost hypnotic.

"Have you never wondered what would happen if you didn’t care so much about what others think?" he asks, his eyes locked on yours. "Because I don’t. And maybe that’s the most liberating thing you could experience."

The tension between the two of you is palpable, though you’re struggling to ignore it. You know this is just a game to Kwon, a distraction, but you can’t help but be disconcerted by his presence. His voice is soft, seductive, wrapping around you and making you feel more vulnerable than you'd like to admit.

"And you?" you ask, trying to keep control of the situation, though you know the conversation has taken a turn you didn’t expect. "Have you never worried about the consequences of your actions?"

Kwon leans in closer, so close that you can almost feel his breath on your skin. "Sometimes the consequences are worth it," he says softly, almost a whisper, before kissing your lips quickly but deeply. The kiss is intense, direct, and unhesitating. A touch of passion that leaves you breathless. You don’t know what you expected, but it certainly wasn’t this. You pull away quickly, your body tense, and for a moment, everything seems to stop.

Kwon leans back in his chair, watching you with a satisfied smile, as though he knew he had just made you lose control. The kiss leaves an odd feeling inside you, a mix of confusion and desire, but something tells you not to let Kwon win so easily.

"Was that necessary?" you mutter, trying to make your voice sound firmer than you feel inside.

"Why not?" Kwon responds, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. "Maybe now you understand a bit more about what I want."

Your eyes drift to the table where Robby is sitting. You realize he’s been watching you the whole time, though his face now shows a tense expression, one of discomfort. His jaw is clenched, his eyes fixed on you, but you don’t dare look at him too much, because you know what’s coming.

Robby stands up abruptly. He walks towards you without saying a word, his gaze fixed and serious. He looks at you, then at Kwon, and you know what’s going on in his head. He’s getting upset, he’s feeling bothered by what he just saw. It’s clear he didn’t like what just happened.

"Let’s go," Robby says in a cold voice, heading straight for you without giving Kwon a chance to respond. His eyes are filled with annoyance, jealousy. "It’s time to leave."

Before you can react, Robby grabs your arm firmly, but not violently, and guides you out of the bar. The contact with his skin makes you feel a mixture of guilt and confusion, but a small part of you also feels relief as you leave the tension that had built with Kwon behind.

"What the hell was going on there?" Robby says, now outside the bar. His tone is annoyed, and you know he’s not just upset about what he saw, but also by the way Kwon got close to you.

"Robby, it’s not what it looks like," you try to explain, but you know it’s hard. He clearly saw you in a vulnerable moment, and that makes him feel hurt.

"I care too much about what happens between us," Robby replies, looking you directly in the eyes. "I don’t want you getting involved with someone like him."

With that, it’s clear that he’s not just worried about you, but that he also feels betrayed by what you just did, even though it wasn’t your intention.

[runawaymarbles]

The thing I keep coming back to, with all the *gestures expansively* is that real life doesn't have peaceful epilogues.

Every single win has to be defended. Forever. I'm sorry. It sucks. The Nazis lost until they stopped losing. The US had abortion rights, and then 50 years later it didn't. Empires fall, and then they invade other countries again. Oppressive regimes are overthrown and replaced with other oppressive regimes. You will never finish the work etc etc etc. Which is why it's so fucking important to be able to acknowledge and celebrate progress, when it happens. The people who came before you didn't put in all that work for nothing, and you aren't, either. You can't save it all for the Ultimate Victory because there is never going to be an Ultimate Victory. There's no such thing as a time when everything is good, and ours shall not be the commune of Heaven.

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

The fans: Ugh Sonic was just so preachy. I mean obviously he's supposed to be the good guy, so any uncomfortableness I feel here and any way I feel like Sonic's choices are framed as being why some other people have shitty lives is just bad writing because he is obviously supposed to be right always, but this characterization makes no sense. Isn't he right for the things he did?

Ian Flynn, using Kitsunami to say the (barely even at this point) quiet part even louder: Hey it's almost like ever since the Mr. Tinker event we've been purposely running with the critique of Sonic as being more selfish than he appears. Sonic is upholding a system of Eggman v Sonic that currently benefits him and shuts down talk of how to improve the current system because he likes his own personal enjoyment and he's attached enough to Eggman that he'd rather Eggman pretend to be a good person than be stuck in prison for life. He doesn't even quite practice what he preaches. We are trying to show that the current hero v villain system and Sonic's recklessness currently affects some people poorly and that Sonic isn't a perfect hero.

[tkbrokkoli]

:O

[edwinisms]

op this is how you make a lich. what have you done

This may be too supernatural for an actually pretty down to earth show that is dbda (when it comes to magic, abilities and power scaling), but I'd have a blast seeing the plot point of Edwin's soul's capability to be used for obtaining magical power make a comeback

What would be even cooler is if it was Edwin himself who became interested in using that power

I can see him researching what devices can be used for it, do they have to always inflict pain on him to work and if yes, then how far is he willing to go in order to get it

He'd never use it for any malicious purposes or to just possess power for power's sake, he'd use it in extremely dire situations, when he really needs a certain spell to be amplified in order to rescue Charles from danger

Which brings me to the obvious angst potential of Edwin hiding the pain, lying about the source of the amazing power and then ofc Charles finding out and oh

(It'd introduce more magic and actual combat power for the boys - which is actually the opposite of what the show is about, I know, aside from a wild use of Crystal's vast abilities, they really make a good job at showing that the boys were just normal humans (and now ghosts) who predominantly use their wits and knowledge gathered throughout the many years of being on Earth, so I wouldn't even expect them to go this direction (if they actually mention Edwin's soul's power ever again), but it's just a very fun concept to me)

[mrsbarnesblog]

just us

masterlist

summary: a situation between pogues and kooks at the beach made Rafe rethink his priorities

word count: 1.8k.

warnings: season 4 spoilers, established relationship, mention of the dead turtle, that hoe Ruthie, protective Rafe

a/n: i'm obsessed with season 4, y'all. absolutely in love with everything that's going on and especially with Rafe being in a better place with a girl that he actually likes 🥹 this scene at the beach with turtles just made me sob, so I really need someone to drag that bitch by her hair. sorry not sorry.

Your heart was beating with adrenaline from the scene that just happened at the beach, with Topper’s girlfriend almost running over the pogues and being the usual insane bitch that she was. Rafe stood beside you, silent but shaking his buzzed head in disapproval.

Kie was standing on her knees on the sand, in shock, with juice still dripping down her face and hair. She brushed off the help of her friends, instead standing and picking something up from the ground, without hesitation, going towards the group of people around you. They seemed absolutely delighted by the whole situation, laughing, fist bumping each other, and making you want to punch every single one of them in the face. 

You didn’t even want to be here in the first place, not with a bunch of people with whom you shared mutual hatred towards each other. Rafe was your only connection with them, and it seemed like even for him it was a bit too much. A fun day at a beach with a little surfing competition, where even Topper and JJ seemed to have some fun together, took the wrong turn way too quickly.

“Look what you did! Is this okay?” Kie stopped in front of Ruthie, reaching out her hand to show something that you weren’t able to see, but by the look on her face it was obviously serious to her. “There was a turtle hatch, you idiots! You drove right over it!” Your stomach twisted at the realization, and you took a step closer to see it yourself. 

“Oh my God.” You whispered, catching a glimpse of a tiny dead turtle with a crushed shell laying in the palm of her hand. So little and harmless that the picture of it brought tears to your eyes. 

“Don’t look, baby.” Rafe’s deep voice mumbled near your ear, with a warm hand sprawled across your back to try to distract you, but you shook your head, unable to take your eyes off it. 

“All right, but it was only one.” Ruthie said with her usual attitude, nonchalantly pointing to the rest of the turtles that, luckily, were perfectly fine. Your mouth opened in disbelief, and you looked at Rafe to see him uncomfortably rubbing the back of his head. 

“I’m so sorry, Kie…” You whispered to her, stepping further away from the kooks, eyes drifting again to the dead animal in her hand. No matter how hard you tried to fit in with Rafe and his friends, you could never be one of them if it meant to be a bunch of pompous and cruel rich kids. You thought that, maybe it was time for you to finally admit that. 

“It’s not your fault, Y/N.” She briefly looked at you, because despite not being friends, there never were any arguments between you and the rest of the pogues, always keeping cool and friendly with each other. “There’s something wrong with you, people.” Kiara looked back at the kooks with disgust written all over her face. 

“I’m leaving, Rafe.” Barely holding back your tears, you looked back at your boyfriend, before picking up your beach bag from the sand and turning around. “I’m sorry again for them, Kie.”

“No, wait, Y/N.” He pushed through the crowd, wide-eyed, quickly approaching you and grasping your wrist. “This is not—“

“I don’t want to be here. I didn’t sign up to hang out with your friends when I started dating you, okay?” You groaned in frustration, attempting to move, but Rafe stopped you. “I don’t even know why we’re here, why you are here, when you clearly don’t enjoy it anymore.” 

“Listen, this is not so easy, okay?” He rolled his eyes, but you knew it was not fully directed at you; Rafe was already struggling with trusting those around him, and the fact that you slowly but steadily made him reconsider his current surroundings did not help. 

“You are not like them, they are not your friends, don’t you understand it?” The pure desperation was speaking in you, searching for the answers in his eyes. You overheard some people laughing at you, as they were too confident that Rafe would never listen to someone like you, someone from the cut, not even realizing the war that was currently going on in his head. 

He was silent, thinking, making his already overwhelmed mind go hundred miles per hour to figure something out, because you were right. The more time had passed, the more the two of you were together, the less Rafe found himself enjoying the presence of his old friends, the less he wanted to do that childish bullshit. 

“This dumb fucking bitch almost ran over people and killed an innocent animal because her big ego got hurt, do you understand?! So I’m leaving. Alone or with you.” You almost whispered the last part to him, too scared that he'd not choose you. At the end of the day, you were a pogue, and no matter how much you tried, you would never be good enough for Rafe. 

“What did you just call me?” Ruthie arched a brow, now shooting daggers at you. 

“I called you a dumb fucking bitch, didn’t you hear me?” You spat, finally having a good enough reason to tell the truth right in her face. “Or are you too stupid to get that through your thick scull?” 

“That’s rich, coming for a pogue. It’s just a cycle of life. And if you, losers, are so offended by that, it’s not my problem.” 

“A cycle of life? Getting flattened by a truck is not a cycle of life.” Kiara pushed Ruthie with her hand, and it nearly turned into a fight, with JJ standing by his girlfriend's side. You turned away from them, too frustrated and drained to bother listening to the rest of the conversation, your gaze shifting to Rafe, who still held your hand.

“I want to leave. Stay here if you want to, I don’t care. I’m done with them, Rafe.” Your teary eyes met his blue ones, and he shook his head, pulling you closer with your forearms. The mere thought of you leaving him, angry and upset, triggered a whirlwind of panic within him.

“Hey, no, I’m not staying, okay?” Rafe's hands, now much gentler and delicate, touched your cheeks, wiping away a few tears that you could not keep back. Rafe had never been too comfortable with the display of emotions, and he was pretty sure that it was the first time he had actually seen you cry. And he knew how much you had always carried for animals, how you petted every stray cat or a dog on the street, and how you hated any form of violence against them. 

The pulsating and aching feeling in his chest at the sight of your tears made him want to drop everything, or rather, eliminate everyone who had upset you, and just hold you in his arms. 

“Aw, look at you.” You heard that annoying voice behind you back again, pulling you out of the bubble in which you fell, and turning around, you saw that Kie and JJ were no longer there. Your eyes instantly rolled back as Ruthie looked at you with her usual fake sympathy, crossing her arms over her chest. “Go back to your side of the island, you’re not one of us. Don’t even know why Rafe bothers to bring you here when you’re just another dirty toy to—“

Rafe left your side before she could finish her sentence, looming over her with the most furious expression you had ever seen on his face. Everyone and everything seemed to fall silent for a moment, and you held your breath, unsure what he would do. “Wanna say some bullshit about her? Try to do it right in my face and see what happens.”

“You’re not seriously protecting the pogue. She’s not on our side.” Her smile faded, her eyes now nervously looking between Rafe and Topper, who was standing behind her back. 

“C’mon, Rafe…” He started, but quickly shut his mouth as soon as Rafe turned his head towards him with a silent threat. You felt your heartbeat quickening as the atmosphere started to get even more intense. Everyone around you also started arguing and saying God knows what, but Rafe was awfully calm, and it frightened you even more. 

You moved closer to them as you made your way through the warm sand, until you were able to place a comforting hand on your boyfriend's back. He was so tense under your touch that it amazed you how the hell he was not shaking because of it. The only times you had ever seen him behaving that way was when people whispered something about his father behind his back.

“It’s okay, Ray.” You whispered, kissing his shoulder and sliding your hand down his back to take a hold of his bicep. 

“You’re lucky that I don’t hit women. But if I hear a single word about my girlfriend again, you will regret it, I promise you." Your stomach flattered from the way he protected you, from the way his friends opened their mouths in shock at his words. Even Topper and Kelce were too stunned to speak, sending each other weird glances. “Control, your crazy bitch, Top.” 

As if nothing had happened, Rafe stepped back, throwing a protective hand over your shoulders and guiding you away from the group. He was silent for a whole walk towards his truck, only stopping near the passenger door and turning you to face him. 

His worried blue eyes were almost shining under the bright and hot sun and you saw words forming in his head and sitting at the tip of his tongue. You waited another minute, while Rafe was focused on your necklace, thinking. His hands found a place on your waist, rubbing circles into your skin, until he finally took a deep breath and looked up. 

“You’re right.” He said simply. “I’m not this person anymore. That shit with racing with pogues was fun and all, but I didn’t like what happened today.” You half smiled, nodding and encouraging him to talk. “If—if I want to be like my dad, I need to have my priorities straight. No more of this bullshit, no more fake ass people, yeah? You’re the only one who's been here for me for a long fucking time. You’re the only one who I can trust, baby.”

His hand cupped your cheek, eyes focused solemnly on you, before he lowered himself closer to you to place a kiss on your lips. 

“This is the right decision. You’ve overgrown them, you’re a better man now. And i’ll be here for you whenever you need me, I promise. I guess it’s just us now." Your body sagged against his, too wrapped in the comfort of his presence to even care about anything else. Your lips brushed against his, making Rafe groan.

“Just us, baby.”