#anyway would love to be able to do sums in my head one day! for now i'm starting from the bottom

[cashmoneyyysstuff]

bakugo and reader meeting again after a long time like maybe katsu has been away on a mission and he just misses us so much 🥹

anon this is literally such an adorable request!! This has been sitting in my drafts for the longest time cus i could never rlly figure out what i wanted to do with this, but as soon as i got the inspo i got to it !! im so so sososuuupperr sorry for making you wait so long and if you’re still sticking around, I LUB YOU !! anyways, i tried honoring this lovely sweet request as best i could, if you’re reading, i truly hope you enjoy (and all of you ofc!!) <33

fem reader, jus pure fluffy fluff ! katsuki n reader watch selling sunsets bc my mom does lmfaoo this ones for you momma, kissing, biting (lol will i ever stop), lemme know if i missed sum else !

katsuki regrets planning this surprise.

it’s been one month. exactly 31 days since he’s last seen you. one month he had to survive off of late night phone calls and good morning messages.

katsuki had slowly but surely started climbing up the ranks as a hero ever since he’d gone independent and this mission was a huge steppingstone to victory.

except it involved him going abroad for a month.

you’d congratulated him when he’d told you. you hugged him hard and offered him your brightest sunshine smile, you’d made him dance around your little living room with you, celebrating his ‘rise to stardom’ as you’d called it and he remembers chuckling about it. you’d even gone out of your way and made his favorite to celebrate. but now katsuki understand you were probably doing that so as not to worry him.

he's known you for a long while and he knows you know he can tell when you’re lying, so he was sure you were happy for him. (you can’t fake anything from him and especially not the way you smile, he’s committed that to memory). and you truly looked happy for him, but he knows youwell enough to know that you were also devastated to find out he was leaving for so long. he’d seen the way your eyes widened and your shoulders dropped. but knowing you, you probably powered through it so as not to make him worry.

so stupid. you’re stupid. and he misses you so much.

despite you being in different time zones you make it work. he made sure to be updated daily and called you every time it was time for you to go to bed to make sure you got some well needed sleep and not staying up late mindlessly scrolling through your feed.

you send him pictures of everything happening throughout your day and you’d hound him about his, asking him if he’d eaten well and if he’d beat up any bad guys. and no matter how minuscule his actions were you’d always praise him. as somewhat childish as he knew it was katsuki still walked with his head up high for the rest of the day. if it was to impress you and make you proud, he’d be on the clock 24/7. but, knowing you, you’d get mad at him for overworking himself.

he misses you so much.

he’s on the plane. making his way back home to you a day before he’d told you he would be, his surprise. you’d been so excited, your squeals ringing through the phone, katsuki just couldn’t wipe the smile of his face and goddamnit he tried.

“ou, i can’t wait ! i missed you sooo much, katsu !” you chirped, he couldn’t wait to hear your voice in real life again instead of through his phone.

“yeah, missed you too sweets” he hums, packing up the last of his stuff.

“you better be ready cus when you get back, m’not gonna let you go for a whole month.” you tease, giggling. katsuki huffs out a laugh, looking down at his luggage ready to go as he’d fully finished packing up while you were on the phone.

“uhuh~?” he muses “better be ready for me when i get back. yer not goin’ anywhere either. no bathroom breaks when we're cuddling.”

“ew,” you snort “what am i supposed to do if i have to pee ?”

“that sounds like a you problem, sweetheart.”

you laugh and laugh and katsuki smiles, he couldn’t wait to be able to hear and see it again. expect not one phone call away, like he’d told you he always would be when you’d accompanied him to the airport all teary eyed, but in real life.

except now he’s starting to regret not just coming home on time.

don’t get him wrong, the sooner he gets to you the better. he’d meant it when he told you he wouldn’t let you go and as somewhat embarrassing as it is to him that he had gotten so clingy, being away from you for so long really did a number on him. distance makes the heart grow fonder his ass, he was more than fond of you when he was laying next to you every night instead of all alone in his hotel bed.

but right now he’s way too antsy. he wants to tell you about how he’ll be home soon to hear you squeal and giggle, but he sucks it up in favor of surprising you.

it’ll be worth it. at least that’s what he tried to convince himself when he finished packing up. and on his way to the airport. and on the plane..

who even thought of this stupid surprise idea anyway ?!

he can’t sit still. he has to stop himself from tapping his foot against the floor and shuffling around in his seat. the guy in front of him keeps reclining his seat back but it doesn’t bother him that much, because all he needs is to remember your smile and remember he’s coming home to you, and he feels his nerves settle. recliner-seat-guy be damned.

it’s pitch black by the time he’s off the plane and finally back home. when he checks his phone he sees it’s 2:09 am and you’re no doubt dead asleep by now, he smiles at his phone screen when he sees you smiling back at him.

his limbs suddenly feel heavier the higher the numbers show on the screen inside the elevator to his floor. his body buzzes with excitement but for some reason he can’t help feeling nervous. katsuki knows it’s stupid because you tell him every day how much you miss him and how excited you are to see him. all he wants right now is to see you.

he fumbles around a bit when he fits his keys into the door to walk into your tiny shared apartment and when he finally walks back inside, katsuki is reminded why he does this. why he’s been gone for exactly 31 days.

he kicks his shoes off quietly and sees yours left right by the door like they always are. like he always wants them to be. he wants to come home to your shoes by the door and to you smiling at him brightly and greeting him, or beckoning him over to the couch because you’ve been waiting all day to watch your favorite show with him. (he’s forbidden you from watching any episode of selling sunsets without him, the last time you did he got cranky at you for a good 2 hours.)

katsuki sneaks over to your room, socked feet padding over to the door quietly cracking it open. he’d managed to convince you to move in with him a few months ago, claiming it’d lower costs and yapping about how you practically lived here anyway. it was barely anything to get used to, it felt natural, like this was everything his life was leading up to. but he wants to give you everything you deserve and this cramped little apartment is definitely not it.

he wants to give you a cosy little house, or a penthouse or even a fucking mansion if that was what you wanted, as long as he could be there with you he didn’t care. he’d do whatever he could to get you everything you dreamed of at the flick of a wrist. and that’s why, as annoying and lonely as it was to be without you for so long, he’d pushed through.

katsuki needs to save people, and he wants to. but everything he does, he does with you in a little corner of his mind.

you’re fast asleep like he’d expected, katsuki huffs out a laugh, brushing at your cheek with his finger. his heart almost explodes when you try to lean into the faint touch and he can’t help it anymore. he sits down by your side and kisses your cheek. once, two times, three times and a little one on your nose. if he wasn’t feeling all mushy he’d be an asshole and bite you, but you look so cute he’ll put that off for now.

your nose scrunches up and your eyebrows furrow at the wet kiss onto your skin, you instinctively go to rub at your face with a whine, katsuki chuckles to himself when you open your eyes and the lack of distance between you both meaning your quite literally face to face with him.

“katsu..?” you mumble sleepily “ ‘m i dreamin’ ?”

katsuki chuckles, eyes soft “glad to know ya dream about me, but nah, this isn't a dream.”

you blink sleepily, and katsuki recognize those bright eyes he so loves gleaming the more you wake up “katsuki !” you squeal, wrapping your arms around him and pulling him straight against your collarbone, since he was practically nose to nose with you before he knocks against your chin but you both don’t care.

katsuki crawls into bed and wraps his arms around you tightly, snickering into your neck and you into his hair. you squeeze and squeeze him so hard he thinks you’ll suffocate him but he couldn’t care less, squeezing you like he’s trying to mold you to him.

you breathe him in and he flips you both over with you giggling uncontrollably. you topple over and land straight into his chest. you lift your head up with stars in your eyes like he’d hung up the moon for you and katsuki smirks back softly. because he would. he’d hang up the moon and the stars and more.

all for you.

“you’re back !” you chirp, kissing all over his face. katsuki feels his cheeks hurt, this is the hardest and longest he’d smiled in a month.

“how’d you figure that one out ?” you roll your eyes at his sarcastic remark, blowing lip bubbles against his cheeks as punishment. he playfully pushes your face away from him and you laugh.

“i thought you weren’t coming back until tomorrow..” you quickly reach over to your nightstand to check your phone then throw it back down.

“it is tomorrow.” katsuki quips, already getting back to being a smart ass, you roll your eyes but you can’t wipe off the happy look on your face.

“you know what i mean, asshole” you jokingly narrow your eyes at his smug face and press a finger against his cheek “later tomorrow i mean. was gonna surprise you and you….out-surprised, me” you pout at your ruined plans.

he turns his face so he can sink his teeth into your pointer finger and you quietly squeal in disapproval, he smirks “was gonna, but couldn’t wait anymore. needed to see you.” he pulls you closer to run his nose against your pulse point “felt like i was gonna go fucking crazy if i stayed with those other bastards for a second longer.”

you giggle, placing your hands against his shoulders as he kisses up and down your shoulder and neck haphazardly “ don’t be mean.” you scold.

he lifts his head up to raise a brow at you, hands running up and down your sides “you mean to tell me you wanted me to stay away? didn’t miss me ?” he jokes, squeezing your hips harshly.

“of course i did. missed you so much i felt my heart would tear up sometimes..” you smiles sadly, running your fingers through his blond strands, he frowns "but i'm glad you're back now."

"yeah, and m'not leaving again for a damn long while." he squeezes you so hard he lifts you up in his lap a little bit and a surprised noise leak out of you. he lifts his head up from your chest to smirk at you in challenge "you're gonna have to get used to me and my big mouth all over again."

your heart squeezes, you feel like it'll bursts from happiness and katsuki wonders if he' supposed to feel this happy, if it's okay to be this content with one person. but only for a moment, because he's greedy, so so greedy for you. and he doesn't care if it's wrong because he gets to make you happy, to make you smile and laugh, to have you.

and katsuki does everything for you, so he gives himself to you without a second thought.

you hum, placing your hands against his soft cheeks to press your lips to his "got a month worth of your big mouth i need to catch up on." you whisper before finally closing the distance. you both immediately sigh in relief at the contact, being able to feel each other like this again. you smile into the kiss and katsuki thinks he's never felt more at peace.

after a month, exactly 31 days, katsuki's finally back.

bonus :

"hey." katsuki ask, you snuggle into his side and hum.

"did you watch any episodes of selling sunsets without me ?"

you stiffen.

"n-noooo..." the sheets shuffle and crinkle when katsuki looks down at you. you shrink into yourself.

"maybe one or two.." you squeak out meekly. immediately he's flipping you over and pouncing on you.

"fuckin' traitor." he growls.

"i'm sorry i couldn't help myself !" you wheeze when he starts tickling your sides, kicking at the sheets "it's been a month !" you screech trying to catch your breath.

"yeah i know that !" he exclaims, ignoring the way you're thrashing around as he mercilessly tickles you.

"i'm soooorryy !!"

[aphrosheir]

>>> Red Hair, Red Wine, Red Handed Pt. 1 <<<

[A/N: Like, omg. I've been gone for so long. Anyways, enjoy this Melissa fic. I've been cooking up for the last week. I don't know if it makes sense? I hope it does. Melissa and (Y/N) are idiots. Barb is tired of it. Ava wants drama. I hope I did the amazing storytelling of Abbott Elementary justice—everyone say thank you to Quinta! This has like, a lot of Easter eggs. Have fun finding them. I really had a lot of fun writing this.

ITALICS ARE CONFESSIONALS!!!

For the sake of... fitting the word count, this "oneshot" is going to be split into 3 parts.

If y'all enjoy this, I have an idea—completely unrelated to the plot of this one, but set in the same universe—but I'm not too good at keeping those promises. Depends!]

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3

"So, like I said, Melissa should be the one hosting the party!" Jacob announces to the rest of the faculty with finality and glee.

"Calm down, Hill," she warned, giving the man a side glare. "Just 'cause the rest of youses cooking ain't shit, doesn't mean that I'm gonna turn my house into your personal hotel for Christmas."

"I love Christmas. I do. But you think I’m cleaning up Jacob’s Pinterest Turkey Disaster 2.0? Fuggedaboutit."

"Melissa," Barbara clutched her pearls, a look of betrayal crossing her face as she turned to her work wife. "I'll have you know that I make a darn good prime rib and sweet potato pie for my homeboy, J. Christ!"

Janine stares at her work mother with concern, wondering how much pop culture has Ava and (Y/N) been able to slip into her morning coffee today. Her boyfriend, Gregory, on the other hand, just stares at the camera, pointed at them with eyes that pretty much sums up his exasperation.

Meanwhile, (Y/N) is off giggling at the other side of the faculty lounge, enjoying the seed she had planted. She was, after all, a kindergarten teacher. She knew how to have fun.

You see, Christmas was about a week away. (Y/N), ever the one to die without drama, has thought of a most brilliant plan to fuel her desires: A Christmas dinner for the faculty. Chaos at every corner, burnt food, terrible presents, and even worse karaoke. It was perfect.

"What are you giggling at, shortstack?" Melissa's eyes snapped to the girl, her glasses now perched on top of her head and phone on the table. Her enchanting hazel eyes are now on (Y/N).

Well, shit.

(Y/N) loved the Abbott crew. She loved the drama, chaos, and the occasional camera crew that came with them. She loved them like her own family. But she loved one of them a little more than the others.

Oh, how the raging fire draws in the naive moth.

"Me? Well, Melissa, I know that you love me, but what do I have to do with this?"

(Y/N) ignored the burning of her cheeks and sent a wink to the redhead's way, playing down her insanely noticeable crush; flirting shamelessly and fighting like an old married couple—or two immature children, depending on the day.

But the crew was used to it by now, especially Barbara, who raised a perfectly plucked brow, seeing how far the two would take it before finally realising.

"Melissa and (Y/N) are two extremely smart and capable women." Barbara states with the passion and theatrics that the kindergarten teacher usually carries, but her smile drops at the end of the statement. "But God knows that those two are about as oblivious as the walnuts in Ava's oats."

Melissa responded as eagerly as (Y/N) had started, pursing her lips. "Don't play dumb with me, dolcezza. I've shared lunch with you a lot of times. I need someone who isn't gonna burn down the kitchen with water."

"Melissa Ann Caterina Schemmenti asking for help?" Ava's voice cut through the thick, unyielding tension in the air, clearly looking to stir the pot.

"I am so tired of them dancing around each other. And not to mention that (Y/N) basically treats me as her personal diary! She doesn't even pay me. I cannot take this anymore."

"(Y/N), you are quite literally a little miracle."

"Shut it, Coleman." (Y/N) bites back at Ava, hopping off the table where she was seated, before waltzing towards Melissa. She got up right on the redhead's face with a sickly smile, "But then again, how could I ever resist you, mi amore?"

Pretending to roll her eyes, Melissa returned to her already cold macchiato with a scoff. "I still can't host, though. I don't want to be cleanin' up after y'allses drunk asses."

"Oh, well, I can host! Just as long as Janine helps me with the decorations," (Y/N) volunteers, and she swears she could hear Melissa's thick accent muttering about her being a suck-up or something.

"What?" Melissa exclaims at the camera, her glare piercing through the lenses.

Janine squeals, sending a shock through the spines of the faculty. "Of course, I'll join (Y/N)! It'll be an honour."

"I can plan!" Jacob announces, standing with the two girls.

"Okay, so I already have a Pinterest board ready, a playlist we can listen to, and matching outfits!"

"It's like if the sun and Redbull had a baby and them babies were triplets." Ava chimed in, staring at the three youngest members of the faculty exchanging ideas at a hundred miles per hour.

As the clock ticks its last tocks to the end of their break, Jacob stands in the middle of the room, "So, (Y/N) is hosting. She'll be cooking alongside Melissa, and the rest of us will bring a dish of our own—Gregory did you put this in here?"

"I had to."

"Put what where?"

"Open parenthesis, asterisk, caps, underlined, "EDIBLE", exclamation mark, exclamation mark, exclamation mark, close parenthesis."

The glances exchanged in the room ranged from eye rolls, knowing, mischievous, and downright evil. Later on, Gregory would come to regret his choice of words like a monkey's paw.

"Alright... Well, let's continue. I'm in charge of overall planning, Ava and Barbara running Secret Santa, Gregory, and Janine on décor, O'shon gets the karaoke machine—goodluck, and Mr. Johnson with the clean up. Be there before 4. Any questions?"

A unanimous chorus of "no" from the crew—and a helpless "I ain't cleanin' up no love juice, y'all hear me?" from Mr. Johnson—signalled the end of their meeting. But before Melissa could walk out of the break room, (Y/N)'s fingers danced lightly on her waist.

"You can come a little early if you want to have a bit of fun." (Y/N) 'whispered' theatrically with her signature wink, letting the message ring through the lounge. Emerald-green eyes shoot her a dangerous glare—equal parts mischief and warning.

Barb offers a sign of the cross while Janine is mentally cursing herself for agreeing to come early, too.

"Get a damn room." Ava groans, walking between the two with a force that separated them before stopping at the door frame. "Let me know which one, though."

The crew stares at the cameras.

"Stop it." Gregory states, devoid of emotion, as he just so happens to be beside Ava and spit out the freshly brewed joe he attempted to gulp down back into his "#3 Best Teacher" mug. "STOP IT."

"I think you just broke my man," Janine declares with concern as Gregory's stiff speedwalk carried him into the safety of his classroom.

The day could not have come any sooner for (Y/N), as Melissa actually took up her offer of coming early, claiming that she needed as much prep time as she could have.

"Ava, I don't know what to wear," she muttered on the phone, feeling herself slipping from reality. "I mean, yes—these dresses are absolutely gorgeous, but I don't think they're it, y'know."

The complaints turned into a grumble, making Ava roll her eyes at her friend's antics. "Baby girl, what do you mean 'it'. You don't wanna be lookin' like no clown there."

"Ava Eva Coleman."

"I know, I know. But, girl. Trust me when I say, Red will be all over you anyways! I mean, come on, have you seen the way she looks at you? I swear I could've seen her drooling that one time you were sick and stuck in hoodies for a week."

It was now (Y/N)'s turn to roll her eyes. As much as she was grateful to find an older sister in Ava, she knew that her boss exaggerates... Well, everything.

"Seriously, don't you have any dresses I could borrow?"

"I love you, (Y/N), but these dresses were made for Ava Coleman—and Ava Coleman does not cook."

"Then what am I supposed to wear?"

"Wear the red dress."

"But, Ava, that's too—"

Before she could protest, the hang-up tone beeped through her bedroom and made way to the brain-crushing silence that followed.

Just as she had put down the brown Mac lipstick that Ava had given her, the doorbell had rang, and her heart dropped to her ass. Curses flew around her as she almost burned herself on the iron she had left on her vanity.

Ding.

Ding.

Ding.

The rings became even more impatient, and (Y/N) could already feel the scalding remarks that the redhead had in-store for her.

"I'm coming, jeez," (Y/N) yelled, padding down the stairs. "Really, Schemmenti, you could've just said that you missed me."

"As if, shortstack. I could say the same for—"

Melissa's quip hung in the air as she took you in, surprise flooding her. But as quick as she was shot down, Melissa was as quick to regain her composure. Of course she did. She was used to the game that you two had played, ever since the first day you've stepped foot into Abbott.

"Well, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you got all dressed up for me, huh, dolcezza?"

That damned nickname always got butterflies fluttering in your stomach.

Stepping back, she let her into the quiant home with a smirk. "You don't look all that bad either; a Philly 11 indeed."

"Yeah, yeah. I still need to fix all of this after we cook, though."

"Hm..." Melissa hummed, raking her eyes over the house. "A house at your age? I'm surprised (Y/N)."

"Okay, I have like... The faintest idea of how old she is. Like, she barely looks 11!"

"It's my father's. One of his properties that he so graciously lent to me. But, I am paying it off. I insisted." (Y/N) looks at the bags hanging on Melissa's fingers, spotting a perfectly wrapped gift in a bag amongst all the cooking supplies she hauled in. A very welcome distraction from whatever the conversation was leading to.

Without another word, she reached down to grab them and set them out on the counter.

"(Y/N), what the hell do you think you're doing," she exclaims in her classic Schemmenti fashion. "Gimme those back."

"Calm down, mi amore." (Y/N) deadpanned, unknowingly letting the nickname slip. She walked over to the massive tree, standing in the middle of her living room and gently placing the gift down. "This is probably the only time you'll see me actually be helpful, and I'm honestly wondering who you got for Secret Santa."

"It's for her. Of course, it's for her."

Melissa looked away from the camera with annoyance. "I don't even know the first thing about the girl."

"I just—she wouldn't shut up about this corny little jawn she found online. Had to call in a favour from a guy I know. Cost me a good chunk'a beer. And gas. And my morals—but hey, who's got 'em in this day and age?"

"Don't even think about peeking, shortie." Melissa fires at her, something triggering her flight of fight mode as her usual quips didn't have the edge thay she had to her voice now. "I could ask you the same thing, seeing as your gift is as huge as Ava's ego."

"It's for someone real special, Red." (Y/N) said in an almost dreamy sigh, Melissa's face contorting into something of a blend between confusion, disgust, and something else that (Y/N) couldn't quite place. "Don't worry your pretty little head about it, hm?"

Melissa pursed her lips again, thoughts running through her head like Sweet Cheeks in his wheel, yet thought better than to push it. The classic Schemmenti move to push away genuine feelings and to opt for:

"Well, just don't expect me to cry for anything less than a thousand buckaroos, hon."

"You're assuming it's for you? Wow, Schemmenti. You wish."

"It's for her. Of course, it's for her." (Y/N) let out a laugh that one could only call deranged. "It's always been Melissa."

"Got her this top of the line, custom-made knife set. My friend, Gordon, recommended it to me. It's heavy for all the chopping that Melissa does and with ornate wood handles with her initials because Italians like the pizzazz."

Clang.

"Shit."

"Mel, you okay back there?"

"M'fine." Melissa replied gruffly.

"But see, that's the thing! That's why I stick to flirting. Melissa is not ready for a relationship. She barely even handles non-romantic emotion properly!"

The camera cuts to Melissa raging a war on the automatic stove—hitting it with a frying pan with a war cry, pushing the buttons relentlessly, staring at it and hoping it'll catch on fire and disintegrate; cursing (Y/N) for having techy gabortz in her kitchen that is crushing her damn pride. "(Y/N), your thingamajig is shit! Stoves are supposed to have knobs, not opinions!"

"And besides, I doubt she even likes me."

[grinsgrimmy]

Ｔ Ｅ Ｘ Ｔ .

ㅤᯓᡣ𐭩 𝖪𝖨𝖬 𝖬𝖨𝖭𝖢𝖧𝖤𝖮𝖫 𝗑 𝖠𝖥𝖠𝖡!𝖱𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋

CHILDHOOD FRIEND COMPLEX

๋࣭⭑ֶֶֶָָָ֢֢֢𖹭 drabble ~ . (793 words)

sum. mincheol knew you preferred texting than talking at that moment

ㅤㅤlike kim mincheol? check out other mincheol fic .

ㅤ⪩⪨ m.list

it was another day of lectures and you were exhausted. after droning and barely paying attention to all of the lectures, you head straight to the place where you often met up with him.

mincheol was already there, sitting on the bench and scrolling through his phone with his usual bored expression.

you took the opportunity to admire him from afar.

he is a pretty guy, after all. not that you would want to say it out loud, but you cannot deny it.

yawning, you made a beeline to mincheol and slumped onto the bench beside him. the man barely reacted, his eyes flicking to you, noticing your state.

he let out a dry chuckle, able to guess what made you incredibly exhausted, “what time did you sleep?” mincheol asked with a grunt when you rest your head on his arm.

you gave him no response, staring at nothing. mincheol immediately could tell you were not in the mood to talk. he did not mind. you were a quiet person anyway.

an arm was thrown around your shoulder.

you did not react, knowing it was mincheol trying to make you extra comfortable. with him draping his arm over your shoulder, he brought you closer to his side as he went on his phone nonchalantly.

suddenly, you got a notification on your phone. you blink with surprise. usually no one messages you unless it is your parents or—

mincheol.

your eyes blink at the set username of the sender of the text message, 'blonde rat✌️'. tapping on the text, you read it in your head.

blonde rat ✌️

what time did u sleep?

mincheol typed the question he had previously asked, knowing you were more comfortable talking about it through text than vocally.

your heart fluttered.

mincheol had always respected this part of you.

though he is someone who preferred face-to-face conversations and talking it out, he set aside his preference to bend over to yours.

you, who very much preferred talking through text. mostly when your social battery was out after lectures.

his attentiveness made you flustered, shy even.

mincheol's actions constantly made you feel seen and loved. with your likes and dislikes often being listened and never forgotten by him.

you liked it when he paid attention to the little things about you. 

shaking your head, you pushed away your thoughts to respond to him.

you

5am

you could hear a surprise grunt from mincheol. daringly, you glanced at him, meeting his bothered expression as he grumbled. he went back to his phone, which prompted you to do the same with yours.

blonde rat ✌️

what were u doin

you

last minute assignment 😕

you heard a disappointment sigh from mincheol. both of your eyes met, and he gave your cheek a quick tug. you half-heartedly glared at him before going back to the phone.

you

rat

blonde rat ✌️

no u

mincheol snickered at the exchange, ruffling your hair. you gasped when he ruined your hair. you tug his hair semi-aggresively, causing him to yelped in surprise.

you two glared at each other for a while until mincheol went back to his phone. he typed out with frustration.

blonde rat ✌️

u rat

you

you started it

blonde rat ✌️

i didnt pull ur hair

you glanced at him and shrugged, sticking my tongue out. mincheol huffed out of frustration, but his eyes had a glint of adoration behind them. he opted to flick your forehead before going back to his phone.

blonde rat ✌️

dinner is on me

your eyes flicked to your phone when his message was sent. after reading it, your eyes crinkled with glee. he wanted to cheer you up. this was the thing he did just to make you smile.

hence, you turn your head to him to give a big smile, before quietly muttering to him, “... thank you,” mincheol gave a grin back, settling his hand on top of your head.

“no problem,” with a cool answer, his hand your head for a moment, then he pulled your head to his shoulder.

you suddenly yawned. he pulled out his phone again to type.

blonde rat ✌️

take a nap for a while

ill wake u up when theyre here

he showed his phone to you, letting you read. you nodded. the thought of sleeping made you yawn again. slowly, you closed your eyes to doze off, getting comfy when you wrapped your arms around his arm. 

mincheol's eyes flicked to you, watching you sleep. his hand rested on the top of your head, absentmindedly stroking your head.

when he confirmed you fell asleep, he pressed his lips onto your forehead, giving you a light peck. he pulled away, a tiny blush crept to his ears.

he leaned his head on yours, sighing again.

・❥・consider supporting me in ko-fi !!

[if-loves]

love is short (but forgetting is long)

// Mydei

sum: Mydei is used to being alone. He's only not used to letting you go.

wc: 1,942

warnings: 3.1 story quest spoilers, amphoreus/mydei age inaccuracies, ooc mydei, written before mydei release

a/n: thank u spanish class for the title/my offering to mydei for his banner

likes & reblogs appreciated :)

Mydei is no stranger to loneliness. He is, after all, cursed with an immortality that binds him to the ever-changing realm of mortality. He knows better than anyone that everyone leaves eventually.

And then he met you, and for the first time in what feels like thousands of years, he wishes that you'd stay with him forever.

He wouldn't dare to wish his immortality on you, no, he's not as selfish as he thinks. He knows immortality would devastate you, that the you he loves would disappear along with the flow of time, and all that he would be left with is a living corpse. If there is one thing worse than death, it's chaining a mortal soul to an immortal body.

Mydei knows better than anyone that time, in all its vastness and seemingly endless continuity, also has a deadline, a moment where everything collides, a moment where all the water in the ocean is bled dry and all that remains is him and his fading memories of his comrades, of you. Most of all, he knows that time is not on his side, because if there's anyone that time should detest, it is the person with an endless amount of it, otherwise how will it exert its pressure on their poor, fearful heads? How will it show that it holds power over them? If everyone had all the time in the world, then time might as well cease to exist, shouldn't it?

Mydei knows he should pull away from you, to make you hate him so that he can leave just as he wishes with minimal regrets, to fulfil a duty he has long neglected. He thinks, or rather, he knows, that you deserve someone who could accompany you to and through death, not someone who can only watch from an arms length away, not someone who would never understand the fragility of mortality. Not someone cursed like him.

You, who is so pure and angelic in his eyes, don't deserve a monster like him. You, who taught him love, with pretty smiles and tender moments, with chaste kisses and the sound of laughter. You, who gently cleans his blood and bandages his wounds even as he insists that it's unnecessary, that such little blood loss would hardly do him any harm, who ignores him and continues anyway because you love him. Because seeing him hurt also hurts you. And so he lets you bandage every cut on his body, no matter how miniscule, because he knows you love him, and because he loves you.

Mydei never thought he could imagine himself using those words, let alone saying it to someone. Yet here he finds himself, uttering to you such intimate words in such intimate settings with a tenderness only you have had the privilege to witness from a man like him. You count yourself lucky to be able to see such a private and unapproachable man in his softest moments, but he counts himself luckier for having met you.

It's the time of the day in Okhema where people pack up their work and go home to get some rest. To a newcomer's untrained eyes, Okhema is as bright as ever, leaving little indication of what time of the day it is; to any Okheman, any dip in light is a second closer to the end of their day.

Mydei finds himself walking to your home, his legs guided by nothing more than instinct and routine. He could care less about the people who stare at him. The only attention he wants, and the only attention he enjoys, is yours. Attention that he'll have to get used to not having because soon, he'll never have it again.

He has yet to break the news of his decision to everyone, and he wants to start with you. You deserve to know first, not only because you are his dearest lover, but also because you have stuck by him for so long that he feels if you were to hear this last or, Kephale forbid, anyone that wasn't him, he'd end up completely shattering your heart even more than he has already unwillingly planned to. He wants to let you down as gently as he can, even if it still feels like falling from the sky. If he can soften your landing even by just a little bit, then that's the route he wishes to go about.

Mydei lets himself into your house like he's always lived there. It's a sort of domestic bliss that the him of yesteryear could hardly entertain the idea of, finding his death a more realistic possibility. However, fate is always quietly weaving something in the background, something that no one in their wildest dreams could ever guess.

The scent of your home brings a wave of relief over his body, like a weight taken off his shoulders if only temporarily. He sees you sitting on your couch, a book in your hand, your eyes eagerly scanning every word it has to offer. You've barely acknowledged his presence, too absorbed in the fantasy in the pages. He doesn't blame you. If you knew what he was going to tell you, you would never want to let go of the words on the page.

“(Y/n),” his lips part to call your name, spoken softly with care. “I need to tell you something.”

Your head snaps up the moment he stops speaking, the telltale sign of concern contorting your features as you set the book aside. You stand and walk to him, embracing him in a warm hug he wishes he could melt into for the rest of his days.

“Is everything alright, my love?” He wishes you wouldn't look at him like that, concern and love in your eyes. It only makes it harder for him to say goodbye.

“To be honest with you, no.” He finds himself burying his face into the junction between your neck and shoulder, carving your every feature into his head. Had Castrum Kremnos still be standing today, he’d have commissioned the greatest sculptor and painter in all of Amphoreus to immortalise you into white clay and bright oils, even if he knows that they could never compare to reality.

“You can always talk to me, Mydei, you know that right? I'll always listen.” You stroke his hair warmly, your words causing his heart to clench and his stomach to twist. You've done nothing but treat him as Mydei, as your lover, and here he is, moments away from shattering your heart.

“Then…” He pulls away from you and hesitates for a second, a second that almost convinces him that he should stay, that you needed him more than Amphoreus, but he steels himself and prepares for the words that will leave his tongue, no matter how bitter they taste.

“I have to tell you that I have accepted the crown of King, and I am going back to Castrum Kremnos to keep the black tide at bay. If all goes as planned, you will likely never see me again, and I…” The words fall from his lips, a word vomit at best and incoherent rambling at worst. He sees your face contort from concern, to confusion, to understanding, and finally, grief. Your eyes well up, glossy with unshed tears, and he can feel the trembles of your hand as your mind processes.

No one says anything for a period of time, letting the news settle over like a tsunami receding after dealing irreparable damage.

“When do you go?” You choke out, and it breaks his heart all the same.

“The day after tomorrow. I… have yet to tell anyone of this decision. You're the only one who knows.” He wipes your tears with his hand, letting you bury yourself into his chest. He wishes he didn't have to break your heart.

“But I just got you…” Your voice, hoarse and broken, whimpers. He swears he feels a sharp pain in his chest, stabbing his heart a million times over.

“I'm sorry,” he whispers, suddenly a child once more. He's hurt you in the one way neither of you would be able to recover from, and he resents himself for it.

A silence, loud and empty, fills the once lively space. You only have each other to hold on to, so you do, even though you are each the source of the other's pain. Heartbreak is no merciful titan.

“I can't stay long.” Mydei murmurs, but it's obvious that he doesn't believe what he says. “I need to go soon.”

“Are you in a rush to say goodbye?”

“Yes. So I don't try and convince myself that I should stay, that I shouldn't go. Before I convince myself that I need you more than Amphoreus needs me.” He feels no desire to mask his true feelings. You deserve the truth, that much is true, and you deserve to know that he loves you more than he could ever love Amphoreus.

“Even when saying goodbye you're still a romantic.” You tease through tears, the attempts at a smile causing the corners of your lips to shakily turn up.

Mydei wastes no time in crashing his lips against yours for the last time, a declaration of his undying love, and his regret of abandoning you. It is unlike any other kiss you've ever shared, this one fueled by hunger and pain and sadness, a goodbye sealed in an act of intimacy only shared by lovers. Lovers, like you and him.

Neither of you wish to pull away for such a trivial matter like breathing, and Mydei wouldn't have if he wasn't so acutely aware of your mortality. Your hands rest on his cheeks, and he doesn't hesitate to lean into them. He hopes you can see the sincerity in his eyes when he says he loves you, that every beat of his immortal heart is done to the memory of you.

When you say goodbye, no words are exchanged. Both of you know that your next words would be asking him to stay, and his next words would be complying to your wish. Instead, you send him off with one last kiss, and you close your eyes when he walks out of your door, only daring to open them after your door has been closed for more than a minute.

Mydei is no better, leaving with his back to you even as he shuts the door. He wills himself to avoid looking back at who he left behind, and walks as far away from your house as he can. Grief makes itself at home in his heart as bitterness stains his tongue, the pit in his stomach only growing the further he gets.

You'll be happy, he tries to convince himself. You'll find someone better. Someone who can love you the way you deserve.

He doesn't know how he's supposed to move past this overwhelming sadness. There is no manual in Okhema, let alone Castrum Kremnos, that details the steps to mending a broken heart. How could one?

He wants to remember you for as long as he lives. He really, really, does; but for a love so short, the endless expanse of time in front of him leaves too much way for the threat of forgetfulness to manifest, for his mind to falter and for you and your love to be lost to time.

Still, he has no choice but to march forward, as the King of Castrum Kremnos, as the demigod of Strife, as a member of the Chrysos Heirs and, most of all, as your Mydei. Because he loves you.

[gatopan2710xx]

LARRY CRUSH HCS

(In short, Larry having a crush on you and Lawrie being a victim /jk)

Autor's note: Every day I'm closer to getting Larry and Lawrie in Brawl Stars🗣️🗣️(Yeah uuh I still don't get them in Brawl Stars 😭) And now that I think about it, how the hell do you say Lawrie's name wth

Important: Here the reader will have they/them pronouns

LARRY

• So I say it in my dating hcs of Larry BUUUUUT here I will say it again, so I have the little hc that when he feels strong emotions (also Lawrie) the siren on his head turns on and sounds so good luck enduring the sound of his siren like 90% of the time you're with him

• Changing the subject, he's talking non-stop about you to Lawrie and sometimes R-T.

• He probably won't even realize he has a crush on you until like a week later

Red text: Lawrie

Orange text: Larry

---

"and then they said-"

"Larry."

"yeah?"

"You've been talking about them all morning"

"yeah!"

"...😐"

"...😃"

"Do you have a crush on-"

"WHAT? NOOOooo...."

"...😐"

"...🙂"

"...😐"

"...😧"

"OH MY GOD I HAVE A CRUSH ON THEM-"

---

• At first he would say that he only sees you as a friend and when he realizes that he is in love with you, he will have a short circuit.

• He's planning how to confess to you and Lawrie will be his test subject although uuh let's say Lawrie doesn't help at all.

---

"ok just act like them!"

"ok but was it necessary to wear this outfit?"

"It's to get into the atmosphere!"

"Ok, if you say so"

"ahem, S/O I want to-"

"LAWRIE"

"Yeah?"

"could you at least try, it seems like you want to leave the place as soon as possible"

"Larry my face is like this"

"oh right-"

---

• after like the seventh attempt he was able to at least calm his siren so it doesn't ruin anything

• BUT THAT WILL BE FOR ANOTHER HC👻👻 (I clearly did not forget that this was crush hcs and not confess hcs)

• But anyway, he's talking with Lawrie about how much he likes you because he's the only one who can handle that (or at least a little more than other people-)

• Sometimes when you talk to him, he takes a few seconds to respond so every time you talk to him you will see Larry just staring at you smiling (If he wasn't with that permanent smile he'd probably be like this: 😐)

• He is a gentleman with you, although if you give him the slightest compliment his siren shines like the sun /hj

• To sum this up, Lawrie will be a victim of Larry talking non-stop about you

I feel like this is kind of ooc but uuuh here you have more content of this cute fella

[notiddygothgf]

4. Taste Like Nicotine

★ pairings: aki hayakawa x fem reader

★ ❝ Go back to Himeno. ❞ ❝ No. That's not what you want. ❞

★ c.w.: suggestive themes, drinking (more content warnings and tags)

★ a/n: HELLO AGAIN MY POOKIE DOOKIES!! IM BACK AGAIN. bc i have nothing better to do atm and i wanted to give yall a lil sum sum before i moved away to uni. please excuse the pacing of this chapter -- this fanfic was supposed to be a oneshot and uh... now its 160 pages in google docs LMFAOOA.. things get spicy in this chapterrr! so yeah anyway, you know the drill, keep me entertained -- keep your funny little comments coming, I absolutely love reading them. You guys motivate me to keep going! Love yall

★ w.c.;4.1k

shameless ; chapter index

THE OFFICE WAS QUIET, the hum of fluorescent lights and the occasional rustling of papers the only sounds that broke the silence. You were alone, finishing up some last-minute paperwork after hours. The mission had gone surprisingly well—no casualties, a rare feat in your line of work. The team had even managed to kill a large Devil containing a piece of Gun Devil Flesh, a significant victory. Yet, instead of joining the others to celebrate, you had chosen to stay behind. Partly to avoid any awkward encounters with Himeno, but mostly because you felt restless, unable to shake off the events of the past few days.

As you finished up the last of your reports, you glanced at the new message on your phone.

HIMENO| you didn't come tonight.

Typing...

YOU

| I didn't think you'd wanna see me after the stunt I pulled.

HIMENO| I dont, but I wanted u to know that everyone is talking abt u

YOU

| ??

| wym

HIMENO

| your shadow didn't come tonight, either.

Typing...

YOU| look, himeno, ive actually been wanting to talk to you about that

| would you be able to meet up and talk it out?

HIMENO| id rather not honestly.

| ur a grown woman and i cant stop u from doing what u want

| but just know that people in pb. safety talk

| dont mess up a relationship with a perfectly good man for aki

| u should leave him for someone who can actually give him what he needs

YOU| I understand that I've hurt you, Himeno, and I'm sorry

| I have no intentions of being with Aki.

HIMENO| good

| dont get him mixed up in ur fucked up marriage

|  he doesnt deserve that.

You sighed, pocketing your phone. There were certain battles you simply couldn't win. This would undoubtedly be one of them.

It was late, and you knew you should head home. You gathered your things and made your way down the dimly lit hallways, your footsteps echoing in the emptiness.

As you passed the breakroom, you heard voices. One familiar voice, more specifically.

You slowed your pace, not wanting to intrude but curious enough to catch a snippet of the conversation. The door was slightly ajar, and you could see two figures inside.

"You look desperate, dude," the unknown person said, barely audible. "It's not attractive."

"I'm becoming ridiculous," Captain Hayakawa said, his voice low and strained. "I'm losing hope."

"Hope of what? Convincing a married woman to break her vows?" the other person retorted, a hint of incredulity in his tone.

Are they talking about me? You asked. You knew the answer. You simply did not want to confront it.

Hayakawa sighed. "I thought she would call me by now," he admitted, the vulnerability in his voice making your stomach churn uncomfortably. "I just... there was something there."

There was a pause, then the other person sighed, his voice softening. "God, you are ridiculous." After a moment, he added, almost reluctantly, "Shit, sorry, man. I know you like her."

"No, you're right," He replied, a note of resignation following his words. "She doesn't want to speak to me. I'm driving myself crazy waiting for someone who's never gonna call."

You felt a knot tighten in your stomach, guilt and confusion swirling together. You hadn't intended to eavesdrop, but now you couldn't just walk away without feeling a pang of something—regret, perhaps? The slip of paper with his number, still in your possession, weighed heavily in your mind. You had been avoiding the situation, avoiding him, and now it was clear how much it had affected him.

Aki's words echoed in your ears as you stood frozen in the hallway.

He was right; you hadn't called him. You hadn't even acknowledged the note, too caught up in your own turmoil and guilt to consider his feelings. Now, hearing him speak so openly, you felt a rush of emotions—sympathy, guilt, confusion. There had been a moment between you, an undeniable spark, but you had chosen to ignore it, to pretend it didn't exist.

When would it all come crashing down – your efforts? This whole situation?

The conversation in the breakroom continued, but you couldn't listen any longer. You turned away, your heart pounding. As you made your way to the exit, you couldn't help but replay Aki's words in your mind.

He had been waiting for you, hoping you would reach out, and now he was losing hope. Fuck.

He had been waiting for me.

The idea thrilled you, for some strange reason. Maybe because you hadn't felt desired like this in years – it made your head spin. But another part of you was terrified—of what it might mean, of the complications it would bring, of the impact on your marriage.

You couldn't help yourself. You did what you always did. You ran away from him.

You knew you couldn't avoid him forever, but for now, you needed time to think. .

7:45 PM

Typing... 

Hey. |

Typing...

Hello, |

Typing...

How are you? |

Typing...

Hey. They're taking me out for drinks tn as a sendoff party. I think you should be there.

SENT.

YOU | Hey. They're taking me out for drinks tn as a sendoff party.

I think you should be there.

| At the Sip-n-savor in downtown Tokyo

Seen 8:00 PM .

The night went on without a flaw. The atmosphere was infectious, and you had been trying to let loose, drink in hand, as you chatted and danced with the others. But as the night wore on, a sense of unease settled in. Maybe it was the drinks, maybe it was the memories of the overheard conversation in the breakroom, or maybe it was the subtle disappointment that someone hadn't shown up.

Excusing yourself, you made your way to the bathroom. The mirror reflected your flushed cheeks and slightly smudged makeup. You sighed, turning on the faucet and splashing some water on your face. As you washed your hands, you found yourself thinking about Aki.

Despite everything, a depraved part of you had hoped to see him tonight. You had been both relieved and disappointed when he hadn't shown up—relieved because it meant avoiding an awkward conversation, disappointed because you had been... well, actually looking forward to seeing him.

As you touched up your makeup, you couldn't help but reflect on your own conflicted feelings. You were married, committed, and yet, Aki had stirred something in you that you simply couldn't stand to ignore. It was confusing, disorienting. You weren't sure what you felt more strongly: guilt for being drawn to him or frustration that you couldn't just let it go.

"Ugh," You groaned, pressing your forehead against the sink. "'M g'nna be sick."

Feeling a bit lightheaded from the drinks, you decided to step outside for some fresh air. You left the bathroom and – completely drunk – maneuvered through the crowds to the nearest door.

The cool night breeze was a welcome relief against your warm skin, and you leaned against the balcony railing, taking deep breaths. The city lights twinkled below, and you watched them in a daze, trying to steady your thoughts.

That's when you saw him.

Aki was just entering the party, his sharp suit and dark hair making him stand out immediately. You felt your heart skip a beat. Then another. He was killing you.

He came, you thought, a strange mix of emotions flooding you. Relief, excitement, and that persistent undercurrent of guilt all tangled together.

He spotted you almost immediately and made his way over. As he approached, you couldn't help but think how painfully gorgeous he looked, the dim lighting casting a soft glow on his features. In that moment, he seemed almost like a knight in shining armor, a figure out of place in the lively, chaotic setting of the bar.

"Hey," he greeted, his voice smooth and warm, a balm to your nerves.

"Hey," you replied, trying to keep your voice steady despite the fluttering in your chest.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked, a slight concern in his tone. "You're not cold?"

He always seemed to be worried about you and the weather. Still, the chill felt nice against your hot skin, oddly enough.

I missed you, you didn't say. You didn't even think about it. You knew that in a day you would be back on the train and all of this would just be a bad dream, anyway.

You shook your head, a small smile playing on your lips. "No, I just needed some air. It's a bit stuffy in there."

Aki didn't respond immediately, and when you turned your head up to look at him, his expression was unreadable. The noise from inside the bar seemed distant, the world narrowing down to just the two of you in that moment. You felt a tug in your chest, a pull towards him that you couldn't explain, couldn't deny.

"Did you pregame the bar, or something?" You laughed quietly. It felt nice, being able to pretend nothing had ever happened between the two of you and just... enjoy each other's company. "You smell like beer."

"I was having a few drinks with my roommate before you texted me," He answered. Then, looking out onto the street, he added, "He told me I shouldn't come tonight. Said you're driving me crazy."

"So, why are you here, then?" You asked.

He looked at you. "I think you know why I'm here."

There was a brief silence, comfortable yet charged with the unspoken. You glanced at him, noticing the way his eyes lingered on you, soft but searching. It was the same look he had given you in the seminar, the museum, everywhere else, and it stirred something deep inside you.

You hated the way he made you feel.

"Can I buy you a drink?" He asked you. His voice was as deep and rich as ever, and you had about half a mind to take him up on the offer.

You shivered. You knew it wasn't from the cold air. It was him – the smell of him, his cologne, the distinct scent of nicotine that let you know he had just finished smoking a cigarette. It was an aroma so unique to him that you had grown to like it.

You were looking at his lips before you knew it, giving way to a craving you couldn't explain, "I'll try a cigarette, if you have any."

He smiled softly, reaching into his pocket and flipping open a carton of cigarettes and a lighter. He placed a cancer stick between your lips, and you felt a part of you die a little. He struck the wheel of the lighter, bringing the cigarette to life.

You coughed so hard that you nearly hacked up a lung. It had been years since your last cigarette.

Hayakawa stepped behind you, cupping a hand around your elbow, sliding it up your arm, your wrist, your fingers before he plucked the cigarette from your digits.

"First time?" He asked, warm voice hot against your neck.

"Wanted to give it a try," You shrugged. You didn't know what, exactly, had gotten into you. It seemed that with every sip of liquor you took lately, you crept closer and closer back to your old self. The sort of liquid courage that made people make very bad decisions. "Sorry. I'm a little," You waved your hands around yourself, trying to gesture 'drunk' without actually saying it.

"How brave of you," He murmured, pulling a hit from your cigarette and exhaling. He was the picture of sin – face flushed with alcohol, messy bangs, pink lips wrapped around a cancer stick. He was so pretty it hurt.

"I'll try it again when I'm sober," You offered.

"When?" He asked, breathing smoke out into the air. "Where?"

As persistent as always, you thought. Still, you didn't necessarily mind the attention anymore. You told yourself that it didn't matter – you would be out of here soon anyway, and everything would be far behind you before you knew it.

"Why is it that every time I'm inebriated... God tests me by throwing you in my way?" You laughed, Truly, you wished you had considered the implications of your words a little more before you had said them. "Just as I thought your manners had improved since the party. You behaved badly, then. You know that? Very badly," you hiccuped. "You should be ashamed of yourself, throwing– hic–throwing yourself at a married woman like that."

He didn't acknowledge your drunken ramblings, and he also didn't deny the fact that he had been doing exactly that – throwing himself at a married woman.

"Hardly my fault," He breathed out. "I just can't seem to resist you."

"Don't worry," You replied, eyeing him up dubiously as he pulled another hit from what was left of your cigarette. "I'm leaving tomorrow. Won't have to worry about resisting me after that."

"I know," He answered back. "Selfishly enough, I spent the last few hours wishing your train got delayed one more day, or something like that," He exhaled, then snuffed his cigarette out on the balcony, "Still, I'm glad I could see you before you went home."

"I wish I could say the same about you," You replied before you could stop the words from coming out.

He poked his tongue through the inside of his cheek, retorting, "You're gonna sit here and act like you didn't invite me? Like your eyes didn't light up like a child when you saw me pull up?" He turned around, commanding even more of your attention, standing at least a foot and a half taller than you. "You wanted me to come tonight."

It was true. That's the worst part. Everything he said was the truth.

"So that I could say goodbye," You said with remarkable finality, "I'm leaving after this."

You hadn't originally planned on leaving so soon, of course, but you wanted to get the hell out of here before you made another bad decision.

"Already?" He asked.

"You're the one who ran late," You replied. "This ends tonight. I'm going to say bye to everyone else, then I'll be gone."

With that being said, you made your way back to the door. You would go inside, bid everyone farewell, collect your belongings, and then–

He called your name before you could go back inside. You froze in place.

"Am I misreading the signals?" He asked.

You sighed, turning around one last time to clear the air, "This has to stop, Aki. You make me feel like... like I'm guilty of something."

He implored you, "What do you want me to do?"

"Go back to Himeno," You answered, a biting undertone seeping through your words. You were undeniably bitter about the whole situation, and under any other circumstances, you would have tried to be a good sport, but...

Himeno's words were a heavy weight on your heart.

'Don't mess up a relationship with a perfectly good man for Aki.'

'You should leave him for someone who can actually give him what he needs."

You could never be what Aki wanted. He wanted all of you – not just a week of you, clearly. You were married, and you couldn't let all of that go over a guy you'd been toeing the line with for what seemed like ages.

He was a young man. The fact of the matter was that you were a grown woman. A married one.

"She's a sweet, kind woman," You continued. You felt like you were going to be sick just being near him. Unknowingly, tears began to prickle at the corners of your eyes. "Go back and beg her to forgive you. Go be with someone who wants to be with you. Who can be with you."

"No," He answered simply. There was an intensity in his eyes that frightened you, like he would die without you, as he continued, "That's not what you want. I think we both know that. I refused a mission in Hiroshima to stay here with you. I planned to let go of another one in Beijing," He swallowed, "I can change my mind, and you'll never see me again."

"If you have any consideration for me," Your voice was a shuddering whisper, like someone could walk out any minute and hear the two of you going back and forth. "Any semblance– a shrivel of compassion, you'll give me back my peace."

He shook his head, "I can't. You know I can't. You've consumed every inch of my peace, every inch of my mind. How can I give you your peace?"

Fair point.

You had nothing to say to him. So, silently, your vision blurred with tears, you glared at him. Glared and frowned like that would make you believe he was the sole contributor to this issue. Then, again, you turned on your heel and went for the door. You entered the bar quickly.

He followed not too long after you, "I'll go to Beijing, then."

"No." You said. Your teary-eyed fury caught the eyes of more than a few confused bar patrons. "I don't want you to go."

Everyone was looking at you. Seriously, everyone. Your old coworkers, the bartenders, everybody.

You swallowed down your pride, bowing down before them all. "Good night, everyone," You said. You plucked your purse and your jacket off of the barstool. "Thank you for everything. I'm leaving."

Ignoring the confused looks and hushed whispers from the patrons, you exited the bar, your mind a whirlwind of emotions. The rain had started to fall, a soft drizzle quickly turning into a steady downpour. You barely noticed, too wrapped up in the turmoil inside your head. The cold, wet sensation of the rain soaked through your clothes, but you couldn't bring yourself to care. You just needed to get away, to clear your mind.

But of course, Aki followed after you. You could hear him calling your name, his voice barely audible over the sound of the rain. You quickened your pace, almost running, your heels splashing through puddles as you made your way down the block. His footsteps pounded behind you, matching your speed. You couldn't escape him, couldn't outrun him.

Finally, he caught up to you, grabbing your arm to stop you. "Wait, can we please talk?" he pleaded, his voice breathless and desperate.

You turned to face him, rain pouring down around you both. His hair was plastered to his forehead, his suit jacket soaked through. The intensity in his eyes matched the storm, a fierce determination that made your heart ache. You met his gaze begrudgingly, not wanting to deal with this, not wanting to deal with him.

"Have I really been imagining all of this?" He asked. He sounded broken. "Is it really all in my head? Tell me if it's a lie. Tell me to leave you alone. Tell me you mean it—all of it," he paused, taking a shuddering breath. "Or tell me the truth."

You swallowed hard, the weight of the situation crashing down on you. "I don't know how to feel, Aki," you finally admitted, your voice barely a whisper. "I'm trying to be good, but you just keep fucking—popping up everywhere. And you say these pretty things to me, and," You choked back a sob, struggling to find the right words. "I can't help myself around you."

"Running from your problems won't make me go away," he said, stepping forward to put his hands gently on your waist.

There was a long pause as you stood there in the rain, staring at each other. The world seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of you. The storm, the bar, everything else was just a blur. You were tired—tired of running, tired of the confusion, tired of pretending that everything was fine when it wasn't.

He added, "You can't run from your feelings."

This time, it was his eyes that dropped to your lips. His tongue darted out to dampen his own, and then his eyes flicked up to your face. When he spoke, his voice was huskier than before, as if it had been tainted by an emotion that hadn't been there before. Was it lust? Passion? Whatever it was, you wanted more of it.

Your eyes widened. Your mouth had run dry. You didn't know what to say. Even being like this right now -- as close as you were, -- was against your wedding vows. This was wrong, and you couldn't do that to your own husband.

Your own husband who loved you so dearly.

Your own husband who left you hanging so many nights on end.

Your own husband, who acted as if he couldn't care if you lived or died.

As if he had sensed your train of thought wandering, Aki placed two fingers beneath your chin, lifting your face up until he was the captor of all of your attention. Him and him alone. Not your husband, but him.

"I could treat you like a princess," His eyes wandered down to your lips again, but this time there was an unspoken hunger within them. "All you have to do is ask, and I'm yours. I already am."

And, God, what a fool you had been in uttering the words, "Don't toy with my emotions. You don't want me."

He paused, awaiting something, anything. His eyes pleaded with your own, luring you in with promises of pleasure and happiness. Gently, he grabbed your hand, placing it over his breast, right above his heart.

"I want you so badly it hurts," He breathed, "For a night, for a day, for a week..." Aki closed the gap between the two of you – brought your faces closer together. Closer, until you could feel the warmth of his calm breath fanning out against your cheek. Closer, until he uttered, "As long as you'll let me have you."

"Aki, I can't-...." You paused. Yet, still, you never moved. Your body betrayed your words, dilated pupils and trembling hands giving way to your internal dilemma. "This is wrong. You know I can't do this."

You were being a hypocrite. You knew you were. One spare glance down at the placement of your hands on his chest -- one over his breast and one looped around his tie -- and you knew he could tell you were only putting up a front.

"I know," he murmured softly, words practically dying beneath the volume of the rain, "But I can't stop thinking about you."

You folded. Your eyes dropped down to his lips one last time, and that's when you knew he had already won.

Fuck it.

"Fuck you," you muttered, feeling a surge of reckless abandon.

Without thinking, you reached out and pulled him towards you, crashing your lips against his in a desperate, frenzied kiss. It was messy and wet, your tears mixing with the rain, your hands tangling in his hair as his arms finally wrapped around you.

The kiss was filled with all the pent-up emotions, the longing, the frustration, the desire. It was passion, it was anger – it was tongue and teeth and lips smearing your lipstick over the lower half of your face. It was two black holes finally colliding after circling around each other far too long.

"I can't make sense of it. I want... you," you sighed, pulling away, voice trembling, "I don't know what any of this means anymore. I don't know what to think."

"Then don't," he whispered, his breath warm against your lips. He tasted like cigarette smoke, beer and mint gum – a flavor so utterly addicting that you couldn't seem to get enough of it. "Don't think. Let me take you back to your room."

You hesitated, the reality of the situation hitting you. This was crossing a line, a line you couldn't uncross. But as you looked into his eyes, saw the same turmoil reflected back at you, you felt your resolve crumble.

You were tired of pretending.

"Okay," you whispered, your voice barely audible over the rain. It was a final, resigned acceptance, the last nail in the coffin of your restraint.

You were tired of running from the inevitable.

a/n: dont hate me. LMFAOAOAOOAOA. i had to! i absolutely loved writing this chapter and i loved writing tipsy obsessed aki. i headcannon that he's a touchy needy bf and no one can tell me otherwise. i think you all know what happens next. im not sayin nothin tho. hehe. ANYWAYYYYY LMK WHAT YALL THOUGHTTTTT i look forward to hearing it!!! lmk what yall wanna see in the next few chapters/over the course of the story. and if youve already watched anna karenina (or read, in which case... how...) shhhhhh youve seen nothing. muah! x

credits: UNKOWN ATM. I found the cover pic on pinterest unfortch. If you know the artist, please let me know, so I can credit them properly for their work!!! This is NOT MY BEAUTIFUL DRAWINGGG. I obviously do not own csm or anything related to it. please do not reproduce, copy, or translate my works anywhere. dont fk w me im a bruja.

also: come find me on my wattpad if u wanna interact more!

taglist: @mitsuyeahhh , @sleepysnk , @enneadec , @noaabean , @em1e , @drakensdarling , @bertholdts--butt , @satanlovesusall666 , @mitsuwuyaa , @noctifule , @scaraphobia , @ask-the-insect-hashira , @lovingranchturkeyweasel , @bontensbabygirl , @slvdsjjk , @novacrystalli , @hanmastattoos , @kodzuksn , @hqtiny , @ohmaiscool15 , @redlittlequeen , @leivane , @goldeneagles-posts , @yeahblahlame , @no-oneelsebutnsu , @cookiesandcreammy , @cawwn , @the-haitani-baton , @littlelovebug98 , @armani78 , @mindurownbussines , @kokos-property , @violetmatcha , @hp-simp505 , @acethebrave , @mitsuyeahhh , @sleepysnk , @enneadec , @noaabean , @em1e , @drakensdarling , @bertholdts--butt , @satanlovesusall666 , @mitsuwuyaa , @noctifule , @scaraphobia , @ask-the-insect-hashira , @lovingranchturkeyweasel , @bontensbabygirl , @slvdsjjk , @novacrystalli , @hanmastattoos , @kodzuksn , @hqtiny , @ohmaiscool15 , @redlittlequeen , @leivane , @goldeneagles-posts , @yeahblahlame , @no-oneelsebutnsu , @cookiesandcreammy , @cawwn , @the-haitani-baton , @littlelovebug98 , @armani78 , @mindurownbussines , @kokos-property , @violetmatcha , @hp-simp505

wanna join the taglist? | shameless ; chapter index

[jamiewintons]

I haven’t been able to get this ask out of my head, and I’m kind of obsessed with the whole idea, so I decided to write a little bit for it! I’m terrible with writing multi-chapter fics, so I’ll probably just keep writing snippets and one shots from this universe. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

~

You were just about to escape down into the manhole when you heard someone behind you say your name. Fear spread throughout your whole body, freezing you in place. Damn it! You’d been caught, and that meant that the entire plan was probably ruined. Why had you not run faster?

A hand grabbed onto your shoulder, and you felt yourself being spun around. Your eyes widened when you saw who had caught you - it wasn’t a police officer as you had expected, but rather Mr. Fickelgruber. You felt relieved for a moment, but your heart rate quickly spiked again. Oh, this was even worse than being caught by the police! Not only was Fickelgruber a member of the Chocolate Cartel - and therefore an enemy - but you’d noticed the way he looked at you… not like he wanted to destroy you, but almost like he wanted something else. Something sinister.

“There you are, my dear,” Fickelgruber said with a sly smile. He withdrew his hand from your shoulder, studying your facial expression. “No need to look so anxious, darling. I am not going to harm you.”

“M-Mr. Fickelgruber… what are you doing here?” you asked, your voice annoyingly shaky. You wanted to sound tougher than that, but you couldn’t pretend you weren’t terrified, regardless of his assurances that he wouldn’t hurt you.

“I came to talk to you,” he told you, stepping a little closer to you. You were forced to step back, leaving you pressed up against the hard, brick wal of the alleyway. “About that debt of yours. You owe quite a large sum to Mrs. Scrubbit, don’t you? Such a large sum that I’m sure you’ll never be able to find the money to pay her what she is due.”

Of course you knew that. You didn’t need to be reminded. You’d been in the service of Mrs. Scrubbit since you were a young girl - even younger than Noodle was now. When you were born, your family was quite well off. You were loved, cared for, you always had food to eat and a nice bed to sleep in. But then one day, you were told that your parents had died. No one ever told you exactly what had happened to them, just that they were gone and they were never coming back. You were supposed to go into the care of some relatives, who would also take care of your inheritance until you came of age… but rather than care for you, they stole your inheritance and dumped you with Mrs. Scrubbit, who you were told was your ‘new guardian’. You were forced to sign a contract… and then put to work in the laundry. You’d long given up hope of ever escaping.

You were silent for a long moment, before the quiet was broken by Mr. Fickelgruber’s voice once again. “Oh, have I struck a nerve, my dear? I do apologise. I didn’t mean to upset you, I simply wanted to ensure that we were on the same page.” You weren’t sure whether you believed him when he said that he didn’t intend to hurt your feelings.

“What about my debt?” you asked, averting your eyes from his face. The way he stared at you was making you nervous. “I already know I’m going to spend the rest of my life in that laundry. I gave up believing I’d find a way out years ago.”

Fickelgruber tutted. “Oh, but what if I told you there was a way for you to get out? And not just you, but all of your friends as well.” Your gaze met his again, and your eyes went wide. “I see that I’ve caught your attention now,” he said with a smirk, sounding utterly pleased with himself.

“Really? All of us could get out?” For the first time in a long time, you felt hope for the future. It was a strange sensation that you almost didn’t recognise, and for a moment, it was as if all of your troubles had melted away. But a great deal of your hope was replaced with dread when you heard Fickelgruber speak again.

“On one condition.” Ah, you should have known. There was no way he was going to offer you a way out without expecting anything in return. He was a businessman after all, and that meant he would want to make a deal.

“I don’t have anything you would want.” You felt your heart drop. Salvation had been so close, only to be ripped away from you mere moments later.

“On the contrary, my dear. You have something that I would like very much.” Fickelgruber’s hand came up to gently brush against your cheek, and your breath hitched in your throat. Where was he going with this? "You see, I have found myself feeling rather… lonely, as of late. But I’m sure you understand that a man in my position cannot look just anywhere for companionship.

You didn’t know what to say. You’d had absolutely no idea what Fickelgruber was going to say, and never would you have guessed he was going to seriously suggest you marry him in exchange for your freedom and that of your friends. Momentarily speechless, you stared at Fickelgruber blankly, like you were waiting for him to laugh or tell you he was joking. But he simply stared back, and after about a minute, it finally sunk in that he was serious.

"W-what?" you stammered, completely lost for words.

"You heard me, darling," Fickelgruber said with a smirk, not seeming at all deterred by your baffled reaction. "I want you to be my wife. All of your debts will be payed, and you will live in luxury for the rest of your days. Doesn’t that sound nice?" His hand cupped your cheek, keeping you from looking away from him. Your face grew warm, and you felt a little bit light headed.

"Why would you want to marry me? I’m no one special, I just work in a laundry…"

"Oh, but we both know that isn’t who you always were, don’t we?” Your eyes widened in shock. How could he possibly know…? "I know where you came from, dear. The poor little orphan girl, losing her parents, and then having her inheritance ripped from her by her cruel family. You aren’t like your friends. You’re special. You deserve better than to be slaving away in some filthy laundry. You deserve to wear fine clothes, eat good food…" Fickelgruber’s voice trailed off, but he continued to stare right into your eyes. "You deserve to be cared for, and I can give you that."

What were you to do? You hated working for Mrs. Scrubbit. You were always tired and sore, and dirty… the promise of nice food and new clothes, not to mention a warm bath and a comfortable bed to sleep in… well, it was tempting. When you were a little girl, before you’d given up hope of escaping, you always dreamed of a handsome prince swooping in to save you - just like in the stories your parents read to you before they passed. Mr. Fickelgruber wasn’t exactly a prince - though you had to admit he was handsome - but he was offering you a way out. And not just for you, but for your friends as well…

“So if I say yes, all of the others will be free. You promise?” you asked cautiously, your eyes trained on his face - not that he was giving you much choice to do otherwise - trying to determine whether he was telling you the truth or not.

“Of course, my dear. Simply say the word, and I will send the money straight to Mrs. Scrubbit.” Though you couldn’t be completely sure, it seemed to you that Fickelgruber was telling the truth. Did he really care for you that much that he would pay such exorbitant fees, just to take you as his wife? The thought of someone desiring you so much… it made your stomach flutter. He truly was offering you a good deal…

"Yes, Mr. Fickelgruber. I… I will marry you."

[fyonahmacnally]

Forged by Fire - Chapter 6

Kara and Lena manage to sleep in on Thursday. Not only do they both need it, the added benefit is not having to deal with James. Fortunately, the tides turn in their favor. By the time they wake up and make it into the kitchen, he is long gone to work. The relief they feel is palpable. Neither of them wanted to deal with his abusive bullshit and have it hanging over them for the rest of the day. 

The two of them spend most of the day lounging around and talking about anything that comes up. They also continue to devise a plan to get Kara away from James. Short-term, she is going to stay with Lena. While the CEO has extended her stay, she’s not sure how long she will be able to keep the AirBnB she’s rented. Not that she’s even stepped foot inside the place yet. Their discussion is cut short once they realize they need to get ready for Kara’s appointment. There’s still a lot more to figure out, but they’re getting there. 

Just as they suspected, Kara is released for light duty starting on Monday. With her broken wrist she’ll be limited, but most of her duties aren’t heavy lifting anyway. Some of the more delicate experiments will have to be assigned to someone else, but she’s relieved to be able to get back to work. She loves her job and the people she works with. 

It’s nearly 4:00 p.m. when they make it back to the house. They’re immediately greeted by Eve in the kitchen. Lena has to get ready for her meeting so Kara does what she can to keep herself distracted. She spends time chatting with Eve and playing a game on her phone. Apparently it works well because the next thing she knows, the CEO is standing in front of her wearing a three piece suit that makes the blonde’s jaw drop. 

Now, Kara has known for most of her life how attractive her best friend is, it’s not even a question. However, the woman standing in front of her right now is simply a marvel to behold. Heart racing, mouth drying, and completely speechless – that about sums it up. In fact, she’s sure Lena just broke her brain. 

A knowing smirk spreads across Lena’s lips. She struts over to the blonde and lightly closes her mouth with one finger under her chin. “You’ll catch flies, Darling.” She winks and gently pats her cheek before leaning down to place a soft kiss on her forehead. “I’d feel better if you leave with me. Who knows when the asshole will decide to show up. I’ll call you when I am heading back this way. I love you.”

“I’m right behind you! Love you, too.” Kara smiles before turning to Eve. “I’m heading out, Eve. You have my number if you need anything before James gets home.”

“No worries, Kara. I’ll be here a little late today. I need to do some extra meal prep since I won’t be here on Monday.” The shorter woman says with a smile. “I’ll lock up behind me. I should be gone by 8:00. Enjoy your evening!”

As soon as the front door closes, Eve sets aside a plate for James’ dinner. She knows Kara will have already eaten, at least she hopes so, but this is something specific for James. A satisfied smile spreads across her face as she prepares the plate. “Hopefully this will be a meal to die for.” She quietly mumbles to herself before sitting the plate in the warming drawer for James’ arrival. 

By then, Kara and Lena have gone their separate ways. Lena has enough time to get to her dinner reservation a little early and Kara plenty of time to avoid unexpectedly running into James. With Alex and Kelly out for the evening, this will be the first time Kara is by herself since the accident. It isn’t something she is very excited about, but it’s also better than the alternative. She just wishes James would disappear altogether or at least leave her alone. 

There’s never been a moment in her life where she has consciously wished someone harm or actually harbored hate. At least until now. Sure, she loved James once upon a time, but that ship sailed and sank. Now, it’s hard for her to imagine how or why she ever wanted him. The fact she carries his last name makes her skin crawl. The first thing she is going to do when she is free from him is lose that moniker for good. If she could erase every moment she spent with him, she’d do that, too. 

She spends a couple of hours eating pizza, watching true crime documentaries from Alex’s Netflix queue, and throwing popcorn at the TV. The stupid shit people do leading up to, during, and after committing murder blows her mind. It makes sense if it is something that isn’t premeditated, but the ones that plan it out and then behave so conspicuously a blind person could see their guilt? Those are the ones that boggle her brain.  

Not that she wants to off anyone. Hmm…well, she can’t say that with any real truth anymore. She’d certainly like to remove James from existence, but she’d never actually do it. However, there are two people in her life she has often worried about actually murdering him – her two favorite people, Lena and Alex. 

They’ve always been incredibly protective of her and both have gotten their hands dirty to come to her rescue a time or two over the years. The terrifying part about the James situation is Alex has the know-how and Lena has the means. She really isn’t kidding when she says they would be homicidal. It’s slightly terrifying when she really thinks about it. 

Most of her dark, twisted thoughts are strictly that though, just thoughts. In truth, if she could get away with it, she might consider it. Never anything messy though, she doesn’t have the stomach for it. She breathes out a long sigh, this train of thought is pointless. He’s not going anywhere, she’s not going to murder him, and she’s going to have to fight tooth and nail to get her life back. It sucks, but she’s resigned herself to the fact. At least Alex, Kelly, and Lena know about the violence and abuse. It makes things easier to navigate, at least. 

Meanwhile, Lena’s drive to dinner is similarly spent. Her brain is cycling through ways to get James out of Kara’s life for good. It’s not something she ever thought she would consider, but the man is a menace, a real danger to her best friend. Seeing him around her and the way he views her as a possession is creepy and unnerving. 

He has that ‘if I can’t have her, no one can’ vibe and it’s gross. The fact his own sister doesn’t trust him around Kara speaks volumes. She scoffs, then her thoughts veer into even darker territory. Hitmen and other nefarious means. Of course, she’s never looked into hiring a hitman before, but she knows her father had some shady dealings before his death. 

An amused laugh parts her lips as she shakes her head out of the murder plot spiral. Part of her doesn’t think she could do something like that, but another part knows if it came down to James or Kara, she wouldn’t hesitate. Since she’s never liked James, she couldn’t care less if he fell off the face of the planet. He deserves to suffer far worse than what he’s done to Kara. In fact, if she thought she could get away with chopping him into tiny pieces and using him as fish bait, she would. Sadly, that isn’t something she could stomach. 

By the time she arrives at the restaurant, she has managed to push her thoughts into a more productive direction for her meeting. Back onto reports and mergers instead of murder and mayhem. She parks, takes a deep breath, and confidently strides through the door. The faster she gets inside, the quicker she’s done and can get back to Kara. 

On another side of town, Alex and Kelly are wining and dining with the hospital chief and some of the board members. Alex is up for a big promotion and schmoozing seems to be part of the interview process. Things like this aren’t really either of their scenes, but they both really want this promotion for Alex. Of course, they’re planning to sneak out no later than 9:00, sooner if possible. Kelly has a big meeting in the morning and Alex wants to check on Kara before calling it a night. 

She knows Lena will take care of her sister, she always has. However, her big sister's brain won’t settle until she makes sure Kara is okay. Sometimes, she feels like she’s stuck between a rock and a hard place. Her brother-in-law is abusing her sister and she’d like to cut his balls off before feeding them to him. 

Sadly, it is also her wife’s brother and she’s not so sure killing the man would go over well in her own marriage. Actually, it’s something she isn’t truly clear on anymore. Kelly is incredibly upset about the abuse James has been subjecting Kara to. From the conversation they had earlier in the week, Kelly might want to take him down just as much. It’s not something she wants to find out in the near future though. As much as she loves her sister, this is her wife and she’d like to remain married. She doesn’t want to do anything to lose either of them if she doesn’t have to.

Around 6:00 p.m. at the Olsen house, Eve is putting away the last of the meals she made when James comes barreling through the door. She can see right away that he is angry, but also unsettled. His eyes are darting all over the kitchen as if he is looking for something that isn’t really there. The petite woman watches him from her spot across the island. Eventually he drops into one of the bar chairs without a word. 

Eve slowly walks over to the warming drawer to retrieve the meal she made for him and places it in front of him. “Here’s your dinner, Mr. Olsen. It’s one of my special recipes. I hope you enjoy it.” She smiles at him before turning to finish cleaning up in the kitchen. With the laundry still to finish, she busies herself with the remaining chores.

James stands to grab his whiskey and tumbler, a much needed addition to his meal for the day he’s had. With everything happening in his life right now, he needs a break. He’s sick of that Luthor bitch being in his house and monopolizing his wife. They have no idea he took the day off tomorrow for a private meeting at noon, but also plans to do whatever he can to show both of them who’s in charge. He sneers, Lena acts like she isn’t scared of him, but she should be. “Both of those bitches will regret ever crossing me.” James grumbles, emptying his tumbler before refilling it again. 

“What was that, Mr. Olsen?” Eve asks, knowing full well what he just mumbled under his breath. Glancing at her watch, she notes it’s 6:41 p.m. She wants to have everything complete by 7:15, 7:30 at the latest. The task has to be finished before Kara and Lena return. “I thought I heard you say something.” 

She’s been making note of all the little things he says when he thinks no one is listening. What she has learned is that James Olsen is a narcissistic, sadistic, and cruel man who thinks he owns any woman in his life. Additionally, she has overheard some interesting phone calls, things she knows will be his undoing. 

“Oh, sorry, Eve. Nothing. I’m just talking to myself.” He half-heartedly chuckles, something he likely thinks is charming, but honestly makes her skin crawl. “This dinner is really good. I bet your husband is a happy man.”

She pauses her task and stiffens. “That’s actually none of your business, Mr. Olsen. However, my wife is indeed a happy woman.” Eve isn’t married, but she is bisexual and she knows it grates on his nerves when someone speaks to him the way she just did. Not to mention, she has heard him bad mouth Kara and others about their sexualities. 

He continues to grumble a little longer about women and disrespect before he finally finishes his food. Pushing the plate away from him, he pours himself another glass of whiskey. Eve is pretty sure it’s his fourth in less than an hour. She eyes him closely, noticing he’s starting to cough a bit and he’s sweating profusely. Once she finishes the last of the laundry and puts it away, she takes his plate to the sink.

Perfect, 7:03 p.m. She’s making better time than she thought. 

It’s 8:15 before Lena is able to get away from her business associates. She started trying to wrap things up nearly an hour before, but the current CEO felt the need to rehash everything they already agreed upon. It’s typical of men like him. Lena and their CFO, Donna, were rolling their eyes together. Both of them being women in a mostly male field, they’re used to it, but that doesn’t make it any easier to bear. 

The minute she gets in her car, she calls Kara who picks up on the first ring. “Hi! Seems like it took longer than you anticipated.” The blonde says, a genuine grin in her voice. 

Lena sighs, a frustrated growl following behind it. “Seriously! Why do these men feel the need to hear themselves talk so much? I would have been done at 7:00 if Phil hadn’t pontificated about the good old days for an hour.” She huffs, the last thing she wanted to do was listen to a grown man compare dick size with her. Without a doubt, hers is bigger and she definitely knows how to use it far better than he does. 

Kara chuckles, Lena has always hated this aspect of her job. “Well, it’s over now and you don’t have to deal with it again for a while. How long will it take you to get back to the house? I don’t want to leave now because I know I’ll beat you there.”

“Mmmm, there isn’t much traffic right now so probably twenty minutes. Do you want to just meet me at the Starbucks on the corner and I’ll follow you there?” She asks, hoping Kara agrees. Lena would rather she be the first one to the house if they can’t arrive at the same time. “At least that way we can walk in together.”

“Okay, that works. I’ll see you in a few.” They end the call. 

Kara pulls into the Starbucks parking lot at 8:42, Lena sees her before she can even get parked. She gestures for the CEO to follow and they start the five minute trek to the house she shares with the devil’s spawn. Oddly, when they pull into the driveway, James’ car isn’t there. She silently shrugs and mentally thanks the universe because she thought for sure he would be home. Whatever, she thinks. At least it will be a peaceful night. 

She waits for Lena on the front stoop, laughing at the look on her best friend’s face as she unlocks the door. They walk through the entryway into the kitchen and both immediately freeze. The back patio door that opens into the dining room is wide open. It’s not completely odd when someone is home, especially this time of year, but with James not being there it’s certainly alarming. Kara takes a couple more steps into the kitchen and gasps, eyes wide. She immediately covers her mouth with both hands. 

At first, Lena is confused by the blonde’s reaction, unable to see what has her so spooked. When she takes a few steps to stand beside Kara, it becomes crystal clear. Lying face down on the floor between the island and the french doors is James.

Neither of them move for what seems like hours, they both just stare at the prone figure on the tile floor. If he was breathing, it would look like he had just passed out. Unfortunately, it is very obvious he isn’t. The whole room is eerily quiet and there is a distinct scent of whiskey in the air. 

It takes her a minute, but Lena gathers her wits and swallows her nerves. “W-We need to check his pulse.” She looks over at Kara and can tell she is still trying to process what she’s seeing. Willing the prickling sensation on her skin to stop, she forces herself to step closer to the body in front of them. Pausing and taking several deep breaths, she makes herself bend down to check for a pulse on his neck. 

Immediately, she knows he’s dead. His skin is cold and there is what appears to be vomit surrounding him. There’s also a bitter almond scent hovering alongside the whiskey. She instantly backs away, her own dinner threatening to resurface. 

Her mind is whirring with scenarios. Part of her mind is wondering if Kara did this. Her best friend’s current reaction would lean toward probably not, but she’s still not sure. Was it Alex? It certainly could have been, she’s a doctor and would know what to do. Lena knows she didn’t do it. Of course, she also knows James has recently gotten himself involved in things that very well could have led to this outcome. 

Now, what do they do? The most obvious thing to do would be to call the police, right? She’s scared though. From what she can tell, he hasn’t been dead long and it certainly doesn’t seem to have been natural. Or maybe it was? How would they know? 

She’s a goddamn genius, why is she panicking?! Well, because there’s a fucking dead body on the floor, dumbass! Her brain is not being helpful right now. She glances over at Kara and can see she’s finally starting to really take in the scene around them. 

“L-Lena…he’s…James is dead. On the floor. He’s dead.” Kara stammers, her eyes bouncing from her best friend to James and back. She continues to look back and forth before she bursts into laughter. It’s so startling that Lena takes a step back, her eyes wide.

“It’s just…” The blonde takes a gasping breath before continuing, “...I’m pretty sure he tried to kill me a week ago and now he’s dead. Everyone is going to think I did it.” High-pitched laughter rockets out of Kara’s throat, it’s bordering on maniacal and quite frankly scaring the hell out of Lena. 

Kara starts pacing back and forth on the opposite side of the kitchen. Her thoughts are running so fast they’re bumping into one another. The two most prominent ones are who killed James and was it Alex or Lena. She’s been worried about one of them doing it, but didn’t think they would. Now she’s not so sure and if one of them did, they have to get rid of the body. Make it look like he skipped town or ran off. Something. 

As soon as that thought circles her brain, there’s a knock on the front door. Kara and Lena freeze in place, both of them panic stricken and terrified. There’s a fucking dead body on the floor in the kitchen and somebody is knocking on the goddamn door. Perfect timing!

“Who the hell is knocking at the door after 9:00 p.m. on a weeknight?!” Lena hisses as she walks toward the door to look at the doorbell camera. “Fuck! It’s Alex. Kara, it’s your sister.”

She runs back toward the blonde, shaking her back to reality. “Okay, okay. We need to open the door. I know my sister, she won’t leave until she sees me. Is Kelly with her?” The knocking gets louder as Kara makes her way to the door.

“No, it looks like it’s just Alex.” Lena states, following Kara back to the door. They don’t quite get there before it opens and Alex peeks her head inside. The big smile on her face falls when she sees the look on both their faces. It morphs into serious concern in mere seconds. 

“Woah, why do you two look like someone died?” The redhead asks, brow furrowed with worry. “No, seriously, what’s going on?” She steps inside, her heart rate increasing with every step.

Kara bursts into laughter again, but this time it’s accompanied by tears. Instead of saying anything, she just walks into the kitchen and points to James’ body lying on the floor. Alex’s mouth drops open as she rapidly looks from the body to Kara then to Lena and back. 

The doctor takes a shuddering breath, steadies herself on the edge of the island, and asks, “Please explain to me why your husband is lying dead on the kitchen floor. I know he’s a piece of shit and I know all three of us have plenty of reasons to want him dead…”

“You have to help us, Alex. What are we going to do? He’s dead. I can’t go to jail. I just can’t.” Kara rambles, anxiety skyrocketing as she continues to pace around the room. “I can’t, I can’t, I can’t. Oh my god, I can’t.”

Lena and Alex helplessly watch as Kara continuously paces in a circle apparently nearing a nervous breakdown. They both already know they will do anything to keep Kara out of trouble, to keep her safe. Alex finally looks at Lena, they lock eyes and nod. It’s a silent agreement to make this go away.

Now to figure out how to do it without getting themselves caught or killed in the process.

Find the full story on AO3 here.

[the-kr8tor]

I'M HERE!! I'M ALIVE!!

By the work of some miracle, I completed all of my Spanish work on time last week 🥳🥳 Now I need to do it again for the next five weeks ༼;´༎ຶ ۝ ༎ຶ༽

I've got a test in AP bio today, but it's gonna be okayyy (cope) I'll do well; I'll get a hundreddd (cope)

Anyway in honor of spring break happening a day early (we won't have Friday this week) we have...

Celebratory Leon HCS!!!

I'm seeing all this red string stuff on your page lately and it lowkey has me feeling inspired so let's do a personal take kn that AU with Leon :D

I feel like he always kinda thought about finding whoever was at the end of the string, at least someday. He thought about it more when he was in school than out. These days, he doesn't think about it much. Probably because of The Horrors (tm), but these days he was starting to feel that maybe he never met them. He was pretty hard set on the idea that whoever's on the end of the line wouldn't want to meet someone like him anyway. Deep inside though, he imagined that maybe, since they're his soulmate, they would be able to put up with him. All of his anxieties, strange habits, and trauma, maybe it wouldn't be too much to share it with one person. Just one.

Imagine his surprise when he feels the string tugging him one night. He's out on a walk to clear his head and he feels this little pull. Of course, he follows. He's so confused and intrigued and somewhat scared and excited and he's wondering what you look like and if you're following the string too and- WHAM

You both run headfirst into each other bc y'all were both only paying attention to the string like idiots. It made for a funny story though :)

I also feel like red string has so much potential for a historic or more fantasy forward AU too, but it's kinda hard to think of the meet cute. Like it's a fact that Leon's gonna be a knight, but I like the idea of r being a commoner or a noble or a noble from an enemy empire??? There are so many scrungulous ideas that could come from it. We could do a combo of all three where he finds her on a n expedition and she's like injured or sum and she can't remember much of who she is but they figure out she's a noble from an opposing empire, like high up too I'm thinking from grand duchy or actual imperial family or sum. So this other country they're like 'omg xxx empire stole our princess/Duchess' and they have to work it out to resolve the issue and then their marriage fosters peace between the two countries.

These classes got me stressed sm I haven't been able to write :( ✍️

YESSS HELLO!! WELCOME BACK!

Nooo that should be Illegal! Good luck on the test! You'll kill it! 💪

Daily Leon HC 💙💙💙

It's @pleaktale 's fault 😂 (love u pookie)

Omg poor leon! 😞 It's all because of those evil residents (wink wink nudge nudge)

Leon: I don't care about my soulmate *grips the table*

AWWWW that's so cute!!! Imagine telling that to claire and she'd laugh at his face so hard after all the idc abt my soulmate conversations they've had 😆

Yooooo how about they meet at the opposite sides of the battlefield and when they're face to face their strings glow and tug at each other!!

[dragon-queen21]

Hi there!!! I hope you’re having a nice day :3

I have had some insane sanji agere angst fics （MYLTIPLE) brewing in my mind and i NEED to express them.

So uhm rambles ^_^

So like. Okay one of them is like everybody is super duper busy working on projects, except sanji. He like finished all his stuff, and he even tried to help out (but again, everyone was busy and didnt rlly want him around) so he ended up going into the aquarium to regress, and as he does, A GROUP OF PIRATES INVADES THE SHIP!! And obviously he isnt able to help because he’s so far down in his regression, but who knows that? Since no body like, helped him with his regression gear or anyrhing, other than the fact he was in his prime regression spot and had coloring supplies (that probably got moved around from the rocking of the ship), he looks… like he’s not regressex. So someone (i ws planning on having zoro !!) quickly goes downstairs to get him and then he has to fight, but he struggles alot. Which is obviously weird for their chef?? But regardless maybe he’s just tired.. so they leave it be and he ends up getting like injured a little during his fights, and it MESSES with him. Loke he goes all panicky and like worries about being a bad crewmate once the fight is over, and he is like freaking out. And he has like a mini meltdown (which he eventually gets found by nami or sum anf she puts the peices together nd then helps him calm down ^_^!!)

-im in the works of writing that one rn 💔💔

AND THENNN!! Anither one (bc my brain loves baby sanji angst) is him regressing while on an island, because he cant find anybidy wlse (which usually doesnt happen but it can.) and he gets all nervous bc suddenly he’s like zoro and cant find his way back,, and he again, has a freakout after getting lost. But uh. Zoro also happpens to be lost and finds him and totally does not get lost on the way back to the ship

-I got lost in a target with my boyfriend yesterday so uh. Thats where that one came from ^_^!…

Nd then last one i promise. (Sanji sickfic!!) Sanji wakes up really badly ill and in a lower headspace than the rest of the crew has like EVER seen him. So while theyr all struggling to figure out how to take care of the suffering baby, they are also trying to figure out hiw he even got sick??? Like he’s not human how could this happen… anyway baby cries alot and caregivers are trying to figure out like how to help. !!!

YAYYY RAMBLING OVER!!! Thank you for listening :3!

Hi hi!

Oooh bring on the angst!! >:3

~Oooh I love that so much! Adding a couple of ideas going through my head right now, don’t know how much you’ve already written- but anyways. The added angst that Zoro, or whoever goes to get Sanji, is stressed from the attack and end up snapping, especially when Sanji is trying to stutter out something- (the fact that he’s small no doubt)

~And Sanji just assumes that the crew knew he was regressed and just didn’t care. He wasn’t wanted around earlier, maybe they’re realizing he’s a burden. I think this comes partially because Luffy has a huge thing about not fighting when regressed- he’s the captain, it’s his job to do the dangerous stuff while the kiddos stay safe, so having to fight regressed threw him off even more. Also just cause Sanji with insecurity issues.

~Welp, at least we can be lost together <- Zoro probably

~Okay but it’s so scary being regressed and not knowing where you are or where the people you were with went to. Especially because you feel like a kid, but it’s not as though anyone is going to stop and try and help like you might with an actual kid, so you’re just stuck wandering.

~Also again, adding in Sanji’s own insecurities, that even when he knows it’s irrational, there is always that thought telling him that the crew left him behind on purpose

~Baby crying because this is one of the few times he’s gotten sick. Bonus angst would be to add Usopp regressing as well. I speak from experience, but seeing someone sick after loosing a parent to an illness is very triggering. Even if it’s just like, a common cold. It does not help even knowing that rationally. So now the crew has a sick baby on their hands and a sobbing toddler who’s not even sure what he’s so upset about.

~I have a fic started that is similar to this concept, revolving Usopp after Nami got sick, and then again involving his past before joining the crew, so yeah, I really like the idea :3

In fact I loved all of your ideas! I am rooting for you so much to write out all of these ideas! You’ve got this!!!

[ask-postcrash-curly]

Hello again, dear. Happy June! Mum here.

So it seems that the trees have decided to let go of their spring blooms in favor of richer and lusher greens— and the birds have settled back into their old abodes from their long vacations! Though it is already much too warm for little old me; I must bid goodbye to my favorite sweater for now, until the air once again begets that wistful autumnal chill. As for Kestrel, he has always been a summer's peach— his birthday is this month, after all! I know that he is quite eager for it already! Though he has already been navigating adulthood for some time now, he will never cease to be my precious little feather. (But I do hope he doesn't go overboard with celebrating, haha. I am sure that he will be planning to go out with Tabitha and their friends in the evening. Despite his social anxieties... he has always possessed quite the partygoer's spirit!) 

Oh! And I am so happy for your new speech device! What a way to welcome in new beginnings, yes? It sounds very interesting— I would bet that my parents would have given an arm and a leg each to have known such a thing even existed when I was a child. Have I told you, dear? Despite my having grown into quite the verbose woman, I was silent as a mouse for the first several years of my life. My father was quite concerned over it— but Mom insisted I would grow into my words eventually, and I suppose she was certainly right about that! I do remember... it was only after I had met Shrike that I began to truly navigate my own voice... she was quite the singer, and I had wished to have a beautiful voice like hers, too... ah...

Speaking of old friends... have your friends been telling you of their time on Minos? I am awfully curious, having never been off-planet before! I am sure they have been able to contact their loved ones again, yes? And yours? Do you know what they plan to do until you are all ready to head home? Have they told you anything about, uhm... relating to Jimmy? Have you decided what to do with the funds he has left for you...? 

Anyways, I do not wish to leave off on a sour note, my darling. Did you know that we were there when dear Daisuke won that Pikachu for you? I believe it had been Possum's idea to gift you a comfort plush once you were well enough again— and Daisuke had recalled that you liked Pikachus the most, haha!

(Oh, Kestrel wishes for me to tell you to tell Daisuke that his favorite is "Scraftie." I've not a clue what that is, but it sounds adorable. Oh! That's what it is! He has pants, hahaha!)

Hey, Mum! Happy June.

Aw, I wish I could see ‘em. Sorry for your sweater. The cold months are the best ones. Wait, when’s his birthday? Or, uh, how many days from now? I can count them or something… Mine’s next month, but I stand by what I said. Winter’s better. (…Yep.)

Yeah! I am too. New beginnings indeed. Arm and a leg, you say? It took me hands, feet, and a leg. …Sorry. Couldn’t resist. Hmm. Nope, don’t think you’ve mentioned that! Kinda hard to believe, hah. You certainly did. I like your singing, by the way. As for me, never been a superstar, but I do make pretty nice at karaoke. Ah… Not anymore, I guess.

Bits and pieces. They’ve gone out a few times. Apparently the bread here is fantastic, but I’m not allowed to have it. For obvious reasons. I think they don’t want to talk too much about it since I’m still bedridden. And yeah, they’ve talked to their families. Even Anya. I… don’t know if anyone contacted the Zares. I got to talk to my parents a couple nights back, yeah. Not Lise yet. Brief call, being interstellar and all, but it was great to hear their voices. I managed not to cry, but it came pretty close. Could barely see the tablet screen, hah. …I don’t know. I’m not sure what the total sum’s set to be, and I might not have the option to… not use it. I tried to give it to Anya— she doesn’t have any savings. But she told me I’d need it more, and that isn’t fair because I at least have home security and she doesn’t.

She might just… not want his money. I shouldn’t have told her it was his. She looked upset when I said that. We… probably need to have that conversation sometime…

…

Wait, you were? And none of you told me?! Shame on you lot! Hahah. I’m surprised all of you kept that secret so well, wow. God, that was nice of him.

(Scrafty? Will do.)

[shiurkomaalt]

Rant/Ramble

mostly on why Tim is my fav batfam character and why i think to make him into joker jr takes more effort than killing everyone he loves

An extended rant from my repost to @batfambrainrotbeloved 's repost. Thank you for reposting and commenting, again i loved everything you said about how Damian might struggle internally against Tim, you made my day.

Basically i believe Tim becomeing joker jr from grief of losing everything isn't strong enough of a reason. To specify, i don't think he'll lose it purely due to that and feel like there has to be other factors also contributing.

On a completely separate note, I love the friends to enemies trope with fervor, thats just my taste, so making Tim be the one to take away Damian's family just came naturally to me. And has nothing to do with my stated opinion, but rather additional preference.

Here goes why i feel Tim won't go insane/turn evil simply through losing his loved ones. Its been a while since ive touched any dc media so if i make any mistake about the lore i apologise in advance:

The impression that Tim gives me is that he is ridiculously resilient to corruption, both from within himself and from others trying to turn him, including and especially loved ones being taken from him.

As someone that signed up for robin to keep Bruce from killing himself, Tim has a very good idea how losing loved ones in this line of work can affect you, especially when you blame yourself for it.

He took a long, hard look at the cruel, demanding and at times ugly nature of being robin, the pain and suffering it could inflicted upon him and others he care about, and takes the gig up anyway. Sure enough he gets to experience this pain first hand when his mother was muerdered by a super villain before he even became robin(or right after i don't remember exactly), then his dad, then Connor, Bart, Bruce. While we never see him lose everything all at once, we do see him lose loved ones in close intervals, and we also see how he deals with that grief.

And we see that, though it definitely has tremendous impact on him every time it happens, pushing him into severe self doubt, even vengefulness and hatefulness at times, he rarely lets them triumph over him. He certainly comes close sometimes, yet almost always able to be level headed about it or make the right choice at the last moment, like with boomerang.

Even the few times that he did give in to his dark urges, the closest to evil we see him being is taking the law into his own hands and killing criminals, which i don't perceive as insanity, at least not the kind the joker displays. So even when he does crumble, which rarely happens, he leans toward becoming a control freak like clark, rather than going around murdering people in maniacal laughter like martha Wayne.

And for me that's his core trait, not just as robin, but as a dc super hero in general: He is the person to not fall apart when others most likely would have, and not only that, he helps others back up on their feet when they crumble. Something no doubt he'd do for Damian too, should memers of the Batfamily or teen titans ever be wiped out. Thats just what he, as a character, is created to do.

To sum so far, I simply cannot see any scenario where he willingly embraces becoming joker with sound mind and canonical backstory. for him to do something like that, in my opinion, goes completely against his character.

With that said, i still think it is possible to turn him evil and jokery, to do that first we have to erode that essential part that makes Tim, Tim. Many ways to achieve it too: Joker chip, joker virus, ace chemical acid bath with electricity going through it, you get the idea.

By this point i think it is pretty obvious that i think very highly of his will power and ability to persevere through loss and pain, maybe even to the degree of terrible bias, largely due to me first getting to know him through the red robin series and unfortunately he absolutely slays there. So it should come as no surprise that i also think giving him brain damage, while may work initially, can't keep him evil for long, he'd somehow fight through it, like he does when he killed thebjoker in the movie. He's just got that bat in him. I think It has to be both severe loss and brain damage, and happening to Tim in short intervals with each other. The damage is not meant to cripple him in anyway shape or form, just to knock home the insanity and to have it take root. Much like what the acid bath did to the joker himself.

I actually can't think of anything else to support this for why it won't work well otherwise besides the fact that the joker was also severely traumatized before he fell in the acid bath. What was contributing more, the bath or the bad day he had? I guess you can't really separate them, they go hand in hand.

To sum, while it is essential that he loses most everything he cherishes in order to turn joker, that won't be enough. Additional physical trauma has to happen to take away his will to fight the initial free fall to insanity.

Which is about all i have to say on this matter, not really and solid argument but rather loosely thrown together, very subjective impressions i have of Tim himself and the joker conversion process.

End of rant🙇

[ideas-on-paper]

Legion - An anniversary of love

It's amazing how fast a single year can be over, and it’s almost incredible to think that on this very day one year ago, I had the honor of meeting Legion - my favorite character from Mass Effect, my fictional robot partner and soulmate - for the very first time.

After an eternity of longing and waiting over 80 hours to finally meet them in Mass Effect 2, I was beyond myself with happiness when I finally did.

Despite Legion having such a marginal playtime compared to other characters, I did everything I could to make the most out of it, and I can rightfully say that thanks to Legion, my first Mass Effect playthrough was one of the best experiences of my lifetime. It might have brought me a lot of pain as well (especially in Mass Effect 3), but still, I wouldn’t give it up for anything.

I’m sure many people out there would call me crazy for being “in a relationship” with a fictional character, but since this is our anniversary, I want to share a bit of our history - which actually goes back way longer than me meeting Legion in-game.

Just so you’re prepared, though: It’s going to be very gushy, quite lovey-dovey, and anything but normal. xD

The "welcoming party"

My first encounter with Legion was back when I was still doing my "screening" for Mass Effect. I am probably what you would call a very picky person when it comes to choosing my games, especially when I'm interested in larger titles that require a considerable investment of time and money. Usually, I spend a lot of time watching footage to see if the game is the right one for me. As such, it happened that I came across some clips of Legion - and I was immediately absolutely enamored by them.

I usually call it "resonance" when I'm particularly attracted to a certain character (basically, it’s my way of saying I identify with them). It might be because I'm very sensitive to hearing, and it's also the primary sense that my emotional experiences are connected to. Anyway, when I heard Legion talking for the first time, it was like listening to a heavenly choir. From just the few lines that I heard back then, I immediately felt drawn to them - and thus, Legion became the main reason for my ultimate decision to buy the trilogy. xD

However, when I bought ME, I couldn't really find the time or right state of mind to actually play it. When I started with Mass Effect, I wanted to be able to properly appreciate it, so I put it on the back burner for the time being.

That didn't curb my yearning for Legion in any way, though. In the meantime, I had been looking if there was any merchandise for them, and I quickly came to realize that the few pieces of merch there were for Legion were pretty much all exclusive rarities. There was this beautiful figure by Threezero, but that one had been sold out for a long time, and the only way to get one was on eBay, usually costing an arm and a leg - all the more if you have to deal with astronomical sums from custom dues.

I didn't give up, however, and just before Christmas, I finally found one in Europe - which, honestly, was the best gift I could wish for. It still cost me a shitton of money, but I didn't care - if this was the only thing I would be able to afford until my birthday, I would be totally fine with it.

Legion didn't arrive at my place at Christmas, though, but about two weeks later, on January 6th - you know, the date of Epiphany when the true gifts arrive.

I was completely over the moon when I finally was able to hold Legion in my hands. This may sound weird, but I always wanted to know what Legion's "synthetic tissue" feels like (the texture looks very fascinating to me), and knowing that this was probably the closest I'd ever get to it, I considered myself absolutely blessed. In general, I can attest that the Threezero figure is very well made - they put a lot of effort into the details, and the fact that you can insert a battery to make Legion's head light up is the icing on the cake. (You can technically exchange the hands and move the limbs, too, though I never dared to do that; since it's old, the soft material already has cracks in a few places, so I was too afraid to damage it.)

I also introduced Legion to the rest of my family - granted, I got some surprised and slightly baffled reactions, but they were all happy for me. My mom probably took it the best - she was a huge Star Wars fan back when she was a teen, with a particular love for C-3PO, so she could relate to my joy quite well. xD

The only residents of my house that seemed less than enthused about Legion's arrival were, ironically enough, my electronic devices. My old radio-controlled alarm clock went nuts when I brought Legion into my room. It had a habit of doing that whenever the batteries were low; it's just funny it happened at this moment. (I ended up ascribing it to disturbances from Legion's comm antenna. xD)

Also, to top things off, just after I had put Legion on my desk, one of the light bulbs of my ceiling lamp broke. It wasn't just any bulb, I might add - it was the one directly facing in the direction of Legion. (You might say that this lamp saw the competition it was up against, got super jealous, and finally decided to quit its job. xD)

Anyway, to celebrate the occasion, I decided to do a little "housewarming party" for Legion. I still had some sparkling wine left over from New Year's Eve, so I thought "Why the hell not?" and raised a toast to Legion.

*The light of the figure's optic isn't normally tinted this blue. It's actually a side effect of the light emitted by the TV (you can see a bit of that on the bottle). However, I thought it was amazing because it looks so fitting. xD

Back when I shared this picture on Twitter in 2022, I wrote a brief comment along the lines of "Shame that they can't enjoy it. Though they would probably just say something like "We do not understand why mutual intoxication is considered a ritual of greeting among organics."" (As may be able to tell, the line in Omega about alcohol was one of the first I saw. It’s still one of my favorites. xD)

It's funny because I'm normally what you'd consider the opposite of an alcoholic - I only drink very rarely for festive occasions, and when I do, I usually choose the least strong drink. So, it's a little ironic I felt a desire to do it for the one character who probably neither would've expected nor demanded it from me. Still, Legion is special to me, and I wanted to express this in some way - all things considered, it was probably a more lavish greeting than anything they ever could've projected. xD

The meeting

It would take over one year, however, until I finally met Legion in-game. When the day came, I was screaming with joy when I saw their introduction cutscene. I hate the Derelict Reaper mission with a passion, but the thought that I would finally be able to meet the character I had longed to see for so long spurred me onwards. And once I was back on the Normandy, Legion safely retrieved, I took my figure of them into my arms, a tear streaming down my face, and kissed them on the head - at last, we would be united.

Since the fuss I was making was pretty impossible to miss, I told my family members in the next room what was up, and a few of them curiously came over after I had woken Legion in the AI core. All of them reacted very warm-heartedly to seeing Legion "in person", and I could tell they were immensely happy for me. (Meanwhile, Legion was probably wondering what they did to earn such a warm welcome from organics. xD)

In fact, I was so excited that I almost fainted the next night. To put it matter-of-factly, my body had lost a lot of fluid the day before, and my body obviously didn't take it too well. xD (I think Legion would've been quite alarmed and concerned that I almost had what they would call a "total system failure" due to their presence, and I would have to spend an extra half-an hour explaining "It's fine - I was just really happy." ^^)

From then on, whenever I was playing the game, I would always have Legion's figure standing next to me. It's usually standing to my right, on my desk, but whenever I played ME2, I would take them out of their packaging (which I kept to protect them from dust) and place them so they would be able to watch. My thought was that it would be really sweet if Legion was able to watch their own playtime, and since their mere presence meant that they had a permanent free pass for one of the spots in my squad, that pretty much comprised the entire rest of the game. (It led to a funny “conflict” between Legion and my desk lamp, though; I don't have that much space on my desk, so I always had to move my lamp out of the way to make room for Legion. We eventually came to an arrangement, though. ^^)

With Legion being so close to me, I came to notice that the figure itself has a peculiar scent. At first, I thought it was plasticizer, but it wasn't quite like that, and not nearly as unpleasant - rather, it's kind of reminiscent of the smell of a pencil when you write on paper. (I quite like the smell of pencil writing, so perhaps that's why it triggered such a positive reaction in me.) I noticed the smell seems to come from the hard parts, possibly from the paint. I don't know if the black paint of Legion's plating would smell anything like this in real life, but if it did, I wouldn't be displeased about it. :-)

Despite ME2 having probably the most boring side missions of the saga (if Legion was in ME1, it would easily be one of my favorite games of all time), I cherished every second I had with them - to me, just being at their side was pure bliss. Still, although I did my best to extend the time you have with Legion as much as I could without mods, I ultimately had to say goodbye to them - nevertheless, I decided I wouldn't leave them without a proper farewell party. So, I got myself a bottle of wine, went to every hub world in ME2 where you can buy yourself some booze, and took a shot in each bar I went to with Shepard, with my mom as a special guest. It was honestly one of the most fun gaming experiences I've ever had, and the little misadventure I had in Omega even inspired me to write a fanfic about it.

After my little dance night with Legion (because as far as I was concerned, that's what it was), the time to say farewell had finally come - but not without one last dance. :-)

The "marriage"

The only thing that was missing, really, was that Legion couldn't come to my cabin. If you romance any of the other squadmates in ME2, you can invite them to your cabin after the Suicide Mission. However, since Legion isn't romanceable, that's impossible to do with them. Though, in all honesty, I wouldn't have a single problem moving my cabin to the AI core. (I always liked the ambience of that room, and if I could, I totally would’ve laid down on the bench behind Legion to sleep. Can you imagine Legion standing guard over me, shushing anyone who potentially enters the room so as not to disturb my "rest cycle"? xD)

Besides, what is "romance" to a Geth, anyway? I doubt the conventional human definition of romance would mean anything to them, much less sexual interaction. Anything they'd do in such a relationship, they would be doing purely to satisfy my own organic desires, and such a one-sided relationship is not something I personally want.

To be honest, I didn't even want anything from Legion on a sexual or romantic level - if that was the case, I would have chosen an organic as my partner. Nevertheless, what I felt for Legion was still the most intense thing I've ever felt in my entire life. (A huge part of the credit for my realization that I'm acespec also goes to Legion.) My love for Legion is more on a spiritual than on a bodily level (though I do find their shell very aesthetic), and though I frequently said that I wanted to "marry" Legion, what I had in mind with "marriage" was more akin to what Motoko and the Puppet Master do in Ghost in the Shell - that is, a fusion of spirits. (The Ghost in the Shell main theme is actually a Bulgarian wedding song, which was chosen by the makers of the movie because it's meant to get rid of all evil influences and ensure luck for what's to come - essentially, it was meant to bless the unification of Motoko and the Puppet Master. For some reason, I thought that sounded very alluring.)

The best thing about this is that Legion would probably not only be able to understand what I mean by that, but also be very amenable to the concept. As a Gestalt intellect, the interlinking of programs and exchange of information is a core part of their existence, and I think they would be charmed - if a Geth can be charmed in any way - that I wish to "join their Consensus".

However, even with the parameters of our relationship figured out, that still didn't change the fact that I couldn't enter one with them in-game. So, I had to get a little creative - I thought to myself "If the exchange of runtimes/technology is comparable to "marriage" in Geth terms, would it count if I was using the same equipment and skills as Legion?" So, I got myself the Geth Shield Boost in ME2 (which was a godsend for me on a gameplay level as well, since I had been missing my shield boost from ME1), and since I was playing a soldier, I chose the M-98 Widow rifle as an upgrade on the Collector ship.

Thus, I had pieces of Legion, and Legion had a piece of me - if you want to consider the N7 armor as such (I actually interpret Legion picking up the armor as a "proposal/expression of desire for convergence", to put it simply). Since it was an identical piece that we both owned, I used to call the Widow our “wedding ring" (if you wanted, you could say that name carries a cruel irony given what happens in ME3). So, by Geth standards and as far as I was concerned, we were married - the game engine simply failed to recognize it.

Another thing you get in ME if you romance someone is a photo of them in your cabin. Once again, due to our union not being officially recognized, this is something I was lacking. However, just after finishing ME2, I got the spontaneous idea to check eBay for Legion merch again, and as it happens, I managed to get a hold of one of the limited canvas prints BioWare released in 2021. It’s a spectacular piece of art, and I can confirm it looks absolutely stunning in real life as well - Legion's headlight literally seems to "glow" when light falls onto the picture.

Pictures of the canvas print back when I received it in 2023.

So, while Shepard may get a picture of their love interest in their cabin, I got a picture of Legion in my actual cabin - in max size format. ;-)

The "holy trinity"

The portrait was also what completed my “holy trinity of Legion artifacts”. I’ve got three images of Legion in my room: the portrait, the figure, and the figure’s box (the art on the box looks so pretty that I just had to keep it in my room; besides, it belongs to Legion’s figure, so I would never discard it).

All of them are placed in a way that no matter where I am in my room, I can always look at them: The portrait hangs on the wall right opposite of my bed, so Legion is the first thing I see when I wake up in the morning. Whenever I’m sitting on my bed and look slightly to the right, I’m greeted with the sight of Legion’s box. When sitting at my desk, I just have to take a glance to the right to admire their figure.

What makes this even better is that my Legion items are actually arranged in a way that forms a triangle (quite fitting since the symbol of the Geth Consensus - or at least the Geth Armory - is also a triangle). Technically, this is more a coincidence than anything else, since I just put them wherever there was space in my room. xD However, I like to view it in the same way as Legion perfectly blending in with the dark blue and black shades of my room (my comfort colors): It was meant to be.

And that’s how I met Legion - granted, my relationship with them has many more facets, but if I was supposed to write down all of that, I could fill an entire book.

With fictosexuality being recognized as a thing, people have become somewhat more open to the idea that you can legitimately fall in love with a fictional character. Nevertheless, I'm perfectly aware that many people probably consider my relationship with Legion impossible on multiple levels.

"You can't love a fictional character - that's not real love."

"You can't love a robot - it can't reciprocate your love."

"You can't romance Legion in Mass Effect 2 - that's not possible."

However, I somehow found a way to overcome all of these various tiers of impossible, and the result was an experience that was so sweet, so intimate, and so special that it’s beyond any description.

I will openly admit there are some things that are, and will most likely forever remain, practically and realistically impossible - like, I’m not going to stand here and claim that I would ever be able to physically meet Legion, in our reality. However, with just enough creativity and imagination, many things can be made possible - and even if Legion is not real, my feelings for them are.

[m0chitown]

🕷 Redback Spider | EARTH-90605: Manila, Philippines, 1968.

It's a change of scenery, hm? Welcome to Manila. It's 1968, and it's as hot as you can imagine it to be in a tropical nation. Oh, yeah, no, don't expect yourself to be slick and sneaky with your arrival-Word can get around everywhere in a second! And within those seconds, you're already family.

"Anak, meron kang alikabok sa ulo mo, halika dito, aayusin ko lang your buhok mo."

(My child, you have dust on your head, come here, let me just fix your hair.)

"Ang ganda mo talaga!"

(You're so totally pretty!)

"Foreigner ka ba?"

(Are you a foreigner?)

"Gutom ka ba? Gusto mo ba ng Halo-halo?"

(Are you hungry? Would you like some Halo-halo?)

I love Halo-halo...Anyways, allow me to introduce myself! I am known as RB. I was bitten by an extraterrestrial Redback spider. His name is Kanan, and what makes him extraterrestrial is his Symbiote form he injected on the right side of my neck, hence his name. He bit me when I got caught in my own web, being cornered by my boss and his subordinates from a mafia I work for...

Let's rewind a bit...

I work as a sketch artist for the police department. Can't do much with the pay that I have, especially with my circumstances of being both a woman and of a lower class. my Tito(Uncle) Aaron, works as a bartender at a pretty okay saloon. Our pay is enough to allow us to sustain ourselves in this grand, lively city despite the state of our economy so, it works out. Thing is, my Papa, my grandfather, was KIA during WWII and left me and my uncle a large sum of money we keep for absolute emergencies. As far as we knew, we were the only ones who knew about his inheritance until a little later down the line when I'd get surrounded and pinned to a wall by men in suits in a dark alleyway. Cliche, I know, I told them that too. They introduced themselves as Papa's former subordinates who were left with distasteful lives because of Papa's business with them. Until this day, I have yet to find out what tainted my Papa from being someone other than a sweet military guy but they threatened to hit the nail on my own coffin and harm my Tito in addition if I declined their offer to not only provide my Papa's old documents but to become their hitman. Someone who could do their dirty work for them in order to take down other mafia rings and eventually rise to the top as millionaires.

...

So...I took the option to withdraw those threats. I joined the mafia as their new hitman, all while having to keep this all from my Tito. It was rough, I couldn't take anyone's life just like that, and that is where we left off. With Kanan, such a transformation as such into a Spider-Person was gorey and unsettling, to say the least.

Kanan told me not to worry about it. Not to worry about them.

And the next thing I remember was my vision blacking out and gaining my own conscious back to shaking my boss' hand surrounded by the pools of mixed blood around us.

I'm still a sketch artist, and I'm still a hitman. And I'm still the RB. Needless to say, I've grown desensitized to my double life. I've gotten to be a better hitman, but it's not something I'm proud of and it's never going to be something I will be proud of. And one day, I'm going to bring this entire mafia down with me.

I'm just glad I'm not alone.

And, well, you know the rest!

Thanks, Kanan.

AAAAA This was super fun to write! And I'm so excited now that my Spidersona is finished!! :,,] It was a tough process seeing as I had to do a lot of self-reflection within myself as I don't typically have a reason to study myself and how I'm structured. It was especially difficult before as I used to shy away from analyzing myself too much due to past insecurities so putting everything I have in a character and realizing how pretty she truly is makes me want to cry :,0 I can't change the way of how I look much, not like I can play Tetris with my bone structure LMAO but it feels really good to be able to put my insecurities off and make a character I now love a lot :,,]

Translations of Baybayin: "Kanan," "Grabe...," "RB"

[killinggamebusters]

Alright the humors worn out and now I'm gonna roast this anon entire manifesto before blocking them, TW under cut for lots of nastiness and mentions of torture and death threats and abuse, I shouldn't even give them this honor but honestly I want to be able to roast them forever and have something to point back too and also with my memory I'd start to question if this even happened and that's no fun!

"If you fully admitted that you ship abuse as a coping mechanism and DIDN'T glorify Ouma, didn't reblog shit about how "actually he and Gonta were totally good friends, even though Kokichi constantly abused him, drove him to despair and savored every moment of his execution". Kokichi is a subhuman monster and the only person in all fiction that ACTUALLY DESERVES to suffer through Gold Experience Requiem's infinite death loop. You are a disgusting piece of human garbage that fully deserves to die"

Incredibly funny of you to fucking put a jojo reference in you saying about how awful kokichi is, Dio is worse, I am shipping you with the anon who won't stop calling Kaito a rapist on one of my other blogs. Anyways he's a kiddo in a killing game with a murder total of like 2, he did bad things but, like, saying he's the worst character in all of fiction when making a jojo reference is fucking wild, Dio is right there!! Literally kicking dogs!!!!! Kokichi doesn't kick dogs and is thus an inherently better person

"Have you ever heard of a torture called scaphism? Here's the lovely description: "The king decreed that Mithridates should be put to death in boats; which execution is after the following manner: Taking two boats framed exactly to fit and answer each other, they lie down in one of them the malefactor that suffers, upon his back; then, covering it with the other, and so setting them together that the head, hands, and feet of him are left outside, and the rest of his body lies shut up within, they"

Wow you are so bad at actually explaining things within an ask, you could have summed this up in like 15 words, "its where they shut everything but your hands head and feet in a boat" get to the fucking POINT

"hey find his flesh devoured, and swarms of such noisome creatures preying upon and, as it were, growing to his inwards. In this way Mithridates, after suffering for seventeen days, at last expired." This is what you deserve. "Shou Tucker is totes a good father to Nina that loves her so so much and he TOTALLY HAD to turn her into a chimera because he had no other option" that's what you sound like. Kokichi is a worse person than fucking Junko, because at least Junko forced her classmates and"

God you took so many words to say "you should be eaten and suffer for 17 days" who caressss about the history oh my god im bored to TEARS. Also at least Kokichi's plan worked, Shou Tucker is the shittiest alchemist in the series. I'm also not even sure if this method would work, i would simple manage to get loose, i am built different mithridates.

What did this dude even do im curious now, PFF LOOKING IT UP YOU DIDN'T EVEN GET THE DETAILS RIGHT BITCH WHERE'S MY HONEY AND MILK, ITS NOT EVEN A REAL BOAT IT'S HOLLOW LOGS, there's no even real proof this torture even existed god you're bad at this you might as well shut me in an iron maiden , also the guy killed a guy i guess, I don't actually care, but anyway you wouldn't even do it right I'd be fine

"sister into a killing game BECAUSE SHE GENUINELY LOVED THEM and killing them and making them suffer was a way to bring herself as much despair as possible. Kokichi, however, is just a sadist that enjoys everyone's suffering and doesn't even feel despair when others die. Everything he does is for his own amusement, not for ANY altruistic motive. He PURPOSELY drove Gonta to despair just to see him suffer. He made him kill Miu just so he would see Gonta's despair when he's exposed and executed for"

Did she end the world because she loved them? did she have her sister murder an entire middle school out of love? Did she pluck a guys eye out of love and make him eat it out of love? Did she have the entire student council massacred out of love? Junko deserves better don't drag her into this, she wants to be seen as evil and despairing stop woobifying her it's hurting her. Kokichi's motive was survival, and even if you disagree with that, he says multiple times and in his final words how he was lying to himself to survive. However, even if that WASNT TRUE or it was ALL A LIE his death count is once again two whole people, Maki got two people killed out of sadism as well but I don't see you yelling about her. Even if he was the most evil person ever, he again, only got TWO PEOPLE KILLED, that's NOTHING. Even if he was a sadist who only wanted to torment and hurt people, he ain't the mastermind, and he didn't get to actually do a lot of tormenting. Everything you are saying about Kokichi, is just Junko, and you seem to love her. Hypocrite.

"for killing her. He ENJOYED EVERY SINGLE MOMENT of Gonta's suffering and anguish. Kokichi's crying for Gonta was so obviously fake it is sickening. And don't mention the DRS. They flattened Genocide Jack and Tenko's characters into "bYaKuYa!!!111" and "fUk MaLeS!!!!111" and portrayed Junko, Monaca and Kokichi as almost normal people and not the monsters they actually are in canon. So don't even talk to me like this somehow proves that Kokichi would be friends with Gonta outside the killing game."

Buddy who even brought up Danganronpa S? Wasn't me, they don't even have many interactions in DRS, everything I'm talking about here is straight from the base game don't worry. Also Monaca is like 10. You have got to get better at formatting this it's so hard to follow. Even if Kokichi enjoyed all that suffering, Mikan is right there, having her kills actually be about despair, and yet you only focus on Kokichi like this is a unique sin, curious.

"You deserve to rot in the garbage, eaten by maggots. You don't deserve to be treated as a human being, to have human rights. You are a piece of garbage. You deserve to have your bones shattered and left to rot in a garbage container.You are an abuse apologist and a victim blamer.Kokichi just used Gonta as a tool because Gonta's nonexistent social skills, his low self esteem and desire to do ANYTHING to be useful, to finally be able to help his friends made him a perfect target for Kokichi."

I am at MOST an abuse apologist by your logic as I have never once said Gonta deserved to die, just that Gonta made his choice and even afterwards of getting caught he didn't regret it. It's not abuse though, it never was abuse, abuse is a PATTERN of behavior, one incident, two if you count the meet and greet, is not enough to set that pattern in stone. Especially when Gonta already got his revenge for the meet and greet.

While Gonta was the perfect target, it's not abuse, that's not what abuse is. Kokichi flashed Gonta with the light and told him his plan, while he definitely was manipulative, that's not abuse. You're just spouting buzzwords at this point. Also incredibly funny to call ME the abuse apologists when YOU'RE sending me graphic death threats, like buddy, I don't know how to tell you that you're the aggressor here

Kokichi never cared about Gonta.You deserve to die a slow, agonizing death by getting your guts pulled out. Everyone would be happy if you died. Everyone. Your father, your mother, your siblings, you are just a burden for them. They would be really happy if you died.

HA that's so fucking weak, you don't know me or my situation, you don't know my friends. Sorry you have friends who would disown you for shipping something they don't like, my friends enable and care about me. While my parents are incredibly patient and kind with me. Getting my guts pulled out is kinda erotic though can you do it tenderly for me? I mean not like I'd ask you, I know exactly which friend I'd go to if I wanted someone to hold my guts tenderly.

Gonta himself said that he doesn't trust Kokichi anymore after Chapter 2's events. Most likely, he doesn't even consider Kokichi his friend. I don't know where you the idea that they were "FRIENDS UWU" in any way. They weren't. Kokichi's tears for Gonta were clearly COMPLETELY FAKE, only meant to give his evil rant more impact to maake others believe that maybe he did care about Gonta after all only to make his reveal more painful. It very clearly ISN'T genuine in any way.

Boy howdy I love how things are up to interpretation in this series and how people can have rational discussions about how they perceive the same event. Just kidding, you're unhinged! Anyways you can not trust someone but also still care about them Gonta did not want Kokichi to die, Gonta cares about all of his classmates, Gonta cares. To assume otherwise goes against everything Gonta stands for. He's not a toddler, he can have nuance about people. He's a smarter lad then you give him credit for.

Gonta was groomed and manipulated into becoming a murder weapon. He's not to blame for Miu's death AT ALL. Gonta was manipulated. Manipulation isn't just forcing someone to do it with a threat. Kokichi wrongfully convinced him that it was for the better, taking advantage of Gonta's low self-esteem and desperation to help others. You've never been manipulated or abused in your life if you're saying Gonta could've just declined. It's not easy to just decline your abuser. Abusers can pressure you

Not what grooming means in the slightest but thanks for trying. You're just repeating yourself at this point, pathetic. Everyone was desperate that trial, what happened is a tragedy, but to deny Gonta any blame is to deny Gonta any agency he is not a helpless toddler. He is AWARE Kokichi is a liar, he is AWARE of what Kokichi does, and even if he is manipulated, he categorically does not regret as alter ego gonta, he's so sad it happened, but he still thinks its for the best they don't know the truth. Gonta agreed with Kokichi that there is no happy ending with the knowledge of the outside world.

And as for when Gonta says "Don't blame Kokichi anymore", you'd be a complete moron to trust GONTA in this situation. Gonta is THE LEAST VALID PERSON to trust in this case. Have you ever heard of Stockholm Syndrome? Many real-life cases of abuse have similar patterns of victims. While Stockholm syndrome is commonly associated with a hostage or kidnapping situation, it can apply to abusive relationships, when the abuse victim begins to express love for their abuser.

Stockholm Syndrome isn't fucking real, it's a fun trope, but it was not, and never was real. Please do research. It's basically the modern day hysterical woman, oh my god. Even if it was true, that's not how it is even theorized to work, the plan took place over like, less then an hour, that's not enough time for ANYTHING to set in. For what you're theorizing to even have a chance to be true they would have to be locked together in this scheme for DAYS. Please google fawn response as well, you'd have better luck making a point with that.

Gonta says to not blame Kokichi because Gonta knows he made his own choice, and would make it again, and most importantly, he wants everyone to GET ALONG. He doesn't want Kokichi to be hated, he wants everyone happy. This isn't him being "omg kokichi is so special rawrxD" its "im going to die, and all i ever wanted was everyone here happy, so please, don't hate each other"

And then I guess the spam filter or whatever stopped them from sending anymore because that's a weird place to end it. Anyways this was very cathartic for me and I may do a research paper on this in the future.

TLDR; we should like, have kids and see what they think of gonta and ouma that'd be fascinating

[nuoyipeach]

Carry My Name

Chapter 3

Park Sooyoung X Nakamoto Yuta

warnings: mature things;)

Much to their delight, both Sooyoung and Yuta matched each other's pace in many aspects, from humour, to antics, to love language, and even love making. Just a week into their marriage, and the young mafia leader couldn't keep his hands off his wife, needing to have her within reach almost all the time. He just wanted to be able to feel her whenever he desired.

But he knew his promise for her comfort, to keep her out and away from the works and involvement of the mafia life. They had moved back to Osaka on the third day, and he allowed her time to get accustomed to the new environment with the help of his stepbrother.

In the meantime, he also prepared to grant her wish, an admission to the best degree for business, where he might have made a large donation to let her finish faster. When revealing the surprise to her, Sooyoung was over the moon in joy, tearing up as she crashed into him for a hug, causing them both to fall onto the ground. She didn't care, sitting up on his pelvis and proceeded to kiss the life out of him all over his face, cheeks, lips, nose, forehead, wherever possible.

"I love you love you love you so much." she continued professing her love in between kisses, and Yuta simply laid in delight, hands resting on her hips, enjoying the moment to the fullest.

"You can attend online too if you want." his sudden words caused her to stop and look at him confused. He caught her doubtful eyes, and quickly answered. "I mean, you can go to campus, but you'll have at least two guards with you all the time you're out, and I know you won't like that every minute you're there. Plus, I just thought doing it online would give you enough spare time to work on your business."

He saw her eyes widen as Sooyoung sat upright, and he followed pushing himself up on one arm while the other kept hold of her hips still.

She was further confused, but also shocked if he meant what she thinks he meant. But she also didn't want to have high expectations. Then again, Yuta seemed to raise them every time anyways. Her mind became clouded as too many thoughts ran through, and as always when deep in thought, she bit her bottom lip.

"Sweetheart no." he whispered, and took his arm off the floor behind him, and like before, pulled her lip out, thumb grazing over it. "I'm setting up a start up for you. I know you want the certification, but we all know you're much more experienced already by now having followed around your father all this time. I trust that you'll make it big, so I figured it would be good for you to start the business now."

Her hands which had been resting on his chest the whole time dropped down to her lap, gripping her shorts as she processed everything he had just said.

He's starting up the business... my business... but it's his start up...

"Yuta but..." she shook her head, "I don't want you spending so much on me like that. I don't mind working a few years and building from ground myse-" she stopped, getting cut off when he pushed his thumb over both her lips, his now common loving smile appearing on his own. His hands moved to cup her face, pulling her in for a quick kiss, before he spoke as their noses still touched.

"I know you can do all that. But, you were stripped away your chances for many years now, and I want to be the one to give them to you in the best way possible that you deserve." his thumb stroked her cheek as they stared into each other's eyes, and Sooyoung felt like it was no one but them in this world. "I'll be investing in it from now, but it's completely yours, and once you build it up I'll become a shareholder."

Her brows furrowed hearing the long term plan. "Why?"

"I know you'd feel this way, as if taking advantage of my help. By becoming a shareholder not only will you be protected in case some other groups get the idea to come at you, but I'll also be getting back a small sum to put away for savings." he watched her expression, relieved when she finally smiled and nodded. He released her face and pulled her into his embrace, both their arms wrapped around each other in a tight hug.

Sooyoung never thought she could feel this content and comforted, in the arms of a man with her head pressed against his chest, able to hear his heartbeat that oddly calmed her more. And she definitely never thought she would be able to finally reach so much of her dream in a somewhat fair manner all thanks to a mafia leader.

She snuggled into him more as he laid back down on the rug on the floor. "What would you be saving all that for?" she asked out her inner thoughts, smiling when feeling the vibrations of his chest as he chuckled.

Yuta sneaked a hand under her shirt, tracing her back while the other went up to her hair and pet it. "Well, you're doing this business clean for other children, so I thought I'd do my part for our own." he laughed more when her head popped up and she stared at him shocked. "We don't know when it'll happen, but when it does, I want to be able to give my children the best things away from our line of work."

Sooyoung scoffed, laying her head back down while her fingers played with the pendant on his necklace. "Aren't you already rich?" she asked a little sarcastically, until she noticed the serious look on his face.

"I am, but you told me about how you wanted your career to be cut from all this, and I decided I’ll do the same." he dipped his head down a little to face her, their eyes meeting in their favourite loving gazes. "The money I invest in yours will be from my personal savings, which is still a lot so don't worry about that. And whatever I have left and still grow, I want to use on our children. It won't be mafia or family money, but their own parents'."

> 

After many months of spending this new life, Sooyoung couldn't have been happier finally being able to do whatever she wanted all this time. She figured out about Yuta's donation to let her graduate faster too, and though a little reluctant at first, she figured what good was it having a loving mafia husband if not enjoying the advantages.

One of those being weekly dates. Yuta would be taking her out every Saturday to make up for the weekdays he was busy, spoiling her with the best food, or renting out an entire store just for her to have privacy to shop. On the occasions he had the chance to, he'd even whisk her away on his jet to trips around the world, usually to accompany him on work trips.

Like this day, as the couple retired to their hotel in Rome after an event he had been invited to, Sooyoung suddenly pushed her husband to sit on the bed before climbing on his lap and crashing her lips onto his, grinding her hips against his pelvis.

"Oh God..." Yuta groaned, hand doing quick work at removing the clothes off his wife, then his own. She suddenly pushed him to lay down, hands grabbing his beside his head, and he could only smirk. "What's on your mind, Mrs Nakamoto?"

Nearing two years of being together, Sooyoung had grown confident in herself after spending time with him, including in bed. She smiled seductively, hands tracing down his body, continuing movements of her hips causing her husband to groan and his hands flying down to grip her hips tight.

"You're always so good to me, Yu-san." she had picked up the nickname for him a few months into their marriage, and has used it ever since when seeing how much he loved it. "Let me take care of you today." her words came out breathy.

"Oh sweetheart..." Yuta spoke through groaning and gasping. "F*ck I'm the luckiest man in the world." he smiled up at her, his stomach feeling as if several animals had been released inside let alone butterflies. He was so irrevocably in love with his wife, sometimes being made fun of when he couldn't keep his hands off of her in public, but he didn't care. There's no shame in showing your wife you love her no matter the location.

Few hours later, the couple laid in bed under the duvet naked, Yuta on his back with his wife on top of him, holding her close to himself with her head resting on his shoulder. He turned to her, leaving soft kisses over her forehead and head, wherever he could reach, causing her to stir half asleep with a smile on her face as she snuggled closer.

Sooyoung felt her life was almost perfect to the final dot. She had an amazing, loving husband who spared no expense taking care of her, while also helping her reach her dream career without pushing boundaries. Her business was slowly taking off as well, and she had just attended her graduation two months ago. She was also finally able to untie herself from the daily mafia life, leaving her a sense of calm and peace. Sure she attended a few events with Yuta, or would be involved during super important things like family meetings, but otherwise she was kept away just as he promised.

"Yu-san..." he hummed in response to her soft calling, and she slowly lifted her head slightly to look at him, a lazy smile on her lips. "I love you." >>>